by Tessa Layne
He squeezed Carolina’s shoulder and leaned in, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “You’re brilliant, you know.”
She ducked her head with a smile. “What makes you say that?”
Her cheeks grew pink again, a look he found quite fetching. He only wished he could see her like that from his kisses, and not just his compliments. “You just are. And you need to know it.”
She glanced his way, eyes searching his. “I…” she looked down again. “Thank you.”
More than anything, he wanted to lean in and kiss her. A gentle, chaste, ‘hey, I think you’re awesome’ kind of a kiss. Only to reinforce his words. He leaned in, but then caught his brother staring hard at him from down the row, jaw set. With a sigh, he sat back. There would be no kisses with Carolina in his future. No matter how badly he wanted them.
Chapter Nine
Cody was already up and dressed when his alarm sounded. He’d spent a restless night, tossing and turning while he went over his conversations with Ty and Carolina with a fine-toothed comb. Ty’s encouragement buoyed him, made him more determined than ever to attempt a comeback. If a soldier could become a one-armed pitcher and strike out Alex Jordan, surely he could teach himself to ride left-handed. He’d need help, though. Question was, who to ask?
Too restless to stay in the bunkhouse, he headed up to the barn early. He could have the horses saddled by the time Teddy met him in the stable. Pride warmed his belly. Never again would he take basic chores for granted. Any day he could move freely, was a banner day in his book. He still had a ways to go, but every day his body became stronger.
Cody pushed open the barn door, skidding to a stop at the sight of Carolina’s preferred mount, Angel, saddled up and ready to go. “Carolina?” His pulse skittered at the possibility she might be joining him. She’d been a more frequent companion during calving season, but he never let himself count on the idea of spending the morning with her. He took it at face value - a welcome, enjoyable surprise.
She stepped out of the tack room, arms filled with his saddle.
He rushed forward. “Here. Let me take that.” No one was going to saddle up his mount again. Not when he could do it himself, now. The electricity that arced between them when they touched, went straight to his belly. Best to keep things easy between them, back to safer territory. Chalk their hot as fuck conversation yesterday up to the excitement of the ball game and the warm spring sun. “Any developments overnight?” He asked keeping his focus on saddling up Jackpot.
“No. We’ve only got four still left to calve, and no pairs to move this morning. We can be in an out in less than an hour.”
Longing hooked deep in Cody’s gut. “We’re running early this morning, how ‘bout we ride the fence lines after? Save your dad the hassle later?” It might be a shameless ploy to spend more time with her, but he didn’t care. He craved more flirty exchanges with her. And in truth, with the new cow-calf pairs moved into the far pastures, they’d be checking daily.
She ducked her head, but not before he saw her mouth turn up. “You know daddy loves his time in the saddle.” But then she turned back, eyes telling a different story. “But it’s a nice morning and I- I’d like that,” she answered in a breathless rush, pink creeping up her neck and into her cheeks.
Cody couldn’t help grinning at her. And maybe it was overplaying his hand, but he didn’t care. Hell, he’d already overplayed his hand yesterday at the exhibition game, and she hadn’t seemed to mind one bit. “Let’s go.” He led Jackpot out the barn door, tightened the cinch one last time and mounted up, this time without the aid of a block. Like a real man. As they turned for the near pasture, the horizon glowed pink, and the air held the scent of good things to come. Cody sat taller in the saddle, meeting the day with confidence he hadn’t experienced in months. Today, his luck was about to change. Starting with Carolina. He was done beating around the bush where she was concerned. No more dancing around their attraction. They either acted on it, or they shut the door for good. If he could bring an ornery bull to heel, bend the future to his will through sheer determination, he could clear the air with Carolina.
A tour of the near pasture showed the last cows in early labor. “I’ll let daddy know when we return. He’ll check on them later this morning. They’ve all calved before, so I don’t expect any complications.”
As they approached the far corner of the property, Carolina gasped in dismay. One of Resolution Ranch’s longhorns had pushed through a weak spot in the fence and stood placidly, munching their new grass. Cody wheeled Jackpot toward the opening in the fence. “Do you think we can fix it?” A quick inspection showed the latch on the gate had come loose. An easy fix if they had the right tools.
“I’ve got tools in my saddle bag,” offered Carolina as she pulled abreast. “Let’s shoo Bessie onto her own grass, first.”
Easier said than done as Bessie had other ideas. But with a little yelling and encouragement, she bawled at them in protest and walked through the gate. Carolina dismounted with a shake of her head. “I never thought I’d want a herd dog. We’ve never needed one, but this spring has me reconsidering.”
Cody joined her on the ground, extending his hand for the tools.
“Not so fast, hot-stuff,” Carolina said with a challenge in her eyes. “What makes you think you’re going to make the repair?”
“‘Cause I can?”
“And you think I can’t?”
“Of course, you can. You can do damned near anything. But it doesn’t mean you should.”
“You’re skating on thin ice, there, cowboy. My sisters and I’ve repaired every foot of this fence line at one point or another.”
“Calm down, sweetheart. Give a guy a chance to be a gentleman.”
“Maybe I don’t want a gentleman.” Her voice grew husky and low.
