How to Rope a McCoy (Hell Yeah!) (4 page)

Tessa
had explained to him that Cato was hearing impaired and even though he didn’t
sign, Troy had been careful to look at her when he spoke so she could read his
lips. Yea, she’d like to do something else with those lips. And she would if
Troy gave her half a chance.

“What
was the last good movie you saw?” Troy asked as Tessa and Jack giggled in the
front seat. This was almost like a date—not quite, but a close facsimile.

“I
don’t see many movies,” Cato admitted, shyly. “Except on television.”

“Why
not?” The idea seemed foreign to Troy. “Do you live under a rock?”

Cato
blushed. “I don’t get out much, you know.”

“You
don’t?” he asked with a smirk. 

She
held her head up. “I’m homeschooled. I don’t get to be around too many people.”
Okay, she sounded pathetic. 

“I
like action movies.”

Cato
let out a breath she’d been holding. “I like comedies.”

“Have
you ever been on a date?”

Cato
felt her body grow tense. “Nope.” She raised her head, refusing to be ashamed.

“Cool,
first time for everything, I guess. Just remember, this isn’t one.”

“Okay.”
She shrugged, determined not to let him get her down. They ended up seeing a
romantic chick flick and Tessa pushed and maneuvered people around to ensure
Cato was sitting by Troy. Tessa hadn’t heard what Troy said to her in the car.
He was pretty nice about it, though, and while she didn’t get a kiss, Cato did
manage to get to hold hands with Troy. It was probably at her instigation—after
all, she put her hand on her knee and wiggled her little finger at him, trying
to be as tempting as possible. It might have been charity or pity, but he eased
his hand over and took hers within his grasp. They couldn’t talk in the movie
because she couldn’t see his lips clearly enough to read them, so he didn’t
try. During the movie, they did exchange a few smiles and Cato enjoyed it all
immensely.  

After
getting a hamburger, the group had broken up and she’d waved shyly at Troy,
hoping against hope he would someday ask her out. Not that her mother would let
her go, but it would be nice to be asked.

Spending
the night with Tessa was always a huge adventure. Aunt Flo never had a problem
with them leaving the light on, so Cato never felt trapped in the darkness like
she did at home. Her dad got them up early the next day and they headed to the
lake. She had to make do with a pair of shorts and a T-shirt to swim in. Her
mother had never felt the need to buy Cato a swimsuit.

They
swam and played in the water for a few hours while Uncle Bill fished. When he
grew tired because the bass weren’t biting, he offered to take the girls
skiing. Cato had never tried, so she opted to ride in the boat for a few
rounds. Soon she got bored with it, but Tessa was having a blast. So they took
Cato back to the bank and Tessa turned, her blonde hair flying in the wind and
yelled, “Goodbye, Cato. Be sweet.”

With
that, she ran back to the boat, laughing all the way.

Cato
went up to their picnic table and poured herself a drink, sitting back in the
shade to cool off. Holding her ponytail on top of her head, she let the cool
breeze flow across her neck. Feeling a bit drowsy, Cato closed her eyes and let
her mind drift.

A
sudden jarring of the bench she was sitting on startled her. Cato opened her
eyes and saw her uncle, his face a mask of anguish. “What’s wrong?” she
screamed.

“Tessa’s
dead! She’s dead!”

Cato
jumped up and saw people gathering around. Her uncle ran back down the hill and
she followed. Tessa’s body lay on the bank of the lake. Several people were
hovering around her. People were crying. “What happened?” she asked anyone who
would answer.

Her
uncle came to her, crying. “My boat hit something in the water and I veered off
course. I slung her too far to one side and she slammed into the dock.”

Cato
went to her knees, her heart crushed in her chest. “She told me goodbye, she
shouldn’t have said goodbye.”

Heath – A New Attitude

           
“Phew! I don’t know how you do it, Jimmy.” Heath lounged back in the seat of
Jimmy
Dushku’s
private plane. “This jet-setting life
wears me out.” They had just returned from an oil conference in
Dubai.   

           
“It’s the women, my friend. You’ve got to learn to pace yourself.”

           
Smiling, Heath sipped a drink the attendant had brought them upon take-off.
“How do you do it? A different woman every night.”

           
“I take a supplement called Texas-T.” Heath smirked and Jimmy laughed.
“Actually, I’m co-owner of the company.” He handed him a bottle. 

           
“Of course you are.” He threw the pills back at Jimmy. “I’ve got work to do. I
can’t gallivant all over the globe like you can.”

