The Cowboy Kiss by Kristen James

Edited by Carol Teegarden Cover Design by Ramona Lockwood www.coversbyramona.blogspot.com

Thank You: To my husband for teaching me to fish for the big ones. To my editor, Carol, and my cover designer, Ramona; I’m so grateful that I’ve found such talented people to help me with my novels.

The Cowboy Kiss She’s a cutting-edge travel blogger—he’s a fishing guide with strong ties to their small hometown. She thought they were arch enemies—he always thought they’d end up together. Autumn grew up in her parents’ fishing resort in backwoods Oregon, listening to wild travel stories from around the world. Now she’s broken free and living her dream as a travel blogger, that is until her mom talks her into coming home and writing a blog about the Rugged Resort. Autumn’s very surprised to find Cory still there. He was the thorn in her side growing up, and now he’s buddy-buddy with her parents. She plans to write her blog and hit the road, but Cory has other ideas.

His kiss was a curse that wouldn’t let go.

1. August 2006 He sat strumming his guitar on the front porch the day Autumn waved out the car window as she drove past, leaving for college and her new life. A flash of hand, a wisp of honey-blond hair, and possibly a slight hint of her voice on the wind. A dark cloud crept across the sky and slid in front of the sun, throwing a shadow across her car and the surrounding landscape. She took my sunshine with her… The line popped into his head and into the song he’d been working on. It was one of several songs for his next gig, and one of these days he’d make it to Nashville. He didn’t need Autumn. She could go chase her dreams and he’d chase his. So long to childhood best friends and summer romances. Hello to a whole new life.

2. Present Day

From: Teresa@RuggedResort.com Re: I have a great idea!

September 1, 2012 2:58 pm Autumn, baby, your blog is just the thing our resort needs. If you write about the Rugged Resort, maybe we’ll get enough business so I can take a vacation and see some of the places you write about. Come home for a visit. It’ll be good for both of us. Love, Mama ***************

From: Autumn@HaveBlogWillTravel.com Re: re: I have a great idea! September 2, 2012 4:55 pm Mama, you sound so busy whenever we talk. Are you sure you want me telling people all across the US to come stay with you?? Love you, too. And I’ll write about the resort if you want me to—just be warned it might send a lot of customers your way! *****************

From: Teresa@RuggedResort.com Re:re:re: I have a great idea! September 2, 2012 5:02 pm

Autumn, that’s just what we need. To be honest, money’s been tight for quite a while, and I don’t want to lose the resort. I’d like to retire sometime! I’d love to see you again. It’s been way too long. Love, Mama 3. Autumn let off the gas and rolled slowly down the country drive in her rented red-hot Camaro convertible, breathing in the smells of her childhood: dry, sweet summer hay, crisp apples, and a hint of cool water from the nearby river. The sun was thinking about setting, but it was still a hot September day. She slowed down even more, pausing by the ancient oak and noting how a few boards remained from the old tree fort. She’d spent many hours up there with Lily, sharing secrets and whispering. It felt good to be going home, even if Mama had guilted her into it. She was sure their lodge (ahem, “resort”) could use the national exposure from her widely read travel blog, but it’d been something else that finally pushed her into coming home. It’ll be good for both of us. Something was different. Maybe Mama or Daddy was sick? Or they were running into problems with Lily? Maybe her mom missed how things used to be between them. Life didn’t have to be so complicated, especially not in the midst of all the beauty of the oak-covered hills, evergreen forests, and rolling pastures. A deer near the side of the road lifted its head out of the brush to eye her camper. Apple trees lined the way on both sides, and the orange-red hue on the apples meant they were about ripe. Homemade cider, here I come.

The large, ranch-style lodge came into view at the end of the drive, and she noticed they’d paved the parking lot since she’d been here last. A few cars meant there were guests. She pulled into a space and gazed around her. Everything still looked the same. The covered porch welcomed family and visitors alike with the words Office Come on in! painted on a long, flat piece of driftwood. The flowerbeds in front of the house and the pots on either end of the wooden porch bench all overflowed with bright pansies in red, blue, and white. Behind that, large windows let ample light drench the main room and dining area. Those rooms had windows on the other side too, facing the river, so they were always bright and cheery. There were two little cabins on both sides of the main house for guests to stay in, and all five buildings overlooked the twisting, wild river on the other side. Speaking of wild… Could Cory still be around? Mama hadn’t mentioned him in the last year or so, but now that she was here, Autumn saw him in every memory, every nook of the countryside. As kids, Cory, Autumn, and Lily had been inseparable, even though Cory loved nothing more than to endlessly pick on the girls. There were other kids that came and went, summer visitors and friends from school, but they had been the main three. She turned off the engine and went right into the house…and smelled freshly baked peach pie. Mama didn’t forget her favorite. Autumn’s mouth watered while a tinge of longing slipped into her heart—not for the pie but for the hours she used to spend in the kitchen talking to her mom. If the house was empty, that meant everyone was on the back porch. As nice and inviting as the front porch was, it didn’t overlook the river. The old-fashioned wall clock showed it was a little after seven in the evening, and as expected, noises floated in to meet her through the sliding screen door. Her dad’s laugh rang out over guitar music. She guessed several guests were there with them.

