Learning the Ropes

by T. J. Kline

  “I do now.”

  From the corner of her eye, she saw Chris roll his eyes dramatically and wondered at his reaction.

  “Well, I’m starving,” Melissa announced, heading for the picnic table chained to a nearby tree. “I didn’t even think anyone came down here anymore.”

  Chris eyed the lined trash can. “Looks like the park rangers are still taking care of it for now.” He pulled out two buckets of chicken and a thermos of tea, handing each of them a plastic cup.

  His fingers brushed against Alicia’s as she took the cup and he looked up, meeting her eyes for the first time. She could see yearning there as he clenched his jaw tightly, pulling his hand back quickly. Her heart skipped, making it hard to catch her breath.

  “Thank you,” she whispered, barely able to tear her gaze from his.

  “No problem,” he replied, his voice tight, and she wondered what she’d done.

  Chris completely ignored her during lunch, barely saying anything unless he was making polite conversation. He acted like they’d only just met instead of knowing each other for almost ten years. She tried to avoid watching him with Melissa while they ate. Or when she ran her fingers around his bicep, tracing the tribal band tattoo, or when she snatched the last strawberry from his hand, instigating him to chase her down to the water. Ali rolled her eyes and sighed.

  “They’re sort of ridiculous, aren’t they?” David murmured, leaning toward her from their position lying on a blanket spread over the sparse grass and wildflowers along the bank of the river.

  She rolled from her back onto her side, not even pretending she didn’t know who he meant. “You’d think they were sixteen instead of twenty-four.”

  David laughed and reached for her hand, playing with her fingers before twining his fingers between hers. “I’m sorry about last weekend.”

  She met his serious gaze. “You know, I keep hearing that from you, David. I’m beginning to think you only want a friend.” She met his gaze. “I’m okay with that.”

  His lips twisted to the side and she could tell he was thinking about her statement. “I don’t know.” He looked back at Chris and Melissa splashing each other at the edge of the water. “I don’t want that.” He jerked his chin at the pair. “I like you, Ali, I really do, but there are just a lot of things vying for my attention right now. I’m not sure how much I have left over to offer.”

  She appreciated his honesty. Respected that he would tell her the truth. “The Finals.”

  “Yeah,” he nodded. “And a few other things,” he added cryptically.

  She turned toward him. “Your dad?” He looked at her intently. “I heard some of what he said at the rodeo.”

  David sighed. “You have to understand, my dad has this idea in his head about every accomplishment he expects me to achieve and a timeline for it. Nothing else is even a priority in his eyes.”

  He brushed his finger over her cheek and her stomach did a little flip at the tenderness of his touch. Maybe she could feel more than friendship for David with time. At least he wasn’t toying with her heart.

  “I’m sorry if what he said hurt you.”

  “What is it you want, David? Don’t you want a say in your own life?”

  He looked sad, as if her words had woken a buried need within him. He lay back on the blanket and looked up at the sky. “You’d think so but sometimes loyalty makes the decision for you.”

  She realized they were a lot alike. He wanted to please his father; she was trying to achieve her father’s dream for him. It wasn’t so different. “It might surprise you to know I understand exactly what you mean.”

  David turned toward her and braced himself on an elbow, just staring down at her. She tried to read his thoughts. He was such an enigma with his quiet determination but below the surface, she could see a desire for more. He curved his hand around her cheek, his thumb brushing over the hollow, and leaned forward, meeting her lips with a soft brush of his. There was a sweetness to his kiss that touched her, reaching to the part of her that was tired of being rejected, the part that was never quite good enough to be the first and only. When his tongue swept against hers, she met it with an eagerness she hadn’t expected. It wasn’t the desire she felt with Chris, the physical longing he could stir in her, but it was sweet and innocent. She wasn’t sure whether it was the knowledge that David understood her need for more in life or knowing he saw her as worthy of his attention, unlike Chris.

  “Eh-hem,” Chris cleared his throat. “I hate to break up this lovely moment but I thought we were going to go swimming.”

