by Carly Bloom
“Well, bye, darlin’. I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said with a wink. It would be their second tutoring session.
“Yes,” Alice said. “See you then.”
“It’s a date,” Beau said. “Oh, and you know what? Bryce will be out of town this weekend. Why don’t you come by the cabin on Friday?”
“The cabin?” Alice asked, eyes big as saucers. “You want me to come to your place?”
“Sure.” And since it seemed appropriate to the occasion, he leaned over and gave her a short and sweet peck on the cheek. And even though it was a humid day, there must have been some static electricity in the air. Because the contact made his skin sizzle.
Chapter
Eleven
Beau sat in his saddle and looked at the sun, which was low in the sky. He should have been back at the cabin an hour ago, but when he’d come down to the river to bring the cattle up, he’d discovered a few of them missing.
The Rio Verde was so low in some places that a few troublemakers had managed to pick their way across. Usually, the river was deep enough to serve as a natural barrier, but not during this drought.
The dang animals had ended up along the highway, and Deputy Bobby Flores had been forced to stop traffic—two pickups, a minivan, and a silver Lexus—until the cattle could be secured.
Two old farmers were in the pickups, and they’d happily gotten out and contributed to the confusion by chasing the cattle across the road and onto the wrong property. Bubba Larson had been driving the minivan, and he and his four kids had joined in the fray, chasing the animals even farther in the opposite direction. Anna Vasquez, Big Verde’s one and only former debutante, put the cherry on top by laying angrily on her Lexus’s horn.
Beau had finally managed to get the cattle back across the river, but he still had to run them up to the east pasture so he could close them in. They wouldn’t be able to graze along the river anymore, where the grass was lush and green. He’d have to talk to Ford, because they needed access to every blade of grass they could get.
“Thank you, folks,” he said to the so-called helpers. “Things would have been different if you fellas hadn’t come along.”
Faster. Easier.
The two old geezers tipped their hats, spit tobacco on the ground, and took their sweet-ass time heading back to their trucks. Anna honked again, which resulted in everything slowing down even more, because that’s what honking always did. One of the farmers stopped walking to his truck to meander over to Anna to see what she wanted.
“Well,” Bubba Larson said. “I guess me and the kids have done our good deed for the day.”
Bubba’s kids were splashing in the Rio Verde—fully clothed—and the racket was deterring one curious heifer who seemed to be considering making another run for the border. So maybe they’d helped a bit after all.
“Thanks, Bubba.”
Bobby let out a quick blast of his siren, which caused the cows to start running back up the hill toward the pasture, including the renegade who’d been eyeing the river. All Beau would have to do was follow them through the gate. He waved at Bobby as he drove away, going around Anna, who was now trying to convince the farmer she was fine and just wanted him to move.
Beau looked at his watch. “Dammit.” He was supposed to meet Alice in ten minutes. Since Bryce was at the Rockin’ H for the weekend, he’d asked Allie if she wanted to come out to the ranch. He’d hoped to tidy up the cabin before she got there, but that wasn’t going to happen. There was no way in hell that he was even going to get there before her.
“Got a hot date?” Bubba asked.
“No,” Beau said. But then he remembered the local gossip. “I mean, yep.”
As the day had worn on, he’d become less excited about seeing Alice tonight. And it had nothing to do with her—she was actually pretty cool—and everything to do with the hard work of trying to read. On Wednesday, they’d looked at the ranching software program, and he’d become frustrated.
Maybe tonight would go better.
“You don’t look too excited, considering you and Alice just started dating.”
“Where’d you hear about me and Alice?”
“Trista heard it from my mom,” Bubba said. “And since the Corner Café is the official center of misinformation for Big Verde, I’d say at most, there’s a fifty percent chance you’re dating Alice, and a fifty percent chance you’re not, and a fifty percent chance you are but it’s not what it looks like.”
“That’s one hundred and fifty percent, Bubba,” Beau said.
“I know that. I can add.”
