A Real Cowboy Never Says No

by Stephanie Rowe

  She wasn’t going in the basement.

  She was going in the room next to his.

  ***

  Mira awoke at midnight, her heart hammering.

  The moonlight was streaming across her bed, casting an eerie glow across the rustic furnishings. A light breeze was making ripples flutter across the surface of the navy bedspread. For a moment, she forgot where she was, and then the events of the last two days came flooding back over her. How could she forget? She was in cowboy country now, shacking up with the father of her child…potentially. Possibly about to embark on the façade of her life…

  Not something that happened to a girl every day.

  Sighing, she rolled over onto her side, staring out the window. What had awakened her? The utter silence of the night? The lack of fluorescent lights outdoors? Or the sense of sheer isolation descending upon her like a great weight suffocating her? Was she running away like a wimp? Or taking the brave plunge of a woman who would fight for those she loved? Or was she simply just a confused sod wandering cluelessly through life?

  Yeah, any of those could have been enough to drag her out of a well-needed sleep. She’d never been a good sleeper through stress—

  An eerie haunting howl drifted through the night. She bolted upright in bed, her heart hammering as the creepy sound sent chills racing down her spine. What in heaven’s name was that?

  Another howl filled the night, and she listened intently, trying to discern what it was. Wolves? Or was it the tortured ghost of an old west outlaw who had met his demise on the gallows and then committed his eternity to haunting the progeny of all those who had betrayed them?

  Wolves would probably be better.

  There was another echoing howl, and then another, until the night was filled with the mournful wail of the wild animals.

  Definitely wolves. Beautiful, but also chilling.

  She climbed out of bed, and padded over to the window in her bare feet. She peered outside, searching the night for four-legged shadows. It had been dark when she’d arrived, and she’d been too tired to look around, but now that the moon was full, it was casting the ranch into silvery, glistening shadows.

  There was a massive barn several hundred yards away, and numerous corrals, some with grass and others with soft-looking dirt for riding. Beyond the barns stretched dark hills with rocky outcroppings, the perfect place for wolves…or rattlesnakes…or mountain lions.

  A loud thud sounded from the barn, jerking her attention back there.

  The door slid open. She gripped the windowsill in sudden nervousness, but quickly realized it wasn’t a jet-black panther intent on making her his midnight snack. It was a huge dark horse, trotting easily out the massive barn doors. Chase was silhouetted on his back, a figure so imposing that she shivered in awareness. He spun the horse deftly around to close the barn door behind him, his cowboy hat and broad shoulders creating a breathtaking silhouette. He moved in perfect unison with the animal, as if they were one.

  After shutting the door, he swung the horse toward the hills, and she caught her breath, leaning forward to get a better look. The pair went still, poised in suspended animation as they prepared for flight. The moment was pure, unbridled freedom, a man and his horse, unlike anything she’d experienced in her life.

  She was used to a life of service, never being away from home for more than an hour, in case her mother needed her. And yet, this was Chase’s life, climbing onto his horse for a midnight ride, just because he wanted to.

  Yearning coursed through her, an almost painful craving for a life beyond what she’d lived. She wanted to be more than she was, to live more than she’d done, to be brave enough to step out over an abyss just to see what would happen when she went airborne. Suddenly, the night didn’t feel like the oppressing constraint of isolation. It felt like a fresh start, a chance to live again.

  Chase turned his head suddenly, looking directly at her window. She stiffened. Could he see her? She knew she should probably duck inside and pretend she hadn’t been playing the part of a voyeur, but she didn’t move.

  A part of her wanted to be caught by him, to be swept into this surreal moment of magic and moonlight, of cowboy and horse.

  He swung his horse toward her, and urged the animal into a lope. Anticipation pulsed through her as he neared. He reined the animal into a sliding halt just outside her window. Since it was a ranch house, she was almost exactly level with him. He was so close, she could almost touch him if she reached out.

  “Can’t sleep?” he asked, his voice somehow deeper and sexier in the shadows of the moon.

