On the other hand, they weren’t as free as he was. Yep, he was totally free to move on to the next town, the next job. Whoopee.
“Were you going to include Lucy and Linus in the pasture experiment?”
“I’m sorry. What?” He snapped back to the present.
“I wondered if we’re taking Lucy and Linus out and when you want the wheelchair to come into play.”
“I’ll take the wheelchair first and try it out in the far pasture with the other horses. If that goes well, I’ll move it to the smaller one and text you.”
“Okay.”
“I don’t know what these things cost, but I’d hate to have one of them decide to kick the hell out of it. They probably won’t, but you can’t always predict horse behavior, so I want to take it slow.” He folded the wheelchair and started to pick it up.
Then he put it back down and propped it against the stall. Closing the gap between them, he gathered her close. “Whatever you decide to do about Josh, I’ll help you as best I can.”
She cupped his face in both hands. “You think I should back off, don’t you?”
“Yes, ma’am, I do.”
“I disagree. Every day that goes by will only make it harder for him. He’s getting used to that chair and I can’t let that happen. Besides, he needs to become acquainted with Linus before the kids arrive and certainly before Rosie and Herb start pouring asphalt paths and building ramps.”
“They won’t be doing that for a while. I’m guessing they’ll wait until the Fourth of July break at the earliest.”
“Maybe, but Herb would like Josh’s advice on the project. It would help Thunder Mountain and Josh at the same time. He’s an analytical thinker, a strategist. He’d be the perfect consultant, and he could also see that his experiences will benefit others.”
She made good points, logical points. But his gut told him she was headed for disaster. “As I’ve said before, he’s your brother, not mine. You have to do what you think best.”
“But I also understand why you’d want me to hold off. That’s your way, to be patient and let things happen in their own time. That’s not my way. In this particular case, I think it’s a mistake to procrastinate.”
“I wouldn’t call it procrastinating. It’s more like giving him breathing room.”
“He’s had months of breathing room. He needs a kick in the butt. I’ll leave earlier today so I can have a long talk with him before I head off to work.”
He looked into her eyes. The glint of determination that was so much a part of her personality and so opposite his was shining brightly. “I hope it goes well.”
“It will. I’ll make sure of it.” She stood on tiptoe and gave him a quick kiss. “See you in fifteen minutes.”
“I’ll text you.” He resisted the urge to pull her close for a real kiss and settled for a hug instead. Then he walked quickly out of the barn before that hug had a chance to work on him. Her warm, soft body called to him more urgently than any woman he’d taken to bed, but he had to stop thinking about sex ASAP.
A couple of deep breaths helped. Concentrating on the job helped even more. The sight of Cade’s truck stirring up dust as it came down the ranch road distracted him further.
Cade and Lexi might figure something was going on, but they didn’t know for sure. Better to keep it like that, at least for now. As he continued on toward the pasture, he heard Cade’s truck rumbling behind him and turned around.
Cade pulled alongside and leaned out his window. “It’s not often I see a cowboy hauling a wheelchair out to the pasture. Is Aria’s brother here?”
“Nope.” Brant shifted the wheelchair to his other arm.
“Is that his chair?”
“Nope.”
“Then what the hell are you up to, bro?”
“Thought I’d hook your horse up to it and see if he’d pull me around the pasture. You okay with that?”
“Heck, yeah. I’d pay money to see it. But since I know you’re blowing smoke, what’s the real story?”
Brant described the wheelchair training for the horses and the resulting plan Herb had come up with to make the academy wheelchair accessible.
Cade let out a low whistle. “That borders on brilliant. Good for Herb.”
“It’s a fantastic idea.” Lexi ducked down so she could make eye contact through the driver’s-side window. “I’m amazed nobody thought of it before. We’re a public facility and we should be able to accommodate wheelchairs.”
Cade glanced around. “How big a project are we talking about?”
“Might not be as much as it seems at first—asphalt paths, ramps, stuff like that. Nothing Damon and Phil couldn’t do over Fourth of July.”
