by Jillian Hart
I usually just ask the horse what he thinks, he'd written with a dry, wry sense of humor that cracked her up.
I always used to ask my horse his opinion too, she'd answered him.
And they'd talked back and forth for a bit, ignoring everyone else, until they'd both run out of funny horse growing up stories, and he'd learned that she didn't have a horse now.
Her life was a busy mess of work, work, work and family meddling (which she adored). One day, she vowed to own a horse again. To make the time in her crazy schedule for that sweet relationship.
His life was based on nothing but that relationship.
She began to type. Don't bother to get a rental car. I'd be happy to come meet you at the airport. Trust me, it's easier for you and I'd love to do it. She hit send and checked the time.
She'd be better off to get to Mom's early so she could help in the kitchen. With a grin, she went to put her computer to sleep.
But Cord's answer was already on her screen.
Okay, he'd written. What do you want to do when I'm there? You pick.
She liked this guy. Delight filled her. Well, he was the nicest surprise she'd had in a long time.
She typed back a reply. Let me surprise you, then. I'll be happy to pick. She hit send.
His answer popped on her laptop screen. Then I'll pay. I can't wait to see you in person.
Neither can I. She added a smiling face before sending. Her step was lighter, her day brighter as she put her computer to sleep, grabbed her purse and headed out the door.
2
You're making a big mistake. Alex's words of doom echoed in Cord's head as the plane circled over south Seattle. A city girl like that only has one goal. To play you for a fool.
Cord didn't believe a word of it, so why did his big brother's prediction keep dogging him? He leaned in his seat to get a better view out the porthole of a window. Forests, sparkling blue water and green hills had all given way to urban scenes. Warehouses, office buildings, malls and housing developments. The freeway snaked through it all.
Nerves. That's why Alex's words got to him. Coming to meet Emily constituted a big step and his hope of going from online hopefuls to something more got bigger with every passing mile. His chest squeezed tight.
There went his anxiety again.
Lord, let this work out, please, if it's Your will. It had been a long while since he'd wanted anything this much.
Maybe it was a sign of his loneliness in life. He glanced around at so many different people, so many different ages, income levels, job types, but so many were traveling with spouses and families. He wanted that, too.
The plane bumped a bit on the descent, and the matchbox cars below grew to normal size. As the ground rose up to meet them, he told himself he wasn't nervous. These things were very safe, very large tin cans, and well qualified people landed them safely all the time.
He wasn't much of a flier. Give him a horse over a plane any day. Even a pickup. Bump, went the plane, and the engine whirred. When he looked up, they were on the runway and safe on the ground.
That meant Emily was waiting.
Emily. Prickles of nerves settled in the pit of his stomach. He wanted to be sweet on her. He wanted to have a crush on her. With every word they'd exchanged, he wished that she was the one woman he prayed for every night. That's how important the dream of having a wife and a family was to him.
He was commitment, all the way. Steadfast. Unshakable. That used to be a thing that attracted women, Granddad said. Now, it was old fashioned. He was a square.
Groovy, he'd told his granddad. Cool, man. And they had laughed, but he felt the need to text the older man for his friendship, his advice and encouragement.
Even though Cord was a dedicated rancher, he had worked as a software engineer out of college, he had a bevy of tech for toys, but he felt as out of place as a time traveler from another era some days.
Family. It still mattered, didn't it? Because he'd tried so hard to find a woman to dream with. To pray alongside. To find wonder in a life on the range.
The plane rolled to a stop, the seatbelt sign beeped off and his fellow passengers spilled into the aisle. He switched on his phone and glanced out the window.
Sunshine cheered up the dreary terminal and the view of the planes lined up as far as he could see. He checked his screen. No calls, no texts, so he pocketed it.
Finally the people in the aisle started to move, so he unhooked his belt, grabbed his carry-on and filed up the ramp. The crowded airport wasn't what he was used to. Back home, cows outnumbered people like two hundred to one. Cows made up the crowds and they were limited to pastures.
He followed the stream of fellow passengers and the baggage claim signs through the echoing bustle of the airport. He tried to relax but those prickles in his stomach turned into butterflies.
Every step took him closer to her. By the time he'd reached the empty carrousel and joined the others standing around staring at it, his palms were damp, his heart rate shot into the danger zone and the butterflies turned into woodpeckers.
What city girl is gonna want a cowboy for keeps? Alex's dire predictions returned, creeping into his thoughts.
The carrousel siren blared, it came to life and spewed out luggage. Cord shook his head, trying to knock those doom-laden predictions right out of his brain, but they were stubborn. He spotted an elderly lady struggling with her heavy bag and reached in to sweep it off the conveyer for her.
Truth was, he worried about a lot of important things. Alex might be gruff, but he had good reason. Romance had soured him. Cord sighed, keeping a sharp eye out for his bag. Love had come close to doing the same for him. He still fought it with all he was worth.
He spotted his suitcase, rescued it and wove through the crowd. Nerves zinged through his system, but he squared his shoulders and headed for the automatic doors.
