Imprisoned In A Cowboy's Heart (Two-Five Ranch Outlaws Book 1)

by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel

  He stood at the bottom of the stairs, nodding. “They got back. They’re all right. The cowpunchers found cover too.”

  “Good.” She continued up. In her room, she stripped, turned on the shower, and finally took a deep breath. Now, curiosity drove her to think of the old lady in the big house on the dark road. Before summer ended, she’d venture back to the spooky place to introduce herself and thank the woman for her thoughtfulness during the storm. However, she’d wait for a sunny day.

  After her shower, she tapped on Annette’s door. A weak voice said to enter. “How are you feeling?”

  “Awful.”

  An uneaten dinner remained on a plate beside the bed. Karis pressed her palm against Annette’s forehead. No fever. “Want to go to the clinic?”

  “Geri called my husband. He’ll be here any minute to take me. I don’t know what’s wrong. My stomach is a mess. I’m dizzy. It comes and goes.”

  “I’m sorry. Can I do anything?”

  “Bring Tom up when he comes?”

  Karis fluffed the pillow. “Sure. Let me know what you find out?”

  “Mm hmm. Thank you. You’re sweet. I hope things are working out with you and the boss.”

  Karis stopped at the door and smiled. “It depends on what minute it is, but you know I love the man. Take care of yourself.”

  “Sure,” Annette replied.

  Karis went downstairs to wait for Tom and wandered into the kitchen. When had she eaten last? Lunch on the trail? A scrumptious sweet-cinnamon aroma filled the house bringing on an inkling of a memory from childhood. The oven was still warm when she walked by. It must’ve been dessert, so she opened it to see what Max had made. Mmm, apple pie.

  “Where’s the pie,” Tanyon asked, entering the kitchen, soaking wet. “Something smells delicious.”

  She laughed at his wet clothes and hair plastered to his head. Albeit, she didn’t mind his wet shirt hugging his abs. “Maybe you’ll patch your floor in the truck now?”

  “Yeah, I don’t remember until it’s raining. Bring the pie over here. I’m starved.”

  “No way. I’m not dealing with Max. He made this pie for a reason. I know dinner is around here somewhere.”

  “Yeah, because I asked him to make apple or cherry pie.”

  She blocked the oven. “No. I have to hear it from him.”

  He strode over to her, set his hands on her upper arms and attempted to move her. She held her ground, but he hadn’t tried hard, or she would’ve been moved. She giggled. “Stop.”

  Tanyon tickled her in the ribs. “I know how to get you out of the way.”

  She fought off his hands, laughing and protecting her ribs at the same time. “I’m not ticklish, anymore.” Like hell.

  “Hey, what’s going on here?” Max’s big voice roared. “You’re after pie, aren’t you?”

  “Don’t worry, she’s protecting it like her life depended on it.” Tanyon chuckled.

  “It does!” Max bellowed.

  Tanyon raised his hands. “Come on. Didn’t you make it because I asked?”

  “Well…”

  “Ah, ha.” He gazed at Karis with a devil grin on his face then lifted her off the floor and moved her.

  “Get it out and come on over here, you two,” Max called. “I’ll get the ice cream. Tanyon, change your damn wet clothes. Go on. You’re worse than a kid dripping on the floor.”

  “You’re bad, Outlaw.” Karis chuckled when Tanyon and Max said, ‘No, I’m not’ at the same time. “You both know the truth.”

  “I’ll be right back.” Tanyon hurried out of the kitchen.

  Max made the cut. “You get the first bite, and we’ll rub it into his face.”

  “Literally?”

  Max reconsidered. “Ah, better not.”

  She got plates from the cupboard. “You’ll get me in more trouble. He’s already mad at me.”

  “He’s always mad at somebody, but darlin’, he isn’t mad at you. He was worried because you broke down in front of the haunted house.” Max snorted as he sliced the pie.

  “Not you too.”

  Tanyon entered the room with a dry shirt and the same wet and muddy pants, but he’d combed his hair. He raised a brow at Karis. “You two will do good to remember who signs your checks.”

  “Yeah, Ronni signs the checks.” She defiantly held eye contact with him until Max waved a spoon between them.

