“Thought you were going to kiss her there for a minute,” Mason said

Bandera watched the rearview mirror. Holly was getting on the back of her cousin’s giant motorcycle. Even from this distance, it was easy to admire her nice long legs. “I never kiss women who practice seduction on the rebound,” he said.

The motorcycle was coming up behind them, traveling at a good clip. It passed them, and Holly waved, her long hair flying out from underneath the helmet. Watching the motorcycle carefully, he passed, wondering why it was slowing. Holly waved at him, her eyes alight with mischief; she raised her fingers and shot something through his open window.

He snatched it from his lap.

Mason sat up to stare over the seat at the lacy white missile. “It’s that thing the groom is supposed to throw to his groomsmen,” Mason said, shocked. “Whoever catches it is next to get married.” He recoiled as if the satin-and-lace circle might fly his way. “I’ve known grown men who wouldn’t even be in the same room with a garter!”

Bandera met his brother’s wide gaze in the mirror, his heart thundering harder than it ever had in his life. The satin felt slippery and unusual between his rough fingers.

“You caught it,” Mason said. “I hope you’re ready.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tina Leonard loves to laugh, which is one of the many reasons she loves writing Harlequin American Romance books. In another lifetime Tina thought she would be single and an East Coast fashion buyer forever. The unexpected happened when Tina met Tim again after many years—she hadn’t seen him since they’d attended school together from first through eighth grade. They married, and now Tina keeps a close eye on her school-age children’s friends! Lisa and Dean keep their mother busy with soccer, gymnastics and horseback riding. They are proud of their mom’s “kissy books” and eagerly help her any way they can. Tina hopes that readers will enjoy the love of family she writes about in her books. Recently a reviewer wrote, “Leonard has a wonderful sense of the ridiculous,” which Tina loved so much she wants it for her epitaph. Right now, however, she’s focusing on her wonderful life and writing a lot more romance! You can visit her at www.tinaleonard.com.

Belonging to Bandera
Tina Leonard

www.millsandboon.co.uk

THE JEFFERSON BROTHERS OF MALFUNCTION JUNCTION

Mason (38), Maverick and Mercy’s eldest son— He can’t run away from his own heartache or The Family Problem.

Frisco Joe (37)—Fell hard for Annabelle Turnberry and has sweet Emmie to show for it. They live in Texas wine country.

Fannin (36)—Life can’t get better than cozying up with Kelly Stone and his darling twins in Ireland.

Laredo (35), twin to Tex—Loves Katy Goodnight, North Carolina and being the only brother with a reputation for winning his woman without staying on a bull.

Tex (35), twin to Laredo—Grower of roses and other plants, Tex fell for Cissy Kisserton and decided her water-bound way of life was best.

Calhoun (34)—Loves to paint nude women and he’s finally found Olivia Spinlove, the one woman who holds his heart.

Ranger (33), twin to Archer—Fell for Hannah Hotchkiss and will never leave the open road without her.

Archer (33), twin to Ranger—Sassy Aussie Clove Penmire came all the way from Australia to Texas and took his heart.

Crockett (31), twin to Navarro—He was the first artist in the family! And he wants everyone to know it.

Navarro (31), twin to Crockett—Fell for Nina Cakes when he was supposed to be watching her sister, Valentine, who is the mother of Last’s child.

Bandera (27)—Spouts poetry and has moved from Whitman to Frost—anything to keep his mind off the ranch’s troubles.

Last (26)—The only brother who has become a new father with no hope of marrying his child's mother. Will he ever find the happy ending he always wanted?

Many, many heartfelt thanks to my friends, the Gal Pals and the Scandalous Ladies, for being an endless source of support and enthusiasm. Georgia Haynes, thank you for being such an awesome proofreader and cheerleader.

Much love to Lisa and DeanO, for being my best friends.

As always, thank you to the wonderful people at Harlequin and eHarlequin for giving me a career—especially Stacy Boyd, for keeping me focused and working!

Finally, many thanks to all the readers out there who have enjoyed the Jefferson bad boys—your support has meant so much to me!

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Epilogue

Chapter One

Effort separates the quitters from the rest— Maverick to his sons when they wanted to quit studying the great classics and read comics instead

“What I think,” Bandera Jefferson said, “is that he who lives by the sword, dies by the sword. Ernest Hemingway, in a not too kind moment, if you ask me.”

“What are you blabbing about?” Mason, Bandera’s oldest brother and head of the Jefferson family, demanded.

