Count on a Cowboy

by Patricia Thayer

  Trent pulled up in front of the cabins and shut off the engine, but he didn’t get out. He turned to her, and with the aid of the porch light, she could see the intensity in his eyes.

  “That’s what Rory told me when I came home for Dad’s funeral.”

  “Then believe him, Trent. I also think your father would be happy to know you came home to stay.”

  With a nod, Trent climbed out of the truck then came around and helped her down. He took her hand and walked her to the porch. “Thanks for tonight, Brooke. You saved a lonely old soldier from a solitary meal.”

  “Oh, yeah, you’re really old. What, thirty?”

  “Thirty-three,” he corrected.

  “Well, get out the cane then.”

  He smiled at her and her heart began to race once again, then he grew serious as he leaned closer toward her. “I guess I should let you get some sleep. I need some shut-eye, too. I have to ride out to check the herd early in the morning.”

  “Are you going far?”

  “A few miles to the north pasture. We need to bring them closer to the pens so we can do the branding.”

  Why did she want to go? She could barely sit on a horse. “Sounds like fun.”

  He cocked an eyebrow. “You didn’t get enough today?”

  “I really enjoy the ride.”

  “Well then, if you can be up and ready by five, you’re welcome to go along.”

  She blinked at the invitation. “You’re kidding, right? You’re inviting me along?”

  He grinned. “Who am I to cheat you out of all that fun?”

  Chapter Seven

  At 5:00 a.m. the next morning, the sun wasn’t even up. Good thing Brooke had always been an early riser. At twelve, she’d had a paper route, using the extra money from her payments to make sure that there was food.

  Even if Coralee had made good tips at whatever bar she’d worked, she didn’t always come home with the money. Sometimes she went out and partied, or met some guy and spent it on alcohol or drugs.

  Brooke shook away the bad memories and pulled a long-sleeved shirt over her head. Aware of the low temperature, she slipped on her hooded sweatshirt for another layer when she heard a soft knock on the door. Her heart suddenly skipped a beat knowing Trent was on the other side, and she would be spending the day with him.

  “Stop fantasizing about a man you can’t have. Besides, you wouldn’t know what to do with him if you had the chance,” she murmured, then opened the door and felt the cool air hit her. She needed it seeing the handsome man taking up space in the doorway.

  “Mornin’,” he said, then smiled at her and stole her breath.

  “Good morning,” she managed as she stepped aside and allowed him inside.

  “I wasn’t sure if you were serious about going today.”

  “I’m used to getting up early.” She noticed his hands were full. “With going to school and my job, I had to be.”

  He nodded and held out a pair of boots. “Here, I scrounged up a pair of Laurel’s. They aren’t the cleanest, but at least your feet will have some protection.”

  She eyed the worn brown leather, but the tooling on the sides made them look expensive. “I don’t want to wear them without her permission.”

  “Laurel isn’t going to care. They’re just an old pair of barn boots. Do you know what that means?” He grinned. “She mucks out stalls and bathes horses in them. And today, they’re going to protect your feet around the cattle and horses.”

  Brooke finally took the prize he offered. “Thank you.” She went to the sofa, removed her sneakers then slipped on the first boot over her sock, then its mate. She stood and walked around.

  “It’ll take a little while to get used to walking in them,” Trent said. “Do they rub anywhere?”

  She shook her head. “My socks are pretty thick.”

  She looked at him. He was wearing a camel-colored jacket with sheepskin lining that made him seem even larger than he was. He had on his black Stetson and she noticed the dark shadow of his beard along his jaw.

  His gaze caught hers. “I also found you a coat. It’s cold out, so don’t think about arguing over this, because I don’t want to hear it.”

  “I won’t.” Grateful, she took the jacket and slipped it on. It was a little big, but fit her well enough. “It feels...warm.”

  He nodded and placed a hat on her head. “Now let’s go. I’ve trailered the horses to take up to the pasture.”

  Brooke put a few things in her pockets—cell phone, a granola bar and tissue—then hurried to catch up with him as he was already off the porch and headed toward the truck and trailer.

