Cowgirl Up

by Cheyenne Meadows

  He easily hefted the nearly fifty-pound weight and grinned down at her. “I’ve got it.”

  His action made her smile. How long had it been since a man did anything out of his way to help her? Never?

  “Thanks.”

  “No problem. Definitely lighter than hay bales and my SEAL pack strapped to my body in the desert.” He flinched slightly at the mention.

  Trinity got the impression the last part just slipped out. He’d spoken of his deployment before, never in detail, and always with tension riding him hard. She carefully avoided the subject because of his blaring body language, not wanting to anger him or put him on the defensive. Curiosity prodded her, but she refused to dig at him. Instead, she aimed for shallow and neutral. “How much did your pack weigh?”

  “Varied, but typically around sixty pounds, plus or minus.”

  She shut the door and reset the lock. Turning, she walked along, keeping up with Cody’s long strides. “That’s quite a load, especially in the heat.”

  He shrugged with one arm, the feed slung over his other shoulder. “You get used to it.”

  “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger?” She bit her lip, immediately regretting her words.

  Cody glanced down at her with such intensity, she thought for a split second she might have overstepped the line in a major way. Then he briefly nodded and stepped into the shadows compliments of the setting sun. “It’s true.”

  They entered the barn and made a beeline for Legacy’s stall. He greeted them with a piercing whinny and excited nickering.

  Cody’s gaze landed on the stallion. “Does he always throw such a fuss around dinner time?”

  “Pretty much. I guess he’s afraid he’ll whittle away to nothing if he doesn’t get fed exactly on time.” She grabbed Legacy’s bucket. “If you’ll set the bag down I’ll pour it up.”

  “Got it.” He plopped the feed down, yanked on the string to open part of the top, then began filling.

  “He gets a full bucket.”

  “Big appetite.” Cody finished with a few more kernels, then rolled the paper top down on the feed to help keep it fresh.

  “Big boy.” Trinity grabbed the handle, carried it into Legacy’s stall, and set it down in the corner. The horse immediately started to eat with gusto. She patted his rump, then left the stall.

  “Thanks for the assist.”

  “No problem.” Cody watched Legacy eat for a moment, then turned back to Trinity. “I missed you last weekend.”

  She smiled softly. “I missed you too.” Looking down, she blurted out an admission. “It was lonely in Denver. I didn’t know anyone. No one to really talk to or hang around with.” She sighed and met his gaze once more. “I was feeling pretty down until you called. It made everything better and I realized how spoiled I’d gotten seeing you every weekend.”

  He stepped closer and cupped her cheek. “I’m glad I could help.”

  “You always do.” The whispered words came from her soul.

  His eyes darkened a notch before he lowered his head.

  Trinity closed her eyes and lifted to meet Cody halfway. His lips brushed over hers, left, then returned to stay. Gently, he plied and learned, coaxed and soothed. She accepted each caress with eagerness, giving back in earnest.

  All too soon, he lifted his head and peered down at her. A grin slowly played on his face. “Nice.”

  She blinked up at him. “I was thinking more along the lines of yummy.”

  He laughed, his features becoming all the more handsome with the addition of humor. He trailed his fingers along her jawline and pinned her gaze. Deep blue eyes twinkled with mischief and something else. “You’re a surprise, Trinity.”

  “Is that good or bad?” She thought she knew the answer, but needed to hear the words.

  “Good. Very good,” he purred out.

  Her stomach flip-flopped with exquisite pleasure as her previously dormant libido came to life with a flurry.

  “Is it dinner time already?” Lacey’s voice interrupted.

  Trinity turned her head to find Lacey walking toward them, a bucket in hand.

  Cody dropped his hand and twisted to meet the newcomer. Trinity immediately felt the loss.

  “Seems so.”

  Lacey stepped around them to enter Candy’s stall.

  “I should get going. There’s a roping horse that I promised to check in on this evening.”