  “The wolves woke me up.” She was in awe of his mount. The horse stood quietly, intently focused on his rider, awaiting the next command. He had a white blaze on his face, and a sock on his left hind leg. Other than that, he appeared to be a deep, rich, beautiful brown. “What’s your horse’s name?”

  “Red Devil, but he lets his friends call him Red.” Chase’s face was shadowed beneath his hat, hiding him from her. “Did the wolves scare you?”

  She shook her head. “It was beautiful.”

  “Want to go see them?”

  She caught her breath, jerking her gaze from his horse to him. “Now?”

  “Yep.”

  Her instinct was to refuse, and retreat responsibly into her bed, so she would be rested and capable of handling life in the morning, as she’d been doing for the last eight years. But instead, she smiled, unable to keep the anticipation off her face. “I’d love to.” Somehow, in the darkness of the night, immersed in the vastness of his ranch, real life didn’t seem to matter. The only thing that mattered was embracing this moment.

  He grinned, his teeth glistening white against his shadowed face as he held out his hand. “Hop on, then.” He edged his horse closer, clearly intending to have her ride with him.

  Excitement rippled through her. Ride double with him into the moonlight to look at wolves? This was so not her life, was it? “Okay.” She started to reach for him, and then suddenly remembered that she was wearing only a light camisole, no bra, and a pair of thin, cotton sleep pants. Embarrassment flooded her cheeks “I’m not dressed. I should put on jeans—”

  “You look perfect to me. It’s unseasonably warm for this time of year. You don’t need anything else.” There was a sensual undertone to his voice that made her belly tighten, but before she could dive back into her room in search of a sweatshirt, he held out his hand. “Come on. The wolves don’t stay put for long, and they don’t care what you’re wearing. I’ll catch you.”

  I’ll catch you.

  Rightness rippled through her, and she knew, in that moment, she wanted to be caught by him. “Okay, but if you drop me, I’ll shoot you.” She climbed up on the windowsill and swung her legs over the side, gripping the windowsill as she perched precariously, her bare feet dangling above assorted bushes that, for all she knew, could be thick with thorns. “Are you sure about this?”

  “Never doubt a cowboy. It offends us and forces us to overcompensate, which is never a good thing.” He leaned over, grabbed her around the waist, swept her off the windowsill, and settled her in front of him in the saddle. “This okay?”

  “Um…yeah. Sure.” Her back was flush against his chest, and her bottom was wedged up against his crotch. The thin material of her pants gave her little protection from the heat of his body cascading through her, and the sensation of so much physical contact was almost overwhelming. His arm was wrapped securely around her waist, anchoring her against him. Any hope she had of being proper and leaning forward so she wasn’t using him as a lounge chair was completely eliminated by how securely he had her tucked against him. She had a feeling his horse could fling them to Georgia and Chase still wouldn’t lose his grip on her. “It’s been a long time since I’ve ridden a horse.”

  “Well, lucky for you, I’ve got that angle covered.” He swung his horse around toward the hills. “If you get scared or need a break, let me know, okay?”

  She nodded
, looking ahead toward the rocky hills. Was she really going to do this? Ride into the night with a man she didn’t know? He could abduct her, and no one would ever find her body in the vastness of this land.

  Then he nudged his horse into a lope, and the time to retreat was gone.

  ***

  By the time they reached the southern ridge, Chase knew he had a problem on his hands.

  Or, more accurately, in his lap.

  It had taken exactly twenty-five yards of riding double with Mira for his cock to get hard, and it hadn’t chilled out in the hour they’d been riding. He hadn’t had a never-ending hard-on since he was a hormonal teenager, but the feeling of Mira’s body snuggled against his had stirred up a need in him that wasn’t going to stand down.

  Even though she said she hadn’t ridden in years, she moved naturally with the movement of the horse, relaxing into Chase and letting her body follow his. It was seductive as hell, and tempting beyond words.

