Hard-Riding Cowboy

by Stacey Kennedy

  Chase frowned. “Is that wise? What if it comes back that the meat was actually contaminated?”

  Emma glanced at Nash. “Any chance you’re wrong about someone being behind this?”

  “No,” he said, adamant.

  She smiled at him. A soft, sweet smile that was the embodiment of her kind soul. “Then we have nothing to worry about.”

  Shep studied her, then Nash, and finally gave a firm nod. “Then that’s what we’ll do.”

  A sinking coldness washed over Nash with the responsibility that Emma had just put on his head, no matter if she was merely trying to show her trust in him. If he was wrong, they were fucked. Even more than they already were.

  “Let me know what you need from me.” Nash’s gut twisted as he turned to get away from it all. Unable to find words to explain the shit eating him up, he walked away.

  “You all right?” Shep called.

  No, he was anything but all right. All he wanted was not to blame Clint, to keep the peace between them, but he was sure as shit Megan’s father had a hand in this somehow. On top of that, the person who had set the fire and poisoned the guests today could very likely be someone Nash trusted. Someone his mother was friendly with. “I need to go feed the cats,” he said, not looking back. They’d left them at home to go to the music festival, full of food and safe in his laundry room, sleeping on blankets.

  “Nash,” Chase said, his voice tight with worry.

  He kept walking. His chest was constricted, limbs cold. For a moment tonight, he’d tasted happiness. For a sweet moment. Then Clint was back fucking everything up, and so was the harsh reminder that happiness was a prickly bitch.

  * * *

  The fun day at the musical festival ended before it could even get started. Jenny had noticed her sons’ disappearance half an hour after they left. One phone call to Shep, and Jenny and the doctor had gone to the hospital to help the sick guests. Megan had Harper drop her off at Kinky Spurs for her shift that night.

  Megan had texted Nash: Do you need me?

  He replied: Later, I will. Enjoy your shift.

  She left Nash alone after that. Her fingers itched to dial his phone number, but she imagined he was knee-deep in shit. Maybe even literally.

  Throughout her entire shift she considered going to talk to her father and asking for the down payment for the house. Until she remembered how much she hated that idea.

  And by the time she left the Spurs around midnight in the hands of Bethany to close the bar, she was damn happy she’d been working, instead of asking things from her father that she would’ve regretted.

  Twenty minutes after leaving the Spurs, Megan returned to Nash’s house, dragging her sore, swollen feet in her flats against the gravel driveway. Before the baby, she’d loved manning the bar during the busiest hours. Now, not so much. She needed to rethink these late nights. Especially once the baby got there; she knew she couldn’t stay out all night and sleep late into the day. Besides, the Spurs was likely as successful as it was ever going to get. She made decent money after all her overhead. And she had a solid team who could run the late-night hours without her.

  She reached the front door and opened it, feeling immensely better when Gus greeted her. He had Nash’s boot in his mouth. His tail was wagging like he hadn’t seen her in years. She really loved how happy he always seemed to be to see her. With all the anger going on lately, Gus was a breath of fresh air, no matter that Gus gave Nash grief by ignoring him.

  “I’m happy to see you too,” she told Gus, giving him a kiss on his big square head.

  He shoved the boot in her face.

  “Daddy might kill you if he sees this.” She took the boot from Gus’s mouth, placing it back down, then shut the door and kicked off her flats. The light above the kitchen sink was left on, and she noticed a notepad on the kitchen table. She moved there, finding a list of names written in Nash’s handwriting. When she saw Beckett and Hayes’s names, she assumed the names were the guest ranch employees.

  Wondering if that list had to do with the guests all coming down with food poisoning, she moved through the log home, her bare feet padding against the hardwood floors, when something on the fireplace mantel caught her eye. As she moved closer, her breath caught in her throat.

  She reached for the picture frame there. Nash had developed the photograph he’d taken of her on the porch while she was sitting with Gus. Her hands were on her belly. There was a softness that even she could see. She knew why. She was happy. Nash made her happy . . . and he made her love. Hard.

