Forbidden Cowboy (Rocky Ridge Creek #1)

Chapter One

HOPE

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“WHAT IS THAT hunky cowboy of a man, Levi Wilde, doing here? At a town meeting?” My youngest sister licks her rosy lips. She’s not shy to flaunt her apparent attraction for the entire fair committee to witness.

“Look at you, Josie Fox, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for a Wilde,” I say.

At the same time, I peer over the committee agenda, which widowed Wilma Quylt handed me on our way in. The older woman and her gossiping sidekick are still chattering my mama’s ear off at the main entrance.

Sisters Wilma and Faye Quylt are local busybodies and pride themselves on being experts on all things love-related in Rocky Ridge Creek.

Ironic since they’re the only ones who don’t notice Levi Wilde stride in all confident like he knows he’s hot shit. Or that every woman—single or not—is making a spectacle of themselves.

Batting eyelashes.

Teeth gnawing on lips.

Eyes filled with enough lust to set Rocky Ridge Creek’s town hall up in flames.

There are more than enough prospects the old croons could shoot their cupid’s arrow into—or, in their case, weave a love quilt for.

Levi’s deep brown eyes skim the crowd and land on me.

Directly on me.

There’s no mistaking it.

Our gazes lock.

My breath catches in my chest, and I’m lost in his mysterious gaze for what feels like a lifetime. Until the married town flirt, Peggy-Ann stands up and slams straight into Levi’s chest. Her bright yellow halter top boosts her breasts against his solid wall of muscles. His thick callused hands grip her bare arms to put distance between them.

I’d remember those callused hands anywhere.

“I’m so clumsy.” Peggy-Ann’s fake giggle irks me to the core. Her hand lingers so long on his chest he’s forced to remove it.

“Excuse me.” His gruff voice curls my toes.

I’ll admit, it’s hard to miss him. Hard to miss any of the Wilde brothers. All hard-working ranchers laboring under the sun and tossing hay bales like they’re weightless.

Tall.

Rigid.

Muscular.

Tattoos that dip down in all the right places.

Our properties touch, so I’ve seen a shirtless Wilde or two mending a broken fence.

Those men strut their tight asses like they own the town. I suppose that being one of the wealthiest ranching families in the state boosts that ego. And ego is precisely what all the Wilde brothers bestow.

Just like Levi, right now, strutting his tight ass in a good pair of denim. And did he purposely wear a white T-shirt slightly tighter than need be? His biceps are stretching the material to the max. And I’m sure all the Rocky Ridge Creek gals want to rip off that T-shirt and sink their nails into the flesh beneath.

Myself included.

I’m glad I wore a flowery summer dress to cool the growing warmth between my legs. I can enjoy as much Wilde eye candy as I please, but the Wilde boys are off-limits to the Fox family. Some big rivalry bullshit feud between our two families. A feud that is way past due to being resolved. Plus, Levi wants nothing to do with me. He’s made that crystal clear.

My oldest sister, Jade, would disagree with resolving the ancient dispute. My stubborn sister would never be caught ogling a Wilde brother. “Excuse me. Good evening, Mrs. McCoy. How are you tonight?” Jade shakes hands as she makes her way down our row of folding chairs.

Glaring.

Scoffing.

But never ogling.

She’s loyal to our father and continues the centuries-long feud between the Wildes and Foxes.

I elbow my youngest sister. “Jade, three o’clock.”

Both our gazes slide down to the committee agenda. My sister undoubtedly sees a whole lot of mumble-jumble. She attends meetings for the gossip. I’m here to volunteer to rebuild the kissing booth after a scorned lover burned it to the ground last year. The kissing booth raises barrels of money each year for the end of high school’s grad trip.

“This might be a record.” Jade plops down beside me. It’s too humid for her flared denim and Aztec geometric coat. At least her standard ponytail will give her neck a cool breeze in the crowded town hall. “Spotting that Wilde off the family ranch.” She nods in Levi’s direction.

I steal a glance. I mean, if she’s looking, I can look, too.

He removes his midnight-black Stetson. His thick waves of dark hair look like a mane I’d like to run my fingers through. He lowers his incredibly taut body onto one of the rickety folding chairs. Can it even hold the king of muscles?

“Must be something on the agenda he wants to bitch about.” Jade’s plain, short, and chipped fingernail skims her agenda.

“He attends the rodeo every year.” I don’t know why I feel the need to defend him. Possibly to stop stirring the coals between our families.

I also might be staring, but so is everyone else. Who would even notice lil’ ol’ me?

Jade clicks her tongue. “He does minimum appearances and hides away with his cattle.”

“Coming from the one who never leaves the ranch.” Josie folds the edge of the agenda in an inch-wide crease before flipping over and repeating to create an accordion pattern.

