that would cause a war right there in the midst of his family.
The smile on Ace’s face faded. “Okay. Everyone this is Jasmine, my wife. If you’ve eaten at Chicken Fried in the past six months, you’ve eaten her cookin’. And, Jazzy, this is my mother, Dolly, and my father, Adam.” Jasmine extended her hand. “I’m very pleased to meet you.”
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She was surprised that her words came out lukewarm and not icy cold.
A tal woman, Dolly looked down on Jasmine. Her hair was jet- black, her eyes brown, and her skin lightly toasted. Her handshake was quick, and Jasmine half expected her to wipe her hand when it was done. Adam’s handshake was downright rough, and Jasmine gave him one just as bone- crunching. His eyes were the same shade of gray- blue as Ace’s, but his hair was as black as Dolly’s. When he let go of her hand, the corners of his mouth twitched in a grin.
“Okay, get ready for the rest of the zoo.” Ace introduced her to his three older brothers and their families first.
Everyone tipped their heads toward Jasmine, and she smiled at each one. If they thought they were going to win the war, then they’d best make a fast run through the kitchen and pick up a brown bag lunch because it was going to take more than a cold glance. She’d given her word and she’d stand by it. They could like her or not.
Frankly, my dear, as Rhett Butler said, she didn’t give a damn. It would all be over in a year and they could have their precious womanizing son back.
“Before I go on, any one of you three got anything to say?” Ace looked over at his three older brothers: Garrett, Justin, and Tony.
Tony spoke up. “Just that this was pretty quick. Last week you told me you were dating a different woman every week and had your red book nearly full. Momma says you didn’t even get a prenup.”
Ace grinned. “Hey, I’m in love. I don’t need a prenup. Don’t it show?”
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“Not so much,” Tony said.
Jasmine wrapped both arms around Ace’s neck and pulled his face down for a long, lingering kiss right there in the middle of the living room floor. She might not be his wife of the heart, but she was on paper and they weren’t getting away with implying that she would ever take her best friend for a financial ride. Besides, she’d had enough explaining for one day and she was tired of it.
Ace’s toenails curled; his curly hair came close to straightening and his heart missed two full beats during the kiss. He was blushing scarlet when he pulled away from the kiss.
Jasmine looked right at Tony. “How about now?”
“I’d say she’s in love even if Ace ain’t,” another brother said from the shadows.
“That would be Blake, the baby in the family,” Ace said, but he couldn’t wipe the grin off his face. He’d been right about Jasmine being strong. Not even the whole Riley clan had intimidated her.
Jasmine nodded briefly at the handsome cowboy in the corner. “Pleased to meet you, Blake.”
“And I’m Dalton, and this is Creed. We’re the tag-alongs. Momma had the three older boys, waited four years, and still wanted a daughter. So she had Ace and he damn sure wasn’t a girl. So she waited six more years and tried three more times. Rileys make boys for the most part. And we’re all dark haired and brown eyed except for Ace. He’s the oddball.”
Jasmine glued herself to Ace’s side and hoped that’s what a real new bride would do. “I’d say I got the handsome one. How in the world did someone with your curly blond hair come out of this family?” OneHotCowboyWedding.indd 88
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Dolly finally smiled. “It was his Gramps Riley that gave him that hair. Granny was half- Mexican just like me. Black hair runs rampant in the Riley family, but Ace is a throwback to Gramps’ side. He got his eyes from his
The smile on Ace’s face faded. “Okay. Everyone this is Jasmine, my wife. If you’ve eaten at Chicken Fried in the past six months, you’ve eaten her cookin’. And, Jazzy, this is my mother, Dolly, and my father, Adam.” Jasmine extended her hand. “I’m very pleased to meet you.”
OneHotCowboyWedding.indd 86
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She was surprised that her words came out lukewarm and not icy cold.
A tal woman, Dolly looked down on Jasmine. Her hair was jet- black, her eyes brown, and her skin lightly toasted. Her handshake was quick, and Jasmine half expected her to wipe her hand when it was done. Adam’s handshake was downright rough, and Jasmine gave him one just as bone- crunching. His eyes were the same shade of gray- blue as Ace’s, but his hair was as black as Dolly’s. When he let go of her hand, the corners of his mouth twitched in a grin.
“Okay, get ready for the rest of the zoo.” Ace introduced her to his three older brothers and their families first.
Everyone tipped their heads toward Jasmine, and she smiled at each one. If they thought they were going to win the war, then they’d best make a fast run through the kitchen and pick up a brown bag lunch because it was going to take more than a cold glance. She’d given her word and she’d stand by it. They could like her or not.
Frankly, my dear, as Rhett Butler said, she didn’t give a damn. It would all be over in a year and they could have their precious womanizing son back.
“Before I go on, any one of you three got anything to say?” Ace looked over at his three older brothers: Garrett, Justin, and Tony.
Tony spoke up. “Just that this was pretty quick. Last week you told me you were dating a different woman every week and had your red book nearly full. Momma says you didn’t even get a prenup.”
Ace grinned. “Hey, I’m in love. I don’t need a prenup. Don’t it show?”
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“Not so much,” Tony said.
Jasmine wrapped both arms around Ace’s neck and pulled his face down for a long, lingering kiss right there in the middle of the living room floor. She might not be his wife of the heart, but she was on paper and they weren’t getting away with implying that she would ever take her best friend for a financial ride. Besides, she’d had enough explaining for one day and she was tired of it.
Ace’s toenails curled; his curly hair came close to straightening and his heart missed two full beats during the kiss. He was blushing scarlet when he pulled away from the kiss.
Jasmine looked right at Tony. “How about now?”
“I’d say she’s in love even if Ace ain’t,” another brother said from the shadows.
“That would be Blake, the baby in the family,” Ace said, but he couldn’t wipe the grin off his face. He’d been right about Jasmine being strong. Not even the whole Riley clan had intimidated her.
Jasmine nodded briefly at the handsome cowboy in the corner. “Pleased to meet you, Blake.”
“And I’m Dalton, and this is Creed. We’re the tag-alongs. Momma had the three older boys, waited four years, and still wanted a daughter. So she had Ace and he damn sure wasn’t a girl. So she waited six more years and tried three more times. Rileys make boys for the most part. And we’re all dark haired and brown eyed except for Ace. He’s the oddball.”
Jasmine glued herself to Ace’s side and hoped that’s what a real new bride would do. “I’d say I got the handsome one. How in the world did someone with your curly blond hair come out of this family?” OneHotCowboyWedding.indd 88
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One Hot Cowboy Wedding
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Dolly finally smiled. “It was his Gramps Riley that gave him that hair. Granny was half- Mexican just like me. Black hair runs rampant in the Riley family, but Ace is a throwback to Gramps’ side. He got his eyes from his
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