A voice started singing, blended into the strumming, singing something about she took my sunshine with her. It sounded like Cory. A step closer to the screen and she saw the guitarist also looked just like Cory, with the same straw-blond hair, shaped from the cowboy hat that no doubt sat beside him somewhere. Same light tan that looked like a finely roasted marshmallow. Same long face with those piercing hazel eyes. And there was her redheaded, freckle-faced sister Lily, sitting next to Cory and watching him with big, brown eyes. Autumn had been about to slide open the screen door when she found herself stuck, watching them. Lily looked like a young lady instead of a little kid sister, and the change over last year took Autumn by surprise. Cory glanced up at the door just then, as if drawn by her thoughts. Autumn hopped back a step, but his singing continued as if he hadn’t seen her. She took my sunshine, my dandelion... His voice trailed off and his eyes focused through the screen, onto her. The serious song face cracked into a wide smile, the same one that used to light up after teasing her. “Well, look, Autumn’s here!” He was probably counting down till he could pick on her again. Her parents sprang up like they were thirty instead of fifty plus. Dad clapped his hands. “Well, Autumn, what are you standing around in there for?” She slid open the screen and stepped out with a giant grin, falling into his arms for a long overdue hug. Her parents were both talking, and she was sure Mama was bouncing up and down. She held onto her dad and looked over his shoulder at Cory. Cory’s face was strangely neutral, just a welcoming smile that didn’t seem to say anything. Her mom grabbed her, pulling her in for a tight hug. “Did you smell your pie?”

“How could I miss it? The house smells like heaven.” “We have ice cream in the maker too.” Autumn turned to Cory but didn’t step in for a hug. “Hi, Cory. It’s been a while,” she said, holding back Cory Weasel. His last name was Wesslin, but she’d always called him Cory Weasel instead. “Hi, Summer.” “Hey, I held off on teasing!” He flashed a grin that faded right away, followed by sadness that dimmed his richly colored eyes. Then it was gone. Maybe she’d imagined it. Lily was still sitting and watching her, so Autumn playfully remarked, “Are you too cool to hug me anymore?” A smile played on Lily’s lips, even while she tried to suppress it. “No…” She sighed and pushed herself to her feet and gave Autumn a soft, awkward teenager hug. Her dad introduced the quiet sixty-something couple sitting on the porch who were smiling at the exchange. They shook her hand and soon excused themselves for the night. “Dinner was lovely, my dear!” the wife called as she stepped carefully down the back stairs. Once they’d seen off the guests, Dad opened the screen door and waved all of them in. “Autumn, did you eat dinner?” Her mind was still backpedaling, wondering why Cory had picked Summer. He called her by all four seasons, and it often depended on how she was acting. “No…well…” She hadn’t eaten, but she didn’t want anything but that peach pie a la mode. “The pie needs to cool just a bit more, Autumn,” her mom said, throwing a knowing look over her shoulder. “There’s porketta and carrots the way you like them.” Her mom pulled a covered plate out of the oven with her dinner on it, and her dad sat down at the table like he wanted a second dinner too.

Cory put on his hat. “Well, night, Teresa. Night, Randy. I’m headed home.” Both her parents turned opened mouths at him. Lily was the one who said, “Huh? You’re not staying?” “You’re leaving before pie?” Mama sounded even more shocked. Her peach pie, Autumn thought but kept her mouth shut. Instead she lifted an eyebrow at her childhood teaser. Cory just nodded and left without even meeting her gaze or saying goodbye to her. “Bye, Cory!” Lily called after him. Autumn played blind to the look her parents shared and dug into dinner. “This is great, Mama.” With an exasperated yet loving sigh, Mama let Dad fix a second plate. Autumn peeked at her sister, sarcastically wondering if Cory had moved on and spent his time picking on Lily now. “So what’s Cory still around for? He didn’t ever go to college or head off to do his own thing?” Autumn asked. That wasn’t all that nice or subtle, but her mom could see through her anyway. “Still around?” Lily didn’t look up from her lilacpolished nails. Her condescending tone rubbed Autumn, but she just looked at her parents for an answer. Mama glanced at Autumn’s dad and smoothed the look of concern off her face. “You didn’t hear about Cory’s dad passing away this spring?” Oh….maybe that’s where the sadness came from. She felt horrible for him, but her ego took a hit too. Of course their past didn’t bother him after all this time.