  “Okay.” Trinity desperately wanted to ask if he’d return, but caught herself just in time. No sense in sounding clingy and needy. Besides, only a couple more weekends and she’d be hanging up her boots for good.

  He blew out a breath. “I’ll catch you later.”

  “Good.”

  Cody paused for one more second, then turned on his heel and strode away. Trinity watched him go with more than a hint of longing.

  “Damn, girl.”

  “What?” Trinity reluctantly turned her attention from Cody’s retreating perfect rear to Lacey.

  “The sparks coming off you two rivaled the Fourth of July.”

  “It was just a kiss.” The best one of my life.

  “Uh-huh. Like Big Ben is just a clock.” Lacey grinned at her. “‘Bout time you started moving things along. I was beginning to wonder if you were going to let the chance skirt by.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Lacey exited Candy’s stall and secured the door. “I mean that you two have been pussyfooting around one another since the start of the season. It’s about time you roped that cowboy of yours.”

  Trinity shook her head. “He’s not mine.”

  “From what I saw you two have each other’s name stamped on your foreheads.”

  The observation buoyed Trinity’s spirit and gave her hope that perhaps Cody really did want to be with her.

  Reality intruded with the reminder that finals would be here all too soon and they would go their separate ways. For good. “I’m not sure there’s enough time for anything to come of it.”

  Lacey stopped and blinked at her as if surprised by her comment. “Just because you won’t have a scheduled date every weekend doesn’t mean you have to end it after the finals. Hell, the best is yet to come. No more burning up the road driving to hell and back. You can just visit him for a week or two and vice versa. For that matter, he’ll be out of a job soon, so he can start bunking with you.” She waggled her eyebrows.

  “Whoa.” Trinity held up her hands. “It was one kiss. That’s it.”

  “Love has to start somewhere.” With that bone of wisdom, Candy headed to the end of the row and collected the water hose.

  It wasn’t the start that bothered Trinity so much as the ending. If she let herself fall for Cody, she was setting herself up for a broken heart.

  Let myself? She gave an unladylike snort. I’ve already fallen for him. Hook, line, and sinker.

  To give the relationship a chance meant to stick around. Something she vowed not to do.

  “What’s with the long face?”

  Trinity blew out a breath and met Lacey’s gaze head on. “Nothing. Just thinking about what you said.”

  “And?” Lacey stuck the hose through the bars and started filling Candy’s water tub.

  She worried her lip and glanced down at her watch, not really having an answer for Lacey’s question. “And if I don’t get a move on, I won’t get time to shower before they shut and lock the facilities for the night.”

  “Cop out.” Lacey tugged the hose a bit farther and added to Legacy’s tub as well.

  Trinity shrugged. “I’m playing this one by ear, Lacey. Flying by the seat of my pants.”

  “That’s the best way to do it.” Lacey grinned ruefully, clamped off the hose and returned it to its resting place.

  Chapter Eleven

  That kiss.

  Cody ran one hand through his hair and shoveled another bite of cherry pie into his mouth. Ever since leaving Trinity, he couldn’t get that brief meeting of their lips out of his mind.

/>   Odd considering how many times he’d kissed a woman. Never before had something so innocent ramped up his desire into a fevered pitch leaving him with all kinds of naughty daydreams, all revolving around Trinity. Too bad she seemed determined to move at a snail’s pace. Otherwise, he’d love to move things along quicker, give her a sample of the delights she’d find in his bed. Cover her body with his own and make love to her until they were both too exhausted to do more than exchange air.

  The mental image jarred him back to reality.

  To take Trinity to his bed meant to strip down and wait for her reaction to his scars.

  His gut clenched at the thought. Too many variables existed in that particular scenario to call how it would turn out. While Trinity possessed an inner goodness, he still couldn’t put all his eggs in her basket not to freak when she saw his back in particular. Hell, he took months to come to terms with the damage himself. For her to accept him in less than five seconds would be a miracle. And he no longer believed in those.

  The door of the RV creaked open. Jared stepped in, glanced at Cody, then shut the door behind him. “Stealing my pie, I see.”

