Come Closer, Cowboy

by Debbi Rawlins

  “I didn’t mean to,” she said, her expression sad. “I thought the separation might do us some good—”

  “Why?”

  Her eyes narrowed. “I think you know why.”

  “We had sex, Mallory. Lots of friends do. It didn’t mean anything.” Gunner thought he saw her flinch. He could’ve phrased that better. “Okay, maybe it was stupid. You were worried about losing the Renegade. I was worried about you... We were both a little drunk. Are we going to let a brief lapse in judgment ruin our friendship?”

  She stared down at her soda. “Well, we can’t very well undo it, can we?”

  “No, but we can move past—” A sickening thought occurred to him, one he hadn’t considered before now. “Do you think I took advantage of you?”

  Her eyes widened. “No.”

  “I didn’t think you were that drunk.”

  “I wasn’t... I—” She sighed. “That never even crossed my mind. Jesus. It goes both ways. Do you think I took advantage of you?”

  Gunner chuckled. “Yeah, and I hated every minute of it.”

  She didn’t crack a smile. Just muttered a curse when she spilled some soda.

  “We can’t fix this if you won’t talk to me,” he said, watching her scrub the bar as if her life depended on stripping off the varnish.

  “Talk? You’d rather go to the ER.”

  Not completely true. He’d told her a few things he hadn’t admitted to anyone else. “This is different,” he said, and she finally looked at him again. “Our friendship is on the line.”

  A slight smile lifted the corners of her lips. “I live here now. You’ll find another bar in Valencia or Hollywood. This thing between us—this friendship—is bound to fizzle out. You know that as well as I do.”

  Gunner felt as if she’d stuck a knife in his chest. Guess he sucked at being a friend because that’s not how he saw it. “Yep. You’re right.” He glanced at his watch. He was supposed to meet Ben in two hours.

  “I was embarrassed,” Mallory said softly. “That’s why I stopped returning your calls.” She’d quit attacking the varnish but she still had trouble meeting his eyes.

  “Embarrassed? With me?”

  “Yes you,” she said, slowly shaking her head. “Especially you. Of all the guys I could’ve...” Pressing her lips together, she looked away.

  “Go on,” Gunner said. “Could’ve what?”

  “Messed up with.”

  He didn’t get it. “Look, if you’re waiting for me to say I regret what happened, you can forget it. We had sex...pretty damn great sex as I recall.” He watched her nibble her lower lip and his body tensed. “The truth is, I wanted you,” he said. “I still want you.”

  Mallory’s mouth opened and closed without her making a sound. She just stared at him, and damned if he could tell what she was thinking.

  “But if you feel sex and friendship can’t mix, then...” He cleared his throat. “We’ll stay friends, while I lick my wounds in private.”

  She smiled.

  “I’m glad my suffering can bring you some amusement.”

  “Ah. Poor Gunner.” She dropped the towel on the bar and walked around to join him.

  His heart started pounding...until she strolled right past him. He turned to see where she was going and noticed a guy peering in the window and pointing to the door. Mallory opened it just enough to tell him to come back at six.

  Seeing her in her old jeans with the tear just above her right knee filled Gunner with an odd sort of relief. “No daytime hours?”

  “Not for now. Maybe later, but only on weekends. I’ll check with Sadie to see what she thinks. She used to open at four before she became mayor.”

  Just as Mallory was about to slip behind the bar, he caught her arm.

  She stared at his hand, then into his eyes.

  “Friends, right?”

  “Yes.” She nodded warily. “Friends.”

  “With or without sex?”

  She just sighed and looked at him as if he had the attention span of a five-year-old.

  Gunner smiled. “Okay,” he said, releasing her arm and offering his hand. “No sex.”

  Her suspicious look might’ve been insulting if it hadn’t been warranted. The second she grasped his hand he tugged her into his arms. He felt her stiffen when he brushed a kiss across her mouth. A second later she relaxed and moved her hands to his shoulders, then slid her fingers into his hair.

