“He gets brushed every day. They all do.”
“No wonder he looks so good for his age.” She stroked his warm, muscular neck. Then she tried the scratching routine and he shuddered again. “He really likes this.”
“Sure does.”
“I’ll bet he’s glad to be in the barn where it’s warm.”
“He probably is, considering his age. But Prince and Thunderbolt would rather be outside running around.”
“In this weather?”
“Yes, ma’am. They all grow a winter coat so they’re ready for it. It may be warmer in here, but it’s boring to be stuck inside.”
“You’ll turn the other two loose after I’ve met them?”
“Thought I would.”
“Then let’s move on so they can enjoy their freedom.” She gave Lucky a pat and backed away from the stall. “See you later, okay?”
The horse bobbed his head and made a soft huh-huh-huh sound.
She looked at Garrett. “Is he talking to me?”
“Yes, ma’am. He just told you he likes your company and you’re welcome to drop by anytime.”
“That’s very nice.” She gave her new equine friend a smile. “Thanks, Lucky. I like you, too.” Then she turned to Garrett. “Who’s next?”
“Thunderbolt.” He set off for the far end of the barn. “We’ll stop at Prince’s stall on the way back.”
“Prince looks friendly, too. He’s watching us go by. Why is he wearing… is that called a halter or a bridle?”
“A halter, and both he and Thunderbolt have one on so I can quickly get them back outside.”
“Did you bring carrots for the other two?”
“I did.”
“Thunderbolt must not have gotten the word. He hasn’t stuck his head out like Lucky and Prince.”
“Because he’s not the warm and fuzzy type. But you won’t find a more magnificent horse.”
“That’s what Jake told me. He said Thunderbolt has been a good investment for Matt.”
“That’s for sure. He’s brought in some respectable stud fees.”
“I gathered that.” She had questions about how horse breeding worked these days, but she’d ask somebody else, not the man who was currently holding her hand, the man she longed to kiss and… engage in other… yeah, not a good topic to broach with Garrett.
A hot topic, too. She unzipped her parka with her free hand. No need to bundle up when holding hands with this cowboy.
He paused in front of Thunderbolt’s stall. “Hey, Thunder,” he crooned. “How’s it going?”
The stallion tossed his mane and pawed a furrow in the straw beneath his hoof.
Anna stared up at him, awestruck. “He’s huge.”
“Tallest horse in the stable.” Garrett chuckled. “Matt likes pointing that out.”
“That black coat makes him seem even more imposing, especially when he arches his neck.”
“He’s a looker, all right. And the foals he’s sired are good-looking, too.” Garrett’s voice dropped into the velvet tones he’d used initially. “Gonna come see us, big guy?”
The massive stallion snorted, and Anna jumped back.
“It’s okay.” Garrett glanced at her. “He’s high-spirited, but he’s not dangerous.”
“I’d still rather watch from a distance.”
“You bet.” Garrett squeezed her hand and let go. Then he moved closer to the stall. “Evidently he’s not in the mood to be sociable, anyway.” He pulled a chunk of carrot from his pocket and balanced it in the middle of his palm. “Peace offering, Thunder. I know you didn’t want to come in. I’ll take you out in a little bit.”
The stallion pranced forward, took the carrot and backed away again. Garrett laughed. “Yeah, he’s holding a grudge because I took him away from the herd.”
“Are mares in the pasture?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Don’t you have to keep him in a separate pen from them?”
“Not this time of year. But in the spring, yes, we do.” He came over and took her hand before starting back the way they’d come. “Last of all, I want you to meet Prince, Henri’s pride and joy. You can feed him carrots just like you did Lucky.”
“He does look mellow.” Anna had researched Buckskins after she’d been offered the job here. Prince had the classic buff-colored coat paired with a black mane and tail. “So where is everybody?”
“What do you mean?”
“With so many cowboys working here, I expected to see—”
“Nothing much to do right now. The stalls are mucked out and none of the guests are excited to book a ride on a day like this.”
