The Cowboy's Promise

by Macie St James

  Brandi took the menus, but didn’t walk off right away. “You going to the Taste of Canyon Falls event tonight?”

  Oh, that. Clay had forgotten all about it. He wasn’t big on events, but he knew local networking was an important part of making a ranch a success. Even if he wasn’t a ranch owner, though, he was a strong believer in supporting local businesses. Plus, hanging out on the square was almost like being home, he’d lived in this town so long.

  “That sounds like fun,” Harley said. “What is it?”

  “Everyone samples food from local restaurants,” Colton explained. “Then we vote on which restaurant is the best. Brandi always wins best dessert.”

  “I’m doing a sundae bar this year,” Brandi said. “In this weather, it won’t be that hard to keep the ice cream cold.”

  “I’ll just take a cheeseburger,” Harley said, handing over her menu.

  Brandi smiled. “That’s our specialty. The usual for you guys?”

  Both brothers nodded, and Brandi shuffled off to put the order in. Colton turned his attention back to Harley.

  “You up for a Canyon Falls event?” Colton asked with a glint in his eye. He was full of that Colton Briscoe charm today. Like Reilly, Colton just smiled at a woman and she fell into a puddle at his feet.

  Harley smiled. “Sounds fun, but cold.”

  “They put space heaters up all around when the temperature drops,” Clay jumped in to tell her. “Same with our downtown fall festival. If we limited outdoor events to warm weather around here, we wouldn’t have them often.”

  “Same with Seattle.” Harley looked a little homesick at the thought. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  “Love sweater weather,” Colton said. “Nothing like a fireplace and some good movies. It’s the perfect date.”

  Harley nodded. “Good point.”

  Clay wondered how often Harley enjoyed movie dates. She hadn’t exactly come out and said she was single, now that he thought about it. Maybe she was in a serious relationship with some beefcake type who would kick his butt if he knew Clay was thinking about kissing his girlfriend. He probably should have already cleared that up.

  “I mean…it’s been a while,” Harley said. “Work doesn’t leave much time for dating.”

  “Oh?” Colton asked. “So no boyfriend back home?”

  Harley shook her head. “Not even close. Once I get my career where I want it to be, I’ll worry about that. I’m too unsettled right now.”

  “I know the feeling,” Colton said. “Clay, too. I keep telling him he needs to get out more, but since he’s moved back home, it’s been all about the ranch. That’s not good for a person.”

  Clay cleared his throat, tossing a warning glare across the table at his brother. This was not a conversation he wanted to see happen. This was not a conversation he wanted to happen at all, even if he didn’t see it. But Colton and Reilly seemed to have taken over for his mother when it came to worrying about his single status.

  The fact that all three other brothers were currently single seemed to escape everyone’s notice. As the oldest brother, the pressure had always been on Clay for some reason. It seemed to have gotten worse since his relationship ended. Everyone was apparently waiting for him to have a wedding, followed conveniently by a couple of kids.

  “There’s nothing more stressful than losing money on a business,” Harley told Colton. “Not that I’ve ever run a business. But my job’s on the line, so I know how tough financial troubles can be. We need that stability, right?”

  “Right.” Colton sat back in his seat, seeming to realize something. Clay hoped whatever it was, it had nothing to do with his big brother’s work-life balance.

  “You know, I guess I take that for granted,” Colton said. “I’m always complaining about my work, but I have it pretty good. I can help out around the ranch, but I still have that paycheck going into my bank account every two weeks.”

  Clay grunted. “A pretty good paycheck, too.”

  “Just makes it harder to get out,” Colton said. “Replacing a job that pays a thousand dollars a month is easier than replacing one that pays five times that or more. So you get stuck.”

  Clay nodded. He could definitely see how that would be a problem. Soon you’re middle-aged, then ready for retirement, and you never achieved whatever your own dreams were. He supposed there was something good about running a failing ranch. It could only get better from here.

  Harley had been listening intently, but now she chimed in. “Enough money for your land might give you some extra to put toward doing something more.”

  Always working it. Clay wished he could talk to Harley’s boss and tell him what a great employee he had in her. Harley wouldn’t lose her job, the Briscoes would still have their land, and everyone would be happy.

  Except when Harley returned home and he never saw her again. That part would kind of suck.

  “I say you stay a little longer,” Colton was saying the next time Clay tuned into the conversation. “Tell your boss you need a little more time to make the sale. I’m sure Jared would be fine with you staying in his house a few more days.”

  “Yes, I’ve been meaning to ask about that.” Harley glanced between them. “Shouldn’t we be concerned that he hasn’t responded to my messages yet?”

  Colton shrugged, utterly unconcerned. “I spoke to him this morning. We video chatted. He’s fine.”

  “He must just not be getting his messages through the rental service,” Clay said. “No big deal. You’re fine to stay in my guest room.”

  “I’ll talk to him tomorrow,” Colton said. “Make sure it’s okay for you to stay longer.”

  Harley squirmed uncomfortably. “I have to get back. But I need to get back with signed paperwork.”

