Read Loving You: A Cowboy Romance (Texas Hill Country Romance Book 1) for Free Online Page A

don’t,” he interrupted her. “Don’t you dare cancel. You should have called me if you were going to cancel.”
    “I don’t have your num-”
    “No, no, don’t even go there. I’ve been trying to get in touch with you since Sunday. I know Calista told you. You didn’t want to talk to me. Come on, come out with me, I’ll explain.”
    “I told you, I’m working.”
    Joan came back in the kitchen. “Go on, honey, I got it. You did so much today, already. I can handle it. There isn’t much left to do anyway. Go on, go. Cord, say hi to your folks for me.”
    “Will do, Joan.”
    Annie looked from Joan to Cord. She did do more than was expected of her that day. She prepared and served snacks to the guests, prepared dinner, and she made a fresh berry tart with mascarpone cream for dessert because Joan had a doctor’s appointment. Not that she was complaining. She really enjoyed her baking.
    “Go on, get out of here. I’ll see you in the morning.”
    With that, Joan turned around and carried the berry tart to the dining room.
    “I’ll give you a few minutes. I’ll be outside,” Cord said. He, too, turned and walked out of the kitchen.
    Annie paused a moment then ran up the stairs to change from flat sandals to a pair of sandals with heels. She left the short white dress with navy blue horizontal stripes on. She checked her face, removed the clip in her hair and blew it straight real quick. She picked up her purse and left her room.
    As Annie walked out onto the porch, she saw Jake talking to Cord, who was leaning against a, WOW, is that a new Chevrolet Camaro? It was black with two broad, white stripes on the hood and in the back. She walked over to the guys. Smiling, she said, “Hey, Jake.”
    “Hey, gorgeous. You two going out?”
    “Just grabbing a bite to eat,” she said.
    “Just, huh, must be more than just, Cord never takes this car out on a week night.”
    They all laughed.
    “It’s beautiful,” Annie said as she turned to Cord.
    “Thank you. You ready to go?”
    “Yes.”
    He walked her to the passenger side door.
    Jake walked away. “Make sure you have her home by ten or I’ll have to get my shotgun out.”
    Cord met Annie’s eyes. “Dickhead,” he mumbled, and Annie smiled. She knew the guys were close knit and he was not angry at Jake.
    After she got in the car, Cord closed the door and walked around to his side and got in, started it up, and they drove away.
    “Oh, is this a stick?”
    “Yeah. Do you know how to drive one?”
    “No, I had a boyfriend who drove a stick. He tried to teach me once but I kept stalling. I think he thought I was going to break it or something.”
    “It’s not hard.”
    “To break?”
    “No, to drive,” Cord said smiling as he stopped the car. He got out and went to her side and opened the door.
    She gave him a puzzled look.
    “I bet I can teach you in the next ten minutes.”
    “I doubt that.”
    “Come on, give it a try.”
    “Okay,” she said, and got out and went around to the driver’s side.
    Once in the car, he began the lesson. “You know you have an extra pedal on the floor?”
    She nodded.
    “It’s the clutch, and it’s the one all the way to the left. Then you have your brake in the middle, and the accelerator on the right.”
    He paused as he watched her identify each pedal. He then pointed to the gear shift and reviewed the arrangement, “ 1st is up and left, 2nd is down and left, 3rd up center, 4th down center, 5th up right, 6th gear down and right. Reverse is far right. Got it?”
    She looked at him like he had two heads. He chuckled and repeated it all. “Now take a moment to absorb it all.” After a while he continued. “Good?”
    “I think so.”
    “Okay, repeat it to me.”
    She did.
    “Good girl.”
    Then he identified the hand brake to her. “Anytime you need to stop if you’re confused, don’t be afraid to use it.”
    She nodded.
    He gave her a few more instructions. He made her practice pressing and