Cowboy Up: A Contemporary Romance (The Cherry Series Book 1)

by Luna Starr

  I blinked rapidly and smiled, though I couldn’t think of a single thing to say in response.

  She smiled and walked us back to the kitchen. “Why don’t you go on to bed? You probably had a long day.”

  I smiled. “Are you sure?”

  “You’re going to need your rest for tomorrow.”

  She was right, so I told her goodnight and headed out, swinging by the barn first to check on Aria.

  The barn was dark and cold. In fact, the nights cooled off fast here in general. Back home, Aria would have been under blankets and lights, so this was about as Motel 6 as it could get. I wandered through the dark and sighed as I wrapped my fingers around the bars and closed my eyes. Rue was right, this has been an incredibly long day.

  “Summer?”

  I jerked upright and twisted toward the voice, stepping into the middle of the walkway. Tom flicked on the overhead light and flying insects immediately attacked it. As soon as I saw him, I gulped down my embarrassment. “Oh my God, I’m sorry. I forgot you slept over the barn!”

  “No problem. I was just headed up to bed and thought I heard something.”

  Now I felt dumb and totally awkward. I didn’t say anything because it seemed my tongue was no longer able to form words.

  “You’ll have to let me know if I did the shavings right.”

  I lifted up on my toes and peered over the wall. Sure enough, fluffy pink shavings were piled high and banked up the sides and in the corners of Aria’s stall. Surprised, I tried not to go overboard with the gushing when I turned back to him, but I did want to throw my arms around him and give him a giant hug. He had no idea what it meant to me to be able to give Aria what she needed. “Thank you, Tom. This was really sweet of you and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.”

  “You’re welcome, Posh. I’m gonna turn in and get some shut eye,” he said as he flicked off the light. “We gotta be up early tomorrow.”

  “Goodnight,” I answered as I turned on my toes and started out of the barn.

  “Goodnight, Summer,” he responded and I couldn’t help my smile.

  Chapter Five

  Summer

  I woke up the next morning and realized that for the first time in a long time I’d slept through the night. The recurring nightmares that usually struck me each and every night hadn’t and the stiff heaviness that coursed through my body seemed like it had lifted a little. Maybe this place was exactly what I’d been hoping for—somewhere I could leave the past behind.

  It was a little before six when I walked out of the cabin. I stopped by and checked on Aria who was happily eating her hay.

  “Ready?” I heard Brady’s voice followed by the sound of hoof beats against the hard ground outside the barn.

  “Let’s get ‘er done,” Tom chimed in.

  I walked to the end of the barn aisle and peered outside the large double doors to see the two of them heading out. I took another peek at Aria and she appeared to be settling right in. So, I headed out to the main house, where I was greeted by Rue—a grin on her face and a cup of coffee in her hand, which she handed to me.

  “For you. You sleep well?” she asked as she held the front door open for me and then led me through the hallway to the kitchen.

  “I did. Thank you,” I answered as I tried to stifle a yawn. I could have easily slept another hour or so. “So, I saw Brady and Tom head out already. I figured they’d be here for breakfast?”

  “They had to get an early start. They ate over an hour ago. They’ve got a wide line of fence that’s down at the far corner of the ranch. Some of the cattle got through last night. Got a call from one of the neighbors. They’ve got their work cut out for them.” She waved a hand at me. “It’s good. Gives us time to orient you on what you’ll be helping me with. I’ve got some bacon and scrambled eggs ready for you, and there’s a bowl of berries in the fridge over there.”

  I grabbed my plate and sat down. Rue made up one for herself and sat across from me. It was quiet for a few minutes and I felt awkward, like I should fill the void of silence. But the last thing I wanted to do was talk about myself, and the last thing I wanted was for Rue to start asking questions about me. Once it looked like she was about to do just that, I headed her off.

  “You’ve been here for twenty years?” I asked.

  She nodded. “Yes.”

  I set my fork down and looked at her.

