He was mesmerized. “Don’t be so sure.”
“Goodnight, Cody.”
“Goodnight, Faith.” He watched until she slipped through the front door. Then he walked around back and waited until a light came on in her room. If she hadn’t left the light on when she’d fallen asleep, he wouldn’t have known which room was hers.
She came to the window and looked out. He waved and she waved back. Then she took off her jacket. He stood gazing at her like a lovesick schoolboy, still not quite believing that this was the same woman who came to work every day in baggy jeans and oversized shirts.
Maybe the disguise had been on purpose. Dressed like a man, she wouldn’t attract male attention. She and her dad could live their quiet, asexual life and not be troubled by unwanted complications. She still planned to live that way, once she’d had her fling.
She took hold of the hem of her tank top. No, she wouldn’t. Two hours ago, she’d been an untouched virgin. Surely she wouldn’t…. He groaned as she pulled the tank top over her head and tossed it away. A quick shimmy of her hips and the shorts were gone. She stood in front of the window and allowed him to look his fill.
He couldn’t have moved if an angry bull had been bearing down on him. He scarcely blinked. His cock strained against his fly. Then she blew him a kiss and closed the curtains. He stared at the window in disbelief. Had that really happened?
Unless he’d started hallucinating, something he’d never done in his life, Faith had just treated him to a fantasy. He couldn’t call it a strip tease because she’d made no attempt to draw out the process. She’d simply stood in front of the window and taken off her clothes. For him.
If she’d wanted to give him a visual that would stay with him for hours, days…hell, maybe forever…she’d succeeded. After several long, slow breaths, he managed to walk around the house and back down the road to his truck. But he was deaf to the night sounds and blind to the stars shining through the trees. He saw only Faith, her glorious hair falling over her shoulders and curling around her creamy breasts as she stood proudly in front of her window.
He was the luckiest SOB in the universe and she thought he was doing her a favor. She’d thrown in the loan of her horse to sweeten the deal in case making love to her turned out to be boring. There was nothing boring about that woman. If he expected to keep her interested, he’d have to ramp up his game.
The candles had been a good idea, though. He’d blown them out before walking her home, although the rain earlier had assured him nothing would catch on fire.
After gathering all the glass candle holders, he tucked them in their original boxes and shoved them behind the pillows like before. Same with the package of condoms.
He would have been happy to use another one tonight, but that would have been a mistake. She was getting the hang of this seduction business, but her body was still new to the physical connection. Although his experience with virgins was limited, he had a fair amount of common sense. She might think she was ready for pedal to the metal sex, but she wasn’t. He’d promised not to hurt her and he’d keep that promise.
Driving home, he thought about what the next several days would bring, and the next several nights. He’d agreed to Faith’s plan because who could reject a woman who’d used vanilla as an aphrodisiac? But he hadn’t considered the consequences.
He was the most transparent guy she’d ever meet, which made him a bad candidate for a secret affair. She’d wanted trustworthy, which he was, but he didn’t know how to be devious. He’d already messed up while buying the condoms and the candles. Both Aunt Jo and Ellie Mae knew he was up to something. Zane was on the trail, too.
Nobody had guessed who he was conspiring with, but it wouldn’t take Aunt Jo long to figure that out. Zane would, too, since he had so much opportunity to observe the two of them together. He’d notice if Cody started avoiding her.
He parked next to the house and climbed out of the truck. If he had his druthers, he’d sleep in the camper surrounded by memories of Faith. He’d have a tough time explaining that, so he crept carefully into the house and went back to his bedroom.
But he couldn’t take off his clothes without remembering how Faith had taken off hers—twice. She’d been just as willing to strip in the camper as in her bedroom. She covered up for the rest of the world, but she hadn’t hesitated to reveal everything to him.
That was humbling. She’d met him briefly the day she was hired, and in those few minutes she’d felt a visceral connection that had told her he was the one to give her this ultimate experience. After making that commitment, she was all in, at least until everything ended when he left.
