Read Bad News Cowboy for Free Online Page B

did. If she softened, even a little bit.
    Dark brown eyes met his, a core of steel running straight on through, down deep inside of her. Yeah, there would be no softening from Kate Garrett. “Then talk,” she said before taking another sip.
    â€œWho do you think you can get to volunteer to ride when there’s no score or purse at stake? I mean, we can keep score, but it won’t count toward anything. Just winning the event.”
    â€œI’m not sure as far as the pros go. We’ll probably have to reach out to the association. But I know some people who can do that. You being one of them, I assume.”
    One thing about the rodeo he’d liked. He’d come in with no established baggage. Nobody cared that he didn’t have a dad, that he’d grown up poor. His luck with buckle bunnies and his propensity to fight in bars had also added to his popularity.
    But the circuit wasn’t real life. It was like living in a fraternity. Too much booze, too much sex—it was all good there. It just wasn’t real life.
    Of course, real life was often hard and less fun. “Yeah, I’ve got a lot of buddies from back in those days.”
    â€œYou make it sound like it was a million years ago.”
    Only five, but it felt like longer sometimes. “It doesn’t just have to be all pros,” he continued, pitching an idea at her he’d had the other day. “We can do amateurs against professionals. That would make for a fun event.”
    â€œWell, you know I would do it. And a few others might. I bet Sierra West would.”
    At the mention of Sierra’s name Jack’s stomach went tight. Her involvement in this could be a slight complication.
    He gritted his teeth. No, there was no reason to consider the Wests a complication. Sure, he shared genetic material with them, but the only people who knew that were his mother, the man who had fathered him and Jack himself. As far as he knew, the legitimate West children knew nothing about it, and Kate certainly didn’t.
    If he were a sentimental man, he might have been tempted to think of Sierra as a sister. But he couldn’t afford sentimentality. And anyway, he’d accepted quite a bit of money to pretend he had no clue who his father was. And so he was honor bound to that. Well, not exactly honor bound. Bought and paid for, more like.
    â€œGreat. Sure.”
    â€œIf you don’t want my suggestions, don’t ask for my help,” she said, her tone cutting.
    â€œI
want
your suggestions,” he bit out.
    â€œYou sound like you want my suggestions like you want a root canal.”
    If he was this transparent at a mention of Sierra’s name, then dealing with her while coordinating the rodeo events would be somewhere way beyond awkward. Which meant he had to get it together.
    â€œSorry, honey,” he said, not quite sure why the endearment slipped out. Because he was trying to soften his words maybe? “I do want your suggestions. That’s why I came to you for help.”
    She chewed her bottom lip. “You really do want my help?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œWhy? I mean, there are a lot of people you could get to help you. People who aren’t kids.”
    â€œI don’t think you’re a kid.”
    He could remember her being a kid, all round-faced enthusiasm, shining dark eyes, freckles sprinkled over the button nose. Usually, she’d had dirt on her. Yeah, he could remember that clearly. But that image had very little to do with the woman who stood before him. Her cheeks had hollowed, highlighting the strong bone structure in her face. Her nose was finer, though still sprinkled with freckles. Her dark eyes still shone bright, but there was a stubbornness that ran deep, a hardness there developed from years of loss and pain.
    She cleared her throat. “That’s news to me.”
    â€œConsider yourself informed.”
    â€œNow that we’ve established we’re