  Cody flashed a mischievous grin. “It was here for the taking.”

  “Uh-huh. I thought you had your own pie still in Trinity’s cooler.” Jared ambled over to the kitchen area, pulled a fork out of a drawer, and dropped into the booth seat opposite Cody. He grabbed the edge of the pan and slid the dessert over before digging in.

  Cody shook his head and worked on his own generous slice still covering half the paper plate. “She didn’t invite me to stay and eat with her.”

  Jared chewed then swallowed. “Did you ask?”

  “No.”

  “Did you offer to bring her dinner?”

  “No.” Cody’s shoulders slumped.

  “Well, I’d say that’s most likely your problem right there.”

  “Yeah.” Cody took another spoonful.

  Jared stared at him for a long moment. “Did something happen? You seem pretty tense for a guy who just got a foot rub earlier.”

  The memory put a small grin back on Cody’s face. “If you must know, I kissed her.”

  “And?”

  “And nothing.”

  Jared frowned. “Nothing? As in she’s a terrible kisser? She has buck teeth or bad breath?”

  Cody rolled his eyes. Sometimes he felt like a teenager when dealing with his father and uncle alike. “None of the above. It was really good. Great.”

  “Then what’s the issue?”

  He sighed. “I was just thinking about the last woman that saw my scars.”

  “Oh.”

  “Yeah, oh.” He scraped the last of the pie from his plate and put it in his mouth.

  Jared forked another large piece, nodding. “Seems to me Trinity is something special. Never seen a mutual foot rub in all my years around the circuit. That has to mean something.” His brown eyes flashed.

  “Uh-huh. It means she’s thoughtful and kind.”

  “Bingo.”

  Cody peered over at Jared in confusion. “What’s your point?”

  Jared took his time chewing before answering. “My point is she’s a horse of a different color. A gal caring enough to rub your sore feet has compassion in her heart. More than enough to deal with a few scars.”

  Absorbing the older man’s words, Cody sat quiet for a time. “I sure hope you’re right.”

  Jared cocked an eyebrow.

  “I’m laying all my cards down and betting everything on Trinity.”

  “Smart boy.” Jared smiled and commenced eating more pie.

  Just before noon the next day, Cody caught a break between checking livestock, found a nearby restaurant, and picked up dinner to go. Luckily, they opened early on Sundays, giving him plenty of time to zip over, collect the meal, and return before Trinity had to start saddling up for her afternoon ride.

  The scent of freshly baked lasagna set his stomach to growling as he strode through the barn, making a beeline for the end stall where Trinity sat in her old lawn chair, watching him approach.

  He drew near and met her gaze. “Hope you’re hungry.”

  She blinked up at him, then glanced at the bag he carried. “Somewhat.” She sat up straight. “What did you bring?”

  “Pasta.”

  Her eyes widened as a small grin appeared on her face. “I happen to like pasta.”

  “Good.” He pulled the spare lawn chair up, sat down, and passed Trinity the top box along with some plastic utensils.

  In return, she dug a couple of bottles of water from the cooler and handed one over. “Smells delicious.”

  “The local guys said it’s the best place around to eat.”

  She dug in and closed her eyes on the first bite. “Wonderful.”

  His cock twitched at the expression of bliss on her face. To see such a look on her features when he slid balls deep inside her body.

  Slow down, SEAL. At this rate he’d be walking around with a boner all day long. Not comfortable in the least. Besides, talk about putting the cart way before the horse. First things first, Trinity deserved courtship rather than a quick roll in the hay.

  “I’m glad you like it.” He forked a bite, stuck it in his mouth, and savored. The guys hadn’t lied. This had to be the best lasagna he’d ever eaten.

  “This was sweet of you to think of me.” She smiled up at him. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes before Cody glanced to the side and noticed Legacy hanging his head over the stall door. “Ready for this afternoon’s race?”

  Trinity shrugged. “I think so. The arena is small, so I don’t expect to win, but we’ll do our best.”

