The Cowboy's Claim

by Nina Crespo

  “Make it three.” Tristan tossed a twenty on the table. “I’m going to finish watching the game, but I’ll chip in for dinner.” He looked to Chloe. “Have fun, Ace.”

  They’d all been having fun a few minutes ago. Why was he leaving? Chloe’s enthusiasm dimmed.

  After he left, Adam frowned. “What’s wrong with him? He’s never been a sore loser before.”

  Chloe stared at Tristan as he wove through the crowd, headed for the bar. “It’s me.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Tristan placed an order with the bartender. “I’ll take a dozen Cajun wings to go. I also want to close out my tab.”

  Mace stepped up beside him. “Those better be the best wings on the planet.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You’re choosing them over steak, and what makes even less sense, you were rude to Chloe.”

  “I wasn’t rude.”

  “She thinks you left because you don’t like her.”

  The way Mace stared at him made Tristan feel like an ass. But he couldn’t tell him that seeing her jump into Adam’s arms without hesitation after their win had really gotten to him. He’d wanted to be the one holding her, and he’d even contemplated making it happen under the guise of giving her a congratulatory hug. How screwed-up was that?

  The bartender handed Tristan his credit card and a computer tablet displaying his bill. He signed the screen and gave it back to her before turning to Mace. “I never told Chloe that I didn’t like her.”

  “And you wouldn’t because you actually do.” Mace propped an elbow on the bar and faced him. “She’s just not your usual type and that’s throwing you off.”

  Sometimes, the instincts that made Mace a good deputy could make him a pain when it came to digging for the truth as a friend. “And what isn’t my usual type?”

  “Someone who prefers to live in the city and isn’t into horses. In fact, when I first saw her, she kind of reminded me of—”

  “Don’t go there.” Tristan held up his hand, cutting him off. He’d had that conversation with Rina. Hearing Erica’s name mentioned twice in one week was too much, especially since he’d already established in his mind that there was no comparison between her and Chloe.

  Tristan put his credit card in his wallet before stuffing the wallet into his back pocket. “Fine. I’ll talk to her. Can you stay here and grab my take-out order?”

  “Sure can, but you’ll be saving it for tomorrow. You’re joining us for dinner. They’re seating us in twenty so make your apology good and quick.”

  Making amends and having dinner with them was probably the smart thing to do. Lingering tension wasn’t a good thing with him, Adam and Chloe all working in the same space. “Where is she?”

  “With Adam, waiting near the hostess station.”

  Tristan made his way through the crowd to the adjoining corridor connecting to the restaurant.

  Chloe sat on one of the crowded black padded benches along the wall. She wouldn’t look at him.

  Adam, sitting beside her, gave him a hard stare and rested his shoulder on Chloe’s as if in solidarity with her.

  Tristan leaned down so she could hear him above the noise of conversations around them. “Can we step outside and talk a minute?” It looked as if she contemplated saying no. “Please?”

  Chloe handed the restaurant beeper to Adam, then followed Tristan out a set of double doors near the end of the corridor.

  Outside, couples and groups waiting for tables stood on a low-lit raised porch surrounded by a wood railing.

  He and Chloe found a less populated spot in the far corner near the building and faced each other.

  Tristan pushed out a breath. “I’m sorry for walking away like that after the game. Will you accept my apology?”

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “Only if you tell me why you want me to fail.”

  “I don’t.”

  “Well, you haven’t exactly been cheering for me. All this week, when you weren’t going out of your way to make sure to let me know you didn’t want me around, you ignored me.”

  “No. You got it wrong. I wasn’t ignoring you, I was busy, but you didn’t seem to have a problem pushing your way into where you wanted to be.”

  “Pushing my way in?” Her brow rose. “If you would have done what Zurie asked you to do in the first place, I wouldn’t have had to resort to pushiness.”

  “I wasn’t asked, I was told.” An image of Gloria giving him an admonishing look reared up in his mind. “Look. I just wish Zurie would have consulted with me before deciding to have you tail me around. I would have been better prepared.”

  “Well, you weren’t the only one affected. What about me? How do you think I felt when I found out she wasn’t going to be here and I was stuck with you?”

  Stuck with him? An objection made it to the tip of his tongue before he clamped his mouth shut. Yeah, that probably was a fair assessment. He’d been so caught up in his own problems, he really hadn’t considered the circumstances from her perspective. “Okay, my apology is officially jacked up.”

  She gave him an exaggerated shocked look. “Amazing. We actually agree on something.”

  Tristan released a rueful chuckle. “I guess so.” Tension he hadn’t realized he’d been holding on to started to drain from him, and he rubbed over the prickling sensation at the back of his neck.

  “Well, honestly, I can understand you wanting to be prepared.” Chloe uncrossed her arms. “I don’t like not knowing all the details about a situation either. I’ve only been a tad pushy because this audition is important to me, but I came up with a solution that solves both of our problems. Adam volunteered to help me with my research at the stable and to teach me about horses when he’s off from work. You don’t have to try and squeeze me into your schedule anymore.”