He was touched by her calm acceptance of his departure and her life in general. It wasn’t his place to question that, especially when he wasn’t sticking around. He could, however, do his level best to give her the one thing she’d asked for. Well, she wasn’t the only one who wanted it, now. He wanted it for her, and he’d be her partner in wringing every ounce of pleasure out of the next two weeks.
* * *
The next morning Faith dressed in the clothes she always wore to work, but they didn’t feel quite right today. They were comfortable and allowed her freedom of movement, but they were too big. She’d bought them that way for years. The loose fit had never bothered her before.
But Cody had said she was a hot woman. Hot women didn’t wear clothes that were too big. On the other hand, Cody would be gone in less than two weeks, along with his opinion that she was hot. She’d asked him to have sex with her so she could find out what it was like, not so she could rethink her wardrobe. If she changed anything, her dad would notice and ask what was going on.
Her internal argument continued as she drove down Wagon Wheel Lane and passed the spot where Everything Had Changed. She thought of it that way, like the title of a book. Before Cody had thrown stones at her window, she’d been one person. She wasn’t the same person this morning. No point in pretending she was.
She arrived in time to help feed. Zane was there but not Cody, which was probably a good thing. She didn’t mention him, but Zane did. He said Cody had found a faulty latch on his camper shell and had taken it back to the dealer first thing this morning to get it repaired before the shop got busy.
Zane had no reason to tell her that, so her paranoid brain wondered if he’d said it to see if she’d react. She didn’t. Zane couldn’t possibly have information about what had happened last night on Wagon Wheel Lane. Yet she couldn’t shake the idea that people would look at her and they would know.
By mid-morning she’d convinced herself that was ridiculous. But when Mandy showed up to spend an hour working with Licorice, Faith studied her outfit. The jeans weren’t fancy. They didn’t have bling on them or even embroidery. But they fit like a dream. Anyone looking at Mandy in those jeans would know she was a hot woman.
Mandy’s shirt was the same story. It was even plaid like Faith’s, but the cut was completely different. The shirt hugged her torso and emphasized her breasts. Even when she tucked her hair under her hat, which she often did, she looked sexy.
After they finished their session with Licorice and turned her out to pasture, they walked back to the house to have a cup of coffee with Kendra. Faith worked up her courage to ask about Mandy’s jeans. “Did you get them here?” She was hoping they were from a store in Bozeman, or maybe Billings. She’d make the drive, especially if she could find a sale.
“I bought them in New York.” Mandy brushed a piece of straw off her leg. “But I had to alter them because they didn’t fit the way I wanted.”
Faith sighed. “I was afraid of that, but I’m not surprised. Everything you wear fits you perfectly.”
“Thank you.” Mandy glanced over at her. “Are you looking for a nice pair of jeans?”
“I wouldn’t mind, although I don’t have a lot to spend.” Faith was out of her depth, but she soldiered on. Girl talk wasn’t her specialty. “I mean, the ones I have are good quality. They’re just a
little…big.”
“Finding jeans that fit exactly right is so tough. We’re all built differently. If I hadn’t learned how to use a sewing machine, I’d be screwed.”
“Unfortunately, I don’t sew.”
“But I do. Maybe I can help.”
“Oh, Mandy, I couldn’t ask you to—”
“Why not? It’s fun for me. Would you let me take a couple pairs of your jeans and see what I could do with them?”
“What would you charge?”
“Not a thing. Like I said, it’s fun. But if you insist on doing something in return, you can teach me that cool rope trick you showed me the other day.”
“Deal.” She hesitated. “If it’s not too much trouble, could you look at my shirts, too?”
“Oh, shirts are my specialty! Bring ‘em on.”
Faith shook her head in wonder. “I’ve never known anyone who was so thrilled about messing with clothes.”
“You do, now. I’ll take your measurements while we have coffee with Aunt Kendra. I know she has a tape measure because I gave her one. Then bring me your stuff tomorrow and I’ll get started.”
