Stealing the Cowboy's Heart

by Debbi Rawlins

“Last time I checked.” Landon eyed the baggy jeans and the backwards baseball cap. Not the typical rodeo fan but he obviously followed the sport. A year ago the kid probably wouldn’t have recognized him.

  After eight years of rodeoing, Landon had finally made it to the national finals last December. He hadn’t nabbed the title, but he’d gotten close enough that fans had taken notice. So had two major sponsors. And then Landon had gone and done something stupid.

  “Hey, Gramps,” the boy said. “You know who this is, right?”

  The man lifted the gas pump nozzle and squinted at Landon. “You gonna make it to the finals again?”

  “I hope so. Or I’ll die trying.”

  “Well, don’t do that,” the man said, chuckling. “You still got time. How much longer before they let you back on a bronc?”

  “A couple weeks.” He heard a click, added enough fuel to round up to the next dollar and removed the nozzle. Forgetting about the crutch, he almost lost his balance.

  “Is that what the doc says?” The man watched the crutch bounce off Landon’s truck and land on the oil-stained cement.

  “Maybe three weeks,” Landon muttered.

  “Everybody was shocked you got thrown, even the commentators.” The kid picked up the crutch and brought it to him. “Lucky that mare didn’t stomp your head. I heard she missed your ear by an inch.”

  Yeah, tell him something he didn’t already know. “Thanks,” Landon said, opening his door and shoving the crutch to the passenger side.

  “What happened? She get spooked?”

  “Come on, Tommy,” the grandfather said, giving the boy a stern look. “Leave the man alone.”

  Landon might’ve left things at that but the kid grabbed a squeegee from a bucket and started washing his windshield. “It wasn’t the horse, it was me,” he said, surprised by his candor. How many times had he been asked that question? And had always given the same answer...he didn’t know. “I guess I let my mind wander for a second.”

  “Really?”

  Hell, it wasn’t a guess. “Not a smart thing to do with thirteen hundred pounds of bucking horseflesh underneath you.”

  “What were you thinking about?”

  Landon snorted a laugh. “A girl.”

  Tommy stopped scrubbing the windshield and stared. “You serious?”

  Already regretting his words, Landon pocketed the gas receipt and said, “Thanks for your help, buddy. Appreciate it.”

  “No problem.” Tommy hurried around to wash the other side. “You got an autographed picture I could have?”

  Landon shook his head. Joining the winners’ circle had its drawbacks. “Tell you what. You ever come to a rodeo where I’m riding, you let me know and I’ll hook you up with free tickets.” He scribbled his cell number down, something else he never did and would likely regret.

  “Wow. Thanks, dude.” Tommy stared at the piece of scrap paper.

  “You don’t give that number out to anyone else, or no free tickets. Got it?”

  The kid nodded. “How about a selfie?”

  Landon wasn’t keen on those either, but it wouldn’t kill him. “All right. Just one.”

  “With the crutches?”

  “No,” he said in a tone that allowed no argument.

  Tommy’s grandpa chuckled. “Come on, boy. Quit bothering the man and let’s go deliver this hay.”

  Landon grabbed his Stetson from the passenger seat and settled it on his head. Tommy got his photo and after they shook hands, Landon slid back behind the wheel. He automatically massaged his thigh muscle. It throbbed from standing just those few extra minutes. Had to be the long drive. He was getting better every day. And every one of those days counted in a big way. He couldn’t afford to mess up.

  A split second of inattention in the saddle had landed him on the ground, his leg broken in two places. All because he’d caught a glimpse of a woman he’d thought was Kylie sitting in the stands.

  So much for his fast track to the finals in December. Oh, with his scores, he still had a good shot. But only if his leg healed soon.

  He doubted Kylie had been keeping up with rodeo news. She wouldn’t know he’d been winning big. Or that he’d gotten hurt. He didn’t care about any of that stuff, though. What he didn’t want was her thinking he needed tending. Dammit, it was long past time Kylie understood exactly what he wanted from her.

