The Cowgirl’s Secret Love: The Colemans of Heart Falls, Book 2

by Vivian Arend

  Softly at first then with more pressure as she found the knots, Karen massaged his arms, his shoulders, his neck. Long whisper-light drags of skin-to-skin contact followed by pleasure-pain sensations as she dug her thumbs into his abused muscles.

  All of it felt spectacular, even the bits that hurt. And how fucked up was that? He didn’t care that he was groaning nonstop, he just wanted her to keep touching him.

  “You’re killing me,” he whispered.

  “You’ve had a hard week,” Karen informed him. “It’s okay to let someone take care of you.”

  He didn’t want to screw this up, but he wanted to be honest. “I want to take care of you. In every way. Makes me feel as if I’m falling down on the job to need so much help.”

  “We went over this before. If you’re still lazing around on your ass three weeks from now, we’ll have a talk. Right now, the bruises are still there, and you’re doped up to the gills. Give yourself a break,” she said sternly.

  “Not enough,” he repeated. He needed to stop arguing because obviously Karen and Zach had gone to the same school of stubbornness. “Three weeks from now, if I’m still a broken-down mess, kick my ass out of here.”

  She moved behind him, sliding her hands down his spine and setting goose bumps dancing. “Deal.”

  He braced one arm on his thigh and the other on the table and let her hands drift over his torso in that haunting, sensual manner. It was gentle and kind, like a friend. Caring for his aches. But it was a flashback to moments in that long-ago summer when they’d stripped each other naked, frantic to come together.

  Or the rare times when sex had gone slowly. Those had been few and far between, stolen moments when they’d been sure no one else would be around. Long intimate situations where they’d touched and kissed and connected until they were panting and thoroughly stated.

  “Three weeks from now when your hands are on me, it damn well better be mutual.” The words rasped past a throat tight with need. He tilted his head down enough to meet her gaze. “I want to slide my fingers up your naked spine so I can pull you tight against me. Glide them over your hips right before I slide my hand between your legs. Or I’ll cup your breasts so I can put my mouth on your nipples and tongue you until you’re squirming. I want to…”

  Awareness broke through the heat flooding his veins. Hell, he was doing it again.

  Finn sat up a little straighter. “Dammit. Those painkillers seem to loosen my tongue more than they should. Sorry.”

  He forced his gaze to meet hers.

  Her cheeks were red, and her neck and the upper part of her chest flushed.

  She licked her lips and seemed to fight to find words. “Yeah. You and painkillers are a dangerous mix. I have to get back to work for a while. Need anything before I head out?”

  He shook his head, watching as she damn near stumbled over her own feet racing for the doorway.

  But before he could finish kicking his own ass, she stopped, squared her shoulders as if readying for battle, then faced him. “Just to be clear, I’m not offended by what you said. It’s just a little early in your recovery for me to jump your bones.”

  Then she vanished, boots clattering at the front entrance briefly before the front screen door slammed shut.

  Finn blinked, working through her comment with his slightly muddled brain.

  Well, okay then.

  It took a while to manoeuvre down the hallway and get himself onto the bed for a nap, but the entire time, amusement and hope mingled to ease the edges of his pain.

  His dreams were perfectly dirty.

  12

  The next couple of days passed in an uneven rhythm. Karen never knew when she got up in the morning whether Finn would be awake or not. It was easier to leave food in the fridge than plan on meals at the same time—Finn crashing when he needed to was a surprising development.

  She got into her work, the ongoing evolution of her job stretching to anything Zach decided he needed help with.

  Or Finn, as he took over a lot of the office jobs with barely any complaining.

  Ha on that one.

  The man never actually complained, but the way he sat and glared at the stack of papers attached to the clipboard in front of him made it clear he wished he was on the back of a horse instead.

  “It’s not going to jump up and bite you,” Karen teased as she joined him at the table.

  “Don’t need anything else biting me. I’ve already got one varmint who thinks I’m his glorified chew toy.” Finn winked before gesturing her closer.

