Cowboy All Night (Thunder Mountain Brotherhood, Book 5) (18 page)

“You’re
what
?” She jerked away from him and peered into his face. Surely she’d misunderstood. “Aren’t you the one who told me to back off?”

“I am, and I’ve changed my mind. You’ve done all this out of love for him because you want him to get better. Maybe it’s a bad idea, or the wrong idea, but he needs to see that foal at least once before rejecting him.”

Her breath caught. “But...he doesn’t want to go.”

“Then let’s convince him. It’s dark out. We can sneak him in and sneak him out without anyone knowing except the three of us. If he can’t manage that, then I find it hard to believe you share the same genetics.”

She felt a rush of emotion so strong that it could only be one thing. But now wasn’t the time to declare it. Maybe she never would. After all, he hadn’t said why he was doing this. To him, it might not be any different than saving a puppy.

Taking his hand, she led him to Josh’s apartment. Light shone through the curtains drawn over his living room window and the noise of a video game filtered through the door, so at least he wasn’t asleep. She didn’t think he slept much, anyway. She tapped their code knock on the door.

It took a while before the sound of the video game ended and Josh opened the door. He did a double-take. “Who the hell is this?”

Brant stepped forward. “My name is Brant Ellison. I’m here to take you out to see Lucy’s foal.”

“Damned if you are.” He backed up the wheelchair and tried to close the door but he was no match for Brant.

Pushing his way in, Brant pulled Aria after him. “We need to have a talk.”

“We don’t and you’re trespassing.” Josh glared at him and picked up the phone from a nearby table. “I’m calling 9-1-1.”

“You could, but that seems like a piss-poor way to react when your sister is only trying to help you.”

Josh shifted his anger to her. “Apparently you decided to bring the muscle to bend me to your will.”

“This was Brant’s idea and you have no clue how unusual it is for him to take this kind of action. He’s the kindest, most gentle—”

“Spare me. And get out of my apartment or I swear I’ll call the police.”

Brant crouched beside his wheelchair. “Don’t do that, Josh. We have a lot in common, you and I. We both love horses. We both love our personal freedom. And...we both love Aria.”

She gasped. “Brant!”

But he didn’t look back at her. He kept his attention on Josh. “So what do you say? It’s the middle of the night. No one will see you come and go. We don’t even have to take your wheelchair. There’s one out at the ranch.”

“So I heard.” But the venom had left his voice.

“It’ll be a couple hours out of your life, but it will mean the world to your sister.”

In the silence that followed, Aria’s heart thumped so loud she wondered if they could hear it. She hadn’t known what to expect when Brant shoved his way into Josh’s apartment, but it certainly hadn’t been a declaration of love. Plus, he hadn’t even said it directly to her.

Yet barging in here to confront Josh was the most loving and romantic gesture she could imagine. This was the man who believed in giving people space, the man who’d counseled her to back off. But he was right in Josh’s face, pressing him for a decision.

Josh gazed at him for several long moments. “You must love her or you wouldn’t have tried this stupid stunt. Let’s go.”

18

B
RANT
AGREED
TO
drive Aria’s van to the ranch because she asked him to. She looked a little shaky, but the glow of happiness in her eyes would stay with him for the rest of his life. He lifted Josh into the backseat, next to the sliding door, and Aria climbed in front.

As he drove away from the apartment complex he could feel her gaze on him and he debated whether to reach over and take her hand. But with Josh in the back seat, it didn’t seem like a good idea. The more they behaved like a cozy couple, the more they’d exclude her brother.

The drive was a silent one. He didn’t want to say something wrong after apparently saying something right.

When he’d crouched next to Josh’s chair, he hadn’t known he was going to say that. The words had flowed from his heart, not his head. He’d scared the bejesus out of Aria, too. Once this was over and they were alone, he’d apologize. That had to have been the lamest declaration of love in the history of romance.

Maybe she’d forgive him if he explained that he’d never said that to any woman besides Rosie. Technically he still hadn’t. He’d told her brother, instead. But he had a hunch that without those words, they wouldn’t be on their way to Thunder Mountain.

Josh had issues—no doubt about that—but he loved his sister. Apparently he’d needed someone who also loved her to point out the critical nature of paying Linus at least one visit. He might be going under protest, but at least he was going. And he’d behave himself or else.

Brant didn’t think there’d be a problem, though, or he wouldn’t be doing this in the first place. His money was on Linus. Josh pretended to be a badass, but most guys in his position would do the same. That colt could melt the heart of a seasoned criminal, let alone a fake hardnose like Josh. He wouldn’t stand a chance against Linus’s maximum-force cuteness.

All was quiet at the ranch and no lights glowed except for the one on the porch and two dusk-to-dawn lights. Brant swung the van around so Josh’s door was next to the barn entrance.

“Be right back with the chair.” Good thing Aria had asked him to keep it in the barn. That eliminated the hassle of transporting Josh’s wheelchair out here. The quicker this could be accomplished, the more likely it would succeed.

