Cowgirl Up! (4 page)

“Oh yes, I couldn’t live without Isabella. Mason adores her. He’s on Spring Break this week so she’s taking him to the community center for a swim and then out to a movie today.”

Sam smiled. Isabella Ramirez was a gorgeous Hispanic with long dark hair, deep brown eyes and a killer body. They’d been best friends since first grade. After they graduated from high school, Isabella and her family moved to Denver and Isabella went to work for her father, Jaime Ramirez. Jaime was an out-spoken advocate for the migrant farm workers in Colorado and as head of the Chicano Studies at the community college he used his influence to try and change their horrid working and living conditions. When he wasn’t teaching, he was writing books or speaking to numerous advocate groups across the United States and Mexico. Isabella traveled with her dad for several years and then decided to enroll at the community college so she could get her degree in special education. When she needed a part-time job, Sam’s mom quickly offered her one helping out with Mason.

“So how’s the big fundraising event coming along for the riding center?” Sam asked as she sipped the god-awful hospital coffee.

Sam’s mom was on the Board of Directors for the Rocky Mountain Therapeutic Riding Center and her pet project was their main fundraising dinner and silent auction held every April.

“I’ve been meaning to remind you to mark your calendar for the last Saturday in April. This should be the biggest and best silent auction and dinner ever. Do you need one ticket or two?” she asked, looking at Samantha over her coffee cup.

“Oh well, duh. Let me think. I’m working over 60 hours a week, haven’t had a date in four years and have no social life to speak of unless you count my rendezvous with Blackie the cow this morning as a social event, so I guess my answer would be – one ticket, please. Wait a minute – make it two. I’ll get Isabella to go with me.”

Sam’s mom sighed and shook her head. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with you and Isabella. Both of you think of nothing but your careers. Sam, it’s been four years since you broke up with Steve. Don’t you think it’s time you started dating again?”

“I haven’t been wallowing in self pity over Steve all this time.” Sam told her mom flatly. Then she smiled and put an arm around her mother’s shoulder. “Believe it or not mom, Fairview is not the bachelor capitol of the world.”

“Well, I hear that Cheyenne Wells is single. He helps out at the Center and I’ve talked to him several times. He’s turned into quite a handsome young man.”

Sam rolled her eyes and was saved from having to respond when the nurse appeared at the door.

“You can come back. The doctor is checking Tom now,” the nurse told them.

Sam and her mom followed the nurse to a curtained room in the emergency area. Her dad was lying in a bed, slightly propped up and wearing a hospital gown.

A good looking doctor who filled out his scrubs in all the right places was standing next to him writing something on a clipboard. He turned and smiled when they came up to the bed.

“Mrs. Kendrick?” He asked as he extended his hand to Sam’s mom. “I’m Dr. Max Chandler.” He shook her hand and turned to Samantha.

“I’m Samantha, their daughter.” Sam reached out to shake his hand.

“So, what’s the verdict?” Sam’s mom asked.

“Well, Mrs. Kendrick, it looks like your husband dislocated his shoulder – the jolt from the shock probably caused it. We did some x-rays and there doesn’t seem to be any serious damage, just the dislocation. That’s good news because we won’t have to do surgery, although we will have to push his shoulder back in place.”

“Just how do you do that?” Sarah asked. Her face was turning white.

“Well, we’re going to give him a truckload of drugs and then I’m going to shove his shoulder back in place.”

“Oh dear. Will there be any screaming? I can’t stand hearing anyone scream in pain.”

“Could be,” said the doc. “Having a dislocated shoulder is very painful, and it hurts to set it, even with drugs.”

“Okay, well screaming makes me queasy, so I’ll just step outside and let my daughter hold his hand.”

The doctor grinned at them. He had what was obviously a ski tan from spring snow skiing in the high country. His brown face emphasized his blue eyes, light curly hair and white teeth. He had an aura of fitness and good health that added to his striking good looks.