  Needing to get against all his warmth, she moved to the bedroom. Gus jumped onto the bed next to Nash’s feet, when another surprise squeezed her heart even more.

  Nash slept with one arm tucked behind his head and the sheets rested low along his hip. Okay, sure, that view alone was breathtaking. Nash was a fine specimen of man and his muscles from being a hardworking cowboy were H-O-T. But that wasn’t what nearly melted her bones. Tucked into Nash’s side were not only the kittens, but the mother cat too. Megan stepped closer, and the moment she did, her foot squeaked against the floorboard.

  Nash opened his eyes. She cringed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  “It’s—” He paused and looked down at his arm. “What the . . . ?” He looked at Megan again and frowned. “Tell no one about this.”

  She laughed then sat on the bed next to him. “Don’t worry, your tough-guy image is safe with me.” She reached out to stroke the mom cat’s head, feeling so emotionally tied to her. “I didn’t know you were picking her up today.”

  “I hadn’t planned to.” Nash leaned up a little, resting his head on his hand, flexing that yummy bicep. “I also hadn’t planned to have them sleeping with me. Jesus, she must have jumped on the bed with them in her mouth.”

  Megan smiled. “Aw, she loves you.” And she wasn’t the only one loving all over him, Megan realized.

  Nash frowned at the cat, who yawned up at him. “Don’t get used to this.”

  Megan chuckled. “So, I take it Leah called?”

  “Yeah, a few hours ago, so I scooted over to grab the cat and bring her home.”

  Megan examined the cat. “She looks so much better than the last time I saw her. She’s so bright-eyed.” She even looked like she’d put on a little weight. But maybe that was because she wasn’t dehydrated.

  “Yeah, Leah said she’s good,” Nash said with a smile. “She’s able to nurse them now, so we are off the hook on feeding them.”

  Megan smiled. “I think I’m going to actually miss that. Little cuties.” She considered asking Nash about the ranch and the guests’ conditions but doubted he’d want to get into all that now. Besides, the hard set of his mouth told her he was stressed. She wanted to take away his strain, not make it worse. The cat began purring like a motorboat, bringing Megan’s attention back to her. “Does this mean you’re keeping them?” Truthfully, Megan had thought she’d have to push a bit more to even get the cat back at his house.

  Nash stared down at the pile of fluff curled up against him. Megan got that. She craved being curled up against him too. “I don’t think Gus would ever forgive me if I didn’t.”

  Megan stroked Gus’s head while he watched the kittens near his face. “He does seem to love them.”

  Nash agreed with a nod. “I thought about keeping them here, but I figured the guest ranch could use some cats.” His gaze connected with Megan’s, and she spotted the warmth.

  She knew he’d never admit he had grown fond of the kitties, but he so obviously had. “Oh, they would get so spoiled there.”

  “That’s what I thought too,” Nash said. “Leah’s going to fix them for me for a decent price when it’s time, and I’ve asked Chase to build a cat house for them near the cabins.”

  Oh, she could not help herself. “A cat house?”

  “Don’t even dare give me that look,” Nash muttered. “I will take enough heat from Shep and Chase about this later.”

  “
You care about them,” she said. A statement, not a question.

  He made a masculine sound of disagreement. “Animals should be outside in the nice weather, but everyone needs a place to sleep.”

  Megan stopped petting the cat and ran her hand up Nash’s strong arm. “What’s going to happen to them in the winter?”

  He narrowed his eyes a little. “You know exactly what will happen.”

  Yeah, she did. He’d bring them home. She laughed softly, done with pushing. “It’s sweet you’re making sure they’re happy.”

  Of course, his expression showed nothing at all, barely letting her in, which was the norm. Maybe she was getting used to that. Or maybe she saw past that now, because what once bothered her didn’t anymore. She knew this man. All of him. Yeah, Nash had a temper. Sure, he said the most inappropriate things at the wrong time. But he was so damn good, and she was sure he probably didn’t hear that enough.

  She focused on the cats again, stroking the mom’s soft fur. “They should have names, if we’re keeping them.”

  “Your job, not mine,” Nash said.

