by Ivy Jordan
“Why? Didn’t you like her?” she asked.
“I dunno. Yes, I liked her. She’s actually a pretty amazing woman.”
“Then, why haven’t you called her?” she asked.
I wasn’t quite sure how to answer that question. I guess I’d intended on it—at least, that is, until I came back to her gone. She was sleeping so peacefully, I didn’t want to wake her, so I snuck out to grab breakfast. When I returned, she was gone, no note, nothing. I didn’t mind a good one-night stand, but she felt different, at least I had thought she did. Maybe I was wrong. I didn’t understand women, and probably never would. All I knew was I didn’t like the feeling I got in my gut when I pulled up and saw her car gone. The feeling was even less pleasant when I saw my empty bed. I could still smell her in the room, on my sheets, on my skin. I had to shower to get rid of it, and throw the sheets into the wash to strip her memory from my room. The couch, now that was a different story. I couldn’t exactly throw it in the washer, and even spraying it with fabric stuff, you could still smell her.
“She hasn’t called me, either,” I defended.
“I told you about her breakup, and how bad it was, right?” Tracy asked, backing me up to the side of my truck. I felt attacked as she moved in, like a pit bull ready to go after its victim’s jugular. She was a tiny little thing, but intimidating nonetheless. “Well, she got laid off from her job a couple weeks ago, so she doesn’t need you playing games with her head, or heart,” she said.
She hadn’t told me about her job. We’d stayed up all night talking, and I was pretty sure she spoke about her job like she still had it. “I didn’t know that,” I said.
“She was probably too embarrassed to tell you,” Tracy scoffed.
I felt horrible, but confused. Why did she leave, then? Why hadn’t she called? I wasn’t the only one involved in this. She had played her part.
“You need to call her,” Tracy snapped.
I actually loved the idea of calling Charlotte, but I didn’t like being told what to do by anyone, especially Tracy. “She’s a big girl. She could’ve called me just as easily as I could’ve called her. Besides, she’s the one who took off in the morning without a trace. It was just sex. Amazing sex,” I smirked.
Tracy’s face soured quickly at my teasing. “Women aren’t like you pigs,” she scowled.
Wow. Now I’m a pig? A week ago I was the ideal man to help her friend out of a bad time; now I’m a pig for doing a great job of it?
“You don’t want me talking to your mother, do you? Aunt Loretta would be devastated to think her son was a man-whore who used women for sex.” Tracy pushed her hand high on her hip as she spoke.
I wished for a split second that we could go back to being kids, so I could shove her down into the mud puddle behind her. “I know you need someone out there to tend to your animals. Maybe you could offer her a job,” Tracy added.
I did need someone out there making sure the animals were all healthy and happy, but was Charlotte the right candidate for that? My foal, Carlos, hadn’t eaten for days. Even Charlie couldn’t get him to eat.
“I’ll think about it,” I told her and tossed the last load of feed onto my truck.
“Don’t think too long. I’m gonna pay Aunt Loretta a visit later tonight,” she said with her trademark smirk fixed in place.
I rolled my eyes as she walked back across the street. I hated her sometimes, but I knew she was only protecting her friend. It sounded like Charlotte had been down on her luck pretty bad, but that still didn’t explain why she took off if she wasn’t just looking for a one-nighter.
I drove back to the ranch, thinking about that night with Charlotte. We’d had a great time. She wasn’t like than any other woman I’d ever met. I wasn’t sure why I hadn’t called her myself, if for nothing else than just to make sure she’d made it home safe, and to thank her for a great night. It didn’t matter. I was going to call her now. I had to now.
Charlie met me as I pulled up the drive, signaling me toward the barn. I backed my truck up, got out, and started helping him unload the feed. “Carlos isn’t eating still,” he said, speaking of the foal in the barn. He’d had a full checkup from the vet, and as far as we could see, there was nothing wrong—he simply wouldn’t eat.
“I bought some new feed,” I said, grabbing the small bag from the back of my pickup. Charlie walked it over to the foal, and we both knelt beside him while Charlie tried to get him to eat. He wasn’t even interested.