“I’m not surprised. I can’t believe Thunderbolt and Prince want to be out in it.” Maybe nobody would show up, after all. She and Garrett might end up alone here for the next hour. Her stomach fluttered.
“Most horses will take a chilly wind if it means they have space to roam and interact with the rest of the herd.” He stopped in front of Prince’s stall. “Thanks for waiting for us so patiently, buddy. Anna has something for you.” He handed her a piece of carrot.
“Here you go, Prince.” She held her palm flat and the horse nibbled it delicately the same way Lucky had. When he’d finished his second one, she moved closer and gave him some rubs and scratches.
“You’ve got the idea,” Garrett said. “Next thing you know you’ll want to try riding.”
“I wouldn’t mind, but Georgie complicates the situation.” She gave Prince one last scratch. “See you later, sweetie. I’m turning you over to Garrett so he can take you and Thunderbolt outside.” Stepping back, she waved at Prince. “He’s all yours.”
“I’ll take him out and go fetch Thunder.” He reached for a rope hanging near the stall. “You’ll want to move to the far side of the aisle.”
“Will do.” She was unclear about the process of getting the horses out of the barn, but she was more than happy to stand back and let Garrett handle it.
After he brought Prince out and secured the lead rope, he started back to Thunderbolt’s stall.
Prince cast a glance in her direction.
“Thanks for coming in so I could meet you, Prince.”
His ears pricked forward and he made the same low-throated noise Lucky had.
She smiled. “We’ll meet again. I—” She paused and moved closer to the wall as Garrett headed in her direction, a prancing Thunder close behind him.
“Having a conversation with the big guy?” Garrett untied Prince’s lead rope.
“A short one.”
“I’m sure he appreciates the attention. You can follow me down to our lunch spot, but just like driving, keep a horse-length distance.” He led both horses toward the entrance.
She stayed well back as she walked behind them. When Garrett opened the doors, she braced for a blast of wind that never came. Instead, fat snowflakes drifted down and caught the light from inside the barn.
“Garrett, shouldn’t you bring the horses back in? And go get the others?”
“No need. They don’t mind a little snow. Be back in a bit.” He led the horses out and circled them back around so he could close the doors.
She glanced over at Lucky Ducky, who had his head over the stall door, watching the proceedings. “I don’t know much about horses, Lucky, but I know something about men. I think that cowboy was hoping the barn would be deserted. Our being here alone isn’t exactly an accident, is it?”
The horse gave her a blank stare.
“You probably don’t want to squeal on him, but I’ll bet he mentioned something to you when he was arranging the table. His job involves keeping track of the weather, so he knew that would be in his favor, too.”
Lucky’s low-pitched groan sounded like a confirmation of her suspicions.
“I’m going to flat-out ask him when he gets back. Maybe it’s pure coincidence that we happen to be all alone here—well, except for you—but if he set up this equine meet and greet just so we could be alone, then—” She
turned as one of the double doors opened.
Garrett slipped through it quickly, shoving it back in place. “I have a confession.” He hooked the ropes over a nearby peg and left his hat there, too.
She faced him, heart racing. “This is a setup?”
“It didn’t start out that way. But then Jake pointed out that usually nobody’s around during the noon hour.” He unbuttoned his coat as he came toward her. “Which made me start thinking about the possibilities.”
She gulped. “I see.”
“All I ask is a kiss. Just one. I haven’t been able to think of much else since last night.”
“Me, either.” She took a shaky breath.
“It turns out we are alone, at least for now, and that’s not likely to happen very often. I desperately want to kiss you again.”
She met his gaze. The heat in his eyes reduced any hesitation to ash.
He rested his hands on her shoulders. “Yes or no?”
She wanted him so much she was quivering. “Yes. Yes, please.”
Chapter Thirteen
Yes. Yes, please. Were more beautiful words ever spoken? Garrett longed to crush her to his chest and plunder her sweet mouth. But rushing made no sense. The Brotherhood had been alerted to stay away. He had time, time alone with this amazing woman.
