Joshua and the Cowgirl

by Sherryl Woods

  “I suppose you’d better finish them off. Maybe we can stop by my house for some more clothes while we’re out.”

  Joshua draped a blanket around her this time, while he opened the left seam from ankle to knee.

  “Try these,” he said, handing them to her and scurrying for the door. If she hadn’t known exactly how he felt, Garrett might have laughed at him. Unfortunately her own pulse continued bucking like a bronco.

  Her heartbeat took another lurch when she saw Joshua’s surprise waiting on the front lawn. An old-fashioned sleigh, sleek and black, the bright red reins dotted with silver bells, sat in the front yard. Two horses pranced in place.

  “A sleigh ride,” she said, her voice filled with wonder. “Where on earth did you find it?”

  “Mrs. Mac thought she remembered it being in one of the outbuildings. There was a dust cover over it and boxes piled on top. The runners were rusty. I’ve been polishing the sleigh up the last three days. Do you like it?”

  “I love it, but you hate being out in weather like this. Are you sure you want to do this?”

  “Do you?”

  “Oh, yes,” she breathed.

  Joshua smiled. “Then I’ll love it.”

  He lifted her up and placed her carefully on the seat, then climbed up beside her. Red plaid blankets were quickly tucked around their legs. “All set? Is your leg comfortable? I put some pillows down so you could prop it up.”

  She reached over and impulsively kissed him. “You’re wonderful.”

  “I keep telling you that,” he said, but she could tell that he was pleased. Just for today, for these next couple of hours, she vowed to relax and say only what was in her heart. Somehow she would find a way later to live with the consequences.

  Joshua snapped the reins and the tinkling sound of the bells rang out as the horses took off at a sedate clip. The sleigh glided across the snow, giving her an entirely new perspective. This was familiar territory zipping past, starkly beautiful in its own way. She had always loved it for the freedom and independence of spirit it represented, but today through fresh eyes, she viewed it as a place of romantic enchantment, as well. Icicles glistened on tree branches. The air was crisp again, the sky cloudless.

  Eventually they stopped and Joshua poured steaming hot chocolate from a thermos into huge mugs, added a dollop of brandy and plopped a handful of marshmallows on top. Garrett took the first sip. “Delicious.”

  “Not half as delicious as you,” he murmured, his gaze locked on her lips. “Your mouth is covered with chocolate and you have this tiny bit of marshmallow.”

  “Where?” She reached up with a napkin, but he brushed her hand away.

  “Let me.” His tongue slowly ran around the outline of her mouth, tasting, until Garrett was sure that the bottom would drop straight out of her stomach. There it was again, that strange, wonderful warmth that Joshua was able to generate deep inside of her. It was better than a bonfire. Snuggled cozily in his embrace, she felt a rare contentment steal over her.

  She sighed. It was only the faintest of sounds, but it immediately drew a worried frown from Joshua.

  “You okay?”

  “Never better.” She slid her hand into his. “How can I ever thank you for this?”

  “Give me a chance. That’s all I want, sweetheart. Just a chance to show you what our life together could be like. This is just a sample.”

  “Not every day can be like this.”

  “Maybe not, but we could give it a hell of a shot. There are so many things I’d like to do for you, so many places I’d like to share.”

  Warning bells rang dimly in the back of her mind, but for once Garrett pretended not to hear them. “Tell me about them, Joshua. Tell me about your life.”

  As they glided across the snow and day turned into dusk, he told her about a world filled with exotic, fascinating places she’d only read about, adventures she’d only dreamed of. It was an alluring world. The images he painted teased her mind, the way his touches teased her flesh.

  “Have there been a lot of women in your life?”

  “Millions.”

  “I’m serious.”

  “None to compare to you.” He tilted her face up until her mouth was only a hairbreadth away. “None,” he said again and fit his lips to hers. The velvet caress was convincing. The ragged pace of his pulse, when she touched her fingers to his neck, was even more so. A woman could believe in a man whose kisses heated like fire and tasted of chocolate. She could believe in this man.

