by L. P. Dover
He finished off his beer and lounged back on the couch, his gray gaze on mine.
“Who’s the girl with you in that picture in your room?”
Jaw tense, he looked away. “Someone from my past.”
“O-kay . . . care to elaborate?”
“Not really. But if you must know, she’s the first and last girl I ever gave a damn about.”
“Where is she now?”
“Out in California with someone else. We parted ways a long time ago.”
“Do you miss her?”
“Not in the way you think. We’ve both moved on.” His phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket. “Robert, what’s going on?”
Heart thundering, I sat up. Blake’s expression hardened and I knew whatever he was hearing wasn’t good.
“Are you fucking kidding me? That’s ballsy. What the hell is he doing there?”
I heard Robert’s voice on the other end, but I couldn’t tell what he was saying. Blake hung up and blew out a frustrated breath. “What happened?” I asked.
He clenched his phone. “The surveillance cameras picked up an intruder at your house. When the police showed up, he fled.”
Gasping, I threw a hand over my mouth. “Was he trying to come after me again?”
“I don’t know, but if it’s the same guy, at least we know he’s not here. You’re safe for now.”
Yeah, but how long was that going to last?
Blake
“What made you want to sing?” I asked, pulling into a parking spot in the middle of downtown. It was our first venture into Jackson Hole.
Hadley turned to me and smiled. “My mother. She sang to me every night before I went to bed. Granted, it was always Christmas songs, but she had the most beautiful voice.”
It was amazing how gorgeous she looked with no makeup on, her blonde hair thrown in a messy ponytail. I wondered if anyone else ever had the privilege of seeing her like that. We hopped out of the car. “Why country though? I know a bunch of people give you shit because they think you’re not the real deal.”
Huffing, her smile faded. She joined me on the sidewalk, her arm brushing mine. Instead of playing the role of siblings, we decided it was best to be past lovers. “I don’t see how anyone can say I shouldn’t be singing country. My first song was about my mother and father, who in fact did grow up on farms in Idaho. He was her cowboy, her first and only love. They moved to New York before I was born. Once that song took off, the image kind of stuck. But then people found out where I was from. It’s been a battle ever since.”
“I know how that goes,” I grumbled.
“How is that?”
“Once you meet my friends, you’ll find out. First, let’s find you some clothes.”
Multiple outfits and an hour later, we were headed back to the car. “I didn’t bore you, did I?” she asked, elbowing me in the side.
I chuckled. “No. It’s nice to be around a woman who knows what she wants. That indecisive bullshit is what gets me.” The shopping trip had actually been pleasant with her company, which was a first for me.
“I’m not like that, well except for when it comes to ice cream. There are just too many flavors to choose from.”
I had to admit, she was different from the stars you saw on TV. “We can pick you up some when we go to the store. I need to make sure the house is stocked so you can cook me dinner when you lose the bet.”
Hadley punched me in the arm. “You are so full of yourself. Have you always been like that?”
I winked at her. “It’s part of my charm. The ladies love it.”
“I bet,” she said, rolling her eyes.
We were almost to the truck, but I took us on a quick detour. There was one more shop I wanted to take her to.
“You know, you haven’t told me much about yourself.”
I shrugged. “There’s not really much to say. I’ve been doing undercover work for years. It’s the only thing I’m good at.”
“That’s not true. You’re good with horses. I’ve seen you with Snowflake.”
“So you’ve been watching me?” I teased.
She smiled, her cheeks turning red. “Don’t flatter yourself, jackass. But in all seriousness, you have a talent. You’re gentle with them. Coming from your line of work, I never thought that’d be possible.”
We reached the shop and I opened the door for her. “It took time. I’ve had help though. Tyla, the woman who works for me, is the best trainer in all of Wyoming. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without her.”
“Wow, that’s cool,” she said, genuinely impressed. She walked inside the store and I followed behind her. “Where’s she been? I haven’t seen her around.”
“She’s out of town, but she should be back soon. Hopefully you’ll get to meet her before you leave.”
“Well, I’ll be damned. What’s up, city?” a voice called out.
Chuckling, I turned around and found a short, red-headed bastard with a scruffy beard grinning at me; it was one of my good friends, Mitch Bennett. We shook hands and I slapped his back. “What’s up, cocksucker? It looks like it’s a little slow today.”
He shrugged. “It’s off season still. It’ll pick up at the end of the month. You know how it gets around here.”
I snorted. “Tell me about it.”
Tourists would come from all over the place to visit our national parks. There were also plenty of women who were interested in finding out what it was like to ride a stallion . . . and I wasn’t referring to the horses. I’d learned the hard way to stay away from the tourists. I’d had one who didn’t want to leave after I slept with her, and another one who wanted me to fuck her in the ass. I pissed that one off when I sent her packing out my front door. Needless to say, it was a learning experience.
Mitch smiled at Hadley. “I see our friend here is rude. I’m Mitch. Who might you be?”
She held out her hand and he took it, mesmerized. “I’m Anna. I’m visiting here for a few weeks.”
“Anna, it’s nice to meet you. Has anyone ever told you how much you look like that country singer?” He closed his eyes, brows furrowed. “What’s her name? Oh yeah, Hadley Rivers,” he said, opening his eyes wide.
