Cowboy Take Me Away

by Soraya Lane

Hope glanced up, memories interrupted as the man she was thinking about appeared in front of her. She’d once thought she was immune to Chase’s charm, but now she knew that was a lie. His big frame was braced against the entrance to the barn, shoulder pushed into the doorjamb, arms folded firmly across his chest. Somehow he managed to look casual as hell, like he didn’t have a care in the world, while at the same time looking alpha enough that she almost wanted to run in the other direction. It was like she was a flight animal trying to tango with a predator, her instincts all messed up.

  “Hey, Chase.”

  Hope held her head high as she strode toward him, meeting his gaze head on. She wasn’t prey, she was just as much the predator as he was. Or at least that’s what she needed to tell herself. She was a professional woman here to complete a job. So what if her current client happened to be a hot-as-hell guy from her past? She gulped. Trouble was, he wasn’t just any guy, he was Chase fricking King.

  She was only a couple of feet away from him and he still hadn’t moved.

  “Outta my way, King.” What she needed was to act like they were still back in college. She’d never had a problem dealing with him then.

  “Or what?” His wolfish grin sent a lick of anticipation through her body that made it almost impossible not to step up into him and show him exactly what she wanted to do to him.

  Hope swallowed, returning his trick of one arched eyebrow, something she’d practiced in college so she could tease him if he ever tried to pull a move. “Or I’ll make you,” she said, remembering just how fun it was to be feisty back to a man who was used to women dropping around him like flies.

  “And how you gonna do that?” Chase was loving every second of this, she could tell. His grin had turned into a full dimple-bearing smile, the kind that was capable of making her insides turn to mush.

  “It just so happens I have a few good tools in here,” she said, trying not to grin as she held up her box of work implements. “I don’t always work on heifers, you know. Sometimes I’m called out to do things like, oh, I don’t know, castrate bulls.”

  Chase’s stare hardened. “Is that the best you’ve got?”

  “No,” she said, one hand on her hip. “I’ve also got a great handheld electric cattle prod.”

  Chase just continued to stare at her, still not moving. She responded by flicking the clasp to open her kit.

  “Hey, if you’re prepared to take a chance…” she started.

  He grunted and moved to the side, only just enough so that she could squeeze past. She put her kit in front of her and turned sideways to maneuver her way past, keeping her eyes slightly downcast. But it wouldn’t have mattered which way she was looking when Chase’s hand caught her arm. Her instant reaction was to raise her chin, which only made her eyes collide with Chase’s.

  “You know what I’m thinking?” Chase said, his voice sounding like it had been dragged over gravel.

  “What?” she forced out.

  “That it would be pretty unusual for a vet specializing in artificial insemination to carry anything related to castration.”

  Damn. The handsome rancher was smarter than she’d given him credit for. She didn’t say a word, just focused on breathing. It had been bad enough before they’d gotten all hot and heavy in his truck, but now she knew exactly what she was missing out on. Her body was on high alert, nipples like hard nubs aching to be pressed against his hard chest.

  “Gotcha,” he whispered.

  Hope cleared her throat and made a quick move sideways, desperate to put some distance between them. Where had the easygoing Chase from the other morning gone?

  “I’ve got work to do,” she told him, forcing her voice to cooperate and sound businesslike. “And I’m only here for a few hours.”

  “So stay longer,” he said, following her.

  “I’ve gotta do what I’m told these days, Chase. Keeping the wolf from my door and all that.” She grimaced when the smile disappeared from his face, replaced by a more serious straight line. Being around him was like existing in a fantasy world—when in fact being around him should be reminding her of everything she’d done wrong. If she’d only told Chase the truth and come back to Texas with him instead of going home, she’d never have married her husband and ended up without her ranch.

  “Come on then,” he eventually said, pointing toward his office. “How about we go over those results and then you tell me what you need.”

