Cowgirl Up (4 page)

Besides,
his exploits weren’t up for discussion. Ever.

Jared
shot him a shit-eating grin before turning around and ambling off, still
chuckling.

Shaking
his head, Cody went back to taking in the events, his thoughts returning to
Trinity.

No
wonder she’d come across as a bit defensive and standoffish. An unclaimed
result from a fling, then losing her sole parent. Tough times. Yet, she seemed
to hold herself together well. He’d give her kudos for strength, intelligence,
and tenacity.

Admiration
and respect grew.

A man
could do a lot worse than find a woman with those traits.

“I want to stay here with you.”
Tears pooled in Trinity’s eyes. Her mother appeared paler and weaker each day.
She was living on borrowed time and they both knew it.

“Trin. You have to. The points
you earn from the Stampede and the paycheck are necessary for you to make it to
the finals. Without them, you can’t possibly reach the big game.”

“The finals can wait.” Trinity
sniffed.

Her mother smiled softly and
cupped her cheek. “No, honey. That’s your dream and this is your best shot.
You’ve got to go. Promise me.” Lora paused to suck in air, her hand trembling
the slightest, a sign of the weak state of her cancer ridden body. “After I’m
gone, promise me you’ll continue on. Fulfill our dream. Ride for me.”

Trinity wiped away tears. How
could she refuse her mother’s wish? She couldn’t. “I promise, Mom.”

Lora nodded. “Good.”

Their eyes met and held for a
long time.

“I see so much of myself in
you.”

Trinity’s heart broke a little
more. “I’ll make you proud, Mom.”

Lora grinned wider. “You already
do.” Her whispered words faded as her hand fell.

Trinity, with tears overflowing,
caught her mother’s hand and held on tight. “I love you, Mom.”

“I love you more, baby.”

Trinity
woke with a start, her nose stuffy and with tracks of moisture running down her
cheeks. Using the sleeve of her sweatshirt, she wiped at them, then got up, dug
through her bag, and found a tissue.

How
many times had she replayed that dream? Dozens? Each one left her worn and
ragged. Not because of fear. No. Because instead of fantasy, this one was real.
The exact memory of the last words she ever heard her mother speak. Minutes
later, her mother passed away, leaving her alone in the world.

After
blowing her nose, she turned around to find Legacy staring at her as if in
concern. She scrubbed at her face, entered the stall, then wrapped her arms
around Legacy’s neck.

He’d
been with her through thick and thin. Through her mother’s diagnosis of breast
cancer, through Trinity’s struggle to go to school and work in order to help
pay the bills. Even with her mother’s excellent insurance from her teaching
position, there were always more debts to be paid. Legacy became her best
friend, her outlet, her support. Every day, she’d worked with him, trained,
prepped, and practiced until she knew they could make it in the top twenty-five
barrel racers in the country.

She
could have made it last season. Maybe. But the hit and miss attendance due to
her mother’s condition held her back early on. Then as her mother worsened, she
didn’t dare leave her for more than a few hours at a time. She abandoned her
plans, took care of her mother with the help of hospice, and put the rest of
her life on hold. Not that she cared. Her mother came first.

Now,
this year, she pulled out all the stops, throwing everything she had into
qualifying for the huge finals rodeo. To live out her dream and her mother’s.
The solitary goal she focused on. After all, she had a promise to fulfill.

“Everything
okay?”

The
sound of a male voice startled her.

Legacy
snorted and sidestepped in reaction.

Trinity
released her hold on the big horse, but kept a hand on his warm, smooth flesh,
both as a reassurance for him and support for herself. She drew in a breath and
faced Cody. “Yeah. We’re fine.”

His
eyes narrowed, but he didn’t make a move, only stood there with his arms
relaxed at his sides, watching her intently. His gaze dropped to the foldout
cot she used for a bed, then returned to her face. “Why are you still here? The
barns closed a while ago. Everyone’s supposed to be out.”

“Then
why are you here?” She tossed the question back at him.

He
didn’t even purse his lips before answering smoothly. “Checking on the animals.
All part of the job.”

Rubbing
Legacy’s soft muzzle when he turned her direction, Trinity collected herself.
“I never leave him alone when we’re on the road.”

“Why
not?”

