Free Crazy for Cowboy by Roxy Boroughs Page A

indefinitely. Not if he wanted a real relationship with her.
    If only she wasn’t so stuck on cowboys.
    As he maneuvered the horse around, he concentrated on the solution, rather than the problem. It didn’t matter what she thought of his alter ego. He was going to tell her who he really was. As soon as the opportunity presented itself.
    He’d test the waters during their date. If he could steer the conversation in the right direction, he could make an opportunity happen. And he’d planned the perfect setting for it. A place where Emily would feel right at home.
    Brandon pulled on the reins and brought Smokey to a stop in front of the barn.
    “Ya done good,” Sam praised, offering the horse a carrot.
    “Yeah, I’m feeling much more comfortable in the saddle.”
    Sam squinted up at him. “I’m not talkin’ ‘bout yur ridin’. I’m talkin’ ‘bout yur gettin’ Doctor Em t’ wear a dress.”
    Sam tilted his head to the right. Brandon took the hint and looked in the same direction.
    There she was, standing alone at the top of the hill, the bottom of her dress swirling gently around her knees.
    Brandon urged the horse forward. Damn but she looked good, soft and alluring, her glorious hair cascading down her shoulders in a gentle wave. A grin spread across his face. She’d dressed up for him. The date was on.
    “Watch it, son,” Sam called after him. “Watch yur seat. Ya gotta move with the horse, or else yur gonna end up...”
    “Uhhhhggggg.” Brandon gave the reins a sharp tug and Smokey came to a screeching halt. The sound of Sam’s feet pounding in the dirt closed in fast.
    “Okay, son?”
    Brandon winced.
    “Thought so. Ya gotta watch yur postin’, boy, or else yull bang yur family’s jewels against the horn o’ the saddle.”
    Brandon eased a leg over the horse and dismounted with a grunt. “Yeah, I think I just figured that out.”
    Sam chuckled and clapped him on the back. “It’ll pass. Just remember, it don’t matter how purdy yur lady friend is. Yull be no good t’ her if ya damage yurself in that department.”
    Brandon nodded and, with as much dignity as he could muster, limped over to his date.
    * * *
    “Cowboys?” Emily shot Houston a quizzical look as he pulled into a vacant parking spot near the popular, western-style hangout. Was this really the setting he’d planned for their first date?
    The cowboy bar was the perfect venue for singles to meet, boasted beautiful scenery in the form of staff and clientele, and claimed to offer The Most Fun You Can Have With Your Boots On . But it wasn’t exactly the place to have a leisurely, get-to-know-you chat over a glass of wine. As they walked toward the maroon, stucco building, the sound of music and laughter increased with every step.
    Houston slowed. “I didn’t expect it to be this busy.”
    Was he kidding? Stampede fever had hit the city and the Greatest Little Show on Earth brought a million plus people through its gates each year. Throughout the annual, ten-day exhibition, Cowboys was Party Central. To accommodate all the extra patrons, the establishment pitched a gigantic tent over the adjacent parking lot, piled bales of hay everywhere and let the fun spill outside.
    She and Houston wove their way past the gyrating throng to the main entrance. Ever the gentlemen, he opened the door for her. Emily hesitated for a second then slipped inside. There, with the heavy base beat pounding against the soles of her shoes, she scanned the interior. Through the crowd, she spotted many of her clients and, standing by the corralled-in dance floor, was one of her ex-boyfriends. She led the way to the only empty bistro table she could find, keeping her head down, examining the floor.
    As Houston held her chair and waited for her to sit, Emily sneaked another peek at her ex. He looked like he’d just come from a weeklong cattle run—toned, tanned and trolling for women. His jeans were low enough to show off the crack of his butt and tight