Her Forbidden Cowboy (Cowboys After Dark Book 12)

by Carpenter, Maggie

  One bow-tied waiter was carrying a tray of hors d'oeuvres, while a second was serving champagne in tall crystal flutes. She spied her mother deep in conversation with John and Susan Hanley. John was a top executive in her father’s company, Coleman Construction, then looking across the room she spotted Mayor Baton, his wife Nancy, and another man with his back to her, talking with her father.

  That has to be the owner of the Rolls. Obviously I’m supposed to be his date for the evening. Could be worse, I suppose, but dammit, mother, you should have warned me. Oh, well, here goes nothing.

  “There you are,” her mother beamed, walking forward and guiding her towards the stranger. “Renaldo, this is my daughter, Catherine. Catherine, this is Renaldo Cavalleri.”

  Cathy extended her hand, deciding the impeccably dressed man was probably in his late thirties. He had a mop of longish, dark, thick curly hair, a killer smile, and while he wasn’t drop dead gorgeous, he wasn’t unattractive, not by a long shot.

  “Delighted. I’ve heard so much about you,” he said warmly.

  “Then you have me at a disadvantage,” Cathy quipped. “I know nothing about you.”

  “I hope you will give me the opportunity to change that.”

  Though she began to make the necessary small talk, she was furious that her mother had tricked her, but her mother often did such things. Cathy loved her, but she also new her mother could be positively Machiavellian if she wanted something badly enough.

  “I’ve heard so much about your interior design skills,” Renaldo remarked as he escorted Cathy into the dining room. “I have just bought a beautiful home near the coast in Tuscany, and I’m looking for someone with fresh ideas. Perhaps you can give me your thoughts.”

  “Tuscany, Italy?” she asked, suddenly paying closer attention to him as she took her seat.

  “Is there another Tuscany?” he replied, sitting next to her.

  “Probably,” she grinned, “there must be somewhere.”

  “Yes, probably,” he chuckled, “but I am quite sincere. I have met with several decorators, but they are the same. Too technical, too…too…I don’t know the word, but not for me. This house will not be a showcase. I have houses that are showcases. This one must be a home.”

  “Renaldo has some beautiful properties, Cathy,” her mother said, “but this one is something special. Why don’t you tell everyone the story behind it, Renaldo?”

  “It was the home of my great grandfather. He had to give it up when he came to America. My grandfather tried to get it back, but failed, and my father also tried, but he hit a brick wall, and I finally succeeded just a few months ago.”

  “How did you manage it?” the mayor’s wife asked.

  “It was just timing.”

  “Your family history sounds like such an interesting story,” Cathy said, genuinely fascinated. “Can you tell us more?”

  “I don’t want to bore you.”

  “Bore us? My goodness, that doesn’t sound boring at all,” she exclaimed, thinking the more he talked, the more attractive he became.

  “Yes, Renaldo, please tell us,” her mother pressed.

  “Very well, but only if you promise to stop me if it becomes tedious.”

  As he began to tell the tale of his great grandfather’s arrival at Ellis Island, Cathy noticed that his watch was a vintage Patek. He had a warmth about him, and he oozed class and style. The magnificent car in the motor court fit him perfectly, but why was he sitting at the dinner table at her parents home? She didn’t have to wait long for her answer. As the server removed their dinner plates and topped everyone’s glass, her father stood up from his seat at the head of the table. It was what he did. He enjoyed making announcements, whether to a small gathering, or a huge audience in an auditorium.

  “Thank you for joining me tonight for this celebration dinner,” he began. “As you are aware, Catherine doesn’t know why we’ve gathered together, so it’s going to be a big surprise for her, and I know she’ll be thrilled, just as I am, just as we all are. It’s a momentous project, and one that will put Crystal Valley on the map.”

  Cathy smiled, waiting to hear about a new mega shopping center, or multi-cinema theatre, or a new office building. She was not at all prepared for what her father said next.

  “Please, raise you glasses, and drink to the success of the Crystal Valley Equestrian Park.”

