She stopped talking before she said, and revealed, too much.
“He’s survived the rodeo circuit and that black horse of his isn’t one I’d turn my back on, he knows what he’s doing.”
As she watched, Cordell’s horse bared its teeth at him as he tightened his girth. Cordell didn’t flinch or move away. The horse snapped on air and then faced forward. Cordell gently pulled the horse’s front legs to make sure the girth didn’t pinch, before gathering the reins and swinging into the saddle.
Her anger drained away like water through the desert-dry earth of her ranch.
Okay. Trinity’s and Mandy’s admiration wasn’t misplaced. She’d now seen Cordell on a horse. And yes, he looked as good on horseback as he did standing on the ground wearing boots, snug jeans and leather chaps.
She glanced at Henry who also was watching Cordell. Color hadn’t yet returned to the old rancher’s face.
“He might have had everything under control with the horse,” she said, “but you can’t tell me Cordell doesn’t take unnecessary risks.”
A twinkle returned to Henry’s faded grey gaze. “I know a certain cowgirl who also takes unnecessary risks instead of asking for help and who has adopted a mountain mustang who isn’t exactly as quiet as a lamb.”
She returned Henry’s smile. “We adopted the mustang and I’m not even going to start on what risky things you do that your doctor has told you that you shouldn’t.”
The loudspeaker crackled into life announcing the tie-down roping would soon commence.
She glanced toward the main arena. “I’d best get going before all the action starts without me.”
Henry’s expression sobered. “Pay, why aren’t you competing? The ladies’ barrel-race has always been your event and you missed it last year for the 75th Copper Mountain Rodeo anniversary as well.”
She pressed a kiss to his weathered cheek. “Too busy.”
The truth was she had even less money this year to enter or to run her trailer into town, but that wasn’t Henry’s concern.
“Next year,” she added with a smile that she hoped covered her fears.
She headed toward the main arena and lifted her hat to drag her hand through her hair. Surely by the 77th Copper Mountain Rodeo it would have rained. Surely by next year she’d be making good on her graveside promise to her parents that their only child would never let them down.
Chapter Five
‡
“So …?”
As she’d been doing since she’d joined her friends on the bleachers, Payton ignored Mandy’s loaded question. Before the tie-down roping had started she’d given them enough information about when she’d met Cordell but left out all the parts to do with how he made her feel so out of control. Especially when he took dangerous risks.
She’d even disappeared to buy popcorn, hoping it would keep her friends silent. The loudspeaker boomed introducing the next competitor for the rope and tie event.
“Who hoo, Cordell’s on,” Mandy said with glee, her cheeks bulging with popcorn. “So … tell us again, Payton, what were you wearing when you met him.”
Payton sighed. The popcorn hadn’t worked.
“For the last time … I was wearing Trinity’s pink dress and my old boots.’
Mandy pulled a face. “I can’t believe you weren’t wearing those to-die-for shoes we found in the thrift store. They’d be any cowboy’s fantasy.”
“And every cowgirl’s nightmare. They were so uncomfortable.”
“What’s a blister or two when you’re wearing killer heels?”
“Killer heels is right. I don’t know how you can even walk, let alone dance, without doing yourself an injury.”
Mandy laughed. “All it takes is commitment.”
“Well, my only commitment is to my cows, not to impractical sky-high shoes.”
“Someday you’ll eat those words, Payton Hollis.”
“Not in this lifetime.”
Mandy’s smile widened. “Want to make a bet?”
Payton shook her head at her incorrigible friend and waved to the two Bar V5 wranglers she’d spied sitting in an adjacent bleacher. Charlie Randall would be at the rodeo with her dude ranch guests and would have roped Zack Harris into helping her play tour guide. And going off the rigid line of Zack’s broad shoulders he’d much rather be back at the ranch.
Payton shifted on the hard seat and dangled her foot through the gap between her and the person sitting in front. Her butt was numb and she needed to go for another walk but she didn’t want to miss seeing Cordell in action. She adjusted the angle of her hat. The sun had shifted in the afternoon sky. Too late, she felt the nudge from Trinity in her ribs and heard her muttered, “Heads up.”
