But she’d said they weren’t ready for marriage. He couldn’t imagine being more ready. He wanted her with him, end of story. They got along, and the sex was amazing. How much more did anyone need to be happy, for God’s sake?
On his last trip to the pasture with the wheelbarrow, Hematite wandered over to say hello. Cade was touched by that and wished he had a carrot in his pocket. But he had nothing, so he began humming “Red River Valley” to see what would happen.
Hematite came closer and stretched his neck to sniff the front of Cade’s shirt.
Cade used the tune of “Red River Valley” but substituted his own words. “Come and stand by my side if you love me. Do not hasten to leave me alone. Just remember the cowboy who saved you, and the haven you now call your home.” He smiled. Not bad for composing on the fly.
He sang the verse again, and Hematite bumped his chest. When he stroked the horse’s neck, the gelding stayed put, as if enjoying the caress. Still singing, Cade walked around so he could lean against Hematite’s rib cage. The horse didn’t seem to mind. His ears flicked back to indicate he was listening to the song, though, so Cade kept crooning away.
Meanwhile he draped himself all over that animal, putting pressure on various parts of the gelding’s body. Hematite remained where he was as if this was normal behavior for both of them. It almost seemed as if the horse had missed him.
Maybe he had. At the Circle T, Cade had been a constant presence in Hematite’s daily routine. It hadn’t been like that recently, though. He’d been too involved with Lexi.
Giving in to an impulse, he gradually maneuvered the horse over to the fence. He propped one foot on the lowest rail and eased his other leg over the gelding’s back. Other than a ripple of his glossy coat, Hematite didn’t react.
Cade moved slowly, inching his way astride as he continued to sing his bastardized verse of “Red River Valley.” Hematite had never had a rider on his back, at least not for long. Cade had accustomed him to the saddle, but Thornwood might have ruined all that work.
And yet...Hematite didn’t flinch as Cade slowly settled his weight on the gelding’s back. He was on, still singing, his thighs loosely gripping, his hand wrapped in a section of the horse’s dark mane. He tightened his thigh muscles, and Hematite moved away from the fence.
Cade didn’t give a rip where the horse went as long as he didn’t start bucking. He didn’t. Instead he made a circuit of the pasture as if on parade.
Continuing the song became tough because he wanted to laugh. This goofy horse had never been ridden. Yet to look at him sedately cruising the perimeter with Cade on his back, anyone would think he’d been carrying people around all his adult life.
A flash of color at the gate alerted Cade to the fact that Lexi stood there in her turquoise T-shirt and jeans. She gave him a thumbs-up, and he returned it. Then he figured he’d pushed his luck about as far as it would go and quietly slid to the ground.
Hematite stopped and turned his head to look at Cade as if asking what else this strange human had in mind.
“Nothing more today,” Cade said. “But thanks for the ride, and I’m sorry I’ve been neglectful.” A wisp of an idea drifted through his mind, but with Lexi standing over there waiting, he was too distracted to concentrate on it.
Yet he vaguely realized that the idea was connected to Hematite in some way, and if he came back out here on a regular basis, he might find some answers. He stroked the horse’s silky neck. “We’ll do this again tomorrow.” Then he went to fetch his empty wheelbarrow and push it over to the gate.
Lexi opened it and smiled at him. “Red-letter day, huh?”
“Yeah. It was the weirdest thing. I almost felt like he’d missed me.” He rolled the wheelbarrow through the gate.
“I’ll bet he did. I’m sure he knows you’re the one who took him away from the bad place.” She fastened the latch, and they started toward the barn. “Rosie called. They’re on their way.”
“That’s terrific. I’m sure both of them can’t wait to sleep in their own bed again.” Not surprising he’d think of that. Beds were on his mind today.
“She mentioned that very thing. They’ve had it with hospitals, although she praised the staff to the skies. But she’s ready to come home.”
Cade walked a little faster. “I just might have time to shower and change before they get here.”
“Rosie wouldn’t care. She’s used to smelly cowboys.”
“Hey! Be nice.”
“I am being nice. I’m used to them, too.”
He responded to that soft comment with a surge of warmth. Only minutes into their conversation and he wanted her. He flashed back to the morning he’d come into the cabin after his shower to find her tucked into his bunk without a stitch on. No wonder he’d neglected his horse after that.
While he thought about sex and how it tended to make him stupid, she continued to talk. He finally started paying attention when she asked him a question.
“Do you think we should wait on the logos?”
“Until when?”
“Until she seems rested enough to talk about it. She and Herb want to know what we’ve been up to, but she sounded a little tired on the phone. Going through the discharge process might have worn her out. We don’t want to push it her first day back.”
“God, no. Whatever happened to her, we don’t want a repeat, and too much excitement could send her right back.”
“That’s what Finn and Damon said, too.”
He glanced over at her as they reached the barn. She was so beautiful it made his throat hurt. Sunlight frosted her curls and brought out the rich shades of brown, rust and copper. Her cheeks were tinged with pink. He hoped that came from being close to him, horsey smells and all.
Her breathing seemed unsteady, too. “Of course I’ll stay as long as everyone needs me to.”