           
“You work too hard.” The plane began to bank and an announcement to fasten
their seat belts came over the loud speaker. “Sex is good for you, makes you
live longer with less stress. There are plenty of beautiful, sexy women in
Austin. Just let me know when you need me to set you up.”

           
“I may take you up on it.” Heath shook his head at the laid-back guy who could
buy Texas, sell it at a loss and still have money left over. “Yep, women as a
whole are a hazard to my health.” Since Amy, he had vowed to change his ways.
“I’ve learned my lesson, Jimmy. No more Mr. Nice Guy. When I need sex, I’ll
find it. But meaningful relationships are off the table. From now on I’m
playing the field. It’s only love ‘
em
and leave ‘
em
and wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am’ for Heath McCoy.”

           
Jimmy lifted his drink in a salute. “Welcome to the club. Before you leave,
remind me to show you a special room I’ve been working on at the back of the
plane.”

           
“What, a bedroom? That would be nice.”

           
“More than a bedroom, my friend, a play-room.”

           
“Pool table?”

           
Jimmy laughed. “No, more like a spanking bench and a sex swing.”

Heath’s
eyes widened. “Oh, that kind of play! Damn,
Dushku
.”

“Have
to keep the women amused.”

“I
hear you.” Pulling his Stetson down over his eyes to block out the evening sun
shining through the window, Heath made one more blanket statement. “If I ever
look like I’m about to get serious about a woman again, just shoot me.”

           
“I may not have to. You pissed Caesar
Arness
off
royally. I can’t believe you hit him in the middle of the hotel lobby.”

           
“Dumb-ass deserved it. He’s an upstart, a former pipefitter, for God’s sake.
His father just leeched off of Al Hollings and my father implied there was some
shady deal James
Arness
tried to pull on my
grandfather, Isaac. I don’t trust either of them. Caesar is a land shark,
Hollings had bank connections and I think they’re acquiring repossessed
properties. I’d bet my left nut they’re doing something illegal. He bears
watching.”

“
Arness
keeps his plane at the same private airport that I
do. I run into him frequently. Hopefully we won’t be landing at the same time.”

           
“We’d better not. I won’t be held responsible.”

           
“So, you’re angry because you don’t trust him or are you angry because he’s
dating your former fiancée?”

           
Heath stared out the window at the passing clouds. “I don’t care who Amy dates.
I just want them both to stay as far away from me as possible.”

Cato – A Whole New World

           
“Wow, let me look at that picture.” Cato grabbed the snapshot from Savannah’s
hands. “This is one of Patrick’s friends? I bet this guy is seriously hot, hard
and hung!”

           
Savannah smirked. “You say that about every guy you see.”

           
“Hey, I’m a frustrated virgin.” Cato giggled.

           
Tammany laughed and grabbed Cato, covering her mouth. Looking over Cato’s
shoulder at Fresca, Tammany whispered, “She needs a muffler, she has no idea
she’s talking so loud.”

           
“I don’t care if we get thrown out of here. It’s worth it to see her smile. Let
her talk,” Fresca said with an indulgent look on her face.  

           
Cato untangled herself from her friend’s playful headlock. “Don’t
muss
my hair, I’m hot tonight.”

           
“Yes, you are,” Savannah agreed. “How’s your mother?”

           
Cato’s smile faded. Thinking of her mother made guilt rise in her breast.
“She’s doing better.” Which wasn’t true. The chemotherapy and radiation had stopped
working. Edith had breast cancer, triple negative with a poor prognosis.

           
All three of her friends stared at her. They knew a little about her past, but
not much. She’d been ashamed to tell them everything. Frankly, Cato didn’t like
to think about it too much. When Tessa had been killed, she had immersed
herself in school. It was all she had left. Even though she was homeschooled,
her mother wasn’t really involved. She gave Cato the lesson plans, but it was
up to Cato to do the work. And she had. Cato had worked hard, even completing
her college work online. Once that had happened, her mother seemed to take
interest in her again, even helping Cato get this job with the Louisiana
Culture Center. Edith had connections, she was fond of saying.

           
“We’re here for you. You know that, don’t you?” Tammany covered Cato’s hand
with her own.

           
“I know that.” Coming to work with these girls had made all the difference in
her life. It was as if she’d been released from prison, even though her mother
still encouraged her to sign, not speak, reiterating how ‘unprofessional’ she
sounded. But Cato had been silent long enough. She needed to be heard, she
needed to express herself and the employees at the center had absolutely
embraced Cato, insisting she talk to them in her own voice.

           
Tammany glanced at her watch. “Damn, look at the time. We’ve got to get
back.” 

