THE COWBOY'S RULES: 3: THE SURPRISE (Cowboys After Dark Book 6)

by Maggie Carpenter

  “You’re kidding? Really? Oh, my gosh, I did it, I can’t believe it.”

  Throwing Randy the reins she ran to the jump and stood beside it; the pole was at her shoulders.

  “Four feet, I just jumped four feet again,” she muttered wiping the tears spilling down her face, then turning around she ran back, throwing her arms around the horse. “You are amazing, so amazing. Thank you, thank you. You are an absolutely wonderful, big guy.”

  “You’ll be fine now,” Randy grinned. “Remember what I used to tell you? Jumping two feet is the same as jumping four feet. If you have the horse that can do it, all you have to do is keep the rhythm and stay the same.”

  “You are so great, Randy, thank you, thank you.”

  Still in the shadows Chad was brushing away tears of his own, and catching his breath he hurried towards her, Mickey running along next to him.

  “Damn, that was beautiful,” he breathed as he reached her, dropping the package on the ground so he could hug her, “just beautiful. You looked better than ever.”

  “You were here? You saw me? I’m sooo glad,” she exclaimed hugging him back, and closing her eyes she sank into his powerful arms.

  Mickey, not sure what all the excitement was about but wanting to join in the celebration, jumped up, giving her his own brand of hug.

  “Thank you for believing in me,” she smiled, breaking away. “I can’t wait to get home to Shelby…I feel so fucking great,” she suddenly yelled, her voice echoing through the big, empty arena. “Hey, Mickey, you’re celebrating with us too.”

  Mickey barked happily, and picking up on her excited energy, began bouncing up and down on the spot.

  “Gorgeous horse, Randy, gorgeous,” Chad remarked reaching across Cassie to stroke its neck.

  “Thanks, yep, he can jump the moon,” Randy said proudly, “and he loves his job.”

  “So can Shelby,” Cassie smiled, “and she does too, and I’ll bet she’s really missed it.”

  “She probably has,” Randy nodded. “Come on, get on and ride him back to the stables. You deserve a victory lap.”

  Chad stood back as Randy helped her into the saddle, then staring up at her he shook his head.

  “You belong up there, Cassie, you really do. I’m so damn proud of you.”

  “I’m proud of me too,” she sighed, swallowing back a fresh wave of joyous relief, “and I’m going to that show next month.”

  “I’ll come up to Horse Haven and help get you ready,” Randy promised.

  “Randy, that would be fantastic,” she beamed, ‘because I’m riding in that show no matter what.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  It was a rested and elated Chad and Cassie who loaded the horses late the following morning. Rose and Clyde had come out to see them off, a contented, well-behaved Willow at their side.

  “Don’t be shy,” Chad said warmly, “you call me with any problems. You’ve just started on a whole new journey with Willow and you’re bound to hit some speed bumps. We all do.”

  “We do,” Cassie chimed in, “believe me.”

  There were hugs all around, Mickey bounced into the cab, and Chad and Cassie climbed in behind him.

  “I want to come back here for one of our Sundays,” Cassie grinned as she waved at the older couple from the window.

  “Sounds good to me,” Chad agreed, and starting up the powerful engine he rolled the horse van towards the road. “I feel as if I’ve been gone for a month.”

  “I know, me too, and when do I get that present?”

  The night before Chad had refused to give her the package he’d bought at the show, and with a wicked glint in his eye had said, “You’re not the only one who can hold back surprises.”

  She’d punched him playfully, and he’d picked her up, thrown her over his shoulder and carried her, squealing and kicking, into bed.

  “And where’s that crop you bought? she teased as the van moved on to the road. “I haven’t seen it. Did you lose it already?”

  “That crop is with that present, and you’re going to receive them both at the same time,” he promised.

  “Um, when you say, receive them…”

  “Should I be clearer? Really? Miss Smart Sassy Cassie needs me to be clearer? When your butt gets the crop, you will get the present.”

