"He spoke to you already?"
"He stopped in before going upstairs."
"A hamburger for me, please. I have to dash over to the barn. I won't be long."
"Will you be seeing Caleb?"
"I will. Do you need something?"
"I promised him some chocolate chip cookies for his trip," Martha said, picking up a plastic container. "Here. Can you take them down for me?"
"Sure."
"He's so nice," Martha continued. "He said chocolate cake and chocolate chip cookies were his favorites. He's so easy to chat with. He's very happy here. He told me."
"He's been a lifesaver. I'm already wondering how I managed without him."
"I'm so pleased you finally got the help you need."
"Thanks, Martha. I'll be back shortly."
As Connie left the kitchen and hurried across the lawn, she broke into a wide grin. Her comment had been completely sincere. Caleb's efficiency had been nothing short of amazing. Her grandfather had left her a small fortune, and though buying the ranch had been a dream come true, the work had been much more than she'd anticipated. After a series of hirings, firings and misadventures, she'd found Malcolm through the local feed store. He'd shouldered most of the burden, but he was easily irritated, and he would yell at her during their lessons. Now she understood why she'd lost her confidence, and why Domino had become edgy.
"Caleb, you're my Knight in Shining Armor," she said softly as she neared the barn.
As she entered, she found him grooming the big bay gelding with a large green jelly mitt. Domino stretched out his neck, loving the rubdown.
"Sorry, I got held up," she said, envying her horse. "These cookies are from Martha."
"No kiddin'? Great. They'll be welcome on my drive. Take one. Consider it your tip!"
"Such a generous guy," she giggled, rolling her eyes.
"Hey, you don't know how possessive I can be about chocolate chip cookies, but first things first. Come over here and take a look at this."
Placing the tub of cookies on a bale of hay, she stepped up to the cross ties, and as Caleb leaned down and picked up Domino's front foot, she bent over next to him.
"I think the shoe is pressin' on his heel. See?"
"You're right. I doubt I would have noticed if you hadn't pointed it out."
"I'd like the farrier to pull the shoe off, make sure there's nothin' brewin' under there."
"You mean like an abscess?" she asked, turning her head and looking at him.
Their faces were inches apart, and an urgent need to kiss him surged through her body.
"Yep," he said softly. "Like an abscess. Are you okay?"
"What? Sorry, yes fine," she said hastily, wishing her heart would stop pumping.
"Are you sure?" he pressed as they straightened up. "You look a little flushed."
"That's because I was bending over. Sometimes it makes me dizzy."
"You might have low blood sugar. Let's sit down and have one of those cookies."
Though Jerry was waiting, she had no desire to run back to the house. Ambling across to the hay bale, purposely brushing against Caleb's arm as they walked, she sat down and opened up the container. The delicious aroma wafted around her, and picking one out, she handed him the tub. To her delight he sat down next to her, and a warm comfort settled between them.
So did sparks.
"Damn. These beat the heck outta Famous Amos," he exclaimed, gobbling one up and reaching for a second.
"What do you think Martha does to make them taste like this?"
"I'm thinkin' a touch of cayenne pepper."
"Cayenne pepper? Really?"
"Maybe. They've got a bite."
Her phone suddenly whinnied. Sure it was Jerry, she pulled it out, barely glancing at his name before turning it off.
"I hate to eat and run, but I need to go. Jerry's leaving for London and he's here to say goodbye."
"He is? Then whatta you doin' here?"
"Checking on my horse and enjoying this," she said with a grin, holding up the cookie. "Jerry doesn't understand my passion for horses, but that's okay. Nothing's perfect."
"Do I need to stick around for your farrier, or will you be here?"
"I'm not going anywhere. I use Barry Carter. Do you know him?"
"Barry? Sure. He's good. I've already got his number in my phone."
"Thanks, Caleb. You're the best. Just text me if you reach him. I know you're about to take off, so if you have to leave a message, he can call me."
"You have a nice day," he said, rising to his feet. "I'll be back tomorrow afternoon with my horse in tow."
