Horses, Hayrides, And Husbands (Country Brides & Cowboy Boots)

by Jeanette Lewis

  “I’m here on behalf of the horses,” Travis said firmly, anxious to set the understanding early that this was not about Misty.

  Ty nodded. “The grazing rights?”

  “Yeah. My boss told me today he’s going to have to sell off half the herd unless they can get back into the pasture.”

  “Because otherwise it’s too expensive to feed them?” Ty guessed. “I can understand that.”

  Travis nodded shortly.

  “I sure am sorry about that.” Ty sighed heavily. “I didn’t think they’d want such an extensive study when we submitted the petition. I can speak with our lawyers, but I’m sure you know the wheels of government turn very slowly. So I can’t give you a date on when the pasture will be open again.”

  Travis’s heart fell and his throat tightened at the thought of saying goodbye to the horses. Misty had offered financial help, but evidently she hadn’t told Ty about it. The thought of begging for money from this man turned his stomach. He was about to get up and leave, but the memory of the tears in Duke’s eyes made him pause.

  “My boss has sunk his whole life into Sun Valley Clydesdales; I can’t stand by and watch him lose it all.” The next words were harder to get out, but he clenched his fists atop his thighs and forced himself to continue. “When I talked to Misty, she mentioned you … the foundation might be able to help him with the feed?”

  Ty’s face was carefully neutral. “If this is Duke’s livelihood, why didn’t he come himself? Why send you?”

  Travis’s gut twisted as everything clicked into place. And so what if he made a fool of himself? The thought of disappointing Duke was more than he could bear. “Because I’m the jerk who is about to cost him everything.”

  Ty’s face remained impassive, so Travis plunged ahead. “I didn’t tell him about Misty’s offer because we’d had a fight and she made me mad. I have a bad history with wealthy people, and when I found out she was your sister—” He stopped, not wanting to make excuses. “Look, I’m not proud of what I said to Misty. I’m … she accused me of not playing with a full deck, and she’s probably right.” In spite of himself, he felt a grin spring to his lips at the memory of the feisty flash of her eyes. “I acted like an idiot and I said some things I shouldn’t have … things I didn’t mean.”

  “She trusted you,” Ty said, and for the first time, a hint of accusation entered his voice.

  “I know,” Travis admitted. “And I know I hurt her. I’d like to apologize.”

  “So why don’t you?” Ty challenged. “You have her number; why don’t you call her?”

  “I’d rather do it in person. I think I owe her that much,” Travis said, refusing to break eye contact.

  It must have been the right answer, because a bit of warmth entered Ty’s brown eyes and he reached for a notepad on his desk. “My sister has accused me of not playing with a full deck before too,” he admitted as he started writing on the paper. “She’s got a few more zingers she’ll probably want to use on you, so be warned.”

  “I think I can handle it.” Travis smiled. “If I come back on Monday, will she see me?”

  Ty tore the sheet from the notepad and slid it across his desk. Travis glanced down and saw an address.

  “She’s home today. Why don’t you go tell her now?” Ty suggested in a soft voice.

  Go and profess his love today. When he’d just come from the stables, and even though he’d changed his shirt to come into town, he definitely needed a shave, and probably a haircut and a shower would be a pretty good idea at the moment as well. But he couldn’t wait. He had to see her.

  Travis extended his hand across the desk. “Thanks, man. I appreciate it.” They shook and Travis folded the paper with Misty’s address and put it in his pocket. “I’ll be good to her, I promise.”

  “That’s what I wanted to hear.” Ty grinned. “Now why don’t you give me Duke’s number? I’ll call him about the feed while you’re getting your rear end handed to you by my sister.”

  “Looking forward to it,” Travis said, and meant it.

  Chapter 12

  Travis pulled up to Misty’s house. Ty had told him it was the house they’d grown up in, and Misty had taken it over when their parents moved to the larger, more modern home he could see at the end of the dirt road.

  Well, he liked this one better. It was a modest two-story with a wide front porch and a stone chimney. The front door was painted bright blue, and it sat on a wide lawn in front of a cluster of barns and other outbuildings.

