Cowboys, Cowboys, Cowboys

by D'Ann Lindun

  She laughed. “Damn. You work fast.”

  “Nothing happened. I dropped her off before ten.” Bailey arched a brow. “Why?”

  “Because it won’t work. She’s a nice girl, and I’m—”

  “A good guy who made a mistake. One he’s paid for.” “Not everyone sees it that way,” Lyle told her.

  Bailey’s started to stand. “If that girl said something to you, I’ll set her straight right now.”

  “No, no.” Lyle reached across the table and put his hand on her forearm. “Simmer down. Sarah didn’t say that. I did.”

  “She better not.” Bailey sat. “She won’t.”

  “You sound pretty sure.”

  “I am.” He didn’t know how, but he was certain Sarah wouldn’t ever throw his past in his face. He changed the subject. “Glad you got rid of that scum Rocky.”

  A frown marred Bailey’s beautiful face. “I won’t put up with anyone abusing my animals.”

  “Do you think he or his brother will seek retribution?” “Rocky might try. But, Pete? No. I think he needs the job

  too bad. Plus he’s nothing like his brother.” “Where’d you find them?”

  The waitress took their order, momentarily interrupting them. Then Bailey replied. “They came into the ranch one day looking for work and I hired them.”

  “Did they have references?” He almost laughed at the irony. Who other than his old friend would hire him with his background? No one.

  “They didn’t, but it’s so hard to find someone to ride broncs that I hired them on anyway. That’s a mistake I won’t make again.” She lifted her coffee and drank.

  “Is there a high school rodeo club in the area? I’m betting those boys would jump at the chance to come out and ride some horses. You’d have to have them sign some kind of release to protect yourself.” Lyle sipped his coffee. It was surprisingly good. Fresh and strong.

  “That’s a great idea.” Bailey beamed. “I’ll look into it.”

  “I have a good one from time to time.” He toyed with his fork. “That reminds me of something.” He met Bailey’s eyes. “Could I buy that dun mare? Would you take her price out of my wages?”

  “Sure,” Bailey agreed immediately. “But, why? I have plenty ofsaddle horses and you don’t ride for pleasure much.” Involuntarily, his gaze went to the brunette at the other end of the diner. “I think that mare would make a great barrel horse.”

  Bailey lifted her brows. “One date and you’re buying some girl expensive gifts?”

  “Not like that,” he said. “But it might be a win-win. Keep the mare out of the kill pen and give Sarah a horse to run. I don’t know if Sarah would even want to do take on a project like that—”

  “I’m betting she would. Sure. The mare’s yours. I got her for a song and I don’t want anything for her but a home.”

  “You’ve done so much for me already—”

  She covered his hand with hers. “I’d do anything for you, Lyle. You know that.”

  He slid his hand out from under hers. “I know and I thank you.”

  Something indefinable flickered in her eyes for a moment. Was it hurt at his implied rejection? Surely not. She knew they weren’t good as a couple. If he hadn’t met Sarah, he might take what Bailey was offering—a no-strings affair. The thought rocked him. He had no intention of seeing Sarah again in any other way but friendly. He owed her no loyalty. Still, the thought of sleeping with Bailey with his mind on Sarah made his dick go limper than a used washcloth.

  The waitress placed their meals in front of them. Both had ordered double cheeseburgers with the works along with a pile of curly fries. The scent made Lyle’s mouth water and he dug in with gusto. Would he ever get enough good food in his belly? The slop he’d been fed in prison wasn’t fit for pigs.

  “I was proud of you for not pounding Rocky today,” Bailey said around a mouthful of burger. “You did a good job holding your temper.”

  “I wanted to send him to the moon,” Lyle admitted. “But you didn’t.”

  “I have no desire to go back to prison.” He dipped two fries in ketchup and ate them.

  “Was it horrible?”

  The sympathy in her eyes pissed him off. “It wasn’t great. I kept my head down and minded my own business. The other cons and guards mostly left me alone. Working in the wild horse program helped.”

  “Wild horse program?”

