“Just making sure the boss man gets his money’s worth.”
He chuckled. “I don’t recall there being a paycheck for this job.”
She laughed. “Well, that’s true. It’s the barter system. I know the value of the experience I’m getting out of this deal, and I don’t want to shortchange you.”
“You won’t. I’m sure that you give everything you do your all.”
His eyes were serious and knowing he meant the words touched Tacy. She gave him a tight smile and turned back to the black. To her relief, the horse didn’t give her any trouble…but then she hadn’t expected it to. After all, Brent had been working with him.
She was good. Better than good. She knew what she was doing. Brent saddled up the chestnut, wanting to get a few more rides on it himself before he handed the ornery colt over to Tacy. While he rode around the round pen he was able to observe Tacy and he respected what he saw. He almost felt bad for holding out for so long—almost.
At ten, when she left to get ready for work at the diner, he hated to see her go—not that he let her know it.
“You should come to town for lunch,” she said while they were taking saddles off the colts.
“I might do that.”
She smiled. “It’s good for you to come to town. Everyone enjoys your company, and you know what they say about all work and no play making Brent a dull boy.”
He laughed. “So you’re telling me I’m dull?”
“No. It was a joke. I find you very intriguing.”
His blood warmed at her words. “Is intriguing a good thing?”
“It’s a very good thing. Me, I’m easily bored, and I have to tell you that you have never bored me, Mr. Stockwell. See you at lunch,” she said. “I hate to ride and run, but I’ve got to get a move on or Sam will not be a happy camper.”
“You go. I’ll finish up here.”
She waved, then jogged to her truck and was off in a flash. Brent didn’t move for a long moment, then finally he pulled a brush from the bucket at his feet and began brushing the black colt down. “She’s the intriguing one,” he said to the colt as he worked. “No question about it.”
He was still thinking about Tacy a few minutes later when he walked into the cabin. He wanted to wash his face and hands before heading to the diner. A working cowboy couldn’t do much about eating in dusty clothes, but he could at least wash up a little. That had been a rule his mom taught him, and she’d have scolded him but good if he’d shown up at the lunch table without cleaning up. His heart tugged, thinking about those days growing up, when life had been full of learning about horses and dreaming big dreams. He’d sure messed up.
How had he let himself go so wrong? He headed to the small bathroom and washed his face and hands in hot water, scrubbing hard, then rinsed them and stared critically at his reflection in the mirror. The ring of the phone broke the silence and pulled his thoughts out of the past.
His mom’s voice on the other end of the line put him right back in it.
Chapter Fifteen
“So, the big festival is this weekend,” Tacy said the following day. She’d ridden two horses that morning, gone in for her shift at the café, then returned to the round pen for some saddle time on the chestnut. Brent was there getting ready to start working with the roan he’d begun breaking in the day before just after lunch. They were standing outside the corral and as much as she’d been wanting the opportunity to work these horses, she was finding that she was in no hurry to walk away from Brent. He didn’t seem to be in much of a hurry, either.
“Yep. I’m supposed to go help App and Stanley test their catapult this evening.”
“So what are their chances?”
He gave her a sly grin. “Better’n most. Those two fellas are pretty with it when it comes to mechanical things. How about your team?”
“They tested it last weekend. I wasn’t there, but they said it went a fair distance. They were satisfied. I’m supposed to go there this afternoon, too.” She smiled up at him. “I’ll bet you never thought you’d be involved in a pumpkin chunkin contest when you signed on for this project.”
His eyes widened. “There’s a whole bunch of things I didn’t know I was signing on for.”
“You mean like a nagging next-door neighbor?”
“That’d be an understatement.” He took his felt hat off and ran a hand through his slightly damp hair.
It was a hot day for November, eighty degrees in the sunshine, but she hadn’t really noticed until then. She’d been far too focused on Brent.
“Well, this nagging neighbor has to ask you one more time if you’ve decided to go home for Thanksgiving.”
The sparkle left his eye, and she wanted to kick herself. Why, she asked herself, did she insist on messing up a perfectly, somewhat romantic moment…well, maybe romantic was stretching it, but really, her heart had been feeling the thrill of his attention and she’d been enjoying it. So why mess it up? Because you care for him as a whole person, and you want him to get rid of this guilt hanging over him. True, she thought with a sigh, but still, did she have to bring it up now?
“Tacy, I’m not going home.”
“Has your mother called and asked you again?” This was really none of her business, and she half expected him to tell her so.
“Yesterday, if you really want to know. I told her I couldn’t make it. I’ll be here until next Thursday working horses. That’s my job.”
“Well, just so you know, I won’t be here. I’m heading home Wednesday and coming back late Thursday night. My mom is expecting me, and I can’t let her down.” Tacy didn’t really care if he liked that or not.
“Fine,” he said. “I don’t care what you do.”
“Oh, really. Hey, if you aren’t going home to your folks, you’re welcome to come along to meet mine.” What was she doing?
He obviously was wondering the same thing since his expression told her that he couldn’t believe she’d just offered such a thing. “Okay, so that was a bust,” she said, reaching for the gate latch. “Forget I said anything. Stay here all by your lonesome. I’m sure if you decide you want some turkey and company, there are plenty of folks who’d have you over.”
