Trish Milburn - Her Perfect Cowboy

India barely knew the child, so the surge of anxiety over seeing her astride such a powerful animal surprised her.

“Hey, maybe Ginny can teach you to ride,” Liam said.

India started shaking her head before Liam even finished speaking. “Oh, no. I’m not getting anywhere near that animal. Horses can sense that I’m scared to death of them.”

“You’ve really never been on a horse?”

India shifted her attention away from where Ginny seemed to be effortlessly maneuvering the horse. “Nope. And I don’t intend for that to change any time soon.”

She liked her life just like it was, with everything mapped out. She wasn’t as married to perfectionism as Skyler, but India still knew what fit her lifestyle and what didn’t. Running a rodeo and learning to ride a horse had never been on her radar screen.

But neither had a sweaty, dirty cowboy who tempted her to second-guess what she’d always known she wanted.

* * *

“REMIND ME AGAIN WHY I’m friends with you,” Skyler said as she dragged herself out of the car after India and Elissa. “This is a heinous hour for human beings to be up.”

India smiled at her friend, who’d never been an early riser. “Because we need to measure for the booth spaces, and I’d like to do it before it’s a thousand degrees outside.”

“Plus there are those little things called jobs we all have to go to later,” Elissa said. Unlike Skyler, Elissa was quite fond of early mornings.

Skyler stuck her tongue out at both of them, eliciting laughs from her best friends.

“You all certainly sound happy this morning.”

India halted in her tracks and jerked her gaze toward the sound of the male voice. Liam—and his deep, sexy voice—sat in a lawn chair beside the RV she’d seen the day before.

“Oh, hey. I didn’t think anyone would be out here yet,” India said. In fact, she’d been banking on it. But it looked as if Liam was using the RV as more than an on-site office. “Sorry if we bothered you.”

“Not at all. Just enjoying a cup of coffee before it gets too hot outside to drink it.” He lifted a cup. “Would you all like some?”

“No, we’re fine,” India said.

“Actually, I’d love some coffee,” Elissa said. She shot India a grin that said India was in trouble. “And Skyler might be a little nicer if we get some caffeine in her.”

India stared hard at Elissa, silently promising payback, before her friend shifted her gaze and walked toward Liam as he stood. She extended her hand. “I’m Elissa. I’m the fun friend in this motley trio.”

Liam laughed as he accepted Elissa’s hand, gifting her with a smile even wider than any he’d aimed in India’s direction.

Something greedy churned inside India, making her want to break the contact between Elissa and Liam. Her jaw clenched before she forced herself to relax. Truth be told, Liam was more up Elissa’s alley, anyway. She obviously found him attractive. And if he didn’t think Elissa was drop-dead gorgeous, then he was blind.

Once they finished shaking hands, Elissa gestured toward Skyler. “This is Skyler, but you can call her I Don’t Do Mornings.” When Elissa gestured toward India, she noticed the conspiratorial grin she wore as she and Skyler made eye contact. “And you’ve met Fuddy Duddy.”

“Fuddy Duddy?” India crossed her arms. “I fail to see how I deserve that nickname.”

Liam put up his hand, palm out. “I’ll leave the nicknames to you ladies and get your coffee.”

When Liam disappeared into the RV, India eyed Elissa. “What are you doing?” she asked under her breath.

“Being friendly.”

India bit her lip. She knew that Elissa being friendly usually led to her going out on a date. Her friend didn’t sleep around, but she knew how to have a good time. And India had never heard any of Elissa’s dates complain, either.

“Damn, he’s even hotter in person,” Elissa said.

“Shh.” India shot a nervous glance toward the RV’s open doorway.

“What? It’s true. He’s got to know it. I’d venture a guess that even Skyler noticed, half-asleep as she is. Right, Skyler?”

“He’s not exactly ugly.”

“Oh, my God, I can’t believe you two.” India turned on her heel and headed away from them. She was tempted to get in her car and leave them behind. They could think about the wisdom of pushing her in a direction she didn’t want to go while they walked back to their cars downtown.

Instead of abandoning her friends, however, she retrieved the tape measure and notepad from the car. She eyed the ground for a rock to place on one end of the tape since her friends seemed to be more interested in drinking coffee and ogling the hot cowboy.

She gritted her teeth, more irritated with herself than Elissa and Skyler. If she had her sights set on a man she hadn’t yet met, why did she care if Elissa or even Skyler found Liam attractive?

“Looks like you could use a hand,” Liam said as he approached.

She gestured toward where her friends were sipping their mugs of fresh coffee. “That’s what I brought them for, but that didn’t turn out as planned.”

“Have I done something to offend you?”

India stopped searching for a rock and met Liam’s gaze. She shook her head and allowed the tension building in her shoulders to relax. “No, I’m sorry. I guess Skyler isn’t the only one grumpy this morning.” She pulled out the end of the measuring tape and extended it to Liam. “I think I’m just letting my to-do list get the better of me.”

Liam took the end of the tape and held it as she started walking backward, away from him and her friends. “Anything I can help with?”

“I think you already have your plate full, too.”

“You never know. I might be able to squeeze something else in.”

India glanced toward Liam, but despite the fact that he wasn’t yet wearing his hat she couldn’t read his expression. Was there some innuendo there, or was she just imagining it thanks to Elissa’s teasing?

“I’ll be fine, but thanks.”

“Okay, but the offer stands.”

She wondered how he’d respond if he knew that the kind of help she imagined him giving her had absolutely nothing to do with the rodeo.

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