  David broke their kiss and shook his head. “You see what I mean? It’s like babysitting a two-year-old.” He smiled against her lips before turning to squint up at Chris, who took a moment to shake water on them. “If you don’t mind. Why don’t you go have fun your way, and let us have ours?”

  “Come on, you guys,” Melissa called from the water. “It’s not cold.”

  Alicia turned to David and smiled. “I don’t think either of them is going to let us get out of here without going in.”

  David sighed and sat up to pull off his boots. Alicia couldn’t help but watch appreciatively as he pulled the collar of his t-shirt over his head before standing to remove his pants. He was taut and lean, with muscles chiseled from his shoulders to his calves from hard work and riding. She was surprised at how muscular he was, with ridges of muscle covering his back and chest, tapering to a narrow waist. She stood, forcing herself to ignore Chris as he headed back toward the water, and kicked off her sandals on the blanket. Alicia slid her cut-off denim shorts down her legs and pulled her t-shirt over her head, feeling a little exposed in her red and black bikini.

  David’s arm snaked out and wound around her waist, pulling her against him. He pressed a quick kiss against her surprised mouth. “You’re making me rethink some of those decisions.”

  Before she could answer, he grasped her hand and dragged her down to the water with him, making her wonder if there wasn’t far more to David Greenly than what she’d seen so far.

  Chapter Ten

  * * *

  “YOU’RE BRINGING ALI this weekend, right? Sydney will kill me if she’s not there.”

  David unbuckled the cinch of his saddle before looking at Chris over his shoulder. “I was planning on it, why?”

  Chris shrugged and pulled the saddle from his gelding’s back. “Just wondering.”

  David knew better than to believe his overly simple explanation. “Are you bringing Melissa?”

  Chris scrunched his face and shook his head. “No. That was just a one-time thing.” He walked past David and dropped the saddle on one of the racks in the tack room. “She’s nice but a little too clingy for my taste.”

  “Why? Did she ask for a second date? Expect you to hold her hand?” David shook his head. “Just what is your taste, Chris?”

  “Self-sufficient and sexy.”

  “Good luck finding both in one package.” He wasn’t about to mention Chris had ignored both in Ali, even though Chris had practically ignored her at the river.

  “And now you understand why the search continues.” Chris commented, with a self-deprecating laugh. “And you’re one to talk. I practically had to force you to date Ali.”

  “You didn’t have to force me. I just have a lot of other responsibilities that I prioritized above dating.” He pulled the saddle off and stood it, upended, on the ground.

  “Please,” Chris teased. “Face it, you were too shy to ask anyone out and you needed a little help. There’s no shame in that, man.” He leaned over his horse’s sweaty back. “Even the best of us needs a wingman from time to time.”

  “As usual, you have no clue what you’re talking about.” David hadn’t meant for his voice to come out as harsh as it did but he’d been putting off telling Chris about his father’s request and it was beginning to weigh on him. It wasn’t going to go over well when he told Chris they weren’t going to be able to fund the school after all. He j
ust wasn’t sure how to bring it up.

  “I was only kidding, David.” Chris dropped the brushes into the grooming bucket and walked to the front of David’s horse, eyeing him. “What’s going on? You’re not telling me something.”

  David wondered how to begin confessing his dad’s downfall to his best friend. They’d been planning this rodeo school for almost four years. Now that he had to try to bail his dad out, if he could even come up with the rest of the money, their dream was going to fall to the wayside. It was one or the other—the rodeo school or the ranch for his dad.

  “If I can’t come up with the money to save the ranch from the bank, they’re going to foreclose on Dad and sell the place.” David turned to face his friend. “It means everything I’ve saved for the school has to go toward saving the ranch.”

  Chris sighed and David could see the disappointment in his eyes. They’d both been looking forward to winning the Finals this year and starting their rodeo school next year, on the heels of their big win, banking on the windfall of marketing it would provide. Now, seeing that dream crumbling at his father’s hands, he felt like a loser.

