Sitting down in the big wicker chair by her door, Trent tugged her onto his lap. Hearing her surprised gasp, he chuckled.
“I just want to hold you a few minutes, Princess,” he rumbled quietly. He felt her relax as her head nestled against his chest. He breathed in her wonderful scent and closed his eyes. He’d love to spend every evening with her in his arms.
Every evening?
Trent wondered where that thought came from, but realized it was true. He could picture himself holding Lindsay just like this when they were old and gray. Something about her, something he couldn’t even begin to understand, spoke to his heart, whispered to his soul, and called him her own.
“I love you, Princess,” he finally whispered against her silky blond hair.
“I love you, cowboy,” she answered in response, slipping her arms around his chest and hugging him tightly. “Thank you for the watch and for today.”
“You’re welcome. I’m glad we could spend the day together.”
“Me, too,” she said, sitting up and giving him a saucy grin. “I’m especially glad you didn’t let my mother make you mad enough to run off and leave me there.”
“I’d never do that to you. That is a suffering no one should have to endure,” Trent teased. His eyes grew dark and his hands around her tightened slightly. “I care about you too much.”
“I’m glad, Trent. I care about you, too,” Lindsay said, boldly kissing him. His temperature began to rise and he forgot everything except the alluring woman in his arms. When the kiss ended, Lindsay smiled at him and kissed his cheek. “Wait here a minute.”
Lindsay jumped off his lap and hurried into the house. She returned holding out a tiny package wrapped in bright blue paper.
“I didn’t get a chance to give you this earlier,” she said, resuming her seat on his lap. Trent pulled her back against his chest as he opened the little box and removed a key chain. Holding it up to the porch light, he could see it had his initials etched on one side and the words “Knight in Shining Armor” with the emblem of a knight riding a horse on the other. He smiled broadly.
“Thanks, Princess. This is awesome,” he said, digging out his pickup keys from his pocket and adding the gift to his key chain.
“Every princess needs a knight in shining armor, doesn’t she?” Lindsay asked, wanting to stay wrapped in Trent’s arms forever.
“I suppose she does,” Trent said, kissing her neck. “What if I slip off that horse or tarnish my armor?”
“I think you’ll do just fine,” Lindsay said, turning her head to give Trent one more heart-stopping kiss before getting to her feet.
“I’ve got school tomorrow and you’ve got a long day ahead, too. I think this is where we say goodnight, cowboy.”
“Killjoy,” he murmured near her ear where he planted a few more kisses before running a gentle hand over her head and brushing her cheek with his thumb.
“I had a wonderful day with you,” she said, giving him one last hug before opening the door. “Thank you for everything.”
“You’re most welcome,” Trent said, a husky note in his voice and a brightness in his eyes. “Sweet dreams, Princess.”
“They will be,” Lindsay said, knowing her knight in polished boots and Stetson would be filling her dreams.
Chapter Eighteen
Romance is the glamour which turns the dust of everyday life into a golden haze.
Carolyn Gold Heilbrun
Sounds and smells, the likes of which Lindsay had never imagined even in her worst nightmares, assaulted her from every direction. She wished, not for the first time, she had agreed to stay in the house to help Denni watch Cass instead of coming out to the pens where the branding was taking place.
She’d heard about brandings since she moved to Grass Valley but had never participated in one. Maybe she wasn’t missing out on all that much, after all.
In this small, but close community, neighbors helped each other during their busy seasons and branding was one of those activities that happened on weekends when extra hands were available, traveling from one ranch to another to get the job done.
From what she could see, it wasn’t just burning a brand into the hide of the cattle. It also included putting ear tags in the calves, giving vaccinations, and castrating the bull calves, which resulted in a bucket full of treasures the cowboys referred to as Rocky Mountain oysters. Just thinking about that bucket made Lindsay fight down the urge to gag. She actually heard them talking about eating them later. She knew for a fact Cady would not be the one cooking them.
Arriving at the Triple T at the crack of dawn, Lindsay ate breakfast with the family and the hands, spending the morning helping Cady prepare lunch.
