Luckiest Cowboy of All--Two full books for the price of one

by Carolyn Brown

  A grin broke through Lance’s concern. His dad might be aging, but he’d never quit striving to be the hero. Age couldn’t take away something like that. “She wanted to leave it to the professionals this time,” he said before Luis could ask more questions. “So can she stay here or not?”

  “Course she can. Got that whole upstairs that don’t get used anyway.”

  “Great. She should be here by eight.” At least he hoped she’d be there. She’d sure left in a hurry after they’d gotten Luis back down the mountain. He’d hoped they’d have time to go over the plan, but next thing he knew, Jessa was gone.

  “Well, I’d best get moving.” His father stood and carted his dishes to the sink. “I was gonna head up for a hike before I mend the corral fences later on.”

  Shit. Lance had meant to have a little talk with him about the whole hiking alone thing last night, but hadn’t gotten around to it. Okay. He’d completely avoided it. But it looked as though it might be time to force the issue. He stood, too. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go up the mountain on your own anymore.”

  Right on cue, his father’s shoulders straightened. “Pardon?”

  “You forgot where you parked the ATV,” Lance said, trying to be careful.

  “I didn’t forget,” Luis shot back. “I was this close to finding it.” He held an inch of space between his thumb and pointer finger. “Another ten minutes and I would’ve been on my way down. You didn’t need to come find me.”

  Of course not. Luis Cortez didn’t need anything from anyone. Lance tried to quiet the fight rising in his father’s eyes. “All I’m saying is, I’d like you to take somebody with you. What if something did happen? I don’t want you out there alone.”

  “Nothin’s gonna happen,” his father insisted. “I don’t need a babysitter out in my own backyard.” He went to walk away but Lance stepped in front of him.

  “I’ll get you a satellite phone then.” With a GPS tracker. That way he’d always be able to find him.

  “I’m not bringing a phone into the wilderness. I go to get away from that shit.”

  “Come on, Dad. I’m just—”

  A knock sounded at the front door.

  “Good morning,” Jessa called through the screen.

  Sighing out the disgruntled annoyance, Lance gave his father a look before winding through the living room, then down the hallway to the front door.

  Jessa stood on the other side. She was dressed differently—more like the old Jessa, in a faded yellow T-shirt and long hiking shorts. Her feathery blond hair had been loosely pulled back and that easy smile was intact. Lance had an urge to hug her. Somehow the sight of her made his body lighter. She was so…easygoing. And that was a rarity in his life at the moment.

  “Hey.” He stepped out onto the porch and closed the door so his father wouldn’t hear anything.

  “Everything all set?” she whispered. Her hand curled over the handle of a small wheeled suitcase.

  “Yeah. I told Dad your place has an infestation. He’s fine with you staying a few weeks.” As long as he never found out the real reason…

  “Great.” She went to pick up her suitcase, but Lance reached out and snatched the handle before she could grasp it. It was light, as unburdened as she seemed to be. “One other thing you should know. I was trying to talk to him about not going up the mountain alone anymore,” he half-whispered.

  Jessa laughed and somehow the heartiness of it tempted him to join her.

  “Bet that went over well,” she said.

  “Yeah. Not so much.” But just being near her for two minutes had purged the tension from his head. “I told him I’d get him a satellite phone, but he wasn’t interested.”

  “I’ll work on it,” she promised.

  He set down the suitcase. “Thank you.”

  “I can’t make any promises. He might not listen to me, either.”

  “No.” He stepped closer. “Thank you for being here. For doing this.”

  “Oh.” She stumbled back a step as if she’d been caught off guard. “Sure. It’s nothing.”

  That was the biggest understatement he’d ever heard. “Actually, it’s a lot. And I really appreciate it.” She had no guarantees going into this. She didn’t know if he’d win, if she’d get anything out of it. Somehow that made it more generous. “There’s no way I could handle all of this on my own with the finals coming up,” he admitted. Hell, he’d have to put in twice the training hours as those twenty-something guys he was going up against or he’d be humiliated on the biggest stage in bull riding. And there it was…his greatest fear worming its way to the surface of his life. That he really was washed up and too old like everyone said.

