Marin Thomas - True Blue Cowboy

She blinked as if in a daze. “I didn’t know you worked at the ranch.”

No kidding. If she had, she wouldn’t have booked a cabin here. “You’re a tough lady to find.” There. He admitted he’d been looking for her. Now the ball was in her court.

She waved a hand in front of her face—her nails were short and there was no trace of the bold, red polish. Gone, too, were the dangling earrings and sparkly eye shadow. Beth wore no makeup—except for the pink shine on her lips. The woman standing before him had nothing in common with the sexy siren he’d met at the Number 10 Saloon.

“You’re busy,” she said. “I’ll come back later.”

Like hell she would. “Stay.” He wasn’t letting her off the hook that easy. “The horses are already saddled.” He led Speckles from her stall, then took Warrior’s reins and escorted the animals out of the barn. He stopped next to the horse trough and cupped his hands near Warrior’s stirrup. “Put your left foot in here and swing your right leg over the saddle.”

Beth hesitated then edged closer and grasped the pummel. When she lifted her leg, he moved his hands beneath her shoe and hoisted her—a little too hard. She pitched forward and he grasped her waist, his fingers biting into her flesh to prevent her from sailing over Warrior’s head.

She rocked back, her rump hitting the saddle hard. Warrior shifted in surprise. Wanting to be certain she’d regained her balance, he tightened his hold on her, but she took exception to his touch and attempted to twist free. She teetered toward the opposite side and Mack reached for her shoulder, but his hand landed on her breast—a mound of soft flesh his fingers were intimately familiar with.

A jolt of electricity zapped his body, triggering a flashback of their night in the motel. She made eye contact and the heat in her gaze sent a second shockwave through him. She was a live wire.

Without speaking he hopped on Speckles, took Warrior’s reins and guided the horses to the trailhead. They rode in silence. With each passing minute, Mack’s frustration mounted. He led the horses off the trail toward a shallow water hole.

“Where are we going?”

The tremor in Beth’s voice convinced him that the bold, gutsy lady he’d met at the bar had been an imposter. “The horses need to rest.”

She lifted an eyebrow but didn’t challenge him. He hopped off Speckles then dropped the reins on the ground. The mare wandered to the water’s edge and drank. “Would you like help getting down?”

“No. I’ll wait here until your horse is ready to go.”

“My horse isn’t going to leave until you and I talk.” He crossed his arms over his chest and a stare-down ensued.

“Mack.” Beth’s eyes pleaded with him. “Do we have to discuss that night?”

Ouch. That she wanted to forget the most amazing few hours of his life hurt way more than a nasty fall off a rank bronc. “You owe me a few answers.”

Her brow wrinkled. “I don’t owe you anything.”

Amused by her stubbornness, he asked, “What’s your real name?”

With a resigned huff she yanked her foot from the stirrup and slid off Warrior. As soon as her feet hit the dirt, the horse walked to the pond for a drink. “Beth Richards.” She jutted her chin as if daring him to challenge her again.

“Why wouldn’t you tell me your last name the night we—”

“Because I never planned on seeing you again.”

“You’re not married, are you?”

“Not anymore.”

Startled, he asked, “Were you married when we—”

“I signed the divorce papers earlier in the day before I showed up at the bar.”

“So you were celebrating your divorce that night?”

“Yes.”

His stomach knotted. Why was he upset that Beth had used him? He’d approached her in the bar. He’d been the one to invite her to go off with him later that night. Maybe that was the problem—he couldn’t reconcile the Beth on horseback with the Beth at the Number 10. “Why the getup?”

“Getup?”

“Fancy clothes, heavy makeup and long hair? You looked like all the other buckle bunnies in the bar.”

She gestured to herself. “I doubt you would have left with me if I’d walked into the place looking like...me.”

Was she kidding?

She dropped her gaze but not before he saw a flicker of doubt in her eyes. “The horses are done drinking.”

The horses could wait. He still had a few questions. “Was everything a lie that night?”

“What do you mean?”

“You said you worked at an investment firm.”

“I did.”

“You quit your husband and you quit your job?”

Her head snapped up. “I didn’t quit my husband. He quit me. As for the job, I didn’t have any other choice but to quit.”

His question had visibly upset her. “What are you doing here? Hiding from an abusive ex?”

“Brad’s not like that. He’s too wrapped up in his ego to bother making my life miserable.”

Mack was relieved she hadn’t been mistreated by her ex. “You still haven’t told me why you’re here at the ranch.”

“I needed a place to catch my breath after the divorce.”

“You could have caught your breath in Cancún or Belize. Black Jack Mountain?”

“My parents are friends with Dave. They’ve visited the ranch several times but I never have.” She shrugged. “It seemed like a good place to relax and make plans for the future.”

Plans for a future that obviously didn’t include him.

“Mack, I’m sorry. I thought you were just a singer in a local band. You never mentioned working at a dude ranch.”

He kicked a rock across the ground and cursed. He’d brought up his job after they’d made love, but evidently she hadn’t been listening. Maybe he was better off not knowing what that night was all about for her. Obviously, she hadn’t been as wowed by the sex as he had or she’d have tried to contact him after she left the motel.

He fetched the horses. “How long are you staying?” He might have to find a new job if she intended to hide in her guest cabin indefinitely.

“I don’t know.” She placed her foot in his hands. “I guess until I figure out where I want to move.”

She was leaving—that killed any possibility of the two of them starting over. He helped her onto Warrior, then mounted Speckles and clicked his tongue. He could tolerate Beth’s presence until she made plans for the future—if not, he was in big trouble.

* * *

THREE DAYS HAD PASSED since Beth had discovered Mack was an employee at the dude ranch—how they’d managed to avoid each other was a miracle in and of itself. Then again, she’d taken all her meals in her cabin to increase her odds of not crossing paths with the cowboy. Nights were another story. As soon as her head hit the pillow, Beth’s mind raced with thoughts of Mack. And when she finally drifted off, visions of their night in the motel plagued her sleep, and each morning she woke emotionally exhausted.

Twice she’d walked down the path to Dave’s office to thank him for the use of the cabin and notify him that she was leaving. But her feet had a mind of their own and she’d ended up meandering away from main ranch quarters as she was doing right now. She stopped at the entrance to the barn then glanced at the parking lot. Mack’s truck was missing among the vehicles. Maybe she’d sneak inside and visit the horses.

“Hoss?” She waited for her eyes to adjust to the dimness.

“In the storage room.”

She passed by the empty stalls, the scent of fresh hay and grain surprisingly pleasant. “I thought I’d visit the horses but—”

“Jake let ’em out to graze.”

She exhaled quietly.

“You bored, missy?”

“Maybe a little.”