Lately, though, she found herself reluctant to leave his log house. And while his eyes begged her to stay, she wanted to hold out for his words. Rowdy was a man of his word, she knew. And she’d waited a long time to hear the right combination that would make her stay forever.
In the meantime, she dared to shake off some of the long dormant dreams of her youth, where they had been gathering dust in dark corners. Dreams of walking to the altar in a white lace dress, where a rugged cowboy would sweep her up in his arms. Rowdy’s kryptonite was delicate lace, she realized happily, and pulled out some of her long-forgotten blouses from the back of her closet for their dates—or for everyday office hours, when he might drop in.
When he saw her, his eyes came alive, and she’d reach up to touch the fine crinkles around his tanned and handsome face.
I love you, Rowdy West, Daisy said in her private thoughts, barely able to contain the growing realization.
Chapter 26
“I pushed too hard,” Sassy said in the dark, confiding her closest thoughts to her bedroom ceiling. “With absolutely nothing to show for it.”
Except that…
She smiled at the memory of Ash putting his arm around her and pulling her close, nearly kissing her in the gallery. Sassy wanted him to. He was so close she could feel his warm breath, and her lips were more than a little anxious and electrified, anticipating his mouth softly connecting with hers. But Rowdy and that woman, Daisy, came tumbling out of the hallway office like a couple of frisky puppies and ruined the moment.
Would there be another?
“Focus, girl,” she said before rolling over and closing her eyes. She was getting too caught up in Ash, and forgetting everything else—like, the one reason she came to West Gorge in the first place.
“Dern antelopes.”
Freda drove them to work on Monday, slowing down for the wildlife who were prancing happily without regard to the ranch road or oncoming cars.
In the passenger seat, Sassy was distracted. She could spot the ranch house in the morning light as Freda turned away from it, towards the business offices. Sassy almost got inside, but Ash said maybe next time—when they were dressed for hiking.
Of course there would be a next time. Ash nearly kissed her by the paintings.
Thinking back, Sassy was confused. The day she found out who he was, she decided she’d kiss him if it would get her closer to the house and the family. She wasn’t proud of that, but Ash could be a means to an end.
Now, things were getting complicated and confusing.
Now, the kiss had become the goal; it was front and center in her thoughts. Nothing else seemed to matter. Even that other thing. When he held her hand in the dark art gallery, and bent his tall frame towards her just a bit, she found herself anticipating Ash West’s kiss with her entire being.
Not just because it was part of her agenda.
Oops.
“You didn’t hear a word I said.”
Sassy turned her head as they pulled into the parking lot. Freda had been talking, and Sassy could not remember a single word.
“I’m so sorry, Freda,” Sassy said, reaching over to give her a little pat on the leg. “I’ve got a bad case of the Mondays, I guess.”
Freda smiled.
“I’m not mad, Sassy,” she said. “I know where you live. I’ll tell you all about my weekend with Jim Tim tonight over beans and franks, and thick slices of fresh tomatoes.”
“I want to hear every word,” Sassy assured her, getting out of the car. Her own car would be ready to pick up in another day or two, Tig had called to say.
“You did hear every word,” Freda replied with a bright white smile that Sassy could see in the early dawn, “you just weren’t listening.”
Walking into the large wood-paneled room with the concrete floor, Sassy and Freda saw a few cowboys filling plates with scrambled eggs, bacon and biscuits, as the camp cook brought out an industrial sized pot of aromatic, fresh-brewed coffee.
A subdued chorus of “mornings” made the rounds as Sassy pulled back her desk chair to find a white paper bag. In it sat a fresh bagel from Donut Den, and a small container of cream cheese.
To start your day right, a note on the bag said.
Sassy felt her cheeks get warm as she smiled and walked the treat over to the toaster.
“Bagel? Nobody in Wyoming eats bagels,” one of the cowboys teased. “This is biscuit country.”
“Oh, believe me I know,” Sassy teased back.
Chapter 27
“Heifer?”
Sassy looked up in surprise at Ash who was standing by her desk. She was just about to take a bite of her cream-cheese-slathered treat.