She shrugged. “I hear that from time to time, but I don’t compare to her.”
“On the contrary, you’re much prettier. So what are you doing with this dumb ass? If you’re looking for a true cowboy, I know where to find one,” he said, waggling his brows.
I rolled my eyes while Hadley laughed. “She’s visiting me from North Carolina,” I informed him. “And she’s not here to ride the short train.”
Mitch grabbed his chest. “Ouch, that hurt. I can see when I’m not wanted.”
Chuckling, I clapped him on the shoulder. “Actually, you are. I want you to show Anna around the shop. You’re much better at explaining everything in here.”
His eyes lit up. “It’ll be my pleasure.” He held his arm out to Hadley and she took it excitedly. “Let’s go,” he said.
They strolled through the store and I watched how her face glowed every time he showed her something new. Whether it was hand-carved furniture, or paintings on the wall, her enthusiasm had me astounded. Maybe she could fit in.
“Hey sexy,” a voice murmured from behind. Her hands settled on my waist and I pushed them off.
“What the fuck do you want?” I growled. When I turned, Rayna stood there with a seductive grin. That shit wasn’t going to work with me.
“I saw you walk in and I could’ve sworn you were with someone else. You haven’t traded me in already, have you?”
“If I had, it’d be none of your business.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You’re not going to let the other night at the bar come between us are you? Trent and I are over.”
“Like I give a shit. We had our fun and it’s done, end of story. What don’t you understand about that?”
Hadley noticed us from the other side of the store and walked over. “Is every
thing okay?” she asked.
“Everything’s fine,” I assured her.
Fuming, Rayna pointed an angry finger at Hadley. “Who the hell is that?”
“I’m his girlfriend,” Hadley said, snaking her arm around my waist.
Rayna scoffed. “Blake has flings, not girlfriends. Stop thinking you’re special.”
Smirking, I put my arm around Hadley’s shoulders. “Things change, especially when you find the right woman.”
Rayna glared up at me and then to her. “Well, you can have him, honey. He’s a dick anyway.”
Hadley turned my face to hers and winked. “That may be true, but he’s one hell of a lover.” She lifted up on her toes and nipped her teeth at me. I snaked my arms around her waist, pulling her in tight. I was about to kiss her but she jerked away when Rayna stormed out the door. “She’s gone.” She laughed.
Shaking his head, Mitch chortled watching Rayna marched down the street. “Damn, city, you sure do have a way with the women.”
I shrugged. “I try. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to get rid of them.”
“Looks like Jackson Hole has a Don Juan on their hands,” Hadley teased.
Mitch elbowed her in the side and then pointed to me. “Every woman in this city has tried to get a piece of him. It makes the local men jealous. But I guess a congrats is in order. I didn’t know you were a couple.”
“We’re not.” Hadley laughed harder. “I just said that to get Betty Rotten Crotch out of the store.”
Mitch doubled over. “She probably does have a stanky-ass crotch. This one should know,” he said, pointing at me.
Hadley’s smile faded and she averted her gaze.
What the actual fuck? Mitch was going to pay for that. “All right, I think that’s enough for one day.” I put my arm around Hadley’s waist. “You ready?”
She nodded. “Yep.”
“Are you still going to hang out with the guys this weekend?” Mitch asked.
“We’ll see. I’m sure once Rayna makes her rounds, everyone will know about my new girlfriend. I guess we could always play along and make the rounds about town. What ya think about that?” I said, tickling Hadley’s side.
She pinched my arm. “Don’t think so.”
We said goodbye to Mitch and once we were outside, she slapped me on the arm. “You’re supposed to be hiding me away and protecting me, not parading me around town.”
I tapped her on the chin. “It was a joke, Hadley. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. Besides, I’d rather not go. Every local in the bar will be trying to hit on you.”
“Speaking of which, why does Mitch call you City? I thought you were from around here.” We got in the truck and started on our way back to the ranch, but I wasn’t in a hurry to explain the story to her. “Are you going to answer me?” she asked.
Sighing, I ran a hand through my hair. “He calls me that because I’m a city boy. I only moved here a little over a year ago from North Carolina, after my grandfather passed away. He left the ranch to me.”
Smugly, she lifted her chin. “And you had the balls to call me a fake?”
“Oh, sweetheart, I most definitely have those.” I winked at her.
She pretended to look offended, but ended up laughing. I joined in when she had to wipe tears from her eyes. It was over the dumbest comment in the world, but it was the hardest I’d laughed in over a year.
Hadley
“Hey, princess, you ready to go?” Blake called.
I finished tying my shoes and grabbed the new jacket I had bought. It was early May, but had snowed that morning. Never in my life had I seen snow in May. I rushed downstairs and Blake was in the kitchen, packing our hiking gear. Instead of his usual ripped and worn jeans, he had on a pair of black track pants and a long-sleeved blue shirt. Also, the cowboy hat he never went without, sat on the counter, replaced by an old baseball cap.
“Wow, you look different today,” I teased.
Grinning, he gazed over at me with those stormy gray eyes of his. “Is that a good or bad thing?”
