Cowboy Seeks Bride by Carolyn Brown Page B

band.
    Haley giggled. “You are makin’ me hotter than that rat that he’s singin’ about.”
    “Weather-wise or otherwise?” Dewar flirted.
    “What do you think?”
    Sawyer’s next choice was “If the Devil Brought You Roses.” The lyrics asked if the devil brought her roses and a bottle of red wine would she be an angel and take him back to heaven one more time.
    Dewar twirled Haley and brought her back into his arms for a fast dance step around the grass.
    “Would you?” he asked.
    “What?”
    “Would you take me to heaven if I brought you roses and wine?”
    “How do you know you wouldn’t end up kissin’ the devil smack on his forked little tail instead of an angel and winding up in hell rather than heaven?” she asked.
    “Well, guess I’ll save my red roses and wine if there is that possibility,” he said.
    Sawyer handed the guitar off to Rhett, who decided to sing Travis Tritt’s songs beginning with “Best of Intentions,” a nice slow ballad.
    Dewar and Haley swayed to the music, barely moving their feet at all. She wondered what words would be written on Dewar’s heart if she could read it like a book. Were there women who had left tears on the pages of his life? Did he take someone for granted and found out later that he had really loved that woman?
    Rhett took the guitar from Sawyer and strummed the first chords of “Love of a Woman.”
    She looked up at Dewar and asked, “Do you go crazy trying to catch your feelings like the song says?”
    “Always,” he answered. “Do you stand beside your man even when he is wrong like the song says?”
    “Never have, but then I’ve never loved anyone that much,” she said.
    “Married to your job, are you?”
    “Pretty much.”
    “Your turn,” Rhett called out when he finished the last of the song.
    Dewar bent Haley back and whispered, “Thank you for the dances, ma’am.”
    “Thank you,” she said.
    “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m ready for bed,” Coosie said. “Saturday on the trail don’t mean sleeping in an extra hour.”
    Rhett handed the guitar to Buddy, who carried it to the chuck wagon and stowed it in the right place.
    “Thanks, guys,” he said.
    “It was fun. Maybe we’ll do it again at the end of next week,” Rhett said.
    “Why wait until the end of the week?” Haley asked.
    “You tell her, Dewar. I’m sleepy.” Rhett yawned.
    “Gives us something to look forward to at the end of a long week,” Dewar said. “Wouldn’t be special at all if we had music every night. You might keep that in mind for your reality show.”
    His hand brushed against hers, but he sidestepped a little to keep it from happening again instead of taking it in his. That confused her to no end. He’d held her tightly when they danced. He’d flirted and his eyes had said that he liked holding her close and now he didn’t even want to touch her?
    She wanted to drag him under the weeping willow tree, strip off naked, and make wild passionate love with him until daybreak, and he didn’t even want to grasp her hand. When they reached their sleeping bags, he nodded at her, sat down, and tugged his boots off. She did the same and slipped into her bag, zipped the side, laced her hands behind her head, and stared at the stars.
    The cowboy was getting under her skin and it was driving her totally insane with desire, want, and need all balled up together.

Chapter 8
    Haley awoke on Saturday morning to Eeyore braying right outside the campsite and Coosie telling him what a good boy he’d been. She sat up so fast that her head spun around like it was suffering from an acute hangover. She squinted against the very first signs of the sun peeking over the eastern horizon.
    Coosie looked her way and pointed to Eeyore, who had a dead coyote at his feet.
    “Your new little friend is earning his keep,” he said. “I can’t believe the critter got this close to the camp. Must have been hungry.”
    Haley shook her boots to make sure no