“No, just a healthy Midwest girl eating a late breakfast,” Sassy said before biting down. Most of the crew left for their assignments, and she was enjoying a few minutes of peace and quiet before tackling the spreadsheets Rowdy asked her to create. She thought she was alone, except for the kitchen staff.
Ash smiled in good humor at her response.
“Um, first, I would never even dream of… and second, there’s a heifer up by the pass who has been late to calve—wondered if you’d like to ride up there with me and check her out. It’s a long ride, and I’d like the company. Besides, all good cowgirls need to be familiar with heifers and their calves.”
Sassy smiled as she narrowed her gaze at Ash.
“What makes you think I plan on being a good cowgirl?”
She could see his mouth fall open as a deep blush turned Ash’s neck red.
After clearing his throat and finding his voice again, Ash went on to tell her that, unlike the Midwest operations, Wyoming ranches like West Ranch had livestock spread out over thousands of acres. A routine check could take hours, or even days. But Ash assured Sassy they’d be back by the end of the afternoon.
“I asked the cook to box up a few lunches for us, and some bottled sodas and waters,” Ash said, dangling the keys.
“Will you let me drive the ATV?” Sassy asked, looking up at him.
“Sure, just as soon as I want to end up on a rock, like the last car you drove,” Ash said, putting the keys in the pocket of his jeans.
Sassy laughed.
“That incident says more about Wyoming than my driving,” she said.
“I’ll tell you what,” Ash said, “there’s a stretch up by the pass with a shallow creek and low hills—you can drive all you like once we get up there.”
“Well,” Sassy said, considering the offer, “I prefer to drive in boulder fields where the sheep dart in front of me, but okay. Deal.”
An hour later, after yelling a back-and-forth conversation to each other, Sassy shouted the word stop to Ash, and he pulled the ATV over under the shade of a large aspen. She slowly swung her legs over the open doorway and stepped onto the sagebrush covered ground.
Stretching, and enjoying the quiet of the air with the motor shut off, she smiled at Ash.
“You know, they have this thing back home in vehicles, called shocks. They help absorb the bumps and the ruts much better than my backside.”
“It’s a little bumpy, I’ll give you that,” Ash said, trying not to stare at the way Sassy’s hands massaged the beautiful aching curves hugged by thin and faded jeans.
“You’ve been giving me that since we left the office, and I just need a little break. I can’t believe we’re still on West land, way out here.”
Ash got out and together they looked at the full expansive view.
“Amazing here, isn’t it?” Ash asked, and Sassy nodded. “We’re not far from the heifer. This is as good a place as any for our picnic.”
Sassy got the blanket from the back and spread it under a tree while Ash fetched the boxed lunches and drinks. They sat down, choosing to face the mountains and the gorge in the far distance.
“Great idea,” Sassy said with a smile, eating her sandwich.
Ash smiled.
“It’s not a fancy second date, but…”
“Whoa there, cowboy,” Sassy cut him off. “You think that tour of the town was a date? That was you, being a good neighbor. And this here is a working lunch.”
“Good neighbor, huh?” Ash challenged back, nudging her with his shoulder. “I nearly kissed you in the art gallery.”
“I know,” Sassy said quietly, and smiled.
“Would you have minded?”
“Who’s to say?”
“You,” Ash said with a smile—it was the same one he gave her when he kissed her boo boo, and just about made Sassy faint backwards onto the blanket.
She leaned back on her elbow and took him in. He seemed to be waiting for something from her—permission maybe to kiss her now, or validation of the near kiss in the gallery. It would change everything for her, she knew. As the breeze moved her hair around her shoulders, she looked over at Ash’s piercing eyes.
The contours of his face were new to him, she guessed. Just as the river chiseled features into the gorge over the centuries, Ash’s face was being carved by life and by time, and he was breathtaking. The seriousness of his gaze made her feel very small, yet being the object of his attention caused her heart to race and constrict.
