The Rancher's Second Chance (17 page)

Melanie helped tuck the covers around Cori and then stepped back. “Why don’t I close the curtains and let you sleep?” She was already crossing the room.

“Thanks. Don’t worry about me. Adam will be in soon.”

She glanced back at her friend whose eyes were already shut. She wrapped her hand around the cool doorknob, and closed the door quietly.

…

Cole paused for a moment; Melanie shut the door to Cori’s bedroom. She turned, her eyes making contact with him from the other end of the long corridor. Blood began pumping in his veins with a force he was getting used to. It happened every time she was in the vicinity.

His gaze roamed her body appreciatively. Her long hair was tied back in a disheveled knot, and he could still make out the green of her eyes, even with the dim lighting. He walked toward her, his mind on how it was going to feel to pull her into him again. He missed her. He missed being alone with her, even though it had only been a few hours. But it wasn’t enough. He wanted to know more, wanted to feel more, because he was falling for her. He wanted to continue their conversation until there were no secrets left between them.

The second he reached her, he pulled her into his arms and everything felt so damn perfect, something he hadn’t felt in years. For a long time he never believed anything would ever be perfect again. But Melanie, soft and sweet in his arms, was right.

“How’s Cori?”

“Good. Sleeping. She said Adam would spend the night with her.”

Perfect. That was exactly where Adam should be, with his sister. Cole pulled her hand and led her down the staircase. “Come on.”

“Where are we going?” she whispered.

“I’m thinking we need to get out of here,” he said, standing close to her. “Are you warm enough for a long walk?”

“Walk?”

He nodded. “To the cabin.”

“I was thinking about your cabin actually.” Her voice held a note of something that he couldn’t quite figure out.

His eyes lingered on her mouth. “Is that right?”

She nodded. “I was thinking maybe we could go up there, on a horse. I’ve been thinking about things since Meredith came to visit me. There were things she accused me of, and one of them was me being a coward.”

“You’re not a coward.”

“She’s right. I ran away, and I’ve been hiding. There is not a man in the world that I trust more than you,” she whispered. She looked up him, green eyes filled with trust. His gut clenched; the importance of what she was saying, and what she wasn’t saying, hitting him with an ominous thud.

He leaned down to kiss her, softly folding her in his arms, knowing all of this was more than he ever wanted, but also knowing he couldn’t deny any of his feelings for her. Whatever it was she was holding back, he wanted her to feel safe enough to let him in completely. He pulled back slightly, framing her gorgeous face with his hands. “Thank you for trusting me.”

“Let’s go; let’s do this before I chicken out,” she whispered.

He took her hand in his, and they silently made their way to the front of the house. He stopped in to let Mrs. Harris know he would be at the cabin for the night and to watch over Cori. And then on his way out the door, he added that Melanie was coming with him. He’d practically run out before she could question him. Once they were bundled up, they headed outside and walked toward the barn. He pushed the door aside and the pleasant, familiar smell of horses greeted them. King whickered softly as they approached the stalls and he stopped walking when he felt a tremor run through Melanie’s hand.

He looked down at her, and she forced a smile on her face. She looked pale, but she gave him a nod. He knew exactly how he was going to do this.

“You sure?”

She nodded. “I’m going to ride Cinnamon, then?”

He paused, slipping on his gloves. “Not exactly. I was thinking Rusty might be perfect for you.” He glanced at her and tried not to smile at her frown as they walked down the corridor.

“
Rusty?
Why do I get the feeling I should be insulted?”

He laughed and then leaned forward to give her a quick kiss. “Not insulted, just reassured. Rusty is a charming, old gelding who is calm as can be. We let kids ride Rusty, and he’s always patient and kind.”

“Well, I’m right up his alley then, since he’s used to short people.” She shot him a smile, and he had to admire her attempt at humor even though he could tell she was nervous as hell. He half expected her to change her mind, and he wouldn’t have blamed her. Wanting to conquer your fears was one thing; actually doing it was another. He was hell-bent on helping her and making this a positive experience. He hated the thought of Mel being afraid of anything.

He stopped walking when they reached Rusty’s stall and motioned with his head. “Mel, meet Rusty.”

