Chapter 23
“I can’t believe how quickly this weekend flew by,” Cassie said, a frown pulling at her lips.
“I know,” Ann agreed. Though inwardly she was thinking of just how fast the day had gone by. With no sign of Trey. She glanced down at her phone in case she’d missed a text. She hadn’t. “I wish I could stay longer.”
Zoe hoisted her carry-on bag over one shoulder. “I’m ready to get back.”
Ann and Cassie threw one another a look while laughter burst out between them. “Just say it as it is, Zoe,” Cassie said. “Won’t hurt my feelings.”
“Yeah,” Ann agreed. “Sheesh.”
“I’ll miss you of course.”
“What about Randy?” Cassie asked.
Zoe flicked her red hair off her shoulder. “I’m just ready to get back to my life. You know, moving onto the next. And then the next…” They were words Ann had heard from Zoe before. And they were always accompanied by an unmistakable authenticity. She was who she was. Uninvolved, unattached Zoe. But this time they sounded so forced and so fake that Ann had to wonder just what had happened between her and Randy.
“I’m going to hit the lady’s room,” Zoe said, slipping her bag off her shoulder and slumping it beside her upright suitcase. “Mind watching my stuff?” She was gone before Ann and Cassie even answered.
Cassie gave Ann a concerned look. “What happened with her and Randy?”
Ann shrugged. “I have no idea. We haven’t had a whole lot of time to talk. And then at the restaurant…” Ann faded off there, remembering how Zoe had dodged all questions pertaining to him.
“This is not standard-Zoe-behavior,” Cassie said.
“Not at all,” Ann agreed. That thought sat between them as sounds of the busy airport picked up. Sliding doors, squeaky shoes, and overhead announcements. “You’ll have to send me some pictures once the baby furniture gets here,” Ann finally said, recalling the pieces they’d picked out that day.
“Oh, I will. If it can get here before the baby comes,” Cassie said, sarcasm thick in her tone. “I can’t believe the furniture for the spare room hasn’t come yet.”
“Yeah,” Ann said. Though she and Cassie had agreed—on more than one occasion—that it hadn’t been such a bad thing after all. She checked her phone, something she’d done at least ten times per minute over the last hour. No new texts. No missed calls. Just a gorgeous picture of the view from the patio at the ranch. Blue sky, gold fields, horses, and cattle. She sighed. Please hurry and get here, Trey. Randy had assured Ann that he wouldn’t be long; Trey helped out at his mother’s from time to time and was usually back within the next few hours.
“I know he’d be calling you right now if he hadn’t left his phone behind,” Cassie said. “I’m sure he’s kicking himself about now.”
Ann gave her a nod, but secretly she was wondering if there’d really been an emergency at all. Or if Trey had simply used it as an excuse to get out of saying goodbye to her. He’d said all those wonderful things last night. Heck, he’d teased about riding a horse all the way to Seattle to see her. But perhaps he’d woken up with a change of heart. Maybe she’d done something to turn him off. It could be that he was looking for an easy way out. Send Ann back to her hometown and hope she forgets about him.
Just as Ann tore her eyes from the phone, it buzzed out a chime. She glanced down, expecting to see Trey’s number on the screen. It wasn’t. It was from… “Tom?” She brought the phone to her ear, turning to look at Cassie as she answered. “Hello?”
“Ann, you’re not back in Seattle, are you?” he asked, alarming panic in his tone. “Say you’re not back in Seattle.”
“I’m not, but we’re about to catch a plane now.”
“I need you to stay another week.”
“What? Really?” She pulled the phone away from her and turned to Cassie. “He wants me to stay another week.”
Cassie gasped. “Does that mean you got the article?”
A burst of excitement shot through her as she put the phone back to her ear. “Does this mean…” she prompted, not wanting to be too assumptive.
“We’ve got a taker,” he boomed. “One of the magazines is very interested in your article. Interested enough to put a generous bid on it. I promise to tell you more soon.”
“Oh my gosh! I can’t believe it!” She gave Cassie a nod, smiling when she let out a squeal.
