Cowgirl Up (11 page)

“Whoa.”
Trinity held up her hands. “It was one kiss. That’s it.”

“Love
has to start somewhere.” With that bone of wisdom, Candy headed to the end of
the row and collected the water hose.

It
wasn’t the start that bothered Trinity so much as the ending. If she let
herself fall for Cody, she was setting herself up for a broken heart.

Let myself?
She gave an unladylike snort.
I’ve already fallen for him. Hook, line, and
sinker.

To give
the relationship a chance meant to stick around. Something she vowed not to do.

“What’s
with the long face?”

Trinity
blew out a breath and met Lacey’s gaze head on. “Nothing. Just thinking about
what you said.”

“And?”
Lacey stuck the hose through the bars and started filling Candy’s water tub.

She
worried her lip and glanced down at her watch, not really having an answer for
Lacey’s question. “And if I don’t get a move on, I won’t get time to shower
before they shut and lock the facilities for the night.”

“Cop
out.” Lacey tugged the hose a bit farther and added to Legacy’s tub as well.

Trinity
shrugged. “I’m playing this one by ear, Lacey. Flying by the seat of my pants.”

“That’s
the best way to do it.” Lacey grinned ruefully, clamped off the hose and returned
it to its resting place.

That kiss.

Cody
ran one hand through his hair and shoveled another bite of cherry pie into his
mouth. Ever since leaving Trinity, he couldn’t get that brief meeting of their
lips out of his mind.

Odd considering
how many times he’d kissed a woman. Never before had something so innocent
ramped up his desire into a fevered pitch leaving him with all kinds of naughty
daydreams, all revolving around Trinity. Too bad she seemed determined to move
at a snail’s pace. Otherwise, he’d love to move things along quicker, give her
a sample of the delights she’d find in his bed. Cover her body with his own and
make love to her until they were both too exhausted to do more than exchange
air.

The
mental image jarred him back to reality.

To take
Trinity to his bed meant to strip down and wait for her reaction to his scars.

His gut
clenched at the thought. Too many variables existed in that particular scenario
to call how it would turn out. While Trinity possessed an inner goodness, he
still couldn’t put all his eggs in her basket not to freak when she saw his
back in particular. Hell, he took months to come to terms with the damage
himself. For her to accept him in less than five seconds would be a miracle.
And he no longer believed in those.

The
door of the RV creaked open. Jared stepped in, glanced at Cody, then shut the
door behind him. “Stealing my pie, I see.”

Cody
flashed a mischievous grin. “It was here for the taking.”

“Uh-huh.
I thought you had your own pie still in Trinity’s cooler.” Jared ambled over to
the kitchen area, pulled a fork out of a drawer, and dropped into the booth
seat opposite Cody. He grabbed the edge of the pan and slid the dessert over
before digging in.

Cody
shook his head and worked on his own generous slice still covering half the
paper plate. “She didn’t invite me to stay and eat with her.”

Jared
chewed then swallowed. “Did you ask?”

“No.”

“Did
you offer to bring her dinner?”

“No.”
Cody’s shoulders slumped.

“Well,
I’d say that’s most likely your problem right there.”

“Yeah.”
Cody took another spoonful.

Jared
stared at him for a long moment. “Did something happen? You seem pretty tense
for a guy who just got a foot rub earlier.”

The
memory put a small grin back on Cody’s face. “If you must know, I kissed her.”

“And?”

“And
nothing.”

Jared
frowned. “Nothing? As in she’s a terrible kisser? She has buck teeth or bad
breath?”

Cody
rolled his eyes. Sometimes he felt like a teenager when dealing with his father
and uncle alike. “None of the above. It was really good. Great.”

“Then
what’s the issue?”

He
sighed. “I was just thinking about the last woman that saw my scars.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah,
oh.” He scraped the last of the pie from his plate and put it in his mouth.

Jared
forked another large piece, nodding. “Seems to me Trinity is something special.
Never seen a mutual foot rub in all my years around the circuit. That has to
mean something.” His brown eyes flashed.

“Uh-huh.
It means she’s thoughtful and kind.”

“Bingo.”

Cody
peered over at Jared in confusion. “What’s your point?”

