Texas Size Passion (A Cowboy's Heart Book 2) Read online

  Chapter One

  A month later…

  Emily walked out the front door of her grandmother’s home, and stretched her arms over her head while it was tilted backwards.

  Oh my…goodness! I have not gotten to relax like this in a long ass time. Being able to get away from all the stress back in the city has done wonders for me. I haven’t worried once about bills, monthly payments, or all of the other things waiting back home for me.

  Lowering her arms down at the sides of the light pink wide strap tank top and denim shorts that covered the curves of her body, she tilted her head back up, and looked in the direction of where the horses were kept.

  Belle pulled the large front doors of the barn wide open, and pressed them against the wooden walls of it while making sure to not step on any of the streamers that were rolled up neatly in a nearby spot with a step ladder leaning against one of the outer walls close to the decorations.

  Hmm…Normally, I wouldn’t wonder what is going on at the moment when it involves someone else and not me. However…Seeing her getting a ladder into position and taking up two rolls of the streamers in her hands…I am becoming more curious about it now.

  Emily kept her eyes on that of her grandmother’s frame ascending the ladder in a pale blue tracksuit with two rolls of streamers in one of her hands as she made her way across the dirt floor of the earth. Her hair swayed and hung down the front and backs of her shoulders with each step that was taken.

  Is she planning some kind of party tonight? The sight of Belle moving up the ladder with two rolls of decorations in her hands even peaked the curiosity of her conscience. As I recall…I don’t remember her saying something about holding some kind of dance here tonight.

  It did have a point. She couldn’t remember her grandmother having said anything about hosting some kind of event on her property, and the idea of something like that happening on her land made her a little uneasy.

  Closing in on where Belle had fixed the rolls of streamers onto a hook over the opened threshold of the barn, Emily kept her attention on where she kept her attention on where she stood while she remained standing beside it with one of her hands resting on a lower rung.

  “Grandmother,” she asked, “what are you doing up there?”

  She couldn’t hide or hold back her own curiosity for what was going on or would be taking place there. The idea of a party scheduled to happen their lingered on her mind, and only heightened her need to know if it was really the case.

  “What’s all this for?”

  It was with her questions that belle looked down towards her with a wide, friendly grin on her face while her right hand clung to the two rolls of streamers in her hands. She drew in a single breath, and released it along with a whole host of words in a cheerful tone.

  “All this…is for the Midsummer’s Dance that I always hold here for all of my friends and neighbors in the countryside and town.”

  A Midsummer’s party? Did she hear her mother’s mom correctly? Did Belle just mention she was going to host a dance here for several people that live in the area?

  Before she could speak up on the issue once more, Emily took a step towards the opened doorway of the barn, and barely missed the rolls falling down from her grandmother’s hand that had let them go. She took a moment to notice the patriotic patterns on them before her eyes moved up to find Belle smiling down at her.

  “Now…I want you to get the money I left on the kitchen table for you, go into town, and buy you something nice to wear to the party tonight so you can meet all of the people that will be here.”

  Whoa now…Who said anything about me attending a dance where I won’t know anyone at it?

  The idea of going to an event where she didn’t know anyone at made her extremely nervous. Her only kind of party was one where she knew at least a few people in order to have someone to talk with or sit with while everyone else danced about. Attending Belle’s version of one put her on edge.

  “Grandmother,” She said, “I think I will just stay in.” Emily hoped, secretly, that she wouldn’t be forced to go. “I don’t really go to parties, and-“

  “I am not going to have my grand-child idling her time away in her room while a chance to make some new friends passes her by!”

  “But-“

  “No buts, young lady!” Belle pointed to the house with the index finger on her right hand while her voice took on a more commanding sound. “Go get my money, and buy something to wear in town right this second.”

  Emily knew there was no point to argue with her since she wouldn’t win the argument no matter what the subject was.

  Nodding her head to the elderly woman standing at the top of the stairs with a firm expression on her face, she turned around, and headed back for the money, her purse, and the keys to her car.

  * * *

  Walking inside of the only liquor store in all of Oleander, John made his way up to the front desk. His black boots thudded against the hardwood floor with a few seconds separating the sounds one made from the other. He had on plain, white short-sleeved to and a pair of denim jeans concealing most of his body as he approached the counter.

  Nestled behind the front desk of the store, an older man in his mid-fifties was nestled in an old rocking chair, snoring away with his Jeff Gordon cap hanging down over his face.

  I really hate to wake him up…but I have to get things for Ms. Belle’s party tonight.

  John had been sent out on an errand into town by his boss to pick up several large crates of alcohol that she had ordered two weeks ago just for the sake of the party.

  Resting his bare palms against the wooden surface of the counter, he bent his head down towards where the old man was sleeping away, and spoke to him in his usual deep, southern voice.

  “Mr. James,” he said, “this is your personalized wake up call.”

