Crazy For the Cowboy (21 page)

Eating made his lip sting, but that was okay, because he deserved a sore lip. He'd given her mixed messages, and when she'd tried to sort through the bullshit, he'd piled on more of it with his idiotic remark about not wanting to take a chance with her heart. Yeah, like she might fall in love with him.
That
was never gonna happen.

There she sat on that rock, her back straight as a lodgepole pine, probably cussing him out as she ate her lunch, and he wanted her more than ever. He tried to take comfort in the knowledge that she was less sexually frustrated than she'd been when they'd ridden out this morning.

She'd mentioned that she'd appreciated what he'd done for her. Okay, that's why he'd told her about his long-standing crush. Now he remembered. Her comment had struck him wrong, like he'd done her some kind of favor out of the goodness of his heart because he felt sorry for her lack of good sex.

He hadn't liked that image at all, so he'd wanted to let her know that he didn't go around satisfying every deprived woman he ran across. This had been a special circumstance. How had he thought of it when they'd been on the trail?
A moment out of time.
A moment out of his effing mind was more like it.

She wasn't eating her lunch anymore. Instead she just sat there staring off into space, probably thinking of how much fun it would be to bury him next to an anthill and pour honey on his head. Then she sighed so loudly that he could hear it clear across the meadow. Hell, the Ghost could probably hear it from wherever he was hiding out.

As if Vince's thought had conjured him up, the gray horse appeared through the cottonwoods on the far side of the creek. Georgie went completely still. Vince glanced over to where they'd tied Storm Cloud and Prince. They stood motionless and alert, their attention fixed on the stallion.

The Ghost sniffed the air and surveyed the scene. Then he walked cautiously over to the creek, dipped his nose into it, and took a drink. He was less than ten yards away from Georgie.

Vince wondered if she'd ever been this near to the stallion before. Even if she had, it couldn't be that often that she got up close and personal. Vince held his breath. Even the birds stopped chirping as silence descended over the meadow.

Suddenly the Ghost lifted his head, water dripping from his mouth. He looked straight at Georgie, snorted, and spun on his back hooves like a Lipizzaner. Then he bolted into the trees and was gone.

What a magical moment, and if he hadn't driven a wedge between them, they could have shared it. They had sort of shared it, but from a distance. He was glad for her that she'd been the one down by the creek, the one with the best view. She must be thrilled.

She sat on the boulder a little longer and finally climbed down. As she walked back over to him, she kept looking over her shoulder, as if hoping the stallion would return. He didn't, and so she continued toward Vince.

Fortunately her angry frown had been replaced with an expression of wonder. “That was
amazing.
I've never been that close. I could see a little notch on his ear. There's a small crescent-shaped scar on his right foreleg. And he had a burr tangled in his mane. In fact, his mane and tail both need to be combed out. My fingers itched to do it.”

He smiled at the excitement in her voice. “I'm glad he showed up.” He also didn't miss the contrast between her reaction to the stallion and his. He'd wanted to rope him. She wanted to groom him. But he must be making progress, because he'd had no desire to throw a rope at that horse today. None.

“Listen, I want to thank you.”

“For being a pain in the ass?”

She pressed her lips together as if working hard not to laugh at that. “Well, you are, but you're also the one who said we shouldn't dig up this meadow, and you're absolutely right. If the trail rides camped here every weekend, it would be so stressful for the Ghost. He'd be afraid to come down to the creek. Besides that, you found an alternative. So thank you.”

“You're welcome.” He wished they could be a little less formal with each other, but at least she wasn't throwing things at him anymore.

“We should be getting back. We'll take a different trail from the one you used to get here three weeks ago. You can see if you like it any better or if you want to use the one you already know.”

“Great. Choices are good.” He wadded up the paper she'd used to wrap his sandwich. “Thanks for the lunch. It was delicious.” He wondered if she'd apologize for throwing it at him.

She didn't. “I'll take that back in my saddlebag.” She held out her hand.

When he gave her the crumpled paper, their hands touched. He longed to draw her into his arms and apologize for being a jerk, but that would be the wrong way to go about it. “Georgie, I'm sorry for . . . everything.”

