Lone Star Burn: Broncos & Bouquets (Kindle Worlds Novella) Read Online Free Page A

she’d quickly become one of his only friends. Caring and outgoing, she was one of the nicest people he’d ever met. And he knew she had demons in her past as well. Maybe he could confide in her. Maybe she could help him.
    “I did some things when I was a kid. Things I’m ashamed of.” He told her his story, the first time he’d said it out loud to anyone. It had been both terrifying yet cathartic at the same time.
    “Listen,” she said and rested her hand on top of his. “People make mistakes. No one on this earth is exempt from that, including me. It’s what you do to make up for them that matters. Just tell her what you told me. I’m sure she’ll understand.”
    He shook his head. “I don’t want her to know. Ever.”
    “I can’t tell you what to do, but I do know, stuff comes out whether or not you want it to.”
    “This can’t. You have to promise me you’ll never breathe a word to her. Or anyone.”
    “I promise, but I really think you should tell her. Maybe not immediately, but at some point.”
    No. If she found out she’d want nothing to do with him.
    “But let’s not think about it right now, okay?” Sarah said. “Just concentrate on sweeping her off her feet.”
    He met her bright gaze and tried to regain his earlier excitement. “Okay.”
    “So what’s the plan? How are you going to sweep her off her feet?”
    “I need a plan?”
    “Of course!”
    This dating this was a lot harder than he thought.
     
    *   *   *
     
    “Raelyn, I need your help!” Laney tried to keep the panic out of her voice. “I have this dinner thing tonight and I don’t know what to wear.”
    “A dinner thing? With that guy?”
    “Don’t sound so excited. But, yeah.”
    “So, a date.”
    “No. It’s just dinner.”
    “Then why are you freaking out about what to wear? Throw on a tee and some jeans and be done with it.”
    “I can’t.”
    “And why’s that?” Laney could hear the playfulness in her sister’s voice. She knew what she wanted her to say.
    “Fine! Okay! You win! It’s a freaking date.”
    “Yay! I just needed to hear you say it. What made you change your mind?”
    Laney plopped down on her clothes-covered bed. “I don’t know. He’s…different. There’s just something about him. He’s simple. Authentic. What you see is what you get.”
    “And what you see is total hotness. I wish I could see him. You need to snap a pic and text it to me.”
    “I’m not doing that. But back to my problem. What do I wear? I’m not going to impress him with designer clothes or anything like that.”
    “Boobs. All guys like boobs. Unless they’re gay.”
    “Do I really want to dress slutty on the first date?”
    “It’s not slutty to accentuate your best feature. And absolutely. If you want a second date.”
    “I want him to like me for me, not because of my boobs. My boobs are what attracted the last boob I dated.”
    “Yeah, yeah. You’re probably right. What about that flowy floral tank top with the spaghetti straps? It has a higher neckline, so it won’t show off too much cleavage. You can pair it with jeans and some killer shoes.”
    Why hadn’t Laney thought of that? “See. This is why I miss you. You always have the right answers. And now you can help me with makeup.”
    They switched to Facetime and Raelyn guided Laney through the makeup process step by step. It was moments like these where she really missed her younger sister. Laney had known moving away would be hard, but she hadn’t expected the loneliness. Maybe she could convince Raelyn to come for a visit soon.

Chapter 5
     
    Sawyer buttoned up his nicest shirt and rummaged through until he found his least worn pair of jeans. He had two pairs of boots and neither were anything he’d consider nice, but one was less ragged than the other. He then peered into the small medicine cabinet mirror above the sink. He could use a haircut, but it was too late for that. A hat wasn’t an option. He found a tube of some kind