“Well, you’ll want to get some rest before tomorrow morning,” her dad told her as she finished her pie. “We head out at five-thirty.” “Excuse me?” Autumn looked around but there wasn’t anyone else there. “You’re saying something about me getting up at five-thirty?” She had firm plans with some hot cakes, strawberries, and whipped cream, not to mention sipping several cups of hot coffee while watching the river. “Our fishing trip.” He grinned like he’d already hooked and netted a fifty-pound salmon. “You can’t blog about our resort if you don’t try all our wonderful offerings.” “But fishing? And why tomorrow?” The grin faded just a bit, and she recognized the look. “Well, we’re booked after that. But tomorrow’s open.” Mama swatted him with the dish towel. “Now, come on, Autumn, and I’ll show you to your cabin.” Cabin? Her mom saw her confusion. “You’re writing about our wonderful cabins, right? So you have to stay in one.” That seemed logical, but it made her wonder about her parents. Had they turned her old room into an office or something? There seemed to be some vague agenda going on. The cabin was small, cozy, and everything a person could want when staying in a rustic cabin by the Umpqua River, known globally for its beauty and fishing. She settled in and then spent awhile answering emails on her blog, checking Facebook, and moaning about the slow internet. Finally she gave up and went to bed. Hi Summer. Why had he called her Summer? It was going to keep her up all night.

It was hardly light even! Were they out of their minds? She spotted her dad in the boat and yelled, “Fish can’t bite if they can’t even see the hook!” Her dad looked up and laughed good and loud. “We need time to motor upstream, baby girl. Now don’t jinx your trip. Then we’d have to go out another morning too. We need you to write about catching a hog today.” She wondered if her blog readers would have a clue that hog meant a big fish, although it might be funny if some city slickers mistakenly thought people out in the sticks in Oregon caught hogs on a fishing line. More than a few people she’d encountered thought Oregonian girls ran around in shorts, hiking boots and hairy legs. Sigh. Autumn pulled her fishing hat down lower in front and slogged her way down to the boat. As an afterthought, she noticed another other person was ready to go, and she wondered how many usually went. “Morning, Autumn,” the other man said. “Regular bet?” She stopped so quickly, it probably looked like a half stumble. Cory was coming with them? (And smiling about it right now.) Her guard went up, but ironically, at the same time she felt glad to have things return to normal with his teasing. “I suppose we can bet—if you like losing.” “Say, Autumn,” interjected her dad. “Did Mama tell you Cory guides the fishing trips now? I don’t even have to go unless I want to.” “In between guiding for your folks as well as other area resort owners,” Cory said, “I’ve got full-time work, playing on the river.” She looked up at Cory with his eyes concealed in dark shades. They were polarized to see into the water better, she knew, but they also looked surprising hot on him. No cowboy hat today.

She tilted her head toward her dad who was tying a lure onto a third pole. “Since when do you not want to go fishing?” Laughs all around from that. “And Cory, I’m not sure you want to tarnish your fishing record with a bet now that you’re guiding.” It wasn’t too sharp a jibe, but it was the best she could do at five-thirty in the morning. She couldn’t tell because of the sunglasses, but she kind of felt Cory and her dad looking at each other, trying to hold in a laugh. It’d be her laughing if she told her dad what they always bet. They got in the boat for the upstream ride. Cory drove the boat while she sat next to her dad. Despite her stinging eyes and half-awake state, she felt the excitement inching up inside her. She had to wonder if everyone had purposely forgotten to mention that Cory worked for them. She might have actually taken a shower and brushed her hair. As it was, her dark red curls were whirling in the wind. She’d pulled on a pair of jeans and a warm, comfortable sweater without a worry about how she looked. Autumn always found it comical that all the area’s anglers took off for the river in the dark. They were in their drift boats, on the water, at first gray light. Of course that’s how you catch fish, but still, getting up at four just to catch a fish? She also laughed over the way her dad made sure he beat everyone to the river. The other guides had to put their boats in several miles up from the resort, so they had a longer float down to the best fishing holes. Daddy had them beat by an hour or two, but he would never leave it to chance. Hell would freeze over before anyone hit his sweet spots before he did! The boat slowed and the front end dropped down. They inched along, rounding the last bend to her dad’s “secret” fishing hole. They cast one, two, three, out of

habit, landing their hooks in perfect formation to side drift their bait. A flock of twenty or so Canadian geese flew around a hill and turned to follow the river toward them, honking in alarm as they flew directly overhead in a large V formation. She heard their feathers in the wind when they passed. Suddenly her pole bent. “Fish on—oh, snag.” Her dad chuckled and turned on the motor to help her get her hook free.

6. Cory stole another glance at Autumn and, just as quickly, checked to see if Randy had caught him. His shades probably hid his eyes, but he still felt like someone would notice any second, and he couldn’t seem to stop. Things were complicated before, and now they’d managed to somehow add more layers to the mess. Randy and Teresa must have known Autumn wouldn’t have come fishing if she knew he’d be here today. She might not have come to the resort at all if she knew about him, and from the look on her face yesterday, that was most likely the case. It hurt. Which made no sense, because he knew Teresa had to be vague with Autumn in order to talk her into coming home. On another glance over, he saw her pole bend, bend more, and really bend. Autumn reared the pole up to set the hook without saying anything this time. He was sure she didn’t want to call another false alarm, but he knew this one wasn’t a snag. “Fish on!” he called out for her.

