She moved along the path speaking in a level voice with patience and care, hoping to create a special bond with Storm, hoping he would learn to accept her. “And afterward, if you keep up this good behavior, I’ll give you a nice rubdown, a soothing little massage for your muscles.” Maddie worked out a kink in her shoulder. “I only wish you could reciprocate.”
Maddie felt comfortable with this approach, taking small steps and bonding with the stallion as if he were hers. She understood Storm better now and realized he had a long way to go before he would relinquish his trust.
After thirty minutes, they headed back toward the ranch. She was satisfied that Storm hadn’t rejected the interaction between them. The stallion actually seemed content. She walked Storm into the barn and headed for his paddock, the largest in the building. As they bypassed a docile bay mare named Julip, one of Trey’s cutting horses, she slowed her steps carefully measuring Storm’s reaction to the mare.
Maddie had spent time with this particular mare during her stay here and knew her sweet nature. As she led Storm to Julip’s stall the two horses came face to face.
Storm bristled, breathing out nosily, stomping his feet. Maddie’s heart pumped hard, hoping she hadn’t made a big mistake. Normally, Storm stayed outside in his corral, too unruly and quite frankly, too lusty, to be thrown in with female horses. But Julip merely stared at him, and if a horse could shrug and roll her eyes, Maddie was sure this mare had done just that. Julip turned her back on Storm and moved to the far end of her stall, clearly not impressed with the stallion.
To Maddie’s amazement, Storm’s little outburst nearly all but disappeared and she had to really tug on the rope she held to get Storm to move away from Julip’s stall.
“Hmm. Interesting,” Maddie said as an idea stirred around in her head.
“What’s interesting?” Trey’s low voice from behind gave her a start.
Maddie turned smoothly around, her moves cautious and slow, in deference to Storm’s unpredictable nature. She stared into Trey’s deep disapproving eyes. “Oh, nothing. Storm and I just went for a walk.”
Trey’s brows furrowed. He winced. “You went for a walk alone with him? Not a good idea, Maddie. I thought you’d learned your lesson.”
Trey stood with hands on hips in his black Stetson, dark snap-down work shirt and leather-fringed chaps. Maddie took a swallow. Trey, darn him, always stole her breath when he caught her unaware. In that one second, before rational sense took hold, she’d envisioned a life with him at 2 Hope Ranch. A life without caution or trepidation tripping them up. A life filled with happiness.
She focused on the stallion instead of her silly notions, and gave him a gentle pat on the neck. “Storm and I came to an understanding.”
Trey frowned. He wouldn’t take his eyes off of Storm, as if he fully expected the horse to bolt. “Yeah? And what was that?”
“We had a nice walk and now I’m going to give him a rubdown.”
Trey blinked. He pointed at Storm and lowered his voice. “You will not get in that stall with him, Maddie. To begin with, he’s hardly ever in there. It’s too confining for him. He won’t like you invading his territory. You know well and good that he’s more wild than tame.”
“I think he’s ready.”
Trey folded his arms around his middle and dug in his boot heels. “No.”
“No?”
“I forbid it.” Trey grabbed the rope from Maddie’s hands.
Shocked, Maddie repeated his words, “You forbid it?”
Trey nodded.
Maddie’s eyes grew wide. Her face colored with heat and the hair at the nape of her neck stood on end. “You’re forgetting that I’m an animal doctor, Trey. I know animals better than I know people. I can do this.”
“He’s not ready. He may never be ready, Maddie.”
She planted her hands on her hips. “I disagree. He’s pigheaded like you, but unlike you, he’ll come around.”
“Don’t fight me on this, Maddie. I won’t change my mind.” Trey led Storm away, turning him around to head toward the opened barn door.
Maddie fumed silently. Normally she wouldn’t be so bold. Trey owned Storm. He had the final say in his treatment and care. Maddie had no rights when it came to the stallion. But still, it irritated her that Trey wouldn’t allow her this. He was as closed off as the first day she’d met him.
“Just who are you trying to protect?” Maddie muttered. And after Trey had left the barn entirely, she added, “Me or the stallion? Or maybe, yourself?”