  “Which isn’t going to happen. We’re not selling, and that’s final.” The words weren’t said forcefully. Clay spoke quietly and kept his tone even. It was simply a stated fact. He was not going to sell, period.

  Colton gave him a look. “I don’t know, Clay. I think our parents might not be as inflexible as you think. Maybe you should give them a call and just discuss what’s going on. I’m sure they’d be interested in at least knowing someone has his eye on their property.”

  How did Clay explain something that was so deeply a part of him, he couldn’t even trace it back to when it had started? They all knew he’d been trying to make up for disappointing his father when he was a teen, but this went so much deeper. This was tied to his need to prove he could handle things.

  “Even if they would agree to sell, they’d ask why we wouldn’t just do it on our own,” Clay said. “It’s a bad deal. Harley’s boss is going to flip it for a profit. We can get more by just letting Reilly handle it.”

  “Reilly flunked his real estate exam twice,” Colton pointed out. “He’s not even licensed right now. He’s working in their office until he can get it all worked out.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Harley’s expression change. Her eyebrows shot up and her jaw dropped. This was big news. News that could help her close the deal.

  Yeah, Colton did make a good point. Reilly was awesome, but he tended to lack focus. Plus, the idea of trying to negotiate with some developer gave Clay a serious case of dread. Maybe working with Harley wasn’t such a bad idea, after all.

  “I’ll be right back,” Clay said, sliding out of the booth. “I need to make a quick phone call.”

  Actually, he needed some fresh air. Harley’s sales tactics were starting to sink into his head. A few minutes away and he’d be back to his old self.

  11

  Focus.

  That was exactly what Harley needed. As soon as they returned to the ranch house, she excused herself and headed to the privacy of her bedroom, settling herself in the middle of the bed. She opened the laptop she’d retrieved from her overnight bag and pulled up her email.

  There were no fewer than eight messages from her boss, each basically asking her to do things he c
ould do himself. He treated her more like a personal assistant than a knowledgeable employee. That should make her feel more indispensable, but with him blatantly saying her job depended on this contract, she was definitely dispensable.

  Sighing, Harley did what her boss had asked, then replied to each email with the word, Done!

  She then stared at his last message that had only three words. How’s it going?

  Harley bit her lip. She knew Mr. Cutler wanted one answer. He wanted to hear the contracts were signed and she was on her way back in the morning with them.

  Making headway, she typed into the reply box. I think I’ve turned Clay’s brothers around, but he’s a tough nut to crack. I’m gradually wearing him down.

  She hovered over the ‘send’ button, not quite able to bring herself to press it. Was it her imagination, or did what she’d just written seem highly manipulative? Wearing him down? Like she was seducing him into doing what she wanted or something.

  This job was turning her into something she didn’t want to be.

  A knock on the door startled her from her thoughts. Without sending the message, she set her laptop aside, figuring she’d make a decision on what to do once she dealt with whatever was going on at the door.

  Instead of calling out, she pushed herself off the bed and crossed to the door, opening it. She should be annoyed to see Clay standing there, considering she wanted some time to herself, but she found herself smiling instead.

  “Hi,” she said.

  “I was heading out to the stables,” he said. “I could saddle a couple of horses up and take you on a tour of the back part of the property. If you’d like, that is.”

  Horseback riding? No way could she turn that down. Before she could answer, he spoke again.

  “I could ride way ahead if you need alone time. Nothing more therapeutic than a long, quiet ride.”

  “No, it’s fine,” Harley said. “I’d love to go for a horseback ride with you.”

  Oh, wait. Adding those last two words made the whole thing seem more intimate than what he’d probably intended. It definitely made him pause…and now they were staring at each other again. One of those long, meaningful stares that made her stomach do flip-flops.

  This was why she’d needed a few minutes alone. To catch her breath.

  He broke the stare, stepping back and starting down the hallway. “Be ready in five,” he called back.

  Harley looked down at what she was wearing. She really should have brought more clothing options. She had a dress in her trunk in case they went out to dinner and a pair of jeans and a sweater to wear on her drive back to Seattle. It hadn’t occurred to her they might do some outdoorsy, ranch-like stuff while she was here. She’d been here on business, so she’d treated it like she was going to a two-day conference or a client meeting.

  Throwing on her winter scarf, hat, and coat, she headed out to the front porch. Even with the sun heating things up, the temperature was still ridiculously low. She just hoped once they got out there, she’d warm up a little.

  The truck was already running, Clay behind the wheel. When he said, “Be ready in five,” he definitely meant it. Duly noted. When she climbed into his truck seconds later, she realized she was getting pretty good at this, just in time for her to leave in the morning.

  “The guys are gone for the day, so we’ll have the horses all to ourselves,” Clay said as they neared the stables.

  “They’re gone for the day already?” Harley asked.

  It really was none of her business, but she felt the need to make conversation. It was a nervous thing. Yes, he was making her nervous.

  “Ranch work starts at sun-up,” he answered. “Some days I barely have time for the coffee to hit my system before I’m hard at work.”