By the time he returned, Aria had opened the van’s sliding door and she and Josh were talking in low tones. He was glad to see that the guy hadn’t completely zoned out. Not wanting to intrude on the brother-sister conversation, he held back.

But Josh spotted him. “Your boyfriend’s here.”

Boyfriend.
That term grated on his nerves and not only because of the sneer in Josh’s voice when he’d said it. Brant didn’t want to be Aria’s boyfriend. He wanted to be the man she counted on when the going got rough, the one she laughed with and made love to, the one she kissed good-night and woke up with in the morning.

After positioning the chair next to the van, he stepped away. Aria and Josh had accomplished this dozens of times without his help. In fact, they didn’t need him at all now that Josh was only a few feet from the barn. He could wait in the van, for that matter.

But he wasn’t willing to, so he walked into the barn and joined Ringo, who was sitting on a hay bale near the door. “Keep your toes crossed, Ringo,” he murmured as he scratched behind the cat’s ears. “This one’s for all the marbles.”

Josh’s upper body strength served him well as he got into the chair and propelled it across the gravel and into the barn. Aria didn’t have to do much at all. He might be able to navigate the pasture, after all. Good to know.

Josh didn’t look Brant’s way as they started down the wooden aisle toward the birthing stall. Aria gave him a quick smile and he responded with a thumbs-up. He resisted the urge to follow. Yes, he was the trainer, but Aria had good instincts and could handle this without his interference.

From his vantage point he’d be able to tell if something went seriously wrong. He wouldn’t get to watch Josh’s reaction to seeing the foal, but Aria could describe it to him later. He stayed put and continued to pet the cat.

Ringo’s loud purr blended with the muted sounds of horses moving in their stalls. They were probably wondering what the hell was going on and if this middle-of-the-night intrusion involved food.

When Aria opened the stall door and eased the wheelchair inside, he was glad they’d already practiced this move. If they hadn’t, he wouldn’t have been so sure about hauling Josh out here tonight. A horse nickered, but the sound came from a stall close to him, not Lucy’s.

He hoped she and Linus were awake, but the colt looked adorable curled up asleep, too. Either way should do the trick. If it didn’t, then Josh was a hopeless case and Aria would have to accept that. If she needed any support as she worked through her disappointment, he would gladly provide it.

He’d also give Josh a piece of his mind, even though that wouldn’t accomplish anything. It would make him feel better, though. Funny how his easygoing nature shifted when someone was hurting Aria.

That wasn’t all that had shifted, either. If someone had suggested that his world view could change in forty-eight hours, he would have laughed his head off. But it had.

Taking this action for Aria’s sake, a move he wouldn’t have imagined himself making even last week, showed him that he could change, and damned fast, too. Just because he’d never wanted to commit to a woman in the past didn’t mean he wasn’t ready to do it now.

She’d said she wasn’t in the market for a husband, and that was fine with him. He didn’t need a piece of paper to tell him what he knew in his heart. That part they could take a day at a time. No rush, as long as she agreed they should be together. Judging from the way she’d looked at him after he’d confronted Josh, he thought maybe she would agree.

They didn’t come out for quite a while. That should be a good sign unless Josh was sitting there in a funk and Aria was knocking herself out trying to spark his interest in the foal. After what seemed like an eternity and likely was only about twenty minutes, the wheelchair reappeared.

While Aria closed and fastened the stall door, Josh rolled himself down the aisle toward Brant. The guy had impressive dexterity. The basketball team hadn’t been that coordinated when they’d fooled around with Steve’s chair.

Josh came to a stop in front of Brant. His cheeks were damp and he cleared his throat several times.

Brant waited.

Finally, Josh held out his hand. “Thanks, man.” His voice shook. “I owe you.” In spite of his obvious distress, he had a hell of a grip.

“Don’t thank me. Thank your sister.”

“I did. And I will, many times over. I told her this afternoon that a cute little foal wouldn’t make a difference.” He cleared his throat again and met Brant’s gaze. “I was wrong. Thanks for insisting I come out here.”

“You’re welcome.” Brant wanted to do a victory dance or at least a fist pump, but he controlled the impulse. “I thought you should at least meet the little guy.”

“Yeah, well, I intend to do a hell of a lot more than that. He came right over to me, like he knew me. I’m sure that’s because of the way you’ve socialized him in these first couple of days, but still...” He swallowed. “It was very cool.”

“Horses choose who they like just like people do.”

“I’ve always thought so.” He took a deep breath and glanced away. “I guess I was worried that he wouldn’t like me.”

Probably because he didn’t like himself much these days. But that could change. Maybe the process had already started.

Aria approached and he realized she’d been waiting until Josh had said his piece. Her quick little sniff told him she’d been crying, too, but he suspected they were happy tears. “Thank you, Brant.” Her voice quivered and she paused to take a breath. “We can go back now.”

Once again he let Aria and Josh work out the logistics of getting into the van. They seemed to have a system. After he stashed the wheelchair in the tack room he got behind the wheel and started the van.

