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Amber got up from her table and grabbed a bag. “Yes, I’m ready.”
Did she have to wear miniskirts all the damn time? The woman had one fine pair of legs, and her curvy little ass stuck out just right. Her platinum hair was pulled into a high ponytail today. She had one sexy neck. Truth be told, she had one sexy everything.
He’d said it before. Amber Cross was hot.
If only she weren’t such a gigantic pain in his ass. She and her Texas ways. If Texas was so great, why the hell was she here?
Couples showers. Christ.
“I’m ready, Harper.”
Eyes so light brown they were almost gold stared up at him. How had he never noticed her eyes before? They were amber. Amber like her name.
“Yes?” she said.
He blinked. “What?” He inhaled a whiff of lavender. She even smelled good.
“You’re looking at me funny.”
“Oh, sorry.” He eyed a pink gift bag dangling from her wrist. “What’s that?”
“My present for the baby, of course. What are you bringing?”
His eyebrows shot up. A present? “Um…I guess I didn’t think about it.”
“It’s a shower, Harper. You shower the baby with gifts.”
“I’ll get her whatever she wants. She’s my first niece after all.”
“You can’t go to this party empty-handed. Come on.” She grabbed his hand—he tried to ignore the tingle—and dragged him across the street. “Let’s see. What can we find on short notice?”
“I don’t need to bring anything. Catie knows I’m good for it.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let’s try here.” She led him into Terry’s gift shop. A froufrou place. Harper had never set foot in there.
“Here.” Amber handed him a pink teddy bear the size of a small car. “This’ll work.”
“Just what every kid needs,” Harper said under his breath.
“I heard that. Pick something yourself, then. But we’re not leaving here till you buy something for your niece.”
Harper chose a stuffed brown horse, chocolate brown just like Catie’s favorite mare, Ladybird. Teddy bears were overdone anyway, and Catie would appreciate this more.
“Will this do?”
Amber nodded. “Perfect for any child of Catie’s. Now go pay.”
Harper paid and shoved the receipt in his pocket. “You’re not going to make me wrap this, are you?”
“Nope. We’ll just take it as is. Let’s get moving. We’re late now. Where’d you park?”
“Behind the salon.”
The drive to Catie’s ranch house took over a half hour, but Harper didn’t have to worry about making conversation. Amber chattered on about all kinds of things, some of which Harper found interesting, to his surprise. Amber wanted to learn barrel racing. Looking at her fake nails and platinum hair, he’d never have guessed racing would interest her. Though she had performed well enough on horseback to win first runner-up at the rodeo queen competition last summer. When Catie married and had to step down, Amber stepped up. She was now the reigning Bakersville rodeo queen. She had moved from Texas just a few months before last year’s pageant, and she beat all the local girls except Catie. The McCray brothers had judged, and Harper knew how tough they were. Amber had earned the crown, no doubt.
“Do you ride much, Harper?”