“I’m talking about our moved-to-town, much-missed next-door neighbor, Mimi. If she, as the new sheriff, wants you to be her deputy, you’d probably be the happiest you’ve ever been, because the path of the sword has always been your way.”

Mason grunted. “That soliloquy was philosophical and annoying all at once. And incorrect, I might add.”

“I took the road less traveled,” Bandera recited. “Frost, of course. I’ve been looking through Maverick’s old books, and did you know Dad liked to underline famous quotations?”

“Which is why you have a healthy respect for them. That doesn’t mean you know what you’re talking about, though.” Mason put his hat on before getting into his truck. “Famous quotations are only useful if you abide by their advice, Dad’s notwithstanding.”

“Where are you going?” Bandera demanded.

“None of thy business,” Mason said, “quoting me, in my favorite conversational tone, Butt-Out-Ski.”

“I don’t like it. It’s too lowbrow, not that I ever really understood the terminology of low and high brows. Where does a brow come into the picture, anyway?” Bandera murmured, his voice trailing off as he stared into Mason’s truck. “Hey, you’ve got a duffel in there! Stuffed full.”

Bandera remembered all too well the months that Mason had recently spent Lord knows where, leaving his younger brothers to run the family ranch, affectionately known as Malfunction Junction. “You can’t go off and leave us again! We’re bone thin at our place as it is. The ranch needs you. We need you.” He frowned, staring at his brother, who clearly wasn’t listening to him. “This is because of Mimi and that deputy stuff, isn’t it? Mason, listen. If you don’t want to run for deputy, tell her you’re not interested. Tell Mimi you’ll help with her campaign and that’s it. No more adventures. Say, ‘Mimi, our high jinks are at an end. You and I are no longer wayward kids.’ Quoth Bandera, from a trough of desperation, on an unseasonably hot Texas day in June.”

Mason shook his head. “I need to talk to Hawk, and maybe Jellyfish.”

“The phone’s in the kitchen,” Bandera said helpfully. “Or you can use my cell if yours is dead.”

“Gotta be in person.” Mason cranked the truck engine.

“A duffel means more than one or two days.” Bandera blinked, thinking fast. What if Mason decided not to come back for months? His brother was under a lot of stress. It wasn’t just the ranch—it was Mimi, too. Mason had never fully retrieved his heart from Mimi’s clutches, and Mimi asking him to be her deputy wasn’t sitting well. For Mason, it was temptation of the highest order, the thought of working daily with the woman he couldn’t get off of his mind.

“Don’t you leave this driveway,” Bandera said. “I’m grabbing my stuff and going with you.” Someone had to bring Mason back from the edge of madness.

“No.” He began backing up the truck. Out of the window he said, “You need to stay here. There’s work to be done.”

But there was a brother to lose. There wasn’t time to call a family council, and Bandera knew an emergency when he saw one. None of the other brothers would allow Mason to go off like this, not with him acting all secretive. A day or two of ranch-work minus two brothers was better than six months of Mason being off in the wilds, nursing his obtuse heart.

“If you move from here,” Bandera said, standing up to his brother for maybe the first time in his life, “I will follow you in my truck. You will see me in your rearview mirror like a hound from hell on your tail.”

Mason sighed, putting his vehicle in Park. “You’re an idiot.”

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me,” Bandera said.

“And if you recite one thing while we’re gone,” Mason said, “I promise to do you some type of harm.”

Bandera loped off to get his stuff. In the hallway of the main house, he ran into his brother Crockett. “I just discovered Mason in the midst of another Houdini,” Bandera said. “Not much time to talk, but go out there and stall him, okay? Just in case he decides not to buy my threats.”

“What?” Crockett looked out the window.

“Just go keep him occupied!” Bandera ran up the stairs. He tossed jeans, boots, socks, a passport just in case—

His youngest brother, Last, came into the room. “Running away from home?”

“No, but I think Mason is. He’s got his duffel in the truck and he’s heading off to see Hawk.” Bandera threw a toothbrush into his bag and dug around in his drawers for other things he might need.

“Why?” Last asked. “Can’t he just call him?”

“Apparently not. Which is why I’m riding shotgun. Unless you want to go?”

“No, thanks.” Last backed up. “I’ll pack a cooler for you.”

“Thanks.” Running down the stairs and crossing the lawn, Bandera jumped into Mason’s truck. “Crockett, you’re a good man.”

Crockett shrugged his shoulders as he leaned his forearms on Mason’s window. “I’d go with you, but someone’s got to work around here.”

Mason grunted. “’Bout time you did something.”

Crockett slapped his brother’s hat down over his face. Mason moved it back into position.

