Christmas Cowboy

by Claire Adams

  I waved his words away.

  “It is though. Every female that I’ve talked to is interested in you, so—”

  “Everyone?” he repeated skeptically.

  “Every single one,” I assured him. “Anyway, what about a silent auction? The highest bidders get to have a private dinner right here with you. I can figure out the details once the insurance adjuster comes out, and we can figure how much it’ll cost to rebuild the barn and—”

  “Whoa. Hold on a minute.” Colt held up his hand, frowning at me. He leaned forward in his chair. “Why can’t we do this at the restaurant?”

  I looked around at the spacious dining room with hardwood floors, expensive paintings, and the high arching windows that overlooked the forest.

  “This place is beautiful. It’s romantic. You might get lucky and laid. Hey, I’m just trying to honor your sister’s request here.”

  “My sister said you,” Colt said with a piercing look that sent shivers up my spine. “I’ll do whatever it takes to help, but sex is off the table with the other women.”

  A small part of me danced at that. He only wanted to have sex with me. I stomped down on that victorious thought before I could let the excitement settle further. No men, Cheyenne. Just horses.

  “Whatever you are comfortable with,” I managed to say, reaching for my water glass. “Thank you for doing all this for me. I can leave if you—”

  “Cheyenne, stop it. If I didn’t want you here, I would tell you. Listen, I want you to stay.”

  My heart raced when the pitch in Colt’s voice lowered. This was a bad idea, coming back here alone with the frail expectation that nothing would happen. I pushed my plate away, my appetite gone again, then rose from the table on wobbly legs.

  “I—uh—”

  Colt stood up as well. I wanted to believe it was a habit of his. Whenever I rose from the table, or a seated position, he stood up too. This time, however, I could see from the darkening color in his irises that he had every intention of coming around the kitchen table.

  Run. Run.

  “Cheyenne—” He took a step forward, one hand extended towards me. I was tempted to reach out, and feel those strong hands cradling mine again, but I knew what would happen. I knew that letting his hand touch mine would lead to more, and I just couldn’t allow that to happen.

  “I have to go,” I said, backing away from the table. “I’m sorry, Colt. Coming here tonight, uh—it was a bad idea.”

  I turned on my heel before he could say anything and darted up to the guest room. I had to get out before he convinced me to stay.

  Chapter 10

  Colt

  I could hear the sound of Cheyenne’s footsteps dashing up the staircase and into the safety of the guest room. Not that I blamed her for wanting to run. A sudden rush—an impulse—had come over me. It had all started with the way Cheyenne had looked at me with that feminine approval.

  It took all of my restraint to avoid rushing up there to convince her to come back down. This wasn’t who I was, but I was bursting at the seams for this woman. I wanted her—badly. I didn’t know how much more I could possibly take with all this alone time. Tiffany would be in the hospital for another couple of days, and then she would have to stay near the hospital to do physical therapy.

  We were going to be alone for almost a week. An entire damned week of wondering what it would be like to see Cheyenne without any clothes on whenever I heard her turn on the shower. My entire body was going to be blue by the end of this week. I could already feel it.

  Grabbing a glass of water, I swallowed the icy liquid, trying to calm the fire within. It took a few minutes before I regained control over my body again, enough control to feel confident enough to go up the stairs and knock on the door of the guest bedroom.

  “Cheyenne?” I called out, listening to her footsteps halt. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

  “You didn’t make me uncomfortable, Colt. That’s the problem.”

  “How is that a problem?”

  Footsteps approached the door, but she didn’t open it. I leaned against the wood to hear her response.

  “Because I told myself a long time ago that I couldn’t be with anyone,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “I don’t even know you, but you’re so kind and compassionate to help me out like this. I don’t want to lose that from you, or Tiffany.”

  “You wouldn’t lose either one of us,” I said, frowning. “I know we don’t know each other, but if you give me the chance—”

  “I don’t have the time, Colt. The sanctuary was burned down. I have to rebuild, even though I don’t want to. I want to go back to Portland, to be honest with you.”

