Indulgence (299 page)

“No problem. You need to hang on. I don’t want to dump you
off the back.”

“I’m sorry you’re getting wet because of me.”

“I was wet before I found you. I’ve been ridin’ fences in
between the downpours.”

The horse sidestepped to the right. A squeal broke from her
lips. “Sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize, ma’am. I shoulda asked if you
were okay on horseback.”

As the horse continued forward she caught the rhythm of its
walk and relaxed into the gait. “My name is Mesa.”

“Excuse me?”

“Mesa is my name. I feel like some fifty-year-old woman with
you calling me ma’am.”

“Sorry. Habit.”

“I can imagine.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Mesa. I’m Joel.”

“Hi, Joel. Do you live around here?” she asked, liking the
feel of his firm chest beneath her fingertips until she let them slip down to
wrap around his waist. The urge to run her hands along the ridges under his wet
shirt overwhelmed her, sending tingles up her arms. She could feel the ripped
abdomen beneath her palms.

“A few miles up the road. My family owns a ranch on the
ridge.”

The man knew his way around horses from the way he sat
comfortably in the saddle riding the animal’s gait like he was born to it.

Well duh, Mesa.

The rain had moved off, only pelting them now and then with
big, fat drops. The smell of wet leather reached her nose and she wrinkled the
bridge at the stench. Another smell permeated her senses. Cologne? She slowly
inhaled, taking in the scent from his shirt.
Damn, he smells good.

“What are you doin’ out here on this back road?”

“I took a drive. I’ve been in San Antonio at a conference and
I needed to clear my head.”

He chuckled, a low, dry reverberation that made her sit up
and take notice. Her nipples pebbled at the sound, sending frustration down her
back. Could he feel the hard nubs rubbing against his solid back?
Probably,
you dummy.
It had been way too long since she’d been with a man if just
sitting close to one made her horny. The rear end of a horse wasn’t the place
to get hot and bothered.

The material of her shirt caught against her breasts. The
rough fabric of her jeans chafed the inside of her thighs. The seam of her
pants rubbed against her clit, turning her insides to mush. Never mind the
clean, musky scent of the man squashed against her boobs.

“What kind of conference were you at?”

“A romance writer’s conference.”

“Romance writer?”

“Yes. I’m an author. I write romance novels.”

“Oh.”

She waited for him to ask what type of romance novels she
wrote, but he didn’t. Wasn’t he interested? Maybe not. Really, how could she
tell him she wrote about guys like him? Westerns. Cowboys. Riding off into the
sunset with some hunky cowboy on horseback. It would be totally embarrassing to
tell him, so maybe it would be a good thing he didn’t ask. “Where are we
headed, by the way?”

“My parents’ place.” He chuckled again. “We’ll get you some
warm, dry clothes to change into. If the car didn’t get washed away, we’ll get
you some gas so you can make it back to San Antonio.”

“Thank you. You don’t know how much I appreciate you coming
to my rescue.”

“It’s what cowboys do.”

Oh, hell yeah, they do. Especially in my dreams.

They continued chatting about mundane things as they plodded
along. The constant shift of the horse’s rump made her realize how long it had
been since she’d ridden.
How far was this place anyway?
“Joel?”

“Yeah.”

“How much farther?”

“A mile or so.”

“Hell.”

“Somethin’ wrong?”

“I’m gonna feel every step this horse took tomorrow.”

A deep laugh started beneath her fingers and rumbled up his
chest until it burst from his lips. “You are too much, Mesa.”

“I’m glad I could make your day,” she grumbled, a little put
out by his laughter. “I haven’t been on horseback in ages. My thighs are
already screaming mercy.” She felt his body quiver from laughter again. “How do
you ride all day without dying?”

“I’m used to it. I ride all day everyday so it doesn't
bother me.”

“You live on a working ranch?”

“Yep. Longhorns and city folk.”

“Huh?”

“We have what most folks call a dude ranch. We let people
come and stay on the ranch. Do ranch work, ride horses…you know, play at bein’
a cowboy for a while.”

“Really? That sounds like fun.”

“How long are you in town for?”

“The conference is over in a couple of days.”

“So you’re flyin’ or drivin’ home afterward?”

