Meant to Be My Cowboy

by R. C. Ryan

  He nodded. “They’re easy to miss. They’ve learned to slip away at the first sign of humans.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know why I’m so excited at the sight of them. I mean, I’ve grown up around horses. But mustangs are another matter.”

  “I know what you mean. They’ve always been special to me, too.”

  They rode on, enjoying the perfect day and the picture-perfect countryside all around. The hills covered in green and sprinkled with colorful wildflowers. An eagle soaring overhead. The glorious mountains forming a magnificent backdrop to it all.

  As they topped a rise, Annie pointed to a stand of trees up ahead. “How about taking a break there?”

  Jonah nodded, and they slowed to a walk before coming to a halt and dismounting.

  Jonah pointed to a nearby stream. “Thirsty?”

  “I am. But I brought my own.” She slipped off her backpack and pulled out two bottles of water before handing one to him. “I also brought us lunch.”

  Jonah saw the wrapped packets. “You made these?”

  Her laugh was clear as a bell. “Sorry. I’m not that domesticated. I bought lunch at Katie’s Kitchen, the little bakeshop in town. Katie told me she recently added a deli.”

  She revealed a plastic bag of red, yellow, and orange pepper strips to munch.

  “No chips?” Jonah frowned.

  “I’m into healthy.” She laughed. “But I thought a rugged cowboy like you might like something more substantial, so I also got some chicken club sandwiches.”

  “Ah.” His frown turned into a smile. “Good thinking.”

  “And…ta-da.” She unwrapped a third package to reveal two big chocolate brownies.

  “You get extra points for the dessert.” With a laugh, he settled beside her on a fallen log and bit into his sandwich. “So. Have you unpacked yet?”

  At her arched brow, he explained. “The other day you said you’d moved into the apartment above Julie’s but hadn’t unpacked.”

  She gave a negligent shrug. “I keep putting it off.”

  “Does that mean you’re not sure you’re staying in Devil’s Door?”

  “I am for now.” She uncapped her bottle of water and took a long drink. “What is that called?” She motioned toward a towering peak in the distance.

  Her attempt to change the subject had Jonah smiling. “Locals call it the Chimney.”

  She nodded. “I can see why. Have you climbed it?”

  “When I was younger, it was a favorite challenge. When I was twelve, I decided I had to reach the top. So I set off all alone and started climbing. I was almost at the top when I slipped. Next thing I knew, I was falling and landed in a heap at the bottom.”

  “Oh.” Her hand went to her throat. “Did you break a leg?”

  He shook his head. “My collarbone. Hurt like hell. I had to drag myself onto Thunder’s back. I was in such a haze of pain all I could do was hold on and hope he got me home.”

  “That sounds like a painful lesson to learn.”

  He gave a short laugh. “I guess I’ve got a really thick head. As soon as the doctor declared I was healed, I went back and tried again.” He shook his head remembering. “And fell again.”

  “No.” She looked pained. “Not your collarbone.”

  “My left arm. In two places.” He looked over at the mountain peak, gleaming in the sunlight. “As soon as the cast was off, I was back climbing. I know it was pretty stupid, but I couldn’t resist the challenge. And that time I made it to the top.” He was grinning. “I remember standing there, feeling like the king of the world. I looked at how far I’d climbed, and then I jumped up and down, feeling this tremendous rush, shouting at the top of my lungs, hearing my voice bounce off the cliffs.”

  She laughed and nodded. “For a stupid kid trick, I have to admit I’d have done the same. I guess it proves one thing.”

  He turned to her.

  “You’re either right about having a thick head, or you’re a guy who just can’t quit until you succeed.”

  He winked. “Right on both counts.”

  She was studying him a little too carefully. “And now what? On to bigger and better challenges?”

  He shrugged. “Why not? How about you? What kind of crazy things did you do as a kid?”