  Nothing. The old man didn’t move even an inch from where he was situated in the chair.

  “Mr. James…Please move your ass out of that chair before I have to do it for you.” John had his voice to sound more firm and threatening, hoping that it would cause some kind of reaction out of him.

  Nothing still.

  Well…Looks like I don’t have any other choice.

  He moved around the front of the desk, and placed his body behind it to where he was standing next to the snoring older gentleman. His right hand removed the white cowboy from the top of his head while his other removed Mr. James’ cap from his face, exposing all of the wrinkles that he had gotten from years of smoking and stress and his mouth that was partly opened.

  Sorry about this, ‘ol boy…but you won’t wake up on your own.

  John lifted his hand holding the cowboy hat above his head, and brought it down, swatting at the older man’s face and head with enough force to have someone realize that someone was there and that they are trying to get their attention.

  No sooner had his assault on the sleeping individual started, Mr. James started to throw his arms and legs around a bit while his voice came out in a tone that was a mixture of being awake and groggy at the same time.

  “What in the hell is going on here?!” Mr. James shouted out to who it was that decided on swatting him in the face. “Who is there?!”

  A deep chuckle escaped from the confines of John’s mouth at the sight of the old man before him trying to hit at him as if he was a fly while his eyes were still closed. He brought his hat back, and slipped it on top of his head as he spoke to him in a coy tone to match the chuckle coming out of his lips.

  “Perhaps you will now learn to stay awake during the day and sleep at night if you don’t’ want someone else
or me slapping you awake.”

  The grin on his face only widened even more from catching sight of the store’s manager shooting him an icy, cold glare before speaking up with an embarrassed growl in it.

  “What in the hell do you want, John?”

  “I am here to get the booze that Ms. Belle Withers ordered a while back for the party she is holding tonight.”

  “Very well…I will step to the back, and get them for you.”

  John watched Mr. James walked away while he listened to him softly grumbling. He lightly shook his head, and looked towards one of the large windows of the shop that face the direction of the street.

  Across from the liquor store, Emily, Belle’s beautiful and curvaceous grand-daughter, was seen getting out of her vehicle, and heading for the doors of one of the local dress shops in town.

  Hmm…Emily is out shopping for something to wear to the dance tonight…I believe she is going to need a man’s opinion about what the perfect outfit will be.

  A playful smirk danced across his face as he pulled his attention away from the window, and focused on Mr. James coming out with the crates in his hands.

  “Here are the crates, John.” Mr. James said, still harboring a feeling of disgruntled embarrassment towards him, as he struggled placing the alcohol on the front desk’s counter. “That will be one hundred and fifty dollars even.”

  “Okay.” Pulling out his wall, he handed the money that belle gave him to the owner in order to pay for the booze, making sure that he didn’t give him too much since he also had just gotten his pay and didn’t want to pay too much. He tucked it away before he focused on having the conversation with him. “Are you coming up to Ms. Withers’ home for the party tonight?”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “I need my sleep if I am to keep you from hitting at me again.”

  John let out a hearty laugh that started out as a soft one from what he had said to him. Shaking his head, he gathered the three crates of alcohol with no trouble in his strong arms, carried them outside, and placed them in the bed of his black 2000 Ford pick-up truck.

  Now that I have this done and over with…there is only one thing I need to do before I head on home to clean up for the party tonight.

  John secured the crates into place before his gaze moved over to where the dress shop that Emily went into was on the other side of the street.

  Chapter Two

  Stepping out of a dressing room, Emily walked to a spot where there were several mirrors lined up to show how she would look from the front, left, and right sides of her body. Her eyes fell upon the sight of her reflection revealing the first dress she chose to wear: A hot pink and white checkered sleeveless dress that was close to being skin tight, and stopped at her mid-thigh.

  Oh hell no!

  The sight of what she had on sent her running back to the very room she had been in only moments prior to that second in time. There was no way that she would allow herself to wear something so short and tight that people in the town would call her a ‘whore’ or a ‘prostitute’ at her grandmother’s party.

  She wasted little time in closing the door behind her, and removing the hideous piece of clothing off of her body. Her hands made quick work of hanging it back up on its hanger that was nestled on a hook on the wall to the left side of her away from where the other options for her were nestled. Once the object was away from her, a soft groan of displeasure escaped from her soft pink lips.

  I never…ever want to wear something like that again in all of my life. Just having that on for a few seconds…I feel close to becoming sick to my stomach with disgust.

  Silently swearing herself off of the dress, Emily brought the next dress down while she stood in only a white strapless bra cupping her round, firm breasts and a pair of white low-rise panties. She slipped the soft, white cotton fabric over the top of her head, and her arms into the sleeves of it. Once the skirt was tugged down to fall at the calves of her legs, her body walked back out, and stood before the mirrors.

  Instead of immediate repulsion like she had for the previous dress, Emily found herself simply smiling at the way she had the appearance of a young woman her age from the seventies. The sight caused a light chuckle to escape from the confines of her mouth.