*
Minutes later, Trey stood by the fence watching Storm race around the perimeter of the corral, his jet-black mane flying in the fading sunlight. The stallion was too spirited to tame, and though Trey had immense respect for Maddie’s abilities with animals, he couldn’t allow her to place herself in danger. Storm needed gentling over a long period of time—he couldn’t be rushed. No doubt, Maddie had goodness in her heart. She was a positive thinker, believing that she could change things that were unchangeable. But Trey knew better, learning his lessons firsthand. He and Maddie probably would never see eye to eye on the subject.
He’d been harsh with her in the barn, perhaps overly so, to make his point. But the truth remained that he couldn’t abide Maddie getting hurt again. She’d already made one bad judgment call with the stallion the night of the dust storm. She’d been fortunate in not sustaining life-threatening injuries. So he figured that while he couldn’t do anything about the emotional hurt he’d caused her lately, he’d damn well see to it that she wouldn’t get hurt physically while living on his ranch.
Trey presumed she’d be packing her suitcase soon anyway, anxious to leave 2 Hope, anxious to leave him. He’d made one mistake after another with her. With all the best intentions, he’d tried protecting her and wound up hurting her in the process. She’d be better off without him.
Much better off.
A car pulled up, kicking up dry dust and coming to a stop right next to him. Trey turned to find his cousin Jack exiting his patrol car wearing his tan sheriff’s uniform and a big smile. “Howdy, Trey.”
Trey wasn’t in the mood for Jack’s good humor. “Hey, Jack. What’s up? Are you on duty or is this a social call?”
Jack glanced around, searching the property. “Maddie around?”
“You came out here to see Maddie?” Trey asked, masking his irritation the best he could. Jack didn’t seem to notice, his gaze kept darting around the borders of the ranch.
“Nope. I came out here to see you.” He grinned and Trey’s irritation grew at Jack’s mysterious behavior. “So, where is she?”
Trey shrugged. “She’s probably in her office, working.”
Jack glanced toward the old barn. “Good. I’m here on a mission. Caroline’s throwing Maddie a surprise birthday party this Saturday night. She asked me to come over here to let you know about it. She didn’t want to risk having Maddie overhear the conversation.”
“It’s her birthday?”
“Not until next week. She’ll be twenty-eight and Caroline is dead serious about keeping this a surprise. That’s why she’s doing it early. She has this idea to get her over to her place. She wants you to bring her.”
“Me? How am I supposed to do that?”
Jack smiled. “She wants you to ask her out to dinner, so Maddie will dress up pretty and be ready. Caroline figured she’d call with a baby-sitting emergency asking Maddie to come over to watch Annabelle for half an hour before your date. The rest of us will be there waiting.”
Trey began shaking his head. “No. I can’t do that.”
“Sure you can.”
“No, I can’t.”
“You can’t?” Jack wore his stubborn Walker expression. Trey recognized the tightening of his mouth, the set of his jaw. He’d worn that same expression more than a few times himself. “Well, why the hell not?”
Trey confessed, “Because I doubt Maddie would go anywhere with me.”
Jack pursed his
lips and eyed him with doubt. “I don’t believe it. You two have been hot for each other since she moved in with you.”
“Believe it,” Trey said firmly.
Jack sighed. “What happened?”
Trey refused Jack the details. He didn’t need to know how Maddie’s coming to live with him had been the best and worst time in his life. He didn’t need to know that they lived in turmoil, Trey making one mistake after another with her. He didn’t need to know how much Trey cared about her, willing to do whatever it took to keep her safe and protected. Hell, Trey had just come to that conclusion himself. “Doesn’t matter. Maddie’s not speaking to me.”
Jack’s expression changed to a full out grin. “She’s not?”
Trey cursed. “You don’t have to be so damn happy about it.”
“I’m not,” Jack said, adjusting his expression accordingly. “But I’m sure if you turned on the Walker charm, you could get her to go out with you.”
Trey shrugged. “Even if that were true, I’m not going to do it. It’s best this way. Caroline is just going to have to figure another way to get Maddie over there.”