  She polished off the last of her sandwich. “My best friend, Lori, and I were always getting into trouble. But nothing as awesome as climbing a mountain. We were more into bringing home wounded pelicans and patching them up, or sailing her dad’s boat around the bay and throwing food to the sea lions sunning on the docks. The only dangerous thing we ever did was get tossed about during an unexpected storm and being rescued by the Coast Guard, after they were contacted by our frantic parents. Needless to say, we were grounded for the rest of the summer.”

  “How old were you?”

  “Fifteen. And according to my father, lucky to live to see my sixteenth birthday.”

  They shared a laugh.

  “Are you and Lori still best friends?”

  “Yes. She’s…” Annie seemed to catch herself before glancing at her watch and then pointing. “I need to get back. Is that the way to your cabin?”

  “It is.”

  “Think we’ll see another herd of mustangs on our way?”

  “If we’re lucky.”

  Seeing that he’d finished his brownie, she handed him half of hers. “Here. I’ll trade you for those pepper strips.”

  He grinned. “I think I’m getting the best of this deal.”

  “All you’re getting is chocolate and sugar.”

  “Two of my favorite food groups.” He swallowed the confection in one bite.

  A short time later, renewed and refreshed, they were riding down the hill toward Jonah’s cabin.

  At the fork in the trail, they dismounted. Annie gave Honey a final pat. “I wish I didn’t have to run, but I really need to get to work. Thank you for this morning, Jonah. It was really special.”

  As she began to turn away, he dropped a hand on her shoulder, causing her to abruptly turn to face him. Though she froze and her eyes went wide, to her credit she didn’t back away.

  “It was special for me, too.” He kept his tone easy. “Thanks for lunch. And the extra dessert.”

  “You’re welcome.” Her breathless tone hinted that she’d been expecting something more.

  He was about to let it go but then thought better of it and brushed a quick kiss over her mouth.

  He’d meant it to be nothing more than a friendly goodbye. But the minute his lips touched hers, heat flared.

  A little sigh escaped her throat, and she was smiling as she turned away. “I guess if I have to be late for work, that’s a better reason than most.”

  He stood very still as she made a dash down the trail. Finding his voice, he called, “If you’re not working Saturday, we could go hiking again.”

  “I’d like that.”

  He watched until she was out of sight.

  The taste of her still lingered on his lips.

  The knowledge that he would see her again had a smile lighting all his features.

  Chapter Six

  On her day off, when she could have slept until noon, Annie was up early and twitching with energy. She couldn’t deny the fact that it was the thought of meeting Jonah at his cabin and spending the day hiking that had brought on this burst of energy.

  She was sensible enough to know that this day should be all about the hiking, and not the man. She’d learned the hard way that she should never put her trust in a man. Especially a good-looking one with all that easy charm. And it wasn’t about Jonah, she told herself, though to be honest, he wasn’t like the guys she’d known in the city. He wasn’t one of those pretty boys, working out with a trainer to sculpt the perfect body, spending a fortune on designer suits, all for the purpose of having a pretty woman on his arm.

  Everything about the cowboy, living in a remote cabin in the wilderness, put her at ease. From what she’d seen so
far, he was down to earth, true to his word, and just what he seemed to be—a man who enjoyed the simple life.

  With all the tensions seething in her crazy world lately, this was what she needed. No pretense. No drama. Just a nice, easy friendship.

  Still, she couldn’t put that kiss out of her mind.

  True, it had been nothing more than a simple goodbye-thanks-for-the-lunch kind of kiss. She was sure that’s what he’d meant by it. But in the dark of the night, when sleep eluded her, she’d had to admit that, for her, it had been something more. While it had been short and sweet, another second and it would have turned into something else. But even in that instant, Jonah’s kiss had packed a punch.

  At some other time in her life, she’d have been willing to give it another try, to see where it led. But right now, in her turbulent life, that wasn’t an option.

  Today they would hike, and talk and laugh, and hopefully see more herds of mustangs.

