Bootscootin' Blahniks Read Online Free Page B

deal.”
    “Good. I’ll take that as your acceptance. I teach bootscootin’ three nights a week. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. You pick the night, and I’ll take you for a spin on my floor,” Zayne suggested, an attractive confidence carrying his words. “Do me the honor of a dance, and the boots are yours.”
    Before Roxy could answer, Studley Pete stuck his big furry head through the cab’s window and took a huge swipe across her cheek with his wet tongue. Roxy tried to escape a repeat performance, but the dog was way too fast and evidently determined to befriend her.
    “Gotta give the guy credit. He’s got one great set of instincts,” Zayne said then laughed, looking down at Dipstick who’d finally confiscated his straw. “So does this little one.”
    He rubbed Dipstick’s ears sending the dog into a delightful tizzy.
    Roxy smiled, taking in the moment. She wiggled her toes, unable to curb the excitement of having found a possible dance partner. She couldn’t wait to follow Zayne’s lead and see where it took her and their dogs too.
    But just because she was following this cowboy onto the dance floor didn’t mean he’d get any more out of her than a great two-step partner. Darwinian survival be damned. She was living according to her own plans now. Getting into a relationship with a bootscootin’, tomato-growin’ cowboy — even though he’d rocked her world a bit — wasn’t on her list of To Do’s.

Chapter Three
    Z ayne wasn’t keen on using his mom’s connections, but he wanted info on Roxy Rae Vaughn so he’d just have to suck it up. Sometimes a guy’s gotta do what a guy’s gotta do — so his dad used to say.
    Hearing his old man’s raspy voice replay in his head, Zayne’s stomach clenched. Like it or not that was Kent McDonald. Always quick to offer his opinion but short on accepting others. And the guy didn’t give a shit if you liked his ways or not. Zayne didn’t. But his dad couldn’t have cared less. Zayne missed the man but not his bull-headed stubborn streak. He’d been at the receiving end once too often.
    “A little tense today are we?” Kat McDonald asked as she sat in the chair directly opposite her son.
    “Perhaps. Get back with me in a couple days,” Zayne said, unable to resist yanking her chain.
    Never one to skirt an issue, his mom wouldn’t think of using a less than direct route to get what she wanted. A trait Zayne admired, unless he was the target of her head-on meddling. But he couldn’t escape her intuitions. She knew him way too well which was both a blessing and a curse. When something was up, she knew it. And she didn’t stop ’til she’d confiscated all the details.
    “How ‘bout I kick your smart ass now and ask questions while you’re recovering tomorrow?” She inquired.
    Her eyes sparkled with the good-natured humor Zayne adored her all the more for using to great advantage.
    “Spill it, Funny Boy.”
    Since she preferred head-on, Zayne would play that way too, even though his gut tightened throwing her bait about his personal life. When it came to women he may or may not be interested in, he preferred to keep his mouth shut. But that wouldn’t work now with the Queen of Hounds on his trail, so he pressed on. “Tell me what you know about Roxy Rae Vaughn.”
    At the mention of Roxy’s name, Zayne’s mom settled back into her chair, her beautiful but mischievous smile slowly taking over her still youthful face. Damn, he was going to pay-up big-time for opening this info can. Hopefully Roxy turned out to be worth the trouble.
    “So how did you meet Roxy?” His mom needled him to fess up.
    “Never mind for right now. We’ll get to that in a minute.
I’m
asking the questions this time,” Zayne said knowing he didn’t stand a chance escaping her mom-needs-to-know-all inquisition unless he kept a short leash on her well-played hi-jinx.
    “Okay. I’ll tango. Here’s what I know,” she said motioning the nearest waitress for