He studied Bubba’s confused expression and decided it wasn’t worth it. What mattered was that even Bubba was suspicious about his and Alice’s “relationship.” He knew with certainty that Claire was also suspicious, and probably Maggie, too. Carmen had seemed pretty gung-ho, though.
“Have you ever had an actual girlfriend before?” Bubba asked.
“I’ve dated lots of women.”
“Uh huh. When’s Alice’s birthday?”
“February third.” In seventh grade he’d sent her a birthday card. He’d remembered the date ever since.
“Huh,” Bubba said. “That’s mighty impressive.”
“When is Trista’s?”
“It’s April twenty-second,” he said. And then he scratched his head. “Or the twenty-third. Anyway, you know what I mean. You’ve never really had a girlfriend. You’ve just had dates. There’s a difference.”
Beau was well aware of the difference. “Thanks for helping with the cattle. I’ve got to run now—”
“We’re all fond of Alice,” Bubba said. “Don’t do her dirty, Beau.”
Point taken.
“I’ll do my best to be the man she deserves.” Beau tipped his hat. “Thanks again.”
He trotted off after the cows, leaving Bubba to gather his frolicking kids out of the Rio Verde. He’d never be the man Alice deserved. Someday, she’d end up with an educated man. Maybe a college professor or a lawyer.
Not a cowboy who could barely read.
He followed the cattle to the east pasture and closed the gate behind them. There wasn’t much grass for them to chew on, but at least there was a well and a water trough. He’d have Worth set out some hay bales. The girls would make do.
With the river as low as it was, there were water restrictions in place. They couldn’t irrigate using the Rio Verde, and that was why moving some of the herd to the Rockin’ H was smart. He just wished it didn’t mean losing his brother. He pulled out his phone to call Alice and tell her he was running late and she could go on in. They never locked the door.
He searched through his contacts—twice—and realized he didn’t have her number.
With a sigh, he leaned forward in his saddle and galloped along the fence line of the east pasture. He slowed to a trot as they went over the low-water crossing, which was dry as a bone, at Wailing Woman Creek. He rode another mile until they came to a fork in the road. To the right sat the foreman’s cabin. The gate was open, and there were fresh tire tracks.
He and Sofie, his favorite horse on the ranch, trotted down the lane. They went through a little clump of cedar trees and came out in the clearing where the cabin sat. Alice was on the front porch, and she stood and waved when she saw him. For some reason, Sofie started trotting a little faster.
“Sorry I’m late,” he said when he got to the cabin. “We had cattle on the highway. I tried to call, but I don’t have your number. Which is weird, considering we’re a couple.”
“We’ll fix that. And you’re not too terribly late. I was actually having a pleasant time on your front porch. It’s peaceful here.” She held up her phone, and he noticed she was wearing earbuds. “I did six minutes of guided meditation. And now I’m making a to-do list.”
“Oh yeah? Do you ever just sit still and relax?”
“That’s what guided meditation is.”
“Nah. I mean, don’t you ever just stare at the clouds? Or sw
ing back and forth in a hammock?”
“Well, no—”
“That’s what I thought.”
There was a book on the porch railing, and it was the same one Nonnie was reading. The one with the shirtless cowboy on it.
“Whatever you’re reading in that book is pure fiction. You’re dating a real cowboy now, darlin’.”
“Oh? And what’s the difference between you and the cowboy on this cover?”
“For starters, I’m wearing a shirt.”
Alice’s eyes darted to his chest. She’d seen him shirtless at the Village Chateau. Was she blushing? Or were her cheeks pink from the heat?
He climbed down from his horse and stomped his boots to shake the dirt off his chaps.
Alice looked at Sofie. “I’ve never been on a horse. It’s on my bucket list, though.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“Nope.”
“Well, let’s cross it off.”
Alice’s eyes grew huge. “Right now?”
“Why not? Sofie is saddled and ready to go.”
Alice bit her lip—fucking adorable—and furrowed her brow. “Is she a calm horse?”
