Her Perfect Cowboy

Chapter Two

India’s skin blazed so hot that she was surprised Liam didn’t drop her. But he didn’t seem to notice her out-of-control embarrassment and maintained his strong hold on her as if she weighed next to nothing. Despite the rain, his feet never slipped. The short distance to his truck seemed to take aeons to cross, and yet at the same time a part of her felt it was over much too soon when he set her on her feet. She didn’t even have time to take a breath before he pulled open the passenger door so she could escape the rain.

She scrambled inside just as the sky truly opened up. Liam had to be soaked before he even reached the front of the truck. He was nothing more than a vague blur as she watched him through the torrents of rain. By the time he dived into the driver’s seat, he looked as if he’d taken a plunge in the lake. India’s gaze traveled to where his blue button-up shirt was plastered to his chest and his jeans molded to what looked like a pair of powerful thighs.

Liam pulled off his drenched Stetson and tossed it onto the seat between them. As it landed, his gaze met hers and held for what had to be the longest second in human history.

She jerked her gaze away before she had time to think about what that might reveal—that she’d been ogling the mighty fine contours of his body.

“Been a while since I’ve seen a rain this hard,” Liam said.

Thankful for something to think about other than what Liam Parrish hid beneath his plastered-to-his-skin clothing, India forced herself to focus on the rain hammering against the truck’s windshield. Drought had become a dusty way of life in Texas lately, so they sorely needed the rain. Still, she would have been a lot happier if it had waited until they’d gotten back to her store. There, she wouldn’t have to be trapped in a confined area with a man who seemed to fill most of the space available.

She leaned forward. “This keeps up and the arena will become a pool, and we’ll have to switch from a rodeo to swimming races.”

Liam laughed a little, and that unexpected response allowed India to take her first full breath since he’d picked her up. She ventured a quick glance at him and noticed the tightness in his expression from before had faded. She didn’t know why it mattered so much to her, but she experienced a great sense of relief. She didn’t like people being angry with her, and for some reason Liam Parrish had been, if only for a few brief moments.

The rain continued to pour down as if trying to make up for a year’s worth of drought in one afternoon, and India searched desperately for something to talk about. They’d already covered all the particulars of the site, at least until she could touch base with Verona and Blake at the tourism bureau. His job, that was it. Men loved talking about their jobs, right?

“So, have you been running a rodeo company for long?” She kept her eyes averted, afraid they would return to those tantalizing muscles.

“Just a couple of years. I was riding the circuit before that. Still ride some when I get to missing it too much.”

“Bulls?” Even she knew that was the event all the adrenaline-junkie cowboys liked.

“Broncs. I’m not crazy enough to get on a bull.”

This time, it was her turn to laugh. “A smart man. Well, at least somewhat. Not sure how wise it is to get on any animal whose sole goal is to buck you off its back.”

“You might be right about that, but the world’s got to have at least a few crazy people to keep things interesting.”

From her brief time with Liam Parrish, she could safely say he could keep things interesting without ever going anywhere near an animal.

She clamped a mental lid on her thoughts. Damn, was this rain ever going to stop?

“What about you?” he asked. “You own the clothing store?”

“Yes. A dream come true, you might say. Perhaps not as adventurous as riding animals with attitude, but I like it.”

“I don’t know. There’s something to be said for dealing with creatures who don’t talk back.”

As they fell into silence again, India noticed the rain was lessening in intensity. By the time a few more seconds ticked by, the worst of the storm had passed and she could see beyond the windshield again.

When Liam started the truck’s engine, India wondered if he was as anxious to get out of their awkward situation as she was. After all, she’d bet it wasn’t every day that he swept a potential business associate up into his arms. The image of him even attempting that with some big, burly cowboy had her stifling a giggle.

“Something funny?”

“No, nothing.” She was saved from further questioning by her ringing phone. She pulled it from her purse and noted it was Verona. “Hey.”

“Hey yourself, sweetie. Have you met with Mr. Parrish yet?”

“Yes, actually we’re heading back to the shop now.”

“Oh, good. Can you swing by the tourism office? Blake talked to the board, and we think we can iron out the details this afternoon if Mr. Parrish is agreeable.”

India glanced over at Liam, noting how his long fingers wrapped around the steering wheel as he drove back into the edge of downtown. “Hang on a second,” she said to Verona then lowered the phone.

Liam looked her way for a moment as he made a turn. “Problem?”

“The head of the tourism bureau wants to meet with you while you’re here, but now probably isn’t a good time.” She gestured toward his wet clothing.

He nodded toward the back of the cab. “I always travel with an extra set of clothes if you’ve got somewhere I can change.”

