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Authors: Erin Knightley

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BOOK: Learning to Ride
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She swallowed, refusing to admit otherwise.

Leaning forward, he casually swiped a finger over her chin, causing her to pause mid-chew. “Potato,” he said by way of explanation before settling back in his chair. “So if everything you need in the world is in New York City, why are you sitting on my deck in Sunnybell?”

She resisted the desire to shiver from his small touch. “Merely a means to an end.” She took a quick, bracing drink of wine before expounding. “I'd been at the company for five years, slowly working my way up, when six weeks ago my immediate boss quit unexpectedly. We had already been working on the merger for months, and the CEO of the entire company called me into his gorgeous corner office to ask if I could take over Marcus's job.”

She shook her head, still marveling at the lucky break. “I've never jumped at something so fast in my life. One minute I'm running numbers and doing research, and the next I'm packing for a move to the middle of nowhere, Texas.”

“You gave up the city you love and all your friends for your career?” He sounded genuinely taken aback. “Correct me if I'm wrong, but you miss home like a lost calf misses his mama's teat.”

She straightened, feeling a little defensive. “I didn't give them up long-term. I'll only be here for a year, possibly two, before I'll be transferred back. Corporate only needs someone here through the transition and restructuring phases.”

He nodded slowly, setting his fork down. “So what exactly do you do?”

“I'm Calvin Aviation Supply's youngest-ever acquisitions division manager. It's my job to keep things running smoothly during mergers.”

He gave a low, appreciative whistle. “Sounds pretty highfalutin. No wonder you're so keen to command your coworkers' respect. I imagine there's a lot riding on your job performance, what with being the youngest and all.”

That was an understatement.

Just talking about it made her shoulders tense up. She had so much to prove with this project. Normally, they never would have promoted her without a lengthy hiring process, but Marcus had left them in the lurch, and she was the person in the company who knew the project best.

She had to be on her game, since technically the job wouldn't be considered permanent until a three-month probation period was up. Legal was handling most of the details of the actual merger at this point, but it was up to her to see that the transition went smoothly.

Taking a deep breath, she lifted her chin and smiled. “Nothing I can't handle.”

“I don't doubt it. So what does a normal day look like for an acquisitions division manager?”

She waved a hand. “Nothing terribly exciting. I oversee the blending of companies while making sure Calvin maximizes profits. Lots of paperwork and boring phone calls involved.”

“So no flying around in fancy corporate jets, showing off the company's products?”

Shuddering, she shook her head. “God, no. I hate flying. I'll do it if I have to, but I'd rather drive any day of the week.” It was why she'd bought her car before leaving New York. She'd much rather drive for hours than be crammed into a metal tube and launched into thin air without any control.

He looked momentarily incredulous before giving a small laugh. “You work for an aviation company and hate flying? Well, don't that beat all.”

She shrugged. “It's a sensible career, given my schooling. I have no doubt I'll reach the top of the corporate ladder in time.” It was a carefully planned goal that had been laid out since she was young. Do well in school, choose a prudent career with plenty of room for advancement, and eventually retire with a tidy nest egg.

Turning the conversation back to him, she said, “What about you? What's your new title?”

For some reason, the question amused him. He wolfed down another bite of his steak and grinned. “Stall mucker. Hay bale mover. Supply getter. Vendor negotiator. Hand manager. Basically, if it needs doing, I'm the man to do it.”

She paused in scraping out the last of her potato from the skin to look askance at him. “That's a lot of responsibility. And this is your grandfather's ranch?”

The pride that shone in his blue gaze was almost defiant. “On paper. Grandpa Jack had a heart attack a few months back, so I'm doing what I can to take the weight from his shoulders. Old codger's been trying to lure me back from the rodeo for years. I just didn't realize how far he'd go to get me to quit.” He winked as he made the joke, but there was real concern behind his lighthearted smile.

Something inside her chest squeezed. “You gave up your rodeo career for him?” She had thought of him as the sort of devil-may-care drifter type, doing whatever he wanted in life, but she clearly hadn't given him enough credit.

“Yes. And I'd give up a lot more for the man. I owe him my life.”

She blinked in surprise at the vehemence of his words. “Oh.”

