The Cowgirl Rides Away (Bluebonnet Texas Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

well, but it wouldn't last forever and idleness wasn't in my nature.
    I'd always thought I had plenty of time. The plan was to rodeo till I was thirty, then find some land and maybe a nice cowboy to settle down with. What was that saying about God and plans?South Texas wasn't that far from the Gulf. Maybe something would happen with the guy from Texas. I sighed and ran a finger over my bumpy nose. Even as the thought crossed my mind, I scolded myself. I wasn't so naive as to pin my hopes on a man and squashed it as small as possible. Small hopes equaled small disappointments and vice versa.
    But that didn't stop me from flicking on the bedside lamp and reaching for my laptop on the floor beside my bed. A part of me needed the small comfort of kind words and hoped Zack had written back.
     
Dear Hope,
I don't travel much... I hate leaving Travis behind, but I've been to Santa Fe and would love to go back. There's a great artist community there. My junior year in college, I visited Espanola for an artist's retreat and then went back for another at Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu where Georgia O'Keeffe lived. It's pretty inspiring.
And you're right, descriptions and photos can be totally different things. I hope it's not a big disappointment. I take after my mom's side of the family while my brothers are tall and lean.
     
    Oh Lord, he thinks I think he's fat!
     
...Out of over fifty responses you're the only one that panned out. I can't help but wonder why someone as pretty and intelligent as you isn't married. Surely Vernal's not that small...
     
    I groaned and fought back another wave of tears—this time from frustration. How to answer that? I haven't had time? The truth—I'd been too busy drinking them under tables and whoopin' ass in the rodeo arena? That most of the men I knew didn't wanna date women with bigger—or more—gold buckles than them?
    No, because now I was Little Miss Accountant. Who'da thought being "a girl" could be so difficult.
     
Dear Zack,
I hope you didn't misunderstand me. I think you're very handsome. I also happen to like stocky men, and at 5'1 don't see much sense in dating a giant .
As to why I'm an unmarried virgin at 26. You're right, it is personal, but I suppose you deserve some sort of answer. Even if I'm not sure what that answer is.
     
    I sat and watched the blinking cursor, struggling to find a way to tell the truth as I saw it without lying my ass off.
    Daddy had warned me early on that men only wanted one thing, and he'd been right. I'd dated some, fooled around with a couple, and frankly, was never sure if it was me they wanted or "Jessalyn Stratton: Saddlebronc Champ". I always got the feeling I would have made quite a notch on someone's belt, and God forbid any of those sons of bitches found out I was a virgin, on top of everything else.
     
You know what small towns and ranch life are like. I've got a father and two brothers and Daddy was tough. But it's a tough life and a man's world on and off the ranch. I don't mean to sound cynical but if a woman wants to be taken seriously, she has to keep her nose clean, work harder and be better just to be considered as good as a man. I guess I was just too busy working hard so I never dated much. I'm also stubborn and I think some men aren't sure what to do with a woman who knows her own mind.
If you still think you might want to paint me someday soon, write back...Hope
P. S. Turn about's fair play. I know you didn't ask for a virgin, but why did you mention it?
     
    To my surprise I got a reply twenty minutes later:
     
As the youngest of four boys, I understand completely about family. They can definitely be a blessing and curse. I do okay, but without them, I couldn't paint. Still I wonder what it would be like if Trav and I moved off somewhere. Just the two of us. Mom's grumpy. Dad likes to fix things (things=our problems). With five houses on the ranch, privacy is a rare commodity and everyone is constantly in and out of everyone's