Curves and the Rodeo Star (BBW Romance - Coldwater Springs 4) by Jenn Roseton Page A

staring, and met her eyes. Violet.
Damn.
    “ Bernie Smithell
hired me to train his horse. He said he’s agisting him at your
place.”
    She wrinkled her brow.
“And you are?”
    “ Sorry.” He
held out his hand. “Cade Winters.”
    She placed her small hand
in his large, strong one. A shot of warmth ripped through him. His
tanned fingers enclosed hers.
    “ Bernie hasn’t
mentioned you.”
    He held onto her hand a
few seconds longer than necessary before reluctantly letting it go.
“Bernie called me last night, asking me to train Shadow. He
said he’d call you today about it.”
    “ Let me check my
phone.” Emma rummaged through her bag until she found her cell
phone. Turning it on, she saw a missed call from Bernie and played
back the brief message.
    Putting her phone away,
she smiled at him politely. “I haven’t seen you around
Coldwater before.”
    “ I’ve been
getting that a lot,” he said wryly. “I’ve just
bought the Henderson place on Coldwater Road. Chase McCord can vouch
for me.”
    “ You know Chase?”
    He grinned. “Chase
and I met at the rodeo here about ten years ago. He beat me by a
split second in the bull riding.”
    The corners of her mouth
tilted upwards. “Chase always was great in the ring.”
    “ I heard he got
married.”

    Emma nodded. “A
year ago. I talked to his wife earlier.” She waited for him
to respond, but for a few seconds he just gazed at her. She hoped
she didn’t have a big dirt smudge on her face and he didn’t
know how to tell her.
    He rubbed the back of his
neck. “So about Shadow. Bernie wants me to start ASAP.”
    “ How about
tomorrow? Shadow’s in the south pasture.”
    “ Nine o’clock
okay?”
    “ Sure.” She
usually got up at 6.30 to feed the horses. By nine, she’d be
breakfasted, showered and dressed.
    “ Bernie mentioned
you live on Mountain Road.”
    “ Yep. 1247. The
number’s on the gate.”
    “ I’ll guess
I’ll see you then.” He turned to leave, then swiveled
back. “Good riding today.”
    He’d watched her
compete? Her face flushed. “Thanks.”
    ###
    Emma turned off the alarm
clock. Getting up at 6.30 in the morning in summer wasn’t
nearly as bad as in the winter. At least it was light outside.
    Pulling on her clothes,
she thought about her phone conversation with Chase last night. He’d
confirmed that Cade was whom he claimed to be and that he had a
natural affinity with horses. He’d also been pretty successful
on the professional rodeo circuit, until he’d retired two years
ago. That had set her mind at rest; then she remembered what Cade
looked like.
    Six tall feet of yummy.
    She told herself not to
think about him in that way. At twenty-eight, she’d had a few
boyfriends, but hadn’t yet met the man she wanted to spend the
rest of her life with. One day she hoped to discoverthe same
kind of happiness Sarah, Libby and Cassie had found, although
sometimes she wished that day would hurry up and get here.
    Emma made a face at
herself in the mirror. She guessed it would happen when the time was
right. Maybe there just weren’t that many guys around who
preferred generously proportioned women. Apart from Chase, Jake and
Luke.
    Emma made sure she’d
fed the horses, showered, and dressed well before nine o’clock.
She’d just put the breakfast dishes away when she heard a
vehicle pull up outside the house.
    A dusty white pickupparked in the driveway. She watched Cade exit the vehicle before
she stepped backfrom the window, not wanting him to catch her
peeking.
    She opened the front door
just a few seconds after he knocked . “Hey. Just
thought I’d let you know I was here.” He rocked back on
his heels.
    Emma swallowed, taking in
his muscular body clad in a blue long-sleeved shirt and jeans.
D efinitely six tall feet of yummy. “Thanks.” She
tried not to think about what he would look like with his shirt off.
She did not want to blush.
    “ Shadow’s in
the south pasture?”
    “ Yes. The black
quarter