Her Steamy Cowboy (Fit Mountain Cowboys #4)

1. Jace

Chapter One

JACE

I’m not usually the superstitious type.

But even I know that seeing my best friend dangling from a ladder that’s older than both of us combined is a bad omen for the new year.

I shake my head as I call out to her. “You’re going to give Mary Beth a heart attack if she sees you on that ladder.”

Lindsay doesn’t startle at my voice. Instead, she glances down over her shoulder at me. “Mary Beth left an hour ago.”

“All the more reason for you to get down from there.”

Even from here, I can see her rolling her eyes. “I’ll be fine,” she replies. “I’m almost done. I just need to take down a few more of these decorations.”

I cross the room in long strides. The usually pristine gift shop looks like Christmas exploded - half-opened boxes scattered near the register, price tags and ribbon scraps littering the polished wood counter. Between the racks of premium leather goods and hand-tooled saddles, bright garland still winds through the exposed beams like some festive snake refusing to be caught.

I plant my feet at the base of the ladder, steadying it with both hands. “I thought you were off today.”

“I was, but then Mary Beth had a doctor’s appointment in town and needed someone to cover.” Lindsay shifts slightly on the ladder, and her sweater rides up to reveal a strip of creamy skin above her jeans. “Figured I might as well make the extra cash now that the winter catalog is done. Plus, someone has to make sure this place doesn’t look like Santa’s workshop exploded in here past New Year’s.”

I tighten my grip on the ladder rails. “At least let me help.”

Lindsay arches an eyebrow at me. “I don’t know, Jace. Mary Beth went a little crazy with the hot glue gun this year. Pretty sure half these garlands are permanently attached to the beams.”

“I can handle a few stubborn decorations.”

“That’s what you said about helping with the window display last month.” She tosses a loose ornament hook at me. “And we both remember how that turned out.”

“Those mannequins were asking for it.”

Her laugh echoes through the small space. “Three hundred dollars worth of Western wear ruined because you couldn’t figure out how to dress a plastic cowboy.”

Suddenly, the ladder wobbles beneath her again, and I feel my blood pressure shoot up. “Lindsay, get your stubborn ass down here before this thing snaps in half.”

She looks down at me and giggles. “Sheesh. When did my best friend get to be so bossy?”

I feel a muscle tick in my jaw. “I’m serious, Lindsay. Get down and let me do it. You’re going to break your fucking neck if you keep tugging at itlike that.”

She rolls her eyes. “Stop being dramatic. I’m almost done.”

“Lindsay.”

“Don’t use that tone with me, Clayton.” She tugs at the garland again, sending a shower of pine needles down. “I’m not one of your horses.”

“I know you’re not.” I brush the needles from my shoulder, not taking my eyes off her. “They actually listen when I tell them to do something safe.”

Amusement flickers across her face. “Did you just compare me to a horse?”

“You started it.”

“Oh, so now this is my fault? Ugh,I swear, I have no idea why Mary Beth wrapped these darn things so tight.If I could just...” She stretches up on her tiptoes, talking more to herself than to me. “Get this last knot...woah!”

Everything happens at once.

The garland comes free with a snap, the ladder lurches sideways, and Lindsay gasps as she tumbles backwards.

Her body collides with mine, soft curves meeting hard muscle, and I stagger back as I wrap my arms around her.Then we hit the floor.

Hard.

Me first, my shoulder blades slamming against worn floorboards, then her on top of me, every delicious inch of her pressed against my chest.

“Lindsay?” My voice comes out rough as my hands move over her frantically, checking for injuries. “Baby, are you hurt?”

“I’m fine.” Her breath is warm against my neck. Then she groans. “Ugh. I’m so sorry, Jace. Ishould have listened to you. You were right about that stupidladder.”

But Idon’t give a shit about who’s right and who’swrong. All I care about is making sure she’s okay.

“Hey.” I brush a strand of hair from her face, needing to make sure she’s really fine. “Look at me.”

Lindsay looks up, and suddenly I can’t breathe.

Her dark eyes are wide, and hercheeks are flushed pink and there’s tinsel caught in her hair. Without thinking, I reach out andgraze her cheekbone with my thumb.

We’re too close. Way too close.

I can see the tiny flecks of gold in her eyes, count each of her eyelashes, feel every soft curve of her pressed against me. Her lips part slightly, and my gaze drops to her mouth.Then the world narrows to just this – her weight on my chest, her hands gripping my shoulders, the way she’s looking at me like maybe, just maybe...

“Well, well...” an amused voice shatters the moment. “What do we have here?”

I look up to see my brother Luke standing in the doorway. His new wife, Jasmyn– who officially became Mrs. Clayton just three days ago in a surprise ceremony – stands beside him in her teaching clothes, dark curls escaping her ballet bun.

“Daddy,” My five-year-old niece, Maisey, peeks out from around Luke’s legs. “Why are Uncle Jace and Aunt Lindsay on the floor?”

Lindsay scrambles to her feet, cheeks flushing pink as she brushes tinsel from her sweater. “We were just, um, taking down decorations.”

Luke smirks. “Is that what they’re calling it these days?”

I resist the urge to throw a nearby ornament at his head.

“What brings you two by the shop?” I ask instead, pushing myself up and trying not to wince at the ache in my shoulder blades.

“Just picking up some things before heading into town,” Jasmyn says as she walks behind the checkout counter. “Those ornaments for the studio still here?”

