Midnight Ride

by Cat Johnson

  Tyler slid the bolt home on the stall door and turned to see Tucker. “Almost done. I just want to throw him a flake of hay, and then we can go.”

  “A’ight. I unloaded your saddle and the rest of your gear before Colton parked the trailer.”

  Surprised at his brother helping without being asked, Tyler said, “Thanks.”

  Tuck took a step closer. “He’s a nice-looking horse. Where’d you get him?”

  “At auction. He was pretty green and not all that well behaved under the saddle, so he went for cheap.” Tyler was good at finding a diamond in the rough.

  The same thing was true of his truck. It had cost him only eight hundred dollars because it had looked like a piece of crap when he’d bought it used, but some tender loving care and he had himself a great vehicle that he could take pride in because he’d fixed it up himself.

  Tuck leaned a forearm on the door, looking in at the chestnut quarter horse. “So you trained him?”

  “I sure did.” Pride swelled inside Tyler. “Worked with him every day for over a year. Didn’t take long to see that once properly trained, he could be more than just a pleasure horse. He must have cutting horse in his bloodlines. He took to it like a champ.”

  “He is a champ.” Tuck scratched beneath the horse’s forelock and got a snort and nuzzle in response. He glanced at Tyler. “You won the tie-down roping today.”

  “Yeah, I did.” That his brother had admitted that out loud was pretty huge to Tyler.

  It was almost a compliment, which was more than he’d ever expected. Tuck was certainly an enigma. At the arena after the bull riding, he’d been concerned and then went right to gloating. After the drive he’d gone from being cranky to giving compliments.

  Tyler didn’t know what to expect from him next, but after a long day on the road, and a fall that had his shoulder aching, he was in the mood for a bit of peace. “Hey, wanna stop at Big Daddy’s for a burger on the way home? I’ll buy.”

  Tuck’s eyes widened. “Oh, my God. I would love a Big Daddy burger.”

  “All right. You got it.” Tyler grinned at Tuck’s enthusiasm. His brother was so easily bought. Just a big old hunk of beef could make the man happy. After tossing hay into the stall, Tyler brushed his hands together. “That’s it. Let’s head out.”

  Outside the door of the barn, they found Colton. “Trailer’s parked. Just gotta check in with the boss and we’re done.”

  Being done sounded good to Tyler. He turned toward the house and saw Rohn was already heading their way.

  “Hey, boys. How’d it go today?”

  “Good,” Colton answered. “That new bull bucked better than I’ve ever seen him.”

  “Hmm, good to hear. He might earn his keep after all. How’d the horses do?”

  Tyler fielded this question. “The roan was off. Second competition in a row he didn’t buck well. I don’t know if we’re gonna get the rest of the season out of him.”

  Rohn blew out a breath. “All right. We’ll put him in the practice ring next week. I wanna see him before I make any decisions.”

  “I’m up for it.” Tyler nodded. He’d take any chance he got to practice his riding. If it helped his boss at the same time, all the better.

  “Well, thanks again for handling today. My hip is acting up pretty bad. All those hours in the truck would’ve done me in. And thanks for the hand, Tuck. I appreciate it.”

  “My pleasure. I got to see my little brother ride, and I got to take some of his money as well as the purse in bull riding.” Cocky Tuck was obviously back.

  Tyler rolled his eyes as Rohn said, “Congrats.”

  “Thanks much.” Tuck grinned.

  Rohn shot Tyler a glance, as if he knew it was killing him to have his brother tease him here on his own turf. “You boys head home. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “That you will.” Colton adjusted the angle of his hat. “Ty, see you tomorrow. Tuck, thanks for helping.”

  “Sure thing.” Tuck dipped his head in a nod.

  The good-byes done, Colton headed for his truck.

  “Ready?” Tyler glanced at Tuck.

  “For burgers, more than ready.”

  “All right. Let’s go.” Tyler spun on a boot heel, about to head toward his own vehicle.