“What are we celebrating?” Zoe asked from behind.
Ann spun around, the phone still up to her ear, and smiled. “I’ll tell you in a minute.” Once she got off the phone, Ann would finally be able to do just that.
“Is that Zoe?” Tom asked.
“Yeah,” she said, stepping away from the girls to hear him better.
“Well hurry and get her on the plane,” Tom said. “With you gone, she’s going to be picking up slack.”
Ann chuckled. “I will. Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I get to stay.”
“Make good use of it,” he said. “You’ve always wanted to ride a horse. Have that guy take you riding. Think interesting articles when you’re talking about what to do on your dates.”
Dates? Ann loved hearing that. She and Trey would have time to actually date. “Okay,” she agreed. A small part of her regretted having to think about the article at all, but it could be her big break. Her introduction to a list of opportunities. Something to tell her family about.
“Atta girl,” Tom said. “I’ll send you details as soon as I can.”
“Perfect.” Ann walked back to the girls slowly, wondering if she should text Trey and tell him the good news. But what if it wasn’t such good news at all? Hadn’t she been worrying—only moments ago—that he didn’t have an emergency at all? The last thing she wanted to do was force herself where she wasn’t welcome.
Her phone let out a buzz then, and Ann glanced down to see Trey’s name appear on the screen. She brought the phone to her ear, unable to hide the giant grin on her face. “Hello?”
“Annie?”
“Yes.”
“Where are you?”
She tilted her head. He sounded more frantic than Tom. “At the airport.”
“The one here?”
“Yes.” May as well let him sweat it for a second.
“Oh, man. I’m on my way. When does your flight leave?”
“Well, that’s something I’m thinking about right now. What if I had the chance to stay an extra week. Would you want me to?”
“Do I want you to? Do bulls buck?”
“I think so.”
“Is Randy loud?”
Ann chuckled. “Yes.”
“Is Shane head over heels for Cassie?”
“It definitely seems like it.”
Now Trey let out a laugh. “Well there’s your answer. Yes. Please stay if you can. Just thinking about you at that airport makes me miss you already.”
Ann smiled, thoughts on the suggestion Tom made about the horse. “If I stay, will you teach me how to ride?”
“You betcha. I’ll do it tomorrow.”
“All right,” she said, fighting off an odd sliver of guilt. “I’ll stay.”
Chapter 24
As Cassie and Ann neared the ranch, apprehension set in. Not because Ann wasn’t excited to see Trey again. Heck, she’d been dying to see him all day. It was just that she was worried the dynamics between them might change. When she and Trey knew time was limited, they couldn’t get enough of each other. But that might change now. Things might feel forced. And how much longer could she challenge herself for the sake of the article?
It was like the time she’d had a piano recital as a girl. She could either play the basic version and be satisfied with a mediocre performance or go for the finale in hopes of wowing the audience. The finale was a risk. And though Ann had nailed it a million times at home, she feared something would go wrong once it came to performance time. That night, when the moment came to press on and perform the difficult addition—the impressive
part that would show Grandma and Grandpa she was actually getting good at something—she chickened out.
Relief battled with a fierce disappointment. Sure, she hadn’t made a mistake, but who cared when she hadn’t even shown what she was capable of? Well, now Ann was going to stay and show the world, or at least herself, what she could accomplish. Hopefully she wouldn’t mess it up.
Cassie steered onto the dirt road leading to the ranch house. Ann could see Trey’s truck already. She’d figured he’d beat them there, seeing that he’d spun around and headed home after talking to Ann.
The sun continued on its steady pull toward the western horizon, creating a spectacular wash of color. A deep cranberry stretched across the base; a tangerine color spread over the center and then faded into the softest shade of peach. The sky never held back its splendor.
“I’m so happy that you two get to have more time together,” Cassie said, shifting the SUV into park. She reached across and threw her arms around Ann.
“I am too.” Ann said.
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” Cassie said. “Trey’s going to have work to do around here, so when he’s busy with that, you can come hang with the pregnant lady, right?”