  But, dear Lord, how afraid she was. She looked into Joshua’s eyes and saw love. She looked again and saw commitment. Then she looked into her own heart and the fear didn’t seem nearly as real as his kisses and the promise in his eyes.

  “A chance,” he whispered. “Is that so terribly difficult for you?”

  It was terrifying…or had been mere hours ago. Now it seemed possible. “I’ll try,” she vowed.

  Joshua’s arms stole around her in an undemanding hug that was far more compelling than the hottest passion. There was understanding in that hug and yet another promise. Garrett had rarely trusted promises. She had long since sworn off risks. Tonight it seemed her world was undergoing a change that was likely to affect the rest of her life.

  * * *

  The sight that greeted Joshua when he entered the kitchen brought laughter bubbling up from deep inside him. Wisely, he choked it off as he watched Garrett struggling to stir a lump of flour and milk into what he supposed was biscuit dough. She was scowling fiercely at the mess.

  “Having an attack of domesticity, are we?” he inquired, probably a shade too cheerfully. She glowered at him.

  “Elena’s sick,” she reported succinctly.

  “So you’re cooking dinner?”

  “Don’t sound so horrified.”

  “Horrified, no. Curious, yes. What exactly is that you’re beating to death?”

  “Biscuits,” she said, confirming his original guess.

  “Don’t beat them,” he suggested, keeping his voice bland. “They’ll be tough.”

  “I suppose you could do better.”

  “I could.”

  She poked the bowl at him, which was no mean feat considering the size of the ceramic dish. “Be my guest.”

  “Ask nicely.”

  “I just did.”

  He grinned. “I don’t think so. It sounded more like a challenge to me.”

  “And you don’t rise to challenges?”

  “Oh, I rise to most anything that intrigues me. In this instance, though, I think I’d prefer a small bribe.”

  She regarded him suspiciously. “Such as?”

  “A kiss.”

  “Oh, no. Kisses with you have a way of leading into dangerous territory.” A delightful blush crept into her cheeks.

  He grinned. “Yes, they do, don’t they? Be realistic, though. If I have to get dinner on the table for a dozen people, I won’t have much time to follow through on that one little kiss.”

  Her eyes lit up and she asked thoughtfully, “You’ll do the whole dinner?”

  “Every course. Rare prime rib. Caesar salad. Mashed potatoes and gravy. Green beans almandine. Biscuits. Maybe even a cherry cobbler with cream.” He drew the list out slowly, tantalizing her with the images. She was practically licking her very desirable lips when he added, “If I like the way you kiss.”

  She blinked and shook her head. “You’ll do all that for one kiss?”

  “Just think what I’d do if you threw in a hug.”

  She set the bowl on the counter with a decisive thud and crossed the room in three quick, decisive steps, her cast thumping on the tile floor. Before he realized what she meant to do, she’d pecked him lightly on the cheek, grabbed her jacket and headed for the door. “Thanks,” she called over her shoulder, her expression very sassy and self-satisfied.

  “Whoa!” He snagged a corner of her jacket and brought her to a halt.

  Eyes wide, she stared back at him. “Yes?”

>   “That kiss won’t even get the roast in the oven.” He used her jacket like a rope to tug her closer. “Now, this is the sort of kiss I had in mind.”

  His lips slowly settled on hers, teasing, coaxing, rekindling the quick velvet heat of desire. He lingered to learn the shape of her mouth, to rediscover the sweet, sweet taste of her. After one startled gasp, she fell victim to his touch, melting in his arms, sliding her arms around his neck, threading her fingers through his hair. The temperature in the kitchen rose a good twenty degrees. A few more and that lump of dough wouldn’t need the oven to bake.

  When he finally released her, she very nearly sagged into the nearest chair. “For that kiss you ought to cook for the next month.”

  “If you think I’m going to feed a dozen ranch hands, including the man who’s half in love with you, for a month, you’re crazy. You’d have to go for a lot more than one paltry, old kiss.”

  “That kiss was not paltry,” she retorted, looking offended.

  “I suppose you can do better?”