Last slammed the truck bed after he put the cooler in. “Here’s snacks. Stop and get more ice.”

“Jeez.” Mason looked at Bandera. “We’re only going a few hours down the road. Do you think you’ll need much more survival gear?”

Bandera pulled licorice strings from his pocket. “I’m good to go on the road less traveled. Frost, of course, again. I really like the wintry old poet.”

“Damn it!” Mason gunned the truck, making Crockett jump back and Last hustle to the side of the driveway. “I swear I’ll strangle you with your licorice. And then you’ll die by your own sword.”

“I can tell it’s gonna be fun,” Crockett called. “Goodbye, Huck Finn! See ya, Tom Sawyer!”

“Just a regular bunch of comedians,” Mason mumbled as he pulled away from the ranch.

“So what’s the adventure all about?”

“Maverick, our long-lost father,” Mason said. “Why else would I need Hawk’s detective talents and the help of his erstwhile loony sidekick, Jellyfish?”

“Jelly isn’t loony,” Bandera said. “He’s existential, man.”

Mason grunted.

“So what does Maverick have to do with anything? What do you think you can find now that you didn’t before?”

“Nothing. But Hawk will be better at turning over rocks and running through dead-end signs than I was. I’m hiring him. Or them. Professionalism is what we need.”

“Whatever.” Bandera looked out the window as they passed the many miles of their ranch. “Mason, maybe we should just accept the fact that we’re never going to know what happened to Dad.”

He knew it was the wrong thing to say the second he said it, and Mason’s silence was loud with disapproval. Only Mason could communicate censure so effectively without making a sound. Bandera sighed as he took in the picturesque view speeding past his window. “We have one pretty spread of land. I’m going to miss Malfunction Junction.”

“We’re only going to be gone a few days,” Mason said. “It’s not like you need your teddy bear or anything.”

“I wouldn’t make fun of sleeping with teddy bears,” Bandera said. “If you were sleeping with your little Mimi-bear, you’d not be off trolling after the past.”

“Lovely,” Mason said. “Why don’t you find your own bear and keep your nose out of my business?”

“Because I like your business,” Bandera replied. “It’s much more interesting than mine. All I know about my corner of the world is that I like it the way it is. Women only bring chaos, though I can sometimes appreciate a little lowbrow chaos.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I like my women on the rowdy side,” Bandera said. “Not too sweet, not too sour. Not too good and not too bad. Like a white frilly dress with a polka-dotted thong underneath—hey, look at that!”

Bandera craned his head to see the woman on the side of the road waving a large sign. She was wearing blue-jean shorts and a white halter top. If he didn’t know better, he’d think the halter had polka dots on it, big ones. “Probably a car wash,” he murmured. “Slow down, Mason.”

“No,” Mason said. “There’s no time. This is going to be a fast trip. It’s an information-seeking venture, not a woman hunt. Nor do I need a car wash.”

They whizzed past so fast Bandera could barely read her sign. The blonde flashed it at him, holding it up high so that he got a dizzying look at her jiggling breasts. White teeth, laughing blue eyes and legs so cute he was sure the fanny she was packing had to be just as sweet. “Stop, Mason!”

His brother stomped on the brake, sighing. “Why couldn’t you have stayed home?”

“That woman’s sign says she needs assistance,” Bandera said righteously, although he really thought it had read I’m Holly.

“And Lord only knows we never leave a lady without assistance.” Mason glanced into the rearview mirror. “I sense trouble in a big way.”

The lady bounced up to Mason’s door. “Hi,” she said.

“Howdy,” Mason and Bandera said together. “Can we help you, miss?” Bandera asked.

“I’m waiting for my cousin,” she said. “Obviously, you are not him.”

Mason was silent. Bandera took off his hat. “Did your car break down, miss?”

“No.” She smiled, and dimples as cute as baby lima beans appeared in her cheeks. Bandera felt his heart go boom!

“My cousin is coming to pick me up,” she said. “That’s why my sign says I’m Holly.”

“I’m confused,” Mason said to Bandera. “Nowhere on her bright white placard do I see the word assistance. Or even help!” He sent his brother a disgusted grimace.

“My cousin and I haven’t seen each other in a while,” Holly said. “He might not recognize me.”

Bandera stared at her high-piled blond hair with fascination. It had pretty twinkly jewels among the strands, which matched the iridescent sequins scattered on the white halter top.

“Okay,” Mason said. “You’ll have to pardon us. We need to be getting along. Normally, we don’t stop for ladies holding signs, but we thought you needed help.”

