Page 26 of Just a Stranger

“You wear a cowboy’s hat, you’ve got to ride the cowboy!” he cackled, and the rest of the crew joined him. Even my damn dog yipped in excitement, dancing around the barn aisle.

“See you at six.” She tipped my hat, gave me a wink, and walked out of the barn without looking back.

I stared after her, trying to untangle the riddle she left in her wake. I must have looked like a fish out of water gasping for breath, because Jameson and the guys cracked up again. They were bumping shoulders, making jokes about me and Rae sitting in a tree k-i-s-s-i-n-g. Juvenile assholes.

“Did I not give y’all enough shit to do today?” I snapped and stepped out of the stall.

All the guys but Jameson mumbled excuses and scattered to get to work.

I walked to my stack of dewormer and tried to figure out where I’d left off. Jameson leaned a shoulder on the closest stall and crossed his arms over his chest.

He was the oldest and most experienced of my team. He’d grown up on Blue Star, a third-generation cowboy. A good worker and smart.

“A woman like that might give a man reason to reevaluate his situation.” Jameson was also keenly aware of my family history;not that it was a secret, but it also wasn’t common knowledge in Elmer. His father and my stepdad had worked on the same ranch back in the day and remained friends.

I shook my head. “She’s not staying in Elmer, and I’m not leaving Texas.”

“All I’m saying, boss, is I’m not getting any younger. You need to move on soon, so I can take your job as manager. I’m all for Rae flipping your world upside down and inside out.”

I was pretty sure she already had.

Chapter 10

Rae

At five minutes tosix, I plopped down on the front porch step next to a fake cactus in a pale peach and mint green pot. Inside, I’d minimized the Santa Fe-ness of everything to a reasonable level. And had boxes of knickknacks in the spare room to show for my hard work.

Atley’s hat was also inside thanks to my hard work…alright, he’d been the hard one, but that was just semantics. I had his hat on my bed, exactly where I wanted him. My audacity had been amazing. Flirting in front of so many witnesses and then basically propositioning him, it wasn’t anything like me. Yet, it felt so right.

That kiss in the barn—wow. Thinking about it made me squirm in the most delicious way. I wanted him again. End ofdiscussion. I was a woman on a mission. My brother would have to deal, and I’d make sure there weren’t any consequences for Blue Star.

It wasn’t just what Atley called animal attraction; it was the stupid pathway lights. How sad is that? Add lust to a thoughtful gesture and I was done for. I’m sure he’d bought the lights because my walking in the dark was a liability to the ranch or something. But it didn’t matter…he Fedxed them.Squee!

My ex would complain when I moved the rearview mirrors on his car, but Atley watched me walk home in the dark a couple of times and ordered me lights—without being asked. The differences between the two men couldn’t be more stark. Thoughtfulness was apparently my number two turn-on. Number one, a tight pair of Wranglers and a cowboy hat, obviously.

Atley’s action had morphed our animal attraction into something better, something sweeter and a little precious, with his kindness. I deserved a man like him for more than one night after a decade of boring, predictable, and thoughtless.

I picked up my notes on the dancehall and flipped through the pages of my chicken scratch. The list of things needed to host The Stomp was long, and my list of wants was even longer. The only way half of these things happened was with my brother’s money and Atley’s help. Wilson would spend, and not because I was his sister. No, he read the business plan I wrote and drilled me on the facts and figures. Only after I satisfied all his questions had he gotten on board.

I looked up, the clip-clop of horses’ hooves was not what I was expecting. But I wasn’t complaining; Atley on a horse was pure eye candy. I’m not too proud. I’ll admit I did the only thing appropriate and snapped about a dozen photos. He rode a big red horse with a small star on its forehead and led a second one behind him.

I glanced at a few of the pictures. The sun slanted at the perfect angle, turning the dust kicked up by the horses’ feet to gold. No filter needed, this was magic. The iconic cowboy movie poster photo. A petty part of me wanted to text one to Matthew with a quip about real men. I didn’t. I was more mature than that, but a girl could dream.

“Whoa.” He pulled the two horses to a stop and dismounted with a grace that spoke to a lifetime spent in the saddle. I absolutely checked out his ass but drew the line at snapping another picture.

“Horses?”

“You’ve been here like a week and not been riding yet.” He shrugged.

I wished he didn’t have sunglasses and a hat on so I could see his eyes better. Were the horses a peace offering, a bribe to get his hat back, a form of Texas seduction I was unaware of…? The list of possibilities stretched out like the horizon.

“I’ll need to change.” I waved a hand at my capri-length tights and my running shoes.

“Yes, ma’am.” He opened a leather satchel strapped behind his saddle and removed a folded pair of jeans with the tags still on and a worn but beautiful pair of boots.

“For me?” I took the items, and the accidental brush of our fingers made me gasp. This had to be a Texas cowboy seduction move—horses and boots. It was working, I was melting, and it had nothing to do with the temperature. He’d planned all this for me. Forethought was so fucking sexy.

“I had help. Cami picked out the jeans and Melvin down at the Worn Boot had these set aside for you.”

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