Cowboy Six Pack

by Kari Lynn Dell

  “She loves us. Sometimes too much, but not without reason.” Dex took her hand. “Did you know Nana was orphaned when she was ten? Her parents were killed in a car accident, and she was shuttled off to an aunt she’d never met.”

  “I didn’t know.” She could only imagine the pain Mrs. Dunbar must have gone through.

  “Losing her family when she was a kid is part of the reason she’s so protective of us. With Dad failing and the others gone, I’m all she has left. She’s scared of losing me, too.” Dex stood and held out his hand to help Mavis off her chair. “Never mind that. You probably want to get back to your friends.”

  Tears burned Mavis’ eyes as her whole world shifted. The infamous Nana Dunbar had once been a child filled with pain and fear. No wonder she saw Mavis as an interloper. She looked up, her eyes trained on his. “They’re busy making their fortunes. When was the last time you ate?”

  ~-~

  The desire to take Mavis in his arms, feel her warm body pressed against his, was almost overwhelming. He stuffed his hands into his pockets before his traitorous brain commanded them to do something he’d regret. “You don’t want to spend your evening with a hung-over cowboy. Go find Randi, and I’ll wait for Rafe in his truck.” He’d spilled his guts to this woman. He’d told her more than he’d ever told anyone else about his fears and hopes. Well, he hadn’t gotten to hopes. She wouldn’t want to hear them anyway.

  She slipped her hand into his and led him toward the door. “Randi and the girls will do fine without me following them around. You know I don’t gamble much. Come with me, and we’ll find someplace to talk where we won’t be interrupted.”

  “You sure?”

  When she tugged on his hand, Dex followed her through the casino. Randi sat at a slot machine, glaring at the screen as if she could will it to let go of its cash. Mavis said a few words to her friend then pulled Dex out the casino door.

  The fading rays of the sun cast a golden glow over the nearly full parking lot. As they stepped through, the huge door swung shut, blocking out the constant noise from the people and machines. When they pulled out of the parking lot, he almost asked where they were going, but decided he didn’t really care.

  Mavis turned west onto Interstate 84 toward downtown Pendleton. Weaving through what there was of Saturday night traffic in the small farming town she found a Mom and Pop café. “You need to eat.”

  While they stood by the sign that told them to wait to be seated, it occurred to Dex that Mavis was a long way from home. “What are you doing up here anyway? Girl’s night out?”

  A harried waitress handed them two menus and pointed toward a booth in the corner. She brought water along with a promise to be right back.

  “There was a jackpot barrel race here this weekend. Randi and I decided it might be a good excuse to have some fun.” Mavis squeezed the lemon slice into her water then took a long drink. “I brought Paycheck along to get him used to traveling.”

  “How’d you do at the race?” The sudden smile on Mavis’ face reminded him of old times. He hadn’t seen a sunny expression much since she’d been home, and it warmed him to the soles of his boots.

  “Tuneful ran great.” Mavis pulled her phone from her pocket and found the video of her run. “I’ve ridden some really talented horses, but she’s the best.”

  After playing it back several times, he handed her the phone. “You had to have won it.”

  As Mavis nodded, a younger waitress arrived pad in hand, to take their order. She looked from Dex to Mavis then touched Mavis’ shoulder. “You made a great run today.”

  “Oh, hi Cary. Thanks. Were you there? Did you run?”

  The animated movements of both women as they discussed their favorite sport made Dex ashamed. How could he ever have asked Mavis to stop training? She lit up whenever she talked about barrel racing. She needed to compete as much as she needed to breathe. When they’d given their orders to Cary, he waited until the waitress had walked away. “I’m sorry.”

  Mavis tilted her head in confusion. “What now? Are we back on your grandmother? Because you aren’t responsible for her actions.”

  “No, I’m sorry I asked you to give up something that’s obviously this important to you.”

  She dropped her gaze to her hands for a moment before looking at him. Her brows knit together, and her forehead wrinkled in confusion. “Are we talking about six years ago?”

