My Favorite Cowboy Read online

  Though everyone in town had talked about the new Riddell ranch house as being the “cowboy mansion,” Serena had privately imagined it looking like something out of a Vegas brothel. This couldn’t be more different.

  “Your home is beautiful. It’s really lovely.”

  Jarred chuckled as he rocked back on his heels. “You sound surprised.”

  “I am,” she said honestly. “I had imagined something quite different.”

  “Don’t give any of us any credit for it. As first we bought all kinds of rugs and carpets and geegaws. But then one day Gwen said our home looked just like a miniature brothel. And that it was no place for a little girl. So Dad hired a decorator from Dallas.”

  “She did a good job.”

  He shrugged. “It’s home.”

  Holding her notepad a little closer to her chest, Serena knew she should say what she’d come to say and get out. Jarred always made her a little nervous—probably because he was just so darn handsome. “Is there somewhere we could talk?”

  “Anywhere you want.”

  Looking beyond him, Serena spotted his two brothers. Though Trent was harmless and Cal. Jr. was a sweetheart, she had no desire to speak frankly in front of them. “Maybe we could go somewhere alone?”

  Warily, he looked behind him. Then he glared. “I thought y’all left.”

  “We were going to…then rethought that plan.” Trent sauntered forward. “Hey, Serena. You’re looking good. How goes it?”

  She couldn’t help but smile as he took her hand and kissed her cheek. “I’m just fine, thank you. Surprised to see you. You got a break?”

  “Six weeks off. I’m getting into everything around here and messin’ stuff up right and left. It’s driving Jarred crazy.” Leaning closer, he winked. “I hear you’re going to make a gentleman out of Jarred.”

  “I’m going to try,” she murmured, though to be honest, she was a little taken aback. She hadn’t expected Jarred to already be telling everyone about their plans. “That is, if we can get everything all ironed out.”

  Still holding her hand, he looked her over in a way that made her feel as if she was something special. “Let me know if you need any help.”

  “Let me know if he gives you trouble,” Cal Jr. drawled. “My older brother doesn’t always listen too well to reason.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  “Drop her hand, Trent,” Jarred said, his voice heavy with irritation. “Drop it and leave.”

  As soon as Trent did just that, Jarred guided her down the hall. Past the open French doors. Past a humongous dining room and what looked like a butler’s pantry and a kitchen decorated in greens and yellows and brick.

  Finally, they stopped in a small room near the back of the house. It was glass and shades on three sides and filled with oversize brown wicker furniture. She sat down on a flowery cushion and faced him. “The flowers surprise me. I would never have imagined a room like this in a house full of men.”

  “We’re not all men, remember. Gwen is here, and Ginny, too.” Looking at the vase, he smiled. “My mom would have loved this room. She liked to garden and sip her coffee in the morning, watching the birds and such.”

  “Your mother was a wonderful lady.”

  “Yes, she was,” he said simply.

  Finally, they could no longer put off her reason for being there. “So, I’d like to talk to you about charm-school classes. I can only help you if I know exactly what you want to learn.”

  “I’ll tell you what I want to know. But first I think we should talk about what changed your mind.”

  For a moment, Serena considered keeping the real reason from him. Since he was now living in a house like this, he’d probably forgotten all about trying to stay within the confines of a meager budget.

  But pride for her independence trumped her need for privacy. There was nothing wrong with working hard, and nothing wrong with doing her best to help make him a little bit more socially acceptable. “Honestly, it’s my bills.”

  “You got a lot of them?” His eyes turned concerned and his tone gentle.

  So gentle that she started telling him more than she’d ever intended to. “I’ve got more bills than I’m currently able to pay.”

  “What happened?”

  “Life, I guess. The last library levy failed so I got a pay cut. But everything else—college loans, rent, car payments—it all stayed the same.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Me, too.” She wasn’t in a position to pretend it didn’t matter even though Jarred Riddell probably didn’t even remember what it was like to worry about a car payment. “They’re becoming overwhelming.” Well, they’d become overwhelming about six months ago. Now they were bordering on suffocating.