  He sat in the truck for a few minutes, trying to decide what he’d say. What could he say but the truth? He’d made assumptions; he’d let his pride get in the way of his common sense. He’d let hurt feelings from the past take over everything else.

  Finally, he climbed the steps and knocked on the front door, his heart in his throat. There was no answer. He waited a few minutes and knocked again, but there was still no answer. Disappointment thundered through him as he turned away.

  He was almost to his truck when loud squawking came from the back of the house. He hurried around to where a good-sized chicken coop stood off the expanse of back lawn. The door was open, and chickens were wandering in and out, pecking at the grass.

  The squawk came again, and he went to the door and stuck his head inside the coop.

  Misty stood in front of a row of wooden boxes filled with straw. Her hair was caught in a messy ponytail at the nape of her neck, and she wore a floral-print tank top, a pair of denim shorts, and rubber chore boots. Wyatt sat balanced on one hip, and there was a bucket at her feet.

  “Misty.” He took a step inside, his shadow darkening the doorway.

  She looked up and stiffened. “Go away, Travis.”

  He’d expected anger, not her tone of indifference, which was almost worse. “No. We need to talk.”

  “I don’t have anything to say to you.” She stooped to set an egg in the bucket.

  “Well, maybe I have some things to say to you.”

  Misty kept her eyes focused on the nesting boxes. “Let me guess: you want to tell me how idiotic you were to make a stupid assumption based on some dumb idea without finding out the details first.”

  In spite of himself, he smiled. “You called me an idiot, stupid, and dumb in one sentence. Ty said you’d need a little while to get it out of your system. Was that it?”

  “Ty?” Her head shot up. “You talked to my brother?”

  “Just now. He gave me your address.”

  Misty looked at him for a minute, then turned away. “At least get out of my light; I can’t see.”

  This was good. At least she wasn’t kicking him out. Or throwing eggs at him. He took a few steps into the coop, and the hens sent up a disgruntled squawk at the invasion. Misty didn’t look at him, just continued gathering eggs with a crease between her eyebrows and a determined set to her shoulders.

  “Hey, Wyatt, how’s it going, buddy?” Travis asked, and the baby looked over and sent him a smile. “Want me to take him?” he asked Misty as she bent awkwardly to set another egg in the bucket.

  “No. He’s fine,” Misty said shortly.

  “I swear, you are the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met,” Travis said in exasperation.

  “Me? You’re the one who won’t go away … after multiple invitations, I might add.”

  He felt kind of proud of that.

  “You wanted to talk, so talk,” she finally said.

  He glanced around the coop, sunlight slanting in through the cracks in the ceiling, dust motes dancing. “Your brother is talking to Duke today. He’s going to arrange for some money to cover the cost of feed until the pasture can be reopened.”

  “Gee, what a great idea. I wonder why no one thought of it before,” Misty snapped.

  Travis growled in frustration. “I came here to apologize, you know. Let me know when you’re done thinking up smart retorts and I’ll continue.”

  She paused, and he saw the color rise to her face. “I’m glad they’re
going to take care of the horses,” she finally said.

  “Me too. Especially since it’s my fault he almost lost them. I was … I should have listened to you that day and accepted your help. I’m sorry.”

  Misty set another egg into the bucket. “Is that all?”

  “No. I also need to apologize for what I said to you. I made some snap judgments, and I was wrong.”

  “Ya think?”

  “Yeah. I’ve had some bad experiences with rich people,” he said defensively.

  “That still doesn’t mean you should judge everyone by the actions of a few,” she said.

  “Okay, you’re right, and I’m sorry. But you lied to me too, remember. Why didn’t you tell me who you were the night of the party?”

  “What choice did I have? You practically introduced yourself by saying, ‘Hi, I’m Travis and I hate rich people.’ Of course I’m not going to say anything and have you jump down my throat.” She brushed a strand of hair away from her eyes. “Besides, I’m not a rich person, anyway.”

