The Hot Cowboy (Western Romance Love Story)

by Alexa Davis

  The ride was just what I needed to center myself and get focused on work, and the hours flew by. Before I knew it, my mother was popping in with a sandwich and a glass of sweet tea for lunch. I looked at the ever-decreasing mountain of paperwork and receipts my father had left me to organize when he handed over financial responsibility of the ranch. Between Jackson and I, we’d actually been able to make some sense of his unique organizational methods and after hours and hours of moving documents to the computer, I could actually see people when they stood in the doorway.

  That fact did nothing to prevent me from looking up and jumping nearly out of my skin when Rachel was standing there. Her eyes widened and she bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud at my discomfiture.

  “Oh, your face,” she gasped when she could finally speak at all. “I am so sorry, really,” she added when I cocked and eyebrow at her. “I was all finished and asked your mother if I could help before I go get ready for the party. She said the only thing she could think of was to collect your dirty dishes and remind you to lock the office behind you tonight, just in case someone got ‘lost’ from the party.” She made quote signs with her fingers when she said “lost.” I laughed and nodded at her. Someone always did seem to find their way away from the party, and it was inevitably the curious “plus one” of a friend.

  I stood and stretched, gathering up the dishes that had started to pile up on the windowsill next to the desk. My back was sore and my legs felt tight, and when I looked at my watch, I realized that it was a lot later in the afternoon than I’d thought. Rachel let me stack some of the dishes on her arms, and I kept the rest. I dutifully locked the office up and followed her cute, swaying walk to the kitchen, where the caterer was already running roughshod over her servers and sous chefs.

  Rachel made a face at the caterer behind her back and winked at me. I walked her to her quarters and offered to help her with her shower, but she shooed me away, telling me she wanted how she looked to be a surprise.

  “Believe it or not, I actually know how to girl,” she teased. “You might not recognize me, all dressed up.” She smiled and I leaned in for a chaste kiss before I let her walk in alone. I sauntered back to my own place, showered, and dressed quickly. With the time I had left before I was expected to make an appearance at the big house, I wandered over to the stables. That morning, Texas Tango had arrived. He was every bit as beautiful as Rachel had described and remarkably friendly for such a spirited horse. Rachel had laughed when I told her what I thought.

  “Oh yeah,” she’d agreed. “He doesn’t mind the lead at all. But, just you wait until you’re not headed the same direction he is, or you have the audacity to try to ride him.” She had smiled and stroked the big horse’s nose affectionately. “Just know that you will be on your ass in front of him at some point, so there’s no use in letting it embarrass you when it happens.” She’d kissed his soft nose and walked away, leaving me to contemplate the liquid, brown eyes of our four-legged guest.

  His owner had been less exciting for me, but the aging soap opera actress had been the object of much gushing from my mother and Patty. When I asked him, my father had just shrugged.

  “She was beautiful, in her heyday,” he’d offered. “But it was never the kind of beauty that I figured would translate off-screen.” My parents had put her up in one of the suites in the big house, according to preferences my mother had gleaned from Rachel. I thought Miss Vale was the opposite in personality of what I’d expect from an actress. She was down-to earth and unaffected.

  “Of course she is,” Rachel had agreed. “She’s a horsewoman first, actress second.”

  I’d had to chuckle at her assessment. She was right, though. In Texas, there were ranch-women and glamour-women. Wasn’t often you saw both or even saw them together as friends. It was like watching two separate species that sometimes circled the same watering holes.

  My phone buzzed with a text from my parents. It was time to be the host of the shindig, and I heaved a sigh of self-pity even as the text on the screen reminded me that I was the one who had wanted the party in the first place. I dragged my cowboy boots all the way to the huge, back veranda, where the homey scene of the night before had been replaced with strings of lights, topiaries, and mountains of food on the wide terrace, with two wet bars set up near the garden and a band already warming up on the small stage we’d built at my mother’s behest.

  I greeted my father with a handshake and let him introduce me to some of the business contacts I hadn’t met yet, all the while, keeping an eye out for a certain, petite Latina who’d promised me a dance.

