Free Surprise by Tinder James Page B

Tantalus’ water glass, so close she could nearly sip them.
    â€œBest way to get over someone is to get under someone,” Dina whispered, giving herself in to a searing embrace. Leslie’s mouth was hot, her kiss fierce. It mixed Dina up until she felt thoroughly liquid and smooth.
    When Leslie backed away, it was too soon. “Is that all you’ve heard?”
    â€œI don’t know…” Dina stammered, eyes closed, senses reeling. Maybe Leslie was fishing for compliments? “I’ve heard you’re the best cowboy on the circuit.”
    â€œCow girl, ” Leslie snapped. Without notice, her countenance turned harsh. She wasn’t looking at Dina anymore, her gaze was locked on her oxblood and tan cowboy boots kicking up dust underfoot.
    â€œNot the way you ride!” Dina cheered. “I’ve never seen a girl do calf roping before. They don’t let women into competition at the Stampede, except in the barrel racing, but what fun is that? Christ, you’re so rough-and-tumble you could easily compete against the men. I bet you’d take the cake.”
    That was obviously the wrong thing to say, because Leslie Goosemoon turned on her heels and walked away, her long black ponytail whipping side to side. She hadn’t gone six strides before turning around. “Go to hell.”
    Strutting off, she stopped again but didn’t turn around this time. Her voice broke as she shouted, “I don’t ride with the boys. Not anymore.” She didn’t look back as she marched toward the parking lot where her trusty pickup awaited. When she slammed its rusty door, Dina jumped.
    Perplexed, she watched Leslie drive off. What else could she do? She hadn’t expected the great Leslie Goosemoon to be so volatile, and it haunted her all the way back to Aunt Jo’s old farmhouse. Even as she opened the front door those baffling words burned her brain.
    â€œHow was the rodeo?” Aunt Jo asked from the open kitchen.
    â€œPretty good. You should have come with.”
    â€œScrabble tournament’s not going to run itself, kiddo.”
    â€œI think I’ll check out day two tomorrow. Want to join me?”
    Setting down her menacing carrot-chopping knife, Aunt Jo replied, “Tomorrow’s my turn to lead Yoga for Seniors. And, hey, I had to force you to take in the rodeo in the first place, and now you’re champing at the bit for the next installment? What happened, see a boy you liked?
    â€œA girl,” Dina wanted to say, but the words stuck like a fishbone in her throat.
    â€œI need to look something up on the Internet, Auntie.”
    â€œOff to the library with you, brat!” Aunt Jo chuckled. “Jeeze, my favorite niece comes to visit for the long weekend and spends the whole time out on the prowl!”
    â€œIf you weren’t such a Luddite, I wouldn’t have to leave the house just to check my e-mail. I don’t know how you survive without a computer.”
    â€œLike my parents, and their parents, and their parents before them.”
    Â 
    Dina sat down at the library computer with one eye on the clock. Fifteen minutes to closing time. Into the search engine she typed: Leslie Goosemoon. The results made her gasp. Page after page of competition stats, articles and commentary, some positive but most not. Leslie Goosemoon had competed with the boys because Leslie Goosemoon had been a boy.
    Pale-faced, Dina clicked the window closed and her throat released one of those impossible-to-contain shrieks. The librarian in a cat sweater shot her a piercing glare. So did the woman with a mess of orange curls who’d been picking her nose and wiping it into her paperback every time she thought no one was looking. Dina asked the woman in the cat sweater, “Do you know where I could find Leslie Goosemoon?”
    The librarian clicked her teeth. “Some people would tell you he’s from our town, but that is most certainly