Taming the Cowboy

by Aarsen, Carolyne

  “I thought you’d get more confident.”

  “It’s all about odds. Sooner or later the horse will turn the wrong way and I won't be ready. I’ll get bucked off or I’ll get kicked. Anything can happen.”

  “Yet you keep going.”

  “I keep going,” he repeated. He gave her a vague smile and took a sip of his coffee. “So, do you want to tell me about the wedding dress? The way you hesitated I’m guessing there’s something else behind the story.”

  “You really come straight to the point, don’t you?” Kinsley said, guessing he didn’t want to talk about the rodeo and his pursuit of greatness.

  “Life’s too short for prevarication,” he said. “And don’t tease me about prevarication. Just because I’m a cowboy doesn’t mean I don’t know how to use fancy words.”

  “It’s a good word,” she said. “As for the wedding dress, it is, well, was, mine.”

  Thankfully his face didn’t change expression at all. “So the obvious conclusion would be that you didn’t use it?”

  “That’s an adequate conclusion.”

  “So because I’m a straight shooter, I’m coming right out and asking what the heck was wrong with the guy that you have a ‘used-to-be-mine’ wedding dress?”

  Once again Kinsley smiled at his directness.

  “He had a problem with commitment. He had his own plans, and his own dreams, and I thought at one time I fit in with them but then I realized I didn’t.”

  “It all sounds kind of vague. How did you know you didn’t fit in with them?”

  Kinsley bit her lip, the old bruise on her soul still tender. She looked away from Elliot because she didn’t want to see the pity on his face, and yet, she had an overwhelming urge to tell him. “I overheard a conversation. The kind people have when they think you’re not there. Which is seldom the good kind. Drake’s mother was telling him that she didn’t think I was the best partner. Either in the business or in his life. After all, how would it look to future brides, if the person planning their perfect wedding looked like me. Walked like me. And then, when I thought he would stand up for me, I heard nothing. No defense. No support. And I realized that if he couldn’t stand up for me now, it would only get worse. So I broke up with him.”

  Silence followed her explanation. Then Elliot reached over and cupped her chin in his hand, turning her face toward his. “No offense,” he said, “but what were you doing with such an idiot? You’re a woman of discerning taste, and you were engaged to that loser?”

  In spite of the shame spiraling through her, Kinsley couldn’t help but giggle. “When you put it that way…”

  “I know the usual comment is to say you’re better off without him, but it couldn’t have been easy to face such a shallow guy. To listen to, pardon my words, such incredibly lame excuses.”

  She chuckled again. “It wasn’t easy. Thankfully I ended the relationship first, so at least I could walk away…actually make that limp away…with my pride intact. That was a year and a half ago. I’ve found my own way through life since then. Trouble was, I was connected to the business he and his mother ran. I had commitments to a few weddings I had to finish up, so I had to deal with them both for another eight months. Once the commitments were fulfilled, I could leave.”

  “Awkward.”

  “In the extreme,” she admitted.

  “So, are you over him?”

  Kinsley tested that question, teasing out old feelings, then nodded. “Yeah. I am. Hard not to feel some shame—”

  “He was the idiot. He’s the one who should feel ashamed.”

  Kinsley was quiet a moment, absorbing his words. The shift in her emotions. The pleasure she felt when he stood up for her. Like Drake never did.

  “You’re a good guy, you know?” she said. “A really good guy.”

  Elliot’s smile shifted and grew melancholy. He leaned one elbow on the table. “Thanks for that. I’ve not heard anyone say that in a long time.”

  Kinsley thought of Dennis and the comments Faith had made about how anything Elliot did was never good enough. And she gave in to an impulse she knew she would later regret but couldn’t stifle.

  She leaned closer and gently brushed a kiss over his stubbled cheek.

  His swift intake of breath and his tight clasp on her hand showed her that maybe she should have thought this through.

