Page 5 of Headstrong Cowboy (Montana’s Rodeo Cowboys #2)

R yder sat on the back of his horse, Midnight, and watched a rider go through their paces around the barrel racing circuit at the Telford ranch.

He was still a fair distance from where they were training, as he hadn’t wanted to disturb them and put the rider off.

Last thing he wanted to do was cause an accident.

Riley and her father had been very accommodating in letting him board his horses at their place until he got set up—which wasn’t going as smoothly as he’d hoped.

The Realtor hadn’t contacted him about any new listings.

Clearly, Lucinda had been right during the overheard conversation, when she’d surmised the owner, who was the topic of the call, wouldn’t sell, wherever that property was situated.

Nothing was available in the location he wanted. Lucinda had informed him all the people in that area were very happy where they were, and it didn’t look like anyone would be selling anytime in the near future.

Would he have to go in and tempt them to sell? He had the means to do that. He could offer them ridiculous amounts of money, and it wouldn’t make much of a dent in his bank account.

However, that wasn’t how he wanted to purchase the land. He would be no better than those who’d received it in the first place all those years ago. Nor did he want his reputation around town to be the man who strong-armed his way into land ownership.

He’d been in town for two days and, as he’d known it would, Marietta had gotten under his skin and he didn’t want to leave. The people were friendly and welcoming, and he didn’t want to change how anyone looked at him.

In an ideal world where everything worked out the way he wanted it to, he could see himself leaving his ranch and coming to town and visiting the Main Street Diner.

The chocolate shop. Java Café. Even Grey’s saloon.

All the places that made Marietta what it was.

He hadn’t been able to bring himself to visit the fairgrounds where the Copper Mountain Rodeo was held.

He’d avoided that area while he’d been on his daily strolls.

Maybe in another year, he’d be able to walk down there and not lament the loss of his career.

He also hadn’t seen the woman he’d run into at Sage’s chocolate shop on his first day in Marietta.

As much as he’d tried to stop himself, when he’d been walking around, he’d been looking out for a woman with hair the color of warm caramel.

He’d had no luck and further cemented the thought that she’d been passing through and wasn’t a resident of Marietta.

He wasn’t sure why he wanted to find her.

Maybe because of his reaction to her. He wanted to touch her again to see if it had been his imagination, or if his body did light up when they touched.

Needing to do something other than wallow about his plans being stonewalled and think fanciful thoughts about a woman he’d spoken only a few words to, he’d taken Midnight for a ride in an attempt to clear his mind, letting the horse fly over the large paddocks, with Copper Mountain standing sentry as it watched over them.

It had worked. The freedom of being on the back of a horse was thought-cleansing.

Not to mention, while his injured thigh ached, he was pleased to know that he could still ride after his accident.

There’d been a time when he thought that wasn’t going to be possible.

Ryder admired the rider’s form and the way she and the animal worked well together.

He whistled low when the rider and her horse slid around a barrel, the horse bent so much, he was surprised she hadn’t come off its back.

He couldn’t deny that she had good form.

Barrel racing usually happened right before his bull riding event.

He only ever saw the first couple of competitors before he went off and got himself mentally ready to ride on the back of a beast. But if he’d seen this person racing on the circuit, he would’ve made more of an effort to watch it. Watch her.

She and the horse were one, as if they were glued together. Not once did she look like she was going to lose her seat.

Had she been at rodeos he’d been to and he hadn’t seen her?

With her hat low over her face, he couldn’t tell if it was anyone he knew from the circuit. A rider this good would’ve generated buzz among all the competitors.

Clapping brought him out of his thoughts, and he encouraged Midnight to move forward so he could hear what Riley was saying.

“That was an amazing time. If you ran this at any rodeo, you would win easily.”

The woman looked up and smiled wide. Even with quite a few feet between them, her happiness reached out to him, the force of it hitting him direct in the chest. The rider was the woman he’d run into at the chocolate shop.

She hadn’t left Marietta. His heart rate kicked up a notch, and he nudged Midnight to get a bit closer.

