Curves and the Cowboy (BBW Romance - Coldwater Springs 1)

Curves
and the Cowboy (BBW Romance - Coldwater Springs 1)

by

Jenn
Roseton

Copyright
© 2013 by Jenn Roseton

All
rights reserved

No
part of this publication may be copied, reproduced in any format, by
any means, electronic or otherwise, without prior consent from the
copyright owner and publisher of this book.

This
is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places and events are
the product of the author's imagination or used fictitiously.

This
is a sexy contemporary romance novelette.

“
Sarah Grant is
coming home.”

Chase McCord felt as if
he’d just been punched in the gut. “What?”

The old-timer sitting on
the next bar stool chuckled. “Thought you might be interested
to hear that, boy.”

Thirty was hardly a boy.
Chase guessed it seemed that way if you were seventy.

Sarah Grant. The name
conjured up long dark hair, large brown eyes and the sweetest mouth
he’d never kissed. And a curvy, lush figure that made him hard
- every time. Her image had flashed into his mind over the years at
inconvenient times - even on the occasional date. It had gotten so
bad that he didn’t bother to date any more. What was the point
when the only woman he wanted was Sarah?

“
Why is she coming
back?”

“
Lost her job in
the city and got one here teaching school.”

Chase let out the breath
he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. There was no man
involved. If she’d come home to get married, he was sure his
neighbor on the next barstool would know about it. He was done
waiting for her. He was done fantasizing about her.

It was time to claim her.

###

Sarah sat down in the
booth and glanced around the diner. It looked exactly the same.
Dark vinyl flooring, blue walls, leatherette booths and Formica
tables. A thirty year old country song played softly in the
background while customers ordered at the counter and then found a
table. It was hard to believe she’d been away for six years
and nothing had changed in Coldwater Springs.

At eighteen, she had left
home and gone to college in Laramie, two hundred miles away. She’d
always wanted to be a teacher, and once she’d graduated
college, she’d found a job teaching elementary school there.
She thought it might have been easier that way.

It wasn’t.

Now, with the economic
downturn, she’d lost her job and considered herself lucky to
get one back here in her hometown.

There was only one
problem. Chase McCord.

She’d had a crush
on him forever, but she didn’t think he’d ever noticed
her at all. That was one of the reasons she’d decided to go to
college so far away. She didn’t want to spend any more time
hopelessly mooning over him. She had to get on with her life.

Although…she often
wondered why he had never noticed her. Was it because he was six
years older than her, so he thought of her as just a kid? Or was it
because of her curves? She knew a lot of guys preferred thin women
and she’d often wondered if Chase was one of them.

But she would never
forget the time he’d just won the bull riding event at the
local rodeo. As he received his prize, their eyes had met. He'd
made a step toward her and for a second she'd thought he would come
over to her. But then he’d become surrounded by rodeo groupies
and the moment had been lost. Two days later, she had left for
college.

However hard she had
tried over the years, she just couldn’t forget him.

She’d dated in
college - she’d even had a serious boyfriend, but it had
fizzled out once they’d graduated and gone their separate ways.
Peter had been great for her ego, though. At least one guy liked
her curvy figure.

And now she had returned
home to teach elementary school. She had moved in with her parents
temporarily - heck, it wasn’t as if she had a wild sex life and
needed privacy - while she settled into her new job and found a place
to rent.

“
Here you go, hon.”

Sarah glanced up as the
waitress set down her coffee and slice of cherry pie. “Thanks,
Betty.” She smiled at the woman who had worked at the diner
for as long as she could remember
.
Apart from a few more gray
strands in her hair, the matronly waitress looked just the same.

“
You enjoy it, hon.
It’s good to see you back in town.”

“
It’s good to
be back.” She realized she meant it. She’d missed her
family while she’d been away
,
only coming home at
Christmas and on the occasional holiday weekend. Now she was home
for good, and she was going to enjoy every single minute of it.
Except for…

Chase McCord.

She was
not
going
to think about him while eating cherry pie. No way. She already
spent too much time thinking about him, dreaming about him, as it
was.

Sarah dug into the cherry
pie, savoring the first mouthful. Nobody made cherry pie like Betty.
She closed her eyes, the sweet tartness of the cherries hitting her
taste buds in an explosion of flavor. If she came here to eat cherry
pie every day for a month, it would be worth putting on a few extra
pounds. She sighed. It just wasn’t fair that some girls could
eat whatever they wanted and stay as slim as a reed, while she had to
watch every mouthful. Although she had come to accept her curves for
the most part, too many treats meant the weight crept on.

Halfway through her slice
of pie, the bell jingled over the diner door. Sarah looked up and
her fork froze on its way to her mouth. A tall, dark haired man
strode into the diner.

Chase McCord.

