The Cowboy's Claim

by Nina Crespo

  He took her hand and led her toward the couch.

  She lagged behind him. “You don’t have to explain anything to me.”

  “I know. But I want you to know the truth.” He didn’t want any lingering questions or doubts on her end possibly spoiling their short getaway.

  She laid her phone on the coffee table next to the prize buckle. After they sat down, she smiled and said, “Okay. I’m listening.” But her hand was stiff as he kept his fingers intertwined with hers.

  He met her gaze. “First off, Erica was never my girlfriend. We never even dated.”

  Chloe’s shoulders dropped with a deep exhale. “Oh, I’m so glad.” Her relief morphed to exasperation and she punched his arm. “Why didn’t you lead with that instead of the whole ominous ‘we should to talk’ intro? I thought I was going to have to do some major incense burning, ‘woosah,’ mind cleansing to erase the image of you two together.”

  “Yeah, I probably should have led with a version of that.”

  “You really don’t have to explain anything. I got an unintentional heads-up about her from Philippa when we were at Rina’s place for brunch. She called her a gold digger. And when a wedding photo of Erica and your father slipped out of one of Rina’s photo albums, her reaction pretty much confirmed there was a problem with her.”

  An image of the day Erica and his father got married flashed through his mind. He’d tried to remain optimistic. His father had looked so happy, but even then, he didn’t have a good feeling about what was ahead.

  “I want to tell you.” As he sat back on the couch, Chloe slipped off her shoes. She curled her leg under her and turned toward him. He took a deep breath. “This is the short version of how Erica and I met four and a half years ago—I was sitting next to her on a plane when I was flying home for Memorial Day weekend. Erica got ditched at the airport by a friend. She had very little money, no one to call and no place to go. I couldn’t just leave her stranded. So I found her a hotel room, paid for it, and brought her here that Saturday afternoon to celebrate the holiday with me and my family.”

  “That was a sweet thing to do.”

  “I made a mistake.”

  “No.” She squeezed his hand. “Don’t say that. Yes, it was terrible how things unfolded, but calling what you did a mistake is the same as saying what unfolded after that with her and your father was your fault. It wasn’t.”

  The conviction in her eyes almost made him believe it. “I should have protected my father from her. When she found out we owned the stable, I practically saw dollar signs in her eyes. After I made it clear to her that I wasn’t interested, I noticed her being overly friendly with him, but I blew it off. I never dreamed she’d contact him after I left. I also could have told him my concerns before he married her, but I smiled and went along with it. And the night I walked out of the shower and found her in my bed, I should have walked straight to his room and told him about it. But I just kicked her out and waited until the next morning. By then she’d already put her spin on things.”

  Chloe’s brow rose. “So she told your father that you tried to sleep with her?”

  “Not exactly. She’d cried to him about how I was mistreating her, and not welcoming her into the family. And that I would do or say anything to sabotage their marriage. That led to his ultimatum. Either I left or he would with Erica. That would have devastated Zurie and Rina. He was the last tie to their father. And he still had so much to teach Zurie about running this place. Their well-being and the running of the stable was important—they all needed him more than they needed me.”

  “But...” Chloe shook her head in disbelief. She laid a hand on his thigh. “And Rina and Zurie just let you go?”

  Echoes of the same disappointment and sadness that had burned into him then struck now. And just like when he’d looked into his father’s eyes and saw he meant it, his words dried up. He couldn’t answer her question. He didn’t have to.

  Realization slowly came over her face. “You didn’t tell them what happened. You just left. That’s when you started bull riding again. Isn’t it?”

  “Among other things. Aside from amateur bull riding, I also worked at a couple of horse farms training horses.”

  Chloe’s unhappy expression made him sit up and scoot closer to her. “Everything turned out okay.”

  “But she cost you your relationship with your father, and I heard Erica say you were disinherited.”

  “I was. But my father and I reconciled before he died, and I’m getting my father’s share of the stable back that Zurie bought from Erica. Now, I’ll have the rest of his memorabilia, thanks to you.”

  She gave him a rueful smile. “If I would have known all of this when she was here, I would have squeezed a little more out of her. She should be made to pay you for your father’s things like she should have in the first place. Even that’s not nearly enough for what she put you through and then she had the nerve to come here.”

  “It’s enough for now. What you did was one of the bravest, best things that anyone has ever done for me.”

  “I’m just glad I could help.” Chloe glanced at her phone on the coffee table. “I’ll share the recording with you. I hope it came out clear enough so your real attorney can use it.” She looked back at him. “You’re going to tell Rina and Zurie, too, right?”

  A chance to shift the blame from himself to Erica? As tempting as that felt, it didn’t make sense to do that now. Nothing could undo all that had happened. He and Zurie especially needed to find a way to bury the past and move forward.

  “I’ll figure that out when we get back. Let’s start our weekend.” Tristan stood and pulled Chloe to her feet.

  In less than twenty, they were on the road. As they zipped by the stable his phone buzzed in the cup holder in the middle console.

