Page 13 of Unforgettable Cowboy (Montana’s Rodeo Cowboys #1)

H ayes left the house late, having spent a good half hour getting Wade settled and Estelle lined out.

She and Wade had politely greeted one another before retreating to their neutral corners—Estelle in the kitchen and Wade in the recliner in front of the television—leaving Hayes again wondered at Wade’s insistence that Estelle was a force of nature.

Apparently, they’d served together on some county committee and had strongly opposing views.

Hayes could feel the tension in the small house, but as long as Wade minded his manners and didn’t try to bully himself onto a tractor or something, then Hayes was happy to let things play out as they would—as long as Estelle didn’t quit.

Bailey had arrived early. He’d seen her truck drive by when he’d been showing Estelle around the kitchen and laundry room, answering questions and agreeing that the crumpled horse blanket could be moved outside.

When he finally made his way out of the house, the television was playing just a little too loudly in the living room and, in response, Estelle had cranked up the volume on the small music device she’d brought.

He wondered how the battle between eighties classics and Lonesome Dove was going to play out during the day.

However it ended, he was going to look into headphones for Wade.

Possibly that afternoon. He didn’t feel it was his place to tell Estelle to plug in.

“Are you okay?” Bailey asked as he approached the corral where she’d just finished grooming Dakota, making him realize that he was already thinking about how he was going to sucker someone else into a caretaker role if the worst happened today.

But it hadn’t happened yet, so he cleared his expression.

“Estelle’s still on the payroll.”

“That’s good news. What’s it been? An hour?”

“Just about.” He let himself in through the gate and ran a hand over the golden mare’s smooth coat. Bailey had the horse shining, and he recalled the way she’d taken care of her barrel-racing horse back in the day. He also recalled how she’d felt in his arms yesterday, those sexy lips glued to his.

“Do you have a horse?”

“I travel too much.” He noted the regret in her voice.

“But you have a horse trailer.”

“Glorified travel trailer. The better to secretly transport my friend’s horse.” She stroked the mare’s silvery mane. “I bought the trailer from Jenna when I started seriously hitting the gear shows. I set up my work and sales area in the back and live in the front. It works well.”

A silence fell, the kind that was hard to puncture. But puncture it, he must. Hayes wanted to set things straight before they headed out that day.

“About yesterday.”

Bailey’s expression didn’t change as she said, “We’re not kids anymore.” She sounded very much like she had when she’d schooled him about Wade needing help.

“What does it take to crack your composure, Bailey?”

She smiled at the question. “I don’t know. The threat of commitment maybe?”

“That’s one thing I’m not asking for.” Which he’d made clear yesterday.

“Yeah?” Her eyebrows lifted in a challenging way.

“No job, no home of my own.” No woman. “I’ve failed in all the commitment areas.”

“Such a disappointment.”

She did not sound disappointed.

He reached for her, settling his hands on either side of her waist. She didn’t pull back, but instead gave him a what-next-cowboy smirk that almost hid the flash of uncertainty in her eyes.

They were in full view of the kitchen window, but he doubted if Estelle would care, and also doubted if she’d rat them out to Wade.

Bailey took a loose hold of his sleeves near his biceps, the challenging half-smile still playing on her lips, the look of uncertainty long gone.

If she kissed him, it would truly slow down their day.

“Ready to move some cattle?” he asked in a boss voice.

She laughed and stepped back. “I’m up for it if you are.”

“How do you usually move them?”

“By borrowing Andy or Ben and using the quads.”

“Today you just get me.”

“Only you. Huh.” She bit her lip. “I need to leave early again today if possible. They have a few dogs at the shelter. I’d like to meet them before they all get snapped up.” He tilted his head and she said, “I’d like a travel companion.”

Hayes wasn’t certain that rescued dogs got snapped up fast, but he liked the idea of Bailey not being totally alone on her property. And a woman traveling alone could certainly use a dog. A big one.

“I have to buy headphones for Wade. Want to go together?”

“Why not?”

He hadn’t expected her to agree so easily and it must have shown because Bailey laughed. “I took your words to heart, Hayes. I don’t have to do everything alone.”

“True.”

Her expression shifted toward the serious side. “Do you know what the difference is between us now and us back in the day?”

