Who Wants to Marry a Cowboy?

by Abigail Sharpe

  He trotted off without waiting to see if the women followed. Ainsley circled her horse behind the others, wanting to put distance between them. This put her next to Jewel, who had mounted stiffly and was having trouble controlling her horse. Her mount pranced sideways and pawed the ground. Jewel risked a look at the retreating group and redoubled her efforts to get her horse under control, flicking the reins.

  “Come on, Godiva,” she said. “Stupid horse.”

  Maybe if Ainsley offered help, Jewel would stop being catty and the two of them could become friends. And then maybe Edward would denounce money and move to a kibbutz and her mother would discover what laissez-faire meant. Jewel’s frustrated grunts and the horse’s answering neighs filled the air for a few more seconds. “Relax, Jewel,” she said. “She’s reacting to your actions, so if you can control yourself, you can control her.”

  “I don’t need your help.”

  So much for being friendly.

  The other riders had already crested the hill near the greenhouse and were out of sight. Ainsley squashed her desire to follow them and was about to offer more unwanted advice when Cookie took hold of Jewel’s bridle. Godiva stilled immediately. “Do you need to be with the other group?”

  Jewel visibly swallowed the retort she’d been about to make and flashed a brilliant smile at the scowling man. “I’m okay now. Thank you for your help.”

  Cookie grunted in response and released her horse. Without sparing a glance at Ainsley, Jewel followed the other riders. Ainsley trailed after her. When they caught up to the women, Ainsley stayed near the edge of the group with Meagan. Far, far away from the man who hadn’t spared her more than a split-second glance, even after the hot kiss from last night.

  It was pure pleasure being seated properly on a horse again, and Mystic proved a spirited ride. Mountains bordered the ranch and she took in the view as they covered ground toward the first fence. Even with her hat firmly on her head, the wind blew strands of hair across her face, tickling her nose.

  Meagan interrupted her introspection with a snort and nudged her chin in Riley’s direction. Jewel’s hand rested on his leg, and Ainsley’s stomach sunk into a spiral. Now he was letting Jewel molest him. He had no taste.

  The group rode to the first task—replacing a fence post that had rotted beyond repair. Everyone dismounted near a pile of wood, a handheld auger, and bags of materials. The ladies formed a semicircle around Riley as he explained how to remove the rotting wood from the split rail fence without disturbing the rest of it.

  Ainsley pushed up the sleeves of her plaid flannel shirt and donned a pair of work gloves. She and Meagan braced the post to keep it from falling when the rotted one was removed. Then they gathered and stacked the bits of old wood so one of the hands could clean them up. Sweat dripped down her nose and chin by the time they were done. Her rubbery arm muscles made it difficult to lift her bottle to drink some water.

  Mystic had grown three sizes while they had been repairing the fence and she tried to muster the effort to remount. Fatigue from last night combined with the day’s activities took over her legs and she grabbed the stirrup leather to keep from falling.

  “Relax,” Jewel sneered. “She’s responding to your actions.”

  Gritting her teeth, Ainsley tried again. Strong, firm hands planted under her butt and lifted her in the air. She swung her leg over and frowned at Riley’s retreating back while she settled in the saddle.

  She adapted to the rhythm of her trotting horse as they crossed the plains to the next job, re-stocking a cabin similar to the one from last night. This one was located near the end of the property.

  The women rode in an extended line so they wouldn’t get covered in the dust kicked up by the front riders. Ainsley continued to enjoy her position at the end, taking in the flat land around her and the scattered vegetation, though her throat was dry from inhaling the dirt in the air. She nudged Mystic a little farther away from the group, and something small and white caught her eye among the earthy greens and browns.

  Well, damn. Aside from his earlier help, she’d successfully avoided Riley all morning, but the poor lost lamb needed help. Sighing, she guided Mystic to the front of the line. “Cowboy!”

  Riley turned, his dimple barely showing in his cheek, and she melted. The sun. It has nothing to do with him.

  “What can I do for you, Fairfax?”