  Chapter Two

  Kylie took another peek at herself in the big round hand mirror sitting on the counter by the oven. She’d gotten ready at home but asked Kevin to pick her up at the bakery. If he’d thought it was weird he hadn’t let on. He seemed like a very nice man, or she wouldn’t have accepted his dinner invitation, but she still preferred meeting on neutral ground.

  The new haircut Sally had given her had transformed her boring blunt bob to a medium shag, the layers highlighted with subtle streaks of warm caramel and dark gold. She still couldn’t believe that was her hair. Or that the woman in the mirror was her. She hoped the makeup wasn’t too much.

  She still wasn’t sure about the dress. The low-cut neckline would’ve looked a lot better on someone bustier and the short length hitting her five inches above her knee stretched the boundaries of her comfort zone.

  No, she would never have chosen this dress for herself. But Rachel hadn’t let her get away with anything conservative. There was even another dress that she’d insisted was perfect for Kylie, which was absolutely in no way even close to perfect, and yet it now hung in Kylie’s closet.

  Rachel was something else. Kylie had never had a friend like her before. Come to think of it, she hadn’t had any close girlfriends. After she’d met Gary, it had been just the two of them, practically inseparable. Until he’d become obsessed with making a name for himself riding rodeo.

  He’d wanted the big prize money, the gold buckle and, apparently, the many women who had no trouble undoing that buckle.

  Someone knocked on the front door, despite the closed sign. Kylie checked the time. Too early for Kevin, who’d warned her he might be a bit late because of a work emergency. He not only managed the motel in town, but also two others in Kalispell, forty-five minutes away.

  Kylie shook her head as she unlocked the door for Rachel. “How did you know I’d be here?”

  “Oh, my God. Your hair looks fabulous.” Rachel gave her a head-to-toe inspection. “And the dress... What a great find. It couldn’t be more perfect. But honestly, those highlights and that flirty cut... Sally outdid herself. I really like it.”

  “Flirty? Really?”

  “Come on, don’t you love it?”

  “I do. I’ve wanted something different for a while now, but I should’ve waited.”

  “Why?”

  “I was hoping for something subtler. Kevin will think I got all glammed up for him.”

  “Oh, sweetie, he won’t be looking at your hair,” Rachel said, grinning at the V of the dress.

  “What?” Kylie tugged the neckline up.

  “Stop it.” Rachel swatted her hand away and made her own adjustment. “You should wear red more often. It suits you.”

  “Is the makeup too much? I’m a little out of practice.”

  “It looks great.” Rachel glanced around, then sniffed the air. “I swear pregnancy has thrown my senses out of whack. You didn’t burn anything, did you?”

  “This morning I was distracted and—Oh. It’s me, isn’t it?” Kylie frantically fanned the air. “I smell like burnt toast.”

  “Nope, it’s not you. It’s coming from the kitchen but it’ll probably be gone by the time you open tomorrow.”

  “That doesn’t help me tonight.”

  Rachel smiled. “It’s not that strong. I’m sorry I mentioned it.”

  “Do you mind if we step outside so I can air out
?” She paused on the way to the door. “Oh, and I have some chocolate cupcakes if you’re interested.”

  Moaning, Rachel pressed a hand to her stomach. “Not for me, thanks. I ate like a fiend yesterday and paid dearly for it. Anyway, I’ve got to run over to the market so I can finish dinner. I just stopped by to make sure you wore the dress.”

  Kylie grinned. Knowing Rachel, she wasn’t joking. “What would you have done if I hadn’t?”

  “That’s a silly question. Made you go home and change, of course.”

  A maroon truck slowed, then pulled to the curb just as they stepped onto the sidewalk. The tinted windows prevented her from seeing inside.

  “Is that Kevin?” Rachel asked.

  “He drives a Mustang.” Kylie left the door propped open. She hoped the driver was going to the Full Moon Saloon next door, and wasn’t thinking the bakery was open.

  “Well, I’ve got to scoot,” Rachel said, checking her watch and backing away. “You have a good time tonight. Don’t change a thing. Leave that neckline right where it is.” She took a couple steps back. “Wait. Fresh lip gloss. That’s all you need.”