She saw his forearms, and the muscles that ran from the bone on his wrist to his elbows were capable of both catching her, and removing the smallest of splinters with ease. As Sassy admired the ropey contours, and wondered how it would feel to have his arms wrapped around her, Ash leaned back on the blanket next to her.
A breeze blew a few ringlets from the top of her head onto her cheek, and Ash reached over and gently brushed them from her face. She closed her eyes with a flutter, focusing on the sensation—his fingers were warm on her skin and his caress was gentle. She could hear him exhale as he traced the edge of her jaw, and Sassy blushed at the unbidden thoughts.
“Why did you come all the way to Wyoming?” Ash asked in a rumbly whisper.
If only you knew, Sassy thought.
Chapter 28
“I’ll ask you again. Who are you, Sassy?”
“What do you mean, Ash?”
The two were reclining on the blanket, staring up at the sky beyond the mountain range. Neither one anxious to get back in the ATV, or, it seemed, anxious to move away from each other.
“I mean, I’ve called you Bo Peep, and Scarlett O’Hara. We’ve joked around and had a few meals, but I don’t know much about you, or why you’re here. Rowdy and Gunnar said you were persistent about working at West Ranch this summer.”
Sassy just shrugged.
“There’s no mystery. West Ranch is the biggest and best, and you have to be persistent to get the job you want in life. Especially if you don’t get one handed to you on a silver platter after graduation.”
Ash frowned at her comment, but chose his response carefully.
“I’ve been handed a few silver platters in recent years, it’s true. There’ve been a few hard knocks along the way, too. But you’re making this about me, and it’s not.”
“There’s nothing to solve. I’m an accounting grad with an interest in managing a ranch—the experience here is priceless. I’ll be able to go anywhere and work after this summer.”
Rolling towards Ash, Sassy propped her head up with a bent arm. Ash did the same. They were just inches away as they lay on their sides, facing each other.
“So you plan on leaving.” He stated this, more than asked.
“I’m not planning anything just yet,” Sassy said with an unmistakable edge in her voice. “I’ll have to leave if I’m not offered a job, but I’m not sure I’d stay, anyway. There’s a lot of unknowns, Ash.”
Ash clenched his jaw as he looked over her shoulder at the mountain peaks, then back to Sassy and her golden hair. Her eyes were dark with mystery and a little unease.
She couldn’t meet his stare. Distractedly, she looked down and began picking small leaves off the blanket and tossing them behind her. She was so beautiful, Ash thought, and he’d made her angry with his questions. As if reading his mind, she met his gaze again.
“And by the way, Ash West,” she said quietly, “what makes you think a person—a girl—ought to share her whole life story the first time she meets a guy? There’s a lot I don’t know about you, and yet I’m willing to let it all unfold.”
“Fair enough…” Ash attempted to appease Sassy. “I guess because I rescued you…”
“Rescued?”
“Well, yes...” He sounded unsure of himself now.
“What’s so noble about stopping on a deserted road, simply because you can’t go any further with a flock of sheep in your way? What’s noble about being able to get cell phone reception? You’re going to have to work a little harder to be my hero, Ash West.”
She was right, he knew. If he wanted her to open up more, he would have to be patient and tread carefully. Sassy was an employee of the ranch, and he had to protect their reputation, and hers. But the closer he was to her, the harder it was to be cautious.
“I’m sorry, Sassy,” Ash whispered. “I’m being selfish, wanting to know where you’re going to be when the summer’s over. I have a thing, I guess, about people in my life leaving.”
Her face softened.
The two were so close. Ash reached his hand up and one by one, moved thick strands of curls from her neck to the back of her shoulder. She could feel every nerve ending as his fingers tenderly brushed her skin.
They were close enough to feel the warm breath as each other spoke.
“I don’t know where I’ll be, Ash,” Sassy whispered, helplessly frozen in place by his hypnotic touch. “I wish I could tell you.”
“Then tell me,” Ash whispered back.
“I can’t,” she managed.
Not yet, she thought.
“Even this morning,” she said, “I didn’t know I’d be spending the day up on this hill, with you by my side.”