  Chapter Eleven

  Rachel

  I showered quickly, but took my time getting ready. Freddie had texted me that she and Tracy were on their way, but I still had a little while before they arrived. I blew out my hair and attempted to make it presentable, but finally settled for leaving it down to curl behind my shoulders. I gave a spin in front of the mirror and relished the way the dress moved with me, lifting prettily when I turned and flattering my small waist while accentuating my hips.

  I applied dramatic makeup, but when I looked in the mirror, I felt like a little girl who’d gotten into her mother’s toiletries. I washed my face and started again, opting for a more natural look that wouldn’t make me so self-conscious in front of strangers.

  All in all, when I looked in the full-length mirror one last time before leaving, I was happy with the pretty clothes I’d purchased with my hard-earned money. Even better, with the finder’s fee the Hargraves had so generously given me, I had made back everything I’d spent and a great deal more.

  I considered waiting until Tracy and Freddie arrived so we could spend some time alone before facing a crowd of strangers who all knew each other, but I decided that Hannah could always use an extra hand to help and made my way to the big house.

  I found Patty and Hannah in the library, each with a tumbler of amber liquid in hand. As soon as I walked up, Hannah handed me a third glass.

  “Trust me, it helps,” she declared as she raised her glass in a toast. I followed suit and we downed our drinks in one gulp. The whisky burned on the way down, and I was glad I hadn’t worn heavy makeup, as my eyes teared up a little.

  “Are we not excited about the party?” I asked, a little nervous now that I’d found the hostess hiding in the library.

  Hannah laughed. “We are excited to have a party. But, we invited a hundred and fifty guests, knowing that means that four hundred people will show up. Then, some of them will probably start a little trouble in one or more of many, many ways possible in such a large group, and no matter what, anticipating that is a little stressful.”

  “You just never know who will show up to a shindig like this one, and we can only hope that none of those unexpected guests are mean drunks,” Patty added, tipping the carafe to her glass one last time. Suddenly nervous, I reached out with my own glass, and she poured a small swallow into the bottom.

  “To our guests, whoever they may be,” I toasted before tossing back the contents of my glass. This time, I relished the burn as it hit the solid lump of coal-black worry that sat at my core. I set down my glass as I got a text from Freddie that they were pulling up the driveway, and asked the two older ladies if they’d like to meet my friends. We all went out to the veranda to meet the girls as they pulled up, and one of the field hands parked their car for them after helping them with their doors and setting their overnight bags next to the steps.

  “Welcome to Lago Colina,” Hannah called out with an easy smile.

  I couldn’t speak, I was so overcome by how much I’d missed them. Freddie was wearing a gorgeous, yellow pantsuit that accentuated the bronze in her dark skin, and Tracy was, in her usual fashion, still wearing her pajamas.

  “You don’t mind if I get ready here, do you Ray?” she asked. I laughed and shook my head. I ran down the stairs and hugged them each in turn, and Tracy held me out at arms’ length to get a better look at me. “I have to s
ay, I couldn’t have done better. You look lovely, and you have to tell me who has you all glow-y and soft,” she added in a murmur. “We haven’t’ seen you like that in quite some time.”

  Freddie arched an eyebrow at me as I blushed. I waved to Hannah and Patty, picked up one of the bags, and showed my friends to my cabin. I let them know that I planned on them each having their own room for the night and explained my decision to spend the night with Daniel if he would have me. I told them I’d slept there the night before, so I figured he wouldn’t mind.

  Freddie and I caught up as Tracy got ready in the guestroom, and it only took me three or four obvious gestures from Fredericka to notice the humungous stone on her ring finger. I hugged her so hard I wrinkled my dress, and made her promise we could toast it with champagne once we were at the party.

  Tracy was nothing if not efficient, and within minutes, I was escorting my two beautiful friends to the garden terrace to meet Daniel and the rest of the Hargraves in residence. When we walked to the back, my mother and father had arrived with Caleb and were chatting happily with Jackson and Mr. Hargrave. I introduced my friends and was looking for Daniel when I saw someone I hadn’t expected.

