“I’m so sorry, sweetheart. Why didn’t you say something? You need some bandages on these and a pair of gloves. He folded Lee back into his arms, tucking her head just under his chin. Her hair smelled clean and lemony and her body fit just perfectly against his. He imagined they’d fit perfectly doing a lot of things and he stirred, immediately aroused by the images exploding in his brain.
Lee sniffed. Tag nuzzled her soft hair and grinned. She hadn’t a clue as to what he was thinking, thank goodness, she was so caught up worrying about that dumb magazine article.
Well, he’d give her something else to think about. “About the roundup,” he said, tilting Lee’s chin up with his fingers. “I got to thinking how Gramma may not have all that much time left and here she and Coop have just discovered how they feel about each other. Well, it just doesn’t seem fair to separate them right now. We’re both adults. We know our relationship is a temporary thing. We’re not looking at a future together, but that’s by choice. Gramma and Coop don’t have any choice, not with her dyin’ and all . . .”
Tears streamed once more down Lee’s cheeks. She must be as moved by Coop and Gramma Lenore’s ill-fated love as he was. “I knew you’d understand,” Tag whispered. He kissed away the salty tears while gently, soothingly, rubbing the tension out of Lee’s shoulders. She sighed against him, a sound Tag took for agreement. At least something was going his way.
MAYBE ALL cowboys are insensitive jerks,
Lee thought. Was that what she’d come to Colorado to learn? She knew, deep in her heart, this state wasn’t her home. Unlike Tag, she wasn’t all that quick to assume she knew anything at all about cattle or ranching or the great American West.
She did know she must be some kind of idiot. Why else would she be falling in love with a man she’d only known for three days, a man who didn’t have a clue what was going on in a woman’s mind . . . or heart? What other reason could there be?
Sure, he was strong and handsome, he loved his ranch and his animals, he was, mostly, good to his grandmother, and he obviously thought the world of his crusty old foreman. He’d kissed Lee’s blisters as if he truly cared how much they hurt.
Tag’s arms tightened around her. Automatically her heart responded and she pressed her tear-dampened face against his warm, muscular chest. Only an idiot would allow herself to be lulled into comfort in this man’s arms.
After all, he’d admitted from the beginning he never intended to marry. It shouldn’t hurt so much, hearing him repeat the fact their relationship was a temporary thing, that they had no future. Lee knew some of the reasons Tag feared commitment. Maybe, once she learned all the reasons, her own feelings would make sense.
“I need to go talk to Coop before he heads over to help Will,” Tag said. “You get your things packed, see if you can borrow some gloves from Gramma to protect your hands. Meet me out here . . .” He glanced at his wristwatch. “About four. That’ll get us out of here by five and up the hill before dark. Okay?”
Sighing, weary and sore in every muscle and sinew, Lee nodded against Tag’s chest in agreement. She slipped out of his embrace and headed back to the house for her things. What was the point of arguing? He wouldn’t listen anyway.
He’d said to plan on being gone for about two weeks. She tried to imagine what could happen over the next two weeks, considering the myriad directions her life had gone in a mere three days.
Two weeks with Tag and a whole crew of cowboys. Cowboys who thought the two of them were married . . . which meant they’d have to act married.
Suddenly Lee’s mood shifted and she grinned to herself, considering the possibilities. Tag did have a lot of good points, she had to admit. At least this would give her the chance to get to know him better, in his natural environment.
And, just maybe, it would give Tag a chance to get past his fear of commitment, a chance to consider a few other options in his life. Maybe, once he spent some quality time with Lee, he’d decide he couldn’t survive without a certain befuddled redhead.
It was the befuddled part that had her concerned. The vague memories of life in New York, of a handsome blond man with pale blue eyes. If only she knew how he fit into her past.
She touched her lips with the tips of her fingers, remembering Tag’s kiss. She knew she’d never been kissed like that in her entire life, knew she could never accept anything less than the passion she felt with Tag. Which made it fairly easy to dismiss the threat of the blond stranger.
Lee felt as if she’d stepped right into the plot of a western romance. Her life had never been so exciting, she’d never felt so alive. Now she was going on a roundup. It might even be fun.
Of course it would be fun. A roundup couldn’t be all that difficult, could it?
Chapter 10
JUST BEFORE four in the afternoon, Lee stood outside the corral and watched while Tag struggled to saddle a restless horse. The animal skittered and shied away, threw its head back and snorted. Tag moved slowly around the enormous white beast, his motions calm and unhurried, stroking and soothing the animal until it finally stilled and watched him with wide, anxious eyes.
Lee let out a huge breath, unaware until then she’d been holding it. “You’re not going to ride that thing, are you?” she asked.
Tag turned to her and grinned. “Of course I am. He’s just a bit frisky is all. What do ya think?” He stroked the horse’s long white mane with obvious pride. “I’ve only had him a couple of weeks, but he’s settled down just fine.”