  Cody chewed and studied her face, finding a hint of worry mixed in with fatigue. He knew for a fact the road was long and endless miles separated each event. Hard on people and horses alike. To spend the rest of the week working didn’t give Trinity much down time to just rest and relax. Combine that with the fact that she slept on an old lumpy cot each night in the barns and he could easily see why she would wear down. She needed a break. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t come until after the finals, three weeks away.

  “Rumor has it all the girls are lining up to be your date.”

  He blinked at Trinity’s comment and sipped his water. “Really? First I’ve heard of such a thing.” Sure, he’d caught a couple of the other barrel racers eyeing him with interest now and again, but that was a far cry from all.

  She tilted her head. “You haven’t noticed? The Cody I remember used to be able to read a woman like a book. If there was an interested one within a hundred yards, he’d be on the trail.”

  “That was a long time ago.” He blew out a breath and took another bite of his dinner.

  “True.” She shoved a wayward lock of hair out of her face with the back of her hand. “So, why don’t you have a girlfriend?”

  He swallowed and pondered what to say. The truth sat on the tip of his tongue, yet he couldn’t quite let the words out. Not until he felt out Trinity some more, got a good handle on how she’d react first.

  “The way I see it, you could have just about any girl you wanted. Smart, great career, fill out your Wranglers just fine.” She grinned mischievously. “What’s not to like?”

  He read the spark of sensual interest in her eyes and another wave of desire washed over him. “You tell me.”

  Her eyebrows shot up. “Me?”

  Turning the tables proved entertaining. “Yeah, you. What’s not to like about me?”

  She drank deeply, then replaced the cap, obviously taking a moment to form her reply. “Like I said, you’ve got it all. No faults, nothing lacking, which brings us back to your lack of a girlfriend.”

  “I’ll spill if you do.” He enjoyed the friendly conversation, not the least put off by her personal questions. Hell, it was about time they got down to the way one another ticked.

  “Spill what?”
She shook her head. “There’s not much to say. I work and I rodeo. That’s about it. No time to do much else.”

  “There’s no hunky stable hands at the farm?”

  “I wouldn’t say any of the guys are ugly. They’re country strong too.” Her lips hitched up slightly. “But, none of them interest me more than friends.”

  Intrigued, he stared at her for a long moment. “You’re a pretty lady, Trinity. I can’t believe those guys are blind.”

  She sighed and closed her empty box of food. “It wouldn’t matter if they asked me out. I’m not interested.”

  “Why not?” He pursed the subject, needing to understand why she hadn’t been dating, at least recently.

  “They don’t…make me smile when they come around. They don’t make my heart pick up speed or a pleasant tingle travel down my spine when they grin at me in playfulness.” She tossed the container in the trash and met his gaze once more. “Maybe I’m a romantic, but I need more than just a handsome face, tight jeans, and a confident strut to catch my attention and hold it.”

  “Okay. So what do you need?” He held his breath and waited, unsure if she would answer.

  “Someone with compassion, caring. A hard worker who can and will carry his own weight. A guy who isn’t too proud to take the trash out, yet, at the same time, knows how to treat a woman.” She smiled sheepishly. “Kind of mushy, huh?”

  He puffed out air. “No. Not at all.” Finished with the last of his meal, he added his box to the trash bag. “I noticed you didn’t say he had to be sexy as sin.”

  Her eyes twinkled. “There’s more to a man than muscles and dimples in his cheeks.”

  Hope surged at her words. Still, he chose to be cautious. No sense in testing her theory right now in the barn. There’d be another time, more private, to find out if she stood by her words.

  After digging the pie out of the cooler, she handed it over along with another fork and a paper plate. “I did promise.”

  He grinned widely. “Yes, you did.” Eagerly, he cut out a piece and plopped it in the plate. One bite and he sighed. “Perfect.”

  Trinity beamed. “Thanks. I took lessons from Carmen this week.”

  “You outdid yourself.” He scarfed more of the apple pie, appreciative of the dessert.