Randy excitedly stepped closer. “Keep that tip up, Autumn!” “I got it, Dad.” She pulled up and reeled down, teeth gritted. “It’s a big one.” She managed to pull it within ten feet of the boat. Then it fought back out, pulling a good fifteen feet of line. Autumn kept up the fight. Cory caught a glimpse through the water as the fish turned. Unfortunately, it twisted and headed downriver, toward the rapids that always broke the line. “Turn it back,” he prodded softly. “Point the pole upriver.” She threw him a swift glance before following his instructions. It worked—the fish turned and headed upriver. Soon she had the upper hand, thanks to Cory’s advice and Randy’s moving the boat. Randy grabbed the net and leaned over the boat, waiting for the right moment to get it under the fish without bumping the line and breaking it. He scooped. “Fish in boat!” Randy held up a hand for a high five. Autumn hit her dad’s hand and turned to him. He grabbed and shook her hand in victory. “Nice fish!” “That’s at least a thirty pounder!” Randy was almost hopping around the boat. “Get your camera. That has to go in your blog.” Autumn couldn’t believe she’d caught one so early. Ha! That’d show Cory. He waited with the camera, so she posed. She felt weird but gave him her biggest smile. “Guess she did show up you, huh, Cory!” Her dad slapped her back. “Day’s not over.” Cory grinned and kept his voice light. “You two ready for some serious fishing now?” “We have a fish,” Autumn said. “Can’t we go home?”

Cory and her dad laughed. She sighed, settling in for a few more hours. Of course Cory wouldn’t let her win that easily. As it turned out, however, that was the only fish they landed despite three more bites. Autumn dutifully held her pole, hid her yawns, and listened to Cory and her dad keep up a hearty conversation about fishing, the river, the town, the resort, and how awesome her blog post would be. As they docked the boat, she told them, “I don’t remember how to clean a fish.” Cory laughed into his sleeve like he was coughing. “That’s perfectly okay. We clean fish as part of the package.” That was easy. The boat docked and she climbed out, surprised that she felt the need to run away from Cory.

7. “Autumn!” Errrr! She hadn’t made a clean getaway after all. She turned slowly, cocking a hip and sighing at him. “Did you forget a few jabs?” He grinned at that as he ran to her. Wow. She wasn’t here to check him out, but what a sight he made. Snug jeans. A worn T-shirt perfect for stealing. And a perfectly fit body underneath, running to her. Autumn got the sudden thought that maybe she should write romance instead of travel articles. “I guess you won.” He pulled off his sunglasses as he walked up to her and hooked them in his shirt collar. Oh, their stupid bet. “Won what?” she asked innocently, glad her dad had gone the other direction. Hopefully her parents didn’t know just how far she and Cory took their jabbing and teasing.

Without warning, he wrapped her in his arms and tilted her back, knocking her completely off balance. She grabbed both his arms, gasping, as his warm lips landed on her shocked mouth. She was so unsteady that she felt herself kick a leg. His lips moved. Slowly. A thousand fantasies she’d had about him over the years flew out the back of her mind onto a huge movie screen. His mouth, wow! Their lips melded together so perfectly, so suggestively, so promising. This wasn’t like the truth-or-dare kiss in the fifth grade. Or the quick kiss-and-run in high school when he dropped her off after prom. Hot little tingles zinged from her head down to…well, down, and she started to kiss him back. Then he righted her and pulled back. “I thought it was about time we actually went through with the bet.” He nodded like he usually did when wearing his cowboy hat, except it was missing today, and turned to walk away. “That’s what I call the cowboy kiss!” he called out without looking back. Damn his overconfident ago! The cowboy kiss. That’s exactly what he’d said when he kissed her back in high school. But that kiss was more like a curse that followed her through college. Damn him! “Cory Weasel!” He turned around and tilted his head. “Oh yes, we clean and cook your fish. That should go into your article.” Really, who tips you over and kisses you like that over a bet? A childish bet from what, fifteen years ago? And here they were still acting like eight year olds. Well, that wasn’t going in her article!