  She felt so good against him, warm and soft and real. He’d imagined this every night he’d been stuck in Argentina. Every night except one. After the sixth day of unreturned calls, he’d gotten stinking drunk and blotted out the world. And paid for it the next day.

  Mallory stirred in his arms and parted her lips. Their tongues touched. A soft helpless moan came from the back of her throat, lighting a fire in his belly that tested his self-control.

  Mallory moved against him. All her sweet womanly curves hit him in all the right places. If he got any harder he was going to explode.

  A firm shove to the chest sent him back a step. He lowered his arms to his side and met her dark green eyes.

  “What’s wrong with you?” She glared back. “We just agreed to be friends, no sex.”

  “Kissing isn’t sex.”

  She was breathing hard, her breasts rising and falling. Gunner tried not to stare. Or think about the velvety texture of her skin. Or how sweet she’d tasted.

  God, he wanted her.

  “Mallory...”

  “Don’t say another word.” She patted her pockets, glanced around until she found her keys behind the bar. “You need to leave. I have things to do.”

  “I can help you move.”

  “No.” She rushed past him and unlocked the door. “Thank you.”

  Trust him to ruin things. He grabbed his Stetson off the bar and set it on his head. “Have I totally screwed up?”

  With a warning glare, she held the door open. “No. But you probably should leave before you do.”

  “Copy that,” he said, and walked out without looking back.

  * * *

  GUNNER HAD ARRIVED late yesterday afternoon and hadn’t seen much of Ben’s ranch yet. But it was clear a lot of hard work had gone into the Silver Spur even before Gunner had gotten the lowdown from the kid hired to help feed and water the animals and do odd jobs.

  While Ben wrapped up a business call, Gunner waited outside the small barn office and talked to the boy. Billy, with his friendly face and jug ears, looked to be about seventeen and took pride in his work. Bales of hay were stacked in two corners, an entire wall of orderly tack looked well-maintained and he’d been cleaning saddles while he described the poor condition of the ranch before Ben had bought it.

  “Sorry to keep you waiting.” Ben closed the office door behind him.

  Gunner saw the frustration in his face. “If this is a bad time I can get lost for a while.”

  “No. Now’s good.” Ben plowed a hand through his long dark hair and tugged on his hat. “Man, I hate turning down business.”

  “Better than burning yourself out or doing a half-assed job. You don’t need that kind of rep in Hollywood.”

  “True.” Ben glanced at the boy. “I might be out of service for a while. We’re heading to the north pasture.”

  Billy jumped to his feet and almost tripped over his stool. “You want me to saddle the horses?”

  Ben hesitated. “Sure. But take your time. I’m showing Gunner around here first.”

  Gunner followed Ben’s lead and moved to the barn’s entrance. Staying out of the blazing sun, they watched the long, lanky kid head for the stables.

  “He seems like a good worker.”

  “Yep.” Ben nodded. “But a little accident-prone. I know it kill
s him that I don’t let him work with the horses.”

  “Maybe he’ll grow out of it.” Gunner shrugged. “I was on the clumsy side in my teens.”

  Ben eyed him. “You serious?”

  “And hungry enough to get over it.”

  With a faint smile, Ben nodded. He’d also lived on the streets as a kid and understood what it took to get enough food in your belly. In order to survive, Gunner had learned how to steal and not get caught. Making restitution later had helped, but he hated remembering those bleak days.

  Ben turned and glanced around the inside of the barn. “The loft has been reinforced. And I had the worse half of the roof repaired but the whole thing needs new shingles. That’s coming from the walls,” he said, gesturing to the cracks of sunlight that streaked the shadows. “I’m still working on that, but so far it’s stayed fairly dry in here.”

  “I’m pretty good with a hammer,” Gunner said. “I can work on it tomorrow.”

  “I thought you’d be helping Mallory move into her new place.”

  “Who told you that?”

  “Grace.” Ben laughed. “Who else?”

  “Well, then she knows more than I do.”

