Wild About the Wrangler

by Vicki Lewis Thompson

  He tucked the phone away and glanced at her. “Everything okay? Any issues so far?”

  “Nope. Doing fine.” Except at this moment she had a fierce urge to lean over and kiss him. She wouldn’t have to worry about falling because he’d hang on to her. But kissing wasn’t part of the program.

  “Then we’ll keep going, but if you start getting tired, let me know right away.”

  “I will.” But she’d have to be bordering on exhaustion before she’d say a word, because ultimately she wanted to get to the creek this morning. She didn’t plan to tell him that. No doubt he’d put up an argument.

  But she’d listened to Georgie describe the Ghost’s habits, and if they made it to the creek within the next hour or so, the stallion might be there with his herd. Early morning and late afternoon were prime times for spotting the wild horses in that area. No reason to put off until Monday what could be accomplished now.

  The walls of what was now called Wild Horse Canyon loomed ahead and her pulse rate picked up. Unless the Ghost had taken his band into another area, unlikely without some threat, they’d be at the creek right about now. The grass wasn’t abundant in the meadow this time of year, according to Georgie, but enough still grew along the creek to keep them coming back.

  Anastasia wanted to see the Ghost so much she could taste it. Now that Mac had taught her to look at things from the horse’s point of view, she understood that the stallion would be more afraid of her than she could ever be of him. If he had a choice, he’d run away.

  She wanted to get a really good look at him before he did that. Georgie had told her about quietly sitting on a rock near the stream when the Ghost just showed up. Georgie hadn’t moved a muscle while the horse had taken a long drink. And then he was gone.

  An encounter like that would thrill Anastasia’s artistic soul, but she didn’t want to be greedy. Even a brief glimpse of the stallion would be special. If that didn’t happen, she had a backup plan.

  She could ride now. Georgie had already mentioned loaning her Prince, her old nemesis, so they could ride together. She and Georgie could ride into the canyon together, and Georgie was a whiz at anticipating the stallion’s habits. She had a connection with the Ghost.

  Anastasia did, too, but it was through all the sketches she’d done. Her connection was one step removed from reality. She was determined to change that this morning.

  In the meantime, she didn’t want to focus so intently on seeing the Ghost that she ignored the wonders of the canyon at sunrise. Besides her terror of horses, she’d also been imprisoned by her habit of staying up late and sleeping even later the next morning.

  And oh, what she’d missed. The chatter and chirping of what sounded like a million birds echoed off the canyon walls. Sunlight gilded the rim of the canyon before sliding slowly down its sculptured cliffs. The shadowed patterns it created as it descended mesmerized her. When she could tear her gaze from that light show, she saw bunnies with flirty white tails and amazing ears charting a zigzag course as they bounded away through the tall grass.

  “There’s a grove of oak trees up ahead where we can stop for breakfast,” Mac called over his shoulder. “Then we can head back.”

  “Breakfast sounds good.” But she had no intention of heading back so soon. “How far into the canyon are we?”

  “About halfway.”

  “Good to know.” Her exercises were paying off. She might be a little sore if they made the full circuit, but that’s what sports creams were for. She didn’t have any, but Georgie did and would be happy to loan her a tube. She’d be ready to go again first thing in the morning.

  The oak grove Mac had mentioned was a natural picnic spot, a clearing circled by trees sporting fall colors and several large rocks in the middle that provided makeshift seating. He guided Cinder off the path, quickly dismounted, and let the reins drop to the ground.

  She watched that with interest. “Don’t you have to tie him to something?’

  “Not anymore. He used to be a flight risk, but now I can ground tie him.”

  “He’ll just stay there even if he’s not anchored to anything?”

  “He will. You can do the same with Jasper. It’s quick and easy when you’re on a trail ride, so Travis, Vince, and I have trained all the horses to ground tie. It simplifies our life during the day. At night, though, we still tie them the old-fashioned way. We can’t afford to let one of Wild Horse Canyon Adventures’ horses wander off into the canyon.”

  “And become part of the Ghost’s herd.”

  “Could happen.” He walked toward her. “Ready to get down and have some breakfast catered by yours truly?”

  “I am.” She took her right foot out of the stirrup, swung her leg over, and dropped to the ground as she normally did. Except her right foot didn’t support her as well as she’d expected and she stumbled.

  He grabbed her arm to steady her, but once she had both feet planted, he let go and backed away. “All right, now?”

  “Yeah, thanks. I don’t know why that happened. My right ankle just sort of collapsed on me.”

  “You’ve been in an unfamiliar position for a while. It’s common for first-time trail riders to be a little wobbly when they dismount.”

  She remembered how he’d casually walked in her direction and invited her to get down. “So that’s why you came over, just in case?”

  “Yep.”

  “Thank you. I probably would have landed on my butt if you hadn’t been there.” She was disappointed in herself, too. She was shaky from riding what couldn’t have been much more than a half hour.

  “Have a seat on a rock and I’ll serve you breakfast.”

  She took his advice instead of trying to help organize the meal. Here she’d thought he’d grossly underestimated her tolerance for a long ride. Maybe not.

