Bucking Tradition

  Gina Cole

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Epilogue

  Lady Luck’s Cowboy

  A Lifetime with You

  Stolen Hearts

  Romancing the Fangirl

  Afterword

  About the Author

  1

  October 2017

  Beth was trying to stay calm as her best friend prepared to make either the biggest mistake in her life or the best decision ever. Heck, she’d even taken an online course to be able to officiate the impromptu wedding. Her of all people!

  Charlotte’s hair was braided neatly in two French braids split down the middle, but instead of leaving it plain? Beth was currently trying to weave in little sprigs of baby’s breath in her friend’s’ hair as fast as humanly possible in the women’s restroom. If she had one more woman shove her aside for the sink, she was gonna shank her and deal with the consequences.

  “Seriously? Don’t any of you Eighties wannabe women have a can of Aquanet in that bag? I mean, we are prepping for something serious!”

  “Beth, stop. If you have to do without, it’s going to be gorgeous anyways.”

  “It’s not every day my girl pops the question to a guy.”

  “No and I don’t plan on doing this again. Its hell on my nerves.”

  “Yours? I have been waiting for lightning to strike me down all week!”

  Giggling, they hugged, and then Beth fussed with the flowers again. Charlotte’s face was extremely pale, and she looked green around the gills. Her lipstick stood out on her face like a bloody Rorschach test for some psychologist’s office. She looked about as bridal as anyone could without any real notice.

  “Are you wearing something blue?”

  “Oh my gosh, no…” Charlotte, or Charlie, as Beth called her, turned even more white, if that was possible. I knew it, Beth thought wryly. Charlie was so in love with this guy that she wasn’t fully able to focus. The last four days had been a whirlwind of thrown-together plans and haphazard ideas. When Beth had been buying tampons at Walmart, it struck her as she walked down the aisle and saw the tiny bridal section. She’d picked up the skimpy thong as an afterthought and was glad now that she had.

  Charlie laughed hysterically as Beth yanked out a blue thong from her purse. It was completely trashy and had ‘BRIDE’ sequined on the front of it. “Old and borrowed are my boots. New is the flowers. Something blue you can consider a shower gift as well as a good luck charm.”

  Yanking the tags off, Beth held open the bathroom stall door for her friend to change. “God give me strength,” Charlie whispered aloud and stepped out of the stall. Beth’s eyebrows shot up in mirth as she handed Charlie a tiny sample bottle of whiskey.

  “I don’t know about strength, but in case your nerves need fortifying? Charlie, meet little Jack in liquid form. Ewww! That sounded really effin nasty,” she said, making a face. “Let’s try that again. Drink up for when Jack goes down. No, no, no. That’s not right either.”

  “Give me that and shut up,” Charlie snorted and quickly drank the shot of whiskey. “I swear, I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  “Well it would certainly be a lot less fun,” Beth shrugged, playing it down. Honestly, she wanted to tell her about how long it took to track down who was in control of the announcements here in the building. That was a real fiasco and work of art, if she said so herself.

  “True.”

  “We had better go or you are going to miss your man’s entrance.”

  The two women linked arms and headed into the arena. Sure enough, the crowd was getting to their feet for the National Anthem. They immediately came to a halt and held their hands over their chest until it was over, resuming their rush to take their seats. Charlie watched as several cowboys walked out, waving their hats at the crowd before taking their places. Clowns and horses ran around the enlarged arena much to the delight of the audience.

  Beth fought back a grin at the crestfallen expression on Charlie’s face as she saw Jack cross to the other side of the area. Plan one is moving into motion, she thought and grinned. When the cowboys had been prepping, she took full advantage of her looks and wrangled in some help. His name was Scott and he was a complete dumbass. Breathtakingly cute but stupid as a rock. One too many kicks to the head, possibly? He’d fallen for the oldest trick in the book. She’d promised to go on a date with him if he’d coerce Jack to coming to their side of the arena.

  “Folks, we are having a slight change of plans. If you will give us a minute or two before we begin?” Beth heard the announcer call out over the loudspeakers.

  “You are up, bridezilla.”

  “I don’t think I can stand; my knees are knocking so hard.”

  “Girl, get up! You have got to get this marrying thing over with and then you can knock boots later. Trust me, once you get it out of your system, it will be easy-peasy lemon-squeezy. Now get up because here comes Jack and Scott the studmuffin.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes really. UP!”

  Charlie got to her feet and quickly grabbed the metal tubing that served as a railing to separate the crowd from the arena. Jack quickly climbed up the chute, looking alarmed.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I’m great, why?”

  “Scott told me you were ill, and it was an emergency.”

  Beth winked at the moron happily. The twit had done it. Hook, line and sinker. She almost felt guilty at the look of pride on his face that the trick had worked. Almost.

  “Dude,” Scott interrupted with a grin splitting his face. “I lied to get a date with her hot friend. Wednesday night, Beth?”