“She’s as gentle as a lamb. We’ll just do a quick trip around the cabin. It’ll be fun.”
Alice stared warily at the horse. “It would be nice to cross something off my bucket list . . .”
One more jerk of the ponytail, and she was on her way down the porch steps.
She was going to ride a horse!
“Wait a minute,” Beau said. “I didn’t realize you were wearing a skirt.”
Alice looked down at her bare legs. “Is that a problem?” That was a stupid question. Clearly, it was a problem.
Beau studied her skirt carefully, while rubbing his chin. “It’s not a tight skirt. So, I guess it could work, but you’d have your bare . . .”
Alice frowned. “I’m wearing underwear.”
Now it was Beau’s turn to blush. “I figured you were. But, well, unless they’re made out of denim or you happen to wear some pretty massive granny panties, you’re basically going to be bare-assed on the saddle.”
“I do not wear granny panties,” Alice said. In fact, she was wearing some lacy, pale pink panties. But Beau was right. She would practically be skin-to-saddle, and that probably would not be comfortable.
Beau pulled the brim of his hat down low, shading his eyes. He rubbed his chin again, as if maybe he was imagining what her panties looked like. Maybe now would be a good time to forget about tutoring and horses and cowboys and just hightail it home.
Beau snapped his fingers. “Mom’s gardening overalls. She always kept a small garden behind the house, and her overalls are still here. You can slip into those.”
“Oh? Do you think she’d mind?”
“Not at all,” Beau said, coming up the steps. “She’s a bit bigger than you, but they’re just overalls. It won’t matter.”
Alice followed him inside.
“Oh,” she said, as soon as he shut the door and her eyes had adjusted to the dim lighting. “This is . . .”
Beau flipped on a lamp.
“Really nice,” she said.
There was a dark leather couch and loveseat in the center of the room, and a rustic coffee table standing on a cowhide rug. Hanging over the rock fireplace was a painting of the Rio Verde, winding through limestone hills. The room was warm and cozy and masculine.
“Surprised?” Beau asked.
“A little.”
“After living in the butt-ugly bunkhouse, it was nice to come back to the cabin where we were raised,” Beau said.
“It looks like both of you.”
Something flitted across Beau’s face. An expression she couldn’t quite identify. She’d just paid him a compliment, but Beau looked . . .
Oh. Of course. Bryce was leaving.
Alice had never had a sibling, much less a twin, but she could imagine what it must feel like to face separating from someone you were so close to. And Beau depended on Bryce for so many things.
Beau opened a closet door and took out a pair of overalls. “Just take off your skirt . . .”
The words seemed to echo in the room.
“There’s a bathroom,” he added quickly. “I’ll wait outside. Just come out when you’re ready.”
Alice took the overalls and went into the small bathroom. She wasn’t typically a nosy person, but she couldn’t help but notice the items sitting next to the sink. Shaving cream. Two razors. Two different bottles of aftershave.
She picked one up, sniffed it, and set it back down. Then she picked up the other, sniffed it, and oh my. This one was Beau’s. It was woodsy with just a bit of citrus. And it made her shiver.
She stepped out of her skirt and hung it on the rack next to the shower, where Beau took showers while completely naked like everyone else, and why was she thinking about that? It was weird and inappropriate.
Boom. Beau’s bare chest popped up in her mind’s eye. And it was even better than the one gracing the cover of her romance novel.
Holy guacamole, she needed to get the heck out of Beau’s bathroom. It was hot in the small room, and it was making her have weird thoughts about Beau being naked or possibly naked except for a pair of chaps, which was nonsensical, because who would wear chaps in the shower?
She quickly stepped into Mrs. Montgomery’s overalls. They were huge, but like Beau said, who cared? She leaned over and rolled the cuffs up before heading out to the porch.
Beau was standing with the horse—he’d called her Sofie—holding the reins. His face broke out in a huge smile at the sight of her.
“I know. I look silly.”
“Not silly at all. You look . . .”
