Once Hitched Twice Shy

by Kimberly Krey

  “Well,” her granddad started, “with the rodeo coming up tomorrow, I thought it’d be fun to teach Mia here how to do a little roping. On a ranch, we have to doctor the calves from time to time, which requires speed and precision. So it was only natural they’d incorporate that into the rodeo events.”

  Mia nodded. “Makes sense. And in case you’ve never seen anything like this in action,” she added, “we’ve got the one and only Hunter—you might remember him as Dusty—set up and ready to show us just how it’s done.” She motioned for Karen to pan right.

  There, in all his cowboy glory, stood Hunter on his dark horse. A burst of sun glowed around him, making him truly look like the Lone Ranger, as the guys had said. Mia could hardly believe she’d talked him into demonstrating roping for her. They might not have gotten a whole lot of sleep last night, cuddling under the stars on the bleachers as they’d done, but it had been worth it.

  Bill unleashed the calf, and Hunter spun a loop over his head while guiding his horse to race after the small animal. In a blur, the rope flung toward the calf and landed around its neck. The horse slowed to a stop, and Hunter slid off in what looked like one seamless motion. He ran toward the calf, some sort of coiled rope tucked in his teeth, and flanked the animal on its side.

  Mia squinted, struggling to keep up as he retrieved the rope he held in his teeth and wrapped it in lightning speed around three of the calf’s legs. And then he was done. Hands in the air, walking away from the bound calf. The other ranch hands joined Gramps in an enthusiastic cheer. Stunned, Mia joined in late with a whoop of her own.

  “That was incredible,” she said, walking toward Hunter as he circled back around. She watched as he untied the calf as quickly as he’d bound him. He stooped down, smacked a kiss to the top of the small animal’s head, then pulled the rope off his neck. It was a quick act, something he’d done without a second thought, but it prodded at a tender place in Mia’s heart. It was plain to see that Hunter loved these animals. That he loved his job.

  Karen cleared her throat, reminding Mia that the camera was still rolling.

  “Well, what do you say, darlin’? You ready to give it a go?”

  She let out a surprised laugh. “I’d have to say heck to the no on that, Gramps. Maybe I should have witnessed that before I agreed to try it.”

  “Naw, come on now, doll face. It’s not like anyone’s going to be timing you.” A pat came to her back as the old man chuckled that hearty laugh of his. He slapped a pair of leather gloves in her hands. “This is going to be a cinch.”

  “I can’t remember feeling so … invigorated,” Mia admitted on the way home.

  Gramps flipped down the visor as he approached a turn, shielding his eyes from the orange glow of the sunset. “Nothing like seeing hard work pay off,” he agreed.

  “Yeah. Karen’s getting the footage ready to post a teaser tonight. I can’t wait to see how it goes. I’m pretty sure the ladies will go crazy-at-first-sight over Hunter.” Just saying his name caused goose bumps to rise over her skin. He’d said he had a few chores to catch up on after the shoot, but Mia got the impression he wanted to let Gramps have an evening with his granddaughter all to himself.

  She’d appreciated that. Even more, she’d liked what Hunter whispered in her ear when he said goodbye. “How about you and I sneak a little alone time tomorrow night, with it being your last night here and all?” The answer to that was a big YES.

  Gramps turned onto the main street, pointing to the old diner up ahead. “Remember this place?” he asked as they pulled into the parking lot. “Used to bring you and your brother every time you came out.”

  She grinned. “Of course I remember it. I love it!” Fond memories rushed into her mind as she eyed the structure, a wave of appreciation washing over her. Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to make more memories with Gramps. I’m so grateful I came.

  Several times she’d looked on this trip to Montana as nothing short of a miracle. Mia was often preoccupied with filming in different locations, the more the better. Her desire to spend an entire week in one place had taken even her by surprise. But there was no doubt in her mind that it’d been the right choice.

  The atmosphere in the diner was warm and welcome. Gramps explained that the red vinyl booths had been switched out for blue a few years back, but everything else looked just how she remembered it, all the way down to the black-and-white rodeo pictures hanging on the wall. Of course, she looked at those pictures differently after meeting Hunter.