Wrapping her in his arms, he lowered his head and savored the pleasure of kissing Anna. Her full lips tempted him beyond reason. He touched down with a groan, fitting his mouth to hers. Magic.
She tucked her warm fingers under his open collar to caress the nape of his neck. His breath hitched. Her light, erotic touch fueled desires he couldn’t satisfy. Not now. Maybe not ever.
But he had this—her mouth supple and yielding beneath his. Last night she’d tasted like dreams come true. Still did. So much joy simmered under the surface, waiting to be discovered. He deepened the kiss.
Her hum of pleasure vibrated through him, testing his control. He slid his hands under her parka, impatient with the puffy material in his way. Just a kiss.
He skimmed her ribcage and the underside of her breasts as he wound his arms around her. She sucked in a breath.
The brief contact and her quick gasp send a message straight to his groin. If he tightened his grip, she’d find out exactly how she affected him.
Taking his head in both hands, she parted her lips and teased him lightly with her tongue. He answered with some brief forays of his own, his body tightening. His surroundings faded and time narrowed to this moment, this kiss. Anna.
She slackened her jaw, inviting him in. When he plunged his tongue deep, her moan of surrender shattered his restraint. Cupping her bottom, he pulled her close. Now she knew.
Her breath caught. But she didn’t back away. Instead she wound her arms around his neck and rose to her tiptoes.
As she wiggled closer, scorching him with every movement of her lush body, the barn door slid open.
He spun so his back was to the door as cold air swept into the barn. He quickly stepped away from Anna as the door closed again. What the hell?
“Damn, I forgot.” Matt’s voice. “Sorry, bro.”
“We can make ourselves scarce, Matt.”
A stranger was with him. Wonderful. The guy sounded amused.
“What do you need, Matt?” Sending a glance of apology to Anna, who might never forgive him for this, he turned around. The shock had taken care of his woody, at least.
* * *
“I came for a lead rope so I can fetch Thunder.” Matt grimaced. “My bad.”
“Please don’t apologize.” Anna stepped up beside him, her head held high. “Garrett kindly invited me to meet some of the horses and have lunch. We got… sidetracked.”
Garrett reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “This is all on me. I’m the one who—”
“Hey, I screwed up.” Matt smiled. “But let’s move on. Introductions are in order. Jack, these fine folks are Anna Warren and Garrett Whittaker. Anna’s our top-notch receptionist at the Raptors Rise Visitor Center, and Garrett’s an excellent wrangler and a damned good mechanic, too.”
“Pleased to meet you both.” The dark-haired cowboy shook hands with Garrett and tipped his hat towards Anna.
“Jack’s from your former stomping grounds, Garrett,” Matt said. “He and his family raise Paints at the Last Chance Ranch in Shoshone. Maybe you’ve heard of—”
“Sure have. Most folks in Jackson Hole know the Last Chance.”
“You’re from there?” Jack shoved back his hat and studied him. “I thought you looked familiar. What outfit?”
“The Double B.”
Jack nodded. “Excellent operation. I haven’t been out there in a while, though. Maybe I saw you in Jackson.”
“Possibly. How long are you here for, Jack?”
“Just the one night. I’ll check out Thunderbolt later.” He turned to Matt. “I could use a hamburger and a beer at the Choosy Moose.”
“We’ll do that, but I advise you to order the apple cider instead of a beer. You’ll be glad you did.”
“Sounds terrific.” He gestured toward the temporary lunch table. “Nice job. We’ll leave you to it.” He touched the brim of his hat. “Garrett. Ma’am.”
Garrett nodded. “Nice meeting you, Jack.”
“Be sure and come by Raptors Rise before you go home,” Anna said.
Jack sent her a smile. “I’ll do that.”
As Jack headed for the barn door, Matt held back and lowered his voice. “I’ll make it up to you, bro, I promise.”
