Never Kiss a Cowgirl, page 1
Never Kiss a Cowgirl
Synopsis
Asher Evans is living her dreams eight seconds at a time. She’s finally at the top of the rankings and headed for the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, and she owes it all to the man who taught her everything, Silas Wilson.
Reagan Wilson vowed she’d never return to Louisiana. Her father, Silas, was a world champion rodeo rider until an accident destroyed his career, then killed him. Now she’s interning at a sports clinic in New Orleans, and her first patient is Asher Evans. Seeing her childhood neighbor and teenage crush brings all those painful memories rushing back.
Asher and Reagan are from different worlds, even if they grew up side by side. Reagan doesn’t understand why anyone would risk their life for a title and a belt buckle, and Asher doesn’t do safe and predictable. Falling in love makes no sense, but as the spark between them ignites, they may have more in common than they think.
Praise for Ali Vali
One More Chance
“This was an amazing book by Vali…complex and multi-layered (both characters and plot).”—Danielle Kimerer, Librarian (Nevins Memorial Library, Massachusetts)
Face the Music
“This is a typical Ali Vali romance with strong characters, a beautiful setting (Nashville, Tennessee), and an enemies-to-lovers style tale. The two main characters are beautiful, strong-willed, and easy to fall in love with. The romance between them is steamy, and so are the sex scenes.”—Rainbow Reflections
The Inheritance
“I love a good story that makes me laugh and cry, and this one did that a lot for me. I would step back into this world any time.”—Kat Adams, Bookseller (QBD Books, Australia)
Double-Crossed
“[T]here aren’t too many lesfic books like Double-Crossed and it is refreshing to see an author like Vali continue to churn out books like these. Excellent crime thriller.”—Colleen Corgel, Librarian, Queens Borough Public Library
“For all of us die-hard Ali Vali/Cain Casey fans, this is the beginning of a great new series…There is violence in this book, and lots of killing, but there is also romance, love, and the beginning of a great new reading adventure. I can’t wait to read more of this intriguing story.”—Rainbow Reflections
Stormy Seas
Stormy Seas “is one book that adventure lovers must read.”—Rainbow Reflections
Answering the Call
Answering the Call “is a brilliant cop-and-killer story…The crime story is tight and the love story is fantastic.”—Best Lesbian Erotica
Lammy Finalist Calling the Dead
“So many writers set stories in New Orleans, but Ali Vali’s mystery novels have the authenticity that only a real Big Easy resident could bring. Set six months after Hurricane Katrina has devastated the city, a lesbian detective is still battling demons when a body turns up behind one of the city’s famous eateries. What follows makes for a classic lesbian murder yarn.”—Curve Magazine
Beauty and the Boss
“The story gripped me from the first page…Vali’s writing style is lovely—it’s clean, sharp, no wasted words, and it flows beautifully as a result. Highly recommended!”—Rainbow Book Reviews
Balance of Forces: Toujours Ici
“A stunning addition to the vampire legend, Balance of Forces: Toujours Ici is one that stands apart from the rest.”—Bibliophilic Book Blog
Beneath the Waves
“The premise…was brilliantly constructed…skillfully written and the imagination that went into it was fantastic…A wonderful passionate love story with a great mystery.”—Inked Rainbow Reads
Second Season
“The issues are realistic and center around the universal factors of love, jealousy, betrayal, and doing the right thing and are constantly woven into the fabric of the story. We rated this well written social commentary through the use of fiction our max five hearts.”—Heartland Reviews
Carly’s Sound
“Carly’s Sound is a great romance, with some wonderfully hot sex, but it is more than that. It is also the tale of a woman rising from the ashes of grief and finding new love and a new life. Vali has surrounded Julia and Poppy with a cast of great supporting characters, making this an extremely satisfying read.”—Just About Write
Praise for the Cain Casey Saga
The Devil’s Due
“A Night Owl Reviews Top Pick: Cain Casey is the kind of person you aspire to be even though some consider her a criminal. She’s loyal, very protective of those she loves, honorable, big on preserving her family legacy and loves her family greatly. The Devil’s Due is a book I highly recommend and well worth the wait we all suffered through. I cannot wait for the next book in the series to come out.”—Night Owl Reviews
The Devil Be Damned
“Ali Vali excels at creating strong, romantic characters along with her fast-paced, sophisticated plots. Her setting, New Orleans, provides just the right blend of immigrants from Mexico, South America, and Cuba, along with a city steeped in traditions.”—Just About Write
Deal with the Devil
“Ali Vali has given her fans another thick, rich thriller…Deal With the Devil has wonderful love stories, great sex, and an ample supply of humor. It is an exciting, page-turning read that leaves her readers eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.”—Just About Write
The Devil Unleashed