  That would have to be enough. More than enough. No kiss goodbye, no flirtation, no matter how the day went.

  That was her story, and she was going to stick to it.

  Time to shower and dress for a day of hiking.

  A sudden thought had her grinning.

  She would be hiking with her handsome cowboy. A cowboy she would not kiss, no matter how appealing it may seem.

  She brushed aside the thought and reminded herself why she was in Devil’s Door, Wyoming.

  It had the effect of dashing cold water on whatever fantasies she’d been about to indulge in.

  When Annie walked into the clearing, Jonah was just pulling on his shirt. Noting the pile of freshly split logs, it occurred to her that if she’d arrived a few minutes earlier, she’d have caught him shirtless and chopping wood.

  Maybe it was just as well that she’d missed it. This cowboy was tempting enough fully clothed.

  She paused to watch him carry an armload of logs that would stagger most men. He stacked them neatly alongside the cabin before turning for more.

  When he saw her, he buttoned his shirt before starting toward her. “’Morning, Annie.”

  “Good morning. You’ve been busy. Want some help?”

  “No, but thanks for offering. I’ll finish up another day.” He gave her a smile. “Ready for that hike?”

  “I am. I woke up thinking about mustangs. I hope we see some today.”

  “If you’d like, we could head a little higher into the hills. That’s where they usually spend the warm months.”

  “Great.” She followed his lead along a nearly invisible trail until they’d left the shelter of the woods and stepped out into a lush meadow.

  Jonah frowned as he looked up. “Clouds are gathering. We may get some rain. Do you want to risk it?”

  Annie shrugged. “It’s worth a try. A little rain never hurt anything.”

  “Okay. Your call.”

  They hiked across the meadow, moving upward as they went, until they reached the summit. From there they could see for miles as the hills folded one into another, and they were all so lush and green it looked like an artist’s rendering.

  Annie gave a sigh of pleasure. “It’s almost too pretty to be real.”

  Jonah nodded. “This is one of my favorite spots.” He pointed to the dark outline of the Tetons in the distance, rising up like a fortress in a medieval novel. “When I was a kid, I pretended I was a superhero who defended this paradise against invaders.”

  “You had quite the imagination.”

  “Yeah. Still do.” He turned to her, and the steady look he gave her had the heat rising to her cheeks.

  She felt the need to say something. Anything, to deflect from the wolfish look in his eyes. “Which way should we go?”

  He smiled. “Let’s try that way.”

  Before they had a chance to move on, there was a crack of thunder, and the sky began to turn ominously dark.

  Jonah pointed. “We need to turn back. I’m not sure we can outrun those storm clouds rolling in, but we can try.”

  Annie followed him as he started back the way they’d come. They were halfway across the meadow when the storm broke, and the sky opened up with a torrent of rain.

  Jonah caught her hand and the two of them ran the rest of the distance. Once in the woods, they were partially sheltered by the thick foliage, though they could hear the sound of the rain pelting the leaves overhead.

  By the time they reached his cabin, they were soaked.

  Jonah pushed open the door and led her inside. While he made his way to the fireplace to strike a match to kindling, Annie stood in the doorway and looked around.

  She’d been expecting a rough cabin, and it was. There was a serviceable sink. Modern appliances. A wooden table and two chairs with an intricate design. Through a doorway she could see a bed, covered in a dark green comforter, and an upholstered chair alongside a table stacked with books. But the interior of the cabin was also much more than it appeared to be from the outside. There were shelves along one entire wall, filled with books. There was an amazing glass table on a base that appeared to be some sort of petrified wood, polished to a high shine. Across the room was a desk and, atop it, a computer.

  “Here.” Jonah crossed the room and wrapped her in an afghan. “Come sit by the fire while I find something dry for you to put on.”

  Annie settled into a chair and welcomed the heat.

  He walked into the bedroom and returned minutes later wearing a dry shirt and carrying a second one.