“Yea,
I have a meeting with Harley LeBlanc. She’s bringing an author to us who needs
help researching some haunted plantations,” Savannah spoke as she stood,
hooking her purse over her shoulder. It was almost as big as she was. “Cato,
I’m going to ask our boss to assign you to the project with me. I think you’ll
enjoy traveling up River Road and visiting Oak Alley and Laura Plantation with
Avery Sinclair.” She named two supposedly haunted antebellum homes.

“I’d
love to.” Cato gathered her purse and put it over her shoulder.

As
they walked out the door, two men held the door for them and gave the girls an
obvious once-over. One of them puckered his mouth.

“Did
he just whistle at us?” Cato asked—loudly.

“I
think he was whistling at you.” Tammany elbowed her.

“Fat
chance.” Cato sighed.

“You
aren’t fat!” Fresca swatted Cato. “You have the kind of body men go crazy for. My
God, just look at that rack.”

“She’s
right,” Savannah agreed. “Why don’t you let me set you up with one of Patrick’s
friends?” Her face brightened at the idea. “How about the guy in the photo? His
name is Revel Lee. He’s single.”

Cato
shook her head, sadly. “I can’t. My mom needs me right now. The home health
worker gets off at five and I have to take care of her the rest of the evening.
No time to date.”

Tammany
brushed Cato’s long hair off her shoulder as they walked to the car. “You’re
having a hard time, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t
be.” Cato stopped in the parking lot so she could speak to them and see what
they were saying. “Things are better now and I’m determined to make a new life
for myself. I won’t ever go back to the way I was. Meeting all of you has changed
my life. I intend to make up for lost time, meet people and experience all the
things I’ve been missing.”

“Good.”
Fresca grabbed her arm. “You deserve to be happy.”

“I
intend to be happy.” She gathered them in for a group hug. “One of these days
I’m going to find someone to love, someone who will love me just the way I am.
I might have to rope him to get his attention, but once I do—I’m never letting
him go.”

CHAPTER ONE

           
Tebow
Ranch was celebrating. The stately main house
which had been the
McCoys
home for decades was ablaze
with lights. Garlands of white flowers interwoven with ivy were draped over the
thick, wooden banisters and wrapped around the heavy stone posts. Tiny twinkling
white lights were entwined among the branches of the giant oak trees which
dotted the landscape. The grand pavilion near the river’s edge was decorated
with gladiolas, lilies, roses, and orange blossoms. Dozens of gaily set round
tables were ready for friends and family. The whole vast vista of green rolling
hill country had been transformed into a romantic wonderland for this special
occasion.

One
of the most anticipated weddings in many peoples’ memories was in full swing.
Joy filled the air as Isaac McCoy took Avery Sinclair’s hand and looked deep
into her eyes, the love on his face evident for all to see. And to top it off,
Avery’s father was
officiating
at the ceremony.

Cato
didn’t know if it was just for her or if the
McCoys
had other hearing impaired friends, but a woman was performing beautiful
interpretive sign language to accompany the music. She couldn’t hear it, but
Cato knew strains of Elvis Presley’s
Can’t Help Falling in Love
With
You
was touching the heart of every woman in the
room. She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye as she watched the happy
couple exchange their vows.

Avery
was radiant in a white lace gown which made her look like a princess with a
Juliet style veil and train. Any woman who could have a man look at her the way
Isaac was eating Avery up with his eyes would be the luckiest woman in Dixie.
Cato vowed that one day—hell or high water—she would find a man who could love
her just as much as Isaac loved Avery.  

Not
wanting to miss a thing, Cato sat up near the front and to the side so she
could read the pastor’s lips. From the first moment she’d met Avery, Cato had
adored her. They’d had a blast visiting The Myrtles plantation in St.
Francisville
. Avery planned to use the haunted antebellum
home as a setting for a romance novel she was writing. It had shocked Cato to
learn that sweet, seemingly innocent, Avery Sinclair, was the erotic romance
writer Sable Hunter. Cato couldn’t count the times she’d gone to bed with one
of Sable’s hot stories for company. “I need a man,” she mumbled under her
breath. Cato was ready to replace the fantasies in the books with a real live
man between her sheets.  

           
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered together in the sight of God to join this
couple in Holy Matrimony.”