  Chloe glanced at it with a dejected expression, his own heart plummeted until he remembered—“It’s just an alarm to remind me to leave the office.”

  She released a breath and smiled. “You’re early.”

  “I couldn’t wait to see you.” He reached across the console, took her hand and kissed it.

  “Neither could I.” She kept her hand were he put it on his thigh. “So, are you going to tell me where we’re going now?”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  After a long few seconds Tristan glanced over at her. “Nope.”

  Impatience laced with excitement pulled out a huff. She playfully swatted his thigh. “Oh, come on, the suspense is killing me.”

  Smiling, he kept his eyes on the road.

  She looked for road signs but mostly stately homes set far back on a stretch of lawn or nestled in the trees surrounded them.

  One sign finally came into view. I-95 10 miles.

  She had him now. Kind of. If they went south, Baltimore, DC, or some place in Virginia were top picks. Virginia Beach maybe? He had told her to pack a swimsuit. The other day, she’d driven the next town over to Walmart and found a peach-colored monokini, along with a couple of pairs of jeans. She couldn’t put on the one’s she’d been wearing around the stable. They were worn looking, permanently stained, and faded from continuously having to wash them. But if they went north, Philadelphia was a possibility. New York, too.

  Tristan blew past the right turn onto the road leading to the interstate on-ramp.

  As she glanced back at it, he chuckled. “You’ll never guess, so relax and enjoy the ride, we’re almost there.”

  “Fine.”

  The scenery was pretty. Intermingled with the houses were pastures with cows and horses and farmland. So much green. If she were home right now, she’d be on the freeway battling traffic and exhaust fumes instead of enjoying this view. The same pang of sadness she’d felt at the cottage started to surface and she breathed it away.

  A short time later, he turned right onto a gravel road that turned into a l
ong paved one that cut through an expansive area of lush, trimmed grass bordered with trees. It led to a lone modern two-story with a double-pitched roof, beige brick and blue siding, and white trim.

  The area. The house itself. They were both so beautiful she didn’t know which to take in first. Was this Tristan’s? But wasn’t the cottage his home? “Who lives here?”

  Tristan stopped the SUV several yards away. “I do. Or at least I will. The builders finished a few months ago. I’m still painting, installing fixtures and finalizing a few other details.” He squeezed her hand. “But we don’t have to stay here. If you’d rather go someplace else, it’s not a problem.”

  “Of course I want to stay here. This place looks wonderful.” She peered out the windshield, trying to get a better look of what lay behind the house.

  “Are you sure this is fine?”

  The slight hint of surprise in his voice made her glance at him. “Yes. Why wouldn’t it be?”

  “I thought maybe you’d prefer to be in a nice hotel in the city with restaurants and shops, and that sort of thing.”

  The sincerity in his eyes tugged at her heart. He really would drive back to the interstate and take her anywhere she wanted to go. She leaned over the console. “The only thing I prefer is you for as long as we can get away. And being able to spend time with you here—” she glanced at his home “—makes it even better.” As she kissed him, his mouth curled upward.

  He still had a smile on his face as he pulled the SUV to the side of the house and parked outside of the two-car garage.

  They got out. As Tristan walked down a light stone path from the driveway to the front porch, carrying their bags, she followed.

  She glanced around. It was definitely a peaceful spot away from the hustle and bustle of life. “So when’s the last time you’ve been here?”

  Tristan punched a code into the keypad above the door handle. “Two days ago. I stocked a few basics—bath towels, plates and other things we’d need, just in case we decided to stay.” He went inside first and deactivated the alarm on the wall panel.

  Chloe walked inside. Polished dark-wood flooring ran from the foyer and throughout what she could see of the first floor. The light smell of fresh paint from the cream-colored walls lingered with the pleasant fragrance of what reminded her of eucalyptus and lavender. While she slipped off her tennis shoes, Tristan set down their bags in the entryway and took off his boots.

  They walked forward. Beige carpeted stairs ran up the right. An empty room sat on the left. High ceilings and lots of light coming in through the front and back windows gave the space a bright open feel.

  “I love the floor plan. Lots of windows, not too many walls shutting out the light.”

  “That’s what I was going for.” As Tristan took her hand, he pointed to the empty room. “This is supposed to be a formal dining room, but I’m not sure that’s what it’s going to be.”

  A sitting room... That’s what came to Chloe’s mind. Plants and furniture with overstuffed cushions. If the window was facing east, the sunrise from that spot, or even the porch, would be spectacular. The perfect place to enjoy morning coffee and take in the view.

  “There’s an office space down here.” He gestured to a hallway just off the right of the stairs. “And of course, the living room.” Tristan pulled her forward into a large space with a midnight blue couch in the middle of it and a brown-and-beige stone fireplace with a flat screen television mounted above it.

  It was easy to envision him sitting there with a plate of food or a drink in hand watching a ball game. She smiled.

  He looked over at her. “What?”

  She glanced at the television. “Just admiring your decorating.”

  He offered up a shrug. “The only way I could get Mace out here to help me install some tile and the deck last month was with the promise of food and a way to watch footfall.”