She smiled at that. “I own a clothing store. I bet we can scrounge up a dressing room.”

When he smiled back, the surge of blood in her veins pushed her heart into a couple of extra beats it wasn’t used to. She pulled her gaze away from that smile and refocused her attention on the call, bringing the phone back up to her ear. “Give us a few minutes, and we’ll swing by.”

As Liam guided the truck into a parking space across the street from her store, the rain stopped completely. The sun was already making a reappearance as she slid out onto the sidewalk.

“Need help?” Liam asked as he rounded the front of the truck.

Trying not to blush at the idea of him carrying her across the street for all of Blue Falls to see, she shook her head. “I’m fine.”

When she finally got inside the store and directed Liam toward the dressing rooms, India sank onto the stool behind the cash register, slipped off her shoes and dropped her forehead into her upturned hand. With him out of her sight, she took several deep breaths and tried to pull some common sense to the surface. This was nothing more than the combination of meeting a nice-looking man and the memory of Elissa’s teasing about hot cowboys. Once she got this meeting with Blake over with and Liam headed back to Fort Worth, she could pull her frazzled self back together.

But what if they signed Liam’s company and she had to see him again? Work with him?

Well, she’d know what to expect then. She’d wear sensible shoes and avoid rainstorms. And she’d have time to steel herself against his rugged good looks, to remind herself that he was not the type of man she’d imagined being with if she ever slowed down long enough to even think about a serious relationship. She wanted someone cultured, refined, who’d seen the far reaches of the world and who might travel to them all again with her.

Her fantasy man was definitely not a cowboy who was probably more at home with livestock than people.

The splat of wet clothing hitting the hardwood floor drew her attention, and she looked toward the line of dressing rooms before she considered the wisdom of doing so. Beneath the wooden slats of the door, she noticed a lump of clothes that had to be Liam’s wet jeans and socks. Next to them stood his naked feet and legs.

Her breath caught when she thought about all the naked flesh that door was hiding. Wet, firm, naked male.

She startled so much when the front door of the shop opened that she almost slid off the stool. She closed her eyes against the image of Liam Parrish in his altogether, then opened them to meet Verona’s gaze. Another blush zoomed up India’s neck to her face, but she attempted to hide it in the process of standing.

Blake Magnusson, head of the Blue Falls Tourist Bureau, followed Verona through the front door.

“I thought we were coming by your office,” India said to Blake.

Verona waved off India’s words. “Made more sense for us to come here. You’ve got a business to run, and we don’t want to take you away from it longer than we have to.” There was a worrisome bit of devilish sparkle in Verona’s eyes as she scanned the interior of the shop. “Did you hide Mr. Parrish somewhere?”

India clamped down on the desire to shift her gaze to the dressing rooms. “We got caught in the rain, and he’s changing into some dry clothes.”

Verona eyed India. “You don’t seem to be too wet.”

“I was able to get inside quicker.” Thanks to two very strong arms that she’d swear she could still feel scorching her legs and back. Lordy, she needed a fan to cool herself down.

Thankfully, Liam emerged from the dressing area fully clothed, drawing Verona’s attention away from her. India spared Liam only a glance, but it was enough to notice he’d exchanged his blue shirt for a green one and a dry pair of jeans. Attempting to push away thoughts of that peek at his naked legs, India moved to make the necessary introductions.

“Liam Parrish, this is Blake Magnusson, head of the Blue Falls Tourist Bureau.”

The men shook hands before Liam shifted his attention to Verona.

“And this must be your sister,” he said, glancing back at India for a moment before shaking Verona’s hand.

“Oh, I like this one,” Verona said, smiling widely. “Blake, hire him on the spot.”

Liam smiled and even shot Verona a wink. It took India a moment to remember she should be saying something.

“Verona Charles, former head of the tourist bureau,” India said. “Also known as the lady who hasn’t really grasped the concept of retirement yet.”

Verona made a dismissive sound. “Retirement’s for old people.”

“Well, nobody here fits that description,” Liam said, further charming Verona.

“Mr. Parrish, if I were a younger woman, you’d be in trouble right now.” Verona shot India a look that said while she might be too old for Liam, India definitely wasn’t.

Geez, just what she needed—to be caught in the crosshairs of Verona’s incurable desire to matchmake. She’d been called Blue Falls’ own Cupid on more than one occasion.

“I hear you’ve been able to take a look at our facilities,” Blake said, thankfully steering the conversation in a less “Oh, look how hot the cowboy is” direction.

“Yes, India was kind enough to show me around. I think with a few repairs and adjustments, and some good prize money for the riders, you could pull in a sizable crowd.”