  I gasped, and Tracy followed my gaze. Talking to a wealthy couple was Sara Abbott. She and the woman were obviously of a kind, with bottle-blonde hair coiffed high and ornate, as could only be accomplished by a professional. She wore a tight, short dress that showed off her curves and left little to the imagination, and she wore it well. I looked at Tracy and shook my head as she grabbed my arm and pulled me aside.

  “You know that twat I told you about, the one who insulted me to my face a few weeks ago?” I asked her. I tried to control my breathing and I felt my first panic attack in weeks, rearing its ugly head.

  Sara saw me and said something to her companions, then walked toward us. All of the sudden, I felt frumpy and underdressed. She stalked towards us with confidence, a mountain lion about to catch easy prey.

  She smiled broadly as she approached and my unease grew at a fever pitch, every nerve screaming at me to get away from her as fast as I could. I felt Tracy move up behind me, her body a wall of heat at my back. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Freddie and Mr. Hargrave had both turned their attention to us.

  “Well, you’re still here,” Sara sneered. “I’d heard that you were about to be fired. But, I guess it must be awfully convenient for Daniel to have you at his beck and call.”

  Hot rage filled me up and brought bile to my throat. I wanted nothing more than to punch her in her stupid, surgically-altered face. “I don’t know where you get your gossip from, Sara. Should I say that I’m sorry to disappoint you?” I ground the words out through my clenched teeth.

  “Yes,” said a voice behind me. “You really need to check your sources in the future.” It was Mr. Hargrave. I was mortified that he’d heard Sara suggest I was only here because I was a whore. “As a matter of fact, this party is for our Rachel,” he informed her cheerfully. “She’s is an amazing and bright young woman. I can’t think if anyone I’d rather see my son be friends with.” He lifted his beer bottle in a toast and patted me on the shoulder before moving away.

  “Was that true?” Tracy asked while Sara silently raged. I could see the gears moving in her head, and I could’ve sworn steam was escaping her ears.

  “Was what true?” I asked, still watching Sara like I’d watch a rattler in my path.

  “Are you the guest of honor for this little gathering of hundreds of people?” she inquired, obviously enjoying the other woman’s consternation.

  “Well, not just me. My old stable-neighbor from California, the actress, Miss Vale? She brought my Texas Tango out here to sell to the Hargraves. I set them up, and they love him. She was just going to stud him to us, but, she fell in love with Lago Colina and decided to let him stay.” I pointedly ignored Sara and took Tracy by the arm to lead her away. “I certainly don’t mind sharing the honor with a celebrity, though.” I raised my voice as we walked away to make sure Sara could still hear me. Tracy walked with me through the garden as I fumed and ranted.

  “They wouldn’t have invited her, would they?” she asked on our third circuit of the garden path.

  “No, she heard about it through the gossip tree. Hannah warned me that uninvited people always show up, and they tend to cause trouble. It’s just not the Texas way to hire security and lock down a barbecue, right?” I queried.

  “No, you’re right,” Tracy agreed. “Which reminds me. I don’t want to worry you, but as we’ve been walking, I noticed a car getting parked over there.” She nodded toward the field right next to the gardens. “It looked like Jason’s, and I couldn’t help but have the thought that of all nights…” Her voice trailed off as I stared at her.

  “Well, sheep-shit,” I cursed. “Jason called the other day to remind me how pointless I was. He told me then that he and Sara were dating.” I sighed and let my shoulders sag. “He totally brought her tonight, didn’t he?” I made the question sound like a statement.

  “You never know, Hon. It could be a coincidence.” I looked at her with utter skepticism. “Yeah, you’re right. He’s around somewhere. But, at least he hasn’t found you yet.” I sighed again, deeper than before.

  “Oh, he’s going to find me sooner or later. We should probably go to him and get it over with.” Tracy agreed and we headed back towards the terrace, but the magic of the strings of lights and mariachi music was lost to me now.

  We found Jason exactly where I expected him to be: next to the bar, chatting up the pretty bartender while he knocked back beers like it was going out of season soon. When he saw me walk up, his face was at first appreciative, then as I got closer and the scars on my right arm became more visible to him, he registered disgust and annoyance.