  “Sure, blame it on Mace.”

  Tristan laughed. “Come on, let me show you the rest.”

  The back windows overlooked a deck with two Adirondack chairs, a grill and a covered area on the end with a hammock. Beyond that, another beautiful grassy landscape unfolded with something on it that didn’t surprise her. An area circled by a white ladder fence and a nearby structure, most likely a small stable.

  “Are you bringing Thunder here to live with you?”

  “Maybe. But if he adapts to trail riding with the guests, I’ll leave him at Tillbridge. Jett’s owner is possibly looking to sell. But I’ll wait until I can find another horse to keep him company before I bring him out. I also need to fence off an area for the them to graze. But me coming here to live isn’t happening anytime soon.”

  It was a wonderful spot with so much room and a commutable distance from the stable. If she were him, she would have moved in right away. But that just showed how dedicated he was to Tillbridge. Not even his own home took precedence over the stable.

  “How much land do you have?”

  He led her toward the adjacent smaller dining area. “The property is nearly seven acres total, including the house.”

  The dining area led to the kitchen that boasted light wood cabinets, cream marble counters, an eight-burner built-in gas stove and drop-down lighting over a long marble-topped island separating it from the living room.

  “I had the builder put in an island instead of a wall and add some extra storage.” He pointed to a nice-sized space off to the side with shelving.

  A large, walk-in pantry...a center island. That was Philippa’s description of the kitchen in Tristan, Rina and Zurie’s family home. Was he thinking of that space when he designed his?

  Next, they grabbed their bags and went upstairs.

  He pointed out the two guestrooms in the middle of the hall and the bonus room at the end. On the other end was the main bedroom.

  It felt wrong to just walk in before of him. Chloe slowed down, but Tristan nudged her forward. “Go ahead.”

  * * *

  Tristan hung back and let her look around. Just like the other rooms, it was sparsely furnished.

  Chloe paused by the king-sized poster bed against the wall with round wood columns covered by a beige comforter and with rust and slate pillows propped near the headboard. “I love the color combination.”

  “Thanks.” It was the same ensemble that had been on display at the store when he bought the bed. But there was no need to tell her that, just like she didn’t need to know that she’d be the first to share this space with him intimately. Bringing her there was a big step but it didn’t feel like a huge leap.

  She wandered to the adjoining bathroom, and her squeal of delight wasn’t a total surprise. “Oh, my gosh!”

  He peeked over her shoulder at the dove-gray tiled, spa bathroom he’d installed with a large sunken tub in one corner and a glass-enclosed shower that took up the other. As Tristan stood behind her, he rested his hands on her waist. “I guess this meets your approval.”

  “Are you kidding? I could spend the rest of the day in here.” She glanced at him and grinned. “Not that I don’t want to spend time with you or anything.”

  “Uh-huh. Well, you may want to hold off on that decision.” He led her past the bed to the tinted window that took up most of the wall above the far end of the deck she hadn’t been able to see from where she stood downstairs. “Take a look.”

  Chloe peeked out and she released a blissful sigh. “Is that a hot tub?”

  “Yes.”

  He’d added both tubs to the design of the house, imagining himself soaking away the aches and pains from his old injuries and decompressing from long days at the stable. But Chloe’s response raised an eagerness to share both places with her.

  Tristan pulled her loosely into his arms. “You can decide which one you want to get in first after we get back.”

  “From where?”

&nbs
p; “The grocery store. I thought we could shop together so you can pick out the food you want while we’re here. And we don’t just have to hang around the house. There’s a pick-your-own fruit and vegetable farm in the area. Strawberries are still in season. There’s also a winery that isn’t too far away and a chocolate factory with a restaurant that specializes in unique recipes that incorporate chocolate into their entrées.”

  “Wow. You’re making this so hard to decide.” She looped her arms around his neck. “Do I have to make up my mind now?”

  “No. Just let me know what you want to do, and we’ll do it.” He kissed her. What was supposed to be one brief kiss turned into a long one that had them inching toward the bed.

  But he halted their progress. “Food first. Otherwise, we won’t go anywhere for the rest of the day, and then we’ll starve.” Her hand stroking his nape raised goose bumps and more temptation.

  She laughed. “You’re right. Let’s go.”

  The drive to the local store that was a one-stop shop for gas, groceries, hardware and other miscellaneous supplies didn’t take long. Shopping for food wasn’t a chore as they both agreed on the basics they needed: eggs for breakfast along with the thick-cut bacon he liked, prepackaged salad for lunch or dinner and the ginger dressing she preferred. Steak and chicken for the grill along with a few vegetables.

  They decided to stock up on strawberries and some other fresh produce at the farm. That would be their first excursion together in the morning, after that, maybe the restaurant for a late lunch or early dinner.

  Just as they were heading out of the store to the parking lot, Chloe waved him ahead to the car and doubled back. Fifteen minutes later, she came out with a bag knotted shut.

  As she got into the car. Tristan glanced at it. “Find what you needed?”