“Flying, yes.”

He got quiet for several minutes as the horse continued to
walk along under his expert guiding hand. “What kind of books do you write?”

There it was.
“Westerns.”

“Oh yeah? Like cowboys and Indians? Louie L’Amour type
stuff?”

She shook her head and almost unseated herself from the back
of the horse. A fistful of his shirt kept her in place. “No. Like cowboys and
the love of their lives. I write erotic modern westerns.”

“Interestin’.”

The house came into view and she sighed in relief. She’d be
able to get off the back of the horse shortly, but it also meant giving up
sitting behind Joel and removing her hands from his magnificent chest.

As they rode into the yard, she could see what appeared to
be a main house and several smaller cabins of some sort. She assumed this is
where the guests stayed. A large corral sat in the back of the biggest building
where several horses stood. A handful of cowboys hung around the front of the
tack room.

One guy stepped forward, taking the reins of the horse as
she slid off the left side. “Hey, Joel. Where’d you pick up a rider?”

“Behave yourselves,” Joel answered, swinging down from his
saddle. “This is a lady whose car stalled out near the north pasture line.
Mesa, these are some of my brothers, Joseph, Jackson and Josh. Guys, this is
Mesa.”

“Howdy, ma’am,” Joseph said, tipping his hat.

Wow, twins?
“Do you all always call every woman
ma’am?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Jackson replied. “Our mama would skin our
hides if we didn’t.”

“Well, call me Mesa, please. I feel old when you call me
ma’am.”

“So.” Josh moved closer, taking her hand and slipping it
through the crook in his elbow. “How did a beauty like you get stuck with
Joel?”

“Uh…” she stammered slightly as she blushed from the
attention.

“Enough, Joshua. I’m taking her into the house so Mom can
help her into some dry clothes,” Joel said, taking her hand from his brother
and capturing it within the warmth of his own. Tingles started in her fingers
and worked their way up her arm. She frowned at the sensation. Surely she
wasn’t attracted to Joel other than being grateful for his rescue?
Why the
hell not? I fantasize about cowboys all the time. He’s the finest specimen of a
cowboy I’ve ever seen.

“Don’t mind them, Mesa. They’re all bachelors. When a pretty
woman gets within fifty feet of them, they can’t help but drool and act like
idiots.”

He thinks I’m pretty?
“Thank you for the compliment.”

“It’s true. Anyway, let’s get you inside and dry.”

“You don’t have to do that. My clothes are almost dry now
from the heat.”

“I’m sure you could use something to drink and to at least
dry your shoes. I can hear ’em squishing from here.”

“True.” She laughed as she wiggled her wet shoe. “I would be
nice to put them in a dryer along with my socks. I’ll probably get blisters.”

“Mom will try to feed you too since it’s almost supper time
around here.”

“I hope I’m not taking you from your chores. You said you
were checking fences when you found me.”

“It’ll be fine,” he said as they walked toward the large,
house-like structure. “We don’t work on any time schedule.”

Built out of what appeared to be logs and flagstone, the
house boasted three huge dormers, a porch the size of a football field
stretching across its front, and huge, wooden doors on the side they were
headed toward. Joel held the door as she made her way into the dining room.
Several picnic tables lined the huge room. Each one gleamed from the sunlight
now pouring in through the big windows. Rough wood paneling lined the walls
with a brand burned into several boards—TR with a circle around it. Huh.
Interesting.
I wonder what it stands for?

“Thunder Ridge.”

He read my mind?

“It’s the brand our cattle wear too.”

“It’s really cool you have it burned into the wood on the
walls.”

The smell of cooking food floated to her nose. Her stomach
growled impatiently when she realized she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. Joel
grinned and her heart flipped over in her chest.
Damn, he has a sexy smile.
He could probably melt butter with that grin.

With her hands still encased in the warmth of his, he tugged
her along toward a room in the back. “Come on. We’ll get you something dry to
wear, put your shoes in the dryer, and get you some food.” As they approached
the back of the dining hall, she noticed a small office built into the back of
the huge room. The woman taping away at the computer screen seemed oblivious to
their presence until Joel said, “Mom?” Mesa could see where Joel got his black
hair. The cascading length only added to the woman’s stunning beauty.

