Page 1 of The Bull Rider & the Wedding Planner

Prologue

Cassandra Ruby Johnston clungto Easton Coleville’s strong back. How was she going to walk away from him? He was the only part of her future that wasn’t falling into place. She hadn’t admitted it to him, but she never planned to return to Coleville, Montana.

Tears trickled down her cheeks at the very thought of not loving and being loved by Easton.

Easton built her confidence, inspired her, teased her, sang to her, held her when she almost fainted from even a simple paper cut, and loved her more completely than anyone in the world. How would she survive without him?

“Come on now, sweetheart.” Easton bent down and tenderly kissed the tears off her cheeks. No one else in the world knew how sweet, committed, and tender the charming, flirtatious, and teasing future bull-riding champion could be. “No need for you to cry salty tears. You’ll see your favorite person in the world soon.”

Easton didn’t take anything seriously and probably had no clue what to do with these tears. She didn’t tell him he was wrong, that she wouldn’t see him soon. She kissed him fiercely instead. Easton returned the kiss, sweeping her off her feet and to another dimension.

When he set her back down, he smiled cockily down at her. “All better?”

“Of course.” She hid her fears behind a smile. “Your kisses heal every pain.”

And they had. His kisses—but more importantly his patience, humor, and dedication—had healed her from the betrayal of her dad cheating on her mom and deserting all of them. Easton’s kisses had distracted and inspired her when she was lonely, sad, or lacking faith in herself, her future, or her Savior. Easton’s patience had healed and lifted her when her older siblings left her behind with an embittered shell of a mother to pursue their own dreams.

She didn’t blame her siblings, but she wasn’t close to anyone but Easton, his family, and Daisy, Rose, and Lily Lillywhite.

Now it was her turn to pursue her dreams. She’d gotten a scholarship to Cornell University, the top university in the world for a hospitality management degree. Soon she’d be achieving her goals as a wedding planner and best of all getting out of Coleville and away from her broken family.

Sadly, there was no clear future for her and Easton. Ranching, Montana, his family, and bull riding were all part of his makeup. He couldn’t change who he was, and she wouldn’t want him to. He’d never follow her to New York, and she’d never ask him to. No matter that Easton said she’d see him soon; that felt as likely as her dad returning.

“I’d better go,” she murmured. She took a deep inhale of hismind-altering scent, not wanting to ever forget the mint, citrus, and pine combination.

“‘It feels, just like, we’d never said goodbye’,” he sang in a husky and twangy voice.

She smiled, but her tears came again.

“Remember our first kiss?” he asked softly. “‘Are you going to kiss me or not?’” He belted out the song from Jim Collins and David Lee Murphy again.

She laughed and her tears settled for the moment. “How could I resist that?”

He winked, gave her one more lingering kiss, and swung open the door of her rusted-out Hyundai. “You sure this piece o’ metal is going to make it across the country? I could drive you in my sweet new ride.” He tilted his head to the obnoxious, massive bright blue Ram truck towering over her once-white car.

If only she could take him up on his offer. Then she wouldn’t be alone. She’d have Easton by her side. She’d make it safely to Cornell, laughing and having a fabulous time on the road trip, and put off saying goodbye to him for thirty more hours.

Shaking her head firmly, she faked bravado. “I’ve got this. You don’t need to worry about your sweet girl.”

“I do. I fret about you like an old geezer stressing over the world going to heck in a hand basket.” Easton was teasing as always, but his blue eyes got a rare serious look in them. He was worried about her safety, worried about her happiness, worried about them never being together again. She could see all of it in his summer blue eyes.

She slid into the car rather than responding. They’d been over this. She had to do this on her own. If he came with her to Ithaca, New York she’d never let him go. Eastonwould wither in a location without wide open spaces, sky high mountains, horses, bulls, and especially his family. He was blessed with a close and loving family and a twin brother who would do anything for him.

“I’ll call when I get there,” she promised.

“Be safe. And don’t let those East Coast boys steal your heart from the most charming and handsome cowboy on Earth.” He pointed to himself.

Cassie laughed at that, knowing he was teasing and confident that no man could steal her heart from him. She almost told him to stay away from Trudy Everett. The annoying girl was head over heels for Easton and wouldn’t leave him alone. She didn’t need to say it, though; Easton loved Cassie and would never dream of cheating on her. “Not possible. My heart is yours now and forever.”

Easton grinned and gave her a cocky wink, but she could see past the shield of charm he put up for everyone else. He would miss her fiercely and was worried this was goodbye. She wasn’t sure if she wanted him to beg her not to go and destroy her dreams, demand he go with her and destroy his own, or just shut the car door and close the door on their future together, letting her cry and mourn his loss the thirty-four hours it would take to drive to Cornell.

“‘Just one more thing before you leave … don’t forget to remember me,’” he sang the Carrie Underwood song softly, and she choked up. “Love you, my sweet but sassy Cass.”

He closed the door and stepped back before she could protest that she was all sweet, no sass. Would he laugh and kiss her again? Or was her tough cowboy as close to breaking down as she was?

Their usual tease was interrupted by the finality of theclosing door. It was worse than closing the coffin on Granny’s grave last month. Granny had been her only stable and invested family member. Cassie missed her. Ironically, Granny’s death and the special inheritance set aside for Cassie had given her the money she needed to move across the country, pay rent, and eat. Her scholarship would cover books and tuition. She probably should’ve upgraded her car, but she wanted to be smart and not run out of funds.

Starting the Hyundai, she lifted one hand and then put it in gear and gunned it. Within ten seconds, she’d hit forty. Pretty good for this old girl.

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