The Mobster And The Cowboy (A Cowboy Romance) (10 page)

It was just after 12:00 pm. Logan and Heath were in the smaller corral on the other side of the barn, away from any guests who might be suiting up to ride out on a trail, grooming their horses for a ride.

Heath
had a cute chestnut pony with an unruly blonde mane. The top of it always seemed to hang in front of its eyes, making him look like a tough, bad boy, but he was the gentlest pony ever. Logan made sure by bringing his friend Cord down to the stables to help gentle him. Logan wasn’t going to take chances with his son riding him.

The little guy struggled and grunted as he
carried his saddle, but didn’t give up. He sucked it up like a man.

He stepped up on the stool by his pony and even though he was out of breath, he gently placed the saddle on him, taking care not to mistreat the animal in any way.

It made his dad proud, who was watching him with a big ass smile on his face. Okay, so part of that smile was for Melanie. He couldn’t stop thinking about her, them, last night, that morning. Things just felt right, calm, so satisfying. Her body was amazing. She was amazing.

Logan checked that Heath’s saddle was secure before he let him mount up. Then he mounted up on Shils Aash.

As he turned
Shils Aash around, he saw Cody galloping up to him. He had just finished a trail ride.

“Hey
, Logan, have you seen Mel, yet, today?”

“Mel?
Who’s Mel?”

“Melanie.”

“Oh.” He wasn’t going to tell him he dropped her off at her house about two hours ago, “No. Why?”
And when did you start calling her Mel?

“She told me at the gym yesterday morning that she was going to come and ride this morning.
I haven’t seen her yet. Thought maybe I missed her.”

“You saw h
er at the gym yesterday?”

“Yeah, I was teaching her how to box.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah,” he said as he whipped out his cell phone. “I’ll call her, maybe I missed her.”

“You have her cell number?”

“Yeah, we exchanged numbers at the gym.”

Logan felt like such an ass, he didn’t even think to ask her for her cell number. “Yeah, dial the number, but hand me the phone,” he said to Cody.

Cody just looked at him and saw a challenge
in Logan’s eyes. He did what Logan asked and handed the phone to him after hitting send.

Logan took it and held it up to his ear as he looked to
Heath and said, “One minute buddy, Okay?”

Heath
nodded his head while he pet his pony.

“Hi, Cody.” Melanie answered, sounding so cheerful.

“Why didn’t you tell me this morning
, when I asked you what you were doing today, that you wanted to go horseback riding, MEL?” He emphasized the last word.

“Logan?”

“Why, Mel?” He said, sounding irritated.

She was taken aback by his tone.
“When I heard you tell your son you were going to take him riding, I thought I would back away and give you and him space. I don’t know how he’s going to react to me. I didn’t think you’d want to introduce him to me. That’s all. You make it sound like I have an ulterior motive, Logan.”

There was a pause on both ends.
“No, sweetheart. No ulterior motive.” He sounded calmer now. “That’s very thoughtful of you. Thank you. I’m heading out now with my son. Why don’t I have Cody pick you up and bring you here to ride? My place is big enough. There’s a lot of room. We probably won’t even run into each other.”

“Thanks, but I already started reading a new manuscript and I’m in
the zone. Don’t worry about me,” she said, thinking about how the last part of his statement stung a bit.

“Ok
ay, come over tomorrow, and we’ll go for a ride.”

“
Um, I’m not sure, can I let you know tomorrow?”

“Yeah.
Sure.”

“Ok
ay. Is Cody there?”

“Yeah.”

“Can you put him on, please?”

“Sure.
See you tomorrow.”

He reluctantly gave the phone to Cody and motioned for
Heath to follow. He didn’t want to be around to listen to Cody talking to her.

“Hey, Cody.”

“
Hi, Mel. You coming today?”

“Nah, I have a lot of stuff to do today.
Are you planning on going to the gym tomorrow morning?”

“Yeah. Y
ou want to work out together?”