“I leave the ranch.” Jade flips over her paper to continue her search.

“O-Kay.” Josie pinches one end of the agenda. She’s now transformed it into a fan and waves it back and forth by her face. “It’s hotter’n a blister bug in a pepper patch.”

“I’m not a stuck-up stubborn asshole who solely pops in when he wants something. Ah-ha!” Her finger practically jams through the page. “Now I got you, you oversized, egotistical dick.”

Josie chokes and quickly uses the fan to hide her coughing spell. “It’s already too hot in here to be talking about a Wildes di—”

Jade holds up a warning finger. “Don’t you even go there.”

Josie laughs. “Go there. Down there.” Her elbow digs into my side. “Get it.”

I catch a glimpse of the couple in front of us rustling at the implications.

I lower my tone. “Josie, watch your words. Jade, be nice. His wife skipped town, and he already endures enough gossip.”

Jade’s head snaps in my direction. “I’m talking about Hart Wilde.”

“Oh.” My mouth drops open as I scan the room for the eldest Wilde brother. My gaze jumps to a halt beside Levi. Was Hart there the entire time? Or had he walked in beside him? Sat beside him? The whole time and I missed it? No way. But Josie’s curiously arched eyebrow suggests it’s true.

What is the matter with me?

“I don’t care what Levi does,” Jade snaps.

“You shouldn’t care what Hart does either.” Josie likes to stir the pot. All pots. Any pot that gets a rise out of anyone.

“He’s been a thorn in my side since school.” Jade takes our sister’s bait—lock, stock, and barrel.

“Thorns blossom into roses.” I draw a heart around the kissing booth segment of the program. I spent the last few weeks designing a new and improved kissing booth to present to the committee. “We don’t know the Wildes.”

Jade talks over me. “Spreading a rumor, I slept with him. Yeah right. Like I’d sleep with a Wilde.”

“I’d fuck a Wilde.” The couple in front of us shuffles again at my sister’s crude words.

I send her a glare. “Josie, seriously.”

“I am serious.” Josie leans forward to look around me at our sister. “And don’t think for a second we believe you made up the rumors about the kinky stuff Hart is into.”

“I did make that up.”

“Right. Yeah. Sure you did. And a lot of good your rumor did.” Josie air quotes the single word. “Every woman in this room wants Hart to do kinky things to her.”

“Not back in the day—”

“Oh, don’t you fool yourself. They did.” Josie sucks air between her closed teeth. “I’m getting a retaliation vibe from you. Scorned lover after a secret affair gone wrong.”

Jade straightens to the point it appears uncomfortable. Maybe there’s more to the rumors than she lets on. “Watch it, Josie, you’re going to end up like the Quylt twins, thinking you have insight into everyone else’s love lives.”

The knock of the gavel on the front table demands attention. “Rocky Ridge Creek’s town meeting has come to order.”

“It’s time.” Josie pulls a bag of popcorn out of her leather knapsack. “Let the fun begin.” She wedges her insulated YETI bottle between her legs. I bet the juice is spiked.

Town mayor Thomas Banks clears his throat. “Tonight’s meeting is dedicated to the fair for the upcoming rodeo.”

His panel is accompanied by the deputy mayor, Rita, whose big red hair resembles an eighties Reba McEntire. She taps her long red fingernail on the microphone, and it squeaks at us. “Alright, y’all, let’s try to get through today in a timely manner.”

“Talk low, talk slow, and don’t say too much.” Grumpy Wayne quotes John Wayne, who he prides on being named after, even if he is always grumpy.

Then there’s councilors Wilma and Faye, who always have glints of troublemaking rebellion in their eyes.

“Knit Happens closed early again yesterday!” A vulture shouts from behind us. Or should I call her the cat lady? Miss Graves has a maze of wood-crafted outdoor two-story cat apartments in her backyard.

Thomas visibly breathes deeply through his nostrils.

Josie snickers.

I press my lips together to keep my snicker at bay.

If Thomas hasn’t learned by now that town meetings never go as he plans, he never will.

My head twists back and forth between Thomas and Mrs. Graves.

“Mrs. Graves, tonight we are discussing the fair.” Shades of red are already beginning to creep up Thomas’ face.

“They closed two hours early.” The older woman holds up two wrinkled fingers.

“Two,” Josie coughs.

I save my glares and scolding because she’s encouraged chaos at town meetings since she sported pigtails.

“Knit Happens closed two hours early,” cackles Mrs. Graves. “They can’t up and take the afternoon off on a Wednesday afternoon.”

“Absolutely not.” Josie slurps on the straw she stuck in the top of her YETI. Her wide grin can’t be broken. “It’s unacceptable.”

“I heard there was a death,” a loud whisper offers.

“Who?”