  “Okay, okay,” she quipped, and though her butterflies had sprung to life, his comment had piqued her curiosity.

  What can it possibly be? It’s a fairly big package, but it looked like it was soft, huh, dammit, I want to know!

  “See how it feels?” he grinned. “You’ve been torturing me with this surprise of yours, and mine may be smaller but it will carry its own punch, I promise you.”

  Shifting in her seat Cassie couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Fair enough, you’re right, but you have to remember I’ve only been torturing you because I was forced to tell you there was a surprise. I didn’t want to.”

  “Doesn’t matter,” he growled, winking at her. “Torture is torture, as you will soon find out.”

  “Oh, good grief,” she sighed.

  “Uh-huh. With Marty off on his four day trail ride the ranch will be quiet when we get home, and I can’t imagine Hannah will come to your rescue when she hears you screamin’.”

  “Stop it, please, stop it,” she begged.

  “Nope, I’ve got quite a night planned for you, young lady. You have your surprise in store for me, and I’ve got my own waitin’ for you.”

  “It may not be as quiet at home you as think,” she muttered under breath.

  “What was that?” he asked, his voice carrying an edge.

  “Nothing, nothing,” she smiled.

  “It’s your backside,” he sighed.

  “You’re really annoying sometimes, you know that?”

  “All I said was, it’s your backside.”

  “That’s the point, you get to…to…”

  “To what, hold your feet, or rather your butt to the fire?”

  “Yes!” she shot back.

  “Stop distractin’ me and tell me what you mumbled. You did it purposely to torment me, so out with it.”

  “I simply said it may not be as quiet as you think it will be.”

  “Because?”

  “That’s all I can say. You’ll just have to wait.”

  “Hey, I’ve been waitin’ two days, I can wait another two hours, no sweat,” he grinned.

  The banter had created a sparkling energy, and Cassie could feel the hot wetness stirring between her legs. The last time Chad had tied her to the bed and teased her into oblivion had been weeks before, and just the thought of it was making her stomach flip.

  I wonder what he has in store. Maybe that package is a sheepskin saddle pad and he’s going to have me lay naked on it and whip me with that crop, but if he’s in a Super Dom mindset that would just be the appetizer. I wonder how he’ll react when he sees what I’ve done. I don’t know if I’m more excited about that, or the night he has in store for me. Hmm, does he mean tonight or tomorrow night?

  “Chad, can I ask you something?”

  “Yep, always, what?”

  “When you say, the night you have in store, do you mean tonight or tomorrow night, or sometime in the future?”

  “Now why would I tell you that, when you won’t tell me a doggone thing about what you’ve got waitin’ for me?”

  “Um, okay, I’ll play,” she grinned. “What I have waiting for you is bigger than a bread box.”

  “Ha! Good try sugar, but you honestly think that’s gonna fly? Your butt is gonna be so red.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you’re a brat, you’re luscious brat, but you’re still a brat,” he chuckled.

  The conversation was stirring his cock, and as the miles ticked by he couldn’t will it back to sleep. Her quips and teasing and eye-sparkling glances were shooting energy straight to his loins, and he was fighting the temptation to pull the van over, drag her into the back, lock them
in one of the empty compartments, and fuck her brains out.

  Damn, maybe I’ll do just that. Maybe I’ll do all my wicked things to her in this van. Once it’s all cleaned out I can put in some fresh beddin’…that’ll be a surprise, a real surprise. I’ll have to think about this.

  “What’s going through that head of yours? You’ve got a really devilish grin on your face.”

  Her question made him smile even wider, and darting his eyes quickly across at her he winked, then chuckled.

  “That’s not an answer, tell me,” she demanded.

  “Now, Cassie,” he said patiently, “you know better than to stamp your foot like that, or do I need to remind you.”

  “I just feel very, um, restless?”

  “Are you in need of some more special attention? That spankin’ I gave you Saturday wasn’t enough?”

  “It was, seriously,” she replied earnestly.

  “Uh-huh. Let’s see how you are the rest of the way home. We’re not far. Do you think you can behave yourself for about forty-five minutes?”

