The idea made her grin and shake her head. Had someone suggested she take anything slowly before this moment on the horse under the sun, Payton wouldn’t have wanted to hear it. But now, with her daily demands far from reach and the handsome cowboy by her side, taking things slowly didn’t sound half bad.
Chapter 12
“Oh, what about the way he laughs?” Payton blurted as she and Luke brushed down Rudi after the ride.
Luke chuckled. “Definitely,” he said. “Taylor razzes Jason about his laugh all the time. Sounds like he’s got the hiccups or something.”
“Exactly!” Payton sighed, surprised by how good it felt to relax for a while. Get away from the pressures that had piled up over the last few months or even years of her life. More so in the past few days. But here in the sunlit barn, hints of manure mingled with hay, life was simple.
Rudi’s steady breaths urged Payton to breathe deeply as well, the cadence calm and easy. Luke had shown her how to brush him down on one side, and let her join in on the other side of the animal.
“He’s kind of a poor sport too,” Luke said, giving her shoulder a slight nudge. “The way his face gets all sour when he loses a round of hoops or horseshoes.”
Payton liked that nudge more than she should. It was friendly and playful. A different side of the guy who’d upset her life by hiring her brother. “I totally know the expression you’re talking—wait, did you say you play horseshoes? That’s not real, is it? Do people really play that?”
Luke nodded. “Of course they do.”
Payton shook her head. “That’s like … spin the bottle or something. I didn’t think people actually still did that.”
Luke dropped the arm he’d been brushing Rudi with and turned to face her. Payton brought her elbow in, not wanting to bump into his suddenly very close chest. Already she could feel the heat of him along her forearm. “Payton,” he said, his face serious.
She leaned back slightly and turned to face him. “Yeah?” Payton cleared her throat, wondering if the sudden tightness there would stop her from breathing. Her palm grew sweaty around the grooming brush.
“You’ve never played spin the bottle?”
“Uh-uh,” she said with the shake of her head.
“Didn’t you go to any adolescent parties?”
Another head shake. “I wasn’t allowed.”
“Well, Ms. Payton, I can assure you that people still play both.”
“Have you played spin the bottle before?”
“Of course.”
Her heart was beating out of control. “And what, you really just spin the bottle and kiss whoever it lands on?”
He nodded. “Kiss, make out, spend seven minutes in heaven with them … whatever rules are set.”
It suddenly turned much hotter in the barn. A hint of jealousy wiggled in as she considered the lucky girl who’d been able to kiss Luke at one of those parties.
He licked his lips and lifted a brow. “I can show you how it’s done if you’d like.”
“What?” Her heart tore into a gallop, the mad hammering audible in her head.
His lip twitched, and suddenly he broke into a grin. A small laugh bubbled from somewhere deep in his chest.
Payton stepped back and slapped his arm playfully. “Gosh, you’re a tease.”
He chuckled again. “Maybe a little.”
She worked to slow her breaths once more, distracted by the pull he had on her. She liked being near Luke, the cowboy from Montana. Which was bad, considering she had an engagement to fix somehow. Fix? The word was a set of screeching brakes in her head. She hadn’t been planning to fix the engagement at all. Only to make it official that the whole thing was off. So why had that idea come to her?
The warm and easy mood she’d had a moment ago took a drastic plunge, the ugly urge to fix things instead taking over. That’s what she did best: repair all the visible cracks in her family’s life. Already, the Kendall/Keller wedding was one of next year’s most anticipated events. Plus, nothing increased the status of a high-profile family more than a union involving another big name in the industry. It had taken a lot of effort to get to this point.
Had Payton really believed she could get off so easy? Fall gracefully into the arms of someone like Luke or the handsome guy in the photo?
The weight was back full force. That heaviness in the center of her gut. It felt like she’d just swallowed the calf she’d seen roaming in the field moments ago.
“You okay?” A furrow formed in Luke’s brow as he caught her gaze. She took in his gorgeous green eyes, that wonderfully chiseled jaw, even the perfect angles of his nose. He was unreal, and suddenly, so far from reach as well. She’d never have someone like him.
