Wild Wyoming Nights (4 page)

Abby shrugged the coat off her shoulders, but he stopped her. “Keep it until you get your own again. I’d feel terrible if you froze to death walking to the door.”

* * * *

Abby wasn’t sure what to make of the enigma of a man next to her. There was a sadness in his eyes that pulled at her heart strings, making her want to know more about him, tell him about Josh, but she held back. She wasn’t ready to talk about her husband to any one, much less a stranger, was she?

“Would you care for some coffee? I mean, it’s the least I could do for all your help today.”

Chase’s mouth lifted at the corners, and she saw a dimple peek out of his cheek. Her breath caught in her throat before she released it in a rush as her heart skipping a beat in her chest.

Damn, I love dimples.

“Sure.” He turned off the truck, and they slipped out into the snow, trudging toward the door in a hurry while the flakes continued to drop from the sky. Abby almost groaned when her muscles protested the exertion after her tumble in the Jeep.

Reaching the door, she pushed it open as he followed close on her heels.

“Have a seat if you’d like and I’ll warm up the coffee.”

“Okay.” He looked around her space, and she smiled before she headed for the kitchen. “It’s chilly in here. I’ll get a fire started if you like.”

“Sure. Thanks.”

Abby grabbed two mugs out of the cupboard with a soft groan.

I’m going to be really sore tomorrow.

Pouring some cold coffee into the cups, she slipped them into the microwave and turned it on. When she turned back to face the living room, she saw him bent over the fireplace stoking the embers and adding more wood while the small flames licked up.

His brown hair curled slightly against the collar of his shirt, and her fingertips tingled with the insane itch to feel the texture between her fingers. He wore the typical garb of a cowboy, long-sleeve western shirt, Wranglers that hugged his lean hips, complete with a silver belt buckle and cowboy boots with a hint of mud on the heels.

The microwave beeped and she turned to retrieve the cups of coffee. “What would you like in your coffee, Chase?”

“A little cream and sugar is fine.”

“Coming right up.”

After dousing the two cups with the appropriate things, she headed into the living room as he rose from his spot in front of the hearth. The fire now burned bright, casting a warm glow about the room and taking away the chill. The flickering light bounced off the walls, casting shadows in each corner.

“Here you go.”

“Thanks.”

Their fingers brushed when she handed him the cup. The electric current that shot up her arm was enough to send her toes curling in her boots. Her gaze met his and she stood mesmerized by the color of his eyes. A frown pulled down the corners of her mouth as she studied the color closely.

His eyes were very close to the color of Josh’s.

The fire popped and crackled behind the screen, bringing her focus back. She smiled and dropped her gaze to the floor as heat crawled up her neck. A little embarrassed by her reaction to the man in front of her, she pressed her lips together and then bit her lower lip. Deciding her best action would be to ignore the feelings he stirred, she moved toward the couch and sat down to toe off her boots. She tucked her legs underneath her as he took the other end of the sofa.

“So what were you doing out on a day like this?”

Long fingers, strong hands, no wedding ring, those were the things registering in her mind when he wrapped his hand around the mug.

What do I care whether he’s married or not?

She shrugged, trying to bring her wandering thoughts back to his question. “I heard there was a blizzard coming, so I headed out for supplies.”

He blew on the hot liquid for a moment and then took a tentative sip. “I would think you would be used to driving in the snow, being from New York.”

“I am.”

“How did you end up flipping your Jeep?”

Abby frowned and stared into her cup for a moment before her gaze returned to his. “I don’t remember.”

“I guess it doesn’t matter. You’re okay. That’s all that’s important.”

The crackling of the fire filled the silence for a moment as she tried to think of something else to say. She stared into the cup in her hand while thoughts swirled through her mind. She peeked at him through her eyelashes.

He is handsome, that’s for sure, but a different kind of good-looking—the hard working, calloused hands type guy.
He stood at least six feet, with a broad muscled chest that stretched his shirt across the expanse, showing the hard, sculpted pectorals beneath. Unlike the doctor at the hospital, she was sure his physique wasn’t from any weight bench.
 
 

Curious about the man who had plowed into her life with such force, it took her breath away, she asked, “So what do you do on your land over there?”

She watched his mouth move, and the smooth timbre of his voice in her ears sent ripples of awareness along her arms. “I break and breed quarter horses.”

“Really?”

Chase smiled and she shifted in her seat.

Damn! Why does he have to have dimples, too?

“Yeah, really.”

“You said you were born and raised here?”

“Yep, right on the property I live on now.”

“Where are your parents?”

“They moved into town. They loved the place, but Dad couldn’t handle it anymore, so I bought it from them and they bought a house in town.”

“A real, down-home cowboy, then.”

He blushed and she smiled. She loved a man who could blush.

“You could say that.” He sipped from the cup, but his eyes never left her face. “What about you?

“I’ve always wanted to breed horses.”

Surprise registered across his face as he asked, “Even in New York?”

She grinned and chuckled. “Yes, even in New York, though it’s a little hard there. Not much grazing to be had.”

“I’m sure.”

She tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “Ever been there?”

“Nope. I’ve hardly been out of Wyoming. Only left the state once or twice in my whole lifetime, unless you count going across state lines to buy horses.”

“I know what you mean. Until I moved here, I’d only ever been out of New York once.”

Silence filled the air around them, and the fire crackled and popped. Attraction zinged through her almost illuminating the room with its power. She took a ragged breath and tried to calm her racing heart. His next question stopped the beating organ in her chest.

