He's the One (28 page)

Cat Johnson’s Oklahoma Nights series
continues in
Two Times as Hot
,
coming this October.

 

 

Read on for an excerpt from Chapter One,
as plans for Becca and Tuck’s wedding get under
way.

 

“T
his’ll be your first time meeting Bec’s sister, won’t it?”

Logan dipped his head in response to Tuck’s question. “Yes, sir. It sure will be.”

“I’m not worried about Emma fitting in. Everyone loves her. It’s the rest of the relatives
I’m concerned about.” Becca screwed up her face into a scowl. “My father, Mr. Punctuality,
is beside himself they’re not here an hour early and it sounded like my mother was
already well into her sherry. She bought a bottle at the duty-free shop at the airport.”

“Sounds like a hell of a start to a party.” Jace walked through the door and scooped
Becca into a hug that lifted her feet right off the ground. “Hey there, darlin’. You
look great, as usual.”

Jace gave Becca a kiss and set her on the ground.

Becca laughed. “Save some of those compliments for later when my relatives from New
York are here and I’m tearing my hair out. I may need to hear them.”

“You’ve got it. And just send me the signal and I’ll sneak you some booze, too, if
you want it.” Jace winked at her and slid a flask out of his pocket.

“I’ll keep that in mind. A visit with my parents might require some alcohol.” Becca
glanced at Tuck. “I’m going to go see if your mom needs any help in the kitchen.”

“Sounds good, baby.” Tuck nodded.

Jace watched Becca leave as he walked over to Tuck. He stuck out one arm to shake
the groom’s hand. “Hey, man. How you holding up? I’ve got the truck filled up with
diesel and coolers full of ice-cold beer. It’s parked right outside, just in case.
You ready to bolt yet?”

Logan shook his head. Typical Jace. As changeable as the wind. Sucking up to the bride
with one breath, and offering to help the groom escape with the other.

Tuck’s gaze cut to the doorway Becca had left through before he answered, “Not at
all. I’m loving every minute of it. Nothing more fun than planning a big ol’ wedding.
You want a beer? I’m getting myself another one.”

Logan glanced at his own bottle. He wasn’t even halfway done with his own beer yet
but Tuck’s was empty. Tuck might pretend he was calm, cool, and collected about the
wedding and all it entailed, but the empty bottle told another story.

Out-of-town relatives. Nervous bride. Rentals. Last-minute errands. Saying “I do”
for the rest of your life . . . Yup, Logan sure was happy he’d be on the ushers’ side
of the altar rather than directly in the line of fire like the groom.

“Definite yes on the beer,” Jace answered Tuck, and turned to extend a hand toward
Logan. “Lieutenant Colonel Hunt, sir. What’s the status of the Oklahoma State ROTC
program?”

Logan laughed as Jace lowered his tone of voice and spoke more like a battalion commander
than a bull rider. “A little slow right now since we’re between semesters for the
summer, but thanks for asking. How you been, Jace?”

“Good. Rodeoing quite a bit now that it’s summer. Dragging Tuck with me when I can
convince him to ride.”

“Just don’t break him, please. Tuck may be a bull rider part-time, but full-time he’s
one of my soldiers, and one of my department’s best military science instructors.
I need him with two good, working legs for when we go back to working out with the
cadets. Got it?”

“Sure thing. Let’s just hope Becca doesn’t break him during the honeymoon.” Jace waggled
his eyebrows. “As for rodeo, he usually ends up getting his ribs broken when he wrecks,
not his legs, so we’re good. Broke ribs hurt like a son of a bitch, but he can still
run with ’em.”

Jace grinned and accepted the beer Tuck handed him. “Thanks for the vote of confidence,
Jace. And I only broke my ribs once or twice, thank you very much.”

“Once or twice, my sweet ass. You can’t seem to keep yourself out from under hoof.
You’re too tall for a bull rider, if you ask me. You need to be small and quick like
me. You should have stuck with team roping.”

Watching the two men bicker, Logan sipped his beer and stayed out of the fray. He
wasn’t about to enter that debate. Bull riders were crazy.

