A Real Cowboy Rides a Motorcycle (2 page)

Whoops. She immediately dropped her arms and tried to appear harmless and sane. "Oh, sorry. I thought Mira would answer. Is she here?" She tried to peek past him, but he was big and muscular, blocking the door.

"She's asleep." He looked her up and down. "Can I help you?"

"Asleep?" She stared at him, horrified at his comment. "What time is it? Is it late?" She knew she'd gotten lost a couple times on the way there, but it couldn't be that late, could it?

"It's nine o'clock, but she gets tired easily." He narrowed his eyes, and there was no doubt of his protectiveness of Mira, which, of course Taylor appreciated, except for the fact that Mira didn't need protection from her.

There was only one man who would defend her friend so determinedly, and that would be the man who Mira had traveled cross-country to shack up with, Chase Stockton. Taylor smiled and held out her hand to shake his, realizing belatedly that introductions would probably be appropriate before barging into his house. He couldn't be expected to know how to handle their typical interactions. "You must be Chase. I'm Taylor Shaw, Mira's best friend from home."

"Taylor!" His frown disappeared into a welcoming smile that made him devastatingly handsome, and he swung the door open. "Come on in. I didn't know you were coming today. I thought it was next week. The wedding isn't for ten days."

"Thanks." Ah, yes, being invited indoors was way better than having her path blocked. Inside was definitely preferable to standing in a torrential downpour. "I wanted to surprise her, so I didn't call ahead. We like to do that to each other sometimes." She didn't mention that she'd also been desperate to escape from work. It was sucking the life out of her, and she needed to regroup and figure out what to do. What better place to regroup than with her best friend and a pint of ice cream, like they'd done countless times over the years?

As uninspiring as her work was, the problem wasn't that simple. As it turned out, having Edward become her ex-boyfriend, while still being her boss, was making work almost intolerable. Every time she saw him, a thousand emotions came flooding back, none of which were ones that made her want to jump for joy and dance on top of her desk in celebration.

So, she'd come here to support Mira in her upcoming wedding, as planned, but she'd come early because she needed her friend's advice and support. She and Mira had always been there for each other, especially when neither of them had anyone else to turn to, which had been the situation for both of them for a long time.

"Well, come on in," Chase said, gesturing her inside. "Get out of the rain."

Whoops. She'd forgotten to actually accept his invitation and go indoors. Oy. She was more stressed than she'd even realized. "Right. I'm on it." She stepped inside, and her flats squelched on the floor. They both looked down at the pool of muddy water spreading out from her feet and across the gorgeous stone floor. Heat flooded her cheeks. "Oh… I'll just wait outside—"

Chase snorted. "It's a ranch, Taylor. It's made for mud."

"Yes, but it's a really lovely ranch." The entry was paved with stone, but gleaming hardwood floors stretched across the rest of the house. She could see into a sleek modern kitchen, and a comfortable, rustic living room was just off to the right. The house was beautiful and homey, and a little bit of envy trickled through her when she thought of the stark apartment that she slept in on the rare occasion she wasn't traveling for work.

He grinned. "Thanks. We've put a lot of work into it." The pride was evident in his voice, making Taylor smile. She could tell already that Chase was a good man. Mira had been right to believe in him.

"I'll go see if she's awake. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen. I'll be right back." Chase indicated the kitchen, and then strode down the hallway, his cowboy boots clicking on the beautiful floor, his Wranglers faded like a real cowboy's should be. There was no doubt Mira had found herself a genuine cowboy, one that was every bit the man Mira had thought he was.

He disappeared through a closed door at the end of the hall, leaving Taylor alone. She let out a sigh as her stomach rumbled with hunger. She glanced longingly at the kitchen, but made no move toward it. Normally, she wouldn't hesitate to raid Mira's cabinets in search of sustenance, but this was Chase's house, and she was a stranger.

She shifted restlessly, afraid to walk around and drip all over everything. Hugging herself against the encroaching chill while she waited, she heard low, intimate murmurings from down the hall, whispers that weren't for her, whispers that she'd expected to be a part of when she'd decided to come here.