  A hot rush flooded her face, and her heart began to skip like a stone expertly thrown across a calm lake.

  “E-equestrian P-park?” she stammered, her voice almost a whisper.

  “World class, covering all disciplines,” her father exclaimed. “Dressage, three-day eventing, reining and barrel racing, and Renaldo will be overseeing the show jumping venue.”

  “You will?” Cathy exclaimed, staring at him, shocked by the stunning news.

  “I will. I was on the show jumping circuit for many years, mostly in Europe.”

  “You were?”

  “Google me,” he laughed.

  “So, as I said,” her father continued, “please, raise your glasses and toast to our new venture, something completely new for Coleman Construction, our biggest project to date, the Crystal Valley Equestrian Park.”

  Everyone rose to their feet, lifted their champagne flutes, and repeated the name, and as the chorus rang through the room, Cathy’s mind began to race. An equestrian facility being built by her father. He’d never shown any interest in her sport, other than being happy to support her, and full of pride during her horse show days.

  “Renaldo is searching out somewhere suitable to live,” her mother piped up as they all sat back down. “He’ll be here full-time for at least a few months.”

  “I will be commuting between here and New York, and Tuscany, of course, to make sure my new home is being properly renovated, but I think I will remain at the hotel.”

  “Why?” Cathy asked, thinking it strange that someone would want to live in a hotel rather than lease a house.

  “I’m not keen on renting someone’s home. The idea of it doesn’t appeal to me. A hotel is much more convenient. Maid service twice a day, I can pick up the phone and have food brought up to me. I’m not exactly handy in the kitchen, or in the laundry room for that matter. In a hotel I can put my washing outside the door and it will be returned to me ready to wear the next day.”

  “When you say it like that,” Cathy murmured, raising her eyebrows, “I want to move in tonight.”

  “I’m sure I could speak to the manager and have him find you a suitable suite,” he offered with a wry grin.

  “I’m kidding,” she laughed, “though it does have a certain appeal, but dad, when do you break ground? How long will it take to build? Will you have permanent horse boarding there, or will it just be for events and things?”

  “I’m sure you have a million questions,” he smiled, “and I’ll answer them all in good time, but you have to keep this under your hat. I’m not quite ready to announce yet.”

  “This is absolutely amazing, and I know I keep saying that, but it is.”

  “It is also a dream come true for me,” Renaldo remarked. “I have always wanted to do something like this here in the States. Build a first class jumping stadium and model it after the show grounds in Europe.”

  “I never expected anything like this when I walked in here tonight,” she murmured, shaking her head.

  “Now do you see why I insisted you join us?” her mother said, staring at her across the table.

  “I certainly do,” Cathy nodded.

  After dessert and coffee had been served, the group returned to the sitting room for a short time, and as Cathy was about to say her goodbyes, Renaldo approached her wearing his killer smile.

  “Cathy, I wonder, would you care to show me around this small city of yours? I have only been here a short time, and I don’t know anyone, or the best places to dine and so forth. I could take you to dinner tomorrow night as a thank-you.”

  “Um, yes, I’d be happy t
o give you a tour sometime, but I’m afraid I already have plans for tomorrow night.”

  “Surely they can be changed for Renaldo,” her mother interjected, walking up to join them.

  “Not really,” Cathy replied, doing her best to hide her irritation, “but I can give you a tour on Sunday afternoon, we can have dinner afterwards. I’ll take you to Milestone’s Steakhouse. They have fabulous food.”

  “I shall look forward to it,” he said warmly.

  “Which hotel are you staying at?”

  “The St. Regis, you can reach me there.”

  “I’ll call you on Sunday morning then, after I return from the barn,” she smiled.

  “I would love to see your barn, perhaps I can meet you there.”

  “Um, it’s nothing really. I’m sure you’d be very unimpressed.”

  “Nonsense! Believe me, some of the barns I boarded at when I was starting out weren’t exactly five-star. Please, I’d like to meet your horse, or do you have more than one?”

