Teasing Tuesday…Sneak Peek at SADDLED AND SPURRED!!

February 8, 2011

We’re getting close to the release of SADDLED AND SPURRED — three weeks!!! and I’ve had people begging asking for an excerpt, so without further ado, here’s this week’s sneak peek 🙂

SADDLED AND SPURRED ~ Lorelei James

Bran Turner ignored his cell phone the first time it rang. And the second. At the third attempt, he just picked the fucking thing up and snarled, “What?”

“Jesus, Bran. You always this grumpy first thing in the morning?”

“I am when I just fell into bed two hours ago.”

“Up late partyin’, were you?”

“Fuck off. I was up late calving.”

She laughed. “Oh, I see. That’s why you’re in such a pissy mood. You fell into bed all by your lonesome.”

“Like that’s news. Is there a point to this call, little girl? Or you just bored and needin’ someone to harass?”

“‘Little girl,’” Celia snorted. “For the record, I’m twenty-three. And the raunchy things I’ve seen against the pickups, in the horse trailers, and behind the chutes, traveling the circuit? Dude. They’d even make you blush.”

“Doubtful.” Bran rolled flat on his back. His buddy Hank’s little sister, Celia, suffered from loneliness on the road to rodeo glory and phoned him from time to time just to shoot the shit. But this didn’t feel like one of those calls. “Is this your way of asking me for advice on how to spice up your sex life? Or do you want a personal demonstration?” He grinned. That oughta get the hellcat’s back up.

“No. Like I’d ask you for advice, you fuckin’ pervert,” she retorted. “Hank’d castrate you if you laid a hand on me.”

“True. It’d feel incestuous, bein’s I’ve known you since you were toddling around in diapers.”

“Story of my life. I’m trying to make up for lost booty time, since all the hot, hunky cowboys I grew up around refuse to see me as a woman. But I’m changin’ that. Just you watch.”

Bran frowned. Sounded like Celia had a specific cowboy in mind.

Before he could demand names or remind her to be careful, she said, “Look, here’s the deal. I know you’re busting ass, doin’ everything yourself since Les’s accident.”

“And?”

“And I know from talking to Hank that no one’s applied for the job as your temporary hired hand.”

A freak accident with an ornery bull had left Bran’s hired man, Les, with a busted hip and out of commission during the busiest part of the year in the cattle business. It sucked on a number of levels. Not only did he feel guilty about Les’s injury, but he couldn’t permanently replace the guy while he was healing up. Which meant whoever Bran hired would have the job only until Les was back on his feet.

Muddy Gap wasn’t exactly a hotbed of job prospects—even when the job paid well. Word of mouth among his friends and other ranchers hadn’t yielded any applicants. Putting an ad in the Muddy Gap Gazette, which reached four other communities? That was pointless too. Not a single man had applied. Bran had resigned himself to doing everything alone and just dealing with the exhaustion.

“Bran? Did you fall asleep?” Celia demanded.

“No. Just trying to figure out what you’re up to.”

“Why are you so suspicious when I’m just bein’ a good neighbor?”

He snorted. “Because I know you, Celia. You lie.”

“I do not! Name one time.”

“How about all those times you kept the fact you were competitively barrel racing a secret from your brothers? For over three years?”

“Which only means I’m good at keeping secrets from people I love for their own good,” she replied sweetly.

“You are very manipulative, especially if you get something out of it.”

“I am not! Name one time I’ve manipulated you.”

“How about right now?”

She sighed dramatically. “Fine. I totally understand that you don’t trust me. I’m a little hurt that you think I’d take advantage of you to somehow benefit myself.”

“Oh, I’ve no doubt you’ll get over that sting of hurt,” he drawled. “I’ve no doubt whatever scheme you’re up to will have some added benefit for you. So why don’t you quit playing the part of the insulted maiden and tell me what’s what.”

“You know . . . I don’t think I will tell you that I found you a hired hand, Mr. Smart-ass.”

That made him sit up and take notice. “No joke?”

“No joke. I swear. That’s why I called you.”

“Where’d you find him?”

“Don’t you worry about that. Drop your cock and grab your socks, Bran. Your new hired hand will be on your front stoop within the hour.” The phone went dead.

Bran glared at his cell phone. “Son of a bitch. When I get my hands on that girl, I’ll . . .”

You ain’t gonna do jack shit, hoss. You’re gonna get your ass in the shower, brew a pot of coffee, and wake the hell up.

Still cursing, Bran threw back the covers and stumbled down the hallway to his bathroom.

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