Cowgirl Up

by Cheyenne Meadows

  “Can’t have our favorite vet gimpy.” Her hands roamed over his skin, found more tension, and coaxed the tired muscles into relaxation.

  “Favorite vet?”

  “Yep.”

  Her admission pleased him. Patting his thigh, he encouraged her to mirror his position. “Give me your foot.”

  She shook her head. “I’m fine. You’re the one who’s been up all night working.”

  He snorted, bent over, snagged her lower leg, and quickly pulled off her boot to reveal a cute white anklet sock underneath. Setting the boot aside, he placed her foot on his leg and started rubbing.

  Her eyes widened, then narrowed as pleasure coated her face. “You’ve got good hands.”

  “So I’m told.” He longed to touch her elsewhere, cup her breasts, explore her mound, delve into her moist well. Know her body inside and out before thrusting for home. To feel those glorious hands of hers exploring his body and his aching cock.

  He mentally shook his head, dispelling the erotic thoughts. At this rate I’ll need a cold shower after a simple foot massage. Pretty damn pitiful.

  “Are you going to get a nap this afternoon?” She peeked up at him through her lashes.

  “Don’t need it.” He might be a bit tired, but was nowhere near the end of his rope. SEAL training taught him to continue on without sleep. For days if needed. He might have retired from the military, but some habits stuck with him, so ingrained they always would.

  Trinity tilted her head. “I never asked. Do you get a room each weekend? Have an RV? Where do you sleep and eat while on the road?”

  “My uncle has an RV. Since he likes me, I get to sleep on his couch.” He chuckled at Trinity’s widened eyes and opened mouth. “I prefer the couch, actually. Crawling up in bed with a man who snores like a bulldog isn’t my idea of a way to a good night’s sleep.”

  “So you have home away from home?”

  “Sort of. While the RV has all the amenities, we really don’t cook that much. My aunt makes sure the fridge is stocked, but that’s about the limit. We eat out a lot. But, it saves having to pay for hotel rooms each weekend.”

  “I thought the rodeo association would cover your room and board.” She moved lower to work on his instep.

  “Wishful thinking. Budgets are tight, so that’s one of the perks that went out the window a couple years ago.” He molded her foot and gently stroked, finding the mutual massage and conversation actually relaxing. He couldn’t imagine doing this with any other woman than Trinity. It felt right, soothing.

  Just another reason he’d decided to step up to the plate. The end of the rodeo season was fast approaching, thus he needed to find out what, if anything, existed between them before they parted ways. Maybe forever. That meant hanging out with her during his free time, getting to know her a bit more, and asking her out. He’d managed two of the three so far today.

  “What about the finals. Are you going to be one of the vets there?”

  He read the hope in her expressive eyes. “Yeah. Since it’s the largest event with the most livestock, they pull in most of the circuit vets in order to have people available 24-7. With all the expensive animals there for a full ten days, they don’t want to take any chances.” He paused to take another drink, then slide the cold beverage between his legs with the hope it might cool off his heated blood and throbbing cock. “Since you’re the points leader, you’re automatically in, right?”

  She nodded and beamed. “Yep. Lacey too. If nothing changes this weekend, we’re both in.”

  “Well deserved.”

  “Thanks.” Trinity indicated she needed his other foot. Cody obliged by resting his other foot on her thigh while taking the opportunity to gather up her other foot, remove her footwear, and set it aside.

  Immediately, they went to work on the new foot, stroking and kneading.

  “Do you ever miss steer wrestling?”

  He considered the query for only a second. “Not really. Hard on the body. Definitely a young man’s sport.”

  Trinity offered up a soft smile. “Bet you could still go out there and win a round or three. You were always one of the top competitors.”

  The praise sent a puff of warmth over him. “I think I’ll leave the sport to the spring roosters. I get plenty of wrestling with those roping calves that are full of attitude and just big enough to bowl a guy over.”

