Crazy For the Cowboy (15 page)

He considered that a minor inconvenience. His reward was the privilege of working with horses all day and interacting with people who were mostly interesting and polite. The occasional bad apple didn't bother him because if they were a ranch guest, they'd soon be gone. If they were the boss of the operation, then he'd be gone.

Four years ago he'd been thinking about quitting his job at the Double J because the owners weren't much fun to work for. He hadn't been able to make himself follow through, though. He'd thought Mac and Travis had been the reasons because they'd wanted to hang on, but now he suspected Georgie had been the one who'd kept him there until the bitter end.

Maybe working with her day in and day out would take care of his fascination. He'd heard the phrase
familiarity breeds contempt.
Contempt would be helpful. Then he could leave town without a single regret because he'd be over Georgie.

When he reached the hotel, he considered going straight up to his room, but the evening's activities had jacked him up in many ways. His brain was buzzing and his body was restless. He hoped that wouldn't be a permanent condition for the next few months, but he was afraid it might turn out that way.

The poker game might have a little life in it, yet. Even though the night had seemed long and packed with events, he doubted that it was much past ten. He'd play a few hands and drink a beer. That should help him sleep.

When he walked in, the usual suspects were gathered around the poker table. Because the tables in the bar were square, Steve had provided a round, felt-covered topper that was hauled out whenever poker was on the agenda. Steve sat at the table, along with Clyde, Frank, and Ed, who had the biggest pile of chips and was chewing on a toothpick. A fifth chair had been drawn up and a small stack of chips were at that vacant seat.

“Come on over and take Ike's place,” Steve said. “He's in the back reading the manual that came with the new deep fat fryer. The other one died soon after you and Georgie left.”

“Yeah, take my place!” Ike called out from the kitchen. “I need to make sure this thing works right. Otherwise it's back to Amarillo tomorrow morning.”

“'Cause we gotta have our fries,” Clyde said with a wink. “Or life as we know it will cease to exist.”

“Then deal me in.” Vince pulled out the empty chair, sat down, and shoved his hat back with his thumb. “If Ike's in the kitchen, mind if I go behind the bar and get my own beer?”

“Help yourself,” Steve said. “You'll be like family before long, anyway.”

“I will?” Vince left his chair and went behind the bar. “Why's that? You got another daughter I don't know about who's looking for a husband?”

“Nope, just have the one daughter. I meant now that you'll be the trail boss for Wild Horse Canyon Adventures, you're—”

“Hang on.” Vince grabbed his beer and returned to the table. “Number one, how'd you know I accepted the job?”

Ed glanced up and took the toothpick out of his mouth. “Ever hear of eavesdropping?”

“Oh.”

Frank laughed. “Georgie wasn't exactly quiet about it after you agreed to take the job.”

“I guess she wasn't.” Vince twisted off the cap on his beer.

“But even though we knew already,” Clyde said, “she texted us the news just now and asked the council members to meet with both of you at the store tomorrow at ten thirty. So we would have known either way.”

“Yeah.” Frank chuckled. “And we haven't heard Ida blasting John Philip Sousa, so she must be asleep and didn't get the text.”

Vince glanced at him. “John Philip Sousa?”

“Whenever she thinks we have something to celebrate, she puts on ‘Stars and Stripes Forever,' opens all her windows, and cranks it up. You can hear it all over town. 'Course, it isn't a big town, but still. It's loud.”

“I'll have to remember that.” Vince took a swallow of beer. “Second question—where did the name Wild Horse Canyon Adventures come from?”

“You like it?” Steve beamed at him. “If you do, then it was my idea. If you hate it, then it was Frank's idea.”

Vince thought it over. “I do like it, but that canyon where the horses like to hang out has an actual name. I forget what it is, but I guarantee it's not Wild Horse Canyon.”

“Nope.” Frank rearranged his poker chips. “It's Wild Turkey Canyon.”

“That's it.” Vince nodded. “I didn't see turkeys this time, but I have before.”

Ed gazed at him from across the table. “Now tell me—would you rather sign up for Wild Turkey Canyon Adventures or Wild Horse Canyon Adventures?”

Vince grinned. “I see your point.”

“We just used a little creative license,” Steve said. “Maybe we'll see about getting an official name change at some point, but we don't have time for that now. We have to move on this.”