“The party’s in five days, Trey. That doesn’t give her much time. And why is it best that you don’t ask her out?”
Trey shrugged again. “She’ll be leaving soon. I’m sure of it. Moving to Denver is a great opportunity for her.” And he wouldn’t be around to hurt her any longer. He wouldn’t have to yearn for a woman he couldn’t have.
“So, you’re refusing?”
Trey nodded. “It’s for the best. Trust me.”
Jack removed his hat and rubbed the back of his neck, contemplating. “I’m going to have to ask her myself then. Caroline trusted me with this, and I’m not going to let her down.” Jack’s mouth pulled down in a frown. “You think she’s mad enough at you to agree to go out with me?”
Trey searched Jack’s eyes. He could see his cousin’s reluctance, but Trey had put him in a bad position. All in all, Trey realized Jack wanted what was best for him and as much as his cousin had teased and tormented, he wasn’t eager to ask Maddie out. “If you ask her today, she’d probably join you on a trip to the moon.”
“All right,” Jack said on a sigh, before turning toward Maddie’s office. “Hell, Trey. Sometimes, you are your own worst enemy.”
*
Maddie exited the barn with Julip all saddled up and ready for a ride. She needed the distraction and this little outing would help take her mind off the Walker men. They had confounded and confused her enough for an entire lifetime. She was barely speaking to Trey, and just minutes ago, Jack had asked her out. She’d been quite stunned by his invitation to the Sheriff Department’s Annual Benefit dinner, but he’d been so sweet and sincere, promising they’d not call it a date, but merely dinner with a friend. Maddie couldn’t see any harm in going, so she had agreed.
“That’s a girl,” she said, stroking the horse’s forelock and patting her neck before mounting, happy to simply concentrate on a nice afternoon ride. Once in the saddle, she leaned down and gave Julip one last gentle stroke. “You’re the sweetest little lady at 2 Hope.”
She rode toward the corral, keeping a safe distance from Storm, and watched the stallion’s reaction. She’d had a hunch about Storm and this experiment would prove whether she’d been right or not. The stallion raced to the fence snorting into the air, digging in and sifting dirt with his hooves until he received what he seemed to want, the mare’s attention. Julip gave the stallion a glance. She was not intimated or interested and Maddie grinned. She admired Julip’s nonchalance with the blustering male.
Maddie missed working with Storm and had stayed away for two days, keeping busy with her own work and trying to forget about her heated conversation with Trey the other day. She kept telling herself he’d been within his rights. He owned the stallion, and she had to respect his wishes.
But Maddie didn’t have to like it. It seemed that she and Trey butted heads more than got along these days. But she knew she could get through to Storm. She knew she could get him to trust, without breaking his spirit. And the sweet-natured Julip would be the one to help her.
She guided the mare slowly around the perimeter of the corral, several yards away from the fence. Julip seemed to enjoy the exercise and paid Storm and his initial tirade little mind. They made the turn once, then twice, as Storm watched on from his stance inside the corral.
Maddie continued to keep the mare’s pace slow. Then on the third trip around the corral, Storm approached the fence and moved along with them from inside the corral. As any dominant stallion would, he took a slight lead rearing his head up as if to say, follow me.
“That’s it, boy,” Maddie said softly. They continued on this way until Maddie felt it safe enough to guide Julip closer to the perimeter of the fence. The two horses trotted nearly beside each other now, separated only by the fence.
“That’s a different approach,” Kit said, minutes later as Maddie dismounted Julip in front of the barn. “I gotta hand it to you, you don’t give up. Nobody around here ever thought that stallion was worth the money Trey paid for it. We all sorta thought the boss made himself a bull-size mistake. But now,” Kit said, taking off his hat to scratch his head, “seeing the progress you’re making I’m thinking it wasn’t but a little bitty mistake.”
Maddie chuckled and patted the mare’s rump. “I can’t take all the credit. Julip is just what Storm needs.”
Kit glanced at Storm, kicking up another ruckus inside the corral. “Maybe so. Maybe what you’re doing is a good thing. Seems the right female could tame the wild out of any male.”