  “Grace saw her parking the U-Haul in front of the house she rented. It’s just off Main.” Ben frowned. “Grace offered our help, but Mallory said she had it covered. I figured that was you.”

  “I saw her at the bar earlier,” Gunner said evenly, hoping Ben wouldn’t ask any questions. “She had something going on so we’re supposed to talk later.”

  “I meant to ask, how long are you staying?”

  “A week. Ten days maybe.” It had a lot to do with Mallory. “Unless you kick me out sooner.”

  “Not if you’re fixing my barn, I won’t.”

  Gunner smiled and moved toward the entrance. “The stable looks new.”

  “It is. That’s where I’ve sunk the most money so far,” Ben said as they walked out under the hot July sun. “The place was a steal but I knew it would take a lot of work. It came with some equipment, though again, none of it in great shape, but good enough to float me for a couple of years.”

  They passed the corrals, several of them obviously new, and stopped to look at a pair of fine-looking roans prancing restlessly and testing the rails. “You bought these two locally?”

  Nodding, Ben propped his elbows on the railing and studied the horses. “From the McAllister family. They own the Sundance where I grew up.”

  “I thought the Sundance was a dude ranch.”

  Ben winced. “The McAllister brothers are cattlemen. Their sister, Rachel, set up a way to accommodate guests when the economy took a dive, but raising cattle is their mainstay. Trace, the youngest brother, likes breeding horses.”

  Gunner didn’t know anything about Ben’s childhood or why he’d ended up living rough in LA. They’d never had that kind of personal relationship. “You get along with them?”

  “Oh yeah. Good guys. You’ll like them. And Matt Gunderson, too. He’s married to Rachel and owns the Lone Wolf Ranch. Talk about a sweet operation—”

  “Gunderson? The bull rider? Won a couple of world titles?”

  “That’s him.”

  “Wasn’t he ranked number one or two, then just kind of dropped out of the pro tour?”

  “Yep. He’s a stock contractor now. Jumped in with both feet and already he’s raised a champion bull.”

  “Jesus, must be something in the water around here,” Gunner said, and Ben gave him a puzzled look. “No disrespect to Blackfoot Falls, and you seem content, but I don’t get it.”

  “Small towns make you itch?”

  “You could say that.”

  “It’s not so bad here.” Ben pushed off the rail and they continued toward the stable. “Mallory seems to like it.”

  “She’s only been here three weeks.”

  “True. Hell, I should’ve talked her into getting out of the bar business and partnering with me,” Ben said with a laugh.

  Gunner looked over at him, not sure if he’d been joking or not.

  “The part I dislike the most is the traveling. It’s not a lot but there’s always going to be stock to deliver and pick up.” Ben glanced back at the roans. “I’m taking those geldings fifty miles south where they’re shooting a miniseries. In two months an indie is being shot nearby.”

  “Yeah? Whose film?”

  “Jason Littleton. A new up-and-comer according to the location scout who was here earlier this month.”

  “I might have heard the name.”

  Up ahead Billy led two saddled horses out of the stable. And for the next hour Gunner and Ben rode the north pasture and the perimeter of the five-hundred-acre spread.

  As Ben described his plans for the future, Gunner kept wondering if Ben really was looking for a partner. He had more business than he could handle and his enthusiasm sounded a lot like a sales pitch.

  Sure, Gunner was getting tired of stunt work. But he wasn’t ready to call it quits just yet. He had money saved, so that wasn’t the issue. Small towns didn’t agree with him. And then there was Mallory to consider. She claimed she’d been embarrassed. But he wasn’t totally convinced she hadn’t left California to get away from him.

  6

  “HOW ABOUT SUNDAY and Monday?” Sadie asked. “They’re slow nights. And that would give you two days off in a row.”

  “It doesn’t matter to me.” Mallory was about to check the time on her cell phone when she heard someone knock.

  Very annoying since she’d put up a sign that she’d open at six. She turned and saw it was Elaine and a woman Mallory had met briefly the day before.