She drew in a deep
breath. Her heart thudded in her chest as if she’d just run
the 100-metre dash.

Her eyes feasted on him
as he placed his order at the counter. He filled out his well-worn
jeans and long-sleeved denim shirt quite nicely. The last time she
had seen him was seven months ago, when she had come home for
Christmas. He still looked amazing.

Each time she visited
home, she couldn't seem to avoid him. He'd come around the house,
always on some business with her father. And she'd stare longingly
at him from her bedroom window, feeling like the teenager she used to
be.

Now, although her eyes
took in every detail about him, she didn’t want him to see her.
What would she say to him? She’d hate it if she blushed when
he said hello to her.
If
he said hello to her. After all,
why would he?

He turned around and she
flicked
her gaze to her cup of coffee.
Please don't see
me, please don't see me, please don't see me.

“
Sarah.” His
attractive, deep voice forced her to look up. At him.

“
Hi--” she
squeaked. Heat raced to her cheeks.

“
Mind if I join
you?” He gestured to the opposite side of the booth.

“
Of course not.”
Her pulse beat erratically.

He slid into the booth,
his firm, sensual lips tugging upwards. Her heart flip-flopped as
she took in his dark blue eyes and ruggedly handsome face.

“
How have you
been?” He looked as if he really wanted to hear her answer.

“
Good.” At
least her voice was less of a squeak this time. She swallowed. “And
you?”

Before he could reply,
Betty came to the table with a cup of steaming coffee and placed it
in front of Chase. “Here you go, Chase.” She winked at
Sarah.

“
Thanks, Betty.”
He took a long swallow, then turned his attention back to Sarah, his
eyes gleaming with interest.

She lost herself in his
gaze. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach when he grinned at her.

“
I’ve been
good, too.”
Chase took another sip of coffee and she
watched, fascinated, as his lips touched the coffee mug. What would
his lips feel like on hers? She shivered at the thought.

“
I heard you’ve
got a job teaching school here.”

His voice snapped her out
of her sensual fantasy and she met his dark blue gaze. Her mind
blanked for a second as he waited for her answer.

“
Yes,
”
she
finally managed to utter. “Elementary school.” Great
going, she scolded herself. He probably thinks
you
should be
in elementary school, not teaching it. Flustered, she wrapped her
hands around her coffee cup and took a small sip.

He boldly reached over,
picked up her fork and snagged a piece of pie. “Mmm. Nobody
makes cherry pie like Betty.”

Sarah smiled
.
“I
know.”

“
Want some?”
He forked up a bite and offered it to her.

She stared at his large,
tanned hand, tempting her. Only in her dreams had she envisioned
this scenario. She never thought it would actually happen. Sarah
tapped one toe against the other - hard. Nope. Not dreaming.

“
Sure,” she
managed to say, shyly parting her lips. Her eyes met his as he
gently guided the fork into her mouth and she closed her lips around
the morsel of pie. A ripple of excitement skittered down her spine
as his smoldering gaze ensnared her.

Sarah carefully chewed
and swallowed the cherry and pastry confection, but shook her head
when he forked up another mouthful and offered it to her. She didn’t
think she could eat another bite while he was looking at her in
that
way, as if she was something delicious he’d like to sample.

The thought made her
cheeks burn again and she prayed he wouldn’t notice. She
watched as he ate another bite
of her pie.

“
So, what have you
been up to since you moved back?” His gaze swept over her
face, seeming to take in every detail of her appearance.

Sarah shrugged. “Not
much. Just settling back in at home and getting ready for school in
two weeks.” It had been fun catching up with her old friends,
though.

“
Been to the
drive-in?”

“
Oh, wow. Is that
place still open?”

“
Every Friday
night.” He grinned. “How about we go there this week?
They’re showing
His Girl Friday
.”

Sarah blinked. Did Chase
McCord just ask her out? On a date? She shivered with excitement.
“
Okay.” She hoped he didn’t notice the
husky tone in her voice.

“
I’ll pick
you up at seven.” He took another swallow of coffee, and
stood, his eyes intent on her face. “See you then.”

He left the diner and
Sarah pinched herself. Ouch! She wasn’t dreaming. In two
days’ time she had a date with Chase McCord, the man she had
fantasized about for years.

###

Sarah scrutinized her
reflection in the mirror. Blow dried hair curled just at her
shoulders - check. Flattering outfit - check. Well, as flattering
as she had in the closet. She hadn’t been sure what to wear at
first. What
did
a twenty-four year old wear to the local
drive-in? The last time she had gone there was when she was in high
school and she was pretty sure she had worn jeans. But what should
she wear on a date with Chase?

She finally settled on a
summery, pale blue dress with a surplice neckline and cinched waist
that showed off her curves to their best advantage.