“You don’t have to—”
“Yes, I do.” He glanced at Anna. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
“We’ll talk later.” Matt tipped his hat and walked out with Jack.
Garrett waited until Matt closed the barn door before he turned to Anna. “I honestly thought we’d be alone, but that’s no excuse. I shouldn’t have—”
“Let’s talk about it over lunch.”
He gazed at her in confusion. “You still want to have lunch with me?”
She chuckled. “I still want to do a lot of things with you, but for now, I’ll have to settle for lunch.”
He stared at her in stunned silence. Had she just said she wanted… what he wanted? And why wasn’t she ripping him a new one for embarrassing her in front of Matt and a visitor?
“Let’s have those sandwiches you fixed while we figure this out. Coffee would be nice, too.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll get the cooler out of the tack room.” Dazed by her reaction, he managed to fetch the cooler and a large thermos of coffee. She was already perched on one of the tree stumps when he came back.
“I like the seats.”
“Henri calls them chummy stumps. Every time we take down a big tree for one reason or another, we replenish the supply of chummy stumps.”
“I love it. Great idea.”
“Glad you like it.” He was waiting for the other shoe to fall as he laid out the meal—turkey sandwiches and potato salad. He put a sandwich on each plate, opened the container of potato salad and stuck a spoon in it. “Take as much as you want.”
“A lot.” She spooned a generous helping on her plate. “I’m a big fan of potato salad, and I have a hunch you make a good one.”
“Folks seem to like it.” After taking a seat opposite her, he opened the thermos and poured coffee into her mug. “Should I leave room for cream? I brought some.”
“No, thanks. Just fill it up, please.”
“Alrighty.” He finished pouring hers and took some for himself. After dishing his potato salad, he unfolded his napkin and laid it in his lap. “Ready to talk?”
“In a minute.” She picked up half of her sandwich. “But I’d like to dive into this meal, if you don’t mind. I’m starving.”
“By all means.”
She started eating, and between bites she raved about the food. She’d finished half her sandwich and most of her potato salad before she broached the subject at ha
nd. “When Matt first came in and interrupted us, he said damn, I forgot. Why did he say that?”
Garrett put down his coffee and sighed. “Because I passed the word to the Brotherhood that we’d be here and I’d rather not be interrupted.”
“When did you do that?” She picked up her mug and took a sip of coffee, peeking at him over the rim.
“This morning, after I checked the weather report. Like I said, Jake had already planted the idea in my head.” He held her gaze. “I swear all I was going for was a kiss.”
“I believe you.”
“You do? Even though—”
“Let’s face it, Garrett. We’re not innocent kids ruled by our hormones.”
“I can’t claim innocence, but my hormones were definitely in charge a while ago.”
“Mine, too. I’m as responsible as you are for where we were headed. Last night you asked me before you kissed me. You did the same thing today. Both times I said yes.”
“But you also told me you didn’t want to get involved with a guy until Georgie’s enrolled in college.”
“That was the plan.”
“Was?” He held his breath.
“I didn’t count on you coming into my life.”
“So now what?” His chest tightened.
“I’m not sure.” Anxiety clouded her expression. “If I didn’t have Georgie, we’d be off to the races, but I have to consider the implications for him.”
“We can take it slow, play it by ear.”
“That doesn’t seem fair to you.”
“Let me be the judge of that.” He hesitated. “Do you want me to come over for dinner tonight? Or will that be putting too much pressure on—”
“I want to see you, Garrett. I also want Georgie to get used to having you around. Will he? I don’t know. And he’s still my primary concern.”
“Like I said before, he should be.”
“Then please come for dinner.”
He let out a sigh of relief. He hadn’t completely blown it. He still had a shot. “I’ll be there.”
Chapter Fourteen
Anna convinced Garrett that another kiss would be nothing but trouble, so once they finished lunch, she got in her car and drove back to the visitor center. The snow had stopped except for a few random flurries, so the drive to Raptors Rise was easy.
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