Cowboy For Hire

by Victoria James

  “Oh. Right. Obviously. I’m cool with that.” She looked about as cool as a wildfire.

  He kept his eyes on the road. “Anyway, let’s just focus on this weekend and our arrangements. Ground rules because we have a professional relationship to maintain.”

  “Yes. Professional. So what are the ground rules?”

  Hell if he knew. He’d never had to make any list of platonic hotel room arrangements before. “No…clothing gets removed in front of the other person.”

  She let out a strangled “okay.”

  “Also, no drunk talking about feelings, attraction, or touching.”

  “You think quite highly of yourself, don’t you, Cade?”

  He choked out a laugh. “Hey, I’m just trying to be a gentleman.”

  “Well, thank you, and rest assured, I won’t be peeling your clothes off you in a drunken stupor while professing my undying love and attraction for you.”

  He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry because half that statement—the peeling-his-clothes-off part—sounded amazing right about now. “Fine. I promise not to do the same.”

  “Perfect. So here’s what we can do—drink beer, eat snacks, and watch movies on those special channels.”

  He choked on his own saliva, then coughed. “What?”

  “You know, like the latest releases you have to pay for at the hotel?”

  He cleared his throat. Because that’s what people meant when they said they were going to watch movies on the “special” channels. “Right. Sure.”

  They drove in silence for a while, which gave him time to think about what he was getting himself into. Working at Joshua Ranch wasn’t supposed to be him getting involved in someone else’s personal life or involved in some kind of mysterious family history. But he was getting involved. He was interested in the woman beside him, and he didn’t know what to do about it.

  He’d driven this highway, all these country roads, alone, broke, and a different man. He’d driven these roads like a child in so many ways. He’d driven this road with friends, with different women, but of all the people he’d driven down this road with, he’d never been more intrigued by a person in his life. He glanced over at Sarah, expecting her to have dozed off, but she was sitting upright, a nervous energy emanating from her as her gaze fixated on the dark skyline out her windshield. “I think I’ll tell Edna that I’m spending the night in town with my new friends,” she said, digging through her purse and then pulling out her phone.

  “Don’t you think she’ll find it suspicious that I’m gone, too?”

  She paused mid-typing. “Well, she might not know because you don’t really come around the house on weekends anyway.”

  “True,” he said after thinking about it. “But I also don’t want to feel like I’m a sixteen-year-old sneaking out of the house with my girlfriend.”

  “So let’s stick to the original plan, and I’ll say I’m away with friends and you say nothing. I think I’ll wait to text her. Maybe she’ll fall asleep.”

  “Perfect.”

  “How much longer?”

  He shrugged. “At least another hour. Of course, if this rain keeps up, it might slow us down a bit,” he said, increasing the speed on the windshield wipers.

  “Great. I’m starving. Do you know any good places to eat in Billings?”

  “Not any places you’d like.”

  “Those are exactly the places I think I need to go.”

  He frowned. “You want to go to places I know you won’t like?”

  “Yeah. Those places.”

  “Why?”

  “Well, I’m sure they aren’t places I’ve ever been to, and I’m pretty sure they’re exciting places, and that’s what I need in my life right now.”

  His eyes narrowed on the sudden red taillights ahead.

  “What do you think that is?” she asked, pointing at the windshield.

  He eased his foot off the gas, noticing cars were reversing and pulling U-turns. He was getting increasingly concerned about the rain himself and was very aware of the fact that these country roads would often get shut down due to flooding. As they slowed to a crawl, a roadblock with the sign flooded road shone against the headlights. Damn. “Looks like we have to go back,” he said, stopping and turning the truck around.

  “What?” she whispered.

  “Sorry—” He’d been about to say sweetheart but stopped himself. He wasn’t going to make that mistake twice.

  “My one adventure and it’s ruined by flooding?”

  He cringed and racked his brain for something else to do. They drove in silence for a few minutes.

  “Wait! There!” She was pointing to a random motel sign in the distance.

  He swallowed hard, hoping he was wrong. “What?”

  “The Highwayman Motel. Let’s spend the night there!”

  It was one thing to take Sarah out for an evening and show her some fun places; it was entirely another thing to just hang out in the Highwayman Motel for the night with her. It would be…uncomfortable. “Why would you want to spend the night there? Why don’t we just go back to the ranch? We can do this any other time.”

  She didn’t say anything for a moment. “Fine. I get it. No worries.”

  He knew no worries meant he should be really worried. “What do you get?”

  “Nothing. It’s just easier to blow me off like this. Another time will never happen, as if we’re going to plan a weekend away together, Cade. It’s fine. It’s not like I haven’t been anywhere for more than a decade or anything. It’s not like I’ve basically been a prisoner on my family ranch and had a chaperone forever. It’s not like we didn’t already agree to do this. It’s not like—”

  “All right. Okay,” he said, his voice sounding harsh to his ears.

  Sarah huffed. “Well, don’t make it sound like I’m twisting your arm.”

  He was pulling into the motel a minute later, wondering when he became such a softie. “You’re not twisting my arm. There’s nothing I’d rather be doing on a Saturday night than going to the Highwayman Motel.”