“Thank you. That would be awesome.” Mandy’s eagerness mystified her, but the prospect of having at least two outfits that fit was exciting. She couldn’t wait for Cody to see her in them. She wished they could be finished by tonight, but she’d have to go on their ride in her baggy clothes. She had nothing else.
Chapter Eight
Cody had taken a page out of Faith’s playbook and manufactured a problem with his camper shell that didn’t exist. He hoped he wasn’t getting good at telling lies, but this one had rolled right off his tongue when he was talking to his mom and Zane first thing this morning. Consequently he’d left the ranch before Faith had arrived. She’d appreciate that and so did he.
He’d treated himself to breakfast at the Eagles Nest Diner and then browsed the camping aisle in the hardware store. He found a Coleman stove on sale and some cookware and utensils, so he’d checked off most of the items on his list. The horse trailer was the only major thing left.
Then he noticed the camping mattresses. He’d looked at them the previous day and had rejected them as unnecessary for his trip. While he’d have some luxury whenever he returned to his truck, he wanted to rough it out in the wilderness. Even the tent seemed like overkill, except that he didn’t relish sleeping with a rattlesnake and getting bit when he was miles from civilization.
The camping mattress wouldn’t be for his trip, but one of them, or better yet two, would add immeasurably to the experience with Faith this evening. They were thin enough to roll up and tie behind the saddle, but they also self-inflated once the valve was open. They’d provide decent cushioning for that thrusting action she was looking forward to.
Focusing on that had a self-inflating effect on him, so he walked the aisles some more and wondered how in hell to get two camping mattresses past Faith’s dad. Then he had it. He needed to take his saddle tonight and make sure it fit Bert.
He’d put his saddle and both mattresses in the back of his truck and drive down to the barn when he arrived instead of stopping in front of the house. Unless Faith’s dad followed them to the barn—could happen but hopefully not—they’d saddle the horses and transfer the mattresses without Jim being the wiser.
As it was he didn’t know how Faith had planned to smuggle a blanket along on their ride. She’d probably intended to tie a bedroll behind her saddle and make sure they didn’t ride past the front porch on their way out. Or she might have thought they could make do with a couple of saddle blankets. He could imagine that if they were desperate. Yesterday he wouldn’t have agreed to such primitive conditions, but today was a different story.
He bought two camping mattresses. He’d take them back to the ranch after the ride along with his saddle. Being in possession of those mattresses wouldn’t raise any eyebrows at home. He was loading up with camping equipment and he could easily explain them.
By now it was nearly noon and time for his appointment with Steve, one of the leads Zane had given him on a used horse trailer. Cody had contacted the guy and offered to pick up a couple of burgers on the way over to the construction site where Steve worked. They could talk during Steve’s lunch hour and he’d promised to bring the trailer to the site.
Cody made a quick trip to the Burger Barn, the closest thing to fast food in Eagles Nest. The food didn’t come out very fast, but Burger Barn had a drive-through, which gave the appearance of efficiency. Most people didn’t use the drive-through because even with two or three vehicles waiting, a customer could sit in line for thirty minutes. Cody phoned his order in ahead and got to the construction site right on time.
A new feed store was going in and the trailer was sitting in a parking area next to the building site. The freshly washed silver exterior sparkled in the midday sun. It would look perfect gliding along behind his truck. But it was a double. Steve must have failed to mention the capacity to Zane.
In between bites of his burger, Steve apologized about the misunderstanding. “I thought people would be happy to get a bigger one for less money.” He leaned against the side of the trailer, which he’d obviously detailed. It was immaculate. “Most people don’t have just the one horse. Horses get lonely, you know, just like people.”
“I do know.” Cody liked Steve, a bearded guy who looked to be in his thirties. What a shame the trailer was a double. “This is a special situation because I’m taking off for two months of wilderness exploration. It’s just me, so I only need one horse and a single trailer.”
