A Cowgirl's Pride (6 page)

Everyone rose from the table, and a shaft of
light from the open door warned him that someone was coming outside. Would it
be her? He rode toward the house, keeping the horse’s gait at a steady pace.

“
Cal
?
You’re out kind of late aren’t you? Doesn’t that boss of yours give you
evenings off?” His voice carried easily on the frosty air, his soft chuckle
following.

“Hey, Michael. Yeah, but there’s a storm coming
so I thought I’d put the horses through a few extra paces tonight. They get
restless if they’re cooped up too long.”

“Sounds like me. Give me the great outdoors
anytime. Had to get outside for a breath of fresh air and stretch my legs a bit
after that big dinner. It sure is warm in that kitchen with the wood stove
burning.”

“How’s Leah?” The words were out before he could
call them back.

Michael riveted his gaze toward him, taking a
moment before he answered. “She seems fine…glad to be home and all that.”

“The family sure seems to dote on her. Couldn’t
help noticing as I circled the yard on Siren.” He also couldn’t help being
jealous of Michael sitting next to her and leaning in close when they
talked…too close for his liking.

“Well, I daresay everyone’s glad to see her.
She’s been gone a long time. Did you know her back then?”

“Yeah, we went to school together, and she
helped me get a job here. It was only part-time, but it was money. Being a city
kid, her father was mighty skeptical at first, but I’d always loved horses and
took to ranching real quick. I guess Lucas saw something in me, or he wouldn’t
have kept me on.”

“He’s a good judge of a man’s worth, for sure.”

Cal
laughed. “I don’t know about that, but I’m still here.” Siren pawed
the ground, anxious to get moving again. He patted his neck. “Okay, boy, let’s
go. See you around.”

“Have a good night. I must be getting back
inside before they send out a search party.”

Cal
let Siren have his head as he circled the yard a few more times,
stopping at the barn to dismount. Resigned to not seeing Leah tonight, he led
the horse to his stall and gave him a good rubdown and brushing. It was cold
tonight, and it wouldn’t do for the stallion to get sick because
Cal
needed to run off
his frustrations. He replenished the feed troughs, closed up the barn, and headed
for the bunkhouse. Might as well join the wranglers for a hand of poker or
whatever they were up to.

Maybe it would take his mind off the blonde
beauty in the house and give his libido some relief. He’d had a perpetual
hard-on ever since she’d bent into the car to retrieve her purse. He grinned
wryly. Tomorrow should be interesting. If he knew Leah, she’d be up at first
light and saddling a horse to ride out on. He’d be waiting.

* * * *

Her little bedroom was just as warm and cozy as
she remembered. No sounds penetrated from the rest of the house, for which she
was thankful, but a glance at the bedside clock showed her it was already half
past ten. She hadn’t even slept that late when working nights at the club.

She yawned and stretched her entire body as she
rolled over to look out the window. Snow? It was snowing! She’d left her
slippers beside the bed the night before, and she sat up to stick her feet in
them. Her fuzzy housecoat wasn’t stylish, but she’d purchased it more for
warmth than looks, which she desperately needed as the cool, morning air reached
her. She tied the sash belt on her way to the window.

Oh, my
goodness. She'd forgotten how beautiful and pristine a blanket of snow could make
everything seem.

Snow was still falling rapidly, and a strong
wind swirled snowflakes past her window. How many times as a child had she
stood in the snow catching snowflakes on her tongue? Of course, everyone would
think her silly if she did that today. She tapped her bottom lip with a
perfectly manicured nail as she thought. She’d take the twins outside to play,
be the doting, playful Auntie and be as silly as she wanted, needed, yearned to
be.

The barn door opened, capturing her gaze, and she
watched as the tractor emerged, blowing snow out of its way as it cut a path to
the house. They wouldn’t do the bulk of the plowing and snowblowing until the
storm had passed, but she knew how important it was to keep a path to the
animals open. The tractor backed up to clear a larger spot for turning, and
that was when she saw who was driving.
Cal
waved and she waved back, delighted that he’d taken the time to look up. She
pictured him smiling, although the plastic shroud over the cab of the tractor
prevented her from seeing his expression.

He’d always had such a gorgeous smile, full lips
pulling back to showcase cute dimpled cheeks and straight white teeth. He
could’ve been a model, so perfectly made in every way.

She’d missed him—missed his smile, his corny
jokes, their conversations, and their most private moments…stolen whenever,
wherever they could manage. He drove down the driveway, and she turned away
from the window. Her slippered feet were near silent as she crossed the hall to
the bathroom. She washed up and returned to her room to dress. Thank goodness
she hadn’t gained much weight yet. Her ski suit would still fit. She carried it
with her as she hurried downstairs for breakfast.

Chapter Four

“Good morning, Zakia.”

“Good morning. Sleep well?” she asked, smiling
indulgently as she looked up from the book she was reading.

“Very well. That’s the best sleep I’ve had in
years.”

“Good, want a decaf? I heard you get up and put
on a fresh pot.”

“Fantastic, but you sit. I’ll get it,” she said
as she hung her outerwear on a hook by the door. “What are you reading?”

Zakia giggled. “A cookbook. I’m trying to decide
what I’m making for Christmas treats this year.”

“Sounds like fun. Can I help?”

“Sure, I’d appreciate the extra hands.”

“Where are Casey and Cammy?”

“Up in their room. They’re a little miffed that
I wouldn’t let them go outside until the plowing is finished, but I didn’t want
to worry about them getting in the way.”

“Okay if I take them out?”