  Rohn’s voice came from behind him. “Oh, I almost forgot. Get here in time for coffee in the morning. Janie Smithwick dropped off a homemade blueberry pie today.”

  Hearing her name alone stopped Tyler dead in his tracks. The fact she’d been here had him regretting he’d missed her as he spun back to Rohn. “Janie was here?”

  “Yup. Looking for you and Colton. She brought over the pie to thank you for helping with the fence.”

  She’d thanked them for that. She’d made them coffee and fed him dinner. Twice. And if she’d come here today, it was because she was looking for him. At least that was what he hoped was her motivation.

  The information had Tyler ready to crawl out of his skin. He wanted to get into his truck and drive directly to her ranch, but he had Tuck with him, and he’d promised him burgers.

  Wrestling his eagerness to a manageable level, Tyler forced himself to sound only moderately interested in Rohn’s news. “Sounds good. I’ll be here for pie and coffee in the morning. Even if your coffee sucks, the pie will still be good.”

  “Yeah, yeah. I keep telling you, you don’t like mine, you can make the damn coffee yourself. Funny how you never take me up on it.”

  “One day, Rohn. One day.” Tyler turned and waved a hand, heading for his truck even as his mind spun, trying to come up with some way he could get to see Janie tonight.

  “Damn, now I’m craving blueberry pie.” Tuck laughed as he climbed into the passenger seat.

  “Sorry. I don’t think you can get homemade blueberry pie at Big Daddy’s.” Ty slid the key into the ignition as an idea began to form. “Hey, you mind if we get those burgers to go instead of eating there?”

  “Not at all. I’ve been gone all day. I should be getting home to Becca anyway.”

  “Yup, that’s what I figured.” The thought that he could sneak back out and over to Janie’s without Tuck even noticing had him smiling.

  She’d come looking for him and she’d brought pie. That deserved a thank-you in person. Tyler emerged from his thoughts about Janie to find Tuck frowning at him. “You’re fixin’ to dump me at the house and go back out, aren’t you. What? Some buckle bunny text you for a booty call?”

  “There’s no buckle bunny. Did you see me even talking to any girls today?”

  “No, I didn’t, but that don’t mean you haven’t got a few put away in reserve.”

  Tyler probably had half a dozen girls’ numbers he could call if a tumble was what he wanted. But he didn’t want to call any of them. A quickie with some girl who was interchangeable with any other wasn’t what he was after.

  Maybe it had been in the past, but not now. Not since Janie and her serious eyes and worried little frown and adorable pink cheeks had come into his life. She opened him up to the possibility of something deeper. To the existence of a woman capable of more than drunken flirting.

  He’d be damned if he would tell his brother any of that. It sounded sappy in his own head. Out loud it would sound even hokier, and Tuck would surely mock him for it.

  “You’re right, bro. Heading out for a booty call. Jealous?” Tyler glanced sideways. “You better not let Becca know that.”

  “No, I’m not jealous, you ass. I just can’t believe after leaving the house at the crack of dawn, working and riding—and wrecking—you’re going back out to get laid.”

  Tyler let out a short laugh. Little did Tuck know it was worse. That Tyler was going out to see a woman without the hope of getting any sex out of it. He was going just because he wanted to see her. “Well, you know me. I’m just a horndog at heart.”

  “Yup.” Tuck let out a very judgmental-sounding sigh, like he’d given up on his wayward brother and his wicked ways.


  This conversation was starting to suck the joy out of Tyler. He focused on the reality of seeing Janie again, not on Tuck’s perverted, overactive imaginings about what his love life was like.

  Let Tuck judge all he wanted. Janie had come looking for him at Rohn’s. That was all that mattered.

  Chapter Eighteen

  After an early dinner, Janie lay in bed in her pajamas, flipping through channels and finding nothing to watch. Finally she turned off the television and grabbed the paperback that had sat on her nightstand for months. Most nights she was too tired to read. Tonight, it seemed she couldn’t settle her brain to sleep, so she might as well give the book another try.