  “Only one that I ride, the other is retired.”

  “Please, say you’ll you let me meet you there? I miss the smell of a barn. I’ve been in New York for two months.”

  “How can I say no to that?” she smiled. “I’ll call you on Sunday and give you the address. I’m sure that gorgeous car of yours has navigation.”

  “Yes, it does, a little man with a British accent pops out of the dashboard and gives me directions. It’s just rented for my stay, but I assume it’s like the one I own, though a different little man, of course.”

  “Honestly, that almost wouldn’t surprise me,” she giggled. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to leave. I’ve had a long day.”

  “Of course. I’ll see you and your horses on Sunday.”

  With a wave to the other guests in the room she started towards the front door, and as she heard her mother’s heels clicking on the hardwood floors, she took a deep breath. She knew what was coming.

  “Catherine,” her mother called in a hushed voice, “wait, Catherine”

  “No, mother, I’m tired, I don’t want to hear it,” Cathy said without turning around, but her mother wasn’t going to give up so easily, and she followed Cathy out to her car.

  “Listen to me,” her mother said urgently as Cathy opened her car door. “Would you would please just stop and listen for a minute?”

  “One minute only,” Cathy frowned, “but I already know what you’re going to say.”

  “Renaldo is from an outstanding family. He’s extremely financially secure, and he’s not just overseeing the show jumping stadium, he’s one of your father’s biggest investors. You could do a lot worse, young lady, and you need to start thinking about your future.”

  “What I need, is to go home,” Cathy said impatiently, “and when it comes to picking a man, I’m perfectly capable of doing that all by myself.”

  “I don’t think you are,” her mother grunted.

  Cathy felt a shiver rush through her body, and it wasn’t because of the cold night are. She instinctively knew her mother had lied to her. She had intercepted Scott’s card.

  “Did you burn it, or throw it away?” Cathy abruptly asked.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “The card I received. You opened it, read it, and decided a cowboy like Scott Sampson wasn’t good enough for me, especially with Renaldo waiting in the wings, so you got rid of it.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” her mother repeated. “What card?”

  “When I talked to you on the phone this morning and asked you about my mail, I knew there was something wrong, and now I know what it was,” Cathy fumed as she started climbing into her car. “You’re unbelievable. Does dad know what you did? Was he in on it too? Does he expect me to be jumping for joy that you’ve found a rich man for me?”

  ”I only want what’s best for you,” her mother said, panic in her voice. “For goodness sake, look at the Rolls Royce Renaldo drives! He has a penthouse in New York, a Villa in the South of France, and now his ancestral home in Tuscany, and he’s a horse lover. What more could you ask for?”

  “What more could I ask for? Really?”

  “You’re being rude and unreasonable,” her mother said angrily. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had to say this to you, but I forbid you to see that Scott Sampson! Do you hear me? I forbid it.”

  “What? I’m not ten years old. You can’t forbid me to do anything,” Cathy exclaimed. “In case you hadn’t noticed I’m an adult now. I’ll do what I want, and if I want to go out with Ronald McDonald, then I will.”

  “I’d prefer Ronald McDonald to a rough and ready cowboy,” her mother retorted, “and I certainly can forbid it. If you don’t do as I say, I’ll have your father cut you off.”

  “Fine. I don’t care. It’s my life, and you don’t get to boss me around any more. Goodnight, mother.”

  Slamming her car door shut, she started up the engine, and shooting her mother a final scowl, she backed up and roared off down the driveway. As she waited for the tall, wrought iron gates to swung open and let her out, she took several long breaths trying to quiet her fury and stop her hands from trembling. All she wanted to do was get home and call Scott, but it was late, and what would she say? My mother just said that seeing you is forbidden because you’re not rich enough?

