Wild Rodeo Nights (2 page)

Chapter Two

The customers finally slowed down a little when the rodeo events began, and she sighed. She hated when she had to work alone, but Jess wasn’t feeling well these days and Carrie had no other help. Her other helper called in sick, too. She couldn’t blame him. Rodney sounded terrible on the phone, but if she found out he was skipping work to be at the rodeo, she’d kick his tail.

The bell tinkled over the door. Standing down one aisle helping a young girl and her mother looking at some cowboy hats, she couldn't tell who came in. They sold all kinds of flashy things during the events, but hers were cheaper, bringing the participants and spectators alike to her store.

“I’m not sure if I like this one or the other one.” The girl’s nasally voice grated on her nerves as she whined.

“I think both look good on you, but this one fits your personality better.” She turned to see who had come in, but she couldn’t spot them over the shelves. “You keep looking, and I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

The girl’s mother and Carrie exchange exasperated looks before she smiled and headed back for the front. Approaching the counter, she was startled to see the gorgeous cowboy from this morning standing by the register.

Mmm…I wonder what he's doing back here.

 
“Forget something?”

“Nope. I brought a peace offering.” He held up the biggest cup of coffee she’d ever seen.

She chuckled. “I should be giving you a peace offering since I ripped into you.”

“Well, I figured this way you’d get your mega dose of caffeine, and I could see you again.”

Trepidation rippled down her back and she narrowed her eyes.
A come on?

“Thanks for the coffee, but I’m not…”

“This isn’t a come on, Carrie.” Her name rolling off his tongue sent shivers down her spine and goose bumps across her arms.

“Well, I can’t let you buy me coffee anyway. I don’t even know your name.” She pulled two dollars out of the register to hand to him, but he shoved it back at her.

“It’s Cole. Cole Wilder.”

“Just here for the rodeo, Cole?” She took the packets of sugar and cream he brought, doctoring up the strong brew.

“Yeah.”

“What events?”

“Calf roping and bulls.”

“Ah, An adrenaline junkie.”

The bell tinkled again and she groaned.

“I’ll get it,” he offered, turning to approach the customers as her gaze followed his muscled back.

He didn’t just offer to help my customers, did he?

She watched him use his devastating good looks to charm the woman who came in, taking her order, before he turned back toward her asking where the things were. Directing his movements, she told him where to get the things Mrs. Roberts asked for before he grabbed a large sack of feed and hefted it onto his shoulder.

“I didn’t realize you had such a nice looking young man helping you these days, Carrie.”

“Um…yeah.” Tearing her eyes away, she jotted down the order. “Do you want me to put this on your account, Mrs. Roberts?”

“Sure, honey. That’d be fine.” The older woman looked at Cole and asked, “Would you be a dear and take the sack out to the truck for me?”

“Of course, ma’am.”

Her appreciative gaze followed his nicely exposed backside when he walked out the door, and she sighed.

More customers rolled in right behind the woman, never really giving her a chance to say anything more to him. He jumped right in, taking care of anyone he could as her startled gaze followed him around the store. Cole quickly learned where everything was while she manned the register and he filled orders. Before she knew it, it was time to close the store. Following the last customer to the door, she thanked them for their purchases and locked the door. She turned the sign and leaned heavily against the panel for a moment, closing her eyes before she released a heavy sigh.

“Is that it?”

Her eyes opened slowly. “Yeah—finally.” Realization hit her square in the face. “Oh no! You were supposed to ride today, weren’t you?”

“Yeah.” His shoulders lifted in a shrug. “No big deal.”

She smacked her forehead. “I can’t believe I let you help me and miss your ride.”

He took her hand in his and softly caressed the back with his fingers. “It’s okay. There’ll be others.”

She nervously pulled her hand back, wiping her palm on her jeans. “I know all about how riders are. You’re just trying be nice even after the dressing down I gave you last night.”

“No, Carrie. I wanted to help.” He smiled, showing off those gorgeous dimples when he put his hand on the door next to her shoulder.

She shifted uncomfortably before pushing away from the panel behind her and heading back toward the counter. “Well, I still shouldn’t have let you, but thank you anyway. I wouldn’t have been able to keep up today without your help.”

“You are most certainly welcome. Besides, I’m not afraid of hard work.”

“I kind of gathered that.” She grabbed the money from the register, slipped it inside the bag, and headed toward the office. Pulling open the safe, she slid the bag back inside, shut the heavy door and spun the dial. Grabbing her purse and her keys, she looked up to see him standing in the doorway. She stopped in front of him, expecting him to step aside, but he didn’t move for a moment. Her gaze ricocheted up to his with a questioning tilt of her head.

He finally stepped back and gave her enough room to pass but not by much. Her breath caught when her breasts almost touched his chest. The slow, steady, sexy-as-sin grin rippled across his lips for a moment before she cleared her throat and moved past him.

“You could probably still catch some of the rodeo. The events go on for several more hours.”

“No. I’m not in the mood tonight.”

What are you in the mood for?
She shook her head to clear her thoughts.
The last thing I need is a temporary man in my life, but I should thank him for helping me.