How about forever? He didn’t say it.
“But I’m guessing Rosie should take a nap at some point. I’ll probably head on home then. I need to get back to some of my clients who’ve texted or emailed.” She took a slip of paper out of her jeans pocket and handed it to him. “Here’s my address. You’re welcome to come over tonight if you want.”
Oh, he wanted to. He wanted the pleasure she offered so much that it was like ambrosia on his tongue. He had to force the next sentence out. “Thanks, but I’m going to hang around here.”
She looked startled. “Is that because I—”
“It’s because of everything—being with the Brotherhood, keeping Herb and Rosie company, talking about the future of the ranch. But mostly it’s because I need to think, and when I’m with you, my brain checks out.”
She exhaled slowly. “I’ll miss having you there, but...you’re probably doing the right thing. I’ll save the wine and candles for next time.”
“You planned a celebration?” To hell with thinking things through. “Then I’ll—”
“No.” She stepped closer and reached up to brush a bit of debris from his cheek. “Follow your instincts. I’m in this for the long haul. One night doesn’t matter.”
“Easy for you to say.” His gaze lingered on her mouth.
“Not easy. But I admire your decision to stay here tonight. And your ability to gentle an undisciplined horse.” Her eyes sparkled with mischief. “And your talent for whistling.”
“No fair. Now you’re playing dirty.”
Instantly she looked contrite. “I am and I’m so sorry!”
“Don’t be. I love it when you tease me. I love that you planned a private party for us. I love you.”
She swallowed. “I love you, too. I’m glad I got back in time to watch you riding Hematite. You looked...happy.”
“You bet I was happy. He trusted me enough to let me up on his back. That’s a great feeling, when you earn the tr
ust of an animal that’s been abused.”
“I’m sure it is.” She held his gaze. “You might want to consider—” But instead of finishing the sentence, she looked away and muttered something under her breath that sounded like, “Shut up, idiot.”
“What? What might I want to consider?”
“Nothing. Ignore me. You’d better go take your shower.” Rising on tiptoe, she gave him a quick kiss before heading to the house.
He stared after her in confusion. She’d been about to give him her opinion, something she’d never been shy about doing. They’d been discussing Hematite, so the comment she’d stifled must have had something to do with the horse. Why censor it?
Maybe she’d decided that she didn’t know enough about training horses to offer an opinion. No, that didn’t fit. She would have just said that. Instead she hadn’t wanted him to know what she was thinking.
He knew better than to pester her about it. If she hadn’t told him now, she wasn’t going to. But trying to figure it out on his own would drive him crazy.
17
AN HOUR LATER, Lexi sat in the ranch’s cozy living room sipping a beer and watching Herb’s and Rosie’s joyous expressions. At last they had what they’d longed for—their three favorite boys back home at one time. Everyone else had a beer except Rosie, who preferred Baileys and had decided to give herself a few more days before indulging in anything alcoholic.
She reposed like a queen in the room’s most comfortable easy chair beside the hearth, her feet propped on an ottoman to show off her bright red toenails. Early this morning a manicurist and a hair stylist from her favorite salon had shown up at the hospital to give her, as Rosie phrased it, a tune-up.
Consequently her hair was styled and her nails polished. The minute she’d come home she’d changed into a lightweight lounge outfit in a warm blue that matched her eyes. She’d insisted on hearing every detail concerning Thunder Mountain Academy and had one of her boys in mind to handle the legal angle.
She’d been eager to discuss the logo, and they’d eliminated all but two of the designs. Rosie held them up. “Which one, then? The brown horseshoe with the green letters or the black horseshoe with deep blue letters? Other than the colors, they’re pretty much the same. The green M might look a little more mountainish, but the blue is good, too.”
“I like the brown and green,” Cade said from his perch on the arm of the couch. “I’ve always liked that combination.” He smiled at Lexi, who sat at the opposite end of the couch.
She returned his smile. He’d been the first guy to fall in love with the color of her eyes. Come to think of it, he’d been the first guy to fall in love with her, period, not counting Jason Phelps in sixth grade.
Cade was the first guy she’d fallen for, too, not counting Jason Phelps, who’d thrown her over for Emmy Leech in seventh grade. Not long after Jason’s defection, Rosie had brought Cade home to Thunder Mountain Ranch, and life hadn’t been the same since.
Lexi couldn’t imagine loving anyone the way she loved Cade. But oh, how she wished she’d kept her mouth shut earlier, down by the barn. At least she’d caught herself before finishing her thought.
Passing out unwanted advice was a bad habit. And in this case, she could have potentially interfered with a process that was Cade’s alone. Just because she saw an obvious path for him didn’t mean she should blurt it out, or that he should take it. He had to work this out for himself.
Finn sprawled on the couch’s center cushion, his booted feet propped on the coffee table. Its surface was marred with the imprint of many boot heels. “I think the black with the blue is more of an attention-getter and it’ll show up the best on a T-shirt.”
“I’ll go with Finn on this one.” Damon had brought a kitchen chair into the room and straddled it while he sipped on his beer. “It’s bold. I like bold.”