She lifted her wineglass but didn't take a sip. Rolling the stem between her fingers, she considered the situation. It was hard to imagine the kind of devotion she could see in his eyes. She loved her parents, but they had their own lives. The idea of giving up all she had worked for in order to be at their beck and call was so foreign, she couldn't quite wrap her head around it. Moreover, she couldn't imagine them ever asking.

Curiosity tugged at her. She didn't want to pry, but…actually, that was a lie. She really, really did want to pry. What had his grandfather done to inspire such dedication? How had he saved Tanner's life?

Attempting to sound nonchalant, she said, “Is this your mother's parents?”

He shook his head. “My father's.” He concentrated on cutting another piece of steak. He didn't seem to want to talk about the subject, but she couldn't shake her curiosity.

“Ah. And what does your dad do?”

Tanner looked up then, and she knew before he said it what he was going to say. “He's dead. Died when I was nine.”

Her heart sank low in her chest, and she reached out and put a hand over his. “I'm so sorry. I didn't know.” His skin was warm against her fingers. He didn't pull away, and she let the touch linger.

“It was a long time ago.”

For a whole ten seconds, she held her tongue. When she couldn't take the suspense, she asked, “What happened? He must have been very young.”

“He was twenty-eight,” he said, almost matter-of-factly. He set down his fork, crossed his arms, and looked her straight in the eye. “And he died of a broken neck.”

Madeline's hand flew to her mouth. “That's horrible!” Her heart went out to the little boy who had lost his father so young, especially in such an awful way. “How did it happen?”

The breeze ruffled the hair at his temple, and he lifted a hand to brush it away. His beautiful eyes seemed to shutter as he gave a one-shouldered shrug. “Just a stupid accident,” he said at last, shaking his head.

“A car accident?”

“Nope.” He blew out a breath and sat forward. “He was riding his horse when the mare spooked. She threw him, he hit wrong, and unfortunately, that was that.”

He wished she
had left well enough alone.

Tanner pressed his lips together as he watched Madeline's reaction to the news. It was always the same. The same widening of eyes, the same jaw drop, the same realization. By the time she hit that last part, he'd already steeled himself for the inevitable response.

Gaping at him as though he were ten cents short of a dollar, she said, “How on earth did you get back on a horse, let alone start a career where you're regularly
thrown
from them?”

Even though he expected the reaction, disappointment washed through him. Why did people always feel the need to throw judgment on him and his choices?

He pushed his plate away and seized his beer. “I chose to grab life by the horns. If I had walked away from riding horses, I'd have been giving up something I love. For all the wrong reasons.”

It was plain to see she didn't understand his reasoning at all. “Yeah, but you don't just ride well-trained horses. You put yourself in harm's way by getting on animals that want nothing more than to throw you off.”

“Well, the point is to
not
get thrown off,” he said drily before taking a long pull of his beer. Did she really think he hadn't heard this argument a hundred times before?

She shook her head and set her wineglass on the table with a clipped clink. “I can't believe you can be so flippant about your well-being. If I were you, I wouldn't go anywhere near the back of a horse.”

“And if your loved one was killed in a car accident, would you avoid driving in a car?”

She made a face. “That's not the same at all. Driving is a necessity in our society. Riding the back of a bucking bronco is not.”

Scoffing, he said, “Maybe not for you. But I refuse to live life in fear. Nothing makes me feel more alive than taking a risk, so as far as I'm concerned, riding a ‘bucking bronco'
is
a necessity in my life.”

“That's insane,” she said, coming to her feet. “You shouldn't have to risk your life in order to feel alive.”

He stood as well and stalked to the railing. “How would you know? You live a life so dry that you could give it all up in a snap to follow a job you don't even care about.”

“I care about my career,” she said indignantly. “And yes, I'm willing to make sacrifices to get ahead in it. I plan to live a long and productive life. That's more than I can say for you.”

“Oh, really? You're so bored with your own job you don't even want to talk about it. Where's the passion in that?”

Her brow lowered over her golden eyes as she sent him a sour look. “Oh, come on. Who really loves their job? It's a means to an end. What I want is corporate success, to be respected, and to retire with enough money to live well for the rest of my days.”

Retirement? She didn't even look thirty yet. Tanner set his bottle on the railing and spread his arms. “Don't you want to live well
now?