“Out of town for sure.”

“Or is there an afternoon lover?” Josie’s contribution enrages the fire of local gossip.

Thomas hits the gavel three times until the whispers simmer down. His face is hot red now. “The town has no control over business owners setting their hours.”

“My knitting group scheduled a planned visit to their shop at two o’clock sharp, and they were closed.”

“Disgraceful.”

Thomas sends Josie a scowling warning before fixing his attention on Mrs. Graves. “Again, we have no control over business owners’ hours.”

Mrs. Graves balances on her cane as she unsteadily rises to her feet. “I say we take a vote.” She strikes her cane on the side of the chair.

“Take a vote. Take a vote.” Josie stomps her white suede booties on the wood plank floor.

Thomas raises his hands. “We are not voting. The first topic on the fair agenda is—” He slides his glasses down his nose to read the paper before him.

“The Knit Happens topic is just getting started,” Josie loudly whispers and pops a handful of popcorn in her mouth.

“Can you keep quiet for one meeting?” Jade reaches across me and tries to snatch the popcorn. Josie lifts the bag away and sticks out her tongue.

“Sign up for volunteer scheduling will be online this year.” A thunder of groans erupts. “I’ve been informed it’s fast and convenient,” Thomas rushes on.

“Hogwash.”

“What’s wrong with a signup sheet at the door?”

“Or sign-ups now. I’ll help with games.”

“I’ll sell tickets.”

“I’ll stand at the concession.”

“Sign-ups are online!” Thomas shouts.

“Then what are we all doing here? If we don’t know what we’re doing, why are we having a meeting?”

“To vote on Knit Happens hours.” Josie slinks in her chair, accompanied by her evil chuckle.

“I second the vote.” Mrs. Graves agrees.

“No voting. Onto the matter of the burned kissing booth.”

I straighten in my chair. The excitement is bubbling through my veins like hot water. You might wonder what’s up with this girl and the kissing booth—besides raising absurd amounts of money. I had my very first kiss in the fair kissing booth.

Sixteen.

Never been kissed.

I hadn’t intended to be a volunteer—I was underage. In a confusion of sorts, the director ushered me to the stand for a single kiss. With no other than—my gaze falls on the man I can’t seem to keep my eyes off—Levi Wilde.

That’s right. My first kiss was with the forbidden boy next door. And not because I’m some girl in the back of the bleachers swooning over the popular guy. I’m a Fox. My family owns and operates Fox Lodge, the largest dude ranch for miles. I’m a catch. But the problem is, that’s how guys see me. As the catch . But not Levi. He’d seen me as me—until he saw me as the enemy. The kissing booth is a reminder never to forget that. And this year, I will make the best damn kissing booth the town has ever seen.

“The kissing booth is canceled.”

My heart stops.

Canceled? What?!

“I second that vote!” Jade stands up. Her arm shoots into the air like we’re back in high school.

“There’s no voting.” Thomas clears his throat, but my sister speaks over him. She has a knack for talking over people.

“The Kissing booth is a degrading tradition towards women.” Jade clamps her hands on her hips.

“This is not a debate, Miss. Fox. Moving on—”

I ignore Josie’s moan of enjoyment when my chair scrapes the floor. I rise on my beaded flip-flops. “This should be a debate. Kissing booths date back to the early 1900s. Rocky Ridge Creek’s kissing booth has paid for the grad’s end-of-year trip for as long as I can remember.”

Jade spins, and we meet face-to-face. “At the expense of flaunting women around likeobjects for men to do as they please.”

“It’s a mutual agreement. A harmless kiss.” I get the irony of my statement. “And sometimes it’s simply a hug. There’s absolutely no flaunting.”

“It’s all flaunting.”

“What’s wrong with some harmless flaunting?” Hart’s voice silences Jade—silences everyone. My sister’s popcorn crunching is the only sound in the town hall.

Jade’s knuckles turn white from squeezing her hips. “You would say that.”

Hart removes his Stetson as he rises to his feet. He barely glances at my sister as his gaze travels the room. Natural charmer. “My great-great-great grandfather met my great-great-great grandmother at the Rocky Ridge Creek kissing booth.”

My sister’s green eyes do not stray from Hart’s. “And what a floozy she would’ve been for her time, flaunting her lips to all the single men in Rocky Ridge Creek.”

The room coils, and I can see the town folks picking sides. Will they choose the Wildes or the Foxes? Both are highly respected names in the town. Both are notably known for donating money to the town for decades. Both are essential to make Rocky Ridge Creek the amazing small town it is.

Thomas’s gavel slices through the room like a knife. “I was wrong.” Wilma and Faye are on either side of the man, tapping his clipboard. “The kissing booth reconstruction is being completed by Hope Fox and Levi Wilde.”