…

Melanie turned from Cole’s warm gaze to look at the occupant of the stall. She took a deep breath and almost smiled at the sight. He was a sturdy fellow and his big, wide eyes met hers. She tried to dismiss the perceptive look in them. Rusty had the presence of a wise old man.

“Here, sweetheart, step aside and I’ll lead him out.”

Melanie nodded and stood watching as Cole rubbed Rusty’s nose and then grabbed his reins and led him into the corridor.

“Everything good?” he asked, placing a blanket on the old horse’s back and then hefting a saddle on top of it, making a few slight adjustments.

Melanie nodded when he looked over at her. She took a deep breath and tried to focus on the cowboy and not the horse. This was surprisingly easy. In his battered Stetson, dark brown work coat, and worn jeans, Cole was breathtaking. He was larger than life, strong and capable. Yet he was a man who gained nothing by making her weak. He was a man who was strong enough to allow her to be strong.

He shot her a level stare. “You can do this, Mel. Let’s get him outside.”

She searched those brown eyes, and standing there, about to conquer one of her biggest phobias, she knew she was in love with him. Whether or not he was over Sarah, whether or not he could ever love her back, she was in love with Cole. She nodded, blinking a few times at the sting of tears. He was confident she could do this. He believed in her.

“When you’re riding, don’t worry about having to do much. Rusty will do everything for you, nice and easy with the reins. Focus on the landscape, the air…” He paused and leaned down to her ear. She grabbed his waist. “On what we’re going to do at the cabin,” he whispered in a husky, low growl.

She cleared her throat and pulled back slightly, trying to hold her smile in. “Do? What did you have in mind, cowboy?”

He smiled a slow, devilish smile that robbed her of breath. “You can spend the entire ride up there wondering. Let’s go,” he said with a wink.

It took her a moment to focus again. He was standing beside Rusty waiting for her.

“I’ll help you mount.”

“I can do it.” She wouldn’t be able to do it well, but she had done it a few times, and she had watched Meredith hundreds of times. Melanie took a deep breath, cautiously placed her foot in the stirrup, and then grabbed hold of the saddle horn. She paused for a moment and shut her eyes. She fought down the waves of nausea, the panic.
I can do this.
She let out a long breath and then hauled herself up and swung her leg over the saddle and settled in the seat with a thud. And then smiled. She probably looked like an idiot. It was likely the worst mount Cole had ever witnessed, but she’d done it. She glanced over at him and the pride in his brown eyes was so obvious.

“You may look like a girlie-girl, Mel, but you’ve got guts, sweetheart.”

Once Cole made sure her boot was properly positioned in the stirrup, he gave her a once-over. “We’re going to do this together, okay? You know I’d never let anything happen to you, right?”

Melanie nodded. The wind whipped around them, bringing with it swirling snow. For a moment she didn’t feel any of the cold; she just felt the warmth he offered. “I trust you,” she said, staring straight into his eyes. He gave her a short nod and squeezed her thigh before walking back into the barn. He kept talking as he led an impressive, dark brown horse out of the stall and outside with them. He was on his horse in seconds, his movements graceful and seasoned.

Minutes later they were walking at a leisurely pace, Cole talking in a reassuring and gentle voice. Her nerves eased and she began to enjoy the company of the man beside her and the majestic terrain around them. A dusting of snow graced the rolling hills, a reminder that winter was still here for weeks to come.

Cole looked over at her after a long stretch of silence. “Everything okay?”

Melanie nodded. “I’m shocked that I’m actually beginning to enjoy this.”

A crooked grin, complete with the dimple made her smile in turn. “Well, I gotta tell you, I’m enjoying it, too.”

Melanie didn’t say anything, distracted as the cabin came into view. “Is that your cabin? We’re already here?”

“Yup,” he said as the horses slowed to a stop, neither of them dismounting yet.

“I can’t believe it. This was a lot easier than I thought. It was great.” She rolled her back and looked up at the dark sky.

“You look hotter than I expected.”