“I’m fine,” she said, noticing a small scar along his chin. “What happened here?” Payton hadn’t meant for it to come out in a whisper, but it had: the longing she felt for him, the ache at the knowledge she could never have him, all of it somehow forcing a reckless sort of emotion to the surface. She reached out a hand, ran her thumb over the scar, gently, as if proving he wasn’t so far from reach after all.
Her heart picked up its pace once more as visions of cradling his jaw came to mind, followed by the idea of leaning in and kissing his full and flawless lips.
“I, um … got struck with a baseball bat,” he said, his voice equally hushed. His breath hitched, the jagged inhale evident in the halted rise of his muscled chest. One shoulder raised in a half-shrug. “I was coaching Doug in the Special Olympics.”
Doug?
“Look who I bumped into back at the house.” Jason’s voice cut through the tempting tension like a rusty blade.
Payton spun around to see her brother stepping into the barn, a slightly shorter gentleman at his side.
“Payton, this is Doug. Doug, Payton.”
The sun streaming bright through the double doors created a silhouette of the man’s figure. Speak of the angel. Payton could hardly believe she was about to finally meet him. She gulped, pulled herself away from the magnet that was Luke the cowboy, and walked toward the guy she’d been oddly fantasizing about since she’d seen his picture.
Or had she? “Hi, Doug,” Payton said, realizing Doug was the younger one on the other side of that photo, with the adorable, heart-tugging smile and the crinkles around his eyes.
“Hi there, Payton.” He shook her hand, excitement rich in his voice. “I’m happy to meet you.”
Still taken aback, Payton tried to make sense of the puzzle in her head. The framed photo was nearly complete. The only missing piece was the face of the man standing beside Doug. “I’m happy to meet you too,” she said. “You were in Texas, right? How was it?”
“It was awesome!” the kid said, his smile growing wider still. “I came to get the rest of my things. I got a new job on a dude ranch, so I have to hurry back.”
“That’s so cool,” Payton said. She’d have to ask Jason and Luke what a dude ranch was later. “So I heard that you’re the one responsible for those eggs back at the house. Are you taking them with you?”
“I wish I could,” Doug said. “I actually wanted to talk to you about that.”
Payton lifted a brow. “Me?”
“Well, it’s too late to move the chicks from their environment,” Doug said, “but Luke could really use some help when they hatch. I figured, when I heard you were here, that maybe you could help him.”
Payton glanced over her shoulder. Luke stood there, those mysterious eyes set on her as a wry smile tugged at his lips. Lips she’d just considered kissing a moment ago. Perhaps this was her chance. If she said yes to Doug, Payton would have an excuse to stay in Montana. She knew the pressures of home would make her feel like she had to go through with some horrible, loveless marriage. But here, Payton was starting to see that there was so much more than the life she’d known. And it was beautiful.
She recalled the raven she’d seen at the airport, felt as if it was somewhere in her chest, its wings flapping its wi
ld flutter as she turned back to Doug. “I’d be happy to help out.”
“Thank you!” Doug threw his arms around her in an exuberant hug.
She patted him on the back, a giggle sneaking up her throat. “I don’t know how much help I can be since I don’t know anything about chicks or hatching, but …”
Doug waved a dismissive hand. “You can learn about it on the internet,” he assured. “Come on, and I’ll give you a rundown.” Doug kept an arm around her and pointed to the open barn doors.
Payton felt the questioning glances from Luke and Jason as she stepped into the brightness of the sun. They were right to question her. Taking care of baby chicks was the last thing Payton thought she’d be doing on her trip here.
“When did you say they’re supposed to hatch?” she asked as they strode through tall blades of long, dried grass.
“I’ll show you,” he assured. “I have a chart. You’re going to love this.”
Payton nodded, another question coming to mind. Yet just as it entered, she realized she might already know the answer. That familiar smile. The odd attraction she felt for him … “Hey, Doug?”
“Yeah?” he asked.