She met his gaze and hers was sad. “Me, too.” Then she broke eye contact and walked over to Prince.

At that point he made a decision. The minute Wild Horse Canyon Adventures was a guaranteed success, he'd call Mac and Travis. Surely one of them would take over for him if they knew the money would be steady and the work fun.

It would be fun, too. Under different circumstances he might have stayed on the job longer. But he now realized he hadn't been the only one with an ongoing crush. She might not want him to worry about her heart, but he couldn't seem to help it.

CHAPTER 21

A
fter Georgie arrived home, she gave Prince a thorough brushing and rubdown, a small ration of oats, and a hug. Then she went into the house through the kitchen door, which would allow her to head upstairs without passing the parlor. It was nearly five, so the TV would be on and happy hour would be in progress.

She'd started upstairs when Evelyn called to her. As she walked over to the doorway, she hoped that whatever her stepmother wanted would only take a minute or two. A long, hot shower sounded like heaven right now. Talking to Evelyn sounded like hell.

Evelyn beckoned to her. “Come on in. Want a martini? I can get another glass.”

“No, thanks.” She edged into the room. “I shouldn't sit down. I've been out riding all day and I have horsehair all over me.”

Evelyn waved a hand dismissively. “Don't worry about it.”

Georgie did, though, because she was usually the one on cleanup duty. Anastasia helped when she thought of it, but her cleaning standards weren't very high. Georgie was no neat freak, but the house was beautiful and she didn't like to see clutter and dust coating the furniture. Sitting on the upholstery would leave a layer of trail dust and horsehair, so she remained standing.

That meant her stepmother had to look up at her, which wasn't all bad, either. Evelyn was a handsome woman who was well aware of that fact. She had a hairdresser in Amarillo who made sure her gray roots never showed themselves, and she had excellent bone structure. At fifty, she had almost no wrinkles, but she'd talked often about getting a face-lift when her ship came in.

Georgie figured the ship was Charmaine, or else the rich guy Charmaine was supposed to lure onto the rocks of unholy matrimony. Charmaine had said once that it was as easy to love a rich man as a poor man. Georgie hoped for her sister's sake that was true.

“So I wanted to talk to you about this trail ride.” Evelyn picked up her martini glass and took a delicate sip.

“Okay.”

“Charmaine isn't an accomplished horsewoman.”

“I know, but it doesn't matter. The horses will all be walking. Anybody could do it.”

“Yes, but I've decided she needs to look good out there. At first I thought maybe her inexperience would work in her favor, and Randolph would find himself coming to her aid, but I've reconsidered that approach. I think she needs to know what she's doing, at least somewhat. I don't know if she's ever been on a horse, come to think of it.”

So Evelyn considered herself already on a first-name basis with the rich guy. Not surprising. “Charmaine hasn't ridden as far as I know, but it won't matter. Those horses are extremely docile. She'll be riding in a line with other horses so she won't have to do anything but sit there. She'd have to work at falling off.”

“Be that as it may, I've told her to come home a couple of days early so you can give her riding lessons.”

Georgie stared at her. Talk about the last thing in the world she wanted to do. “I don't have time.”

“Of course you do, now that you're opening the store later and closing it earlier.”

“But I'm in charge of making sure everything's organized. There could be last-minute issues that I'll be responsible for. I can't be giving Charmaine riding lessons when I should be available in case I have to put out fires.”

“Nonsense. There won't be any fires to put out. You're too efficient.” She gazed at Georgie, her expression confident. “When I told Charmaine that you'd love to give her lessons, the poor girl practically burst into tears of gratitude. Randolph's a good rider and she doesn't want to make a fool of herself. She told me to tell you that she owes you, big-time.”

And that, Georgie thought, was a classic example of how Evelyn operated. “All right. I'll find the time somehow.”

“I knew you would.” Evelyn smiled. Then she wrinkled her nose. “Now go take a shower. You smell like horse.”

Georgie waited until she was in the shower with the bathroom door closed before she let loose with a few choice swearwords. And then a few more. She thought nobody could hear her.