Wow. Right. She wasn't Mira's number one anymore. She hadn't thought of that.

She took a deep breath. That was okay. She was ecstatic Mira had found Chase. There was still room for best friends even when a man was in the picture.

"Taylor?" Mira's sleepy voice echoed down the hall, and Taylor's heart leapt.

She spun toward her friend, and then her mouth dropped open when she saw Mira waddling toward her, her massive belly barely covered by her pale pink robe. Her dark blond curls were longer now, and she was no longer sporting the too-skinny look that had worried Taylor for the last few years. Her breasts had tripled in size, and she looked radiant, gorgeous, and healthy, everything Taylor had hoped for with all her heart, everything that Taylor had never been able to do for her. "Wow. You're huge, girl. It's like you have half the kitchen tucked up under there." Of course she'd known her friend was pregnant, but seeing her that way was a shocking reality. Chase was walking beside her, his arm over her shoulders, as if he couldn't bear not to be touching her, and Taylor's sense of exclusion grew stronger.

Mira grinned and put her hand on her belly. "Only a few more weeks until you can call me mama."

"I call her mama already." Chase's voice was affectionate and warm, and he looked at Mira as if she was his entire world.

It was so intimate between them, with no room for a third party. Taylor stepped back, her hands falling down to her sides as she abandoned her hug. What had she done coming here? Why had she thought nothing would change now that Mira had found Chase?

But Mira didn't hesitate, throwing her arms around Taylor and hugging her just as tightly as she ever had.

Tears filled Taylor's eyes and she hugged Mira back just as fiercely, all her fears melting away. "I missed you," she whispered, her throat tightening up. God, she hadn't realized how lonely she'd been since Mira had moved away, but being with her friend again made her viscerally aware of how empty her life was when she wasn't burying herself in her work.

"I missed you, too, Taylor," Mira replied, pulling back.

Reluctantly, Taylor released her. "How are you doing? You feeling okay?" She glanced at Chase. "Is he being good to you?" she asked in a mock stage whisper.

Mira laughed, her eyes lighting up with happiness. "Everything is great. What about you?"

Taylor glanced at Chase with his arm around Mira again, and she knew now wasn't the time for her to start crying on Mira's shoulder. So, she managed a flippant smile. "Everything is awesome. I finished my latest assignment early, so I wanted to come early to help out. I figured you could use another hand getting things ready for the wedding and the baby."

"Of course! You're always welcome." The genuine warmth in Mira's voice eased some of Taylor's rising tension and sense of isolation. "I'll put you to work in the morning. Where are you staying?"

"Where am I—?" Taylor felt heat rush to her cheeks. It hadn't even occurred to her to find a hotel. She'd just assumed that she'd stay here, but she quickly realized what a mistake that had been. "I—"

"Oh, stay with us," Mira said quickly, her face softening as she astutely picked up on Taylor's situation. "Our basement guest room is full of boxes we retrieved from my parent's house and haven't unpacked yet, and the first floor bedroom now has a crib in it, but you could sleep in the living room."

Taylor felt her heart sinking. Sleep on the couch? In their space? She knew she'd feel like she was intruding every second she was there. "That's okay. I'll just—"

"Or the bunkhouse," Mira interrupted, her face brightening as she thought of it. She and Chase exchanged a special smile that once again made Taylor feel like she was standing on the periphery. "Is it ready for her, Chase?"

He nodded. "I had it cleaned after Steen and Erin moved out. It's all set."

Taylor frowned, trying to follow the conversation. "Steen and Erin? Who are they?"

"Oh, you'll love them," Mira said, her eyes sparkling with happiness. "Steen is Chase's brother, and Erin is his fiancée. They're building a house and a vet clinic on the south side of the property. They were living in the bunkhouse, but they moved to a trailer home next to their house so they have a little privacy while it's being built. Erin is such a doll. You'll love her."

"Oh." Taylor cleared her throat at the obvious affection in Mira's voice. Clearly, she and Erin had become close friends, and they were almost sisters now if Erin was engaged to Chase's brother. Taylor clasped her hands behind her head, suddenly wishing that she'd arranged for a hotel room. This wasn't what she'd envisioned at all. "I'm sure we'll get along great," she managed.

