Crazy For the Cowboy (17 page)

“Maybe, maybe not. I can't guarantee a thing about his behavior. Doesn't matter, anyway. You don't want him.”

“Let's see if he'll load.”

“I predict he won't. He's gorgeous, but his previous owners let him get away with bloody murder. I thought I had the patience to overcome that, but it would take a damned saint to retrain that horse. And I'm no saint. Ask my wife.”

“If we can load him, I'll buy him.” He couldn't see Georgie's face from this angle, but he figured she was trying not to laugh. She had a right. She'd called it from the beginning.

“You do understand what I just told you?” John looked at him as if doubting his intelligence. “You're going to have trouble with this animal from the get-go. He has a mind of his own, and he'll inspire you to curse like you've never cursed before.”

“I believe you. Let's see if we can get him in the trailer. If we can't, there's no more discussion. I move around quite a bit, so if he won't load, then he's not the horse for me.”

Vince had no basis for thinking Storm Cloud would get in that trailer, but he had a hunch that he would. The gelding didn't belong on this ranch. He belonged with him, wherever he might choose to go. Illogical though it was, he thought Storm Cloud might know that.

“Okay. Just so you don't come crying to me later about what a hard time you're having.”

“I wouldn't do that. How about I lead him over there?”

“Go ahead, but he's tricky. Watch yourself.”

“I'll be on guard.” He glanced at Ed. “You with me?”

“All the way.” Ed had a big old grin on his face, too.

Vince accepted the lead rope from Craig, but he took hold of Storm Cloud's halter as well so the horse couldn't toss his head. The gelding tried to pull away, but Vince held tight.

He hadn't expected the connection to feel so right so quickly. But from the moment he got a grip on the halter, he felt the horse's energy flowing around him. Oh, Storm Cloud would test him at first, probably quite a bit. But in the end, they would be bonded.

Connecting with the Ghost had been a fantasy that he'd nurtured because he hadn't allowed himself to imagine owning his own horse. Now that he was about to make that a reality, he wondered why he'd waited so long. Sure, he'd have to make some adjustments, but having Storm Cloud as a permanent part of his life was worth it.

“It's you and me, buddy,” he murmured as he started toward the trailer. “And you'd better get used to it, because we're gonna be together for a long time.”

CHAPTER 17

B
y Saturday evening, Georgie was beginning to worry about the inaugural ride, and the other ones, too, truth be told. Although she'd had reservations trickling in, she hadn't been inundated the way she'd hoped, and the total number for the first ride continued to stand at two. She wanted to fill it with eight so they'd start off with a bang, and the lack of reservations had affected her mood.

But that wasn't the only thing making her grouchy. She'd wanted Vince to buy Storm Cloud and she'd thought it was a step in the right direction for a man who seemed unwilling to form close attachments to people or places. Apparently he'd formed a close attachment to Storm Cloud because he spent every free minute working with the gelding.

She was embarrassed to admit that she missed him. Even more embarrassing, she was jealous of a horse. She considered going to Sadie's for dinner tonight because she knew Vince would be there and Storm Cloud would not.

But at Sadie's she'd have to share Vince with the poker players. They'd adopted him as if he were their long lost son, which was also a good thing. And she was messed up for resenting the old guys who claimed his attention every night.

After all, she was the one who'd insisted they couldn't get too chummy. She was the one who'd laid down a bunch of rules so the project wouldn't be jeopardized. But the man she'd pushed away three weeks ago wasn't the same man walking around Bickford today.

Sure, he'd probably leave town after a few months, or sooner if the trail rides took off as she wanted them to and she became confident enough to lead them. That part hadn't changed. He'd bought a trailer for his horse, which pretty much advertised his intention to move on at some point.

But his obvious affection for the troublesome horse he'd bought and his genuine pleasure in hanging out with his poker buddies at Sadie's was . . . endearing. She'd never thought of him in those terms before.

Yes, he was still drop-dead gorgeous. Ida wouldn't let her forget that. But he was so much more, now. She even nurtured a small hope that he might change his mind about moving on, the horse trailer notwithstanding.

Because she'd spent so little time with him recently, she was looking forward to their trail ride to map out a route for the first few events. Ed would go along because she'd set it up days ago. The way things had developed, she wondered if Ed was necessary, after all. Vince seemed totally over her.

And that was understandable. She'd put the poor guy through hell because she wouldn't go to bed with him, so his attempt to fill his time with other things was admirable. That was part of it, too. He'd accepted her restrictions and found a way to work within them. He was turning into the perfect man.

Around six that night, Evelyn was in the parlor with her pitcher of martinis and Georgie stood in the kitchen staring into the refrigerator. As she debated whether she should actually cook dinner or have crackers and cheese, Anastasia thundered down the stairs and dashed into the kitchen.

