by Kate Kisset
“You really need to relax. You worry too much.”
“What are you doing?” He kept his voice soft, asking again. But this time she detected a spark in his eyes.
Now, that’s more like it. Bubbling with excitement over the possibility of being alone with him again, she kept a straight face and let her foot wander further up his leg. “What does it feel like I’m doing?” She gave him a sly smile. “I’m here. You’re here. I’m playing footsie with you. Meet me in the towel room tonight.”
Colt paused for a second, as if he had to translate what she just said, then broke out in a laugh, which made her laugh too. And then he caught himself. “Haven’t you heard a word I said?”
“I have.” She nodded, locked in his stare. “And I say too bad. I’m not worried about anyone finding out about us.”
His breath hitched and he cleared his throat. “Because you—” He raised his voice and then quickly checked the area. “Because you,” he whispered, “don’t have my reputation. Your five brothers and father won’t kill you, that’s why you’re not worried.”
“Meet me in the towel room tonight.”
“You . . .” He shook his head. “This . . . is just wrong on so many levels.”
“Look.” She dropped her tone, deflating, hating to see him so anguished. “You don’t have to come. And if you don’t, I promise I won’t hate you. But if you do, and I think you will, I’ll be waiting for you in the towel room at eleven fifteen.”
Chapter Six
COLT LOOKED UP FROM the pile of papers on his massive custom pine desk. He scanned past the log walls to the office door he’d purposely left open.
As much as he wanted to have an open-door policy for everyone who worked at Dream Maker, he was beginning to regret it. He hadn’t been able to focus on the budget he’d been fine-tuning for the last three hours.
He relished the sight of the two currently vacant leather chairs in front of his desk, recounting the eleven office visits he’d had. If he kept his door open, at this rate he’d get zero accomplished.
Rubbing the back of his neck, Colt reluctantly got up from his desk. It had to be done. There was no other way around it. He closed the heavy door to his office and took a moment to appreciate his designer’s vision for the room.
God knows, he’d protested the expenditure. Because he was the only one who would ever use the room, he’d wanted the money spent on the guests. But she’d insisted on going all out and giving the same attention to detail in his space as in the rest of the buildings.
His eyes traveled over the expensive rugs, the paintings she’d spent weeks acquiring from local artists, and then he fixated on the view of the Rocky Mountains out the window, set back behind a field of wildflowers in bloom. The large window was a piece of art in itself, and the serenity of the vision, the way his shoulders relaxed for the first time all day, was worth every penny.
He went back to his computer and tried to not let his mind drift to Mariah.
Someone rapped on his door.
“C’mon in, it’s open,” Colt wearily hit Save on the spreadsheet. Would he ever get any work done here?
Wyatt poked his head into the room. “Hey, sorry to bug.”
“You’re not.” And he wasn’t. Out of everyone at Dream Maker, Wyatt was not only his best friend, he was his best asset. Colt couldn’t have opened the place without Wyatt’s expertise.
Although Wyatt was known around town for his horsemanship, he was also a savvy investor with a penchant for resorts. He’d amassed a small fortune picking winners and getting in early on projects. If anyone knew the key ingredients to a success in the hospitality business, it was Wyatt.
“Take a load off.”
Wyatt settled into one of the chairs in front of his desk. “I’ve got a ride scheduled at five.”
“Uh-huh.” Colt had already been on every trail Wyatt had chosen for guests, twice. Not that he didn’t trust Wyatt, he wanted to know what he was talking about if anyone asked about the excursions. “The five o’clock ride is up to Three Rock waterfalls, right?”
“Yes. It’s about a three-hour turnaround. We have the editor of Sunrise magazine, her husband, and their three kids scheduled. She asked me if you were going. Annette wanted a little one-on-one time with you.” Wyatt tipped his chin at the computer. “I know you’re busy, but thought I’d let you know.”
“No. I’m glad you did,” Colt said, shutting his laptop down. “Customer comes first, right?
“Especially customers with reach. Sunrise magazine still has an amazing pull in the travel market. They have the website too, of course, but their print version is holding up surprisingly well.”