  “Hmm.” She studied the cats then figured it needed to be a little bit of Nash and a little bit of her. “Let’s go with your favorite drink and mine.”

  He gave her a level look. “You want to call one of them Foxy Diva?”

  “Well, yeah, it’s your favorite beer.” It was actually the entire town’s favorite beer. “We’ll call the mom Diva.”

  “Fitting.” Nash grinned.

  She nodded and smiled down at the white cat. “She’s Foxy.” Megan pointed at the black kitten. “Apple, because he’s so damn cute, he’s like the apple of my eye.” And then she gestured at the gray kitten. “Whiskey.” God, she missed her apple whiskey. Like, a lot.

  “That works.”

  “I think it does too.” She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. Yeah, it was sweet and soft, but there was heat simmering beneath the kiss’s power.

  When she broke away, his eyes had heated, and she knew why. His day was shit. He needed her. And she needed him too. She rose to strip off her clothes and settle into bed when she found Gus worming his way into her spot. She snapped her fingers. “Off.”

  Gus jumped off then curled up on the rug.

  Megan stripped off her pants and shirt, leaving herself in her bra and panties. Though one look into Nash’s dumbfounded expression had her laughing. “What?”

  “Gus listened to you.”

  She shrugged. “Well, yeah, I already told you I’ve been working with him.” Most nights, she didn’t mind the doggy cuddles, but lately she was just too hot to snuggle.

  Nash leaned up on one arm and stared down at Gus sleeping on the rug before looking at her again. “You are so fucking sexy,” he said, dead serious.

  “Why? Because your dog listened to me?”

  He nodded slowly. “Hell, fucking, yes. Come here.”

  Heat filled his expression, and Megan’s nipples hardened into tight peaks. Because that look meant pleasure. So much mind-blowing pleasure. She studied him, all naked in bed, this sweet side of him all exposed. “No, you come here.” She took his hand and tugged.

  He wiggled his way free of the cats, who didn’t seem to care at all that he moved, falling back asleep easily. When his feet pressed against the floor, she absorbed the gorgeous view. All muscle. Pure man. Hard and hungry.

  “Sweet men deserve sweet things.” She gave him her sexiest grin as she sat on the bed, tugging him closer to stand in front of her. Consumed by him, she took his erection in her hand and kissed the tip of his engorged cock.

  His low moan raised goose bumps across her flesh when he brushed his knuckles across her cheek, giving her his cocky smirk. “I’m putting a soft bed in the house for them too.”

  “Oh, you are? That’s even sweeter,” she said before taking him deep into her mouth. God, he tasted good. He smelled of masculine perfection and something incredible that belonged entirely to him. Something Megan couldn’t get enough of.

  She swirled her mouth and hand over him, relishing the groan falling from his lips. “This is for taking care of the cats when you didn’t need to.” She took him in deep again, working her lips over him, feeding him all the pleasure he deserved. “And this is for giving them a home.” She swirled her tongue around the tip before she worked her mouth and hand over him in a steady rhythm.

  Nash watched her movements. Intently. They’d always battled against each other. But this was different. And better—oh, hell, so much better—because in the quiet of where they found happiness, they had also found something so much sweeter. Something that belonged to them. And only them. That no one could take away.

  She stroked him harder and dragged her lips faster over his silky shaft. His head tipped back when she took him in deep, and his groan vibrated against her when she pumped her hand.

  When he dropped his head again, she licked him from base to tip and smiled against the tip of his cock. “This is all for you.” She worked her mouth over him again, and he grunted, low and deep. “For being sweet in ways I wasn’t expecting. For making me laugh and smile all the time. For being all that I want and need and more.”

  Something changed in the air between them. His expression became hard and intense and so damn sexy that she couldn’t play any longer. Apparently, neither could he. Suddenly, she was in his arms, and her back bumped against the wall.

  “This is for being you,” he growled. “For driving me crazy. For making me fight for you. For being so goddamn smart and strong and perfect that I want to be a better man. For you. I need you, Megan.”

  She cupped his face. “I need you too, Nash. Always.”