“I like the brown and green.” Herb occupied the other easy chair on the far side of the hearth. “It’s softer, but it seems more academic.” He glanced at Lexi and Rosie. “Ladies?”
“I like the brown and green,” Lexi said. “It makes me think of growth, and that’s what we want to achieve for the kids who come here.”
Rosie turned both logos around and gazed at them. “And I like the black and deep blue, because it makes me think of thunder and rain, which seems a heck of a lot more dynamic than seeds sprouting.”
“Wouldn’t you know?” Herb glanced around in obvious amusement. “We’re split down the middle. Anybody want to change his or her vote?”
“We should ask Chelsea,” Lexi said.
“I’m on it.” Finn left the couch with surprising speed. In minutes he’d photographed both logos and texted them to Chelsea. “I predict she’ll vote for the black and deep blue.”
“Good call,” Damon said. “Any woman with purple streaks in her hair will want the bold statement.”
Rosie laughed. “Finn, are you involved with a woman who has purple hair?”
“We’ve worked together, but we’re not involved.”
Damon cleared his throat. “Couldn’t prove it by me. When it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, usually it’s a—”
“Stuff it, Harrison.” Finn concentrated on the image captured on his phone. “You know what? We could add a lightning bolt to the black and deep blue, but it wouldn’t look right with brown and green. Another reason to go with the black and deep blue.”
“A lightning bolt.” Damon’s gaze settled on Cade. “Sure you don’t want to change your vote, Gallagher?”
“Nope.” He drained his bottle. “I don’t see this academy as a lightning-bolt situation.” He got up and offered to fetch more beers.
Lexi watched him walk into the kitchen, his lean-hipped stride taunting her with possibilities she wouldn’t be enjoying tonight. He was gorgeous. Any woman would be lucky to—
“Lexi?”
Rosie’s voice broke into her X-rated thoughts. “What?”
“I’m not sure what your plans are, but you’re welcome to stay over tonight.”
“Thank you, but I really need to get home.” She wondered if Rosie had caught her staring longingly at Cade. Probably. Rosie didn’t miss much.
“Okay. I just... Well, you’ve been a big help and you just seem...to belong here.”
Yep, Rosie was still matchmaking. “That’s a lovely thing to say. I—”
“Chels likes them both!”
Grateful for the interruption, Lexi glanced at Finn. “Equally? But we need to pick one, so what now?”
“I guess we have a little time. She wants to test them on some marketing people she knows and see which gets the best response.” He looked up from the screen. “You all okay with that?”
“Sure,” Rosie said. “I don’t care if she’s dyed her hair every color of the rainbow. The woman obviously knows something about promotion.”
“She definitely does.” Finn’s proud smile revealed a lot, probably way more than he intended.
Damon, of course, had to point it out. “I give you exhibit A.” He gestured toward Finn. “The boy is besotted.”
“Am not.”
“Are so.”
“I love it.” Rosie gazed at them fondly. “It’s like old times listening to you two bicker. But much as I’d love to stay here all afternoon and be part of every deep discussion, it’s time for me to retire to the bedroom and take a nap. I need my beauty sleep.”
Her announcement created a flurry of activity. Amid hugs and well wishes, Rosie disappeared into her bedroom. That was Lexi’s cue to leave, too. Her overnight bag was already in her truck. The adventure, at least the part where Rosie had scared them all to death, was over.
Cade offered to walk her out, and she accepted. She couldn’t shake the idea that after today, everything would change. She might have fantas
ized that Cade would spend his days here and his nights at her apartment, but after his decision not to come over tonight, she wasn’t counting on that.
When they reached her truck, she turned to face him with a sense of inevitability. This felt like a much bigger goodbye than it logically should be. He’d be here, and she planned to visit often.
He braced a hand against her door and shoved back the brim of his hat. “I desperately want to share your bed tonight.”
She gulped. “I know.”
He traced a finger along her cheek, down the curve of her throat and into the vee of her shirt. “I think you want me there, too.”
“Yep.”
His gaze searched hers. “When I came back, I couldn’t think of anything but making love to you.”
She couldn’t help smiling. “I was pretty focused on that myself.”
“I’m glad you were. I’m glad we had the chance to find out the chemistry’s still there. I guess it always will be. I’m counting on it, in fact.”
Her breath caught. “Why?”
“Because I’ve made a decision, and it feels right to me. I won’t make love to you again until I figure out what I’m supposed to do with my life. You were right about the dreams and goals. But when you’re in my arms, you become my dream and my goal. I can’t think beyond that.”
“I get it.” Was she disappointed? Oh, yeah. But she knew exactly what he was talking about.
“Then there’s this business with my new relatives. I don’t have a handle on that, either. I’ve promised to go over to the Last Chance Ranch with you next month, and I dread it.”
“I know you do.”
He sighed. “Bottom line, I need time alone to think things through.”
“That’s perfectly understandable.”
His green eyes were filled with regret. “It could take a while.”
“I hope it doesn’t take five years.” She’d meant it as a joke, but he looked horrified.
“Dear God, no! But I don’t... I can’t say exactly how long...”
“I know.” Her heart ached for him, for them. “But when you do figure it out...”
Midnight Thunder(INCR) Page 17