  “That explains last weekend.”

  “You mean the fact that I choked.” David narrowed his eyes at Chris, ready to remind him of his own miss the weekend before.

  “You didn’t ‘choke,’ you had a lot on your mind.” Chris slapped his hand against David’s shoulder good-naturedly. “Contrary to what you might think, David, you are not perfect.”

  “Says you.” He grinned, grateful for Chris’s understanding and his ability to lessen the tension in what could have been a difficult conversation.

  “We’ll figure something out. I’m not going to give up on anything that easily.”

  David shook his head. “Okay, but clue me in when you get it all figured out because I’m at a loss.”

  “If I can find someone to put up with your moping and complaining and still date your mug, I can figure a way out of this, too.” Chris grabbed David’s saddle and headed for his truck near the back gate. “Trust me, getting a woman to date you was a much more difficult prospect.” Chris ducked as the curry comb flew past his shoulder and into the pasture outside the barn. “That explains so much! Your aim is off. No wonder you missed that throw last weekend,” he teased, ducking behind the barn when the brush followed the curry comb and bounced off the side of the door.

  CHRIS WATCHED AS David opened the truck door for Ali, taking the fruit salad from her hands. She looked sweet and feminine with her floral sundress and cowboy boots. She’d left her hair loose, hanging down her bare back, and her skin showed a pretty olive glow from the time she spent in the sun at the rodeos. He felt his body betray him, reacting to the mere sight of her, and turned away from the window, hating the desire coursing through him.

  Damn it! What he needed was to find a woman who could help him forget the sweet scent of her hair and the taste of her lips. He should have brought a date but he hadn’t wanted his mother to get the wrong idea.

  Chris headed out to the backyard, intent on helping his father start the hamburgers on the grill. Anything that might distract him. Instead, he found his dad dancing to the country music playing from the speakers of the radio he’d recently installed.

  “Dad, you need any—” He stopped short seeing his dad’s ample rear swaying to the music. “Please don’t do that in front of company.”

  Bill Thomas chuckled. “What? You could probably learn a move or two from your old man.”

  “Those moves should never see the light of day again,” he teased.

  “Chris, you leave your father alone. His moves are just fine.” Chris looked over his shoulder as his mother came through the back door, followed by Alicia and David.

  A commotion sounded as the dogs bolted for the front yard and he heard the scrape of the gate over the gravel driveway. “Sounds like Sydney’s here.”

  A few moments later, his sister Sydney, her husband Scott, and their daughter Kassie came out to join the fun. “We finally made it,” she announced wearily. “Ali!”

  Scott and Chris rolled their eyes as the two women rushed to hug each other, talking in gibberish, gushing over hair, outfits, and figures. Scott made his way over to David and Chris as Bill passed him a cold beer.

  “Are they always like this?” David asked.

  “Yes,” Scott warned, “and it never gets any quieter.”

  “I heard that,” Sydney commented, arching a brow. “If you keep that up, I won’t let you tell them the good news.”

  “What good news?” Julia Thomas looked at her daughter expectantly as Scott made his way to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

  “That you’re going to be a grandma again,” he proclaimed. The women yelped in delight and began hugging each other again. Scott winked at his wife. “Ha, told her anyway.”

  Chris clapped his brother-in-law on the shoulder as he returned to their small gathering by the grill. “Congratulations, again. So, think you’ll give me a nephew this time?”

  “I hope not!” Scott looked mortified. “I know what cowboys are like. I’d rather be able to chase them off. It’d be almost impossible to break the cowboy mentality we’re raised with.”

  “Cowboy up,” Chris cheered, holding up his bottle in a mock toast.

  “Here, here!” David answered, clinking the top of his bottle to Chris’s.

  Scott and Bill laughed. “Have fun now boys, because that mentality will be out the window as soon as you get married,” Chris’s father assured them before leaving to get a platter for the burgers.

  “Really?” David asked, glancing toward Ali.