“Wait a minute,” Lexi said. “I hope nobody’s asking them to cancel their honeymoon.”
“Oh, right.” Brant kept forgetting about the wedding at the end of the month. A wedding he’d be attending. Considering Aria’s close connection to the family, she’d probably be there, too. He needed to think some more about that.
“Besides, Fourth of July is a little late to help Josh,” Cade said. “I’ve wondered how he’d get around once he showed up.”
“Yeah, well, Aria thinks he’d freak if he came out and the place had been freshly renovated for wheelchair users, so she’s hoping the changes will be made later on. I guess he’s touchy about his disability.”
“Then he should go back to PT!” Lexi glanced toward the barn. “And I should lower my voice. But he needs to. Rosie told me he’d quit going. That’s crazy.”
“I know, but it’s his life. Listen, I’d better get going. I told Aria I’d text her once I’d introduced the wheelchair to the other horses. Then she’ll bring Lucy and Linus out for their turn.”
Cade put the truck in gear. “I want to see how it goes, too. Why don’t you haul that chair into the back and we’ll drive you over there?”
“Okay. Thanks.” He lifted the chair into the truck bed and climbed in after it.
Cade parked beside the main gate and all four horses in the far pasture lifted their heads and flicked their ears forward. “I’ll bet they’re hoping for a new salt lick,” he said as he got out of the truck. “The last one’s about gone and Dad’s planning to pick one up when he and Mom go into town today.” As he said that, the horses moved toward the interior gate that separated the far pasture from the smaller one designated for Linus and Lucy.
Lexi hopped down from the passenger seat. “I’ll back them up so you two have plenty of leeway.” After opening the first gate, she walked the short distance to the second one and unlatched it. “Sorry, guys and gal.” She slapped a few rumps to get them to back off. “This isn’t what you think.”
Brant lifted the wheelchair down to Cade. “Maybe it’s good they all came over. Let’s see what they do if I roll this through the gate while they’re still milling around.”
“I predict they’ll do exactly nothing.” Cade carried the wheelchair over to the second gate before unfolding it. “They might not have seen one before, but they might think it’s some fancy version of a wheelbarrow.”
“That would be great if we get no reaction whatsoever.” Brant pushed the chair inside the gate as Lexi held it open. The four horses moved out of his way, but not a one bolted or acted scared. Hematite, Cade’s black gelding, pranced a little—not a surprise, since he was the most high-spirited of them all.
“They’re a lot calmer than Lucy was.” He continued to push the chair here and there. He circled Isabeau, Rosie’s horse. She watched him but didn’t move away.
“Hematite’s the only one who acts the least bit skittish,” Cade said. “Then again, he had a lousy childhood.”
“I’d say we’re good here.” Brant pulled his phone from his jeans’ pocket. “I’ll tell Aria she can bring Lucy and Linus now.” He tapped out a message and hit Send.
“So what about Josh?” Lexi stepped inside the gate and latched it. “Is he coming to see Linus or not?”
�
��Good question.” Brant put the phone away and continued to weave among the grazing horses. Even Hematite had settled down. “Aria wants him to come out before the students get here, but so far he’s resisting the whole concept.”
Cade leaned against the fence and crossed his arms. “That’s a shame. She’s put a lot of effort into this idea.”
“I don’t think Aria expected him to be in the chair at this point. But it’s not like she can force him to go to PT.”
Lexi sighed. “No, she can’t. And here they come! Oh, my God, that Linus is the cutest thing ever. Josh is missing out. Look at that saucy colt trotting along behind his mom. Adorable.”
“Nothing cuter,” Brant said, although his attention was on Aria, not the foal. Earlier her hair had been loose around her shoulders and she hadn’t been wearing a hat but now she was wearing one, her hair up under it, emphasizing the graceful curve of her slender neck. His gaze roamed hungrily over her hourglass figure showcased by her scoop-necked, yellow T-shirt and snug jeans. Anyone would think he’d never seen a beautiful woman before, but Aria was so...
