Show-Off in Spurs (Crossroads Book 5)

by Em Petrova

  “Where are we going now?” Sadie shot a sidelong glance at Theo’s profile. He filled up his entire truck seat, and his grip on the steering wheel had her insides clutching with memories of his hands on her.

  Her breasts. Belly. Between her legs.

  Fading evening light cut across his rugged features, and she couldn’t help but relive their first moments in the truck.

  “I want to show you something.” His eyes lit up. No, they didn’t only light with happiness. A deeper emotion lived there, as strong as the anger she’d seen from him earlier after Reagan told Sadie she’d stolen her design and had her sister implement it.

  Theo had managed to lighten her mood after the catastrophe, and following a good, hard laughing fit, she’d polished off her salad, a plate of chicken and biscuits to tease Theo, and for dessert, some Georgia peach pie.

  He drove roads she never knew existed in the area. When he stopped along the road and backed into what seemed to be a dirt path leading to a cattle gate and fence, he stopped and cut the engine.

  She threw him a questioning look.

  He knew what she asked without her speaking a word. “You’ll see. C’mon.” He climbed out, and she followed. He walked to the tailgate and lowered it.

  As she realized they were about to sit in the back of a truck in an isolated area, her insides heated. She might have just woken her libido, but it wasn’t about to be ignored now that she had.

  They paused before climbing in the back. She felt the body heat waving off Theo’s side and shivered.

  He turned to her. “Cold?”

  “I didn’t know I’d be outside when I put these shorts on.”

  His lips tipped up. “Admit it—you only wore those shorts to torment me.”

  Refusing to say such a thing, she only lifted her chin. He laughed and walked back to the truck door. He reached behind the seat and came out with a blanket, which he wrapped around her shoulders.

  She snuggled into the warm quilting, but the feel was so much more than simple warmth—Theo had stepped up to take care of her. First back at the buffet when that horrible woman mocked her to her face and crushed her dream, and Theo’s big, warm palm had covered Sadie’s lower back. Now with the blanket.

  This wasn’t only sex. She couldn’t be blinded any longer to what was happening between them.

  Courtship, her grandma would have called it. Her girlfriends back in the rodeo would have laughed and said Theo was ‘sharking’ on her.

  He stepped up in front of her, staring down into her eyes. She thought he might kiss her, but instead he grabbed her by the waist and lifted her onto the tailgate. She settled the blanket snugly around herself and waited for him to join her.

  When he sat close, with his thigh touching hers, another shiver snaked down her spine, this time not from the cold.

  She turned her attention to the field beyond the gate they’d backed up against. “What are we watching for?”

  “Wait,” he rumbled softly.

  They sat in silence, and oddly, it didn’t bother her at all not to fill the space with chatter. She drew in deep breaths of fresh air and watched the sky darken. Just when she thought nothing would happen, the stars began to pop out in the night sky.

  When she moved her eyes overhead, she saw more and more—new ones she never knew existed and old friends that created constellations. The dark shadows of cattle began dotting the field below as they moved to this end to graze.

  She gasped. “What is happening? Why are they moving?”

  “Dunno, but they do it every night. When I get a chance, I sit here and watch them come out with the stars.”

  She turned her head to him, shook her hand out from under the blanket and lifted it to Theo’s jaw. He stared back, eyes twinkling as bright as the stars in the sky. “You’re a very surprising man, Theo.”

  His lips quirked in that way she was starting to love. “I’ll take that as the highest compliment coming from you.”

  * * * * *

  Sadie bumped up the long drive to the Bellamy Ranch. With the bed of her truck jam-packed with furniture, décor and even old books she’d scored from the estate sale in the next county, she couldn’t pass up the chance to show Theo.

  She parked the truck out front with the other vehicles. Suddenly, her palms were sweaty at the thought of dropping in on him, the way a girlfriend would.

  We’re only friends, she reminded herself. And lovers too.

  Last she heard, being friends and lovers with a man made him special. But she wasn’t prepared to think about that right this minute and set off to find him.