Her eyes reluctantly pulled away from his own—she was getting hopelessly caught up in him—only to rest on the pearl snaps of his shirt. Her eyes traveled slowly down each one to where the hem hung open, revealing a few inches of his tanned torso. Her hand was so close, and when she reached over and lightly touched his warm skin with the tiny tip of her finger, Ash gasped.
“Sassy,” he choked out.
“Shh,” she managed, “no more questions.”
Watching her eyes for permission, Ash found it instead upon her lips. As she tilted her head towards him, they parted in a sweet smile.
He closed the gap between their lips until his rested upon hers. Moving his free hand to her waist, Ash gently kissed Sassy, lingering until they were breathing in sync, and until she inched closer towards him on the warm blanket. Ash should have pulled away, but he didn’t. He could feel her long eyelashes flutter against his face like butterflies, and practically hear her heartbeat getting louder—or maybe that was his own.
After a few minutes, Sassy moved the arm that held her head up, lowering herself slowly to the quilt where she lay on her back. Ash’s mouth stayed with hers, and he tucked his free arm under her shoulder, where he could feel the softness of her hair as they kissed.
Her lips tasted warm and sweet. Like ripe berries dipped in sweet honey, then dipped in an electric current that ran from her mouth and through his entire body—down to the boots on his toes.
Chapter 29
“Shoot!”
Gunnar was sorting through ranch mail a few days later, next to Sassy’s desk. It was mid-morning and most everyone else had left the building.
At his tone, Sassy glanced up from her spreadsheets, wondering what was wrong. She’d been working on numbers since sunup, and needed to pull her eyes away. That was the thing about numbers—they had to go somewhere to mean something, and it could be tedious work.
“What’s up?” She asked, standing to stretch, then walking over to fill her coffee cup.
“Kat’s been waiting for this piece of West Foundation mail, but it came here by mistake. I was just heading out to the
east pens though,” Gunnar said. “Sassy, would you mind driving this over to the big house for me?”
Adrenaline shot through Sassy’s body at the opportunity, dropped right in her lap.
At last.
“Sure… sure I can do that, Gunnar,” she said, fumbling the words in her eagerness.
“I imagine you wouldn’t mind a break from the computer,” he said agreeably. “No one person should spend such a beautiful summer day in Wyoming in front of a screen, and that’s not our intention. So if you wouldn’t mind the distraction, I’d be obliged.”
Sassy took the mail from Gunnar and smiled. He was consistently one of the nicest men she’d ever met. All the West men were easy-going and polite; tall and handsome too.
“I don’t mind at all,” she said. “I’ll go right now.”
“Take one of the Jeeps, why don’t you,” he said, tipping his hat before leaving.
Breathe, Sassy told herself as she walked outside. She didn’t want to be anxious or winded as she drove a ranch vehicle, or when meeting Kat West again.
She’d met her once, weeks before, when the entire family came to an event designed to kick off summer activities. Sassy shook hands with Liu and Colton, a striking young couple. Unlike the cowboys, he wore a polo shirt with West Development embroidered on the chest, and mirrored sunglasses atop his spiked hair. Liu was very hip with her maternity sundress and sleek black hair. Sassy noticed how Colton kept his hand lightly on Liu’s back as they moved around the room, and was touched by his caring and protective gestures.
Pike and Paislee were also very nice. Paislee wore a short bohemian linen dress with perfect makeup and silver jewelry, and a diamond-studded watch. Their two children seemed very close in age. At first glance, the little girl looked as though she belonged with Liu. But Paislee’s attentiveness left no doubt as to who her mama was.
The little boy, Ford West, was a blonde mini-me of his daddy, Pike—the famed artist. There were a few of his paintings in the Arts and Culture Center that Ash took her to, and while Sassy was no expert, even she could see that Pike was gifted. Different from his stockier brothers, Pike was long and lean with more of a Nordic look than the others. Freda had said that Ridge’s first wife was Scandinavian, so that made sense.
Sassy Cowgirl Kisses: A Sweet Romance (A West Brothers Romance Book 5) Page 8