“For a
few reasons. Namely, he doesn’t tolerate people and he’s caught more than his
share of attention this season. I don’t trust people around him.”
And he’s all I’ve got left.
Those words
she bit back, not daring to open her already wounded heart even more.

He
appraised her for a moment longer before speaking. “Being alone in the barns at
night probably isn’t the safest place to be.”

She
stared back at him, a tiny flame of hope flaring at his protective attitude,
but she quickly stamped it down. “I can handle myself.”

His
gaze flicked from her to Legacy. “Doesn’t hurt to have a one ton guard dog
either.” For the first time, a hint of a grin crossed his lips.

She
relaxed and accepted the olive branch. “There’s that.”

“Care
to share how you ended up with him?”

Dozens
of people pestered her to hear how she managed to get a colt out of one of the
premier thoroughbred racehorses of the time. She refused to tell anyone, citing
they needed to mind their own business. However, for once, she actually wanted
to spill the beans, to tell the tale, to share a small part of herself with
someone.

Wide
awake despite the late hour, she decided to take a chance. Besides, what else
did she have to do at one in the morning? Toss and turn on the makeshift bed,
sit alone in the dark, or eat another sandwich? None of the options garnered
more than half-hearted interest.

“Okay.
But this is between you and me.” With one more pat to her pet, Trinity left the
stall, secured the door, then gestured to Cody to take the spare lawn chair
nearby, the one Lacey plopped down in when hanging out with Candy during the
day.

He
grabbed the chair, opened it with ease, and sat down near her own seat, his
large body fitting, though a bit close. “My lips are sealed.”

She
bundled up her blankets, then plopped down on the cot, facing him. “I don’t
know if you remember Star, my mother’s barrel racer.”

“Black
mare with lots of chrome? The one you rode when you were younger?”

Chrome
was slang for the white color on a horse’s legs and face. She was amazed Cody
remembered her beloved pet who passed away just before her mother, making
everything so much harder the second time around. “Yep. That was her. Well, she
was older when I started riding in high school. My mother didn’t think Star
could hold up to the rigors at her age, so we decided to breed her and start a
new generation. Only her first foal was stillborn.”

“That’s
tough.” His lips thinned.

“Mom
signed her up as a nurse mare immediately and one of the thoroughbred farms
responded in just a couple of hours. They had a sick mare needing surgery from
foaling complications and a very expensive colt needing a mom. We agreed
immediately, not just for the bit of money, but because Star was so depressed
and upset. She needed a baby to care for.”

“Then
what happened?” He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees.

“We
took Star to the farm, met with the manager and the foal’s owner. She offered a
generous rental fee, but the manager also included a stud fee, as is typical
with nurse mare contracts. They had a couple of quarter horse studs and could
also work with other local stallion owners for that matter.” Trinity flashed
back, remembering the expressions on people’s faces at her next words with
satisfaction. “I tossed out the name Another Victory Gallop.”

Cody’s
eyebrow arched. “Gutsy.”

“I
recognized the woman after everyone was introduced. She owned not only the mare
and baby, but Victory as well. Something told me the match would pay off, if I
could get her to accept.”

“How
did you do that? His stud fee had to be astronomical.”

Trinity
smiled proudly. “One-hundred grand at the time, to be exact. It was his first
breeding season after retiring as a three-year-old and nearly pulling off the
Triple Crown.” She glanced up at her horse, then back to Cody. “She asked what
I’d do with the colt. I told her, ‘ride him to victory at the barrel racing
national championships’. She looked at me for a long time then agreed.”

“Damn.
I knew it had to be a good story.” He rubbed his chin with his index finger.
“You trained him yourself, I take it?”

“Yeah.
He’s only known Mom and me in his life, which is another reason he’s not a
social butterfly. Men aren’t his favorite because the only ones he’s ever seen
are the farrier and the vet.”

Cody
smiled openly. “Understandable.” His expression softened considerably. “I
didn’t know about your mother until today. I’m sorry.”

Trinity
soaked up his sympathy, but couldn’t suppress the pain in her chest, like a
mule kick. Though Lora passed four months ago, she still had trouble speaking
about her without choking up. “Thanks,” she managed to croak out as she forced
the nearly overwhelming grief back down by staring at her feet and pulling on
her stubbornness. Now wasn’t the time for a pity party.