“We certainly do,” Clyde said. “And now that the man of the hour is here, I say let's drink a toast to Wild Horse Canyon Adventures.”

Vince raised his bottle. “I'll drink to that.”

“And the man in charge of it all,” Steve added.

“Whoa, whoa.” Vince put down his bottle. “I'm not in charge of it. Georgie's in charge. I've agreed to help her, but she's the one who'll make sure this happens, not me.”

Steve gave him an assessing glance, and then he shrugged. “Guess it doesn't make much difference who's in charge, just so we have the personnel we need.”

“Absolutely,” Clyde said. “It's all semantics, anyway. To Wild Horse Canyon Adventures!”

Vince raised his bottle and drank, but he was glad he'd spoken up. And he'd continue to do that whenever necessary. He was not in charge and he could leave whenever he felt like it. Georgie had promised him that, and he'd hold her to it.

CHAPTER 15

A
t seven the next morning, John Philip Sousa woke Georgie from a very erotic dream in which Vince . . . Better not to think about what Vince had been doing in that dream. She'd be face-to-face with the man in less than three hours, and if she spent too much time reliving the details, they might pop back into her mind when she was with him. Awkward.

“Stars and Stripes Forever”
serenaded Georgie as she climbed out of bed. Obviously Ida had finally read her text message and was celebrating. Evelyn wouldn't hear the music. She slept with earplugs and a face mask.

But Georgie selfishly hoped it would wake Anastasia. She'd been humming again last night and had probably worked late. When she was on a roll, that was her pattern. She'd never been a morning person, and whenever she stayed up to draw or paint, she was
really
not a morning person.

Plus she slept like the dead. John Philip Sousa had no effect on her, apparently, because when Georgie walked past her room, she heard only silence behind the closed door. Too bad. She would have liked Anastasia to go to the store with her this morning, mostly as a chaperone, although she could have handled any customers while Georgie and Vince looked online for horses. Besides, Georgie was eager to discuss website design ideas with her sister and they could have talked about that before Vince arrived.

She could postpone the website discussion until Anastasia was available, but it looked as if she'd have to brave her meeting with Vince alone. She wasn't worried about him at all. In spite of his vagabond lifestyle, he was a cowboy with a code of honor. He'd said he wouldn't make a pass, and he wouldn't.

But she'd had that pesky dream, and despite her best efforts, the dream clung to her through her morning routine. She was still thinking about it as she walked to the store and opened for business. As luck would have it, no customers came in during the half hour before Vince's appointment. Customers would have taken her mind off that blasted dream.

Vince was prompt, which didn't surprise her. When he said he was planning to do something, he did it, including going after the Ghost.

She met him with a smile. “Good morning. Sleep well?” It was the first idiotic thing that came out of her mouth and she longed to take it back.

“Not especially.” His crisp white Western shirt and worn jeans brought with them the scent of laundry soap. Or maybe that was Vince himself, who looked scrubbed, shaved, and ready for whatever she had in mind. After her dream, she had plenty in mind.

“Sorry to hear that.”

He shrugged. “Comes with the territory.”

She decided not to ask what territory he was referring to. She probably knew, anyway. He wanted to get horizontal with her, but they'd agreed that wouldn't be happening, so he might be a wee bit frustrated. So was she. That dream had left her wet and achy.

In preparation for his arrival, she'd set up her computer behind the counter and brought in a couple of folding chairs. Her printer in the back was turned on so she could print out the info on any promising horses. Because nobody had come in during the first half hour, she'd had time to search out a few likely candidates.

She didn't feel confident choosing good riding stock, though. Prince was the only horse she'd owned, and her dad had bought him. But she'd learn from Vince, and by the time he left, she'd know how to buy a horse. “Come on back here and let me show you what I've found so far.”

“Okay.” He walked around the counter, trailing a delicious aroma of soap and virile man. But he seemed nervous and on edge.

“Have a seat.” She gestured toward one of the chairs.

“I played a little poker with the guys last night.” He settled into the folding chair, making it look small and delicate. “They've come up with a name for the trail ride.”

“And I suppose we need one. What do they want to call it?”

“Wild Horse Canyon Adventures.”