  She’d just thumbed to the point where she’d left off when a sound caught her attention. Was that someone out in the drive? She sat up, torn between fear and excitement. At the soft knock on the back door, her hope grew.

  As she hurried down the stairs, she ran through the possible scenarios. It probably wasn’t a burglar. They wouldn’t knock. But it could be Tyler. He would have had enough time to drive home from a rodeo, unload the stock, and get here.

  She slowed once she reached the kitchen and saw the dark form at the door. The light she’d gotten used to leaving on outside all night illuminated exactly the man she wanted to see.

  Trotting to the entry, she flipped the light switch and the locks and pulled open the door. “Hi.”

  “Hey.” A wide smile spread across his face. “Cute jammies. Can I come in?”

  “Um, sure.”

  What were the odds that the one night she was in pajamas hours earlier than usual, Tyler would show up? Actually, the chances were pretty good since he’d been there every night for days. She’d just figured since he’d been away at a rodeo, she wouldn’t see him. She’d been very wrong.

  “So, I heard you were at Rohn’s today.” He moved to the counter and leaned back.

  “I was. I dropped off a pie.”

  “That the only reason you went over? To drop off a pie?” A sly smirk settled on his face and remained as he waited for her answer.

  “Why else would I go over?”

  “I don’t know.” He shrugged. “I thought maybe you might have come looking for me.” He pushed off the counter and moved closer to her as he spoke, until he was so near she had to tilt her head to look up to talk to him.

  Her mouth dropped open but she wasn’t sure what to say. Deny it? That would be a lie. Admit it and be embarrassed? She couldn’t do that either. “Um . . .”

  His smile widened. She was so damn transparent. Of course he knew she’d gone in hopes of seeing him.

  “I was sorry I’d missed your visit, so I decided to come over.” Tyler’s gaze dropped to take in her T-shirt and boxer shorts. “I didn’t realize I’d be so overdressed.”

  “Um, yeah. I was going to go to bed early and maybe read for a little bit.”

  “Reading. Wow. Not sure I know many girls who do that.”

  Her brows rose. “Then you’re hanging out with the wrong girls.”

  “No doubt. I most definitely have been . . . in the past, but I’ve raised my standards a bit recently.” His gaze was so intense, she felt her cheeks heat. Tyler shook his head. “Damn, it makes me crazy when you blush like that.”

  Janie raised her hands to her face. He took a step back, grabbing a chair from the table and sitting.

  She guessed he was staying for a bit. Dressed properly to receive company or not, it seemed she had a guest. A hot cowboy with a smile that made her heart speed, and she was in her nightclothes. Janie pulled out the chair opposite and sat anyway.

  “So, Rohn is holding the pie hostage until tomorrow. We’re having it with coffee in the morning.”

  “I made extra.”

  His eyes widened. “You did?”

  “I did.” She didn’t tell him it was because she hoped he’d be over the next day working and she wanted to be able to offer it to him. “Want a piece?”

  “Heck, yeah.”

  Janie laughed and stood. It didn’t matter what she wore. Apparently, all she needed to impress Tyler was food. She slid a knife out of the block on the counter and cut him a good-sized piece. After grabbing a fork out of the drawer, she put the slice on a plate and delivered it to him at the table. “There you go.”

  “Thank you much.” He had the first bite in his mouth before she’d even sat again. She smiled as his eyes rolled back in his head. “Oh, man. Janie, you keep feeding me like this and I’ll never leave.”

  If only that were true. “I’m glad you like it.”

  “More than like it.” He stabbed another piece and shoveled it into his mouth. After swallowing, he glanced up. “So, have you thought more on what we talked about?”

  “And what was that again?” Watching him eat made it hard to think of anything else except kissing those tempting lips.

  “About if you’re ready to go out yet, on a real date.” The fork laden with pie remained poised in the air as he leveled his gaze on her. “With me.” He shoved the pie into his mouth and chewed, but didn’t stop staring at her.

  She rolled her eyes. “If we went out and anyone saw us, they’d think I was your mother or something.”

