My Heart Lingers (A Hearts of Misty Mesa Story): BWWM Interracial Romance (3 page)

He called her ma’am. He didn’t recognize her beneath her cap. Kyra’s heart, already racing from her run and subsequent fall, beat even faster as she lifted her cap and watched Cole dismount from his mahogany horse. Dressed in a plaid shirt, jeans, cowboy boots, and hat, he hurried to her side. “My ankle hurts a bit, but I think I’m okay,” she told him.

His paused before he crouched down beside her. “Kyra?” He lifted the brim of his gray Stetson to gaze at her with his deep blue eyes. She thought she’d never stare into them so closely again. Like his voice, the years matured his face. His handsome features possessed the strong angles of manhood. The faint shadow of stubble lined his jaw and chin.

“It’s me,” she answered. “How are you, Cole?” Her greeting felt stilted and strange, considering she was sitting on the ground beside a dirt road after taking a tumble.

“Which ankle is it?” He focused on her injury instead of her question.

“My left.” She moved it without too much pain. Thank God it wasn’t broken. Now that she was booted out of the law firm, her health insurance was probably scrapped, too. “I might be able to stand on it.”

“You’re not going to. I’m taking you to the ER.”

At that moment, the boy returned with the golden retriever. He had the dog’s leash wrapped securely around his wrist this time. “I’m really sorry about my dog. Is she alright?”

Kyra nodded, even though he addressed Cole, whose long, lean-muscled frame made him appear to be the authority figure to the adolescent. “I tweaked my ankle when I turned to get out of the way, but I’ll be fine.”

Cole cast a doubtful glance at her after the boy continued on his way. “You don’t know if your ankle is fine.” He reached down and gently made contact with the area using three fingers. His touch was careful and only examining, but Kyra felt a sudden heat rush into her skin. She held her breath until he withdrew.

“I’ve sprained my ankle running before.” She managed to get the words out between her lips. “This is very minor in comparison. All I need to do is go home and put a little ice on it.”

He supported her back with his arm while his other arm slipped beneath her legs. He stood up with her in a smooth, careful motion. “Where are you staying in town?”

“At my old place. Do you remember where my parents and I used to live?”

“It’s about six miles from here. I’ll drive you. My truck’s farther up the road.”

Kyra looped her arm around his neck as he carried her to his horse, which patiently grazed on a patch of grass while waiting for his master. “We’re riding the horse to get to your truck?”

A small laugh rumbled in his throat. “My truck is parked two miles from here. Why not use the good old-fashioned transportation at our disposal?”

Kyra hadn’t been on a horse since she was in high school. Cole had given her an initial horseback riding lesson when she first visited his family’s ranch. She remembered the uncertain looks on his parents’ faces as they watched him help her mount a young mare. She was apprehensive then, and felt that way again now as he helped her in the saddle. Then he climbed up behind her, reaching around her waist to grab the reins with both hands.

Kyra sat straight as a board. Cole was so close to her. His body heat transferred from his torso through her thin t-shirt. There was no way she could avoid their bodies touching while they shared a saddle. The horse moved forward, and the motion caused her to fall back against Cole. The solid muscles of his stomach tensed at the contact.

“What were you doing running on a rural road?” he asked. “There are sidewalks, the high school track, and a park with a jogging trail downtown.”

“I needed some physical activity after this morning. I didn’t know I would get this far.”

“You must’ve really wanted to run,” he remarked. His mouth was close to her ear. The proximity and his relaxed Texan drawl brought back memories of a simpler time in her life, of young love and innocence. She had the odd urge to turn her head and tilt her lips to his for a kiss. She resisted the urge and remained with her face forward.

“You might say I needed to clear my head. I had a rough morning.” Maybe the bad news of losing her job made her want to act impulsively. Yes, that must be it.

Cole didn’t say more. He tugged the horse’s reins to make the animal turn right once they reached a four-way stop. The dirt road was empty. The bicyclist, jogger, and the adolescent with the rambunctious golden retriever moved on.

They soon came to a Ford pickup with attached horse trailer parked in a half-filled lot next to a trailhead. Kyra was surprised to see the paved parking lot. “This wasn’t here last time I was in town.”