  She continued to massage his foot making it feel so much better. He’d never had a foot rub before but quickly decided he’d line up for the service as long as Trinity was on the giving end.

  “Don’t tell me those adorable baby calves are difficult?” Her eyes shined with unveiled humor.

  He snorted. “Difficult? More like crafty. All innocent and sweet until you get close then it’s all out chaos, combined with a game of trample the vet in the process. I swear they all have it in for me. Deceptively cute but damn uncooperative. Why do you think I have to deal with them? The other guys paid their dues and stick to the animals you can shove into a chute these days. They’d rather take on the biggest bulls than deal with those little ruffians.”

  Trinity laughed, the melodic sound putting a grin on his face.

  Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine sitting in the horse barn at a rodeo shooting the bull with a pretty woman while they worked on one another’s feet. Yet, he wouldn’t have it any other way. Not when he was secretly having a ball. Comfortable. Content. Happy. Words he hadn’t used in a long while.

  “But they’re cute.”

  “Uh-huh. All part of their disguise.”

  She arched an eyebrow his direction. “Did you really have sex with Aubrey in the bucking chutes?”

  He kept his lips firmly closed, but couldn’t hold back the amused smile.

  “Well, did you?” She pressed on his instep and banished the tightness with her gentle touch.

  A bit uncomfortable, he glanced up at the ceiling before returning to meet her gaze. “Here’s the scoop. I only did half of what people reported that I did.”

  She pursed her lips. “Which half?”

  He chuckled and ran his hands over her delicately carved arch. “Now that would be telling.”

  “Exactly. So spill the beans.”

  “Not happening.” He shook his head.

  “Why not?”

  “Because I’m smart and smart men never talk about past exploits.” In front of my current conquest. He didn’t dare tack that last part on. Not yet.

  Her face scrunched up in bafflement. “What’s all the locker room talk about then?”

  “Bragging. Boasting. Making up stories to show off in front of the other guys.”

  “And they say women are the gossips.” She snorted.

  He chuckled. “Not touching that with a pitchfork.”

  “My brother didn’t raise a dumb one.” Jared’s voice broke into their conversation.

  Trinity tensed and twisted in her seat.

  Cody watched his uncle stride toward them with a bemused grin. The old coot had been eavesdropping. He’d been too distracted by Trinity to notice Jared’s entry into the area. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

  Jared stopped beside them both. “Anytime.”

  Trinity tried to take her feet back, but Cody held on tight. No reason to stop the massage just because his uncle appeared. “Trinity, this is my uncle, Jared. Jared I think you already know Trinity.”

  Jared tipped his hat in her direction. “Pleasure. I’ve been watching you run. Quite a stud you have.”

  She smiled up at him. “Thank you.”

  “No, thank you for giving this old man something to look forward to each weekend.” The corners of his mouth hitched up. “I didn’t mean to interrupt,” he glanced down at Cody’s feet on Trinity’s lap, “the foot massage clinic, but I’d heard a rumor of some delicious pie with my name written on a piece. I don’t mean to be beggin’ like a common street urchin, but this kid doesn’t seem to be trotting back to the camper with a pie anytime soon and I
have this hankerin’ for something sweet.”

  Cody snorted. His uncle was pouring it on big time. Good thing he’d worn boots to wade through all the crap Jared laid down.

  “I did promise.” Trinity started to get up, then frowned at Cody when he didn’t move his feet.

  Cody shrugged, then inclined his head toward the cooler. “I’m too comfortable to move. Surely, Jared can find his own pie?”

  Jared shot him a look rife with humor. “I certainly can. If you’ll just direct me.”

  Trinity rolled her eyes and leaned over to open the cooler lid. “It’s the top one.”

  “I’ll just cut it—”

  “Nope. That whole pie is yours. I brought a spare just for you.” She beamed up at Jared.

  He collected the dessert wrapped in a plastic bag and smiled like a kid on Christmas morning. “Cherry. My favorite.” After closing the lid, he turned his attention back to Trinity. “Thank you. You made this old man happy.”