  Of course Adam volunteered. The urge to say no almost took precedence in Tristan’s response. But Adam was giving them what they wanted, right? Chloe would learn what she needed to succeed with her audition, and he could focus on running the stable.

  Still, Tristan considered the solution carefully. “Adam is good for the basics, but you should also spend time with Blake. As an experienced trainer, he’ll have knowledge you’ll want to tap into, as well. He can alternate with Adam in working with you during their shifts. Spending time with both of them will help you become more comfortable around the horses. Once you check that box, you’ll be allowed to ride one.”

  “Allowed?” She laughed. “Let me guess. The reason you want them working with me during their shifts is so you can monitor me. You don’t trust that I won’t somehow pretend my way on a horse before you say I can ride one.”

  “No. Learning how to take care of a horse, first, is important. It’s for your safety, that’s all.”

  “Well, okay. Since you’re putting it that way. It’s nice to know that you actually care what happens to me, but you can relax. I’m not in a hurry to ride a horse, but I do need to learn more about them.” Her smile contained a hint of teasing but also real happiness.

  During the week, she’d shared a genuine smile with everyone but him. He’d just gotten his first, and he liked it...a lot. Tristan quelled the urge to lean in and capture that smile in a kiss as a personal victory. He opted for a handshake instead. “So do we have a deal?”

  “I think it’s more like a truce.” Her smaller hand held his for an all-too-brief moment.

  When she took her hand away, it was as if he could still feel the warmth and smoothness of her skin. He resisted taking her by the elbow to guide her back inside the restaurant. That seemingly harmless gesture would just make it harder not to keep touching her.

  “Okay.” He stepped back. “Sounds like we’re good.”

  * * *

  As they prepared to walk back to the restaurant, Chloe tried to ignore the naggi
ng sensation that something was very much undone between her and Tristan. But what? They’d called a cease-fire and agreed to terms. She’d gotten all she wanted.

  Still, for some reason, she had to force herself to smile. “I guess I’ll let Adam know that we can skip tomorrow. It’s his day off, and since we’ll be working together now, I shouldn’t take up his weekend.”

  “He’ll appreciate it. I’ll also let him and Blake know what we talked about so they can expect the additional duties in their schedule.” Tristan glanced toward the restaurant entrance. “Then I guess we should go inside. They’ll be calling our table soon.” He turned to walk away.

  Chloe grasped his arm. “Wait.”

  He stood patiently in front of her.

  “There’s something else we need to talk about.”

  His brow furrowed. “I’m listening.”

  What she was about to suggest was crazy, but at the same time it made sense. “We should kiss.”

  His brow sprang up. “We should what?”

  “I’m only mentioning it because it keeps almost happening, but you have the stable to take care of. I have my audition. Almost kissing is a distraction we don’t need.” Tristan staring at her as if he wasn’t sure he’d heard her right fueled a ramble. “If we kiss, we’ll stop wondering and get over it. It’ll be like checking it off a list. Done. Move on.”

  “So you think if we kiss, it’ll be easier for us to do that?”

  “Exactly. No more temptation. No more problems.”

  He looked away from her as if mulling it over.

  Seconds stretched, and Chloe was already prepared for his “no” answer.

  “Let’s do it.” Tristan moved closer, and it took a moment for her to finally register he’d agreed.

  “Okay.” She laid her hands near his shoulders. Whoa, he was solid muscle, but that didn’t matter. Getting this kiss out of the way was about not noticing him anymore. Should she leave her hands where they were or move them higher? Before she could decide what to do, he grasped her waist, brought her against him and covered her mouth with his.

  Being close to all of that hard muscle and heat pulled out a breath that turned into a low moan. She slid her hands up and around his neck. His tongue drifted over hers, and the faint taste of hops flavored a deepening kiss that was equal parts goodness and sin. Chloe sank into him floating in a fathomless pool of wonderfulness as he coaxed, captivated and teased.

  It was so good. She could stay there all night kissing him.

  When it seemed he planned to ease away too soon, she grasped hold of his nape and pressed her lips more firmly to his and chased him for a longer kiss. Tristan caressed up and down her back, leaving heat and tingles behind as his hands came to settle low on her spine. His fingertips brushing just under the hem of her shirt made pleasure uncoil, and she lifted on her toes arching into him, yearning for more of his touch.

  Voices and laughter filtered through a haze of heady desire.

  He lifted his mouth a short distance away, and she remembered to breathe.

  “So...” he murmured. “Did that clear things up?”

  Tristan shifted his stance and widened his legs. Her curves locking in place against him like a piece in a puzzle raised so many impossible possibilities. She was there for only a few short weeks to learn all she could about the stable. Like they’d both agreed, being in each other’s spheres raised too many distractions. She’d have to settle for that kiss.

  The unconscious action of licking his lower lip tempted her to grab the front of his shirt and haul his mouth back down to hers. But she resisted, and eased away from him as she slid her arms from around his neck.

  Tristan briefly tightened his hold on her waist but released her.

  “You were right.” He cleared his throat as he stepped back, putting even more space between them. “Now that we got that out of the way. We can move on to what’s important.”

  Chapter Twelve

  “Move on...”