  It felt like a truce of sorts, but she was smart enough to know that Chase would always be one step ahead of her when he wanted something.

  * * *

  Chase was pissed off. He hadn’t seen Hope since Friday morning at her place, and now that she was here … he’d just expected things to go differently. And he sure as hell wasn’t used to women doing everything in their power to steer clear of him. What he needed to do was stop laying it on so thick, give her some breathing space.

  “So how did all the bloodwork come back?”

  “Great. Sorry it’s taken me so long to get back here,” Hope replied, setting her things down and taking an iPad from her vet kit. “I have them all on here to go over with you. I don’t usually show clients but I figured you’d actually know what you were reading.”

  He nodded, moving closer so he could see the screen over her shoulder. Chase reached out to tilt it forward a little so he could see it better, his fingers brushing across hers. It had been unintentional, but he heard her sharp intake of breath at the same time as her body stiffened. If he shuffled forward the smallest of steps his chest would be pressed to her back, but he didn’t. Instead he slowly removed his hand and stood still.

  Hope didn’t miss a beat, launching straight into a dialogue about the blood results, talking fertility and timelines. If he hadn’t been so damn interested in what they were doing he would have found it impossible to concentrate, but he ground his jaw shut tight and listened, making all the right noises so she knew he was paying attention.

  When she finished she moved sideways and glanced up at him. “So we’re in agreement that they’re all ready to be inseminated?”

  “Your practice was pretty clear that they thought you were the best, so I’m taking a backseat,” he told her. “I trust your judgment.”

  He thought he saw a flicker in her gaze, noticed that either what he’d said or something else had rattled her. Or maybe he was just overthinking everything to do with his gorgeous vet.

  “So have you been monitoring them to see if they’re in estrus? I’d hate to miss this cycle and have to wait another three weeks until the next.”

  “No signs yet, but I’ve been monitoring them a while to work out their cycles, ever since I decided to import the sperm. I think we’re a few days away at least.”

  “You know, you could always train to be an AI tech. It wouldn’t take much, then you could do all this yourself. I know you did that degree so you could manage everything to do with the livestock here yourself.”

  “But that’s why I have you,” he quipped, not letting her think for a second that he was going to let her walk away. “I called in the big guns to make sure this went off without a hitch.”

  “Well, remember to call me the minute you see any signs. I want the herd kept close to the pens, so get ready to have them in the squeeze chute. I don’t want to worry about the weather, and I want to make it as stress-free as possible for them, too.” She blew out a breath. “You might think I’m crazy, but I firmly believe that the less stress the animals experience, the more likely they are to end up in calf. I treat them well, make sure they’re calm, and the results usually speak for themselves, bring my percentages up above most of my peers’.”

  Chase folded his arms across his chest. “Any particular music you want me to play for them? Classical, or a little Beyoncé-style girl power perhaps?”

  She positively glowered at him. “I knew you’d be an idiot when I told you that.”

  “I’m just being a douchebag. You’re probably right about the
whole stress thing.”

  “Oh, I’m right,” she said, hands on her hips.

  Damn, she looks good angry. Chase held up his hands, trying not to laugh. She’d always been fun to tease and it seemed that some things never changed.

  “Have you thought any more about Saturday night?” he asked, edging closer as she backed away. Hope seemed more interested in getting outside than staying trapped in the office with him.

  “Uh, not really,” she said. “I meant to ask if you’d discussed what we’re doing with your foreman? It might be good to have him prepped to help if we need another set of hands.”

  Chase stood back and let her gather her things. She was acting weird, all in a flutter over something. But he sure as hell wasn’t going to let her wriggle out of answering him about poker night.

  “You let me worry about keeping Randy informed,” Chase told her. “Now back to Saturday night. I’ve already told my sister-in-law and she’s pretty excited about having some female company.” It was only half a life—Chloe hadn’t said otherwise, and she was probably sick to death of having to hang out with the three of them anyway.

