Caught by the Cowboy

by Ana Lewin

  Not even bothering to answer that, Grant got up off the couch and headed up to his bedroom, not sure what he was going to do for the next couple of hours but knowing that he had to do anything other than be around Olivia.

  ***

  Two weeks had passed since Olivia’s arrival on the ranch and being around her hadn’t gotten any easier. Her smile still made him want to kiss her senseless, while at the same time annoying him when it was aimed toward someone else. In fact, he was fairly certain being around her had gotten harder because she took to life on the ranch like a fish took to water.

  Unlike his initial assumption, she hadn’t gone running for the hills the first time she’d had to muck out a horse pen. She’d done it happily, laughing at his jokes the whole time. More than just doing her job, though, she’d gone completely above and beyond. The woman wanted to learn how to do everything, from cleaning the horse enclosures to building a fence to plucking eggs from the chicken coop. By now she’d spent a good amount of time with each one of the staff members, trying out all the tasks that they did on the daily. Even Finn had had his share of time with her, although Grant was pretty sure he died inside a little bit whenever she made an appearance to disturb his silent, lonely work.

  She hadn’t quite come equipped with all the right equipment for ranch life, though, which is why she was in the passenger seat of his rackety old truck as they headed into Pelmsemet. “I probably should have done a little more research on what clothes I was going to need working on a ranch,” she mused from the passenger seat, staring out the window at the drenched fields that were flying past.

  “I get the feeling that you did plenty of research as it is.”

  One thing he’d learned quickly about Olivia was that she was able to take in a lot of information, very quickly. At one point, she’d off-handedly mentioned that she’d researched sixty different ranches across the country before deciding to contact them and ask to volunteer. Sixty ranches. He’d had to ask if he’d heard right at first, thinking that his ears deceived him. But he’d been met with a cheery, “Well, of course. I had to know I was picking the right one,” and after that he’d just stopped asking if he’d heard her right.

  Out of the corner of his eye he caught a hint of a blush on her cheeks, but she didn’t turn to face him. “Not enough, considering we have to go into town after only two weeks. I can’t believe I didn’t think of rain boots. One of the articles I read should have told me about that.”

  Her speech was slightly less formal than when she arrived at the ranch, but not by much. It was something she seemed to be having trouble shaking, not that he would ever ask her to. Despite himself, he found her big words and the way she always gave people her last name cute. “You couldn’t have planned everything out perfectly. You’d never even seen a horse before, Liv.”

  Everyone else had taken to calling her by the shorter nickname, but it still felt weird coming out of his mouth. Like he shouldn’t be allowed to be so familiar with her. It almost felt dangerous. He focused his gaze firmly back on the road in front of them, pushing the windshield wipers up to high speed to combat the rain that was pounding down. “I like being prepared,” she insisted.

  Chuckling, he changed the topic to something he’d been itching to talk about with her since she arrived. “What are you planning on doing once you’re done volunteering here? Straight back to New York City, right?”

  That got her perked up, and she finally stopped staring out into the rain to look at him. “I might have mentioned it in my first message to you, but I want to study agricultural science. Make things more efficient and environmentally friendly, and work on all of that. Hopefully I’ll be able to convince my parents to help me out with some school expenses.”

  Agricultural science… he vaguely remembered that from her introduction email, but he hadn’t thought she’d been serious. Grant had assumed that was more something she said to talk herself up and make sure that she would get a place as a volunteer. “If your parents have the means to help you, why do you have to convince them?” he asked.

  For a couple seconds she didn’t say anything, the silence hanging heavy between them. When she finally did speak, she gave a half-answer. “It’s just how they are.”

  They fell into silence again. Grant couldn’t help but think that she was still under the influence of her parents, but the more he thought about it the more it made sense. She was young, she would do whatever they wanted her to do. Including leave the ranch at the drop of a hat. Yet another reason he absolutely should not get involved with her in any way, shape, or form. “Do you have any plans other than the ranch?” she asked as they were coming up to the first stoplight in town.

  He almost laughed at the irony of her timing. People always assumed that he wanted to do something else, that he couldn’t possibly want to live on a ranch his whole life. Especially city girls like Olivia. It just solidified how wrong they were for each other, despite the attraction. “Nope, just the ranch. Maybe a wife and kids one day, but I always want to stay on the ranch.”

  “I think that would be a nice life,” the way she mused about it made him certain that she was only saying that.

  ***

  “Hey Grant, how’s Spark doing?” Hank’s voice called out from the front counter when he and Olivia entered the shop.

  “Recovering well,” he called back, “He’s going to be alright.”

  Spark was a horse from Honeydew Ranch, a client favorite. The previous week he’d torn a ligament and was on stall rest to heal. Luckily Finn had determined that it was only a minor injury. “Are you the new volunteer?” finished helping the customer he’d been with, Hank came over to them and held out a hand to Olivia. “I’m Hank Levins, I own the store.”

