Her Double Deputies (The Sinful 7 of Delite, Texas 6)

“You met Tagart McKeiver and Carver Jackson, Elise?” Susanna asked.

“I sure did. Very good-looking man, that Tagart cowboy is,” Elise said as she fixed her hair and her lip gloss.

“He’s a big shot from Dallas, originally from Tennessee. He’s visited before but not Dixie Chix. Anyway, he’s been a friend with Gus for years. He helps with promotions and Gus told him about our little bull-riding contest. We’re going to need some cool judges and that’s right up Carver’s and Tagart’s alleys. Gus wants to impress them with the crowd response.”

“Well, that hottie, Tagart, just challenged me to a time contest on Hurt So Good.”

“Really?” Sally asked.

Elise smiled.

“This could be great. I mean, just the fact that one of our own Dixie Chix is an entrant in the contest,” Susanna began to say.

“Whoa, slow down, Susanna. I can’t be a contestant. I work here and it may look bad. Besides, Gus and the guys have a good group of men riding that bull for the grand prize.”

“But throw in a female contestant and hot damn, the excitement around this event will explode,” Sally added.

“It would be great for Dixie Chix and great for you, too. I know you miss riding,” Susanna told her.

“I do miss it, but that’s why I left Tennessee. I don’t mind helping out, but competing again?”

“It’s not really competing. You’re on an electric bull. Just do your best and if you get beat, so be it. But hey, the longer you last the better it will be for this contest. Or maybe, you could just be the entertainment part of it. I’ve seen you slow move on that bull, too,” Susanna stated.

Elise smiled. She felt so alive and comfortable on the bull. She did really miss it. “Why the hell not? It’s not like I’ve got anything else going on in my life.”

“Okay. I’ll go tell Gus and the guys. He’ll get things started and let Tagart go first.”

“Sounds good. I’ll be out in a minute.”

Sally and Susanna left the room, and Elise looked into the mirror. She thought about Devlon, her best friend and first and only lover. They had done everything together. They even worked side by side on the dude ranch. He had come to mean so much to her as they planned on getting married and making their dreams come true. They were young. She was nineteen and he was twenty. She felt her chest tighten. How did things go so wrong? Why had he let his need for money rule his mind? He felt that he was nothing without it. Nothing but a stable cleaner, a worker for the wealthy, and eventually his gambling habit cost him his life and Elise her freedom. Just thinking about Tysler Cobbs made her stomach ache and her heart race. That mean, rich bastard was the reason why Devlon died.

She took a deep breath, knowing that she was safe here in Texas. She’d paid off Devlon’s debt with money instead of her body as they had suggested. Sure she stole one of their prize calves and sold it right under their noses to their competitor Bryce Rutherford, then used their own money to pay them and they were none the wiser. Working on the ranch had taught her life lessons and ultimately survival. She chuckled to herself. By now, the calf was full grown and showing signs of being from the champion bloodline. She had a feeling that Bryce knew exactly where she had gotten the calf, but he didn’t care. His hatred for Tysler Cobb went back years.

She fixed her hair and smiled into the mirror. It was time to show that Tennessee cowboy Tagart how a real cowgirl could ride a bull.

* * * *

“Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we have a very special event for you to kick off the start of our bull-riding competition, here at Dixie Chix. Please give a round of applause to Tagart McKeiver, owner and operator of TM International Promotions, a prize-winning bull rider, and a hell of a ladies’ man,” Gus announced, and the crowd roared and cheered as Tagart began to wave at them and smile as he placed his riding gloves onto his hands. Gus played “Country Girl (Shake It for Me),” by Luke Bryan as the women cheered for him.

Elise looked on from around the corner of the bar where she remained hiding as she stood there prepared to take Tagart out and ride the bull longer.

“We have a very special

challenger this evening. Someone who many of you know, but probably didn’t realize how much she likes the feel of big muscles between her thighs.” The hoots and hollers got even louder, and she felt her cheeks warm as she shook her head. She was going to wring Gus’s neck for this.

“All in the name of Dixie Chix, honey,” Susanna whispered as she squeezed her shoulders. Elise smiled as she looked around the room and immediately caught site of Vic and Tommy Ollsen. Why, whenever she saw them, did her heart skip a beat? She turned away, knowing that they weren’t interested in her, and she wasn’t opening her heart to anyone. She remembered them riding the bull and the young ladies flaunting themselves all over the two sexy Native American deputies. They were a hot item. Just the name Comanche gave her own feminine parts a little tingle.

“The challenger of this evening’s main event is none other than one of our very own Dixie Chix, Elise Ross.”

At that moment the crowd roared and Gus began playing “She’s Country” by Jason Aldean. She slowly made her way through the crowd as the beat of the drums started and the words began to fill the room. She did a little dance, spinning and making her way toward the ring where the electric bull sat waiting for her and her opponent beside it.

Cowboys and cowgirls moved out of the way as the music continued to play, and Tagart stared at her, smiling. Gus lowered the music, and Tagart reached his hand out to shake hers. When she took his, he smiled.

“Real nice, darling. Good luck.”

“Good luck to you, too.” She winked at him.

* * * *