Hammered: A Western Romance (Red Velvet Series Book 4) Read online

  Maggie refused to look at him—it would be safer since he looked as yummy as a hot fudge sundae. She giggled, as she realized he was a Hot Cowboy Sundae .

  “What so funny?” he asked and glanced over at her. “I feel like you keep laughing at me like I’m some dumb hick or something.”

  Oh! She had gotten to him. “No, it wasn’t like that at all. In fact, I was thinking about how yummy you always look.”

  It must’ve been the very last thing he expected her to say as his eyes rounded and his mouth popped open.

  Maggie did look at him this time and his wide-eyed-open-mouthed expression was just too rich as she tilted her head back and truly laughed loudly.

  He shook his head and gave her a sideways glance as if he couldn’t tell if she were kidding or what. “If you aren’t the damndest female I ever met.”

  Maggie straightened her shoulders with a leftover chuckle. “I would hope that would be a compliment.”

  Travis shrugged and turned the vehicle out onto the highway. “You are different, I’ll give you that.” He watched the road as he spoke. “Like, why did you cover for me? When I do remember I did hit on you for sure.”

  Maggie took her turn to give a shrug. “I felt sorry for ya.”

  He again looked stunned and swung his surprised gaze over. “What?”

  Maggie had to bite her lip to keep the smile at bay at how dammed easy this was. She thought besting him would be at least a little bit of a challenge.

  “Now, wait just a dammed minute there, Miss IQ. Women have felt lust for me, hatred for me at times, and even some love for me…” he paused and swung his hot gaze over to her, “…But most times, they felt a lot of hunger for me…” he purred the word low in his throat.

  Maggie gulped at the sound and the look he held in his eyes. She immediately turned her gaze back to the highway in sudden fear.

  “But never in all my born days…has any of ’em EVER felt sorry for me!”

  She held her hands tightly clasped in her lap and shrugged as nonchalantly as she could. “There’s always a first time for everything, I suppose?”

  “A—first?” he stammered.

  “Yes, sure,” she answered primly.

  Sudden laughter rumbled from his chest. “Yeah, you are something else all right, just downright contrary.”

  “Again, Mr. Kincade…I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  Travis let out a bit of a chuckle as he kept shaking his head.

  Maggie could feel his mystified gaze locked onto her face and her confidence soared. Yep, I am definitely gonna best this puffed up Chicken Hawk Cowboy!

  EIGHT

  He’s on a first name basis with the bottom of the dammed deck!

  Plush Stud Ranch…Daisy’s Romper Room

  D aisy stood at her window and watched her daughters leave with the Kincade cowboys. She’d never seen Bren this happy. That Trevor is the man for her. She could tell by the way he became completely entranced by every word and action Bren uttered or made. She thought about how Bren up and quit that nowhere waitress job and took up cooking at the Triple K with an aim in mind to land her cowboy. And she’d done did it, too! I’m so dang proud of that bud off the ole flower, she done did herself right!

  Then, there was Mags. What a smart girl, smarter than them all, with graduating from college at age 20. She knew she was foolin’ us all with that excuse she made for dumping that man into the chicken coop the way she did! Holy cow, was he conquered by that move! Speaking of him , she watched Travis taking Maggie’s bags to his big ole Ford F-150 behemoth of a truck. Mmm, she thought with a little uneasy flutter in her chest. He intends some nonsense there, all right. He might just be slicker than a slop jar and twice a tricky.

  She grabbed the windowsill while watching her Mags step off the porch and sashay all confidently to the mouth of the stud monster…Daisy held her breath.

  Seems Maggie took the defensive approach, as she stopped in front of him and put her hands on her hips— Oh! Just like her mama! Daisy felt pride swelling in her chest now. Tilting her blonde head in a sassy way, Maggie said something to the overconfident stud of a cowboy.