She opened the gate and strode into the corral. She was a blooming idiot sometimes. The two of them in a truck the three hundred miles to her folks’ ranch would be a disaster. Then there were her brothers. Oh, that would be just wrong. Then again, the idea of Brent getting the Jones brothers’ interrogation treatment would actually make those scare tactics seem funny.
No one would ever know what it had been like growing up as the little sister of the Jones brothers. Boys had been so terrified of her big brothers that dates didn’t usually hang around after the first or maybe the second night out.
At least she was living her own life now; it was her choice not to have a social life rather than her big brothers’ choice. Jacob, Lucas, Tanner, and the worst of them all, Zack. Zack took his role as the eldest to the extreme when it came to his baby sister. Of course, it had been a little while since she’d given them any reason to show their protective instincts.
She was an adult now. Surely they were past all that. It didn’t matter anyway because there was no way on earth that Brent Stockwell would take her up on her offer.
And that was a good thing. Right?
“Okay, here goes nothin’,” App said, breaking into Brent’s wandering thoughts. Grinning, App reached out and released the lever.
Instantly, a pumpkin launched skyward like a torpedo in open waters—only instead of flying straight it went slightly to the left and smashed through the window of App’s barn!
“Did ya see that?” Applegate bellowed. Both he and Stanley were jumping and dancing a jig—hooting and hollering with joy.
Brent gave a short laugh. “Well, I’ll be,” he said in quiet disbelief, staring at the hole in Applegate’s barn. It might have been off target by a bit, but App’s barn was about seven hundred feet away. Not bad for
a first shot.
After a few minutes of celebrating, App stopped dancing and turned penetrating eyes on Brent. “So what kind of intel have ya got from Tacy?”
“Now, Applegate, I told you she’s not telling me anything.”
“Nothin’?”
He shook his head. “She’s been sworn to secrecy, and from what I can tell her lips are sealed.”
Stanley studied him silently. His bushy brows dipped, and he rubbed his chin. “You tried ta sweet-talk her?”
Brent gave a choked laugh. “No, I have not tried to sweet-talk her.”
That got him a glare of disbelief from both men. App was the first to react. “What’s wrong with ya?”
“Yeah,” Stanley added. “You’re out thar riding with her fer the last few days and ya ain’t made a move yet?”
Brent crossed his arms across his chest and cocked his head to the side, meeting their glares with one of his own. “Fellas, I’m not going to sweet-talk Tacy to get intel for the two of you. Just forget it.”
“Well, fine and dandy,” Stanley said. “But what about just sweet-talkin’ that girl fer the fun of it? What’s wrong with you, man?”
“Yeah, that thar is a good little gal. Half this town’s cowboy population has been dawdling around like lovesick pups since she come ta town, and yor the first one I seen her be interested in.”
“Yeah,” Stanley echoed.
That got his attention. “What exactly do you mean?”
“She likes you, cowboy, and we think yor okay. We ain’t said nothing about yer past mistakes since you arrived. We figure every man’s gonna make mistakes in his life. We’ve been watchin’ ya, and we’re proud ta see that you seem like you’ve put yor wilder side aside.”
“Yeah,” Stanley said again. “So we figured not ta stand in yor way when we seen how Tacy looks at you. But what we ain’t understanding is why you ain’t making no move ta woo her. Are you daft, man?”
Brent was at a loss for words. His past was no secret. Some of the men had recognized him, and it was no big deal. But App and Stanley had never said anything. Not that that was the reason he was speechless. It was the other info that had him gaping like a fish out of water. “How exactly does Tacy look at me?”
App’s mouth dropped, forming a cascade of wrinkles. “You mean ta tell us you are daft?”
Chapter Sixteen
It was dark when Tacy pulled into her driveway. There had been several women out at Norma Sue’s to watch the first shot of the unbelievably cool catapult. Lacy was there, along with Sugar Rae Denton and her best friend, the local real estate agent, Haley Bell Sutton—who also happened to be Applegate’s granddaughter. Haley Bell told Tacy that she just loved it when Norma Sue riled up her grandpa because he secretly enjoyed it. Tacy thought about that all evening. It was clear that Haley loved her grandpa and wanted good things for him. Tacy wanted good things for Brent, too, the stubborn mule.
She was pulling to a stop when she saw headlights on the deserted dirt road. It was an access road to part of Clint Matlock’s ranch, and this house and the cabin Brent lived in were the only two places on it. Sure enough, it was the cowboy, coming home from App’s, probably. She closed the truck and was walking toward the porch when he slowed down. His window was open and he stared across at her in the moonlight. Then he turned his truck into her drive and headed slowly her way. Tacy’s heart was thundering in her chest as he came to a stop. She’d been around him almost every day for the past three weeks, but this was the first time she’d seen him under the stars, in the moonlight, with the soft mewling of cattle in the distance like a Texas serenade. She suddenly felt nervous about him being here. In this setting, she simply didn’t trust herself.
“Evening,” he said, pulling up behind her truck. He didn’t get out, but let his arm hang out the window as his disarming gaze connected with hers. It was a wonder she could hear him over the racket her heart was making in her chest.