“I’ve been sleeping in your room—I hope you don’t mind.”
“Oh, I don’t mind,” the kid assured. “Besides, I was practically already moved out. Except for my pictures and some of my clothes.”
She smiled. “Thanks. Speaking of your pictures, I noticed a picture frame on your nightstand. Can you tell me who’s in that photo with you? In the baseball uniform?” Her head felt light, the anticipation causing her breaths to stop short.
“Oh,” Doug said. “That’s Luke, silly.”
The final piece of the puzzle snapped right into place with Luke’s handsome face at the center. It really was him. She managed a small chuckle. “That was a silly question,” she said. “I should’ve known that.”
“Yeah. But he does look pretty different in his baseball uniform,” Doug said.
He looks pretty different when he smiles too. Payton nodded, wondering if she could get the inside scoop on the mysterious cowboy. A quick glance over her shoulder said he and Jason had fallen behind. Doug, in his excitement, had picked up speed while leading her to the house.
“So, is Luke a nice guy?” Payton had put a lot of thought into the man in that photo. Given him credit he hadn’t even earned. And only minutes ago, she’d shared a meaningful moment with him, not realizing it was the guy in the photo. But that almost added to the magic of it all.
“Oh, yes,” Doug said as he led her through the back door and into the mudroom. “Like my dad always says, he’s as good a guy as they come.”
She liked hearing that. Allowed the thought to seep into her small but growing knowledge base of who Luke Branson really was.
Beside the washer and dryer, resting on a collapsible table, the incubator glowed and hummed. Doug hunkered down, kneeling in front of the small box. “Hi there, guys!” he cheered, stroking a loving hand along the side of the glass case. “Daddy’s here.” He laughed, and motioned for Payton to join him on the floor.
She’d forgotten herself for a moment, enchanted by the sight of Doug with the eggs. Quickly, she knelt to his side and grinned at him before looking into the case. “Hi, little ones.”
“Did you here Payton’s voice? That’s your momma now.” His eyes narrowed as he traced his gaze over each egg with care. A splash of light freckles dotted his cheeks and the bridge of his nose, the color close to the light brown shade of his neatly combed hair. “I don’t see any cracks,” he mumbled. “So far, so good.”
He pulled a folded paper out of a folder taped to the back of the container (Payton hadn’t even noticed it was there) and scooted a good foot back to flatten the page on the wood floor. A calendar, hand-drawn in dark pencil lead, took up the page. “Here’s when we put the eggs in the incubator, and here’s where we are today.” He slid a finger along the rows of perfect squares, moving from day one to day ten. “They’ll hatch between day twenty and twenty-two, with most of them hatching on the twenty-first day.” He tapped the square labeled day twenty-one. A small sketch of a puffy chick took up most of the square.
Her eyes widened as she realized how far they had to go. “Wait,” she murmured. “That’s in ten days …”
Doug nodded, his eyes growing wide in concern. “Oh no. You won’t be gone, will you?”
She’d pictured it being more like five extra days. This would make everyone back home furious. Did she really dare start that kind of war by not playing the Hollywood game she knew all too well?
Luke stepped into the room, looking from Doug to her. His eyes seemed to ask a similar question.
“No, I won’t be gone,” she said with a smile. “I’ll stay until they’re hatched.” A wave of heat washed over her face. “As long as it’s okay with Luke.”
Doug spun around and steepled his hands. “Is it okay with you?”
Luke hunched down beside Doug and covered his mouth. “What if I’m scared of her?” he asked in a whisper.
Doug jerked back from the comment and scrunched his face. “Because she’s pretty?” he hissed back.
Luke straightened to his full height, his stature intimidating from her perspective on the floor. He shot Payton a look before setting his eyes back on Doug with a wink. “Something like that,” he mumbled. “But I’m sure I’ll survive.” He strode off, the paced sound of his boots on the wood fading as he moved into the kitchen.