“So what happened to your husband, Abby?”

She sucked in a ragged breath as her eyes met his. A gut-wrenching sob shook her frame, and a tear silently slipped down her cheek. She brought her shaking fingers to her lips while she fought the burn settling where her heart normally lay.

Josh—why did he have to ask about Josh?

Chase took the cup from her hands setting it next to his on the coffee table. He reached over and wrapped his arms around her, as he pulled her to his side. Choking back a sob, she buried her face in his neck. Tears rolled off her chin and dropped to the linen shirt beneath her cheek, soaking the material.

Chapter Three

What an ass! Big mistake on your part, Chase. Send her into tears. Smooth move.

He rubbed his hands down her back, soothing, stroking, doing anything he could think of to calm the racking sobs and the flow of tears. “Sshh. It’ll be all right. I’m right here,” he whispered softly, his chin resting on the top of her head.

After several minutes, her sobs changed to an occasional hiccup and her warm breath skimmed across the skin exposed at his neck, sending shivers of desire racing down his spine. When she finally lifted her head, he swiped at the remaining tears on her cheeks with his thumb.

Damn it! I hate it when women cry.

“I’m sorry,” Abby whispered and pulled away.

“Nothing to be sorry for.”

A watery smile flittered across her lips. “Yes, there is. I just met you not more than a few hours ago and here I am, blubbering all over your shirt.”

The wetness of her tears on his skin made him shiver. He let a smile lift the corners of his mouth. “I guess I shouldn’t have brought up the subject.”

Abby wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks as she said, “It’s okay. It still hurts some.”

Chase frowned when he remembered his wife. “I know the feeling.”

“You do?”

“Yeah. I lost my wife about two years ago. I don’t think that kind of pain ever goes away.”

“I’m sorry, too, then.”

He shifted in the seat, and Abby moved away from his side. “Don’t be.”

“What happened?”

“Car accident on the interstate. I still miss her, too, but…” He lifted his shoulders in a shrug and sighed as his voice trailed off.

He wasn’t sure why, but he wanted to find out about Abby—her life, her husband, what brought her to Wyoming. “Do you want to tell me what happened to your husband? Sometimes it helps to let it out.”

She moved farther away and stood. He didn’t think she’d answer as he watched her pace the room like a caged animal, rubbing her arms, her eyes never meeting his. Abby stopped in front of the fire, and stared into the flames before she took a long, deep breath.

The words flowed from her mouth in a rush. “Joshua and I were married three years ago. He was a firefighter. The last time I saw him was the morning of September 11
^th
before the towers were hit.”

Oh God!

 
“Shit! Abby, I’m sorry.”

She turned and met his gaze, finally. The tears came again, but she continued to talk and he did nothing but listen. He didn’t know this woman, didn’t know much about her at all, but he knew deep in his heart she needed to heal, just like he did.

“We were supposed to go to Florida for vacation two days after that. It was his last shift before we were to leave. He went to work that morning and later, while I packed, I heard the news about the towers. I knew in my heart he was there.” She rubbed her arms. “If only I could have stopped him from going to work that morning, he would still be with me. I had a bad feeling, but I didn’t listen to it, I didn’t make him listen to me and stay home.”

Guilt riddled her body. He could see it in her eyes. “It’s not your fault, Abby.”

“Yes, it is! You don’t understand! I should have made him stay home with me!”

Chase got up from the couch, walked to her side, and pulled her against his chest. He knew guilt. It riddled him with holes for a year after Krista died. He was the one who had insisted she drive into town for feed. They were running low, and he couldn’t pull himself away from the horse he worked with. If he had gone instead of her, it would have been him who died that day on the side of the road. He had finally come to grips with his feelings, and he felt the need to help the woman in his arms come to grips with hers.

As he stood in front of the fire rubbing Abby’s back, he felt like an ass when desire rushed through his veins and the blood began to roar in his ears. He hadn’t been attracted to anyone since his wife died, but he felt the stirrings of desire now as her hands rested against his back and her warm breath flittered across his neck. He cleared his throat and stepped back, as his gaze moved to her lips. They parted slightly, and he had the insane urge to kiss her until they were both breathless.
 

“I’m glad you told me,” he whispered, letting his fingers caress her jaw.

With a sigh, she moved away, taking her heat with her.

* * * *

Scrubbing her hands across her eyelids to wipe the tears, Abby saw his stare move to her lips, and her breath hitched in her throat at the desire reflected in his eyes. “I haven’t told anyone those things,” she murmured and rubbed her arms, trying desperately to calm the goose bumps as she crossed the room. He stood too close and being held against his chest did funny things to her heart. No one had held her since Joshua died, and she realized how much she missed contact with a man.

The squeak of leather reached her where she stood next to the window, watching the snow. It came down harder now, the blanket of white starting to cover the windshield of his truck.

Her gaze met his across the room. “You’re probably going to have to head home soon, or you won’t be able to get out.”

The dimple flashed in his cheek. “Trying to get rid of me?”

A dry chuckle left her mouth. “No—the snow is coming down pretty hard out there, that’s all. You can certainly stay as long as you like. I don’t mind the company. It gets kind of lonely without someone to talk to.”

“Yeah—I know. I think my horses are getting tired of me talking to them.” Chase stood and grabbed his coat from where she’d left it on the arm of the couch before putting his cowboy hat on his head. “I better go, then. If it continues to snow like it is now, we might get stuck here together for about three months. Besides, I need to check the animals.”