“I think he misses his mother,” he said.
“Nonsense,” I scoffed, trying to push the food on the young foal. Nothing.
“I’ve bought plenty of foals his size and they did just fine,” I insisted.
“Well, there is something wrong. If we don’t figure it out soon, he isn’t gonna make it.”
“I have someone who might be able to help,” I said with a slight smile.
“We already talked to the vet,” he replied.
“She isn’t the vet.”
Charlie’s eyes narrowed, and his lips curled into a smile. “She?” he asked with a smug smile.
I knew my cheeks were burning red, but I shrugged it off as best I could. “Would this ‘she’ be the woman I saw leaving last week?” he asked.
My heart stopped for a moment. “You saw her leave? Did she say anything?” I asked.
“Nope. She looked like she was distressed, and in a hurry.”
“Distressed?” I asked, feeling a sudden surge of guilt rush through my veins.
“I figured it was just another one of your one-night stands,” Charlie said quickly.
“Another one of my one-night stands?” I laughed.
He winked and grabbed a bag of feed before heading to the other stables. I’d had maybe two women out here in the last six months, and neither had stayed the night. I didn’t like Charlie calling Charlotte a one-night stand, even though I had done so myself when talking to Tracy earlier that day.
“So, you like this one?” Charlie asked.
I shrugged, not willing to divulge my feelings to him, or to myself, for that matter.
I went into the house and sat down on the couch where Charlotte and I had first made love. The sweet scent of her perfume still lingered in the room, as if she’d never left. I picked up my phone, started to write a text, and then decided to just call her.
It rang once, twice, and then a third time. My palms sweat as I readied myself to leave a voice mail. “Hello,” her sweet voice answered, echoing through the other end of my phone.
“Good morning, darlin’,” I said.
A silence fell over the phone. “Are you there?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said in a soft, subdued tone.
“I’m sorry I didn’t call sooner,” I said, my voice pleading.
“It’s okay. I’ve been busy here, too,” she said.
I couldn’t tell if she was angry or not. Her voice was sweet, and I wasn’t certain I’d be able to hear any anger within in even if she was fuming inside. “I was wondering if you’d like to go horseback riding this afternoon?” I asked.
Another silent pause.
I shifted in my seat, readjusted my hand on my phone, and tried to calm myself with a deep breath.
“That sounds like fun,” she finally replied.
“Great. You wanna come by about two o’clock and I’ll make us dinner after our ride?”
“I’ll see you then,” she said, and then hung up.
I set the phone down, fell back against the soft cushion, and wondered if I was making the right decision by calling her. What if she didn’t really want more than a one-night stand? What if she did?
Chapter Five
Charlotte
I’d just got off the phone with Tracy when Owen called. I found it a little strange that she just finished telling me she had a feeling he’d be calling. It’d been over a week, and nothing. He’d left me in his bed alone after our night together, probably too scared to face me. It was romantic, sweet, and so different t
han with any other man. I thought for certain there had been a spark there, something that we’d both felt. But, when you wake up in an empty bed after a night like that, it’s pretty obvious that only one person had felt the earth move.
His voice was so deep, so seductive; it oozed like honey from his lips when he spoke. I could picture him on the other end of the phone, smiling and letting his tongue glide across his full lips as he waited for me to respond.
Had Tracy put him up to it? She could be pretty pushy, and even a little scary sometimes. Maybe she’d got to him. It just seemed a little strange to me that she had just got back into town, and then Owen suddenly called after a week of silence.
Still, I was excited to see him. My heart raced as I dug through my closet for something to wear.
I found a pair of jeans that made my ass look nice, and grabbed a t-shirt to throw on. I shaved, plucked, but forwent the rest of the ritual of trying to be super sexy. I’d done all that before, and even though it got me laid, it still got me left alone, and not called for a week.
My nerves were getting out of control as the time for me to leave drew closer. I thought about calling Tracy, just flat-out asking her if she put Owen up to this, but a part of me was afraid she’d say yes. If she did say yes, I knew I wouldn’t go—I was too stubborn. I knew that, so I didn’t call her. Just for now, I wanted to let myself believe he’d called because he wanted to. If there had been any other reason, I’d find out soon enough.