But apparently Anastasia had, because she knocked on the door. “Are you okay?”

“Yes! Just . . . I'm fine!”

“When you're done, come down to my room. I want to make sure you're fine.”

“Okay.” Georgie didn't like lying to the one person in the family who sincerely cared about her. And she wasn't really fine. She was in turmoil over Vince. She should forget him, but instead all she could remember were his kisses. All his kisses. Everywhere he'd kissed her.

Someday soon he'd leave town, and when he did, he'd take that clever mouth with him, along with the rest of the goodies she hadn't sampled yet. If he was that accomplished at oral sex, she could only imagine what the main event would be like. The prospect made her stand in the shower thinking about it until the hot water ran out. She really should install a bigger tank and just not tell Evelyn she was doing it.

Anastasia knocked on the door again. “What are you doing in there? You should be out by now.”

“Almost done.”

“Georgie, you don't usually swear in the shower. Come out and let me see that you're okay.”

With a sigh, Georgie switched off the tepid water and reached for the towel hanging near the combination tub and shower. “Be right there.”

Moments later, her body encircled by her favorite bath sheet and her hair wrapped in a regular towel, she opened the door. “See? Fine.”

“Your mouth is red. You've been kissing somebody. Vince, right?”

“No, Ed.”

Anastasia's eyes widened.

“Yes, of course Vince! He's the only kissing candidate in this whole damned town!” Evelyn hadn't noticed her red mouth, but that was typical. Evelyn didn't notice anything that wasn't linked to herself and her ambitions. Georgie's love life wouldn't concern her at all.

“Come down to my room. I think you need to talk.”

“No, I don't.” But she padded barefoot down the hall to her sister's room, because she probably did need to talk. She sat on the bed and Anastasia took the desk chair.

“So you've been kissing Vince.”

“Yes.”

“In front of Ed?”

“Ed didn't go. I guess you didn't catch that last night.”

“No. I was dancing with the guys while you and Vince had your argument, but that must be settled.”

“It wasn't an argument, and how did you know about it?”

Anastasia folded her arms over her chest. “I've watched
Sherlock.
I know how to make deductions.”

“Oh, really?”

“You left early after talking to him. That's all the evidence I need. But if you were out in the boonies kissing each other, I guess all is well. Except that doesn't explain the swearing in the shower.”

Georgie gave her a quick update on Charmaine and the riding lessons.

“I'm sorry. If I knew how to ride, I'd do it.”

“That's okay. I'll do it.”

“But that will cut into your time with Vince. I can see why you were swearing. He's hot.”

Her sister had no idea how hot. “That's not a problem. I won't be spending time alone with Vince anymore.”

“What?” Anastasia gave her the googlie eye, which was a whole other thing from her hairy eyeball. “Why not?”

“Because he won't be staying on any longer than necessary to get Wild Horse Canyon Adventures launched. There's no future with Vince, so it's better if I—”

“Stop right there. Have you had sex with him yet?”

“Um, sort of. Not totally.”

Anastasia gazed at her. “Would you like to?”

“God, yes.”

“Then do it, Georgie. Go to his hotel room and say
here I am
.”

“Oh, Anastasia, I don't know. It feels sort of—”

“Illicit?”

“Yeah.”

“What's wrong with that? You're an adult and so is he. Besides, we can't know how soon a cowboy as sexy as Vince will come along again. You deserve a romp in the hay. And I can tell you really like him.”

“I really do, but I can't just march into the lobby of that hotel and walk upstairs to his room. I don't relish being the talk of the town.”

“Let me think.” Anastasia tapped her chin with her finger. “I know! Remember when you kept tabs on things when Steve and Myra went to their daughter's wedding? Didn't they give you a key?”

“Yes. One for the front and one for the back.” She stared at her sister. “I still have them. Steve told me to hang on to them in case they needed me to watch the place again.”

“Bingo. Wait until the place is quiet and go in the back way so nobody sees you. Vince is the only guest. Do you know his room number?”

Georgie's shoulders slumped. This had started to sound like an excellent plan. “No, damn it.”

