Her Unbridled Cowboy (Harland County Series) by Donna Michaels Page A

noted with that dang flutter in her chest, were laughing
off to the side.
    Dressed in black jeans and a red
western shirt tucked in and with the sleeves rolled up, he looked more handsome
than a man had the right. He wore his black Stetson, and as she passed with the
tray, she warned herself not to think about red briefs.
    Intending to walk by, she was
stopped when a hand with five ruby red polished nails wrapped around her arm.
    “Well, if it isn’t little Kerri?
Oh, that looks delicious.” The blonde standing next to Connor cooed as she took
a bacon wrap off of the tray and plopped it into her ruby red mouth.
    Little Kerri?

Chapter Four
     
    L ittle? Kerri
towered over the woman.
    “Sure does,” Connor responded
easily as he winked at Kerri.
    She nearly dropped the dish. Holy
smokes . Was he seriously flirting with her?
    “Careful there, darlin’.” Quick as
lightning, he steadied the tray enough for her to gain control again.
    “Thanks, darlin’, ” she
replied. 
    Connor chuckled, and Kerri rolled
her eyes as she continued to the buffet table. She’d recognized the girl. Ashley.
The same blonde Connor was supposed to take to a party when Kerri had been
eleven.
    That hadn’t gone well.
    Laughter tickled her throat. It
really hadn’t been her fault. Ashley made the mistake of making fun of her
pigtails and braces while waiting for Connor. Kerri wasted no time in recruiting
the two golden retrievers the McCalls had at the time, and as the couple stepped
outside, she’d turned off the hose and let the wet dogs loose on Ashley—and her
new white dress. She smiled at the memory. Wasn’t white after that.
    Reaching the table, Kerri placed
the tray down and wondered briefly if Bullet was around. He’d help her bring
Ashley down a peg or two if need be. Grinning, she turned around to see her
sister summoning from across the room.
    Keeping the grin on her face, she
walked to the happy couple and gave her sister a hug. “You look stunning, Jordan. What’s up?”
    “Thank you, hun. I just wanted to
make sure you weren’t over doing it.” Her sister eyed her with concern. “I want
you to enjoy yourself at this party, not work.”  
    “That was the last tray. Honest.
Emma said the same thing and threw me out of the kitchen.” Kerri laughed along
with Jordan and Cole.
    “It had better be,” her soon-to-be
brother-in-law warned, killer smile on his handsome face. He pulled her into a
hug. “You are supposed to have fun like all the other guests.”
     She returned his embrace. “I will,
I promise. I’m going upstairs to change now, then I’ll be back for the fun.”
    “We’re going to hold you to that.”
Cole drew back and smiled down at her before he pushed her toward the foyer. 
“Oh, and Kerri?”
    She turned around and waited. His
dark eyes were sparkling. Bugger was up to something. “Yes, Cole?”
    “Lose the apron.”
    Crud. She glanced down at the
forgotten garment. Great, she’d talked to Ashley and Connor in her apron. Oh
well. No sense in getting flustered. She was training herself to not make a big
deal out of little things.
    “What? Not festive enough?” she
asked. She held the apron away from her and matched Cole’s grin before turning to
head upstairs to get ready.
     
    T he party was in full
swing by the time Kerri descended the stairs in a dark green, velvet dress that
didn’t cling, only brushed her curves to stop just below fingertip length. She
felt sexier in a dress that hinted rather than revealed.
    It wasn’t always the case. Heck no.
Just this past summer, she’d lazed around Wild Creek with Jordan in her bikini. Her very small bikini. So used to blending in on the west coast, she hadn’t
really thought much of her lack of clothes at the time. And she refused to
think about it now.
    What’s done was done .
    Keeping her new motto uppermost in
her mind, she entered the room with a smile on her face. She actually felt
good. Surprising what a new dress and new sexy,