“But that's not the name of the canyon where we'll be taking people.” She sat next to him. Too bad the chairs had to be so close, but it was the only way they could both see the screen.

“They know that, but they thought wild horses had more marketing potential than wild turkeys.” He said it with a perfectly straight face.

She, however, started laughing. “Gee, you think?”

His expression relaxed into a smile. “Turkeys aren't very sexy.”

No, but he was. His smile nearly did her in. The most exciting man she'd ever met was sitting inches away from her. He smelled wonderful and looked even better. Her heart began to pound. Could she do this?

She had to. The future of the town depended on the success of this project and she couldn't take a chance on jeopardizing it by going to bed with the trail boss. She'd never forgive herself if she somehow caused him to leave.

Her hand shook a little, but she focused on the screen and used her mouse to bring up a picture of the first horse. “This is Sarge, a fifteen-year-old gelding. He's not the prettiest animal I've ever seen with that splotchy brown coat, but they describe him as gentle. And he's relatively cheap.”

Vince leaned forward, putting him dangerously close, but he had to see the screen. “Fifteen is a nice age. He's mature, but not the least bit over the hill. He'll never win any beauty contests, but he has decent conformation. Worth driving out to take a look.”

“I thought so, too.” She was pleased that he'd approved her first try at this, but she wished her voice sounded less breathy and her jumpy nerves would settle down. “This next guy is the total opposite, but he's also cheap. Meet Storm Cloud.”

“Damn.” He grinned. “There's trouble.” He pointed to the screen. “See the way he holds himself, like he owns the world? You imagine him saying
I'm big, I'm black, and I'm beautiful.
And he's only four. If he's this cheap, I can almost guarantee he has behavior problems. Betcha whoever has him can't handle him.”

“You're probably right. But the price is seductive.” Damn it, another Freudian slip.

Vince cleared his throat. “Yes, it is.”

“But he's not what we're looking for. Moving on.”

“Wait.” Vince put his hand over hers before she could click the mouse. He took it away immediately, but the heat stayed. “Let me look at him a little longer.”

“Judging from what you said, he's all wrong for our program.”

“Oh, he is. I wouldn't put a greenhorn on that animal for all the tea in China. But I might buy him myself to use on the trail rides. Now that I have a job for the next few months, I could use my savings.”

“I thought you'd ride Cinder.”

He continued to study the gleaming black horse. “I can do that. In fact, I should do that. I was just thinking that if I'll be out on the trail all the time instead of working on a ranch, maybe it's finally time to get a horse. I've never had one of my own.” He sounded a little wistful.

“Why not?”

He shrugged and his tone became brisk. “Just being practical. A horse is expensive and complicates things. I'd have to buy a trailer and hope that I could stable him wherever I landed my next job.” He waved a hand. “Never mind. Buying that horse would be stupid on my part. I won't be here forever, and then I'd have him to drag around, unless I sold him.”

“You could do that.”

He shook his head. “I don't believe in buying a horse unless you intend to keep him for a while. That's another reason to make sure this project flies. If it doesn't, you'll have to sell the horses we get, which means within a few months they'll be off to a new owner. They get disoriented when they're moved from pillar to post like that, and you can't blame them.”

“No.” She couldn't be sure, but he might have just given her a clue to his personality. She wanted to know if he'd moved a lot as a kid, although she didn't dare ask it now. Too pointed.

But she'd been touched by his initial eagerness to buy the horse and hated to see that disappear. “It wouldn't hurt to go look at him.”

“Waste of time.”

“What if he's not a behavior problem? Maybe he's a sweetheart and the owners are going bankrupt. In that case, he could be a good horse for more experienced riders and we'll probably get some of those, too.”

“Maybe.”

“I'll print out the page and we can decide later.” She sent the command to the printer.

“Whatever.”

“Next horse. Another gelding, named Skeeter. I was pretty sure geldings were what you'd want to focus on.”

“I do. Obviously stallions wouldn't work, and I'd rather not take mares out there, either. The Ghost might get ideas.”

“Ideas? About our trail horses? Oh, he's too shy. He'd never—”

“That's what you think. He stole one of the Double J mares right out of the corral.”

“He actually did? I thought that was a rumor.”