  “When Brady’s dad was alive and this place was just a working cow ranch rather than the added vacation thing we have now, my husband worked here. He managed the place.”

  “Oh. You’re married?”

  She nodded. “I was. And he was also a mean son-of-a-bitch.”

  I took a sip of coffee and didn’t know how to respond. Was she still married? Then whatever inkling I’d had that she and Brady were together must have been wrong?

  “And, well, I fell for Brady,” she continued with a little smile that meant she was still under the big man’s spell.

  “Oh.” I didn’t really know what else to say because I wasn’t sure if she wanted me to ask more or if I should just wait for her to offer up whatever she wanted to.

  “Yeah. Kind of foolish. Got Brady’s ass kicked, but in the end, that bastard I was married to left and I moved in here.”

  “Are you and Brady married then?”

  “No. Not in the ‘let’s go to church and put on a ring’ married. We are common law married and that’s how we like it. We don’t need the paperwork and all that. Neither one of us were super successful in past relationships so we agreed to do things our own way.”

  “That makes sense.”

  “What about you? You have a boyfriend?”

  I laughed as I thought about it and the fact that I hadn’t even had a date since my mother made off with my last one. In general, I had steered completely clear of men. I figured if I never allowed a man to get close to me, I couldn’t get hurt. “No. Definitely not.” Silence set in again and I felt like she was waiting for me to explain. “I haven’t had time,” I started. “I’ve got goals for Aria and me, and I’ve been working toward them.”

  “Goals?”

  I nodded and glanced down into my half empty cup of coffee. “Starting a new life, that sort of thing. Men just don’t fit into my plans at the moment.”

  “I understand.” She nodded at me and gave me a sweet smile. “Well, I’m always here if you need someone to talk to.”

  A pit welled in my stomach because the last person who’d offered to be there for me was my dad, and memories of him did nothing but cause a sinking feeling in my gut. “Thank you.”

  “We better get started,” Rue said with an apologetic smile.

  We rinsed our plates and Rue gave me the lowdown on how the kitchen was run and how the meals were planned each day for guests.

  “Once we’re done here, you’ll have to head on into town,” she started after finishing her lengthy explanation on meal planning. “Brady called Sharon last night after dinner, and you’ve got yourself a job interview.”

  “Awesome!”

  It seemed my life was starting over again right here in Colorado Springs. And I was happy. Happier than I could remember being in a long while. The people surrounding me seemed genuine and good—the types of people you could trust and become close with. But the pit in my stomach warned me not to get close to anyone or it would lead to disaster. If nothing else, I’d learned that caring about anyone only led to disappointment and heartache.

  Chapter Six

  Tom

  I couldn’t stop thinking about her even though I was annoyed with myself because Summer was completely not my type. Usually, I wasn’t attracted to high-maintenance and she was it and then some. But, there was also a lot more to her than her high society manners, I was sure.

  As my glove caught on the barbed wire for the hundredth time, Brady yelled at me.

  “What is with you this morning? Do you need a nap, a new set of panties, what the hell?”

  “G
ot me.”

  I rubbed my nose on my sleeve and blinked at the sun coming over the horizon. I hadn’t slept last night. I’d just tossed and turned. It was so bad that Bob slept on the floor. But I’d be damned if I was going to tell Brady that I was exhausted this morning because I couldn’t get images of Summer naked and sprawled out below me out of my head. The last thing I wanted was him riding me about her again.

  What bothered me most about my current fixation on the shapely little strawberry blond, was that it wasn’t just her body that I couldn’t quit thinking about. It was the way she sat at the table, all prim and proper. It was the way she got nervous whenever I looked at her like a man looks at a woman. It was the way she was so dedicated to that horse of hers. And it was the way that haunted look came into her eyes that hinted to a troubled past.

