Must Love Cowboys: This steamy and heart-warming cowboy rom-com is a must-read! (Once Upon A Time In Carly Bloom (good short books .TXT) 📖

No. He wasn’t a kid. He was a man who’d fallen in love with a woman. A real one. And he would never recover from it. Not in a million years.

He briefly closed his eyes. He had to grasp this moment and hold on tight. Instead of suffering, he’d will himself to enjoy every minute of it. He was going to shower Alice with attention. He’d hold her in his arms and spin her around the dance floor. He’d even kiss her if she’d allow it.

Because tonight was his last night as Alice Martin’s fake boyfriend, and he’d be damned if he was going to miss any of it. He’d love her with every ounce of his being, right up to midnight.

And for every moment after.

The processional began, and everyone stood and turned to watch Brittany come down the aisle. Everyone except Beau.

He only had eyes for Alice.

Whew! The wedding had gone smoothly (except for the ringbearer refusing to walk and the unity candle refusing to light and Miss Mills refusing to hit the right notes on the organ), and this was absolutely the most fun Alice had ever had at a reception. She felt like the belle of the ball. But holy guacamole, she looked a mess!

She hardly recognized the woman staring back at her in the bathroom mirror. Smudged mascara, pink cheeks, and an updo that was slowly becoming a down-do.

She had no intention of fixing any of it, so she simply washed her hands.

The door opened, and Claire walked in with little Rosa. “Hey there, Alice. Are you having a good time?”

“I’m having a freaking blast. How about you?”

“I’m about to change a poopy diaper before calling it a night,” she said, pulling down the wall-mounted changing table. “Does that sound like fun?”

Alice laughed. “Not really. But can I help you with anything?”

“You can reach into my bag and get out the wipes.”

Alice dug around in the bag, which was filled with many things, most of them not wipes or diapers, until she finally found the little package. She handed it to Claire, who was holding down a fussy Rosa.

“Thanks,” Claire said. “So, you haven’t mentioned when you’re starting your new job. Are you excited?”

Holy guacamole! Alice had practically forgotten all about it. “I’m not taking it.”

Claire’s head snapped up. “You’re not? Oh, Alice. I’m so happy to hear that. Everyone would miss you so much.”

“I think I was just excited over the prospect of doing something new. But I can do new things here. I am doing new things here.”

Claire raised an eyebrow, and Alice’s cheeks went warm.

“Anyway, I never really wanted it. I kind of enjoy wearing all the hats at a small-town library. Probably because I’m such a small-town girl at heart.”

“Of course you are,” Claire said. “You always have been.”

“And there are so many things keeping me in Big Verde.”

Claire tossed the dirty diaper into the trash. “Three points, and the crowd goes wild.” She handed Rosa to Alice and went to the sink to wash her hands. “Is one of the things keeping you in Big Verde named Beau?”

A little thrill traveled up and down Alice’s spine, making her shiver. “He is definitely one of the things. And so are you.”

“Aw, Alice,” Claire said. “Come here.”

Alice and Rosa were enveloped in a Claire hug, which was warm and soft and scented like milk and baby wipes and—

“I’m sorry it smells like baby shit while we’re having a moment,” Claire said.

Alice laughed again, because everything was perfect. It really was.

“You’d better get back to that man of yours,” Claire said. “He hasn’t taken his eyes off of you all night.”

“I haven’t been able to spend as much time as I’d like with him,” Alice said. “The photographer constantly has us posing for pictures. And when we’re not doing that, we’re doing some kind of silly ritual.”

“He’s handsome tonight,” Claire said.

Alice sighed dreamily. A lot of the men hadn’t dressed up at all, which was typical of ranchers and farmers attending weddings. But Beau had gone all out with a suit, tie, dress boots, and a fancy black Stetson. There wasn’t a single man who could hold a candle to Beau Montgomery, and that included his twin.

And even though Alice was constantly being yanked here or there for this or that, Beau was quietly waiting on her hand and foot. He’d fixed her a dinner plate so she wouldn’t have to stand in the buffet line. He’d refilled her water glass and brought her champagne. And after Brittany and Zachary had cut the cake, he’d made sure she got a piece of both the bride’s and groom’s cakes.

They’d snuck off to make goofy faces in the photo booth, and he’d dragged her onto the dance floor for the chicken dance, which he’d managed to do while looking devilishly sexy.

Claire took Rosa back. “You’d better get going before you’re missed.”

Alice gave Claire another quick hug, and then she headed back to the party. Beau was waiting just outside the door. “How about another dance, darlin’? It’s getting late.”

Would she ever tire of hearing him call her darlin’?

No. Never.

She took Beau’s hand and followed him onto the dance floor. A slow song had been playing, but it ended. A faster one started up, and everyone started grooving. Bubba moved to the center of the dance floor, and a small crowd gathered around to egg him on. Poor Trista knew to just get out of the way when that happened, because Bubba enjoyed putting on a show.

Hopefully, Beau would want to watch Bubba, too. Because the most Alice ever did during these types of songs was an awkward little step back and forth. Although maybe tonight would be the night she could finally shed the last of her inhibitions and get down.

Beau started moving, without taking his eyes off of her, and oh boy. He had moves galore. And rhythm. And timing. And a simmering sexy