Sure, Logan had joined the army knowing there’d be times during his career he was
going to be up against an enemy who wanted him dead, but to get on the back of a bucking
bull knowing you were going to be thrown in the dirt every damn time? Nope. Not for
him.

While Jace and Tuck continued to banter—something about which bull Jace drew last
time he rode—motion out in the driveway caught Logan’s eye. He turned to watch through
the window as a hot as hell woman in a short, black dress reached one long, bare leg
out of the car. She stepped from behind the open passenger door, and even doing nothing
but standing in the driveway, she was sexy enough to make a man take notice. Her blond
hair and resemblance to Becca told him this must be her sister, Emma.

Logan glanced at Tuck and wondered how bad of a friend he was that Tuck’s soon-to-be
sister-in-law was giving him a hard-on. Just from his thinking about what the curves
that dress accentuated so nicely would feel like beneath his touch.

Imagine if he ever actually got his hands on her?

An older woman and man exited the front doors of the sedan and joined the blonde.
They had to be Tuck’s new in-laws. Their presence should have diminished Logan’s amorous
fantasies about Emma. It didn’t. It seemed Emma had captured his attention and she
wasn’t letting go. He managed to block her parents right out as he wondered what her
hair would feel like against his cheek while he ran his tongue down her throat.

“Hey, Tuck. It looks like Emma’s here.” Jace came to stand next to Logan at the window.
He let out a slow whistle. “Boy oh boy, is she looking good.”

The tone of Jace’s voice made Logan turn to get a good look at him. The man had a
knowing expression on his face that didn’t sit well at all. “You know her?”

“Ohhh, yeahhh.” Jace dragged the two short words out to be obscenely long.

What the hell was that about? Logan’s brows rose. He turned to glance at Tuck.

“Emma was here with Becca the first time she came to Oklahoma for the job interview
at OSU. You know, the night she and I met at the rodeo.” Tuck had answered without
Logan having to ask, but that sure as hell didn’t explain the rest. Such as why Jace
was acting as if he and Emma had done more than just meet that night.

Those were details Logan was more than interested in having. “Yeah, I remember you
telling me about the rodeo.”

But not that Jace and Becca’s hot sister from New York had had a little one-night
rodeo of their own.

Of course, Jace liked to exaggerate. It didn’t matter if it was about conquering a
bull or a woman. Logan had known the man for years through Tuck. Since the two had
ridden on the rodeo circuit together before Tuck had enlisted in the army. If nothing
else, he knew Jace could throw the shit with the best of them. It was very possible
nothing at all had happened between Jace and Emma, except in Jace’s own overactive
imagination.

He decided to run with that theory and see how things progressed. It was far better
than the alternative—assuming Jace had a prior claim and having to back off. A lot
could happen over a short period of time. Look at how one night between Tuck and Becca
had changed both of their lives. Logan had an entire weekend and a wedding reception
to work with. There’d be sentimental speeches and tears, music, and a fully stocked
bar. Everything to put the partygoers—and Emma—in the mood for romance.

Not to mention Logan had Tuck on his side, pulling for him, putting in a good word.
At least Tuck had better be on his side. Jace was Tuck’s friend, yes, but Logan was
like a brother. Not to mention his boss and a superior officer. If it came right down
to it, Logan would pull rank. Hell, he could order Tuck to put in a good word for
him with Emma or else.

When it involved leggy blondes with curves like Emma’s, a man had to bend the rules
a little sometimes.

KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018

 

Compilation copyright © 2013 by Kensington Publishing Corp.
“Batteries Not Required” copyright © 2005 by Linda Lael Miller
“Captivated” copyright © 2005 by Jill Shalvis
“Seducing Tabby” copyright © 2005 by Lucy Monroe
“No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service” copyright © 2013 by Kate Angell
“Fish Out of Water” copyright © 2013 by Cat Johnson

 

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any
means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used
in reviews.

 

If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen
property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the Publisher and neither the
Author nor the Publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

 

Kensington and the K logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

ISBN: 978-0-7582-1095-1

 

eISBN-13: 978-0-7582-8901-8
eISBN-10: 0-7582-8901-4

 

First Kensington Books Electronic Edition: July 2013