Catch Me a Cowboy Read Online Free PDF

kiddin’?” He shook his head. “Sounds like you’ve been busier than a four-legged bee.”
    “A little.” Slate leaned up against the truck and crossed his arms. “So I take it the farm equipment business is going well.”
    “Good enough.” Billy looked away from Slate and stared out at the road. “I heard about Dalton Oil.”
    “Yeah, it sure came as a surprise. Not just the company doing so poorly, but Lyle dying of a heart attack. He was a good man.”
    “So I hear.”
    “But things are looking up,” Slate continued. “C-Corp hasn’t laid anyone else off. And we have some other businesses thinking about making a home here in Bramble.”
    Billy’s gazed snapped back over to Slate. “Really? Anyone I know?”
    “Colt Lomax for one—Shirlene Dalton’s brother.”
    “Is that so?” Billy shook his head. “Well, I guess I need to catch up on all the town gossip.”
    “I’ll have to fill you in another time, buddy,” Slate said as a Yukon pulled in behind the monster truck. “Right now, I’ve got early mornin’ weight-training with the team.” He placed a hand on Billy’s neck and herded him toward the SUV. “But come meet the family.”
    Billy barely had time to flip the gun in the bed of the truck before he was being introduced to a pretty brunette with big blue eyes.
    “This is my wife, Faith,” Slate said. “Faith, darlin’, this here is Billy Wilkes,” he paused as if waiting for a drum roll before he finished, “Bubba.”
    If possible those blue eyes got even bigger as her lips formed a perfect O.
    Grinning, Billy stuck his hand in the open window. “I’m sure pleased to meet you, ma’am.”
    Her mouth snapped closed as her soft hand slipped into his. “And it’s a pleasure to meet you… Bubba. Or would you rather I call you Billy?”
    The prim and proper manners coupled with the eastern accent took him by surprise, but he recovered quicklyand gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “A pretty lady like yourself can call me anything she wants.”
    “Be careful, Bubba,” Slate cut in. “This one’s taken.”
    Billy winked at Faith. “Only because I didn’t get back sooner.” He tipped his head at the car seat in the back. “And I suppose that’s little Slate Junior.”
    “More like Faith Junior.” Slate walked over to the back window and poked his head in. And Billy couldn’t help but squint his eyes at the cooing and babbling idiot the head coach of Bramble High’s football team had turned into.
    “Why, hello, daddy’s little dumplin’. Did my Daisy have a good ride with her mama? Yes, you did, didn’t you?” His head popped back out. “Take a look, Bubba, isn’t she the cutest thing you’ve ever seen?”
    Realizing there was no way to get out of it, Billy walked over and leaned down to take a look at the tiny little body completely engulfed by the car seat’s shoulder harness. Big blue eyes stared back at him from beneath a crop of silky brown hair. Unwilling to babble like her father, Billy kept it simple.
    “Hey, there.”
    The baby studied him so intently that Billy had trouble holding her gaze. Then as if she didn’t like what she saw, she scrunched up that chubby face and let out an ear-splitting scream. Billy couldn’t get away from the Yukon fast enough.
    “I told you she was a genius, Faith,” Slate said, while flashing a teasing grin at Billy. “At a little over a month, my daughter has already developed good taste.”
    “Slate,” Faith chastised as she reached around to soothe the child.
    “It’s the truth, darlin’. And once you’ve been around the man for awhile, you’ll understand what I’m talking about.” He headed to the passenger side. “Stop by the stadium later on, Bubba. That’s if an East Texan can stand to see what a real football team looks like.”
    Billy snorted. “I heard about that state championship trophy, but I didn’t realize they handed those out for flag football.”
    “Flag, my—” Slate glanced at the