  “You know,” Gramps said after they ordered, “when I learned how to rope a calf, the circumstances were more dire, if you will. My old man was sick, and the calves needed tending to. My older brother needed all the help he could get.” A wistful look came over his weathered face as he paused, nodded. “I’d have to say the good Lord helped me master the moves right quick that day, and from that point on. My brother always said I was a natural—” He shrugged. “—but I like to give credit where credit’s due.”

  A burst of warmth spread through her at his words. She always loved how faithful Gramps was, even when times were at their worst. God’s hand is in our lives, whether we recognize it or not, he’d always say. Mia had come to use the term herself when going through a hardship or comforting a friend. She thought back on the conversation she and Hunter had the night before. The chemistry that thrived when he was near. She wondered if the good Lord had known all along that this day would come.

  Too bad I have to leave so soon.

  The thought made her eyes sting. Things were just getting good with Hunter. Mia would miss him like crazy once she left. But she’d miss more than that. Gramps, the ranch hands, and her morning rides with Cherry. She wasn’t sure which she liked better—riding the strong horse in the open wind or brushing her down afterward in the quiet, sun-drenched barn. Mia would miss the gentle, unconditional love only an animal could give.

  A deep longing fell over her. A desire to stay on the ranch. To have another week of morning rides, summer days, and late-night kisses. And for the first time all week, Mia seriously considered staying. She and Karen didn’t shoot at their next location until the end of the following week. She already knew Karen wouldn’t want to stay, missing Eddie as much as she did, but would she mind if Mia stayed behind?

  While Gramps took a trip to the men’s room, Mia texted Karen that very question. And by the time he was back in his seat, adjusting the napkin over his shirt, the decision was made. Now she only needed to tell him.

  “I’m going to stay a few extra days,” she announced proudly. Her heart beat with excitement as her resolve set in.

  Gramps lowered his coffee mug an inch, steam fogging the view of his light blue eyes. “Oh yeah?” The smile on his face reached all the way up to the crinkles around his eyes. “When did you decide that?”

  She grinned back. “Just now. I looked over a few things, and it looks like I’ll be able to make it work just fine.”

  “Well,” he said, lifting an arm to signal the waiter. “That’s worth celebrating! Let’s get us a piece of cake.”

  Mia liked that idea. Perhaps she could do a bit of celebrating with Hunter as well. After all, Hunter was—above all other enticements—the main reason Mia wanted to stay; she only hoped he felt the same about her.

  Chapter 14

  Hunter tipped his mug back, hoping the coffee would do its trick. He’d need all the help he could get after his near-sleepless night. It took effort to set the mug down gently, rather than slam it against the counter as he imagined, but he didn’t want to give in to the anger nudging at him beneath the surface. Anger over allowing his fears to cripple him once again.

  But it was justified. Just how long could he ignore the king-sized elephant in the room? Mia was leaving, he knew that. And yet he’d started something up with her just the same. Just like he’d done with Vanessa. Thinking he could somehow change her mind about the life she’d had her heart set on since she was a girl. Believing Vanessa when she’d said
that it had, in fact, started to change. “I can see myself settling down and living here forever,” she’d said. They’d been in Texas at the time, his and her hometown. But she hadn’t stuck around.

  His thoughts were interrupted by the steady sound of boots on the tile. The sound had Connor written all over it. Skinny Alex was wound too tight to ever walk so slow, and Bill always kept his boots by the door.

  “Good morning,” Connor said.

  “Morning.” Hunter looked up to see that Connor had his filming equipment with him, the stuff he brought to record the rodeo. “You setting up over there early today?”

  Connor rested the bags and tripod in the corner of the dining room and headed for the coffee pot. “Yep. Guess they upgraded some equipment and they want to make sure that my recorder still connects to the projector for the big screen.” He grabbed a mug, filled it, and then joined Hunter at the table. “If it wasn’t for the smell of this stuff right here, I don’t think I’d ever drag my butt out of bed.”