India directed the others toward the table where this whole rodeo idea had been hatched. Over the next half hour, they hammered out the details and came away with a verbal agreement pending the forthcoming written contract.

“I think this calls for a bit of celebration,” Verona said as they wrapped up the discussion. “I’m thinking pie down at the Primrose.”

“Sounds good to me,” Liam said.

India guessed he’d have a bit more than pie, considering he’d been hungry for lunch when he’d arrived at the shop earlier. The grin on Verona’s face left India conflicted. Part of her didn’t want to leave Verona alone with Liam. Who knew what kinds of crazy ideas she might put in his head? But she’d spent about as much time in Liam Parrish’s presence today as she could handle. She needed some time alone to detox from his way-too-sexy, fry-your-brains looks.

When India didn’t walk toward the front door like the rest of them, Verona looked back at her. “Aren’t you coming, dear? It’ll probably be slow here this afternoon, anyway.”

India shook her head. “No, you all go ahead. I’m expecting a delivery this afternoon.” Which was true, but also a convenient way of getting out of the pie outing.

She thought she heard Verona heave a sigh, but she ignored it. If Verona could find a successful man who looked as if he could grace the cover of GQ, then that would be a different story. Yes, Liam Parrish was dead sexy, but she very much doubted they had anything in common other than being citizens of the great state of Texas.

Liam opened the door and allowed Blake and Verona to go out ahead of him. But then he hesitated before following them and met India’s eyes. He held the door with one hand and his bag of wet clothes with the other. “It was nice to meet you. And thanks for the use of your dressing room.”

“You, too, and no problem.” She nodded toward the bag in his hand. “You might want to hang those up in your truck so they don’t sour.” Needing to escape his gaze, she dipped below the front counter to retrieve a couple of wire hangers. “Here. I’ve got more of these than I can use.”

Liam took a step forward and accepted the hangers. “Thanks.” After a momentary pause, he nodded. “I’ll be in touch.”

She nodded back then watched as he walked out the door, said something to Verona and Blake then crossed the street to drop off his clothes in his truck. She noticed he just tossed everything into the backseat, not taking the time to hang his wet clothes. She rolled her eyes and forced herself to look away, to refocus on the order form for some 1920s flapper-style fashions.

But no matter how much she tried to make herself focus on work, her thoughts kept going back to that glimpse of naked legs and the indisputable fact that the sexiest man she’d seen in a long time had been fully naked mere feet from her. And it didn’t seem to matter that he was nothing like her dream guy.

* * *

LIAM’S STOMACH FELT AS IF it were going to consume itself by the time the waitress at the Primrose brought his plate of chicken-fried steak with a heaping order of fries. The coffee and stale doughnut he’d downed that morning as he left Fort Worth were long gone.

“Thank you,” he said to the waitress.

She gave him a shy smile before leaving the table.

“Don’t look now, but I think you have another fan,” Verona said as she gestured toward the waitress.

“She’s a waitress. Being friendly is how they make good tips.” And what did she mean by “another,” anyway? Was she referring to herself? Because she surely couldn’t mean India. They’d parted on friendly terms, but he couldn’t imagine a woman like her giving him a second glance. Well, maybe a glance but nothing remotely serious. He’d learned that the hard way.

Still, there had been that unexpected moment in the truck earlier.

“I think you underestimate your appeal, Mr. Parrish.”

“Verona, let the man eat his lunch,” Blake said, his voice part teasing, part gentle scolding.

Verona swatted Blake playfully on the arm, drawing a laugh from her successor at the tourist bureau.

Thankfully, the rest of their conversation veered toward the rodeo, life in Blue Falls and how the rain would barely make a dent in the rainfall deficit. But no matter how the conversation twisted and turned, he couldn’t keep his mind from wandering back to India Pike. One would think he’d learned his lesson with women who wore dainty, hundred-dollar shoes and then were surprised when they didn’t hold up to a little uneven terrain. Give him a good, solid pair of boots any day.

But damn if he couldn’t get the image of her striking, pale blue eyes and wavy black hair down to her shoulders out of his mind. Not to mention the curves of her body as he’d held her in his arms. What had possessed him to pick her up like that, anyway?

“Can I get you all some dessert?” the waitress asked from his side almost as soon as he’d finished his last fry.

“What kind of pie do you have today, Gretchen?” Verona asked.

“Pecan, lemon, rhubarb and chocolate fudge.”

“You all enjoy,” Blake said as he stood. “I’ve got to get back to work.”

Liam reached across the table to shake the man’s hand again. When he was left with just Verona and the waitress, he had to resist the urge to fidget.

“None for me, thanks,” he said.

