Page 1 of Hooking Up

Chapter One

“I’d tell you to kiss my ass, but then you’d fall in love and I’d never get rid of you.” Bella sashayed away from the the men lined up at the fence watching her.

The cowboy she’d just put in his place doffed his hat and held it over his heart, staggering a bit as if she’d wounded him. “You didn’t even give me a chance to prove what I got.”

“She knows whatcha got, Barns—and it’s the equivalent of that cow flop over there. Now stop harassing the lady and let her practice,” another boots-and-hat-wearin’ rodeo man called.

Bella glanced at the lineup. If she were a betting woman, she’d lay her cards on the quiet one, on the far right. The quiet ones always tried the hardest to get her in their beds. Maybe they believed that observing her would provide them with answers the others could never learn.

His folded arms rested on the top fence rail, plaid cotton bulging around his forearms. With his deep tan and that scruff of black hair on his jaw, he was pretty enough, but she wasn’t interested.

Twisting away, she gave her admirers a sway of her hips, which earned more than one hoot. She strode across the paddock, and her horse trotted right to her. Bella pulled a treat from her pocket and offered it to her horse named Josey Wheels. Her horse wasn’t her first barrel racing horse by far. No, this was her fifth.

As a kid, she’d started off with a slower horse that didn’t turn so fast or abruptly, but through the years as her skills developed, so had her need for faster, more precise animals tocompete with. Josey Wheels handled like a luxury sports car—which reflected her name.

The mare was also as much of a diva as Bella herself. The proud toss of Josey Wheels’ head earned another round of whistles from the guys at the fence.

“Let’s give them a show, all right, my beauty?” Bella stroked her mane for a moment before launching herself into the saddle.

As soon as her behind hit the leather, she tuned out the racket the half dozen men made. She drank in the cool morning air and worked her animal. The barrels stood at intervals inside the paddock, and she took them slowly at first, giving Josey Wheels time to warm up. An injury wouldn’t be good right now, especially with a big competition tonight.

Bella looped the barrel and Josey shot toward the next. Bella flexed her abs as she leaned slightly, directing her horse. At one with her animal. Out here, she didn’t let anybody mess with her mind, which was how she’d won so many shiny belt buckles, ribbons and trophies.

Several racing schools had given her the skills, but mostly Bella ran on gut instinct. At the age of seven, she’d proven herself. By twelve, she’d set her sights on the rodeo and never looked back.

For her sixteenth birthday, her parents had scraped up enough cash to buy her a truck and trailer combo of her own and sent her off to competitions by herself.

That’s where her love of the open road and freedom had begun. Then she’d met Frazer, and well, things had gotten serious fast.

At least on her end.

She squashed her mental boot heel all over thoughts of Frazer and spurred Josey Wheels faster. A slight breeze trickled over her face and slipped its fingers into her hair. The heavymass was pulled back, a hot, thick tail on her nape. After Frazer, she’d gone a little crazy and taken a pair of kitchen scissors to the length.

A few hacks and she’d sported a riot of waves around her shoulders that had driven her nuts for most of a year before it grew out enough to harness in a hair-tie again. The change of appearance hadn’t helped rid her mind of Frazer’s shitty words that were etched deep inside her.

You’re never gonna be better than me, Bella. Don’t think you can do better.

How many times had she rolled those words around in her brain? She’d spoken them aloud and even written them down, but she still couldn’t totally puzzle out his meaning.

At first she’d thought he meant she couldn’t get a better man than him. Then she’d spent months watching video footage of Frazer on his own horse, trying to see if he was a better rider than she was. He was good—had even earned plenty of titles and endorsements for his prowess. But comparing her talent to his when it came to barrel racing was like holding apples and oranges.

No, she had no damn clue what the man meant. Her final conclusion was he was stupider than she’d first thought and couldn’t string a coherent sentence together.

She pushed a breath out through her nostrils, feeling them flare. Josey Wheels snorted too, always attuned with her. She felt her horse’s ribs expanding with exertion, but they weren’t finished with this drill. Above all, she wanted that win tonight.

Frazer hadn’t won in Henderson, Texas, but she was damn well going to.

After Texas, she was on to Alabama, Arkansas and Florida. Some women she competed against didn’t travel as widely as she did, but she had nothing to tie her down.

Especially not a man.

She slowed her horse and made a few slow revolutions of the paddock before prancing down the line of guys at the fence. Their ranks had increased, and she offered them all a sassy smile, catching their gazes as she passed.

“Go out with me tonight, Bella.” She might toy with a man with such a charming smile as long as he didn’t expect more.

She swung back around to look at him a second time. She reined up. “You’re Jeb Anderson.”

His smile, slow and sugary, was exactly the type of thing she was drawn to time and again. “In the flesh,” he drawled.

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