Barbara Dunlop - A Cowboy in Manhattan

She made beeline back to the Jacobs’ table, her emotions vacillating between rattled, embarrassed and just plain annoyed.

She was a grown woman. Where did he get off protecting her from herself? As though she wasn’t capable of making up her own mind? She knew her sister was marrying his brother. So what? She and Reed were adults.

From the empty round table she caught a glimpse of him far across the ballroom. His gaze scanned the cavernous room, stopped on her and he immediately headed her way. She took a bracing sip of her champagne.

Annoyed. She was definitely going with annoyed.

Her brother Travis dropped down in the chair beside her. “What’s this I hear about you being afraid of horses?” he asked.

“What’s this I hear about you riding bulls again?”

“Who told you that?”

“Mandy said you did the rodeo down in Pine Lake.”

“At least I’m not afraid of them.”

“You ought to be. You’re not eighteen anymore.”

“Nice deflection,” Mandy put in as she took the chair on the opposite side of Katrina. Caleb pulled out the one next to her.

“Music’s nice,” Katrina observed, turning her attention to Mandy.

“I could teach you to ride in under a week,” said Travis.

“A nice eclectic mix of songs,” Katrina noted to no one in particular. “That’s my preference for an evening like this.”

“Excuse me?” an unfamiliar male voice sounded just behind her.

Katrina turned to see a rather handsome man in his mid-thirties, his hand held out to her, palm up.

“Would you care to-” The man’s gaze abruptly flicked upward. “Never mind,” he muttered, dropping his hand. “I’m sorry.” Then he turned away.

Katrina watched his retreat in puzzlement. Not that she wanted to dance. Her ankle was starting to ache. But it was very strange behavior.

“Thing is,” Travis carried on in a firm voice. “There’s absolutely no reason for you to be afraid of them.”

Katrina turned back, knowing she wasn’t going to be able to avoid the topic forever. But as she turned, she met Reed’s hard gaze. He’d planted himself on the chair directly across from her, his face twisted into a tight frown. She guessed that explained the would-be dance partner’s abrupt departure.

“You’re in pretty good shape,” Travis continued talking to Katrina. “And you must have decent balance.”

“Decent,” Katrina agreed, still watching Reed. The meddler.

“You might want to tackle that chicken fear, too,” said Mandy, a gentle teasing note in her tone.

Katrina took a long swallow of her champagne. It was her third glass tonight, and she noted the alcohol was putting a pleasant lethargy in her limbs. Reed’s expression began to look faintly amusing, and the company of her siblings didn’t seem quite as intimidating as usual.

Abigail arrived and took the chair next to Reed. “What are we talking about?” She glanced to the faces around the table.

Travis spoke up. “Katrina’s irrational fear of Colorado.”

“It’s not a fear,” she defended. “More…” She paused to find the right word. “A distaste.”

“That’s silly,” said Abigail. “What’s not to love around here? The mountains, the trees, the clear air, the clean water.”

“The dust,” said Katrina, polishing off her champagne. She glanced around for a waiter. Hang the calories. She wanted to maintain this buzz.

“You get used to the dust,” said Mandy.

“You’re missing my point.” Katrina’s tone was sharp enough that her siblings sat back in surprise. A little voice inside her told her to shut up, but just then a waiter came by, offering her a fresh glass of champagne, and she knew this was the day to go for it.

She accepted a fourth glass.

“Then what is your point?” Travis demanded.

In her peripheral vision, she saw Reed direct his frown at her brother.

“I don’t want to change for Colorado,” she carried blithely on. “I want Colorado to change for me.”

“Now that’s what I call a diva,” said Travis.

“Travis,” Mandy objected.

“Is that what you all think of me?” Katrina knew they did, but this was the first time she’d brought it out into the open.

Travis opened his mouth to speak, but Caleb intoned in a low warning. “Travis.”

Katrina’s champagne glass was suddenly removed from her hand. Startled, she glanced down and realized Reed had leaned across the table to take it from her. He set it down out of her reach.

“Hey,” she protested.

“Excuse me while I put on the kid gloves,” Travis drawled.

“She’s your sister,” said Caleb.

“And that means I get to have an honest conversation with her.”

“Not tonight, it doesn’t,” said Reed. Somehow, he had appeared by her side.

Katrina glared at Travis. “I am not a diva.” She knew divas, and Travis had obviously never met one. “Just because I don’t happen to like horses or Holsteins or cowboys.”

“Your family is full of cowboys,” Travis pointed out.

“But you all clean up nice,” chirped Mandy in an obvious attempt to lighten the mood.

Caleb backed up her effort, making a show of raising his glass. “Let’s hear it for clean cowboys.”

Abigail and Mandy immediately played along. “Clean cowboys.”

Travis grimaced, but Caleb stared him down until he gave in and raised his glass.

Katrina quickly stretched out to snag her own. “Too bad they don’t stay that way long.”

Everyone groaned, but it quickly turned to good-natured laughter.

She took a big swallow.

Reed muttered darkly in her ear. “You about done?”

“Done what?” she asked tartly, reminding herself that she was angry with him. It hadn’t been very gentlemanly of him to break off their kisses. Then again, he’d kind of stood up for her against Travis just now.

“Abigail,” said Reed. “I think Katrina’s ready for bed.”

A saucy comeback was on the tip of Katrina’s tongue. But when she swiveled to deliver it, she caught Reed’s thunderous expression. And she wasn’t quite brave enough to embarrass him.

“Are you going to wrap my ankle?” she asked him instead.

“No.”

“But it’s sore.”

“You’ve had too much champagne.

“It’s still sore.”

She wanted to get him up to the hotel room, alone, where she would… Okay, she wasn’t exactly sure what she’d do, but at least they could talk. This idea that they were going to nobly fight their attraction to each other because of Mandy and Caleb was ludicrous.

“Wrap her ankle?” Abigail asked.

“She strained her tendon dancing,” said Reed. “I’ve been using my herb wrap.”

“Crackerjack cure,” said Caleb.

“You hurt your ankle?” asked Abigail.

“It’s getting better,” said Katrina, somewhat surprised that Mandy hadn’t already shared the information with their sister.

Mandy reached out and took Katrina’s hand. “Maybe you should head back to the hotel. You’ve probably had enough dancing.”

“Sure,” Katrina agreed, playing the dutiful baby sister. Then she glanced innocently up at Reed. “You’ll take me back?”

His jaw tightened. “Abigail? Are you ready to go?”

“Absolutely,” said Abigail, and Katrina heard her rise from her chair. “I’m exhausted.”

Since Katrina and Abigail were sharing a room, there’d be no private conversation with Reed tonight. But Katrina wasn’t giving up. Tomorrow, they’d all troop back to the ranches. Eventually, she and Reed would find themselves alone.

Katrina soon discovered that things Reed didn’t want to happen, didn’t happen. After the charity ball in Lyndon, she and Mandy had spent a couple of days at their own ranch. But her sister soon found a reason to return to Terrells’, and Katrina found an excuse to go with her.