  “Do you want me to bring your sketchbook over?”

  “Not just yet, thanks.” Sinking down onto the cool rock, she stretched her legs out in front of her. She was far from exhausted, but that stumble getting off had been sort of embarrassing.

  What if she talked Mac into going all the way into the canyon and then was even shakier? She wouldn’t have the option of resting overnight like the trail riders did. When Charmaine had made the trip, she’d had hours to recover before starting back.

  Plus Charmaine worked out at a gym every day in order to maintain her size two figure. And her job as a personal shopper had her on the go constantly.

  Anastasia, on the other hand, worked sitting down, except for those few times she stood when using an easel. Even then she sometimes sat. Dancing at Sadie’s the other night had left her breathing hard.

  All things considered, maybe she should follow Mac’s plan instead of trying to expand on it. She’d tried to stay relaxed during the ride, but she grudgingly admitted to being a little tense. Maybe her body still held some residual fear, a problem Charmaine hadn’t had to deal with.

  “I thought you’d want this first.” Mac walked over with a deep blue pottery mug and handed it to her.

  She accepted the coffee gratefully. “Perfect.” She also recognized the mug. Inez Abbott, the mayor’s wife, was an excellent potter and this looked like her work. “I’ll bet Inez made this.”

  “She did.” He poured coffee from a thermos into a second mug that was similar, although Inez never made two exactly alike. “I bought six at the craft shop this summer.”

  The mug’s rounded contours fit smoothly into her cupped hands as she lifted it for her first sip. Closing her eyes, she sighed in appreciation. “You sure know how to take care of a girl, Mac.”

  “It’s easy when the girl is you.”

  She looked up to find him watching her, his expression tender. Her heart beat faster. “The way I see it, I’ve been a royal pain in the ass.”

  “Sometimes.” His smile was as warm as the light in his
eyes. “But you make up for it in other ways.”

  “Good to know.” She wasn’t sure what to think about how he was looking at her. It wasn’t the gaze of somebody who’d decided to keep her at arm’s length. It was more along the lines of I want to kiss you all over.

  She’d just about decided he was going to close the distance between them and start doing that when he glanced away and cleared his throat. “Let me get the food.”

  “Okay.” She stared after him in confusion. What the heck?

  “Sure you don’t want your sketchbook?” he called over his shoulder.

  “No, I’d rather sit here and relax.”

  He returned with two wrapped sandwiches and handed her one. “You got room on that rock?”

  “Sure.” She scooted over and he sat next to her with only a couple of inches between his hip and hers. There was another flat rock a few feet away and he could have taken that, but he hadn’t. Instead he was right there, within kissing range.

  “You’ve done great so far today.” He unwrapped his sandwich. “And I figure you’re hoping to talk me into taking you all the way to the creek, but that would be a mistake.”

  “Believe it or not, I agree with you.” She took out half of her sandwich, which looked like a P B and J, but the bread smelled more heavenly than any she usually ate.

  “You do? I thought for sure you’d want to go on.”

  “That was my plan, but I’ve reconsidered.” She bit into the sandwich and the flavors were so wonderful she moaned.

  He gave her a startled glance. “Something wrong?”

  She shook her head as she chewed and swallowed. “What’s in this sandwich? It’s fabulous!”

  “I went over to Sadie’s to see Henry yesterday. He gave me the ingredients and I put the sandwiches together this morning. He’s started baking his own bread, and he had some gourmet almond butter he picked up in Amarillo and a jar of homemade peach preserves from somewhere, maybe from one of the ladies in town.”

  “You got Henry’s help on the sandwiches for this trail ride?”

  He shrugged. “Henry’s the foodie around here, so when I told him I wanted something special, he came up with this.”

  “And when did you talk to Henry? I was at Sadie’s by about eleven thirty yesterday morning and I didn’t see you all day.”

  “I went over earlier because I wanted to surprise you with something special. P B and J is still the best thing if you don’t want to cook on the trail, so this is essentially a fancy P B and J.”

  “I love it. It’s amazing.” She took another generous bite and thought about the significance of the coffee in beautiful mugs and a sandwich that had required Henry’s assistance.

  The care Mac had taken with breakfast, combined with the way he’d looked at her a moment ago made her wonder if he’d reevaluated his position on certain things. And here he was sitting right next to her, as if he preferred to be close.

  “How come you’re giving up on riding out to the creek today?” He picked up his mug from the spot on the ground where he’d left it. “I thought for sure you’d push for that.”

  “I might have except for that part where I almost fell getting off. I thought for sure I could ride out and back because Charmaine did it.”

  “Yeah, but she rode out one day and back the next. That’s not the same as a round-trip in one morning.”

  “Exactly. Plus she’s not afraid of horses. Mentally, I’m not anymore, but I’m not sure my muscles got the word and they’re still kind of tight.”

  He nodded. “Not surprising. The more you ride, the looser you’ll get, but it takes time to learn to relax, especially if you were afraid.”

  “I understand that better after this morning. Oh, and another thing that’s different about Charmaine and me that I didn’t take into account—she works out every day. Except for those exercises I’ve been doing, I’m basically a couch potato.”

