An uptown girls cowboy, p.1
An Uptown Girl's Cowboy, page 1
Angus smoothed one long strand of hair from her shoulder. “I didn’t imagine it.”
“Imagine what?” Her clear eyes searched his.
“How beautiful you are. Or how good we are together.” He kissed her.
Savannah blinked, slowly stiffening in his arms. He felt it, saw it—the way she was withdrawing from him.
“What’s wrong?” He ran his finger along her jaw.
“Nothing.” Even her voice was distant.
“You can tell me.” He tilted her chin up until their eyes locked. “I’m a good listener.”
“I know.” Savannah pressed her eyes shut. “I should go.”
“You can be honest with me.” He hoped she would be.
She opened her mouth, then closed it. She was really struggling. “What if it’s hard to hear?”
Were those tears in her eyes? “I can handle it.”
Dear Reader,
Welcome back to Granite Falls. The little town has seen quite a population boom since book one. We’re not done yet. You’ve visited the McCarrick brothers and their cutting horse ranch in previous Texas Cowboys & K-9s books. This time, Angus McCarrick is our leading man. He likes his life as is and swears he’s not the marrying type, but our heroine, Savannah Barrett, might change that.
As the daughter of one of the wealthiest and most influential families in Texas, Savannah has grown up trying to live up to her father’s expectations. Having a one-night stand with a dreamy mystery cowboy is the most out of character thing she’s ever done. But that one unforgettable night leaves her with lifelong consequences. Pregnant. With triplets.
Angus wants to do the honorable and right thing for the babies, but Savannah wants more. Can her pregnancy lead to real love, a family and the whole package? Or are she and Angus destined to co-parent their triplets from two very different worlds?
I hope you enjoy Savannah and Angus’s story and that you’ll come back to Granite Falls soon!
Happy reading,
Sasha Summers xoxo
An Uptown Girl’s Cowboy
Sasha Summers
Sasha Summers grew up surrounded by books. Her passions have always been storytelling, romance and travel—passions she’s used to write more than twenty romance novels and novellas. Now a bestselling and award-winning author, Sasha continues to fall a little in love with each hero she writes. From easy-on-the-eyes cowboys to sexy alpha-male werewolves to heroes of truly mythic proportions, she believes that everyone should have their happily-ever-after—in fiction and real life.
Sasha lives in the suburbs of the Texas Hill Country with her amazing family. She looks forward to hearing from fans and hopes you’ll visit her online: on Facebook at sashasummersauthor, on Twitter @sashawrites or email her at sashasummersauthor@gmail.com.
Books by Sasha Summers
Harlequin Special Edition
Texas Cowboys & K-9s
The Rancher’s Forever Family
Their Rancher Protector
The Rancher’s Baby Surprise
The Rancher’s Full House
A Snowbound Christmas Cowboy
Harlequin Heartwarming
The Cowboys of Garrison, Texas
The Rebel Cowboy’s Baby
The Wrong Cowboy
To Trust a Cowboy
Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.
Dedicated to those willing to fight for their happy endings. Keep up the good fight!
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Epilogue
Excerpt from A Temporary Texas Arrangement by Cathy Gillen Thacker
Chapter One
“It’s my birthday, too.”
Savannah stared up at the starry sky, blinking furiously. “I know, Chelsea.” Her twin sister didn’t have the best track record for keeping plans but this was different. At least, it should be. A sisters’ night to celebrate their birthday. An evening at Gresham Hall. Some yummy dinner while The Rustler’s Five, their favorite band, played, then spending the night at the elegant West Mill Inn and getting spa treatments tomorrow. “Chels...this was your idea.” An idea they’d agreed to months ago. It was their birthday.
“I know. I know. Rain check, okay? I’ll make it up to you, so don’t be mad, okay?” Chelsea pleaded. “Please, please, please.”
Savannah could never stay mad at her twin for long—they both knew that. But she wasn’t ready to forgive and forget just yet. “Can you blame me?”
“You’d understand if you met him.” Chelsea’s swoony sigh had Savannah shaking her head.
Her sister loved falling in love. Staying in love, however, was a different story. And, though Savannah never said as much, Chelsea’s relationships were more about attraction than real love. It was a long shot, but she had to try. “What about taking a rain check with him? Asking him—”
“Damien.”
“—Damien if he can wait one night?” Savannah waited. And kept waiting. The longer Chelsea stayed quiet, the more frustrated Savannah became. If her sister did delay things with Damien and go ahead with their plans, she’d be sullen and pouty and the whole evening would be ruined. Basically, the evening was ruined either way. “Never mind.” She took a deep breath. “Have fun with Damien and I’ll see you later.”
“Oh, Pickle, you’re the best.” Chelsea squealed. “There isn’t a better sister in the whole wide world, I know it. Why don’t you try to have some fun tonight? It’d be easy to do. Just smile and laugh and be charming—you’re a hottie, too, y’know? Take a page from my book and find yourself some hottie of a cowboy eager to give you a really happy birthday.”
“Yeah, sure.” Savannah had never and would never.