           
Isaac reached out and tenderly pushed a strand of hair from Avery’s cheek. “I
love you,” he said. Cato didn’t know if he’d whispered the words or spoke them
out loud. How he said them didn’t matter, it was still the most romantic thing
she’d ever seen. Cato felt her heart pinch with envy. Oh, not that she resented
Avery for finding her true love. Cato just wanted one of her own. Actually, a
wedding wasn’t bad scouting ground for a husband, especially a McCoy wedding.
Gazing around, she took note of the guests. God, there were a lot of good
looking men in this crowd. Some of them she’d already met, but there were a few
new faces. Perhaps the reception would prove to be a good time to scope out
eligible men. All of the unmarried McCoy brothers were already claimed, as were
many of their friends, but maybe there were a few mavericks floating around.
Mavericks
…Cato
smiled, amused at herself. She’d only be in Texas a week or two and she was
already using cowboy lingo.    

Since
she’d met Avery and been drawn into a circle that included her own friend
Savannah, her fiancé Patrick, Beau and Harley LeBlanc, and seemingly half of
Texas, Cato felt right at home. So much so that she’d accepted a job with the
Texas Culture Preservation Center when they’d offered. In fact, she’d spent the
last two weeks moving her things from South Louisiana to a small house north of
Austin near the town of Marble Falls.

           
A movement from the dais caught Cato’s eye. Turning back she saw Avery was
speaking to Isaac. “With this ring, I thee wed. With my body, I will worship
yours.”

           
Cato almost giggled out loud when it looked like Avery’s father would choke.
The reverend pulled on his tight collar, his face flushed red. Seeing his
discomfort reminded Cato of what Avery had told her one night at
Mulate’s
over a pitcher of margaritas. “Isaac is my soul
mate. He loves me just the way I am. He brings out the best in me, Cato. I was
baptized in dirty water. Not that I’m totally a bad girl, but I’m certainly a
good girl who enjoys making my man happy. I keep my copy of the Good Book in
the saddlebag of a Harley Hogg and when my Isaac goes Dom on me, I go weak in
the knees.”

Cato
fanned herself, imagining a man demanding her submission. Did she want to try
that? Hell yes, she did!           

           
“I promise to honor and obey, love and cherish in sickness and in health, in
poverty and in wealth, till death do us part.”

           
When Avery said ‘obey,’ the cutest, wickedest grin crossed Isaac’s face. Cato
couldn’t help smiling with them, knowing exactly what they were thinking. Avery
had been honest with Cato about their BDSM lifestyle and she knew Avery
couldn’t wait to obey her Isaac. Yep, she was one of the lucky ones, no doubt
about that.

           
Someday…Cato promised herself. Someday she would find a man who could love her
just the way she was—disability and all.

Her
skin felt a bit prickly, as if someone were staring a
hole
right through her. Something told her to look around, but she was at the front
of the crowd and didn’t want to be a distraction. Cato smoothed her pale blue
satin skirt and sat up straighter. She was dressed similarly to the bridesmaids
because Avery had asked her to be part of the wedding party and serve the punch
at the reception. A slight tap on her arm caused her to turn her head. It was
Patrick O’Rourke, Savannah’s fiancé, who was sitting right behind her. Ah, his
scrutiny must have been what she was sensing. When he got her attention, she
saw Savannah motion for Cato to come to the back with her. Realizing they
needed to take their places for the after-party, she gave one last long look at
the handsome groom and the beautiful bride before she rose to do her duty.

           
As Cato made her way down the far aisle, a handsome cowboy with dark brown hair
and a fallen angel face caught her eye. He was staring right at her—hard. He
looked…he looked familiar. There was little doubt he was related to the McCoy
family, for the resemblance was strong, handsome as sin with their signature
smirk on his face.

But
that wasn’t it. This was something else entirely. Their gazes held and it was
as if time stood still for Cato. It was as if she knew him. A sense of
connection was almost overwhelming. She had read about two people seeing one another
from across a crowded room and feeling an instant attraction, but she had never
experienced it before. There was almost a magnetic pull. If a marriage ceremony
wasn’t in full swing, she would’ve walked right up to him to get a closer look
and see if what she was imagining was real.

As
she stood there, frozen, the man gave Cato a slow once-over and her heart
leapt. Intrigued as hell, she gave that same look right back to him, in spades.
When his big navy blue eyes widened in surprise, she gave him a saucy wink for
good measure.

He
frowned. Ah, a challenge. Maybe he preferred skinny women. Guess she just might
have to try and change his mind.   

Good,
she had something to look forward to.

A
wedding should never be boring.

*  *  *

“Never
thought I’d see the day Reverend Sinclair would be willingly tying the knot
between his perfect daughter and the Badass of Kerr County,” Noah whispered in
Joseph’s ear as they watched Isaac and Avery light the unity candle. George
Strait sang
I Cross My Heart
as the bride and groom took two flames and
made them one.   

