Free Cowboy Valentine by Mia Hopkins Page A

took her hard against the metal shelves filled with sleeves of sugar cones and huge jars of devil-red maraschino cherries. They came in complete silence, seconds apart, his heart beating so hard that he thought he was going to die of a heart attack, buried to the hilt inside a girl whose blood ran as hot as his.
    The train pulled into Penn Station a little after three thirty. Caleb held Cora’s hand and led her the short walk to the Hotel New Yorker, where his brother Dean had reserved a room for them. Anticipation humming in his veins, Caleb was herding her quickly to their room when he looked up and spotted a couple of familiar faces.
    “MacKinnon!”
    The wiry fellow by the elevator felt no qualms about yelling out Caleb’s name as though they were standing in the middle of a cow pasture in Oleander and not in the crowded lobby of a New York hotel.
    “Jesus Christ,” said Caleb, putting down his bag. “Decker Daniels.”
    As the bull rider caught up Caleb’s hand in an iron grip, Decker’s girl came out from behind him.
    Caleb looked up in surprise. “Andie? That you?”
    Back home, the ranch foreman had kept his daughter in secondhand dresses and ratty coveralls. But the woman standing before them was as resplendent as a butterfly, a glitzy cowgirl in rhinestones and fancy leather boots. Her hair and makeup were camera perfect.
    She leaned forward and gave him a peck on the cheek. Caleb felt Cora stiffen beside him.
    “Been a long time, Caleb,” Andie said.
    “She cleans up good, don’t she?” Decker wrapped his arm around her waist. He eyed Cora. “Who’s this, now?”
    Caleb squeezed Cora’s hand as he pulled her forward gently. “Cora Gomez. Studies at Brown. But she’s from Oleander too.” He turned to her. “Decker here is a bull rider. He’s ranked eighth in the world. Andie’s his fiancée.”
    Cora’s eyes flickered to the giant diamond ring on Andie’s hand.
    “College girl,” said Decker with admiration. “What are you studying?”
    “Business.” Cora fidgeted with her wool sweater. Caleb had never known Cora to fidget with anything.
    Decker nodded. “Good for you. Should be a fun event tonight. Fresh riders, a shitload of new bulls. And the New York crowd cheers louder than anywhere else. How do you like bull riding, Cora?”
    “I don’t know. It’s my first time.”
    Andie and Decker looked at her and smiled in unison.
    “You’ll love it,” said Andie.
    “We’re heading upstairs for a spell.” Caleb felt his heartbeat quicken at the prospect. “Where are you two off to?”
    “I have to get to the Garden,” said Decker. “Your brother’s there now. We’ve got some promotional stuff to do. Interviews and photos. The event starts at seven.”
    “I was going to see him off and kill time until then,” said Andie.
    “Uh…” Cora let go of Caleb’s hand, “…Andie, is it? I know I just met you, but…could I ask you a favor?”
    “What’s up?” asked Andie.
    Caleb turned to Cora. “I thought you wanted to freshen up. Upstairs.” With me. Naked.
    “That’s just it,” said Cora. “I don’t have anything to wear tonight. I was wondering if you could help me out.”
    Andie’s eyes lit up and she bounced up and down on the balls of her feet, making Decker’s eyes bug out of his head.
    “Oh, honey. Are you kidding? I got tons of clothes upstairs. You’re a little slender thing, but we’re bound to find something that fits you.” Andie turned to Decker. “Why don’t you take Caleb with you to see his brother while Cora and I doll up?”
    With a smile, Cora picked up Caleb’s duffel bag. “You two go on. We’ll meet you there.”
    Caleb watched as the two girls headed for the elevator, already chatting like best friends. He suppressed a groan.
    Decker slapped Caleb on the back hard enough to rattle his teeth. “Orders is orders, kid. Come on.”
    Andie stripped off Cora’s coat and gave her a gentle shove into the restaurant where Caleb was waiting