Imprisoned In A Cowboy's Heart (Two-Five Ranch Outlaws Book 1)

by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel

  “Aw, you people take the fun out of everything. Come on, Emily. Let’s get outta here.”

  She smiled at Tanyon and appeared to not be going anywhere.

  Tanyon shoved Levi’s arm. “Stay out of the bar. We’re leaving early for Sedona in the morning, brat.”

  Levi nodded. “I’ll be ready.” He strode off.

  Tanyon got Karis’s attention and cocked his head to get her over there. “What can I get ya, darlin’?”

  She smiled. “Since I have the keys, order me a beer. I’ll sip it all evening.”

  Max ordered Tequila.

  Tanyon put his hand over Karis’s when she pulled out her wallet. “I got your drink.” Their order came up and they found a table outside. The patio had white lights strung across the top giving off a faint light over the tables and small, exterior dance floor. The music from inside trailed out the door and opened screen windows. Max beat him to pulling out the chair for her. Yep, he sure was a nervy guy. Tanyon observed the two of them, shoulder to shoulder laughing with each other. He sighed then tossed back a shot.

  A blonde woman from a table of five other women came up and tapped him on the shoulder. “Care to dance, good-looking?”

  Tanyon smiled at his long-time friend Margaret. Max and Karis were oblivious to him sitting at their table. Then “Baby Likes to Rock It” by the Tractors came on, and with the song and booze, he couldn’t sit still. “Yeah, why not?” He downed another whiskey and the extra sitting in front of him then washed it down with a guzzle of beer. Standing, he took Margaret’s hand.

  Karis stopped talking in the middle of the conversation with Max, and she still stared at him on the dance floor, so he winked. She was the one he should’ve been line dancing with, not a prom queen from high school.

  After the dance, he took a minute to say hello to the others at the table with Margaret, but he refused any more offers to dance. Another drink came his way while with their group. He tapped the glass against all of the ladies’ bottles before returning to his table. As soon as he sat down, Max stood and held his hand out to Karis. Tanyon’s last drink almost came up. To get past that urge, he ordered another one without removing his gaze from her. His uncle pissed him off.

  He damned himself for coming here tonight. Then he spotted a missed smudge of dirt on her cheek but Max had discovered it. He slammed his glass down on the table, rose, and pounded Max’s back. “Cutting in, Max. Go dance with somebody else.” He narrowed his eyes at his uncle. Max released his arm from around her waist, laughed, then strode over to Margaret’s table.

  Tanyon took her hand, assertively slipped his arm around her waist, and danced around the dance floor until his brain, and the floor, spun from his Kentucky Bourbon-soaked brain.

  “Whoa there, Cowboy. I’m dirty, but I don’t want to land on the floor.”

  “You look good dirty.” A slow song came on next, and Tanyon pulled her in close. Then even closer, which wasn’t close enough. The heat of her body brought heat over his and that wasn’t all. He couldn’t subdue the jealous rage brewing inside. “Do you have a thing for my uncle?”

  She shook her head then smiled and slipped her arms over his shoulders. “There you go again. You know why I came back here. It wasn’t for your relative.”

  The music stopped momentarily, but he didn’t release her, nor did their gaze break. He bent down, leaning his cheek against hers, whispering, “Stop playing this game before someone gets hurt. My uncle is taking you serious.”

  Karis softly patted his back. “Stop, Tanny.”

  She’d meant to get away, but he wasn’t letting her go. Not now. Not yet. Not tonight. His betraying body responded to the voice in his head whispering maybe not ever. Another slow song came on, and he squeezed her even closer. He moved his feet without taking any steps, though his body was the only thing swaying, pressing up against her like old times. She clung tight to him in their claimed spot on the dance floor. Her fragrance hiding under hours of dust crept into his senses, bringing the memory of having her in bed, of lying on top of her last night. “Mmm, it feels so good with your arms around me.”

  She whispered, “You’re drunk.”

  Her soft voice near his ear sent a chill over his hot skin. He touched his lips to her neck. “I know. Don’t you like me drunk, honey?”

  “I like you any way you come. Can’t you know when you’re sober?”

  Mmm. “Yeah,” he whispered. “I do.”

