Rocky Mountain Freedom (10 page)

Cassidy pushed the final fifty-pound bag of oats onto the shelf and turned back to find the countertop was empty. “Is that it? We got it all put away already?”

The head cook nodded. “Never seen so much food vanish that quickly without me cooking it first.”

Cassidy laughed. “Thanks, Ted. Let’s see what the rest of them are up to.”

Through the swinging doors in the common room of the cookhouse, they found the small gathering of men and women who would be setting up the Trailblazer camp over the coming weeks. “You all survived your trip to town for supplies, I see.”

The youngest of the work crew, David, piped up. “It’s a damn long trip. Glad we don’t have to drive that too often.” He held out a beer, and Cassidy accepted it gratefully.

“You’re all good here for the next while. If you do have an emergency or things you need, make a list and someone will pick up what you need when we’re grabbing fresh food once a week.”

The door swung open, and Ashley stepped into view followed closely by Travis. Cassidy focused on keeping his expression neutral. “Come on in, I’ll introduce you to everyone.”

Travis pulled out a chair for Ashley before offering a hand to the oldest man at the table. “Travis Coleman. You must be Ted. Nice to meet you.”

The cook grinned and nudged the worker at his side. “See? My reputation is epic.”

Travis pointed at the dark-haired woman on the other side of the table. “Well, according to that one you’re sort of a god of the cookhouse. Vicki’s been sending message after message home to my baby brother for the past three days talking about how incredible you are. I heard about it every night—I think Joel was getting a little jealous.”

Vicki came around the table to give Travis a huge hug. “You’re a turkey.”

Travis squeezed her tight before tweaking her nose. “You’re lucky you’re engaged, or you’d have all these wildcats after you, not just Ted.”

Cassidy wasn’t sure when he’d lost control of the meeting. Travis seemed to know everyone and was ready to sweet-talk them all.

He stepped in. “Vicki, this is Ashley. She’s doing some photography work over the summer, and she’s a friend of Travis’s.”

Vicki’s cheeks bloomed crimson. “I know Ashley.”

Oh God.
Cassidy glanced up at Travis, not surprised to see amusement on the bastard’s face. This was probably another tangled mess Cassidy didn’t want to know about that somehow, undoubtedly, Travis was at the center of.

Cassidy rushed through the rest of the introductions then motioned for Travis to join him. “Some of the equipment Karen ordered arrived, but I’m not sure what came is right. Can you go over it with me so we can make exchanges if needed?”

Travis nodded, kissed Ashley on the cheek then headed outside with Cassidy to the storage shed.

It took over an hour to get to the bottom of the list, a half-dozen items set aside to be sent back on the next trip and replaced with new tack.

Working by Travis’s side was awkward and yet so natural once he told himself to stop being an idiot.

The man had shown up with a woman who was obviously capable of keeping him happy in bed. All the sexual tension had to be on Cassidy’s side, but no fucking way was he going there. Not even when they touched and bumped in the tight quarters of the storage shed.

Cassidy was ready to head out the door to escape to fresh air and a cold shower when Travis spoke about something other than nose ropes and stirrups.

“You know, when you took off I tried to find you.”

This conversation had to happen sometime. Cassidy leaned on the wall, needing a solid base to hold him up. “I told you not to.”

Travis shrugged. “You see me doing what I’m told very often?”

His deadpan dry tone only made it even more wrong, but Cassidy still laughed. “No.”

Travis stepped closer, a lock of dark hair hanging over his forehead, his dark grey eyes burning into Cassidy’s. “I emailed you. I called. I texted.”

“Stalking me.”

His eyes blazed. “You’d been beat on, badly, because of me. I wasn’t sure if you were dead or alive. Not sure what kind of asshole simply takes off and leaves his best friend in the first place, but I was worried about you for more than one reason.”

Ouch, that one hurt. “I’m sorry. I know that part was wrong.”

“It was all wrong,” Travis snapped. “Even if I disgusted you, we’re still adults. You should have told me to fuck off. I could have laughed it off, and we’d still be friends.”

Cassidy’s chest burned. “You didn’t want to be simply friends, and like you said, how often do you do as you’re told?”

“So you took off.”

“Like a fucking shot.” The longer Travis pushed, the higher Cassidy’s temper rose. “I got out of there for your own damn good, and while I’m sorry about scaring you, I’m not sorry for stopping you from making the biggest damn mistake of your life.”

“It wasn’t your decision to make alone. We were best friends.” Travis dragged a hand through his hair, his voice shaking as he fought his anger. “I went to your house, you know.”

That was all it took for the bottom to fall out of his stomach. “You went where?”

“Your house—your folks’ place in Drayton Valley. I figured maybe they would know where you were.”

Blinding pain and white-hot anger rushed through Cassidy. “You had no right.”

“I was worried, do you not get it?” Travis demanded. “But for the record? Your old man is an asshole.”

Bitter laughter escaped. “Trust me, that’s not really news.”

Travis’s face tightened. “You know, I’ve pissed off my daddy pretty bad a bunch of times—my brothers as well. Never had one of them take out a shotgun and point it in my direction.”

Cassidy’s legs threatened to give way. He held on to the shelf support like his life depended on it. “I’m so fucking sorry.”

Then typical Travis—typical full-of-bullshit, spit-into-the-wind Travis had the gall to grin. “Yeah, well, he didn’t shoot, so that was good.”

They stared at each other. Cassidy’s heart pounded so loud in the silence he wondered if Travis heard it as well. “So where do we go from here?” Cassidy asked. “You going to have trouble working with me all summer?”

Travis reached past him and adjusted a pile of horse blankets stacked on the shelf. “Already told you I didn’t. The question we really need to ask is slightly different.”