She rolled her eyes. “Of course, but we have to plan for the future, too. We're adults, for God's sake. You can't go following your passion without a thought for the rest of your life.”

He snorted. “You have the rest of your life to worry about the rest of your life. And anyway, what does it matter to you how I live my life? At least I'm
living
it, and not just existing until I'm old enough to draw retirement.”

“Yeah, because you're too shortsighted to ever
see
retirement. You'll be lucky if you even see old age.”

“Well, thank you for the vote of confidence, Miss Ray of Sunshine.” His sarcasm was palpable, and he wasn't the least bit sorry for it. “I'd rather go to my grave smiling than die a well-preserved old geezer with a bushel of money and no one or nothing to spend it on.”

“Miss Realist is more like it,” she said stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back against the railing. “I'm sorry, but the truth is you're reckless and immature.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, it is,” she said, her eyes flashing. “And it's that kind of attitude that will leave you stuck forever in this go-nowhere town with your rattling, decades-old truck and plot of land that's one turn of the color wheel away from looking like a Mars landscape!”

  

Madeline sucked in a sharp breath, horrified that the words had actually come out of her mouth. How could she have gotten so carried away? If she could have called the words back, she would have in a heartbeat, but it was too late.

Tanner's eyes cooled to an icy blue as he took a step back. “Darlin', you don't know nothing about happiness. All I need is a roof over my head, food in my belly, and the occasional good lay. The first two are taken care of, and you're welcome to oblige the third any time.”

She pressed her lips together to keep from flinching. She'd just insulted everything he loved and stood for, and she couldn't even say why. It was none of her business how he lived his life. Perhaps his criticism of her life had hit closer to home than she cared to admit, but even that was no excuse.

Still, his cold dismissal hurt. God, there was nothing about them that was compatible—at least not outside of the bedroom. Agreeing to come here tonight had been incredibly stupid. What had she been thinking?

Swallowing, she lifted her chin and said evenly, “I think it'd be best if you took me home.”

“You bet. Let me just get the keys to my rattling old truck and we can be on our way.” He stalked toward the house, slid open the door, and disappeared inside.

She closed her eyes and sighed. Part of her wanted to go after him and beg for forgiveness, to tell him that she'd been a jerk and she was sorry, but a bigger part of her knew it was for the best to just leave things as they were. It was clear she couldn't spend time with him as a friend. Until a few minutes ago, she'd spent the whole night trying to ignore the almost palpable attraction between them.

No, it was best to have a clean break. When it came to Tanner Callen, she just couldn't be trusted to keep her head about her.

When he returned, keys in hand, and stomped down the steps to the flagstone path, she silently followed. Thank God he'd only had the half a beer. If they'd had to wait for him to sober up, she might have decided to walk home, even if it took all night.

Holding her head as high as her guilty conscience would allow, she followed him. As she climbed into the old truck and slammed the door, she couldn't suppress another sigh.

Her year in Sunnybell couldn't be over fast enough.

“I know just
what you need.”

Madeline's attention snapped back to the present, and she blinked over at her assistant. “I'm sorry?”

Laurie Beth rolled her eyes and grinned. “Boss lady, you've been a million miles away this week. How about you take a break and come to my book club tonight?”

As much as she wanted to deny it, Madeline
had
been distracted this week. She still felt rotten about what she'd said to Tanner, and how frosty their parting had been. The women at the office had invited her out a few times that week, but she'd used the unpacking excuse to sit at home and wallow in the misery of being stuck here. All she wanted was to get in the car and not stop until she saw New Jersey in the rearview mirror.

“Thanks, but I think I'll pass. I doubt I've read the book, anyhow.” Actually, she probably had read the book. Reading was her one true escape, and she'd devoured countless books since moving here. Thank God for e-readers, since there wasn't a bookstore around for miles.

Just another thing this town didn't offer.

Laurie Beth flapped a hand. “That don't make no nevermind. We never stay on topic more than five minutes, anyhow. We're really there for wine, Clarita's famous cupcakes, and good old-fashioned gossip.”

“Tempting, but no thanks.”

Sitting in the chair on the other side of Madeline's desk, Laurie Beth leveled a persuasive stare at her. “Now, Ms. Harper, I'm not one to pry, but I have it on good authority that you finished unpacking days ago. Mrs. White's daughter Sierra said there haven't been any more boxes in the trash since garbage pickup day on Tuesday.”