  Driving through the gates, she turned on to the lakefront road, followed it to the main thoroughfare through town, then started towards home, but the thought of walking into her empty condo was depressing. Not sure what to do with herself, she thought about stopping at her local watering hole, but she wasn’t up for the noise and a room of slightly drunk people. At a loss she drove around for a few minutes, and as she approached the street that led to the barn, she realized that’s exactly where she wanted to be. In the tranquility of the quiet stable, softly talking to her horses, she would find some peace.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Pulling into a small parking area near the side entrance to the barn, Cathy grabbed the old sweater she kept in the back seat, stepped from her car, and walked inside. She didn’t want to startle the horses by turning on the lights, and she didn’t need to. Scott had installed dim overhead lamps that provided just enough illumination for a human to move around safely when it was dark. Her high-heels were unstable on the uneven dirt floor so she kicked them off, not caring that her stockinged feet would get filthy and she’d ruin her hose. She was about to pull on her sweater, but realized she might need it to sit on. Venturing slowly forward she finally reached Cinnamon’s stall, and peering inside, discovered her mare was laying down.

  “Why does this sight always make my heart melt,” she whispered. “Look at how precious you are.”

  She could feel the heat burning the back of her throat, and letting out a sigh, she leaned her head on the side of the door frame. As much as she was grateful for everything with which she’d been blessed, she was tired of her mother’s incessant interference, and when it came to the matchmaking with Renaldo, she had to wonder if her father had been in on it too. Wiping away a rogue tear, she vaguely remembered him saying something about introducing her to an international show jumper that he thought he’d be doing business with.

  “That was months ago,” she mumbled, “but I guess a project like a world-class equestrian park would take forever to get off the ground. Lord, I hope dad’s not doing this big venture just for me. No, he wouldn’t. Dad wouldn’t do anything unless there was money to be made, would he?”

  She started thinking about the question, but the sound of distant footsteps startled her, and a surge of fright sent her heart thumping. It was late, and except for Joe, the groundskeeper on the other side of the property, she was completely alone.

  What the hell was I thinking, coming here so late at night? Shit. Where can I hide?

  The only place she could think of was inside her horse’s stall, and with her pulse racing, as quietly as she could she slid open the bolt, moved the doo
r open just enough to slip inside, then cowered down into the darkness. She could hear the footsteps drawing closer, and filled with panic, she held her breath, praying whoever it was would keep walking. Glancing across at her mare, she saw Cinnamon was awake, and studying her with large, sleepy brown eyes.

  “Hello? Anyone there?”

  It was Scott’s voice, softly calling, and letting out a huge sigh of relief Cathy rose to her feet.

  “Scott, thank God it’s you,” she declared in a hushed whisper.

  “Cathy? What the hell are you doin’ here so late?”

  Almost in tears from relief and joy, she moved out of the stall and hurried over to him.

  “Can I answer that question after a hug?” she quivered.

  “Sure, come here,” he offered, opening his arms, and as she fell against him, he felt her entire body was shaking. “Lord, girl, you’re tremblin’.”

  “I know. I was scared.”

  “Hey, it’s okay,” he said soothingly, “but you’re also as cold as an ice cube.”

  “I have a sweater,” she mumbled, “on top of my trunk, but can you just keep holding me?”

  “You’ve gotta tell me what’s goin’ on.”

  “I will, in a second,” she promised, snuggling closer.

  Never had she been the arms of a man who possessed such physical strength. His chest was like a wall of steel, and though he was wearing a leather jacket, she could feel his powerful muscles beneath. As she sank into the warmth and protection he offered, closing her eyes and releasing a long, heavy sigh, she wished the moment would never, ever, end.

  He held her until he felt her begin to relax, and in those few minutes, cloaked in the quiet of the barn, and hearing the gentle rustling of the horses as they moved in their stalls, he felt his heart come alive. He cared for her, and he cared for her deeply. Except for a few fleeting glimpses of vulnerability, she’d been as tough as nails since the day he’d met her, quick with a quip, and filled with determination for any task she set herself, but in his arms her facade had melted away. She was emotional, weak with fear, and was trusting him to comfort her and make her feel safe.