A rattle outside the sliding glass door woke Autumn from her late afternoon nap. Her head pounded at first, a side effect of sleeping so deeply in the day. After fishing, she’d worked on her piece about the resort for an hour and then taken a long, hot shower, trying to come down from the hypersensitive mood Cory put her in. Cory. How was she going to face him again, after that kiss? She didn’t have a clock close by, but the daylight filtering inside was soft and slanted like it was evening already. She heard the noise again. Something was definitely rattling outside her screen door. She slid off the bed and snuck over to peek out. “Cory?” she asked, with a slow curl of excitement unfurling inside her. He stood on the back patio of her cabin with his back to her. The blue-green river silhouetted his trim figure. “What are you doing?” She pulled the screen open and stepped out, then spotted a box of cooking supplies, including aluminum foil. That must have been making the noise, when he’d pulled it out and torn it. “I thought I’d grill this fish over here for you. Unless…you wanted to come over to my house.” He finally looked at her to grin. “Your house? You are evil.” Thinking of that kiss just hours before, she narrowed her eyes and folded her arms, wishing she had thought to prepare a scathing speech to address his manhandling. “An evil genius in the grilling department too.” He winked just in case she missed his innuendo. A few arguments popped into her head, but the warm, salty, fresh aroma stopped her saying anything. About a fourth of the fish she’d caught lay on thick foil on the hot grill. She leaned closer to inhale, which sent her stomach into growling fits. One second she was smelling their dinner, and the next second she caught the scent of his cologne. Of his skin. Of him. She raised her eyes slowly, wondering if she’d fallen

off the crazy cliff. Cory had his gaze on her with a clear message: I want you. She could not believe it—suddenly, she wanted his hands all over her. She realized she was breathing rapidly. And he could hear. Had he gone to Romance 101 while she was gone? Possibly 501? “The salad’s ready and on the table, if you want to start eating.” She turned to see the small outdoor, glass table now had a tablecloth and settings for two. Cory had somehow found pretty china plates. From here, it looked like the edging had tiny red roses intertwined with gold leaves. In the middle of the table, instead of flowers, a lit flowershaped candle floated in water inside a large wine glass. “Do you mind if I freshen up first?” He smiled over his shoulder at her, and as she escaped inside, she wondered if maybe his face had looked a bit reserved, or possibly even nervous. Wouldn’t that be a hoot? This time she did check the clock. It was seven already! She must really have been tired from getting up so early. She dampened her curls and tried to tidy her hair with her fingers, then threw on some blush, warm brown eye shadow, and mascara. Oh, and rose-pink lipstick. She almost changed her clothes—but on second thought, she didn’t want to look like she was trying too hard to impress him. Cory was serving fish onto the plates as she stepped back outside. “Would you like wine?” “Yes, please.” Actually that sounded wonderful because suddenly she felt awkward about this. It looked like a date—a very romantic dinner date overlooking the river as the sun began to tip toward the western horizon. “Thank you for all this. I certainly didn’t expect it.”

“Well, I’m not the same Cory you’re expecting either.” He poured her a glass of white wine. She noted the label was a local winery, Henry Estate’s, and one of her favorites. He sat down and motioned to her plate. “Let me know what you think.” She’d been searching for an answer to his previous statement, but she wasn’t sure what she thought of it, or him, so she picked up her fork and tried a bite. Flavor exploded in her mouth. It was the perfect blend of fresh fish and seasoning. “Amazing.” He grinned and picked up his own fork. She enjoyed the scenery, the pleasing food aromas, the breeze, and the river flowing by for a few minutes. Then, remembering what her mom had said the night before, she told him, “I’m really sorry to hear about your dad.” His eyes dimmed, followed by a soft smile. “Thanks. I wish we would have stayed in contact more.” “Me, too. I thought about you, though, and wondered what you were up to. I even searched for you online a few times to see if you ever made it to Nashville.” He broke into a grin this time and looked out across the yard, shaking his head. “I had a lot of dreams back then.” “You still can.” His face came back and he stared at her with such intensity she couldn’t breathe. “I do,” he said, “have dreams, that is. But I grew up too.” She switched to her salad and picked out the olives. “So you’re staying here, working as a fishing guide and helping my parents? It sounds like you’re involved in the community a lot too. I shouldn’t pry so much, but are you happy doing all that?” “Yes, I am.” He sipped his wine, then stared into the glass for a minute. It just then occurred to her that he was drinking white wine with her, and she knew he’d rather

have a beer. “I enjoy guiding and being on the river, and being around here, although they don’t really need me. There are people lining up to work here. I could do something else if I found the want to or need to.” “People are lining up to work here?” She sipped her wine too, puzzling over that. “They’ll need to hire some additional guides and more help around the resort soon.” Autumn set her glass down, feeling odd that he knew more about her parents’ lives than she did. “But they can’t afford help.” He tilted his head, surprised. “I imagine they could.” “Hmm, I had the impression they’re working hard to get more customers. That’s why I came out.” He smiled and ducked his head. It was almost a laugh actually. “Autumn, you grew up here. You could write about it in your sleep.” Yes…yes, she could. “So my parents just wanted me to come visit.” She picked at her salad more, fighting the guilt forming in her stomach. She looked up, wondering what he thought about her. She found his eyes warm and caring. “I’m glad you came to visit,” he said, searching her eyes. He reached across the table to lay a hand over hers. “Where’s all this coming from?” she asked, hoping her smile didn’t look as nervous as she felt. In response, he picked up the wine bottle and refilled both their glasses. He took a drink and cleared his throat, all with his hand remaining on hers. With a start, she realized he might want to get her into bed. They couldn’t. She could handle teasing, but just imagine trying to be around her parents and him if she’d slept with him? Autumn had to clear her throat, wanting desperately to push the thoughts away. She liked Cory. A lot. She didn’t want some stupid one-night stand ruining things. “I was dumb to let you leave without saying…” He pulled in a breath, pulling up his shoulders at the same