  His jaw dropped and he looked like he just squatted on his own spurs…looks like she bested him there! Daisy laughed aloud. Yep, her Mags could take care of herself—though…she paused as she took another gander at the hard-bodied cowboy who now suddenly boasted a huge panty dropping smile. He sure could melt butter while sitting on an iceberg all right. Still, her girls were better off not being around a strip show, stud muffin collecting bordello like her ranch. She let out a sigh. “It is for the best…”

  “Yeah, they have their lives to live and so do we, Daize.”

  She flipped around to stare at the only man who ever had the power to break her heart. “ Our lives?”

  Shaking his head with amusement, Rand stepped closer. “Yes, why do you think I’m here?”

  Daisy took a step back. “I sure as hell don’t know!” she yelled. “Why are you here?”

  Rand blinked his eyes at her loud tone and took another step closer. “You do know why,” he responded quietly.

  Shaking her head vehemently, she took another shaky step back.

  “Why are you running from me?”

  Sucking in her breath, the question became the all time question. “It’s what I’ve been doing all these years, don’t ya know?’

  He took all the remaining steps across the carpeted floor to come right up against her quivering body.

  “Oh!” she squealed out at his sudden proximity.

  Rand stared at her frightened face and laughed. “You just now answered your own question about why I’m here. I suppose the chase never really ended.”

  “None of this is funny, Leather man!” she retorted.

  He did stop laughing. “No, it ain’t. What I can’t figure out is why you act so god damned scared of me. I never hurt you, I never laid a hand on you before!”

  She flinched at his declaration. “No. But you laid…” Her defensive line faded away.

  Putting his arms around her, he gazed down at her face. “I laid…?”

  She decided to just put all the cards on the table, and heaven help her if he really did have some maleficent ace up his sleeve and was here to exact revenge. “Yes, laying your fingers and body on me, marking my heart with all that is you.”

  “I do recall laying myself over you…in you.” He purred the words to her lips.

  Trembling, Daisy felt panic rising again. “What is it you are here for? I mean really here to do?”

  Rand shrugged his wide shoulders. “I thought I made that clear earl—”

  “No! You’re saying we are gonna get hitched? That makes absolutely no sense. Why—it’s like trying to fly a kite inside a twister!”

  He grinned at her and stepped back.

  Daisy almost slumped with relief. If he got his big warm skilled hands on her body, there’d be no telling what she may give up.

  “I want you to make plans for the ceremony. Pick out an outrageously expensive audacious dress, hire the best hoity-toity caterers…as you Texans say. Do up the whole thing. Make it as big and lavish as you want. I’ll pay for it all.”

  Batting her lashes at him, she still felt befuddled. “You still never answered my question, Rand.”

  He turned to look at her. “Oh?”

  “Don’t OH me! You damn well know you didn’t!”

  He let a chuckle slip out. “I did make it all clear before, Daisy, dear. So, just get to planning, you got 3 days.”

  Her eyes rounded and she planted her hands on her hips. “What?”

  Rand outright laughed now at her usual ‘Daisy Stance’. “Again…you heard me right.” He turned and went to the door. “Get your own shotgun wedding arranged, Daisy girl, ’cause you ARE gettin’ hitched!” he taunted in a true southern drawl.

  “And where the hell are you going?”

  He turned to look at her, his eyes gleaming with serious intent now. “I�
��m making certain arrangements myself, if you must know. Like first off? I gotta buy the shotgun myself!” He laughed with that deep resonant Rand laugh she remembered from way back when, as he went through the door and shut it behind him.

  Daisy dropped her hands from her ample hips, as her eyes grew beady. “Now, just what the hell is that Aussie up to? Buying a shotgun? I swear…he’s on a first name basis with the bottom of the dammed deck!”

  ~~* * * *~

  Back at the Triple K Spread…

  Kanda woke up in her own bed and stretched her body out. It’d been just a short while since she met that fine piece of man from down under and she’d learned now, this is what it feels like to have a man. She winced a little as her body felt so tender, so sore and sooo fucking fantastic! Not just any man either…only Wade Monroe. She felt around on the bed beside her where she knew he’d spent hours sleeping next to her and found the bed empty. She sat up and looked around. Her bathroom door stood open and she swung her gaze to the bedroom door…closed.