“Thanks, but I think it’s all Ranger. He’s amazing. How come someone hasn’t snatched him up and isn’t on the circuit with him?” Joy radiated in her husky voice, sending slivers of desire coursing through him.

Ryder had the same thought, but not about the horse. He was thinking, why wasn’t this woman on the circuit? She needed to be. He may not watch the event, but even he could tell she would be a top competitor.

“I’ve never seen him give the times he’s been giving you. I think he likes you.”

In the blink of an eye, the rider’s demeanor changed. Gone was the happy woman who’d just done an amazing run, and in her place was a woman who looked as if someone had stolen her dessert from her.

What had caused such a rapid change?

And why was he wanting to rush over to her and comfort her? Tell her that if she wanted to ride forever, she could. How was he feeling things for a woman he didn’t know?

“I like him too,” she said, as she patted the horse’s long neck. “He’s fantastic.”

“Do you want to give Stella a run?”

Midnight chose that moment to let out a loud neigh, and both Riley and the woman turned to where he stood a few feet from them.

“Oh, hey, Ryder. How was your ride?” Riley walked over to him, giving him a big smile.

“Good.” He may have been addressing Riley, but he wasn’t looking at her.

He was watching the woman. The way her eyes widened in surprise gave him hope that perhaps she’d been thinking about him, like he’d been thinking about her.

“You ride well. Do you compete much?” He slid off Midnight, keeping a firm grip on the reins, and walked over to the fence of the practice arena.

“Thanks, and no, I haven’t competed for a long time.”

“Doesn’t show, and Riley’s right. Even though I don’t know the time, what I saw you do is right up there with some of the best.” He held out his hand toward her. “Ryder Chamberlain. Good to meet you.”

He held his breath to see what she would do.

After all, she was still sitting on her horse and he was standing on the ground.

A bolt of pleasure shot through him when she gave him a smile and slid off her horse, and like him, kept hold of Ranger’s reins.

The moment her palm slid against his, warmth seared his soul and the tingling from their first contact two days ago flared to life, and if possible, was more intense.

“Chrissy Bloom. Nice to meet you, Ryder Chamberlain.” The husky tone of her voice did weird things to him, and he wasn’t sure how to deal with it.

This strong of a reaction to a woman he’d only encountered at the briefest of moments wasn’t something he was used to.

He’d felt a certain amount of attraction when he’d met women in the past. He hadn’t been a monk during his time on the circuit, but never had his body yearned to hold a woman close within seconds of meeting her, like he wanted to do with Chrissy.

A throat clearing had the fog surrounding them both disappearing, and he became aware that he still gripped Chrissy’s hand. It didn’t look like she was too upset about it, but he didn’t want to make assumptions.

He loosened his fingers and dragged them across her palm before he dropped his arm to the side. All the while, he kept his gazed fixed on her and didn’t miss the way she breathed deep at what he’d done.

“So, do you want to ride Stella?” asked Riley, watching the both of them, her eyebrow quirked in interest. Ryder kept his face as neutral as possible, so as not to give away that what he really wanted to do was take hold of Chrissy’s hand again.

He really needed to get this weird reaction to the woman in front of him under control. Nothing good would come of it. If she was just passing through town for the rodeo, then anything developing between them was moot.

“Umm, I think so.”

Midnight nudged Ryder’s shoulder, and out of habit, he stroked his horse’s neck. “I need to brush down Midnight and let you get back to your practice. See you around, Chrissy Bloom.”

He nodded to Riley and then walked away, but he didn’t miss Riley’s Girl, what was that about? exclamation to Chrissy. He didn’t hear her response, and he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.

*

Ryder arrived back at the Graff, looking for nothing more than a hot shower and to order room service.

While he’d been brushing Midnight down, his thigh had started to ache, and by the time he was done, his muscles were screaming and he limped to his truck, grateful that he didn’t see Riley or Chrissy on his journey.

The last thing he wanted to do was explain his injury, although he suspected Riley was aware of what had happened to him, considering her family ranch supplied some of the bucking broncs currently being used on the circuit.

He leaned against his closed door and rubbed his thigh. Maybe he shouldn’t have ridden for as long as he had, but if he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have seen—and met—Chrissy.