  “So that’s why you needed another job.”

  Serena nodded. “I don’t know how much I can help you obtain Veronica’s interest. Society life isn’t really me, but I’m willing to read as many books as I can to help you out.”

  He looked at her for a long moment. Really looked. Serena felt his blue eyes skim over her face, take in her outfit, eye her jeans. For a moment doubt settled in, then just as quickly a new resolve entered his expression. “Well, let’s get started. Pull out your calendar and let’s do some strategizing. We don’t have all that much time until the auction. How many lessons do you think I’m going to need to win Veronica over?”

  “Maybe two a week?”

  “I can do that. How long a session? Maybe an hour?”

  She thought quickly. “At least an hour. I’ve been doing a little bit of reading and came up with some lesson ideas. We’ll need to concentrate on all kinds of things, speaking and eating and walking and clothes.”

  He visibly winced. “That’s a lot to remember. Do you think we’ll be able to do it all? I’m ashamed to say when I first asked you, I had kind of imagined all you’d need to do was give me a few pointers.”

  “I’ll help you as much as I can, but it isn’t going to be easy. It’s going to take a lot to catch Veronica’s eye. Just think about how unimpressed she was at the Electric Dip. It’s going to take hours of effort for her to give you another try.”

  “I think you might be right.”

  He looked so bummed, she couldn’t help but smile. “Don’t worry. I’m going to take these lessons very seriously. If you really want Veronica, then I’ll make sure you get her.” She pushed a note card his way. “What do you think about tackling these things first off?”

  Jarred looked at the class descriptions and scowled. “Walking and opening doors? Come on, Serena. I’m crude, not completely useless.”

  “The books say you’re doing it all wrong, though. I promise I’m right about this. If we’re going to polish you up, it’s going to take some time. We can’t just do it halfway.”

  He put down the card with a sigh. “All right. I’ll give you two one-hour sessions a week.”

  “Will the evenings work for you? I have to work at the library during the day, you know.”

  “I can fit you in. Now we ought to talk money. What do you think sounds fair? A hundred dollars an hour?”

  Even though both of them knew she was only helping him because she needed the money, Serena still felt uncomfortable. It felt wrong to help him for so much.

  But only a payment as exorbitant as that would get her out of financial hot water. “That amount sounds fair to me.”

  He snapped his fingers. “I just had an idea.”

  “What is that?”

  “I’ll give you an additional thousand-dollar bonus if Veronica bids on me.”

  “Bids and wins or just bids?”

  “Bids high enough to win. What do you say?”

  “I say why not? I know she’s going to find you irresistible real soon.”

  “You sound awfully sure about that.”

  “That’s because I am.” Serena willed herself to sound businesslike. To her, Jarred Riddell had always been appealing. He was handsome and happy. He was k
ind but had just enough of a devilish charm to make her knees melt.

  He stood up. “So, we’ll start in two days?”

  “Yes. I’ll see you on Thursday evening. At seven.”

  “I’ll be ready, too, darling,” he said as he walked her back to the front door. “I’ll be ready and willing. I promise.”

  His look of promise was so gorgeous, Serena almost forgot that she was only doing it for the money.

  Chapter Six

  “Hannah, there’s no doubt about it. I’m absolutely the dumbest woman in Texas,” Serena said on Thursday morning when she joined her assistant in the library’s back storage room.

  Pushing her peacock-blue reading glasses down her nose, Hannah shot a curious glance her way. “I find that hard to believe.”

  “It’s true. I’m plain dumb.”

  “That may be, but Texas is a mighty big state. There’s got to be someone dumber. Maybe out by Amarillo?”

  Serena was so taken aback by the complete lack of sympathy, she burst out laughing. “Thanks for that. For a moment, I was getting so stressed out, I thought I was going to have an aneurism or something.”

  After placing a few more sets of markers, paper clips and folders on her cart, Hannah turned to her. “What’s wrong? Is the city getting miserly with our funding again?”