Doug let out another cheer before carrying on with the instructions, showing her the large bin the chicks would go into after they all hatched. She could hardly believe that a bunch of soft feathery fluff balls would soon hatch from the eggs basking beneath the heat lamp, or whatever that bulb was. Something about the idea made her feel like a kid again.
Adding to that was the fact that she’d just done something terribly irresponsible in most eyes. She’d agreed to abandon her life now for a set amount of time. Taken her Montana venture to retrieve her brother from a let’s-get-this-done-ASAP type of thing to a why-not-stay-ten-more-days adventure.
It was thrilling and terrifying all at once.
“The one thing you have to remember,” Doug said, his voice taking on a serious tone. He pointed his finger at her, though his eyes wandered to the kitchen where Luke and Jason were. “Never, ever help an egg hatch.”
Payton nodded, remembering how Taylor told her that very thing. “Okay, I won’t.” She heard Jason and Luke mumbling something to one another, but tried very hard to stay focused. “Why would I be tempted to help them hatch?”
“Because,” Luke blurted, striding toward the mudroom, “they have a hard time doing it on their own.” He leaned a muscled arm along the doorframe, crossing one foot casually over the other. “In fact, some don’t ever make it at all. They’re just … not strong enough to break through the shell.”
Payton gasped. “Well, if they’re not strong enough, then we have to help them.” She looked back to Doug. “Right?”
Doug shook his head, the smile falling off his face. “We can’t. If we interfere, they’ll bleed out. If they can’t break out of the shell on their own, they’re probably not strong enough to survive outside of the shell.”
Payton lifted her shoulders. “You know what? That’s not going to happen with these ones. These eggs have strong little chicks inside.”
“You’re right,” Doug said.
Luke spun on one heel and headed toward the kitchen. “I hope she’s right,” he said under his breath.
Payton nodded, wondering how often chicks had trouble breaking free. She couldn’t help but think she was attempting that very thing—breaking free from the chains in her life, the way Jason had. But she quickly pushed the thought from her mind. No. Ten days, Payton. That’s all you’ve got before you head back to reality.
Chapter 13
Luke sat beside Payton as the eggs hatched. And soon he was reaching into the incubator, collecting one o
f the weightless puffballs for her to hold. The little chick peeped, its face smiling as it looked up at Payton.
“It’s so cute,” she cooed. “I love it.”
Luke chuckled. “Good,” he said, bringing an arm around her back. “I’m glad.”
She turned to look at him, her lids looking heavy. “You know what I like even more?” If flirtation was a language, Payton was speaking it.
His heart kicked up, rumbling like the bass in the mustang. “What?” A gulp slunk down his throat.
“You,” she said, closing the gap between them.
Luke, somehow knowing it was a dream, took advantage of the moment just the same. He slipped one hand up her neck and pressed his lips to hers with a groan. Yes. He knew the taste of her kiss would be this good. He only wished he wasn’t waking up. But he was. The sound of his phone alarm made it clear, the familiar tune of a country song growing louder and more distinct.
Luke shot his eyes open and groaned. Yep. It was a dream. Of course.
He’d taken a shower before going to bed the night before, but he decided to take another before heading out. This time a cold one. Anything to get the images of Payton Keller and her kiss out of his mind.
He shouldn’t be in a hurry to put his thoughts someplace else, though; the truth was, that dreamt kiss was more pleasant than anything he’d experienced in months. Which made him feel like a heathen. The woman was engaged, for crying out loud. A fact he’d seemed to forget in his sleep.
As he shook cereal into his bowl, hair still damp from the shower, Luke thought back on their moment in the barn when he’d teased her about playing spin the bottle. Had he misread her, or was it possible Payton felt the same attraction he did?
“Of course not, you dummy. She’s engaged.” Luke had only mumbled the words, but in his head they were loud and accusing. Since when did his memory become so selective? It was just that … Payton didn’t act engaged around Luke. She acted interested, almost. Which would make things even worse, he reminded himself. He really was a heathen for the thoughts in his head. He was not the type to fall for another man’s woman.
This Cowboy's a Keeper (Unlikely Cowgirl Book 3) Page 7