“Actually, I do,” she said. “I could use a kiss.”

Bandera’s jaw dropped. “A kiss?”

“Sure. I’d like just one kiss from a cowboy before I leave Texas.” Her blue eyes laughed at him. Mason was far closer to her than he was, and that was a durn shame if she was wanting kissing.

“Why?” he asked.

“I’m feeling dangerous,” she explained, “since I just left my wedding after I caught my fiancé in bed with my best friend.”

“Ouch,” Mason said.

“Precisely. So I called my cousin from the church phone, and this is our meeting place. But now that you’re here, I’m thinking a girl ought to be kissed on her wedding day,” she said, looking at Bandera.

Bandera’s heart gave a funny ding inside him. She sure did have kissing on the brain.

“So you’re a bride on the run,” Mason said. “Haven’t we had one of those in our family?”

“That was a groom on the run,” Bandera said dryly, giving him a pointed look. “Plural, actually.”

“I’m not running, I’m going on a well-needed sabbatical,” Holly corrected.

“Actually, you have an itch to get as far away from your fiancé as possible,” Mason theorized.

“You understand me totally. I am trying really hard not to cry,” Holly said. “You might have noticed my hair is done. My gown was chiffon and sequins—this is the top, the skirt I discarded—and I left the ring on the condom box I found on the kitchen counter.”

“In the kitchen?” Mason asked.

Holly shrugged. “They’d moved to the bedroom and didn’t hear me come into the house. There was a red bra lying in the fruit bowl and a trail of clothes leading into the den.” She sighed and blinked her eyes quickly, which made her look like a doll. A doll trying not to cry.

“I think the condom box was the right place to leave your engagement ring,” Bandera said, trying to be sympathetic. He really did not want her to cry. She was too pretty to be sad, he thought. I would make her smile all the time.

Mason groaned.

“So about that kiss…” Bandera began, unable to resist.

“Mike should have been here by now,” Holly said. Her gaze sought the long, empty road behind the truck. A stray curl fell from her pretty upsweep and brushed along the back of her neck. Bandera watched her lips bow as she worried. What man would be stupid enough to cheat on a mouth that could pucker into a perfect plump bud?

“Guess we should be going, since she doesn’t need a ride,” Mason said uncomfortably.

“Not so fast.” Bandera looked at Holly again. “Haste makes waste, you know.”

“Who said that?” Mason demanded, his tone low.

“Some wise man.” Bandera took a deep breath and turned to Holly. “Ride with us.”

She peered into the truck to see him better. “With you?”

He shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”

“Why not indeed?” Mason said dryly. “We have nothing pressing.”

“What about my cousin?” she asked.

At that moment a motorcycle pulled up behind Mason’s truck. A loud gunning noise punctuated the arrival before the driver shut the engine off. A large, ponytailed man got off the bike and walked toward them.

“Cousin Mike?” Holly said.

“Yeah. Hey, Henshaw.”

They embraced briefly before Mike looked at Bandera and Mason. “They bothering you?”

“No,” Holly said hastily. “They thought I needed help.”

He shook his head. “Your mother’s going to be worried.”

“My mother will understand,” she said. “She wouldn’t want me marrying a man with the morals of a…bull.”

“Well, time for us to hit the road, Mason,” Bandera said. He figured they should. She might be cute, but she had issues. “Too bad about the kiss, though.”

“What kiss?” Cousin Mike demanded, bristling.

Though Bandera thought many men would probably want to kiss this beauty, he said, “No kiss here.”

“I was feeling the desire to rebound,” Little Miss Adventure said. “Love the one you’re with and all that.”

Bandera blinked, appreciating her recitation. She looked like a Holly. She looked like a rosebud. Gosh, he was certain she could be a Gertie May and he’d still find her ravishing. “You probably get kissed all the time.”

“I’ve never been kissed by a cowboy,” Holly said.

Mason’s brows rose as he looked from his brother to Holly. “Bandera, I’m going to let you drive. I need a nap.”

“He’s not the kissing type,” Bandera explained.

“No, I’m not,” Mason said, getting out of the driver’s seat and into the back of the double cab.

When Bandera stepped out of the truck Holly’s gaze roamed over his face. He smelled perfume and noticed she was dainty compared to him—a tiny bundle of femininity.

“I’d best go with Mike,” she said, looking up at him with what he thought was awe. For the first time in his life, he realized he liked being tall. Sweeping her up into his arms would be no problem. Making love to her would be—

“My mother would be upset if I rode off with two strange men,” Holly said.

