Ray: Riding Hard

by Jennifer Ashley

  Drew smiled, her beauty shining out. “A great idea.”

  “I’ll check her over, but I’ll say right now you’ll have to bathe her in flea shampoo,” Anna said. “I’ll give her some worm medicine too, in case. She’s obviously been on her own a while.”

  “Poor Cinders.” Erica stroked the cat’s head. It closed its eyes, purring under the attention. “We’ll take care of you from now on.”

  Erica had a good heart. Meant her mom had taught her compassion, a trait mostly learned by example.

  Drew saw Ray and turned that smile on him, making Ray all kinds of warm. “Ray rescued her. Climbed right up the chimney and pulled her out.”

  “I can tell.” Dr. Anna’s gaze took in the mess of Ray’s clothes and his face blotched with the soot he hadn’t been able to rub off. She turned to the cat, and Ray saw her flush rise. “So how’s Kyle doing?” she asked, as though offhand.

  Ray suppressed a grin. “Not too bad. He’s on pain meds and can’t move around much, which makes him seriously cranky. Hard to live with. I’ll be glad when he’s better, for both our sakes. He had a bad fall off a bull,” Ray added for Drew and Erica.

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” Drew said at once. “Is he all right?”

  “Busted a couple ribs, pulled a lot of muscles.” Ray shrugged. “He’s been hurt a lot worse. Like I said, he’s healing. And cranky.”

  “Bull riding is dangerous,” Dr. Anna said with a growl. “I don’t understand why he does it.”

  Ray noticed she wasn’t asking why Ray did it. “For the thrill,” he answered. “The challenge of riding the wildest bull and proving you can do it. The prize money doesn’t hurt.”

  “Well, it’s crazy.” Anna took an instrument that looked like a tiny flashlight from her pocket and examined the cat’s ears and eyes.

  “I’ll tell him you said hi,” Ray said, with a wink at Drew and Erica. Kyle would snarl and not believe him, but it was entertaining to tease his little brother.

  Anna went a darker shade of red, her attention firmly on the cat. “I hope he gets better soon.”

  “We all do.” Ray nodded at Drew. “I’m going to offload the rest of your stuff and go. Need to clean up.”

  He gave the collected ladies another nod—they were all looking at him now—and made himself walk away.

  He heard footsteps behind him. “Ray. Um …”

  Ray turned. Beyond Drew, Dr. Anna said, “Erica, will you help me check out Cinders? I need a table to set her on.”

  Erica immediately dashed into the garage, and Anna followed.

  Drew remained, her lovely eyes fixed on Ray. “Thank you for helping today. Really.”

  The Ray Malory he knew would say something smooth, like it was a pleasure to help out a pretty woman, but his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. He hadn’t helped her simply because she was gorgeous, or even pitiable. He’d felt a pull to her that unnerved him.

  “It’s no trouble.” The words came out awkwardly, and Ray cleared his throat. “If you want, I can come tomorrow, help you start sorting things out. This is going to be a big job.”

  Her smile vanished. Hell, now she probably thought he was angling for her to pay him.

  “I don’t know …” she began.

  Ray raised his hands. “I mean as a friend. Helping out. That house is a wreck. I hate for you to dig through it by yourself.”

  “I did plan to hire someone to help. The Fullers have a guy, they said.”

  Ray was already shaking his head. “Nah, he’d rather sit on his butt all day than work. He’s Fuller’s cousin, and they owe his mom a favor, so they can’t fire him.”

  “Oh.”

  “How about we talk about it tomorrow? I can tell you who’s good and who isn’t.”

  Drew’s smile returned. “I’d appreciate it. I admit I have no idea what I’ve gotten myself into.”

  “See you tomorrow then.” Ray tried to sound casual, pretend something in him wasn’t dancing in glee at the prospect of hanging out with her again.

  “Thanks, Ray.”

  He liked the way she said his name. No different from the way anyone else did, he supposed, but for some reason it sounded better from her lips.

  Ray forced himself to walk away. Not easy with the sunshine on Drew’s hair, her smile making her eyes dance. But he’d be back. He’d be back as often as he could.

