by K. C. Crowne
“No sense in waitin’ around,” I said out loud, giving in to my nervous habit of talking to myself when stress had me all wrapped up like a boa constrictor. “Let’s get to it.”
I rolled down the window, reached over, and pressed “call.” After a moment, the speaker crackled to life. “Rainbow Canyons,” came a low, gruff voice on the other end.
“Uh, hey there! My name’s Skye Phillips. I’m meeting with Travis Walker about a job tendin’ to the horses.”
There was a silence, and for a moment, I worried the guy on the other end might tell me there’d been some kind of misunderstanding about the job or that they’d already filled it or some other such worst-case-scenario nonsense.
“Alright. Travis is the third building on the right, got the white truck out in front of it. Can’t miss it.”
Relief settled over me. At least that part was done. “Thank you,” I said, trying on my best chipper, professional tone.
The speaker went dead, and the gate opened with a click. I drove through, the dust kicked up by my tires vanishing as I drove onto the emerald-green grass of the property.
The ranch was amazing, a little slice of heaven. The big, blue Texas sky above only made it more scenic and gorgeous. And there were so many dang animals – goats, cows, and horses, of course. Big, beautiful animals I couldn’t wait to throw a saddle on and ride.
The ranch bustled with activity, too. I spotted a couple dozen people out and about, some riding, some tending to the animals, some simply out for strolls. From what I’d heard, Rainbow Canyons was a popular tourist attraction with plenty of rich city slickers from Houston and Dallas coming out to spend a week or two living the real Texas life they didn’t get in the cities with their traffic and skyscrapers and other such assorted nonsense that a country girl like me never had time for.
It took all the restraint I had not to ogle the sights as I pulled up to Travis Walker’s cabin. The closer I got, the more the blend of excitement and nervousness welled in my belly. I couldn’t imagine wanting anything more than I wanted to work at a place like that.
But it all came down to the meeting. I’d heard tell about the Walker boys, how they were real cowboy types, tough and stoic and all that good stuff. And sure, I’d met a few men like that in my time. Truth be told, a lot of them were all bluster, total soft boys underneath the forced hard exterior. Couldn’t say why for certain, but I had the impression Travis and the rest of them were the real deal.
I killed the engine to my truck and hopped out. It was a perfect spring day in Texas, mild and pleasant, a little wind here and there that felt fresh and sweet on the skin. With the folder containing my transcripts and references in hand, I approached the cabin.
Once in front of the door, I took a deep, steeling breath and knocked. Moments passed with no response. After enough time had passed to not seem overeager, I knocked again. Once more, no response. My gut tensed into a tight little ball. Had I screwed up? Did I get the damn time wrong or something? I pulled out my phone calendar to check, worried as all hell that I had shown up early.
Or even worse, late.
But before I had a chance to double-check, the deep thump of a horse’s footfalls sounded behind me, followed by the familiar snort of the animal.
“You Skye?”
The man’s voice was something else – deep, commanding, and smooth as fresh molasses. A tingle ran down my neck all the way to the base of my spine at nothing more than just those two syllables. I turned and there waiting for me was a mountain of a man on horseback.
And what a man.
He was tall and strapping, built as strong as the horse he rode. He wore a red-and-blue checkered snap-button shirt tucked into a pair of rugged jeans that fit him just right; his shitkickers dirtied up enough to know he was a working sort of cowboy. His features were square and strong with a cleft chin, narrowed eyes, and plush lips hidden slightly beneath the shade of his off-white cowboy hat. A scruffy beard outlined his powerful jaw.
Taking in the sight of him, the tinge of nervousness that ran through me became a tinge of something else. Seeing him mounted on the back of that horse, his eyes locked on me, was enough to make me wet where I stood.
As if this process needed to be any more damn difficult – of course Travis Walker had to be hot as hell.
He hopped off the back of the horse and tied its reins to a nearby hitching post. As he moved, his big, golden belt buckle caught the glint of sunlight.
“Not much for talkin’?” he asked once the horse was tied up, and he’d given it a strong pat on the haunches.
