by Jane Jamison
He motioned to the two horses in the first two stalls. “That black one is my horse, Breaker. The other is called Sugar because of her sweet personality.”
A few minutes later, he had his horse Breaker geared up as the sun eased over the edge of the horizon. He let Breaker stand then saddled up her mount and led Sugar out of her stall. “This is the gentlest little lady you’ll ever sit on. Trust me. You’re safe on her back.”
“I don’t know about the lady part, but she’s not little. Not compared to me.”
“You’ve got a point. But she’s average in height and as docile as they come.” He reached over and snagged a cowboy hat from off a rack. “Here. It’s a spare, but it’s clean. Sort of.”
Shawna pulled the hat on her head then struck a pose. “How do I look?”
“Like you grew up here.”
She appeared entranced with the mare and moved to pat the horse’s neck. “She’s beautiful. I really like her coloring with the black of her nose and tips of her ears blending in with her wonderful chestnut fur. What kind of horse is she?”
“All of our horses are working horses. Most of them, like her, are quarter horses. We use them for roping calves, rounding up strays, and whatever we need to. You know, the typical cowboy stuff.”
She tugged on her hair, showing her nerves. “Are you sure I can ride her? I’m not even sure how to drive her.”
He couldn’t help but chuckle. Not at her silly statement, but at her adorable expression. “Don’t worry. I’ll teach you.” He cupped his hands. “Put your foot here and I’ll help you into the saddle.”
“Okay, but I better not regret this.”
“You won’t.” He hoisted her up and into the saddle and thought how light she was. Light, curvy, and smelling like lavender.
* * * *
As soon as she got on top of Sugar, Sela knew she’d love riding. It was scary and thrilling all at the same time. Carter, looking even better than he had yesterday, put his foot in the stirrup and swung his leg over Breaker.
“Just give her a little nudge and she’ll follow along with Breaker.” He eased his horse next to hers then drew out ahead.
She did as he said, barely heeling Sugar, but the horse started off at a quick walk, keeping right by Breaker’s side. At first, she rocked a lot in the saddle as she clung to the reins and the knobby thing on the front.
“Once you feel more secure, you can turn the saddle horn loose.” He nodded at the knobby thing.
“So that’s what that’s called.” She took a breath that would help ease the tension that had set up shop in her neck. “I’m still really nervous, but this is fun.”
They continued walking the horses for a while, watching the sunrise in companionable silence. She’d always thought the bright lights of the city were beautiful, but they were dull and lifeless next to the sun poking its head up for the first time in the day.
When had she last seen a sunrise? Maybe once or twice since she was a kid? And mainly when she was too tired from working and then partying all night to pay much attention. Besides, the sun coming up from behind skyscrapers was a pitiful replacement for one rising above the green land of the ranch.
“Do you think you’re ready to go faster?”
“Faster?” Of course she knew what he meant. She just hadn’t been ready for him to ask yet. But where there was no risk, there was no gain. “Sure. Let’s do this.”
“Watch and do what I do.” He clucked at Breaker then kicked with his heels and whipped the reins up and down at the same time. Breaker snorted then broke into a trot.
She swallowed then did exactly as he’d done. Sugar shook her head then took off to catch up with Breaker. Gripping the saddle horn again, she held on as she bounced along for the ride.
“Settle into the rhythm of the horse. Make your body move with hers. You’ll ride easier.”
Once again, she did as he told her. She laughed as the bouncing grew less. Sugar caught up with Breaker and took to his side again.
“Have you three guys lived here long?”
Yesterday, she hadn’t cared to know much about them. But after last night, she found that she needed to know more. They’d become more than sexy men with a place to hide out. She frowned and wondered why she cared.
“Not long. We joined up with Gabriel a few years ago and then built the house.”
He glanced at her then looked straight ahead again. But his look had seemed to hold a question. One that he wasn’t ready to ask. Would she have an answer when he finally asked it?
“And it’s always been just you three living here?” Suddenly, it was important that she know whether or not they had a woman in their lives.
“Just us.”
Again, with the look.
“Hopefully, that won’t always be the case.”
“Oh? What do you mean?” Her mouth went dry as though she was almost afraid of his answer.
“Once we find that special woman, then that’ll change.”
“Don’t you mean those special women?”
He pulled Breaker’s reins and brought him to a stop. “Nope. I mean just one woman for the three of us.”
She didn’t even have to tell Sugar to stop. “Seriously? That’s unusual. You three don’t mind sharing?”
His mouth crooked up into a soft smile. “Did it look like we minded sharing last night?”
He’d already clucked at Breaker and had started the horse moving again before she had time to answer. She let her response slide as Sugar fell into step next to his mount.
Three men for one woman. Holy gumdrops.
The idea excited her. She could handle that kind of situation, especially if it was with the Richland men. But could she ever trust one man, much less three, and be their one woman forever?
The horses trotted side by side as they went farther into the pasture. She was delighted as they eased their way through a herd of cattle. The cows moved closer, their low moos punctuating the morning air as they pressed their muzzles against her shoe and padded beside the horses.