  “I’m happy to help,” Jessa said, smiling again but still keeping her distance. “I love your dad.”

  She might love his father, but after the awkward exchange yesterday, she didn’t seem to want to be anywhere near him. Unfortunately for her, Lance wasn’t in a real big hurry to get inside.

  “Besides that,” she went on, “you promised me enough money to make a difference at the shelter. And I happen to think you’ll win.”

  “Really?” She’d be about the only one in the world.

  “Sure.” She seemed to look him over, size him up. “You’ve got more experience than those young guys, which means you probably have more composure. You know what to expect. And it looks to me like you’re still in pretty good shape.” Her eyes shied away from his. “So yes. I think you’ll win this year.”

  The words left his tongue fumbling for something to say. It’s a gift when someone believes in you at a time no one else does. When you’ve lost some of the belief in yourself. Before he could say anything, the front door opened.

  “Jessa.” Luis already had on his hiking backpack, the stubborn bastard.

  “Morning, Luis,” she greeted warmly as she leaned in to hug him.

  His dad’s face seemed to soften whenever Jessa was around, as if she were the daughter he’d never had. “I was headed up the mountain,” Luis said, nowhere near as ornery as he’d been with Lance.

  Her eyes lit with genuine excitement. “I’d love to come with you. Maybe we should bring the fishing poles.”

  “Good idea,” Luis agreed, already clomping down the porch steps. “Lance can get your things to your room.”

  “Oh, perfect. Thank you.” She winked at Lance and it said so much, that they were co-conspirators, allies, and maybe even friends.

  Clutching her light, carefree suitcase in his hand, he turned and watched the two of them hike up the driveway.

  Jessa had come for his father, to watch over him, to take care of him. So why did he want her to be here for him, too?

  Chapter Seven

  So far so good. Jessa tossed another fence post into the ATV’s trailer and clapped her gloves together. Clouds of dust puffed into the air, disappearing against the sky’s blue radiance. So far she’d managed to avoid Lance all morning. The hike with Luis had eaten up a good three hours, and it had been nothing short of spectacular—the sky clear and blue, just the right breeze sighing through the pine trees. Luis had been in top form, his pace quick and his footsteps sure. Without even a slight hesitation, he’d led her right to the pond nestled into the swell of land at tree line, and between the two of them they’d caught five rainbow trout. Hers had been the largest, she’d pointed out. Luis had simply smiled in his long-suffering way.

  Her concerns about being in such close quarters with Lance had started to dissipate with the morning’s chill. This wouldn’t be so hard. Luis liked to keep busy and the two of them would spend a good portion of time at the shelter during the week. That would leave little time for running into Lance. This morning when she saw him on that porch, a whole flock of butterflies had migrated into her chest, nesting all around her heart and humming with that tantalizing purr. That’s why she couldn’t allow herself to be close to him. Not alone, anyway. She didn’t trust herself one iota. Something else took over
when Lance gazed at her. Someone else. Her inner slut.

  “You got all those posts loaded up already?” Luis careened around the corner hauling a sledgehammer over his shoulder, and for the life of her she couldn’t figure out what she’d been so worried about. Apparently the whole getting lost in the mountains thing was an isolated incident because today, Luis looked strong and determined and completely capable. There was nothing feeble about him.

  Jessa glanced into the shed where she’d been searching for the fence posts he’d asked for. “I think that’s all of them.” When Luis said he had to mend some fences on the property, she’d jumped at the chance to help him, just in case he had any more balance issues. But he seemed fine. Plus, it had given her an excuse to hide in the shed and stay busy so she wouldn’t risk a Lance sighting.

  “All right, let’s head on up to the corral then.” Luis slid onto the ATV, but Jessa froze next to it.

  The butterflies still hibernating in her chest stirred. “The corral?” As in the place where Lance would be training?

  “Yeah. Got a bunch of fences all but fallin’ down up there.” Luis cranked the handlebar and the ATV roared to life. “Gotta get ’em fixed up ’fore one of the horses gets out,” he shouted above the noise.