  “Yes, for sure,” she nodded. “I’ll listen to my iPod and let you concentrate on the driving.”

  “That’s a good plan. You do that, and Mickey, you should take a nap.”

  To their astonishment, Mickey yawned, twice, then laid down and dropped his head between his paws.

  “I swear,” Cassie said, shaking her head, “this dog.”

  “He’s not a dog, he just looks like a dog,” Chad remarked.

  “No kidding,” and pulling out her earplugs she began to listen to a naughty novel.

  If I have to wait I may as well listen to something decadent. At least it will help pass the time.

  The cab fell into silence, and Chad shifted his focus, recalling the sight of Cassie jumping the big grey horse over the high, single rail.

  I’m so damn proud of you. I want you to do what you love, but I’m gonna be worryin’ every time you do somethin’ like that. Seemed like that horse had more lift than Shelby, like it had a whole lotta talent. If you’re gonna be goin’ back in the show ring I’d rather see you on a horse like that, a horse that’s got more scope. Should I try to buy that horse for you? You could still show Shelby in the lower classes, but if you’re gonna wanna go higher, you need a horse like that. Damn, it was good to see you so happy.

  The familiar surroundings of their community was soon zipping by them, and as their exit came into view Chad slowed the van and carefully changed lanes.

  “Here we go,” Cassie mumbled, pulling out her earplugs.

  “I heard you that time,” Chad remarked. “Yep, here we go, I’ll soon be seein’ what you’ve been up to.”

  “I’m so nervous, I’m really, really nervous,” she stammered staring across at him.

  “Why? Am I not gonna like this?”

  “I don’t know, I mean, yes, but…oh, good grief.”

  “You’re worryin’ me,” he said shaking his head.

  “It’s a good thing, really.”

  “Why aren’t I convinced?”

  Moving the van through town, then on to the back road, he swung down their street. As they neared he saw his house up on the knoll, the horses in the front paddocks leisurely grazing, but as he turned into the driveway he suddenly saw the sun reflecting of what looked like a spire.

  “What the hell is that?” he muttered.

  “Oh, shit,” Cassie breathed.

  Driving past the house, rolling slowly towards the barn, his eyes bugged and his mouth dropped.

  “What the hell…?”

  “Surprise!” Cassie squeaked.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Jeb and Eddie came striding forward to meet them, but pulling the van to a stop Chad leaped from the cab and ran straight into his arena; he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

  Men in hard hats were hammering, moving about and carrying large sheets of what looked like drywall. Huge steel beams surrounded him, and looking up he gaped in disbelief.

  A roof was being erected over his ring.

  “What am I seein’?” he gasped.

  “I wish it could have been ready for you,” Cassie whispered behind him. “It’s so hot in the summer, and in the winter you have the heavy rains and snow, so I…uh…arranged for this.”

  “How, when?” he stammered, still staring at the roof being constructed over his head.

  “I called Randy. He had his put up in no time, so he coordinated everything for me, put me in touch with the company, he’s been incredible. One’s going up at my barn as well, after this one’s finished. This is why Marty took the clinic out on the trail ride, when they get back he’s doing the other stuff in town, at the fairground. I paid the manager there to-”

  “Whoa, what?”

  “It’s fine, this all shuts down at night, just like the construction at the house, so the horses can stay here overnight like always, and it’s only two days. When he explained it to everyone they were totally cool with it.”

  “Cassie, this must have cost a fortune,” he frowned. “I can’t let you do this.”

  “I already did,” she replied, “and I had the money.”

  “I honestly don’t know what to say, it’s…it’s…unbelievable.”

  ”You’re building a gorgeous new home for us, and you built my barn, that’s kind of unbelievable as well.”

  “It’s going up so fast,” he murmured. “How can they do it?”

  “It’s a high-tech thing, like my barn, how did that go up so fast? Oh, by the way, I kept the ceiling fairly low, it’s better because-”

  “I know, Cassie, I’ve looked into this a few times. I started looking at the high-tech arena roofing but then…?”