Before they went out to get started on the branding, Travis and Trent set up makeshift tables beneath the oak tree in the front yard using sheets of plywood and sawhorses while Trey and a few of the hands rounded up benches and extra chairs scattered in the barn and sheds. Dragging the picnic table from the back yard out front, the guys gave the women a wave and headed off for a morning of hard work.
As Lindsay and Cady hustled to put together food for about fifty people, Cady’s Aunt Viv came to join them, bringing huge bowls of potato salad and coleslaw. Denni arrived mid-morning with pans of chocolate sheet cake and dozens of chocolate chip cookies.
Running in and out with food, dishes and utensils, Lindsay and Cady both wrinkled their noses at the smell of burning hair from the brands. Dust filled the air and floated on the breeze, coating everything with a powdery residue.
By the time the troops descended for lunch, Viv, Denni, Lindsay and Cady, along with help from Cass, had platters and bowls heaped with grilled hamburgers and brats with all the trimmings, pasta salad, vegetable sticks, fruit salad and baked beans.
In addition to Denni’s cake and cookies, Cady made half a dozen pies along with two pans of lemon bars. Icy pitchers of water, lemonade and iced tea sat next to coolers filled with soda pop.
In what seemed like a whirlwind of motion, the women watched the crowd devour the food, with barely enough left for their own lunch.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like that,” Cady said, sitting on a blanket spread under the tree, away from the laughing workers. She was surprised how many women had come and worked right alongside the men.
“Me either!” Lindsay barely managed to snag a hamburger for herself. Cady had taken the last sausage for Cass.
“They’ll be even worse at dinner time, but you’ll only have to feed our crew then,” Denni said, from a folding chair where she took a bite of coleslaw. About the only thing left on the table were veggie sticks, coleslaw and a spoon or two of the fruit salad.
“How did you do this every year, Denni?” Cady asked, her eyes wide in wonder.
“I always had good help from the neighbors, right Viv?”
“That’s right. I haven’t missed a Triple T branding in years. Don’t plan to start now,” Viv said, sitting next to Denni, sipping on a glass of iced tea.
“Well, I don’t think I could mange doing this every day,” Cady said, wanting nothing more than to take a nap instead of cleaning up the monumental mess and get started all over again for dinner. “Although I think I prefer to be in the house, far away from the smells.”
“You girls really should go down to the pens so you can get a good first-hand experience,” Denni said with a taunting grin.
“Mom’s right. I think you girls should come join us this afternoon,” Trey said, walking over to Cady’s blanket and sinking down beside her. Before she had time to respond, Trey tugged off his hat and scooted around to lay his head on her lap, staring up at her with his mesmerizing aquamarine blue eyes.
“Well, um… I …” Cady stammered.
“Say, yes, darlin’,” Trey urged her, turning the powerful wattage of his gaze on his wife. “You can ride Sasha and you don’t even have to get in the pens if you don’t want to.”
Reaching up he ran his fing
ers lightly over her arm, looking at her with his most charming smile in place.
“Denni,” Cady finally said, unable to tear her gaze away from Trey while she addressed his mother. “You did us a great injustice by letting your boys grow up knowing they can charm their way into or out of anything to get what they want.”
Denni laughed. “Don’t you place that fault on me, Cady-girl. Their father taught them everything he knew about charm, and let me tell you it was plenty. Besides, who can blame them? You know a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of romance in the spring and all that hoopla. I think one or two of my boys may have taken that to the extreme this year. If they are laying on the charm a little thick, just chalk it up to spring fever.”
“I heard the word charm, you must have been talking about me,” Trent teased as he sat down by Lindsay and took her hand in his, giving her a wink. He would have loved to stretch out with his head in her lap just like Trey had done with Cady, but he figured that would draw way more comments than he wanted to deal with this afternoon.
“We’re talking about getting these girls in the saddle this afternoon,” Trey said, continuing to work his magic on Cady. “Don’t you think they should join in the fun?”