  “I’m surprised you haven’t heard of it. BLM mustangs are brought in and gentled by convicts, then sold as gentled saddle horses. It saves horses and men. The program helped me keep my sanity.” He finished his meal and drained his cup. He hoped they had apple pie. And more coffee.

  “I hadn’t heard that,” Bailey said. “What a great idea.”

  “It was a lifesaver for me, along with a bunch of other guys.” He couldn’t put into words what working with the wild horses had done for him. In short, they saved him. All his life equines had been his salvation.

  They would be again.

  To his delight, apple pie ala mode was on the menu. He ordered a slice, mouth already anticipating the sweet dessert.

  Bailey declined, patting her flat stomach. “I’m stuffed. Where do you put it all?” “In my boots.”

  She eyed him with an appraising glance. “Certainly nowhere else.”

  “Speak for yourself, skinny.”

  “I work too hard to gain any weight.” She leaned back in her seat and stretched her arms along the booth. Her shirt pulled tight against her small, pert breasts.

  “Yes, you do. Too hard.”

  “Nobody going to do it for me.” She dropped her arms into her lap. “You, either. Everything you got you earned yourself.”

  “And lost.” Bitterness crept into his voice.

  “Time to get up, dust off and get back on the horse,” Bailey said unsympathetically.

  “I know,” Lyle said. “Time to ride.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  A week flew by before Lyle knew it. Bailey kept him so busy he didn’t have time to go to town to talk to Sarah about the dun mare. He meant to call, but by the time suppertime rolled around all he wanted was a soft bed.

  On Friday afternoon, after they finished loading a trailer full of horses, Bailey told him to take the weekend off. Pete had already left at lunchtime to go look at a bronc someone had told Bailey about.

  “You don’t need me to go to the rodeo?”

  “Nah.” She waved a hand. “This is a small one and all I have to do is unload the horses and watch them buck. Then reload. The boys there will help out. They always do. Have a good time.” She handed him a check. “Here’s your pay.”

  “Already?” He took it, surprised.

  “I pay every Friday,” she told him. “I’ll see you Sunday night.”

  “Can I use the truck?”

  “Help yourself to anything you want. The truck’s yours to drive until you can get one of your own.”

  “Thanks.” He stuffed the check in his shirt pocket.

  She watched him. “Shit. I didn’t think about it. You don’t have a checking account. You won’t be able to cash that.” She reached in her purse and took out a large bill. “Here. Use this.”

  He accepted the money. “I’ll pay you back when I get this cashed.”

  “No rush.” She swung into the cab of her pickup. “See you Sunday.”

  “Be careful, Bailey.”

  She nodded. “I always am.”

  He watched as she drove out of the barnyard and turned onto the highway before speeding away. A sudden urge for a cold beer filled him. He told himself his desire had nothing to do with a brunette waitress with big, blue eyes.

  Maybe Chaco would like to grab a bite. Lyle reached for his phone.

  ~*~

  Friday nights at the bar were always busy.

  Sarah rushed around, filling orders and making sure her customers’ glasses remained full. When she spotted Lyle in the doorway, her heart sped up like a thundering racehorse. Feigning indi
fference, she pretended not to see him and his friend as they sat at a small table.

  Angie paused on her way by with a tray of drinks. “Your boyfriend is here.”

  “He’s not my boyfriend. I haven’t heard from him since our date.”

  “You better wait on him real quick.” Angie shifted her tray. “He looks thirsty. Wouldn’t want to make him mad.”

  Sarah rolled her eyes. “I’m on it.”

  Putting on her friendly, but no-nonsense face, she headed that way. Lyle and his friend were talking but stopped when she reached them. “What can I get you?”

  “Hey, Sarah. Two longnecks,” Lyle said.

  “Coming right up.” She spun on her booted heel.

  When she returned with the beers, Lyle’s friend was nowhere in sight. “That’ll be five dollars, or do you want to run a tab?”

  “A tab.”

  “Okay. I’ll check back in a bit.”

