Learning to Ride (7 page)

Madeline had just
taken a bite of her apple, feta, and pecan salad when her cellphone buzzed. Looking away from the spreadsheet she was studying—the terse email from corporate this morning had deemed the review a priority—she peered at the number on the display. It didn't look familiar, but the area code was local.

She hesitated to answer, but very few people in the area had her cell number. Curiosity getting the better of her, she quickly swallowed her bite and picked up the phone. “This is Madeline,” she said briskly.

“I was hoping I would catch you on your lunch break. How'd I do?”

Her stomach did a little somersault at the sound of Tanner's unmistakable drawl. She'd dreamed about their kiss last night, but she wasn't sure that the dream version was any better than the real thing. “I'm taking a working lunch. How did you get my number?”

“Believe it or not, my grandmother texted it to me this morning. ‘Just in case,' it said.”

Madeline laughed lightly. “Your grandmother texts?”

It was hard to picture Ms. Letty sitting in her 1970s wood-paneled kitchen, tapping away on a cellphone. Heck, the harvest-gold phone mounted to the wall was an honest-to-God rotary.

“You better believe it. She discovered she was much more likely to hear from me if she texted when I was on the circuit.”

She didn't even try to stifle the grin that came to her lips. “So your grandmother is more tech-savvy than you, huh?”

“Hey, now. Grandma Letty's got me licked on a lot of things, but technology is definitely not one of them.”

“And yet you actually
called
me. I can't remember the last time I willingly talked to someone on the phone outside of work. It's
so
two thousand and seven,” she teased.

The deep rumble of his laughter made her heart lift. “Would you hang up on me if I told you I'd wanted to hear your voice?”

She bit her lip. “I should.”

“Mmhmm. I don't hear a click,” he said. She could actually hear the smile in his voice.

She glanced down to the spreadsheet in front of her and sighed. Now was not the time to be bantering with the man. “What is it that you want, Tanner? I am a busy woman, you know.” She rustled the papers on her desk for effect.

“You.” He paused just long enough to make her wonder. “I've decided it's high time you saw God's country the way it was intended.”

“And how is that?” she asked suspiciously.

“Come on by my place tomorrow at ten and find out.”

“That's way too vague for me to drop everything and come all the way out there.”

“Is it?” he drawled. “And here I was hoping it'd be just vague enough to pique your interest. I guess we'll find out tomorrow.” And just like that, he said good-bye and hung up the phone.

She stared at the display in disbelief. His confidence was astounding. Let him hope whatever he wanted. Madeline was most definitely not going over there tomorrow.

He was waiting for her when she pulled up at five after ten the next morning.

Alright, so he had been right about her curiosity, but she refused to let him gloat about it. Besides, it was a Saturday and she had nothing else planned, and yesterday had turned out to be a super-rough day. Tanner was her escape, whether she admitted it or not.

Turning the engine off, she stepped out of the car and set a hand to her hip. “This had better be good.”

She lifted an eyebrow in expectant challenge, even as she drank in the sight of him in his faded plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and those perfect-fitting jeans that he loved so much. He looked like the lead in a modern cowboy movie. It was a look she was rapidly growing fond of.

His smile was slow and wide, making his eyes crinkle at the corners. He tugged at the brim of his hat and said, “Yes, ma'am, it will be. Follow me.”

He led her toward the barn, his boots crunching loudly on the gravel underfoot. As they stepped through the wide doorway into the darkness, the smell of horses and hay assailed her senses. There were several stalls, and two horses clipped to a pair of leads in the main corridor.

Madeline came to an abrupt halt, realization dawning. “What, exactly, do you have planned, Tanner? I assumed you were planning to take me on a tour of the county's backcountry.”

He nodded as he walked to the nearest horse, a slender but tall reddish-brown mare. “That's right. On the back of a horse, as God intended.” He picked up a saddle and heaved it onto the beast.

Her eyes went wide as she took a quick step backward. “Are you crazy?” It was one thing to ride in a horse-drawn carriage in Central Park; it was another to actually sit on top of a horse.

“For you, maybe,” he said with a grin over his shoulder as he cinched a leather strap tight. “But when it comes to horses, darlin', I don't mess around.”