time. “Without saying that I really liked you. I thought we’d meet up again here, sometime soon, but instead it’s been years.” She’d ransacked the olives, bacon bits, and cheese bites from her salad. There wasn’t anything left but tomatoes on the lettuce. She focused on that as she took in his words, which didn’t sound like he wanted to seduce her tonight. She felt a tiny bit let down before mentally slapping herself, and before realizing Cory might want something more than one night. He stood up and walked to the other side of the grill. He bent over, and at first she thought he was grabbing his box of supplies. Maybe he felt her lack of response meant she wasn’t interested, and he was leaving. Music came on. She immediately recognized the slow beat even though she couldn’t recall the name. It was a song they’d heard all the time as kids, one that they had actually danced to once when their families got together for a summer night barbeque. The music had been pouring out of the house, and he’d asked her to dance. I want to know what love is… She vividly remembered standing in his arms, hoping she was doing it right. They’d been skinny little pre-teens, pretending they were older, she supposed. Near the end of the song they had both heard other kids walking around the corner of the house, talking, so they’d hurriedly broken apart. She looked at him now as he walked over and held out his hand. Apparently he remembered that evening as clearly as she did. Feeling her eyes tearing up—despite her best efforts—she put her hand in his and stood. He pulled her against him and wrapped an arm around her waist. They began swaying to the 80s tune. Halfway through the song, Cory lifted her head with a thumb under her chin so they were looking at each other. His hazel eyes were filled with blazing emotion. She wasn’t

surprised when he kissed her this time, but she was surprised at the intensity, the passion, the need there. This was completely new. They were pressed together, wrapped up in each other, kissing like they’d waited years for this. The song faded away, and he lifted his head, leaving her dizzy and floating. “That’s what I wanted to do so long ago.” Really? A different song started, something slow and romantic and current. Autumn followed his lead in swaying to the new song, her head on his shoulder. Her heartbeat pounded through every inch of her, wanting more of Cory. The way he held her close, caressing her back, bunching her hair in his hand, made her think his body was reacting the same as hers. He had to know it too: it’d be so easy to step inside and head toward the bed. But like her, something was holding him back. She tried to clear her head and remember her life. Where did this fit in? She couldn’t imagine herself living here again. Well, honestly, in this moment she definitely could imagine staying here and being with Cory. But what about tomorrow?

9. Cory wanted the night to go on forever. They danced, talked, and laughed, and he kept reminding himself it was real. She was here, and he was touching her. Finally, after the sun set in a fiery blaze and the crescent moon hung low in the sky, he played the last song on his playlist, Just a Kiss in the Moonlight, and kissed her goodnight. The song beautifully captured everything he wanted to say to her: that he didn’t want to rush this special thing between them. That a kiss was more than enough for now because he believed they had a future together. That he had

been waiting his whole life for her. This was more right than anything, ever. When the song ended, he told her, “I’ve been listening to this song for at least two years, thinking about you.” When she lifted her head to look at him, tears were rolling down her face. Without thinking, he kissed them away. After that, he couldn’t leave her. Instead he held her in the wicker love seat on the porch, watching the moon reflect on the river. It was the best night of his life.

10. “Mama… Would you and Daddy be really upset if Cory left?” Autumn stood in the entryway to the kitchen. Her mom was cooking lunch for the guests that day. “Could you guys make it without him?” Autumn couldn’t look at her mom as she asked, not until she heard a faint laugh. Mama sobered when Autumn looked at her. “Well, yes, we’d be okay. We’re not that bad off here.” Autumn tilted her head and raised her eyebrows as if saying, tell me the rest. “We’re pretty busy, actually.” Her mom suddenly became busy straightening canisters on the counter and wiping around them. “That’s funny,” Autumn said, walking over to stand next to her. “Because you made it sound like you really needed to get more business to stay afloat.” Her mom lifted her shoulders. “Oh, you know how it is. More business is always better. Right?” It occurred to Autumn this morning that it was awfully convenient how Cory wanted to make things happen between them—and how her mom had talked her into