“Um, yes, I’m Skye.” The words sort of tumbled out like a bunch of barrels down a flight of wooden stairs. I’d always considered myself the fearless type, but this specimen had me tongue-tied. All I could think about was how much I wanted him to ride me instead of that horse.
Without saying another word, he sauntered up to me, hooking his thumbs into his thick, leather belt. He eyed me suspiciously as if I might not be the person I said I was. And he took his time about it, too.
“OK, then,” he said once he was evidently satisfied. “You’re here to talk about the horse trainin’ position, that right?”
“That’s right,” I said, letting my nerves untie themselves. “And I’m very excited to talk to you about it.”
I stuck out my hand, and he gave it a quick look before taking it into his. Holy hell. However I’d felt looking at the man, being touched by him made it seem like nothing in comparison. His hand was strong, warm, and rough – the kind of hand a man should have.
“Travis Walker. A pleasure to meet ya,” he said. “Let’s head on in. Got some questions for ya.”
“Sure!”
He stepped past me, fished a keyring out of his pocket, and opened the door to the cabin. Travis held the door, gesturing for me to enter first. I loved that about cowboy types – they could come off as cold, distant, but they always showed flashes of being gentlemen who, deep down, cherished women.
I entered the cabin, the space cozy and well-appointed. There were several tall bookshelves packed with colorful spines, a handsome fireplace for the chillier months, and furniture that appeared to be handmade.
Travis’s boots thumped on the hardwood floor as he made his way to one of the chairs across from the couch. Of course, my eyes went right to that perfect ass of his, wrapped up like a present in denim. I wanted to take a damn bite out of the thing.
Get your head together, girl, I reminded myself. Yeah, yeah, he’s hot as hell. But he might be your damn boss. Not the right person to be drooling over.
He crossed his legs once he’d sat down, then nodded to the couch. I hurried over and took my place.
“Where are my damn manners?” he asked, getting up. “Let me get ya some coffee.”
“Black is fine,” I quickly said, glancing at his ass as he walked away, forgetting my own manners for a second. The coffee was sitting, waiting for him, and I wondered if he kept a pot made all the time.
“A woman after my own heart,” he commented dryly. His expression was still stony, and I couldn’t tell how serious he was.
I watched as he grabbed a couple of ceramic mugs and poured some coffee into them. Then he came over and handed me one before taking his place across from me again.
“Alright,” he said, taking off his hat and letting loose a tussle of sandy-blond hair. “You’re interested in bein’ the ranch’s new horse trainer, huh?”
I nodded, smiling at him. “Nothin’ I’d like more.”
He sat back, considering my words. “Is that so? Go ahead and tell me why.”
I cleared my throat, ready to give my prepared speech. “Because I’ve loved horses ever since I was a little girl. Love riding them, love caring for them, love every damn thing about them. Never once have I wanted to do anything other than work with them for a living.”
He nodded, though he looked a little skeptical. “OK, so you love horses. So do a lot of people. Namely, so do a lot of peop
le who want this job. Now, you’re qualified enough for me to give you a trial run, but I want to know why I’m not gonna regret bringin’ you on board here at Rainbow Canyons.”
Travis was tough and serious. Sure, it was to be expected for an interview, but I’d heard that as the personnel manager of the ranch, he was a little more of the gregarious sort. That wasn’t what I saw at all. He was as stony and hard as any other cowboy.
“Because with me, you’re gettin’ passion, and you’re gettin’ a hard worker.” I opened my folder to take out my credentials. “I’m a double-major in equine studies, which includes things like ridin’, teachin’, and trainin’, among others. I’m not some newbie who just thinks horses are cute.” I smirked at him. “Though I do think that.”
“I know your credentials,” he acknowledged with a small smile on his face. “That’s part of why you’re sittin’ across from me.” Travis clasped his hands together. “You know, we could sit here flappin’ our jaws all damn day. I’d rather see what you can do. Come on.” He rose, nodding to me to follow him. “Leave your folder. You’re not gonna need it.”