  He unwrapped the napkin from around the silverware and wiped the condensation from beneath the water glass. He’d started this, might as well get it all out in the open. “I should have realized how much being outdoors, riding horses and training meant to you. I was thinking about what I wanted. And mimicking my grandmother’s concerns.”

  The astonished look on her face only compounded his guilt. She couldn’t believe he’d notice something as fundamental as her need for horses. He couldn’t believe he’d missed it. Hell of a husband he’d have made. But he had to make one thing clear. “Not that it makes any difference, but there’s never been anyone but you.”

  Mavis hesitated, swallowing twice before looking him in the eye. “What about Suzie?”

  “Especially not Suzie.” He struggled to maintain the eye contact as he answered. The utter absurdity of asking Suzie to marry him hit as if it had happened yesterday. Although he’d have denied it at the time, he’d still been mourning Mavis. He’d known what he was doing, knew it was wrong. “What an idiot.”

  “You, me or Suzie?”

  He glanced up to see if she was teasing him, but her gaze was serious.

  She shook her head. “Never mind. It’s none of my business.”

  “There were lots of rumors when Suzie left, but it wasn’t anyone else’s business. As soon as some other idiot did something even more stupid, the gossips moved on. Nana, Dad and Rafe are the only people who know the whole story.”

  The waitress approached and put the chicken fried steak and fries he’d ordered in front of him. She handed Mavis a mug of hot chocolate.

  As soon as she’d walked away, Dex continued. “Let me amend that statement. Nana, Dad and Rafe plus anyone Suzie ever met. Although I’ll bet the story Suzie’s friends got had a different set of facts.”

  “Doesn’t seem like your usual MO.” Mavis watched him as he ate. “You never used to rush into things.”

  He studied her as he chewed but didn’t see a sign of ridicule, or even pity in her eyes. He swallowed. “You’d left.”

  “I—”

  He held up his hand when she started to speak. “I’m not blaming you.” And he wasn’t. He’d been heartbroken when Mavis moved to Texas. He’d wanted a life on the ranch, and when he realized his dream wasn’t going to happen with the woman he loved, he took the woman who was available. Another huge mistake in a life filled with them. “I guess I wanted something so bad, I threw caution to the wind.”

  “Was Suzie upset when you broke it off?” Mavis’ eyes widened. “You don’t have to answer. It’s none of my business.”

  “I didn’t. She left.”

  “I’m sorry, I think.” Mavis gave him a sad smile.

  “Don’t worry about me. I’ll never do something so stupid again.” He studied Mavis’ clear blue eyes, her heart shaped face and her expressive mouth. There had never been anyone else but her. And, he was pretty sure there never would be.

  “Are you going home tonight?” Mavis twirled the straw in her glass.

  “Are you inviting me to stay?” He knew she hadn’t meant for him to stay with her, but he could hope . . . Her cheeks flushed the prettiest shade of pink as she shook her head, and he hoped she didn’t take offense.

  “No, but if you and Rafe spend the night at the casino, I thought you might have time to watch the barrel race tomorrow. I’ve got more timed runs in the morning on Paycheck.”

  Mavis bit her bottom lip, and he almost leaped over the table to pull her into his arms. Memories of being free to kiss her whenever he’d wanted filled his thoughts.

/>   When he didn’t answer, she cleared her throat. “Never mind. You probably don’t want to waste time at a barrel race.”

  Dex stood, pulled his wallet from his pocket and tossed a couple of tens on the table. He held out his hand to Mavis and led her outside. Neither of them spoke as they walked to her truck, but she didn’t pull her hand from his.

  As they reached her pickup, Dex leaned against the fender, pulling Mavis into a hug. He dropped his gaze to her beautiful face. Resisting the desire to kiss her, he grinned. “I’ll take you up on the invitation. I’d like to see how Paycheck is doing and watch you smoke the field on Tuneful.”

  “Smoke the field?” Mavis giggled. “I don’t want you to be disappointed. Tuneful still has a habit of hitting barrels once in a while.”