  The song ended, and he let Karis drag him back to the table. She picked up her purse before he had a chance to sit. “Let’s go home. Levi will be waiting for you early.”

  He lifted the shot glass to his lips as if to get each drop left. “Lead the way, Boss.”

  Karis chuckled. She took one arm and Max took his other arm. They helped him into the truck. He slid to the middle. Max went around to his side.

  On the road home, Tanyon let his hand drop between them but tiptoed his fingers onto her warm thigh and squeezed her leg. He wanted to take this woman to bed tonight—to find what had been lost—he needed to find it… Tanyon scooted down in the seat and laid his head on her shoulder. She raised her hand to cup the side of his face. Her quad muscle flexed. Mmm, the skin of her hand was as warm as a summer night.

  The next thing he knew, Max tugged on his arm to get him out. “Take me to my bedroom, Karis.” He didn’t care if Max overheard.

  “Max can handle you better than I can.”

  “No, you know how to handle me fine. Max can’t do what you do.”

  “Don’t forget to set your alarm.” She ran up the porch steps ahead of them.

  “I have a key to your room,” he shouted before she opened the door.

  Inside, she rushed up more steps to her room. By the time they got to his bedroom door, the lock turned on hers. “You can’t keep me out.” He chuckled to himself over his power at having her key.

  Max opened his door and shoved him inside. Tanyon fell to the bed on his stomach. “Let me get your boots off, Cowboy. You got an early rise. What time you want up?”

  He growled out in a slurred, gravelly voice, “When I get up.”

  “I’ll tell your brother not to disturb you. Stay in your bed and go to sleep.”

  Tanyon grabbed his pillow and rolled to his side. “Leave her alone, Max.”

  “Get over yourself. Night.”

  ∞∞∞

  A thud slammed against the door. “Wake up in there, old man.”

  Tanyon’s eyes would’ve popped open if they hadn’t been swollen. His head ached like a horseshoe nail had been driven through it. “Go away.”

  “You alone?” Levi burst through the door. “Get up. My truck’s running.”

  “Screw you.” Tanyon brought the pillow over his head. His brother dropped Sparky onto the bed. “Get him down, Levi. Leave me alone.”

  “Nope.” Levi yanked the pillow off his face and tossed it to the other side of the California King bed. Sparky tried to help.

  Sun blasted through the window. Sparky barked, his voice louder as he grew from his puppy stage. “Close the damn drapes. Sparky, quiet!”

  “Come on. We gotta go. Emily’s going with us.”

  “Like hell she is. Open up your eyes to see what’s happening, brat.” Tanyon sat on the side of the bed, checked his phone for the time, then observed his clothed body. Same dirty clothes from yesterday. He pulled on his boots and strode to the bathroom. He wet his hands and ran them over his hair. Tanyon gargled mouthwash, pulled his shirt over his head, and dropped it on the floor. In the room, he took a clean t-shirt from a drawer and yanked it on. “Let’s go. Leave your girlfriend home.”

  “She’s going with us. You aren’t the boss of my life.”

  “Somebody needs to be. Move over to Mom and Dad’s.”

  “Nope. It’s more exciting here.”

  Outside, Tanyon opened the door and waited for Emily to scoot to the center. He propped up his aching head against the window. “Wait a minute. We need the smaller
trailer.” Tanyon got out and strode over to the side of the horse barn, chocked the tire, and jacked up the trailer while Levi unhooked the bigger one from his truck.

  His head ached like it’d been in a log splitter. Levi backed under the trailer to hook it up. Tanyon lowered the jack, hooked up the lights and safety chains. By the time he got back in, Max came to the truck to hand him a huge travel mug and a bag of something that would’ve smelled good if his stomach wasn’t a mess. The aroma of coffee drew the cup to his lips. “Thanks, Max. Behave yourself.”

  Max laughed as he walked away. Levi hit the biggest of the big ruts in the road. Any minute all the whiskey and beer from last night would cover a part of the driveway. “Levi, give me a break. Go around the damn holes.” Emily laughed. She’d come close to being put out right there. He pressed his head against the cool window between drinks of coffee, the caffeine getting to his blood slowly but surely.