At that moment he became aware that Lexi and Cade had stopped talking. When he glanced over to check on them, they were both watching him and grinning.
“Seems like you might have enjoyed washing her van,” Cade said in an undertone.
“Maybe.”
“You owe me one, bro.”
“And why’s that?”
“I totally took the fall in the Battle of the Sacred Flame.”
16
BY THE TIME Aria arrived in the smaller pasture, Cade and Lexi had returned to their truck and Brant stood waiting behind the wheelchair. Lucy ignored it, perhaps because she had more room to move away in case she decided it was a threat to her and her foal. Linus took his cue from his mom.
Once Brant had convinced himself that Linus and Lucy wouldn’t shy away if he approached with the wheelchair, he sat in it. Aria was relieved. She would have done it for Josh’s sake, but wheelchairs gave her the creeps.
Brant didn’t seem to mind, but then again, Brant didn’t let very many things upset him. He looked completely at ease in that chair. She wondered if her dislike of it had been one of the reasons Lucy had backed away when they were in the stall.
No matter. Thanks to Brant, the wheelchair wouldn’t be a problem if she could get Josh out here tomorrow. He was running out of time, though. Tomorrow would be better than Tuesday, when everyone would be busy preparing for the students’ arrival on Wednesday.
Brant was laying a good foundation for Josh’s visit and she was grateful. Lounging in the chair, he coaxed Linus over with a series of soothing words and soft clucks of his tongue. Aria watched in fascination and a tinge of envy as the foal walked right up to him for some nose rubs and neck scratches.
Cade and Lexi stayed outside the fence, probably to minimize the number of distractions. “You’ve done a great job with him already,” Cade said. “If Hematite had been started like this, he’d be a different horse.”
Lexi reached over and laced her fingers through Cade’s. “And you never would have ended up with him.”
“That’s true. I guess things happen for a reason. But it’s fun to see this little guy getting exactly what he needs at a very young age.”
“It’s fun for me, too.” Brant exchanged a glance with his foster brother. “It helps, you know?”
“I do. Between the two of us we have this covered. I work with the ones who’re already messed up, and you make sure they don’t get messed up in the first place.”
Aria realized she’d just been privy to a rare acknowledgment of the challenges both men had faced. On the surface Brant seemed undamaged, but he wasn’t. Because of that damage he might choose to walk away and she had to accept that with a smile and gratitude for what he’d given her and Linus.
He continued to rub Linus’s soft coat as he looked over at Cade. “Speaking of your business, what’s your next project?”
“One of Lexi’s riding students just bought a mare with all kinds of problems. Lexi and I are going over there tomorrow to evaluate the situation and decide if she’d be a good teaching opportunity for the academy kids.”
“Nice.” Brant stroked down the length of Linus’s back and the colt shivered in delight. “Good for the mare and good for the kids.”
“I have great hopes for that mare,” Lexi said. “But if we don’t make tracks we won’t finish cleaning all the cabins today, which is a more immediate concern.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Cade smiled at her. “You just want to see me operating the vacuum cleaner. It gets you hot.”
“I won’t deny it.” Lexi winked at Aria. “Nothing sexier than a man wielding a vacuum, right, Aria?”
“Right. Unless it’s a man washing dishes.”
“But you know the best one of all?” Lexi paused for effect. “A man cleaning a toilet.”
“Oh, yeah.” Aria sighed. “That’s the ultimate turn-on.”
Cade shook his head. “You two are certifiable. Women like candy and flowers. Every guy knows that. Back me up on this, Ellison.”
“Sorry, bro. I’ve never had much luck with candy and flowers.”
“So what’s your secret weapon?”
Carried away by the teasing mood, Aria spoke without thinking. “Pie.”
Cade looked at her and blinked. “Pie?”
“Yes.” She’d started this so she’d have to finish it. From the corner of her eye she noticed Brant struggling not to laugh. “Pie is much more sensual than candy.”
Lexi nodded. “You are so right, sister. Candy is a cliché. Pie has infinitely more possibilities.”