  Hunter chuckled. “That’s normally not a problem for me. ’Course, this morning was no cakewalk.”

  Connor set his mug down. “Didn’t sleep too well?”

  Their eyes met, and Hunter considered telling him what was on his mind.

  “Does it have anything to do with Mia?” the kid asked before he even spoke up.

  Hunter shrugged. “Maybe a little.”

  “Maybe everything, you mean,” Connor replied.

  “Are you sad that Karen’s leaving?” Hunter asked, turning the tables.

  Connor let out a hearty laugh, gulped a few sips of his coffee, and chuckled some more. “Yeah,” he admitted, “I guess I am. Stupid crush, anyway. I know she’s already taken. I think I’m just fascinated with her all the way around, you know? I mean, I like ranching and all, but if I could make a living at filming—the way she does—I’d be in heaven. Especially if I could shoot a popular vlog show like Mia’s. It’d be like a different job each day.”

  “So you’ve got more of a crush on her job than you do on her?” Hunter asked with a laugh.

  “Probably.”

  Hunter gave that some thought. “Hmm. I didn’t realize that you’d actually prefer doing that over ranching. Thought it was just more of a hobby.”

  “It is for now,” Connor said, flicking a few crumbs off the table. “Until I can get paid doing it.”

  “I don’t know what to do about Mia,” Hunter blurted.

  Connor shot him a look, the ticking of the clock growing louder in his silence. “What do you mean by that?”

  “I mean, do I just send her away and hope to see her again, though we both know I probably won’t?” Just saying it made his body clench.

  “Why wouldn’t you see her again?”

  Hunter stood and began to pace. “Because she has her life there and I have mine here, and chances are she’s not going to be satisfied with the job she’s doing now. She’ll want to move on to hosting on the red carpet or something.” He cut the sentence off there, though he’d really just gotten started. He could go on all day about the possible ways things could go wrong.

  “She’s not Vanessa, you know?”

  Hunter stopped walking, spun to face him. “Why did you say that?”

  “Because that’s what you’re worried about, isn’t it?”

  He didn’t respond, only continued to peer at the brown-eyed kid who was a lot more perceptive than he’d given him credit for.

  “That’s what I’d be worried about.” He tipped his head toward the ceiling, gazing up at it as if it were stars in a night sky. “After being with someone like Vanessa McKlainy, you’d have to be pretty cautious of females in general. Sounds like she was pretty cold-hearted.”

  Hunter nodded. As much as he tried to avoid celebrity gossip and grocery store tabloids, he was well aware that Vanessa had a reputation for breaking hearts wherever she went.

  “Mia’s not that way, Hunter.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I just do,” he assured. “And you know it too.”

  Did he? Hunter headed back to the table. “I guess I could tell her that I want to explore things between us, and offer to come to Portland soon.”

  Connor nodded. “Or see if she’d rather come back out here in the next few months.”

  “Right,” Hunter agreed. “Or … I could just stay quiet, see if she says anything about pursuing things. And if she doesn’t—”

  “No way.” Connor flattened a hand on the table. “You’re the man. Don’t try and make her say something and if she doesn’t then assume she wasn’t interested enough, blah blah blah. You can’t go playing those types of games. Man up, Hunter. Tell her how you feel. That’s the only way to really find out how she feels in return.”

  The kid made sense, Hunter couldn’t deny it. “Maybe you’re right.” The women were set to leave tomorrow, and things were most likely on Mia’s mind already. Perhaps she’d beat him to it and bring it up first, but he couldn’t count on that.

  A buzz came from his cell phone then, causing his pulse to rush. Would it be from Mia, saying how sorry she was that they got involved and that the whole thing was a big mistake? His belly tightened and tangled at the very idea; caring for her made him vulnerable, and he hated that.

  At last he reached for his phone and took in a deep breath before swiping his thumb over the screen. It was a text from Mia.

  Good news! I’ve decided to stay an extra week! Well, I HOPE that’s good news to you. I’d like to spend more time with Gramps. And if you’re up for it, I’d like some more time with you, too.

