Always a Cowboy (14 page)

She was hungry, too, she realized now that everything was ramping down.

Or...ramping up.

“I'll borrow the shirt, thanks. And anything Harry sends me is welcome.”

“We'll eat first, but after that maybe you could tell me why you fell in the river.”

“Deal.”

A few minutes later, she was sitting across from him, eating a fabulous Greek sandwich that involved feta, olives and marinated meat she assumed was lamb. The cucumber salad was tangy, and Drake had brought a bottle of Mountain Vineyards wine she'd never tasted before; it was a mellow red she really liked.

Life was good, even sitting in a tent in stormy Wyoming.

It could be good all the time. He'd made the first move. Luce weighed her words carefully. “I have to finish my degree. I can't fall in love right now.”

“I have to finish my sandwich. Keep going. Why?”

He looked incredibly sexy in jeans and nothing else, and yes, he did seem hungry. He kept eating.

She gave up. Why fight it. “Okay, fine. I'm in the same untenable position. But there's a difference. You have ties here and I have ties somewhere else.”

“
Untenable?
How many people use that in a sentence?”

She would've tossed the rest of her sandwich at him, but it was too good to waste. “You do realize that the reason you aren't married is because you may be the most exasperating person on earth?”

“I'm not married because I hadn't met you yet.”

She had to fall for the most forthright, no-nonsense man on earth—and that was exasperating in its own way. She hadn't wanted to discuss it yet, but he'd brought it up.

Love. And marriage?

She chose to deflect the topic. “I can confirm that you do have a mountain lion problem.”

The tactic worked. He choked on his last bite. “Excuse me. You can confirm this
how
?”

“I was hiking back here when I noticed something following me. He wasn't shy, either. I turned around and he was standing right behind me.”

“Are you okay?”

The single most ridiculous question ever asked. She had to smile. “I think you inspected every inch of me, so you should know I'm fine.” Then she shrugged. “He—the lion—was beautiful. He just watched me, but since I thought running would be a bad idea, I chose the stream. I guess he doesn't like that cold water any more than I do. I stayed in until I was positive he'd gone.”

Drake helped himself to another sandwich. “This is where I get to remind you that I didn't want you up here alone in the first place.”

Luce ate a large bite of salad and washed it down with wine. “Excuse
me
for making the argument that I'd probably be in more danger getting into my car and having some idiot on his cell phone run a red light. The mountain lion was there stalking the horses, not me. Remember the missing foal?”

“I remember. Those big cats have large territories.” Drake rubbed his forehead.

“In any case, Smoke scared him away. I'm not going to get all melodramatic and say he saved my life, but maybe he did.”

“The stallion scared him away?”

“Yes.” She took more salad, spooning it out of the plastic bowl. “That's exactly what happened. I was watching the horses all day, and when they bolted, I thought it was because of the storm. I decided I should come back, and that was when I realized I was being followed. I turned around and saw the cat, but Smoke came out of nowhere at full speed, and I jumped in the stream.”

“The horse saved you?” He still seemed incredulous.

She nodded.

Drake seemed to be striving for patience. “Give me a minute to put this together. So you're out all afternoon watching the horses, taking pictures and making notes. A wicked storm blows up, so you decide to head back to the tent. Then a mountain lion follows you and a rogue stallion chases him away. Do I have this right? Quite the eventful afternoon, Ms. Hale.”

“Oh, and don't forget when you and I made love.”

“Not likely I'll ever forget that.” His voice dropped in timbre and he held her gaze. “I did just say ‘ever,' didn't I?”

She hadn't planned to say this yet, but... “My sister thinks I should invite you to California for a brief visit.” She hesitated. “I know you're really busy, but if you could find the time, maybe we could go for a couple of days? My parents have a house very close to your grandfather's vineyard. That's how my mother met yours, remember? They both grew up there. You could see him, too.”

He didn't respond to that, but his brows rose. “Your family has a country house?”

“Look, the Carson ranch isn't exactly a slum, so I don't want any rich-girl comments. My parents don't support me. They haven't for quite some time. I want to inform you, though, that I'll have student loans to pay off.”