Despite Madeline's scowl, her assistant pressed on. “You need to get out and enjoy your new town! You'll have fun, I promise. Oh, and Mr. Harvey over at the general store said you're partial to chardonnay. Since Ms. Letty never hosts a book club without bottles of the stuff, I know we'll have you covered.”

Madeline let out a long breath. Would she ever get used to all the noses in her business here? She opened her mouth to turn down the offer again but found herself hesitating. She was a social person. All this solitude had long past worn thin. And it wouldn't be a bad idea to put names to faces around here. At least then she'd know who was gossiping about her.

Squaring her shoulders, she nodded. “Alright, fine. Text me the details and I'll see if I can make it.”

A triumphant grin lit Laurie Beth's face. “Perfect! Why don't I pick you up at a quarter to seven? Ms. Letty lives out in the boondocks, and I wouldn't want you to get lost trying to find it in the dark.”

“How about I meet you here and follow you over? That way we can leave whenever we are ready.” Though she'd agree to come, she wanted an escape plan in case the night didn't go well.

As it turned out, Laurie Beth hadn't been exaggerating. By the time they pulled up to the quaint ranch house that night, Madeline was so turned around she doubted she could have found her way there with a police escort. She'd have to have Laurie Beth write out the directions home before she left.

What was it with these people and their desire to live in the middle of nowhere?

Shaking her head, Madeline stepped out onto the gravel drive and looked around. Muted laughter filtered from within the gaily lit house, while the late dusk light hinted toward wide-open spaces all around them. She took a bracing breath. This would be her first purposefully social experience in this town. She sincerely hoped it went better than her interactions with Tanner.

She ducked back into the car to grab the bottle of wine she had brought—there could never be too much chardonnay at a party—before following Laurie Beth to the front door. Before they could knock, it was flung open by a short, well-padded older woman with bouffant white hair and bright-red glasses.

“Goodness gracious, I thought y'all would never get here. Come in, come in,” she said, waving them both inside.

Laurie Beth gave the woman a quick hug before gesturing to Madeline. “Ms. Letty, this is my new boss, Ms. Madeline Harper. She's from New York City!”

The older woman smiled widely before wrapping her in a hug that left Madeline a little flustered. New Yorkers did
not
hug at first meeting.

“I knew who you were by process of elimination,” she said as she'd pulled away. “I can't
wait
to hear all about New York. The book was a snooze this month—it read slower than molasses in January, I swear—so I'm in dire need of some entertainment. Come on, let me introduce you to everyone, then you and I can find us a quiet corner for some quality conversation.”

Madeline allowed Ms. Letty to sweep her along to the living room, where a dozen women were busily chatting. She made the introductions, and Madeline did her best to keep up with all the names and faces.

The last woman she met, Ashley, looked vaguely familiar, and suddenly, Madeline remembered where they'd met. “Oh,” she said, snapping her fingers, “I remember you. You were the accomplished mechanical bull rider at The Rebel Yell.”

The brunette brightened. “I'll take that as a compliment. Good to see you again. I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to chat more that night but, well, you seemed a little preoccupied.” Her wink was subtle and friendly, but Madeline felt a blush rise to her cheeks anyway.

“Yes, well, I'm glad we had a chance to meet again.” She cleared her throat and looked to Ms. Letty. “Would you by chance have a glass for this wine?”

“Does a cat have climbing gear?” she replied saucily before slipping her arm around Madeline's and steering them to the kitchen. “We've already got a bottle or six open, so please help yourself.”

Armed with wine in one hand and a red velvet cupcake in the other, Madeline sat in on the meeting, observing more than participating despite having read the book. They were actually a well-read group, referencing a dozen other books in their discussion. For the first time, she felt as though she had something in common with her new neighbors. It helped that they were all so friendly and welcoming.

She smiled. It was fascinating, listening to them chat and banter, gossip and confide. They were so easy with each other, it seemed they'd been friends for decades.

They probably had been.

Some of the more colorful Texan phrases made her laugh out loud, like when one of the women declared that the heroine was as dumb as a soup sandwich, and when Ashley complained that her Bundt cake turned out as dry as a bag of sawdust in July. The others rushed to assure her it was delicious, but she just waved off their compliments and dunked it in her wine.