“I’m serious, Pickle. You need to learn to cut loose a little. Orgasms are good for you.”
Savannah’s sigh was all irritation. Twins or not, they were two entirely different women.
“Your loss. Okay, I’ll bring a big cake home and we can eat it all when you get home tomorrow, okay?” But she hung up before Savannah could answer.
“Happy birthday.” She turned to head back inside the dance hall—and slammed into a wall. Her phone fell, hitting the wooden porch with a thud. But the hands resting on her shoulders informed her she’d collided with a very broad chest—not a wall. Even if it was rather wall-like—as chests go. “Sorry.” She stepped back, mortified.
“Excuse me, ma’am.” A deep voice. Smooth and warm.
Savannah looked up. The tan felt of his cowboy hat cast a bit of a shadow on his face, but she could make out a strong jaw lined with a close-cut auburn beard.
“My fault.” He touched the brim of his cowboy hat before stooping to pick up her phone and offering it to her.
“No, it was mine...” She took her phone. “Thank you. I wasn’t watching where I was going. Distracted... I mean, I was distracted.”
“Bad news?” He nodded at her phone.
“Um...” She shrugged. “Yeah.” But she wasn’t going to let Chelsea stop her from enjoying her night.
“Sorry to hear that.” He sounded sorry, too. Which was sweet.
“Thanks.” She blew out a slow breath, trying to rally. “Not really bad news. Not in the grand scheme of things. My sister. She just... We had plans for tonight and she canceled. She does that—a lot. At the last minute. I don’t know why I’m surprised. It’s our birthday. We’re twins, so I guess I thought... Hearing it out loud, I sound pretty selfish.” She stopped, realizing she’d just shared way too much information with a complete and total stranger. “Anyway.”
He tipped back his hat then, giving Savannah a clear view of his handsome face. The first thing Savannah noticed were his eyes. Warm and brown with just the right number of lines at the corners to imply he was good-natured. Beyond that...well, he was ridiculously handsome. Very...manly. One might even say sexy. Well, Chelsea would say it. Chelsea would get that look, that He’s mine look. Savannah never thought about a man like that. Until now.
Get a grip. With an awkward smile, she headed rapidly toward the door before she could make things worse.
Inside Gresham Hall, the low rumble of the crowd and blast of air-conditioning cleared her brain. She was upset. Emotional. Irritated. Disappointed. Heck, mad even. Her reaction to the bearded cowboy was fueled by all of that. Not that there was anything wrong with her appreciating a good-looking man. He was. She did. And that was that.
She made her way to the table they’d reserved along the edge of the dance floor. Chelsea had insisted on paying for the premium table. She’d wanted to be up close to see the band. Now Savannah squirmed in her seat. Alone. Up front. She’d never felt more exposed in her entire life.
“Ready for a drink?” The waitress was young and perky, her cleavage dangerously close to spilling out of her low V-neck T-shirt. “Or are you waiting for the rest of your party?”
“It’s just me.” Savannah forced a smile. “I’ll take a white wine.”
The server’s brows rose. “Sure.” She eyed the empty chair. “Can I take this? We’re expecting a full house.”
“Of course.” Maybe having the empty chair gone would make this less awkward?
“Great.” The server lifted the chair. “I’ll be back with your wine.”
Savannah nodded, watching the chair and the server disappear into the crowded room. Was this really what she wanted to do for her birthday? Sit here, alone, drinking? Wasn’t that plain sad? She could go. If she left, she could go to the hotel, put on her comfy pajamas, watch New Girl on Netflix, and order room service. She should go. Except she really wanted to hear The Rustler’s Five. Dammit, Chels. She tapped her manicured nails across the wood-top table as she started making a mental pros-and-cons list. Bottom line, if she left, she might not get a chance to see her favorite band live again—at least not anytime soon.
“I couldn’t help but notice you, darlin’.” The words were slurred. “You’re too pretty to be sittin’ here alone.”
Savannah glanced at the man leaning a little too far into her personal space. Unlike the handsome cowboy she’d encountered on the porch, this man was an overt creeper—his focus entirely on her chest. Ugh. This was one of those times when she wished she was as good a liar as Chelsea. “I’m not alone.”
He smiled, using his thumb to point back over his shoulder. “Then why did I see your chair get carried off?”
She frowned. “I’m not interested.”
“Well, that’s because you haven’t given me a chance.” The man rested both hands on her table. “Give me five minutes and I can change your mind.”
Savannah considered the man. He was handsome enough. He was groomed and pressed, with a fresh shine on his boots. Appearance wise, there was nothing wrong with the guy. “While I appreciate your enthusiasm, you can’t change my mind.”
“No?” He chuckled. “I’d hate for you to miss out. Hell, I’d hate for us both to miss out. How about I go get myself a chair and we talk about this?”
“No. Thank you.” She stopped drumming her nails, sending him her most glacial stare. It normally did the trick. Normally.
“I never back down from a challenge, darlin’.” He winked. “You’re all feisty and I like that.”