  “But your brother is.”

  “And he’s practically the nicest guy on earth,” Misty shot back. She glanced into the rest of the nesting boxes. “I’m done here.”

  He moved forward a bit warily to take the bucket, but she let him, leading the way out of the coop and into the sunshine.

  “So what about you? Are you going to marry your rich boyfriend?” Travis pressed as he followed her across the grass toward the house.

  “None of your business,” she said over her shoulder. “Besides, he was never my boyfriend.”

  Hope surged in his chest, and for the first time, he let himself imagine how it could be, the three of them together—holding her in his arms for the rest of their lives.

  “My fiancée dumped me for a rich guy,” he called, and ahead of him, Misty halted. “We were four months from the wedding, and Ashlyn met someone else. I would have given her anything, but she threw it away for a guy with a Maserati and a condo in Cancun.”

  Misty had reached the shade of a giant willow in the middle of the lawn. She paused, then turned around. “I’m sorry,” she said in a quiet voice. “It must have been very difficult.”

  “Yeah, it was,” he said simply, edging closer. “The guy knew she was engaged, but he wanted her. So he took her, just like that.” He paused and shook his head. “I know it wasn’t entirely his doing; she had a choice. And she chose the guy with the money.”

  “You loved her a lot, then,” Misty said. It was a statement, not a question.

  The sun dappled through the willow tree, gleaming on the strawberry blonde of her hair and highlighting the freckles dotting her nose, like nutmeg sprinkled on cream. For so long the memory of Ashlyn and the bitterness of what happened had festered in his gut, poisoning everything. But here, under the dancing willow branches with Misty, it felt like all that was dissolving. Like he could finally take a deep breath again after years of being in a straightjacket. Travis smiled; he loved her freckles.

  “I thought I did,” he replied as he took a step toward her. “But after a while, I realized I didn’t even know her. Someone who would do that … well, that’s not the kind of person I want to end up with anyway.”

  Her eyes softened and she jiggled Wyatt on her hip. “What kind of a person do you want to end up with?”

  He glanced at her feet, then back to her eyes. “Someone with chicken manure on her boots. Someone who loves animals. Who is a great dancer and who has fire and spirit. Someone who is a great mom who isn’t afraid to give everything her all.”

  Misty wet her lips, a smile hovering at the corner of her mouth.

  His heart was racing as if it would burst through his chest at any minute.

  “Noted,” Misty finally said. “But you forgot about my mad Frisbee golf skills.”

  Travis moved close enough to snake an arm around her waist. “Of course. How could I forget Frisbee golf?” he whispered softly.

  Misty raised her head so their faces were inches apart, her breath mingling with the breeze on his cheeks, tickling his lips. “Don’t let it happen again.” She smiled.

  “I love you,” he whispered.

  “I love you too,” she said.

  Then Misty went up on her tiptoes, and his arms went around her and around Wyatt as their lips came together. Time and space seemed to melt into this one moment where they were the only people in the universe. Her body fit against his as perfectly as puzzle pieces, and deep inside, he felt the click of something coming together—Travis, Misty, and Wyatt. Together.

  Chapter 13

  Jemima shook her massive head, sending the bells on her harness jingling through the night. Wyatt giggled.

  “Horsie.” Misty took his fingers and helped him to gently stroke Jemima’s neck. “Isn’t she pretty?” Jemima twisted her head to see who was petting her and gave a small grunt that sounded like approval.

  “Ho-see,” Wyatt parroted. His blue eyes matched his knit cap, and Misty’s heart surged with love. This boy, her boy, was her world.

  Well, maybe not her whole world anymore.

  Travis came around Jemima’s head, his fingers moving over the leather straps as he checked the harness. He flashed a quick grin at Wyatt. “He likes the horses?”

  “Yup.” Misty nodded. “I knew he would.” Her heart felt lighter than it ever had. She’d wanted to be part of his world; now their worlds were combining.

  “Good boy.” Travis nodded in approval. His eyes danced as he looked at her. “You ready?”

