Read Online Promise Her by Mitzi Pool Bridges - Free Book Online Page A

me.”
    “I do. But this is really scary.” Everyone on the rodeo circuit knew her in one way or another. Now she wondered how many of them believed her guilty. She had so much to lose: her job, her reputation, and her freedom.
    “Cops make mistakes every day. This is one of them. No one who knows you will believe you killed Tempest.”
    Lisa’s heart took a little leap. Douglas was willing to fight for her. But then he would, wouldn’t he?
    “If HPD refuses to look at Harold as a suspect, we’ll find the evidence ourselves,” she vowed.
    “Will you be at the rodeo tonight?”
    “Of course. Staying away, hiding in my apartment will make me look guilty.” She had thought about it though, thought about staying home and not competing. She was embarrassed. But she was going to the rodeo as usual and she would compete.
    “You’ll compete tomorrow night?”
    Lisa nodded slowly. She wouldn’t let them take away the one thing she loved best. She hadn’t practiced two or three days a week all year to back out now.
    “Good. After what I just saw, you’ll be an easy win.”
    “Will you be there?” She watched him as he looked blankly at the shoppers as they pushed carts filled with groceries. She’d never seen that expression on his face before. Did he have doubts about her after all?
    He cleared his throat, looked back at her. “I’ll be there with the rest of the family tomorrow night. I’ll also be there tonight.”
    “Really?” A flutter skipped through her chest. Was he suggesting they go to the rodeo together? Like a date?
    “I want to nose around, ask a few questions of my own. Tonight would be a good time to do it.”
    Had she imagined he wanted to be with her? She should have known better. “Actually, I have a couple of extra tickets. If you want to bring a friend, feel free.”
    She rose from her chair and dumped her coffee cup in the garbage.
    Douglas had no choice but to follow her.
    “Don’t worry, Lisa. I’ll work this out.”
    “Hope so.” She looked out the window, unable to focus past the sheen in her eyes.
    He reached over to take her hand. She pulled it back.
    Her dreams were just that—dreams. Douglas would never think of her in a romantic way.
    When he dropped her off, she said, “I’ll leave the tickets at the box office under your name.”
    She got out of his SUV wanting to slam the door, release a little frustration. How could one man be so dense? She was wasting her time. He’d never come to his senses and see her as a woman instead of a second sister.
    Guess what, Douglas Callahan—I have more than two extra tickets and tonight I’m bringing my own friend.
    Before long, she was back on Sugarplum, racing the clock again. This time, she didn’t clip a barrel.
    At the rodeo later that evening, Lisa wished for the umpteenth time that she hadn’t let her temper send her to the phone to ask George DePalma to be her guest tonight.
    It wasn’t that he wasn’t a nice guy. He was.
    It wasn’t that he wasn’t a good-looking man. He was.
    He just wasn’t Douglas Callahan.
    She couldn’t sit around and wait until Douglas decided to look at her that certain way. No way was she going to beat herself up because he found other women more attractive, more desirable. She had a life, just not a love life. But Douglas Callahan didn’t need to know that.
    At least she’d had George meet her here instead of picking her up.
    George bent his head toward her, giving her his total attention. She looked into dark brown eyes almost glazed over with longing.
    She’d met George on one of her assignments. It was against the rules to date a client while working a job, but when she'd finished, George had called the office and asked for a date.
    They’d gone to dinner. He’d been a perfect gentleman. But he wanted more—she couldn’t give more. She’d only asked him here tonight because she was pissed at Douglas. She wanted Douglas to see her through another man’s eyes.
    She turned to