  The Malory ranch was humming along as usual when Ray reached it. Their small herd dotted the far hill, the cattle enjoying the fair weather. A trainer worked a cutting horse in the ring, its owner observing from the rail.

  Ray gave the trainer and owner a nod and headed to the house, stripping down once he slammed the back door. One advantage of all the females having moved out was that Ray could take off his clothes in the kitchen and stuff them into the washing machine in the tiny laundry room behind it.

  In his underwear, Ray added Drew’s towel and soap, adjusted settings, and pushed start. His mom and sisters had taught both brothers how to run the machine a long time ago, saying they weren’t about to be Ray’s and Kyle’s laundrywomen.

  Kyle’s voice sounded behind him. “Oh, hell, this is all I need.”

  Ray turned to regard his brother, his tanned face wan with pain, leaning heavily on a walking stick in the middle of the kitchen.

  “I finally convince myself to come downstairs, and I see that.” Kyle made a face at Ray’s mostly naked and grime-streaked body. “What happened to you?”

  Ray knew Kyle would hear about his adventure from Craig at the feed store, and maybe Anna, if she felt like talking to him. But for some reason, Ray didn’t want to tell his brother about Drew’s soft smile or the sparkle in her eyes. Kyle would rag him, as he always did when Ray so much as looked at a woman with interest.

  To be fair, Ray did the same thing to Kyle, but a reluctance to discuss Drew came over him. Until he explored this tentative thing he felt about the woman he’d met today—if it was a thing at all—it was Ray’s business and no one else’s.

  “Some shit fell on me at the feed store,” he extemporized. “Not actual shit—drywall compound and stuff.”

  “Well, wash it off. I hear that stuff’s not good to breathe in.”

  “Why do you think I’m standing here in my underwear? I’m heading for the shower. How you doing?”

  “I’m in pain. Fucked up from meds. Bored. How do you think I’m doing?”

  “Well, you can always help Margaret in the office. Sweet talk people on the phone or something.”

  Kyle’s gaze went to the window and the horse and rider in the ring beyond. “Yeah, that sounds like fun.”

  “Better than moping around on your ass,” Ray said, not unkindly. “You’ll heal, bro. It just takes time.”

  “I know that.” Kyle moved restlessly. “This wasn’t my first rodeo.” He quirked his lips at his feeble joke. “Yeah, think I’ll hobble down and see if Margaret needs anything. Wish me luck.”

  He meant with Margaret, their formidable office manager, not the walk to the trailer at the end of the drive.

  “You got it. Take it easy.”

  “Whatever.” Kyle growled and stumped out the door.

  Ray shook his head and trudged upstairs, stripped off his boxer briefs, and stepped into the shower. The water and soap erased the layers of soot and dried blood that caked his skin, but when Ray closed his eyes to rinse off, all he could think of was Drew’s big smile when she’d watched Ray climb out of the fireplace with the cat, and laughed at him.

  “Mom! Ray’s here!”

  Erica bounced up the stairs, the cat running on wiry legs behind her.

  Drew made herself calmly finish stacking the dishes in the draining tray, pretending Erica’s announcement barely affected her. She reflected that she missed having a dishwasher, but at least Erica was good about helping wash them without complaint.

  Drew tried not to hurry to the living room window once she was done. Walk slowly, no big deal. The last few steps were too quick for her co
mfort, and she peered eagerly down.

  Below them, Ray slid out of his big, gleaming pickup, black cowboy hat firmly on his head. He wore a loose brown T-shirt with a canted black letter M emblazoned on it. Jeans hugged his very nice butt, and dusty cowboy boots completed the picture.

  Guys who’d worn cowboy attire at Drew’s high school had been dismissively called “drugstore” cowboys, meaning they’d probably never been on a horse or seen a cow in their lives. Ray was the real thing. Drew had come to Texas with the vague idea that working cowboys were rail thin, always dusty, and spit a lot. She never dreamed she’d be attracted to one. Ray, with his solid body, square face, and green eyes, was changing her mind.

  He spied her in the window and raised a hand in greeting.

  Drew waved back, left the window, and started down the stairs to the garage. She caught herself smoothing her hair, and forced her hands to her sides. He was here being nice, that was all.