She headed for the steel door with him on her heels. Once it was locked and secure, he moved toward her truck with her. Turning to look at his handsome face, she was shocked at the heat in his gaze. When it traveled down her body, she shivered.

“If you aren’t going to the rodeo, can I fix you dinner? It’s the least I can do for your help today.”

The slow smile was back, showing the dimples in his cheeks. Her thoughts quickly went haywire as she wondered what it would be like to lick those devastating indentations.

“Sure. I’d like that.”

“Okay. You can follow me back to the house.”

“No problem.” He headed for his truck while she slid into hers and started the engine. Keeping him in her rear view mirror, she pulled out onto the highway. Within several minutes, they drove down the long driveway surrounded by obvious electric fencing, beautiful black horses grazed in the distance as the sun went down over the hill behind them. Parking in front of the porch, they both climbed out and headed for the door.

He walked up behind her when she reached the front of the house. “Nice place.”

“Thanks." She frowned when her gaze found the still dark windows.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I guess. I just expected Jess to be here, but there aren’t any lights on.”

Walking into the large living room, she set her purse on the table and yelled, “Jess?”

Silence met her ears, nothing to tell her the other young woman was home. She turned to look at the man standing in the room with her before she chewed her lip.
Great! Now I’m alone with him. I really hoped Jess would be here.
“Can I get you something to drink?”

“Sure, whatever you have is fine.”

“Okay. I’ll be right back.”

She walked into the kitchen and pulled open the refrigerator. After she grabbed a couple of beers, she shut it and headed back into the living room.

He stood near the fireplace mantel looking through the several pictures sitting there. She took in his appearance before he realized she had come back in the room. Standing at six feet, his blond hair curled slightly while it brushed the back of his neck near his collar, and her fingers itch to comb through it.

I wonder if they are
as soft as they appeared.

The muscles of his back and arms pulled at the material of his shirt, stretching it taut. Her gaze wandered down his back to his firm ass, encased in the standard Wranglers of a cowboy, down to the boots on his feet. When his hand touched hers earlier at the store, the calluses on his fingers brushed against her palm, sending tingles of awareness up her arm.

With a grumble, she pulled her gaze from his enticing form and stepped closer, holding out the beer in her hand. He turned, and his intense blue eyes captured hers, sending her heart into overdrive while the errant organ slammed against her ribs.

“Thanks.”

“I’ll see what’s available for dinner.”

She hurried back into the kitchen and stopped at the counter, taking a deep breath to still her racing heart. Lifting her head, she pulled open the refrigerator again and grabbed the two steaks she took out yesterday for dinner. “It’ll have to do, I guess,” she mumbled before she placed them on the counter to make a little marinade.

* * * *

He let his gaze linger on her backside as she walked back toward the kitchen. Lifting the long neck to his lips, he felt the cold liquid slide down his throat, settling somewhere in his empty stomach. She fascinated him, and he wasn’t quite sure why. She was pretty. He’d give her that.

Hell, who am I kiddin’? She’s gorgeous!

The ends of her brown hair brushed the middle of her back even tied back in a ponytail, and he wondered what it would feel like wrapped around him. Beer lingered on his lips, and he wiped it off with the back of his hand before he shifted his stance, trying to relieve the pressure against the fly of his jeans.

It had been a while since he’d been with a woman.

Too damned long, obviously.

He groaned silently, wondering what her breasts would taste like when he licked her nipples. Her back was toward him when he reached the doorway between the kitchen and the living room.

“Steak okay with you? I’ve got a gas grill in the back. We can throw them on there.”

“Sounds good,” he said from not far behind her. She jumped and put her hand on her chest before she turned around. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I got lonesome out there by myself.”

“It’s okay. I just didn’t hear you come in. You’re pretty quiet even wearing cowboy boots.” A smile flittered across her lips, making her eyes dance in the florescent lighting over their heads.

He leaned against the door jamb and watched her putter around the kitchen, grabbing things from the refrigerator and the cabinets. “How long have you lived here?”

“All my life. My parents bought this place thirty years ago, so both my sister and I were born here. Not in the house itself, of course, but here in town.”

“You’ve never been out of Silver Ridge?”

She shot him a strange look. “Of course I’ve been out of Silver Ridge. I’m not some backwoods country girl, you know.”

“I didn’t mean to offend you. I’m curious.”

“I’ve only been out of South Dakota a few times, though. My dad used to take us into Wyoming sometimes to buy cattle or horses.” She turned her attention back to the tomato while she sliced it. “So—where are you from? I mean, obviously you get around some since you ride.”

“Wyoming originally. Now…wherever the rodeo takes me most of the time.”

“Where in Wyoming?”

She placed the steaks on a plate and motioned for him to follow with a nod of her head.

He held the screen door for her as she passed next to him on the way to the patio.

“Outside Laramie.” He took the seat she pointed to as she set the plate near the barbeque.

“Really. Interesting.”

“Why?”

She shrugged. “My dad spent a lot of time in Laramie, actually.” Once the steaks were on the grill and she pulled the lid down, she took the seat across from him. “Are you parents still there?”