  Where the hell is he?

  She heard loud noises coming from outside and she wrapped the sheet around her, then made it to the window. She squinted her eyes to see clouds of dust blowing up from the roping arena. What the blazes? She rushed to her dresser and got out underwear, bra and some socks. Dressing frantically, she heard some loud hollering, so with one boot in her hand, she raced down the stairs and out the front door.

  ~~* * * *~~

  Travis drove cautiously and not at all the way Maggie assumed he would. With his brash personality and his wild ways, she would’ve expected him to drive his ridiculously enormous vehicle like the monster truck it was. But… Nope, he took his time and like Texans would call it, he damned near mosied along.

  “So… How much college did you take?” he spoke after about twenty straight minutes of silence.

  Maggie almost jumped at the sound of his deep voice. “What?”

  He kept his eyes on the road. “You know? What subjects and how long?”

  Maggie looked back at the road ahead. “I went forever and a day, and I studied…nonsense & trouble.”

  His gaze swung over, his eyes puzzled looking.

  “Yeah and I got my BA in BS,” she quipped.

  His eyes widened and then he threw his head back and let out a huge laugh.

  Again, Maggie jumped. The sound was so rich and gratifying, it gave her true goose bumps. Oh, Mags, as soon as this behemoth truck stops? You are gonna get out and run like hell to leather!

  “Now…that may just be the first true thing you’ve told me since I met you!” His chuckling continued.

  Maggie smiled. Keep ’em off balance. Something Mama Daisy told her once . Then she remembered the rest of that advice. Keep ’em guessing and make sure they’re hoppin’ on one foot at all times. She shrugged her shoulders, as she never really figured that second part out. But she knew just now she was making good on the first part. “So…what is it that you do ?” she asked in a stiff sounding voice. “Other than flash that pearly smile, hit on women and drive a small time Peterbilt?”

  His chuckling halted so fast, he needed to clear his throat.

  Maggie immediately looked away, so he wouldn’t see her self-satisfied smirk.

  “What?” he asked in a stunned voice.

  Biting at her lip and stifling a giggle, she answered, “Ya’ll heard me.”

  Travis shook his head. “I work a ranch.” His answer sounded short and clipped.

  Maggie swung her gaze over and that reoccurring ping of pity gonged like a church bell in her head. Then her eyes took in all of the hurt looking cowboy next to her.

  Long legs, molded inside his jeans like god decided to make the jeans to fit those particular set of magnificent thighs. Her stunned gaze moved up to a solid waist, tapered almost perfectly to fit a woman’s greedy arms, then on up to a wide chest, that might be too chiseled as if an artist decided to go too far while sculpting a walking god.

  She gulped as her throat simply dried up.

  Then, her transfixed eyes rose to his face. BAM ! The thud hit her heart. His eyes were looking straight at her. The bored look gone again, and it its place? Deep blue orbs full of cobalt fire.

  She tried again to swallow and found that she couldn’t. “I’m sorry…” The regret in her voice rang out.

  He shook his head. “The very last thing you are is sorry , little girl.” His eyes locked with hers. “But, someday, you might just apologize for real, all right.”

  Maggie’s eyes widened at the low toned threat. What the hell did that mean? She felt nervous now. First off, when this ride started, she felt elated, then smug, now she was all the way back to terrified. God damnit, her big mouth just never let up! Speaking nonsense, then making trouble! If she didn’t know better, she could almost believe that was what she studied in college and her education led her to pissing off the one man who could possibly get into her panties with just his smile.

  Suddenly, he turned off the highway they’d been on for all this time and the dirt road stretched out in front of them. They rode in utter tense silence now and Maggie thought about trying to ease that, but she didn’t trust her own big trap, so she simply studied the landscape.

  They’d now been on this dirt road for like thirty minutes and she found she needed to go to the restroom. She looked out at the long stretch of land, covered in sagebrush and spots of mesquite trees, with patches of grazing grass. It just went on and on. Her bladder wanted her to find a bathroom. Hell, an outhouse would even be acceptable just about now. “Um, Travis?”

