The Bull Rider Wears Pink (21 page)

BOOK: The Bull Rider Wears Pink

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John looked at Cassidy as he
released Kevin. “Local law enforcement?” he asked. He shoved his hands in his
pockets. “I've never done law enforcement.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I
haven't worn a uniform in years.”

Cassidy stepped over to him and
wrapped her arms around his waist. “You were saying you wanted to eventually
get out of undercover work.” She looked up at him. “Do something simpler,” she
repeated his words back to him feeling the muscles in his back flex.

John looked down at her. With the
tips of his fingers on her forehead he pushed the hair out of her eyes. “Town
cop,” he announced. “As I think about it more, I'm starting to like the ring of
it.” She pulled him closer. She didn't know what the future held for them as a
couple but she did like the idea of having him close.

“The job comes with housing,” Logan added, making the offer even more enticing. “Cute
little place on Walnut Street with
a picket fence.” He waved his eyebrows at Cassidy.
“Three
bedrooms with plenty of room for the whole family.
After all the
excitement you folks had in the big city it may be just what you need.”

“That does sound good,” John
replied. He looked down at Cassidy again as he pulled her tighter into his arms.
“Do you think they'd want me?” He removed pieces of her hair from his mouth. “I
am kind of cynical and crusty plus I've got a kid solving my cases for me.” He
glanced at Kevin.

Kevin gave him the thumbs up. “You
take the job, I'll help.”

“Just get the Pastor John persona
on when you interview,” Logan
advised. “I'm sure they'll love you.” Then he backtracked. “But none of that
moral indignation,” he informed John. “They won't like that.”

“Okay,” John said, hands up in the
air. “But if I'm going to stay in Big Timber I've got to do something first.”
He turned to Cassidy. “I don't have a ring and I know it's only seven o'clock in the morning, plus I'm doing this
in front of your brother and your son but—”

“John,” she interrupted. “I'm not
sure.” She glanced at Rachel. Her sister-in-law nodded encouragingly. “Are you
talking about us together?” Cassidy asked. She waved her hand between their
chests and of course he looked at her breasts.

“Yes,” John affirmed after forcing
his eyes to meet hers. “Married?”

Cassidy pulled out of his arms.
This was happening too fast and it wasn't even a formal proposal. Plus, she was
in her flannel
pajamas
and she hadn’t put in her
contacts yet.

But Rachel interrupted her nearly
hysterical thoughts. “You've got to accept his proposal,” she told Cassidy. “What
man,” she asked, “would turn himself into a reprehensible fool just to find you
and be close to you?”

“I wasn't that bad—” John started
to defend himself.

“You're right,” Cassidy agreed with
Rachel. John needed to shut up and not ruin this moment. She stepped back into
his arms and gestured for him to continue. But it was Logan who interrupted
this time.

“Yeah,” Logan
affirmed his wife's words. “He was a total asshole at the rodeo.” He shook his
head. “To think he did it all for you and stopped a drug ring at the same time.”
He grabbed John's shoulder and pounded. “This man,” he said choking for a
moment on his words. “He really loves you.”

“That’s right,” John told Logan.

“And he’s trying to show that
love,” Logan continued.

“Okay, Okay,” Cassidy said, turning
to John. “Would you please propose to me and not let my stupid brother do it
for you?” She smiled and then she kissed John on the nose. “Because I'm
thinking I may accept.” A girl had to be coy about these things didn't she?
Especially since she’d waited so long.

“Don't make the man suffer,” Logan whined at her. “Tell him you'll marry him.”

Just as Cassidy was getting ready
to argue with her brother, John whispered. “Marry me?” He reached for her
hands. “Please, Cassidy Cooper, marry me?”

“Yes,” she cried. “Yes, I'll marry
you.” She threw her arms around him as she buried her face in his chest.

“And now folks,” Kevin announced
dryly. “We have our HEA, also
known as the Happily-Ever-After.” He stood up and swept his arms toward Rachel
and Logan. “It's time to cue the sappy music and roll the credits because this
movie is over. Deposit your trash in the receptacles at the end of the aisle
and don't forget your personal belongings.” He picked up Rachel's tea cup and
passed it to her. “Leave the
theater
through the exit
on the left.”

As Kevin shuffled Rachel and Logan
out of the kitchen Cassidy looked up into John’s eyes. “I love you,” she said
pulling him closer to her. “I've always loved you.”

“I've always loved you even more,”
he replied. “I just didn’t know. Let's build an honest life together.”

*The End*

About the Author

Jeanine McAdam is a writer of twenty-five
romantic short stories, a few spicy anthologies and three cowboy books.
Telling stories about imperfect people finding perfect love is her thing.
Even though she lives in New York City she’s fascinated with the American
west. She’s currently writing about bull riders and the spunky urban
women who adore them in her
Skirts and Spurs Trilogy
. But before
the cowboys, Jeanine wrote about Zombies
.
Publishers Weekly called the short story
Inhuman Resources
in the
anthology HUNGRY FOR YOUR LOVE, a “zippy
stor
[y]
about the sexy turn-on of successful zombie hunting.” When
she’s
not writing she spends time with her teenage sons, ultra marathon running
husband and two rescue
labrador
retrievers named Desdemona (
Desi
) and Aaron.