  She nodded. “My pleasure. Carmen coached me through it, so it should be edible.”

  “It’ll be fantastic.” Jared held his treasure close and swiveled to stare at Cody with a wicked gleam in his eye. “Enjoy your massage.”

  “Will do,” Cody answered with humor. His uncle might be trying to yank his chain, but Cody didn’t care. He’d take all the ribbing in the world to continue enjoying this moment with Trinity.

  Jared walked away, leaving them alone once more.

  “He seemed nice.” Trinity went back to work on the top portion of his foot.

  “He’s a good man. Tough when he has to be.”

  “Why do I have a feeling you’re going to hear about this later?” She peered up at him from under her lashes.

  “Because I probably will. Nosey old guy won’t let the opportunity to rib me pass.” He leaned forward just a bit to share a little secret. “I’d do the same if I were in his shoes.”

  Trinity treated him to a true smile, one that seeped into his very soul.

  “It must have been nice growing up on a ranch as big as your father’s.”

  “Lots of work.” He recalled the endless summer days of working in the hay field, branding cattle, breaking horses. Rarely did he have free time during the week to just be a kid. The weekends were another story. The rodeos provided hours of freedom allowing him to make up for lost time. Sewed his wild oats and then some.

  “I can imagine, but honest work.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Is your father like Jared?” She tilted her head and tickled his toes.

  “Pretty much. My grandmother swears they’re cut from the same cloth.” A lot of teens found themselves butting heads with their parents, rebelling, and sneaking around. He didn’t have to do much of that. Both his mother and father were quite open about everything for as long as he could remember, making their home life pretty damn good. Sure, they argued now and again, and he chafed at not being able to do everything he wanted, but he learned to deal. Good lessons that carried him into the SEALs.

  “Does that mean I can butter him up with a cherry pie as well?”

  He grinned, pleased at her line of thought. “Honey, you bake a pie and just about any man will bow at your feet.”

  “Including you?”

  “Including me.”

  Her eyes widened slightly before the corner of her mouth hitched up slightly. “Bowing isn’t necessary.”

  “Then what is?” He hadn’t missed the telltale expression that portrayed interest in him.

  She stared at him for a moment, drew in a deep breath, then blew it out. “Nothing really. I’d make you a pie just to see you smile.”

  Something in the vicinity of his heart clicked into place.

  Chapter Ten

  Trinity locked up the storage compartment after stashing her tack inside. Legacy waited for her at the side of the trailer, still needing to be walked in order to cool down. Most other barrel horses didn’t hardly break a sweat in the few seconds they were full throttle. Legacy, true to his bloodlines, ran hot. He geared up for the event both physically and psychologically and tended to end up with some damp patches by the time he finished. All part of the racehorse psyche, she supposed.

  After pocketing the keys, she untied his lead rope and led him toward the grassy outskirts, away from prying eyes, cars, and distractions. Since the rodeo occurred during the afternoon hours, she had the evenings to wind down and focus on Legacy.

  Absently, she petted the horse’s neck as they meandered past the warm-up ring and kept going.

  “These small rings just aren’t for us, Legacy.” Trinity blew out a breath. They’d come in third the last two runs. Lacey, on board the smaller framed Candy, took the rounds easily. While Trinity applauded her friend, she couldn’t shake the worry about lost opportunities coming back to bite her in the butt.

  The only problem is the arena was just too small for her mount. Legacy’s long strides called for longer distances. This stop along the way didn’t offer such luxury. Instead, she found the finish line appearing before Legacy had a chance to hit top gear.

  “It’ll be okay. It has to be.” She’d added up the points last night and knew it would be close. Only the top twenty-five in the country received invites to the national finals, which meant she needed every placing she could squeak out.

  Freshly cut grass softened her steps. Deciding the spot fit as well as any, she began to lead Legacy in large circles, ensuring he cooled down adequately before putting him back in his stall. Shortcuts never paid off, and her fatigue levels didn’t count for a pile of beans in the scheme of things.