  Throw me over your horse like you did last night and take me back to the cabin. No. No. I’m not here for a husband. No flirting, Ainsley. “Sheep,” she managed to say.

  “The Crescent Ridge raises Targhee and Merino sheep,” he said, then aimed his next comment at Meagan. “Mostly for wool production.”

  “No, I mean, there’s a sheep.” She gestured in the general direction and Riley pulled his horse to a stop and peered around her.

  “Well, you found him, you can help me go get him,” he told her.

  “I can?” She wasn’t expecting that.

  “Two people make it easier.”

  “I’ll go, then,” Jewel said, getting between them.

  His eyes flicked briefly to Jewel, then back to Ainsley. “Your call, Fairfax.”

  Even if she didn’t want to get close to him again, she’d do it just to keep Jewel away. Call it public service. “All right, I’ll go. I’m interested to see how this works.”

  Jewel touched his arm and lowered her chin, peering up at him through her lashes. “Surely one extra person couldn’t hurt,” she purred.

  “It really only takes two, Jewel,” Riley explained. “Any more and we’ll be tripping over each other and putting Fluffy there at risk.”

  “Next time, then,” Jewel said.

  “The rest of you follow the trail and go left when it forks. You’ll see the shack on your right a few miles later. If you go under a cliff you’ve gone too far. Take stock of what we have against the list of what we need,” Riley instructed them. The women rode off; the clopping of hooves faded behind them. He turned his horse and Ainsley followed him to the lamb.

  The ride seemed farther than it should, the distance deceiving over the flat land. She spent an enjoyable time watching Riley’s firm seat in front of her. He was a beautiful rider; his actions echoed those of his horse in a symphony of movement. Thankfully her mount followed his easily, for she was more intent on watching him than telling Mystic where to go.

  She was not here to find a husband. She was here to save her livelihood. But a little lust couldn’t hurt.

  Riley reined in when he saw the lamb. The animal moved a few feet to one side, stopped, and moved a few feet again, pawing the ground and bleating. “I don’t think he’ll try to run, but get behind him just in case.”

  “If he does?”

  He grinned at her and her heart slammed against her ribs. “Chase him.”

  It was the first time he wore a natural smile and the effect devastated her willpower. It transformed the stress on his face, making him boyish and charming, and sent darts of heat down to her toes. She cleared her throat to hide her reaction while they dismounted. He took a few steps away from his horse. “You’re not going to use your lasso?” she asked.

  “You have to be extremely careful with lambs. If you scare them too much, they can literally die of fright. So no.”

  She would have liked to see Riley in action, his powerful form swinging the rope while his arm muscles flexed with the movement. The animal made pitiful baaing noises that struck her compassionate chord as she circled behind him. “Hello, Fluffy,” she murmured, extending her hand like she would to an unfamiliar dog. “Don’t be afraid. We’ll take good care of you.”

  The lamb raised its head and studied her with his big brown eyes. She kept talking, her voice low and soothing. Riley approached from the other direction, but the animal trotted to Ainsley and butted her leg with his white head. She reached down and petted the lamb’s springy fur.

  “Nice job.” He knelt beside her and ran his hands over the animal’s flanks, checking f
or injuries.

  She shook her head. “Too easy. I wanted to see you lasso something.”

  “With so many sheep around, I may be out of practice.” Riley gave the animal a pat on the head and stood up.

  “You can practice with me anytime,” Ainsley said. Heat rose in her cheeks when he cocked an eyebrow at her. “I mean,” she stammered, “I can help you. Practice. It’s a very impressive skill. Maybe you could teach me how to do it, too.”

  The smoldering heat in his eyes told her he wasn’t fooled by her diversion, but he quickly banked it and went back to the animal, leaving an emptiness in her belly. “We need to get back to everyone.”

  He lifted Fluffy across the saddle and kept a steady hand on the animal while he mounted. The lamb tried to get back on the ground but Riley was faster, quickly supporting him before he could fall. The lamb bleated in protest.

  Ainsley mounted her own horse and pulled alongside him. His hazel eyes bored into her a moment before he gave her a little half-smile and caressed her leg, his touch lingering on her thigh.

