Free Tex Times Ten by Tina Leonard Page B

too. They were notthe people they needed to be to make each other happy.
    She didn’t want him to lose.
    But she didn’t want him to win, either.

Chapter Seven
    When Tex awakened, Cissy was gone. His brothers were eyeballing him, which wasn’t what he’d hoped to see upon opening his eyes. He’d planned on lapping up the lovely Cissy, but that fantasy was dashed thanks to the constant familial fog surrounding him.
    “How do you feel?” Last demanded.
    “Better when I had a girl in here.” He sat up, annoyed. “Did you scare her off?”
    “No. Guess you didn’t have sufficient lockdown on her. Hey, it’s show time, bro,” Navarro said. “By the way, we enjoyed your date. Dates.”
    Archer looked at his irritated brother. “We’ve re-thought our position on helping you out. We don’t want you getting killed by that bull. One of us’ll ride for you. Consider it family duty. Brother salvaging brother.”
    “Nope.” He felt much better since he’d napped with Cissy. All that body warmth against him had soothed his innards. Of course, she’d put a knot in him somewhere else, but that was a good thing. Made him feel like he was alive. Made him feel likeriding a bull. Ten bulls, for that matter. “I can do my own job. Thanks, though.” He went to wash up.
    When he came out, his brothers were perched on his bed. “What?”
    Last handed him a couple of sheets of paper. “Cissy wanted us to give you this. We ran into her at the Never Lonely Cut-n-Gurls.”
    “I thought you were out on my dates, not shopping the competition. Is this a contract?” Tex glanced over the papers with surprise.
    “We were on your dates. But the girls were talking so much about how they despised the Cut-n-Gurls that we decided we had to see what all the uproar was about. So after our luncheon—including the roses you promised, and a little bit of table-dancing—we poked our heads in there. That’s quite a setup,” Last said with admiration. “I wouldn’t mind a trim.”
    His brothers guffawed. Tex glanced up from the document. “This is Cissy’s contract with Marvella.”
    “Apparently so.” Navarro shrugged. “Cissy said she filched it while Marvella was busy with Ant. She said you wanted it.”
    “I do. I want Brian to look it over. Can you go make a copy?” Tex asked. “I think it’s best if I don’t ride off with the only document in existence.”
    “Might not be the only one,” Archer pointed out. He pulled out a lighter and shot a stream of fire from it. “You know, when things disappear, no one can prove that they ever existed.”
    They all chewed on that for a moment. But matters couldn’t be solved by his brother the flame fairy.“Marvella’s too shrewd,” Tex said. “I doubt she has only one original and no copies. It’s too risky.”
    “What’s Brian going to do with it?” Navarro asked.
    “I’m hoping he’ll find a loophole to get Cissy out of the contract. There’s no reason she should have to stay there if she doesn’t want to.”
    “She can quit,” Last said.
    “Not without financial repercussions. And besides, you don’t know Marvella. She’s witchy.” Tex handed the document to Navarro. “I trust you to guard this with your life. Get a copy, and then sneak the original back to Cissy. During the rodeo, when Marvella will be gone. This is a top-secret mission. Do not screw it up.”
    The brothers grinned.
     
    T HE BEAUTIFUL WEATHER brought out a record number for the Mayfest. Tex would have enjoyed the moment, except that he was undecided. Racked. Torn.
    Cissy had been the only one who cared to comfort his cramping gut, and then she’d fallen asleep with him so peacefully—or maybe it was he who’d fallen asleep so sweetly. But when he’d held her he’d thought over his brothers’ debate.
    Win or lose?
    It was an onerous question. Marvella would probably be angry with Cissy if he won. But it wasn’t fair to Delilah not to give it his best shot. He figured that since he