Cole made the horse stop within several feet of the truck. “Misty Mesa’s rebuilding its economy. Throughout the year, the town hosts small clusters of tourists eager to get outdoors and hike, bike, or horseback ride through the nature trails.”

“That explains why I saw more shops and restaurants on Main Street when I drove in yesterday. It’s good to see local business thriving again.”

“Yeah, though I can’t say the same for all of them.” Cole dismounted and assisted Kyra from the saddle. She held onto him as he carried her to the passenger side of the truck. She didn’t think it was necessary. Her ankle hurt a little bit, but it wasn’t red or swollen.

“Like what businesses?” she asked once he set her down on the seat.

“A couple of shady law firms hung out their shingles in the past three years. They’ve been taking advantage of people. I’ll be right back after I get my horse in the trailer.” Cole turned the AC on for her before he left to tend to the animal.

Kyra leaned her head back while the cool air washed over her flushed body. She was hot from a dual combination of sources: working out in the midday heat and being propped against Cole for the entire horseback ride. She knew it was the latter that affected her the most.

She looked around the truck. The truck was a combination of both class and ruggedness. Even though the vehicle was made for utilitarian purposes, it came equipped with subtle luxuries. The seats could be heated and cooled. The dash had an LCD screen for the GPS navigation system and mobile office. She spotted a charging dock between the seats for cell phones and laptops.

She heard the door to the horse trailer close. Cole then opened the door to the truck and climbed in seconds later. “Cyclone’s secured. I rode him downtown this morning so he could get used to crowds. I hope to ride him in the rodeo in the near future.”

“If I’d known the horse’s name, I really would have insisted you help me hobble along to your truck.”

Cole flashed a white smile, causing Kyra to become warm again. “Don’t let his name scare you. He’s only high-spirited and skittish when he gets around a big group of people.” He fastened his seatbelt and put the truck in reverse. “Let’s get you home and off that ankle.”

Ten minutes later, the truck pulled up to the driveway of Kyra’s old house. Cole got out and went to open the passenger door for Kyra. This time, she stopped him from lifting her in his arms. “I can walk inside. Just help me balance my weight.”

He grudgingly allowed her to hobble up the driveway and to the front door, supporting her by the waist. He viewed the porch swing dangling lopsided by its chain. “What happened here?”

“My parents have been leasing the house since they retired to Florida. The last tenants weren’t exactly the best with housekeeping and maintenance.” Kyra reached into her sock for the key. “Consider it your warning before you see the inside. I haven’t had a chance to clean it all yet.”

She opened the front door. At least this time, she came into a better-smelling abode. The cinnamon apple scent of the plug-in air freshener she put in before she left kicked in big time. She hardly detected the food smells in the living room. “I’d offer you a cushiony seat, but all I have is a metal folding chair I found in the hall closet.”

“Where are you sleeping? It’s better for you to stretch out and keep your leg elevated for a while.”

“In the room at the end of the hall, on the right.” She pointed to the hall leading to the set of three bedrooms. One was the master bedroom, the middle room was where her father once kept his home office, and the last one was her old room. Out of habit, she decided to sleep in her childhood bedroom the night before. She purchased an air mattress at the hardware store yesterday.

Cole led her to the full-size air mattress. The sheets and blanket were still rumpled from where she got up in the morning and didn’t make the bed. She smiled apologetically to him as he settled her onto the mattress. “Don’t mind the mess. It isn’t nearly as bad as what the tenants left for me to clean.”

“I’m going to get ice from the fridge for your ankle.” He left the bedroom.

Kyra fluffed a pillow behind her, even though it did little to cushion her against the hard wall in which she positioned the air mattress. By the time she removed her shoes, Cole returned to the room with both a bag of ice wrapped in a dishtowel and a sports drink. He had removed his hat, revealing the thick black hair she used to run her hands through whenever she kissed him as a teenager.

He handed her the bottled sports drink. He then sat on the floor and put her injured ankle in his lap. After assessing it, he positioned the ice on the outer part of her ankle. “It looks like a small sprain. You should be fine after a day’s rest.”

