Page 9 of Headstrong Cowboy (Montana’s Rodeo Cowboys #2)

T he whole time Chrissy walked around the farm, showing Ryder their facilities and what they did, she was aware of his every breath.

His every move. Even the slight limp he tried to hide.

The sandalwood scent of his cologne teased her senses, and the way his arm seemed to continually brush against hers was doing nothing to temper her reaction to him.

“Here we are, back at the workshop.” She injected a bright tone into her voice when all she really wanted was for him to leave and then she could head to Riley’s. A ride on Ranger was just the thing she wanted.

“Thanks so much for showing me around. I really enjoyed learning how things are done. I can’t believe how much you can grow in greenhouses.”

“With the right environment, flowers will grow anywhere.” All the while they were walking around the farm, Chrissy turned the idea of selling direct to the public over in her mind.

It wasn’t something they’d ever considered, but it was something to think about.

A way to bring in extra income. If they did go down that route, they’d have to be careful about taking business away from Sweet Pea Florist. The last thing she wanted to do was upset them to the point that they cancelled their standing orders for their flowers.

The farm was off 630 Road, which connected to the main highway out of town.

Their father had put a road sign up many years ago, advertising the farm.

Funny how no one had ever bothered to turn in and inquire if they could buy flowers.

Although the sign didn’t say PUBLIC WELCOME .

.. it just had an arrow indicating the turnoff.

That could be why they didn’t have random strangers turning up at their doorstep—like Ryder.

“Are you finished for the day?” Ryder inquired, his hands in his pockets. The action pulled the material of his jeans tight across his thighs, and she couldn’t help but admire their strength. It wasn’t hard to imagine him on the back of a bull.

After meeting him the previous day, she’d looked Ryder up on the internet and confirmed what Riley had told her—that he was a champion bull rider, but he’d retired due to injury.

Not that she didn’t trust her friend. She’d just wanted to check him out herself.

Plus, looking at the pictures of him competing were pretty impressive, and his smile in the ones with his prize winnings had her blood warming in pleasure.

The report about the injury that ended his career was graphic, and he was lucky to be alive.

For someone who’d been at the top of their sport, not being able to compete had to hurt.

No wonder he tried to hide his limp. Like all competitive people, he didn’t want to show any sign of weakness.

The limp was a constant reminder of all that he’d lost.

Was he in town for the rodeo as well? Wouldn’t it be hard for him to be watching all the proceedings and not be able to compete?

It was one of the reasons why, in all the years she’d lived in New York, she hadn’t sought out any rodeos there.

She’d had plenty of opportunities to go watch, and even compete if she wanted to, as Beau had often been away for work.

Why hadn’t she done any of that?

Chrissy didn’t want to examine the question too closely because she was afraid she wouldn’t like the answer.

She firmly pushed those thoughts aside. She was in Marietta and she was going to compete now, so it didn’t matter why she hadn’t in the past. Chrissy thought over his question as her workday was over.

There was plenty she could do—like fill out paperwork, etc.

, but that didn’t appeal to her. She wanted to forget about the farm and the issues with it for a little while.

“I’m planning on going to Riley’s again to train some more with Ranger.

The rodeo will be here before we know it. Is that why you’re in town?”

The shutters came down on Ryder’s eyes, and his shoulders stiffened.

Yep, as she’d thought moments ago, the retirement wounds were still fresh.

It was one thing to make the decision to finish up yourself, but another when the decision had been made for you—like it had for Ryder.

“Right. Well, have a good practice session. Maybe I’ll see you around. ”

He turned and headed for his truck, his spine straight and his limp more noticeable than it had been before.

One thing she did know was that she didn’t want to part with ill feeling between them. She’d enjoyed their walk around the farm. He’d asked some good questions and conversation had flowed easily between them. The past hour reinforced that she wanted to get to know him a little better.

“Wait,” she called out and rushed over to him.

“Yes?”

A rush of nerves filled her and the words she wanted to say lodged in her throat. She’d never asked a man out and she couldn’t believe she was about to do it, but she wanted to see Ryder again. “Can I interest you in dinner at the Main Street Diner?”

Ryder’s hazel eyes widened in surprise, and one corner of his mouth ticked up in a smile. “I think you might be able to do that.”

The breath she’d been holding whooshed out of her and the nerves were replaced with a blast of happiness. “Great, I can meet you there. Say, around six thirty?”

“What? You mean you’re not going to come and pick me up, so you can escort me to the diner?” he said, his hand going to his chest in mock disappointment.

Chrissy laughed at the antics and his teasing, pleased that the sadness that had surrounded him was gone. What was a girl to do but go along with it as well? “Of course, how remiss of me. I’m asking you out, so I should pick you up.”

Ryder laughed, a deep, rich sound that floated around her like a warm blanket. His eyes sparkled with mirth. “I’m staying at the Graff. We can meet there and walk together. How does that sound?”

“Perfect. I’ll see you then, Ryder.”

Before she had time to blink, Ryder took hold of her hand and raised it up toward his mouth. His lips brushed across her knuckles and she had to lock her knees so that she didn’t collapse into a heap on the ground at the old-fashioned gesture. “Until tonight, my sweet flower.”