           
Joseph cut his eyes at his brother, holding back a knowing grin. “The idea of a
grandchild makes all the difference, even to a strait-laced man of the cloth.”

           
“What did you say?” Noah said too loudly, causing most every eye in the place
to focus on him. He put his hand over his mouth, coughed and looked down. “Are
you saying Avery’s pregnant?” he whispered.

           
Joseph chuckled, enjoying that he’d known something before his brother.
Actually, it was hard to keep up with this family. They were marrying and
giving in marriage, getting pregnant, giving birth and changing more rapidly
than anyone had thought possible.

           
To the right, the loves of the McCoy men kept a close eye on their counterparts
to the left. Libby wiggled her nose at Aron, rubbing her very pregnant tummy.
She gazed at him with adoring eyes, telling him without words she was glad he
was home and couldn’t wait till their babies entered the world. She raised
Avery’s bouquet to her nose and sniffed the flowers, obviously happy that her
family was seeing better days.

A
swell of organ music accompanied Avery and Isaac back to their appointed place
in front of her father just in time for him to pronounce them husband and wife.

           
“It is with, uh, pleasure…” he began and Aron, who was standing to Isaac’s
right, couldn’t help but laugh at the preacher’s discomfiture. Reverend
Sinclair stared over with a glare at the eldest McCoy as he declared, “As I
said, it is with pleasure that I introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Isaac McCoy.”

           
 A burst of rowdy cheers echoed through the pavilion as Isaac led a
beaming Avery down the aisle, followed closely by Aron and Libby, Jacob and Jessie,
Joseph and Cady, and Noah and Skye. Nathan had given the bride away and filed
out behind them along with his girlfriend Tina, who had served as flower girl.

As
people made their way toward the reception area, the McCoy cousins gathered to
one side. “Zane’s here.” Philip pointed at his lawyer across the room.

“We’ll
catch up with him.” Heath acknowledged the lawyer with a wave. “Now let’s get
something to drink, I’m parched.” Actually, he was feeling a little warm. The
hot little brunette who’d eye-fucked
him
on her way
out of the ceremony had made his libido roar into overdrive.

To
tell the truth, he’d dreaded coming to this wedding. If the groom hadn’t been
one of his newfound family, he would’ve avoided the place like the plague. The
last time he’d been in a church it had been him standing by the preacher,
waiting and watching for a bride who never chose to walk down the aisle. Amy
had left him standing there like a fool. She’d been a runaway bride and he had
been the joke of the day. To this day, Heath could still feel the pang of the
knowledge that Amy had just decided she didn’t want him. Heath had been
rejected and found wanting by the one woman he’d vowed to love above all
others.

His
family had rallied around him, but Heath had been humiliated. How could a
person change overnight like she had? Or had he been blind all along? Maybe Amy
had never been the woman he’d built her up to be. Heath had put her on a
pedestal and literally worshiped the ground she walked on.

Perhaps
his judgment was simply lacking when it came to women. Well, he’d never have to
worry about that anymore. Family and friends were one thing, but Heath didn’t
intend to get involved with a woman again—not for the long term. Sex was a
necessity, but a relationship wasn’t. When he made a move on the fairer sex
nowadays, Heath made sure they knew the score. Casual, passionate and brief,
that’s the way he wanted it. He had no intention of getting in over his head
with another woman ever again, no matter how much he wanted her. Having his
heart ripped out and stomped on once in a lifetime was enough for any man.
 

“Hey,
I saw her, you know.” Jaxson grinned, propping his broken foot up on a chair
and leaning on a crutch. A bull had stepped on him after pitching Jaxson’s head
over spurs. At least he’d stuck the eight seconds and won a purse, but now he’d
be laid up for at least six weeks. Heath wished to high heaven that Jaxson
would quit the rodeo circuit. But he seemed to thrive on the danger and the
sheer energy of the big animals as they spun and pounded the ground.

“Saw
who?” Heath was lost in his own private purgatory.

“The
woman who looked like she could eat you up with a spoon.” He gave Heath a
knowing grin. “I think you can safely say she was sending you an engraved
invitation, if you’re a mind to accept it.”

Jaxson’s
reminder of the dreamy-eyed girl rescued him from painful reminisces. “You may
be right.” Heath couldn’t help but smile. The idea that the aggressive little
honey could be interested in a quick fuck in the barn made his mouth water.
“She wasn’t my usual type, but she seemed motivated. I think I’ll mosey around
and see if I can find her.”