His fantasy shot, Bandera eased behind the steering wheel and closed the door. He wanted to say that he thought he and Mason had less strangeness about them than Cousin Mike, but he figured that might not be suave. “We’ll be off, then.”

“Thanks for the offer, though. ’Bye, cowboy.”

Bandera nodded, tipping his hat. “Best of luck to you.” Putting the truck in Drive, he pulled away.

“Thought you were going to do it there for a minute,” Mason said.

Bandera watched the rearview mirror. Holly was getting on the back of the giant motorcycle and putting a helmet on. Even from this distance, it was easy to admire her nice long legs.

“I never kiss women who practice seduction on the rebound,” he said.

“Not when they have a Cousin Mike attached to them, anyway,” Mason said. “That seemed like a high-risk scenario.”

“Wonder why her fiancé was such a dope? Why do girls always hook up with losers?”

Mason grunted. “I think any comment at this point should be a sonnet from Wordsworth, but I can’t think of one.”

“Maybe Shakespearean tragedy.” The motorcycle was coming up behind them, traveling at a good clip. It passed them, and Holly waved, one long blond curl flying out from underneath the helmet. “I hate tragedies.”

“A runaway bride is a tragedy.”

“A runaway anything is a tragedy. Trains, horses, brothers. All four-hanky events.” Bandera stepped on the gas, and was soon gaining on the motorcycle once more. Watching it carefully, he passed, wondering why it was slowing. Holly waved at him, then raised her fingers and shot something through his open window.

He snatched it from his lap. All white. No black polka dots. His gaze flew back to the road, and to her, as she rode off up the highway once more.

Mason sat up to stare over the seat at the lacy white missile. “It’s that thing the groom is supposed to throw to his groomsmen,” he said, shocked. “Whoever catches it is next to get married, so the legend goes. I’ve known grown men who wouldn’t be in the same room with a garter.”

Bandera met his brother’s wide gaze in the mirror, his heart thundering harder than it ever had in his life. The satin felt slippery and unusual between his rough fingers.

“You caught it,” Mason said. “Hope you’re ready.”

Chapter Two

Bandera hastily dropped the garter into his shirt pocket. “I don’t believe in superstitions.”

“Maybe you should,” Mason said. “What about the Jefferson family superstition? The Curse of the Broken Body Parts? If something hurts, you’re in love? You could be in for some pain. Be forewarned.”

Bandera grunted. “Nothing of yours hurts, and you’re in love.”

Mason sat back, silent. Bandera rolled his eyes. He couldn’t concentrate on Mason and his problems with Mimi when the garter lay in his pocket. He didn’t dare remove it and stare at it in front of Mason. That garter had been on Miss Holly’s leg at one point, and he dearly wanted to take a closer look at any article of clothing that had adorned her. It was just curiosity, he told himself, but he wouldn’t be a man if he didn’t have a healthy dose of male interest revving his motor.

“Why do you think she threw it at me?” he wondered.

“Either she no longer wanted it, and thought you might like a souvenir of meeting her, or she was extending an invitation.”

“To?”

“To follow her. Luckily, we don’t fall for female wiles in our clan.”

“Spoken too soon,” Bandera murmured. “Looks like we have Harley trouble up ahead.”

Mason stretched up to look. “I’m not one bit surprised. That garter is bad luck, and you’d be wise to hearken its warning unless you want a trip to the altar.”

“That kind of trip I don’t want,” Bandera said, stopping the truck alongside the motorcycle. His heart beat with pleasure at the sight of Holly. He really hadn’t figured he’d ever see her again. “And I don’t believe in bad luck charms.” Switching the engine off, he got out of the truck. “Need a hand?” he asked Cousin Mike, his eyes on Holly.

Mike bristled. “Not yours.”

“Lovely,” Bandera said. “We’ve met once and he likes me.”

Holly shook her head. “He’s generally personality-impaired. We love him anyway.”

“Probably because you don’t see each other often. But I’ll try to remember his dysfunction.” He stared at the motorcycle. “Nice machine.”

“It’s my baby,” Mike said mournfully. “But moody, I’ll admit.”

Bandera shook his head. “Load it into the back of the truck. We’ll give you a lift to the nearest town with a bike shop.”

Mike scratched his neck. “I guess I’ll have to take you up on that.”

“Oh, good,” Holly said. “This will be fun.”

Bandera wondered. Mason wasn’t inclined to be anything but superstitious, Mike was mourning his bike, Holly wanted to be kissed by a cowboy, and Bandera figured there had to be very little chance of that happening.