“Annette Ferguson is very talented, and I’m dressed for it.” Colt peered down at his feet. “One of the perks of this gig is I can still wear jeans and my boots.”
“So, I can tell her you’ll be there?”
“I’ll be there.”
Chapter Seven
“COLT WILL BE ARRIVING soon, everyone.” Wyatt addressed the small group assembled near the barn for the five o’clock ride.
Aves bumped Mariah’s arm. “You didn’t tell me Colt was coming.”
“I didn’t know.” Mariah turned back to her brother.
“I’m glad you’re all here early,” Wyatt continued. “It gives you a little more time to get acquainted with your rides. Don’t be shy—go ahead and pet them. All the horses like you. They told me before you got here.” He laughed, obviously in his element.
Mariah couldn’t think of one horse who didn’t take to her brother, the family’s horse whisperer. Despite Wyatt’s quick temper, he had a soft heart and more patience with animals than anyone she knew.
She checked out the small group, wondering what her brother was in for. The Ferguson’s teenagers didn’t look the least bit worried. They’d all taken their designated rides on a spin around the corral earlier.
“I think you’re really going to love this excursion.” Wyatt pointed to the mountains on their left. “We’re going to one of the most beautiful places I’ve seen in Montana, or anywhere. It was a real treat to discover what the locals call Three Rocks waterfalls. You’ll know why it’s called that as soon as you see it. One of my closest friends just got married up there. Saddle up when you’re ready. We’ll leave in fifteen minutes.”
It took Mariah a few minutes to talk Aves into letting her help her get up on the horse. Shielding her eyes from the sun’s glare, Mariah peered up at her friend.
“Don’t worry about me, I’m just fine and dandy up here.” Aves gave Mariah a cautious wave from atop her palomino and then quickly grabbed the saddle’s horn again. Her horse hadn’t taken a step, it had only moved a fraction of an inch to swat a fly with its tail.
“You’re safe, okay? Wyatt has checked out all these horses. He’d never put you in danger, I promise.”
Aves looked down, worry plainly etched in wrinkles on her forehead. From her white knuckles down to her rigid legs, she was the picture of petrified. Was she holding her breath?
“Your legs look like popsicle sticks, you’re so stiff.” Mariah gently patted her friend’s calf. “You can move, you know.”
“Are you sure? What if I accidently tap her with my foot? That’s what makes them go, right?”
“It takes more than a tap, or you breathing. You’d have to really nudge, or even kick, to get her going.” Mariah studied her friend. “You sure you want to do this? Now I feel bad about talking you into it.”
“Is there a problem here?” Her brother moseyed over in his faded denims, checked shirt, and worn-in boots. He tipped his hat and studied Aves, looking every inch the fine horseman he was. “You okay up there?”
Wide eyed, Aves nodded. “I think so. I-I just haven’t ridden before. Don’t get much chance in New York. And I’ve never been way out in the wilderness before.”
“Wilderness?” Wyatt laughed. “You see all these people and buildings around here?” he asked, gesturing to the barn, th
e resort, and the surrounding structures. “This isn’t the wilderness, darlin’.” He stared up at her again, and his smile disappeared. “Aww, I can see you’re scared. I’ll tell you what. You’ll ride in front with me where I can keep an eye on you, okay? I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise. Would that make you feel a little better?”
Aves nodded so fiercely her chin almost touched her chest. “Yep, yep.” She kept nodding. “Sounds good.”
“Then it’s settled.” Wyatt addressed Mariah. “Are you okay with this bay over here?”
She followed him to the hitching post where an elegant dark brown mare waited. Wyatt unwrapped the reins from the post and passed them to her. “She’s a doll.”
“Sure looks like it. Aren’t you, girl?” Mariah stroked the animal’s massive neck.
“Hey.” Wyatt dropped his voice and came in close to her ear. “Colt’s under a lot of pressure with the opening, and that Aves is really cute. Maybe you could say a few nice things about Colt to her. And I’ll talk her up to him.”