  The physical contact sent electricity through her skin, but the nagging part of her brain reminded her about Daisy. What had happened with them last night, and why did he kiss her later? And kisses were private. She didn’t want details about the other woman, but she couldn’t let herself kiss him again until she knew where else his mouth had been. And despite her best effort to deny the longing that took over her body, she wanted to kiss him again.

  “So is Daisy a good kisser?” It was best to blurt it out. Oh, she hoped he denied it.

  “Why do you ask?” Riley stalled. He flicked the reins and his horse trotted away, making conversation difficult. Her face got hot as she and Mystic followed. Of course he wouldn’t answer. Why should he? She had no claims on him. He glanced at her across the horse-length between them. “Fairfax. Why do you ask?”

  Oh. He wasn’t avoiding her. She held up her hands and mimed a waltz the best she could while holding the reins. “According to her, you danced and held her in your arms, surrounded by magic, and would have kissed if Jeanne hadn’t interrupted you.”

  “Really?” He shook his head. “She danced and I held her in my arms so she wouldn’t fall, and she tried to kiss me when I couldn’t escape.”

  A snort of laughter escaped her lips and giddiness trickled through her body. “Hmmm…” She boldly looked him over. “Hard to imagine you as defenseless.”

  He pressed his lips together and closed his eyes, then turned his heated gaze on her again, making her insides turn to goo. “It seems I’m completely defenseless where you’re concerned.”

  He galloped away, leaving Ainsley to follow him and wonder exactly what that meant.

  The door to the cabin opened as soon as they arrived and Jewel stepped out. “We were beginning to wonder about you two,” she said, placing her hands on her hips in mock annoyance. “We weren’t quite sure what we were supposed to do here, but I think we managed to accomplish a few things. The cabinets are restocked. The cabin has been cleaned and we made lunch. Was there anything else?”

  “No, it sounds like you got all of it.” Riley dismounted and lifted the animal off his saddle. “Want to get some water for the lamb?”

  Jewel clapped her hands and practically squealed with delight. She ran inside and quickly returned with a bowl of water.

  Ainsley forced herself to smile as Jewel cooed at the small animal. When her cheeks couldn’t take it anymore, she left them to it and went inside. Antiseptic odors were everywhere, the dirty pail of water stood abandoned while the group of women watched from the window.

  “Geez, she made it seem like she thought of it all,” Leigh said, disgust filling her voice. She huffed to the sink and grabbed a sponge.

  “Well, it was her idea to alphabetize the vegetables,” Meagan said judiciously.

  Her roommate could find something nice in anyone, couldn’t she? Riley and Jewel came back, and Ainsley focused on the plate of roast beef sandwiches on the wooden table.

  As soon as Riley sat, Jewel and Leigh scrambled to the chairs on either side of him, throwing smug looks in Ainsley’s direction as they claimed their places. The humor in Meagan’s eyes mirrored Ainsley’s own and she tried to keep from laughing at the desperate measures taken by the other women. With deliberate calm, she pulled out one of the remaining chairs and sat down.

  “After lunch, ladies, we’re changing up. Steve and Dallas will take over here while I join the other riders.” He took a big bite of a sandwich and chewed while Jewel and Leigh protested the switch. When they fell silent, he shifted his gaze to Ainsley. She met his cool look with her own features neutral. “Would you mind taking Fluffy back to the barn? Find Cookie when you get back to the stables. He’ll tell you what to do.”

  “Oh,” Meagan said, half-rising from her seat. All eyes focused on her and she blushed. “It’s just that I’d like to see what will happen, too,” she mumbled. “With Cookie. And the lamb.” Ainsley kicked her friend under the table, and Meagan’s cheeks flushed deeper. Something was definitely going on there.

  “Sure,” Riley said after a brief pause. “I’ll get the lamb on your horse.”