  “I’m glad you asked for pie this morning, Tanyon. I’ve been wanting to make apple or cherry.”

  She dished out ice cream. “Me too! Cherry would be delicious.” A grumbling tummy wasn’t necessary to know she was ravenous.

  “That’s why I made both. With this bunch, how could I only make one?” Max howled. “I made four.”

  Cade came in, ducking through the doorway with Nadia on his shoulders.

  Karis poured her, Tanyon, and Max a cup of coffee. “Nadia, have you been playing in the rain?”

  Nadia flicked her smiling gaze to Cade. “Me and Daddy danced in the rain.”

  “Sweet!” Karis said.

  Dusty and Levi flowed in next. All of them licking their lips in unison upon spotting pie and ice cream. “Mmm, dessert.” Cade wiggled his eyebrows at Karis and lowered Nadia to the floor. Then Ronni entered with Brielle on her heels.

  Max got another pie from its hiding place in the microwave and gave his daughter a wink.

  “We’re in time before Tanyon eats it all.” Cade snickered and got plates, handing one to his little girl and to each of his brothers, sister, and Brielle. He lifted Nadia to her booster chair. Now, everyone, including Nadia sat at the table eating pie.

  “Thank you, Uncle Max,” Nadia said with a toothless grin. “It’s good pie.”

  “You’re welcome, sweet cheeks.”

  “Will you teach me how to make pie, Dad?” Brielle asked with a cute little cock to her head and a smile.

  Max patted her hand. “You bet, sweetheart. Anytime. Been waitin’ for you to ask.”

  After the family had finished and disappeared, Karis stayed behind to help Max clean up. “There ya go. The kitchen is all ready for dinner if anybody’s hungry. See you.” Karis sought out Tanyon. She found him in the garage working on his green truck. She stood a minute surrounded with dotted oil stains, a bit of gravel, pine needles on the floor, and their wet footprints. The smell of motor oil and grease had become a permanent part of this old garage.

  A high stack of Haynes and other mechanic’s books, worn with years of grease smudges and torn covers sat on the tarnished, wood tool bench. Through the open door, she viewed the red sunset after rain and black clouds had passed over. “Do you have a minute?” She sneezed at dust from the rag he shook out.

  “Bless you!” he said from under the hood. “What is it?”

  “Thank you. Remember a while back you mentioned working with Nadia with the horses? When would you like me to start? It totally slipped my mind, and she’ll be leaving soon.”

  Tanyon raised from under the hood. “Good idea. Maybe your niece and nephew would like to learn.”

  “They know how to ride. Rory saw to teaching them. When do you expect me to work? I need to work so I get paid. You keep pulling me from the jobs I do get to appreciate. I want to catch up my bank account.”

  “Karis, you get a cut from therapists’ working for you. It’s your business. That’s what allows you to come here every year. If you aren’t getting a good cut, you’re doing something wrong.”

  “I’m a good businesswoman, babe. Of course, I do. It’s…” She’d always had the fear of running out of money, of failing, when in fact, her clinic had done well after the first two shaky years of making sure everything had been done right, and gaining all the proper certifications and accreditations. “It’s a habit. Like my mom, I’m not happy unless I’m worrying.”

  “You’re nothing like your mom. Let’s sit down later to work out a schedule for Nadia. I’ll talk to Cade. I’ll pay you for working with her.

  “Train
ing her isn’t a job to me, and I don’t expect payment for doing something fun. Kids are a big part of my career. I do expect payment for my real jobs here.” She snickered.

  “Whatever, but you only think you need money. Work with her between the lunch and dinner rides. Won’t you want to take time off while your mom is here?” He checked under the hood and tinkered around before popping up again. “Wait, work in the inside arena with Nadia to leave the big corral free.”

  She sighed. “There’s plenty around here for Mom to do without me.”

  Tanyon wiped his hands on a rag, took her hand, and strode to a rickety picnic table outside. He glanced at the sky then sat on the wet tabletop.

  She chose to stand because she had changed her wet shorts.

  “You’re hesitating on spending time with them. Have you talked to your mom? Did something happen between you two?”