  His eyes darkened, and when he didn’t let go of her hand, when he moved closer, his face blurring, she knew she had done something that changed everything.

  But as his lips claimed hers, as his hand snaked around her neck, holding her in place, she didn’t care.

  Not one bit. Not for now anyway.

  * * *

  Elliot drew back, reluctantly pulling his lips from her soft, warm ones, his heart racing like he had just gone ten seconds on a bucking bronc.

  Why had he kissed her?

  She started it.

  He swallowed, lowering his hand but unable to look away from her. Kane’s words reverberated through his mind.

  Be careful.

  And now, hearing her story, he understood exactly why.

  And yet…

  She was smiling at him. She wasn’t angry with him. But then Kinsley lowered her gaze, her hand trembling as she placed it on her chest, which was moving up and down. Rapidly.

  That small gesture gave him hope. It seemed the simple kiss had affected her as much as it had him.

  So he took another chance and stroked her cheek with his forefinger.

  Just then they heard voices, the door of the porch burst open, and Elliot quickly lowered his hand.

  Tricia, Mason, and the kids were back.

  “Ah, you made coffee,” Tricia said, sniffing as she came into the kitchen, her hands full of crinkling bags. Then she stopped, glancing over at Kinsley. “Hey. You’re back from the big city.”

  Kinsley nodded and, to his surprise, her cheeks flushed. He hoped Tricia didn’t notice.

  “That’s perfect. I wanted to show you what we picked out for the kids to wear for the wedding.” She set the bags on the table just as Mason entered, carrying a squealing child under each arm.

  While Tricia opened the bags to show her, Kane and Zach entered the kitchen followed by Faith, who was talking on her cell phone.

  And that was the end of the quiet.

  Elliot wanted to chase everyone out. Send them all away. Relive the moment he and Kinsley had shared.

  Kiss her again.

  But the growing chaos whisked away the emotions of the moment.

  Tricia and Faith got busy getting supper ready. Kinsley was approving the shirts he and Kane had bought and the clothes for the twins.

  When Zach, Mason, and Kane retired to the living room with the kids to keep them busy while supper was being made, Elliot felt at a loss, not sure where he wanted to be. In the kitchen with the chattering women, unable to talk to Kinsley, or in the other room where the kids were already shrieking and laughing as Mason and Kane got them riled up.

  For a moment, he felt like he belonged in neither place.

  So he walked out the door and sat down in one of the chairs sitting under the pergola.

  At least it was quiet here. The setting sun sent long shadows across the yard, bringing a faint chill.

  A door opened behind him and, stifling a twist of annoyance, he turned to see who wanted what from him.

  But it was Kinsley.

  “Hey,” was all she said, her voice breathy, bringing peace with her presence. “It’s pretty noisy in there, and no one seems to need my help. I haven’t even had a chance to tell Faith about the dress.”

  “I know how you feel,” he said, pulling a chair for her around with his booted foot. “As for Faith, she’ll remember once everything has settled down. In the meantime, have a seat. We can both sit out here and wait for the chaos to settle down.”

  To his surprise she wasn’t wearing her high heels, but she was still walking unevenly, favoring her hip.

  He wan
ted to jump up, help her to her chair, but knew she wouldn’t appreciate it. So he stayed where he was, watching as she carefully lowered herself into the chair then lifted her bare feet onto another chair in front of her.

  She just sat there, quiet, and he was happy to share the peace with her. A few stray leaves rustled across the patio, teased by the wind. But other than that only blessed quiet and peace.

  They sat that way for at least five minutes in comfortable companionship.

  “How is the wagon coming along?” she asked, finally breaking the silence.

  “Almost done.” He glanced back, still able to hear the clang of pans, the chatter of the children, and the murmur of conversation. He guessed it would be awhile before dinner was done. “Do you want to come and see?”

  “I guess I could, though I don’t have shoes on.”

  “I could piggyback you again.”