Cassidy refused to move, not even when Travis bumped into him putting the stack back in place. “What’s that?”

A hand landed on Cassidy’s shoulder, firm grip slipping down his arm until Travis’s fingers were wrapped around his biceps. “Does your offer to help me still stand?”

Too much had happened over the past nine months. Too many times he’d played through what had happened that day, and he honestly wasn’t sure what Travis was asking. “What kind of help?”

The tight grip on his arm lessened until it was a bare caress, Travis’s confidence seeming to ebb away as his voice lowered. “I’m not sure what I need, Cassidy, other than a friend. A good friend like you. Ashley is amazing, but I missed you like crazy, and I need to know you’ve got my back. That you still care at least a little.”

Caring only a little wasn’t the issue. Cassidy patted Travis on the shoulder, gripping him firmly. “I’m still your friend.”

The words came from his heart, even if being a friend meant that eventually he had to hurt Travis all over again.

Chapter Seven

Ashley stared at the chaos in the yard and, out of consideration for the others, tried not to squeal like a child. The rest of them were dirty and tired, and it was barely past noon, but she was having the time of her life.

Her projects were going to be so amazing.

One idea after another had struck. She’d be back at the Colemans’ later in the summer with plenty of time to add shots of the rolling foothills, but being at the horse camp was like stepping back in time.

Some of the crew were building platforms that would become the base for the final canvas wall tents used for accommodation. Another couple was working the horses. Travis had stepped in and ignored the complaints that he was supposed to be the
boss man
, and was currently helping erect the tents.

Pictures in sepia, added water damage, scratches.

It wouldn’t be the first time anyone had used a little poetic license in photoshopping, and the results could be gorgeous. At least, those were the shots she saw in her head. Now she raced from spot to spot to try to capture the images so she could make them come to life.

Searching for ideas was a fun part of the creative process, frustrating and rewarding in turn.

And right now, dangerously hot.

With the ease of men well used to working with their hands, Travis and Cassidy laboured side by side, the occasional low-toned comment all they needed as they raised the posts and secured them in place. It was the unspoken communication going on that made her blood heat and threatened to melt her camera lens.

They weren’t even naked. Yet.

She didn’t think they were aware of it. The cautious glances, a moment of physical contact held slightly too long. A lifetime of people watching made it obvious to her. The guys were definitely into each other in a more than “thanks for all your help, let me grab you a beer” kinda way.

Travis had taken off his jean jacket and tossed it to her over an hour ago, and she’d slipped it on, the fabric warm from his body. Cassidy’s gaze drifted over Travis’s back, lingering on his shoulders and firm biceps. He glanced away quick enough when Travis twisted to face him, only then the game began in earnest as Travis took his turn staring when he thought no one was looking.

It was a strange fact she’d discovered years ago. People seemed to forget that with a camera in front of her face, she could bloody well see
everything
.

See the response of their bodies to the labour, and to their mutual attraction. Muscles flexed, sweat formed on their skin. Travis brushed his hair out of his eyes then took a long drink from his water bottle, his throat moving in smooth, rhythmic waves. A pained expression crossed Cassidy’s face, and he twisted away, casually adjusting himself.

Ashley made a point of being extra busy for a few minutes changing her camera lens so neither of the guys would ask why she was grinning like a banshee.

Whatever had made Cassidy say no then disappear last summer, it wasn’t because he didn’t lust after Travis.

“Ashley, can you come help for a minute?” Travis called.

“Sure. One sec.” She put her camera and gear bag up high where it couldn’t be hurt, stripped off the bulky jacket and joined them. “You need me to do some heavy lifting for you, boys?”

“We need about a dozen more hands than we’ve got.” Cassidy pulled the canvas tight, or tried to, but it was stuck on the far edge of the floor platform. “Can you loosen that side then watch so it doesn’t snag again?”

“Got it,” she said, dancing over to the far corner and tugging the stiff fabric free. “Go slowly, ’kay?”

Travis and Cassidy pulled steadily, lifting the sturdy green fabric up and over the rigid supports already in place while she guided from her side. The guys slowly disappeared from sight as she hurried back and forth, keeping the material movable.

“Okay, now come over here and thread this together. We can’t let go,” Travis shouted.

Ashley hurried around the corner, and a wild surge of sheer mischief struck as she spotted their precarious positioning. Travis had leaned around Cassidy to lock the loose edge in position. Their bodies were jammed together as they held the two massive pieces of canvas securely in place until she could finish her task.

Travis stood with legs wide apart, one leg between Cassidy’s, their hips less than a foot from each other. She would have to crawl between them to get at the seam. “What do I use as thread?”

“The rope.” Cassidy gestured with his foot in the general direction. “You’ll have to guide us to line things up correctly.”

“No problem.” She coiled the cord in her hand and slipped past Travis, brushing his torso and appreciating how everything about the man was so nice and hard.

Everything
.

She leaned to the left as she squatted, this time knocking into Cassidy. “Oops. Sorry about that.”

“It’s fine.” He tried to step out of her way.

Travis shot out a warning. “Stop, you’re pulling me off balance. The whole thing will go to shit if you move.”

Ashley had the thin rope worked through the bottommost eyelets on both sides and tied off in a tight knot. “I’m ready to lace. Anything fancy I need to remember?”

“Shove it in then pull it out,” Cassidy ordered.

Dead silence for all of three seconds. That’s how long it took before Travis burst out laughing. “What, no lube?”

Cassidy leaned his head against the support post. “God save me from your dirty mind.”

“Just saying. I’d think you’d at least give it a kiss. Maybe rub it a little first or something. Get things warmed up.”

Ashley snickered softly, down on her knees by their feet as she worked her way up the eyelets. She pulled hand over hand to drag the rope tight, her elbow sweeping Cassidy’s thigh on every stroke.