She shook her head in disbelief. Didn't he tell her just days ago that his father had been killed while riding? “You're not just crazy; you're certifiable. I'm not getting on the back of that thing.”

The animal was truly beautiful, and it waited very patiently while Tanner messed with the saddle. But that didn't make Madeline any more inclined to climb on its back.

He finished securing it in place before turning to her with a look that was somehow both chiding and challenging. “Live a little, Madeline. I promise you'll enjoy it, once you learn to ride.” He was gently coaxing, with that crooked smile tilting his lips. “People always fear the unknown.”

“I
do
want to live, which is why I'm not getting on a huge, muscular beast with its multiple sharp hooves.”

He patted the horse's neck. “Miss Red here is as gentle as a new mama. You can trust me on that.”

No. He was nuts, and she wouldn't do this. Even though his voice was warm and tempting and his earnestness seemed genuine, she couldn't take the risk.

She bit her lip.
Could she?

“Give me two hours,” he said, sensing her hesitation. “We can ride to the river for a picnic. If you don't like it, we'll be close enough to walk back.”

“Tanner—” she said, about to refuse, but he stepped forward and set his hands on her upper arms, looking her straight in the eyes.

“Trust me, Maddie. And don't worry; it's not a date. I'll be sure to charge you for the lesson when we get back.”

Laughing, she shook her head. “You're impossible.”

She didn't even complain at the shortening of her name. Her parents had made sure no one ever tried to “bastardize” her name, as they called it, but she liked the way it rolled off his tongue. She liked the way
everything
rolled off his tongue.

“I am,” he said with an unrepentant grin. “Now say you'll ride with me.”

She drew a deep breath, scrunched her nose, and nodded. She might be crazy—she was about to put her life in the hands of a cowboy and his horse. And, no, she didn't want to examine her reasons too carefully.

“You lied to me.”

Tanner raised an eyebrow at Madeline, playing innocent. “I don't know what you're talking about.”

She threw him a mock-disgruntled look even as a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. She looked so damn cute, perched on top of Miss Red in her washed-out jeans and ball cap, her tennis-shoed feet poking through the stirrups. “This has to be miles from your house. It'd be impossible to walk back.”

Grinning, he said, “Technically, any distance is walkable if you want it bad enough.” He laughed when she made a show of rolling her eyes at him. “Besides, I knew you wouldn't want to walk once you gave this a try, and I was right. You look like you were born to ride horses.”

She snorted. “Hardly. My hands ache from clutching the reins so hard for so long. And we're not even going to talk about what else is aching.”

He gave a short bark of laughter. Pulling up on the reins, he brought his horse to a stop and dismounted. He looped the reins over the saddle horn before clipping the tethered rope he'd installed years ago to Levi's bridle. The river gurgled pleasantly a few yards away, its surface glittering in the late morning sun. This had always been his favorite spot. He was looking forward to sharing it with someone else for the first time.

Walking over to Madeline's side, he grabbed Miss Red's reins and said, “But you
have
enjoyed it.”

It had looked to him like Madeline had settled in after about ten minutes, with her body relaxing and rolling with the mare's easy gait. Her burgeoning confidence was both endearing and adorable.

She was the kind of woman who liked to be in control of herself and her surroundings, and her willingness to trust him with this made him think there might be hope for the two of them yet.

Sending him a reluctant smile, she nodded. “It's been surprisingly nice. It really is beautiful out here.”

Looking up at her with wide eyes, he said, “I don't believe it. Was that an actual compliment for my hometown?”

One slender blond eyebrow lifted beneath the brim of her hat. “If I say yes, will you get me off this horse?”

Chuckling, he showed her where to put her hands to hold herself steady as she dismounted. “Pull both feet clear of the stirrups, swing your leg around, then slide on down.”

She looked down at him anxiously. “What if the horse spooks? Or if I slip?”

“I've got the reins, so she's not going anywhere. And I'll be right here to catch you no matter what.”

Nodding, she followed his instructions. He got a mighty fine view of her backside as she swung her leg around and dangled for a second.

He put his arm around her waist to lighten the pressure on the horse's back. “I got you. You can let go.”

