The Twins' Rodeo Rider. Tina Leonard
Suz rolled over, nestling down, and Cisco turned off the lamp.
He was beginning to wonder if all of Bridesmaids Creek was conspiring against him ever getting the girl. There was certainly nothing magical about their particular brand of matchmaking where he was concerned.
And he wasn’t quite sure how to turn the tide his way.
Suz got up in the night to check on Cisco. He really hadn’t looked all that well after the bull had done its fancy footwork on him. She’d tried to be breezy and cool about the whole thing, but her heart had been firmly lodged in her throat. As a matter of fact, she didn’t want to ever see him on a bull again.
She slipped into the shower, being careful not to awaken him, though she wasn’t sure it was possible to disturb him unless she set off a cherry bomb in the room. The man slept like a log, comfortably wedged against the pillow, sitting up, one arm behind his head. It was the first time she’d really seen him asleep, without a shirt on, wearing only tight black briefs, revealed by the gentle glow of the bathroom light when she opened the door.
The door now closed behind her, Suz shut her eyes for just a minute. Whoa, how had she missed those lanky limbs and that muscled abdomen? Cisco was a good-looking man, but naked he was something to behold. Sexy, white-hot, worthy of very pleasant dreams.
No wonder Daisy had set her cap so tightly for him.
“Suz?”
She cracked the door open. “Yes?”
“Oh. I thought you were still on the floor. You okay?”
“I’m fine. Just taking a shower. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“You didn’t. I was craving one of those brownies you brought and didn’t want to rustle the bag if you were asleep.” He grabbed it, pulling out the last brownie. “Want a bite?”
A bite of you, yes. Suz shook her head. “No. But thanks.”
Suz closed the door, showered, sighing as the warm water washed over her. Thought about Cisco lying out there a bit beat up, wondered how he was going to be up to speed for next weekend. She dried her short hair with a towel, pulled on some pajama shorts and a top from her duffel and walked out to find Cisco munching happily on his brownie and calling for pizza.
“Really? At this hour?” Suz asked. “It’s 2:00 a.m.”
“Would you rather have something else? The only other thing I can get delivered in this town at this hour is doughnuts.”
“I can wait four hours until a coffee shop opens for breakfast.” She plopped down on the bed next to him, flipped on the TV.
“Uh, you know what? Cancel that order, please,” Cisco said, hanging up. “A western omelet sounds really good before I ride.”
Suz stiffened. “You’re not planning to do that, are you?”
“I am. I have to, or I don’t make it into the next round.”
She stared at him. “The doctor won’t clear it. Besides which, weren’t you disqualified? You have to have been. The bull won.”
“Oh, ye of little faith. I have another ride coming to me. I have to ride or I lose my chance at points. Which is bad for my next rodeo.”
“Cisco, you don’t get it.” He really didn’t understand that she couldn’t witness him suffering bodily harm again. “You have to rest for next weekend.”
“Aw, kitten.” He touched her cheek. “Don’t you worry about me. I promise you I suffered much worse when I was in the navy.”
“That was then and this is now.” Suz tried to think how she could convince him that he totally wanted no more part of rodeo. “Come back to BC, Cisco. The rodeo circuit isn’t for you. I mean, look at you.”
Yes, indeed, look at him, all six-foot-two worth of god-bodied hunkiness. It was all she could do to tear her eyes away and think rationally. Not think about slipping those tight black boxers off him and—
No, no, no. “Cisco, look. There are just some things in life one has to accept. I’m not a good swimmer, and you’re not a good bull rider.”
He grinned. “Don’t sell me short, beautiful. I was doing well until a certain sexy doll blew my focus today. And I’m determined to get better.”
“And lose all your major organs in the process.” She shook her head. “I vote you give up rodeo. Come back to BC.”
“Nope. I belong here.” He ruffled her hair affectionately. “You cute little Smurf-haired thing. I like it when you act all concerned.”
“I’m not concerned.” Suz glared at him. “I’m just protecting the race.”
“So? It’s not like I’m ever going to be free of Daisy. Why do you think I’m here?” He shook his head. “I’m never going back. I don’t believe in all that silly juju, but Daisy’s convinced that I’m the man of her starry slumbers. And since my buddy has his tail in a knot over her, BC’s a bad place for me to be. It’s the fastest way I know of to lose a friend. And I worked real hard not to lose his gnarly ass in Afghanistan. Not gonna lose our friendship over a spoiled daddy’s girl.”
Suz took a deep breath. “That’s the other thing. Daisy went kind of gonzo when you left. She’s pretty sure you and I cooked up some kind of plan together to cheat her of her one chance at the charm.”
He looked at her. “I don’t understand.”
“Daisy thinks you and I have a secret thing going on.”
“That would be interesting indeed. But not true.”
Suz pulled the covers up to her neck and sank against the pillow, her gaze melting into his and desperately trying to avoid staring at the sexy muscled abs leading right down to a no doubt very desirable area of his body. “Daisy had her father start foreclosure proceedings on the new addition being built at the Hanging H. Which means there won’t be any expansion to the haunted house this year.”
“Why?”
“She’s like her dad. Determined to have her way.” Suz shrugged. “Since I live at the Hanging H with Mackenzie and Justin and the babies, and since the Haunted H is our family business—” she took a deep breath “—and since she thinks you and I scuttled her big day at Bridesmaids Creek...”
“And that we have a secret thing,” he added.
“Yes. She’s taking it out on our home and business. Besides that, she’s also talked her father into finally squeezing Cosette and Phillipe out of their businesses. Robert owns the company that has their financing. There’ll be no more Madame Matchmaker and Monsieur Unmatchmaker located in the center of BC, where they belong. Where they’ve been for years.”
The whole situation was devastating. She had to make Cisco see how badly they needed him to take on this challenge.
“Hmm.” He pondered that, rubbing his chest absently, which Suz really wished didn’t have her quite so mesmerized. “Has anyone tried talking to her?”
“I have. She won’t listen. She caught us that day.”
“The swimming lesson.”
She didn’t reply. He picked up her hand, held it in his bigger one, which felt comforting.
“Who taught you to swim so well by Saturday? I noticed a definite improvement in your skills. And Daisy was stunned.”
“Sam.”
“I knew it!” Cisco laughed, and it was a pleasant, rich sound that had her nerves practically jumping with its sexy appeal. Not to mention how nice it would be to put her head on that big, strong chest, let her hand