  Hank was an older man, mid-fifties, and he had a daughter around Olivia’s age. He was always fishing around for friends for her, although Mia didn’t seem to be all that interested in female friendships. The woman spent all of her time underneath cars, both at work and at home. Giving Hank a wide smile, Olivia took his hand and introduced herself, still giving her damn last name like she did every single time. As expected, Hank brought up Mia and Grant wandered off into the aisles of the small supply store, picking out everything that he needed for the ranch. They would get Olivia’s rain boots here too, but he knew that Hank would help her with that.

  “Grant?” the voice made him jump, but he was certain it was just his imagination. “Grant, it’s me.”

  Finally turning around, he stared at the woman in front of him, who might as well have been a ghost. Long blonde hair trailed down in loose curls to her waist, where perfectly manicured nails tapped against the black Gucci purse on her hip. She was wearing a tan sweater and tight black jeans that hugged her curves and briefly reminded him of what it felt like to touch them before he managed to push that unwelcome thought away. All her clothing was high fashion, not something that was frequently seen in Pelmsemet, Tennessee. “Bri,” his tone was flat, hiding the whirlwind of emotions going through him. “What are you doing here? Don’t you live in New York now?”

  Cocking one impeccably lined eyebrow at him, she laughed. “And I’m not allowed to come back for a visit?”

  Not saying anything, he turned around to continue browsing the section in front of him, even though he didn’t need anything else. He could still hear her breathing beside him, too close for comfort. Hell, Bri being in Tennessee at all was having her too close for comfort. Even though he hoped she would just walk away, he didn’t expect her to. Bri wouldn’t have spoken to him if she didn’t have a purpose. Something to tell him. Something to ask him for. “Fine, have it your way. If you must know, I’m getting married.”

  Of all the things she could have said to him, that was probably the biggest gut punch. “And why does that have any relevance to the fact that you’re currently in Pelmsemet?”

  He’d tried to keep the sting of pain from his voice, but she must know how he was feeling. A sly grin spread across her face.
“He’s from here. We’re staying with his parents for a few days before we head back to New York City for the wedding.”

  “Congratulations,” the word was hollow, but he had to say it. He couldn’t just let her win without even giving himself a fighting chance, as much as his heart squeezed in his chest at the prospect of her marrying someone else from the town. Someone else who’d been willing to move to New York City, just like she had.

  Her purpose for talking to him had been to rub it in his face that she was beyond happy with her new life in New York — her new life without him. And even though they’d broken up three years ago now, it still stung worse than he was willing to admit to anyone. There had been many times over the years that he wondered if he would just be better off moving to a bigger city, somewhere women wanted to live. “Grant?” Olivia popped her head around the corner, finding the two of them standing in the aisle. “Hey, Hank helped me find the boots I need. Are you almost done?”

  It was like she was ignoring Bri’s presence on purpose, which annoyed his ex to no end. She spun on her sky-high heels and plastered that big, fake smile on her face as she held her hand out to Olivia. “Hi, there!” there it was, the small-town charm that had wooed him in the first place. “I’m Brianna. How do you know Grant?”

  Usually Olivia shook hands daintily like she was scared of something breaking. This time, she grasped Bri’s hand firmly and shook it once before dropping it like she was on fire. “Olivia Montgomery. I live on the ranch.”

  He couldn’t help but notice how different the two of them looked. Both held themselves with poise but while Bri never showed genuine emotion, Olivia was wearing her annoyance clearly on her face. Olivia had abandoned her fancy hair products after a few days on the ranch, opting instead to just wear her hair up in a tidy bun most of the time. Grant honestly couldn’t remember if he’d ever seen Bri in casual clothing or without makeup on, and he’d definitely never seen her with a smudge of dirt on her cheek like Olivia got after a riding lesson. They’d dated for three years, so that was saying something.

  Bri had a look on her face now that told him that she was about to try to cause some trouble. “Oh how cute!” she said. “You’re one of Grant’s volunteers, aren’t you? I’m Grant’s ex-girlfriend from a little while ago. Are from just from Johnson City, or did you come all the way from Knoxville?”

  If Olivia hadn’t been from New York City, she probably would have missed the insult in Bri’s words with how nicely she asked. But as it was, Olivia’s jaw clenched in annoyance. “I’m from New York, actually,” she bit out, not confirming or denying the statement that she was one of the volunteers.

  Surprise lasting only a second, Bri laughed. “That’s even sweeter. How wonderful.”

  His mind had been lagging behind the conversation, but he finally sensed an opportunity to jump in, sliding past Bri in the aisle so that he could place a hand on the small of Olivia’s back. “We have to go. Busy day and all. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding.”

  Herding Olivia away like she was one of his cows, they paid Hank quickly and fled the building, walking down the main thorough-fair. “What a bitch,” Olivia didn’t hold her tongue for long after they’d exited the store. “You dated her?”

  “Yes, but it’s in the past,” his tone was brusque as he brushed it off.

  Hearing about Bri getting married shouldn’t have hurt him. They’d been broken up for years and he knew she was a bitch even back when they were together. But it felt like he had a big open wound in his heart from seeing her again. Olivia looked taken aback by his tone, but she dropped the topic and they went about their shopping for the day.