  In his lap, the snow-white kitten gnawed on Finn’s thumb, tail snaking back and forth happily.

  “He’s terrible. Don’t let him boss you around,” Karen warned.

  Finn shrugged. “I figure he’s had a bit of a hard go. I don’t mind giving him extra loving right now.” He pushed the clipboard toward her. “Save me.”

  Karen twisted the mess of papers toward her. “What the heck does Zach have you doing?”

  “He wants me to make design decisions, which is not my line of expertise.”

  On top was a sketch of the footprint for the new cottages being erected around the ranch. Mostly one room, with a couple of two- to three-bedroom setups for families. Included was a stack of cutout squares and rectangles, each carefully labelled with dresser or queen-size bed.

  “You should get my nieces to help you with this one. They’d love to play paper dolls and arrange the furniture.” Karen took a peek at the inch-deep mass of paper underneath. “What’s all this? Did Zach print the entire stock list for Bed, Bath & Beyond?”

  “Maybe.” Finn offered his most pleading expression. “I said I would deal with the paperwork, but dear God, this is not something I should be in charge of. He wants me to pick colour schemes.”

  The noise he made brought a laugh to Karen’s lips.

  “I’m not a good one to help, either. My sisters would probably enjoy it, but…isn’t it early to be making these kinds of decisions?”

  “We’ll be hiring someone as a ranch house mom, as well as a head cook, but probably not until late September. They’ll have a say in how much we buy and the supplies we’ll need, but it would be good to have at least the styles decided.”

  Karen nodded. “It’ll take me all of three seconds to give you my totally biased opinion. Whatever you decide will fit in each cabin, my cousin Daniel runs a side business for the Colemans building custom furniture.”

  Some of Finn’s desperation faded, replaced by an incredulous smile. “Shit. I am off my game because I totally forgot that. And when it comes to quilts and pillows, you’ve got a couple cousins who can help with those as well, don’t you?”

  “If you’re willing to splurge for handmade designs. Those you need order from Hope and Becky sooner rather than later, or you won’t have them on time. Although they sometimes have a stockpile.” A spot of happiness flared inside at solving Finn’s problem while helping her extended family.

  “I’ve seen their work. It would be no hardship to feature their handicrafts around the place.” Finn pointed to the wad of paper under her hands. “Toss that out. I’ll give your family a shout and see what they suggest.”

  “How about if I give them a call and introduce you? Or reintroduce you—I’m pretty sure both Daniel and Hope will remember your name.”

  He lost a little of his smile. “Is that a good thing?”

  Karen examined his face and the shadows under his eyes as she thought back to five years ago. “I think only one of my many cousins wasn’t sure about you. Ashley is now a busy mom of two, so once I give you the all clear, you shouldn’t have any problems.”

  “It’s not your guy cousins I’m worried about,” Finn said bluntly. “Frankly, the fact your sisters haven’t ganged up and offered a death-and-dismemberment warning surprises the hell out of me.”

  “I’m sure they were planning on it but put it on hold after your accident.” She tapped his fingers lightly. “It’s no fun threatening somebo
dy who can’t run.”

  To her utter shock and amusement, he stuck out his tongue.

  She was still giggling as she called her cousin Hope, owner of the Stitching Post quilt shop in Rocky Mountain House.

  Little things like that made her daily work unique and a whole lot more fun than what it had been recently at the Whiskey Creek ranch.

  Every moment was different. Like being called to help decide exactly what angle to set the base of a new cottage. Or having to moderate a discussion between Cody and Zach over what colour stain to use on the outside of the individual cabins.

  They’d painted one wall with the two different choices and still couldn’t decide which they wanted. Not even after hauling her into their conversation to proclaim the merits of one choice over the other.

  They seemed intent on being a dog with a bone on this one.

  Finn swung past on his crutches, eyeing the men as he stopped beside her. “They been arguing like sputtering hens for long?”