  She looked down at her narrow skirt then got up. “Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

  “Just don’t get roped into helping with supper,” he said, reluctant to have her leave in case Faith decided she needed to talk about the wedding or anything else that might come to mind.

  “I won’t.”

  “If you’re coming out again, meet me at the front door. That way you don’t have to come back through the kitchen.”

  With another smile, she left. He got up, walking around the house before anyone came out to see where he was.

  A few minutes later the front door opened and Kinsley stepped out.

  She wore a simple shirt, blue jeans, and sensible shoes. Her hair hung loose from her usual tight ponytail, flowing over her shoulders.

  “Much better,” he said approvingly.

  “I can be taught.” She gave him a smile.

  They walked in silence again, to the garage. Elliot pulled the large sliding door open, watching her to catch her reaction.

  She stopped, staring, then a slow smile flowed over her soft lips. “Wow. Cinderella’s pumpkin has nothing on this carriage. It looks amazing.”

  Her approval was a gift he took and held close.

  “I built the benches myself. Cut a section out of the sides of the wagon so that Faith can get in and out easier.”

  “Did you make these as well?” Kinsley walked closer, bending over to touch the wrought-iron steps that now gleamed black from the lacquer paint he had layered on. It had taken four coats to get the shine.

  “I’ve done some welding from time to time. Zach taught me.”

  He had sanded the wood of the sides and painted them also. The benches were shining in the low light, a satin finish to them.

  “Do you want to try it out?” he asked.

  “Now?”

  “Why not?”

  “I don’t know… Tricia and Faith will expect us for supper, and I’m sure you won’t get the horses rigged up that quickly.” She straightened, running her hands along the edges he’d spent so much time sanding smooth. He guessed her hesitation had more to do with being behind a team of horses than the girls’ expectations.

  “You’re right. After supper then?”

  “I want to show Faith the dress, and I have a few emails to answer.”

  “Tomorrow?”

  “Maybe…”

  Elliot walked over to her side, took her hand, and squeezed it gently. “I know you’re scared, but you won’t be riding the horses. And I’ll be careful.”

  “Will the horses know that?” she asked with a nervous laugh.

  “You saw Seamus. He’s completely bombproof. Sancho is even quieter.”

  Still she hesitated.

  Elliot waited, willing her to say yes.

  “Why do you keep doing this?” she asked. “Getting me to be around horses?”

  Because he wanted to create one more connection between them?

  Because he hoped to help her?

  Because he thought he might have a chance to kiss her again?

  All of the above?

  “I'd like to help you get past this,” he said. “I guess because I’m so used to horses, I can't imagine what it would be like to be afraid of them.”

  “I wasn’t always,” she said, her voice quiet.

  “Well then, let’s work on that,” Elliot said. “We can start with your history and build on it.”

  She seemed to consider his remarks, then, to his surprise, nodded. “Okay. Let’s go after supper so I won’t have time to change my mind.” She turned to him, and though she had agreed, he could still see the hesitation in her eyes.

  “You can trust me,” Elliot said.

  “I hope so.”

  Elliot heard Tricia calling them, and he gave her a wry smile. “I guess supper got done quicker than we thought. We should go before they wonder where we are.”

  As they walked together to the house, Elliot was surprised at the anticipation he felt at taking her out in the wagon, going for a ride on the ranch, spending time together.

  He just hoped no one else wanted to come.

  Chapter 12

  “So I finally got a call from the photographer,” Faith said as she handed Kane the bowl of potatoes.

  Kinsley looked up from the piece of chicken she was cutting, not encouraged by the dejected tone in Faith’s voice.

  “And what did he tell you?” she asked, even though she guessed exactly what Faith would say.

  “He apologized profusely, but said he couldn't make it.” Faith pressed her lips together as if holding back other emotions.

  “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry.” Kane stroked her back in commiseration. “Maybe we can just ask people to bring their cameras and take pictures. I’m sure we’ll get some decent ones.”