Was he serious? It’s not like she was using big words. She glanced around the room, looking for a quick exit. She didn’t have the patience for this. But her gaze landed on the hottie cowboy from outside. He was watching her. Correction, he was watching the sleazy cowboy talking to her. And hot cowboy wasn’t happy. When his eyes met hers, he stood and headed her way and all Savannah could hear was Chelsea’s advice ringing in her ears. “Cut loose. Have some fun.”
But then sleazy cowboy was taking her hand and, ick, rubbing his thumb along the inside of her wrist—and what happened next was mostly a blur.
* * *
Angus had never liked Jason Tilson. He was a fast-talking, self-inflated piece of shit that lived for the hunt and loved to talk all about his conquests. At the moment, Jason was laying it on thick with the sad-eyed woman who’d almost knocked him on his ass not ten minutes ago. And it bothered him. Something fierce. He didn’t know the woman from Adam, but he couldn’t sit there, knowing it was her birthday and she was alone, and leave her prey to a sonofabitch like Jason Tilson.
That was why he slipped off the barstool, grabbed a spare chair from a table he passed and headed toward where she sat. He didn’t know what the hell he was doing, but Jason was taking her hand and the look on her face told Angus everything he needed to know. He was too far in to stop now.
“Jason.” He grabbed the man’s shoulder and spun him around.
“Gus?” Jason shook off Angus’s hold. “You mind?”
“Yep.” He set the chair down with a resounding thud. “She does, too.”
Jason looked at the woman, who was watching them with wide eyes, and then back at him. “You and her are...together?”
“Maybe. Maybe not. What’s it matter?” Angus stepped closer.
Jason bowed up. “It matters ’cause you’re interrupting our conversation.”
Angus gripped the front of the man’s shirt. “The conversation is over.”
“Gus.” The woman was up, her hand resting on Angus’s arm. “I don’t need anyone fighting for me.”
Angus released Jason.
“Bye, Jason.” She waved, then sat.
Jason smoothed his shirtfront and snapped, “You coulda said something.”
“I did, several times, but you were having a hard time understanding the concept of no.” The woman crossed her arms over her chest. “No should have been enough. Gus shouldn’t have had to step in to make you listen.”
Angus couldn’t sit. He was glad she was getting the chance to speak her mind but even more pissed by what he was hearing. He couldn’t help but say, “You owe her an apology.”
Jason didn’t like that one bit.
“Go on.” He gripped the chair back.
“I’m sorry.” The words were dripping with sarcasm, but Jason turned on his heel and made his way back to the bar before Angus could do or say anything more.
“This birthday just keeps getting better and better.” The woman sighed. “Thanks for that.” She was studying him.
He nodded, uncertain what that look meant.
“You want to sit?” She nodded at the chair he’d carried over. “Ward off any more unwanted advances.” There was a ghost of a smile on her full red lips.
He sat, doing his damnedest not to stare. Here he’d tried to be chivalrous and chase off that scumbag Jason. She likely wouldn’t appreciate him giving her a once-over. But she was beautiful. As soon as she’d walked into him, he’d been a little starstruck by just how pretty she was. In a soft way. Fragile. Classy and elegant. Untouchable for a man like him. “We’ll have to come up with a signal so I know what’s wanted and unwanted.”
She did smile then. “Oh, good point. Don’t want the welcome ones scared off.” She leaned forward to rest her elbows on the table, meeting his gaze. “Thank you. Gus?”
“You’re welcome.” His chest felt tight. Damn, but she was something to look at. “You know my name. What’s yours?”
A strange expression crossed over her face. It was no more than a handful of seconds but whatever she was thinking looked like a weighty decision. “Chelsea.” She twisted her long hair and pushed it back from her shoulders. “My name is Chelsea.”
The server arrived with a big glass of white wine. By the time he’d placed his order, Chelsea had already knocked back a third of her glass. Maybe the whole thing with Jason had upset her more than she was letting on.
An awkward silence hung over the table until the server came back with his beer. She kept looking his way, blushing, and sipping her wine. And he didn’t know what to make of it.
“Happy birthday, Chelsea.” He toasted her.
She had a blinding smile. “Thank you. Here’s to having a fun evening.” She tapped her glass to his beer bottle.
“Cheers to that.” He took a healthy swig of his beer.
Her phone chirped so she pulled it out of her purse. One look at the screen, her smile disappeared, and her phone was shoved back into her purse.
After a long stretch of silence, he asked, “All good?”
She finished off her wine. “Family. My father.” She took a deep breath, her eyes traveling over his face before she went on. “He’s on the controlling side of things. Okay, he’s very controlling. My sister and I planned this without telling him and he’s not happy about it.”
Angus could understand a father being disappointed about missing his daughters’ birthday. “Did he have something special planned?”
She shook her head, her long brown hair swaying. “Oh, yes—but not for our birthday. He’s hosting some dinner party for his big important friends tonight. Momma has a migraine—she gets them a lot when Dad has a dinner party—so he needs me to come play hostess. You know, smile and nod and refill drinks.” She peered into her empty wineglass. “I’m very good at it, too. Being charming.”