  He grunted as a response… Possibly still pissed at her.

  “When are we going to be at the—um…Triple K?”

  He finally tuned his head to look at her. “We’ve been on the ranch for like 45 minutes.”

  Her mouth dropped open.

  Travis stared at her face and laughed. His bad mood seemed to evaporate almost instantly. “Yep, it goes on for 50,000 acres.”

  “Oh no…”

  “What’s the matter?”

  “I can’t wait for any more acreage,” she admitted.

  Travis looked perplexed again; it seemed like Maggie kept him in that state perpetually. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean I gotta—” She gulped while she knew her cheeks were flaming pink. “I need to…”

  His chuckling grew. “I’ll give ya one thing, you’re damned entertaining if nothing else.”

  “Well, you are gonna get a floor show if you don’t find me a place to pee!” she squeaked out.

  His smiling faded and he looked panicked. “Oh crap. We got another few miles to go.”

  Shaking her head, Maggie felt like she was gonna pop any minute.

  He pulled the truck to a sudden stop.

  Maggie almost slammed into the dash. “Oh!” she gasped and fumbled with the door handle.

  Travis was already at the door, pulling it open, unfastening her seatbelt and grabbing her up.

  Sucking in her breath, Maggie never knew a big man like him could move so fast.

  He swung her around and searched the area. He then rushed along the road, up and over the dirt bank, then halted again. “There!” he shouted. “A big bush.” He set her down.

  “No way!” Maggie griped, as she danced the Pee-O-Pee jig as her daddy used to call it when she was a little girl. “A bush?” she exclaimed.

  Travis shrugged. “Well hell, there ain’t no Waldorf Astoria out here in the middle of—”

  “Oh, holy hell!” she shouted as her bladder was just about done with the wait. She scurried around to the other side of the large shrub like plant. “Turn your back, Mr. Kincade!” she ordered as she tugged her jeans down.

  Low male chuckling could be heard from the other side of the bush as she did her business. “Oh, shut the hell up you big…” She just realized she didn’t have anything to wipe with. “Um…Travis?”

  “Yes?” he called back as if butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth now.

 
“I don’t—I mean there’s no…”

  Huge laughter filled the air. “Yes, Miss sassy college?” he called out with a smug voice.

  “Oooh, are you gonna get it when I’m through!” she yelled back.

  “Promises, promises,” he taunted back, as he appeared next to the bush with an old-fashioned handkerchief in his hand. His head remained up with his very amused gaze trained toward the road.

  Maggie gasped at the sight of his boots mere inches away from her embarrassing squat on the plains of Kincade land. She groaned and went to grab it from his hands.

  He didn’t let go.

  Her eyes rounded as she tugged on the cloth. “What the hell, Travis?” she yanked on it again.

  He stood like the gentleman she knew he wasn’t, as he steadily kept his eyes on his truck. “I want you to tell me why you seem to dislike me so much and I want the truth.”

  Maggie’s jaw dropped open. “What?”

  “You heard me. I want the truth as to why you’ve gone out of yer way to humiliate me.”

  “Oh, for Christ sake!” she swore.

  “I mean it. Tell me true or…” He chuckled. “Wear wet panties the rest of the way. Although, being around me I wouldn’t expect anything different.”

  She stared up at him, his profile almost shining in the sunlight as she squatted beside him. Of all the visions she had since she met this big hot, too good-looking cowboy, this picture happening here wasn’t what she thought would ever transpire. She let out a huge breath and told the golden truth. “I think you are too used to getting your way, you’ve lived a playboy life and think way too much of yourself, knowing that because of your looks? Women will fall at your feet!” The last part, she actually shouted up at him.

  He flinched a little and she could see he really absorbed what she just said, then she saw his smile as he let go of the hanky. “Well, seems to me, Miss Smarty Pants…that you are now like all those women as you are at my feet.”

  Maggie gasped as he stepped forward and left the bush side to head away to his truck.