Page 27 of Dust and Desire (Sagebrush Cowboys #5)

There was something in her tone that made me look at her more closely. “Are you really okay? About Jason, I mean?”

She sighed, her shoulders sagging slightly.

“Honestly? I don’t know. We were together for eight months, and I thought.

.. I thought maybe he could be the one. But apparently he wasn’t what I thought he was.

..” She laughed bitterly. “Story of my life, right? Falling for men who aren’t who they say they are. ”

The words hung in the air between us, and I felt a stab of guilt. She wasn’t wrong. I had been lying to her too, though I doubt it was for the same reasons as Jason.

“Ali— ”

“Don’t,” she said quickly. “That came out wrong. What happened between us was… different . We both know that.” She stopped walking, turning to face me. “You gave me everything you had to give, Dustin. It just wasn’t the right kind of love for either of us.”

Before I could respond, we heard voices coming from the direction of the arena. As we rounded the corner, I saw Caroline working with a young rider, calling out instructions as the girl guided her horse through a series of barrels.

“That’s Caroline,” I said, pointing her out. “She runs the barrel racing program in the arena. They train people for rodeo stuff here.”

Caroline must have heard us approaching because she looked over, her sharp brown eyes taking in Ali’s appearance with obvious curiosity. She said something to her student, then jogged over to where we stood by the fence.

“Well, well,” Caroline said, her Texas drawl thicker than ever. “Look?—”

“Look at what the cat dragged in,” I finished for her, laughing. “You really need a new catchphrase, Caroline. It’s getting predictable.”

She shot me a dirty look. “It’s branding.” Then she turned to Ali, holding out her hand. “I’m Caroline Baker. Nice to meet you.”

Ali took her hand. “Alicia Harris.”

I expected them to shake hands. However, a beat passed between them. Then another. All the while they just stood there, staring at one another, both of them looking happy and scared at the same time. I’d never seen anything like it. What the hell was going on?

“So…” I began, breaking the awkward moment. “You took your maiden name back?”

Ali blinked, finally dropping Caroline’s hand. “What? Oh, yes. After the divorce I went back to Harris.” She glanced between Caroline and me, a slight flush creeping up her neck. “It felt like a fresh start.”

“Fresh starts are good,” Caroline said, her voice softer than I’d ever heard it. She was still staring at Ali like she was trying to solve a puzzle. “Real good.”

The silence stretched between them again, and I felt like I was watching something I didn’t quite understand.

Ali, who could command a boardroom full of Manhattan executives without breaking a sweat, seemed almost shy.

And Caroline, who I’d never seen anything but brash and direct, was practically tongue-tied.

“So, you train barrel racers?” Ali asked, gesturing toward the arena where the young rider was still working her horse.

“Among other things,” Caroline nodded. “Been ridin’ since I could walk. Started competin’ when I was eight.” She paused, then added with a slight smile, “You ever been on a horse?”

Ali laughed, the sound a little breathless. “God no. I’m a city girl through and through. The closest I’ve come to a horse is Central Park carriage rides. And I usually steer clear of those.”

“Well, that ain’t ridin’ anyway,” Caroline said, her grin widening. “That’s just sittin’ pretty while someone else does the work.”

“Are you implying I don’t know how to work?” Ali’s eyebrow arched in that way that used to make opposing lawyers nervous, but there was amusement in her voice.

Caroline’s eyes sparkled with something that looked dangerously like interest. “Wouldn’t dream of it. But there’s different kinds of work. City work and ranch work are two entirely different animals.”

“Is that so?” Ali stepped closer to the fence, her perfectly manicured hands gripping the weathered wood. “And what exactly does ranch work entail?”

“Oh, you know,” Caroline said, leaning against the fence post with practiced ease. “Early mornings, gettin’ your hands dirty, learnin’ to trust something bigger and stronger than you to carry you where you need to go.”

I had the distinct feeling they weren’t just talking about horses anymore. This was a full-on stand-off. There was a silent challenge happening that made me more than a little nervous .

“Sounds terrifying,” Ali said softly.

“The best things usually are,” Caroline replied, their eyes meeting again.

I cleared my throat, feeling like an intruder in whatever was happening between them. “Maybe we should head back. I’m sure Ali’s tired from traveling.”

“Actually,” Ali said, not taking her eyes off Caroline, “I’m not tired at all. The adrenaline of being somewhere completely new, I guess.” She paused. “Would you... would you be willing to teach me? To ride, I mean?”

Caroline’s face lit up like Christmas morning. “You serious? ‘Cause I gotta warn you, I don’t coddle city folks. You get on one of my horses, you’re gonna work for it.”

Ali’s chin lifted, that familiar stubborn set I’d seen her use in countless negotiations. “I didn’t ask you to coddle me. I asked if you’d teach me.”

“Fair enough.” Caroline pushed off from the fence post, extending her hand toward Ali. “Come on then. Let’s see what you’re made of.”

Ali looked down at her designer outfit, cream-colored slacks and a silk blouse that probably cost more than most people’s monthly salary. “I’m not exactly dressed for it.”

“That’s what we call a you problem,” Caroline said with a grin. “But I reckon I got some spare clothes in the tack room. You look about my size, maybe a little... curvier .”

The way Caroline’s eyes swept over Ali’s figure made something twist uncomfortably in my stomach.

Not jealousy exactly, but something close to it.

This was my ex-wife and... well, Caroline was quickly becoming important to me too, in a different way.

Like family. Was this how girls complimented one another?

Ali’s smile told me she wasn’t upset about it.

“Dustin?” Ali turned to me, and I realized I’d been staring. “Is this okay? I don’t want to impose on your friends. ”

“It’s fine,” I managed, though I wasn’t entirely sure it was. “Caroline’s the best teacher around. You’ll be in good hands.”

Caroline’s grin widened. “Damn right she will be.” She jerked her head toward a weathered building near the arena. “Come on, city girl. Let’s get you properly dressed for the job.”

As they walked away together, Ali’s heels clicking against Caroline’s worn boots, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something significant had just happened. Something that I didn’t completely understand.