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“Let’s get started,” he said. “We’ve got almost a thousand head of cattle to move.”
“I agree. I’ve got to work when I get home,” Dakota said.
“You writing a new novel?”
“Yes, I am,” he said. “And no there are no cowboys or cattle in my book.”
“Damn shame,” Blake told him. “I’d read it if there were.”
“It’s a romance,” he said. “Women love them.”
Adrian laughed so hard, he nearly fell off his horse. It was hard to believe that his brother was a best-selling romance author. But then, if it brought his brother happiness, he shouldn’t care.
“Let’s go,” Cody said and they split up, going different directions and surrounding the herd.
The image of Madison flashed in his brain. All those damn curves in that dress. And her kiss. What he wouldn’t tell his brothers was how that kiss had left him wanting more. A lot more.
And he’d made that stupid bet just to make certain he didn’t succumb to the desire he felt after one of her kisses.
CHAPTER 7
Saturday had come and Madison drove out to see her mother. Plus, she and Adrian needed to go into town. If people were going to believe in their engagement, they had to be seen together.
Today, she’d worn a sweater since the air had become cold. Last night, a front came through, and while it wasn’t bad, today the highs were only in the fifties, and with the wind chill, the air felt like it was below freezing.
Sitting in the kitchen, her mother gazed at her. “Do you really think this phony engagement to Adrian is a good idea?”
After the night at the country club, she had questioned her decision. She’d never pretend to kiss someone before, and that one had been the most uncontrollable kiss she’d experienced in years.
Not since her breakup with her ex-fiancé. And even then, she didn’t remember his kisses being that explosive. Maybe it was just her. Maybe Adrian was a good kisser and she’d been alone for so long that her body lit up at the feel of his lips.
“Mom, I need his help to support my law practice here. If I don’t receive his help, then I probably couldn’t move. And I so want to be closer to you and to get out of the big crowds and traffic. I’ve had enough corporate law to last me a lifetime,” she said, thinking how her firm had not been happy when she announced she was leaving. She was not even near making partner. But she was a workhorse in their firm because she was single and had plenty of time on her hands. Well, now, her time would be spent working on her own clients. Not theirs.
The smell of cake permeated the air and she knew her mother was making the boys, the Landry men, yellow cake with chocolate frosting.
Adrian walked into the room, and she had to stop herself from staring. His jeans fit his well-muscled thighs and he wore a pressed shirt in soft green that made his emerald eyes pop. In his hands, he carried a black hat.
“Hey,” he said. “I’ve been looking for you.”
“Oh,” she said. “What’s up.”
“Instead of us going to the country club or a restaurant tonight, would you like to go with me to the Burnett Ranch? It’s about an hour from here. I need to look at a couple of horses and talk to Travis about buying some of his heifers this spring.”
Madison had been friends with Desiree Burnett for many years. They had met during a rodeo when they were both barrel racers. It’d been a long time since she’d seen her friend and her response was automatic.
“Yes, let’s go,” she said. “Am I dressed all right?”
His eyes skimmed down her sweater, jeans, and boots.
“You look perfect to me,” he said.
She turned to her mom. “Bye, Mom. I’ll talk to you later tonight.”
“Be careful,” she said.
“I thought maybe we could stop at a restaurant between here and there and grab a bite to eat,” he told her, taking her elbow and leading her outside where his truck was parked.
“Sounds good to me,” she said.
