Kiss Me Now, Cowboy (Cowboys in Paradise, Band 1) - Softcover

Crush, Dylann

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0593438736 ISBN 13: 9780593438732

Verlag: Berkley, 2022

Inhaltsangabe

Professional bull rider Justin Forza might have to trade his cowboy boots for flip flops to win the woman he loves.

Forzas aren't quitters. That's the motto professional bull rider Justin Forza's dad has drilled into his head since the first time he climbed into the bucking chute. After a serious injury, doctor’s orders are to stay out of the arena. But if Justin can win one more championship, he’ll be able to continue the family legacy, set himself up for life, and finally confess his love to his best friend Emmeline. 
 
Emmeline Porter lives by one rule: never date a bull rider. She’s seen the damage a bad ride can cause. As a last resort to stop Justin from returning to the rodeo circuit, she convinces him to take a trip to Paradise Island, a tropical haven off the coast of Texas. She hopes cutting Justin off from the pressure his dad is laying on him will give her best friend the clarity he needs to walk away for good.

The close quarters and island adventures put their friendship to the test, and it’s not long before real feelings surface and threaten to sweep them both away.

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Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Dylann Crush is the USA Today bestselling author of the Tying the Knot in Texas series, as well as All-American Cowboy and Cowboy Christmas Jubilee. A romantic at heart, she loves her heroines spunky and her heroes super sexy. When she is not dreaming up steamy story lines, she can be found sipping a margarita and searching for the best Tex-Mex food in Minnesota. Although she grew up in Texas, she currently lives in a suburb of Minneapolis/St. Paul with her unflappable husband, three energetic kids, a clumsy Great Dane, a rescue mutt, and a very chill cat. She loves to connect with readers, other authors, and fans of tequila. 

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1

 

Justin

 

"Forzas aren't quitters."

 

Justin Forza took in a deep breath through his nose and met his dad's hard glare with a softer version of his own. "I know, Dad. You've drilled that into me my entire life. I'm not saying I want to quit. I just need a little more time for my shoulder to heal."

 

Grabbing hold of his right shoulder with his left hand, Justin rolled it forward. Pain radiated through the socket, but he didn't flinch.

 

His dad picked up a saddle from the tack room, and Justin followed him to the last stall in the barn. They didn't have time for this conversation. Not again, and especially not now. He was supposed to be on his way to pick up his best friend, Em. If they didn't hit the road soon, they'd never get to Dallas in time for the concert tonight.

 

"I've got to go get Emmeline. Can we table this for now?" Justin sighed, not looking forward to the inevitable continuation of the same conversation. Whether his dad picked it up again tomorrow or the next day, it was bound to happen. Monty Forza had never been accused of letting a sleeping dog lie, not even when it appeared to be as dead as the arguments the two of them had been flinging back and forth for weeks.

 

"The two of you going to that concert in Dallas tonight?" Monty's mood lightened at the mention of Emmeline's name. She had that effect on people. Em had a way of bringing out the best in folks, even someone as hardheaded and coldhearted as his father.

 

"Yes, sir. Knox is playing, and Decker invited us to watch from his dad's suite." Justin had been friends with Knox and Decker since the three of them could ride a horse. Seeing as how they'd learned how to ride before they could even walk, Justin couldn't remember a time in his life without them.

 

"I can't believe a good woman like Emmeline's still available." Monty's eyes narrowed. "Won't be long before some good-looking, smart-talking cowboy scoops her up."

 

Justin gritted his teeth. He and Emmeline were friends. Had been since second grade when she'd shown up at school with two long braids and a smile as wide and open as the Great Plains of Texas. She'd fit right in with the tight trio of him, Knox, and Decker. Over the years, the four of them had done just about everything together.

 

Then Emmeline started changing, and Justin couldn't help but take notice. Her lanky limbs gave way to curves that wouldn't quit. The hair she used to pull up and out of the way fell in soft waves around her shoulders. Green eyes, the color of the fields surrounding his family's ranch in the springtime, took on a new shine.

 

He wouldn't admit it to anyone, especially Emmeline Porter, but he'd fallen hard for her their junior year at Blewit High and had been pining for her ever since. Knox and Decker had figured it out, but his secret had been safe from Emmeline for the past twelve years.