  Erica had charged down the stairs ahead of her and ran for the pickup. “Morning, Ray! We already had breakfast, or I’d offer you some.”

  “That’s okay. I ate. How’s the cat doing?” Ray looked pointedly at the feline who was at Erica’s heels.

  The cat, once bathed, dried, and brushed, turned out to be a soft grey with very white paws and chest. She had startlingly blue eyes and an impish look as she bounded sideways in her enthusiasm.

  “Cinders? She’s great. Ate another whole can of tuna. We’ll have to get her some cat food.”

  Erica continued about everything the cat had done since Ray had seen it last, all of eighteen hours ago.

  “Erica, don’t wear him out,” Drew said as she reached them. “She’s used up all her talk on me and looking to expand,” she said to Ray. “Just tell her to zip it.”

  Ray shrugged in his good-natured way. “I don’t mind. I have sisters. I’m used to it.”

  “Sisters?” Erica pounced on the information like Cinders had pounced on a roach last night. “What are their names?”

  “One is Lucy—she lives in Houston now. The other is Grace. She got married and lives right here in Riverbend. Her stepdaughter is the one I said could give you riding lessons.”

  “Yes!” Erica danced around, her twelve-year-old energy unrestrained. “Can I, Mom? Oh, please, please, please, please.”

  “When we’re more settled,” Drew said. If they could be more settled. “Right now, we have a lot of work to do.”

  Erica took that as affirmation, and ran off, jumping, doing cartwheels, laughing. The cat leapt with her, recognizing a kindred spirit.

  That left Drew and Ray facing each other in awkward silence. At least, Drew felt awkward.

  “Actually,” Ray said, “I brought you some stuff from my sister’s bakery.”

  “Your sister has a bakery?” Drew blurted as he turned back to his truck.

  “Grace, yeah.” He emerged with a pink box. “She opened a place not long ago. She’s an amazing cook.”

  “Well, we always welcome food.” Drew accepted the box, determined not to look inside. From the scent of baked things and chocolate wafting to her, she might start nervously shoveling it in. “At least Erica does. She can put it away and instantly run it off. Young adrenaline.”

  “Yep, I was like that as a kid. Lanky and always moving.”

  He’d filled out since then, obviously. Ray had a solid body, muscles stretching even his loose shirt.

  Drew could stand and stare at his muscles all day, or she could make use of his niceness and get some work done. She hurriedly carried the box upstairs and left it on the counter—making certain it was securely closed against inquisitive cat paws—and clattered downstairs again.

  She joined Ray who studied the house while leaning against his pickup. “I’m not sure where to start,” Drew said. “Tear it down and build again?”

  “Nah, I don’t think you have to. When I was stuck up your chimney, I noticed it was a pretty solid house. Take the rotted stuff out, redo plumbing and wiring, reshingle the roof, and you should be fine.” Ray slanted her a grin. “That’s all.”

  “When you put it like that …” Drew covered her face. “I should give up now and go home.”

  “I think it’s doable.” He sounded confident. “It will take time and money, is all. Let’s have a look.”

  Time and money. Sure. Like either of those hung in the air, waiting for Drew to reach for them.

  “How do we look without getting hurt?” Drew eyed the sagging porch and the door Ray had propped up in the opening as they’d exited yesterday. “It’s not exactly stable in there.”

  “Very carefully. But I think Erica should stay out for a while.”

  “Ha. Good luck with that.”

  “At least she’s fearless. That can be a good thing—you know, if she doesn’t hurt herself. As for us, I brought these …”

  He trailed off and rummaged in the bed of his truck, emerging with two hard hats. He handed her one.

  Drew took it in wonder. “Are you a construction worker?” She should be so lucky.

  “No, I had these for spelunking. I have lights too, if we need them.”

  Drew adjusted the straps inside the hat and put it on. “You do spelunking in Texas? I thought it was mostly flat.”

  “There’s plenty of caves in the Hill Country—where there’s limestone and water, you get caves. Some can be seen on tours, but others are out there for true exploring. I haven’t gone in a while, but I’ve kept the gear.”