  I could hear the tears in her voice now. An indescribable panic filled my chest when I thought of Cheyenne leaving Green Point.

  “You can’t run away from everything that goes wrong in your life,” I said, resting a hand on the door. “You know, I did that too when things went to shit here at the ranch. I wanted to run away when my parents were gone, to go back to the city and get back to my old life.”

  Cheyenne was quiet for a moment.

  “Why didn’t you?” Her voice was quiet, her emotions just under the surface.

  “Because I wasn’t achieving a damn thing by running,” I said, resolutely. “I knew that the more I ran from everything here, the worse it would be when I had to come back. You can rebuild the barn, Cheyenne. You can keep the sanctuary going. I’ll help you do that dinner thing you talked about downstairs if that will keep you here.”

  I grimaced at the last part. Whatever it took to keep Cheyenne in Green Point, I would do it. Even if it involved me bringing a woman into my house for a pointless dinner.

  The door opened. I caught myself on the door frame as Cheyenne swept a cautious gaze up and down my body.

  “We can’t be involved romantically,” she said. “At least, for now. Not until I get the sanctuary back up and running.”

  “Cowboy honor.” I mock saluted her which earned a smile in response. “I’m sorry for what happened downstairs. It’s hard when I want to be close to you.”

  Her smile wavered a bit. “I know. It’s hard for me too, but it’s for the better that it stays this way. It would hurt me to lose you, or Tiffany if something happened between us that didn’t end well.”

  “I don’t treat anyone badly afterward. Just so you know.”

  “Bill Coates tells a different story,” Cheyenne said, arching a playful eyebrow at me. “I heard that you two are sworn enemies. Not that I blame you, given what happened to the both of us.”

  “I never said that I was a good guy, but I’m decent.”

  Cheyenne giggled as she pushed the door open fully. I caught sight of her duffle bag on the floor, her clothes half-packed on the floor next to it.

  “You are a good guy,” she said. “Trust me. I have a good sense of good men versus bad ones.”

  I leaned into the doorframe with my shoulder as she went to the bag. Relief went through me when she pulled out a stack of clothes. “I imagine a shitty experience taught you that in Portland. That’s what I’m guessing, at least.”

  “You guessed right.” She set a stack of shirts on the bed, turning to look at me with a small smile. “Thank you for coming up here to apologize, and I’m really sorry for running out on you.”

  “You get spooked easily. Duly noted.”

  She chewed on her bottom lip, and it took all my self-control to not focus on what it would be like to nibble there. Clenching my hands into fists, I straightened up to nod at her stiffly.

  “I better get some sleep. We’ll have to have that fire some other time.”

  “I’ll hold you to it.”

  I shut the door behind me as I retreated down the hallway to my bedroom. Collapsing on the bed, I stared up at the ceiling with a long sigh. I needed either a strong drink or another long hot shower while imagining my hand was Cheyenne’s. Sleep wouldn’t come easily, even if I downed
a bottle of whiskey. Every inch of me was taut with desire. It only worsened because she hadn’t run because she felt uncomfortable. She had run because it was tempting for her too.

  It was clear that even if Cheyenne shared the same physical yearning I felt, she’d fight it to the end. She’d be fighting until she felt comfortable enough to act on those feelings. The barn was symbolic in her head as a timeline on when she could act on those feelings.

  One wrong step, and I’d ruin any sort of chance of winning over Cheyenne’s trust. I just didn’t know how much more I could possibly take trying to be at her side as a friend, rather than what I really wanted to be.

  Chapter 11

  Cheyenne

  I heard Colt rise shortly before the sun rose the next morning. Sunlight was spilling in through the blinds, but there wasn’t any warmth to be felt. The chill in the morning air was unmistakable. Summer was officially gone, and now I had a very limited time to get the barn rebuilt with no leads of who started it.