“Absolutely,” Trent said, nodding his head in affirmation.
“Come on, darlin’. Say yes.” Trey kissed the inside of Cady’s wrist and he knew by the glimmer in her eyes, she’d do whatever he wanted her to at that moment.
“Lindsay, it looks like we’ll be in the pens this afternoon,” Cady said on a sigh, tearing her gaze from her husband’s brilliant blue eyes. “But if we’re going to be out there, who’s going to cook dinner tonight?”
“I’ve got it all taken care of,” Trey said with a smug smile. “When you girls get the kitchen set to rights, come down to the pens. We’ll have your horses ready and waiting.”
“But...but,” Cady tried to think of some other excuse not to go.
Trey got to his feet and pulled Cady up with him. “Not more buts, Miz Fancy Pants. I expect to see your exceptionally fine one down at the pens in a little while.” Holding his hat in front of them to block the view, he gave his wife a deep kiss, popped her playfully on the backside, and strolled back to the crew of workers ready to return to the branding.
Lindsay smiled at Trey’s antics and thought again how fun loving and sweet the Thompson men could be. Turning her head, she found herself close enough to Trent to feel his breath on her face, warm and sweet, with the hint of chocolate on the air.
“You smell good,” she whispered, leaning closer. “Like chocolate. We couldn’t believe how fast you all inhaled the meal, let alone all the sweets. We barely got anything to eat.”
“I’m sorry, Princess. Next time I’ll knock everyone out of the way and fill your plate first, starting with the chocolate cake.”
Lindsay laughed. “That won’t be necessary. I guess I’ll see you as soon as we get this mess cleaned up.”
“It’ll be fun,” Trent said, getting to his feet and offering Lindsay his hand. “I promise.”
Looking around and not seeing anyone watching them, he tugged Lindsay behind the big oak tree and gave her a kiss that made her knees feel weak and her head light.
“See you in a bit, Princess,” he smiled at her, tipped his hat and walked off to join the rest of the crew heading toward the pens.
Taking a moment to regain her composure, Lindsay could have sat beneath the tree daydreaming all afternoon, but there were many dishes to wash and a mess of unbelievable proportions to clean up.
Cady set Cass to the task of picking up anything that could be thrown away and stuffing it into a large garbage can. She and Lindsay carried dishes back into the house while Viv and Denni filled the two large dishwashers then started on the pans that didn’t fit. At least they didn’t need to bother with containers for leftovers.
Leaving the sawhorse tables for the guys to dismantle and put away, they soon had everything cleaned up and back to normal.
Cass dragged Denni into the great room where they curled up on the couch with one of Cass’ storybooks. Viv decided she better get back to the café before the dinner rush. Cady and Lindsay agreed they might as well quit stalling and go down to the pens.
Cady dug around in the mudroom until she found a pair of leather gloves Lindsay could wear then they walked out to the pens.
Arriving on the scene, they went unnoticed for nearly half an hour by the Thompson trio, who were in the thick of things. This gave the two women time to take in what was happening, hold their hands over their noses at the smell and decide they would much rather wait at the house. They were just turning to walk back when Trent spotted them and rode over to the fence.
“Hello, ladies,” he called, forcing them to turn around at his greeting. Lindsay lifted a hand in acknowledgement and elbowed Cady.
Trent tied Lass, his horse, to the fence and swung over it, landing in one smooth motion with spurs jingling and the fringe on his chinks flying. Lindsay, who had never been given to the twittering silliness of simpering girls, thought she might actually swoon as Trent swaggered toward them. The horrid smells and churning dust faded away into a golden glow surrounding the two of them. Handsome, smiling, and virile, she watched Trent approach one enticing step at a time.
Keeping his dirty gloves to himself, he leaned over and kissed first Lindsay’s cheek, then Cady’s.
“Ready to give this a whirl?” he asked with a playful glint in his eyes.
“Not particularly,” Cady said truthfully. “Can we just stand back a ways, say in the front yard, and watch?”
Trent laughed, throwing back his head. “I don’t think so. You can do this, Cady. Now, let’s get you on the horses and in the pen.”