  “Really?”

  He gave a stiff nod. It might have been that point in the night, when she smiled at him like he was the only person who had come through for her in a long time, that he knew he was in trouble. It wasn’t the way she looked at him; it was the way he felt when she looked at him. Something he hadn’t ever felt before.

  And hell if that didn’t put him on high alert.

  Chapter Nine

  “Okay, I’m ready,” Sarah said.

  Cade picked up a lousy bottle of whiskey from the grocery shelf and turned around to see Sarah standing there with at least five different bags of assorted chips, some toiletries for both of them, and a big smile on her face. He found himself smiling back. If they were dating, he’d think she was the most easily pleased woman he’d ever been on a date with. They were in a gas station convenience store after deciding they needed snacks and supplies and she looked as though she were holding an armful of gold. “Great. We just need to add some chocolate to that pile and water,” he said, making his way to the refrigerated section.

  “I didn’t know you liked chocolate,” Sarah said, the excitement lining her voice making him wonder what could possibly be interesting about what he’d just said.

  He placed two one-liter bottles of water on the checkout counter along with the whiskey and then stepped back to take in the assortment of chocolate on the shelf below. “Yeah, chocolate is my weakness. Lasagna, too, but I’m not getting that here.”

  “There’s no competing with Lainey’s,” she said.

  He picked up three different bars and then turned to her. “Do you want anything else?”

  Sarah’s mouth dropped open, and she pushed past him to reach for a bag of candy under the counter. She held it up like a trophy and beamed at h
im. “Peach Rings! Have you ever had these?”

  He shook his head, not understanding the excitement at a bag of candy.

  “These are my favorite. I haven’t had them since…well, a long time. I have to get these,” she said, adding the bag to the pile.

  “I’ve got this,” he said to the teenager behind the counter.

  “No, I’ve got it,” Sarah said, giving him a shove.

  He refused to hip-bump her back and placed a twenty on the counter. “Nope, it’s on me.”

  “But this road trip was my idea,” she insisted.

  “Yeah, well, I eat more than you do.”

  “You haven’t seen me with a bag of Peach Rings.”

  The clerk let out a giant huff and rolled his eyes as he started scanning the items.

  “Fine, well, the hotel room is on me,” Sarah said as the clerk filled a bag with their things.

  “We can talk about that,” he said after grabbing the bag and holding the door open for her. The rain fell in straight sheets, and they both ran to the truck. By the time they got in, they were both soaked.

  “The one time I actually do my hair, and it rains,” she said.

  He shot her a look as he pulled out of the parking lot. “Your hair looks fine. Looks the same.”

  She frowned and then turned down the visor, snapping open the mirror. She let out a muffled scream and began finger-combing her hair. “Really? This is how I normally look to you?”

  He shrugged and thought it best to keep his eyes on the road ahead. “I don’t really notice hair.”

  “I used a curling iron. I had mastered beachy waves. I know this wasn’t how I looked when you picked me up,” she said, glaring at him.

  He stared straight ahead, knowing he was going to regret speaking his mind. “You’re beautiful. Beach curls or not.” The long, awkward pause made him think she wasn’t going to say anything back.

  “Beach-y waves.”

  “Pardon?”

  “Nothing. We probably should have packed some clothes or something,” she said, rubbing her hands up and down her arms.

  “Cold?”

  “Freezing.”

  He turned the heat on.

  “About all other expenses, I insist on paying. This whole thing was my idea, and I don’t want you having to foot the bill for my adventure.”

  “Well, I’m going on the adventure with you.”

  “But only because I asked you. Maybe begged. Borderline begging for sure. This is not what you’d be doing right now. I have to insist, Cade. I’ll write it off as a business expense,” she said.

  He laughed. “Are we talking business?”

  “Have you met with the bookkeeper yet?”

  Bookkeeper. Hell. He didn’t want to think about that now. “Next week.”

  “Great. We just talked business,” she said with an adorably smug smile.

  “You’re an excellent businesswoman,” he said, pulling into the half-filled parking lot of the Highwayman Motel. The H kept blinking, and the M looked like it might fall off any second now.

  “This place is perfect,” she said as he parked.

  “You really need to get out more, Sarah,” he said as he shut off the ignition.

  “I know. This is perfect. One night at the Highwayman. What could go wrong?”

  “All right, let’s go,” he said, not wanting to burst her bubble and tell her all the things that could go wrong.

  By that point, the rain had turned to a light drizzle. She let out a tiny squeal as she opened her door and hopped out of the truck. He was torn between rolling his eyes and laughing or maybe both. Somehow she got under his skin, and he had this irrational need to want her to be happy. He grabbed their bag of junk food and met her around the front of the truck, where she was staring at the $99 a room per night sign as though it were the Ritz. “This is going to be so great,” she breathed, looking up at him.

  Fifteen minutes later, Cade was holding open the door to the motel room for Sarah and wondering how the hell he’d gotten himself into this mess. The double bed loomed large, in his opinion. Typical to roadside motels, which he’d had more than his fair share of experience in, the room was utilitarian but looked reasonably clean and fresh.