  Rubbing a hand across my face, I kicked the warm blankets and sheets back to get dressed for the day. The horses would need to be brushed and rode today, so I didn’t even want to think of showering just yet. I jogged down the stairs to the kitchen where I could smell a pot of coffee brewing and stopped short at the sight that greeted me.

  Colt’s head was stuck in the fridge as he rummaged around for something that I couldn’t see. My eyes were glued to his well-muscled ass that those semi-tight jeans hugged. This was another reason why I needed to get the barn rebuilt. I couldn’t afford to stick around with Colt as a temptation to stay. The night before had been a breathing testament to that. It had been so tempting then to give in, to let him kiss me. The heat in my stomach knew exactly where things would’ve gone the night before if I hadn’t turned away.

  He straightened to look at me with a frown. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” I said quickly. “I was trying to see what you were doing in there.”

  “Finding some fresh eggs that I had got from the chicken coop yesterday,” Colt said, and he held up the container full of eggs. “Care for some breakfast before you start the day?”

  “Sure. That would be nice.”

  I took a seat on a breakfast bar stool while Colt poured us both a mug of coffee. He set about the kitchen confidently, whisking eggs together in a bowl and pouring the egg batter into a frying pan on the stove.

  “I am going to head into the hospital to check on Tiffany,” Colt said. “She should be back tomorrow to recoup here from the surgery.” He took a sip of his coffee. “I’ll have to drive her to therapy every other day.”

  “She doesn’t need to worry about helping me either,” I said. “I can manage the horses on my own, so she can take the time to rest.”

  “She really loves working with you and the horses. I’m sure she’ll be watching enviously from the living room window.”

  Colt chuckled as he grabbed a spatula to chop the egg batter. The smell of cooked eggs filled the kitchen as he worked around the stove. I cradled my coffee mug close while I studied the muscles in his back. He was so strong that it was hard not to wonder how those muscles felt beneath warm and tanned skin.

  Back to reality, Cheyenne.

  Scooping a portion of scrambled eggs on the plate, Colt set it in front of me with a smile before loading up his own plate. He folded his long body onto the bar stool next to mine before digging in without hesitation.

  “I have to be at the restaurant today too,” Colt said through a mouthful of eggs. “I’ll be there all day and night, so if you need anything, make sure to talk to Rick. He should be here within the next hour.”

  I took a bite of eggs. “Thank you. I should be fine. You’ve done enough with letting me stay here until the insurance adjuster comes out.”

  “Have you contacted them about the fire yet?”

  “They said that they would send someone out this week to look at the damage and give an estimate on how much it would cost to get the barn rebuilt along with the supplies.”

  Exhaustion filled me at the thought of how much work there was to do. I had no idea how Tiffany and Colt managed to balance their life at the Smith ranch with their other jobs. It time-consuming and stressful enough to focus on my own ranch.

  “I hope that you can get everything back,” Colt said, but his eyes were doubtful. “Take what you need from here, seriously. I can take the hit.”

  “I’m sure that it’ll be enough. My grants cover a lot of the supply costs.”

  “Any new adoption requests?”

  “None so far,” I replied gloomily. “I think word got out about the fire. I had to disable the website temporarily.”

  Colt took a long drink of coffee. “And no word from the sheriff about what they think started the fire?”

  “It’s not a question of what to me,” I said, darkly. “It’s a question of who. I have no doubts in my head who started the fire. There were gas cans next to my barn that I never keep there.”

  “I’ve been thinking about that,” Cole started, turning to face me with a frown. He took another drink of coffee. “Try to hear me out on this, but I’ve heard that Bill Coates is upset about the fire because he lost his horse.”

  “He abused the horse, so he can’t fake empathy all of a sudden. What’s your point?”

  “I think the fire wasn’t started by him,” he said. “I think he may have possibly suggested it to someone, but I don’t think he would’ve poured gas on your barn with his horse inside.”