“It’s like they’re saying good morning.” She wanted to reach down and pet one, but was too afraid that she’d get unbalanced and fall off.
“They are.” He chuckled. “I didn’t know you knew how to speak cow.”
She laughed along with him as they made their way through the herd and into a slight dip in the land. A few trees were scattered around the area, and long grass waved in the wind.
“Where’s the wheat?”
He reined his horse to a stop. “What wheat?”
“You know. As in ‘the waving wheat’ from the song Oklahoma?” Sugar stopped without her telling her to.
Damn, but he’s hot. If I thought I could pull it off, I’d throw myself on top of him, knock him to the ground, and have my way with him.
His brown hair ruffled in the wind that always seemed to blow. “We don’t grow wheat. But others do. Didn’t you see any on your way out here?”
“I guess I didn’t pay much attention.” She didn’t add that she’d had headphones on for her flight into Tulsa. And as for the trip out to Destiny, she’d kept the same headphones blaring in her ears until they’d reached the small town.
“Would you like the next part of your riding lesson?” He pointed toward a group of trees. “There’s a stream over there.”
“Sure.”
“I’ll race you to it.”
He clucked at his horse and put him into a full run. She stared after him, tugging back on the reins to keep Sugar from following. Did he want her to break her neck? Sugar pranced, wanting to follow Breaker. Jerking her head up and down, Sugar finally got her way. The horse broke into a gallop, throwing Sela backwards.
Sela shouted as she felt the bottom of her butt leaving the security of her saddle. “Carter!”
In the next instant, she was on her back and trying to drag in breath for her needy lungs. The sky above her was clear except for one fluffy white cloud.
He was by her
side, putting his hand on her forehead. “Shawna? Are you all right?”
Dazed, she struggled to think clearly. Who is Shawna? And why is this hot guy calling me by that name?
He lifted her into his arms, his gaze running the length of her and back. “Talk to me. Are you hurt?”
She checked. Nope. No pain other than the ache in my butt.
She shook her head then hated herself for doing so. Falling off the horse had brought back her headache. Or given her a new one. Which one was right didn’t matter.
Shawna. Oh, yeah. That’s me.
“I’m okay. I just need…to catch…my breath.”
He tore off his cowboy hat and flung it to the ground. “I’m an idiot to have let you try to run your horse. Damn it, if anything happened to you…”
She stared into his worried eyes. Wow. He’s really worried about me? But is it because I’m a client? Or is it more?
She suddenly wanted it to be more. Much more. “I’m okay, Carter, really. I think my pride’s busted more than my body.”
He helped her as she tried to get up, his strong arms enveloping her to bring her to her feet. She felt a bit dizzy, but he was there to make sure she didn’t fall.
“Easy, baby. I’ve got you.”
“Where’s Sugar?” Breaker was nearby, munching on the grass.
“She’s right over there. But it doesn’t matter. You’re riding back with me.”
Ooh, goody.
She leaned against him even more. “That’s probably the best thing to do.”
Carter helped her walk, but as soon as she placed her weight on her right foot, pain shot up her leg. “Ow, ow, ow. My foot hurts like it’s on fire.”
He bent over, giving her a fantastic view of his back and delicious bottom. She tried not to be too obvious as he slid his hand over her ankle. “I don’t think it’s strained, much less broken. But to be sure, let’s keep you off it.”
He scooped her up, and she locked her hands behind his neck. Her heart pounded more than it had when she’d gotten thrown. His mouth was so close to hers, so perfect a fit, that she had no choice but to kiss him.
At first, he didn’t respond to the kiss, but then his mouth pressed harder against hers. He hugged her tighter, and she shifted so she could push her breasts against his chest. Nibbling on her lower lip, he moved from there to flick his tongue into her mouth. She moaned, urging him to taste her juices and more.
He broke the kiss all too soon. “You drive me crazy, you know that?”
“Then why’d you stop?”
He gave her another kiss, but this one was on the tip of her nose. “Because, baby, we need to get you back to the house and tend to your ankle.”
He pivoted to face his horse then gave a low whistle. Breaker went down on his front legs as though he’d fallen to his knees.
Do horses have knees?
“Holy gumdrops, how’d you ever get him to do that?”
He placed her in the saddle then swung on behind it. “It took a bit of training, but I knew it’d come in handy one day.”
She laughed out loud despite the pain in her ankle. “Very cool, cowboy. Just like in a movie.”
Reaching around her, he took the reins and supported her with his arms. “Thanks. That’s what I was going for. The handsome Western hero saving the virginal schoolmarm from the savages.”
“Virginal?”
“Yeah, okay. How about sexy schoolmarm?”
“I’ll take it.”
At his second whistle, Breaker pushed back to a standing position.
“But what about Sugar?”
“Wherever Breaker goes, Sugar will follow. You never said before. Where’d you come up with holy gumdrops anyway?”
She leaned against his chest, letting him support her with more than his arms. “My mom used to say it all the time. Unlike me, she never used profanity. The no-curse-word habit didn’t stick with me, but the one phrase did.”