But he was going to keep a close eye on her. He did not like pain, especially where a woman was involved.

Holly went to the truck and slid in the back of the double cab next to Mason, before Bandera could help Mike get the Harley loaded. Mason looked petrified, and Bandera wondered if it would be too obvious if he asked his brother to drive so he could sit in back with Holly.

Yeah. Too obvious.

Sighing, he got in the truck. “Off we go,” he said. “Fun, fun, fun.”

HOLLY TRIED HARD not to watch as Bandera drove. Her gaze kept going to the rearview mirror, where she could see his eyes shaded by his hat. They were dark and mysterious, which she found appealing.

Her ex of a few hours had been blond and much thinner than Bandera Jefferson. Bandera was a very big, broad-shouldered man. Strength radiated from him, even from the sun lines around his eyes. She liked his squarish jaw and the way he looked at her like she was some curvy siren.

She could see her garter peeking out of the pocket of his denim western shirt. Why she had thrown it, she really couldn’t say. Until today, impulsive gestures weren’t her thing.

The garter had been stuck in her purse hastily as she’d grabbed things and left the church.

She’d only had time to scribble a short note for her mother and father, telling them that she was sorry and that she loved them. After guilt had hit her—she was leaving them to clean up the mess—she’d known in the next instant her mother would applaud her, her sister would be proud, and Daddy, well, Dad might just decide to put some sense into her ex.

She’d not written the real reason she was leaving. Her ex really wasn’t up to Henshaw family wrath.

Some wedding planner I turned out to be, she thought.

But no, the wedding would have been beautiful. Everything had been just right.

It was groom-picking she obviously needed help with.

Silence descended over the truck as the four occupants wondered what to say to each other. Bandera’s gaze met hers, and they both gazed quickly in opposite directions.

She glanced at Mason. His eyes were closed, but his jaw was tense. Then she looked at Bandera and found him watching her in the mirror again.

“Guess we interrupted your plans,” she said.

“Somewhat. We didn’t have a set schedule.”

“I did.” She looked at her French manicured nails. “But I’m changing course.”

“Sounds like the best thing to do right now. How come you weren’t at the wedding?” he asked Mike.

“I was headed there when I got the call that it was called off. Actually, I got about ten calls.”

“How?” Holly asked, surprised. “I didn’t tell anyone but you that I was leaving.”

“Your mother called my mother, who called me. Then your mother called me. Then your father. Then your ex-fiancé called me.”

“He did? They did? Why didn’t you tell me all this?” She noticed Bandera was listening with rapt attention, though trying to appear that he wasn’t.

“Because you surprised me when I picked you up and you were with these guys. I thought you might have gotten yourself into trouble.”

“I never get myself into trouble,” she said sternly. “And if I did, I’d know how to get myself out just fine. All I needed was a ride.”

“Anyway,” Mike said, “they called me after I was already on my way here to get you. Do you want to use my cell phone to call them?”

“I’ll call Mom and Dad later.” Chuck she was never going to call again.

“And Johnny?” Mike asked.

“His name was Chuck. What’s to talk about?” she demanded. “I think some things don’t require words.”

“I agree,” Bandera said, his tone way too cheerful. “Red bras in fruit bowls generally illuminate a situation better than linguistic artifice.”

“Ah,” Holly said.

“As does a ring left on top of a condom box.”

Cousin Mike cleared his throat.

Holly looked at Bandera.

“I’m sorry,” he said, as if only she could hear. “A lady like you deserves more considerate treatment.”

Her heart seemed to curl up and die with mortification, yet she appreciated Bandera’s efforts to comfort her. “It’s all right,” she said.

“No, it’s not. Did you know that the cognitive area of the brain, the part that helps make appropriate decisions, is the last to develop? It may not happen in some brains until twenty-four to twenty-six years of age.”

She blinked. “Are you making excuses for my ex? Are you saying his cognitive functioning was impaired?”

She thought she saw color rise up Bandera’s neck.

“No,” he said, “I’m saying you’ll be older the next time you choose a man, and you’ll know exactly what you want. This was obviously not the right man. And yes, he must have been cognitively impaired, not to mention character-stunted, to make a bad decision like that. I’m sure you couldn’t see any of that, however. I bet he sold himself to you as a regular prince.”

“He did,” she said sadly. “But he was no prince at all.”

“Precisely,” Bandera agreed cheerfully. “Now, the difference between you and me is that you agreed to be married. I wouldn’t dream of such a thing. My cognitive functioning will always be too impaired for me to select a wife.”