  Walking around the ranch gave her equal feelings of familiarity and fear. She didn’t want to witness a repeat of her last visit.

  As she rounded a corner, she spotted a blond, skinny man slipping into a shed. She started toward him to ask where she’d find Theo, but some deep voices led her around the big white barn.

  Her heart gave a hard flip, and she brought her fingers to her mouth. Sucking in shallow breaths, she stared at the edge of the roof. A man walked across the steep incline and peered over the edge, tipping so far that she waited for him to hit the ground at any second.

  And it was Theo. She couldn’t pretend she didn’t know who that fine body belonged to.

  “Coupla shingles blew off it. Gotta be the reason for the leak,” he called to the guys who stood firmly on the ground below.

  Why was Theo always taking these risks in his work while the others stood around watching him just about break his neck?

  “Don’t fall, Theo,” one of the guys called out. “You want both your legs for when you ride broncs in the rodeo!”

  Her guts turned to water.

  “I’m probably not entering this year, guys.”

  “Dang, never thought I’d hear that come out of Theo’s mouth,” one guy said to the other. Even after the declaration that he wouldn’t enter the rodeo, her heart didn’t calm down one single trippy beat.

  When he dropped to one knee, pulled out a tool and began to scrape away some of the shingles, she tried to convince herself that men and women worked on roofs every day, all over the world. And Theo being up there didn’t mean he’d be injured.

  Or worse.

  Her adrenaline pumping, she turned and hurried to her truck without making her presence known to anyone but the skinny blond guy who peeked his head from the shed as she rushed to her truck and jumped behind the wheel.

  * * * * *

  New to-do list. Finish hanging draperies in schoolhouse. Buy supplies to clean the new hardwood floors.

  Turning her attention to the warm brown wood, Sadie bit her lip. So many hours put into laying the floor…and how many orgasms?

  Theo had even carried her up to the loft and had her clinging to the railing while he hammered her from behind. In fact—she pivoted in a slow circle to drink in the schoolhouse—there didn’t seem to be a single corner the man hadn’t either kissed her, squeezed her ass or nailed her in.

  She grabbed the keys to her truck. First thing on her list was a food shopping trip. Being from Dallas, she was accustomed to grocery delivery, but the small supermarket in Crossroads didn’t afford her that luxury. Since she was doing errands anyway, she hoped to hit up the local furniture store again, some junk shops and the adorable antique store on the corner. Her purchases at the estate sale had made a small dent in making her house into a home, and she was hunting for more pieces.

  Everything about her schoolhouse made her insanely happy. When she turned the polished brass original doorknob and opened the front door, she felt a smile spread over her face at the sight.

  The new brick sidewalk gave her a thrill whenever she saw it. She had to hand it to Theo. If he didn’t have spare hours to help on a project, he knew someone else who did. And his buddy worked cheap and executed flawless work.

  She walked down the brick pavers to her truck, thinking maybe she would pick up some plants and flowers while in town.

  Driving around Cross
roads was quickly becoming something she looked forward to. The small town life really changed her views on the world. She’d gone from a big, beautiful home with no one to share it with to her schoolhouse, consisting of only a few rooms and what she hoped would be a cozy but minimal look when she finished.

  Today she hoped to find a rustic bench for the front door and possibly some coat hooks that fit the period of the schoolhouse. Perhaps some brass or hammered metal?

  On her way to town, she unfortunately passed the house Reagan let her down on. As usual when she thought of what happened, she found her jaw clenching. She automatically swung her head to look at the house and stepped on the brakes.

  All her ideas for the front of the home had been implemented. The door painted red—not quite the color choice she would have made, but it was an improvement, nonetheless.

  The sign in the yard had a SOLD sticker slapped over the FOR SALE sign. Sadie’s stomach felt thick, filled with sludge, as she pulled into the driveway next to Reagan’s vehicle.

  She didn’t even remember walking up to the red front door that was, now that she looked closer, painted an overly bright shade. She knocked and held her breath, waiting.