Out of
the corner of her eye, she caught Cody moving with fluid grace and ease from
the chair in order to kneel before her. He used his finger under her chin to
lift until she met his gaze. “You shouldn’t be alone.”

She
swallowed and puffed out some air, gathering her wits about her and bristling
the slightest. While she might want to curl up in Cody’s arms and let him keep
the dreams and heartbreak at bay, pride refused to relent to such pampering.
“I’m not. I have Legacy.”

He
shook his head. “That’s not what I meant.”

Turning
her head, Trinity pulled away from his touch, his words pricking her
independent nature, setting loose a barrage of anger. Her emotions, in such
turmoil, proved volatile more often than not. Now wasn’t an exception. “I can
take care of myself and my horse. He’s all I need. Period.”

For a
long time Cody didn’t move, just remained there frozen. Finally, he gained his
feet, folded up the lawn chair, and returned it. He studied her for a long
moment.

Trinity
refused to look away, her pride demanded she meet his gaze and hold steady,
proving her strength and determination.

“I used
to think that same thing.” After softly offering up those words, he brushed
past her, walking down the aisle, then out of sight.

Perplexed,
Trinity sat for a long time trying to understand the prophetic statement before
tucking it away in lieu of much needed sleep. She stretched back out, adjusted
the pillow, and sighed.

She’d
barely started the barrel-racing season and all kinds of issues started popping
out of the woodwork.

Yippee for me.

A soft
wolf whistle carried to her ears followed by two distinct male voices in
conversation. “She can ride me anytime.”

“I’ll
take that stud, too.”

“Heard
she’s Buck’s love child.”

“No
shitting? Buck Troutman? Thought he just had that sex on a stick, redhead
daughter with the fine ass. Damn. Why have I never heard that before?”

“Because
he doesn’t claim her? Because she’s stuck up and never talks to anyone? Because
she’s a bitch and too good to hang out with the rest of us. Hell, she won’t
give anyone the time of day. Even Gary. He’s hit on her and struck out.”

“You’re
fucking kidding me? Gary never gets told no.”

“Well,
this one didn’t jump on his wagon. Stays to herself. Never seen her without the
horse. A bit surprising since her mother spread her legs for good old Buck in
the chutes no less. Figured she’d be the same.”

Trinity
kept walking, leading Legacy to the gate, then opening it for both of them.
Moving through, she waited for him to follow, then shut it behind them, while
blocking out the droning voices in her wake. She’d heard such whispers before,
at other rodeos as a teen. Nothing new or different, just a sign that some
things never change no matter how many years go by. While the statements used
to cause stinging emotional pain, she no longer gave them the time of day. Besides,
she had enough agony to deal with, at the moment, without adding in useless
crap spouted from some gossiper’s lips. She hated the fact that they slandered
her mother’s name, but spinning around and ripping them a new one would solve
nothing and only give them more ammunition for the next time.

Best to
ignore them and stick to her task, letting Legacy out for some much deserved
paddock time to stretch his legs and play before the final run tonight. Too
much stall time and he became jittery and wound. Other riders kept their horses
contained with the exception of some light exercise or practice. That worked
for them. Just like his bloodlines, Legacy was a horse of a different color and
required atypical procedures. True to his thoroughbred genes, Legacy needed to
run. Just like his father and generations of ancestors before him. Better to
let him have his time to be a horse than to deal with so much pent up energy
when she needed him to focus the most.

She
unsnapped the lead rope from his halter, then stepped back, watching as he
trotted the first few steps, then lifted his tail like a flag and sprinted for
the far end, in reminiscence of his famous father’s dash for the finish line at
the Kentucky Derby. As always, the sight stole her breath. If she lived to be
one-hundred, she’d never get tired of watching Legacy run in sheer pleasure.

“He’s
gorgeous.”

Trinity
turned to see Cody standing at the gate, his gaze locked on Legacy. Deep blue
eyes flashed with excitement as a smile grew on his face. She knew she carried
the same expression on more than one occasion as she simply enjoyed the gift of
Legacy’s beauty. “Yeah, he is.” She slid
back through the opening, then closed the gate only to lean on it alongside
Cody, both focused on the stallion still dashing here and there.