His thoughts immediately took a left turn to a deliciously dirty place. “What do you want, Carolina? You keep giving me mixed signals.” He dropped his hand and stepped into her space. “I can be as gentlemanly and chivalrous as you need. I can give you all the space you want, if that’s what you want. But I will happily take a walk on the wild side if that’s more to your liking. You tell me.” His blood heated and slowed, thrumming through him with a primal pulse. “I know you feel this pull between us, Caro,” he challenged, not caring he’d slipped into her old nickname. “Question is, how long are we going to dance around it? Pretend it’s not there?”
Her breath quickened, mouth parting as his words hung between them. She bit her lip, eyes searching his face, but this time he would give no quarter. He was done playing the good cowboy.
“Our families won’t approve?” Her voice turned up like a question.
“Don’t fucking care.”
“You’re my patient.”
“You’re fired.” He brought a hand to the base of her neck, underneath her low ponytail, the other to her cheek, and before she could protest further, he kissed her. In spite of his need to devour her, to claim her, he held back, lightly stroking her lips with his own, only deepening the kiss when she opened her mouth with a moan, hands wrapping around his neck.
That was all the invitation he needed. Sliding his hand down her spine, he pulled her soft, sweet curves flush against his body, tongue sweeping in to taste her. She returned the kiss with an energy that made his blood boil.
“Caro,” he rasped, when they came up for air. “You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for that.”
“Then don’t stop,” she urged, tipping her chin and pulling him close.
Her mouth tasted like coffee and candy, her tongue demanding more of him, and he couldn’t get enough of her. Desire spooled through him, pulling his balls tight as he pressed his cock against her, seeking more friction through their layers of clothing. Not in his wildest imaginings had he wanted to take a woman like he wanted to take Carolina. Right here in the blazing morning sun in front of God and everyone.
This time, she pulled away, gasping for
air, burying her head under his chin. “We need to fix the gate.”
“I know.” They’d crossed a line, question was, which side would they stay on? “Carolina…”
She stepped back, hand on his chest. “You don’t have to say anything. I’m not looking for anything more, either.”
She wasn’t? Her comment took the wind out of his sails. Not that he was looking for anything close to a happily-ever-after. Not. But he was used to calling the shots, and Carolina beat him to the punch. His chest pulled tight. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. “Doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy kissing each other.”
Her mouth pulled up. “True.” She went on tiptoe, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “I like kissing you.”
“Same.”
Sunday dinner was a nerve-racking exercise, between acting like nothing was out of the ordinary, and exchanging heated glances with Carolina, Cody thought his brain might explode. Especially when Carolina’s foot slid up his leg as he was passing the green beans. While she was making a point of carving up her chicken into bite-sized pieces, the little vixen. Had she always been this mischievous? How had he not noticed before?
After supper, he joined Teddy and his brother on the front porch for a drink. Teddy raised a glass rim catching on the last rays of spring sun. “Here’s to a successful calving season. Couldn’t have done it without you two.”
Cody raised his glass. “Happy to help, sir.”
“How many times have I told you, my name’s not ‘sir’.”
Parker chuckled. “Old habits die hard. You were ‘sir’ until I turned eighteen.”
“Fair enough.” Teddy grinned. “I’m just happy to have other menfolk around. I’d much rather talk livestock than babies, any day of the week.”
Parker let out a belly laugh. “You and me both.”
Cody’s senses went on high alert. Now was the moment. If he didn’t ask now, he never would. “So… I was thinking about getting back in the ring,” he threw out casually, taking a sip of his whiskey.
The men stared at him. Park narrowed his eyes. Teddy’s eyebrows shot skyward. “Is that the best use of your energy, son?”
Cody shrugged. “It’s in my blood. I’m strong again. And after seeing the one-armed pitcher at the exhibition game, I got to thinking. Why couldn’t I teach myself to ride left-handed?”
Teddy stared into his whiskey, mouth drawn tight. “I’d have thought you’d have taken your accident as a signal it’s time for a new direction.”
“Some might. Not me. Without the rodeo, I’m like a boat without a keel.”
“You ever been on a boat, son?” Teddy asked, giving him a hard stare.
“A handful of times out at Tuttle Creek Reservoir. But I know there’s something missing without it.”
Parker scowled, staring him down. “What are you trying to prove?”
Of course, Parker would challenge him. Parker had taken the role of family protector to heart. Even on the job, he was the guy always looking out for the team. First one in, last one out. Parker might be every bit as much of a risk taker as he was, but where he’d charged ahead, Parker had always assessed first, then jumped.
But he wasn’t a hare-brained teenager with big dreams anymore. He’d been a three-time rodeo champ, and he knew what he wanted from life, risks be damned. “That I’m gonna call the shots in my life, not some crazy-assed bull in a rodeo ring. And I wanna come back,” he added after taking a bracing swallow.
Parker made a suspicious noise in his throat. “Ma’s gonna have a hard time with this. Your accident aged her ten years. At least.”
“Ma worries about us crossing the street. She’ll be fine.”
Parker nodded in agreement, then pinned him with a look. “What about Carolina?”
Teddy sat taller. “What’s Carolina got to do with any of this?”