  “Will I be riding Cassie again?”

  He helped her into the raised truck. “No, it’s a harder ride than I’d like for her, and I want you on a sturdier mount.”

  Once inside the cab, he handed her a foil-wrapped package. “Here, eat this.”

  “I already had some fruit and toast.”

  “You need the calories today.” He drove through the gate, but instead of heading to the highway, he took a narrow road toward his ranch.

  Brooke unwrapped the foil to find a burrito.

  “It’s egg and bacon,” he told her.

  She inhaled the wonderful aroma. “Thank you.” How nice that he’d fixed her something to eat. She took one bite, then another. “It’s good.”

  “My specialty.” He unwrapped his own sandwich and began to eat as he drove along the bumpy path. He slowed a little. “Sorry, it’s a shortcut to the Lucky Bar L.”

  “I’m fine.”

  He pointed to the bottle in the cup holder. “There’s some orange juice.”

  She didn’t argue, just opened the container and took a big drink of the sweet liquid, then she turned her attention to the man beside her.

  The cab was dark, and in the close quarters, she felt a tingling of awareness. There was no denying she was attracted to Trent Landry. She had to fight really hard not to hope for anything more.

  She took another drink of her juice, then said, “Thank you for taking me along with you today.”

  “You might not want to thank me just yet.” She heard the amusement in his deep voice. “Let’s see how you feel when you get back.”

  * * *

  ONCE ON LUCKY Bar L land, Trent continued up the incline until he saw the metal pen he’d used for branding and inoculating his herd over the years. He parked beside the gate, climbed out and watched as Brooke stepped down. He couldn’t say what had possessed him to ask her to come along. He cursed under his breath. He knew exactly what had come over him.

  Lust.

  Over the past months, he’d been spending far too much time out here with only cows to keep him company, or taking men out on hunting and fishing trips. It had been a long time since he had some female companionship.

  He glanced at the pretty woman who’d intruded into his solitary life only forty-eight hours ago. Dressed in those snug jeans that covered her perfectly shaped bottom, she made his gut tighten in need. He had to push those thoughts aside. At least until he discovered that she came here for the reason she’d said.

  Hearing the sound of horse hooves, he looked up to see Mike and Ricky ride up.

  “Hey, Brooke,” Ricky called to her as he climbed off his horse.

  The other young ranch hand followed behind his friend. “Hi, I’m Mike.”

  She smiled at him. “Hi, Mike, I’m Brooke Harper.”

  He put his finger to his hat as he nodded, seeming nervous. “It’s nice to meet you, ma’am.”

  “Please, call me Brooke.”

  Ricky spoke up. “I hear you’re going with us to move the herd.”

  “Yes, Trent was nice enough to let me come along. I hope I don’t slow you down or cause any trouble.”

  “These two seem to have a knack for that.” Trent went around the truck and released the trailer’s gate. Again he motioned for Mike’s help. The ranch hand walked into the hauler and expertly guided the mare down the ramp.<
br />
  Trent walked the black horse toward Brooke. He liked how she didn’t shy away from the large animal. “Remember Raven? She’ll be your mount today.”

  Brooke reached up and stroked the horse. “Are you sure I can handle her?”

  “I have no doubt you can, but I’ll be close by if you need help.”

  “I’ll help you, too, Brooke,” Ricky chimed in.

  Trent took the reins of his mount, Rango, from his ranch hand. “You just worry about getting the herd moved. I’ll handle Brooke’s safety.”

  Ricky grinned. “Sure, boss, if you say so.”

  Returning to Brooke, Trent helped her mount Raven and checked her stirrups. Then he went to his horse, swung his leg over the gelding’s back and sat in the saddle. He looked over at Brooke.

  “You’ll do fine. Just handle the horse like you did yesterday.”

  He watched as she nodded, then she tugged on the reins and Raven backed away from the pens. Soon, she was taking the mare through commands. He nearly beamed with pride as she got the feel for the animal. She looked damn good on horseback.