Boots clattered on metal as a broad-shouldered, masculine body slid into the spare space beside her. A familiar woody aftershave informed her who her new bench-buddy was. Rhett Dixon.
“Ladies,” he drawled as he swept off his Stetson and bowed.
“Hey,” they all answered, but it was only toward Payton that Rhett looked. She smiled into his handsome face. He’d been pulling her pigtails since first grade and she’d enjoyed his company until he’d begun his crusade to end her single days.
“Payton, you walked right past me with your popcorn. Didn’t you hear me call out?”
“Sorry. The crowd must have been cheering.”
“New shirt?”
She gritted her teeth as his blue gaze slid over her chest.
“No, same shirt as when I saw you outside the diner two weeks ago.” She kicked his boot. “Rhett, eyes above my collarbones. You know what happened last time you forgot your manners.”
“How could I forget? My shiner took a week to go away.” His smile turned sheepish. “In my defense, I did have a bit of beer on board that night in Grey’s Saloon.”
“Well, you don’t now, so stop looking me over like I’m a breeding cow.”
Beside her, Trinity giggled. “You go, girl,” she said in an undertone only Payton could hear.
“Sorry.”
“No, you’re not. Just don’t do it again.” But her words didn’t contain any bite. Good-looking and blond-haired Rhett was harmless. The first son in three generations of ranchers, he’d led an indulged life. After his mother’s recent heart attack, he’d started hanging out with the fast-playing and hard-drinking Taylors. With dimples, a movie-star smile and a host of rodeo wins, he had a parade of buckle-bunnies throwing themselves his way. Her disinterest was a respite. As much as he chased her, she had no doubt deep down he knew he would be safe. She’d never see him as anything but the good friend that he was.
Mandy reached past Trinity to tap Payton’s knee. “There he is.”
“There who is?” Rhett asked, an edge to his tone.
Trinity waggled her eyebrows. “Payton’s new cowboy.”
Payton turned to Rhett. “Ignore them. He’s not my cowboy. He’s just someone boarding at Beargrass Hills while he leases Henry’s land.”
“How long’s he staying?”
The hostile note in Rhett’s voice was unwelcome. Despite her clear messages and continued indifference his single-minded pursuit was getting out of hand.
“I’m not sure. He says he doesn’t ever stay in any place for long so I’ve no doubt he’ll soon move on.”
Rhett didn’t answer, all his attention remained focused on the man astride the large black horse waiting for his turn in the tie and rope.
“Well, if his horse’s head hung any lower he’d fall asleep.”
Payton had seen the speed with which Cordell’s horse had whipped his head around to bite him. The black horse was far from sleepy.
“Maybe’s he’s an old hand and is relaxed,” she said.
Rhett lifted a dark-blond brow.
“At least he won’t break too early,” Trinity piped up, “and earn Cordell a ‘cowboy speeding ticket’ and ten second time penalty like that last hypo-horse.”
Payton smiled. For someone who c
laimed to go to rodeos for the cowboys Trinity sure knew a lot about tie-down roping.
“Shush, here he goes,” Mandy said as Cordell guided his horse into the small square roping area set behind the barrier.
He held a coiled pigging string in his mouth ready for when he’d lassoed the calf and needed to tie three legs together. Her fingers curled into her palms as she waited for the moment when Cordell would nod and the chute operator would release the calf.
Suddenly a brown-and-white calf leapt from the chute and shot toward the middle of the arena. The black hindquarters of Cordell’s horse bunched but instead of dashing after the calf, the gelding remained still.
“See,” Rhett said with a frown. “What did I tell you? His horse is half asleep.”
“No, he isn’t. It was a false start. The chute operator pulled the lever too soon and let the calf out. Cordell hadn’t nodded.” She didn’t meet Rhett’s gaze sensing he’d pick up on how closely she watched Cordell. “It happened to me once.”
The gate across the arena opened and the calf raced through heading for the company of the other calves in the outside corral.