  Ray was full of surprises, and wasn’t the stereotype she’d imagined. Riverbend wasn’t what she’d imagined either—she’d thought it would be a dusty town in the middle of nowhere with no trees, its inhabitants on horseback or in old broken-down cars.

  Instead Drew had found sweeping green hills, stands of live oak and swaths of flowers, cars of the latest models, and horses and cows meandering in pastures. Now she’d just learned there were caves to explore.

  Ray was far more polite than any man she’d ever met, and also courteous, nice to her daughter, and compassionate enough to rescue a cat from a chimney. In short, a kind human being.

  She wasn’t sure what to do with that.

  “I guess I’m ready,” she said. “Let me find out what I’m facing.”

  Ray exchanged his cowboy hat for a hardhat, grabbed a flashlight, and led the way to the house. Drew caught herself watching him walk, the movement of his very tight backside distracting.

  He stepped up on the porch, taking his time to shine the flashlight on the ceiling there. He didn’t have to point out all the cracks—Drew saw them just fine.

  The porch posts were rotting as well. It was too bad, because they were beautiful, pleasingly carved and laced with gingerbread at the top. Drew wondered if any could be saved.

  Ray set aside the broken door, carefully stepping where they’d walked the day before. Three sets of human footprints and one of cat lay in the thick dust, a reminder of yesterday’s dramatic rescue.

  Ray flashed his light into corners, at door frames, and at the ceiling as they walked, head tilted to examine what he lit up.

  “Any hope?” Drew asked as they entered what had been the dining room.

  “Maybe.” Ray’s tone was cautious, as though he didn’t want to commit himself. “You might have to—”

  His words cut off as a ceiling beam chose that moment to fall down at him, a huge chunk of plaster and board coming with it.

  Chapter Four

  As Ray dove aside, he heard another tearing sound, and Drew shrieked. He threw off the debris trying to bury him and ran at her, shoving her back into the hall as a second beam came down.

  They landed against the wall by the doorway, dust coating the air. Ray held his breath and Drew coughed.

  She was soft beneath him, eyes round in shock. Her hard hat had canted to the side of her head, which for some reason was sexy as hell.

  “I’m so sorry.” Drew coughed some more. “This place is a death trap.”

  Ray shoul
d tell her not to worry, that this was why he’d brought the hats, but he couldn’t speak.

  She was tight against him, her cheeks streaked with dust, dark curls sticking to her forehead. Drew’s concern was for him, no matter that he’d pushed her out of the way of the upstairs trying to come downstairs.

  Ray touched her cheek with a blunt finger. Her gaze flicked up to him, catching him like sunlight on glass, the glow of her almost cutting.

  He watched himself as though from far way drawing closer and closer, the space between them heating as their bodies neared. When Ray was a breath away, he ceased trying halt himself.

  Her lips were parted, red, warm. He kissed them.

  Drew startled gasp touched his mouth, then she lifted herself to meet the kiss.

  Her mouth was strong but supple, seeking and tender at the same time. She launched her body against his, hands on his shoulders as though trying to steady them both.

  Ray gentled her with a hand on her back, pulling her closer to kiss her deeply, opening her mouth with his.

  She tasted of coffee, sweetness, and worry. Beautiful lady. She kissed like fire, but kept pulling back a little, then kissing harder, as though she couldn’t decide which to do.

  Ray ran his hand to the back of her neck, under her hair, scooping her closer. His tongue tangled with hers, his heart easing as he drank her in.

  Her mouth was a place of tenderness, body flowing to him as though she belonged there. Ray held her in place, his need rising, wanting him to teach her that she did belong against him, no matter what.

  Drew jerked, as though realizing what she was doing. Her head went back, her mouth breaking from his.

  She gazed up at him with heat in her eyes, but also uncertainty. He read hurt deep inside her, and the fear it would happen again.

  As they looked at each other, silence hanging like the dust, Drew blushed a deep red.

  “I am so sorry,” she said in a near-whisper.

  Ray’s mouth stretched in a grin. “Why? I’m not.”

  “I don’t usually …”

  “Kiss a person you just met?” Ray rested his arm above her on the wall. “Neither do I, but I thought I’d make an exception.”