  The fact that her shirt was so thin it felt as if his hand was on her bare stomach didn’t help. Nor did the fact that her hair was whipping against his cheek, and he couldn’t stop breathing in the smell of lilacs that seemed to be clinging faintly to her.

  In her white pajamas and bare feet, she was so feminine he didn’t even know how to respond. As they got further and further from the ranch, and the terrain got rougher, he realized she was completely dependent on him to keep her safe. She didn’t even have shoes on. What the hell had he been thinking, taking her out on the range at night, while she was wearing something so thin and sexy that even the buzzards would have a hard time not noticing?

  Protectiveness surged over him, and he locked his arm more tightly around her waist. She’d trusted him enough to let him bring her out here. He wasn’t going to let her down.

  “What’s that one called?” She pointed to a three-pointed outcropping to the north. “It’s so beautiful.”

  The awe in her voice was genuine, and intense satisfaction settled more deeply through him. She’d been peppering him with questions about the ranch the entire ride, noticing things about his land he hadn’t noted in years. Mira appreciated his ranch the way he did, and that got him right in his gut.

  “It’s called Triple Threat. It’s a really steep drop off on the other side. If you went over, it’d be a bad day for you.” Again, his arm tightened reflexively around her, in a gesture that was fast becoming habit.

  He reined in his horse and paused. “Listen. We’re almost there.”

  They sat quietly together as Red went still, the three of them in total sync. The night was pregnant with silence, and then he heard the howl directly off to his right.

  Mira tensed and turned sharply, scanning the night. “It sounds like it’s right next to us,” she whispered.

  “It almost is.” He kept his mouth right by her ear, a whisper meant for her alone. “Stay quiet.” He urged Red ahead, and the horse deftly navigated the rocky terrain, his bare hooves almost silent on the boulders.

  They rounded the corner, and he felt Mira suck in her breath as he reined in Red. Less than twenty yards away, on the butte aptly called Wolf Hill, were six wolves. Two of them had their noses turned toward the sky, and their low, echoing howl filled the night.

  Red stood absolutely still, trained to perfection, and Mira was immobile against Chase. The only sign that she’d seen the wolves was the reflexive tightening of her hand around his forearm.

  He grinned, leaning forward to rest his cheek against hers. “See the one with the white chest?” he whispered against her ear, keeping his voice so low he could barely hear the words himself.

  She nodded.

  “I call her Sheera. She’s the alpha female of the pack. Jam, the alpha male, isn’t up there right now. Gorgeous, aren’t they?”

  “Incredible.” She squeezed his hand. “Thank you for bringing me here, Chase. It’s unbelievable.” The genuine awe in her voice made him grin.

  Even his brothers had never seen Sheera or Jam. The wolves had never paid a visit when his brothers had been in town, and it felt good to share them with someone. With her, specifically.

  “What are the names of the others?”

  He rested his chin on her shoulder, pointing out each one. She nodded, relaxing against his chest as he explained the personalities of each wolf. He couldn’t believe how interested she was, and how appreciative. He loved the solitude of his midnight rides, and never in his life would he have wanted to share them with anyone, but having Mira with him had cast the night into another light, one that was unexpected, but not so bad.

  This woman as his wife?

  Maybe she’d fit in okay. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe his brothers would learn to accept her. But even as Chase thought it, he knew that his brothers would never get on board. Their scars ran too deep, and survival had taught them lessons they would never unlearn.

  His phone rang, blasting out into the silence. The wolves scattered, Mira jumped, and even Red flicked an ear.

  Swearing, he dug the phone out of his pocket, instinctively responding to the ring that he’d assigned only to his brothers. He looked down and saw it was Travis, one of his brothers. “Hey.” He took the call, as he always did when it was one of his brothers.

  Travis didn’t waste time on pleasantries. “Is she there?”

  He frowned. “Who?”

  “Mira. The wife. Is she there already?”

  Chase realized that Zane must have already talked to Travis. “Yeah. What’s up? Something wrong?”

  Travis swore. “You realize you have money, bro, don’t you? Lots of it. Enough that women will want it. You’re a target, just like dad was.”