  “You look nothing like my mother, and I think that’s a pretty poor excuse.” He put his fork down and pushed his chair back. “But if that’s really your concern, I can fix it.”

  “How?”

  “We’ll have our date but we won’t go out.”

  “So you mean we’ll stay in, and like have coffee together, or eat chili, or mac and cheese, or pie. . . .”

  “I know what you’re getting at and no, I’m not talking about that. If a date in public is the problem, then we’ll have our first one in private. Come on.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her up and out of her chair.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Outside.”

  “You said we were staying in.”

  “Stop being so literal.” He glanced down at her feet and her flip-flops. “Good. You have shoes on.”

  “Not exactly shoes.”

  “Good enough.” He led her out the door, flipping off the kitchen light as they went. She scrambled to keep up with him as he set a fast pace to his truck. He opened the passenger door. “Get on in.”

  Her feet stayed planted on solid ground. “I’m not dressed and you said we weren’t going out.”

  “Trust me. We’ll never leave the property. I promise.”

  For some inexplicable reason, she did trust him and pulled herself up into the truck. He ran around to the other side, started the engine, and swung the truck into a wide turn. Soon they were headed across her field toward the pond. He pulled up close to the fence and cut the engine.

  She smiled as he trotted around and opened her door for her. The night air was perfect. Not too cool or too hot. The only sounds were the peepers and crickets and the occasional bellow of one of the herd. As he handed her out of the truck, she said, “All right. I’ll give you credit for creativity. This is a really pretty spot.”

  “You ain’t seen nothing yet. Come on.” He led her around to the back of the truck and said, “Stay right there for a sec.”

  He ran back to the passenger door and returned with a blanket. He spread it out in the bed of the truck. Before she knew what was happening, his hands were around her waist and he’d lifted her so she was sitting on the open tailgate.

  He hopped up into the bed behind her and dragged a cooler forward. “Let’s see what we have left here. Coke, water, beer, and energy drinks. All still cold. What’s your pleasure?” He glanced at her, waiting.

  Janie shrugged. “I don’t know. Water is good.”

  “All right.” He took a bottle out for her and one for himself, and then closed the lid on the cooler before he settled next to her on the tailgate.

  She smiled at his impromptu cowboy date. “You done?”

  “Well, there’s some beef jerky in the cab, but I’m not going to insult you by offering you that afte
r you’ve fed me such good food. But there is one more thing.” He lifted his chin toward the tree line. “Look.”

  She turned to look where he’d indicated and saw it, the top edge of the full moon rising above the trees. Huge and bright, it was larger than life, a big brilliant orb hanging low in the sky. “Wow.”

  “Yeah. I saw it on the drive over. It’s pretty cool, huh?”

  As the moon rose before her very eyes, the first beams hit the pond, sending sparkles of light bouncing off the water. “It’s beautiful.”

  “So are you.” His voice seemed to brush across her, like soft, smooth silk.

  “Thank you.” Embarrassed and feeling shy, she forced herself to just accept the compliment rather than tell him what she really thought—that she felt far from beautiful.

  He reached out and smiled as he stroked his thumb across her cheek. “I bet you’re blushing again because I said that. It’s too dark, but I sure do wish I could see it.” He let his hand drop. “So, this isn’t so bad. Right? Maybe next time we can get inside the truck and, I don’t know, drive somewhere off the property. What do you think?”

  “Tyler, I don’t—”

  “Janie, I’m not giving up.”

  She smiled. “I’m starting to see that.”

  “Then you might as well get over it and say yes.”

  She didn’t say yes, but she did say, “Thank you.”

  “For what?” He looked genuinely confused when he asked the question.

  “For getting me out of my rut.” She’d thought she’d been happy stuck in her nice safe box. It took a push—or two—from Tyler to get her out of it. But now that she was out here, what was she going to do?

  “You’re welcome.” He grinned. “So you’ll go out with me?”

  She could not date a twenty-four-year-old, even if he was about to turn twenty-five. “No.”

  He nodded and drew in a breath. “All right. I’ll keep trying.”