coming home for a couple weeks. She wasn’t sure what the heck was going on. “Mama!” She felt her eyes narrow; she couldn’t help it. Even after Cory had swept her off her feet last night—if that’s what she was calling it—she felt like she’d been caboodled into coming out here. “The important thing is that you and Cory got a chance to reconnect.” Her mom walked in the other direction so Autumn hurried to catch up with her. “Are you telling me this was a big matchmaking scheme?” She stepped in front of her mom. “What if I had had an important assignment or something?” Her mom straightened and looked her in the eye. “What’s more important than love?” She tossed her dish towel over her shoulder and sauntered away. What’s more important than love? Some people would say your livelihood, your career, your life… You couldn’t just up and abandon your responsibilities if you thought you had the hots for someone. And what about Cory? She wasn’t sure what he saw for the future, but he had a life here. She had a life out there. Maybe it wasn’t so much her mom’s orchestration that bothered her; it was all the related choices and complications. A part of her wondered why she had to fight against her feelings so hard, but another part of her was running on fear. Full of hot frustration, she flew out the front door and marched down to her rental car, planning to drive over to Cory’s place. Just as she shoved the key into the ignition, she saw him pull up next to her. He opened his car door with a smile that quickly fell off his face at seeing her mood. “Hey, Autumn.” She hopped out and slammed her door. “Did you know my mom tricked me into coming out here? She thought you and I might get something going!” She crossed her arms and waited for his indignation to boil over. He just stared at

her, his mouth open but his brain not producing any words. “Cory? Don’t you have something to say about that?” “Well, I… I’m sorry.” It was her turn to give the empty, shocked stare. “What do you mean, you’re sorry? For what? Did you know?” She watched the color creep up his neck. She let her jaw drop and eyebrows shoot up, making sure he knew just how horrified she was. “Don’t be too mad at your mom and dad.” Her dad too? Wait. “Are you saying…?” “It was my idea.” Looking down, he continued, “I didn’t think it’d work out too well to call you up and say, ‘Hey, Summer, wanna come visit and let me sweep you off your feet?’ So I thought your parents could convince you to come back for a little while.” “Hmm-hmm. And how did that work out?” She crossed her arms and tapped her toe. It wasn’t easy keeping a straight face, though. He was squirming, and she loved it. But she also didn’t know what to think about him masterminding this scheme. Suddenly he was in front of her, pulling her to him and planting his mouth on hers. Startled, she pushed him away at first. Then she relaxed a little. His mouth was hard on hers, demanding, but then his lips grew soft. The kiss grew tender. She let her mind go blank to blissfully enjoy it for a wonderful second. Then she pushed against him. “Cory, what about our lives? I travel for my work, for my income. And you’re tied into everything here.” He shrugged. Just shrugged! “Does that mean we can’t explore this?” She dropped her gaze, trying to picture what he was implying. “Long-distance dating?” “I can travel with you. Like I said, I’m not tied down here. I fill in for people, but there are plenty of guides in

the area. And you don’t have to stay away from here like we all have the plague.” She wanted to argue that last point, but it was true. She had hardly visited the resort and her family since leaving six years ago. Now she wondered if she had been avoiding him. “Cory, it’s all so sudden.” He didn’t answer for a second. Then he started singing in a quiet voice. She took my sunshine with her, my dandelion is gone... She took my sunshine with her, but I’ve loved her all along… When she finally looked back up at his face, he asked, “Do you honestly think you have any chance of finding someone else who will love you as much as I do?” No, she had to admit, probably not. She couldn’t stop her laugh from bubbling out. “And,” he added, “Do you think you’ll ever love someone as much as me?” “You like to throw that word around a lot,” she replied. Could you claim to love someone after a few days? But it wasn’t just a few days. It was a long chain of days, from their childhood to now. “Be my sunshine?” he asked, taking her face in his hands. She lifted her mouth to his waiting lips, knowing she didn’t need to answer. Apparently he already had her pegged. He kissed her with fervor, with promises, and she knew Cory was a man of his word. She thought of all her daydreams about him, and what it’d be like to have those fulfilled. To get to know him better. To make plans. “Whoo-hoo!” her dad called out from the porch. Autumn pulled her mouth away from Cory’s to deliver both her parents an outraged look, complete with dropped jaw. “I told you love conquers all!” her mom said with her hands over her heart.

“Now can I pull out the strawberry shortcake?” Daddy asked Mama. Autumn couldn’t help but love her funny parents. The door swung open behind them, and Lily stepped out. “About time they kissed and made up,” she said, crossing her arms. “But you two could get a room. We run a pretty good weekly special.” “Lily!” Mama and Daddy both burst out simultaneously. Autumn looked back to Cory, to his long cowboy face, his warm hazel eyes and his perpetually hat-shaped hair. Her Cory. “You guys even planned the celebration cake?!” she asked, laughing so hard her stomach shook. “I’m a pretty confident guy. Not to mention good looking.” With a sudden flourish, he scooped her up in his arms and swirled her around. The warm afternoon sunshine danced down on them as they twirled. Maybe his cowboy kiss wasn’t such a bad thing after all. The End