  That’s what she was supposed to be doing. Chloe reminded herself of that for the umpteenth time as she stood outside the fenced-in arena where Blake rode Thunder Bay, a brown-and-white pinto that had been adopted by the stable a few months ago.

  Five days had passed since Friday at the Montecito with Tristan, but she still couldn’t forget what had happened on the porch. The strength of his arms as he held her close, the smell of his cologne filling her senses and the warmth of his mouth as he’d captured hers kept replaying in her mind. Usually at inopportune times when she was supposed to be paying attention and learning about the horses, like now.

  But she was a professional. She knew how to separate her feelings from scripted actions. And they had scripted that kiss. It was planned out and wasn’t some random, unexpected act.

  Chloe spotted Tristan driving his black 4Runner down the road near the adjoining pasture to the stable parking lot. He’d left for a meeting someplace a little over three hours ago when she’d arrived at the stable at seven in the morning. Not that she was counting the hours in between seeing him or anything.

  He hadn’t lied about being busy. Tristan was in and out of his office all day, but he still kept his eye on the stable. He checked in with everyone regularly, but he wasn’t a micromanager. He didn’t have to be. His staff didn’t hesitate in following through on his instructions or approaching him for advice. In fact, they went out of their way not to fall short on their duties and were comfortable with Tristan’s high expectations of them.

  “Whoa, Thunder.” Blake commanding the horse pulled her focus back to the training session.

  After the weekend, she’d spent the past Monday and Tuesday with Adam touring the stable and the pastures and learning the basics of the stable operation. Now she’d spend the next couple of days with Blake learning about the equipment or “tack” used in horse riding and about the care and training provided to the horses.

  Some of the horses boarded in the stable and the pastures were fully taken care of by the staff from cleaning the stalls to feeding them to making sure they received proper care and exercise. Others were partially cared for by their owners who stopped by on a consistent basis. Five of the horses currently at the stable belonged to Tillbridge and Thunder was one of them.

  According to Blake, Thunder’s original owner hadn’t properly trained him to follow basic commands but had used force. Thunder had learned not to trust having someone riding him and resisted having a bit in his mouth because he anticipated pain.

  Blake had said when they’d first started working with him a few months ago, Thunder wouldn’t respond to basic cues. Her lesson that morning had been about the slow, methodical retraining process they’d gone through with Thunder. He now responded to stopping just by voice command and had progressed to willingly accepting Blake’s rein cues when they loped around the ring.

  He dismounted Thunder. As he praised the horse, Blake rubbed him along the neck and shoulders. He looked to Chloe. “Any questions?”

  She tossed her single braid, secured by one of Philippa’s green bandanas, over her shoulder. Dressed similarly to him, her own Tillbridge pullover and jeans were dusty and rumpled, and she’d waded through enough crap that morning to consider her black tread-sole boots fully baptized. “No. That was interesting. Thunder is lucky to have found a home here.”

  “He’s a good horse. With Tristan riding him, he’ll become even better.”

  As Blake led Thunder from the arena to the stable, she stood a generous few feet away from both of them.

  They walked past the spot where seeing the horses had frozen her in place before Tristan pulled her out of the way. But she was okay now with Thunder, right? Although they walked at a leisurely pace, she could feel her heart beating in her chest as her worst thoughts about horses started to take shape. What if Thunder got spooked by something, like a bird or a squirrel or just decided he w
anted to run off? She didn’t know what to do if Blake couldn’t control him.

  Stop! Thunder is good. Blake’s good. I’m good. We’re all good.

  Chloe shifted her thoughts to the coolness of the midmorning that was quickly dissipating with the sun rising in an almost cloudless blue sky. She analyzed the dust and straw on her boots and the hem of her jeans and let her mind wander to what was becoming a continuing distraction. Tristan.

  “So Thunder is Tristan’s horse?” she asked.

  “Yep. They’re a good match. Tristan has plenty of patience.”

  Patience did seem to be one of Tristan’s better qualities. He’d kissed her slow and easy the other night, as if he’d had all the time in the world.

  They entered the stable.

  Instead of straight down the middle aisle, he led Thunder to the right where the tack rooms and grooming stalls were located. “So are you getting excited about riding yet?”

  Remembering not to get too close to Thunder’s back end, she scooted forward next to Blake. “I can wait.”

  Blake laughed. “You look like I just asked you if you were ready for a root canal. It won’t be that bad. We’ll put you on a gentle horse, probably Moonlight Joy. You’ll be riding the trails in no time.”

  “What we’ve been doing for the past few days is fine. I actually don’t have to ride a horse for my audition.”

  “But knowing how to care for a horse goes with knowing how to ride one. You can’t not learn how to do both.”

  Oh, yes she could.

  Another trainer walking by, a tall brunette with short hair outfitted in high black riding boots, tan breeches and a bright white pullover, stopped to ask Blake a few questions. As he answered, the woman followed him into the grooming stall where she helped cross tie Thunder and unbuckle the saddle.

  Chloe moved out of the way as Blake took the saddle to the tack room beside the stall. The woman trailed behind him, asking his opinion about a company that sold riding gear.