“Nope. He did it.” He turned to look at her, his blue eyes alight with laughter and a touch of admiration. “Came onto the ranch property one night, bold as brass, and talked her into jumping the fence and running off with him.”

“I had no idea. That paints a slightly different picture of him. Did you ever get her back?”

“We tried, but we couldn't find her. Anyway, once she'd been with the herd for a while, there was no point. She'd had a taste of freedom and wouldn't make a good trail horse anymore, especially because of her foal that obviously had been sired by the Ghost.”

“I see.” She shouldn't be looking into his eyes when they discussed such a topic. They shouldn't be discussing the topic in the first place, but somehow they'd strayed into it. Heat flashed in his blue gaze. If he leaned forward a few inches, he could kiss her and she wouldn't stop him. For an electric moment, she thought he would do it.

Then he shoved back his chair and stood. “You have good instincts.” His voice was husky. “I trust you to find us horses to look at. You don't need me to supervise. Make up a list and we'll head out this afternoon after you close the store.”

She wasn't an idiot. He was fighting the restrictions they'd placed on themselves and finding the struggle difficult. God knows she was, too. “I'll check with Ed and see if he's available to go along.”

Vince took off his Stetson and ran his fingers through his hair. “Good idea.”

“He knows horses, and another opinion is always—”

He faced her. “That's not why we need him, and you know it.”

The erotic details of her dream taunted her. “I do.”

“I gave my word, Georgie, and I'll keep my word. But let's make sure we're never alone like this again, okay?”

She nodded. “I wanted to bring Anastasia this morning, but she was sound asleep and I hated to wake her up just because I . . . because I was afraid that we—”

“And we damned near did.” Moving around to the other side of the counter, he began to pace. “You may not know how close we came, but I was figuring how much time I had before the council arrived and whether I could haul you into the back room and get you naked before that meeting.”

She gasped.

“Oh, yeah. Never doubt it, Georgie. I don't have a condom in my pocket and never plan to have one on hand when I'm scheduled to meet with you. That's one way I can keep myself in line, but I was imagining all the fun we could have without that little raincoat.”

As she watched him pace, her body grew hotter by the second. “I had a dream about you right before I woke up. Before John Philip Sousa woke me up. The dream was—”

“Don't tell me about it. That's only going to make things worse. I'm beginning to wonder if what we're attempting is impossible.”

She panicked. “No, it can't be. We can make this work. I know we can.”

“Then we'll have to plan better. This town is full of people eager to help, people who will be thrilled to be part of whatever you and I have to accomplish.” He speared her with a sharp glance. “We need chaperones, Georgie.”

“Obviously.” Her heart thundered in her ears. He'd been ready to haul her into the storeroom. And she would have let him.

“I didn't think so. In my arrogance I figured an hour in your store would be no problem.” He glanced around. “I did figure on customers being here, though. Where are they?”

She tried to speak normally. “They hardly ever show up before ten.” Speaking normally wasn't working. She sucked in more air. “That's why I can shorten the hours and nobody will even notice.” Okay, she was a little better now, a little more in control. “I actually set the time for our meeting based on the fact that I wouldn't be busy with customers. I thought we needed time to concentrate on the horse selection.”

“Except I can't concentrate on the horse selection because all I can think about is how delicious you smell, and how your eyes have that special light when you're happy that makes them almost golden, and when you're excited your breasts quiver.”

Her heart shifted back into high gear. Instinctively she crossed her arms over her breasts, which were quivering again.

“Sorry.” He took a deep breath. “According to our agreement I'm not even supposed to be aware of your breasts.”

But knowing he was would be difficult to forget. She swallowed. “You're only . . . only being honest. I've put us in this difficult situation. I told myself it would be fine.”

“I think it can be. Just get more people involved.”

“I will.”

“Oh, and I asked you to teach me how to use a whip, but we won't be doing that.”

“No.” She was sad because he'd been excited about learning, but under the circumstances, she was the wrong teacher.

“I'm going for a walk. I'll be back at ten thirty for the meeting.”

“See you then.” She hoped she sounded chipper and in control. She was anything but. Wow. She'd seriously underestimated the chemistry between them and how fast the combination of proximity and privacy would escalate the situation from simmer to boiling. She wouldn't be making that mistake again.