  “Define long.” Karen smirked at Zach, who planted his fists on his hips at her comment. “I told them I already knew the answer, but they won’t stop cackling for long enough to listen.”

  That got a sharp nod out of Finn. “I think I know where you’re headed. The barn trick?”

  “Of course. Want to help?”

  “Glad to.”

  He waited as she bent and scooped up a couple of dirt clods from the yard, dropping one into his outstretched hand. His eyes flashed with amusement, then without warning, he whipped the dirt directly at Zach.

  “The hell?” Zach ducked.

  The dirt slammed into the side wall of the cabin, breaking apart and drifting into dust particles that clung to the rough boards.

  At the same moment, Karen tossed the second chunk at Cody, deliberately missing so it smashed against the wall about three feet from Finn’s.

  “You’ve got a strange way of helping,” Cody complained before Zach bumped him on the chest with a fist, pointing at the wall behind them.

  The dirt on the left was a vivid round blotch, while the one on the right was barely visible since the lighter brown tone was a near match for the local soil. “And we have a winner. Told you my choice was the right one,” Zach gloated.

  “Yeah, but you made a lucky pick. You weren’t all scientific like Karen.” Cody offered her and Finn a thumbs-up. “Good trick.”

  “Next time, listen,” Finn suggested before giving Karen a wink.

  The only things wrong in her world were continuing to see Finn in pain and saying goodbye to Dandelion. With her leaving in the fall for school, it was smarter to get the kitten set up with the barn cats, but dropping him off at Silver Stone ranch left her strangely empty inside.

  Saturday morning, she rose early to get in a horseback ride before the Canada Day celebrations began. Faint snores drifted through the closed master bedroom door as she passed it.

  Yet another batch of wildflowers waited in a glass on the kitchen counter. Just like every morning since Finn had returned from the hospital.

  She had no idea when, or how, he was sneaking out of the house to find them, but as she picked up the sturdy stalked bundle with pale purple petals at the top, she had to admit to being charmed.

  She slipped the flowers into a bouquet already on the table, discarding a couple of drooping stems. She filled a thermos with coffee, and after leaving a note that she’d meet Finn at the fairgrounds, headed into the fresh July first morning air.

  Morning chores had started. An easy sway of voices and animal noises floated over the ranch as hired help headed to the makeshift mess tent to get their own coffee and breakfast. Horses shifted slowly in the arena. Only a dozen still, mostly ones that belonged to the men bunking in trailers all around the wide work area.

  Men waved in her direction as she saddled up Starlight, but no one interrupted her as she tucked the thermos into a saddlebag then mounted and headed to the west.

  She hadn’t believed her sister Tamara when she’d repeatedly said how different Heart Falls terrain was compared to the land around Rocky Mountain House. Only three hours to the south shouldn’t make so huge of a difference.

  But it did. The longer she was in the area, the more Karen understood what Tamara had been trying to say.

  Here they were already in the foothills, with the Rockies racing skyward and seeming close enough to touch. And while the foothills had some of the characteristic dips into valleys and rolls to heights that were so common around Rocky Mountain House, here the alpine forest had begun to encroach. Pine and spruce trees stood tall, scattered over the nearby hills.

  The gullies were no gentle coulees with mudbank slopes. They were granite and sharp, erosion taking the canyon sides down to the bare rock and creating a wilder landscape.

  Raw, fresh, dangerous.

  Karen rode in the noisy silence of the outdoors. Saddlebags creaked, and her jean-clad thighs rubbed against Starlight’s flanks with a soft, shimmering whoosh. Birds, wind, and trees all contributed to the music around her.

  She let her horse take the lead, wandering where he wanted. He’d found an old game trail, looping out of the ravine and to the north. One impossible puzzle twist later, Karen found herself at the top of a ridge, staring back at what would soon be Red Boot ranch. The town of Heart Falls lay in the distance beyond it with Silver Stone ranch along the extreme southwest corner.

  It was a beautiful place, and she took a deep breath and let peace roll over her. What a privilege to be here.