Sam turned and could see her mom eyeing the doctor like a lioness looking at fresh meat. She knew she’d better get her out of there quick or she would be asking the doctor to go out with her. There was nothing worse than a pity date, so Sam grabbed her mom’s hand and pushed her out the door.

An hour later, Sam and her mom were helping her dad back to the car. His arm was in a sling and the drugs they’d given him had kicked in so he was feeling no pain.

“That doctor was cute, did you notice, Sam?” her mom asked while they positioned her dad in the front passenger seat of their SUV.

“He’s probably married with three kids,” Sam mumbled back to her.

Sam didn’t tell her mom that while he was working on her dad, she and the doc had a nice, long chat. By the time he was finished he knew quite a bit about the Kendrick family and her dad’s fame for having accidents. Sam didn’t see a wedding band on his finger, but that didn’t always mean anything. In his profession he might not like to wear jewelry. Heck, that’s why she never wore any. She didn’t want to lose an expensive ring in some horse’s intestines or stomach. Unexpected things happened all the time when you worked with animals. It was probably the same with humans.

When Sam climbed into her truck, Dundee woke up and scampered back to the passenger seat.

BY THE TIME Sam turned into the driveway of the Lazy W Ranch, the sleet had turned to snow. She parked close to the huge barn where the Lazy W office was located and walked as fast as she could with Dundee close at her heels.

When she got inside she could smell the leather, hay and other barn scents, like horse poop and sweat. She always loved the smell of a barn. Not so much the poop, but the leather and hay was great.

The Wilson’s barn had to be the largest in the state, maybe the world. At least in her world. Inside the front door was a large room that held a massive display of ribbons and trophies the horses had won. To the left was the main office. A young brunette, who looked to be about eighteen, was working at a computer. Behind the main office, countless stalls were lined up on each side of a walkway, and halfway down was a rinsing/washing station with a vet’s treating room next to it. Sam had been out with Doc several times during her internship, but this was her first official visit on her own.

Sam knew all about Lance Wilson and his family. Everyone in Fairview did. Lance’s great-great grandfather was a pioneer who came to Colorado in a covered wagon in the late 1800’s. The Wilson’s homesteaded along the Rocky Mountain Front Range between Denver and Ft. Collins and started the Lazy W cattle ranch. Lance was an only child and became sole heir to the ranch in the 1970’s. He was a hard worker and an excellent rancher and after several decades he expanded the Lazy W until it was the largest cattle ranch in Colorado. He was in his late forties when he experienced burnout, had a mid-life crisis or something and stunned everyone by selling all of his cattle. At first he told people he was retiring, but then he started shipping in Paso Fino horses and in a short time the Lazy W was changed over to a full-fledged horse ranch.

Sam was interested in the horses and studied up on Paso Finos when she was in college. She’d read that they had ties to the Spanish Conquistadors and were born with a unique, smooth gait. Colorado was mainly Quarter horse country and no one around had heard of a Paso Fino, but it didn’t take Lance very long to introduce his horses into the cowboy culture. He built a huge barn, an indoor riding arena and hired special trainers and workers from Puerto Rico. His big trucks and enormous horse trailers could be seen hauling his beauties to shows all over the United States. The small, elegant horses were growing in popularity and were exciting to watch as they performed their smooth 4-beat cadence in the show rings.

Sam had seen his horses at a show in Denver and had fallen in love with the lively breed that seemed to enjoy human companionship. They made wonderful trail horses and she had been saving up to buy one after she paid off her truck. That is, until she saw Maggie’s colt yesterday morning. Now she had other plans. Besides, she really didn’t want to own one of the Wilson’s horses, did she?

Sam stepped into the front office and introduced herself to the girl.

“Hi, I’m Dr. Samantha Kendrick, the vet, here to see Cheyenne Wells.”

The brunette stood and shook her hand.