“Then I guess it’s time I brought you a pie.” Cade glanced at Lexi. “What kind would you like?”
“I recommend cherry,” Brant said, and Aria almost lost it.
“That sounds good.” Lexi smiled at him. “I’d ten times rather have a cherry pie than a box of drugstore chocolates.”
“Duly noted. Pie it is. And we’re off to clean cabins.”
As their truck pulled away, Brant’s shoulders began shaking. “Pie.” He laughed until the tears came. “I can’t believe you said that.”
“I probably shouldn’t have.” Now that the moment was over she was having second thoughts.
“It’s fine.” He took a breath. “They’d already caught me ogling you as you brought Lucy and Linus to the pasture.”
“They did?”
“Couldn’t help myself.” He stopped petting Linus and stood. “You look luscious.”
“Thank you, but I didn’t do anything special.” Not quite true. Her shirt was new and she’d left her hair down today on purpose because she knew he liked it that way.
“You don’t have to do anything special to get my attention, but I have to ask, how did you stuff all your hair under your hat?”
“It’s easy.” She took off her hat and her hair spilled down around her shoulders. “Hold this.” She handed him the hat. Then she gathered her hair up and wound it in a circle on top of her head. “Hat, please.”
When he gave it to her, she used one hand to hold her hair in place and the other to cram on her hat. “Ta-da!”
He gazed at her in amazement. “That’s incredible.”
“When you have long hair, you have to figure out how to manage it when it’s likely to get in the way.”
“Like applying cherry pie to my cock?”
She gasped and looked around for potential eavesdroppers.
“Don’t worry. No one heard me except the horses and they won’t tell.” He drew her into his arms. “When you tied your hair back last night, it was one of the sexiest moves I’ve ever seen.” His eyes darkened. “If I could get away with it, I’d make love to you right here.”
The intensity in his gaze stirred her blood. “On the ground?”
“That’s one possibility.” He cupped her bottom and pulled her in tight. “But I’d rather do it up against the fence so I wouldn’t get that pretty yel
low shirt dirty.” He lifted her to her toes and nestled his bulging fly between her thighs. “Damn, you feel good.”
“You, too.”
“But we can’t scare Linus.”
Moisture dampened her panties and she tilted her hips to make a better connection. “Yeah, I’d hate for him to be traumatized at a young age like I was.”
“He’s the only reason you’re still wearing all your clothes.” His fingers flexed. “The other horses wouldn’t care and nobody’s likely to show up for a while.”
“You talk big, but I’ll bet you’re not actually prepared to follow through.”
His eyes gleamed. “Wanna bet?”
“You’re kidding.” Her pulse raced. “You didn’t really bring a—”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Is it burning a hole in your pocket?”
“Damn near.”
“When did you plan to use it, pray tell?”
“If and when the opportunity presented itself. I wasn’t counting on anything, given how many people are roaming around, but I have one, just in case.”
“Now I’ll be thinking about having sex with you.”
He laughed. “Are you saying you wouldn’t think about it otherwise?”
“Oh, I would, but knowing you have a condom makes a big difference in my thought process.”
“Meaning you’ll be looking for opportunities, too?”
She sucked in a breath. “Uh-huh.”
Heat flashed in his gaze as he rocked his hips forward. “Lady, you sure get me hot. I’m gonna let you go before I do something I might regret.” He released her and stepped back. Then he bowed his head and took several deep breaths before looking at her again. “How about if I take the wheelchair back down to the barn while you stay here and play with Linus? He and Lucy could use more pasture time.”
As always, his self-control impressed her. He could have suggested they tuck Lucy and Linus in the birthing stall and go have some fun in the tack room. Instead he put the little foal’s needs ahead of his own. “Good idea.”
“I need to muck out some stalls, anyway. We want the barn in tip-top shape when the kids arrive.” He smiled. “The exercise should help.”
Cowboy All Night (Thunder Mountain Brotherhood, Book 5) Page 16