Page 131 of Ride a Cowboy

Daniel waited for her to descend the stairs and then led her to his RV. Opening the passenger door, he gestured for her to climb in. “Welcome to my palace, Sienna.”

His voice was pure mischief. Sienna could tell by the perceptive look in his eyes he knew she wasn’t as immune to his charms as she wished. No doubt Daniel was a ladies’ man, used to having his pick of the buckle bunnies. Well, he was going to be disappointed if he expected her to fall all over herself trying to turn his head.

She claimed her seat without giving him a sideways glance. Instead, she stared through the dirty windshield, wondering how much space she could put between his rusty RV and the house, the stables, her.

Daniel climbed behind the wheel and started the engine. “Your dad said there are plenty of side paths where I can park this monster without being in the way.”

Compass Ranch was a massive property. It not only supported the main house, where she lived with her family and Vivi, but also held homes for Uncle Silas and Uncle Sam and their families. The only Compton brother who didn’t live on the property was Uncle Sawyer, who’d opted for a home in town, so he could be close to the police department where he worked as Sheriff.

Sienna twisted in the seat to study the rest of the RV. For its inauspicious outer appearance, she had to admit the inside appeared neat and downright cozy. “You really live in here?”

He followed the driveway, passing the main house and stable. “I spent several years on the road with the rodeo. For the first few months, I either pitched a tent or slept in my truck. That got old pretty quick. Decided a house on wheels was a necessity. I got lucky. I was able to pick this beauty up real cheap and she offers a comfortable bed and place to kick up my feet after a long day.”

Sienna snorted at the word beauty. Daniel grinned. He was obviously aware of the less than attractive state of his so-called perfect home. He winked at her.

Daniel was an easygoing, nice guy. She felt guilty about her earlier rudeness. “I really am sorry to hear you were hurt so badly. How long ago did it happen?”

Daniel considered her question. “Hmm. Let me see. Almost a year ago to the day. Guess I’m celebrating an anniversary of sorts. I spent six months recuperating and then three more in rehab. I’d only been doing the sales job a few months. Thankfully, I met your dad. He’s a great guy. Pretty sure he saved me from a life of poverty. There was no way in hell I was gonna make ends meet as a salesman.”

She smiled, trying to make amends for their rough beginning. “I’m glad you took him up on his offer. He’s been planning to get this new business off the ground for a while now. Between tinkering with the horse breeding and running my brothers all over God’s creation for rodeo events, he was running out of hours in the day to do everything he wanted to.” She pointed to smaller path off the main road. “Turn here. I think this is a good area.”

They were quiet as Daniel maneuvered the RV over the rutty lane.

“There’s a turnaround spot on the right that might be a nice place for you to park this monstrosity. No one uses this lane anymore. It used to lead to a storage shed that was abandoned back during my Granddaddy JD’s day. The actual building fell down a few years ago during a bad storm and my Uncle Colby had the remains hauled off.”

Daniel backed the RV into the spot she indicated, then turned off the vehicle. He glanced around at their surroundings. “It’s nice back here. Private, but not too far away from the stable or main house.” He looked at her. “Thanks for your help, Sienna.”

She licked her lips nervously, suddenly realizing how alone they were in the shelter of the woods. His face was the epitome of harmlessness, but there was something in his eyes that lured her, tempted her.

“Well,” she said too loudly, “I guess I’ll head back to the house and let you settle in.”

“That’s the beauty of an RV. Once you’re parked, you’re pretty much settled. I just have to throw some wheel chocks under the tires, expand the slide outs and voila—home sweet home. Want a tour?”

She did…and she didn’t. Daniel had been nothing but friendly to her. Regardless, he left her unsettled. She’d never felt an attraction to any man except Josh. Ever. Her cousins told her that was a sad commentary for her life, but Sienna stood by her assertion that she’d been lucky, meeting her true love at fifteen.

She still felt that way. Sort of.

Daniel took her silence as acquiescence and rose, leaving the driver’s seat and walking into the living room area. “I’m sure it seems small now, but that wall behind the couch slides out. Once I’ve got the whole thing opened up, it’s actually bigger than you might expect.”

She’d spent nearly an entire summer in a similar RV with her family one year when her mother insisted it was time they saw more of the world than Wyoming. They’d driven to Texas in a borrowed RV to visit Granddaddy Thomas, then taken a meandering tour through Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and several other states. Her parents had taken them to the Grand Canyon, the Hoover Dam, Mount Rushmore and Las Vegas.

By the end of the summer, Sienna had seen plenty of the country. She was also on the verge of killing her entire family after spending so much time confined with them in the small space. The experience had left her less than fond of RV’ing. She’d made a vow to herself that when she and Josh had kids, they’d travel the traditional way—in planes and hotels.

“It’s very nice.” Her tone must have betrayed her true thoughts.

Daniel chuckled. “Not much for hitting the open road and camping along the way, huh?”

She shrugged. “I like my vacations a little more organized.”

“Organized how?”

Her answer was simple. “Plane tickets with definite departure and arrival times, hotel reservations and a detailed itinerary. Driving around with no definite idea of where you’re going or when you’ll get there is insanity.”

Daniel shook his head. “Haven’t you ever heard the expression It’s the journey, not the destination?”

“No doubt that was penned by someone who couldn’t be bothered to go online and book a room.”

Daniel didn’t respond. Instead, he simply studied her face. When she began to feel uncomfortable under his scrutiny, she turned and pretended to be fascinated by his kitchen. “You cook a lot?”

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