“He looks dangerous.” Lee backed away from the fence as Tag led the horse closer. “And hungry.”
“Horses aren’t carnivores, hon. They eat oats and hay, not beautiful women.” Tag readjusted the worn leather saddle on the animal’s broad back, acting as if the fact he’d just called her hon and said he thought she was beautiful meant nothing.
Maybe it didn’t mean a thing, to Tag at least. “I’m all packed,” Lee said, exhaling a frustrated breath. She stretched her arms over her head and wondered if her body would ever be the same. “Do you realize I’ve only known you for three days and we’ve been up and down that mountain every single one of them?”
Tag straightened up and stared at her. “And your point is?”
“Never mind.” Obviously she still had a lot to learn about cowboys. “When are we leaving?”
“Soon as I get this fella ready.” The big white horse looked resigned to his fate. He cocked one hip and lowered his eyelids until he appeared half asleep.
Lee knew appearances could be deceiving. She figured he was just waiting to strike. “He’s a lot bigger than Chief, isn’t he?” She tried to sound as if she really cared. This monster wasn’t nearly as cute as Star or as lovable as Dandy.
“He’s a stud,” Tag said, as if that explained everything. “He hasn’t been gelded like Chief, so he’s developed a thicker neck and broader chest. He’s half quarter horse, half Arab, just like Daisy.”
“How can he be half a quarter horse?” Lee asked. This horse didn’t look like half of anything. He looked more like a whole lot of trouble.
“Quarter horse is a breed, just like Arabians. He’s got speed and cow sense from his dam, endurance and heart from his Arab sire. He should be perfect for working cattle in the terrain we’ve got.” Tag grinned, obviously warming to his subject. “He’s something new Coop and I decided to try. Most folks around here stick with full-blooded quarter horses, but we both liked a quarter/Arab cross of Will’s so much, we decided to try a little horse breeding on our own. We’ll put this big fella with Daisy when she’s a bit older, see what kind of offspring we get.”
“Oh.” Lee mentally compared the size of the big white stud with the dainty little mare and shuddered. Then she compared Tag’s lean strength and broad shoulders to her own relatively petite frame and a delightful shiver raced along her spine. She studied the white stallion with a new perspective.
He snorted and shook his head as if he knew exactly in what direction her mind was straying. Lee gulped and stepped back from the fence. Tag readjusted the cinch on the saddle and Lee turned her attention to the yard, aware of an increase in activity about her, a sense of expectation. A group of cowhands struggled to load equipment into the back of a flatbed truck and a couple of men herded a small band of horses into one of the corrals.
The sound of a heavy engine starting echoed from the depths of the barn. The roar increased as Coop drove a huge tractor out through the wide double doors. Tag waved to the old man, who tipped his hat before driving down the main road toward the front gate. Lee watched him disappear in a cloud of blue smoke, then leaned down to smooth the worn leather chaps Lenore had insisted she wear.
She adjusted her leather gloves over the fresh bandages on her palms, tilted her hat to keep the sun out of her eyes and turned her attention back to Tag. He was watching her with an odd little half smile on his face.
Just enough of a smile to pop that damned dimple out on his cheek. “What?” Lee asked, wishing he wouldn’t look at her like that. It did such strange things to her stomach. “Did I do something stupid again?”
“Never,” Tag said. He reached over the top rail of the corral and tilted her chin so that he could see her eyes more clearly. He didn’t think he’d ever seen eyes quite that shade of green before. She didn’t wear a lick of makeup, not even lipstick, but her lashes were thick and dark, her lips so soft and kissable it was all he could do to stop at just touching her.
Damn she had him confused. His grandmother and Coop weren’t helping the situation, either. Especially Coop. He never should have listened to Coop, but he couldn’t get the old cowboy’s words of advice out of his head. Tag had just wanted to go over some projects here at the ranch before he and Lee left, but his foreman had other ideas. One thing for sure . . . that old man read way too many romance novels.
Tag splayed his fingers along the edge of Lee’s jaw. “It’s gettin’ late so we need to head out,” he said. “Do you think you can hang on to the lead rope and ride Dandy at the same time, or are your hands too sore?”
She blinked, then backed out of his grasp. “Gramma Lenore bandaged my hands and gave me a pair of her gloves. If you tell me what a lead rope is, I guess I can handle it.”
“We’re gonna pack all our gear for the next couple of weeks on Daisy and Chief. We’ll set up a base camp, so once we unload the gear we’ll each have two horses. That way we can switch animals when they get tired.”
“What about if we get tired? Who’s gonna switch with us?”
Tag laughed. She didn’t really expect an answer to a dumb question like that, did she?
LEE FELT like her left arm was about ready to detach itself from her shoulder and her palms stung like crazy. She’d been hanging on to the lead rope, hauling the heavily packed Daisy and Chief along behind Dandy for the better part of two hours.