  Chapter 4

  Olivia

  It kept running through her head, over and over again. She couldn’t believe she’d voiced her thoughts about the woman they’d come across in the store. It was so unlike her. Gossip and talking about people behind their backs wasn’t her style at all, but something about Brianna had just rubbed her the wrong way.

  She would by lying if she said it didn’t have anything to do with the fact that she was Grant’s ex.

  But still, she shouldn’t have called her a bitch. Especially not since she had no idea if Grant was still friendly with her. For God’s sake, she might have walked in on Brianna inviting Grant to her wedding, if the congratulations he’d given her was any indication. Olivia wasn’t sure if she should apologize for her comment or just leave it alone, but she certainly didn’t feel comfortable bringing it up again if he didn’t mention it first.

  The rest of their shopping had been silent, a strange feeling between them as if she’d crossed a line. He’d left her alone in a clothing store to get a good coat for the ranch, running off in the rain to do his own thing, before coming back to pick her up and walk her to the truck again. Rain was coming down at an angle on them by the time they were nearing the truck, and the umbrella Grant held over their head wasn’t doing all that much to protect them. She was grateful when she hopped inside and closed the door to block out the rain. Even more grateful when they were on their way down the road and heat was starting to fill the cab.

  “Thanks for taking me into town today,” she said it just to say something. “Especially since it’s not the best weather for it.”

  “This is the weather you’re going to need those boots for,” he pointedly looked at her feet. She’d already put them on before they’d left the clothing store, and she was wearing her new coat too. “You would’ve completely ruined your other ones if you’d tried to wear them outside in this weather.”

  A couple of cars stopped in front of them distracted them both from the conversation. Brake lights lit up the dim, cloudy evening, her confusion growing when the car in the front of the line was instructed by a man in reflective gear to turn around and head back. Grant cursed and ran a hand through his hair in irritation but she didn’t realize why until they came up to the front of the line and Grant rolled down his window. The road was filled with water just down the hill, stretching for at least a while ahead. “How long until this is cleared up?” Grant asked the man in reflective gear.

  “Sorry, Grant. Doesn’t look like it’ll be fixed tonight. Maybe not even tomorrow, depending on how this rain holds up. You’ll have to get yourself a room at the inn.”

  The man looked apologetic, as if he somehow had a hand in controlling the weather. “Thanks for the info. I’ll see you around.”

  He rolled up the window again as he pulled the truck around to head back to town, blocking out the sounds of the storm. “Has this happened before?” she asked once they were well on their way and he hadn’t yet said anything else to her.

  “Often enough. Usually only once a year or so. I’d thought we’d be able to beat it if it happened today, but apparently not.”

  “Apparently not,” she echoed his words.

  It was only five minutes later when they pulled into a packed parking lot in front of a building with the word ‘Inn’ over the double front doors. Grant looked worried, but she didn’t question it as they both got out of the truck and jogged to the entrance, fruitless in their efforts to keep the rain off them. “I hear the road’s flooded,” an older woman greeted Grant as soon as he set foot in the lobby. “Not a good time for it. This poor couple are getting married this weekend.”

  “That why you’re so busy here?”

  “Yeah. I’ve only got one room left. It’ll be $120 for the night.”

  Olivia was constantly surprised by how friendly Grant was with everyone in town. There didn’t seem to be a single person that he didn’t know, at least in passing. He fit in here like she would never be able to. “Does it happen to have two beds?” Grant didn’t sound optimistic.

  “Nope. One king size. And I’m out of cots to, but I can get you some extra blankets.”

  This time the woman looked her up and down, and she blushed. She didn’t exactly look her best at the moment, hair frizzing out from her previously tidy bun as her cheeks flushed from the sudde
n warmth of the inn. “Do you know how the roads are through Greeneville?”

  “Not good enough to go back out there to try. By the time you get back I’ll probably have sold my last room and you’ll be sleeping on the couches in the lounge.”

  Grant let out a resigned sigh and pulled out his wallet, just as the exchange was starting to sink in for her. They only had one room available. One room with a king bed. That they would have to share overnight, because there was no safe way to get back to the ranch. Briefly, she considered taking the woman up on her offer to sleep on the couches in the lounge, because she wasn’t sure what good could come of sharing a bed with Grant. Olivia didn’t have the kind of self-control necessary for that.

  One quick look at the rowdy wedding crowd in the lounge made up her mind. She would be taking her chances.

  ***

  The click of the lock sliding back into place when they got into the room was almost ominous as if they were leaving the whole world behind. In a way, they were. Cell service was spotty because of the storm, and even though she’d managed to get Levi on the phone to tell him they would have to stay the night in town, he’d only been on the line for thirty seconds before she’d lost him again. They were 100% alone in this hotel room.

  “I’m sorry about this,” Grant’s voice was strained as he emptied his pockets and took a seat in an armchair sitting in the corner of the small room. “Today has been an all-around shit day and of course it ends in this.”

  Her hackles raised immediately, a pang of hurt going through her at how annoyed he was. It must be absolutely terrible to be stuck here all alone with her. At least his views made it easy for her to avoid coming on to him. “Not your fault,” this time she was being short, just like he had been earlier when she’d mentioned Brianna.