  “This will be too big, but at least it’s not wet. We can hang yours here by the fire until it dries.”

  “Thanks.” She accepted the shirt and walked to his bedroom, closing the door.

  After slipping out of her shirt and pulling on his, she began rolling the sleeves. As she did, she moved around the small room, getting a glimpse of the man who slept here.

  There was a second fireplace in here, and she thought how cozy it would be on chilly nights. The smell of wood smoke reminded her of her childhood home, where her father often had a log burning in the hearth.

  She stepped out of the room and draped her damp shirt over the back of a chair, set near the fireplace.

  Jonah had made a pot of coffee, and the smell, mingling with the smoke from the fireplace, filled the little cabin with even more warm memories.

  “I like your cabin.”

  “Thanks.”

  He handed her a cup of coffee. “One cream.”

  She arched a brow. “You remembered.”

  He merely smiled.

  “Did you build this place yourself?”

  “Most of it. And some of the furniture.”

  She seemed surprised.

  He waved a hand. “This table and the chairs, for instance.” He pointed across the room. “And that table.”

  She crossed the room to study it. “What a fabulous base.”

  “It’s a petrified stump I unearthed while digging the foundation. I loved the shape of it, and the grain of the wood, and decided to polish it up.”

  “It’s beautiful.” She looked over at him. “So you earn your living making furniture?”

  He laughed. “Afraid not. It’s just a hobby.” He drained his coffee and turned toward the door. “I think the storm’s blowing over. I’m going to haul in another log. I’ll just be a minute.”

  When the door closed behind him, she continued sipping her coffee as she slowly walked around the room.

  Intrigued by the shelves of books, she paused to read the titles. There were biographies, fiction, and nonfiction. Several books on woodworking and several more on soil conservation and climate.

  She noted several copies of the same hardcover and bent to read the title.

  Secrets and Lies by J. R. Merrick.

  She recognized it as a recent best seller she’d seen in bookstore windows in San Francisco and found herself wondering why he’d bought so many copies of the same book.

  Gifts for family or friends?

  She was about to
move on when she noticed one of the books opened to the inside back cover.

  She nearly bobbled her coffee. Alarmed, she set aside her cup and bent to study the photo and blurb about the author.

  Just then, Jonah stepped inside and hauled a log to the fireplace. After setting it in place, he stood and wiped his hands down his jeans before turning with a smile.

  Annie was looking at him as if she’d just seen a ghost.

  He started toward her. “What’s wrong?”

  “You’re…him.” She held out the book. “Why didn’t you tell me that you’re J. R. Merrick?”

  Without waiting for his answer, she dashed across the room and yanked her damp shirt from the back of the chair, then hurried into the bedroom. A minute later she returned, wearing her shirt and heading for the door.

  “Annie. Wait.” Jonah crossed to her in quick strides and caught her arm.

  “Don’t touch me.” She shot him a look that had him lifting his hand and backing away.

  “Okay. I understand why you’re angry.” He couldn’t hide his frustration. “But this is exactly why I didn’t tell you. You’re reacting the way so many people do when they find out I’m a published author instead of just another cowboy. But I’m the same guy you hiked with and rode horses with. Annie, I’m just a guy…”

  Her voice was pure ice. “You’re a Merrick.”

  “Yes. I’m…” Her obvious anger had him pausing. “Jonah Merrick. What’s wrong?”

  “This cabin isn’t your home. You just…play here, or pretend to live here, or whatever you do here.”

  “I write here. This is my office.”

  “I see. Of course.”

  “Of course? What does that mean?”

  “My uncle told me the Merrick family lives on a big, sprawling ranch set on a thousand or so acres and that I was to steer clear of them. So, of course, I never connected a cowboy living in a cabin in the wilderness with the infamous Merrick family.”

  “Infamous?” There was a pause before he found his voice. “What does any of that have to do with why you’re so angry?”