"I can't wait to meet him, and please drive safely. I need you."
"Hey, the feelin's mutual," he said, lowering his voice. "I love this place."
They were suddenly in a moment.
If she stood up and moved close to him, it would happen.
The kiss.
But should she?
CHAPTER SEVEN
Caleb made the decision for her.
With a soft smile and a nod of his head, he turned away and walked back to Domino.
The moment ended.
Connie had been on the verge of standing up. She wanted the kiss, but he'd done the right thing.
"I'm not a cheat," she mumbled as she left the barn. "I'm not. I need to figure this out. Jerry, I do care for you, but obviously something is very wrong."
Striding across the grass towards the house, her mind began to spin. She already had one failed marriage, and she didn't want a second. It didn't help that Jerry was her financial advisor. That's how they'd met, and he'd literally swept her off her feet. He'd flown her on private jets to cities across the country just for dinner. Dozens of roses would arrive one day, followed by orchids the next, and an endless stream of sentimental cards landed in her mailbox. Then there were the long lascivious hours she'd be tied up as he devoured her body. The courtship had been a seductive whirlwind of surprises and romance.
She shivered.
An epiphany danced through her head.
The enthralling attention had stopped soon after she'd accepted his proposal.
"Why hasn't that hit me before?" she muttered. "Ooh! I know exactly why! The wedding plans. I got so caught up I could barely think straight, then Malcolm left and the barn stuff got crazy."
Approaching the house she wondered why Jerry had come after her so fervently. She'd assumed it had been from a deep and abiding love, but if that were true, why had the attention come to an abrupt halt once he'd placed the ring on her finger?
Her stomach churned.
If she wanted out she needed to act quickly. The arrangements had been made. The cancellation periods were only days away, rendering the deposits non-refundable. She'd been the one making the plans, and not wanting her father to pay for a second wedding, she'd written the checks with Jerry's promise to reimburse her.
A deeply troubling thought suddenly stopped her in her tracks. Another issue. One far more important than the money she'd fronted for the wedding. Jerry had placed her inheritance into complicated investments. Investments she knew nothing about. She'd have to find someone with the financial expertise to extricate her. It could be a nightmare.
Her phone whinnied, snapping her from her thoughts. She glanced at the screen.
Where are you?
Stuffing it back in her pocket, she started off, and hurrying around the corner of the house, she saw him waiting at the patio table sipping a drink and eating a breadstick.
"Here I am," she called, marching forward. "The table looks nice," she continued, sitting across from him. "I'm starving."
"Why didn't you answer my call?"
"I was on my way back—well—almost, and I didn't reply to your text because I just got it."
"Martha said you wanted a hamburger. I told her to change it to a salad and she refused. Insufferable woman. We need to get rid of her, but we can talk about that later. Why the hell did you ask her to make you a burger?
You know how much I hate the smell of cooked meat. You also know how bad it is for your health."
"You're right, I do, but only because you've told me ten-thousand times. Personally, I think that—"
"Then why do you insist on eating it?" he barked, cutting her off. "I come all the way out here to say goodbye, and you order a fucking hamburger. I don't understand you sometimes."
His comment rattled through her head. Eating meat annoyed him. Why had she been making it a point to order steak when they were out to dinner?
The truth slammed through her head, twirling around her brain like an F5 tornado.
The marriage was wrong.
One-thousand percent wrong.
She didn't love him.
She wanted out.
Now.
He'd swept her into a thrilling romance, culminating in a surprise trip to Paris. On the terrace of their hotel suite, the Eiffel Tower glowing in the distance, he'd dropped on bended knee, and presented her with the rock now sitting on her finger.
"You're very testy today," he said brusquely. "You need to move into the city and live with me there. You've got someone to run this place now, so there's no excuse. You can visit on the weekends. Being on this big ranch by yourself is ridiculous."
"I'm not by myself. Martha's here, and why must you speak to me that way?"
