Her Favorite Cowboy

by Mary Leo

  “Not a problem. I’d rather they didn’t know, especially with all the animosity going on between our grandparents.”

  They passed a few of the conference attendees. Everyone exchanged greetings and went on their way. A few other people—mostly younger men and women—were out and about, but for the most part the town seemed fairly deserted.

  “I especially don’t want Hailey to think this is an ongoing relationship or that her mother sleeps around.”

  “I understand.”

  He did understand that a person’s private life deserved to be kept private, but he had to admit his pride was a bit wounded. He liked Hailey, and he didn’t like the idea of not being totally upfront with her, even if it was at her mother’s request.

  “Okay, then we have an agreement? Can we shake on it?” She stopped walking and held out her hand.

  “I’d rather kiss on it, if you don’t mind.”

  “Someone might see us.”

  “We’re still blocks from the hotel, the streets are dark and I’m sure all the older folks are heading for their beds. I refuse to agree to anything of this nature without a kiss.”

  He moved in closer to her, their lips only a whisper away from each other. “What kind of kiss? Short or long?” she asked.

  “Does it matter?”

  “Yes, I...”

  But before he allowed her to say another word his lips had claimed hers.

  * * *

  CORI COULDN’T HELP HERSELF. She’d forgotten what it was like to be kissed like that. His mouth on hers was like heaven. His kiss awakened desires she had purposely stopped fantasizing about. She’d learned to accept there might not ever be another man in her life, until she met Gage. There had been something about him from their first hello that had drawn her in, and now that she was in his arms, it seemed right. As if this had been planned from the start.

  They kissed under the streetlight, then while leaning against a storefront, then on a bench, a step, and inside a darkened doorway of a closed dress shop. His hands slipped over her breasts several times, making her want him more than she’d ever thought possible.

  “You know, I have a private room at the hotel,” he told her, only steps from the entrance. “We could explore those benefits right now.”

  “Sounds delightful,” she told him without hesitation.

  They just about ran the rest of the way to the hotel. When they arrived breathless in the lobby, Cori didn’t want to take any chances that there might be someone hanging around who would report back to their grandparents, so they strolled in side by side, casually chatting about the barn dance. A conference of this size with only about seventy-five attendees where almost everyone knew each other was like living in a close-knit neighborhood for a few days. Cori usually liked that kind of camaraderie, but because of the nature of her new relationship with Gage, and with their grandparents discouraging any kind of real contact between them, knowing they’d decided to enjoy a benefits-type of connection might be what tipped Gage’s grandfather away from him for good. And Cori’s grandmother might never forgive her.

  The old-fashioned lobby, with its paisley carpet and early American sofas, was empty except for two young men handling the front desk.

  Everyone exchanged a friendly “good night” as Cori and Gage passed by the desk and headed for the elevator. As soon as they stepped into the elevator and the doors closed, Gage reached over and pulled Cori to him, one hand tangled in her hair while Cori wrapped a leg around his leg. He moved her thigh and pulled her in tighter until she pressed her body against his. Heat and desire took over and she could barely stand.

  Just before the doors opened they managed to stop kissing. She ran a hand through her tousled hair and shifted away from him. When the doors parted, Gage gestured for her to step out first, with him following right behind.

  As soon as they turned the corner for his room, Grandpa Buck nearly bumped right into her coming up the hallway. She froze for a moment, not knowing which way to go.

  “You two just gettin’ in?” he asked with a grin.

  “Yep. Cori wanted to stop for ice cream,” Gage said, trying to sound convincing.

  “Huh. I didn’t know the ice-cream shop was open this late.”

  “It isn’t. We went for a wagon ride afterward,” Cori added, hoping he’d buy it and stop asking questions.

  “Can’t get enough, huh? Didn’t you two take a ride last night?” Cori started to question how he knew, but then remembered that almost nothing got past this group. She only hoped she and Gage could manage to keep their hookup secret, at least until it was time to leave.

  “We did, and had so much fun we thought we’d do it again,” Gage explained, but Cori could tell he was getting impatient.

  “So what did you two think about the barn dance tonight? Fun?”

  Cori couldn’t believe Buck wanted to have a conversation this late. Weren’t most people his age fast asleep by now? She knew her gram was.

  “A hoot!” Gage said a little too quickly.

  Buck turned to Cori. “Isn’t your room on the second floor?”

  She had to think fast. Buck was simply much too observant. She spotted the coffee and hot water station perched on top of an antique dresser. “Yes, it sure is, but there’s no hot water in the thermos on my floor so I came up here to see if there was still some left. I like a hot cup of herbal tea before bed.”

  Not entirely a lie. There were times when she enjoyed herbal tea before bedtime. She couldn’t think of when those times might be at the moment, but she was sure she had imbibed at some point in her life. To make her story seem more believable, she went over to the beverage station and started preparing the tea.

  A room door opened and an older woman, wearing a pink fuzzy robe and slippers walked out. “I heard voices out here. Oh, hi, Buck. That was some barn dance tonight, wasn’t it? My name’s Ruth, I don’t think we’ve been officially introduced, yet.”