  “Sarah.” His low, sexy voice sent a shockwave straight to the pit of her stomach. “Want to have coffee later?”

  She wanted to tell him no, to stuff himself in a can for not calling, but curiosity got the better of her. “There isn’t anywhere open that late. We could meet at my place after I get off.”

  “What time?”

  “Two.” Was she crazy inviting him home with her? Probably. Still she wanted to hear what he had to say. Maybe he had a good reason for not calling her after their date.

  “I’ll meet you there.”

  “Okay.” She glanced over her shoulder toward her glowering boss behind the bar. “I have to get busy or Bill is going to fire me.”

  “Don’t lose your job,” Lyle said. “I’ll fill you in later.” With her heart thumping in anticipation, she walked away.

  What on earth could he want to talk to her about in the wee hours of the morning? If he thought they were going to hook up, he was dead wrong.

  ~*~

  The night flew by and Sarah was done with work before she knew it. She drove four blocks to her home and saw Lyle parked in the driveway. She nibbled her bottom lip, took a quick glance in the mirror and sighed. She’d pulled her hair into a high, messy ponytail and her makeup had worn off hours ago. Time to freshen up had been limited.

  Oh, well.

  She wasn’t meeting a date, she reminded herself as she exited her truck. If he didn’t like the way she looked too bad.

  He met her at the door. “Hi.” “You came,” she said inanely.

  “I said I would.” He held out his hand for her key. “Allow me?”

  Mutely, she handed them to him. He unlocked the door and opened it. “After you.”

  She stepped inside and flipped on the light. Her two calico cats, rescued from the trashcan behind the bar, raced to meet her meowing like they were starving to death. “Make yourself at home while I feed these beasts and brew coffee.”

  In the kitchen she added grounds and water to her coffeemaker and fed the two yowling cats, who settled down to eat. In a few moments, the scent of brewing coffee filled the air. She took two mugs from the cupboard and filled them.

  Carrying the coffee, she walked to the living room and found Lyle on her couch. “Black?”

  “Yes, thanks.” Lyle took the mug and sipped. “That’s good.”

  “Sarah sat on the opposite end of the couch and tasted her own coffee. “It does hit the spot, although I shouldn’t drink it this late because it’ll keep me up all night.”

  Lyle slid to the edge of the sofa. “I shouldn’t have come over this time of night—”

  “I didn’t mean it that way,” Sarah hastened to explain. “Don’t go yet. What did you want to tell me? You didn’t call…”

  He flinched. “I’ve been crazy busy.” “Doing what?”

  He settled back against the cushions and told her about bucking out the horses. When he got to the part about Rocky and the sorrel throwing himself over backwards, her hands curled around her coffee cup, turned white.

  “That jerk. I’m glad Miss McKlellan fired him.”

  “I am, too.”

  Lyle placed his cup on the coffee table. “I bought both those horses—the dun mare and the gelding, too. I don’t know what I’ll do with the gelding—I think his mind’s permanently ruined—but the mare has a chance. I’d like to try and make these horses that aren’t cut out for the arena into saddle horses. Maybe speed event, or rope horses. They might even make a 4-H project for some kid after they’re handled some.”

  Sarah smiled broadly. “I think that’s a wonderful idea.”

  “Bailey will let me keep the horses there until I can afford a place of my own, but I don’t have the time to devote to a project like this.”

  Sarah’s gut clenched at the familiar way his voice slid over the other woman’s name. “What does this have to do with me?”

  Lyle paused long enough to make her curious. “I was hoping you might want to help me out. Work with the dun, at least, and see how she does.”

  “What?” She shook her head. “Why me?”

  “Because you had a look of wistfulness about you the other night when you were talking about the horse you had to give up…I thought this might give you a chance to be around them again.”

  “I have a job…” One she hated. The idea of riding again, being with horses, was very tempting. So was seeing Lyle on a regularbasis. Her heart thumped danger! danger! Against her better judgment she said, “I’ll do it. I’ll work with the horses.”