“I’d love to if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all. 7:00 a.m. good?”

“Perfect.
See you then.”

“K. B
ye.” And he hit the end key.

“Could have been a cowboy.…” Melanie was singing a little too loud. The gym wasn’t crowded yet and she felt comfortable here. She’d been doing the gym thing for years that no matter what gym she was in, she felt at home.

She had her earphones in and had just finished running on the treadmill and walked around to see if Cody arrived yet. She had gotten there forty five minutes earlier so she could get the run in before her work out with him.

She got a few smiles as she looked around
and one guy got in front of her and began singing with her.

He put his thumbs in the waist of his shorts and did a boot, er, sneaker stomping dance
.

Melanie moved her hips and smiled as she took one of the ear buds out of her ear and sang with him.
Like a chain reaction, that whole side of the gym stopped and watched.

The guys and girls were all smiling and laughing.
Most everyone knew each other here. It was usually the same crowd every morning doing their gym routine and they knew the guy dancing was a friendly, fun loving guy.

He placed his hand out, palm up
, and she put her hand in his and he twirled her around. Then he gave her a smile, wink and a nod and continued on to the workout bench he was heading to before stopping and having some fun.

She got a kick out of it
and was giggling as she put the ear bud back in her ear.

She began to look around again and she spotted Logan leaning up against the three tier
ed dumbbell rack. He was watching her, grinning and shaking his head.

She almost didn’t recognize him.
He was wearing a black LL Stables ball cap and black basketball shorts with a gray sleeveless Cowboy T-shirt. He looked sexy and ripped in that shirt.

She didn’t realize it
, but he had been watching her for some time. There was something in her demeanor, in her carefree attitude that he liked. He never met anyone like her before.

She took the ear
buds out of her ears as she got close to him.

“Hi, what are you doing here?” s
he asked him, smiling.

Before he said hello, he took her arm and brought her close to him and kissed her lips.
It was more than a quick kiss hello and Melanie was taken aback that he would show that much affection in a public place such as the gym.

Truth be known, ev
en though he deemed it innocent, it bothered him a little that someone here would just pick up and sing and dance with her the way that guy did a moment ago.

Was he trying to send a message? You bet.
He just didn’t know why he felt so possessive.

“Hi
, darlin’.”

And again, she asked
, “What are you doing here?”

“I’m gonna work
out with Cody.”

“
Oh, yeah? So am I.”

“I know.”

She smiled and looked at him.

“Hi
, Melanie.” Someone called behind her. She turned around to see Jason.

“Hi,” she said,
smiling.

Jason didn’t say hello to Logan, he just sized him up.

“Jason, this is Logan.” Neither of them offered a hand, they just nodded. “Is Cody here, yet?” she asked him.

“Yeah, he’s just rounding up some boxing gear they keep behind the
counter where you first walk in. Said to meet him at the bag.”

T
he three of them walked over to the boxing bag.

Cody beat the crap out of the bag first, then Logan.

Melanie was transfixed on him.
He was quick. He threw hard punches and he just looked hot, she thought. Yeah, there was something animalistic in him, so raw, so rugged when he sweat, that she couldn’t believe she was getting turned on.

Next was her turn.
She knew from the last time she would sweat, so even before Cody helped her with the gloves, she threw off her long T-shirt.

She
wore a black and hot pink sports bra. Now, not only did she have Jason and Cody gawking at her, but she had Logan gawking too. She looked to him and saw him smile.

He licked h
is lips salaciously and she was certain he was thinking about their little pool game or rather the activity that took place on top of the pool table a couple of nights ago.

She smiled small as she held out her hands for Cody
to lace her up.

Logan leaned back against the half wall of the alcove with his feet cr
ossed at the ankle, studying her as he drank from a water bottle.

Cody gave her a quick refresher and then she began.
She punched the bag lightly at first.

“Come
on, Mel, you’re punching like a girl. Really give it your all,” Cody said in encouragement.