“Fast-paced action scenes, intriguing character revelations, and a refreshing approach to the romance thriller genre all make for an enjoyable reading experience in the Big Easy…The Devil Unleashed is an engrossing reading experience.”—Midwest Book Review
The Devil Inside
“The Devil Inside is the first of what promises to be a very exciting series…While telling an exciting story that grips the reader, Vali has also fully fleshed out her heroes and villains. The Devil Inside is that rarity: a fascinating crime novel which includes a tender love story and leaves the reader with a cliffhanger ending.”—MegaScene
Never Kiss a Cowgirl
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By the Author
Carly’s Sound
Second Season
Love Match
The Dragon Tree Legacy
The Romance Vote
Hell Fire Club in Girls with Guns
Beauty and the Boss
Blue Skies
Stormy Seas
The Inheritance
Face the Music
On the Rocks in Still Not Over You
A Woman to Treasure
Calumet
Writer’s Block
One More Chance
A Good Chance
The Cain Casey Saga
The Devil Inside
The Devil Unleashed
Deal with the Devil
The Devil Be Damned
The Devil’s Orchard
The Devil’s Due
Heart of the Devil
The Devil Incarnate
Call Series
Calling the Dead
Answering the Call
Waves Series
Beneath the Waves
Turbulent Waves
Forces Series
Balance of Forces: Toujours Ici
Battle of Forces: Sera Toujours
Force of Fire: Toujours a Vous
Vegas Nights
Double-Crossed
Never Kiss a Cowgirl
© 2023 By Ali Vali. All Rights Reserved.
ISBN 13: 978-1-63679-107-4
This Electronic Original Is Published By
Bold Strokes Books, Inc.
P.O. Box 249
Valley Falls, NY 12185
First Edition: May 2023
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
Credits
Editor: Ruth Sternglantz
Production Design: Stacia Seaman
Cover Design by Tammy Seidick
eBook Design by Toni Whitaker
Acknowledgments
Thank you, Radclyffe, for your friendship and support—I treasure both. Thank you, Sandy, for the tweak to my story idea. Now I know more about cows than the average person, but it was a fun experience. You’re the best. I value your friendship as well as your ability to pick great titles. When it comes to my BSB family, know that I value the family and friendship you have given me. It’s a gift to have such rock-solid support.
Thank you to my awesome editor, Ruth Sternglantz. Ruth, you were one of the first people I met with BSB, and it’s been one of the best friendships of my life through the years. Working with you has only made that so much better. I’m looking forward to many more years of fun and work. I’d also like to thank Tammy Seidick for the great cover.
A huge thank you to my beta dream team: Kim Rieff, Cris Perez-Soria, and Lenore Beniot. You guys make the process fun, and I’m glad you take the time to read these and give such great feedback. We’ve made it through thirty-four, so hopefully there’ll be plenty more to come.
Thank you to you the reader. I appreciate all the posts on social media, the reviews you write, and the feedback you send. It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other in person, but your notes and emails have kept me sane and laughing. I appreciate you all.
It’s been nice getting back to normal with all my house repairs behind me and getting back to writing. I’m ready for new adventures with my navigator in all things, C. Verdad!
For C
Always
Chapter One
“Bo the Third!” The announcer said the name as if Bo needed to last a full thirty seconds, and the people in the stands should be awed to be in his presence. Asher Evans couldn’t blame the old guy, considering the bull kicking the shit out of the chute he was locked in was an impressive beast. He was big, strong, and angry at the world.
Asher sat on the top rail waiting as the crowd stomped their boots on the old metal stands. The noise seemed to enrage the bull she’d drawn to ride, and she laughed at his building frantic behavior. Bo kicked both legs back, rattling the structure hard enough to make her momentarily lose her balance. She was grateful for all the upper body work she did, since her arm strength kept her upright. The crowd started chanting the bull’s name, and even through the din, she had no problem hearing Bo snorting as he started to paw the ground as if readying himself for blood—hers specifically.
“Trying to make your great-great-granddaddy proud, big man.” She laughed when he shook his head and kicked back again as if he’d understood every word and found them insulting. With his light yellow coat, short downturned horns, and mean disposition, Bo really was the spitting image of the famous Bodacious, a bull that had been inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. Some bulls were more famous than the fools who voluntarily climbed on their backs to ride them.
Bodacious had been one of those bulls, and his grandson a few generations removed was trying to surpass his fame. The problem was, Asher wasn’t intimidated by his shenanigans, as her mentor would’ve said. And this time around, his rider had more name recognition than him, since there was only one woman ranked in the top ten of professional rodeo, and it was Bo’s bad luck that’s who was about to meet his rage with her own. Bo was the most dangerous bull to ride on the circuit at the moment, and she wasn’t about to fall before she was ready to get off.