Mariah turned from the horse, wanting to shout “Are you crazy?”
Wyatt shrugged. “You never know, it could be a match.”
“Ah, no. Absolutely no.”
“Why the hell not?” Wyatt shifted his weight from one foot to the other and eyed her fixedly.
Her heart dropped. Was he about to bust her? Had he caught on? “I think Colt has an awful lot on his mind. I doubt dating is at the top of his priority list this week, that’s all.” She smiled, trying to be sunny and breezy. “Right?” she added, just in case Wyatt wasn’t convinced. “I mean, can you imagine him dating right now?” Mariah started laughing, but Wyatt just kept staring, not letting her out of the hot seat.
“Can’t hurt to try,” Wyatt mumbled, and took off to check on another horse standing nearby.
No way in hell. Mariah adjusted the reins around her ride’s neck, wedged a boot in the stirrup, and swung her leg over the horse, just as Colt sauntered out of the barn.
“You’re early.” Colt approached the group, giving Mariah a smile before greeting the editor of Sunrise. The brunette looked friendly enough, especially when she smiled. Mariah guessed her to be somewhere in her forties. “You look pretty good in that saddle, Annette.”
“Glad you could make the ride, Colt. This is going to be fun.”
“Sure is.” Wyatt waved Colt over to the only horse without a rider, standing at the adjacent hitching post. “Tasha here is ready for you.”
“Thanks.” Colt gave the horse a pet and unwrapped her reins.
Mariah’s heart bumped against a butterfly as she watched how gracefully Colt mounted Tasha in one easy move. It took her back to all the times they went riding as kids.
It wasn’t long before the group took off down the well-maintained trail and headed for a line of Douglas firs.
Wyatt led the way with Aves at his side. Occasionally he’d point out a native plant and throw in a few historic tidbits about the area.
“If you stay in Lonesome for any length of time, you might hear a local refer to Lonesome’s secret. I probably shouldn’t even be telling you this.” He raised his voice over the soft clip clop, clip clop the horses made as they traversed in the shade over the needle-covered path. “Lonesome has the lowest divorce rate in the country. Apparently, there are folks around here who’ve been keeping track of our love lives.
The belief is, if you propose to someone in Lonesome city limits, and get married in the city, you have something like a ninety-nine-point-nine percent chance of staying married and having a happily ever after.”
“Is that really true?” Annette piped up.
Wyatt nodded. “Yes, ma’am, and no one knows—for sure, anyway—why. Some folks think it has something to do with the earth itself and the kind of minerals Lonesome was built on; others say there are just a lot of lonely cowboys around here looking for love. And when they find it, they don’t let go.”
He chuckled. “Then there are those who think the mystery lies in the water. That’s why I’m taking you to the falls. We should be there soon. Everyone doing okay?”
“Yes,” the group answered in unison.
Wyatt and Aves continued in the lead. Annette and Colt were behind them, followed by Harry, Annette’s husband, and their youngest son, with the two older boys behind them. The family had experience riding horses, so Wyatt didn’t expect any problems, but he’d asked Mariah to stay in the back where she could keep an eye on everyone and report back to him with any issues. She didn’t mind, but wished she could be part of Colt’s conversation, or even Wyatt’s.
From Mariah’s vantage point, the group seemed to be relaxed and having a good time. Even Aves was smiling, holding her own, and finally enjoying the ride.
The sound was almost unrecognizable at first. In the quiet forest, the horses’ hoofs and the riders’ spurts of conversation overtook any other sound, besides an occasional branch snapping and the shuffling of leaves.
But as the group continued along the path, the low murmur became louder, the temperature dropped, and the roar of water was unmistakable. Mariah spotted the three enormous boulders punctuating the hillside. She’d never approached the falls from this angle. They’d taken another path to the site for Boone and Becca’s wedding.
As Mariah rounded the corner, the full picture came into view. Below the boulders, smaller rocks framed a mossy green ravine where water poured down the hillside like a wave, crashing down into a giant pond.
