Cowboy Best Friend: The Hot Cowboys, #1

By Lexi Banks

Ace had big dreams for life after college.  The plan was to set himself up in Austin, get a job as a business manager, and then move up through the ranks.  But when his mom got sick, everything else was put on the backburner.  Now, he is back home in Odessa, helping his family with running the ranch...and running into Vanessa that is ready to blow up his life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: DM
• Release date: Jul 15, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393156000

Book preview

Chapter One

Ace

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The Hall was packed , every seat filled, and I walked up onto the stage riding the wave of cheers and applause that I’d dreamed about for weeks. It was the December graduation ceremony, and holiday cheer, mixed with our accomplishments, hung in the air. The black robes and graduation caps created a sea of faces in front of me, filling the first half of The Bass Concert Hall, referred to by students simply as The Hall, and in front of me, Dean Saltzman looked down his nose.

Your graduation cap is askew, he whispered when I walked past him.

I looked at him and pushed it a little more crooked on top of my head before I stood in front of the professor, who put the golden sash over my shoulders.

The people in front of me went wild. This was it; I had graduated. Four years of studying and fucking and having the best time of my life were ending.

I threw a fist up in the air, and they cheered more. I grabbed my graduation cap and flung it into the crowd. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dean Saltzman shake his head, but I didn’t care. What were they going to do? Expel me?

I pushed my hair out of my face, grinned for the camera that took my graduation photo, and finally made my way off the stage.

That’s enough! I heard the dean bark, but the students were all roaring. It made me happy. I was popular; they all knew me and liked me. Half of them were in love with me. It was safe to say that I, Ace Roper, had made my mark at the University of Texas.

I made my way back to my seat and sat down. There was still the rest of the alphabet to work through.

A girl with dark hair and big, brown eyes turned around and winked at me. The guy sitting next to me—I forgot his name—nudged me and wiggled his eyebrows. She liked me, he was saying. Well, he would be right. She did like me. I’d already fucked her, so I was pretty sure her world had been sufficiently rocked.

I had worked my way through most of the girls in and around the student residence and my major.

What could I say? I had needs. They were hot, and no one could resist me. I hadn’t been rejected once by the women I’d approached, and that did wonders for my self-confidence, which had been pretty good already.

But I wasn’t going to do round two with bright eyes over there. I had only one rule—no more than once. Any more and the women tended to get attached. It was nothing personal. I wasn’t interested in anything long-term. The ball-and-chain routine didn’t do it for me.

At first, it had been because I’d had dreams and goals and no intention of settling down. Now, my reasons had changed. And so had my motivation.

When the ceremony was over, I met my mom and brother outside. Groups of students and their families were scattered all over the grass.

I’m so proud of you! my mom said, hugging me. I wrapped my arms around her. Her body was thin and frail against mine. She’d lost so much weight over the past few months.

How are you feeling? I asked her. Let’s get you out of here.

No, she said, shaking her head. This day is about you, not me. We’re going to take photos and go out to celebrate, the whole thing. You just graduated!

I forced a smile and nodded. I would play along. I glanced at my brother, who shrugged like he’d already argued with her about it and lost. This was why I had to go back home. I’d had plans to live in Austin once I was done with college, to get a job as a business manager and work my way up to something even better, but that was going to have to wait. Mom was sick, and she needed help on the ranch. Andrew had written me a few weeks ago—he couldn’t take care of her and the ranch all by himself.

So, I was going back to Odessa with them as soon as I cleared out my dorm room. I was going home.

I want photos, my mom said and waved her hand at me, the camera already in her hands. I smiled and posed, doing it the way she wanted me to so that she could get her shots. Andrew stood next to her, arms folded, grinning at me.

You look like a moron, he said.

You’re just jealous because you didn’t study. I stared at the camera again.

My mom sighed. Stop it, you two. I’m not in the mood for your bickering.

We stopped right away when she asked. We never used to, but I didn’t want her to struggle.

Hi, Ace, someone said behind me. Lily’s robe was open, and she wore a green dress beneath it that looked like something from an old movie. I hated it.

We’ll leave the two of you to talk, my mom said and insisted Andrew go with her, who was already making faces at me, sticking his tongue into his cheek. I rolled my eyes.

What is it? I asked Lily.

We did it, she said, ignoring my not-too-friendly response. We graduated. Congratulations.

I gave her an empty smile. You too.

So, I’ll be seeing you around next year? she asked. Where did you get a job?

I shook my head. I’m going home, now. I won’t be around Austin anymore.