“Big,
strong, yet nimble. Amazing how he wraps that body around those barrels.” Cody
spared her a glance before turning back to watch her horse.

“He’s
so athletic, he can do anything.”

“I
noticed.” Cody chuckled. “Warming him up with dressage? I swear everyone around
the practice area caught some flies with their mouths gaping open.”

She
grinned at his observation and peered over at him. “Including you?”

He met
her gaze with a lopsided smile. “Yeah. Including me.”

His
admission sent a jolt of satisfaction through her. The dimple that dented his
cheek didn’t hurt either. Her heart skipped a beat at the sheer sexiness of
Cody caught sharing a happy moment. Something told her he didn’t relax and
smile near enough—a tragedy for a man who continued to show strong hints of
genuine concern and kindness carefully hidden deep inside. In this day and
time, those qualities seemed to be in short supply. For the first time in
forever, the urge to tap into something personal with a man took hold, dug in,
and settled in for the long haul.

“Where
did you learn dressage? It’s not on any rodeo docket that I know of.”

“College
and my other job.” She beamed at his praise. Her whole life she tried to stay
one-step ahead, yet the real world kept biting her in the ass and dragging her
back down. To know that she might have succeeded, at least in Cody’s view,
bolstered her ego and sent a wave of happiness crashing over her.

“What
job?” He swiveled where he could face her, yet keep an eye on Legacy at the
same time.

For
some reason, he brought out her chatty side and exuded a sense of trust. Heck,
she’d shared one secret with him already, what was one more? “I work at a
thoroughbred farm when I’m not on the road. The trainers have taught me a lot
there.” She kept the facts bare minimum, not really wanting to go into detail
about the huge operation, the stallions she worked with each day, or her duties
there.

His
eyebrows shot up. “Same one where Star was a nurse mare?”

She
shook her head. “No. Different one.”

He
seemed to take a moment to process that before changing gears. “What was your
major in college?”

“Double
major. Secondary education and accounting.” She rattled off the answer
automatically.

“Impressive.”

“Not
compared to your resume.” She met his gaze and held. “What branch of the
military?”

He
stilled, but didn’t look away. “Navy.” His approachability and cheeriness fled
immediately. His eyes sharpened and she could almost see the walls slamming
shut around him.

Despite
the early summer heat, a definite chill surged down her spine.

The
sudden tension in his body combined with his stern demeanor warned her to tread
carefully. “Were you a…what are they called? An aviator?” In all honesty, she
knew little about the military, only snippets from the news now and again.

His
stare intensified. “SEAL.”

Her
breath hitched as she blinked up at him. “You were a SEAL?”

“Once a
SEAL, always a SEAL.”

The
whispers words explained so much. His pride, his work ethic, his courage, and
dedication. Not many made the ranks, from what she’d heard, and those that did
carried a chip on their shoulder, highly warranted. Respect for him grew
exponentially while also setting him in another class entirely.

And out
of her reach.

“Wow.
That’s amazing.”

He shrugged.

She
took the hint. “Did you go to college before or after?”

The
tautness of his jaw eased a smidgen as he turned his attention back to the
field. “Before. Did my four-year prerequisites first, then joined up. When I
discharged, I applied to vet school and was immediately accepted.”

“The
circuit is lucky to have you.” She whispered the words with utmost regard.

“It’s a
job. For now.”

The
flat tone bewildered her. Perhaps he signed up with pleasant memories of his
time as a participant only to find the new position fell short of his
expectations? Maybe he discovered the highways grew longer each week and the
pay didn’t compensate for overtaking his life? Certainly possible.

Unable
to read his face and with curiosity browbeating her, she gave in and uttered
the question running through her mind. “What are your plans after the season?”

He
spared her another glance. “Not sure yet. How about you?”

Disliking
the sour turn of their conversation, she opted to add some brightness. Anything
to put the smile back on his handsome face and replace the somber mood. “Buy a
big old milkshake and drink it while watching the stars.”

For the
longest time, she feared her endeavor face-planted, but then Cody’s lips
twitched. “That’s it? Your one goal?”

She
grinned impishly. “What can I say? I like to keep things simple and within
reach.”

“Nice
theory. If only it held true.” He checked his watch. “Time to get back to
work.”

“See ya
around.”