  “Goodbye, Rachel,” Kylie said patiently, dying to tug the dress up an inch. “Better watch where you’re going.”

  Bumping into a parked SUV got Rachel to turn around with a startled laugh.

  Kylie smiled as she watched her friend hurry across the street. Rachel wouldn’t make it to the Food Mart without running into someone else to chat up. The woman knew everyone.

  She and Mallory had been godsends for Kylie. Moving to a strange town where she hadn’t known anyone but Aunt Sally had proved scarier than Kylie had imagined. Her new friends had made all the difference.

  “Kylie?”

  At the sound of the deep voice, she froze. Her heart lurched. Had to be her imagination. Resisting the urge to spin around, she turned slowly.

  Landon?

  Except it couldn’t be...

  Here in Blackfoot Falls? It just wasn’t possible...

  And yet she was staring at all six feet of him, leaning against the maroon truck, hat in hand, wearing his usual jeans and scuffed boots, his brown hair in need of a trim. Although it tended to look like that all the time, even after he’d gotten it cut.

  He gave her that boyish, lopsided smile that had always made her tingle and feel guilty at the same time. She couldn’t seem to make her mouth work.

  “I almost didn’t recognize you,” he said. “You look different. Great though. Just, you know...” He shrugged, his dark blue eyes taking in her dress and legs. “Different.”

  She blinked to make sure he was real. She almost demanded to see the stupid, heart-shaped tattoo he’d gotten the night he and Gary had both scored low at the Laredo rodeo and blew their shot at the national finals. Drunk and reckless, they’d crossed into Mexico, looking for trouble. Hadn’t taken them long to find it.

  Kylie remembered well because she’d driven five hundred miles to bail them out. “What are you doing here?”

  Landon gave his Stetson another twirl, then set it on his head and straightened away from the truck. “Is that it? Not even a hello?”

  “There must be a rodeo in the area,” she said, her brain scrambling to make sense of this—of Landon. Standing in front of her. How could he have gotten better looking in a year? And, whoa, that kind of thinking had to stop right now.

  “No rodeo.”

  Of course not. She would’ve known. Even though she’d shied away from any talk related to the sport, anything new coming to the area had people buzzing for weeks. She didn’t care how Gary was doing, whether good or bad. The knife of betrayal had cut too deep.

  A horrifying thought occurred to her. She tried hard to peer through the tinted windows. “Is Gary with you?”

  “Nope,” Landon said, studying her closely. “Just me.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “I came to see you.”

  “Me? Why?”

  “Look, Kylie,” he said, sighing. “We...didn’t exactly part on a good note, and that’s bothered me. But I did as you asked and left you alone, even though it’s not what I wanted.”

  Oh, God. The things she’d said to him her last night in Iowa. Any problems she’d had with Gary had nothing to do with Landon. At least not directly. If anything, her own guilt over having a thing for Landon had pushed her to blame him. The fuse had been lit the first day they’d met, and continued to spark, no matter how hard she fought it.

  Landon had just returned to rodeo after taking a year off due to a family emergency. If she hadn’t already been drawn to the way he smiled and those deep blue eyes, finding out he was a man who had his priorities straight would’ve sealed the deal for her.

  She’d never acted on the attraction, even though it had gotten too close for comfort. Despite everything, she’d been certain it was going to be her and Gary forever. Even during those last two rough years when Gary had changed.

  She’d done her best to treat Landon like everyone else. Even though he was nothing like the rest of Gary’s friends. He’d always complimented her cooking, never once forgot to thank her, and always insisted on helping her clean the kitchen.

  That small rented house had been open to Gary’s friends. A lot of the guys had come and gone as they pleased. But Landon Kincaid had been the only one who’d kept her up at night with guilt.

  “Kylie?”

  She blinked. “What?”

  Landon smiled. “We’re still friends, aren’t we?”

  “I don’t know.” She felt a little dizzy. “Are we?”

  “I wouldn’t be standing here if I thought otherwise.”