“Over here,” Wyatt yelled over the thunderous rushing water. They dutifully followed him to a quieter clearing. “We’ll dismount and stay here for the next forty minutes. You’re free to walk around the bend and check out the falls anytime. The chef prepared a light menu for us.”
Wyatt dismounted, and the group followed suit. “Hold on.” Wyatt hurried to Aves. “Let me help you get down.”
Mariah bit her lip, holding back an ear-to-ear grin watching Aves’s face light up as Wyatt said something to her. Aves let go of the horn and swung her leg over the horse. Wyatt held her by the waist as he helped her down. By the time Aves’s boots hit the ground, she was in a full blush.
Shy was a pretty look on Aves. She said something else to Wyatt before approaching Mariah.
“Enjoy the ride?” Mariah teased.
Aves lifted an eyebrow. “Yeah, I think I like this whole cowgirl thing, as long as your brother comes with the program.”
“I can see that.” Mariah giggled. “If you want to see what real cowgirls do, we should ditch this rodeo tomorrow night. I’ll take you into town to The Owl after I get back from my dad’s. We’ll get a drink and I’ll show you how we really live around here.”
“I’m all in. Definitely.” Aves smoothed her shirt. “Want to get a few pics before lunch?” She winked. “Maybe we can get Colt in the shot with you?”
“Wouldn’t that be fun?” Mariah angled her head around one of the Ferguson’s kids, who was blocking her view. Colt caught her checking him out and sent her a killer smile. She smiled back feeling her heart do aerial acrobatics in her chest. He held her gaze as her cheeks heated to what had to be, a dead-giveaway, beet red color. She turned, hiding her face, afraid Wyatt would catch on to her reaction.
“I brought my good camera. Wyatt is keeping it in his saddlebag for me.” Aves tipped her head around the Ferguson teen, obviously trying to get a glimpse of Wyatt.
“I wonder what other treats he might be keeping for you?”
Aves blissfully closed her eyes. “A cowgirl can dream,” she said in a sing-song voice before they both busted out laughing.
They managed to get a few dozen spectacular shots of the falls and various plants. Aves even took photos of the elaborate spread. She’d expected cold beans in a can, so she was orgasmic over the elegant chicken, arugula, and aioli sandwiches, and the petite mixed lettuce salad with raspberry vinaigrette. She paid extra attention to the mouthwatering sugar cookies airbrushed to look like fern leaves.
&nb
sp; But Mariah was too nervous to eat. Every time she caught Colt glancing in her direction, it was like a hot wire jolting her system. Back and forth, like addicts trying not to notice their vice, Mariah and Colt stole looks at each other, quickly turning away on contact.
Truth was, as brash as Mariah acted, her insides were jelly around Colt. And she couldn’t remember the last time she’d been near him this long. Sure, Colt used to spend the night at their house from time to time when they were kids—But as adults they hadn’t had the chance to be together for more than a few hours, and only during the holidays.
As the meal wrapped up and the riders started to get back on their horses, Colt casually branched off from Annette and made his way to Mariah.
“Sorry we haven’t had any time to talk.” He looked over his shoulder. “I’m kind of tied to Annette for the ride.”
“I understand. You’re technically working. No time for playing footsies.” Mariah winked, putting on her best no-pressure-but-I-want-to-make-out-with-you-right-here face. “It’s a good thing we have a date in the towel room.” Her pulse raced from her fingers to her toes as she waited for his response. Maybe, just maybe, he’d meet her there tonight.
“About that.” Colt lowered his head, and she knew what was coming. The giddy acrobats in her system skidded to a halt.
“Why did you come over and talk to me, Colt?”
“You know why,” he whispered, his eyes sinking into hers. “I can’t stop thinking about you. Even though it’s wrong, you are all I’m thinking about.”
She grinned so wide she felt it in her cheeks. “Yeah, you’ve entered my mind a few times too.” She scanned for Wyatt and saw he had his back to her, helping Aves up on the saddle.
With her heart pounding hard again, and sure no one was looking, she reached up on tiptoe and gave Colt a quick kiss on the lips because, hell, she just couldn’t resist.