“Yep. Blue box behind the register,” Lindsay says, still fussing with her sweater like she needs something to do with her hands. “Already wrapped them for you.”

“Can I stay and help Aunt Lindsay clean up?” Maisey asks, bouncing between her parents. “Please, please?”

“Not today, sweetheart,” Luke says, resting a hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “But you’ll see Aunt Lindsay at the New Year’s party, right?”

I watch as Lindsay and Jasmyn exchange a quick look that makes my stomach tighten.

I’ve seen that look a hundred times over the years – the silent communication that comes from being best friends since their freshman year of college.The fact that they’re doing it now, that quick wordless exchange that usually means they’re keeping secrets, sets off warning bells in my head.

“Actually...” Lindsay says, fidgeting with a loose thread on her sleeve. “I won’t be at the party. But we’ll do something soon, okay Maisey?”

Another loaded look passes between the women before Jasmyn clears her throat. “We should get going.”

Something’s off.

In the ten years I’ve known Lindsay, she’s never missed a ranch event. And Jasmyn’s acting like she’s seen a ghost. The knot in my stomach tightens as I try to make sense of their strange behavior.

Luke walks to the door. “You kids behave yourselves,” he says with a wink. “And try not to break anything else while you’re...decorating.”

I discretely flip Luke the bird as Jasmyn and Maisey turn their backs and walk out of the shop.

Once they’re gone, an awkward silence fills the space between Lindsay and me. She busies herself with picking up scattered ornaments while I right the fallen ladder.

“So,” I say, trying to keep my voice casual. “Sounds like someone has big plans for New Year’s Eve.”

“Um, yeah. Something like that.” She won’t meet my eyes, moving to the counter to straighten items that don’t need straightening.

“Must be important if you’re missing the party.” I gather up the fallen decorations, trying to understand why she seems almost angry. “You haven’t missed one since you moved back.”

“I know. But sometimes things change, you know?” Her voice is tight with something I can’t read.

“Guess they do.” I swallow hard. “You heading out of town?”

“Nah, just going to The Pitcher’s Brew. I’m meeting someone.”

The words hit me like a physical blow.

My fingers go numb where they’re gripping the garland, and there’s a roaring in my ears that almost drowns out everything else. But beneath it all, there’s a voice screaming at me to keep it together, to not let her see how those three words just shattered my whole world.

Although I’ve never admitted it to anyone, I’ve been in love with Lindsay since the day she and her mom moved to Cooper Hills ten years ago.

I still remember the first time I saw her, stepping out of that beat-up station wagon in cutoff shorts and a tank top, her long dark hair shimmering in the summer sun. She was beautiful even then, with those wide brown eyes and that brilliant smile that made my heart skip a beat.

But I was just a dumb kid back then, too chicken to tell her how I really felt. So instead, I played the friend role, always there to lend a hand or crack a joke, but never crossing that invisible line.

When she left for Chicago, it almost broke me. I told everyone I was fine. Told myself she needed to chase her dreams, even if they led her away from Cooper Hills. Away from me. But the truth is, nothing felt right until she came back three years ago.

Ever since then, I’ve been trying to find the right moment to tell her how I really feel. To let her know that she’s not just my best friend, but the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with.

But the timing never seemed right.

I always knew that there was a chance that Lindsay would find someone else, but I always thought I had more time.

Apparently, I was wrong.

“Well, sounds like you’re going to have fun. Can’t wait to hear about it.” I lie as I lean against the counter, watching as she untangles a string of lights from the fallen garland. “Want me to stick around until you lock up?”

“No, I’m good.” She coils the lights around her arm, and tinsel catches on her sleeve. “Thanks, though.”

“You sure?” I reach over and pluck a piece of silver garland from her sweater. “Hate to have my best friend kidnapped on her walk home.”

That gets a small laugh out of her, the sound easing some of the tension in my chest. She ducks her head, dark hair falling forward as she gathers more decorations. “I’m just going upstairs, you goof.”

Right.

Sometimes I forget she lives up there now, in the little apartment above the ranch gift shop. She’d moved in a few weeks ago right before Jasmyn married Luke and moved into the main house with Maisey. She said it made sense to be closer to work, but I think part of her just needed her own space after being Jasmyn’s roommate for so long.

I raise my hands in mock surrender. “Suit yourself.” I push off from the counter and shove my hands in my pockets. “But don’t come crying to me when some masked guy pops out from under your bed and kidnaps you.”

Lindsay snorts and tosses a wad of tissue paper at me. “Maybe I’m into that sort of thing.”

I chuckle and shake my head. “You and your spicy books.”

She grins at me, eyes sparkling with mischief. “Don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it, Clayton.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” I wink at her before heading for the door. “See you around, troublemaker.”

I start to walk out, my boots heavy on the worn floorboards. The bell above the door jingles as I push it open, a blast of cold Wyoming air hitting my face.

But something stops me and I turn back to look at her.

“Lindsay?”

She looks up, her hands stilling on the dustpan. “Yeah?”

The words are right there, pressing against my chest. All I’d have to do is open my mouth and let them spill out. But it’s clear that she’s already made her choice.

And it’s not me.

I clear my throat. “Be careful with that ladder.”

Something flickers across her face – disappointment maybe? – but it’s gone so fast I think I must have imagined it. She brushes hair behind her ear.

“Always am, cowboy.”