He seemed amused at her defiant statement. “Good information. You do realize it doesn't reflect badly on you that your parents are successful people.”

She was probably too sensitive about the subject. “It always makes me feel as though my accomplishments are due to them, not me.”

Drake just shook his head. “You do very well all on your own. Mind if I eat the rest of that salad, or do you want more?”

Therapy, Drake Carson–style.
You're okay and pass the salad.

She passed it. “I
can't
be in love with you,” she said again.

“But you are?”

The least she could do was be as honest as he was. “Yes.”

He handled it with his usual composure. “I'll take a weekend and we'll go to California. Red can manage the ranch for a few days.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

L
UCE
WAS
ASLEEP
next to Drake, one arm curved over her head. He could see one enticing bare shoulder, and her lips were slightly parted.

He'd kiss her awake, but he had a feeling she could use the sleep. He, on the other hand, rarely slept past dawn. Drake eased out of the sleeping bag, doing his best not to disturb Luce and succeeding except for a small sleepy murmur. Yanking on his jeans, he pulled a clean shirt from his pack. Then, dressed and barefoot, he made his way over to check on Starburst, giving him a handful of the oats he'd brought along. Then he sat on a fallen pine, stretched out his legs and watched the sunrise, inhaling the crisp air that still smelled of rain in the wake of the storm.

He didn't have enough moments like this. Oh, lots of solitude, but he was usually on a ranch mission of some sort. Rarely did he just sit and breathe and indulge in the luxury of reflection.

So Luce wanted him to meet her parents. That was as good as a
yes
to a question he hadn't yet asked. The stumbling block was that they were facing a long-distance relationship, at least for a while. He was torn over whether or not that kind of marriage could work, but the decision seemed to have been made for him.

And now, in addition to relocating the wild horses
and
trying to recover some of his mares, he'd have to do something about the mountain lion. It had been poaching on Carson property since last fall. Ironically,
without
the horses here, the problem was likely to get worse. The foal Luce had noticed was missing probably wasn't the first. Animals, like people, fell into certain behavioral patterns, and not only that, the young ones were an easy food source for a large predator. A friend who was a park ranger had told him once that he never failed to advise families hiking in the mountains not to let their children or dogs run ahead on the trails. Kids should walk between the adults, he'd said.

Wyoming was a wonderful place to live but, like anywhere else, it had its dangers. No hurricanes or tidal waves, but there were plenty of other things to be cautious about—blizzards, forest fires and tornadoes among them.

“You seem deep in thought.”

He glanced up to see Luce emerging from the tent, dressed in a set of clean clothes, her hair in a ponytail. She could pull off a face free of makeup unlike any other woman he'd ever met. She was naturally beautiful, fresh-faced and vital.

“Just mulling over the dynamics of the universe,” he said, summoning a smile. “Sleep well?”

“You know exactly how I slept because you were beside me.”

“Uh, that's right, I sure was. Wouldn't mind doing that again.”

Drily, she said, “How come I think you aren't referring to sleep?”

“You have a suspicious mind?” The smile came more easily this time.

“I hate to be the one to tell you, but you don't do innocent very well. Now, if you'll excuse me—”

“I'm going with you.” He'd stood when he heard her voice and he reached out to touch her cheek. “No argument. I'll turn my back to give you privacy, how's that?”

Of course, she argued, anyway. “I was out here by myself all of yesterday. I've been up here alone plenty of times before. I don't need a bodyguard.”

“I'm really fond of your body. I'm guarding it for me. Purely selfish reasons.” He picked up his rifle, which he'd brought out with him and hoped he wouldn't have to use. But he knew the cat was close, so better safe than sorry. No way was she hiking anywhere alone.

Luce didn't look very happy, but obviously understood that he wasn't going to budge. He thought it was possible that she muttered the words
stubborn ass
as she walked into a copse of small pines.

When she emerged safely and bent to wash her hands in the small spring, he admired the graceful curve of her spine and said, “I could use a good cup of coffee. What about you? Should we pack up and ride back to the house?”

She shook the drops off her fingers and he could swear he saw a tinge of color in her cheeks. “Everyone there is going to know we spent the night together.”