  He glanced at her. “You don’t look like one.”

  “Appearances are deceiving. Charmaine has a hard body. I don’t.”

  “I know you don’t.” He sipped his coffee and stared straight ahead. Then abruptly he stood. “Take your time finishing your sandwich. I’ll go check the horses.”

  “What do you need to check?”

  “Their feet. They might have picked up a rock.”

  It could be true. On the other hand he could be making an excuse to move away from her before he grabbed her and started in on those kisses she was certain he’d been thinking about earlier.

  One thing she knew for sure. He still wanted her. But he seemed to be having trouble deciding what to do about that. She had suggestions, but she’d keep them to herself. This time it was his call.

  CHAPTER 19

  Planning the special breakfast had been the beginning of Mac’s mental shift. He’d had fun getting Henry to help him come up with something similar but different to what he might ordinarily have served. Then as he’d ridden the trail trimming stray tree branches, he’d thought about the invitation to dinner he’d never issued.

  That night, sitting alone on his porch drinking a beer, he’d wondered why the hell he was rejecting the chance to spend quality time with Anastasia. He wasn’t her knight in shining armor, and she wouldn’t stick around and play house with him. So what? They could have fun together for as long as it lasted.

  But he’d have to go into the situation knowing that he couldn’t end it. Ever since Sophie, he’d made sure he was the first one out the door. He’d promised Vince he wouldn’t break Anastasia’s heart, though, so this time he had to let her walk away when it was over.

  Last night as he’d polished off his second beer, he’d decided he was okay with that. Given the choice between never making love to her and being the one left holding the bag, he’d take Option B. No woman up to this point had inspired him to take that kind of hit, but she did.

  Once he was clear on all of that, he’d thought about what should come next. He’d concluded that her first trail ride wasn’t the time to say or do anything different. Yet she could tell his attitude had changed. He could see it in her eyes.

  She was confused, as well she should be after the way he’d carried on about not trusting himself to get involved. He’d been hung up on not being good enough for her. Simple answer—he wasn’t. Consequently he’d just be himself, knowing that eventually she’d move on.

  In the meantime, though, he’d have the extreme privilege of making love to her. He didn’t doubt for a minute that she’d let him. He’d been the one holding up the program. And yet . . . when should he broadcast his intentions?

  He debated that as they headed back up the trail. He’d put her in front because she’d been over this part once and leading was a confidence builder. Besides that, he loved watching her ride Jasper. She might not be totally comfortable yet, but she’d get there.

  Although he’d claim some credit for the transformation in her since Monday, so much of it was her doing. When she’d first asked for his help, she’d had no idea that he’d ask her to change her sleep patterns. She probably hadn’t expected that he’d require all the grooming, saddling and bridling chores, either.

  But she’d accepted the challenge and now she and Jasper were buddies. A different horse might make her nervous, but eventually she’d be fine with that, too. Tomorrow they’d take a slightly longer ride, and Sunday a longer one, yet. By Monday she’d be relaxed enough to manage the ride out and back.

  Then he had another thought. If this weekend turned out the way he hoped, they could change Monday’s plan. Instead of leaving first thing in the morning, they could ride out when she finished at Sadie’s and spend the night in the box canyon.

  Doing that would announce to several people that they were more than friends, but he didn’t think it would come as a shock. Georgie and Vince were already somewhat prepared for it to ha
ppen.

  When they were within ten minutes of the stable, she put up her hand like a scout in an old Western movie as she pulled Jasper to a halt. He allowed himself a smile because she couldn’t see him. “What’s up?”

  “Coyotes,” she murmured. “Jasper heard them. I was watching his ears.”

  “That’s smart of you. He would hear them. They’re predators.” He saw one member of the pack dash across the trail. Movement in the bushes indicated the presence of more.

  “Wow, that first one was beautiful. Is a pack any sort of threat to the horses?”

  “Not to a couple of strong geldings like these, especially when we’re riding them. An older horse or a foal might be at risk. But Jasper and Cinder can take care of themselves.”

  Jasper danced nervously as another coyote trotted across about ten yards in front of them. “I can tell my horse is not a fan.”

  “I wouldn’t expect him to be.” He loved that she’d referred to Jasper as my horse. Maybe someday he would be. “But he’s trained not to react, so you don’t have to worry.”

  “I was only worried for him. Coyotes don’t scare me. This reminds me I want to sketch one.”

  “Oh, right.” He pulled out his phone. “I forgot I’m the official photographer.”

  “Tomorrow I’ll probably be confident enough to take pictures. Plus I really like the view from up here. You can see so much more.”

  “Yeah, you can.” All he cared to see was Anastasia perched in the saddle and looking quite pleased with herself. She was concentrating so intently on the trail and the bushes beside it that she might not be aware that she was smiling. But a little indentation in her smooth cheek and the tilt at the corner of her mouth told him she was.

  She’d left her hair down today—no braids to make him think of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. And God, how he loved the hat she’d borrowed from Vivian. She’d been born to wear a hat like that.