"Of course you will." Mira yawned, and Taylor realized she was overstaying her welcome.

"So, I'll just let you guys do your thing," she said, taking her cue to leave. "If you can point me to the bunkhouse, I'll go set up there."

"I'll take your bags down there," Chase said, reaching for a weather-beaten trench coat that looked like it was built for storms like the one howling outside.

"Oh, no. I'm all set. I don't have much—"

"You're not going out alone," Chase said, his voice mellow but unyielding. "I've got you covered."

Taylor's throat suddenly tightened, and she had to look away and blink several times. God, how long had it been since someone had done something as simple as heading outside in a driving rainstorm to help her with her bags? She didn't even know Chase, but he made her feel like she mattered. How had Mira found someone this wonderful? She hadn't even realized men like Chase existed.

"Do you want to snag some food to take with you?" Mira asked. "I don't think there's anything there." Before Taylor could answer, she was already heading to the kitchen. "I think I have some coffee you'll like," she called out as she opened cabinets. "And of course, your oatmeal for breakfast. And I have some leftover chicken that Chase grilled tonight," she said, yawning again. "I'm so sorry that I can't stay up with you. I just get so tired."

"It's totally fine," Taylor said. "I should have called first." God, she should have called. She'd had visions of sitting up on the couch for hours with ice cream and hot chocolate while they caught up. She hadn't thought about how things would be different, and she should have.

Chase shoved a cowboy hat on his head while Mira handed Taylor a grocery bag. She hugged Taylor again, a fierce hug that soothed some of Taylor's tension. "I'm
so
glad you're here, Taylor."

"Me, too." The tightness around her chest loosened slightly at Mira's sincerity. "I'll see you in the morning. You can come grab me when you're ready for company, okay? I don't want to barge in on you twice."

Mira smiled. "Deal."

Chase walked over to Mira, locked his arm around her waist, and pulled her close for an almost unbearably sweet kiss. "I'll be right back. Don't have the baby while I'm gone."

Mira laughed and lightly swatted his chest. "You'll have to take it up with the baby, not me."

He leaned forward and put his ear to her belly, as if he were listening. Then he nodded. "The baby says that I'm in charge. He says he'll wait."

Mira's eyebrows shot up. "
She'll
do what
she
wants."

He shot her a cocky look. "We'll see."

A part of Taylor wanted to put her ear to Mira's belly and listen to the baby as well, but another part of her wanted to slink away from the intimacies that she wasn't a part of and hop on the next plane out of town. She did neither. She was too tired to leave, and too uncertain to reach out and slap her palm across her best friend's belly. So she just smiled. "See you in the morning, Mira."

"You bet!" At Mira's wave, Taylor ducked out into the rain, no longer caring that she was soaked and covered in mud. She just wanted a moment to regroup and figure out where she could fit into her best friend's new life.

There had to be a place, right? Because if there wasn't, she had no one else.

God, that was a great thought. Surely she could muster up a more positive attitude. She could get a cat. Or a goldfish. A fish would be a good listener, right?

But as she slogged through the mud, following Chase to her car, she knew there was no way to deny the truth: fish were slimy, and if she had to rely on one to be her dearest friend…well…that was just not a good solution.

She shook her head, unable to shake the isolation that was beginning to grip her. What was she going to do?

He was tired.

He was cranky.

He was wet.

Zane Stockton idled his motorcycle outside his brother's ranch house, narrowing his eyes at the darkened windows. Gone was the time when he'd let himself in and crash. There was a woman in there now, and that changed all the rules, especially when it was two in the morning.

He probably shouldn't have come tonight, but he was here, and he was done being on the road for now. Rain had been thundering down on him for hours, and he was drenched. He just wanted to sleep and forget about all the crap that had gone down today. Grief was gnawing at him, the kind of grief that he had to escape, the kind that would destroy him if he let it.

Which was why he'd come to the ranch. It was the only place in his life, besides the open road, where the noise in his head quieted long enough for him to think.