“Everything,” Parker scoffed.
Teddy narrowed his eyes, giving Cody a withering stare. Cody had the urge to sink into his chair. But he was done cowering. Done letting life push him along. “Carolina’s been a big help.”
“And?”
And I desperately want to take your daughter to bed. Teddy’d beat him silly if he said those words aloud. “Carolina’s my PT.” He glared at Parker. “Nothing more.” She’d made that crystal clear this afternoon.
“Hmmph.” Teddy studied his whiskey. “She worries about the slightest thing, now that Michael’s gone. Made me put my cell phone in the glove box when I drive. Doesn’t like me ridin’ by myself, either.”
“Then we’re agreed? We’ll keep this between ourselves?” Cody asked, anticipation coiling in his stomach. He could practically feel the bull underneath him.
“Not so fast.” Parker leaned forward, skewering him with a downright parental scowl. “What kind of protective gear are you planning to wear?”
Cody scoffed. “None. Messes with my line of sight.”
Park made a face and shook his head. “Not if you want my help.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, I was the first one to see you in the hospital. You looked worse than death warmed over. Your concussion was bad. You sustain another one of those, and you’re toast, or worse.”
“It’s not gonna happen again,” Cody ground out.
“I appreciate your sentiment, but you know as well as I do, every time you get on the back of one of those beasts, you’re taking a risk.”
He couldn’t deny it.
“I’m not gonna let you put ma through that again,” Park said with a determined edge to his voice. “Hell, I’m not gonna put me through that again. You agree to protective gear, or I’m out.”
Chapter Ten
Carolina gazed out the window of the clinic, replaying the events of the previous morning. She hadn’t slept a wink, tossing and turning. And burning. Cody’s four-alarm kiss had set her body flaming, and it hadn’t stopped. She loved the way he made her feel, the way he took charge when she baited him. But at the same time, a still small voice in the back of her head kept asking about Michael.
She dropped her head into her hands with a groan. How was she supposed to reconcile the two parts of herself? She knew she was blowing hot and cold with Cody, flirting one moment, running away in the next. Sometimes the changes happened so fast, her own head spun. What would her family say when they learned she’d jumped into something again? What would Greg say? He’d become a good friend, and she’d been avoiding him all morning.
As soon as she disclosed that Cody wanted Greg to finish his course of PT, Greg would know why. She appreciated his protective nature, but she’d used their friendship as a shield, hiding behind it so she wouldn’t have to face the painful reality of moving on. And that wasn’t fair to either of them.
“You gonna tell me what’s going on?” Greg perched on the corner of her desk, flipping a pencil between his fingers.
Her chest felt like there was a balloon pressing out from the inside, and she was sure her cheeks were bright red. She must have a fever. “I need you to finish out Cody’s PT.”
Greg grunted. She snuck a peek at him. His jaw was set, but he didn’t look mad. “Can’t say I’m surprised.”
“Oh?”
He gave her a rueful smile. “I was in intelligence before I got out. My job was to read people, but even a dummy could see the sparks flying between the two of you from a mile away.”
Embarrassment was quickly replaced by mortification. Did everyone know? Just like she’d been the last person to figure out that her first fiancé, Keller Montgomery, was gay?
“Don’t look so upset,” Greg chided. Then he narrowed his eyes. “But he’ll answer to me if he hurts you in any way. That’s a promise.” A shiver ran down Carolina’s spine. She didn’t doubt it, or that Greg had been very, very good at obtaining information when he’d been in the special forces.
“I can handle myself, Greg. You know that.”
“I do. But I want you to know who’s in your corner.” He paus
ed, then narrowed his eyes. “Does he make you happy?”
She shrugged. “I’m not sure what makes me happy anymore. He makes me… feel things I haven’t felt since Michael. Enough to maybe try. And he makes me laugh.”
“Just be careful. You know what I think of cowboys.”
“Cody’s not that way,” she quickly assured him. “The Hansen family and ours, we go way back. They’re good people, Greg.” She studied the giant of a man in front of her. “And maybe it’s time for you to take that chip off your shoulder. You might be here for your brothers in arms, but there are plenty of other good people in town.”
Greg made a doubtful noise. “Enough about me. Why don’t you take lunch?”
She didn’t press the matter. Greg had his own wounds to deal with, and lord knew, he’d given her plenty of space to deal with hers. She could return the favor.
It was warm enough, she decided to walk the ten minutes to the diner. The lunch rush would be almost over, and she could grab a quiet table in the back. She had too much to think about where Cody was concerned. The kiss… electrified her. Short-circuited all her senses. Forced Michael completely from her thoughts, which on the one hand, gave her immense relief, and on the other, wracked her with guilt.
The bell jangled merrily as she pushed in the door. Her mother waved and motioned her to a table in the back corner, her favorite. She helped herself to a glass of water, and wove through the tables. On her way to the corner, she spotted Macey sitting in one of the booths. She’d enjoyed getting to know Macey and her daughter at the exhibition game, and felt a special affinity for her given their shared experience of loss.
She slipped into the booth with a smile. “How was the rest of your weekend? Are you enjoying Prairie?”