  I shook my head at him in disbelief. “Cole, this man abused his horse. The other animals too, according to Jacob. I don’t have any doubts in my head that this was something that he had a part in.”

  “That’s my point. He had a part in it, but he wasn’t the one that started it. Think about it for a moment.”

  “I don’t understand what you’re getting at,” I replied, frowning. “He told me that things weren’t over when I refused to give him back his horse.”

  “Look, I’m not saying Bill Coates is the best man in the world. Nobody is denying that the man has a tendency to be a prick about everything, but that horse made him money. And money is a huge deal to Coates.”

  “I’m sure it is a big deal to him. I just can’t shake it, Colt. I saw that look in Bill’s eyes that day. He was angry.”

  “I know that he was angry, but nothing like this has ever happened here at Green Point. Not to the extent of property damage, Cheyenne. Bill doesn’t like attention, and starting a fire in the middle of the night with your horse locked inside the barn is a sure-fire way of drawing attention to yourself. Now I don’t know why he was out there the night of the fire, but I can assure you, it wasn’t because he started it.”

  “I called PETA on him,” I pointed out, irritation starting to bubble in me. “That’s enough to piss someone like him off.”

  Colt sighed in exasperation. “I’m not getting my point across. All I’m saying is that you need to think about the possibility of it being a freak accident is all.” He rose from the table to deposit his plate and coffee mug in the kitchen sink. “I have to get going before I lose too much of the morning. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call. Rick will be here throughout the day too if you need help.”

  “I’ll be fine,” I said. “Thank you. Let Tiffany know that I’ll be here when she comes back.”

  Something in Colt’s eyes flashed at that, but he turned away quickly before I could read it. He grabbed his cowboy hat from where it was perched on the back of a chair before walking out the front door. I rose from the dining room table to watch as he secured the hat firmly on his head as he walked down the driveway to his truck that was parked next to Rick’s.

  Even if I didn’t like to think of it this way, Colt did have a point. Bill Coates abused his animals, but setting the barn on fire with his horse inside was a bit odd. I frowned as I stared across the sweep of pastures and evergreen pines. The gas cans though. I couldn’t remember setting them a
nywhere near the barn or even filling the gas cans up that weekend.

  My phone buzzed from where it was charging on the kitchen counter. I grimaced when I glanced at the caller ID. For a moment, I debated on just letting the call go to voicemail.

  “It’s better to get this over with now rather than later,” I grumbled, and hit the answer button. “Hi, Mom. What’s up?”

  “Why didn’t you tell us about the fire?”

  I grimaced at the harsh question. “I didn’t want you and Dad to panic over it. Everything is fine. I have the insurance adjuster coming out this week to look at the damage.”

  “Damage? The barn is completely burnt down?”

  “Yes,” I replied, numbly. “Completely burnt to the ground.”

  “Were there any horses stuck inside the barn when this happened?”

  Tears filled my eyes at the thought of the stallion screaming in terror before endless silence. “Just one horse. Mom, I don’t really want to talk about what happened. I’ll start crying if I think about it again.”

  “I wish you would tell us what is going on with you, Cheyenne. I told you that having a sanctuary would be hard work, that you would be facing some questionable characters. Fires are personal.”

  “Right,” I said.

  “So, you are staying with Colt Smith then?”

  I loved my mother more than anything the world, but when it came to my life, she liked to pry her fingernails into everything. Whether it was my work or my love life, she liked to know what was going on at all times. I didn’t know how to answer her question either. A part of me never wanted to leave the safety of the Smith ranch, while the other part knew if I stayed any longer, something was bound to transpire between Colt and me. It was only a matter of time before it happened.

  Swallowing, I looked away when Colt came from the barn to hop into his truck gracefully. I didn’t want to include that tidbit into the conversation.

  “His sister, Tiffany, works with me. She volunteered that I come stay here with the horses until insurance pays for a new barn and supplies.”