Free One Night With a Cowboy by Cat Johnson

too. But she hadn’t noticed this woman here before. Maybe they hadn’t
     expected her to come.
    She glanced at Emma to find her sister looking as shocked as she did. Becca forced
     herself to be calm as she asked, “Which one is your husband?”
    “Dillon McMann. He’s the one in the pink shirt.”
    “Oh. Mmm, hmm. I can see him. Nice shirt.” Becca finally let herself breathe.
    “I’m Cassie, by the way, and this is our daughter Cheyenne.” The girl, who looked
     young enough to still be in college, if not high school, just like the rest of the
     females back behind the chutes, jostled the baby. “Can you see Daddy? He’s going to
     be up soon, baby girl.”
    After shooting Emma a glance filled with relief, Becca drew in a long breath and tried
     to slow her speeding heart, which only kicked up again as the clash of metal hitting
     metal made her jump. Then Jace and the bull were out from behind the confines of the
     chute and spinning into the middle of the dirt-covered arena.
    The ride went so fast, Becca felt as if she’d blinked and missed it. One minute Jace
     was being flung around like a ragdoll, and the next he was on the ground and running
     for the fence with a bull hot on his heels.
    “Way to go, Jace!” Next to her, Cassie yelled above the cheers of the crowd. It seemed
     no one but Becca was disturbed that Jace was clinging to a railing six feet high while
     a horned bull circled the ground below him, as if waiting for him to get down so he
     could charge.
    “What just happened with Jace?” Becca asked, not sure if it was a good ride or a bad
     ride. “I’m Becca, by the way.”
    “He covered his ride.” Cassie frowned. “You’re here with Jace tonight?”
    What to say to that?
    “Um, no. Well not really.” She glanced at Emma for help.
    “Jace and Tucker saw how bad our seats were, so they invited us down here to watch
     with them. I’m Emma, Becca’s sister.”
    “Hi, there.” Cassie nodded. “So, you’re out-of-towners and first time at a rodeo?”
    “Yes.” Apparently that was obvious to everyone. If she did get this job, she was probably
     going to have to work to look more like she fit in.
    “Good score for Jace. Eighty-six.” Cassie got a faraway look in her eyes as she listened
     to the announcer’s babble, most of which went right over Becca’s head.
    “Oh, that’s good.” Not that Becca would know a good score from a bad one. “So, uh,
     Tucker should be up soon.”
    Another gate clanged open and she jumped once again at the sound. As one more cowboy
     and bull charged out of the chute and into the arena, her gaze swept the group of
     men. She was looking for one in particular and was having trouble finding him.
    “Yeah, he’s climbing into the chute now.”
    She had been so busy worrying and talking, she’d missed that. The cowboys were once
     again all clustered around one chute, and it was impossible to make out what was happening
     inside it. “This is nerve-racking. I don’t know how you can be married to one of them
     and watch him do this.”
    Cassie laughed. “You get used to it. It’s in their blood. Most of these guys would
     rather go without food than not ride. And believe me, during the lean years when he
     was hurt a lot or having a bad streak, it’s actually been a choice between paying
     an entrance fee or eating that night.”
    “Wow.” Becca had had no idea. And here she’d been letting them buy her and Emma drinks
     and food all night. Not that she was much better off financially since her unfortunate
     termination, but still. She leaned toward Emma. “We’re paying for drinks at the bar
     later.”
    Emma nodded. “Definitely.” She must have been listening to the conversation, too.
    Sexy but poor. Becca knew that no man—not cowboys in general, or Tucker in particular—could
     be totally perfect. There had to be something wrong and now she knew what. Cowboys,
     and most likely Tucker as well, had no money . . . but at least