  “I’ve never been disappointed in you, except when you left me, and that was my fault.” Dex pulled her tighter, brushing his lips against hers, getting lost in the kiss. He wasn’t going to let that happen again.

  CHAPTER NINE

  The bed in her living quarters was comfortable, but Mavis had tossed most of the night trying to find elusive sleep. Her brain was stuck on the feel of Dex’s body against hers and the excitement of his kiss. You’d think with all the cowboys in Texas, she could have found someone in the Lone Star State who affected her like this. It had been six long years, and no matter what she’d told herself, she’d never felt this way with anyone else.

  Rest was out of the question, apparently. With a deep sigh, she sat up and slithered to the end of the bed. It was wasn’t even five thirty in the morning, and she tried not to disturb Randi.

  From beneath the pile of covers, she heard Randi’s muffled question. “Time to get up?”

  “No, it’s early.” Mavis pulled on her sweat pants and slipped into her tennis shoes.

  “Good,” Randi muttered, turning over and pulling the blankets tighter over her head.

  “You stay in bed. I’m going to feed. I can’t sleep anyway.” She didn’t get an answer. Randi was already fast asleep again. It wasn’t fair. Randi could close her eyes on a roller coaster and take a nap. Mavis had always struggled with sleep, and last night she’d only caught a few winks here and there.

  With her mini-mag flashlight, she made her way to the barn in the semi-darkness. Holding the small light in her mouth, she filled the horse’s feedbags and hung them in the stalls. The high-pitched chirping of birds and rustling of horses enjoying their breakfasts were the only sounds that broke the early morning silence. As rays of sunshine broke over the hills to the East, Mavis dropped onto a hay bale just outside the stalls to enjoy the warmth.

  On the drive home the night before, her friends had either celebrated or lamented their casino luck, while Mavis thought about Dex.

  His kiss had blown her mind.

  She’d forgotten they were standing on a street in downtown Pendleton until the shrill sound of a car horn had broken through her lust-induced daze.

  Loud voices had called, “Get a room!” Raucous laughter had echoed through the street.

  Dex let her go, a grin on his face. “Kids do have good ideas once in a while.”

  The touch of his fingers as he’d brushed her hair behind her ear had caused goose bumps to race along her skin. He’d kissed her one more time, a soft sweet touching of the lips. It was a good thing he’d stepped away, because she wasn’t sure she’d have had the strength. “Take me home, Maple,” he’d said as he’d climbed into her truck.

  A sprig of hay had worked its way through her sweat pants, and the sharp pinch as she shifted brought her out of her daydreams. Voices from the end of the barn caught her attention, and she waved as a couple of barrel racers walked down the aisle.

  Dex had promised to show up and watch her ride Paycheck. He’d always had an eye for horses, and he’d often known what was wrong with her runs before she’d figured it out.

  She was walking back to her trailer when her phone pinged, alerting her to a text.

  On my way. Caught a ride with the Blakeleys. Told you it wouldn’t be a problem.

  When she’d left him at the casino he’d promised he’d be here today even if Rafe had to go home. Soon it would be time to saddle up and compete. She glanced at her phone. An hour and a half had passed since she’d come to feed. She’d spent all that time thinking about Dex. Timed runs started—now. Mavis ran to the trailer, shook Randi awake and pulled on her clothes.

  “I don’t think I want to run barrels bad enough to get up this early.” Randi grumbled as she disentangled herself from the blankets.

  “You’d better hurry if you’re going to try Yeller again.” Mavis peeked out from the bathroom, toothbrush in hand. “What is that horse’s name? Anything’s got to be better than Yeller.”

  “She calls him Butter. I don’t know if that’s better or not.” Randi wet a washrag in the kitchen sink and cleaned her face. “Your boyfriend coming to watch you?”

  “He’s not my boyfriend. He’s a friend.” Mavis brushed her hair into a ponytail and slipped a baseball cap on her head. A friend. She’d promised herself he wouldn’t even be that, but she’d been wrong.