  The woman stepped forward and offered her hand to Cori.

  “Hi, I’m Doctor Cori Parker,” she said, shaking Ruth’s hand.

  “You’re the doctor Buck’s been talking about. Heard a lot about you. Saw you dancing tonight with this young fella.” She nodded toward Gage.

  He shook the woman’s hand. “Gage Remington, Buck’s grandson.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Ruth said, then she leaned in and whispered, “Buck’s quite a character.”

  Gage agreed as another door opened and a man with graying hair walked out, wrapped in a flannel robe with a woman still in her street clothes by his side.

  Soon everyone with a room on the third floor was out in the hallway talking about the dance, the conference and Zane Grey’s books. Cori and Gage had no choice but to join in on the conversations, which lasted for at least another forty-five minutes.

  “Well,” Cori finally said with a little yawn as Buck and Gage were just getting into an intense discussion on Zane Grey’s Heritage of the Desert. They sat on the sofa near the elevator sipping hot herbal tea, Gage apparently enjoying the discussion of one of his favorite books. Cori couldn’t help but smile at the two of them actually having a civil conversation. She knew how much Gage had longed for a moment like this.

  “I think I’ll be heading back to my room,” she said. “We have an early day tomorrow.”

  Gage gave her a sorry look. “What time do we need to be at the station?”

  “Seven,” Buck told him, then he said goodnight to Cori and picked up where he’d left off in his debate with Gage.

  Gage stood, ignoring his grandfather. “Can I walk you back to your room?”

  “No, I’m good. It’s only one floor down. Catch you in the morning,” she told him, utterly disappointed their tryst had been interrupted.

  “In the morning,” he repeated, and as she ma
de her way down the stairs she could hear Gage and Buck yammering on about a passage in the book. Buck tried to convince Gage that Zane Grey was also a romance writer, and the ending proved it.

  Cori didn’t know how the book ended, but she knew how her night had ended.

  Alone, without any romance of any kind.

  * * *

  THE SUNLIGHT SEEMED extra harsh as Gage jogged the three or so blocks to the train station. He had to hustle due to the fact that he’d overslept. His grandfather had woken him in plenty of time, but Gage had said to go on without him and that he’d catch up.

  Instead of waking up next to Cori, or at least waking up with memories of making love to Cori, he’d awoken with a dry throat from spending most of the night arguing with Buck over whether or not Zane Grey was actually a Western romance writer.

  In the end they had agreed that Zane wrote romantic Westerns, a compromise he now wished they had found at midnight instead of two in the morning. If he didn’t know for sure he hadn’t drunk any liquor last night, he would swear the headache that pounded in the back of his skull was from booze. From now on, he assured himself, he was off sparkling apple juice as well as herbal tea.

  When he rounded the corner for the train, the familiar whistle nearly blew his ears off. How he was going to deal with the combination of that piercing sound and the seven-thousand foot climb up the side of the mountain was a mystery, but he refused to miss one of his last two days with Cori.

  He’d already decided that not even his grandfather, Cori’s grandmother, their friends or even Hailey would stop them. Short of some earth-shattering catastrophe, he intended to make love with Cori that evening and nothing was going to get in their way.

  He just needed a plan.

  “Run!” Hailey yelled from inside one of the cars. “The train is leaving!”

  She sat next to Cori in a covered train car. Gage hoped one of them had saved him a seat as he dashed across the lawn, up the brick walkway and climbed onboard their car just as the train started moving, steam and black smoke pouring from the engine up ahead.

  Everyone in the car cheered and clapped.

  “That was close,” he said, chuckling. Even if he had missed the train, Gage would have found a way to get to Silverton if he had to rent a car or pay someone to take him.

  “Saved you a seat,” Gramps said as Gage gazed ahead at the empty seat next to Cori. Everything in him wanted to sit with Cori, but he knew he couldn’t ignore his gramps.

  “Thanks,” he said and swung in next to his grandfather on the deep green leather seat. The Prospector Car had a mostly wooden interior with leather and steel. The car was a combination of new and refurbished parts. They sat around a low cocktail table across Ruth—the woman he’d met the previous night in the hallway—and her husband Fred, who were busy with their own private discussion.

  Gage really did love old trains, and this one had to rank right up there with the best of them.

  “I’ve been wanting to do this for a lot of years,” Gramps said. “I’m glad I’m finally gettin’ to do it with you, son.”

  Gage stared at him, thinking who are you and what did you do with my grandfather?

  “Me too, Gramps.” Gramps patted Gage on the thigh, just like he had whenever they drove somewhere together in the old ranch truck. That single gesture, a pat on the thigh, always told Gage that no matter what, his grandpa loved him. His grandma had told him that Buck wasn’t much on saying what he felt. He was more about showing you. A pat on the back or the shoulder or the thigh was his way of showing his love and Gage never appreciated it more than that very moment.

  Gage did the same gesture back on his grandfather’s thigh, both men smiled at each other and then they turned to watch the scenery. It was another of those moments Gage would stow away in his heart.

