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Not that she’d admit out loud to anyone, but his frustrated features made her want to giggle and he actually did look rather good dressed like a cowboy. Even his boots were worn and broken in. At first glance, no one would know he was from the city. She only knew because she’d given Mandy the third degree about him. Lacey could usually figure people out from a mile away and she knew he was no different than any other cowboy—but maybe it’d be okay to get to know him a little better before she swore him off for good like all the rest.
* * *
Jordon was thoroughly confused.He’d been specifically sent there to pick her up. How could she not know? She wasn’t even ready. “Okay, can we just step back a minute? You seriously have no idea why I’m here, or are you messing with me?”
“Sorry, no idea.” She wouldn’t even look at him. Did he disgust her that much? Too bad, because she was pretty hot. It was actually quite funny—she wouldn’t give him the time of day, but he’d seen her half naked.
“This is simply crazy. First, I’m stupid enough to be designated driver for my two idiot friends. Then, I do your roommates a favor and agree to come pick you up and you don’t even have a clue.”
“Hold on, what did you just say? They asked you to come out here?”
“Yeah, why? I can guarantee you I’m done the slave for my friends or yours.”
“Dang it, they set us up.”
“What do you mean?”
“Really, you don’t know? Our friends, yours, and mine, sent you out here to pick me up. But why? I have my own car here and my roommates knew that. It’s how I get here every day. For some weird reason, this time they insisted on picking me up. I’m telling you, it’s a set up. I didn’t want to go in the first place and I was asking questions about you earlier so they put their brilliant scheming minds together—and here you are.”
“You were asking about me?”She wanted to know more about me. Yes!
“Oh my gosh it was just once, yes, but that’s not important right now.” She shushed him and grabbed her cell and started dialing numbers. “Of course, no one is going to answer. That’s classic. I swear they are dead when I see them.”
“Let me try calling Mason. If he answers, do you want to talk to your friend?”
“Yes, definitely. But I’m guessing he won’t answer if they didn’t.” He was shaking his head as he left a message on Mason’s voicemail, reminding the man how dead he would be when he saw him again.
“Sorry about that. Do you still want to go to the rodeo? Promise I won’t bite.” She stared out the window toward the pasture before answering.
“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt if we went. But I want to come home right after.”
“No problem, right after.” He was smiling inwardly. He really hadn’t expected her to say yes. It wasn’t like a date, though. She probably wouldn’t go if he hadn’t been standing in her living room. Baby steps, even if by accident.
Chapter Six
Jordon and Lacey had made small talk on the drive to the rodeo but it was pleasant, no animosity. She was different than what he’d assumed when she’d presented her scantily clad self in her apartment that first night during her roommates’ drunken orgy. She was definitely more focused on her future than the others and had explained again that she wasn’t on the same path to play like her friends. She admitted they never made good choices and he’d agreed his buddies were the same and that night he was only trying to do the right thing and keep his friends safe when they went out. Their track record wasn’t the best and he didn’t want to get himself a bad rap in a new town because of his friends.
They pulled into the packed dirt parking lot and she let out a shaky sigh. “Holy crap, this place is crowded. We may not find a parking place. Guess we’ll have to leave.” She’d said that last part just as Jordon pulled his 4x4 into the tree line at the back of the lot.
“How’s this?” He’d glanced her way to see a frown.
“Hey, promise it won’t be that bad. It’s just a rodeo, right?”
“I wish I could believe that. You don’t know everybody in this town.” She unfastened her seatbelt and grabbed her jean jacket from the floor and jumped out of the truck. As he got out and slammed the driver’s door, moving around the front where she was waiting, he presented an option.
“Okay, I was doing some thinking, I have an idea.”
“If it involves leaving, I’m all ears.”
“No, sorry. But…how about we sneak up to the bleachers and find our friends, then go sit somewhere far away, like the far end of the stands so we don’t have to deal with them. We can even let them think we never showed.”
When her face cracked a faint smirk, he knew he’d taken another baby step.
“Okay, you win. I like it. That’s a pretty clever idea, I admit, and they deserve it for what they did.”
Unfortunately, he wasn’t sure he agreed anymore. He was trying to make her happy and more comfortable with being there but he was starting to like the fact their friends had schemed and hooked them up, so to speak. If it had happened any other way, he’s not sure she would have agreed to hang out with him.
“Okay, let’s grab a beer if you want.” He gestured with raised eyebrows to which she agreed. “Perfect, then we can be stealthy and sneak around the right side of the bleachers over there where those rodeo clowns are all gathered.” He pointed to the paddock by the bulls where the clowns were tormenting them.