  If the term on top of the world had been created for any other emotion than this, Hunter couldn’t imagine it. Because that’s exactly what he was in that moment. “Woo-hoo!” he hollered, throwing a fist in the air.

  “What is it?” Connor asked.

  “It’s Mia. She’s going to stay an extra week.”

  “They are?” Connor asked, leaning to look at Hunter’s screen.

  “It doesn’t say Karen is staying,” he said. “I think it’s just Mia.”

  Connor’s face fell slightly before he pulled it back into a grin. “That’s great!” he cheered, smacking him on the back. “Wow, she’s really putting herself out there, Hunter.”

  He nodded again, realizing the truth of it. “You’re right. And since she’s staying, I’m going to do what you suggested. I’m going to tell her how I feel.”

  Mia set her phone on the nightstand, morning sunlight pouring across the polished oak. She knew her female viewers would go crazy for Hunter in last night’s Try My Life teaser. The segment featured two fifteen-second clips from Day 1 where they made breakfast for Gramps. The other featured Mia’s comment about the craters in the egg he peeled. Just watching the close-up of Dusty’s embarrassed reaction gave Mia goose bumps. The segment was good. And Hunter—he’d seized her attention clear back then. She could hardly believe she’d gotten so cozy with the attractive cowboy in just a few short days. “Wonderful days,” she corrected. So wonderful.

  “Hey, Mia?” Karen said quietly outside her door. “You awake?”

  “Yep.” Mia stretched an arm over her head as she made her way to the door to let her in. “Good morning, sunshine! Have you seen all the comments on the teaser? Holy smokes! We’ve never had that many views or comments the first night. And who knew that females would get as crude as some of the guys? Crazy.” Mia stopped talking as she realized her enthusiasm wasn’t being returned.

  Karen only nodded and sighed. She’d gotten ready for the day, dressed to perfection in a Thor shirt and matching ball cap, but something was off.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Karen shuffled over to the bed, turned her back to it, and then dropped back and covered her face with her hands. “Nothing. I’ll tell you in a minute. Remind me of what today looks like, will you?”

  Mia didn’t like the way Karen put her off, nor did she like the way her friend slumped as if she’d been denied entrance to
a preview of the next Avengers movie, but she indulged her just the same. “Me and Gramps are going to get eggs from the chicken coop and groom the horses.”

  “That’s right.”

  “It’s been years since I’ve done any of that, so it should make for an entertaining segment.” When Karen remained quiet, Mia grabbed a brush and ran it through her tangled hair, starting at the ends and working her way up. “Then we do lunch with the ranch hands,” she continued. “Connor said he wants to buy yours since you’ve been so generous with your knowledge about filming and all that.”

  A buzz sounded from Mia’s phone on the end table. She walked toward it, traded the brush for the phone, and read Hunter’s reply to the text she’d sent just a minute ago.

  Staying? That is hands-down the best news I’ve heard in years! You’ve got me dancing in the kitchen like a fool. Hey, after the rodeo, the boys and I want to take you two bull riding at Stoke’s Brews. But don’t worry, it’s an indoor bull. That plugs in. Should be fun. Maybe you could shoot a segment on it?

  Warm, wonderful heat tingled throughout her body. She felt like a kid passing notes in school. She looked up to share the news with Karen and ask her about filming tonight when she caught Karen’s lower lip poking out. She set the phone aside; Hunter would understand if she took a few minutes to respond. For now, Mia needed to figure out what was going on with Karen.

  “Okay, Miss Dreary Pants. What’s up?”

  “I don’t know how to tell you this.”

  Mia scrunched her face, unable to fathom Karen having a hard time telling her anything. “Just spit it out. How bad can it be?”

  Her friend’s fingers spread, making room for Karen to peek at her through them.

  Hunter. She was going to say she’d discovered something terrible about him. Dread tumbled in like a landslide. Maybe he had a girlfriend she didn’t know about. Or perhaps he was moving back to Texas to become a true-life Lone Ranger, separating himself from everyone he knew. Her heart picked up a panicking sort of frenzy, reacting before there was any news to react to.