  “You betcha, sweet cheeks,” she said saucily and cleared her throat. She whipped a handkerchief from her pocket and waved it up in the air, giving a signal.

  “Folks, we have a treat for you all tonight if I could have your attention.”

  “What’s going on?” Jack asked, his face looking more confused than ever. “Charlie, you look gorgeous with flowers in your hair darling.”

  Damn straight she does! One point for you, buckaroo, she thought.

  “I wanted to relive my happiest moment tonight,” Charlie started, and Beth saw she was ready to start blubbering royally. This would end up on YouTube, Facebook, or the news, so she might as well make the best of it. Turning around, she saw a wireless microphone was being rushed to her, just as she designed. Beth was handed a microphone and promptly shoved it in Charlie’s face.

  “Go ahead,” she coached happily as Charlie nodded in agreement.

  “As I was saying, I wanted to relive the happiest moment in my life. The moment I met you. I was here, wearing this dress and these boots, scared to death as I watched the most gorgeous man I have ever seen smile at me. I’m still scared to death,” she admitted with a nervous giggle.

  “Charlie, honey. You don’t have to do this,” Jack interrupted, garnering a hostile look from her. W.T.F. was he doing stopping her? This stuff was epic! EPIC.

  “Hush!” Beth glared at him. “Don’t you stop her; this needs to be said.”

  “Jack, you asked me where I wanted to be in a month from now. In five years from now. I want to be with you. I can’t imagine not having you in my life. You are everything to me. My happiness, my laughter, the very air I breathe. Jack Seguin, we have had a crazy whirlwind romance and while it’s a freaky fast rollercoaster? It’s MY rollercoaster and I want to ride it with you.

  Beth was ready to cry at the sheer emotion pouring out of her friend. Hallmark channel eat your freakin heart out, she thought, blinking back tears. E.P.I.C. squared by a zillion! Clearing her throat, she was not about to let herself start bawling in front of everyone.

  “Let me clarify all of that for the parents out there: Charlie wants to ride a rollercoaster, not Jack. Well, she wants to ride Jack too… but that comes later.”

  “I want that too,” Jack announced grinning from ear to ear. “I want both. The rollercoaster of our life and you, Charlotte English. I want you.”

  “Jack, will you marry me?”

  “Only if you marry me first,” he retorted and pulled out a small velvet box from a zippered pocket inside of his vest that still gaped open. He held open the box for Charlie. She took a look inside and smiled, pulling her hand out from behind her back. Holding her fingers up, she revealed two small thin circlets of gold that they’d picked out together. That had been so fun at the jewelry counter making Charlie blush when she was telling her that ring sizes were measured against penis sizes. Good gravy, just the expression on the girl’s face had her chuckling and covering the microphone.

  “Well good thing there is a newly ordained minister here, yo!” Beth hollered loudly in the microphone in order to work the crowd. “Am I right? If you want to see these two get married, clap your hands!”

  Jack leaned forward and cupped his hand behind Charlie’s neck, pulling her to him for a kiss. “I love you so much.”

  “I love you too.”

  “You sure about this? There is no backing out if we get married right now. I thought you might want an

engagement period.”

  “Nope. I want you as my husband.”

  “Then you’ve got me, love.”

  “Scotty McStudmuffin! C’mon up here and sign as a witness for us because we are about to get some nuptials stuff a-going.”

  Clearing her throat, Beth politely officiated a quick ceremony between Jack and Charlotte.

  Jack then climbed over and jumped the fence to be beside Charlie when they said “I do” to each other. Pulling her into his arms, he dipped his new wife as he kissed her thoroughly. “I sure do love you, Mrs. Seguin”

  “Don’t you have some bull riding to do, mister?”

  “Yes ma’am, I sure do. I’ve got a lot of work to do today if I intend to keep my bride happy.”

  “Oh, she’s happy, as long as you are.”

  “Wife? I am thrilled to my boots.”

  “No regrets?”

  “Nary a one, love.”

  “You two are too much,” Beth teased softly, but there was a hint of envy in her voice that she tried to hide. How could she not be envious of them? I mean, she had diddly and squat in her life right now. A craptacular job with a hermit of a roommate. There was nothing happy, glowing, or joyous in her life. It was monotony at the very finest.

  Fuck it, she thought wryly. I need a damn change and a miracle.

  Beth marched right over to where Scott was standing with his back to the audience, his hands looped over the railing. The man was equipped with a set of shoulders that would make a linebacker look like a chump! She marveled at the way the material of his shirt was stretched to the point it might tear across his biceps. Oh yes, she was going for something different, right freakin’ now.

  Beth tapped his shoulder and the moment he glanced over, she leaned down and kissed him thoroughly. This was no peck at all. This was an “I teach CPR” lip lock that made her knees weak. The moment he realized that he was being kissed, his tongue stroked hers, taking the wind out of her lungs. Oh, my word, he is deliciousness on a stick! The moment she broke the kiss, she licked the side of his lips for good measure.