Lily looked upset. I was irritated with her—she’d been one of the girls I’d fucked that had decided she wanted more than a one-night stand. Some of them didn’t get it when I told them that it meant nothing.

Don’t you have a party to get back to? I asked, looking around. Her family had to be here somewhere.

Lily shook her head. Not yet. I’m waiting for my roommate to finish arguing. I’m getting a lift with her.

I looked in the direction Lily was pointing and saw a blonde woman arguing with two people who—judging by the resemblance—had to be her parents. It wasn’t a pretty argument, either. It was attracting attention; more people were watching. How embarrassing.

I have to get going, I said to Lily. Good luck with your ride.

I turned around and walked away before she could say anything to me that we would both regret. I had struggled long and hard enough to get rid of her. I wasn’t in for a repeat.

I walked to my mom and brother.

Let’s go, I said.

Who is she? my mom asked. She’s pretty.

I shook my head. Only a friend, Mom.

My mom sighed. I wish you would find a girl. My dream is that you come home telling me you found the right one and introduce her to me.

Maybe someday, Mom, I said. I doubted it, though. If I’d had any intention of dating before, which I’d never had, it was all gone now. I needed to be back at the ranch, helping my mom and Andrew. I didn’t need a woman.

We walked toward the road past the argument. I recognized the girl who was arguing with her parents—she’d taken a few classes with me. She was striking in the way that I wouldn’t forget.

I watched her from the corner of my eye as we walked past. Blonde hair, a beautiful, full figure but not too curvy. Not too hot, not too cold, just right.

But my fucking around was a thing of the past. And the potential that hung around this was too. Pity, but there had been many women, and she was probably just like the rest of them. If you’d fucked one, you’d fucked ‘em all.

Heartless? A little. But I wasn’t going to get my hopes up that a woman out there was worth changing my mind over.

Where are we going tonight? I asked, turning to my mom. I stopped short and looked carefully at her. She was exhausted. Her eyes were dazed, and she was hunched in on herself like she’d only be able to keep herself upright for so long.

I think we’ll stop at the hotel before going out, Andrew said. I nodded. I knew what he was thinking. We would tuck my mom into bed and go out only the two of us. Since my dad had died, we’d always taken care of her. We would continue to make her a priority.

When we’d made sure she was comfortable at the hotel and reassured her Andrew and I were going to have a few drinks and catch up, I took my brother to the bar I’d been visiting for the past four years.

Cain & Abel was a sports bar that attracted Longhorns and offered cheap food and happy hour drinks. The décor was minimal with wooden floors, chairs, and tables, so the overall color and feel of the place was neutral.

This is where you’ve been wasting your time? Andrew asked when we walked in. We found a table that faced the big screen television that hung above the bar and sat down. They were doing a rerun of last week’s football match because the team had a bye that week.

Come on, man. Cut the crap.

Andrew chuckled. I missed you, little brother.

I hated it when he called me that. I rolled my eyes but grinned. I’d missed Andrew, too. Odessa wasn’t too far away—a six-hour drive at most—but I’d removed myself from the world of ranching and farming and only went home for the major holidays.

Tell me what it’s like at home, I said after we’d ordered beer.

Andrew shook his head. A hell of a lot of hard work, I’ll tell you that. The ranch is doing well, but barely. We need more hands and someone to take care of the finances. You know I’m a fool with that stuff.

Who’s working? I asked.

We have a few hands. Jack and Dane are on breeding rotation for next season, and Alana is helping Mom out, but we could all use with another person in charge.

Alana had practically grown up on the ranch. Her mom worked in one of the stores in town, and she’d spent most of her summers with us, growing up. It didn’t surprise me that she was working there, now.

Who’s that? Andrew asked, interrupting our conversation to nod at a woman who had just walked in. Or rather, stormed in. She was angry. It hung around her like a cloud, and she marched past us to the bar. Blonde hair, perfect ass. Lily’s roommate who had been arguing with her parents.

I think her name is Vanessa, I said. We had some classes together.

She looks pissed, Andrew said.

We watched Vanessa sit down at the bar and order something. A moment later, shots arrived—three of them. And she was alone. If this wasn’t the sign of a damsel in distress, I didn’t know what was.

I’ll be right back, I said to Andrew and got up. I walked toward the bar, where Vanessa was perched on a stool and leaned my elbows on the bar next to her.

That’s a lot of shots, I said.

She turned her head and glared at me.

Chapter Two

Vanessa

E xcuse me? I asked the arrogant asshole who had decided to comment on my alcohol. Okay, so I was in a bad mood. Maybe he just wanted to pick me up. But I knew this one—he was the guy that had fucked his way around campus for so many years. No thanks. I wasn’t interested in whatever he had to offer. He’d slept with my roommate. Class-A son of a bitch.