Her eyes widened, and she looked over at him. Their horses were standing close together and she could almost touch his thigh. His compliments always seemed to come out of left field, and they were impossible not to physically react to. It was hard concentrating on the horse and the cowboy at the same time. “I guess this is a good time for me to admit that this whole cowboy thing you have going on is a very good look.”

His deep, rich laugh made her smile. “You do realize I’m not trying to make a fashion statement, right? This is my livelihood.”

“Of course, I get that you’re not dressing up in a Halloween costume,” she said. “But it does work well.” She tilted her head to the side and tried to hide her smile. He was fun to tease and flirt with and she enjoyed making him laugh. There always seemed to be a hint of surprise on his face when he let go and laughed.

“Mel?”

She tried not to smile as she raised her eyebrows, signaling for him to continue.

“I find you irresistible. You are insanely gorgeous and since our night together at the cabin I have thought of you all day, every day. That night ended way too soon. All I want to do is taste you, feel your body against mine. And if you have any doubt…” He paused, his brown eyes holding hers with their intensity. He took her hand in his warm one and placed it over his heart. He held it there and she squeezed her eyes shut as she felt the rapid beating of his strong heart. “If you have any doubt, know that this is what happens the second you walk into a room.”

Her breath was locked inside her chest as he stared at her with a longing that mirrored how she felt. Seconds later he dismounted and was standing in front of her. “I should probably tell you to dismount on your own, to gain that experience, but I’ve been thinking about picking you up and letting your body slide down mine, knowing how good that would feel.” His brown eyes glittered with desire, the words coming out of his mouth laced with pure seduction. She was absolutely more than willing to be seduced by Cole.

His strong hands planted themselves at her waist, and as promised, he lifted her off the horse and she began a torturous descent down his hard body. Her feet never did touch the ground because his mouth found hers and stole all her breath and his body housed hers so she didn’t need to walk. He kissed her with a passion and hunger that told her exactly how much he’d missed her. Minutes later, her feet touched the snowy ground and he looked down at her. His jaw clenched tightly, and he placed keys in her hand.

“I’ll see to the horses, you go inside.”

She nodded, fumbling with the keys. Moments later she was inside waiting for Cole. He joined her a few minutes later, silently walking in. Cole strode across the room, tossing his jacket and hat on the couch and crouched down in front of the hearth. Neither of them spoke; Melanie watched him, admiring him. The strong, lean lines of his body rippled beneath his clothes. She swallowed repeatedly as he stood, turned, and looked at her. His hair was disheveled and there wasn’t a smile on his face. His face was stamped with the unmistakable look of desire, need. For her. She saw it in the glint in his brown eyes when they roamed over her appreciatively, possessively. She saw it in every long, purposeful stride, and she shook with her own need for him, waiting.

And then he was there, his mouth on hers and she leaned back up against the door. “God, what I’ve wanted all day was this, you,” he said harshly, unbuttoning her jacket, the brush of his fingers against her breasts making her flinch with the need for his hands on her bare skin.

“You, Mel,” he said, his stubble tickling her as his lips brushed against her neck, his hands guiding her jacket off. It fell to the floor in a soft
thump
. The cold wood of the door was at her back, but she didn’t mind; the heat Cole offered more than made up for it. His hands and mouth feasted on every inch of skin he exposed, igniting every sense in her body, until nothing lay dormant.

“Your turn,” she whispered, lifting her hands to his shirt.

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” The smile he gave didn’t quite reach his eyes, their depths still filled with an intensity she was beginning to recognize. She understood the need in him, because she felt it herself. She ran her hands over his warm, naked skin with a sense of wonder. Cole’s voice sounded husky, and she closed her eyes with a sigh as his hands reached out to touch her face. She opened her eyes and looked into the brown, glittering depths of his, lost somewhere between wanting him and wanting to run. This was the man she admired, pitied, and loved. He was the man she thought would be emotionally unavailable for the rest of his life, and now he was here. And it wasn’t just sex he had in his eyes; it was something else. She felt the emotion; she knew the man. He raised his hands to frame her face, his thumb grazing her cheekbone. She stood close to him; his scent filled her with a need that filled her core and made her inch closer to him. His hands were tender, the calluses under them a reminder of his strength, his discipline.