  The next thing he knew, Emily’s hand slid over his thigh causing him to sit up straighter and evil-glance at her. He brushed her hand away. She edged her body away from Levi and eased her hand across the back of his shoulder. This little filly might be walking home from Sedona. Tanyon leaned toward the door and wiggled his shoulder to get her to move her arm. “Don’t do it again,” he warned. That got Levi’s attention.

  “What the fuck, Emily? My brother?” Levi exited in Flagstaff and pointed the truck back toward Wills Bend, delivering Emily to her door outside of town. “Don’t come back to work.” He exited the truck until she slid out from the middle.

  The little twit stuck her hand on her hip and lifted her chin. “You can’t fire me. You’re not my boss.”

  “But I am,” Tanyon said without looking at her. “Don’t come back to work. You’re fired.”

  She huffed while stomping toward her door, slamming it when she entered. Levi grasped the top of the truck and leaned down, scowling at Tanyon.

  “Hey, I didn’t do anything. She’s too damn young for me. I could have a kid her age by now. Shit, I could have a kid your age. Get in.”

  “I didn’t say you did. At least she got me through senior year. No wonder she didn’t want to hook up. She had her eyes on you.” He shrugged then got in and hit the road, again. “We could’ve kept it in the family.”

  Now Tanyon knew why she’d come to work on the Two-Five tailing him around like a buckle bunny. “You have a string of women who want to take you to bed, Levi. Be careful so you don’t mess up the rest of your life.”

  “Don’t worry, I’m not pulling a Cade. I learned something from his situation, Bro.”

  “None of us can call Nadia a mistake though. She’s a bright light around here.”

  “True dat. Isn’t it time for her old lady to drop her off for the summer?”

  “Cade expects her any day. By the way, don’t let Cade hear you say that. He says, ‘Faith’s working.’ I don’t know why it pisses him off so much, when he knows damn well, she’s not going away to work. Hey, stop ahead so I can grab another coffee and some aspirin.”

  Levi pulled in and parked away from the gas pumps. “What did Max give us to eat?”

  He took the bag from the floor and handed it to his brother. Tanyon went in to get coffee. Levi tossed the empty bag into the trash bin at one of the pumps when he returned. Now he was a little hungry. “Hey, you want anything else to eat? I’m buying. Let’s grab something to go before getting on the highway.”

  ∞∞∞

  With a full belly, Tanyon propped his head against his hand and the window. His head might as well have been riding on the tailgate for as smooth as Levi’s truck rode. The trailer helped a little.

  “Wake up, Tanyon. This sure is a fine sight for the eyes. I’d like to live here someday. I say that every time I come.”

  “Yeah, so would Karis."

  “Speaking of—”

  “Nobody’s speaking of anything. Stating a fact is all.”

  “Speaking of… It looks like you’re warming up to her. Why can’t you let her in again?”

  “I’m not talking.”

  “You spent the night together the other day. Rumor has it, Logan has the bruised jaw to prove he saw you coming home early together and spouted off his mouth.”

  “Yeah, the reason his jaw is black. He blew his mouth off without knowing anything. We didn’t spend the night together. You would ‘a hit him too.”

  “Probably.”

  “Then get off my back. I’ll get my truck first, hook up the trailer to mine, and follow you back home after getting the mare. Wait. I need to check out something else while I’m at the ranch, so head back home if you want.”

  “Gotcha. I’ll hang with you.”

  “Turn left up here. This is a nice mare we’re picking up. I’ll have Karis take her out on some trails before we put the horse to work. Take her out yourself if you want.”

  Levi snorted a laugh. “I don’t suppose you mean take out Karis?”

  “Smartass. You’ll have to get in line behind Uncle Max.”

  “Pretty good for not bringing her up,” Levi muttered under his breath. “You know what Uncle Max is doing, don’t you?”

  “What are you saying?” Tanyon sat up straighter and ran his fingers through his tangled hair. He lowered the mirror then patted parts of his hair down in some places.

  “Uncle Max is trying to make you jealous so you’ll realize the possibilities.”

  “What do you mean?” He took a drink of cold coffee but came close to punching Levi for butting in. He damn well would if he wasn’t his baby brother.