  * * *

  Edward settled in on his lounge chair by the pool under the beating sun, listening to the reggae music sounding across the deck. He tried to concentrate on the financial magazine in his hands, but instead, he watched a small bead of sweat make its way down Cecelia’s bronze skin from her breast to her flat belly. She glanced at him over the top of her sunglasses and shifted a little, reaching for her bottle of water. The movement forced her breasts higher, and the bead continued its trail and disappeared at the waistband of her green bikini bottoms. Dammit, Anders, you’re a grown man. You’ve been ignoring your emotions for years now. You can do it for two more days. He thrust aside the aching desire to follow it with his tongue and swallowed against the tightness in his throat, his mouth suddenly dry.

  “Are you all right?” she asked, her voice low and husky and she knew perfectly well he wasn’t all right.

  “Fine,” he ground out, leaning back in his chair and turning the page. He didn’t remember what he had just read, but that happened every time he was near this woman. After he had run away from the dinner, he had wandered around the ship, focusing on Ainsley, but when he thought he was under control, Cecelia slipped in unbidden. Like she’d been doing his entire life. “Can’t you cover yourself up?”

  “I could. But why would I want to?” She flipped through her sociology book, a pink highlighter at the ready in her hand.

  Why indeed. She was so very beautiful, her body exquisite, and he wanted to keep her a secret from the rest of the Y chromosomes on board. His mother’s soft, cultured voice crept into his mind: Cecelia should be more reserved, less obvious about her sexuality. Leave something to the imagination.

  She frowned at her book before closing it with a heavy thud and flashed him a brilliant smile. “I’m supposed to be on break and I don’t want to study anymore. Let’s go to the casino.”

  That seemed harmless. Not like staying in these chairs with her in that bikini. The desire to make her happy overrode his concerns about her attire and his mouth tugged up in response. “You know the odds of winning are horrendous. Gambling, casinos, the lottery. Think of it as a tax on people who are bad at math.”

  “That’s me!” She bounced out of the chair and wrapped her sarong around her hips—finally—then grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the chair, leading him to the stairs. “Let’s go!”

  Her fingers felt soft and cool against his palm and he wanted to hold on forever as they wound their way to the Queen of Hearts casino. The bright lights and clanging bells in the large room gave his senses a jolt but he followed her to a blackjack table while trying to filter out the distractions. It wasn’t hard, with her hips swaying as she walked in front of him.

  “You know how to count up to twenty-one, right?” Cecelia teased as she slid into a padded chair. He sat next t
o her while she gave the dealer their ship’s plastic card. He slid her a pile of chips and she gave half of them to Edward while he propped her book and his magazine in the empty chair next to him.

  Edward rarely gambled. Sure, he’d gone to Vegas two or three times, but if he was going to risk his money, he preferred it be in the stock market where he could research, follow trends, or start new ones. Still, Cecelia’s eyes sparkled with eager amusement and he didn’t want his conservative streak to bring her down. He stacked the red and white chips into neat piles before placing his first bet.

  Her methods were incredibly reckless. “You just split fives,” he gasped. She was going to lose, and badly. “The dealer has an eight showing, and you’re splitting fives? On a one hundred dollar bet?”

  “And?” She smiled at the dealer, who placed another five on the first one. She signaled she wanted to double down, and got an ace. Unbelievable. Her other card drew a nine, and she hit again, getting a four. Edward played it safe, staying on his hard seventeen, but the dealer flipped over a ten and swept away his bet, giving his chips and more to the woman by his side. She let it ride.

  He could barely watch the next hand as she hit on seventeen. And got a two.

  “You’re crazy,” he said. It sickened him a little, her cavalier attitude with money, but he added his chips to her pile. Watching her was more exciting than playing, even though it hurt his stomach.

  “And it’s fun!” She giggled and waited for her next hand. She got two aces and asked for another card.

  She played until it was time to get ready for dinner, the pile of chips growing to great proportions and then shrinking the next minute. Edward stifled his concern, fascinated with the way she laughed off her losses. Everyone else he knew would be hoarding their last chip, unwilling to risk it all on a bet. When she was done, she had gained a net of fifty dollars. “Totally worth it,” she said, holding his hand on their way to the cabin. Her fingers grazed his palm, sending spikes of lust straight to his groin. The woman was dangerous and wild. And he needed to think about that.