The thrill of eight seconds on a bucking bull had cost her plenty in scars, both mental and physical, but there was no quitting. There was no giving up until she was the best, with the belt buckle to prove it. She owed her success to the man who’d voluntarily taken on the task of raising her and taught her everything he knew about rodeo, ranching, and—basically—life.
“There’s your opening, Asher.” The rodeo worker yelled even though he was right beside her. “This is one mean son of a bitch, so careful.”
She threw one leg over Bo’s back, and that move made the animal lose his shit, but she had the guy working the chute pull the rope around the bull’s chest taut as she moved into position. Once the rope lost the slack, she ran her gloved hand up and down its length her customary ten times, tightening as she went. All the while she paid attention to Bo since any unexpected move on his part would smash her legs into the sides of the chute. With an animal this big, that would be an invitation to the emergency room with a season-ending injury.
She tightened her thighs to keep herself in place and put her hand into the grip of the rope, going with Bo when he kicked back again. Her last step was sliding forward so her hand was even with her crotch and her legs were in front of the rope. The chute guy pushed her hat down to keep it in place, and she nodded her thanks. Her anticipation built like rising water behind a weak dam. When the chute door opened, that’s exactly what it would feel like—millions of gallons of water bursting out with the intent to destroy everything in its path, her included, and taking her on the wildest ride she could ever conceive of.
“Ready, rider?”
Asher took a deep breath, nodded, and the chute door opened. The first buck came close to giving her whiplash, but she tightened her legs, threw her free hand up, and hung on. She gave the judges and the crowd what they’d come to see. Bull riding was way more than just staying on the bull’s back. It was the art of how you kept your body in control and your free arm in the air never touching the rope or animal, and the rhythm you got into with the bull you were riding. She always thought of it as a violent ballet of sorts.
All that accounted for a possible fifty points, but the bull’s performance accounted for the other fifty points. So to get the high scores it was important to draw a bull that moved with speed and with a talent for unseating anyone who dared ride them. She’d lucked out with Bo since he never stopped whipping from one side to the other, trying to get her the hell off him.
This would be her last ride for four months, and she had to make it count. Winning tonight with ninety points or more would move her into second place, giving her a cushion in the standings for the rest of the season. So far the judges hadn’t given anything higher than eighty-two.
There was a moment where the adrenaline zapped the sound out of her head and all she could feel was the thrumming of her blood rushing through her veins. This was a test of wills, and she thrilled at it every single time. The clarity triggered by exhilaration brought every lesson Silas Wilson taught her to the forefront of her mind, and she paid attention to her form as she moved with the bull.
The buzzer was what brought her back to the present, and the cheering along with Bo’s indignant snorting cut through the bubble in an instant. All she needed now was to get clear and wait. She loosened her grip and leaned to the left, waiting on Bo.
This was the point when you upped your chance to get hurt, Silas always said, so she’d been extra careful from her first ride. The bull reacted, and she jumped clear, lifting her fist to the crowd when her boots were back on the dirt of the arena. She took off her hat and bumped her leg with it once Bo had been lured away by the rodeo clowns. The Texas heat was making her sweat enough that the dust was sticking to her skin, so she was ready for a shower.
Asher accepted Wade Wilson’s hug when she made it out of the arena. This event was small and out of the way, but it counted when it came to the national standings. Lajitas, Texas, wasn’t on a lot of radars, but it’s where Asher had first competed, with Silas screaming pointers from the sidelines. The arena had remained unchanged from the time it’d been built nearly seventy years before. It was steeped in tradition like no other place in the country and supported by crowds that loved the sport.
“Good job, kid,” Wade said. She’d scored ninety-seven, tying her highest score ever. “Do you want a beer?”
“Let me get my buckle and a shower, and we’ll go get a few. We good for tomorrow?” She sat across from him, glad her night was almost over. Wade, like his brother Silas and her father, loved the barren landscape of Lajitas since they’d spent years of their younger lives here, riding the rocky terrain as they learned the ranching business.
She’d spent years listening to Wade and Silas tell the stories of the three of them and the adventures they’d had. They’d been three cowboys who’d grown up riding herds and dreaming of what their futures would be, with Big Bend National Park as their backyard. Silas had gone the rodeo route, and her dad and Wade had run the ranching part of their businesses. The three friends had eventually moved to Louisiana because of the women they’d married, and they’d ended up with equal acreage southeast of New Orleans.
Asher’s mom died in childbirth, and when her father, Dustin, died in the saddle when she was twelve, she was alone in the world—her dad’s parents were dead, and her mom’s didn’t want her. But Silas stepped up.