  “Then you decided to build the house?” she asked.

  “Yeah, I decided to build the house and deal with this next year. If I’d known it was so quick…”

  “Like I said, it’s exactly what Randy used and he’s really happy with it. It’s been almost three years and he hasn’t had a single complaint.”

  Walking forward, still in shock, Chad moved under the area that had been completed. It blocked the sun, and as he stood in the cool shadow he turned and faced her.

  “Cassie, seriously, I never expected anything like this, I’m overwhelmed. When you said big…how am I supposed to thank you for this? I don’t even know what to say.”

  “How was I supposed to thank you for the house, for my barn, and my ring, and I don’t mean this rock on my finger,” she smiled.

  Chad felt a sudden swelling of love roar through him, and dropping his eyes he stared at the dirt under his feet. He wanted to say more, so much more, but his throat was closing up and he knew if he tried to speak nothing would come out.

  Seeing his struggle, Cassie moved closer and leaned against him.

  “It is okay?” she whispered.

  He brought his arms around her, and lifting her off her feet he stared up at her.

  “Yeah, hon,” he managed, “it’s okay. It’s about the most okay thing I’ve ever seen,” and dropping her back down, not caring about the dozen men running around them, he grabbed her head between his hands and kissed her deeply, longingly and with a fervent passion that made her weak.

  “Wow,” she gasped breathlessly as he finally released her, “I should build you a roof more often.”

  With an arm around her shoulders he began to walk out, and Mickey, who had been held up at the van, came bounding towards them.

  “Shoot, I was so worried about catching up to you I forgot to leave the door open for him,” Cassie declared. “What do you think, Mick, do you like the roof?”

  He danced around them as they left the arena, and once outside they found Jeb and Eddie had unloaded Captain and Bailey.

  “I don’t see them anywhere,” Cassie remarked.

  “Jeb would have taken them to one of the front paddocks to get them away from the noise,” Chad said. “Let’s get our bags into the gator and up to the house.”

 
; “Chad, there’s something else,” Cassie said tentatively.

  “Impossible,” he grinned. “What else could there be?”

  “It’s about Dan Michaels.”

  “Okay, go ahead, I’m listenin’.”

  “Remember I told you that there was more to my conversation with him?”

  “I remember.”

  “The, something else, is another talk I had with him, a second one.”

  “Keep goin’,” Chad sighed.

  “On Friday morning I called him before we left, and I told him he should keep working through this week because a roof was being put on the ring so he didn’t need to stop,” she said.

  “That makes sense,” Chad nodded.

  “I also said that he needed to…uh…take his thumb out, that he was taking way too long to get the house done, and he’d better get moving.”

  “Of course you did,” Chad chuckled, “basically threatening him again.”

  “Well, he is taking too long, don’t you think?”

  “I do think, and I’m glad he has most of this week to keep workin’.”

  “The thing is, I want to go up there and see how it’s going,” Cassie said eagerly. “I know it’s only been a couple more days, but maybe he kept things going over the weekend. I know he’d like to get out of here. I’m sure we’ve lit a fire under him.”

  “You mean you’ve lit a fire under him,” he chuckled, “but as far as you goin’ up there right now, I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

  “But I really-”

  “Cassie,” he said, interrupting her and raising his hand, “I still don’t want you goin’ up there, that hasn’t changed. How about this. We’ll drive up, you drop me off and I’ll go check on things, you keep goin’ and see your horses, then pick me up on the way home. We’ll go back up together a bit later, after everyone’s gone.”

  “Chad, I really want to go inside,” she protested.

  “We will, later,” he said sternly.

  “Chad…” she groaned rolling her eyes.

  “Hey, are you already forgettin’ what happened?”

  “No, I’m not,” she sighed. “You’re probably right, better to be safe…”

  “Exactly. It’s bad enough that all the workers in the arena saw you, even worse that I lost my head and kissed you in there. Come on, let’s get our bags in the gator”