To his surprise, she immediately complied. She slid against him in a controlled fall until her feet touched the ground at last. He tossed the reins over the saddle horn, trusting Miss Red to stay put, but left his other hand right where it was, resting at the top of Madeline's hip.

“You did good,” he murmured, his lips at her ear. She smelled good, too. The fruity scent of her shampoo mixed well with the fresh Texas air. He bent his head to nuzzle her neck. Her skin was soft and sweet and so inviting, it was all he could do not to nip the tempting little spot at the junction of her shoulder. She leaned into him for all of three seconds before suddenly straightening and turning in his arms.

“Oh, no,” she said, her cheeks flushed but her chin tipped up in determination. “I was promised a picnic lunch, and I will not be sidetracked, thank you very much.”

He stepped back and wagged his eyebrows. “Maybe for dessert, then. But come on, I've got a top-notch meal packed for us.” He nodded toward Levi and went to fetch the grub.

She followed along behind him. “Top-notch, huh? Got some orecchiette with rapini and goat cheese in there? Herbed frittatas?”

Grinning at her teasing, he spread out the blanket. “Better than that,” he said as he reached into the bag. With a great flourish, he revealed its contents. “Only the best for you, Maddie.”

Madeline laughed out loud when she saw his offering. “Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?”

He nodded as he handed one over, an adorable yet sexy grin teasing his lips. “Peanut butter with homemade strawberry jam on the finest white bread sold in all of Harvey's General Store.

“And,” he added as he reached into the satchel again, “cucumber salad made by yours truly, and Grandma Letty's famous mac and cheese, good even when cold. She swears the extra ingredient is love, but I have it on good authority that it's actually just double butter and cheese.”

Even as she laughed, she was genuinely touched by the gesture. He'd remembered her vegetarianism, and he'd obviously taken care when packing the meal. Nodding in approval, she said, “A gourmet feast if I've ever seen one.”

She sat back and watched as he filled two plastic plates. The soft breeze ruffled his hair as he concentrated on his task. The horses grazed contentedly near the riverbank—which was more of a stream bank, if you asked her—and the tree above them provided just enough shade for her to take off her hat and shake out her hair.

“This is nice,” she said when he handed over her plate. “I like the noise of the stream. It takes the edge off the quiet in this part of the country.”

“Hmm,” he replied, eyeing her as he took a bite of his sandwich, “I'm not sure I've ever thought the quiet was something that needed changin'.”

“It's what you're used to.” She wondered what he would think of New York City if he ever came to stay for a while. The thought was so unexpected, she dropped her eyes and concentrated on her sandwich. Is that what she wanted? For her time here to bleed into her real life someday?

“It's what I like,” he clarified. “I haven't been to the Northeast, but I've been to plenty of cities. I think some people crave the quiet, and some people crave the noise.” He flashed her a smile that sent a flutter through her belly. “Although I was really hoping the quiet—and Sunnybell—would grow on you.”

“I'll admit, I'm beginning to appreciate some of its charms. I still like skyscrapers and taxis more than scrubby grassland and horses, but”—she shrugged, looking around at the rolling Texas hills—“like I said, it's nice. Peaceful, but nice.”

He laughed and shook his head. “Only you would add a ‘but' to that sentence.”

“Just being honest.”

Holding up his fork as a salute, he said, “I admire honesty. Grandpa Jack always says it's the trickiest virtue of all. It's all in how you wield it.”

She tilted her head. “He seems like a good man. In fact, I remember you saying he saved your life.” She was prying, and she knew it, but it wasn't the first time she'd wondered over the words.

He nodded solemnly as he chewed a forkful of the pasta. “I was…reckless for a few years there when I was a teenager. My mother struggled with raising me alone, and I was still mad about losing my father. I acted out in ways I'm not proud of. Got involved with people I shouldn't have. Grandpa Jack took me in hand.”

He didn't seem to mind talking about it, so she decided to press on. “Oh? How so?”

“Gave me direction and guidance. Discipline. He showed me the meaning of hard work and gave me an outlet for my wildness. Grandma Letty hated the risks I took in the rodeo, but my grandfather knew they were a hell of a lot better than the alternative.”