She gulped for air. “Have you checked the website recently?”

“Early this morning. What's the matter? Is it down?”

Anastasia's hazel eyes practically gave off sparks. “Two more people signed up for the inaugural ride!”

“Yay! That's awesome! I want to see.” Georgie closed the refrigerator door and hurried upstairs behind her sister, who had her computer on in her bedroom. Sure enough, two singles with names she didn't recognize had brought the grand total to four. They still weren't full, but four was much better than two.

Georgie slapped Anastasia's outstretched palm and they grinned at each other. “I think this is going to work, after all,” Georgie said.

“Me, too.” Anastasia refreshed the screen. “There's another one! Now we have five!” No sooner had she said that, than her cell phone played Charmaine's jazzy little tune. She snatched it up from her desk. “Charmaine, we have five reservations for the first ride! Three more and we'll be full!” Then she was quiet for a minute. “Wow. That's impressive. You did? Okay, good to know. Talk to you soon.”

Georgie sensed something significant going on. “What? What's impressive?”

Anastasia took a long, slow breath. “We wouldn't know the difference because we don't move in those circles, but that last reservation is from a rich guy.”

“What?”

“I know.” Anastasia swallowed. “Charmaine's been working her connections, and this is a friend of a friend. But the other thing is, after calling to tell me, she was planning to call our—”

“Georgie! Anastasia!” Evelyn's screech was distinctive. “Get down here right now! We have plans to make!”

Georgie grabbed Anastasia's arm. “We'll go down there, and we'll see what she has in mind. But when we've placated her, we should—” She stopped, horrified. “That was extremely patronizing. I didn't mean it like that. We're going to discuss things, not—”

Anastasia smiled. “No, we're going to placate her. And what did you want to do after that?”

“Head down to Sadie's. They need to hear about this.”

“You've got it. Now let's go placate my mother.”

Fortunately all Evelyn really wanted was a guaranteed spot for Charmaine on the ride so she'd have the inside track to snag the man who'd made a reservation. With only five spots reserved out of eight, Georgie could grant that request, and Evelyn went back to her pitcher of martinis.

Georgie and Anastasia grabbed jackets and practically ran down to Sadie's. When they burst through the door, several of the men jumped, which sent the poker chips flying everywhere. But once Georgie announced their news, six for the inaugural ride including one rich dude, all was forgiven.

Ike went in the back and unearthed an old boom box that brought in an Amarillo station. He cranked up the volume as it belted out a country favorite. Before Georgie quite knew what had happened, she found herself dancing a two-step with Vince.

He twirled her under his arm. “Like old times, huh?”

“Better than old times.” In the past they'd danced like this, but he'd been a cardboard character to her, a sexy cowboy with no substance. She didn't think of him that way anymore, which made the interaction a hundred times more exciting.

The oldsters danced with Anastasia, and when Georgie glanced over there, her sister seemed to be having a good time. But Georgie couldn't help wishing that Mac and Travis could have been here.

She was breathing hard by the time the song ended and she dropped into the nearest chair. “Whew. I'm out of shape.”

“I thought you did a decent job for an old lady of twenty-eight.”

“Speak for yourself, gramps.” She thanked Ike for the celebratory glass of wine he brought over and lifted it in Vince's direction. “To Wild Horse Canyon Adventures.”

“To Wild Horse Canyon Adventures.” He raised his beer bottle in salute.

She couldn't remember when she'd felt happier. “Incidentally, if we have a rich guy from Dallas coming to this rodeo, we might have to step it up.”

Holding his beer in one hand, Vince spun a chair around and straddled it. “Are you thinking caviar? Designer linens in the sleeping bags?”

“I don't know.” She wondered if he had any idea how sexy he looked when he did that chair-straddling thing. “I don't speak rich guy.”

“I had dealings with wealthy people at the Double J.” His blue eyes were warm as he gazed at her. “I'm thinking this dude is looking for the opposite of all that crap if he signed up for our event. I'll bet he wants an old-fashioned trail ride and a chuck-wagon dinner by the campfire like he's seen in the movies. If we pamper him the way guests were at the Double J, he's liable to feel cheated.”

“You're very smart.” She took a long swallow of her wine. “Good thing you're in charge of this shindig.”

His smile faded. “I thought we got that straight once before. I'm not in charge. You are. Well, you, Ida, Steve, Clyde, Ed, and whoever else is in on that limited partnership thing Frank drew up.”

She was high on success and wasn't paying as much attention as she should have. Laughing, she shook her head. “Semantics. Everyone knows you're the guy. We're just along for the ride. Literally.”

