Cowgirl Up and Ride (Rough Riders #3)(110)

AJ murmured, “I’m so glad Cosmo was wrong about the male recovery time thingy.”


He chuckled against her throat and wondered how he’d ever let her go.


After spending nearly all day in bed, AJ needed a break. She unfolded from Cord’s embrace and reached for her clothes that he’d brought up from downstairs.


“Where’s the fire?”


“Nowhere. Don’t you have to check cattle?”


“Yeah. Why?”


“Can I come along?”


Cord raised both eyebrows. “Really?”


“Sure. Can we take the horses instead of the truck?”


“Takes longer.”


“I don’t care. I like being outside.”


He rolled over and mumbled something as he reached for his clothes.


“What? If you don’t want me to come along, just say so.”


“It’s not that. Just shocks the hell out of me that you want to.”


“It shouldn’t. As much as I bitched about it when I had no choice but to tend to everything, I’m a ranch girl through and through. I think you forget that sometimes.”


“I’m tryin’ to.”


Not touching that comment, cowboy. I can’t wrestle your demons anymore than I can make you change your mind or see the truth.


Downstairs, as AJ slipped on her ropers, Cord waggled the silver boots at her. “You still haven’t worn these. Now you’ll have me thinkin’ of all sorts of scenarios in which you’re wearin’ nothin’ but these f*ck me boots when we get back.”


She snatched them and threw them in the coat closet. “Wrong. Out of sight; out of mind.”


Cord froze.


“What?”


“Do you think that’ll really work? Pretendin’ somethin’s not there when it obviously is right in front of you?”


AJ had the strangest feeling they weren’t talking about a pair of boots. “No. Come on. Let’s saddle up.”


Within ten minutes they were riding the fenceline. The late afternoon sun was hot, not unbearably so, but warm enough that AJ wished she’d grabbed a hat. Cord wore his, a finely woven cream-colored straw, not the frat party variety, but the type ranchers needed in the summertime to reflect heat. She couldn’t help but think the white hat just reinforced the white knight image she’d held of him her entire life.



After they’d checked the herd, they continued clopping along. The serenity of the scenery negated the need for idle chatter. Cord led; she followed.


“See that stock tank? Race—”


The second she heard the word race she was gone. He didn’t come close to catching her. “Maybe you should ride this horse next time, McKay. I’ve beaten you both times.”


“I won once.”


“Want to go best three out of five?”


“No. You have a daredevil streak, Ms. Foster. How come I never knew about it?”


“Because being a wild child was Keely’s reputation, not mine. I was too busy working in my dad’s stead to be wild.” After she realized what she’d confessed, she kicked her heels into Nickel’s sides and they were off.


Cord reined up beside her. “You gonna explain that, or are you gonna make me guess?”


She said, “Guess,” deciding he wouldn’t figure out what no one else had during those years.