  “Okay.” Randi squirted a dab of toothpaste on the brush. “Is your not-boyfriend coming to watch?”

  Mavis was half way out the door when she leaned back inside. “Yes.” She managed to keep the smile off her face until she was out of Randi’s sight.

  A night spent pacing his stall had made Paycheck a lot easier to get along with. By the time Mavis had him saddled, Randi had made it to the barn and found the palomino’s owner.

  Mavis worked Paycheck through their regular warm up routine, but she couldn’t stop looking for Dex. With only ten timed runs to go before it was her turn, she rode the colt closer to the arena. As she watched women and a few men work their horses, many of them her friends, she realized how lucky she was to be able to make a living doing what she loved.

  A warm hand touched her thigh, and she looked down into Dex’s pale blue eyes.

  “Paycheck feeling good today?” His grin was infectious. He didn’t look at all like the bedraggled man she’d run into at the casino.

  “He wore himself out last night. He’s got his mind on business, at least so far. A tired colt is a good colt.” She laid her hand on his shoulder. “You’re looking better.”

  “I borrowed some clothes from Rafe.” Dex moved closer and wiggled his index finger at her. “Come down here. I have something to tell you.”

  When Mavis leaned down, his lips met hers for an instant before Paycheck danced away. Her fingers touched her lips as she straightened in the saddle.

  Dex stood grinning at her.

  “Mavis Panzeri, you’re up with three.” The announcer’s voice came through the loud speaker as the previous rider rode out.

  Mavis’ lips still tingled from Dex’s touch, and she struggled to get her mind on her horse. After trotting Paycheck through the pattern once, she looped him through the second time. Down to her last time only she decided to see if Paycheck was paying attention today.

  She rode into the alleyway, took a few seconds to settle the gelding then started him back into the arena. Time to ask him to run.

  “Holy heck!” The words burst from her throat as she rounded the first barrel. This horse was young, but his moves were nearly as quick as Tuneful’s.

  Mavis let him take a few strides after coming out of the third barrel then eased him to a stop. Someone was going to have a great horse someday. Her air of satisfaction blew away on the realization it wouldn’t be her.

  She dismounted and loosened Paycheck’s cinch as Dex walked up to her.

  “I didn’t realize you had him going that fast.”

  “I don’t, but when I asked him to run, he did.” Mavis grinned as she took off the colt’s protective boots, wrapping one inside the other. “He’s everything we thought he was and more.”

  Dex held out his hand for the reins. “I’ll cool him out.”

  As Mavis watched them walk
away, she realized she didn’t want to give up either one of them. Too bad she didn’t usually get what she wanted.

  She’d cleaned the stall by the time Dex got back with Paycheck. Together they unsaddled the colt. Mavis brushed him down, and Dex made sure the water bucket was full. She still had a couple of hours before she ran Tuneful.

  Leading Paycheck into his stall, she took off his halter. The young animal immediately began eating the hay left from breakfast. She ran her hand down his neck and along his spine. The dark golden color of his coat glistened in the sunshine streaming through the door, in contrast to the deep black of his tail and mane. “You ran with the big dogs today, Paycheck. Your owner knew what he was doing when he named you.”

  Warmth surrounded Mavis as Dex’s arms wrapped around her waist. She couldn’t help leaning back into his embrace.

  “He’s going to be a good one, isn’t he?”

  Turning in his arms, Mavis looked up at him. She should push him away, duck under his arm, make her escape, but she’d didn’t have it in her. Being with Dex felt right. “What do you think of Texas?” The words were out before she could bite them back. They might be able to make it if they moved far away from home and their problems.

  “Big, dusty, great rodeos—okay, I guess. Why? Are you going to sneak me into your luggage and take me with you?”

  She could tell by the tone of his voice, he wasn’t taking her seriously. “Maybe. What would you do if I did?”

  Voices grew louder as people filled the aisles at the end of the timed runs. “Mavis?” Randi shouted from just outside the door.