The sound of a truck’s engine had both of them turning their heads. Trey pulled up and parked his car on the side of the house. He climbed out of the cab, pushed his hat further up his forehead and glanced their way.
Kit waved at his boss. “Maybe you just might have what it takes to settle him.”
“I hope so,” Maddie said, still reeling from the success of her little experiment.
“And I wasn’t exactly talking about the stallion.” Kit tipped his hat and winked.
Maddie’s mouth dropped open but Kit had walked off before she could utter a word.
*
“Tell me why you feel the need to shop, again?” Maddie asked Caroline. She needed convincing that she should be carousing around in boutiques on her afternoon off. Not that she didn’t love spending time with Caroline, she always did. But shopping wasn’t on her list of priorities at the moment.
She and Caroline entered a trendy boutique and began perusing a rack of summertime dresses. “Because you have a hot date with Jack Walker, that’s why,” Caroline answered. “We need to find you a special outfit.”
Maddie frowned and Caroline quickly added, “And I need a day away from sandboxes and playgroups. I need a girl’s day out.”
“Just to set the record straight, it’s not a hot date, Caroline.” She’d never have agreed to go out with Jack if she thought he wanted more than friendship. “Jack asked me to this benefit dinner for the sheriff’s department. He made it clear that we’d go as friends.”
Caroline shot her a knowing smile. “The old ‘just friends’ line. Tell me, how is it that you’ve got both of the Walker men interested in you? First Trey, now Jack.”
Maddie glanced at a pretty yellow-and-black two-piece silk suit, before addressing her friend. “First of all, Trey and I are barely speaking. And Jack, well, he’s a sweetheart, but we really are just friends.”
“Hmm.” Caroline’s blond brows rose in doubt.
“Really. I could never . . . I mean Jack is Trey’s cousin and—”
“I hear what you’re saying. You can’t take Jack seriously. It’s always been Trey for you. Too bad, he’s so hung up on his past.”
Maddie lifted a flowery sundress off the rack and placed it under her chin, glancing in the mirror. “It isn’t just his past he’s fighting, but generations of Walker men.”
Caroline shook her
head at Maddie’s choice. “Oh no, not that.”
She set the dress back on the rack, relying on Caroline’s good judgment.
“I’m hoping that maybe one day Trey will wake up and see that he’s not the man his father was,” Maddie said. “Trey’s really a decent man.”
“I’m hoping you’re still around when he finally does wake up. Have you made up your mind about Nick’s job offer?”
“I’m still thinking it through. He’s been so patient with me. I spoke with him yesterday and promised I would give him my answer by next week.”
“Don’t go,” Caroline blurted, then covered her mouth with her hand. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
Maddie smiled sadly. This decision would change her entire life. She’d just settled in Hope Wells, having made some truly wonderful friends. Her practice was growing and if she decided to rebuild her office here, she wouldn’t have a problem making ends meet. She truly liked living in Hope Wells, but she often wondered how difficult it would be to live in a small town and bump into Trey from time to time. How difficult would it be to see him move on with his life—to see him with another woman?
Sometimes, accepting Nick’s proposal and moving to Denver made all the sense in the world. And at other times, like right now, as she stared into the sweet, caring eyes of her best friend, moving away wasn’t even a possibility.
“Caroline, you don’t have to be sorry. I understand. I’d miss you and Annabelle so much if I left but—”
“You have much more to consider. You’re talented and intelligent and that Denver clinic would be lucky to have you. Tell me, what does that stubborn cowboy have to say about you leaving?”
Maddie stared at her latest selection, deciding the dress wasn’t right and hung it back on the rack. With a deep sigh, she turned to her friend, her ragged emotions catching her by surprise. Misty-eyed, she spoke quietly, “Let me put it this way, I think it’d be easier on both of us if I left.”
“Oh, Maddie.”
Maddie shrugged and Caroline put her arm around her as they exited the shop.
“Hey, I know what you need,” Caroline said after a minute of silence, her voice light, filled with whimsy. “We’ll worry about a new dress later. What you need is sexy lingerie!”
Taming the Texas Cowboy (Forever Texan Book 1) Page 12