  As soon as Reagan opened the door, the woman’s expression fell. Immediately, she swapped the oh-no-it’s-her look for a cheery smile. “Hi! Sadie, it’s good to see you.”

  They’d exchanged so many good-to-see-you’s during their last encounter, that Sadie had the urge to tell her to cut the bullshit—neither of them were happy to see the other.

  She slapped her own smile in place. “I saw you sold the house and wanted to stop and congratulate you.”

  “Oh yes, yesterday.”

  She looked around the landscaping of bushes that would be overgrown monsters in a few years and bobbed her head. “A lot of improvements, I see. Would you be willing to give me a tour?”

  Reagan blinked and finally stepped aside to allow Sadie to pass. She didn’t want to appreciate how her ideas really had added value to the house. The built-in pantry and adding a bigger window over the kitchen sink were much the same as Sadie would have chosen. But other parts of the home were a fail, such as the bathrooms, still cramped, dark and lacking storage. Neither woman said much as they walked through.

  After the tour, Reagan followed her to the front door and saw her outside. Sadie smiled and threw her a wave. “Thanks for the peek! I’m happy for your achievements.”

  Reagan’s downcast gaze and low-energy nod made Sadie wonder if the woman could actually feel bad about what she’d done.

  Seeing the house and all the improvements that had come from Sadie’s imagination and professional creativity left her questioning her business. Who really required a house doctor? Obviously not Reagan. She made the sale—even without Sadie’s guidance or the upgrades she would have chosen. Maybe Crossroads and the surrounding areas wouldn’t support her business at all.

  Resisting the urge to peel out of the driveway and stomp the gas on the way out, she issued a heavy sigh instead. And another and another. She rolled down her window, hoping some of that fresh country air would clear her head the way it seemed to when she was with Theo.

  The cowboy also rubbed off in another way—giving her a tendency to take lazy country drives on her way to a destination. She made several turns, and for a moment thought she might be lost.

  It served her right for all the nasty thoughts that flitted through her head after seeing that house and Reagan again. She hated she’d been reduced to ugliness, when she really was glad to see the seller happy.

  She slowed the truck, searching for some landmark to show her where she was right now and which way to turn to reach town. Then she saw something running in the distance.

  Stepping on the brakes, she stared out the side window at what appeared to be a kid streaking across the pasture—with a bull chasing after him.

  Just seeing that thick chunky body and stocky legs made her own turn to water. If she wasn’t already sitting, she’d be on her ass right now.

  Terror struck through her heart, a replay of what she felt when she got the call about Jackson.

  A choked cry burst from her as the boy somehow managed to keep a few paces ahead of the bull. They crossed the field faster than she ever thought possible for child or beast, and then the boy scrambled up and over the fence as the bull came to a dead halt.

  Her attention fixed on the child, she remembered to breathe and dragged in a hot breath. It seared her lungs.

  The boy vanished, and she turned her gaze to the bull in time to see it limp a few more paces and then crumple to the ground.

  “Oh God.” Her voice wobbled.

  She watched the beast for a few more minutes, waiting for it to stand up. But she knew enough from the rodeo that a bull going down wasn’t a good sign.

  After one more sweep of the pasture to ensure the child was truly gone, she let her foot off the brake pedal and rolled forward.

  Her calf muscle cramped from depressing the brake so hard. Wrapping her trembling fingers around the wheel, she tried not to replay what she’d just witnessed in her mind—but she saw that and so much more.

  She didn’t want to relive that day when Jackson died, and she was in a much better state of mind these past weeks in Crossroads. The change of pace, slowing down from the rat race, and going from massive interstates jammed bumper to bumper with cars to two-lane roads, sometimes even back roads, had been a huge help. Add in old friends and new ones too, and she wasn’t even the same person who got in her truck in Dallas, prepared to embark on a cross-country move.

  Mindlessly, she drove, and when she ended up at the gates of the Bellamy Ranch, her eyes widened. She hadn’t even thought to come see Theo, yet here she was.