I slapped it down in the chair I’d vacated and hurried after him. We stepped outside where his horse, a gorgeous animal with an amber coat and dark eyes, awaited us. Travis ran his hand down her neck, and I didn’t think I’d ever seen a sexier sight in my life.
“This here’s Mabel.”
“She’s beautiful,” I gushed in awe of the magnificent creature, and her owner.
“That she is. And more than that, she’s a mean old cuss. She’ll ride hard and treat ya right if she trusts ya. And she doesn’t trust just anyone.”
My eyes focused on the dark gaze of Mabel, who seemed to be sizing me up in the same way her owner had.
“So, let’s see if that college education has some real-world applications.” He crossed his arms over his broad chest and leaned back against the cabin. “Go on – see if she’ll let you mount.”
Shit – my first on the job test. I cast a glance at Travis, who gave me a nod to go on. I took another deep breath and approached Mabel slowly, my hands out to show I wasn’t any kind of danger. Mabel stayed still, her ink-black tail whipping back and forth behind her.
“Alright, girl,” I murmured, speaking in a calm, easy voice. “My name’s Skye, and we’re gonna be pals, y’hear?”
I drew closer and closer, but when I was a few feet away, Mabel tensed up, let out a whinny, and kicked her back hooves into the air.
“Whoa!” I said, stepping back. “Easy, girl!”
Mabel returned to her standing position, still tense. But lucky for me, I’d dealt with ornery horses before. There were a few tricks that always helped, like making sure you approached slowly and from the side where they could see you. So that’s what I did. Careful step after careful step, I drew closer to the beautiful creature. I could feel Travis’s eyes on me, his gaze so intense it almost burned my flesh. Though I was focused on Mabel, part of me couldn’t help but wonder if he was as turned on by me as I was him.
“There you go, girl,” I murmured, finally close enough to touch her. “That’s right…we’re gonna get along real nice.”
I reached out as carefully as could be, placing my right hand on her neck. Her fur was bristly but fine, lovely to touch. Mabel snorted as I stroked her mane slowly, and the tension seemed to melt from her body
“That’s right, that’s right,” I spoke as sweetly as a mama with her newborn. “Now, I’m gonna climb on back of you – that okay with you?”
Mabel was still, my sign she was fine with it. Still moving slowly, I slipped a foot into the stirrup and pulled myself on top of her. I’d done it. I was on Mabel’s back, the animal seeming to have no problem with it. I turned my attention to Travis, and I couldn’t help but smile broadly at him.
“And how’s that?” I asked.
“Impressive,” he said with a nod. “You don’t even know the half of it.”
“How do you mean?” I asked.
He approached, extending his hand to me to help me off. Once again, his touch made my whole body light up with sexual heat. And when he put his hand on the small of my back to steady me on the ground, I felt like I might melt on the spot.
“You’re officially the first non-Walker who’s managed to get on her back,” he revealed, looking down at me. “Like I said, impressive.”
His hands lingered on my body for a few beats. Interview or not, the man was making me wet as hell, and my mind wandered to a seriously naughty place before I whipped it back to where it needed to be.
After a moment, as if he knew I liked it and didn’t want him to let me go, he released me and stepped back. “Anyway, you’re more than qualified, and if you can handle the rest of the horses the way you handled Mabel, I think you might be a good fit for the ranch. Come on back inside.”
We headed back into the cabin, taking our seats where we’d been before.
“Now,” he said. “Got a few more ques—” Before he could finish, Travis’s phone buzzed on the coffee table. He picked it up and checked the screen. “Aw, hell. Give me a sec.”
“Sure.”
Travis took the call and got up, heading to the other side of the room. I wasn’t really the nosy sort, but I couldn’t help but overhear the conversation.
“That’s what you called for, to see if I was still goin’ out tonight?” He chuckled as he listened. “I mean, sure, but I’m in the middle of an interview…alright, fine, drinks at Sharpe’s…you think of a better place, let me know. I’m all ears, Adam.”
