Cowgirl Up and Ride (Rough Riders #3)(41)

“And Adam, the arrogant *?”


“Yes. And Pete, the prissy prick.”


“And gorgeous Giovanni?”


“Mmm. No. He was worth it. Being a hot, hung Italian stallion and all.”


“Bet he doesn’t have anything on your brother.”


“Eww! AJ, that was just…eww!”


AJ laughed. “You deserved that for all the years you’ve tormented me with too much information. Gotta run. The timer on my cookies just dinged.”


Keely expelled a disgusted sigh. “You’re already making cookies for Cord?”


“Nope. They’re for your dad.”


“Dad? He’ll probably adopt you and disown me.”


“His precious baby girl who drives him insane? Wrong. I’m sure daddy-o will grill me on what you’ve been up to. Studying, right?”


“Absolutely. Speaking of, when you get time off from playing Betty Crocker, I wanna run something past you.”


“Sure. Thanks, K.”


“Later.”


AJ finished a couple of things before she woke up her mother. By the time Carson McKay’s pickup pulled into the yard, AJ realized she hadn’t bothered to look in a mirror all day. She peeked out the window. Sure enough, Cord hopped out of the passenger’s side.


Great.


“Amy Jo, will you put out the creamer and sugar? Cord might use it in his coffee.”


It was on the tip of her tongue to say Cord drank his coffee black, but she didn’t want her mother getting curious about why AJ knew such things about him. Why she’d always known how Cord took his coffee—and every other little thing about him.


AJ welcomed the McKays into the kitchen, including Carolyn, and settled everyone with coffee and cookies. Chatting about Keely and school in Denver was easy enough. It wasn’t so easy not to act stiff around Cord or overly friendly. When she sensed they wanted to get down to business, she made a break for the barn.


She saddled Lucy and took off, riding her hard. It was bittersweet; she loved the freedom of the horse zipping across the open plain as much as she hated the idea she wouldn’t have the luxury much longer. What was she supposed to do with Lucy after the ranch sold? She couldn’t imagine living her life without a horse. Heck, she couldn’t imagine living anywhere but on a ranch.


After treating Lucy to an extended brush down and a bucket of oats, AJ dragged her tack into the barn. She’d hefted the saddle on the hook when the door creaked. She spun around. A shiver went up her spine—Cord stood not ten feet away from her. Burning away every stitch of her clothing with his molten eyes.


AJ wiped the sweat from her brow and straightened the blanket draped over the stall railing. She stood on tiptoe, lifting her arms to hang the halter and bridle. The motion made her shirt ride up and she felt his searing gaze roving over the exposed skin.


Then he was behind her. “Need some help?”


“No. I’ve got it.”


“Yes, you definitely have it all.”


She pivoted. “What are you doing here?”


“Hopin’ to steal a kiss from my girl while they hammer out the rest of the details.”


“Cord—”


“AJ.” He stalked her until her back hit the post between the stalls. “Your cookies were sweet, but not as sweet as the taste I’ve had of you.”