I sat down at the bar and laughed. “It’s a good thing, but the dirty cowboy look agrees with you. It’s hard to imagine you as a city boy. Where in North Carolina are you from, anyway?”
He packed waters and snacks into his backpack and zipped it up. “Born and raised in Charlotte. My parents used to bring me out here to visit my grandfather every holiday and summer.”
“Was he your mother’s father or your dad’s?”
“My dad’s. He moved to North Carolina to attend Duke. That’s where he met my mother. After that, he never came back, except to visit.”
Glancing around the house, it had to be heaven growing up in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by snow-capped mountains. It was a dream come true. “I bet it would’ve been nice to grow up here. I’m from Lower Manhattan. My parents didn’t exactly take me to places like this. All of our vacations were to beaches and resorts.” Sighing, I gazed out the window. “Not that I’m complaining. I’m not. It’s just . . . it’s so peaceful out here.”
His thigh brushed mine when he sat down beside me. I tried to hide my smile, especially when he made no effort to move.
“I guess you don’t know what that’s like, do you?”
I shook my head. “And I probably never will.”
The room fell silent. I finally had some peace, but it wasn’t enjoyable. How could I when Scott was dead, Nick was fighting for his life, and my stalker was still out there hunting me? Blake bumped me with his shoulder. “You ready to go? We have a full day ahead of us.”
Taking a deep breath, I slid out of my chair. “And when we get back, I’m going to order you some glittery pink Mexican boots for our next trip into town.”
He shook his head. “Keep dreaming, princess. Remember, you lose when the first complaint comes out of your mouth.”
I stalked past him to the door. “Then it’s a good thing I don’t plan on complaining. Let’s go.”
The entrance to Grand Teton National Forest wasn’t far from Blake’s ranch. We stopped at one of the visitor centers and I grabbed a few pamphlets on the various trails. One went over specifics of what you should do if you came upon a bear. The thought scared the shit out of me, but I kept quiet. The bet was, I wouldn’t complain and I could keep up. I wasn’t about to fail.
“There are so many trails. How are we going to pick one?” I said, gazing at the map in awe.
“I think you’d like Taggart Lake. It’s surrounded by mountains and the water is as clear as glass. It was one of the first trails I did as a kid, except that was during the summer. We’re probably going to be trekking through four and five feet of snow today.”
I waved him off. “That’s easy for me. We get plenty of snow up north.”
“Okay, Ranger Rivers. Sounds like you got this under control. Let’s get our trail on!” He tapped me on the ass and led me out of the center.
When we reached the trailhead, there were only three cars in the parking lot. “I guess it’s a good thing it’s off season. I bet this place is packed in the summer.”
He snorted. “You have no idea. I stay away from all of these places during that time. Too many rude fucking tourists. It amazes me how some have absolutely no respect for nature.”
We got out of the car and he hauled the backpack over his shoulders. “How much did you pack?” I asked, gawking at the heavy bag.
“You have to be prepared out here. These trails aren’t exactly a walk in the park.” Grinning wide, he strapped the bag to his back, and a holstered gun around his hips. “Let’s see what you’re made of, Hollywood.”
I waved toward the trail. “After you, city.”
Chuckling, he started off on the path and I had no problem keeping up. So far so good.
“Do you have a camera?” Everything was so beautiful, I hated not being able to capture it. Once I left, I was probably never going to see it again.
Blake stopped and opened a side zipper on the bag.
“As a matter of fact, I do. Have at it.”
He handed me the camera and I squealed. “Will you be able to email me the pictures? I want to remember this place. Plus, it’s the perfect inspiration for my new song.”
“I can do that, sure. But if we run out of time, you can just take the camera with you. I’ll get it back somehow.”
And just like that, I realized I’d never see him again once I left. Lifting the camera, I snapped pictures of the mountains, and a few of him. Before going home, I’d have to sneak pictures of him working out in his barn, wearing his cowboy hat and no shirt. I wanted to remember him.
“What are you writing about?” he asked.
We came upon a bridge overlooking a rapidly flowing stream; it sounded almost like a waterfall. I snapped a few pictures and smiled. “I just started it. Basically, it’s about a guy and girl who fall in love. He’s a cowboy who changes his bad boy ways.”
His lips pulled back in a smirk. “You’re not writing it about me are you?”
“Please.” I snorted. “I don’t see you changing your ways. Besides, players don’t fall in love. It would ruin their game.”
He shrugged. “Maybe you’re right. I’m not the kind of guy who can be tamed.”
That was for damn sure.
The trail disappeared into the forest, hiding the sun with its blanket of treetops. I shivered as the temperature turned colder. “You never know, Blake. One day, you might find the right woman. She’s out there somewhere.”
“What about you?” he countered. “If Nick is just your friend, where does that leave you? You’re not planning on keeping up the charade with him forever are you?” He glanced over his shoulder.
“No, but he’s the only one who’s been able to put up with the press. Before him, I was dating a guy I went to high school with and once my career took off, he couldn’t handle it. My only solution was to date someone who knew the business. Then every guy I tried to date ended up being a douchebag. Thankfully, I met Nick and everything fell into place.”