I was in no mood for this.

What got you so angry? he asked.

I rolled my eyes. I didn’t feel like telling him my life story. It’s none of your business, Ace.

He smirked. You know my name.

I nodded. About as well as I know your reputation.

The insult didn’t seem to faze him. Figured. The hottest guys were always the worst.

Everything had been perfect until three hours ago. I’d graduated with good grades. I’d had a job lined up that would keep me in Texas. And this Christmas would have been the last Christmas that I would have been forced to spend with my painful family. It had been perfect.

Until the job that I’d secured for myself had been given to someone else. Not because I wasn’t capable or anything but because the boss’s daughter had decided she wanted a position in the company, and I wasn’t a legacy the way she was, so I’d been booted.

Because it had all been verbal promises and no contracts had been signed there was no reason for them not to take that step, and there was nothing I could do about it. Which meant that now I had nowhere to go but to stay with my messed-up family after Christmas. And my mom was all too happy to rub my failures in my face, even though I had done nothing wrong.

Mind if I sit and have a drink with you? he asked.

I shrugged with one shoulder. It’s a free country. Sit wherever you want. But I’m not going home with you.

He chuckled. Thanks for the heads-up. I wasn’t going to offer, but glad to know where we stand.

God, now I sounded like an idiot, too. Perfect. The night was just getting better and better, wasn’t it?

Are you sure you want to sit and spend your celebration here? Your friend over there looks like he could do with your company more than I could.

Ace shrugged. Who am I to abandon a woman in trouble?

I laughed sarcastically. Is that your line?

He smiled and shook his head. Sweetheart, I’m not hitting on you. You would know if I was. I wanted to make sure you’re okay.

Why do you care so much? I asked.

He shrugged again. It was a very blasé attitude, and it irritated me. I couldn’t stand guys who acted as if the world owed him everything.

Maybe I’m just that type of guy.

I snorted. Right. He sat down, and I shook my head. I did tell him he could stay if that was what he wanted. I picked up the first shot and threw it back. It burned down my throat, and it made me wish I’d ordered a drink to chase it with. Oh well, there was always another shooter. That could do the same thing.

I picked up the shot glass and threw back the second. It tasted as vile as the first, but the burn had gotten better. I just wanted to feel the alcohol coursing through my veins.

You mean business, Ace said with raised eyebrows. He leaned against the bar with an elbow, his body on display, and I forced myself not to look for too long. I wasn’t interested in him. You sure you don’t want to talk about it?

I shook my head. I wasn’t sure at all. I already felt the alcohol—was a bit of a lightweight when it came to drinking—and he was pushing the topic. Besides, complaining about something to someone else was so much more satisfying than handling my misery by myself.

I lost the job I had lined up. Lost it before I even started.

I sighed.

So, get another one? Should be easy for someone like you.

I narrowed my eyes at him. What’s that supposed to mean?

Beautiful, intelligent, qualified. A triple whammy.

The compliment made me feel warm, but I was in a bad mood, and I was sure he used those words on a lot of women. Better not to get involved with someone that would only bring more pain. I was a lot smarter than that.

You would think that’s enough, I said. But I’m not the right person, apparently. Anyway, now my mom is going on about me moving back home. To Ohio.

I hated Ohio. It wasn’t the place; it was the people. I’d chosen somewhere on the other side of the country, practically, for a reason. I didn’t want to be close to my family.

You were arguing about it earlier, Ace said.

I nodded slowly. You’re not the only one that noticed. My mom has a flair for making a scene, and she doesn’t care that a hundred of my classmates were all around us.

Why don’t you want to go back home?

I blinked at him. It was a very forward thing to ask. But there was no reason not to tell him.

I don’t get to be myself when I’m home. The four years here in Austin I got to live my own life, and now that it’s over, there’s no way I’m going back to that prison. It was bad before. Now that I’ve had a chance to find myself, it will be so much worse.

Ace nodded. I think I can understand that.

I wasn’t sure how he could. Living life the way he did, going from one woman to the next didn’t exactly sound like the definition of finding yourself. It was more like finding everyone else. But, to each his own.

So, now what? he asked.

I shrugged and took the third shot. I waved at the bartender for more. I wasn’t going to get through the night unless I got so rip-roaring drunk that I forgot it all.

Now, I guess I go home. Unless I can find a job quickly. Which we both know will be impossible because it’s December. The hiring window for the new year closed ages ago.

Ace nodded, watching the bartender pour the next round of shots.

I’ll be right back, he said. Stay here.

