The Roper (Rodeo Nights) (8 page)

Walking back into the kitchen, Bobby pulled his woman into his arms. Picking her up, he grinned at her surprised squeal and
 
carried her into the bedroom. Wasting no time he pulled her boots off, took his own off and laid down next to her. He held her close against his chest, whispered her name and kissed the top on head. “Nap time,” he said.

 
She snuggled against him, their bodies fitting together tight and natural, and they drifted off. It was dark out when he opened his eyes. She was undoing the snaps on his shirt, her fingers brushing over his nipples. She moved down unbuttoned his jeans and slid the zipper down. His eyes were open watching her when she looked up.

“Don’t stop,” he said softly. He lifted when she pulled his jeans off and dropped them on the floor. She hesitated, then pulled his boxers down, dropping them next to his jeans.
 

He was bigger and harder than he’d ever been. All he wanted was to sink into her and hold her tight. He sat up, took his shirt off and dropped it on the pile.

He laid back down, his arms behind his head watching her take her shirt off then her bra. Standing she dropped her jeans and undies then crawled back on the bed and straddled him. “I want to feel you, make love to you,” she said, her voice soft,

“No,” he said. “We’ll make love to each other.”

He took her gently, showing and telling her how much he loved her.

“I told you one night, Casey, but deep down I knew it would be forever. The morning at the lake was when it started. Now it’s forever,” he said. “Everything is better with you, I love you and I need you with me. I want all of you, any way you’ll have me.”

“Why,” she asked, looking at him knowing she loved him too.

“I changed that night, I felt it. I felt whole again and I missed you when you left. I lost it when you didn’t show up at the last stop. You didn’t say anything about a clinic, and it jolted me. Dale told me about it when you didn’t show up with Jodi, and I didn’t know what to do. I was alone even with Dale standing right next to me. I want to make love with you every day. I need you with me or I’m lost. Will you come home with me Casey?”

“No,” she whispered, her hand caressing his cheek. “I have a contract with the school board for the next semester, and this is my home.”

“Can I come up weekends? We could date. You could get to know me better,” he asked, desperation making his stomach clench.
 

 
“Yes, then can we have just a bit more?” she asked, wrapping her arms around him.
 

“Always just a bit more,” he said, his hand slowly brushing over her hip.

“I love you, Bobby,” she whispered. Her eyes twinkled and his heart pounded in his chest. “Ask me again when the first semester is finished.”

“When the first semester is finished will you come home with me Casey... and stay forever?”

“Yes,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck, and pressing her lips to his.
 

THE END

An unedited look at
 

THE BRONCO RIDER

Mace Hollister learned the hard way. He had no use for Barrel Racers. Use them and lose them had been his motto for the last five years. Only now his new neighbor is a barrel racer. It started with the first load of hay she ordered. One night was all he wanted, just enough to banish her from his thoughts and dreams.

Or so he thought.

1

Kelly Burton had driven down every back road within an hour of Dallas. All she wanted was a home for her and Ringo.
 
It couldn’t be big and fancy, just something she could afford. The ones her Real Estate agent had shown her or sent her to were too big, too fancy and too expensive. She needed an acre or two, maybe even three but not hundreds or thousands and she sure didn’t need or want a swimming pool. A small barn would be great but definitely not necessary.

Ready to give up the promotion and go back to L.A. she checked her map once again, hoping she hadn’t gotten lost on some back road. Using a red pen to mark off the roads and places she’d been to she turned left and prayed the roughly graveled road would lead to the Dallas City limits.
 

Another ten miles and there it was. A small house, a barn, neat rail fences and a corral with a For Sale by Owner sign nailed to the gate. The house looked okay and the barn was perfect. The corral and field behind it was exactly what she had envisioned her new home would look like. Jotting down the phone number she wondered if she could afford it. She’d rented an apartment and boarded her horse in L.A. then saved and scrimped to afford her own place. The rents and boarding in Dallas were higher than L.A. and she wouldn’t be able to save anything. She would probably have to dip into her saving just to survive.

Punching in the number on her cell, a deep voice growled “What?”

“Umm, I’m calling about the house and pasture for sale,” she said.

“It’s not mine. I’m showing it. Where are you?”

“Sitting in front of it,” she said.

“Give me ten minutes.”
 

 
The loud click told her he’d hung up so she pulled into the rutted dirt driveway to wait.
 