“I like it. It suits you. Now hold on. I don’t want you landing on your butt again.” He grinned. “I guess it would’ve been better if you’d landed on your head.”
“Hey!” But she couldn’t suppress a grin, either.
She could’ve stayed on his horse, pressed against him for the rest of the day. He trotted the horse back to the house, his voice in her ear as he pointed out places of interest. She was sure she wouldn’t remember half of what he said, but she’d never forget how he’d said it or how he’d felt next to her.
With Sugar cantering beside Breaker, they left the pasture behind them and entered the yard between the house and the barn. She turned to him, her mouth parted and ready for another kiss. “Thanks, cowboy. You saved my life.”
He tipped his hat and adopted an old-fashioned manner, mimicking hers. “No need to thank me, little lady. I was glad to be at your service.”
Their lips were only centimeters apart when William burst out of the barn, holding his cell phone in the air. “Where the hell have you two been? We’ve got to hide her, and pronto!”
Chapter Six
William was so anxious to get Shawna hidden that he didn’t notice that she was riding in front of Carter until he was right next to them. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
“Stop with the questions and help her down,” commanded Carter.
William was happy to do so since it meant she had to slide off the horse and into his arms. But when she put both feet on the floor, he caught her wince and wrapped his arm around her. “You’re hurt.”
It wasn’t as much of a question as it was a statement of fact. Any fool could see she was favoring her right foot.
“I just wracked my ankle a little when I fell off the horse.”
Anger flared inside him. “What the fuck, Carter? What did you do?”
Like the beauty soothing a beast, she placed her palm on his chest and drove his anger away. “He didn’t do anything. But do we have time to stand here and talk about it?”
She was right. He scooped her into his arms and whirled around to take her inside the barn.
“What are you doing? Why can’t I hide in my bedroom?”
William carried her to bales of hay stacked almost to the ceiling, then circled behind them. He placed her gently on top of loose hay scattered at the edge then bent to take a look at her foot. He skimmed his hand along her foot and ankle.
“You’d probably be safe in your room, but we can’t take the chance. More than likely, Gabriel’s coming over to assign us to a job, which we’ll have to turn down since we’re watching over you right now. It’s going to be hard enough to explain because we’ve never turned down an assignment.”
“Then maybe you should take it.”
He jerked his head up to gape at her. “And leave you unprotected? Not on my life, and certainly not on yours.”
Her question had hit him straight in his gut. How could she even think they’d leave her alone? What if her boyfriend showed up? What if she decided to leave with him? He hadn’t realized it before, but the sudden idea that she might be gone the next day made him hurt. Not only in his gut, but in the middle of his chest. In his heart.
Yet as bad as that felt, it suddenly got even worse. What if something bad happens to her while we’re gone?
“But I wouldn’t want you to miss out on a job.”
He shook his head. “It’s not a big deal. We’re due for some time off and had even talked about it before you showed up.”
“Are you sure? I mean, mine’s not a life-or-death situation.” She blinked as though reassessing her statement. “At least I hope not. But I’d hate to think of another woman not getting the help she needed because I—well, because I’m holding you up.”
Her concern touched him. How could Bill think she’d lied to them? She was ready to give up their assistance for someone she didn’t even know. People like that didn’t lie.
“It’s not like another team won’t be assigned to her. Trust me. It’s okay if we turn him down.”
�
�So whoever needs help will definitely get it? I don’t think I could stand the idea of another woman, probably one in more trouble than me, getting less than the best. And since I’m sure you’re the best, you three should go.” Her expression closed in, her eyes darkening with worry.
A booming voice interrupted them, and William put a finger to her lips, telling her to stay quiet. That simple touch sent ricochets of lust tearing through him. His gaze dropped to her full and kissable lips. If Gabriel hadn’t just arrived, he would’ve pushed her on her back and ripped her clothes from her. Instead, he closed his eyes, and when he reopened them, he was back in control. But just barely.
He leaned closer and whispered. “I don’t think your ankle is twisted or sprained. I think it’s fine. You probably just landed on it hard. Stay here and stay quiet until one of us comes for you.”
She nodded, dancing her hair around her angelic face. Then, before he knew what was going on, she took his face between her hands and drew him to her. Her kiss was soft at first then grew in pressure, and he couldn’t have resisted it if Gabriel had walked into the barn at that very moment and found them.
He pulled her to him, uncaring that Bill and Carter were wondering where he was. Uncaring that Gabriel wouldn’t want to tell them about a case until he was present. The earth could’ve spun off its axis and flown out to space for all he cared. As long as he was with her, everything was all right.
He kissed her back, nibbling at her lips then sucking her tongue into his mouth. She moaned, a sound that was too loud, but his moan followed hers. He cupped her breast in his hand and felt his erection grow. He cradled her, letting her rest her head against his arm as he took possession of her mouth.
In that brief moment, he knew he could never let her leave. And with that realization came the knowledge that she was the one they’d waited for.
She clung to him, her body telling him she wanted him as much as he wanted her. His hand slid down to grip her butt, and another moan escaped him. She arched, pushing her breasts against his chest as he brought them both to the barn floor.