  She shook back loose strands of hair from her face. “No. She’s the one who keeps putting off the trip even after you invited them. I’m not counting on them coming, at all, and if they do, I will be surprised. On a brighter note, the kids are involved with friends again and Austin is playing baseball. I fear Mom could use a break. I hear the tension in her voice. She never expected to be a mom again overnight. Between their care and dealing with Rory, it’s all bringing her down.”

  “Let’s take Monday to go visit them to see how they’re doing. Maybe we can bring them back for a couple days unless they have plans.” Tanyon slapped his hand against his thigh. “Damn. I’m not free for close to a month because of training bull riders.”

  Karis rolled her eyes and pulled at the hem of her plaid shirt. “It all depends on my mom. I do need to go there to make sure she’s okay. If you’re hiding my keys, I need them.”

  “After this group finishes up, I’ll take time like I should’ve done before training started. I can do it, but call to check on her, anyway.”

  She’d call his bluff. “All right. Let’s plan to visit Phoenix together in a month, but I must go now. Don’t get mad at me again before then.”

  “You’re imagining things. I’m not a tyrant. Honey, you know how I am. The ranch needs to run smoothly.”

  “Except for your trucks.” She smiled. “Yes, lucky for you, I do, but frankly, I’ve had about enough of you pretending to be pissed when you know how much I love you.”

  Tanyon stood and grasped her shoulders. “Who said I’m pretending? Baby, this isn’t pretending.” He brought her against him and kissed her hard.

  She hooked her fingers behind his neck and gave him everything she had in the kissing department until his heart pounded against her chest like the motor on his good truck. They pulled apart when Nadia laughed, but their gaze stayed connected, their chests heaving. Tanyon grinned. “Busted.”

  “What are you two doing?” Nadia teased. “K-i-s-s-i-n-g! I can spell.”

  Cade laughed. “Come on, Nadia. Let’s find you a pony to saddle before it’s too dark.”

  Tanyon drew her in again. “When I’m free, let’s go to Sedona then pick up the kids. I love you. We should do this.” They strode back to the garage and to his truck.

  He picked up a wrench then leaned over the motor. The muscles in his back showed through his thin t-shirt. His breathing remained heavy. Hers too. Their kisses had a way of leaving them breathless.

  She smiled to herself, tempted to smack his sexy ass, or squeeze it, but she ambled over to lean on the truck fender and ran her hand up and down his warm back. “Sedona?”

  “You wanted to see a sunrise in Sedona, didn’t you?” He grinned while tinkering. “I wanted to wake up with you when we were there. This time we will.”

  “I’d love to. Yes, to both. You look sexy with hair all in your face and you grungy with grease on your hands, a smudge on your forehead. Do you know what you’re doing under the hood here?”

  He leaned over to kiss her then smirked. “Of course. See that thick stack of books on the work bench? Why do you think they look so, um, used?”

  “Smart. Ass.”

  He laughed. “Wanna call the hotel to get a room with the same view?”

  She nodded. That quick, she’d become lost in his heated gaze, and the image of lightning against the red rocks brought warmth over her body. It had been a turning point. She’d surely die from missing the look in those lazy eyes if she ever had to again. “I love you.”

  He took a credit card from his wallet. Winking, he handed it over. “Here. Use this in case you have a problem with my truck.”

  “Why are you working under the hood when the problem is in the floor?”

  He chuckled. “I’m saving the job for when I’m bored with nothing to do.”

  She took his credit card. “Sometimes you surprise me. You keep so much hidden underneath your hard armor. I had no idea you would’ve liked waking up with me while there. Not at that time. The way you rushed out—”

  “You know why I did. You’d be pregnant by now if I hadn’t. Then, you’d be pissed at me.”

  Okay, twice now, he’d mentioned her getting pregnant. She lifted her hand to twist an earring bothering her ear. “Maybe I am pregnant, anyway.”

  He dropped his tool. It dinged and cling-clanged against every motor part it hit on the way to the ground. Gulping past a bobbling Adam’s apple, he gazed at her body from top to bottom. “Huh?”

  She chuckled. At least color hadn’t drained from his tanned face. “I don’t know yet.”

  “Don’t shock me until you know, honey.”

  “Well, I almost burst through the door naked in Sedona to force you to have sex with me. Don’t forget condoms this time unless you want to take the chance, again, or shall I buy them?”