  Although this is not really the kind of thing to wear to a midsummer’s dance…I definitely would wear something similar to this for a Halloween party.

  She made her way back to the dressing room, and eased the door shut behind her with a little more relaxation in her movements a whole lot less stress. Her hands slipped the dress off, and placed it back onto its designated hanger before moving it onto the hook with the other gown. She moved her eyes to the last remaining dress with a heavy look in her eyes.

  Well…It looks like this last one will have to be the one or it is back to the drawing board for me.

  Emily eased the dress over her head and guided her arms through the quarter length sleeves that fell at her elbows. Once she had pulled the skirt to fall at her knees, and made sure the front was buttoned up, her body walked outside and back to the mirrors.

  Looking back at her, the mirrors revealed her to be in a red and maroon colored plaid dress that was not too stuffy and didn’t show too much either.

  The visual brought a sweet smile to her face. There was no doubt about it. This was the perfect dress for her to wear for her grandmother’s party. Emily turned to go back to the dressing room to change when John’s sudden appearance in the store caught her full attention and brought her body to a complete and abrupt stop. She managed to at least draw in a breath of air while her eyes were fixated upon him approaching her where she stood.

  * * *

  “That dress looks great on you, Emily.” John broke the momentary silence between the two of them with a compliment in his calm yet deep voice while his face had a friendly smile upon it.

  “You think so, John?” Emily asked, curiously. She secretly wanted his opinion about what she had on since she was thinking about buying it, and wearing it for her grandmother’s party. “Are you sure that this looks okay?”

  He clearly saw how unsure she was, and how she needed to hear his opinion about what she had on. Deciding to ease her concerns and worries away from her mind, John walked right up to Emily’s physique, and left very little to no space between him and her. He bent his head down, and pressed it against the top of hers as he spoke to her in a soft, deep whisper.

  “Darling…Taylor Swift is nowhere near as beautiful as the way you are looking right now.”

  His eyes watched hers start to brighten up, and a bashful smile move across the fair complexion of her face. The sight caused a grin to form onto his face, and a warm sensation rushing throughout his entire body.

  “Do you really think that I am prettier then Taylor Swift, John?” Emily asked. Her voice not only had a bashful sound to it, but also a child-like giggle trying to make its way out despite her doing her best to suppress it.

  Instead of answering with words in response to her question, John lowered his head down to hers, and pressed his sensual, strong lips against her tender ones. He sealed off her mouth to prevent any other words from coming out of it by using his as a block. John only held the moment for a few, brief, lingering seconds, knowing very well what happened the last time they had kissed each other and that it could easily happen that very moment with more people around and no horses.

  “Sweetheart,” he whispered, moving his mouth back to hover over hers, “if it was just the two of us right now…I would really show you how attractive you look to me right now.”

  “Is that a threat, Mr. Hicks?”

  “It’s a promise, Miss Withers.”

  A chuckle escaped out of his mouth at the sound of Emily referring to him as ‘Mr. Hicks’ instead of just saying his first name like she had been during the past month she had been staying with her grandmother at the ranch.

  “Well then…I believe that I have a dress to take off and p
ay for.”

  “I will be waiting for you right here…you sweet little southern tease.”

  His eyes watched her curvaceous frame move away from where he stood, and head in the direction of the very dressing room that she had come from originally. He caught a small glimpse of her looking over one of her shoulders in his direction with a grin stretching from ear to ear on the angelic and beautiful features of her face before she slipped out of his sight.

  Oh how I just love watching that woman look as she walks away from me.

  He couldn’t get enough of Emily. Each time he thought of her…Every moment that was spent in the company of his boss’ guest…He wanted more and more. There was no set amount for him. There was no limit to how much of her he could take before things went too far and he started to become sick of her. She had become to him like someone’s favorite alcoholic beverage was to them.

  Turning his attention away from the area she headed in, John noticed a man that wasn’t from around the area looking into the store while trying to appear he wasn’t gawking at the same time due to catching his reflection in the mirrors that Emily had just modeled and stood in front of him a few moments ago.

  I don’t know what it is about that guy…but something tells me that he is not here shopping for a dress…

  Chapter Three

  Deciding to go with his gut instinct, John removed himself from the store, and stepped out onto the small porch that was nestled outside with a couple of benches placed in designated spots close to the door so people could have a place to rest their tired and hurting feet.

  The stranger quickly turned his back in John’s direction, and attempted to flip the collar of his waist length leather jacket up enough so it wouldn’t be easy to tell what he looked like.

  I don’t think so, buddy.

  He shook his head at the individual trying to keep him from seeing who he really was. His long legs took him to the man that stood a foot less taller than him, erasing any of the previous gap from existence. Reaching with his right hand, John grabbed a hold of him by the back of his neck, and escorted him over to one of the benches.