“Thank you, but you see, there’s no need to baby me.” Kyra looked around the room. Scuffs marks were left on the wall from the previous tenant’s furniture. “I should get at those marks on the wall and give them a good scrubbing.”

“You need to stay off your leg for the rest of the day,” Cole said quietly, but in a firm tone. “You could make it worse.”

“Alright, Dr. McCrea, whatever you say.” She leaned against the pillow and the wall. “I see you haven’t changed much over the years. You’re still protective as ever.”

“Many women would consider it to be a good trait in a man.”

“Many women?” Kyra straightened. “Are you talking from experience?”

“It was a figure of speech.” Cole moved the ice to the other side of her ankle. “I have a ranch and youth center to run. It doesn’t leave me with much time to date.”

“I hear you. Work’s kept me busy, too.” Kyra settled into a relaxed posture again. Why did she tense up in the first place? So what if Cole had turned into a serial dater? He confessed he wasn’t, but even so, it wouldn’t be her business. She wrestled with the jealousy coming at her from out of nowhere. “I saw Ron from high school last night. We were in the grocery store. He said he worked at your ranch as a cook.”

“It’s no easy task, feeding so many little ones.”

“I can imagine. He always liked to cook in family and consumer sciences class, so I’m happy he found a job doing what he loves. How are your parents these days?”

Cole lowered his head. “They passed away four years ago. They were on vacation at a mountain resort in Colorado when their car slid on ice and overturned.”

Kyra put her hand to her mouth. “Oh, Cole. I’m sorry.”

Cole’s hands came to rest on his thighs. “I had just finished business school at the time. I flew home from Atlanta for the funeral. It was one of the saddest moments of my life. After that, I knew I wanted to stay in Misty Mesa to continue my parents’ philosophy of giving to others. The youth arts center is my way of paying it forward. My father loved working on his ranch and my mother was a big supporter of the arts.”

Kyra recalled sitting in the McCrea living room and seeing the vivid paintings and sculptures Cole’s mother collected from local Western artists. “I think the youth arts center you formed is a beautiful way of honoring your parents’ legacy.”

“Thank you. What about your parents?” Cole asked. “They like living in Florida?”

“Oh, yes. Now they have a beachfront to go with their margarita machine.”

He chuckled. “How are you? You must be doing well. I saw the nice Chrysler in the driveway.”

Kyra shook her head with a smirk. “It’s a rental. I drove it from the airport when my plane landed yesterday. I flew from Chicago when my parents asked me to get their house ready for sale. With their new house and life in Florida, it’s hard for them to meet with the realtor themselves.”

“I understand now why you’re in town, but you still haven’t answered my question.”

Kyra didn’t want to answer his question, but she wasn’t going to lie to him. “I’m-I mean, I was an attorney for a corporate firm in Chicago. I received a phone call this morning from one of the senior partners telling me I’d been let go. My boss got in trouble with the law and those of us on his team didn’t know anything about it.” She folded her arms and huffed. “That didn’t stop the firm from giving us all the pink slip.”

“Kyra, I’m sorry to hear about that. No wonder you were sprinting like a roadrunner and leaving dust in your trail.”

She brightened a little at his western analogy. “I needed to burn off steam. I’m still mad. My office was cleared out this morning and shipped in boxes to my apartment.”

Cole shook his head. “That’s not how you treat a lady. It figures those city boys in Chicago wouldn’t know any better.”

“They weren’t all boys. One of the partners is a woman.”

“Correction, then. City folks just don’t know how to act, period.”

“Hey, watch it,” she teased. “I’ve been one of those city folks for a few years.”

“Is that where you’ve been all this time, living in Chicago?” Cole’s eyes captured hers. Kyra couldn’t look down or to the side. Should she tell him about her life since she left town?

“When I left Misty Mesa, I eventually landed a job as a barista at a coffee shop in Dallas. I attended a community college until I received my undergrad degree. Then I applied to law school and got into John Marshall. I’ve been in the Windy City ever since.”

“I never heard you talk about wanting to go to law school.”

Kyra shrugged. “I never considered it until after I got to college. I didn’t think I was smart enough.”

“You were. You made decent grades in high school.”

“They were okay, I guess, when I wasn’t out partying.”