  A harsh masculine grunt passed through his mouth, and her back arched when he entered her in one swift stroke. After that, there was only pleasure. Raw and real pleasure that didn’t only touch the body, it touched the soul.

  Until sweaty, totally satisfied, and breathing deep, Nash gently lowered them back onto the bed, away from the kittens.

  Gathering her in his arms, facing her, he nuzzled her neck. “I missed you tonight.”

  She slid her fingers across his face, holding him close. “I missed you too.”

  Chapter 15

  Seven days had gone by while Nash spent his days at the ranch working until the sun went down, and his nights against a warm woman. He’d given the list of employee names to Darryl, like he’d requested, but Nash hoped to hell nothing came from that. He also waited on the results from the lab on the beef. The guests had recovered within twenty-four hours and had gone home as soon as they were discharged from the hospital. Truth be told, Nash was glad to have that hell behind him. His only focus now was ensuring an incident like that never happened again. And to do that, he needed answers. There couldn’t be any more mistakes. Not with his reputation on the line. Shep had made the guest ranch happen. Chase had built the venture from the ground up. Nash needed to see the ranch succeed before he could move on to something new. Something that sparked the same enthusiasm bull riding had done.

  Early this morning, he’d climbed out of bed to run the cattle from atop Bentley. The tension along his shoulders melted away when he spotted the cattle off in the distance. No cut fences. No problems. Happy Megan. Things were getting better. All of which meant he settled back into smooth sailing and easy days. Nash, along with the Blackshaw cowboys, herded the cattle farther west, bringing them closer to the creek and forest, since the forecast anticipated some hot weather ahead for the next week.

  Now on the way back to the ranch, Nash took a moment to breathe. The new round of guests were coming tomorrow. The earthy scent from the wet grass overwhelmed much of anything else. Gus was out in front of him, racing off to chase the birds flying by.

  The more he thought about this new direction his life had taken, the more that life had seemed to settle over the last week. He’d done his best not to mention Clint. And Clint had seemed to stay out of his way too. He’d only run into him once grab
bing some beer at the store. Clint hadn’t glared at Nash that day. Maybe they were getting somewhere.

  A sudden blur of yellow tore across the meadow. “Gus. No,” Nash called. But it was too late. Gus pounded into a mud puddle, and of course, dove headfirst into it. He went in yellow and came out covered in brown, running around like his tail had caught fire.

  Oh, hell.

  Hooves thundered behind Nash until they slowed, and Beckett sidled up to him. “Leave it to him to find the only mud puddle out here.”

  Nash snorted. “It’s his talent.”

  Beckett chuckled then glanced out at the vast plains of mountains and trees. “Quiet today.”

  “Yeah,” was Nash’s reply. All he’d been doing lately was thinking. Maybe Megan was the reason for that. After his accident and losing his PBR career, he had decided not to think of his future anymore. He’d been living in this space of going day by day, and that had worked for him for a long time.

  It wasn’t working anymore.

  This morning he had watched Megan sleep, her hand resting on her belly, surrounded by the cats. His thoughts filled with his child and the love he already had for someone he hadn’t even met yet. Megan and the baby needed him to consider his next steps. He wanted to be an example to his child, like his father had been. A man who followed his dreams. Which all brought him back to his mother’s suggestion about the training facility. He’d be good at that.

  Bentley tripped on a rock but recovered quick, and Nash noticed the piece of Blackshaw land they passed was relatively flat and not far from the road. If he were to consider this plan, he knew the ranch was no place to bring in dangerous horses, not with the guests there. The other problem was generating the funds to build the necessary barn and paddocks.

  Though the idea interested him enough that he turned to Beckett. “That land right there.” He gestured at the flat meadow. “Not a bad spot for a new horse training facility, huh?”

  Beckett raised his brows beneath his tan Stetson. “Is that the new plan?”

  “I’m considering it,” Nash replied, resting his hand on the horn of his saddle. Bentley was walking easy. The horse hadn’t given him a single bit of grief for nearly a month now. He’d shaped up nicely, being calm and steady. Nash took pride in that.