  “You’re assuming a lot.” He smirked at her scoff. “I’ll take care of it if I must.”

  Karis smiled as she walked away to make the reservation.

  “Hey?”

  Her heart melted in love. A sexy, good-looking man stood before her. Good enough to grasp his waistband to drag him to her bedroom to ravish his body. She’d never fallen out of love with him but sure had fallen deeper in love with him.

  “Wouldn’t you be taking a chance too?”

  Hmm. What would it be like to share parenthood with him? He loved Nadia and was so loving to her when he wasn’t losing his patience. “I guess I would. I’ll talk to you after I make the call.”

  “Gotcha.” He lowered the hood on the truck. “I’ll be in the barn.”

  In her room, Karis checked the calendar on her phone. Oh… She had been mistaken. Time had flown by since she’d arrived here. She was already late, but…she was never late. Now what? Annette called from home before Karis had a chance to double-check her calendar. “Hi, are you feeling better?” she asked upon answering.

  “Guess what, Karis. I’m, I’m pregnant.”

  “Wow. It’s good news. Right?”

  “Tom and I are thrilled, but we never expected to have a third child. Who knew? Now I know why I’ve been so tired. I need to talk to Tanyon about my job.”

  “I’m happy for you and Tom. We’ll talk when you come to work. Congratulations!” They hung up and Karis peered down the front of her body. Am I? Would a baby be something to celebrate or shun? What we have is real. Were Tanyon’s slip-ups in mentioning her being pregnant, hints and not slip-ups?

  Upon arriving at the ranch in May, her heart had been filled with grief. Rory. I miss you so much. Each day, a little more slipped away although sadness overwhelmed her without a warning, like now at the thought of him. She glanced around her bedroom, dropped to her knees, and checked under the bed. Where were her damn keys? If he’d had them, they certainly wouldn’t be under her bed. His?

  Chapter Eleven

  Two days later, Tanyon stood at the chute giving advice to a young bull rider as the kid rosined up his rope. This docile bull stood mostly still, which didn’t help with training at all. At their next meeting, he’d bring over a wilder bull for this lad. Tanyon pulled up the end of the
bull rope. “Wrap it tight. This is one of my old ropes. It has a lot of rides on it.”

  “Thanks, Tanyon.”

  “Pay attention. He might not be bucking now, but he could change his mind any minute. Always pay attention. Come on, wrap.” Tanyon took the flank strap from Rudy while Fox took over helping with the bull rope.

  At each day of instruction this kid stuck around after the other four had left. This one showed his seriousness in moving on in the eight second sport that could kill a man. Or end a career. Tanyon longed to get on the bull himself. He’d never wanted to leave it. His Army career had ended and then his bull riding. Well, he’d make damn sure his career as a rancher wouldn’t end because of some punk with an agenda to sue him. “Come on, you’re on the clock. Sixty seconds. Hurry it up.” Tanyon chuckled internally. He might as well put some pressure on the kid since the bull in the chute wasn’t.

  A warm hand ran over his back and lowered to his ass.

  “Hi. Can I watch?”

  He glimpsed Karis out of the corner of his eye. “Yeah, back up a little.”

  She eased to his side and back a step.

  Her perfume wafted over the area. “Did you need something? Come on, Sam, clock’s running down. You want this last ride or not?” Tanyon nodded to Fox who held the gate rope now. “Come on, Sam, grip the rope. You’re ready.”

  “Go!” the kid screamed.

  Fox pulled the gate open and the bull shot out. “That’s it. That’s it. Ride him. You got this!” At eight seconds, the buzzer he’d set up for training the guys blasted. “All right. Oh, shit.” Sam’s hand got hung up in the rope. One of the experienced ranch hands helped him to get it loose. The bull hadn’t minded a couple extra bucks after all. A flashback raged through his memory of how he’d been hung up the same way but hadn’t broke free until it was too late. He’d already been battered and head butted, then stepped on, injuring his hip. His heart beat out of control at the memory, but he’d only seen it happen in videos because the head butt had taken him out.

  Sam climbed over the chute and shook Tanyon’s hand. “Thanks. Awesome rides. I wrapped her real tight.”