  “Is that Heather Andrews with Elaine?” Sadie asked, frowning at the blonde. “She looking for a job?”

  Mallory stopped halfway to the door. She hadn’t hired her yet and Sadie’s tone indicated she thought Heather might not be a good choice. “Something I should know about her?”

  “Not really. She and Trevor just got divorced and I heard she was moving to Boise.”

  Wow, did everyone know everyone else’s business? Small-town living sure took a different mind-set, Mallory thought, and made it a few more steps before Sadie stopped her again.

  “I should warn you, though. This is Heather’s third split. It won’t take her long to hitch her wagon again, so you might wanna keep an eye on that fine-looking man of yours.”

  Mallory laughed. “No worries there. He’s not mine.” She turned away from Sadie’s curious expression and unlocked the door.

  Mallory pasted on a smile but she could feel the bias toward the woman building inside her. Heather was exactly Gunner’s type—tall, slim and blonde, big blue eyes and a sultry smile. She’d likely be a great waitress. Guys would keep drinking just to flirt with her.

  And that included Gunner.

  Maybe.

  It didn’t matter. Mallory’s nerves would do her in either way as she waited, wondering if they’d hook up. And feeling tense and irritable right up to the moment Gunner left with Heather. Or any other woman. That was precisely the sort of nonsense Mallory had moved away from California to avoid. Because like it or not, she’d become infatuated with the man who’d had no problem admitting that their night of intimacy meant nothing to him.

  We had sex, Mallory. It didn’t mean anything.

  Gunner’s words had played in her head, over and over, like the worst earworm in the history of the world. The mindless task of unpacking boxes hadn’t helped. Too much time to think. For heaven’s sake, she’d known the sex meant nothing without him saying so.

  It happened...it shouldn’t have. She needed to get over it already.

  Elaine strolled in first. “Wow, the place looks good. Here I thought I’d finish the cleanup before we opened. Oh, and you remember He
ather.”

  “Of course.” Mallory held on to the smile.

  “Hi,” Heather said with a small wave, wearing denim cutoffs so short they had to be illegal in most states.

  Elaine glanced back as Mallory was about to lock the door again. “You might wanna leave it. I saw Gunner just— Oh, here he is.”

  Mallory sucked in a breath. He was right there, looking at her through the window, clean-shaven, which was unusual, and his slicked-back hair looked damp. Dark glasses hid his eyes. When his mouth curved in a slow sexy smile, she lowered her gaze and opened the door. Much as she would’ve loved locking him out, it would only stir up everyone’s curiosity.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked casually.

  “I figured I’d have a look at that bull. With any luck I’ll get it working for tonight.” Wearing soft worn jeans, scuffed tan boots and a white T-shirt, he walked past her, carrying a small toolbox.

  “Did the mechanical bull get here?” Elaine asked excitedly, and hurried to the back room.

  Heather didn’t seem to give a crap about the bull. Or anything except Gunner.

  “Well, I best be going and letting you get back to work.” Sadie pushed to her feet. “We’ll talk again soon. Think about what I said...” Her mischievous grin made it clear she was referring to Heather and not which nights to close.

  Mallory couldn’t help but smile as she watched Sadie slip out and then turned to see she’d been deserted. The other three were in the back room. So she took a moment to breathe, while reminding herself that petty jealousy was no reason not to hire someone. Besides, if she wanted the mechanical bull to be a full feature, she or Elaine had to be at the controls. Which meant without a third person working it could only run when things were slow.

  “Heather? Aren’t you here about the waitress job?”

  “Oh, yes.” Heather murmured something to Gunner and Elaine then joined Mallory.

  Ten minutes later, the Full Moon officially had a third waitress. Heather agreed to cover Elaine’s days off and then work as needed, starting with tonight. Sheila, the other woman Mallory had already hired, worked at the Watering Hole but would fill in two nights a week here. Employing part-timers still meant more paperwork for Mallory. At the Renegade she’d occasionally used college kids to help out...off the books. She’d never had real employees before.