  Within ten minutes the train began its climb to Silverton, the old gold mining town nestled up in the mountains, and Gage decided to sit back, allow the aspirin he’d taken right before he left the hotel to take effect and enjoy the view of the San Juan Mountains and Forest along the way. The views were of spectacular canyons, streams and thick green forests, with high mountain peaks in the distance that were still covered with snow. At one point a guy on a zip line raced by in the distance, giving everyone a thrill.

  The terrain changed to gray rocky hillsides as the train squeaked and swayed over a long bridge with a deep gorge on both sides. Then they slowly made their way around the side of a mountain, where Gage marveled at the technology that was used to carve out tracks through the rock.

  What Gage loved most about being on the train was the constant rumble and churning of the wheels—that continual rocking, to and fro, that lulled all his tension and stress away. For what seemed like a long time, they ran right next to the rushing Animas River, its waters high and green as it tumbled on its way to the ocean. Gage could hear the water over the sound of the rumbling train, and the combination of the two only added to his love of the entire experience. He’d been looking forward to this ride, and so far it surpassed his imagination.

  Whenever he gazed up ahead at Cori, who happened to be facing him, she would either be smiling in his direction or smiling at her grandmother or Hailey. His gaze kept drifting to those full ruby lips of hers and he couldn’t help but think about last night. Those soft lips and her round breasts had ignited a flame deep within him that he’d thought had all but burned out.

  He and Cori had only kissed, and he was already caught up in her charms. What the heck would it be like when they finally spent some real time getting to know each other?

  She smiled over at him and he knew if he kept ruminating on his feelings for her, his comfort level on this train would be sorely compromised.

  Still, he couldn’t seem to let it go, so he asked his grandfather a simple question.

  “Gramps, what are your thoughts on pie?”

  * * *

  AFTER THREE AND A HALF HOURS of swaying scenic beauty, the train made its final stop at the Silverton station. Everyone seemed anxious to exit and get to the town or a nearby restaurant for lunch. Cori was anxious to meet up with Gage. She’d spent the majority of her time trying not to stare over at him, but that sexy, teasing gleam in his eyes kept drawing her back for more.

  The rest of her time was spent keeping up with the conversations between Hailey and Gram. At one point Gage had walked over to them for a short chat. Ironically, neither grandparent balked at the casual meeting. Gram all but ignored him, and Buck busied himself with a conversation between friends. No one stomped their feet or made a scene, which seemed a bit odd to Cori, but she let it pass.

  Ironically, although this was early June, the altitude brought a chill to the air. Fortunately, Gram had packed sweaters and handed them out before they exited the train.

  “I want to check out the shops,” Gram said. “I didn’t come all the way up here to sit in a restaurant. Besides, I ate enough protein bars on the train to last me for hours, so I’m good.”

  “Me, too,” Hailey announced. “I want to buy Susan a souvenir. When I told her we were taking a train up a mountainside to a Silverton, she said she’d like something from the highest earthy place I’ve ever seen, just in case it looked different from normal places. But this town looks normal to me, except for the buildings. They look really old.”

  “Most of them are old, from the late eighteen hundreds.” Cori tried to remember what she’d read about Silverton, but aside from the old bordellos that used to be on Blair Street and the jail and courthouse museums, there wasn’t much to the tiny town.

  “Still, I need to buy her something. I got twenty-five dollars for helping Gram in her garden in the backyard. I want to use some of it for Susan.”

  “Sounds like a plan. Let’s go shopping,” Cori agreed, while watching Gage and Buck exit the train and thinking how she wished
she could text Gage and set up a meeting. Unfortunately, they hadn’t exchanged phone numbers, and because of that oversight she had no way to contact him. Of course, neither one of them had had any idea the previous night would turn out the way it had.

  “We’re taking a group picture, so if everyone would please gather in front of the engine we can get it done quickly.” The president, along with his wife, herded everyone forward. Cori felt this might be a prime opportunity to slip her phone number to Gage. She tore off a slip of paper from the small note pad she kept in her purse and found her pen.

  As the group gathered in front of the impressive, hissing locomotive, Cori made her way over to Gage, who seemed to be heading her way as well. When they passed each other she slipped him the note.

  “My number,” she discreetly told him as he grabbed the paper.

  “Mine, too,” he said, and handed her a matchbook.

  “This is ridiculous,” Cori said.

  “You don’t have to be in the picture if you don’t want to be,” the president grumbled, as he passed by.

  “I wasn’t meaning...” But he kept right on walking and directing people to the front of their engine, number 480. It still spewed out white steam and black smoke.

  Cori turned to Gage. “Now everyone will think I don’t want to be in the picture. I’ll never hear the end of it from my grandmother.”

  “I could kiss you right now and we’d really give them something to talk about,” Gage offered, stepping in closer.

  She pushed on his chest to hold him back. “You agreed not to tell anyone.”

  “I’m not telling, I’m showing. Big difference.”

  He pressed in harder on her hand, and she took a couple steps back, tripping over a railroad track. He quickly grabbed her so she wouldn’t fall.

  “Whoa,” Gage said. “Watch your step.”

  “Careful there, Doc. You could hurt yourself,” Buck warned. “Good thing Gage was here to catch you.”