"Martha's a servant, for fuck's sake. Speak to you what way? What are you talking about?"
"You know Martha is a dear friend. She was like a second mother when my parents divorced, and she's here because she wants to be. Quite frankly, Jerry, you can be very nasty sometimes. Why couldn't you have said, Connie, are you all right? Has something upset you? Maybe you should think about spending more time with me at the penthouse. Do you honestly think I'd leave my ranch to live in a concrete jungle? Do you think I'd leave my horses? Just the suggestion tells me you don't know me at all."
"Oh, I get it. You're PMSing."
"You didn't just say that," she growled, glowering at him across the table.
"Seems pretty obvious. I'm glad I'm off to London. I won't have to put up with your bitchiness."
"Jerry, I think…" she began, searching for courage as her heart pounded inside her chest like a bass drum.
"What?"
She sucked in a deep breath. As much as she wanted to send him packing, fear gripped her, but she didn't know why, then out-of-the-blue she flashed back to a comment Caleb had made. They'd been walking Domino back to the barn, and she'd asked him how he'd managed to restore her confidence so quickly.
"Malcolm kept you intimidated so he could make you dependent, but inside you've always been that stubborn little girl so determined to be with her pony, her mother had to move across the country. All I did was put you back in touch with yourself."
"That's what you've been doing," she mumbled, staring across at Jerry's scowling face. "You've been slowly intimidating me. That's why I'm afraid. My God. You're positively evil."
"I didn't hear you. What did you say?"
"I can't keep up this pretense," she exclaimed. "We're over!"
The words had burst forth, and though her heart still hammered, she'd summoned an inner-strength she'd forgotten she possessed
"Shit," he grunted, then leaning across the table, he gazed at her earnestly. "Please, Connie," he began, his voice abruptly soft and caring, "I don't blame you for being out of sorts. I'm sorry. Truly I am. Please let me explain."
"Jerry, there's nothing to explain."
"I'm so sorry," he repeated. "I can't imagine how you found out, but it doesn't matter. You have every right to be angry, but it was just one stupid night. That's it. Bethany and I had been drinking and it just happened."
"What? You slept with Bethany?" she railed, jumping to her feet.
"Isn't that what you meant?" he said sharply. "Fuck. When you said pretense, I thought you meant—"
"You lying, cheating bastard," she hissed, cutting him off. "I can't believe it. What am I saying? I can totally believe it."
"You have to let me explain."
"Get the fuck off my ranch, and you're fired. God, what's wrong with me? Why did I pick another lying, cheating scumbag?"
"But it didn't mean anything. I could have been masturbating. I swear she—"
"Jerry, go!" she shouted, fighting the furious voice in her head telling her to retrieve her gun and shoot him between the legs. "If you're not out of my sight in thirty-seconds, I'm calling the police."
"Just take a deep breath. You need to calm down."
"No! You need to get out of here!" she exclaimed, and picking up her glass of iced tea, she hurled it at him, drenching his pristine white polo shirt.
"Goddammit," he yelled, leaping up and staring at the mess. "Did you have to do that?"
"It got you out of your goddamned chair! The entire pitcher is next if you don't run like a scared rabbit away from this fucking table."
"What about my stuff?"
"I'll send it to you, but if you're not out of my sight in twenty-seconds, I'll burn it. All of it."
"You're a crazy bitch, you know that? You and your fucking horses."
"Fifteen-seconds, and here, take your rock," she yelled, pulling off the ring and throwing it at him.
"Crazy fucking bitch!"
"Take it. I don't want the damn thing, and I never want to see you again. Ten-seconds."
"You'll change your mind after you calm down," he yelled over his shoulder, marching away and leaving the engagement ring on the ground.
"The only changes I'll be making are the locks on my doors!"
Shaking from head to foot, she didn't move until she heard the roar of his Lamborghini. Only then did she drop into her chair and let her angry tears flow.
"I'm done," she sobbed as they spilled down her cheeks. "No more. I can't do this again. I won't!"
