Cooking For Cowboy (Stampede Sizzlers) Read Online Free Page A

window after answering him. “Who is Barney?”
    Silence.
    “Who the hell is Barney, Sierra? Your boyfriend? Fiancé? Husband?”
    “My dog,” she whispered.
    Chad burst into laughter. “Oh, Sierra.”
    “What?” She shifted in her seat.
    Chad’s hand reached out and turned her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. “Can Barney use the telephone? Have you taught him to dial 9-1-1?”
    “Barney is a very smart dog.” Sierra’s lips twitched and Chad realized she was fighting back a smile. She added, “He might figure it out in an emergency.”
     
    * * *
     
    Sierra dumped a sheet, a blanket, and a pillow on her living room sofa. She couldn’t believe she’d agreed to let a total stranger spend the night in her home. The same stranger who’d probably totaled her car. The same man who’d insisted she travel to the hospital in an ambulance as a precaution. She swallowed hard. The same devilishly-handsome guy who’d almost stopped her heart when he peered through her car window moments after the accident.
    She’d never forget the first time she stared into those sparkling blue eyes. His curly, dark hair skimmed his shoulders in back and his killer smile turned her bones to mush. Tall, dark, handsome and thoughtful. Had she just won the new-man-in-your-life lottery?
    Here he was stretched out on her sofa, intending to spend the night in case she required medical attention. Her heart raced every time she looked at him. Cowboys had always been this Alberta-born-and-raised city girl’s weakness. She couldn’t count the number of nights she drank beer with her girlfriends at a western bar and two-stepped the night away in the arms of a hunky guy wearing a Stetson and cowboy boots. She might require a paramedic to restart her heart if this cowboy remained under her roof all night and smiled at her every time she engaged him in conversation.
    “Just ignore him,” she mumbled, aloud.
    “Did you say something?”
    Sierra grimaced, thinking on her feet. “Barney. If he tries to hop onto the sofa with you during the night, just ignore him.”
    “He doesn’t sleep with you?” Chad’s right eyebrow rose as he asked the question.
    “Every night. But you might be a novelty,” blurted Sierra before she could stop herself. Great! She’d just admitted he was the only male she’d had in her apartment since…forever.
    “I love dogs. If Barney wants to snuggle I don’t have any objections.” Chad reached out and ruffled the black cocker spaniel’s furry ears. Chad stood, tucked the sheet in along the cushions, added the blanket, and placed the pillow at the far end.
    “I’m sorry. That sofa isn’t very long. And you’re six feet tall at least.”
    “Six foot, three. But don’t worry about it. I’ll manage. Just knowing I’ll be nearby if you need me…for a medical emergency…will be worth any discomfort.” Chad tossed her that sexy smile again.
    Damn him! Sierra immediately felt aroused. Oh, she might need him all right. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had sex. Well, yeah, she could. December 20, after the company Christmas party at her previous job. One night of meaningless sex with a male co-worker she’d known for five years and considered nothing more than a friend. It had been a total disaster, a complete mistake. She’d vowed to never drink eggnog and rum again as long as she lived. Almost seven months had passed, but she still cringed when she thought about that night.
    “Well, I’ll let you get some sleep. The bathroom is down the hallway on the right. Just help yourself to anything you need. Good night, Chad. Come on, Barney,” she called as she headed toward her bedroom. The dog obediently trotted along behind her.
    “Good night, Sierra,” Chad returned the sentiment. “Sleep tight.”
    Sierra escaped to the safety of her bedroom. Darn it anyway. Why couldn’t she be the type of woman who believed in one-night stands with complete strangers? Instead, a four-footed farting