  “I don’t like getting a sitter for Harrison, so I think I’ll have to say…”

  “You’re worried about Harrison? Hell, the more the merrier. Bring the kid with you, I thought I told you that already?” He knew he’d already told her that. “I’m looking forward to hanging out with the little man.”

  Hope looked like she was wavering, finding it hard to say no to him.

  “You’re sure?” she asked, looking as uncertain as he suddenly felt.

  “Positive.” Chase grinned at her. “We’ll order in pizza, have a few beers, make sure we’ve got some lemonade or something for Harris. It’ll be fun.”

  He didn’t give a crap whether she was a mom or penniless anymore. He wanted her and this time around he wasn’t scared to make it clear.

  “And your brothers won’t mind?” Hope asked, still looking like she wasn’t convinced about the whole thing.

  “Hey, your kid probably misses your ranch like hell, right?”

  Hope shrugged, but he could see her smile was strained. She no doubt missed it like hell herself, so having to console her son, who’d lost both his grandparents and the home he loved, wouldn’t be easy.

  “He can have some fun, play around, do whatever he wants. And if you want to drink then you can both crash here for the night.”

  Hope’s face went from uncertain to alarmed. “I, uh, Chase, I’m not sure how to say this but I’d never let my son see me with another man. It’s just…”

  “Gotcha,” he said, interrupting her to put her out of her misery. “There’s no need to explain. I just meant that we’ve got a lot of space so if you want to stay, don’t overthink it.” A platonic sleepover hadn’t been exactly what he’d had planned, but he’d agree to anything right now if it meant getting her to commit to coming over.

  “Thanks,” she muttered.

  “We tend to drink a lot, talk a lot of shit, and Chloe always beats the pants off us.” He laughed. “Sometimes literally.”

  Hope collected her gear and nodded toward the door. He followed, giving her a little distance.

  “I’m not into any kinky strip poker,” she said, “just to make that crystal clear.”

  “That’s just Chloe’s way of teaching us a lesson when we think we can beat her,” Chase said with a chuckle. “I promise you won’t see any of us naked around the poker table.” Naked in his bedroom maybe, but not in the living room. “When Ryder met Chloe, she turned out to be an ace player, and she’s still teaching us a few lessons.”

  “Okay. So long as it’s PG rated, we’ll come. Harrison will be super excited.”

  “He seems like a good kid. Super protective of his mom.”

  “He is. It’s been hard on him, the whole moving away and divorce.”

  “He misses his dad?”

  Hope raised her eyes, stared at him like she could see straight into him. “He misses a lot of things.”

  Chase watched her, waited for her to elaborate, but she didn’t.

  “So Saturday night,” he said. “Come over early, just whenever. We’ll kick off about seven with pizza and then poker once we’ve had a few drinks.”

  “Sounds good. Call me before then if you think the girls are ready though, okay? We need to time this perfectly to get results.”

  “Hey, Hope,” Chase said, reaching out and catching her hand.

  She spun around, face flushed, lips parted as she stared up at him. Every part of him was on high alert, wanting to crush those goddamn pillowy lips to his, shove her up against the wall and have his wicked way with her, but instead he fought his instincts and kept a soft hold on her hand, not pushing her.

  “You sure you don’t want to stay for a while? I’d love to show you around.”

  She hesitated, glanced at her wristwatch. “I have to be somewhere in about an hour.”

  “Sounds like just enough time for us to grab some lunch and go for a walk.” Chase stood his ground, boots locked into place on the concrete floor as he watched her face.

  “Okay, that’d be nice. I’ll just put my stuff in the truck so I don’t forget anything.”

  Chase slowly released her hand and watched as she walked away from him. There was something different about Hope, like she was holding something back, more reserved than she’d used to be. Or maybe she was just confused about whatever the hell was going on between them. For God’s sake, she’d lost her ranch, the parents he knew she’d adored and been incredibly close to, and left her husband—what the hell did he expect? Of course she was wary, and she had every right to be. Especially when it came to men.