“Peachy,” Holly said. “And you’re not too proud to admit it.”

“No, I’m not. Did you know Confucius said that a gentleman has neither anxiety nor fear? I have both,” he boasted. “When it comes to the idea of matrimony, I am both anxious and fearful. I admire that you were even willing to consider it.”

“Do you study Confucius often?” Holly asked.

“I like quotes. They give me a point of reference in my life.”

She looked at him thoughtfully. “Are you super-intelligent, or just full of hot air?”

“Hot air,” Cousin Mike and Mason said in unison.

She leaned back and stared out the window. He probably was full of hot air. More than Chuck, even.

But Bandera did make her feel better, she admitted. It was the way he kept watching her—until she’d catch him, then he’d look away quickly—that told her he found her attractive. For a woman who’d found a bra thrown atop the bananas in her kitchen, it was some comfort that the cowboy seemed interested.

Of course, he probably sold every woman the wheelbarrow full of horse manure he was pushing. “Where are we going?”

“If I remember, there’s a bike shop up in Sweet-briar, just thirty minutes from here. If not, Charley will know where we can take your Hog,” he said to Mike.

“Thank you,” Holly said. “For going out of your way.”

“My pleasure,” Bandera replied, his voice deep and sincere. Holly glanced back to the mirror, finding his gaze on her once again, and this time she didn’t turn away. After a heartbeat passed, she quickly broke eye contact and went back to staring at the countryside, unable to acknowledge—or reply to—the masculine promise in his voice.

The very thought of his pleasure made her skin tingle. Made her glow inside.

She had to be crazy. She had to be suffering from canceled-wedding fever to even be looking at another man. She should be crying; she should be devastated.

Bandera handed her a tissue over the seat, which she took, but Holly knew she wasn’t going to need it.

“How’s your adventure so far?” he asked.

She met his gaze. “Getting better all the time.”

A cell phone rang, and Mike answered it gruffly before handing it over the seat to her. “Want to talk to the groom? Last chance before we cross the county line.”

She took the phone reluctantly, aware that Bandera was watching her every move, his eyes dark and hooded.

He wasn’t even going to pretend not to be listening. Maybe he was more rat than gentleman, she decided. “Hi,” she said, her tone not happy nor encouraging.

“Where are you?” Chuck demanded. “We’re all in the church waiting on you!”

“Who is waiting?” She frowned, knowing that her side of the family all knew there was to be no wedding. Surely his family knew, too. How much room for misunderstanding was there in leaving your engagement ring behind?

“My whole family and all my friends!” Chuck said, his voice rising in anger. “My side of the church is full, your side is empty. There’s not one single soul there, and I’m beginning to think that’s very suspicious, considering we sent out two hundred and fifty invitations!”

She realized Mason could hear her ex’s terrified voice when he pulled his hat down low over his eyes. There was only a foot of space between them, and he was obviously uncomfortable. “There’s not going to be a wedding,” she said, “at least not where I’m the bride and you’re the groom.”

“What in the hell are you talking about?” Chuck demanded. “Everyone is here! Waiting on you!”

“The minister?”

“Well, no. I’m sure he’s around somewhere, though.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. “Did you find the ring?”

“What ring?”

“The engagement ring you gave me. When you asked me to marry you and before you slept with my best friend.”

Sudden silence met that comment. Glancing Bandera’s way, she thought she saw a small grin hover around his lips.

“I did no such thing. I’m appalled you would even suggest it!” Chuck said, his tone self-righteous. “Is that why you’re not here? You’re standing me up in front of all my friends and family because of some stupid misunderstanding—”

“I was there,” Holly said quietly. “There was no misunderstanding. You’ll find the ring on the condom box.”

There was another silence. “Listen,” he finally said, no longer trying to mask his annoyance. “If you had ever slept with me, if you hadn’t been so intent on that no-sex-until-we’re-married crap, I wouldn’t have had to go someplace else to get what a man deserves!”

Everyone in the truck heard Chuck’s shout. Mason promptly cringed and Mike gave a deep sigh.

She wondered how deeply embarrassment could sink into her soul. Then Bandera pulled to the side of the road, stopped the truck and reached over the seat to gently take the phone from her hand. She could still hear Chuck raging as Bandera held the phone up over the seat.

“Let me show you how to put the past behind you,” he said kindly. “This is your past.” He closed the phone with a snap and handed it to Mike, who put it in his pocket. “See how easy that was?” Bandera asked Holly.

She blinked. “Just like that?”

He shrugged. “Over and out.”