  “Divine,” she whispered and stood up, just in time to see him lose his grip and fall to the ground below with a thud. Leaning over the railing, her eyes locked with his as she wiped the side of her mouth knowingly with a possessive stare at him. He might not seem to be all that and a bag of chips, but she’d sure as hell try him on for size a few times! Waving her fingers at him, she watched as he picked himself up and several clowns came over to help dust him off.

  “That was for luck! I thought you were supposed to be good for longer than eight seconds, buster? You’d better be much better than that on Wednesday!” Beth challenged and dusted off her hands, taking her seat primly with a satisfied smile on her face. She didn’t wait for his response or what he said. She didn’t need to hear it. The man was delicious and built like a freight train, one she intended to ride.

  Scott McStudmuffin, or whatever his name was, had no idea what was heading his way.

  2

  Scott stared at the woman above him in complete shock as he lay there in the brown dirt of the arena floor, desperately trying to catch his breath. He’d had the wind knocked out of him when he landed flat on his back, jarring his teeth. He’d be lucky if he didn’t have a concussion again and would need to take it easy for a while before doing some serious damage.

  That woman, Beth, was something else…something he’d not encountered before in his small circle that he maintained. He wasn’t a guy to go out and party. He mainly kept to himself, spent time at the gym, trying to keep his body in tip-top shape so he wouldn’t get injured during a performance. Riding was addictive, but then? So were brain cells. He was certain that he’d knocked a few loose.

  She was breathtakingly gorgeous…until she opened her mouth.

  Feisty, jaded, and a bit trashier than he would have ever expected, it shocked him that she was so very aggressive. He’d been mildly entertained when she had wriggled her way over to him to help bandage his ribs. He’d been kicked in the chest, fracturing two ribs that still ached occasionally. The wraps were designed to keep him from breaking them again. The way she’d traced her fingers across his shoulders and the way she kept swatting his hands back as he tried to take the Ace wrap away from her, made him feel like a cheap piece of meat! He nearly laughed aloud as he realized the shoe was on the other foot.

  Normally, he loved to look at women. Look, don’t touch. His mother had taught them well at a young age that women were to be respected. His mother would tan his hide as a teenage boy if he’d been caught ogling a girl. Now that he was grown, he didn’t get quite the same pep talk, but it was just as mortifying. Every time his mother would stop by his apartment, she brought a large meal for him, and there was a new package of condoms left in his bathroom. If she’d just look around, she’d see that there were about ten boxes under the sink, unopened.

  He loved women. The way they looked, smelled, and could just imagine how they tasted. Problem was that he was a virgin. He’d never been with a woman and preferred to keep it that way until he finished his studies. There would be plenty of time to play around later, according to his father, but for now? School came first.

  Scott performed in the rodeo to help pay tuition bills for his classes. He was driven and determined to take over the family business. A large animal hospital that specialized in every sort of creature from guinea pigs to brahma bulls and everything in between. This was his last semester before graduation. He refused to screw it up now. He spent his nights working diligently on his dissertation for his doctorate that was due in a few weeks.

  His world had turned on its side the moment he’d met Beth. He found himself lying to his best friend in order to coerce her into a date. Then, she swooped in and kissed him like he’d never, ever been kissed before. Just when things couldn’t get more shocking, she’d licked the side of his lips in a sensual way that bordered on raunchy.

  He’d lost his grip on the railing as an overwhelming wave of lust washed over him, buckling his knees. He’d fallen for a woman, literally. He was simply fascinated and wanted to know all about her.

  3

  November 2017

  Time passed and Beth didn’t see any sign of her friend emerging from her cocoon of wedded bliss anytime soon. The two were inseparable and it was disgustingly sweet. So much so that she found herself envious for the first time ever of the relationship they shared. They were nauseatingly perfect for each other and made stupid goo-goo eyes at each other.

  Opening her mail, she yanked out her ordained minister certificate out of the manila envelope and pinned it to the fridge. She might not have finished college, but by golly? She had something to show for herself now! Rolling her eyes, she was half-tempted to frame it as a joke. She’d never heard of the website before in her life, but lots of googling and $39.95? She was certified to perform a marriage. How legal and binding it was? That was another story.

  Beth had told Charlie that they needed to go to the courthouse to be on the safe side, and she swore they’d do so, eventually. All she could do was tell her; it was up to the woman in heat to make it so.

  “Jodie?” she called out, yanking open the fridge door. A blast of cool air gave her a quick shiver as she stared at the strange cartons inside. Picking up a bag out of curiosity, she did a double take as the white wormy things flopped around in her hand. Tofu noodles? She threw it back inside on the top shelf in disgust. “You drink all the chocolate milk?”

  “You know I’m lactose intolerant.” Jodie stood nearby, leaning on the door sill with a frown on her face. “I’m planning on eating that tomorrow night, by the way. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t destroy my noodles before I did.”

  “Sucks for you,” she muttered, closing it again and yanking a pint of ice cream from the freezer. “Guess this is mine too?”

 

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