Cowboy After Dark

by Vicki Lewis Thompson

  “Nice to meet you, Hope.” Grady smiled as he touched the brim of his hat in a typical cowboy greeting. “I have to admit you scared the daylights out of us.”

  “I know, and I’m deeply sorry. I thought—never mind what I thought.”

  “Oh, we’re well aware of what you thought.” Liam’s amused voice matched the laughter in his blue eyes. “The cops made that clear. Hello, Hope. Good to see you again.”

  “I sincerely doubt that.”

  “No, I mean it.” His gaze held hers.

  Phil blinked. “You know each other?”

  “Not really.” Hope scrambled to get her bearings. The warmth in Liam’s expression when he’d looked at her spoke volumes. Instead of being upset with her, he saw this coincidental meeting as a bonus. “Liam has rafting clients who stay at the hotel where I work. We’ve seen each other a few times because of that.”

  “Hope’s part of the concierge staff,” Liam said. “She’s been kind enough to recommend our rafting company to hotel guests.”

  “That’s because everybody raves about the experience.”

  His blue eyes lit up with pleasure. “Glad to hear it! Just say the word and I’ll take you on a complimentary rafting trip. Then you can know firsthand what you’re recommending.”

  Unless she was mistaken, he’d just asked her out. Sure, it was kind of business-related, but she was getting a vibe from him that was all pleasure. Even more problematic, her body was responding to that vibe. “I, um...haven’t thought about it. Maybe sometime.” She cleared her throat and glanced pointedly at the flatbed with its mysterious cargo. “Do you still want to get that up the hill?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He winked at her.

  Her stomach fluttered and her pulse rate shot up. She’d have to be careful or this tall cowboy would slip right past her defenses.

  “I’ve figured out it’s a surprise wedding gift for Damon and me,” Phil said. “And I can’t wait to see it. Oh, my god, a Grady Magee piece on my property! Can you believe it?”

  “It’s the least I could do,” Grady said. “After all the encouragement Damon gave me right when I needed it.”

  “Should I call him?” Phil held up her phone. “I know you wanted to surprise us, but now I think he should be here when you take the tarp off and set it up.”

  “Guess so.”

  Hope felt sorry for the guy. He obviously was disappointed that his grand scheme hadn’t come off as planned. She glanced up at Liam. “Too bad it didn’t work out the way you both hoped.”

  He shrugged one broad shoulder. “We tried.”

  “If I hadn’t stood in your way, you’d at least have the trailer up there by now.”

  “Wouldn’t have mattered. Even if we’d made it up, we’d never have been able to set up the sculpture without someone in the cabin hearing us. The flatbed makes a hellacious noise when you tilt it.”

  “But you were trying to accomplish something cool, and I had Phil call the police.”

  His dark eyebrows lifted. “So that was your idea?”

  “Yeah, I told her to call the cops before I ran out to the driveway. When I saw the loaded trailer, I thought you’d already taken things from other houses and hidden them under the tarp. I’d convinced myself you were out to rob us blind.”

  “Some imagination you have.”

  “So I’ve been told.”

  He rubbed his chin as he gazed at her. “Gutsy, too.”

  “Not really.”

  “Yes, really. You believed there was a problem, so you threw yourself into the breach. What if I’d run over you?”

  “I didn’t think you would. Robbery is one thing. Manslaughter is another.”

  “I suppose, but even so, I—”

  “Damon’s on his way!” Phil waved her phone in the air. “And he’s bringing more muscle.”

  Edie laughed. “I like the sound of that. This bachelorette party gets more interesting by the minute!”

  2

  LIAM WANTED THE flatbed up that driveway before Damon and company arrived. A guy had his pride. “If you ladies will excuse Grady and me, we’ll go around the block again and mount another charge up that hill.”

  “We can line the drive and cheer you on,” Lexi said.

  Liam winced. “Much as I love that visual, you can all help by going back to on the porch so I don’t have to worry about hitting somebody.” He’d probably have nightmares about seeing Hope in the middle of the driveway. Fortunately he had great reflexes and good brakes.