Ann laughed. “Right.”
She hugged her again. “Love ya.”
“Love you too.” And that’s when she spotted Trey coming down the steps of the ranch house. Her heart thumped deep in her chest. Her face flushed with heat. Once she pushed the door open, Trey reached in and wrapped his arms around her, nearly carrying her out of the passenger side in a tight hug. The scent of his aftershave filled her next breath. She reveled in it, glad to be in his arms once again.
He leaned in, kissed her cheek and whispered two glorious words in her ear. “Welcome back.”
Chapter 25
“I can’t believe I’m actually going to ride a horse.”
Trey tightened the saddle strap before shifting his gaze to Ann. He loved the way she appreciated the simple things in life. “Think this is going to trump the pony ride you had back as a kid?” he asked with a smile.
“Definitely. As long as I don’t get bucked off. But you said she’s gentle, didn’t you?”
“Yep,” Trey assured. “Shay’s a good horse for beginners.”
Ann rubbed a hand lovingly over the side of Shay’s head. “You’re nice, huh, girl?” She leaned in and planted a kiss on the animals face before cooing some more. Dang, this was a cute side of Ann. Seeing her get all gaga over the four-legged creature.
Trey pulled at the saddle, making sure it wouldn’t slip, and then climbed up. “I’m going to take her out for a bit,” he said. If I warm her up, she’s more likely to behave with you.”
Trey chuckled under his breath as Ann pulled out her phone and snapped pictures of him riding Shay around the corral. “Oh my gosh,” she hollered, “This is so exciting! I seriously cannot wait.”
He chuckled some more, looking at her in her boots and jeans and hat. Trey liked that they could connect on multiple levels. The attraction was definitely there, but there was so much more. Ann was sensitive, intriguing, smart, and a whole lot of fun to be with. And he could hardly wait to share this moment with her. An experience she’d waited an awful lot of years for.
“Okay,” he said after a few more turns around the corral. “I think she’s ready.” Chances were that Shay didn’t need to be run out to settle her like the other horses did, but Trey wanted to make sure Ann’s first ride on a real horse was just like she’d dreamed it would be.
He readjusted the saddle after hopping off, satisfied that it was ready, and then took Ann’s hand as she hoisted herself up into the saddle with a grunt.
Shay took a few backward steps once Ann was seated.
“Oh no, where is she going?”
“Nowhere,” Trey assured, taking hold of the rein. “Tuck your feet into the stirrups there, and let’s see if it fits right.”
Ann did as he said.
“Okay,” Trey said, charmed by the innocent delight on her face. “Let’s take a turn around the corral.”
Trey enjoyed Ann’s fascination as she circled the corral on the horse a few times. Soon she and Shay were ready to ride alongside Trey and his horse, Drake. Trey hadn’t ridden with a girl since Shell, and he had to admit that it felt nice. There was a sense of triumph in the action; he was moving on.
And as they trotted through the field, the wind blowing Ann’s hair from her shoulders in the sunlight, Trey wondered if he might just be looking at his future.
Ann was meant for this. She just knew it. She was born to live on a ranch with horses and sunsets and fields of hay. She was born to spend her days next to the fascinating man by her side. After riding for a solid hour or more, she and Trey made their way back to the ranch.
Trotting over the dusty land, her trusty horse keeping the pace with Drake, all of it was exhilarating. She glanced over to catch one last look at Trey on that strong, dark horse. All muscle and man and skill. Watching him was like some sort of drug.
Once they climbed off their horses, Trey showed Ann how to brush them down after riding, those muscles in his arms bulging as he worked.
“This has been my favorite day ever,” she said, running a grooming brush down the side of Shay’s body as Trey had shown her. Ann looked over her shoulder. “Was that right?”
He nodded before demonstrating a few more strokes on the horse he’d ridden. “Just brush off all the drops of sweat that gathered beneath the saddle. From top to bottom. Top to bottom.” His biceps bulged as he moved. Ann could watch him all day. And listen to him, too, the gentle way he spoke to the animal.
