Page 2 of My Cowboy Date (Lucky River Cowboys #3)
Wilder
The cows aren’t cooperating. They’re restless, and it fits my mood perfectly today though my restlessness started when Aspen took over as the ranch manager.
The moment her sister introduced her, I had to clench my jaw together to keep from gaping at the brown haired, blue-eyed beauty. I don’t recall ever being so stunned looking a woman before.
We were at the wedding where her sister married my brother. Her dress had whipped around her endless legs, showing a peek at her thighs and I had to walk off lest me and my boner both welcome her right there in front of everyone.
“I can’t find this one’s vaccine record,” River says, and I’m mentally pulled away from Aspen. My brother tries swiping the tablet, then says, “Nothing’s working right.”
“I had a problem earlier trying to get the grazing system to load,” Marshall says. “Probably because the connection or the software has been buggy all damn day.”
Could be. Or it could be that we need to upgrade the older model tablet but there’s no money in the budget for anything like that.
Before Aspen and her sister came along, our last ranch manager that we’d known and thought of as family took out loans and cleaned out the bank account by forging Dad’s signature.
The betrayal stung deep. We damn near lost the ranch.
All of us brothers came home to work together to save it. And we’re barely scraping by. It’s one of reasons why we all have side gigs. Well, except for Flint. He’s the one running around trying to keep all the irons straight in the fire.
On the weekends, I hook the stock trailer to my pickup and head out before the sun rises for day worker gigs at various ranches. It’s hot, physically draining work but I’ll do anything to help my adoptive parents protect the only true home I’ve ever known.
They saved me and my brothers by bond from childhoods of hell and poured love over our scared minds and broken bodies.
River shoves the tablet at me. “You need to take this to the office and get it figured out.” He lifts his Stetson and wipes his eyes with the crook of his arm.
“Why me?” I try to hand the device to Marshall, but he won’t take it.
“Because all the girls like you, pretty boy, and if you interrupt Aspen’s work, she won’t care the way she would if it were one of us. You get a smile, and we get a frown.” River’s nodding like he believes every word he’s saying.
But it’s not true. “She’s not like that,” I defend her. “I’ve never seen her be anything but sweet.”
Marshall snorts. “To you she’s like melted sugar but to the rest of us, she’s briskly business.”
I doubt what they’re saying is true because though she and I have had some sexy back and forth conversations, she’s never given a hint that she’s interested in anything more.
And I respect that. She works for the ranch, and I reckon technically I’m her boss so taking it to the next level wouldn’t be smart.
That’s a directive I keep having to remind my cock because every time I’m around her, he acts awfully interested in every word she says. In how she smiles. In how she tucks her hair behind her ears. In how that sexy ass of hers?—
“What?” I ask when Marshall gives me a light push and I stumble sideways.
“That expression on your face is the same one both Leo and Flint had before their bachelor cards were torn up and they got married.” My brother grins, then he glances at River. “It’s the same look I’ve noticed on River’s face when he’s around Courtney.”
Though his ears redden, River quickly denies that. “She’s my best friend, that’s all.” A skittish little dog he rescued last weekend runs forward and whines, then barks like he’s standing up for my brother.
I lean over and rub its head, and the dog closes his eyes. “You whine about as much as River does,” I tell the pup.
“We need access to that vaccine record,” Marshall nags, bending to scratch behind the mutt’s ears. “Right? There’s a good boy.”
“Aspen does treat him differently,” River says.
“I know,” Marshall agrees.
Giving up, I say, “Alright. I’ll head to the office and see what I can do about this.”
I swing into the saddle to ride back to the house, and I’ve almost convinced myself I’m not hella excited to see Aspen, but I still urge my horse to get a move on.
As I dismount, I let out a groan. Some days my body hurts like hell. I have chronic aches from what I went through at The Gentle Children’s Home, and I’m reminded again of how grateful I am for my adoptive parents, Gavin and Frances Richford.
They taught me that I was worth loving. Back when I was in the Home, one of the staff would often tell me how I wasn’t worth loving.
I was eight and standing in line in the cafeteria for the slop they called food when he called out across the room, “You’re here boy because your mama’s a junkie who wanted the fix more than she wanted you and your daddy said you weren’t his problem.
Now you’re a burden on the state and I’m gonna lock you up and everybody’s gonna forget about you. ”
The other staff members laughed and one of them had clapped her hands and said, “That’s right, you’ll be forgotten forever.”
As a result of that, I would often chase after my brothers while yelling out, “Wait! Don’t forget about me.”
I shove aside the rest of the memories. No good comes from bogging my thoughts down in the mire of the past.
When I walk into the office, I breathe in the fresh, flowery scent of Aspen and my gut tightens. Her hair is slightly damp and flowing in waves around her shoulders. She’s so damn beautiful I could look at her for hours and never get tired of what I see.
I lean against the door for a second and enjoy the picture she makes as she stares at a laptop with her lower lip in her teeth. I lower my gaze to her neck where a thin gold chain swings just above the unbuttoned top of her blue dress shirt.
I noticed when she showed up this morning that the shirt makes her eyes look bluer. When she glances at me, my stomach clenches harder. One look from her and every ounce of my brain power channels to my cock.
I clear my throat. “I need you.”
“Take a cold shower,” she says as we fall into that flirty banter that I don’t know when it first started.
“Effective, but not nearly as enjoyable,” I say.
She lets her gaze travel down my body, and I hurry toward the desk, seeking something to block the front of my jeans.
“Probably not,” she admits, “but it won’t leave you with regrets.”
“ I wouldn’t have regrets.” I grin. “And I swear I wouldn’t leave you with any either.”
She’s silent, her gaze locked on mine.
The wall clock ticks loudly.
Aspen shakes her head. “Oh, cowboy, you’re a handful.”
“I’m not sure that’s a compliment.”
Her smile widens. “What can I help you with? Besides that , I mean.”
“If you change your mind, I’m happy to make good on my offer not to leave you with any regrets.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” She holds her hands out when I extend the tablet. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s been buggy all day. I think it might be the management software.”
“The battery is low. I’ll charge it while I check.” She moves to a cabinet against the wall, and I come around the desk to take her chair while I wait.
A document is open on the laptop, and I notice the words revenge quest typed boldly across the top of it. “What’s this?” I read several notes about what she’s going to do to a guy who was clearly an asshole to her.
Aspen turns toward me, and her eyes widen. Then she races to the desk and clicks to another screen. “It’s nothing.”
“No, that’s definitely something. He sounds like he has it coming,” I say, instantly disliking the guy mentioned in the document. “Who’s it about?”
“My ex,” she explains. “And the things he did….” She takes a deep breath and redirects. “Anyway, that’s my revenge quest to make him as miserable as he made me.” She looks at me like she expects me to be surprised by her vehemence.
I stand and lean toward her. She holds her ground, and our lips are barely inches apart. Then I smile. “Darlin’, I want to help you.”