  Then why are you so eager to get away?

  The thought came unbidden, and she pulled Starlight away from the view, moving up the trail as if that would distance her from the question.

  She twisted the reins around her fingers, pausing for long enough to double-check her directions, because getting lost would hardly enhance her reputation when it came to her job.

  A soft scuffling came from the right, and Karen froze. Starlight’s ears shot up, rotating as he tried to identify the danger.

  When her horse relaxed, Karen did as well. Something was in the bush, but it wasn’t about to leap out and attack. She slipped from the saddle and tethered Starlight.

  Then she moved cautiously through the thicket toward where a brighter patch of light indicated there should be a clearing of some sort.

  A small opening between massive pine trees created a little oasis. The mare she’d seen the other day was there. On her side, panting heavily, her belly full of foal.

  “Shit.”

  Karen went back and grabbed Starlight’s reins, leading him a little farther until she found a wide enough trail that let them into the clearing.

  The only helpful thing in her saddlebags was an emergency kit, and it was soon clear she needed it. The mare was far enough gone that when Karen dropped by her head, she barely moved.

  “It’s okay, beautiful. I’ll help you,” Karen reassured her, but at this point, there wasn’t much to do.

  She took a check, cursing as she discovered the foal was breech. A difficult delivery at the best of times. The mare was small, and the foal—probably from the wild stallion—was full-term and on the large side.

  Before she got into anything too drastic, Karen made one attempt at making a call, but as expected, got zero reception. She did the next best thing, which was to write a quick text so it would go through as soon as she did hit cell phone range.

  All the while she stroked the mare’s flank, calming her. Reassuring her. Praying like hell.

  Karen leaned down and pressed her forehead to the mare’s. “You and me, we’ll see what we can do, okay? Let’s give it everything we’ve got.”

  She took a deep breath and got started.

  Hanging out at the community hall was the last thing Finn wanted.

  He’d been pretty much hog-tied and hauled to the Canada Day celebration with the reminder this was a community event, and they needed to play nice. Living in Heart Falls and setting up a business and all that.

  At l
east that was the warning Zach gave him.

  “I thought having a broken leg meant I was allowed to be a grumpy ass and recluse for a while,” Finn offered dryly.

  “Did I say that? I’m sure I never said that.” Zach pulled into an open parking space right outside the community hall. “If I said anything, it would’ve been that you’re a grumpy ass, period.”

  Finn laid a hand on the wheel before Zach shut off the ignition. “You did not just park in the handicap stall.”

  “I’m dropping you off.”

  “Move the damn truck.”

  His friend sighed hugely then moved to a different spot.

  They’d barely even entered the hall before being surrounded by a bevy of women.

  “We saved you a seat,” a particularly fine brunette said to Zach as she batted lashes in his direction. She glanced over at Finn. “You poor baby. You come too.”

  Finn kept his expression blank as Zach attempted to wave off the encouragement to move in three different directions.

  “Ahem.”

  Finn glanced to the right to discover Julia Blushing standing a little ways off.

  He looked for mercy. “Dear God, tell me you have somewhere for us to sit.”

  She winked. “My sisters saved spots for you, Zach, and Karen.” She glanced over his shoulder. “She didn’t come with you?”

  Well, shit. He shook his head. “Said she’d meet us here.”

  Julia hesitated then shrugged. “Come on. We’ll leave Zach to fend for himself while we track Karen down.”

  Long rows of tables stretched from one side of the community hall room to the other. Typical metal chairs were lined up at regular intervals, and the whole room was full of laughing, chatting people.

  The Stone family had control of a corner. Caleb and Tamara were there with their two girls and baby Tyler. Luke and Kelli chatted with Walker, while the youngest brother, Dustin, nervously adjusted his collar, glancing over at a group of young ladies who eyed him speculatively.

  “Still can’t believe they do a bachelor auction at a family event,” Finn said to Julia as she led him toward three empty chairs beside Lisa and Josiah.