“Did you know the word muscle comes from the word little mouse in Latin?”
He chuckled. “You’re kidding.”
“No. They must have thought that muscles resembled a mouse under the skin or something. Kind of funny, huh?”
Trey stopped brushing the horse and spun around. Then, while performing an exaggerated yawn, he stretched his arms over his head and brought them into a sturdy flex at either side. The taught muscles along his upper and lower arms were impressive, but Ann couldn’t contain the chuckle that burst from her smile at the way he’d shown them off.
“They look bigger than little mice, don’t you think?”
Ann shrugged and laughed. “Maybe a little.”
She turned her attention back to Shay, hoping Trey wouldn’t see her red face. “Thanks for going easy on me, girl. I’m new at this. But maybe by the end of the week we can go fast like Trey and Drake did.” She glanced over her shoulder again. “Show offs.”
Trey chuckled. “Honey, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” He stepped away from Drake as a cool breeze picked up. A breeze Ann was grateful for after the long ride.
Ann glanced down, but then stopped herself short and forced her posture to rise. And her gaze to meet his. “Maybe you’re the one who ain’t seen nothin’ yet,” she challenged, then laughed at how ridiculous she sounded.
Trey chuckled under his breath, then searched her face as his smile faded. “I have a feeling you’re right about that,” he said. “That’s why I’m glad you’re staying.”
Ann bit her lips, looked down at the brush in her hand, and felt Shay’s warm body nudge her from behind.
Trey lifted a hand, slipped it around the back of her neck, and leaned in. “I want more of you, Ann.”
Though she wanted more of him, too, Ann couldn’t say it—there was no way. But she could show him. Slowly, she lifted her chin, licked her lips, and came in for a soft, slow kiss. Forget about the article, Ann decided as his mouth put her under a spell. All she really wanted was Trey. The thought reminded her that she needed to bring it up. Later, an inner voice pled. Now is not the time.
Chapter 26
Ann hit send on her latest email and sighed as it went through. She’d been faithful in her emails to Tom, writing a short article for each day. It had taken some creativity on her part to emphasize a new application with e
ach scene. Especially since the article was the last thing on her mind when Trey was near.
Each day they’d gone horseback riding. Each day they’d shared new, intimate parts of their past. Hurts. Hopes. Forgotten dreams. For the first time in her life, Ann finally knew what her novels were all about. The intimate connection. Soul to soul. Love.
Her heart fluttered like it had wings. It was the only name to give something so strong. So beautiful. So deep. And today, they’d take it to an entirely new level: family. Ann closed the laptop and walked over to the mirror. She’d settled on the top she’d worn after the ring ceremony when Trey had shown her how to make tin-can ice cream.
Ann looked forward to meeting Trey’s family; she’d heard a lot about them. Stories about his mother, his stepdad, sisters, and the twins. And now she’d get to meet them face to face. Boy, had Ann pulled out the handbook for this one. She’d gotten a little stale over the last few days, but she’d gained a lot of confidence, too, which was encouraging. Still, she needed to be on her game today. Poised. Assertive. Inquisitive.
Ann ticked off a few more as she opened the bedroom door and strode down the hall, scents of the spice cake she’d baked still wafting through the house. Hopefully, it had cooled enough already; she needed to frost it before they left.
Over the last few days, Trey had juggled time out on the field with time spent with her. Ann had to admit it was like playing house. Going shopping with Cassie for groceries. Coming back to prepare a meal and spend the evening with him. The ranch hands had joined them a couple of times, which she hadn’t minded either, though Trey hadn’t seemed crazy about the idea.
She peered through the drawers for a good spreading knife, sifting through one after another. The week was more than halfway through now. Just three more days, and it’d be time to leave again. Trey would be home any minute, hop in the shower, and be ready to go. She could get used to a life like this. If she moved to Montana, she could possibly write from home. Maybe part time or something, so she could help out on the ranch, too.
How to Catch a Cowboy in 10 Days (Unlikely Cowgirl) Page 11