  “I’d say you’re ready to go,” he told her.

  He dug his heels into Rango, and motioned for Ricky and Mike to head toward the pasture. Trent fell in next to Brooke. Although she seemed to be handling Raven just fine, he wasn’t going to stray too far from her. That was his excuse and he was sticking to it.

  * * *

  OVER THE NEXT thirty minutes, the sun made an appearance and they began to warm up. They removed their heavy coats, and Trent showed Brooke how to tie it to her saddle. She had found the ride relaxing, with the gentle sway of the horse. Raven was easy to ride.

  Soon Mike called out as the herd came into view just over the rise. “There are about sixty head of mamas and calves,” Trent told Brooke. “We had a good winter, and we only lost a few. To protect them, I’ll need to inoculate the calves and castrate the males and ship the yearlings to market.”

  Brooke took time to watch the red and white cows. The new calves were adorable. “They’re so cute. How can you sell them off to be slaughtered?”

  Trent shifted position in the saddle. “Because it’s a business. And there’s a big demand for beef.”

  “We need our hamburgers and steak,” she said as she enjoyed the scenery on horseback and the company of the man beside her.

  She saw him fighting a smile. “If I remember you weren’t complaining last night while you were gnawing on those ribs.”

  “Guilty. Seeing them grazing in the pasture, it’s hard to think they could be my next meal.”

  “I grew up on a cattle ranch, so it’s second nature to me. Being from the city, you probably don’t give a thought about where your beef came from.”

  “I guess Laurel and I really have had different lives.”

  “It’s nice that you have a chance to get to know her. So let me show you how Laurel would ride across the pasture.”

  “Oh, I don’t like the sound of that.”

  He must have seen her panicked look and reassured her. “Come on, I think you can handle picking up the pace a little. Not too fast, but ease into a canter. Gently dig your heels into Raven’s sides.”

  Brooke did as he asked and the animal started to lengthen its stride. He instructed her how to get into a tempo with the horse.

  Grinning, she worked to stay balanced on the mare. She looked at Trent. “How am I doing?”

  He looked too satisfied with himself. “Just fine. Now, I want you to learn how to handle sudden turns and stops because Raven is a trained cutting horse. So let her take the lead. If she takes off after a stray, just tug on the reins if you can’t handle it.”

  Brooke found instead of being frightened, she was excited. She wanted to prove to herself and Trent she could do this. She blew out a breath, feeling her heart pound in her chest. After all, she was Rory Quinn’s daughter.

  Mike and Ricky were waving their arms in the air and shouting to start the herd on its way. There were a lot of complaints from the bovines, bawling and mooing from both mamas and babies.

  With Trent’s instructions, Mike and Ricky rode to flank the herd, and he and Brooke rode drag beside and behind the cows.

  She couldn’t stop watching Trent. He looked amazing on his large roan gelding. The way he took charge and sat with such ease. He took off after a wayward calf, and quickly returned, with the little guy running back to his mama.

  After another hour, they came upon another small herd, and Ricky and Mike went after them, and shuffled them back into the herd. Even she got to help, when Raven took off after a few cows. Though she was a little frightened at first, it was exhilarating to feel the power of the horse under her.

  “Hold on to the horn, Brooke,” Trent called to her. “Let the horse do her job.”

  Brooke followed Trent’s instructions and it wasn’t long before Raven gathered her lost cows and brought them back to the fold.

  Once the cows were on the move at a steady pace, they drove the herd their two-mile trek toward a closer pasture with fresh grass.

  * * *

  TRENT SMILED AS he watched Brooke. She’d done a better job than he thought. In the past two hours, she’d been able to not only stay on her horse but keep the strays close. “Good job, Brooke.”

  “I didn’t help that much, but thanks for letting me come along. It was so much fun.”

  He was surprised at her excitement. Most women wouldn’t enjoy riding drag at the crack of dawn. “You did a lot. You handled Raven almost as if you were an experienced rider.”

  “Thanks for that, but I have a lot to learn about horses.”