“Not true.” His tone was mild but his expression was extremely focused. “This is important, Georgie. I told you from day one that I didn't want to be the leader of this deal. Don't think you can slide me into that role and I won't notice.”

She gazed at him. “But you bought a horse.” Maybe that wasn't the wisest thing to say, either. He might not recognize his action as significant, but she thought it spoke volumes.

“So?”

“You told me you didn't want a horse because that would complicate your life. But you bought one last Wednesday. What's that all about?”

He sighed. “I decided I could deal with that kind of complication. My truck's powerful enough to haul a trailer, and having my own horse could prove useful from time to time, like now, for instance. In this situation, where we're establishing a business of guided trail rides, I like the idea that I'll be on a horse I own.”

“I actually like it, too. You've spent a lot of time with him, and I'm sure you'll spend a lot more before we take out the first group. You and Storm Cloud will be a solid team on the trail ride.”

“That's the plan.”

“But it's the long-range implications I'm talking about. You have a responsibility for an animal that possibly could live another forty years.”

His jaw tightened. “I'm aware of how long horses can live. What's your point?”

Her point was that he was straying into commitment territory. Some marriages didn't last forty years. By taking on the care of this horse, he'd created a bond that could continue into his golden years. The man she'd met three weeks ago would never have considered such a drastic step.

He studied her as he sipped his beer. “You know what?”

“What?”

“I'm trying to figure out how we got from having fun dancing the two-step to sitting here debating this depressing topic.”

“It's just that a horse is a major—”

“I know. But don't make too much of it, okay? I wanted a flashy horse the way some guys want a sports car. Getting Storm Cloud was no more significant than that.”

She didn't agree, but he was in an argumentative mood so she decided to let it go. “Where's Ed, by the way? Doesn't he usually come down and play poker with you guys?”

“He does, and that's something we need to talk about.”

“That he plays poker?”

“No, that he's not here. His arthritis is acting up really bad right now. He called me an hour ago and said he didn't feel up to making the ride with us tomorrow.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

She couldn't very well admit that she was thrilled at the idea that she would have a few hours alone with him. He might be so used to avoiding her that he wouldn't think of doing anything improper. He'd also ride Storm Cloud, because he wanted to get the horse acclimated to the trail. His attention would be firmly on that horse.

Besides that, they'd just had tense words about whether Vince was mellowing toward the concept of long-term commitment. That discussion had not gone well. All things considered, they wouldn't need a chaperone tomorrow. They'd moved too far apart and the temptation wouldn't be there the way it had been three weeks ago.

She studied him. “I guess it doesn't really matter whether Ed goes or not.”

His gaze intensified, but then the heat was gone as he relaxed and took another sip of his beer. “No, I suppose it doesn't.”

“Speaking of that, we're leaving pretty early in the morning, so I should head on home.”

“Suit yourself.”

She left most of her wine. Anastasia decided to stay awhile longer, so Georgie left by herself. She flashed back to when she'd made this short trek with Vince the night he'd agreed to take the trail-boss job.

He'd been wild for her then, but it looked as if she'd effectively put out that fire. That had been the wise course of action. Reservations were coming in for the first trail ride and she knew in her bones the project would take off. They had a wealthy Dallas businessman on board, for God's sake.

Once the operation was successful, she'd start looking for Vince's replacement and he'd be free to load Storm Cloud into that trailer and leave town. He wouldn't be back again. She knew that in her bones, too. When it came to Vince, she'd dodged a bullet. She wished she felt happier about it.

*   *   *

After Georgie left, Vince nursed his beer and considered his situation. If she thought taking a trail ride alone with him in the morning was no problem, maybe she'd become immune to him. She was a strong-willed woman who might have that kind of control over her impulses.

God, how he wished he did. But knowing that she'd apparently squashed her attraction to him should help. Even so, the thought of spending several hours on a private trail ride with her made his blood pump faster. If he allowed himself to think about it in any great detail, his overheated blood collected south of the Mason-Dixon Line.

Tomorrow would be a challenge. But he'd be damned if he'd tip his hand and let her find out that he wanted her more than ever. He'd trained horses until he was saddle sore and played poker until he was bleary-eyed. He slept pretty well because of all the activity, but his dreams . . .

She'd mentioned a dream she'd had about him once, but from the way she'd acted tonight, she didn't dream about him anymore. Well, if she could push him out of her thoughts that fast, then he didn't need to be fixated on her. He ought to take a page out of her book and learn how to turn off this inconvenient longing.

They were never meant to be, anyway. They were too different. She'd underlined that a few minutes ago when she'd tried to get him to say that buying Storm Cloud was some kind of sign that he was becoming domesticated.