Trouble in a Stetson (Sequine, Saddles, and Spurs, Book Two)

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An Excerpt From: TROUBLE IN A STETSON

Copyright ? REGINA CARLYSLE, 2010

All Rights Reserved, Ellora's
Cave Publishing, Inc.

Chapter
One

Lola
Lamont gave her poor old pink Caddy a baleful look through the plate glass
windows of Blue Belle?s Caf? and heaved a giant sigh. Her sweet baby had
pretty much bitten the dust and her current companions at the table were
right, she needed to be put out of her misery. Lola and her friends, Roxie
and Emily, had rolled into the tiny town of Mesa Blanco, Texas with the old
monstrosity of a car gasping and wheezing like a two-pack-a-day smoker.

Refugees
from Vegas, the three friends had, in a moment of madness, said to hell
with it and loaded up for a grand adventure with only pennies in their
pockets and the good sense of a trio of pigeons.

What
the hell had they been thinking?

The
sad truth of the matter was they hadn?t been thinking at all. Roxie had
lost her job as a security expert for high stakes gaming at a Vegas casino
and Emily had been a victim of downsizing at the hotel where she worked.
And herself? Lola sighed, still feeling the pain of it all. She had been
fired from her show Pink Flamingo Girls for being too old. All those
years of dance lessons and keeping her body in primo shape had turned to
nothing just days after her thirtieth birthday. Then to make matters worse,
her boyfriend Nick had dumped her days after that. Talk about a double
whammy. Lola had never been one to have little pity parties for herself but
she was about as blue as the d?cor of Mesa Blanco, Texas?
only caf?.

They?d
stumbled into the place, exhausted, stressed and dying of thirst only to be
met by three of the hunkiest, rope-?em-up, tie-?em-down cowboys they?d ever seen. The place had been
practically empty except for them and, gallant gents that they were, the
men had treated them to soft drinks, lord love ?em.
Wyatt Cavenaugh, a local rancher, had already
offered Emily a job as a cook of all things. Dang woman could barely boil
water. Together they?d driven off in the man?s big truck. Roxie was, at the
moment, caught up in a low conversation with the handsome owner of the
local honky-tonk.

Tension
ratcheted up a notch when the other dark, hunkalicious
man moved closer to her and leaned in. The scent of him filled her head.
?Want another Coke??

Lola
felt that deep, gravelly and oh-so-sexy voice roll over her body to settle
in her pussy. Uh-oh. Trouble in a Stetson, for sure. Ever a sucker for a
rough, smoky voice, she nodded. ?You?re sweet but no thanks. Sam, is it??

He
tipped his big, black Stetson, his dark eyes burning with a look she?d come
to recognize from just about every man she?d ever met. Hunger. Desire.
Lust. Definite interest. Ooh boy. Did she ever know that look. ?Sam Campbell, county sheriff.? His kissable lips
turned up at the corners and Lola?s heart thumped hard in her chest. Late
afternoon sunlight beamed through the window near the table to settle on
the lines of his bronzed, weathered face and glinted on dark hair that she
was dying to get a better look at.

?Lola.?

?Yeah,
Lamont, a Vegas damsel in distress.?

Arching
a brow, she gave him a considering look. ?And you?ve come
riding in on your big white horse??

?Looks
like it.?

?My
hero. Nice to meet you.? Smiling, she held out her hand which he
immediately engulfed in his. The warmth of his touch was sudden and
unexpected and Lola felt the loss when he finally released her.

Damn
if he wasn?t the sexiest man she?d seen in a long, long time and that
included Nick Mantucci whom she?d thought was
awfully handsome. Nick was a smooth operator who wore designer suits as if he
were born to them. Not this man. Sam Campbell could?ve stepped out of a
scene from one of those old shoot-?em-up movies
she used to watch late at night when she couldn?t sleep. Tall, at least
six-four or five of brawn and yummy goodness, he not only wore the
authority of the sheriff?s badge pinned to his black shirt but carried it
on his broad shoulders. The chest beneath that shirt was mounded and
muscular practically making her fingers twitch with the need to touch. The
man oozed testosterone and wasn?t this a hell of a time to notice such a
thing?

Mentally
rolling her eyes at her silly turn of thoughts, she glanced away
regretfully thinking, wrong time and wrong place. Besides, she was
just done with men. Especially those who made promises they?d had no intention
of keeping.