He released her hand, tapped the tip of his hat, and got into his truck. Chrissy watched as he backed out and departed in a cloud of dust—just like how he’d arrived.

“Whoa, as someone who watches a lot of romance movies, that was one slick move. Even I had to fan myself.”

Chrissy whirled around to find Tilly standing behind her. She rushed up to her youngest sister and pulled her into a tight hug. “Tilly, it’s so good to see you.”

Tilly tended not to come out to the farm much as she had her own place in town. A place she’d moved into after her failed relocation to Houston.

“You saw me last week, sis.” But Tilly squeezed her tight as if she needed her big sister’s support.

God, how she’d missed her family while she’d been in Buffalo. It had been hard for her to come home and then leave them all, which was why she hadn’t done it often during her time in Buffalo.

Chrissy looked around, but couldn’t see Tilly’s car. “What are you doing here? When did you arrive?”

“About fifteen minutes ago. I was out with a friend and got them to drop me here. And now that I know you’re heading into town for dinner, you can drop me home.” She gave an impish smile and Chrissy shook her head. No way could she resist her sister.

“Fine. But if I wasn’t having dinner in town tonight, how would you have gotten home?”

Tilly shrugged. “Either stayed here for the night and sweet-talked you into taking me home in the morning. Or suggested the Bloom sisters hit Grey’s Saloon for a girl’s night out and then I would’ve walked home.”

“I’d like to see you try and convince Sunny to go to Grey’s.” Their middle sister was notoriously shy and going to a place as busy and loud as Grey’s would have her breaking out in hives.

“One day we’ll get her to loosen up and do something out of her comfort zone.” Tilly tossed her long blonde hair over her shoulder. “So, who was the guy? Tell me all about him. Why was he here? Did you invite him out?”

With Tilly, conversation went from one subject to another very quickly.

She could get a job as an interrogation expert with the way she fired questions off.

“His name is Ryder Chamberlain. He’s a former bull rider.

He saw the sign for the flower farm and wondered if we sold flowers to the public. I showed him around.”

“He just pulled in off the highway to see if we sold flowers and then was happy to have a tour. Who does that? And doesn’t that sound weird to you?”

Now that Tilly had said it, Chrissy looked at the encounter a little differently.

Had he sought her out deliberately? When they’d met at Riley’s, she told him her name.

She’d gone home and looked him up on the internet.

It was entirely possible he’d done the same, or he could’ve asked Riley about her, because he’d still been there grooming his horses when she’d left.

He certainly hadn’t seemed surprised to see her when she’d asked him why he was there.

That had to be what had happened—he’d cornered Riley for information.

The buzz of attraction that had shown up when he’d kissed her hand increased.

The asking about purchasing flowers was definitely an excuse.

She hadn’t quite believed it at the time, especially since he was staying at the Graff and they were known to do everything to make their guests comfortable.

He hadn’t wanted to come out and say that he’d come to see her.

“I met him at Riley’s yesterday. There was nothing sinister about his visit. Come on, you can help me pick something out to wear tonight.”

“Yes, because you need all the help you can get in the fashion department.”

“Hey!” Chrissy playfully slapped her sister’s shoulder. “I do not.”

“I don’t know.” Tilly looked her up and down. “What you’re wearing isn’t going to set the fashionista influencers abuzz with the need to dress like that.”

Chrissy looked at her practical clothes, so different from what she’d worn in her corporate job in Buffalo.

But she was comfortable, and it wasn’t like they were inundated with visitors.

“What I’m wearing is perfectly fine for around the farm.

I wouldn’t go out on a date wearing jeans and a plaid shirt. ”

A date! I’m going on a first date!

The thought slammed into her. The last time she’d been on a first date had been when Beau had asked her to the school dance when she was a sophomore in high school.

Which was many years ago, when everyone knew everyone—the downside of going to high school in a small town.

Of course, Marietta had expanded a lot since then, so there were more and more people, and she was sure the high school dances these days were very different.

She’d seen videos of “promposals” on social media.

Nothing like that happened when she was at school.

If she recalled, Beau had come up and said, Hey, wanna go to the dance with me?

He’d been cocky, but he’d also been the cutest boy in school, so it had thrilled her that he’d asked her out.

She’d stammered out a “yes,” and the rest was history.

Chrissy sighed. They’d had a good life together, and she was sad that she could continue to live hers, but Beau couldn’t.

“Hey, are you okay? You kind of spaced out there.” Tilly touched her arm, grounding her in the here and now.

“Just remembering my first date with Beau.”

They were on the back porch by then, and Tilly gave her a hug. “I’m sure he’ll be okay with you moving on. After all, you guys had been divorced for a few months before he died.”

“I know he’d be fine with it. We were still good friends before he died, and our marriage had long been over before the papers came through. I’m just sad that his life was cut short.”

“He was a good guy, and I’m glad you two were still friends. That’s what you always had, wasn’t it? A good friendship?”

“We did. We were each other’s best friends.

And while having a solid friendship base is a good foundation for a marriage, you still need the heart fluttering, sweaty palm kind of love as well.

” And thinking about how she reacted to Ryder, Chrissy was beginning to think she and Beau had never had it.