“Hey baby.” She glanced up with the same blue eyes that Joel
had and stared. “What’cha got there?”

“I found her out on the road with her car stalled.”

Indignation ruffled her ego, causing her back stiffened.
They were making her sound like some lost puppy or something.

“Well, welcome to Thunder Ridge. I’m Nina Young. This here
is my son, or one of them anyway.” She held out her hand and when Mesa took it,
she pumped it several times.

“Mesa Arraguso. I’m sorry to intrude. I don’t want to make
you feel like you’re taking in a lost stray.”

“Nonsense. No intrusion. We love company. It’s why we run a
dude ranch.” Nina looked at her clothes and said, “Oh my. You’re soaked, honey.
Let’s get you something dry to put on. You look about my size. I’m sure I have
something that will fit.” Nina shuffled her out of the office leaving Joel
standing in the doorway. “Come with me.”

Nina walked her through another huge room with an enormous
fireplace standing from floor to ceiling and almost wall-to-wall. Large leather
couches invited people to sit in front of a roaring fire, should there be one
blazing away. Not today, though.

Mesa followed Nina toward the back of the room and down another
long hallway with a door marked private.
Must be the family’s quarters.

“What on Earth were you doing out on a back road like ours?”

“Running out of gas.”

“Oh my, really?”

“Yes. I took a drive and my GPS got lost. Did you know some
of these roads aren’t on the thing?”

Nina laughed. “Oh yes. Our road doesn’t exist on most of
them because it’s on our land. We maintain it ourselves.” Mesa continued to
follow Nina toward a set of double doors at the end of the hall. “We should be
able to find you something to wear. Would you like jeans or a dress?”

“Anything is fine. I really appreciate this.”

The room looked rustic with its wood walls, large bed, and
wooden dresser along the left wall. Paintings depicted different flower
arrangements of pinks and purples, matching the floral comforter on the bed. A
couple of good sized windows overlooked what appeared to be a garden with
roses, lilacs, and several other species of flowers she didn’t recognize.

“We’ll get you something.” Nina opened a door to the right,
exposing a huge walk-in closet with rows of clothes hanging on each side.
Everything was color coded with yellows together, blues together, and so on.

“Damn.”

“I have a thing for clothes. My husband calls it an
obsession.” She shrugged. “What can I say, I love to shop, although most of
this never gets worn since we live out here on the ranch. I’m usually in
jeans.” Nina grabbed a red sundress off the rack. “This should fit you. Plus,
red would look fabulous on you with your black hair.” With a tilt of her head,
she looked Mesa over from head to toe. “Do you have Native American blood?”

“Yes. Somewhere in my past, anyway. I’m not sure how far
back.”

“Ah.” Nina handed her the dress before she walked to the
window to look out. “You’re lucky to have received the thick, dark hair of your
heritage like some of my sons did from me. I am a quarter Choctaw.”

“I have no idea how much or what tribe my ancestors were.
It’s not talked about much in my family.”

Nine turned back to face her with a stern look in her blue
eyes. “You should be proud of your heritage no matter how little Indian blood
runs through your veins. We are a proud people. I try to bestow on my sons the
love of the tribal people.”

“How many sons do you have? I’ve met four so far.”

“I have nine. My wishes for a daughter were never answered,
although I hope to have beautiful daughter-in-laws and lots of granddaughters
when the time comes. I have one grandson already, from my oldest son’s failed
marriage, whom I adore, but it’s not the same as having a granddaughter to
spoil.” Nina took her hands and spread them wide. “You would make a beautiful
daughter-in-law.”

“Wait a minute. I don’t even live near here. I live in
California.”

“I’m joking, Mesa, although you are a beautiful young woman
and any one of my sons would be proud to call you wife.”

“I’m only here for a few days. No matchmaking while I’m
here.”

Nina laughed and tipped her chin toward the floor. “No
matchmaking.” She walked toward the door. “I’ll leave you to change. If you
bring your wet clothes and shoes down the hall, we’ll get them washed and dried
for you. The supper bell will be ringing soon. You will join us for dinner,
won’t you?”