Adam, I mused internally. I didn’t know the Walker family all that well, but I was pretty sure none of the members of the Walker clan were named Adam.
He hung up and returned to his seat. “Apologies,” he said. “Meetin’ up with a buddy of mine for some drinks later.”
“And you’re goin’ to Sharpe’s?”
He nodded, sitting back in his chair. “Yup. Only bar in Patterson. Same place we go every weekend.”
“You ever been to the Raw Heart Saloon?”
He cocked his head to the side in curiosity. “Name sounds familiar. Where’s that?”
“It’s in Sheppard, where I’m from. Nice place – cheap beer, good dancin’. Hell, there’s even a mechanical bull if you’re into that kinda thing.” I laughed and shook my head. “It’s a lot of fun to ride.”
He lifted his eyebrows. “You’ve ridden it?”
I wrinkled my nose at him. “Just a couple times. Very Sissy from Urban Cowboy style.”
“I bet.” The first hint of a smile I’d seen formed on his lips. “That sounds about right. Sheppard’s about a half-hour from here, right?”
“Yessir,” I responded.
“That could be a nice change of pace,” he mused. “Anyway, if I didn’t make it clear, you’ve got the job. You can start Monday mornin’. Thinkin’ around six.”
I couldn’t believe it. I got the freaking job. “Sounds great!” I exclaimed. “You’re not gonna regret this, not even a little.”
He rose, and we shook hands again. “Hopin’ that’s the case,” he said. “See you then.”
He flashed me a genuine smile, and as I gathered my stuff and headed out, I just about died from overheating.
Travis
Skye’s pretty face was burned into my mind just as surely as the brand on a steer’s backside. Holy hell, I hadn’t been prepared for how smoking hot she’d been. But the moment she’d driven off, her beat-up old truck disappearing over the horizon of the property, I knew I needed to keep my damn mind right about the situation.
She’s not some broad from the bar, Travis. She’s your new fuckin’ employee.
In the smart part of my brain, I knew it was the right call. Sure, she was fine as hell – strawberry-blonde hair, curvy in all the right places, and a face to die for – but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t be professional about the whole thing.
I spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening going over paperwork in the
office of my cabin. Personnel was my thing, and the ranch depended on me to keep the staff straight and make sure paychecks went out on time. But as I worked my way through the day’s paperwork, my mind kept going back to her.
At around seven, the sun was setting low and filling my office with dreamy, late-evening light. I leaned and cracked my back against my chair, my phone going off as I did. Another call from Adam.
Adam Carter was my best bud. We’d known each other from all the way back in grade school and had stayed close over our lives, save for the handful of years when he signed up with the Marine infantry and shipped off to Afghanistan. He was my go-to drinking bud, a little more reserved than me, but still a good guy to split a pitcher with.
“What’s up?” I asked, holding the phone to my ear.
“Still on for drinks tonight?”
I laughed. “That why you called? Wanted to make sure I wasn’t standin’ you up? I’m a little hurt you’d think me the type.”
He laughed at my theatrics. “Aw hell, you got me. I got so excited to have a date with the Travis Walker himself that I ‘spose I’m gettin’ a touch nervous about it.” The shit we gave each other was epic. “Nah,” he went on. “Just wanted to see what time you were comin’ to pick my ass up. Been a long day, and I’m thirsty as hell.”
I checked the time on my phone. “Man, I’m right there with you. Truck still givin’ you shit?”
“You bet your ass it is. Got the engine sorted out, but I’m not takin’ her out until I get the new tires on tomorrow.”
“Alright then, I’ll be a gentleman and come scoop you up. Give me about twenty, and I’ll be there.”
“Sounds like a damn fine plan.”
Something occurred to me before I hung up. “One more thing – you mind if we go to someplace other than Sharpe’s?”
“What’re you thinkin’?”
“Place called Raw Heart Saloon over in Sheppard. Kind of a drive, but I’m thinkin’ a change of scenery might be nice.”
“As long as there’s cheap beer, I’m there.”