“Evening,” she managed. Birdy left her pups behind and came to greet him. He cut his motor and stepped to the ground. Stooping to Birdy’s level, he gave her a good ear rub while looking up at Tacy with a grin that didn’t help her heart calm down at all.
“Have fun tonight?” he asked.
She nodded. “You?” she managed, her stomach churning now. Until Brent, she hadn’t given much thought to how a man’s arms would feel holding her close or how his lips would feel against hers. She’d simply focused on her plans and that had been all she needed. Brent had totally disrupted everything. When it came to him, she was so out of her comfort zone she felt like a schoolgirl.
She swallowed when he stood up and tucked his fingers into the pockets of his jeans.
His lips lifted into a slanted smile. “I have to warn you that the competition is going to be tough.”
If he only knew what she’d seen tonight, he might not be thinking that. Norma Sue was a pure wizard when it came to mechanical things. Tacy couldn’t believe it. Norma Sue’s contraption was interactive and required lots of “pedal power.” “Let’s just say that after what I experienced tonight, I know we are up for the challenge. Saturday promises to be one exciting afternoon.”
“Yep,” he said, as an oddly awkward silence stretched between them. He was wearing a Western shirt that was so white it almost glowed in the bright moonlight. His shoulder muscles tensed beneath it as Tacy’s gaze drifted to his chest. She felt a longing to lay her head on his shoulder and wrap her arms around his neck. There was just something so compelling about Brent that she’d never felt about anyone before. Feeling strange, she was afraid to look him in the eye.
“It’s a nice night,” he said, his voice hoarse as he ran his boot over a rock. Tacy’s gaze dropped to his boot, and she watched him worry the rock back and forth. Was he nervous, too?
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then, looking at him, she yanked a thumb over her shoulder toward the porch. “Would you like to sit on the porch and have a drink? I’ve got soda and tea.” What was she doing?
His lips did that slow lift to one side, sending a shiver of happiness over Tacy as he said, “That sounds good.”
“Good—I mean, great.” She spun on her heel and hurried up the walk, willing herself to get a grip. If this kept up she’d be hyperventilating before long.
When she reached the porch, she suddenly realized that there was only the porch swing to sit on. While she stood there contemplating what to do, Brent strode over and took one side of the swing. He leaned back, placed his arm across the top and smiled. “This is nice. Come on over.”
“Um, didn’t you want something to drink?”
“I changed my mind. Sit.” He watched her closely. He was probably getting a kick out of seeing her so flustered. She couldn’t even remember the last time this had happened to her…probably when Carl Prier had tried to hold her hand on the bus back in sixth grade. Carl was the first boy she’d ever liked, but she’d been too shy then to say anything. Then she’d made the mistake of telling her brothers. After that, Carl had made sure to sit as far away from her on the bus as possible. Not exactly what she’d wanted.
So began her “love” life with four protective brothers and a dad who was worse than all of them put together.
Well, not tonight. She strode to the swing and sank down beside Brent—making sure to leave a space between them. Not looking at him, she stared at the sky. From the swing she had a straight shot at the huge moon. It was beautiful—and romantic.
“It’s a nice night,” she said, and mentally slapped herself. They’d already established that.
“Yep,” he said, pushing the swing with his toe and causing her to lean back.
“Are you going to ride in the rodeo at Clint’s Saturday night?” It had been something she was going to ask him, but it had kept slipping her mind.
“I haven’t decided.”
She could feel his arm behind her neck and tried to concentrate. “You should. It would be easy pickings for you.”
Tacy stared at him. He meant what he said, and she liked that about him, too. He didn’t boast about his accomplishments, but rather downplayed them. She knew he hadn’t said that about the cowboys just to be saying it. He believed it was true. And what did she know? It might be true. Not every cowboy could afford to devote his time to seeking out points almost every weekend during the season in order to rack up enough to put him in contention for Vegas.
Tacy cleared her throat and smiled, relaxing her back against the swing and suddenly enjoying the feel of his arm practically draped across her shoulders.
“Are you enjoying working with the horses?” he asked after a few moments of silence.
“You know I am.”
“Good. I really appreciate your helping me. Especially after the way I’ve treated you.”
“Okay, who are you and what have you done with the real Brent Stockwell?” she asked, smiling and suddenly feeling more like herself.
He laughed. “I thought that would throw you.”
“Well, it did. I know what happened. When you were at Applegate’s, you got hit on the head with a pumpkin when it was shot out of the catapult.”
“Hey, telling you I know I’ve been rough on you isn’t that big a deal.”
“Yes, it is,” she said, smiling warmly. Pulling her feet up onto the swing, she wrapped her arms around her knees as he continued to rock them gently.
Right now she was just going to enjoy herself.
“So you’re going home next Wednesday night?” he asked, tugging her ponytail gently. The action was unexpected and touched her heart.
Turning her head, she rested her chin on her elbow. “Mmm-hmm,” she murmured, then pulled her head out of the fog and came back to reality. “It should be interesting. All my brothers will be there, so it will be loud and I’ll be picked on mercilessly.”
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