  “Spoilsport.” Lexi punched him lightly on the arm. “Come on, ladies. We’re relegated to the porch while the macho cowboys prove they can take this hill.”

  Rosie paused beside Liam. “You be careful.”

  “Always.” He was glad to see her looking so perky. Wrangling those academy students must agree with her. She’d added some streaks of red to her blond hair, and he liked it.

  She peered up at him. “You say that, but I know you run those rapids on the Snake River like a madman.”

  “Who told you that?”

  She smiled. “I have my sources.”

  He didn’t doubt it. Every foster boy who’d lived at Thunder Mountain Ranch knew Rosie missed absolutely nothing. If a guy got away with some infraction of the rules, that was only because Rosie had decided to let it slide.

  “I’ll be careful,” he said. “Grady worked hard on this sculpture, and I don’t want it ruined on my watch.”

  Rosie nodded. “Of course you don’t. Also...” She paused and lowered her voice. “Hope’s a sweetheart, and she meant well. I take it you aren’t upset with her.”

  “I’m not.” No, he was more intrigued. Not many people would stand in front of a truck that could mow them down.

  “I’m not, either,” Grady said. “The plan was wrecked, anyway, and she gave us a heads up about that, so we’ll just work out a new plan.”

  “That’s the spirit,” Rosie said. “Now get moving and take it easy.”

  Liam scratched the back of his head. “Isn’t that what you call an oxymoron?”

  “Not in my world. In my world, it’s the secret of life.” Rosie gave them a little wave and hurried up to join the others.

  Grady glanced over at Liam. “You do realize she’s a Zen master in disguise, right?”

  “That would explain a lot of things.”

  “Take my word for it. She may look like a slightly overweight grandmother, but that woman has powers and she knows how to use them.”

  “Then I wish she’d waved a magic wand and made us magically scoot up this driveway.”

  Grady laughed. “She doesn’t have that kind of power. Besides, she knows it’s important for us to make it there on our own. She wouldn’t want to deprive us of that challenge.”

  “You know what? I wouldn’t want her to.” Liam took a deep breath. “Let’s do this thing.” If he was picturing Hope gazing at him with admiration after he’d hauled the flatbed up the hill, well, showing off for women was one of the perks of being a guy.

  Once they were in the truck and circling the block for the second time, Grady glanced over at him. “Is Hope the blonde you told me about, the one you were thinking of asking out?”

  “Yep. Small world, huh?”

  “She’s pretty.”

  Liam thought she was several notches above pretty, but if he said that, he’d give away too much. “She is.”

  “She seems nice. Yeah, she tried to get us arrested, but I can understand. We were a little intimidating coming up the drive full throttle.”

  “I suppose.”

  “But now that the dust has settled, you have a golden opportunity to get something started while you’re both here in Sheridan.”

  “Maybe.” Liam thought so, too, but h
e was still adjusting to the new reality. He’d shifted the possibility of Hope to another time and place, but then she’d appeared right in front of him, literally, and now he had to decide how to respond to that. He didn’t think she was quite as glad to see him as he was to see her.

  “Think about it. We’re all involved in the wedding. It’s the classic time for fun and games.”

  “Does that mean I can expect you to get horizontal with a bridesmaid?”

  “Nope. Casual hookups don’t appeal to me the way they used to.”

  Liam got a kick out of that. His little brother was growing up. “But they’re perfectly fine for me?”

  “Hell, no. She’s from Cody. If things work out, you could keep seeing her after the wedding.”

  “And if they don’t work out?”

  “You quit going into the hotel lobby after dropping off clients. She doesn’t seem like the type who would stop sending you business.”

  “I’m not worried about that.”

  “Then what are you worried about? I’ve never known you to hesitate once a woman catches your eye—which she has. You winked at her. That’s one of your moves.”

  “It is not.”

  “Sure it is. You give them a little wink to test their reaction, find out if you have a shot. I’ve seen you do it a hundred times.”

