Vicki Thompson: Say Yes To The Cowboy

“Good.” He sighed in relief. “That’s good.” He’d been around horses all his life and loved them, but he didn’t like the idea of Tess riding one and chancing a fall.

“The advice on riding while pregnant is conflicting,” Herb said, “but since it’s not something you do on a daily basis, I think you’re smart to stop for the next few months.”

Tess nodded. “Thanks. But I’d love to visit your horses. How many do you have?”

“Six at the moment.” Herb ticked them off on his fingers. “Technically, Lucy and Linus, a palomino mare and her son, don’t belong to us. We’re boarding them.”

Tess smiled. “Love the names.”

“Then we have Cade’s big black horse, Hematite, and his fiancée Lexi’s mare, Serendipity, Serra for short. Finally there’s Navarre and Isabeau, my gelding and Rosie’s mare.”

“You named them after the characters in Ladyhawke?”

Now if only he could get Tess to respond with that kind of delight when he had his chance to talk to her. They were burning daylight and his special place looked its best in the morning before that rock heated up.

“Rosie named them,” Herb said “She made me watch the movie and, after I did, I agreed to the names. I don’t admit this to everyone, but we’re all friends here. I’m a sucker for a great romance.”

“And that’s why I married him.” Rosie gazed fondly at her husband. “He’s a stand-up guy, but underneath he’s a sentimental sweetie who doesn’t mind naming our horses after characters in a love story.”

Zeke noticed that Tess was a little misty-eyed. Maybe that was his cue. “Look, I know how much Tess is interested in seeing the horses, but I also wanted to show her the view from Lion’s Rest Rock. It’s at its best when the sun’s at an angle instead of beating straight down.”

“Lion’s Rest?” Tess gazed at him, her expression difficult to read. “Are you talking about mountain lions?”

“Technically, yes, but if we take the trail up there, I guarantee we won’t find one lounging on that flat rock. They’d hear us coming long before we arrived and vamoose.”

“But they do hang out there?”

“Sure, when no people are around.”

“That’s too bad. I’d love to catch a glimpse of one. I never have.”

All righty, then. He was quickly learning things about the mother of his child, information that could be valuable in the future. “Well, you never can tell. If we get a move on and walk very quietly up that trail, we might see one disappearing through the underbrush.”

He ignored Rosie when she lifted her eyes to the ceiling. So he was exaggerating a little. No one he knew had actually spotted a cougar on that rock. Rumor had it that they perched on it when no people were around because the rock gave them an excellent vantage point for spotting prey. It could be true.

But Lion’s Rest Rock was a famous make-out spot because the granite slab was the size of a king mattress, besides being smooth as a well-worn saddle. Zeke couldn’t speak for other guys, but he’d never made a conquest up there. His conscience was clear about sharing it with Tess.

Tess finished her coffee and picked up her empty plate. “I’m ready to go see this Lion’s Rest Rock, right after we clean up.”

“Leave the dishes,” Rosie said.

Zeke had never heard more beautiful words in his life. In another forty minutes that rock could be hot as a branding iron. He could get there in ten and lead Tess up the path in another ten. That gave him twenty minutes to execute his plan. It should be enough.

With anticipation vying with anxiety, he ushered Tess out the front door of the ranch house and handed her into the passenger seat of his truck. So far, so good.

“I can’t help thinking you have an ulterior motive,” she said as he put the truck in gear.

“Why’s that?” He didn’t dare look at her as he drove. She might see something in his eyes.

“Number one, you shaved off your beard. That had to take a couple of weeks to grow, so why shave it now unless it has something to do with me?”

“My beard grows really fast. It only took about nine days.”

“All right, but the timing is still suspicious. Yesterday afternoon you had a bushy beard. Then I tell you I’m pregnant and the next morning you appear with a close shave. Coincidence? I don’t think so.”

“I got the impression you didn’t like it.” They reached the paved road and he accelerated.

“I didn’t dislike it. I just... What difference does it make, anyway? There’s no reason for you to try to please me. We’re ships who passed in the night.”

“We didn’t just pass. We moored in the same spot and produced a dingy.”

That gave her the giggles. “I shouldn’t have introduced a nautical reference. It makes no sense in Wyoming. We’re landlocked.”

“Okay, let’s compare ourselves to a couple of Conestoga wagons that ended up gathered around the same campfire and produced a little buckboard.”

Her laughter was now out of control. “Stop! Don’t be funny! This is a very serious situation we’re in.” But she couldn’t seem to keep a straight face.

And it was catching. Soon he was laughing right along with her. When he pulled over onto the side of the road next to the trail leading up to Lion’s Rest Rock, he was out of breath. Shutting off the engine, he glanced at her and grinned. “Enough. You’ll need both energy and lung power to walk up this trail.”

“Is it really that steep?”

“Not too bad, but I can guarantee you one thing. It’s more of a challenge while you’re laughing.”

“Okay. I’ll do my best to forget I’m having a little buckboard.”

He gazed at her. All that laughter had made her eyes sparkle like sapphires under a high-intensity lamp.

“I assume people hike this trail hoping to spot wildlife.”

“Some do, but that’s not really what the rock is known for.”

Understanding flashed in her eyes and her cheeks turned pink. “Zeke Rafferty, if you think you’re going to get me alone up there so we can do that, you have another think coming!”

“I don’t, I swear! That’s the furthest thing from my mind.” Not exactly true, but it was down the list a ways. It didn’t rank higher than number three and, considering how pretty she looked, he thought that was damned noble of him.

“So what is on your mind, then?”

“We need to talk, figure stuff out. The view from there is real nice. You can watch the morning shadows move down the mountains as the sun gets higher.”

“You seem to know this spot pretty well.”

“I do, but not for the reason you’re imagining. I used to come up here in the early morning so I could think about things when nobody else was around.”

“Come on, Zeke. A guy who looks like you must have had plenty of girlfriends in high school. I can’t believe you didn’t bring them here to make out.”

“You don’t have to believe me, but the fact is, I didn’t.” He opened his door. “It was too special.” He hopped down and walked around to her side, but she was already out.

She gazed up at him, her expression tender. “I do believe you. And you’re right about the beard. I like you better without it. Lead the way.”

He took off before he did something stupid and kissed her. As he climbed, he monitored his pace so he wouldn’t wear her out getting to the top.

“You can go faster. I’m in shape. I go for a run every morning.”

He turned around so abruptly they almost slammed into each other. “You run? Is that okay?”

“My doctor says it’s fine unless I notice any problems after a run. She’s in favor of women exercising throughout their pregnancy. It’s just the horseback riding she cautioned me about. And the bungee jumping.”