  The miles had worn her down along with the seemingly endless stops every weekend. She spent her week busting hiney at the farm, then hooked up the trailer and headed all over the country just to reach the next competition. Bone tired, she still couldn’t sleep much on the weekends. Strange environments and a lumpy cot made rest a challenge.

  Not for the first time she wondered if all the sacrifice was worth it. Her dream might be close to fruition, but the sacrifices piled up.

  “Does the price we pay equal the reward?” she asked Legacy who snorted and slapped his tail at a fly.

  Too bad she couldn’t take a weekend off and just rest and relax at home. Unfortunately, with the race so tight, she couldn’t afford to miss a single rodeo. Hell, I can’t afford to knock a single barrel down, either. The pressure was on and she struggled under the load.

  The season couldn’t end soon enough. Then she could move on to bigger and better things.

  The only bright spot right now was Cody. She’d come to look forward to their visits, to chit-chat with him, share a meal or two. He gave her a reason to smile and a dream to aim for. While they were simply friends, that didn’t stop her from imagining what life would be like if they crossed the line into dating.

  If only things were different…

  She cringed at the phrase that drove her nuts over the years.

  Sighing wearily, she appraised Legacy. “I think we’re good, don’t you?”

  He stopped, lowered his head, and started grazing. She didn’t have the heart to tug him away from the fresh grass since he saw little of it on the weekends. Relegating herself to hanging out for a while, Trinity let the lead go slack in her hands and simply followed along as Legacy moved around to find the choicest clumps.

  After a few minutes of grazing, she headed him in the proper direction, not wanting him to gorge on grass. He came across the junction of gravel and grass and snorted.

  “Yeah, I know, big guy. But, look at it this way. We can go back to your stall and feed you a bucket of grain.”

  He picked up his head as if he understood her words and walked hurriedly at her side.

  Trinity almost had to trot to keep up. “Geez. You’d think I was starving you.” She shook her head and kept up the pace in preference of being dragged behind. Sure, he’d check his stride if she yanked him back, but Trinity learned long ago to let him have his way much of the tim
e. A happy Legacy made her life easier. An unhappy one set up pitfalls and barriers at every turn.

  “Just like your father. I swear.”

  “That’s the rumor.”

  Trinity glanced over to find Cody leaning against the end stall, arms crossed over his chest with a relaxed look on his face. His eyes raked Legacy, then her, leaving a pleasurable glow behind.

  Bewilderment crossed his face. “What’s his rush?”

  “I said the word ‘grain’.” She rolled her eyes and scampered along as Legacy eyed his stall a few feet away, intent upon getting there immediately.

  Cody chuckled. “He figured that one out, huh?”

  “Umm. Yeah.” Before she could reach for the stall door, Cody closed the distance in a blink and opened the door with ease.

  Legacy entered the stall, went straight to the back, found his empty bucket, and stomped with obvious frustration. He swung his head around and eyed Trinity.

  “Give me a second. Good grief.” She unsnapped the lead rope, grabbed his feed bucket and carried it back to the aisle. Digging her keys out, she headed back toward the trailer.

  While some competitors left their feed sitting around, she didn’t. Maybe she was just less trusting than others or more paranoid, but she took every precaution to make sure Legacy’s grain didn’t disappear or get tampered with. She hated to think anyone would do such a thing. Unfortunately, the reality was seriously messed up people existed and her horse depended upon her for everything. Failure simply wasn’t an option.

  “Mind if I tag along?” Cody fell into step with her.

  “Nope. Not at all. I just have to get the bag of feed from the truck and bring it up. That will hold until tomorrow morning when I can lock it up again.”

  “Cautious.”

  “Yep.” She slowed as she reached the trailer, jammed the key in the side, then opened up the door. There, she collected the new full bag of feed. The moment she lifted it, Cody plucked it from her hands.

  “I can get it.”