Free American Fighter by Veronica Cox, Cox Bundles Page B

there he was in all his hunky glory. Matthew Hendricks was wearing the same outfit she’d seen him in earlier and he seemed to be scanning the crowd for someone.
    He must be here with his sweetheart, she thought glumly as she ducked her head and looked at her pretty, black flats with the yellow polka dots.
    Suddenly, Beatrice was elbowing her in the rib and pointing into the rink. Mary looked up, hoping that Matthew was not hurt, and her gaze met his. He smiled at her warmly, showing bright teeth, strong teeth, and tipped his hat at her as he walked toward the corrals.
    “He saw you,” Beatrice exclaimed excitedly as she sat on the edge of her seat. “Did you see that? He saw you,” she repeated with more gusto. Mary was too stupefied to answer and nodded numbly.
    As Matthew Hendricks neared the stands, he kept his eyes on Mary and they never wandered. Her heart beat in her chest rapidly as the cowboy of her newfound dreams hoisted himself up and hung on the railing with ease. He smiled at her and motioned for her to lean forward. Mary pointed her finger at herself and mouthed the word, “me?”
    He nodded and she felt heat rising to her cheeks. Surely this was some sort of joke and he’d make fun of her when she was in earshot. People who liked to embarrass her always made sure she was able to hear; otherwise, it wouldn’t be fun.
    “Meet me after the show,” he yelled to her over the roar of the crowd. Mary wasn’t able to respond before the steer was let loose and he dodged its deadly horns.
    Matt won the grand prize at the rodeo and made eye contact with only her while he hoisted it into the air.
    Unable to take her eyes off him, she wondered what he wanted to talk to her about after the show. Suddenly, her mouth was very dry and she found she finished her soda before he even left the ring. When the end of the show came, she wanted to hide in the bathroom until she was sure everyone had left, but Beatrice made sure she didn’t.
    “Here he comes,” she announced gleefully as Mary tried to make herself inconspicuous beside a trash can. She looked up expectantly and saw the handsome cowboy walking in her direction.
    When he was standing in front of her, she had no doubt he really did mean her when he’d asked her to meet him after the show. “Hi there, my name’s Matthew Hendricks, but everyone just calls me Matt,” he stuck out his hand and she was too polite to not take it.
    “H-Hello,” she stammered. Then she realized he was waiting for a name, “America Wade, but everyone calls me Mary.”

Chapter Three
    Matthew had asked her out on a date and she’d agreed dumbly. Now she was standing in her bedroom, looking around for a dress or a pair of slacks that would be appropriate to wear when a cowboy was taking her out for dinner. Beatrice huffed as she waded through Mary’s clothing and tried to find something that was sexy and yet not so revealing that Mary would feel embarrassed.
    “What about this one?” she asked as she held up a red dress with a black sash around the waist.
    “It makes me look like a fat cherry,” Mary complained. Then she picked up a black dress that barely showed any cleavage and Beatrice immediately rolled her eyes.
    “No way, not that one. What about this?” Beatrice held up a dark green dress that was floor length without sleeves. Mary knew she’d feel pretty in it for a few seconds before she felt like a whale, so she nodded.
    Beatrice turned around while Mary changed because she knew her friend wouldn’t want her spying at her naked. When she was finished, Mary told her it was safe to turn around and Beatrice clapped her hands together one as she oohed. “It’s gorgeous! He’s not going to know what hit him,” her best friend, the cheerleader, tried to make her feel beautiful.
    Mary applied most of her own makeup while Beatrice pulled her hair up and curled it in the back. By the time she was finished, Mary had sleek curls that hit her shoulders and her face was