  “Well, I figured you’d come find me sooner or later. You just never give up, do you?” he preened while I struggled not to vomit on him. Tracy lunged at him, but I held her back. “Hey!” he exclaimed in alarm. “Call off your dog, Rachel.” Tracy made a gurgling sound of hatred and disgust behind me, but stayed back.

  “You weren’t invited, Jason,” I coolly reminded him. “You should leave before you get so drunk you get someone hurt.” He started to retort, but I held up a hand to silence him. “These are my friends, Jason, not yours. This is their home, and their party, and I won’t have you ruining this night for them because you’re a drunk. Leave now.”

  I turned to the bartender and held up my arm so she could see the scars that trailed down to my wrist. “He’s done drinking. He has caused accidents driving drunk in the past.” The bartender nodded, a nervous look on her face.

  Tracy and I walked away without another word. I didn’t see Sara or Jason for the remainder of the evening, which was so nice it almost made up for the fact that I couldn’t find Daniel, either. The evening passed in a blur of congratulations and toasts to myself and to Texas Tango, the newest members of the Lago Colina family.

  When my social anxiety got to be more than I could bear, I left my two extroverted friends to enjoy themselves and snuck away through the garden to my quarters. As I reached the benches just outside the cabin, I heard voices speaking softly and saw two shadowy figures sitting close together in the dark. I crept closer and as I recognized Daniel’s voice, my stomach wrenched. Sitting next to him, her hands on his face, was Sara.

  I wanted to run away, but my legs wouldn’t work, and I stood still, looking like a fool, as I heard Sara tell Daniel of my many imagined flaws. She accused me of lying to the Hargraves about my injuries and the car accident, greatly exaggerating to get attention, and suggesting that I was pretending to want to learn about animal husbandry just to get close to his fortune. I was in shock, tears streaming down my face as I watched him listen to every word she said without defending me. Just as my need to leave overrode the panic that paralyzed me, Daniel finally spoke.

  “Well, that’s all very interesting, Sara.” His tone felt off to me, so I listened for
just one more hopeful moment. “I can’t help but wonder, though, if you could have put a little more time into it. Checked your facts more, maybe? What I do know, is that I didn’t invite you to this party and neither did anyone else. You should leave now. Probably best if you don’t come back. Or text me. In fact, I’d really appreciate it if you lost my number.”

  He stood up and walked away from Sara towards me, but I still couldn’t move. I stared at him, like a deer in headlights. He finally saw me when he was almost on top of me and he jumped back with a curse.

  “Rachel, what on earth are you doing here?” he exclaimed, gripping his chest as though I’d caused him to have a heart attack.

  “I… I…I just wanted to go to bed; I was having trouble with all the people…” I felt my voice trail off as he glanced behind him where Sara had been sitting, but the bench was empty. “I’m pretty tired, Daniel. I didn’t mean to intrude. I just didn’t know how to get past you two. You could’ve chosen a better spot if you’d wanted privacy.” I held my aching stomach and tried to step past him to my door. Daniel side-stepped and blocked my path.

  “Sara had some interesting things to say about you,” he muttered angrily, grabbing my arm. Tears stung my eyes as I fought him off.

  “If you believed one word that she said…” I broke off angrily. I wrenched my arm out of his grasp and ducked around him. Just as I was feeling like I won, the heel broke on my new shoe in the dark. His hand whipped out to catch me as I fell and the tears I’d been holding back poured over my eyelids and down my cheeks in wet streaks.

  “Of course I didn’t believe her, you little twit,” he hissed at me, dragging me into his chest. “But now I know there’s something you aren’t telling me. About your ex-boyfriend, whom I had the misfortune of meeting tonight when he drunkenly accosted me, and about the car accident you were in.” His other hand went to the back of my neck and he leaned in so close, all I could see in was the moonlight in his eyes. “Because I’m going to have my hands all over you, and from now on, no scar is big enough to stop me from having all of you, do you understand?”