  “No, it’s nothing like that. It’s of a more personal nature.”

  “Then it can only do with one man.”

  “Yep.” Unable to help herself, Serena scowled. “I just got off the phone with Jarred. We’re meeting this evening and I told him he needed to wear some dress shoes and a blazer. He said he didn’t own either. How can that even be possible? He’s rich! Plus, I know he goes out for steak at the Cattleman’s Club. They’ve got a dress code there, I’m sure of it.”

  “So what did you say?”

  “I said he better make a trip to the city this afternoon and pick one out.” Just remembering their exchange made Serena get all riled up again. “Of course, he told me that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.”

  “Maybe you shouldn’t be expecting him to wear different clothes,” Hannah said slowly. “You have to admit, there never has been anything wrong with the way Jarred looks. Actually, he’s so fine, I’d be real reluctant to cover him up with anything.”

  “His Lucchese boots have never bothered me, either,” Serena admitted. “But Veronica Snow is going to want more than a rough-around-the-edges guy. And Jarred’s paying me good money to transform him into the kind of man she wants. So he needs to listen to what I say.”

  Leading the way out of the stuffy stockroom, Hannah looked over her shoulder as she pushed the cart. “Are you sure Veronica wants Jarred in a blazer? I’d prefer him bare-chested myself.”

  Resolutely, Serena pushed all images of a half-naked Jarred out of her head. She imagined Jarred, all tanned torso, would be a mighty fine thing…but not for the ladies who wrote the etiquette books she’d been staying up late reading.

  She cleared her throat. “Boots and bare chests aren’t classy.”

  As they walked down the empty corridor toward the nonfiction stacks, Hannah’s voice echoed after her. “You know, there is that old saying about how clothes make a man. I think it’s probably real true in Jarred’s case.”

  “This time, I think that saying’s flawed. Clothes don’t actually make a person. But the right kind of clothes are going to catch Veronica’s eye. You’ve seen how she dresses—it’s all designery and pretty.”

  Her lips twitching, Hannah looked over at Serena. “I know it’s the opposite of your, um, style.”

  Serena felt her cheeks heat. While it was true she couldn’t help but wear her usual uniform of jeans and boots, she also had a feeling she’d never look as good as Veronica did in her slim-fitting short skirts and silk blouses. “Just because I don’t dress up like Veronica doesn’t mean I haven’t been studying her type. I went out and bought copies of Town & Country and InStyle magazines last night.”

  Before Hannah could say a word about that, Serena continued. “Anyway, Jarred’s going to have to wear a tuxedo at the auction. At the moment, I don’t think he’s ever worn anything but flip-flops, boots or tennis shoes.”

  “You sound very prepared for tonight’s lesson.”

  “I think I am.” Thinking of the many note cards and lists she’d made up the evening before, Serena squared her shoulders. “We’re going to get him completely transformed if he’ll mind me.”

  “Oh, my. I hope you know what you’re doing.”

  “You’re forgetting, Hannah. This wasn’t my idea. He’s the one who wants to change. I’m just the transformer.”

  “You’re right. I keep forgetting that. Well, best of luck to you, then.”

  Eager to think about something else besides Jarred, Serena slipped on her glasses. “What’s on our agenda today?”

  “Schoolchildren, budget meetings and ordering.”

  “Sounds like my kind of day. There will be people to read to, complain about and commiserate with.”

  “My sentiments exactly.” Pointing to the glass-enclosed office, Hannah said, “The first group of students arrives in two hours. Go work on those orders, Miss Higgens.”

  “I will, gladly.”

  EIGHT HOURS LATER, SERENA would have paid money to deal only with a class of fidgeting six-year-olds. They were easier than the man in front of her.

  From the moment he’d entered the library, he’d been cutting up something awful. “Jarred, it’s bad enough that you came in here with dirty boots and dusty clothes instead of the shoes and blazer I told you to. But now you aren’t even trying to listen to a thing I say.”