 

"You need anything else before I head out?" Justin fingered the key to his heavy-duty F-350-the one luxury he'd allowed himself to indulge in with the winnings he'd earned over the years as a pro bull rider. The rest had gone into savings, waiting for a time when he could retire from the circuit and invest in a place of his own.

 

"Nah. Y'all have a good time tonight. We'll pick this conversation up again tomorrow. Just remember, the longer you wait to get back in the game, the harder it's going to be, son." Monty tossed the saddle over the back of his favorite ranch horse.

 

"I know." Justin let out a long exhale. He didn't want to sit out from the bull-riding circuit any longer than necessary. Securing the world championship was the only thing standing in the way of what he really wanted out of life . . . Emmeline.

 

This year should have been his. He'd started off the year in the top ten and, after winning a few events in February and March, had earned enough points to put him in the top five. Once he secured the title and the cash prize that went with it, he'd planned on announcing his retirement on the spot and finally telling Emmeline how he felt.

 

But things never seemed to go as planned. Instead of being the one to catch, he'd been bucked off a ranker bull on the last night of a three-day event in Nashville with half a second to go. He'd healed from his surgery and a severe concussion, but his shoulder still wasn't quite where he needed it to be.

 

His dad was right, though. If he didn't commit to an upcoming event, he'd lose out on the entire year and have to start over again in January. That would mean waiting at least another eighteen months to come clean with Emmeline. He had no idea if she felt the same, but he knew one thing . . . it wasn't worth the breath he'd waste telling her how he felt about her if he still planned on riding bulls.

 

She'd made one thing perfectly clear over the years . . . she'd never date a rodeo cowboy.

 

The sooner he got back to riding, the sooner he could snag the title his dad expected, and the sooner he could finally admit his feelings.

 

He just hoped it wouldn't be too late.

 

Emmeline

 

"Here you go, Daddy." Emmeline held the fork out to her father. It had clattered to the table when one of his tremors started.

 

"Dammit." He closed his fingers around it. "Pretty soon I won't even be able to feed my damn self."

 

Emmeline swallowed hard. She hated seeing him struggle. "Some days are just more difficult than others."

 

He glanced at her across the solid oak table-the one he'd built with his own hands before he got injured-and frowned. "I don't know how y'all put up with me."

 

"It's because you're so lovable." She got up from her chair to kiss his cheek. "I've got to get ready to go. Justin's going to be here soon. You need anything else?"

 

A spasm ran through her dad, making his hand twitch again. "Nah. I'll be fine. Your mama will be home soon, anyway."

 

Emmeline put a hand on her dad's shoulder and squeezed. She'd volunteered to come sit with him while he ate dinner tonight since her mom had a garden club meeting. It's not that he couldn't be left alone, but dinnertime always proved to be extra frustrating, and sometimes his temper got the best of him.

 

"You want me to cut that up smaller for you?"

 

"I'm fine, baby girl. You go have a good time. Tell the boys I said hello and to come around and visit once in a while when they're in town, will you?"

 

"Will do." Wouldn't do any good to remind her dad "the boys" weren't boys anymore. That's how he'd always referred to them, ever since Em started hanging out with the trio of troublemakers in second grade. They were grown-ass men now, at least on the outside. Even though she hadn't seen Knox in a couple of years, and didn't spend much one-on-one time with Decker, she couldn't help but notice how much Justin had changed the last few times she'd seen him.

 

Em picked up her purse and slung the strap over her shoulder messenger bag-style. Before she had a chance to peek through the front window, the door leading to the garage opened, and Justin walked in.

 

"Speak of the devil." Her dad pushed back from the table.

 

"Don't get up on my account." Justin reached out to shake her dad's hand. "I didn't mean to interrupt your meal."

 

Emmeline's breath caught at the sight of him. He'd been gone more than he'd been home over the past several years, traveling from one rodeo to the next, and fitting in other events along the way. Justin had what...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Berkley
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2022
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0593438736
• ISBN 13: 9780593438732
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 336
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: preigu; mail@preigu.de; ; Lengericher Landstr. 19; Osnabrück; 49078; Deutschland