?So
what are you gonna do, Miz
Lola?? Sam quietly sipped his coffee.

Sighing
deeply, she jabbed her straw into her now empty beverage glass, making the
ice cubes rattle. ?Look for a job, I figure.? Feeling more tired than she?d
felt in years, she leaned back in her chair and sent her gaze around the
room as she tried to think. Her eyes lit on the fluorescent orange ?help
wanted? sign in the window. Straightening suddenly, she started to get up
then remembered her manners. ?Excuse me a minute, Sam.?

Feeling
his gaze on her back, Lola grabbed up the sign and walked up to the
taciturn, gray haired woman standing behind the counter. The heels of
Lola?s cute high heeled sandals click clicked out a warning and the
matronly lady glanced up with a frown.

?Can I
help ya, miss??

Lola
set the sign on the counter. ?Looks like you need help and I?d like to
apply. Can you tell me who I need to talk with about a job??

?You?d
need to talk to me. I?m Belle Warren.? Belle, all of five two and built
like an army tank, looked her up and down slowly and Lola got the feeling
she didn?t like what she saw. Figured. Lola was pretty much used to that
reaction. ?Where ya from, little missy??

?Vegas,
ma?am.?

?Bull
dung,? she said matter-of-factly. ?That ain?t no
city voice you?ve got there, girl.?

Lola
opened her mouth to speak when Sam walked up and set his coffee cup on the
counter. ?Can I get a refill, Belle??

That
got a smile from Belle as she grinned and reached for the coffee pot. ?Sure
thing, Sheriff.? Seeming to forget Lola?s presence for the moment, she
finally turned back to Lola and planted her fists on ample hips. ?No sirree. You?ve got the deep south stamped all over you.
Where you from??

Sam
propped his gorgeous, denim-covered butt on the nearest stool and listened
unabashedly. Though it was damn hard, Lola tried to forget about him and
focused on Belle.

?I?m
from a little bitty town just outside Jackson,
Mississippi.?

?You
grew up there??

?Yes?m. And I waited tables too. From the time I turned
sixteen. I?m a really hard worker, Belle.?

?Hmph. Well, we?ll just see about that, I reckon. Now
this ain?t permanent. Got that? Merrylee Hawkins just had a baby and she?ll be back for
her job in about six weeks or so. That?s all I?ve got to offer.?

?Oh
no, that?s okay,? she rushed. ?I just need to make enough money to get out
of town.?

?Why?
You have somewhere you need to go??

Lola
had to think about that.

No,
she really didn?t but she just couldn?t see herself staying here. The
sleepy town of Mesa Blanco was far too
similar to the town where she grew up and she hadn?t been able to leave
that place fast enough. Nope. She wouldn?t be staying. Finally she shook
her head and sighed. ?Not really. I guess I just need some time to figure
things out.?

?Okay
then, I?ll try you out for awhile, Lola.?

Relief
swept her and then she thought of something else. ?Can I ask you a
question??

?Shoot.?

?Someone
mentioned something about a rooming house??

?Staying
there requires money,? Belle said. She pursed her
lips and then seemed to come to some kind of conclusion. ?Listen here.
There?s no need for that. I reckon you?re pretty much busted.?

?You?ve
got that right. I?m a downright pauper at this point.?

?I
figured. You ladies rolled in here without two plug nickels between you
considering the three of you were gonna share one
drink. Hell, I was prepared to contribute to the cause until Sam here,
Wyatt, and Cliff jumped in to spring for the drinks. It?s clear ya?ll are
pretty broke.?

?Pitiful.?

?Ain?t it just.? Belle shook her head. ?Tell ya what. I?ve got a little apartment out back behind
the caf?. I lived there when I was younger, back before I married and
started a family. Over the years I?ve rented it out but it?s empty now.
It?s not much but it?s furnished and clean. You can stay there until you
get on your feet. How?s that sound??

Lola
was so overwhelmed she wiggled around in celebration and impulsively ran
around the edge of the counter to give Belle a hug. Belle Warren
was a sweetheart despite her gruff demeanor. Lola knew a little something
about being judged on the basis of appearance. She should?ve known better.
?Thank you. Thank you. Lordy! You won?t be sorry,
ma?am.?

Belle
stiffly patted her back. ?Hell, I?m already sorry.?