Chapter 11
Knox
Three missed calls from Trey.
“Have kids ,” they say. “ It’ll be fun,” they say. Well, I have Trey, and I’m not having fun. This morning sucked, none of the horses stood, so it took way longer than planned, and I want to get to the ranch and see Kacey. But if I don’t call him back, he’ll just keep trying me.
Trey picks up on the first ring. “Can I come to Colorado?”
“What? No.” I climb in the truck and turn the key. My phone connects to the truck speakers that I had blaring this morning, so at full volume I hear, “But Daaad—”
“Stop it,” I cut him off. “What do you want? I’ve been shoeing asshole horses all morning and have somewhere to be.”
“Wow, someone’s crabby. You need to get laid. I know a girl in Denver, she does this thing with her—”
“NOPE. Stop right there. Any girl who has done anything to you, with you, or for you, is a no go for me.”
“You don’t even know her. She’s a nice girl, could be the future Mrs. Ward, for all you know.”
I sigh and put the truck in drive. “Again, I ask, what do you want, Trey?”
“I’m soooo bored. There’s nothing fun to do here,” he whines.
“Life isn’t always fun. Have you tried going to the gym, or I don’t know, get a part-time job?”
He laughs like I’m joking. “When you ride and look this good, you don’t need a job. In fact, you don’t need a part-time job. I still don’t understand why you went out there.”
“Jack is a friend. And maybe I like this job.”
He scoffs. “Yeah, it really sounds like it, crabass.”
“Listen, if you don’t need anything, I’m running late to meet Kacey. She’ll be waiting . . . uh—”
Shit, I shouldn’t have said her name.
“Wait a minute. Who’s Kacey?” Trey might be dumb, but he isn’t stupid. There is no chance he’ll drop this subject now, but there is a zero percent chance I’m discussing Kacey with him. There is nothing to discuss, anyway.
“Uh, no one. I really have to go. Go hit the gym or something. I’ll be back in a few weeks.”
“WEEKS—”
Click.
Kacey and I spend the next few days working with Buck together. Cody was right, she’s good with horses. Buck took to her right away. Yesterday I got on him, and he never flinched, even when I shifted my weight all over the saddle.
Today I’m going to have Kacey keep him on the lunge line while I ride him.
Since this is what Buck already knows, he just needs to learn to do it with the weight on his back.
I step into the saddle and swing a leg over him.
He doesn’t react—good, he remembers—I start to lightly tap him with the heels of my boots as I smooch to him to move forward.
He takes one step, and I can feel him hump up under the saddle, I prepare for him to go rogue. I smooch to him again, and he takes a few more steps before I feel him relax. We let him walk in both directions, then got him to trot and lope, never once offering to live up to his name.
While we’ve worked with Buck, I’ve asked Kacey some questions to get to know her better.
She’s quiet, and I can tell she’s keeping me at a distance.
But every once in a while, when she laughs at something I say or Buck picks up on something new, I can see it—the real Kacey poking her head around the wall she seems to have built, keeping everyone out.
I love it when she laughs. I have a new goal now: make Kacey laugh at least twice a day.
Carson has stopped by a few times and didn’t growl at me, so I consider that a win.
I learned that he’s ten years older than Kacey and the closest thing she has to a brother; his dislike of me makes a lot more sense now.
I have a sister and if she got hit on by some bull rider, I probably wouldn’t like it either.
Thankfully, she’s married to a great guy, so I don’t have to worry about it.
“I think he’s had enough for today,” I tell Kacey as I swing out of the saddle. It’s almost dark and I’m starving. I shod four horses before coming here and all I’ve had is a protein shake today.
She gives Buck a couple of pats and starts leading him to the gate. “Yeah, he’s been great today, though. I think he’s ready to ride without a lunge line. What do you think?”
Some of her blonde hair has fallen out of her ponytail through the day, framing her freckled cheeks and sea green eyes.
There has been more than one time over the last few days I’ve had to shake my head, clearing the thoughts of her from it.
Just standing this close to her has my blood heating in my veins.
“I think that’s a good next step. We’ll have to wait a day though; I can’t come tomorrow. I have too many horses scheduled to make it over.”
I see her face fall slightly before she masks it. “Oh, that’s okay. I’m sure he’d appreciate a day off.”
“Or he’ll wander around his pen missing me all day.” I smirk at her.
“Ha, yes, I’m sure he will.”
“Ya know, if you’re going to miss me, too, it’s okay to say so. I’d totally understand if you struggle to go a day without seeing me, I’m pretty—”
She laughs, a real laugh.
Check. Laugh one for the day, complete.
“I think I’ll survive a day without you, but I applaud your confidence.”
I’ve been trying not to flirt with her like before. It seemed to make her uncomfortable, but I see the way she looks at me sometimes and I can’t help myself. I love making her cheeks turn pink and it’s so easy.
I let out a dramatic sigh. “Alright, if you say so.”
We take Buck into the barn, and I start to unsaddle him.
I’ve worked in some nice horse facilities before, but this place beats most of them.
The fourteen-stall barn has every bell and whistle, including an indoor arena large enough to team rope in.
You can tell they put some money into this.
If I was a betting man, I’d say Cody built that arena strictly so Kacey can rope in the winter.
When I let him out into his paddock next to the barn, I turn to see Kacey looking at my ass. Her eyes snap up and cheeks flush red, again.
Yep, you’re busted, sweetheart.
I don’t mind. She can look all she wants.
Rein comes running into the barn, straight for me, making Kacey scrunch her nose. “I raised you, feed you, and give you a warm place to sleep at night, and you don’t even glance at me. You just run straight to him. What a little traitor.”
I chuckle at the dog while it pays no attention to her owner’s rant. Me and ol’ Rein have been sneaking in some pets when Kacey isn’t looking.
“She knows I haven’t paid my pet tax today.”
When I first heard Kacey call it a pet tax, I cracked up. It’s so true though, just like the government, you have to pay up, or Rein will come and take them by force.
I decide now is a good time to give dinner another shot.
“I’m starving; I’m going to head into town to eat. Do you want to come with me? And before you say no, this would not be a date. Just two people getting dinner together. I haven’t been anywhere in town, so I don’t know what’s good or bad. You’d be doing me a favor by going with me.”
I didn’t say “not a date” to trick her. This isn’t a date—I don’t date—but I wouldn’t mind getting to know her better. She wrings her fingers in her hands and glances away from me. She’s going to say no.
“Uh, yeah, sure. I know a good café in town—”
I knew it. “That’s okay, I totally underst—” Wait, what did she just say? A café? She said yes? “I mean, great, let’s go to the café. I’ll drive.” Shit, now my face is turning red.
She looks down at her jeans and t-shirt. “Do you mind if I change quick? A calf got me pretty good earlier today.” She points to the shit splattered all over her jeans.
I’ve shod horses and worked with Buck today, so I hardly smell like roses, but at least I don’t have calf crap all over me. I’m pretty sure I have some cologne in my truck.
“No problem. I’ll grab my truck and meet you at your place.”
She nods and takes off toward her house, practically running.