  “Of course I can,” she said before her eyes blinked wide. “I mean…”

  “Oh no, sweetheart. You said it. Let’s see you back it up.” He stood nobly in front of her. “I’m ready.”

  She sniffed. “You look as if you’re about to make some supreme sacrifice.”

  “I’ll tell you after the kiss how much of a sacrifice it was.”

  “Joshua Ames, if you think you can goad me into kissing you again, you are out of your mind.”

  “Coward.”

  “Am not.”

  “Then let’s see you pucker up, darlin’.”

  “I suppose you won’t be satisfied until you get me into your bed again.”

  “Now that’s an intriguing thought.”

  “One which I’m sure you never considered.” There was the tiniest hint of sarcasm in her voice, but amusement danced in her eyes.

  “Never,” he said piously. “I am an honorable man. I will wed you.”

  He saw the quick flicker of fear, but she kept her voice emphatic. “Over my dead body.”

  “You would give up the chance to experience my culinary skills for the rest of your life?”

  “I haven’t even experienced them for dinner. Maybe you’d better get through this trial run. Then we’ll see if we have anything to talk about.”

  “I have other talents deserving of a trial run,” he offered generously.

  Her gaze narrowed. “I’ve sampled those.”

  “And?”

  “The jury’s still out,” she said sassily, ducking past him and heading for the door.

  This time he let her go. If he hadn’t, dinner would have been hours late and he’d have had a dozen ravenous ranch hands to fend off. Besides, it was more than enough that he’d planted the seductive notion in Garrett’s mind. He knew it would nag at her for days now. Anticipation was sometimes every bit as sweet as the lovemaking.

  Chapter Twelve

  Joshua and Mrs. Mac were up to something. Garrett watched their conspiratorial looks, their whispered conversations and grew increasingly suspicious. They had finally stopped hovering over her once the doctor had assured them that her ankle was healing nicely and would be in its cast no more than another week or so. They hadn’t even objected too strenuously when she’d decided to move back to her own house. In fact, Joshua had barely seemed to react to the announcement at all. His suddenly disinterested attitude irked her almost as much as knowing he was just down the hall had previously provoked her.

  “I’m going,” she announced from the foyer, her small bag sitting by her feet. They barely even looked up. Joshua did manage a distracted wave.

  “I’ll be back next year,” she said and waited for the flurry of commotion to begin.

  “Okay,” Mrs. Mac said mildly. Joshua never even glanced at her.

  Thoroughly miffed now, Garrett stepped into the room, walked over until she was practically under their noses, in fact. “Okay, that’s it,” she announced. “What the hell is going on around here?”

  Two pairs of innocent eyes stared up at her.

  Mrs. Mac’s face creased in a worried frown. “Garrett, dear, is something the matter?”

  Hands on hips, she glared at the two of them. “You tell me.”

  They exchanged a look. “We’re just making a few plans,” Mrs. Mac said.

  “Nothing that you need to worry about,” Joshua added.

  “What if I want to worry?” she countered, only one step away from a childish pout.

  A grin tugged at Joshua’s lips. “Feeling left out, are you?”

  “I just think I have a right to know if something’s going on. I am supposed to be the manager of this ranch.”

  “Oh, this isn’t ranch business, dear.” Mrs. Mac patted her hand.

  Defeated, Garrett began backing toward the door. “Never mind, then.”

  Joshua grabbed her wrist and tried pulling her into his lap. She resisted. He tugged harder and finally tumbled her into his arms.

  “Oh, for heaven’s sakes,” he said, amusement radiating from every rotten pore of him. “Let’s just tell her.”

  Mrs. Mac looked thoughtful. “I suppose she will have to be told sooner or later, but I was hoping we could surprise her.”

  Garrett’s eyes blinked wide and she pushed herself up from the awkward position in which she’d landed. It was not really intentional that she put her hand smack in Joshua’s face for leverage. She addressed her questions directly to Mrs. Mac, who in the long run was a far more trustworthy source than the unscrupulous man holding her. “A surprise? For me? Why?”