  He released the brake and nodded her over. Jessa moved slowly toward the ATV, like her shoes were made of lead. She’d promised to help Luis with the fences, so she couldn’t back out now. Hopefully Lance would be so busy he wouldn’t even notice her.

  She climbed onto the ATV and buckled her arms around Luis’s waist.

  Instead of peeling out and tearing up the driveway like he so often did, Luis eased the ATV along. He peered back at her. “Is there somethin’ goin’ on I don’t know about?”

  Her shoulders locked. Had he figured out this whole thing was a sham? “What do you mean?” she managed to reply without an echo of fear. Lance would kill her if Luis found out what they were doing.

  The ATV stopped. Luis turned his upper body, those wise eyes studying her. “I mean you and my boy seem to have gotten close,” he said behind a hint of a smile. “I was surprised when he asked if you could stay with me.”

  She gulped back a relieved breath. “We’re just friends. He’s trying to help me out.”

  The man gave her a nod, then turned around and they puttered along again. “I wouldn’t be put out. If it was more than that.”

  She forced a laugh but it felt like the beef jerky they’d snacked on earlier had gotten stuck in her throat. There shouldn’t be anything more. He’d backed away when she kissed him, and given the man’s reputation, anything more would only lead to heartbreak for her. “Nope. Nothing more.” The bat-shit crazy butterflies in her chest called her bluff.

  Thankfully, Luis let it go. She’d never been a good liar and had never been good at hiding her emotions, either. They always made their way to her face, out there for the world to see. Which was why she couldn’t face Luis. As soon as he parked the ATV, just down the hill from the corral, she slid off and started to unload the fence posts, working with a repetitive precision. She would not look at the corral. She would pretend it wasn’t there. She would—

  “Come on, Uncle Lance! Hold on!”

  Jessa’s head snapped up and her eyes honed in on the very scene she’d been trying to avoid. Oh, hell-to-the-no. Across the corral, Gracie stood on the second fence rail, teetering precariously on her sparkly pink cowgirl boots while she gripped the top rail with her hands. Naomi stood next to her, body set as though ready to catch her daughter. Tucker, the Cortez’s stable manager, stood next to Naomi, eyes glued to a stopwatch.

  Before she could stop herself, Jessa darted her gaze to the right and yes, ladies and gentlemen, there was Lance Cortez in all of his bull-riding glory. Chap-clad legs cinched down over the steer’s wide girth, back arched, free arm whipping over his head in a graceful rhythm. Sweat drenched his blue T-shirt, making it cling to every chiseled muscle, and that black cowboy hat on his head made him look downright dangerous.

  The maniacal bull snorted and jackknifed his body, but Lance held on, those powerful arms fully engaged, and God they had to be as big around as the fence posts she was loading. Then there were his hands. There was something so seductive about large, rugged hands skilled in the art of holding on. She’d like to bet they were skilled in other arts, too.

  A slow heated breath eased out as she thought about all of the places those hands could hold her body.

  Lance continued the dance—that’s how he made it look, graceful and choreographed—riding that steer like he owned it. In complete control.

  Wooooowwww. She couldn’t move. Couldn’t take her eyes off him.

  His body was actually built for this, muscle stacked on muscle, tendons as thick as ropes. The more the bull bucked, the more Lance seemed to come alive.

  Awe surged through her, nearly buckling her knees, turning her arms weak.

  The fence post dropped from her hands and slammed onto her toes. Pain shredded through her feet.

  “Ow!” she screamed as she fell to her knees to push the thing off.

  The post rolled down to the ATV.

  “Oh no!” she heard Gracie screech. “Hold on, Uncle Lance!”

  Jessa looked up. Lance had turned his head in her direction, which threw off his form. The beast below him bucked and kicked its legs in the air.

  Jessa scrambled to her knees.

  Lance was trying to recover, hands both grasping, but his body was being tossed violently. With a final snorting fury, the bull threw his head back, a horn connecting with Lance, then leaped and sent him flying toward the fence.

  “Oh God!” Jessa shot to her feet and hobble-ran the perimeter. It was horrible seeing him sprawled there. He could be dead!