Just forget the last time you surrendered your heart, he told himself. That was a long time ago. Just because that had gone badly didn't mean this would. Maybe the pattern in romance he'd had since the third grade was about to change. Emily might be the one lady who would look at him, not look passed him and love him for keeps.
A man could hope, right?
Warm summer air breezed across his face, smelling faintly of exhaust and sun-warmed blacktop instead of the grassy fields he was used to.
He ignored the niggle of doubt settling behind his sternum. It wasn't a mistake to fall for a city girl again, was it? Emily was one of the kindest and gentlest women he'd met, well, not that he'd actually met her, but he was about to.
He scrolled through his phone for her number and waited for the call to go through.
* * *
Traffic. It drove her nuts.
Emily liked to think she was patient, but being stalled on a jam-packed freeway watching the minutes tick by on her dash clock spiked her blood pressure.
Why did it have to happen today of all days? Why? She'd headed out early because the last thing she wanted was to leave Cord standing in front of the airport wondering if she'd changed her mind.
She'd tried calling a few minutes ago but had gone straight to voice mail. He hadn't landed yet, which was her only comfort as she crawled along.
Blue and red lights strobed, telling her she was almost to the bottleneck. Once she'd inched beyond the broken down car, traffic flowed, she got up to cruising speed and zipped off the next freeway exit.
When was the last time she'd been this anxious? She couldn’t remember if her hands had ever felt this shaky as she guided her car along the sweeping lanes stretching toward the airport. Or sticky on the steering wheel.
Her heart beat so hard against her ribs it could crack bone. And her fears? They were running rampant.
What if they didn't like each other in person? What if he wasn't a Christian the way he'd claimed? What if he was married and lying to her, looking for a honey on the side?
Yikes. That was a lot of worries, and that was just the st
art. If she were smart, she'd better stop listening to those fears or she'd turn her car around and break the speed limit fleeing for home.
You're just nervous, that's all, she thought, nervous because this meant a lot. Cord Armstrong was like a character out of movie, just the right kind, one too good to be true but was. The one she prayed to meet one day, with all of her heart.
Her phone rang out a merry trill. She hit her speaker button with a trembling finger. This was it. This was him. Even her voice shook. "H-hello?"
"Emily." Cord's molasses voice, deep and wonderful, warmed at her name, like an old friend's. "I've landed. I'm outside standing in front of baggage claim right now."
"I'm nearly there." She followed the line of traffic along designated lanes that would take her to the terminal. "How was your flight?"
"It's only the fifth time I've been on a plane." He chuckled, sounding self-conscious. "Maybe I shouldn't have admitted that."
"I'm glad you did." She smiled, watched for cars and pedestrians and bounced over a speed bump. "The cows must not like it when you go on vacation."
"They don't. They don't let me out of their sight for long." Good humor resonated through the line. "That makes me sound like I don't get out much. Like there's something wrong with me. Don't turn around and run."
"I was tempted to, but I won't. That is a joke and probably a bad one."
"No, I'm grinning."
"Good, that is promising. I'll pick you up, but now I'll be on my guard."
His chuckle filled her heart. That was the effect this man had on her. The sidewalk came into sight, crowded with taxis and cars picking up passengers.
Several men stood in front of the glass windows waiting for a ride. She spotted Cord instantly. Taller than the other men, he towered at his promised six feet with dark hair, impressively wide shoulders and a phone to his ear.
Isn't he handsome? She caught a glimpse of his sculpted profile before he turned toward her. Across the bustle of people and cars, their gazes connected. Her heart screeched to a stop and she eased in along the curb. Her soul brightened as they smiled together.
Definitely more handsome in real life. Cord Armstrong stood straight and strong, wearing integrity like his gray T-shirt and jeans. He radiated honesty, unmistakable and humble, with those sensitive eyes of his, an easy-going smile and warmth of character that made her instantly relax.
"Hey, you're even more beautiful in person." He leaned down to grin at her through the open passenger window.
That grin. She had to barricade her heart from its impact because it had the power to capture her completely. Even, white teeth, chiseled mouth and a slow smile. All bracketed by dimples that turned his smile from dazzling to wow.
Total and complete wow.
What's wrong with the man? There had to be a reason he wasn't already married. She couldn't imagine a single woman anywhere who wouldn't instantly fall head over heels for his rugged charm and gentle handsomeness. "Are you trying to sweet-talk me, Mr. Armstrong?"
"No, ma'am. I'm just telling the truth. Stating a fact." He reached up to his forehead and blushed, shaking his head. "I was going to tip my hat to you, but I left my Stetson at home. I feel weird without it."
She had to bite her lip not to laugh, but he was already laughing, too.
"As you can tell, I don't get out much." His amazing dark midnight blue eyes sparkled, a little bashfully, as he teased. "The security man is giving me a look. Mind if you pop your trunk for me? I don't want to make him nervous."
"You're really funny. I like that." She reached down to release the lever and went to open the door.
"No, stay there in the air conditioning. I'll get it. I'll be right back." He swung away, suitcase and carry-on in hand, to stow his things.
She's just what I was hoping for. He set his things in the car trunk and closed it. Her four-door sedan was nice and upscale. And she was genuine with her knock-out beauty and good humor. He ignored the punch of hope that set his heart to aching.