Aria reached over and squeezed his arm. She let go immediately as if she’d had the same thought about excluding Josh, but he treasured that brief contact. He liked making her happy. He hoped she’d let him do that for a very long time.

In sharp contrast to the silent drive out, the drive back was filled with animated conversation as Josh described Linus’s behavior in great detail and Aria added footnotes. Brant joined in with his own anecdotes about Linus and they all agreed that he was the most amazing colt that had ever lived.

“You were right, Aria,” Josh said. “I needed motivation to get out of that damned chair and Linus is it. I want to help halter-train him and later on I want to introduce him to a saddle. How cool is it to be there for every stage of his development?”

“I think it’ll be great.” Aria looked over at Brant. “Do you ever check back to see how your other foals are doing?”

“Not really. I’ve had reports from the owners, but they’re not my foals, so I make myself turn loose of them when the training’s over. Better for them, better for me.”

“Hmm.” She gave him a little smile but didn’t say anything more.

Back at the apartment complex, he carried Josh in because it was simpler than bringing his wheelchair out.

“I’ll make you a promise,” Josh said as Brant settled him in his chair. “This is the very last time you’ll have to do that.”

“I don’t mind.”

“Yeah, but I do. I’ll be out of this thing in no time. You may know this already, but when someone in our family sets a goal, then that’s it. The goal will be accomplished.”

Brant glanced at Aria standing in the doorway smiling at him. “I do know that.”

“Yes,” she said softly. “But sometimes we need a little help from our friends.”

“Thanks for being there for Aria.” Josh held out his hand again. “Sorry I’ve been such an a-hole.”

Brant shook his hand and smiled. “Hey, any friend of Linus’s is a friend of mine.”

“Ditto.” Josh looked from Brant to Aria. “Okay, get out of here, you two lovebirds. I know you’ve been keeping your hands off each other for my sake, and I appreciate that. But I’m sure you have business to take care of and I have strengthening exercises to do.”

Crossing the room, Aria leaned down to give him a hug. “Will you go out to the ranch with me tomorrow morning?”

“I will.” He sighed. “I’m tempted to wait until I’m back on my feet, except I’d miss so much.” He glared at Brant. “But don’t you dare treat me like a cripple.”

“I won’t because you’re not.”

Josh held his gaze. “Thank you for that.” Then he waved them off. “Now beat it, both of you.”

They’d barely made it out the door before Aria grabbed his face in both hands and kissed him for all she was worth. She knocked off his hat in the process and he let it fall as he gathered her close and delved into her hot mouth. He wanted her with a ferocity that defied all reason.

He lost track of where they were and who might come upon them. He simply had to get as close to her as possible. Their clothes became an unacceptable barrier and he reached under her shirt, searching for the hooks on her bra. No telling what might have happened if she hadn’t wiggled against him and nudged the panic button on the keys he’d shoved in his pocket.

They both started laughing and he had a devil of a time silencing the alarm, but eventually he got it turned off. They hopped in the van so he could park it where it belonged. With that done, she grabbed his hand and tugged him up the outside staircase to her second-floor apartment.

She wasted no time getting in and hurrying him through her living room. But in the hallway outside her bedroom, she suddenly stopped and stared at him in dismay. “We can’t. I don’t have any—”

“Never mind.” He caught her by the shoulders and propelled her through the door. “Your keys weren’t all I had in my pocket.” After that, clothes flew and he made love to her without pulling back the comforter, without foreplay, without finesse of any kind. She didn’t seem to care. Her eagerness matched his and they both came in a noisy, jubilant rush.

At last they quieted, their bodies slick and flushed with pleasure. It was time. Taking a deep breath, he propped himself on his forearms and gazed into her eyes. “I love you, Aria Danes.”

“I know. I love you, too.”

“I’m sorry I just blurted it out when I was talking to your brother, but—”

“Shh.” She placed a finger against his lips. “What you did tonight, including what you said to Josh, was the most romantic thing I can imagine. You blew me away.”

“Yeah?” He couldn’t help grinning.

“Yeah.”

Success made him bold. He had something to say and he might as well say it now. “You know, when we raced through your apartment, I didn’t notice whether you had a couch.”

“I do.” She frowned in confusion. “Why?”

“Is there room to stash a sleeping bag behind it?”

Her eyes widened and then they filled with tears. “Oh, Brant.”

Leaning down, he kissed the tears as they dribbled from the corners of her beautiful, violet eyes. “The truth is, I don’t have a sleeping bag. What I really want is to lie here with you in your bed every night I’m not on the road.”

“You do?” The tears flowed faster.

“I want to be with you, Aria. Just you, for as long as you’ll have me.”

Her voice was thick with emotion. “I hope you know what you’re saying because that could be a really, really long time.”

“I know what I’m saying.” Lifting his head, he gazed down at her. The sweet ache in his chest told him this was right. “I told you that I didn’t believe in this...in love. But now...” His throat tightened. “Now I do.”