He
nodded briefly then strode away.

Trinity
watched him go, her mind still whirling from his disclosure.
A SEAL. Hot damn.

Then
she chastised herself for the nosiness that changed Cody so perceivably.

She
vaguely recalled him from her first year in high school. He had been in the
midst of his college years, full grown, and on the prowl like some of the other
guys around his age. She’d heard stories of his playboy attitude and even
caught him in an intimate moment with Brandy Carson one evening inside a horse
trailer. The gate had been left open, giving her a full view of Cody’s nude ass
while Brandy kneeled before him. Seconds passed as she could only stand there
with her mouth gaping open. Then, Cody had turned his head and the fear of
getting caught ogling added speed to her legs as she dashed off.

Whether
he caught her that night or not, she never knew. But, she hadn’t forgotten
Cody’s perfectly sculpted rear.

The
same one he possessed now, encased in cowboy-fit Wranglers, though more filled
out and powerful than even back then.

She
wondered, not for the first time, if some things never changed. Cody had
sampled many women, she knew that for a fact. A man didn’t come from a wealthy
family, look like he did, and have a flair for charm without attracting women
like birds to a sunflower field.

The
question became whether he still lived life on the wild side or if he’d tamed
down over the years.

I’ll take him either way.

Unfortunately,
that little voice in her head spoke out of hormone driven lust instead of sound
reasoning which drove her actions and contained her urge to pair up with any
man for a passionate quickie.

The
stakes were too high and consequences too daunting.

After
all, she’d spent a lifetime being that consequence.

On that
morose thought, she stepped back into the paddock to collect her stallion. They
had a date with destiny tonight and several more to follow.

What the fuck came over me?

Cody
wanted to kick his own ass for not only answering personal questions, but in
whetting Trinity’s inquisitiveness for more. Oh, he’d seen the awed expression,
the softness in her pretty eyes, the caring she wanted to bestow on him. He
wanted to experience such wonder first hand, but didn’t dare.

He’d
been hot stuff in his day. Attending one rodeo after another, filling in his
free time with loose, willing, and horny women. Same way with college. Then, he
grew up in the Navy. Yeah, he’d taken advantage of leave to find a hook up for
a night or two, but his job took priority and demanded the majority of his
time.

Then
came the day that one roadside bomb changed everything, sending him straight to
the hospital for months. He could still feel the agony of flames burning on his
back, the melting of clothing and skin. The sharp, breathtaking sting of a
bullet slamming into his side. Multiple skin grafts followed, surgeries, therapy.
His days revolved around the next physical hurdle to overcome. Determined, he
met every challenge because there was no choice in the matter. Not if he wanted
a normal life. Well, as normal as he could expect considering his trip to hell
and back.

By the
time he returned to top physical shape, he’d lost his edge and no longer craved
adrenaline. Instead, he searched for the exact opposite. Stability. Peace.
Healing. Vet school provided the stepping-stones to a new life, kept him on his
toes, and allowed for a bit of free time now and again. At that time, he
discovered a new chink in his armor. Vanity.

He
hooked up with a beautiful redhead by the name of Deidre, finding her not only
sexually appealing, but interesting to boot. Their relationship zinged along
uninterrupted until one kiss spiraled them into a frenzied need. With no other
thought on his mind other than getting naked and tucking her under him, he
forgot about his scars. Deidre noticed. Big time. Her arousal turned to disgust
as she quickly righted her clothes, offered up some half-ass excuse, and
stormed out.

He
didn’t blame her. Considering the circumstances, the situation could have been
worse. Maybe not by much, but still the possibility existed. He hadn’t warned
her in advance. Hell, he’d never brought up his war time experiences at all.
His fault and he paid the price. A hard lesson that stuck with him to this day.

How
could he expect a woman to accept him when the areas of redness, resembling a
patchy sunburn and melted skin, along with a couple of puckered indentations
marring his hide, grossed them out? While the pain had long since resolved with
the lack of functioning nerves in those areas, he still protected the spots
from prying eyes, injury, and light.

His
comrades would rib him mercilessly now about his defensiveness for a few scars
earned in the heat of battle. Then again, maybe not. They had all suffered,
some much worse. Their brotherhood would hold, show support, and challenge one
another to overcome any and all hurdles.