  It was clear that she didn’t belong here, and I wanted to know where she was from and how someone like her ended up here, in the middle of nowhere. That horse was obviously expensive and that saddle, good hell, must have cost more than my truck. Speaking of trucks, that was another mystery about her too. That truck and trailer were about to rot off their wheels and yet she was carrying around tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of preciousness on the inside. There was a whole lot more to her story, and while I was a big fan of keeping secrets, I really wanted to know hers.

  “Who’s Liza?” I asked casually.

  Brady clipped another strand of wire and looked over with his perma-scowl. “She’s my cousin. Runs a school for those fancy-pants horses like Summer’s.” Then he eyed me narrowly as I nodded, digesting this information. “I already told you, that girl is off limits. I know what you’re thinking.”

  “I’m not thinking anything,” I answered with a shrug.

  “That’s the biggest load of shit I ever heard,” he frowned at me. “Summer is beautiful. You think I don’t have eyes, boy? I’ve seen you looking at her.”

  I faced him and shook my head. “I was just wondering who this Liza was, that’s all.”

  “Bullshit.” Brady straightened and extended his gloved hand. “Give me another handful of those.”

  I gave him more of the clips. “So how did a girl like that end up in a place like this?” I asked, figuring I’d just go for the jugular. Whether Brady wanted to answer was up to him.

  “Here’s all I know, and after I tell you, you take that mind of yours out of the gutter,” he warned. “I hadn’t talked to Liza in months, but she called out of the blue one night and asked if I’d found help for the house yet. I told her no. So she said she had a girl who needed a leg up. I told her to send her on out and Summer arrived. End of story.”

  I pulled the wire taut while he attached it to the pole. “She seems like she’s running away from something.”

  He glanced at me. “I’m serious about staying clear of her. Whatever reason she has for being here is hers alone. She definitely doesn’t need you snooping around, playin’ detective.” He took a breath. “She shouldn’t be your concern.”

  “I heard you the first eighteen times.”

  “Well, dammit, I know how bull-headed you are when you want something. And I can’t afford to have her leaving in the middle of the season because of a broken heart. I especially don’t want to have to explain that to my cousin. She trusted me with Summer and I’m acting as her guardian.”

  “Who said I want her?” I demanded, suddenly irritated that Brady thought I’d break her heart. Good Lord, what sort of man did he think I was? Determined not to settle for anything in my life, yes. But that didn’t mean I was out to break women’s hearts. If they chose to have sex with me and fall for me after, well, that was on them. It wasn’t like I lied to women just to get them in bed. If nothing else, I was an honest man.

  “You don’t have to say it,” Brady answered with a chuckle.

  “She’s interesting,” I responded.

  “Yep, I’m screwed,” he chuckled again and shook his head with a sigh.

  Yeah, he most likely was. Because it wasn’t a total lie. There was no way I could stay away from Summer, not when I was already trying to figure her out, to put together her puzzle pieces.

  “Why can’t you just set your sights on one of the women in town?” Brady continued.

  I shrugged as I considered it. It wasn’t like there was a shortage of women in town. And I’d had more than my fair share of them. But they were all the same. “Not interested,” I answered as my thoughts returned to the mystery that was Summer. “So, what do you think her deal is?”

  He shrugged. “Liza just said that she’d had a rough time, but that could be anything, I guess. It ain’t my business and it definitely ain’t yours.”

  So, he wasn’t holding out—it seemed he really didn’t know anything about her. Guess I’d just have to find out about her on my own. We worked in silence for a while and I let my thoughts drift back to Summer, lying in my bed in the cabin, hair tousled, eyes hooded and sleepy. Damn. I really was in trouble.

  Chapter Seven

  Summer

  The morning went quickly as I found myself surprisingly absorbed in how Rue ran things.

  “This is an easy group coming in a few days—a mom and her kids. When we get big church groups, it gets a little trickier, and depending on what time of year it is, sometimes I just have Brady barbecue a pig or we do burgers outside. Sometimes trying to work all of this out of the kitchen gets a little tight.”

  I had a heavy feeling that I wasn’t going to be much help to her on any of this. “I’m not a very good cook, Rue.”