I pulled up to Owen’s ranch and parked beside his blue pickup. The silver-haired man I’d seen the morning I left was walking toward a small red truck. He lifted his hand and waved to me. I waved back, but felt an instant surge of embarrassment flowing through my veins. Yeah, that was me, walk-of-shame girl, and here I am again, back for more.
“Charlotte,” Owen called out my name as he opened his front door. He wore his cowboy boots, the kind that were worn from hard work, not the kind fake cowboys wore that were shiny and new. His jeans were tight, faded, and hung on him perfectly. My eyes lingered on his muscular arms rippling out of his t-shirt as I got out of my car. Damn, that man is beautiful.
I shut my car door and walked toward the house, where he quickly greeted me on the sidewalk with a warm hug. His arms felt so strong wrapped around me that I wanted to just melt into them. That musky scent of his cologne whispered around me with a mysterious intent. I sucked in a large whiff of him, kissed the side of his neck softly, and pulled back from the hug.
He didn’t let me go; instead, he held me there, just staring into my eyes for what felt like an eternity. “I’m glad you’re here,” he said sweetly.
I was, too.
“I’m sorry I didn’t leave a note that morning,” I said quickly, feeling guilty for walking out the way I did. “I had a ton to do,” I lied.
I’d actually gone home and cried. Not for long, but enough to shake me up for the day. I’d hated feeling like I’d been used, especially by Owen. He’d made me feel so special.
“I understand,” he said, still gazing into my eyes. “I’d gone and got breakfast, actually. If I’d known where you lived, I would’ve dropped it off for you,” he continued.
Wow. I felt like an ass. He went to get breakfast? He hadn’t abandoned me to sneak out without having to face me?
My heart swelled in my chest as all the pain, humiliation, and anger left my body. He wasn’t a player. He wasn’t a bad guy only looking to get laid. I was just impatient and skittish, apparently.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I thought you…” I stumbled over my words.
“Left?” he asked with a chuckle in his voice.
I shrugged my shoulders and fought back the tears forming in my eyes. I didn’t want to cry. I had nothing to cry about. I was happy.
“Well, just know I’d never do that to you,” he said , his voice soft and warm as he pulled me in for a tighter hug.
I fell into his arms, listening to the beat of his heart and rocking with the rhythm of his breath.
“Let’s get you on a horse,” he said, leading me toward the stables.
I walked past the first two stables, one with a large white horse, and the other with a small foal with a shiny brown coat. He was snuggled up in the corner on a pile of hay, his eyes droopy, and he little lanky body almost lifeless. “Who’s this?” I asked, unable to pass the poor creature that looked sickly and scared.
“That’s Carlos. We can’t get him to eat,” Owen said.
I opened the stable door and made my way to the little horse. I knelt down beside him and wrapped my arms around him while placing my cheek on his side. He nudged me with his snout, snuggling into my hair as I squeezed him into my arms. He was warm, but shaking. It was obvious he was anxious, scared, or just confused about what he was doing here alone. “You’re a handsome little devil,” I whispered to him, stroking his mane slowly.
He lifted his head, his eyes still sad. My heart ached for him. “Is he sick?” I asked.
Owen knelt down beside me, reaching out to stroke the foal’s head. “The vet couldn’t find anything,” he said sadly.
I reached for the bottle of feed tied by a string from the gate. The foal looked interested, but not enough to reach for it himself. I held him in my arms, sang softly and let him move toward the bottle on his own. I held it under my arm, nuzzling up close to him while petting his head. He eventually lowered his head to the bottle and slowly started drinking. Owen was delighted, his face offering up both shock and awe at the situation. “He just missed his mother,” I said softly.
“That’s what Charlie said,” he chuckled.