Leaning against the fence she felt this was it. A neat rail fence surrounded what she assumed was three acres. Shading her eyes against the bright sun she looked over fields that went on as far as she could see. There were cattle, some grazed around the two well heads but most were further out in separate, larger fields each one containing a large hay barn. Turning to look at the house she knew this was it. Somehow the large leafy tree shading it, welcomed her, whispered to her, told her this was her home.
 

“Please let me be able to afford it,” she whispered. It was perfect. What the house was like inside didn’t really matter. She could fix it a bit at a time if she had to. Ringo would have a corral, a stall and a pasture.

Exactly ten minutes later a big red truck roared into the driveway, a tall blond haired well built man stepped out, a Rottweiler right behind him.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

“Kelly.”

“Mace,” he said, looking her up and down.

Another barrel racer. He’d gotten along with Casey, the previous owner, but had lost respect for all women, barrel racers in particular, years ago, except Casey. She’d been a teacher, a barrel racer and a good friend. She’d married Bobby and moved away. This one was cute, with a few freckles across her cheeks, reddish brown hair with streaks of blond swirled around her shoulders. She was about five foot two with a body that screamed touch me. Nice but still a barrel racer.

“Barrel Racer?” he asked.

“Yes,” she smiled.

“Haven’t seen you on the circuit.”

“I just moved here.”

Kelly followed him when he abruptly turned and walked towards the house. It was neat, clean and all the furniture, dishes and linens still there. Whoever had lived here had just walked out, leaving everything except their personal items. For the first time in her life she was home. It wasn’t the furniture. It was the house itself that called to her, that promised her this was home.
 

The barn was next. Three stalls with a storage room for feed and a loft for hay, all clean and in good shape.

“Three acres, good well and water, fences are in good shape. Hell, everything is in good shape. Casey looked after it,” he said scowling at the Rottweiler sitting next to her. He was leaning against her leg, sucking up to her.

“How much?” Kelly asked her fingers crossed and a little prayer on her lips.

“Hundred ninety-thousand as far as I know. It’s been on the market a while so she might of lowered it a bit.”

“Do I deal with you or her?”she asked her fingers playing with the dog’s ear.

“Her,” he said pulling a pen and paper out jotting something on it.

“Her number,” he said shoving the paper at her.

“Dawg, truck,” he growled. Climbing in he slammed the door and sped out of the driveway.

“Rude,” Kelly thought. His dog was the only good thing about him but it didn’t matter since she wouldn’t have to deal with him. This was home for her and Ringo.

Her cell open, she punched in the number and crossed her fingers. The voice that answered was soft, welcoming and she knew this was the owner of her new home. They talked for a few minutes.
 

“If you like it that much I’ll even drop the price and throw in all the furniture. It’ll save me some time and trouble not having to pack and hire movers,” Casey said. “I’ll drop the price ten thousand dollars.”

“Deal,” Casey said, the breath she’d been holding released.

 
It would be tight, take almost all of her savings just for the down payment. She’d skimp, go without new clothes, pack her own lunches for work and save every penny she could.
 

Her appointment with the bank manager over, she relaxed and took a deep breath. The sun seemed brighter and the air fresher. It was hers. The manager had explained everything, showed her the monthly mortgage payment would be the same as renting an apartment and boarding Ringo. She wouldn’t have to buy furniture or any household items. The result was she’d have her very own home.

A week later she moved in with the utilities turned on, a bag of groceries, her clothes, Ringo and a bag of feed. Making sure the water trough was running and the water clean, she put out feed for Ringo and made a mental note to buy hay.

 
Her employer, Barrister Oil had given her a promotion, a raise and paid her moving expenses when they transferred her from L.A. to Dallas. Two more weeks and she’d be off for two months while they shut the wells down for maintenance.

The groceries put away she poured a mug of coffee and went out the back door to sit on the step. The sky was a light blue, the sun hot and bright, the air clean and fresh and it was all hers.
 
Well, hers and the bank’s. She’d never lived outside of Los Angeles, never lived alone, and never lived in a house. It had always been apartments, first with her mom then she’d shared with college friends. It wasn’t a mistake to take the transfer. Ringo was with her and she had her very own home.

 
“Well, hello there handsome,” she said her hand reaching out to pet the big Rottweiler’s head as he flopped down next to her.

“Your master’ s kinda cute but he sure is rude,” she said still petting him.”You seen to have all the manners in the family. Is he having a bad day or is he like that all the time?” she asked. “You can be my first friend,” she said thinking the guy couldn’t be all bad if the dog liked him. Animals had good instincts. Better than hers, that was for sure.