  “Were you up early this morning?” she asked, suddenly feeling guilty for sleeping in. She’d also kept him up kind of late last night, assuming he tried to get eight hours of sleep before getting up at four a.m. or whatever.

  He stole a glance at her before returning his attention to the road. “Not really. Hank keeps things going pretty well around here. I could take the day off and not worry, but I do what I can to ease his workload. Even if it means working fourteen-hour days myself.”

  “Sounds exhausting,” she said.

  “Building a business is always exhausting,” he said. “If you’re doing it right.”

  Harley knew she should jump in with something salesy. This was her chance to push him a little harder on the value of giving all this up, taking the money, and doing something maybe a little less exhausting. Like joining the circus or running triathlons.

  In other words, anything had to be less exhausting than what he was currently doing.

  She couldn’t help but think about the last time they’d pulled up to the stables as they turned in to the small parking area. The way he’d looked down at her… It had felt, for a second there, like he was going to kiss her. In fact, she could almost imagine it happening in that moment.

  What if he helped her down again? Would he kiss her this time? Should she rise up on her tiptoes to meet him partway?

  A minute or so later, she was climbing down from the passenger seat while he was well on his way to the stables. She felt more than a little silly about thinking there might be a redo of earlier. He probably figured she had no problem getting down from the truck at this point since she’d done it multiple times. No big deal. But the part of her brain that ran on emotion saw it as a rejection.

  Shaking it off, she rushed to catch up with him. The last thing she wanted was for him to know she’d hesitated a second to see if he wanted to help her down from the truck. He’d feel guilty and she’d be humiliated.

  “Could you grab that blanket?” Clay called out as she entered.

  He wasn’t focused on her at all. His full attention was on Minnie in her stable. As he gently ran a brush across the top of the horse’s coat, Harley found herself frozen, unable to look away. There was something about the gentleness of his touch that tugged at her. Clay really cared about these animals.

  This ranch.

  His family.

  And she was trying to separate him from all that. She saw now there was no way he’d ever be happy depositing a big check and using the money to buy a little second-floor apartment downtown. He’d only be happy here, at home.

  But keeping him here, happy, at home meant angering her boss and losing her job. It meant scrambling to find a replacement job because her boss would probably have nothing nice to say when a potential employer called for a reference. That was only if he didn’t decide to badmouth her all over town. Seattle was huge, but the business community tended to be quite chatty, especially when they had something bad to say about someone.

  Blanket. She rushed over to Clay, the white, fluffy fabric soft against her arm until she handed it over. It was more like a pad than a blanket and she watched as he gently settled it over Minnie’s back, then added a saddle on top of it. The blanket was apparently to keep the saddle from directly rubbing the horse’s skin when there was a rider on board. She got it now.

  Harley stepped back, watching him work. He was very focused on what he was doing, which involved tightening and loosening straps to exhaustion. She’d never stopped to think about what all was involved in preparing a horse for a rider, but it had been a full decade since she’d last ridden a horse. It was always a vacation favorite when she was growing up, though.

  “Ready?” Clay asked after what felt like a lifetime.

  “Ready!” she said.

  “Okay, if you want to walk her around outside a little, I’ll get one of the other horses saddled up and we’ll go.”

  A little alone time with Minnie was exactly what she needed. Some fresh air, some high-quality exercise. Walking always helped her clear her mind, and she’d never needed clarity more than she did right now.

  She only made it around twice before she heard the snort of a horse behind her. Turning Minnie around, she doubled
back to where Clay was standing with his horse, realizing he might have to help her up. That would involve another close moment where he might…

  Kiss her.

  Ugh. That again. How did she fix that part of her that kept bringing up this longing she didn’t need to have? How did she make that emotional part of her brain understand there was business to finish here? Business that would not be helped by getting physical with him in any way, even an innocent, simple kiss.

  “Do you need help up?” Clay asked.

  “No!” The word had come out much more forcefully than she’d meant. But the last thing she needed right now was him close to her, not if she wanted to gain control of those weird emotions of hers.

  Besides, she didn’t need help. This wasn’t her first time riding horseback. It was probably her sixth or seventh, actually. She’d been climbing onto horses once a year since she was in upper elementary school. Not that it made her an expert or anything, but she definitely remembered it was all about standing to the side, holding the reins, and putting her foot in the stirrup on that side of the horse.

  Left foot into stirrup, swing right leg over, sit. No big deal. Like riding a bike, except the bike was really, really, really far from the ground. She suddenly remembered that the horseback riding place they always used growing up had steps, plus the person working there would hold the horse still. She was taller than she’d been as a kid, though, so surely she could do this without steps.

  She slid her foot into the stirrup, settling it solidly into place before lifting up. All would have been fine, but Minnie moved just as she was pulling herself up. Harley was pretty sure it was something she’d done wrong but whatever the reason, she was suddenly thrown dangerously off balance. Somehow, she ended up on the ground, her butt hitting so hard she felt a jolt of pain all the way through her body.

  “Whoops!” Clay called out.

  He sounded like she’d done nothing more than trip over something. Instead, she was on the ground, covered in dust, and the horse was standing several feet from where she’d been a few seconds earlier.