  “Well, your birthday is coming, dear. What do you think, Joshua? Should we tell her and spoil the surprise?”

  Still rubbing his nose, which she’d mashed, he studied her intently. Finally he shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

  Garrett tumbled out of his lap, grabbed a pillow from the sofa and threw it at him. Laughing, he caught in in mid-air. “Okay. Okay. You tell her, though. I need to focus all my attention on fending off another one of her sneak attacks. The woman can’t stay away from me.”

  “You wish. Now talk.”

  “We’re planning a party,” Mrs. Mac announced.

  Garrett blinked. “A party?”

  Joshua rolled his eyes. “You know, one of those events where people get together, eat a lot of food, dance a little, tell jokes, put lampshades on their heads.”

  Mrs. Mac grimaced at Joshua’s description. “My lampshades will remain precisely where they are,” she warned.

  “Don’t tell me,” he said. “I would never dream of doing anything so juvenile.” His gaze shifted to Garrett. “But some of your guests might.”

  “Sometimes, you are thoroughly obnoxious,” Garrett pointed out. It didn’t seem to faze him. “Why are you having the party?”

  “I told you, dear. It’s for your birthday. It was Joshua’s idea.”

  She regarded him suspiciously. “Why?”

  His expression suddenly turned serious. The intensity of his gaze pinned her like a doe caught in headlights. His voice dropped to a husky whisper. “So I can get you into my arms on a dance floor and make love to you to the music all night long.”

  The provocative image ripped through her and left her knees trembling.

  “Joshua,” she objected weakly. She shot a look at Mrs. Mac to see how she was taking this blatantly sexual announcement. Instead of outright shock, she saw an unfamiliar dreaminess in those bright blue eyes.

  “Oh, my,” Mrs. Mac said finally. “Young man, you certainly know how to bring back memories.”

  She watched as Joshua reached over and gently squeezed a gnarled hand. “I expect you to save a dance for me, too,” he told the older woman.

  A spark of pure devilment crept into those old eyes. “Just watch where you put those wicked hands of yours, young man.”

  Garrett was able to pry very little additional information out of the two of them. Not even Elena, who was back to
bustling about in the kitchen again, would reveal much. That night at dinner in her own house again, Garrett decided to see how much her daughter knew about the upcoming event.

  “Casey, what have you heard about this party that Mrs. Mac is planning?”

  Casey looked startled. “You know?”

  “I know they’re planning it. They wouldn’t tell me any of the details.”

  “Did you tell them you wouldn’t come?”

  “No. Why would I do that?”

  “I thought you didn’t want to spend time with Joshua.”

  Garrett listened as her own advice came back to haunt her. “Sweetie, there’s a big difference between going to a party and being involved with someone.”

  “What about the sleigh ride?”

  “How on earth did you know about that?”

  “Elena told me. I saddled up Bright Lightning and went for a ride to see if it was true.” Accusing eyes glared at her. “Mom, you were kissing him.”

  She couldn’t very well deny what Casey had seen with her own eyes, though she very much wanted to. “I know. I can’t explain it, but it seemed like the right thing to do at the time.”

  A faint spark of hope flickered in Casey’s eyes. “Does that mean you’re going to date him, after all?”

  Dating seemed an innocuous term for what had been happening lately between her and Joshua. Too cautious to label it more, she simply nodded. “While he’s here,” she was quick to point out. “I don’t expect it to last once he’s gone home again.”

  Although Garrett had made the claim aloud, she believed it the way an eight-year-old denied a belief in Santa Claus, with more hope of being wrong than certainty of being right. She did want it to last. She was beginning to dream of happily ever afters. She just wasn’t going to admit it. If nothing else, she would salvage her pride when he’d gone.

  Disappointment written on her face, Casey pushed her plate away. “May I be excused?”

  “When you’ve finished your dinner.”

  “I’m not hungry. If I have to sit here a week, I still won’t be hungry.”

  Since Casey was perfectly capable of making good on her claim through sheer stubbornness, Garrett sighed and waved her off. “See that your homework’s done before you watch any TV.”