“Yeah, that's true.” He almost made a comment about his trip to the drugstore but stopped himself in time. All of Mustang Creek knew by now, but she didn't have to realize that. “Last I heard, you and I are both adults and unattached. If we want to sleep together, that's our business.”

“I don't care so much about everyone else, but I do care about your mother, mine and Harry.”

“The three most conniving matchmakers in history?” He didn't put the brakes on fast enough to stop that one. “You have to be kidding, Luce. Two of them lured you here to Wyoming, and one of them made dinner for us last night. What about those heart-shaped cookies... Oh,
that
wasn't a hint? Do you think Mace included the wine and the glasses? Don't overrate him. He isn't that sensitive. No, it was Harry. She and my mother are probably doing fist bumps over their morning tea.”

“That would be flattering,” Luce said with a laugh.

“They both like you.”

“They both love
you
. That's different.”

“I know. I'm not saying they aren't both great. I'm saying you don't have to worry that they'll be anything but happy about it. The two of us getting together, I mean.” He was the one likely to endure a talk on how he should go about choosing a ring. Yeah, he was looking forward to that. No doubt someone of the female persuasion would want to go along so he didn't mess it up. He could rope a bull, but there were clearly misgivings in some quarters about his ability to select a suitable ring.

“Any chance Slater caught it on camera? I'm talking about the fist bump.”

“Hell, no. He'd never risk his life. Between the two of them, they could certainly take him. Grace would help. He'd be toast.”

“You do realize you have an eclectic family, right?”

She'd lightened up, if her laugh was any indication.

“They're an interesting bunch. Let me help you with the tent, and then I'll saddle Starburst.”

He thought she'd put up a fight, insist she wanted to camp out again, but maybe despite her comfort with the outdoors, her experience the night before had made an impression. Sure, he and his brothers had camped out many, many times, but they'd brought their rifles, knew how to store food to avoid attracting unwanted guests, and they'd grown up knowing you had to keep your eyes open. Practice and familiarity counted for a lot.

She said without equivocation, “I can handle the tent. Go get your horse.”

If he forced the tent issue, he had a feeling he'd be in trouble.

* * *

I
T
WAS
NICE
to slip into the house unnoticed and bolt straight to her bathroom for a shower. As she stripped off her clothes, she registered soreness, partly from horseback riding and partly from...well, uninhibited sex. On the positive side, the shampoo and conditioner might make her hair manageable again. And she needed a chance to think about the night before.

She already had an offer from a private college for a teaching position once she completed her graduate degree, assistant professor, not associate or full, but she was still in her twenties; there was plenty of time to advance in the academic ranks. She'd gotten a teaching certificate as part of her undergrad program.

As she'd pointed out to Beth, what would she
do
in Mustang Creek?

She'd put a lot of time into figuring out her future. Drake was totally mucking that up.

She did hope this wasn't a problem with trust on her part. Previous men in her life, notably her erstwhile fiancé, had proven to be jerks, but Drake wasn't, and intellectually she understood that. In her heart...she just wanted to make sure she was independent, confident, solid on her own.

It was her problem to solve.

The hair was indeed a challenge, but she won the battle, wielding conditioner and a hairbrush. Because she was self-conscious, she decided mascara was in order. It was closer to lunch than to breakfast, and she found the entire family in the dining room, chatting and having Sunday brunch.

She walked in, and all conversation paused but slowly resumed as she took her seat That was followed by cheerful hellos from everyone present.

“I'm a little late,” she said apologetically.

“Yep, you are.” Drake, the king of the three-word sentence, rose with his empty plate in hand. “Listen, I'm running behind. Gotta go.”

But he didn't leave the dining room right away. Instead, he leaned over and kissed her in front of his entire family, just a light brush of his lips on hers. “See you later.”

Luce was speechless. Everyone else was grinning. He used his elbow to open the door and disappeared into the kitchen. Grace jabbed Slater in the ribs. “Admit I called that one.”

Blythe interjected, “I think
I
called it.”

“Saw it coming from the start,” Harry said serenely. “Luce, can I pass you some biscuits and gravy?”