Right. I wasn’t going anywhere. My shots arrived, and I was planning on working through them at a fast pace. Alcohol wasn’t the answer to my problems, of course, but I couldn’t see anything else that would be, either.

When I looked over my shoulder, Ace was at the table with his friend. They were talking about something. I sized the guy up. I hadn’t really met the man before, but I’d judged him hard. He was the man that everyone spoke about around campus. Since only the bad boys were that popular—you never hear about the good men—he had to have had a hell of a reputation for his name to do the rounds.

Speaking to him, though, he seemed different. I didn’t know him, so I wasn’t sure in what way, but he didn’t seem like the womanizer I pegged him to be. Or maybe I was just being a bitch, so he wasn’t even trying.

Yeah, that was likely.

After a couple of minutes, he came back. I was about to take my fourth shot when he put his hand on my shoulder, and I nearly spilled it.

Woah, I said and downed it awkwardly.

Sorry, he said. He sat down again, watching me with an amused grin.

I glanced sideways at him. What? I asked.

He shook his head. Nothing. I have a proposition for you.

Oh? I asked and turned to him. The room was slowly starting to spin around me, and the alcohol buzzing through my veins took the edge off. I wasn’t in such a bad mood, and I had to admit that Ace was drop-dead gorgeous. Dark hair, dark, liquid eyes. Smoldering.

I live on a ranch in Odessa. Come work for us at the ranch after Christmas.

What? I asked. On a ranch?

Ace nodded. I’m not going to sugarcoat it. It’s hard work. But it’s a job. My brother already agreed. He nodded toward the guy I’d thought was his friend.

I nodded my head. This sounded a lot like the answer to my problems. It seemed too good to be true.

Why? I asked.

Ace smiled at me. Why what? he asked.

Why are you offering me a job?

He shrugged. It was less annoying and more attractive now that my mood was getting better.

Because we need the help. Breeding season is coming up, and there will be a lot to do.

He hesitated, looking like he wanted to add on to his sentence, but he stopped himself and nodded.

So? What do you think? he asked.

What did I think? I thought that I had always been a city girl and working on a ranch had been the last thing on my mind to do as work, even just for a holiday job. But it was a job, as Ace had said. There was no other way for me to avoid staying in Ohio with my parents.

Okay, I said.

Ace grinned broadly. Okay, he said. He waved at the bartender and ordered two drinks and another round of shots.

What are you doing? I asked.

Buying us drinks so we can seal the deal and celebrate.

My head was already spinning, my legs felt a little like jelly—that happened when I drank—but I was getting free alcohol and a job. Why not?

When the alcohol arrived—whiskey for him and a cocktail for me, and tequila for both of us—Ace handed me a shot glass and lifted one of his own.

To solutions, he said.

To solutions, I echoed and clinked my glass against his. We threw back the tequila without doing the salt-and-lemon routine. I made a face. I didn’t usually drink tequila that way. After a few sips of my cocktail, the worst was gone. But tequila always left a bitter taste at the back of my throat that was hard to shake.

Almost like my parents, except they didn’t even make me feel good for a while the way tequila did.

We sat together for a while, drinking and talking.

Shouldn’t you ask your brother to join us? I asked, looking over at the table where he’d been sitting, but it was empty. I frowned.

Ace shook his head. He had to leave soon after I spoke to him. Little emergency.

I nodded. Maybe I should ask? Ace had been comfortable getting information out of me, but I was too drunk to be polite about it, and the truth was right now, I didn’t care all that much. I had too many problems of my own to worry about someone else’s. Usually, I was attentive and caring. But tonight, I was angry, and I didn’t want to be anything that anyone expected. Not even me.

So, instead of asking, I said, I hope it’s nothing serious.

Ace nodded. Thank you. And we left it at that.

We spoke about other things, about students and classes. We laughed about things that had happened on campus, and before I knew it, it was past midnight, and I was drunker than I’d meant to be. Much drunker.

I have to go, I said, sliding off the barstool and planting myself on wobbly legs. Ace reached out and grabbed my arm to steady me—something I hadn’t realized I needed.

Let me help you find a cab.

I nodded, because I was sure I did need the help. We walked outside. I leaned against Ace because the floor felt a lot more uneven than it should have been. The smell of his cologne was in my nostrils, and it was good, so good. His body was strong as he held me up, and I liked how close he was.

I was drunk, I told myself.

When we were outside, Ace flagged a cab for me. When the car stopped in front of us, he dug in his pocket.

Here, he said, handing me the slip for the alcohol we’d had.

What’s this? I asked, staring at the numbers.

Ace shook his head.