I hope you enjoyed The Cowboy Kiss! I greatly appreciate all reviews and comments. ď &#x160; kristen@writerkristenjames.com Blurbs and links for my novels follow. About The Author

Kristen James loves writing romances with dreamy heroes who will melt your heart. She enjoys the outdoors and watching wildlife in her yard and along the river by her house. Besides reading and writing, she loves traveling, cycling, hiking, berry picking, canoeing, fishing, and camping, especially doing all these with her family. Life should be an adventure! Visit www.writerkristenjames.com to learn more and read her blog. Connect on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WriterKristenJames and Twitter at @writerkristenj. She loves to interact with readers. Amazon author page at http://amazon.com/author/kristenjames

Also by Kristen James: A Spy for Christmas – novella A Special Ops Christmas - novella A Cowboy for Christmas Embers of Hope, Book 1, Second Gift Series More Than a Promise, Book 2, Second Gift Series More Than Memories The Enemy’s Son Coming Soon: Raising Hope

Covers, blubs and links:

A Spy for Christmas A Christmas Novella http://amzn.com/B00A8AMIGQ What’s more dangerous? The Oregon wilderness? Hit men? Or the heat in Grayson’s arms? Robin is flying back into the misty Pacific Northwest for Christmas, which is a bit fitting after her last so-so relationship ended. Alex just wasn’t the right man for her. Things look up when Grayson sits next to her on the

plane—he’s hot, charming, witty, and very into her. Unfortunately, their chance meeting puts her in danger, and suddenly Robin is trapped into spending the holiday with this charming, mysterious man at a secluded mountain cabin. He vows to protect her with his own life if needed, but the danger isn’t just from the men tracking them down. Robin isn’t sure she can trust Grayson, and yet she’s pulled to his magnetism. Safety is quickly losing the battle to desire…

A Special Ops Christmas A Christmas Novella http://amzn.com/B00APRN57S They were ready to call it quits, but Aiden realizes he can’t let his marriage die this Christmas season. Can he make it home to Vivianne in time to save their love? Vivianne has been so proud of her husband—a Navy SEAL—but his absence while serving has put a strain on their marriage. Due to buried hurts and different circumstances in her life, she needs him more than ever now. Aiden proposed in the snow, and Christmas has always been their special time of year. This year, however,

looks bleak and lonely. If only Aiden were here, she could share a special surprise.

A Cowboy for Christmas Can they put aside their differences and past hurts to save the struggling ranch? http://amzn.to/ACowboyForChristmas Available in print and Kindle ebook Available in Spanish! Un vaquero para naviad http://amzn.com/B009JMRHFQ “A Cowboy for Christmas is a great romance for the holidays or anytime you like. A bit fun and flirty read that will not disappoint.” --Coffee Time Romance “Kristen James has done it again with another romance novel to warm your heart. [A Cowboy for Christmas] She has created truly down-to-earth and likable characters with Missy and Brent. The story is perfect for the holidays! Not too long, not too short, I finished the book in about a day. Like her other book, More Than Memories, you become immersed in the story, the plot and the descriptive scenery.” --reader review

More Than Memories – Can she love him again if she can’t remember him? http://amzn.to/MoreThanMemories Available in print and Kindle ebook “I just loved this book [More Than Memories]! Primarily because Ms. James’ equation for the plot kept me guessing the entire time.” --Big Al’s Books and Pals, 5 Stars “James has a great way with words and builds very realistic characters. I really enjoyed this story and although I usually do not go for romance, the relationship between Trent and Molly held my attention as they searched through their past to piece together the detail of Molly’s mysterious disappearance.” --reader review of More Than Memories, also rated 5 stars by The Fictional Bookshelf.

Embers of Hope, Book 1, Second Gift Series http://amzn.to/EmbersOfHope Savanna’s Story: Savanna is falling for the sexy firefighter who once saved her life, but Jason confuses her to no end. He’s hurting over the recent death of his best friend. She’s also stuck in the middle between Jason and her friend Cassie, who just lost her husband and blames Jason. Can Savanna find a balance between loving Jason, helping Cassie, and taking care of herself and her daughter? Or is she going to lose this bet and her best friend?

More Than a Promise: Book 2, Second Gift Series http://amzn.com/B00APOHOA0 Cassie’s Story: Cassie escapes to Ocean View Stables on the Oregon Coast to cope with the three-year anniversary of her husband’s death. She’s starting to dream about her future again and possibly romance. A safe romance, that is, where people don’t die. She runs into Ethan Caldwell, the cute boy who teased her through grade school. He sure grew up – into a man who’d catch anyone’s eyes. Now he’s a single dad to nine-year-old Isabel, who talks about her parents getting back together…as soon as her mom is out of rehab. Then maybe her mom can watch her while her dad goes on his work trips. Apparently Ethan has some kind of dangerous, secretive government job. This isn’t at all what Cassie is looking for! So why is she running full speed into another broken heart?