Jared
took his time chewing before answering. “My point is she’s a horse of a
different color. A gal caring enough to rub your sore feet has compassion in
her heart. More than enough to deal with a few scars.”

Absorbing
the older man’s words, Cody sat quiet for a time. “I sure hope you’re right.”

Jared
cocked an eyebrow.

“I’m
laying all my cards down and betting everything on Trinity.”

“Smart
boy.” Jared smiled and commenced eating more pie.

Just
before noon the next day, Cody caught a break between checking livestock, found
a nearby restaurant, and picked up dinner to go. Luckily, they opened early on
Sundays, giving him plenty of time to zip over, collect the meal, and return
before Trinity had to start saddling up for her afternoon ride.

The
scent of freshly baked lasagna set his stomach to growling as he strode through
the barn, making a beeline for the end stall where Trinity sat in her old lawn
chair, watching him approach.

He drew
near and met her gaze. “Hope you’re hungry.”

She
blinked up at him, then glanced at the bag he carried. “Somewhat.” She sat up
straight. “What did you bring?”

“Pasta.”

Her
eyes widened as a small grin appeared on her face. “I happen to like pasta.”

“Good.”
He pulled the spare lawn chair up, sat down, and passed Trinity the top box
along with some plastic utensils.

In
return, she dug a couple of bottles of water from the cooler and handed one
over. “Smells delicious.”

“The
local guys said it’s the best place around to eat.”

She dug
in and closed her eyes on the first bite. “Wonderful.”

His
cock twitched at the expression of bliss on her face. To see such a look on her
features when he slid balls deep inside her body.

Slow down, SEAL.
At this rate he’d be walking
around with a boner all day long. Not comfortable in the least. Besides, talk
about putting the cart way before the horse. First things first, Trinity
deserved courtship rather than a quick roll in the hay.

“I’m
glad you like it.” He forked a bite, stuck it in his mouth, and savored. The
guys hadn’t lied. This had to be the best lasagna he’d ever eaten.

“This
was sweet of you to think of me.” She smiled up at him. “Thank you.”

“You’re
welcome.”

They
ate in companionable silence for a few minutes before Cody glanced to the side
and noticed Legacy hanging his head over the stall door. “Ready for this
afternoon’s race?”

Trinity
shrugged. “I think so. The arena is small, so I don’t expect to win, but we’ll
do our best.”

Cody
chewed and studied her face, finding a hint of worry mixed in with fatigue. He
knew for a fact the road was long and endless miles separated each event. Hard
on people and horses alike. To spend the rest of the week working didn’t give
Trinity much down time to just rest and relax. Combine that with the fact that
she slept on an old lumpy cot each night in the barns and he could easily see
why she would wear down. She needed a break. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t come
until after the finals, three weeks away.

“Rumor
has it all the girls are lining up to be your date.”

He
blinked at Trinity’s comment and sipped his water. “Really? First I’ve heard of
such a thing.” Sure, he’d caught a couple of the other barrel racers eyeing him
with interest now and again, but that was a far cry from
all
.

She
tilted her head. “You haven’t noticed? The Cody I remember used to be able to
read a woman like a book. If there was an interested one within a hundred
yards, he’d be on the trail.”

“That
was a long time ago.” He blew out a breath and took another bite of his dinner.

“True.”
She shoved a wayward lock of hair out of her face with the back of her hand.
“So, why don’t you have a girlfriend?”

He
swallowed and pondered what to say. The truth sat on the tip of his tongue, yet
he couldn’t quite let the words out. Not until he felt out Trinity some more,
got a good handle on how she’d react first.

“The
way I see it, you could have just about any girl you wanted. Smart, great
career, fill out your Wranglers just fine.” She grinned mischievously. “What’s
not to like?”

He read
the spark of sensual interest in her eyes and another wave of desire washed
over him. “You tell me.”

Her
eyebrows shot up. “Me?”

Turning
the tables proved entertaining. “Yeah, you. What’s not to like about me?”

She
drank deeply, then replaced the cap, obviously taking a moment to form her
reply. “Like I said, you’ve got it all. No faults, nothing lacking, which
brings us back to your lack of a girlfriend.”