Don't get the cart before the horse, man. Take one thing at a time. He blew out a breath, more nervous than ever, and opened the door. It felt like a God thing, that touch of hope to his heart. From the very moment he'd first read her typed words online, he just felt something different.
Something big.
Her car smelled faintly of lilacs and sugar cookies. She looked tremendous. Softly curling hair framed her heart-shaped face and adorable smile. Hard to believe he was really here with her. She was quality all the way. He eased onto the seat, self-conscious because he seemed to take up all the available room in her car.
"I'm so glad you're here." She put her extremely nice sedan in gear, and her smile put him right at ease. She checked her mirror, radiant hair bouncing, and pulled into the getaway lane. "I've been nervous all week, each day worse than the one before."
"Me, too," he admitted. That was a relief. At least they were in this together, nerves and all. That's what happened when something mattered very, very much. "I kept thinking of everything that could go wrong until it was all I could do to get on that plane."
"I do that, too. I look for all that can go wrong instead of all that can go right." She checked her mirrors and merged into a different lane. "I wonder why that is?"
"I don't know about you, but I like to prepare myself for disaster so I'm not surprised when it catches up to me." He clicked his seatbelt, spotting the freeway up ahead.
"Me, too. I hate surprises. I like to see doom coming." She gave a sweet little shrug, a bit shy, and captured him.
Just captured him.
She was everything he'd imagined and yet nothing he'd dreamed of at all. She was more. Much more.
He opened his mouth to speak, but she made his tongue tie. It just knotted right up. He'd looked at her picture on his computer so much that her smile was etched into his memory banks.
He could close his eyes and draw up the image of her heart-shaped face, her flawless complexion, her magazine-perfect smile. But a picture could not begin to compare to real life. The color of her friendly blue eyes captivated. She had a cute slope of a perfect nose. The delicate line of her jaw complimented her high cheekbones. She had an arresting, princess-like beauty.
But her real-life personality animated her features in a way that rendered him speechless. He took in her gentle warmth, a hint of vulnerability and the grace of her slender hands as she steered them onto the freeway. Warm natured, a little on the quiet side, she eased into the mad-dash flow of traffic with expert care.
He couldn't help feeling awkward as the silence lengthened. He wasn't prepared for this, to be so struck by her. After all, he knew her. He'd written to her. He'd rehearsed a dozen different topics before leaving home, asking the cattle's opinions as he did the field work. He'd asked the horses, too. Even the hired ranch hands.
But nothing could prepare him for actually being here with her. Emily just blew him away.
"I'm glad your brother is handling all the barn work for you." She broke the silence. "That has to be a lot to do for one man alone."
"It is." That's it, that's all he said. Nothing else came.
His gray matter congealed. Not a single brain cell fired. Shock at his own reaction rolled through him. What happened to his brain? What had she done to him? He had no clue, so he shrugged, unable to break the stillness settling between them.
"How's Kate?" Emily tried again, keeping both eyes on the zooming traffic.
"She's great." Words tied his tongue, and his mind went blank.
Utterly totally blank.
He tried to say something else. Anything, but nothing popped into his head. He didn't know why. It was a mystery he couldn't solve, not without working brain cells.
The silence lengthened one excruciating second after another. Sweat broke out on the back of his neck. He fisted his hands, not sure how to fix this.
Any moment, she was going to turn this car around and take him back to the airport, write him off as a big mistake and
never contact him again.
He wouldn't blame her. Not one bit.
For no particular reason, his brain kicked into gear. Words snapped back into his mind but didn't make it to his mouth. Kate's getting better, he should say, she hurt her paw by stepping on a wasp. I don't have the heart to put her on complete house arrest. She loves working every day.
Yes, that's what should roll off his tongue, but so much time had gone by. Did he just blurt it out now, out of context and after a good two, no, three minutes had passed? He stared out the window, choosing silence.
He'd never been around such a beautiful woman before. That was his problem.
"There's your hotel." Finally, she peeled off the freeway, jetting down an on-ramp and stopped at a red light. "You'll probably need to get settled?"
A question. Maybe she was hoping he'd get out of her car and never call her again. He watched her staring at the stoplight, as if willing it to change.
I'm making this tough for her. The realization hit him like a sledge hammer. His chest constricted, aching over how he was making her feel. He straightened his spine and fisted his hands, determined to fix this. Fixing things, well, that's what cowboys did best.
"I'm sorry, Emily. I guess my shyness kicked in."
"Mine, too." She glanced over at him, relief creeping into her kind eyes. The light changed and she followed a line of cars to the right. "After all the chats I feel comfortable with you."
"Me too. I already know you just enough that I figured I had my shyness problem beat. I guessed wrong."
"So did I." She stopped the car beneath a covered portico in front of the hotel's entrance and turned to him. "I'm sorry. You're probably wishing for me to turn this car around and take you back to the airport so you can escape me."
"Not even close," he assured her. "I figure you would simply want to do that all on your own."
"Not a chance." His eyes could make a woman feel as if she'd found home.