  “Good deal.” He smiled, and her breath caught. Damn, theman was good looking when he smiled like that. He held outhis hand and his eyes darkened to a steel gray.

  nstead of

  turning her loose, he continued to hold her hand. “Lyle…”

  When he tugged her toward him, she went willingly. The desire in his eyes mesmerized her. Frightened her a little, too. She placed her hand on his chest and the pounding of his racing heart told her he wasn’t as calm as he appeared either.

  His lips claimed hers with a sudden, fierce desire that both thrilled and scared her. This was no tentative, get acquainted kind of kiss. This was the tongues mating in a preview of I- want-to-ride-you-hard type of kiss.

  Sarah gave as good as she got—her tongue eagerly meeting his in a duel old as time. Twisting, teasing, tasting. She curled her fingers around the back of his neck, holding him tight.

  His hand splayed over her right breast and she arched into his palm, her nipples rising into tense points. He had to be able to feel her body’s response, even through her bra and western shirt. She moaned into his mouth and he responded by squeezing her breast just short of too hard.

  Reaching between them, he unsnapped her shirt with one quick jerk. His hand slipped inside her open blouse and found her breast again, this time only her lacy bra as a barrier. He pinched her nipple and she dug her nails into the back of his neck.

  Sarah, still holding him tight, fell back against the sofa cushions. Her right foot braced on the floor, left on the couch. Lyle’s slim hips rested between her thighs.

  Oh my God!

  There was no mistaking the evidence of his desire. His erection, pressed against the seam of her jeans, told her how badly he wanted her. Hard. Fast. And meaningless.

  Sarah pulled her mouth from his to gather her wits. Her breath came in harsh pants, her heart pounded so hard she feared it might come out of her chest. Her breasts rose and fell, pressing against his chest.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She met his eyes. “I can’t do this.”

  He lifted his weight off her to sit at the end of the couch. “I lost my head.”

  “We both did.” She buttoned her shirt with shaking hands. “But I’m not into hook-ups and you’re—”

  “A convict,” he said bitterly.

  She placed her hand on his arm. “I was going to say not the staying kind.”

  He looked at her. “What do you mean by that?”

  “I need a man who’s going to be around after sex,” Sarah said. “N
ot ride off with the rising sun never to be heard from again.”

  “I won’t make promises I can’t keep.” Lyle scrubbed his face with both hands. “I should go.”

  Although it hurt like hell to do so, she nodded. “Probably.”

  He reached for his Stetson, put it on his head and walked to the door. “Thanks for the coffee. Let me know when you want to mess with the horses.”

  “I will,” she said.

  After the door closed behind him with a firm click, she flung herself backwards on the sofa and grabbed a pillow to cover her face. She rolled around, screaming her frustration into the poor pillow. Why did the sexiest man she’d ever met have to be one so unsuitable for what she wanted in her life? Her entire body ached with the unfulfilled desire he’d ignited in her. Swollen breasts, painfully erect nipples, not to mention her lower half, all throbbed with unmet need.

  The only satisfaction came from knowing he had to be in as much, or worse, agony. Somehow the thought of him with a raging hard-on didn’t comfort her.

  The thought sent a jolt of yearning straight between her legs. She pressed her thighs together and tried to think of something besides Lyle’s big body covering hers sliding his cock into her—

  She moaned.

  The pillow slipped away as she covered her mound with her hand. Damn jeans! She reached for her top button, then the zipper, sliding it down just far enough to slip her fingers inside.

  Her trembling legs parted.

  She closed her eyes and pictured Lyle slipping his work- roughened hands over her mound, past her slick folds, into her body—

  Her hips lifted, she slid her fingertips over her soaked clit.

  Pinched it.

  Once. Twice.A million shooting stars went off inside her, all of the originating from her engorged clit. A cry wrenched out of her as an avalanche of tremors coursed through her body—the release so hard and fast it left her shaking.

  Slowly, Sarah’s breathing returned to normal and she realized she had tears on her cheeks. Not sure what made her cry, she swiped them away with her forearm. Maybe because you want a man you can’t have and servicing yourself isn’t going to make that desire go away.