The warmth and respect that flooded his voice when he spoke of either of his grandparents was unmistakable. She smiled softly at him, drawing her knees up to her chest. She envied him and the relationship he shared with his grandparents. His grandparents delighted in his presence. Her parents considered weekly phone calls just a little too clingy. They'd congratulated themselves on a job well done when they'd raised her to sprout wings strong enough to never have to return to the nest.

“You're lucky, you know that?”

“I do,” he said with a single nod. Setting down his plate, he slid over closer to her. “Luckier still for having caught you with your guard down that first night.”

“Hey, I'm not defensive,” she said defensively. When he laughed, she relented. “I'm protective, not defensive. I don't want to mess up my life.”

He reached out to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. “Nah, you'll never do that. You're much too smart.”

“Oh, really? If I'm so smart, what the heck am I doing out here?”

What
was
she doing, sitting beside him in the middle of nowhere, getting lost in his Tiffany eyes and lazy drawl? She should be at work, figuring out what was bothering her about the documents she had reviewed yesterday.

He slid the back of his fingers down the bare skin of her arm. “Life can't all be about what your brain says. Sometimes you have to listen to your heart, too.”

“That doesn't sound very prudent,” she said, even as she watched the path his fingers took over her skin.

He leaned forward until his lips were just above hers. “That's because you're thinking too much.”

And then his lips were on hers, and she wasn't thinking about anything at all. She allowed him to slowly push her down onto the blanket, teasing her with his tongue and lips all the while. He braced himself with his left arm, the muscles flexing enticingly, while his right hand explored the curve of her hip. She exhaled with pleasure when his lips found the base of her neck.

Taking full advantage of the position, she slid her hands over the hard wall of his abdomen. She reveled in the rippled plane, groaning as she remembered gliding against him, skin to skin, less than two weeks ago. After a minute, her hand continued upward, traveling across his rock-solid chest before slipping along the hard knot of his biceps. She squeezed, her fingers digging lightly into his taut skin.

With a growl, he found her lips again and kissed her deeply.

Yes, please!
She arched up as his palm slipped up her rib cage and settled over her breast. The warmth of his hand was absolute heaven. He kneaded gently even as his tongue tangled hotly with hers.

Their night together was supposed to be a one-time thing—no, it
would
be a one-time thing—but how could she resist this? He was a hot, willing cowboy with a sense of humor and a killer body, and he clearly wanted her as much as she did him. And, Lord, did she want him. When he pulled away again to trail kisses along the curve of her jaw, she sighed with bliss.

“I like you, Maddie,” he whispered against her kiss-dampened skin. “A whole hell of a lot.” He pulled back just enough to look her in the eye, squeezing her waist gently as he did. “And I don't have to think about it to know we go together like bees and honey.”

He was simplifying the issue, but she'd have plenty of time to think about it later. Right now, all she wanted to do was get lost in his incredible kisses. She reached up and clasped her hands behind the back of his neck and pulled him back down for more. Then, just as their lips were about to meet, her phone buzzed in her back pocket, jarring her out of the moment.

It was all the more jarring when she realized it hadn't made a peep since they left his house.

Dragging in a deep breath, she tried to clear her fuzzy brain. The man was like a drug. “Hang on, I should get that,” she said, pushing on his shoulders.

He closed his eyes for a moment before saying, “You sure you want to get that? Nobody expects you to respond to a text right that second. Defeats the purpose, doesn't it?”

She wasn't sure she wanted to deal with it, but it was too late now. Reason was pushing back against the mental roadblocks she'd set up.
Crap.
Smiling apologetically, she nodded.

He sighed and reluctantly pushed himself into a sitting position before helping her up. He looked disheveled and flustered and sexy as hell, but she forced herself to look away to pull out her phone.

“I can't believe I got any signal out here,” she said as the screen pulled up.

Shrugging, he sat back and plucked a blade of grass. “Calls never come through, but texts eventually make their way, given enough time.”

As she read the message, disbelief turned her blood to ice. “Oh, God,” she said, rereading the message again. Alarm raced through her as she scrambled to her feet.

“What is it?” Tanner asked, his brow creased with concern as he stood.

“I have to go. Right now.” She swallowed and looked up at him, her heart thundering and her mind already miles away from where they stood. “The deal just fell through.”