She paused a moment to laugh at him
, then she took a swing that almost knocked Jason, who was lightly holding the bag, over.

“Whoa!”
Jason said.

“That’s what I’m talking about,
” Cody said as she continued to pummel the bag.

When she stopped, Cody started punching the bag, doing fancy
footwork. He backed up and gestured for her to do the same. She did. She looked even better than the first time he showed her. She was feeling comfortable.

She began to sweat and knew only one or two more punches were it for her.

She felt so
pumped that with the last punch, she jumped up, turned around and kicked at the bag.

That just sent Jason down on his ass.
He didn’t know what hit him.

Melanie put a gloved hand up by her mouth as her eyes went wide.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said as Cody extended a hand to him and helped him up.

The guys and by now the few other men and women
who gathered to watch had laughed.

The guy that
had danced with her earlier leaned up against the half wall next to Logan.

“She’s fucking hot, ma
n, huh? I’d like a piece of that,” he said as he smiled at Logan.

Clearly the guy had missed him kissing her.
Logan looked to him and he was not smiling.

The guy stared at him a moment longer
, then shrugged and continued to watch Melanie.

Cody was remo
ving one of Melanie’s gloves as Logan pushed off the wall and walked to her. He took her other hand and started removing the glove on it.

“You did good
, sweetheart,” he said as their eyes locked. They both lifted the corners of their mouths.

Jason handed her a bottle of water and again she apologized to him.

“Don’t worry about it.” He reassured her.

“You want to buy gloves, Mel?” Cody asked.

“Yeah, I love the rush I get
beating the crap out of the bag,” she said.

“If you’re not doing anything tomorrow after 5:00 pm,
that’s the time I get off work, we’ll go shopping. I know a place not far from here.”

“Ok
ay. Thanks, Cody,” she said as she bent down to pick up her towel and gym bag. “I’ll see you guys, I have to get going,” she said as she began to walk away.

Logan watched as she walked away without saying anything to him other then see you.
He nodded to the guys and then caught up with Melanie before she made it to the locker room.

“Hey,” he said as he gently tugged her arm.
She stopped.

“Hey.”

“You, uh, coming horseback riding later?” he asked.

“No, I can’t, but thank you,” she said
, feeling awkward.

He was dumbfounded.
He really thought they were going riding that day. She smiled as she started to walk.

“Did, I do something wrong?” he asked as he stopped her again.

“No. I have something to do later.” She didn’t want to tell him that Geli called after giving her the name of the spa that does Brazilian waxes. She’d always wanted one but was too chicken. She asked if she could go with Melanie and Melanie said sure and that was today.

“Oh.”
He sounded dejected and started to walk away.

“Hey
, ask me for another time,” she said, smiling.

He paused and then slowly smiled.
“Do you want to ride Tuesday?” Even though he wanted to ask for Monday, he couldn’t and not because she was going shopping with Cody. His son was in a play at school and he wouldn’t miss that for the world. Too bad he didn’t find out from his mother. He was thankful that his friend’s wife gave him info on school stuff seeing how their kids were in the same class.

“Yes, I’d love to
,” she said without hesitation.

“Great,” he smiled
“It would have to be after 3:00. Is that okay?”

“Sure
,” she said. Then she reached up and gave him a quick kiss on his lips and walked into the women’s locker room.

****

“Don’t tell me you haven’t heard from her. Where is she, Ally?”

“I told you, I don’t know.”

“You do too. She always calls you. Where is she?”

“She did call me, but she didn’t tell me where she is.
Just that she is okay.”

“Did you tell her to call me?”

“Yes.”

“WELL, SHE DIDN’T!” he shouted.
“Did you tell her I miss her?”

God, Ally hated this man with a passion.
“Yes. What do you want me to tell you, Michael?”

“Where she is?”

“I told you I don-”

“Yeah, yeah, you don’t know.
When you talk to her again, tell her to fucking call me.” He hung up abruptly.

“Well, good
bye to you too,” Ally said sarcastically and slammed the phone down.