“Now you can’t leave your first visit to the Primrose without some of its famous pie,” Verona said. “I think it’s actually against the law.”

Gretchen nodded her agreement. “At least a night in jail.”

Knowing better than to try to defy two women who had their minds set, he said, “In that case, I’ll take a slice of pecan to go. I’ve got to get back to Fort Worth.”

He didn’t know if he actually saw a flicker of disappointment on Gretchen’s face or if Verona’s suggestion of an attraction was making him see things that weren’t there. Whatever it was, it was gone in the blink of an eye.

“And for you, Verona?” Gretchen asked.

“I feel like lemon today. And get me a slice of the chocolate fudge for India. It’s her favorite.”

Gretchen nodded and headed off to retrieve the pie.

“Too bad India couldn’t join us,” Verona said. “At least I can get her some pie for the work she’s doing on the rodeo.”

Liam made a noncommittal sound.

After Gretchen brought them their to-go boxes and Liam picked up the bill, they headed out the front door. Verona pulled out her phone and looked at the display.

“Oh, I’m sorry, but I have to run.” She looked at the take-out containers in her other hand then glanced down Main Street. “Could you drop off India’s pie on your way back to your truck?”

Liam got the sneaking suspicion he was being maneuvered, but Verona was just so nice as she did it. How could he say no without looking like a jerk? Besides, it would only take him a few extra seconds, and then he could hit the road north.

“Sure,” he said as he took the box she offered.

Verona squeezed his free hand. “Thank you, dear. See you soon.” And then she was off, almost as if she wanted to make sure she was gone before he could change his mind.

Liam stood on the sidewalk watching her hurry away and couldn’t help but laugh. He was pretty sure if he looked up dynamo in the dictionary, Verona Charles’s smiling photo would be right there next to the definition. With a shake of his head, he turned and started down the sidewalk.

The moment he stepped inside Yesterwear, that flowery, female scent hit him again. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to go back to Fort Worth smelling like a bouquet. Thank goodness he didn’t have to go to the office—or, heaven forbid, a rodeo.

India wasn’t anywhere to be seen. He was about to just set the pie on the front counter and leave when he heard a loud grunt from farther back in the store. Concerned that she might have managed to injure herself with no one around to help her, he strode past the changing area and racks of frilly clothes. More grunts, louder now, led him to the back of the building where he spotted India, now barefoot, shoving large boxes across the floor toward a storeroom.

“Need some help?”

India yelped so loudly that Liam couldn’t help but laugh. Wrong move, judging by how she straightened and shoved her fists against her hips.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” he said.

“I thought you were gone.” And didn’t she sound as if she wished he was.

He lifted the take-out container. “Verona asked me to drop off a piece of pie for you.”

Her stance softened a little. “What kind?”

“Chocolate fudge.”

“I swear it’s that woman’s aim to make me fat.” That still didn’t keep India from walking up to him and taking the container holding said pie.

“I don’t think you have to worry about that.”

He noticed she didn’t meet his eyes as she uttered a quick thanks. As she took a step toward the front of the shop, he placed his pie on a low, glass-topped table in front of two cushy white chairs and headed toward the pile of boxes.

“What are you doing?”

He looked back at her over his shoulder. “Being chivalrous?”

Her eyebrows bunched together, eliciting a smile from him.

“Where do you want these boxes?”

“I can get them.”

“I’m sure you can...with a lot of grunting.”

When her mouth dropped, he laughed.

“Come on, just tell me where you want them. Then we can both enjoy our pie sooner.” He hadn’t meant to stay and eat with her, but he suddenly found the thought appealing. She seemed like a stubborn, independent woman, and he got the distinct impression he’d knocked her a little off-kilter today. Whatever that said about him, he kind of liked it.

With a sigh, she tossed her container of pie next to his. “Fine.” She strode past him and pointed at the biggest box. “Put that one on the table in the back.” She indicated a long table that took up the back of the storage room.

It only took Liam a couple of minutes to heft the half-dozen boxes to the spots India indicated. When he placed the last one on a lower shelf filled with shoe boxes, he turned back toward her as he dusted off his hands. “See, no time at all.”

“Yes, you’re very manly,” she said with a roll of her eyes.

He resisted the urge to flex his biceps. Geez, he hadn’t acted that stupid since he was halfway through his teens. He realized that India wasn’t the only one off-kilter today.

India headed out of the room, stopping at a small fridge to retrieve some bottles of water. Then she went outside the door to slip on a pair of white flip-flops with some sort of poufy flower-looking thing on top of them.

“Those shoes look a little safer,” he said.

“You’d be surprised. Unfortunately, I tend to be way klutzier than I’d like to be.”