  “Did I ever mention that you’re a pain in the ass?”

  “She blushed when you winked at her.”

  “I know.” And he’d seen a flicker of sensuality in her gray eyes. But something about her was closed up tight. He’d felt a hint of that whenever he’d stopped to see her at the hotel. The feeling was stronger today. He sensed that if he approached her like he normally would approach a woman, she’d reject him.

  “I say go for it.”

  “I’ll give it some thought.”

  “Okay.” For no reason Liam could see, Grady was cracking up.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “You just drove past the driveway.”

  “Damn it! Why didn’t you say something?”

  “I wanted to find out if you were as gaga over this woman as I think you are, and sure enough, you’re toast.”

  “Am not.”

  “But you missed the driveway, bro. That’s not a Liam sort of thing to do.”

  Gripping the wheel, he blew out a breath. “Means nothing.”

  “I beg to differ. Thank God I came back from Alaska in time to see my big brother lose his cool. When you first mentioned her, I heard something in your voice, and now that I see you with her, it’s confirmed. You’re twitterpated.”

  “I’m what?”

  “Twitterpated. An old prospector I used to drink with loved that expression. I’ve been waiting for a chance to use it, so thanks.”

  “You make me sound like some starry-eyed fool with his tongue hanging out.”

  “Nah, you’re not that obvious...yet. I figure we’ll all be invited to stick around after we unload the sculpture, so you can engage in some casual conversation, make some inroads, get her digits so you can message her.”

  “I don’t want to push.”

  “Since when is asking for a woman’s phone number pushing?”

  “Normally it’s not, but with Hope... I don’t think it’s that simple.”

  “Only one way to find out. And FYI, the driveway’s coming up again.”

  “Yeah, I see that. Thanks.” Liam checked for traffic, but fortunately there wasn’t any. He swung wide and stomped on the gas. His truck protested all the way up the hill, but they made it—along with the trailer.

  When he pulled in front of the cabin and turned off the motor, he heard the women cheering as they came down the porch steps toward them. And yes, he picked Hope out of the crowd and imagined that the color in her cheeks was due to his demonstration of superior driving skills.

  Grady smiled. “Sweet.”

  The sound of engines revving prompted Liam to glance in his side mirror. “Just in the nick of time, too. Here comes the cavalry.” He drove forward a little more to make room, but two pickups were coming up, and they wouldn’t both fit. He couldn’t give the guys any more space without heading down the other side of the drive, and he didn’t trust his emergency brake to hold all that weight. The second pickup slowly backed down to the street.

  Liam and Grady piled out to greet Damon and Damon’s best friend, Cade Gallagher, who had arrived in the lead truck. Cade had been the first foster boy Rosie and her husband Herb had taken in, but Damon had been added soon afterward. Consequently they shared a special bond.

  Damon’s brown eyes flashed with amusement as he grinned at Liam. “What a fustercluck, huh?”

  “Shit happens.” Liam was so glad to see his foster brothers that the screwed-up plan didn’t matter anymore. They both looked tanned and fit, as if life was treating them well. “I’ve missed you two jokers.”

  “Same here.” Damon gave both Magee brothers a hug, and so did Cade. Most of the foster boys had come from difficult situations, which caused them to cherish the connections they’d made at Thunder Mountain Ranch.

  About that time, Rosie’s husband, Herb, walked up the driveway with Finn O’Roarke. Finn towered over Herb, but the older man walked with a proud dignity that made him seem larger than life. He, too, seemed to be flourishing as a result of his work with the academy students. He was the only father Liam had ever known, and seeing him always caused a surge of love and gratitude.

  Finn had been the third boy Rosie and Herb had brought to the ranch. He, Damon and Cade had dubbed themselves the Thunder Mountain Brotherhood that first year. Some who’d arrived afterward had been jealous, but Liam never had been. Then again, he’d always had Grady.