She stared into his eyes, which were dark and warm and understanding. Something peaceful melted over her, soothing the dark, hurt places. “Thank you,” she said.

“Again, my pleasure.” He grinned. “Don’t ever let a man talk down to you like that. Now be a good girl and open that cooler your purse is resting on. Get Mike and Mason and yourself a beer, because you’ve all had a hard day.”

“Are you talking down to me?”

“No.” Bandera grinned. “I’m merely asking you to pass the boys a beer.”

“I’ll go for that,” Mason said. “Whew!” He fanned himself with his hat.

She looked at him askance. “What?”

Mason frowned. “Your fellow was a bit of a whiner, wasn’t he?”

A blush ran all over her as she remembered that everyone in the truck knew she hadn’t slept with her ex-fiancé—he’d certainly shouted his complaint loud enough. She handed Mason a beer, and then Mike, who snapped the top off and took a long swig.

“I was thinking about getting married once,” Mason said conversationally.

Holly thought she heard Bandera gasp. Her eyes met his in the mirror, but he quickly broke contact and stared straight ahead at the road. “Why didn’t you?” she asked Mason.

He scratched his head. “I never did figure that out exactly.”

“Oh?” Holly held the beer bottle between her hands, happy for the coldness to reduce the heat of her own mortification. She focused on Mason’s story. “Wasn’t the right time?”

“I suppose not.”

She looked at Bandera. “What about you? You have a sad story, too?”

“Hell, no,” he said. “My stories are all happy and they’re going to stay that way.”

“Really?” She leaned forward, her arms over the back of the seat, and looked at him thoughtfully. “Did you learn that from Confucius, too? The secret to eternal happiness?”

“No. I learned it from my family. Happiness was a survival skill.”

She glanced at Mason, who sat unmoving, the beer bottle hovering near his lips as he took in Bandera’s words. “That stinks,” he said suddenly. “I never thought about it before, but you’re right. Happiness was a survival skill, and I believe we all stunk at it.”

“Oh, come on, we were happy,” Bandera protested.

“We were something, but it wasn’t happy.”

“We were happy! Last was always telling us how good it used to be.”

Mason merely shook his head and glanced out the other window. Holly caught Bandera’s gaze on her and sent him a sympathetic look. Maybe their youth hadn’t been as happy as they were pretending? “Thank you for picking us up,” she told him.

“It was nothing. We had nowhere pressing to be.”

“Although we’d like to get there eventually,” Mason said with a growl. “You just reminded me why I travel light, without family.”

Holly’s brow puckered. “So we are getting you off track?”

“No,” Mason said with a sigh. “Our tracks are never quite straight.”

“That’s right. Everybody out. Holly’s going to sit up here by me, so that she can read the map for me.”

“I’m not a very good map reader,” she said quickly, “I’m afraid I’d get you even more behind than you are.”

“Yes, but that’s Mason time you’re worried about,” Bandera said. “My time is slow and easy.”

She blinked, caught by his words and the drawl. Without consciously wanting to, she thought about sex. Slow and easy sex. Lots of it. With Bandera.

Whew. Not ten minutes after her ex had bawled her out for making him wait until the wedding.

Something was wrong with her. She definitely had rebound fever.

“I cannot read your map,” she said decisively. You represent the lure of the unattainable, and I am in a weakened state.

Mike hopped out, taking his beer with him. “Out,” he said to Holly. “Go read the man’s map.”

“Now, look,” she protested. “I don’t know that I like traveling with three men who are developing caveman instincts!” Sitting next to Bandera was going to get her nothing but trouble. She had a funny feeling he had cracked her code: sensitive, brokenhearted female needs a little male attention, some savvy sweet talk, a little cowboy chivalry and, shazam! She’s saved from a tragically unhappy ending!

“We’re not cavemen,” Mason said. “We’re trying to treat you like the lady you are.”

She hesitated. Mike shrugged. “I like them,” he said to her. “Better than Chuck.”

“We don’t know them,” she said. “And they’re men.”

“Ahh,” the three men chorused.

“What?” Holly demanded.

“Man issues,” Bandera said. “Even before the big breakup, you had man issues.”

“You’re a freak,” she said, “and I’m going to read your map for you, just so you can have plenty of time to think over your own issues once I get us all good and lost.”

“Drop me off at the bike shop before you lead us the wrong way,” Cousin Mike said. “I fancy a card game with some fellow bikers.”

She sighed and crawled into the front seat. “I have now entered the danger zone,” she said, her tone a trifle mocking.

“You have no idea,” Bandera declared with a grin.

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