The foal ate like he hadn’t in weeks, but I took the bottle away from him before he made himself sick. “He just needs to feel safe while he eats,” I told Owen, who still had his mouth hanging open. The poor foal had been taken from his mother far too early. Owen told me he’d purchased plenty of other foals the same age and they’d done fine, but it was obvious this one wasn’t like the others. It needed nurturing, love, and a lot of patience.
“You are amazing,” he said, shaking his head as he stood.
I took the hand he extended to me and let him pull me to my feet. My body pressed into his as our lips met. I’d missed the sweetness of his kiss, and it was welcomed by my lips as we embraced for what felt like the first time. Our tongues intertwined, our hands roamed each other’s bodies, and our hearts beat in sync. This has to be real.
When we finally pulled apart, our eyes remained locked. He looked confused, scared even, and I felt the same exact way. I wasn’t looking for anything. But, here we were. Was this really happening?
He let me go, taking a deep breath before turning toward the back of the barn. His eyes glistened against the sunlight shining through the slats of wood, his smile warmer than the sun itself.
“Here,” he said, guiding me toward the back stables.
He opened the gate to a beautiful black horse. “Marlo,” he said her name was. She was glorious and regal, but huge.
“You know how to ride?” he asked.
I nodded. “I grew up on a farm,” I replied with a smirk.
He rolled the saddle over her broad back and tightened the straps. I gripped her reins and walked her out of the barn while Owen saddled up his own horse, a large brown-and-white one he called Duke.
“Let’s go, hotshot,” he said, slapping the ass of his horse and taking off. I’d just gotten saddled up, and wasn’t ready, but my instincts kicked in and I slapped Marlo to chase after the pair.
Marlo seemed to enjoy the action, running with a smoothness I thought odd for such a massive horse. Sitting on her back, I could feel the power from her muscles, and the speed she provided was more than a little intimidating. I didn’t like losing, and it was clear that Marlo didn’t either, so I didn’t stop her, and she didn’t offer to stop. She galloped faster and faster, until my fingers began to blister from holding on so tight.
I finally caught him as we hit the trail. He slowed Duke down to a t
rot and let me ride up beside them. Marlo snorted, obviously not a fan of stopping. “It’s so beautiful out here,” I said, looking around at all the tall trees and rolling hills.
“Yes, it is,” Owen said, looking directly at me when he spoke. I blushed, giggled, and tried to calm my burning cheeks. There was something about him that made me nervous—not in a bad way, but in a way that left me feeling excited and breathless.
“You’re a real smooth talker, aren’t ya?” I teased.
“They say I have a golden tongue,” he teased, rolling his tongue from his mouth to his lips.
“They? Been that many, eh?” I asked, half-joking, half-curious.
His eyes narrowed as he looked at me. It was obvious he wasn’t going to answer that question. In a way, I was glad. Did I really want to know if he’d been with thousands of women?
“I stay too busy for women,” he said with a grin.
He slapped Duke’s ass and kicked into his sides, taking off fast onto the open trail ahead. I sat there a moment on Marlo, dazed as I took in what he just said. He doesn’t have time for women. Was that a hint to not think this was going anywhere?
I kicked my spurs into Marlo’s side and quickly caught up to Duke and Owen. Owen called out for them to stop as we neared a muddy hole in the path, but Duke didn’t listen in time. He pulled back on the reins as Duke splashed into the mud, splashing it all the way up into Owen’s face. I giggled as Marlo halted at the edge of the mess, the horse watching with what appeared to be just as much amusement as I had.
“Duke!” Owen exclaimed, as if it were the horse’s fault. He pulled back hard on the reins, trying to turn him around to get out of the mud pit. Owen was clearly frustrated, and it was distracting him from what he needed to do. He somehow lost control of his horse, and his old pal Duke, who he’d said was like a best friend, started to panic with the lack of control and leadership. Duke lifted up his front legs, arching his back and calling out in fear and frustration as Owen fell from his back and straight into the mud. I laughed, hard. I couldn’t help myself.
The look on Owen’s face was priceless. That face was covered in mud, but I could see his pearly teeth and the whites of his eyes peeking out. “Oh, you think that’s funny, do ya?” he asked playfully.