  Last she visited, he’d scared the life from her. There better not be a repeat, because her heart couldn’t hold out after seeing that child chased by a bull.

  She started to climb from the truck, when the door whipped open and Theo filled the gap, tall, broad, handsome and grinning at her. As soon as he got a look at her face, the smile faded.

  “What happened?” He reached in and grabbed her shoulders, turning her to face him. “Sadie, are you all right? Did you have an accident?”

  Her words trapped in her throat and then broke free. “In the pasture, a bull was chasing a boy!”

  His eyes sharpened to knife points. “A boy?” he barked.

  “Yes, and the boy’s all right—he crossed the field and jumped the fence. But the bull limped a bit and then fell.”

  “Where was this field?” He gripped her harder, almost lifting her off the seat. “Sadie, where was it?”

  She pointed down the road. “About a mile that way. A big pasture with some…” she fought to remember landmarks, “trees in one corner.”

  “Son of a whore. That bull’s worth ten grand. And it’s gonna be my ass if we gotta put him down.”

  * * * * *

  When climbing into a fenced area with a bull, a man required an exit plan. Climbing into a fenced area with a hurt bull? Theo wished he had better life insurance.

  Sadie wrapped her arms around herself, and though she didn’t utter a word, she pleaded with him with her eyes. She didn’t want him to do this, and the last thing he wanted was to upset her. He understood she didn’t feel the things for him that she did her late husband, but he didn’t want to hurt her more.

  He looked over her head at Cort. “Take her outta here. She can’t watch.”

  Cort stepped up to the fence. The bull lay quiet for now, because nobody pursued it. The minute one of them jumped over that fence, the beast would be on high alert. And approaching to inspect the bull’s injuries would require a hell of a lot more than guts.

  “I’ll do it,” Cort said.

  Theo gave a hard shake of his head. “You’ve got a family. A baby.”

  Sadie gave a low keening cry.

  He gripped her by the shoulders. Meeting her eyes, he tried to impress the importance of her listenin
g to what he said, but he didn’t think a woman such as Sadie listened to anybody.

  “Go home. Please.”

  She shook her head, her eyes wide and filled with fear that gutted him to see. “I’m not going. I have to make sure you’re okay.”

  Seeing she wouldn’t budge from her stubborn stance, he walked over to Cort and pulled the tranquilizer gun from his hand. “You turned off the electric in the fence?” he asked.

  “Yeah. Make sure you make a good shot. That bull’s the most ornery I’ve ever had, and we don’t have a way to corral it.”

  It was also a prize winner, and one that fetched a lot of money for the Bellamy.

  Theo didn’t hesitate. He grabbed the top rail of the fence and vaulted over it. He landed on the other side and set off walking in a steady but slow pace toward the bull. The tranq gun had a range of twenty, thirty yards at best. Theo was going to wring Jordy’s neck for taunting that bull until it chased him. A two-thousand pound animal couldn’t run long, far or fast without risking injury of some sort. Their legs were much too tiny in comparison to their bodies. If they had to put the bull down…

  This was Theo’s fault. He should have found a new situation for Jordy weeks ago. He’d let this go on too long.

  A bored teen was a teen who got into trouble. Since he couldn’t work on the ranch and tire himself out by shoveling shit day after day, he pulled pranks like this one.

  As he approached, the bull lifted his head and eyed Theo. He’d seen cattle act as drama queens before and limp around a field, but the minute he got closer, they would stand and run off, perfectly fine. That could be the case with the bull.

  He hoped to hell it was the case.

  Aware of the group of people standing at the fence watching him, he hoped to hell nothing bad happened to send Sadie into another fit. He didn’t want to be the reason for her nervous breakdown on top of the responsibility for the bull, shed, sick horses and more bullshit he knew would come if Jordy remained.

  While Theo’s heart was in the right place, Theo wasn’t doing the kid any favors by letting him stick around. He’d grown too soft for him and hated to send him to a worse situation. But it was high time.