“Hi, Dr. Kendrick. I’m Suzanne. I’ll go find Cheyenne and let him know you’re here.” She bounced around the desk and Samantha watched her walk through the barn with her hips swinging in her skin-tight jeans. It was no surprise to Sam that Lance would have a beautiful girl working in his office. What did surprise her was that Marietta tolerated having her around.

A few minutes later, Suzanne came back through the barn and Sam recognized Cheyenne’s tall frame in black jeans and a black cowboy hat.

Cheyenne smiled as Suzanne rubbed his arm and patted his hand. Now Sam knew why Marietta tolerated the brunette hanging around there. Suzanne was totally whacked out over Cheyenne.

“I’ll see you later, Cheyenne,” Suzanne smiled prettily and fluttered her lashes at him before she turned and sashayed back to her office. But Cheyenne wasn’t watching her. He had his eyes on Samantha.

“Well, hey Sam. We meet again.” He cocked his head and studied her with a small grin on his face. His deep brown eyes looked her up and down and then stopped to stare at her mouth. He was glad Doc Howard was out of town and she was standing in front of him. He could see her wet T-shirt clinging to her body underneath her beat up barn jacket and that made his heart skip a beat. Damn, but she looked good.

Samantha sucked in a breath and could feel Cheyenne’s black eyes undress her. For a second pure desire seared through her body like a knife. Then she mentally shook herself. What the hell was wrong with her? This was
Cheyenne
for Pete’s sake. Stupid, creepy
Cheyenne
!

Cheyenne saw the shock and desire in Sam’s eyes seconds before they cooled down to a professional stare. He knew then he had her.

He smiled, took her hand and raised it to his lips.

Sam felt his soft mouth skim over her knuckles and her eyes widened in surprise. She knew she looked like bug spit in her old barn jacket and jeans that Blackie had slobbered all over. She was drenched to the skin from being outside all morning, and had cow dung on her boots and mucus on her coat sleeves. Well, hell. What could she say? She was a real American beauty.

Cheyenne, however, looked like an Aztec God. Sam saw big muscles ripple through his clean shirt and leather vest. His jeans were tight and his black boots matched his leather vest. They were clean too. Even though his cowboy hat hid his head, she could see the thick locks of black hair that came down to his shoulders. He was the sexiest damn cowboy she’d ever seen in her life.

Cheyenne let her hand go and then reached out to gently tuck some stray hair back behind her ears.

“When did you get so beautiful, Samantha Rain?” He asked with a husky voice.

Cheyenne stepped in closer and Sam felt his warm body against hers as he put one hand under her chin and tilted her face up to his. Then he bent down and his lips brushed against hers, slowly, softly, sexy. Instantly Sam was lost in a whirlwind of sexual wildfire that pulled her under like a strong sea tide.

Cheyenne knew the urge to kiss her beautiful, pouty mouth was going to overpower him the minute his lips brushed her hand. He couldn’t stop himself. He was pleased she didn’t resist and felt her relax in his arms.

When he lifted his head, Sam surfaced and came back to reality with a jolt. She jumped back and roughly pushed Cheyenne away.

“What the hell was that all about?” she asked angrily as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “And no one calls me by my full name except my dad!” She emphasized each word with a finger jab to his chest, but she was surprised that he remembered it. The only time it was used was at their high school graduation when the principal called out each student’s full name when they rose to walk across the stage to get their diploma.

Cheyenne grinned and rocked back on his heels. “Seems to me you enjoyed that kiss as much as I did. I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m not. You looked liked you needed to be kissed.”

“I’ll let you know if and when I ever need to be kissed by you, buster. I’m here for business, not romance.” Sam glared defiantly.

Cheyenne’s mouth curved up slightly and then he turned and walked back toward the stalls.

“That’s true and I really appreciate you coming in since I know Doc Howard is out of town.” His tone had changed and he was somber now.

Sam was pissed, more with herself than him. But deep inside she knew he was right. She did enjoy the kiss, and that was something she would have to think about later. She followed silently until Cheyenne stopped and opened a stall door.