  “Never mind. Nothing.”

  Was it true? Max had played him? He could play this game if he wanted to. He didn’t. “The garage is right up here.”

  Levi nodded forward. “Hey, your truck looks good. The dude washed it for ya. An oxymoron. You never wash her. She’s your best truck, Tanny. Ya gotta wash her. I hope you don’t treat your women that bad.”

  Tanyon laughed. “Women. Yeah, right. Wait here.”

  “Yep, wouldn’t miss seeing more of the area. Nice. You know, you could have many women if you chose to.”

  “I don’t have time for women. Especially many.” Only one interested him. Tanyon reflected on the ride here with Karis. Admittedly, he’d begun to miss her now when she wasn’t around. Nothing good could come of it. Or maybe, the best of everything could.

  Chapter Six

  Karis came out when Tanyon arrived home. “You got her, huh?”

  “Yeah, all fixed.”

  She chuckled. “I meant the horse.”

  He smiled. “I know you did. What are you doing?”

  “I helped Max with lunch today. He showed me the exit when he started the dishes. I never saw a man who liked to do dishes like he does.” On second thought, her brother Rory did them often. He’d said ‘it made for good thinkin’ time.’

  She followed him to the back of the trailer and shrugged. “I’m not doing anything at the moment. Fox is on the trail ride. I couldn’t get a hold of you to see if it was all right.”

  He took a step in, invading her personal space. “You made an executive decision?”

  She took a step back and met his gaze. “No, Fox did. He’s your trail boss. I figured he had a right.”

  “Yeah, cattle trail. Not horse. I’m reserving the job for you if you want it.”

  His revelation had left her speechless. If he’d meant it. As it was, she’d had others to run her business as she’d always done in the summer months for the past four years. “I’ll think it over.”

  Tanyon had no reply but grasped a lead rope and brought the mare out of the trailer.

  She cozied up to Karis right away. “Hey, girl. You remember me? We’ll have fun getting to know each other.” She rubbed and patted her neck.

  “Let Levi take her to the barn.” He called his brother over.

  “Yeah, what is it?” Levi asked.

  “Can you get the horse situated? I need to go to town to talk to the police chief aga
in.”

  “I’d rather go with you.”

  Karis eyed Tanyon, but he didn’t ask her the obvious question—would she like to go. She took the lead rope from his brother and nodded. “Go ahead, Levi. I’ll get her situated. What feed, Tanyon? Stall?”

  “For the mare? Give her what everybody else gets. She’s been raised on it too. The third stall on the left going in is ready for her. The other horses will have to get used to her being there. She’ll probably miss her buddies from the other barn.”

  “I’ll be right out.” Levi jogged over to the house.

  Tanyon followed her into the barn, which was empty of human life. “Where is everybody? No Logan or Rudy?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve been inside. You might’ve scared off Logan.” She took Joanie into the stall and removed her harness.

  Tanyon took hold of her belt loop to pull her in. “What are you doing later?”

  “I have no plans tonight. Why? You look like you have a hangover.”

  He flicked his gaze upward. “I do. Want to go out for dinner? Don’t invite anybody. I’m not in the mood for conversation—”

  “So you ask me? How insulting.” Frowning, she closed the stall half-door and folded her arms.

  “No, what I mean is, I don’t want a party night. I had enough booze last night.”

  She tapped her foot. “What time?”

  “Six?”

  Joanie Girl came up to peek out the open section of the stall, nudging Karis. She chuckled and rubbed her nose. “All right. I’ll be hungry by then. I might as well.”

  “How insulting.”

  She huffed. “Yes, it was. I’ll see you when you get back from town.”

  “Hey,” he called, strolling out behind her. Once he caught up to her, he held her hand again, but he glanced back at the barn and surroundings. “It might be a good idea if you stay out of Logan’s way for a while.”

  “Why?”

  “Dusty, Levi, and I have discussed him. We see too many red flags with that guy.”

  Curiosity drove her to ask, albeit it was apparent he didn’t want to talk. “Staying away from him will be easier said than done, Tanyon. I’m a trail boss now, thanks to your new executive decision. He and I among all the others will be in the barn and on the trail together, often. What’s going on?”