"Connie, my goodness, what happened?" Martha asked worriedly as she hurried across to the table. "Where's Jerry? Did you have a fight?"
"I broke up with him. He's another cheater, and I've got an awful feeling there's more."
"Oh, no."
"I can't stand this, Martha. What's wrong with me? Why do I keep picking these horrible men?"
"There's an old saying," Martha said softly, sitting down next to her. "You have to kiss a lot of frogs, before you find your handsome prince."
"But I can't trust myself. I'd rather be alone than go through this."
"I don't blame you for feeling that way, but this too shall pass. At least you won't have to turn that lovely cabin into a game room."
"Such a stupid idea. This is a ranch, not some party palace."
"I feel bad about that lovely little place," Martha murmured thoughtfully.
"What do you mean?"
"That adorable cabin is sitting there empty. Wouldn't it be better if one of the workers lived there? Let's see. What about the two boys who feed and clean the stalls? No, that wouldn't be a good idea. Why don't you rent it out?"
"I don't want strangers living here," Connie said, wiping her face. "And why are we talking about this? My whole life just blew up. I can't even imagine the hell I'll have to go through to unravel this mess. Where do I even begin?"
"Things are probably not as bad as you think. You know I'll help you, and there's always Caleb."
"Caleb? What about Caleb?"
"I don't know where he's planning to live when he gets back, but why don't you offer him the cabin? I'd be much happier if a man lived on the property. Don't you think it would be comforting?"
"I suppose," Connie said, then taking a breath, she fixed her long-time friend with a steady gaze. "Martha, are you trying to distract me?"
"Is it working?"
"It is a bit, and I do like the idea of having that cabin occupied, but I'm through with men," she said vehemently, silently adding, even the cowboy I so desperately want to kiss.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Three Weeks Later
Leaning against the frame of his open door,
Caleb watched Connie marching towards him. When she'd called and asked if she could come over he'd been surprised, then worry had crept in.
When he'd returned with his horse and belongings three weeks before, he'd found the sassy, smiling young woman gloomy, with no desire to talk. When she'd asked him to stay in the guest cabin he'd been reticent, but she'd been so unhappy he didn't want to turn her down. For two days she'd disappeared, but on the morning of the third day she'd ambled into the barn, and with a dark frown told him her engagement was off. The news had alleviated his worry. No breakup was easy, even if it was right, but as the days had ticked by her dark mood stayed with her. She had no energy, and no enthusiasm when she was riding. Though he assumed she was suffering from a broken heart, he couldn't shake the feeling there was more to the story. It had been painful to witness. He cared about her. He'd wanted to hold and comfort her, but he could do neither.
When they'd been at Dream Horse Ranch and she'd asked him for a hug, as he'd held her in his arms he'd been cloaked in sensuous warmth. The intimate embrace had haunted his sleep and shadowed his waking hours, and though he'd given her supportive hugs in the days that followed, he'd held back. To be consumed like that again would be foolhardy. But there was one time he'd dropped his guard. The morning he'd left to pick up Neon and the remainder of his belongings.
She'd come down to check on Domino, and as they'd studied the horse's foot they'd been inches apart. A few minutes later, when she'd sat down on a bale of hay to eat a cookie, he couldn't resist the temptation to sit next to her.
The electricity between them had crackled.
She'd stared at him with a longing that was almost impossible to resist, and his desire to take her into his arms had been overwhelming. Somehow he'd managed to walk away, and he had no regrets. It had been the right thing to do, but now she was free, but desperately unhappy. The entire situation was confusing, then unexpectedly she'd called asking if she could stop by.
"Hello, Connie," he said warmly as she approached. "How are you feeling? I've been worried about you."
"Hi. Uh, okay, I guess."
"You wanna come in?"
"Uh…"
"What is it?" he pressed, concerned by her heavy expression. "Is there something I've done to upset you? Do you need me to leave?"
To Kiss A Cowboy (Hunks and Horses Book 1) Page 5