  He held Wyatt while she climbed into the wagon, then passed him up to her waiting arms. The wagon dipped as Travis climbed in and took the reins.

  “So Jemima and … Sherlock, right?” Misty searched her memory, trying to name the other horse.

  “Yup.” Travis shook the reins, and the big horses moved out, bells jingling. Behind them, the empty wagon creaked. This was no hayride for a bunch of wealthy patrons; this was just for the three of them.

  The three of them. Her heart swelled and she leaned in, resting her cheek against the swell of muscle on Travis’s arm. He transferred the reins to one hand so he could put his arm around her and draw her close.

  “Do you see the stars, Wyatt?” Misty pointed at the darkening sky, where a few stars were beginning to shine against the velvety sky.

  “Stars,” the little boy said in a hushed voice. He pointed at the team. “Ho-see.”

  “You got it.” Misty beamed.

  They rode in silence for a few minutes, the only noises the bells, mixed with the heavy footfalls of the horses on the dirt road and the rattling of the wagon behind them.

  “Did you get registered?” Misty asked.

  “Yep,” Travis replied.

  “Nervous?”

  He hesitated, then nodded. “Maybe a little. But it’ll be worth it.”

  Ty had liked her proposal, so Misty had gladly given her marketing duties to Jamie and started a scholarship program through the Epperson Foundation. The goal was to support local ranchers and farmers, and one of the foundation’s first awards went to Travis, so he could go back to school. He’d finish his four-year degree from USU through the College of Southern Idaho, then go on to earn his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine, focusing primarily on large animals. It would be a long process, but in the end, the area would have a much-needed vet, and Travis would have his dream. Misty was finding much more fulfillment administering the scholarship program than she had with marketing.

  Wyatt leaned forward to reach for the reins, his little fingers grasping for the thick leather straps. “You wanna drive, little man?” Travis asked.

  He held out his arms, and Wyatt went to him willingly. Travis settled the baby on one thigh and handed him the ends of the reins while keeping a grip on them a few inches up the lines.

  Wyatt crowed with delight and shook the reins. The horses pricked up their ears, but Travis’s firm grip evidently reassured them, because they kept the same leisurely pace. Misty took a deep brea
th, the new chill in the air indicating autumn was on the way.

  “This was a great idea.” She beamed at Travis.

  “Well, you didn’t get a ride before, so I figured I owed you one.”

  Misty wrinkled her nose. “A hayride with a bunch of rich snobs? No way. The only good thing about that was the hot driver.”

  Travis’s arm around her shoulders tightened, pulling her closer. The smell of horses, hay, and his musky cologne mixed together to send her senses into overdrive. She lifted her face as he lowered his head to touch his lips to hers. Her butterflies took flight, tingling from head to toe until she wasn’t sure if she was still sitting on the wagon or twirling through the air.

  The horses continued on, oblivious to the fireworks happening in the driver’s seat. Wyatt laughed and shook the reins, and Misty’s lips tightened under Travis’s in a smile.

  “What?” He pulled back.

  “Nothing.” She shrugged. “Just happy.”

  He grinned and pressed his lips to her temple. “That’s my girl.”

  They continued on into the deepening twilight, into forever.

  * * *

  If you liked Horses, Hayrides & Husbands, be sure to check out its companion book about Misty’s billionaire brother, Ty and how he found love.

  The Lucky Billionaire

  By Jeanette Lewis

  When Ty Epperson wins a fortune in the Idaho State Lottery, he’s determined to put his sudden wealth to good use, even if it means putting up with Holland Morrissey, a Los Angeles image consultant who has never met a credit card she doesn’t like and thinks spending a thousand dollars on a pair of pants is normal behavior. Ty has never considered himself lucky in life or in love, until now.

  But not all of Ty’s plans are popular, and someone is determined to stop him, putting everyone and everything he loves at risk.

  * * *

  The fun doesn’t stop here. There are more Country Brides & Cowboy Boots books on the way.

  The Horse Trainer, the Buyer & the Bride