  She didn’t look up from her card box of recipes. “Done a lot of it, have you?”

  I shook my head. “No. That’s what I’m saying, I haven’t done any.”

  She slowly lifted her head. “Then how do you know you can’t cook?”

  “Well, doesn’t that automatically mean I can’t?”

  She laughed. “Heavens, no.” I made a face and she patted my hand. “You’ll see.”

  She made a grocery list as we checked the pantry to see what we already had on hand. “Tomorrow, we’ll head to the store and get everything we need. I’ll ask Brady if there’s anything special he might like this week. He has his favorites. And, for dessert, one of them happens to be ice cream. Ever make it?”

  “I’ve scooped it into a dish.”

  “Do you want to try?”

  “Why not?” I shrugged.

  “Did your mom do all the cooking?”

  “Oh, that’s a good one,” I answered with a laugh I didn’t really feel. “No. We had a cook and I think he even had a couple of assistants to help him out. You would have thought we were a family of twelve instead of an only child and her absentee parents.” I blurted everything out before I realized I’d said too much, and opened the door for Rue to ask me more questions. I cleared my throat and pretended extreme interest in the pantry.

  “Ah, well, let’s get to it.”

  Either she sensed that I wasn’t thrilled with discussing my family situation, or she didn’t want to get caught up in what she probably considered a big case of drama. Truth be told, it was, and I was good without it.

  We found an easy companionship as she taught me how simple ingredients created a chemical reaction that resulted in ice cream. I found myself enjoying the process.

  “And now we wait.” She set the container in the freezer. “You can go get that horse of yours out and take her for a ride if you want.” She looked at her watch. “You need to be in town in two hours for your interview. That give you enough time?”

  “It does. Thank you.” I rushed out the door, excited to get Aria moving. Even if I barely had enough time to get it all done—groom and tack, ride, rinse Aria, shower, and drive to the diner.

  I quickly changed into a pair of breeches and my riding boots and headed to Aria’s stall. “Hi, beautiful girl.” I rested my palm against her jaw and laid my head on her velvet nose. We connected for a few seconds, drawing on the comfort of the one thing in each of
our lives that had been a constant. I was sure all this change hadn’t gone unnoticed by her, but she was doing a much better job of handling it.

  I slipped her halter on and she lifted her head and quivered, excited about going anywhere other than this box. I quickly rigged up some crossties outside her stall and she calmed a bit as I hooked the second lead to her halter, but she was fidgety and could barely stand still while I tacked her. “Almost, girl. Just let me get you ready.”

  I slipped her bridle on after tightening the girth, and looked for a step up so I could climb on her back. But I didn’t see anything. Aria was 16.3 hands to my 5’3” inches, so a step was ideal, but it looked like I’d have to wing it. I led her out into the open and planned to climb on when I heard, “Need a leg up?”

  I turned around to see Tom riding up on Jenny. Brady was directing a half-dozen cows into a pen.

  “Uh, sure,” I said, swallowing down my nerves.

  Tom dismounted and with the reins to Jenny in one hand, he held out the other. I put my shin into his hand and counted to three. Then he gave me a heave and I was up and nearly over the other side of Aria, he’d hefted me up so hard. I looked down at him in surprise. Damn. He was strong.

  He chuckled. “Sorry about that.”

  “You almost sent me clear over her!” I laughed.

  “Yeah. Well…” He turned away. “Don’t say I never did you any favors, Posh.”

  “I won’t,” I laughed.

  “Have a good ride.”

  “Thank you.” I wasn’t sure why but I was disappointed as I watched him mount Jenny and then trot off. Somewhere inside of me, I’d hoped he would stay. But there was no reason for me to feel this way. I had to get my head on straight. I was going to get my head on straight…

  I rode Aria over to the arena. The sand was a little deeper than I’d like, but beggars couldn’t be choosers, right? In the course of my time here, I found myself repeating that little mantra more times than I was comfortable with.