The Bull Rider's Collection Read Online Free

hostess at the restaurant then head home to run the cabin rentals for the rest of the day.
    And night.
    Her thoughts were interrupted by a deep voice behind her, “Maybe she doesn’t want to be tied to another job, Cash. If you want a new employee, hire one, don’t marry one.”
    She turned to see James standing behind her, shocked he’d said out loud what she’d been thinking.
    “Hey, I wasn’t thinking about the business.” Cash grimaced. “Well, much.” He gave James a bear hug. “Man, I heard you and Jesse were home. Hoped we’d see you before you took off for the lights of Vegas.”
    “More like the back roads of South Dakota. Jesse’s riding in the Black Hills Invitational next weekend.” He nodded down at Lizzie. “I guess I missed your call.”
    Stumbling over her words, she blurted, “I guess.” Darn it, why did she let him make her feel guilty and uncomfortable when she’d done nothing wrong?
    Barb shot a glance between Lizzie and James. “Maybe I should check on the schedule for today?”
    “Yes,” James said.
    “No,” Lizzie shot back. She grabbed Barb’s arm. “We came for breakfast. We’ll add one more to the table. Cash, can you seat us?”
    Cash raised his eyebrows as he met James’s glare. “Sure, we’ve got a table to fit all of you.” He grabbed some menus and walked into the dining room directly to the last booth on the wall of windows. “Callie will be right with you. Great seeing you, James. Maybe we can grab a beer later?”
    James nodded as he slipped into the booth. “Sure. We’ll see you tonight.”
    “After Jesse kicks butt at the rodeo tomorrow, the two of you will be ready to celebrate.” Cash waved and walked back to the front. Lizzie watched him stop to chat with the other tables. “How is everything? Can I get you more coffee?”
    Cash had a natural skill for making people feel at home and his business thrived because of it. Dating Cash was simple and comfortable, unlike dating James. She snuck a glance across the table. James watched her. So did Barb. “What?”
    “Earth to Lizzie … what were you thinking about?” James watched her face; he always did.
    “Nothing,” Lizzie lied, not caring if James could tell.
    “Yeah, right.” James glanced over at Cash, clearing a nearby table for more diners. “I can tell it’s nothing.”
    “Get to the point James, what did you want to talk about?” Lizzie was tired of playing games. She wanted breakfast and time to walk down to the rodeo grounds before the parade started. Dragging this thing out with James might have been fun when they were teenagers, but now it only made her realize how much she’d missed looking into those brown eyes and being close to him. The man put off heat like a wood stove. Even now she could feel the heat rising from his body, warming her legs under the table.
    James glanced at Barb.
    “Listen, I know you want me stay, Lizzie, but I’m going to leave.” Barb stood up.
    “Thanks,” James nodded.
    “But we haven’t even ordered. You were the one who wanted huckleberry pancakes,” Lizzie protested.
    “We’ll make plans for tomorrow morning before I leave.” Barb turned and walked away, not giving Lizzie a chance to argue.
    “You always were good at crowd control.” Lizzie stirred sugar into the coffee that the waitress had poured into her cup. Looking up at the waiting girl, she ordered her breakfast. “Bacon, scrambled eggs, the house potatoes, and a short stack of huckleberry pancakes. And a glass of orange juice.”
    “I’ll take the same.” James chuckled as the waitress walked away. “You always could put away a good meal.”
    “How about we stop this small talk and get to the point. You save Jesse last night?”
    James leaned back after taking a sip from his coffee. “They were gone by the time I got over there. The kid can take off pretty fast when he wants.”
    “Do you know the woman he was with?”
    James sat forward, his face hard. “I didn’t ask