  More hugs followed, and Finn explained that his fiancée, Chelsea, had encountered some last-minute work issues. She’d be flying in the next day. Finally somebody broached the subject of the mix-up.

  Phil looped an arm around Damon’s waist. “We can blame everything on our cozy cabin. Once everyone was here, they wanted to stay.”

  “I can believe that.” Damon glanced at Liam and Grady. “Still, I’m sorry the plan got messed up.”

  “If certain somebodies had told me—” Rosie paused to gaze pointedly at Grady and Liam “—I would have made sure things went as they were supposed to.”

  “I wanted everyone to be surprised,” Grady said.

  “Well, we were certainly surprised.” Lexi linked an arm through Cade’s. “Too bad you boys missed the excitement.”

  Liam noticed the affectionate gesture and was glad for Cade. He’d loved that woman since high school. Rumors continued to circulate about their eventual marriage, but Lexi’s ring finger was bare.

  Ring or no ring, though, her eyes were filled with love when she looked at Cade. “You should have seen Hope stare those boys down,” she continued. “It was epic.”

  “And brave,” Liam added, because Hope seemed uncomfortable with the conversation.

  She glanced at him and shook her head, which made her silky blond hair gleam in the sun. “It wasn’t brave. It was stupid. What if the trailer had jackknifed and dumped the sculpture? Or you two had been hurt? I would never have forgiven myself.”

  “But we’re fine and the sculpture’s fine.” Liam had the urge to wrap a protective arm around her.

  “Maybe the way this turned out is even better,” Grady said. “Now that we have more guys, we can do an unveiling for Phil.”

  “You mean just take off the tarp?” Damon gave Phil a squeeze and released her. “Yeah, let’s do that. I’m eager to see it, too.”

  “Wait.” Grady moved to stop him. “I meant get it off the flatbed with the tarp still on it, and once it’s standing where it should go, then we take the tarp off.”

  “Oh.” Damon pau
sed to adjust his Stetson. “Hmm.”

  Liam understood the impulse behind Grady’s suggestion. His artistic pride was involved, and he didn’t want the crowd gathered here to see the sculpture until it was in a place of honor. But during setup, the piece could be damaged. Even worse, a person could be damaged. Liam didn’t like the odds.

  “Grady, I know what you’re hoping to achieve,” he said, “but I think we could have problems wrestling five hundred pounds of metal off the flatbed while keeping the tarp wrapped around it.”

  “I was a little worried, too.” Herb came over and laid a hand on Grady’s shoulder. “I have a suggestion, son. Since this is a wedding gift for Damon and Phil, how about if they go in the house while the rest of us set it up?”

  “That’s a great idea.” Lexi smiled at Grady. “And while I’m perfectly willing to help, I see this as a manly bonding activity.”

  “Aha!” Cade shoved back his hat. “Perfect timing. What if we make this the first official duty of the expanded Thunder Mountain Brotherhood?” He gazed at Finn and Damon. “You good with that?”

  “Absolutely,” Damon said, “but in that case, I want to be out here helping.”

  “We can let Grady decide if you should or not.” Cade turned to him. “Here’s the deal. Finn, Damon and me, we had a few beers at lunch and sat around shooting the breeze like we always do, reminiscing about all the great times we’ve had and the stuff we got into, and—”

  “Blah, blah, blah.” Damon reached over and knocked Cade’s hat down over his eyes. “Cut to the chase.”

  “Hang on, bridegroom.” Cade repositioned his hat. “I needed to set the scene. Anyway, it occurred to us that since every guy who was at the ranch is our brother, the Thunder Mountain Brotherhood should be inclusive, not exclusive. You and Liam don’t have to go along with that idea if it doesn’t appeal to you, but—”

  “It appeals to me.” Grady glanced at Liam. “How about you, big brother? Wanna be part of the club?”

  Unexpected emotion tightened his chest. He hadn’t thought this mattered to him, but he was incredibly touched. Tucking his thumbs in his belt loops, he rocked back on his heels and grinned. “That depends. Do I get a secret decoder ring?”