  Mira leaned back against him, resting her head on his chest. Instinctively, Chase tightened his grip on her, breathing in that lilac scent. He turned Red toward home, the idyllic moment shattered. “She’s not like that.”

  “I’m coming out there,” Travis said. “I’ll be there tomorrow night. Don’t get married tomorrow.”

  Chase frowned. “You’re coming here?” Travis hadn’t been to the ranch in two years.

  “Yeah. I’ll see ya.” The phone clicked, and Travis was gone, leaving Chase staring at his phone. What the hell had just happened?

  Chapter 7

  The weight settled more deeply in Mira’s chest the further they got from the wolves. The magic of the night had vanished, replaced with the reality of life. “Who was on the phone?” she asked.

  “My brother.” Chase had been quiet since the call, but his hold on her was still secure.

  “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I could hear the whole conversation. Should I buy a gun before tomorrow night?”

  She felt him chuckle at her words, and a tiny bit of the tension eased from his body. “You know how to shoot a gun?”

  “My dad was a sheriff. I can shoot anything.”

  He whistled softly. “You can borrow one of my guns if Travis gets out of line. He’d appreciate a woman with a gun.” He was silent for a moment, and she closed her eyes, lulled by the smooth gait of the horse and the warmth of Chase’s body.

  She didn’t want to think about choices, the future, or a hostile brother coming to the ranch to drive her away. She just wanted to be in this moment, enjoying the sensation of being held in Chase’s arms, and breathing in air so fresh it seemed to make her lungs twenty pounds lighter each time she inhaled.

  “I have eight brothers,” he said finally.

  “Eight? I don’t have any. Well, I had an older brother, but he died when he was six months old.” Nine kids growing up in the same house. She couldn’t imagine what that would be like. “Are you close?”

  “Yeah. Hell forges unbreakable bonds.”

  His words brought back the memory of the cigarette burns on his forearms. Instinctively, she rubbed her hand over the marks that were hidden by his shirt, as if she could erase them simply with her touch. Eight boys trapped in a life of abuse? “Where’s your dad now?”

  “Dea
d.”

  “Good.” Even as she said it, she felt a wave of sadness that anyone could be in a situation where their dad’s death made life better. When her dad had died, it had been devastating. As terrible as the grief had been, it had also meant that she’d had an amazing father who had meant everything to her, and she’d never trade that for less grief. If her dad were around, he could show Chase what a dad could be like, just as he’d done for AJ.

  “Yeah.”

  Again, they fell into silence, but there was an edge to it now, a darkness of the past hovering over them. A chill began to creep through her bones, and she wasn’t sure if it was because of the turn in the conversation, or the temperature of the night.

  “I killed him,” Chase said finally.

  The chill turned into a knife. “What?” She twisted in his arms, turning so she could see him. His face was hard and chiseled, still shadowed by the brim of his hat in the moonlight.

  “When I was twenty-two, my youngest brother called me. My dad had beat the hell out of him, and locked him in the garage. Travis’s ribs were broken, and he couldn’t breathe. He called me to tell me what happened and ask me to send the cops. My dad’s wife at the time wouldn’t let the cops in, and he sat there in that garage until I got there the next night from New York. He was almost dead.” Chase’s voice was so hard that she was almost afraid of him. “I had to break the door down to get to him, and my dad came after me. He was drunk off his ass, and he had a gun. He shot me. I got the gun, he wound up dead, and the shit was over.”

  His voice was so even, as if he were telling a story about picking up a can of beans at the store, but she didn’t believe it. She’d heard similar stories from AJ too much, and she knew the depths of suffering that made a man become so impenetrable. “I’m sorry,” she said softly.

  His gaze flicked to hers, and for a moment, she saw anguish in those blue eyes, but he shuttered it almost immediately. “My dad married three times, and had countless other women. He used his fists and belts, sometimes cigarettes. They used cigarettes, too, but also irons, and other shit that caused damage no one could see, the kind that eats away inside until there’s nothing left.”