Realizing dragging their feet wasn’t going to help their cause, Lindsay and Cady mounted the horses and followed Trent in the gate of one of the pens. The crowd had thinned considerably as others needed to get home to their own chores and the number of cattle waiting to be worked dwindled. There were only about a hundred head left in the pens.
Lindsay could have counted on one hand the times she had ridden a horse before she began dating Trent. To keep up with the busy rancher, she was learning to ride out of necessity. Sometimes she and Cady would saddle up and ride out to find the men, joining them as they rode fences or checked the herds. Although far from proficient, Lindsay didn’t worry too much about falling off. The horse she rode was a solid bay named Blondie that had been with the family since Travis was in diapers. Cady rode Sasha, a sweet little mare that had once belonged to Denni.
Trent sent them to the far end of one of the pens where they sat and did nothing, which was fine with both of them. Finally, Trey hollered at them to herd the last of the cows in that pen into an alleyway so they could be sorted. Sasha kept right behind the cattle, pushing them to the gate. Blondie plodded along until one rogue cow darted off to the right trying to make an escape.
Before anyone knew what had happened, Blondie spun to the side after the cow and Lindsay continued in a forward motion, sailing off over the horse’s neck and landing flat-out in the dirt of the pen.
“Lindsay!” Cady yelled, turning back toward the prone figure of her friend. Before she could reach her, Trent zipped past her on Lass and jumped from the horse beside Lindsay. Gently putting his arms under Lindsay’s shoulders, he lifted her head out of the dirt.
“Princess, can you hear me? Are you hurt?” Trent asked, brushing dirt from her face and pushing the hair off her forehead. “Please be okay.”
Lindsay looked up at him, shock registering on her face as she tried to figure out how she went from the saddle on Blondie to being on her back in the dirt. Moving her hands and feet, she decided she just had the wind knocked out of her. Certain her badly damaged pride was the worst of her injuries, she started to sit up. Trent helped her to a sitting position as others hurried over to make sure she was fine. Trent kissed her repeatedly on the cheeks, then once on the mouth, no longer car
ing if anyone was watching.
“Lindsay, you just scared me out of ten years of my life,” Trent said, helping her get to her feet, but holding her close to his side. When he saw Lindsay fly off Blondie, his heart felt like it had been suspended between beats. It was like watching something terrifying happen in slow motion. He couldn’t get to her fast enough to make sure she was still breathing, still alive. What if she’d been kicked in the head or trampled by the cows or any number of things? “I think you girls can be done for the day and go on back to the house.”
“No, Trent,” Trey said, riding up next to them to make sure Lindsay was fine. “You know they can’t. If Lindsay doesn’t get back on that horse and ride her now, you know what will happen.”
Trey was right, but Trent hated to admit it. If Lindsay didn’t get back on and ride, she’d become fearful of both the horse and riding. It was best to get right back on and prove she could handle the horse.
“Stop all your fussing,” Lindsay finally said when she could breathe normally again. Brushing at the seat of her jeans, she looked at Trent. “Trey’s right, so let’s get this over with.”
“But Princess, I…” Trent said, not wanting to chance her getting hurt.
“You can’t protect me from everything, cowboy,” Lindsay said, while Cady brushed the dirt from the back of her shirt and hair. “Now, let’s try this again. Maybe next time I’ll throw in a few gymnastic moves for the afternoon entertainment.”
Travis, Trey and several of the crew chuckled, admiring Lindsay’s ability to find some humor in the situation, even if Trent looked like he’d just sucked a lemon. Travis caught Blondie and brought her back, holding the reins while Trent helped her mount. Lindsay leaned along the horse’s neck and spoke softly to her.
“Next time you decide to make a fast lane change, could you at least turn your blinker on, ol’ girl?”
Trey and Travis burst out laughing and Trent couldn’t suppress his smile.
“You sure?” Trent asked, backing away from the horse and gathering the reins of his own.
The Cowboy's Spring Romance Page 21