  “How did you know I was here?”

  “Your mom.”

  “My mom. Figures. Does Gary know?” she asked, holding her breath. All she needed was him showing up and causing a scene.

  Landon’s expression tightened. “If you’re still hung up on him, Kylie, you need to tell me right now.”

  “Are you serious? Do I look like a doormat?” She bristled, then gave in to curiosity. “Why would you even care?”

  His eyes narrowed, then flickered with amusement. “Oh, I don’t know,” he said quietly. “Maybe because we’re friends.”

  She knew—they both did—that it was more than that. But a year had come and gone, and he still thought about her? She’d never stopped thinking about him, either, but that was different. Wasn’t it?

  She couldn’t do a thing about the heat of embarrassment crawling up her neck and into her face. But she could stand her ground. “Friends or not,” she said, “you didn’t even give me the courtesy of a heads-up.”

  “True. I guess I was worried you’d—” Lifting a shoulder, he glanced away and dragged a hand down his unshaven jaw as he watched a truck cruise by. “Is that motel with the red roof the only one in town?”

  “There’s a small inn at the other end of Main Street.” Kylie’s heart fluttered. “How long are you staying?”

  “A week, maybe two.” He stared back, watching her closely enough it made her edgy. “If that’s all right with you.”

  Jeez, it was hard to keep her expression neutral. To shove aside the curiosity, excitement and fear churning in her stomach. Normally she wasn’t one to compare people, but the difference between her ex and Landon was glaringly obvious.

  Gary had been strictly a rodeo junkie, but Landon was the real thing. The epitome of the strong silent cowboy depicted by Hollywood. Not only was he a born rancher, he was unfailingly polite and he always managed to hold on to his temper no matter how angry or disappointed he was. In fact, Landon seldom gave away his thoughts. He could be so stoic at times, unless he was trying to make a point.

  But he also didn’t make promises to women that he had no intention of keeping. Or at least tha
t’s what she wanted to believe.

  She shouldn’t have been angry with him. He hadn’t encouraged Gary to start drinking and cheating. But he hadn’t told Kylie about Gary two-timing her, either. And that hurt. Everyone following the tour must’ve known. Sure, he’d toed the line when she’d joined him at the nearby rodeos, but when she hadn’t been in the stands, he’d indulged to his heart’s content. All while she was back in Iowa being the good girl, keeping the home fires burning and waiting for her man.

  Her useless, lying, cheating man.

  Well, to hell with being the good girl. She wouldn’t touch her neckline. It could plunge to her navel for all she cared.

  “Last I spoke with Gary, he didn’t know where you were,” Landon said, breaking into her thoughts. “Is he still calling?”

  Surprised that he wouldn’t know what was going on with his best buddy, Kylie wasn’t quick to reply. “He slowed down six months ago. I still get the occasional call but I haven’t spoken to him. The times he left messages he sounded drunk.”

  Landon gave a slow, troubled nod. His gaze wandered down the front of her dress to her high heels—only three inches, but high for her. He lingered on her red-painted toenails, a ghost of a smile tugging at his mouth. “Did I tell you how nice you look?”

  “Yes,” she said. Great. Here her blush had just begun to settle. “Thank you.”

  “I don’t recall ever seeing you in anything but T-shirts and jeans.”

  “They’re comfortable and practical.” She gestured to the bakery. “No point in dressing fancy. I’m always spilling something.”

  Landon chuckled. “I remember,” he said, and looked into the bakery window and then at the sign. “You always said you’d open a bakery someday. And you did it. Good for you, Kylie. I’m proud of you.”

  Sincerity darkened his eyes and stirred something in her chest. “Save the sentiment until I start making a profit. I’m in debt up to my eyeballs.”

  “You can’t have been open long. Wait till word spreads. You’ll have people coming from miles away for your apple turnovers and chocolate dream cake.”

  “Oh, word is going to spread all right,” she muttered when a truck nearly rear-ended a white compact because the driver was too busy gawking at her and Landon. It wasn’t the first curious stare either.