  “Problems with the insemination?”

  Chase tore his eyes from Hope when his foreman spoke from behind him. “Hey, Randy. We’re all good here, how about you?” He nodded to one of the younger ranch hands standing beside him.

  Randy shrugged. “I think one of Ryder’s new bulls is a little pissed off with the world, but other than that everything’s fine.”

  “Great. Hope’s just been going over the latest results with me.”

  “The girls all in good shape?”

  “For sure.” Chase turned back to see Hope shutting her driver’s door and heading back in his direction, wiping her palms down over her jeans, eyes downcast. “The sperm’s been checked and it’s all good to go. Hope tested the sample they sent and we have the rest of the straws arriving by courier in the morning. We’re gonna have the best goddamn breeding program in the state by the end of the year.”

  “Sounds good, boss. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”

  “Thanks. And shout out if there’s anything you need me to look at. I’ll be around for the next couple of hours before I head down to ride the boundary and check the fencing.”

  “Hey, Randy.”

  The foreman tipped his hat as Hope passed him. “Mornin’.”

  “Come on, Hope. Let’s go by the house and grab something to eat, then we can go for a wander and I’ll show you what I’ve been working on these last few years.”

  * * *

  Hope needed her head checked. She’d already decided to try to distance herself from Chase, to come on-site, do her job, then get the hell out of dodge. And then he’d gone and asked her to hang around and come over on Saturday night, and her resolve had just blown straight past her in the wind. What she needed was to just keep their conversation nice and neutral. Instead of dredging up the past and second-guessing herself over the secret she’d kept from him these past five years.

  “You haven’t talked about your granddad.”

  Chase glanced at her as they walked. “We’ve had a rough time with him lately. Seeing his health decline has been tough.”

  “It’s never easy seeing them fade away in front of you.” When her dad had died, it had been like a knife stuck into her heart, twisting every hour and making the pain even worse. Growing up an only child sh
e’d spent so much time with her parents, riding up in front of her dad in the saddle since she was tiny, helping her mom tend to orphaned animals and work in the garden. It had been an idyllic childhood and she’d adored her parents until the end.

  “You’re speaking from experience?” Chase’s gaze struck a chord within her, his dark eyes full of such intensity it sent a shiver down her body.

  She hadn’t told him exactly what had happened, how she’d lost her folks, because talking about it still didn’t come easy to her. “Your granddad was always like a father to you, and I know what it was like losing my dad to an illness. It’s like your heart being ripped clear from your chest, over and over again.” Tears pricked her eyes. “Just promise me that you’ve told him how much you love him. Don’t leave anything unsaid. I watched my dad get sicker and sicker, but I still left some things too late.”

  Chase’s arm was around her in seconds, slung across her shoulders as he pulled her in tight. It was impossible to resist him when they were close like this, when every single part of him seemed to envelop her. His scent was a heady mix of cologne and pure, hot male—not sweaty, just a musky smell that was all his. And the feel of being against him was something she’d never forgotten. Chase had been the guy who made her feel safe when they’d been out together, the man who’d have been able to take out any threat with his bare fists. She was no helpless female, but that didn’t mean she didn’t appreciate the kind of guy who could protect her in a dark alleyway at night. No one would ever have guessed he was a trust fund kid, because he got along with everyone he met no matter where they were from or what their background. There was nothing that had ever seemed to intimidate him, either. He dealt with his own shit, no matter what.

  “We’re not big on feelings, but we’ve always told Granddad we love him. That’s one regret I won’t have.”

  Hope nodded, giving in to the feeling of Chase against her, leaning into his frame. She was just short enough to tuck in under his shoulder, bumping against him as they walked. If she didn’t feel so guilty about what had happened between them all those years ago, she probably wouldn’t have been so reluctant to connect when he was making his thoughts so damn obvious.