“I’ll
spill if you do.” He enjoyed the friendly conversation, not the least put off
by her personal questions. Hell, it was about time they got down to the way one
another ticked.

“Spill
what?” She shook her head. “There’s not much to say. I work and I rodeo. That’s
about it. No time to do much else.”

“There’s
no hunky stable hands at the farm?”

“I
wouldn’t say any of the guys are ugly. They’re country strong too.” Her lips
hitched up slightly. “But, none of them interest me more than friends.”

Intrigued,
he stared at her for a long moment. “You’re a pretty lady, Trinity. I can’t
believe those guys are blind.”

She
sighed and closed her empty box of food. “It wouldn’t matter if they asked me
out. I’m not interested.”

“Why
not?” He pursed the subject, needing to understand why she hadn’t been dating,
at least recently.

“They
don’t…make me smile when they come around. They don’t make my heart pick up
speed or a pleasant tingle travel down my spine when they grin at me in
playfulness.” She tossed the container in the trash and met his gaze once more.
“Maybe I’m a romantic, but I need more than just a handsome face, tight jeans,
and a confident strut to catch my attention and hold it.”

“Okay.
So what do you need?” He held his breath and waited, unsure if she would
answer.

“Someone
with compassion, caring. A hard worker who can and will carry his own weight. A
guy who isn’t too proud to take the trash out, yet, at the same time, knows how
to treat a woman.” She smiled sheepishly. “Kind of mushy, huh?”

He
puffed out air. “No. Not at all.” Finished with the last of his meal, he added
his box to the trash bag. “I noticed you didn’t say he had to be sexy as sin.”

Her
eyes twinkled. “There’s more to a man than muscles and dimples in his cheeks.”

Hope
surged at her words. Still, he chose to be cautious. No sense in testing her
theory right now in the barn. There’d be another time, more private, to find
out if she stood by her words.

After
digging the pie out of the cooler, she handed it over along with another fork
and a paper plate. “I did promise.”

He
grinned widely. “Yes, you did.” Eagerly, he cut out a piece and plopped it in the
plate. One bite and he sighed. “Perfect.”

Trinity
beamed. “Thanks. I took lessons from Carmen this week.”

“You
outdid yourself.” He scarfed more of the apple pie, appreciative of the
dessert.

“I’m
learning.”

“Can’t
wait to taste-test your next cooking lesson.” He winked at her.

“We’ll
see.” She grinned wide and checked her watch. “Time to start getting ready.”
Standing up, she folded up her chair.

Cody finished
in two large bites, tossed his stuff in the trash, and followed suit, clearing
the aisle for her to lead Legacy from his stall.

Trinity
grabbed a lead rope, opened the door, snapped the clip on Legacy’s halter, then
encouraged him to follow. Legacy complied, walking gracefully at her left side.

They’d
taken a few steps when Trinity’s voice carried back to him. “You coming with
us?”

He
watched them for a long moment with appreciation. The stallion who personified
careful breeding over generations and the woman who soothed the unpredictable
beast. “Yeah.” Hurrying along, he caught up to walk on Trinity’s other side.

She
peered up at him. “You didn’t answer. What are you looking for in a woman?”

He just
about showed his hand, but held back instead. “A woman with brains, substance,
and a good heart. If she can ride like the wind, even better.”

A
crooked grin crept over her face. “I thought men wanted cleavage and a shapely
backside in a skinny package?”

He
shook his head. “Runway models are overrated. Besides, there’s more to a woman
than curves and dimples.” He fed the words right back at her.

She
chuckled. “Touché.”

“But it
doesn’t hurt if she has it all.” He added on a whim.

“Does
that person exist?” She dug the keys out of her jeans pocket and shoved one
into the lock.

“Oh
yeah.” He ran his knuckles over her cheek.

Her
eyes widened before her features softened. “I’m not perfect, Cody. And I’ll
warn you now, a one-night stand isn’t happening.”

“I
didn’t even consider such a thing. As far as perfection, I think you’re pretty
damn close.” Leaning down, he brushed his lips over hers, discovered her eager
response, and opened in order to deepen the kiss. He licked the seam of her
lips, then thrust his tongue inside for a deeper taste, tapping her teeth as he
went.