“Sounds like a cool idea. If it was me, though, I’d want to take my girlfriend. That kind of thing is more fun if you can share it, you know?”
“It can be, I guess. I just always figured on doing this by myself. Been planning it for years.”
“Oh, well, that’s different. It’s like a quest, then.”
“You could call it that.”
Steve nodded and stroked his beard. “I’d still take my girlfriend, even on a quest. But then again, she’s easy to be with, doesn’t insist on five-star accommodations. We’ve taken this trailer and our horses on plenty of campouts and we always have a great time.”
“Then why are you selling it?”
“We’re having twins, so we decided to get married. She can’t ride until after the kids are born, and we’re planning to get a couple more horses so I have my eye on a four-horse trailer.”
“Congratulations on those twins.” Cody offered his hand. “I have two older brothers who are twins. Makes for an interesting dynamic.”
“Do they look something like you?”
“Sort of. Why?”
“I’ll bet those are the ol’ boys who used to work at the Guzzling Grizzly.”
“Yep. Trevor tended bar and Bryce waited tables. You know them?”
“Just from the Guzzling Grizzly. Asked about them the other night and the owner said they were in Texas working for some big outfit down there.”
“They are and it’s good money, but they’re getting homesick. I expect they’ll be back working at the bar come September.”
“That’ll be too late for the wedding. I’d planned to ask Bryce to play guitar for it. He has a nice sound and a good voice, but they said he’d given it up completely.”
“He has.” And a wedding gig would be the worst kind of torture for Bryce.
“That’s a shame,” Steve said. “He was good. Anyway, I can understand them wanting to come home even if they can’t make the same money here. Personally, I wouldn’t live anywhere else.” His phone chimed. “Well, time to get back to the job. Nice talking to you.”
“Same here.” Cody tipped his hat. “Good luck selling the trailer.”
“Wish I could sell it to you. It would go great with that truck of yours.”
“It would. Just not the right size.”
Although Cody had another trailer to look at, he decided to put it off and go back to the ranch. He’d meant to
stay away for the entire day, but the truth of it was, he missed Faith. He missed her gap-toothed smile and the sprinkling of freckles over her cute little nose.
In less than two weeks he wouldn’t be able to simply drive a few miles and be back in her space, but he could do that now and forgoing the pleasure seemed stupid. But he also wanted to slow play the trailer search. Once he bought one, his mom and Zane would know he didn’t have anything keeping him in Eagles Nest.
Saying he had to get used to riding Bert wouldn’t hold any water with them. The chestnut gelding had been Faith’s horse for years and she was an excellent trainer. Getting acquainted with Bert would take one or two rides, tops. Had Faith thought of how fishy their nightly outings would look to everyone, including her dad?
The trailer, though, was a physical barrier to leaving, so he’d work that excuse for as long as possible. Maybe he should fall in love with one that needed major renovation. Too bad he hadn’t said anything like that to Zane. Instead he’d told his brother the exact opposite—that he wanted a used trailer in tip-top shape.
He’d embellished that statement by adding that he’d rather spend the money than use up precious time getting a fixer-upper road-worthy. And Faith had offered him a free horse so he couldn’t suddenly act like he was watching his budget without raising suspicion. Delaying his departure would be a tricky maneuver.
The dirt road leading to the ranch had dried in the warmth of the sun, which gave him hope that the clearing Faith had chosen for their next sexual experiment would be dry, too. When the ranch was in sight, he drove past the arena and glanced over to see if she was there.
She was, and the sight of her made him happy. There was no mistaking those baggy clothes, but he knew what was under them, now. He was the only person who did other than Faith herself, and she hadn’t appreciated the beauty of her body. Maybe she did, now.
She perched on the rail on the far side of the arena while she gave a riding lesson. His mom sat on a folding chair outside the enclosure near the gate. She leaned forward, like she was itching to be in there, too. By the time he got back from his journey, she might be.
A Cowboy's Honor (The McGavin Brothers #2) Page 7