  “It all takes practice.”

  She relaxed in the saddle as their horses moved in a slow, steady rhythm behind the herd. “Not sure where I’ll be able to use my new talent. I have a feeling in my new position at the hotel, I’ll be working a lot of overtime.”

  “It’s a shame you have to stay inside so much.” He glanced at the pretty woman beside him, and felt a strange tightness in his chest. “Maybe you’ll come back to visit your sister.”

  When she looked at him, her expression was doubtful. “I’m not sure she even wants me here now.”

  “You might be surprised. I think Laurel would be thrilled to know she has a sister.”

  “I’m not so sure. Laurel doesn’t even know me, and I’m asking a big favor of her, to come and meet a mother she didn’t know existed.”

  Trent could understand where she was coming from. “I don’t see why you think that’s your fault. Your mother kept that secret from you, too.”

  * * *

  THE RIDE BACK to the barn took another hour, and Brooke enjoyed every minute of it. She knew she’d be sore tomorrow, but this time out in the beautiful country, with Trent, was worth it.

  She was acting foolish, letting this Colorado cowboy turn her head, but what would it hurt? A lot if she let herself care.

  The years growing up with Coralee, she’d seen her mother make bad choices with men and get hurt sometimes, and often it had been physical abuse. Some of those men were scary, so Brooke knew to stay clear of them. She always found some place to go, like the library, while Coralee was entertaining her gentlemen friends, as she would call them.

  Most were anything but gentlemen. More than one of those awful men had tried to come after her. By the time Brooke was a teenager, she’d let her mother know that she’d run away if she brought any more men home.

  Coralee’s bad luck with men kept Brooke from having a boyfriend, or even dating. Besides, with school and her jobs she’d been too busy to have time for anything else. At twenty-eight, she had zero experience.

  She glanced at the handsome Trent astride his large gelding. Her stomach did somersaults. Now she realized what she’d been missing. A big strong man who wanted to be with her, to share things—kisses, problems and an intimate relationship—with. There was that strange feeling in her stomach again. Okay, Trent was out of her league, but maybe she could find a
nice guy when she returned to Las Vegas.

  Even she got lonely.

  * * *

  LATER THAT DAY, Trent had cleaned up, and dressed in new jeans and a collared shirt for his trip into town. Waiting in the bank lobby, he checked his watch. It was ten after three. He stood and walked to the window. He didn’t like to be kept waiting, but he had no choice if he wanted a chance at getting this loan.

  He thought about Brooke back at the cabin. When she’d climbed out of the truck after the cattle drive, he could tell she was already getting stiff from the long ride. He was angry with himself for even inviting her to go along. She was a novice rider, if that. But, damn, she was so eager to do well. He could tell yesterday how much she’d enjoyed being on horseback. But two days in a row, and not used to the saddle...he needed to stop and get her some ointment before she got so bad she couldn’t walk. He couldn’t help thinking about her soaking in a warm tub, then rubbing the cream on her legs and round bottom.

  Suddenly he jerked back to the present when his phone signaled he was getting a text.

  He punched in to see the message was from Rory. Plan to stay in Denver a little longer. Have you heard any news from the PI?

  Trent texted back. Yes, but got limited info. Should hear more in a few days. Not sure how long Brooke can stay.

  Trent waited, but there was no response back from Rory. He was about to call the man and find out what was really going on, when the secretary announced that Mr. Parks would see him.

  He followed her down the long hall and into an office. Behind the desk was a middle-aged man with thinning hair, wearing wire glasses and a gray business suit. Smiling, the man stood and came around the desk, then held out his hand.

  “Mr. Landry. I’m Jason Parks. Please have a seat.”

  Trent shook his hand. “Call me Trent.”

  Parks motioned to a large chair and it surprised Trent when the loan officer took the other chair. “I have to say, it’s good to finally meet you. I had the pleasure of getting to know your father, Wade.” His smile faded. “So sorry for your loss, Trent.”

  “Thank you.” Trent managed to get the words out of his tight throat.