  Tucker was already out in the corral, luring the bull away from Lance. Somehow Jessa managed to squeeze herself between the fence posts and sprint to him, but her foot caught a rock. Momentum pitched her forward and launched her right on top of Lance.

  His wide eyes stared into hers. They were open. And he was breathing.

  “Are you okay?” she choked out. The lingering pain in her toes throbbed with the fast pulse of her heart.

  “Of course I’m okay,” he said with an amused smile. “That’s not the first time I’ve been tossed, Jessa.”

  His eyes were so pretty. Grayish blue with heavy thick lashes.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, lifting his head.

  Oh. Right. She was still lying on him. “I’m fine,” she said quickly, rolling off to the side, then standing before he could get a glimpse of the humiliation that radiated across her face.

  Lance stood, too. His shirt was torn and blood stained the right side beneath his chest plate.

  “You’re bleeding.” She reached out to touch the wound, but he stepped back quickly.

  “It’s fine. Ball Buster caught me with his horn. Again, not the first time.”

  So back off, his movements seemed to scream. The same humiliation that heated her face traveled down her throat. She glanced around. Naomi and Gracie were staring. Luis was on the other side of the fence watching the whole spectacle. Tucker had corralled the bull and was now gazing at her and Lance, too. The same question seemed to have stumped all of them: Why had she panicked and run to him when no one else watching—even the ten-year-old—seemed the least bit concerned?

  Why indeed.

  “I’m sorry,” she half-whispered. “I mean, I thought you were hurt…”

  “I’m fine,” he said again, this time with a gruff undertone. “It’s part of the job. I’m used to it.”

  “Right. Good. I’m glad you’re fine,” she muttered, turning to slink away. “I should get back to the fence, then.” Truth was, she never should’ve left the damn fence. Never should’ve glanced at him. Never should’ve agreed to this in the first place. Her toes scuffed the dirt as she walked away from him. From everyone.

  “That was a good one, Uncle Lance,” she heard Gracie prattle
behind her. “And it was so funny when Jessa fell right on top of you!”

  Yeah. Funny. Jessa kept walking. Fast. Head down, arms pumping at her sides, propelling her away from the girl’s giggles.

  She knew Naomi was behind her, and it didn’t matter how fast she walked, somehow her friend matched her stride.

  “So wow, you’re really not interested in him, huh?” the woman teased.

  Jessa stopped. Luis had started digging out a fence post nearby and he didn’t need to hear this. “Why would I be interested in him? Every time I get near him his body goes rigid like he’s terrified I’ll actually touch him. Like he might get cooties if he lets himself get too close.” She shouldn’t be interested. He’d sent plenty of vibes to ward her off. Instead she seemed to want him more. Go figure.

  “Come on.” Naomi swatted at her. “It’s no big deal. I bet no one else could tell. They don’t know you like I do.” She elbowed her as though trying to make her smile. “They probably just think you’re a drama queen.”

  “Only when Lance is around.” She peeked over her shoulder. Tucker was playing chase with Gracie and Lance had disappeared. “I shouldn’t be doing this. Staying here.”

  “Lance would be lucky to have you.” Naomi hooked her arm through Jessa’s and started towing her toward Luis. “In fact, you’re too good for him. The man hasn’t had a real relationship with anyone. Ever. And you want it all. Dating. Romance. Marriage. He’s completely ignorant. Trust me.”

  “I know.” She sighed. “So what should I do?”

  Her friend pulled her in for a half hug. “Stay and help Luis,” she whispered. “And see Lance for who he really is. Not for who you want him to become.”

  * * *

  Son of a— That hurt like hell. Lance gritted his teeth and pressed a bandage into the gaping wound Ball Buster had slashed across his ribs. Somehow the bull had managed to get under his chest plate and give him a nasty cut. Not to mention that weight of a serious bruise crushing the air from his lungs.

  He latched the first aid kit and hung it back on the nail behind the stable door. When he’d heard Jessa cry out in pain, he’d turned, which gave Ball Buster the perfect opportunity to kick, toss his head back, and catch Lance with his horn. Damn it, he should’ve stayed focused. Should’ve tuned out everything else. Usually he could. Except when Jessa was around, evidently.