Excerpt: Rodeo Queen

Catie looked away. “My bags here yet?”

“Your plane just got in, honey. Your bags’ll be a few minutes. Nice save, by the way.”

“What do you mean?” she asked innocently. Inside her heart was thumping like the hooves of a racehorse at the thought of Chad McCray.

“He’s damn near twice your age, Catie.”

“I have no interest in Chad McCray. And he hasn’t been twice my age since I was eleven and he was twenty-two. Even so, I happen to be twenty-one years old now, as of last month, as you well know. Legal and everything. I can even order a Margarita when I want one. In fact, I think I want one now.”

“Now?”

“Heck, yeah. I’m exhausted, and my brain is fried. I can’t think of a better salve for myself at the moment. Mind if we stop at the Bullfrog on the way home?”

“I think you’ve lost your mind, little sis. You’ve never set foot in the Bullfrog.”

“Because I haven’t been able to. Legally. But now I can. I want my big brother to buy me my first legal drink.”

“Hell. You’ve been drinking in France for four years.”

Catie gave her brother a friendly swat. “You make it sound like I’m some kind of a lush. You know I hardly ever imbibe. But right now a little lime and tequila sounds thirst quenching good. You can’t get a Colorado Margarita in Paris, Harp.”

“Even with all that Grand Marnier and Cointreau they got there?” Harper’s handsome face twisted into a teasing grin.

“Give me plain old Triple Sec and Cuervo any day,” Catie said. “And I can’t wait to sink my teeth into some Colorado Angus. French food is wonderful, but I sure have missed Colorado cuisine.”

“Ma’s got a big homecoming planned at the house tomorrow night,” Harper said. “Everyone shy of Murphy’ll be there.” He winked. “Including Chad McCray.”

“I couldn’t give two puny figs,” Catie said, avoiding her brother’s gaze.

Her words came out strong, with a huff.

But they were one big ol’ lie.