Hayes shook his head and Bailey put a hand on his chest over his heart. He felt the warmth of her palm through his thin cotton shirt. “The ability to understand the difference between what we want versus what we should have.”

He wanted to ask which category he was in, but she dropped her hand and headed for the gate as if the matter was settled.

Hayes stared after her, thinking the matter was far from settled, then followed her to where she stood holding the gate open, waiting for him to follow her through. She was right. If they were going to town that afternoon, they had to get moving.

*

Bailey watched Hayes easily maneuver Spot across the hillside to cut off a splinter faction of half-grown calves and guide them back into the herd as they headed cross-country to the pasture he’d checked the day before.

The creek was still running, so the cattle wouldn’t need the water tank that he’d attempted to fix the day before.

When the creek dried up, they’d move the cattle again or fix the spring, depending on the amount of forage left.

Well, it probably wouldn’t be “they,” because Bailey would be moving on shortly after the rodeo.

She hoped to hear from Jenna soon or at least get a coded text that indicated an inkling of a plan to secrete the mare in a different locale.

Even though she loved Jenna, she was ready for it to be over.

She might have to give up and call her, as any concerned friend would.

Just a check-in, to make certain she was doing okay after the breakup.

Maybe going no contact was in itself suspicious.

This was her first time involved with a caper, and she wasn’t certain they were doing it right.

“Hey!”

Bailey gave a start as she realized that a steer was heading to parts unknown on her side of the herd and then urged her mare forward to cut him off. The steer shook his head, tried again, but the mare was seasoned. She lunged at him, snaking out her neck to bite him on the butt.

“Atta girl,” Bailey laughed as the steer gave up and retreated to the safety of the herd.

The ride back to the ranch was a quiet affair. Thermal cells were starting to build over the mountains to the west, the bottoms of the clouds flattening out in a way that promised the possibility of thundershowers in the late afternoon.

“I hope the weather is decent for the rodeo,” Hayes said.

“Why are you still competing?” The question appeared to come out of nowhere, but Bailey had been wondering about it for days.

He looked surprised. “Hometown crowd.”

“Cheering for the hometown hero?” Hayes had never seemed like an adulation guy.

He laughed. “Hardly that. I like the challenge.”

“Aren’t you getting a little old for that kind of challenge?”

He nudged Spot closer to her mare, so close that their knees bumped. “There are a lot of guys my age still riding.”

“Then why did you retire?”

“Because I’m smarter than those guys.”

“Yet you’re on the day list for the Copper Mountain.”

“I didn’t say I didn’t have the occasional lapse of judgment.”

Bailey smiled without looking at him, focusing instead on the ranch on the far side of the pasture they were traversing. This man still made her nerves sing as did the memory of yesterday’s kiss. Had that been a hint of things to come? Or another lapse of judgment?

“Have we been at the same rodeos?” he asked, drawing her attention back to the here and now.

“One or two. You tended to compete at bigger rodeos than I could get into.”

“How do you choose where you go?”

“Price and availability of vending space. Sometimes you have to wait for years to get a space in the bigger venues, and they can be really spendy. You have to sell a lot just to break even.”

“But you’re in the big shows now?”

“Some. I’m on the waiting list for others.” She was quiet for a moment, then said, “I’m kind of living the dream right now.” Not stuck in an office, being her own boss, doing what she loved. “I don’t know how long it can last, but it’s a good life.”

“You’ve missed a bunch of rodeos this summer while working for Wade.”

“I didn’t mind taking a summer off. Most of my venues were smaller during July and August. Because of the time off, I’ve got a nice stock built up for the winter shows and Christmas. Plus, I have a friend who’ll sell my wares at the National Finals, so I’m ready for that, too.”

“And your other friend, Jenna, is supposed to pick up the mare…when?”

“After this rodeo.”

“And if she doesn’t?”

She sent him a look that said, “Don’t be a buzz kill.”

“I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.”

“You’re kind of stuck,” he pointed out as they approached the final gate before the ranch.

“Thanks for clouding up a very nice day.” She glanced sideways before dismounting. It was her turn to open the gate. “I’m hoping to hear from her soon. We thought it best to go no-contact. We have no idea what lengths Chance will go to, to find Dakota.”

“Why is he so hot for the mare?”

“You’ve seen her.”

“Does he want to sell her? Breed her? Use her for roping?”