  “Wait!” he yelled as Sarah looked like she was about to do a backward dive onto the bed. He strode across the room and flung the neatly made comforter off the bed. “I saw this 20/20 documentary years ago about the cleanliness in these places. Fluids neither of us wants to think about are on that.”

  She scrunched up her nose and took a step back. At least he’d gotten through to her.

  “You can thank me later. Also, don’t touch the remote or go barefoot.”

  She lifted her index finger, raising her eyebrows. “Do you have a hazmat suit in your truck?”

  He almost laughed, except he was busy placing the remote in the shopping bag from the grocery store. “You know, it’s all fun and games until one of us ends up with some nasty rash.”

  “Ew.”

  He tossed the protected remote onto the bed. “You’re welcome. This would also be a good time to keep that strawberry hand sanitizer around.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Okay, well, I’m going to wash up. We’re allowed to use the bathroom, right?”

  He shrugged. “I’d advise against touching the door handle once you’ve washed your hands.”

  For some reason, she thought this was funny, because an endearing smile took over her face and her eyes sparkled. “I had no idea you were such a germaphobe.”

  He shoved his hands in his pockets. “It’s called reality. Not some kind of phobia.”

  “Mm-hmm,” she said as she took off her boots.

  “No bare feet on this carpet. Keep your socks on.”

  She clasped a hand over her mouth, doing a bad job of hiding her laughter.

  He frowned. “What?”

  Her smile was wide and so damn carefree that any regret he had in coming here vanished. “I’m just so glad because I thought I was the one with all the issues. You’re making me feel so much better.”

  He wasn’t sure whether he was insulted or happy. He rolled his shoulders and walked across the room. “I’m glad I can provide assistance with your lack of self-confidence.”

  “Oh, I don’t have self-confidence issues. More of a lack-of-life issue.”

  She disappeared into the bathroom, and he let out the deep breath and relaxed his shoulders. He leaned against the dresser, taking in the small room and the reality that he’d agreed to spend the night with Sarah. There was no avoiding the bed. Because the room was so small, there wasn’t any other place to sleep except the hard-back, upright chair by the window. He’d rather saw off his arm with a dull knife than sleep on the carpeted floor, so that left him with no other options.

  Sarah emerged from the bathroom a moment later. “Okay, your turn. I’m sure you’ll want to scrub down. You’ll be pleased to know that the towels are fresh and clean.”

  “Thanks,” he said.

  “I left the toiletries we bought spread out on Kleenexes so they didn’t touch the counter. Also, I accidentally dropped your toothbrush in the toilet, but it was still in the package so I’m sure it’s fine.”

  Her eyes were sparkling, and she was barely holding on to that gorgeous smile because her lips kept twitching. She was a horrible liar. And if she’d been any other woman in the world, he’d have crossed the room and kissed her until they were both laughing. But she was Sarah, so hands off. “Thanks. I’ll be sure to return the favor.”

  He walked into the bathroom and closed the door, laughing, as she screamed from the other side that she’d been joking.

  …

  Sarah was pretty sure this was the wildest thing she’d ever done, with the hottest man she’d ever known. Snacks with gluten and sugar and a bott
le of whiskey…it may have taken her twenty-six years to get here, but she was certain she was living her best life right now. She just wasn’t sure how this was all going to pan out. There was a giant bed in the room that wasn’t giant at all. She was pretty sure Cade’s feet would be dangling off the end. And what would Cade sleep in? What would she sleep in? This hadn’t been the most carefully thought-out plan. There was no going back at this point, though.

  She leaned against the dresser and quickly messaged Mrs. Casey. After a few stops and starts, she settled on: Mrs. Casey! I met a wonderful friend tonight at the party and decided to spend the night.

  There. That wasn’t an outright lie. Cade was becoming a wonderful friend to her and she had decided to spend the night. With him. Before she could even put her phone back in her purse, it vibrated.

  I don’t think that’s a wise idea. I urge you to come home at once.

  Sorry, I can’t do that. I’m having too much fun. I’m twenty-six, remember? I’ll see you tomorrow; have a good night. Shutting my phone off now…

  I will pray for you.

  Sarah frowned at the message and dropped her phone in her purse. No more of that thinking now.

  She riffled through the bag of snacks and brought it over to the bed. Cade was a little more than her life situation had prepared her for. Maybe a man who was a little less…everything would be a better fit. She looked up as he walked out of the bathroom and strode across the room to the whiskey. Her gaze took in the long, muscular length of him, the stubble on his handsome face…and knew she was in over her head. She needed someone a little less manly. Someone who used strawberry-scented hand sanitizer without giving it a second thought. Someone who didn’t make her squirm with a long stare or with the brush of his hand across hers.

  Cade left her breathless. Breathless was dangerous, and she wasn’t quite ready for that level of danger.

  He poured them each a glass and handed her one. “To a road-trip detour.”

  She clinked her plastic cup to his. “To my first night away from home in ten years.”

  He grimaced.

  She tilted her head. “Was that too sad?”

  He lifted one shoulder. “Slightly. But also, this whiskey is really bad.”