  “I’m listening,” he retorted, though he didn’t look as if he was. In fact, he seemed more interested in the variety of cookbooks on the shelf behind him than anything else in the room. Slipping one off the shelf, he opened it up. “By the way, have you ever made a thirty-minute meal?”

  In spite of herself, Serena found herself looking at the Rachael Ray cookbook, too. “No.”

  “This Rachael, she’s a real spitfire, I’ll tell you that. See, she’s got a cashew chicken recipe that’s to die—”

  “Jarred, put that book down.” When he complied, she pointed across the room to her office door. “One more time, you need to practice entering a room with a lady.”

  Obediently, he marched back to the glass door. “Come on, then.” He tapped his boot as she walked over to his side. “Lord, but you’re slow.”

  Resolutely ignoring him, Serena flashed a smile instead. “Jarred, it’s so nice to see you. Are you ready to go inside?”

  “I’ve been ready.”

  Pointedly, she looked at the door. With a scowl, he twisted the handle and opened it, then stepped right in front of her—effectively blocking her way.

  “You have to open it and then stand to the side, so I can walk through,” she explained.

  “That’s kind of hard to do. My arms aren’t six feet long.”

  “You’re impossible. Switch places with me.”

  “What?”

  “Get over here,” she directed. “Now, take ten steps backward and pretend you’re me.”

  He did as she directed, then sauntered close, batting his eyelashes. “Hi. I’m here.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Yes, you are. And you look so nice this evening, Jarred. I…uh, like your—” Frantically, she looked for something to compliment him on. Since his jeans were faded and molded to his very fine legs and the T-shirt had a beer ad on it, both of those articles were out of the question. The only thing left was the shiny buckle glinting at her in silver splendor. “Your, um, belt buckle.”

  “Thanks. I won that in Wyoming two years ago. That bull was a mean SOB, I’ll tell you that.” His smile turned languid as he stepped a bit closer. “’Course, I never imagined you’d be the kind of girl to be inspecting my nether regions.”

  “That’s exactly the kind of thing you shouldn’t be saying.”

  “
Well, I don’t think it’s very ladylike for you to be looking at me down there.”

  “It’s hard to ignore! That buckle is gold and silver and huge!”

  “Oh, darling, it’s nothing.”

  Face flaming, she sidestepped, opened the door with one hand, then stepped out of the way. “Enter.”

  He did as she asked.

  After she closed the door behind her, Serena did a little bow. “That, Jarred, is how you were supposed to do it.”

  “Do what?”

  “Open the door for a woman.”

  “Oh, hell, Serena, I wasn’t paying a lick of attention to how you stepped around. We better do it again.”

  Serena’s temper was boiling. Barely reining in her irritation, she retraced her steps, then held the door open for him again. “Now it’s your turn.”

  Finally listening, he opened the door, sidestepped a bit so she could walk through, then led her into her office.

  “That was much better.”

  “I know.” He yawned. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for a break.”

  She looked at the clock on the wall. “We can’t stop, we just got started.”

  “Come on. All you’ve been doing is complaining and nagging me. Let’s stop early for the night.”

  Crossing to her desk, she picked up the note cards she’d worked on for a solid hour before he showed up late. “We’ve only gotten a fourth of the way through with my plans. We were going to tackle opening car doors and walking side by side on the sidewalk.”

  “Are you serious? I know how to walk.”

  “Not with a lady. Now, you stand here a sec and watch me walk.” She took a few steps in front of him, just so he would get the idea. Over her shoulder, she called out, “Do you notice how my steps aren’t near as big as yours?”

  “Kind of.”

  His voice sounded kind of hoarse. Almost strained. “Oh, for heaven’s sakes. Watch me again.” She took another five steps forward, then turned around. “Now, I know I just have on jeans and boots, but you can imagine how I might look with something else on.”

  “Oh, honey. I can imagine.”

  Confused, she met his gaze. Jarred was looking at her as though she was practically a stranger. “Are you okay?”