Boots and Buckles Read Online Free PDF Page A

night.”
    “Sorry, I’m working the night shift here at the Ugly Stick all week.” She didn’t let him know that she could have a three-hour gap between the time her shop closed and when she was due at the saloon.
    “Then let me take you to lunch,” he persisted.
    “I have a day job and I work through lunch.”
    “Coffee?” He squeezed her hand. “I promise, I won’t try to kiss you…unless you want me to.”
    Mona sighed. “You don’t give up, do you?”
    “Not when I want something really bad. And I want to see you again.”
    She glanced at the cowboys sitting around the tables she was supposed to be serving. Audrey had picked up her slack, but she’d need to give one of the other girls a break soon. “Okay. Coffee. Ten in the morning at PJ’s Diner.”
    He tugged her hand, pulling her snug up against him. “Until then.” Instead of trying to kiss her again, he cupped her cheek and brushed his thumb across her lip. Then he let go and walked away.
    For a long moment, Mona stood in the middle of the floor, more touched by his simple gesture than any kiss she’d ever received.
    From what she could tell, Sam Whitefeather was a nice guy. The kind of guy she should go for. Not the Daltons and Grants of the world who had no more respect for her than a buckle bunny following the rodeo cowboys from town to town.
    Audrey and Bunny converged on her as soon as she made it back to the bar. “Was that him?” Bunny asked. “Was that Grant Raleigh you dissed?”
    Mona dragged in a deep breath. “Yes.”
    “I loved that you didn’t take his hand and took his partner’s instead.”
    Mona frowned. “What do you mean?”
    “I asked around. The guy you danced with is Sam Whitefeather, Grant Raleigh’s team roping partner. Way to show Grant what you think of him.”
    Mona leaned against the bar and closed her eyes. Was fate playing a really bad trick on her? Hadn’t she been hurt enough by Grant and Dalton already?
    Bunny laid a hand on her arm. “Mona? Are you okay?”
    “I’m peachy.” She pushed away from the counter, grabbed an empty tray and turned toward the sea of cowboys, blinking away sudden tears washing over her eyes.
    “I thought you said you were over Dalton and Grant.” Bunny slipped an arm around her waist.
    “I am.” She was certain she was over Dalton, but seeing Grant had triggered all her heartache in one solid lump weighing heavily in her gut.
    “Then why not a have a little fun with Grant’s new partner?” Bunny made it all sound so easy.
    “I’m having coffee with him tomorrow morning.”
    Bunny clapped her hands. “That’s great.”
    “I agreed before I knew he was Grant’s new partner. Now, I don’t know.”
    “Go. What will it hurt? It’s only coffee, not a lifetime commitment.”
    Her friend was right. Coffee wouldn’t change her life forever.
     
    Sam looked around the bar for Grant. When he didn’t find him, he figured the man had gone on without him. Rather than sit at his table alone, Sam returned to their trailer only to find it empty. Too keyed up to lie down and sleep, he drove around Temptation and found himself back at the Ugly Stick Saloon around closing time. Cowboys piled into their trucks, some too drunk to drive, designated drivers picking up the slack. The local sheriff’s department was on hand, offering rides to those who didn’t have designated drivers, to make sure everyone got home safely.
    Nice. Sam liked that the townsfolk cared enough to ensure the safety of their own as well as their visitors. It was the kind of town he could see himself living in. Grant had talked about giving up the rodeo and settling down on a ranch and raising cattle and horses. He’d offered to go into a partnership with Sam, if he was interested.
    Sam was good with that proposal. He had money set aside for his sister’s college tuition and enough to put a good down payment on property.
    Was this the town he wanted to settle in?
    An image of Mona dancing on the bar,