  And right then Faith’s gaze swiveled to Kinsley, a pleading look on her face.

  “I won’t be able to do a decent job,” Kinsley protested, knowing precisely where Faith was going with those puppy dog eyes. “I’ll be organizing people, making sure the twins come down the aisle properly…”

  But even as she expressed her reasons, they sounded hollow to her.

  “There’s enough other people to watch the kids,” Tricia said, not helping Kinsley one bit. “Besides, it doesn’t matter if everything doesn’t turn out perfect. What matters is that Kane and Faith get married. And that they have nice pictures.”

  That was easy for Tricia to say, Kinsley thought. She had nothing riding on this wedding. No future partner watching to make sure that everything happened on time and moved smoothly.

  “You know how stuck I am,” Faith pleaded. “You know how hard it will be to find someone else. Someone half decent.”

  Still Kinsley hesitated, though if she were honest with herself, a part of her wanted to try. She had seen enough photographers working other weddings. And there were many times afterward, when she looked over the photos, that she caught herself criticizing them. Thinking she would have done something differently.

  “Please,” Faith pleaded, her voice breaking just enough to erase the last of Kinsley’s misgivings.

  She hesitated just long enough to let Faith know she was doing this on sufferance.

  “Okay,” she said. “I’ll do it. But you can’t expect me to do the full range of pictures your photographer would do. I’ll have things I'll need to coordinate for the wedding and will have limited time.”

  “I understand,” Faith said, her voice light with relief. “I don’t need a thousand pictures. Just a few really nice ones.”

  “It would actually work out better if Kinsley takes the pictures anyway,” Elliot put in. “I could take her to scout out potential locations. And, even better, we can get some early morning pictures with you guys in the wagon because she’s right here.”

  Kinsley shot him a warning glance, wondering what he was up to.

  But the smile he gave her was full of innocence.

  “That’s a great idea,” Faith said. “I had only thought of coming in on the wagon. We could take some awesome pictures of all of us beforehand, which wouldn’t have
worked with the timeline before. Jeff said he couldn’t come until an hour before the ceremony.” She clapped her hands, as thrilled as a little kid. “This could all work out perfectly.”

  “I can take Kinsley out with the wagon after supper to scout out some potential locations,” Elliot suggested.

  “Oh, things are working out even better than I had hoped,” Faith said, smiling at Kane.

  “I’m glad for you,” Kane said with an indulgent smile. “And I’m even gladder for me. Happy wife, happy life.”

  The rest of the meal went by far too quickly for Kinsley. Though she had already agreed to the ride with Elliot, now she felt an added pressure.

  As soon as the meal was done, Zach, Elliot, Kane, and Mason left to harness the horses. Kinsley helped clear the table with Faith while Tricia cleaned up the kids and gave them a bath.

  “I know you’re hesitant about taking pictures, but you’ll do a great job,” Faith said as she scraped the leftover potatoes into a glass container and snapped a lid on.

  “You know I’m no professional,” Kinsley said.

  “You keep saying that, but I think the only difference between you and Jeff is experience. And the fact that you’ve never been paid for your work. But, once I pay you, that will change.” Faith shot her an encouraging smile as she closed the refrigerator.

  Kinsley rinsed the dishes, struggling with a mixture of emotions. So many things had come at her the last few weeks, she wasn’t sure how to sort them all out. In a few minutes she was going out with Elliot and, she was sure, he would try to kiss her again.

  And she would let him.

  And where is that going?

  “Look, I know you’re worried about this, and I don’t know how to reassure you other than to say I have faith in you. And not just ’cause my name is Faith,” she said with a chuckle at her own joke.

  “Thanks for the confidence. You know it’s more than just the taking pictures. I need this wedding to go well.”

  Faith leaned against the counter beside the sink, her arms folded. “I know you do.” She hesitated a moment, biting her lip, and Kinsley knew something else was on her friend’s mind.