Alice waited for him to say something like goofy or ridiculous.
Beau shook his head and held out the reins. “Cute. Now come on over and climb up on Sofie.”
Cute? She didn’t know why that made her grin, but it did. She could feel it right there on her face. But it disappeared when she got next to Sofie. In fact, she broke out in a nervous sweat. She’d never been so close to such a large animal.
Beau took her hand and helped her rub the horse’s nose and neck. “Sofie, this is Allie. Allie, this is Sofie.”
“Hello,” Alice said.
“You’ve got nothing to be afraid of,” Beau said. “Sofie’s a sweetie, and I’ll be right here.”
He guided her foot into the stirrup and, with a bit of help from his big, warm hands on her waist, she was up on the horse in a jiffy. Way up on the horse. It felt much higher than she’d imagined, and she got a bit dizzy. “Oh, dear. This is a little scarier than I’d thought it would be.”
“You’re doing great,” Beau said. “Hold on to the saddle horn while I lead you around.”
Beau made a little sound with his tongue, and then he gently pulled on the reins and started walking. Alice couldn’t help it, she yelped—maybe it was a squeal—when Sofie started moving beneath her.
She felt clumsy and stiff, and she clenched the animal with her thighs while white-knuckling the saddle horn.
“Try to relax,” Beau said. “Loosen up your hips. Just sit up straight and hold your shoulders square, but let yourself go a little Elvis from the waist down.”
“Elvis?”
Beau stopped walking and Sofie came to a halt. “Like this,” he said, swaying his hips this way and that, doing a little pelvic thrust and bump and grind, all while wearing a huge grin. “Loosen up, Allie Cat.”
“I don’t think I could do that without hurting myself.”
“Oh, I bet it wouldn’t hurt at all. In fact, I bet it would feel real good.”
“That’s enough out of you, Beau Montgomery.”
With a laugh, Beau resumed leading Alice around. And she did somehow manage to relax a little and loosen up. By the time they’d circled the cabin three times, she was way less stiff. This was fun! Why hadn’t she ever ridden a horse before?
“I hate to be a party
pooper,” Beau said when they came around to the porch. “But we’ve got some reading to do.”
Alice sighed. She was having such a good time.
“You know what?” Beau said. “There’s a real nice picnic area down by the dam. It’s a pretty little ride, and I think you’d enjoy it. How about next week, we do our lesson outside?”
She would enjoy that. And she knew for sure that Beau would. He was probably happiest when he was outdoors. “That is a wonderful idea. I like it!”
“It’s a date,” Beau said. “I mean, tutoring session. It’s not actually a date.”
“Of course.”
He came around and held out a hand. “Might I help you off your high horse, darlin’?”
Her heart was pounding. But was it because of the horse? Or because Beau had accidentally referred to their next tutoring session as a date while calling her darlin’?
Chapter
Twelve
Beau had a crick in his neck from glancing back at Alice, but he was afraid of arriving at the dam—they’d stuck to their plan to have this week’s tutoring session there—only to discover that she’d fallen off her horse at some point.
Although he wouldn’t really need his eyes for that. Just his ears. Because Alice seemed to turn into quite the chatterbox when she was nervous, and being on a horse really opened the floodgates.
She’d talked to the horse.
She’d talked to the birds.
She’d talked to the sky.
And she’d talked to Beau.
He couldn’t always make out what she was saying, but she didn’t seem to need any response or prompting. All you had to do to set Allie on autopilot was say, Hey, do you know what kind of tree that is?
She’d go straight into a lecture about invasive species and whatnot, and then Beau was free to think about whatever he wanted, which was the quick glimpse of red panties he’d seen while helping her onto her horse. She’d worn jeans this time, but since they had to ride through some brush to get to the dam, he’d suggested she slip back into the overalls she’d worn last week. He hadn’t peeked at her panties on purpose, but the overalls were huge and loose. He was quite a bit taller than she was, and when he’d looked down, well, there they were.