“Take a little flashlight and look him up on that big register Steve leaves on the desk because he thinks it's so old-fashioned and cool. It's a security nightmare, but in this case, it'll serve your purposes nicely. The alternative is to go up and down the hall knocking on doors.”

“I'd rather not.”

“Don't blame you. So we're good? You're going over there tonight?”

“Tonight?” Butterflies started doing maneuvers in her stomach. “Maybe I should wait.”

“For what? You have a week and a half before my sister hits town, and trust me—there will be no sneaking off to the hotel once she's in residence. If she's not getting any, she won't want you to be getting any, either.”

“How do you know she's not getting any?”

“She sends me texts every once in a while. She's met some cute guys in Dallas, but they don't have bucks, and she can't take a chance on having a fling with them and falling in love. She does have
some
moral fiber.”

“I'm sure she does.” Georgie wasn't all that sure, but she was willing to give Charmaine the benefit of the doubt for Anastasia's sake.

“Anyway, competition for the men with money is fierce. Consequently she's as celibate as we are. And not happy about it.”

“Who would be?”

“Exactly. Which is why you need to temporarily put aside your happily-ever-after dreams and climb on that cowboy, girlfriend.”

Georgie laughed. “I've been taking this situation way too seriously, haven't I?”

“Yes, but that's how you are. And it's the reason I love you.”

“Aw.” Georgie left the bed to give her sister a hug. “Thanks for talking me down.”

“Are you going to give me details so I can live vicariously?”

“No.”

“Didn't think so, but it was worth a try.”

“You'll get a turn. This trail-ride thing will bring people into town, and logically some of them have to be eligible single guys, right?”

Anastasia smiled. “Logically they'll be prosperous middle-aged tourists and we both know it.”

“When Vince bails, and he will, I'll ask Mac and Travis if they're interested. If they can be promised a steady job, they might agree to work for Wild Horse Canyon Adventures.” She watched Anastasia's reaction to that possibility.

Her sister shrugged and glanced away. “That would be cool.”

“Come on, tell me the truth. I've bared my soul. Which of those two guys does it for you?”

Anastasia glanced up. “Truthfully? I'm not sure. They were only here for a weekend. I liked them both. At first I thought I was all about Mac, but after spending more time with Travis, I can't say.” She laughed. “It would be nice to have the choice, you know? More than one possibility in town would be awesome.”

“I hear you. This has turned into an impossible situation for a couple of twentysomething women. Vince is a short-term fix. A Band-Aid.”

“But a mighty good-looking one.”

“Yes.” Anticipation fizzed in her veins. “Yes, he is.”

“If you want to play it safe, you probably shouldn't go over there until around midnight.”

“What if he's asleep?”

Anastasia began to laugh. “Are you worried about waking him up?”

Georgie thought of what had taken place in the canyon today and felt her cheeks grow warm. “Guess not.”

“He will be so glad to see you standing at his door that he won't care if he never sleeps again. You're going to make Vince a very happy man tonight. What are you going to wear?”

“I don't know. Jeans, a nice shirt, boots, a jacket.”

“Wrong. Let's think about this. You want something that's easy off and easy on again. You'll have to set your phone alarm so you leave before it gets light out. You don't want to do the walk of shame down Main Street.”

“The walk of shame?”

Anastasia sighed. “I keep forgetting that you only got a couple of years of college before you had to come home. I may be younger than you, but those last two years in school were quite educational, and I'm not talking about the classwork.”

“Did you ever have to take the walk of shame?”

“Oh, no. I was careful. But one of my friends stayed at her boyfriend's apartment after a wild night in which she somehow misplaced her clothes. He was dead to the world the next morning, but she had an early class, so she had to walk back home wrapped in a pink-and-yellow beach towel.”

“Yikes. If that's what I missed, I'm glad I didn't go all four years.”

“You probably didn't miss very much, come to think of it. But let me suggest a different outfit from what you have in mind, okay?”

Georgie smiled. “I'll bow to your superior knowledge.”

“Cool! And once we get that figured out, what are you going to do between now and then?”

“Hyperventilate?”

“Wrong again. We'll bring food up here and play gin.”

“Anastasia, what would I do without you?”