“Take two,” Mandy said as with the arena now clear, Cordell nudged his docile horse a little closer to the barrier.
Cordell nodded to the chute operator and this time when the calf tore from the chute, his horse detonated into action.
Payton barely blinked before Cordell’s lariat landed in a neat loop around the calf’s neck. He was then off his horse, the calf was on the ground and his legs tied in a half hitchknot. All too soon, Cordell lifted his arms in the air signaling to the field judge to stop the clock.
Cordell then remounted and urged his horse forward to release the tension on the rope anchoring the calf to his saddle. The calf had to stay tied for six seconds. Payton silently counted down from six, her hands unfisted as she reached one. Cordell lifted his hat to the now cheering crowd then smiled and leaned forward to hug his horse’s neck.
“I’m no cowgirl,” Trinity said in an awed whisper, “but that was fast wasn’t it?”
“Yes, dang, it,” Rhett said, tone gruff. “That horse sure fooled me. Once he got going, he moved quicker than a firecracker.”
Payton nodded, incapable of words. It wasn’t Cordell’s strength or his expertise with a rope that caused her throat to ache with a strange emotion but the obvious bond between him and his horse.
Rhett turned to look at her and she pulled her hat brim lower to shadow her eyes. Rhett couldn’t be privy to her internal disarray. She might not be interested in him but she couldn’t have him knowing she was far from indifferent to Cordell.
She was already knee-deep in blue-eyed cowboy trouble.
*
“I’m sorry, buddy,” Cordell said as he lifted the saddle flap to reach the buckle on Mossy’s girth. “I shouldn’t have pushed you so hard.”
Mossy’s only answer was a swift flick of his tail.
Cordell tugged at the brass buckle. He shouldn’t have let the sight of the blond cowboy sitting too close to Payton short circuit his common-sense. It had nothing to do with him if she had a whole corral full of admirers. But as his adrenalin had surged as the calf had shot from the chute, so had his testosterone. Not that Mossy had needed any encouragement to go faster. His horse always gave his all.
They might have scored a fast roping time but Cordell’s restlessness hadn’t diminished. He needed to get to the ranch before he saw Payton and to make sure he tied his emotions as firmly as he had the legs of the calf. He lifted the saddle and sweat-dampened saddle cloth from Mossy’s back and headed into the trailer.
“Mossy, don’t even think about undoing that slip knot,” he called out.
He emerged to the sight of Mossy nibbling on the lead rope and Payton standing a body length away watching. For some reason the knowledge she’d left the blond cowboy to find him made him feel far more of a winner than his slick roping time. Careful to not let his feelings show on his face, he went and stood beside her.
She smiled. “So it’s okay for you to talk to your horse but it isn’t fine for me to talk to my cows?”
He laughed. “You bet.”
Her smile grew as Mossy sighed, gave up on the knot and hung his head. “He looks like he’s going to sleep. He did that while you were waiting in the roping box.”
“He often does. I guess he’s seen it all before and doesn’t know what all the fuss is about.”
“Congratulations on your time. I don’t think your roping skills need any polishing. You’ll do great tomorrow in the final.”
“Thanks, Mossy and I were lucky. And there won’t be any final tomorrow.”
Surprise creased her brow. “No final?”
“Nope. Mossy and I had fun reliving our rodeo days but we’ve come to Montana to ranch cattle, not compete. We’ll leave the finals to the professionals.”
“Fair enough.”
He bent to rummage around in the nearby grooming kit for a brush. Mossy didn’t need brushing but it was either that or test his theory Payton’s soft mouth would taste as sweet as it looked.
Too late he realized Payton had taken a step toward Mossy, her hand outstretched to pat his neck.
“Payton, no.” He snagged her waist and spun her into his arms. Mossy’s ears flattened, teeth bared and his head swung around. Cordell dragged Payton out of his reach.
Heart pounding, he held her close. Mossy was all show, he wouldn’t have bitten Payton, but her fragile bones could have taken a hit from Mossy’s hard head.