It felt good to laugh with these women, even if Madeline did feel a little out of place. When Ms. Letty crooked a finger at her while the others were debating how satisfying the ending was, Madeline readily followed her into the dining room.

“I can't hear another word about that silly book,” the older woman said as she settled into the chair at the head of the table and took a healthy swig of her wine. “That main character was as dumb as a bag of hammers. Truth be told, I'd rather read a romance any day of the week, but this was Betty Anne's month to choose, and we all humored her and her it-ain't-over-till-somebody-dies literary tastes.”

Madeline bit back a laugh. She hadn't disliked the book, but the heroine's little brother had died at the end in what felt like an emotionally manipulative climax. “I see,” she said diplomatically when she realized a response was expected.

“Now then, I would much rather hear all about where you're from.”

Madeline smiled and took the seat next to her. “What would you like to know?”

“Oh, honey, it don't matter. I've just always wanted to go and never made it happen. My husband would sooner walk barefoot in a briar patch than take a trip to New York City. I've had to make do with
Law and Order
and
Sex and the City
for my NYC fix. Tell me
everything.

Barely stifling a giggle in time—she did not want to think about Ms. Letty watching a show like
SATC
—Madeline nodded and scooted forward in her chair. With the warm buzz of wine flowing through her veins and a friendly, eager listener at her disposal, she launched into a tour-guide-worthy conversation about her home city. The older woman asked questions, laughed at the appropriate times, and lit up with delight at several of Madeline's descriptions. It was everything she hadn't realized she needed.

“Well, my goodness, what are you two chattering on about?” Laurie Beth stood smiling in the doorway, her hands full of foil-wrapped leftovers.

Ms. Letty chuckled as she patted Madeline's hand. “Ms. Harper here was just regaling me with stories from the city. I'm green with envy from this girl's storytelling. Tickled pink, too!”

Laurie Beth smiled and leaned down to brush a kiss on the older woman's cheek before straightening. “That's sweet. Well, I'm fixin' to head out. Do you want to follow me, Ms. Harper?”

“Oh, I probably should. I'll get lost otherwise.”

“Nonsense, dear,” Ms. Letty said, tightening her grip on Madeline's fingers. “I've got directions printed up around here somewhere, so there's no rush. Besides, I may have plied you with a bit too much of that wine for you to be rushing off just yet.”

Madeline conceded the wisdom of that with a nod, even though she'd only had two glasses of wine over the past two and a half hours. She bade good-bye to Laurie Beth before turning back to her host.

“I think I did all the talking tonight, I'm sorry to say. It was wonderful to talk with you, though. You should come visit me in the city when I go back.”

Her penciled-in eyebrows rose. “You're going back? But you just moved here!” She seemed genuinely dismayed.

Madeline smiled gently. “And I'm happy to be here, but this is only a temporary move.”

When the older woman chuckled, Madeline raised her brows in question. “I think I said the same thing forty years ago before I married my husband. I was from San Antonio and couldn't imagine living in the wilderness like this.”

“Oh?” Madeline said, surprised to learn she wasn't a native of the town. “What changed your mind?”

“I loved my man, and my man loved this land. I don't know when it happened, but somewhere along the way I fell in love with the land, too.” Her pale-blue eyes were wistful as she seemed to look into the past. “Funny how things like that sneak up.”

Nodding, Madeline smiled. “I'm glad it worked out for the best for you.” She stifled a yawn and glanced at the clock. It was almost nine thirty. Pushing away from the table, she rose and said, “Let me help you clean up a bit before I go.”

Ms. Letty started to answer, but the sound of the back door opening had her hopping out of her chair. “Oh, good, that must be my grandson.”

Madeline had done so much of the talking, she hadn't even asked the woman about her family. She'd have to make an effort to meet up with her again so they could talk more about her life next time.

Pasting a polite smile on her face, Madeline turned to greet the boy, but immediately froze when her eyes locked with the tall, broad,
very
familiar man who walked through the door.

“Ah, Tanner,” the older woman exclaimed, delight brightening her voice. “Do I have someone to introduce to you.”

BOOK: Learning to Ride
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