Page 109 of Roaring Fork Wrangler

“I don’t know about that, but come on. I’ll show you around,” he said, dropping his arms, but taking my hand again.

“I love this,”I said once we were in the truck that had to be several decades old.

“Wanna know the part I like the best?” He put his arm around my waist, pulled me to the center of the bench seat, then buckled the lap belt. “I like the feel of you right beside me,” he said, resting his right hand on my thigh. “It might get a little rough. Hold on tight, darlin’.”

I put my hand on his thigh too, squeezing when it was bumpy and also when it wasn’t.

“Those are three of the cabins,” he said, pointing to the left. “There are five more. I’m not sure which ones my brothers live in.”

“Theylook new.”

He shook his head. “Renovated. At one point, Flynn and I wanted to turn this place into a dude ranch. When she got married, we let go of that dream. By then, Port was heavy into roughstock contracting, so I put my energy there.”

“So, uh, roughstocking…I mean, I’ve heard the word before, but what do you do?”

“We supply bulls and broncs for rodeo events. We also breed ’em.”

“Just bulls and horses?” I asked.

“Port and I decided early on that we didn’t want to get involved in the cattle side of it.”

“Why not?”

He shrugged. “Doesn’t seem like a fair fight, you know?”

I nodded even though I didn’t.

Cord kept driving up a road that got progressively narrower. “You got any issues with heights?”

“Not at all.”

He smiled. “Then, I’ll show you my favorite spot.” He pulled up next to a boulder and cut the engine. The view in front of us stretched on for miles and miles. “That’s the ski area,” he said, pointing to the right. “Thepeak is about two thousand feet higher than where we are now, at ten thousand.”

“Do you downhill ski?”

“Used to.”

“Why’d you stop?”

“The older I got, the less time I had for it. What about you?”

“I still do, although the ski areas near East Aurora are pretty tame compared to that,” I said, motioning to the Butte.

He chuckled. “That’s downtown,” he said, pointing to the left. “It looks tiny from here and doesn’t feel much bigger when you’re in it. Wanna walk?”

“Sure.”

He got out of the driver’s side. “Come this way.”

When I scooted closer, he lifted me in his arms and kissed me before carrying me away from the boulder and setting me on my feet. “Ground’s more even over here.”

I turned in a circle, taking it all in. There was what looked like a natural clearing surrounded by aspen and evergreen trees. “It’s gorgeous, Cord,” I said, lookingback at the view.

“I think so,” he said, staring at me instead of the landscape.

When my cheeks flushed and I lowered my gaze, Cord kissed me again. He pressed his tongue against my lips, and I opened to him.

“When the weather’s warmer, I wanna bring you back here, spread a blanket out on the grass, and spend the afternoon making love to you.”

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