To his surprise, Payton remained in his hold. The rapid rise and fall of her chest against him let him know that despite her experience with horses she was shocked. Somehow his hand had found the gap between her jeans and her shirt. The bare skin of her satin-smooth back burned his palm. Her hat lay on the ground and he realized the floral scent he’d come to associate with her came from her silken hair. Her neat curves fitted against him like they were made to measure and he forced his arms to relax so he wouldn’t draw her that little bit closer.
She leaned back in his hold, gold shimmering in her wide eyes. His gaze dropped to her parted lips as she spoke.
“I … I …”
He dropped his arms from around her as though he’d been burned by a brand. He was a whisker away from kissing her. Where the hell was his self-control?
He bent to collect her dusty Stetson. “I know, you don’t need any help,” he said, voice hoarse as he brushed off the felt and pressed the hat into her hands.
“No,” she said turning to look at Mossy who again had his head lowered as though asleep. “I was going to say I didn’t see that coming.” She settled her hat on her head. “Thank you. I did need your help.”
“He wouldn’t really have taken a chunk out of you but he could have knocked you with that bony head of his.”
She rubbed at her forearms as though chilled. “Why does he do it? I saw you hug him in the arena. You obviously have a close bond with him and yet he still tries to bite you too?”
“He’s just ornery. He stays at Ethan’s ranch when I’m in Denver and Ethan believes it’s Mossy’s way of saying he misses me.”
Her laugh was hollow. “I’d hate to see him if he really took a set against someone.”
“Trust me, it isn’t a pretty sight. He used to be a buck jumper and he wasn’t too keen on particular cowboys.”
“That makes sense. I can see him being a buck jumper as well as a crowd favorite. He wouldn’t have quit until he had a cowboy off his back.”
“He didn’t.” Cordell rubbed his stiff shoulder. “My first ride, he busted my shoulder.”
“And the second?”
“I lasted under three seconds.”
Payton laughed again and this time her laughter contained its usual music. “You either are a slow learner or you like living dangerously.”
“Both, seeing as I paid top-dollar to buy him to retrain.”
“And how did that go?”
“It
was a little like the pecking-order issues you had when milking the cow.”
“So you landed on your butt, then?”
He grinned. “More than once. But he’s the smartest horse I’ve ever owned and has the biggest heart. I wouldn’t swap him for anything.”
Cordell picked up the brush he’d dropped and gave Mossy’s hindquarters a wide berth as he walked around to his right side. When he brushed Mossy, he now wouldn’t have his back to Payton and they could still talk.
Payton stepped closer, keeping an eye on Mossy’s head. “So what’s he like with other horses, especially if he doesn’t like them?”
“And he won’t like them. Even though horses are usually herd animals Mossy prefers to be on his own.” Cordell paused in his brushing. “Though I think he will like that spirited little mustang of yours.”
“Well, she’s more than a match for him so he’d better behave himself when he’s out at the ranch.”
“He will. Speaking of the ranch, is there a key somewhere I can let myself in with? I’ll be heading there soon.”
Payton bent to select a brush from the grooming kit. Then watching both Mossy’s ears as well as his hindquarters she began to brush his withers. “It’s fine, I’ll be right behind you.”
“There’s no need to leave on my account, the rodeo is only getting started.”
From over in the main arena country music blared and the buzz of the excited crowd signified the barrel racing was over and the bareback riding event would soon follow the intermission.
Payton’s only answer was a shrug.
“I’ve heard there’s dancing later and Jake Kohl will sing.” Cordell met her gaze over Mossy’s back. “What about your friends and the blond cowboy sitting with you in the stands? They’ll want you to stay and join in the Saturday night fun?”
He hoped she didn’t notice the tension edging his words when he’d mentioned the blond cowboy.
“I’ve no doubt you’ve heard about Jake Kohl singing. Any cowgirl with a pulse will be at the dance tonight. As for my friends, they won’t expect me to go. I’ve already said I’m off home. I’ve a cow and calf to check.”
Cherish Me, Cowboy (Montana Born Rodeo Book 2) Page 5