  “Don’t worry,” Scott laughed, placing a hand on the younger man’s shoulder. “There are plenty of other benefits that more than make up for it.”

  Chris tipped his bottle at Scott. “You are saying that only because my sister is looking this way.”

  Sydney came over and planted a kiss on her husband’s cheek. “Damn right,” he answered. “You’ve seen her mad. Why would I ever do that on purpose?”

  “We’re riding today, right?” Sydney asked.

  “You’re not roping,” Scott insisted, curling his arm around her waist as Chris scooped up his niece and she pressed a kiss to his cheek.

  “Rope, Daddy!” Kassie spun in Chris’s arms and reached for her father. “Peas?” Scott laughed and took his daughter into his arms as she squished his cheeks together before planting a kiss on his lips. “Peas, Daddy?”

  Everyone laughed at her antics and Chris knew the little girl would get her way yet again, or, at least, her version of it. “Fine, you can ride Mocha if your mother says it’s okay.”

  “Come on, little girl, let’s go see if Ali and Grandma need any help in the kitchen.” Sydney grasped Kassie’s hand and led her inside.

  Chris watched his sister and smiled, seeing the look of pleasure that radiated between her and Scott. Not so long ago, he’d almost gotten into a fight with his brother-in-law to protect her honor, and now they were both blissfully happy with a second baby on the way.

  “You know, your mom keeps bugging your sister to find you a nice girl to settle down with.” Scott gave Chris a sympathetic smile.

  “I know,” he groaned. Images of Ali floated through his mind and he quickly pushed them aside. “She’s going to have to settle for you and Syd having the babies because I have no intentions of becoming a boring old man any time soon.”

  Scott took a long draw from his beer and nudged David with his shoulder. “A lifetime bachelor . . . that’s what I thought, too. Look at me now. And, trust me, married life is far from boring.”

  “I don’t know,” David interrupted. “I think I have a better chance of getting married and having kids than he does.”

  “I just don’t see the draw in marriage.”

  The words sounded hollow and sad. As soon as they were out of his mouth, Chris knew he was lying. Watching his parents and his sister and Scott, he could definitely see the happine
ss that radiated from both couples. He was growing weary of being a lone wolf, of never having the easy companionship he saw with his parents. He wanted to find someone who understood him and complemented him, who he could fulfill in return. But, so far, there wasn’t anyone who he could tolerate for more than a few dates before he’d had enough. Chris suddenly realized it wasn’t marriage he was afraid of, but rather monotony.

  Scott laughed. “When the right woman comes along, you’ll understand the draw.”

  Chris looked up as Ali carried out an enormous bowl of potato salad and smiled at him. His eyes locked on hers and he couldn’t look away. She was so damn gorgeous with her dark eyes sparkling with excitement. How could something as simple as a barbecue with his family make her face light up with joy? She set the bowl down on the table and made her way to their small group, laying one hand on David’s shoulder and another on Chris’s. His flesh burned under the soft cotton material where she touched him. He shoved the hand not holding his beer into his pocket to avoid reaching for her as he inhaled the sweet, fruity scent of her hair. His jaw clenched with the effort.

  “Dinner is ready if you guys want to take a seat.”

  “Thanks, Ali.” Scott said, giving Chris a quizzical look as Ali headed back into the house. “Maybe you do understand the draw but you don’t want to admit it.”

  David looked from Scott to Chris and frowned.

  Damn it, the last thing he needed right now was David thinking he saw Ali as marriage material. Of course she was; he’d known that for years. It was part of the reason he’d avoided her. She was a temptation he couldn’t trust himself to turn down. The solution was to drown the need with a variety of women who wanted nothing more than a few dances and a couple stolen kisses. They took the edge off and made him feel less lonely, even if it was only for a night, even if the relief didn’t last and the feelings weren’t real. But now he was beginning to wonder if it had ever been enough.

  Chris finished off the beer in his hand and tossed the bottle into the garbage bin. “Marriage is for suckers, like you,” he said, nudging Scott. “Who wants another beer?”