Zakia smiled. “They’d love that. Luke and the
wranglers are taking hay out to the herd, and the twins are chomping at the bit
for not being able to ride along.”

“Good. Okay if I grab some toast or something?”
she asked as she set her coffee on the table.

“There’s a plate of sausage and pancakes in the
warming oven if you want something more substantial.”

“Homemade pancakes? Oh, wow! I’m going to gain
fifty pounds.” She laughed and collected the syrup, butter, and utensils before
grabbing the plate. She breathed in deep. “This smells heavenly.”

She ate and refilled her coffee, relaxing back
in her chair. “I wish I had come home sooner.”

“If wishes were horses…you would’ve been,” said
Zakia. “I can’t count the number of times I picked up the phone to call,
wanting to come back, but chickened out.”

“Well, you’re here and I’m here. We’ll make the
best of it.”

Zakia laughed heartily. “Not a doubt in my
mind.”

The stomping sound of little feet preceded the
boys as they ran into the kitchen.

“Don’t run in the house,” their mother scolded.

They giggled.

“Can we go outside?” the first one asked in a
rush as he drew to a halt beside his mother’s chair.

“Is the plow done?” asked the other boy as he
hung back near the doorway.

“No, the plowing isn’t finished, but how would
you like to take Auntie Leah outside and show her around?”

Two identical faces turned toward her, one
hopeful, the other somewhat skeptical.

“Can you make a snowball?” the first one asked.

“Yes, can you?”

He giggled. “Uh, huh. Big ones.”

“Can you guys make snow angels?”

“I can. Cammy always messes them up,” said Casey.

Good! At least now she knew who she was talking
to. “How about a snowman?”

“We can make big, big balls if we both push ‘em,
but it’s hard to put them on top,” Casey said.

“Hmmm, that could be a problem. What about a
snow fort?”

Both sets of eyes lit up. “Where?”

“Well, I used to build mine behind the house so
no one would bust it.”

“Really? You make forts with tunnels and
everything?” asked Cammy.

“A tunnel for a doorway, yes.”

“Can we go outside now?” asked Casey.

Leah figured she’d kept them waiting long
enough. “We sure can. Get ready.”

Zakia helped the boys get their snowsuits,
boots, hats, and mittens on while Leah donned her own equipment.

“Grab your shovels,” she said on her way out the
door behind them.

The shovels were standing neatly in a corner of
the back porch. The boys picked up two smaller ones, one blue and one red, and
she grabbed a larger, square one. Someone, probably Luke, had already cleared
the snow from the steps, but when she saw the size of the snowdrifts she’d have
to shovel to get around back, she almost changed her mind.

The boys charged full steam ahead and had snow
flying everywhere as they cut into the drifts to start a path. She joined them,
and they were making decent progress when the sound of a motor made her turn
around.
Cal
was steering the handheld snowblower down the path toward the house, widening
it for easier walking. When he got near enough, he shut it down.

“Where are you trying to get to?” he asked.

“I’m taking the boys around back to build a snow
fort,” she replied, smiling, happy to see him.

“Why don’t I make it a little easier for you?
Fall in line behind me or wait in the path. Your call.”

“Casey, Cammy, hold onto your shovels and come
stand with me.
Cal
’s
going to make us a path.”

“Yipee!” they chorused.

Once
Cal
was ahead of them a ways, she filed in behind the boys, and they pretended to
be a mini train complete with whistles.

“Woo woo! Chug a chug a, chug a chug a. Woo
woo!”

A smiling, happy trio arrived at the back of the
house.

“Thanks,
Cal
.”

“No problem.”

He left with the snowblower, and she watched
until he rounded the corner of the house. Even dressed in winter gear, he was a
fine specimen of the male gender, and her heart raced in reaction.

She refocused her attention on the boys, showing
them how to carefully cut blocks with their shovels and place them on the wall.
The snow was quite deep, so she went first, putting the bigger blocks on the
bottom as they followed behind placing the smaller ones. They were doing pretty
good, too.

Whack! A snowball hit her. She scooped up a
handful and turned to throw it at one of the boys when she got whomped with
another one.
Cal
!
The boys got into the fun, making snowballs and firing them at Cal. Surprised
that they’d take up for her and not help him gang up on her, she cheered them
on. They closed in on him. He was still making and throwing snowballs as he
walked backwards, away from them. All of a sudden, he lost his footing. He
grabbed for her to steady himself as he fell backwards and ended up pulling her
down on top of him.

They were laughing so hard, tears came to her
eyes. She heard the boys giggling in the background. She struggled to push
herself upright, but when she saw the desire, the longing in his baby blues,
she stopped short.

“You planned this, didn’t you?” she accused.

“Nope, but if I had, it would’ve happened sooner,”
he said, grinning an unholy grin filled with deviltry, mischief and so much
more.

“I need to get up. I’m crushing you.”

“You don’t hear me complaining, do you?”

“We have an audience,” she said, referring to
the boys.

“Ah, darn. Okay. Help me up, will you?”

She scrambled to her feet and held out a hand.
He took it and stood, only to lose his footing again and fall sideways into the
snowdrift, taking her with him. Her lips barely a hair’s breadth from his, she
was tempted, sorely tempted, to see if he still tasted the same. Only the
presence of two little boys helped keep her mind on track.

The twins were laughing and trying to pull her
up at the same time. She let them.

“Hey! What about me?”

“Uh, uh. I helped you the last time and got half
buried in a snowdrift for my efforts. You need to attach some grips to the
soles of those cowboy boots.”