Her butt and lower back hurt too. The insides of her knees were rubbed raw, and if it hadn’t been for Dandy’s placid temperament and easy gait she’d have fallen off long ago.
Tag shouldn’t have been having any better time than she was, fighting a constant battle of wills with the flashing white stallion as it pranced and sidestepped every inch of the rocky trail. When Tag told her the horse’s name was Nitro, Lee hadn’t been the least surprised.
No, he should have been tired and exhausted as well, but instead he appeared to be having the time of his life. The only one in the group who seemed as tired and sore as Lee was the skinny black-and-white mongrel with one floppy ear that had joined them sometime earlier.
“Are we almost there yet?” Lee asked, giving the mutt trotting alongside her a hopeful look.
“You sound like a little kid in the backseat,” Tag said. He shifted around in his saddle. Lee could have hauled off and belted him one. He looked as rested and unruffled as if he’d just begun this endless trip.
Lee knew she looked like hell and smelled like horse. “I’m not a child, Tag. I’m a very tired, hungry, filthy, dirty, adult woman.” She carefully enunciated every word. “I meant it when I asked you are we almost there yet.”
“Yup.” He grinned, then hauled back on the reins when Nitro took offense at a rock in the trail, snorted and jumped sideways.
Tag resettled himself with an ease that impressed Lee in spite of her foul mood. “Just through those trees. I thought we’d spend the night at the cabin where we stayed night before last, since it’ll be our last chance at running water and indoor plumbing for a while. The summer range isn’t all that far.”
Lee urged Dandy forward and tugged the lead rope. The dog grinned up at her, its long pink tongue lolling from his mouth. A bath. That huge claw-footed tub, filled to the brim with hot water. A real, honest-to-goodness bath. The words filled Lee’s mind like a mantra. She figured she could handle just about anything, as long as there was a bath waiting on the other side.
LEE DIDN’T even offer to help unpack the horses. She crawled out of the saddle, grabbed the stirrup for support when her knees buckled, then finally made her wobbly way into the cabin.
She had her chaps off and her shirt unbuttoned before she reached the bathroom. She tossed in some bubble bath while the tub was filling, wondering briefly why cowboys needed bubbles, then slipped into the hot, soothing water.
Lord, what a day. Sleeping on a hard wooden floor, a long ride down the mountain, another long ride up the mountain, and all of that time spent in the company of the sexiest macho jerk she’d ever met.
Why was she so hopelessly attracted to a man who made her crazy? A man willing to carry out a sham marriage to fool an old lady, a man so insensitive he didn’t even realize the bride he’d hired was falling in love with him.
Damn. It probably wasn’t the smartest move, coming up here with Tag, no matter how important it was to give Lenore and Coop time alone together, no matter how much Lee wanted to be with the man. Didn’t Ann Landers constantly caution women about the impossibility of changing a man? The last thing Lee needed was time alone with Tag. It was a recipe for disaster.
Disaster and heartache with a capital H. Lee sighed and dipped her head under the water, then leaned back against the curved end of the tub. She felt the aches and pains of the day easing out of her sore muscles. Even her hands didn’t hurt as much. She peeled the dirty bandages off her palms and didn’t realize she had company until she glanced up in search of a waste basket.
The black-and-white mutt sat beside the tub, his chin resting on the chipped porcelain, his mouth open in a doggy grin. The bathroom door was wide open.
He must have pushed it open with that pointy nose of his.
Lee was just rising from the tub to shut the door when Tag walked into the bathroom.
“Oops,” he said, backing out. “I didn’t realize you were in here. You shoulda shut the door.”
Lee slid down in the water until it reached her chin. She tried to place the washcloth and bubbles as strategically as possible. “I did shut the door,” she muttered. “Your dumb dog must have opened it.”
Tag poked his head back around the corner, grinning. Lee glared at him. “I see you’ve met Bob the Dog,” he said. “I thought I saw him tagging along.”
“Bob? That’s his name?” She reached one hand out of the water and tentatively stroked the dog’s head.
“Bob the Dog’s his name,” Tag said. He walked boldly into the bathroom and sat down on the lid of the commode. Bob the Dog immediately shifted his loyal gaze to the cowboy and moved closer to have his ears scratched.
Lee sunk a little deeper in the tub and prayed for the bubbles to last.
“Coop wanted Ramón to bob his tail, like he’s done with the other ranch dogs. Ramón just didn’t have the heart to do it, so he intentionally misunderstood the directions and started calling him Bob the Dog. It stuck, right along with the tail.”
As if he knew the punch line of the story, Bob the Dog waved his beautiful long black tail with the white tip. Lee giggled. “He has a very nice tail,” she said, but she was looking at Tag.
Who was staring right back at her. The heat in his eyes raised the temperature in the tiny bathroom another ten degrees. “Yes, he does,” Tag answered in a husky whisper. “That tub sure looks inviting.”
Lee had to agree. “It sure feels good, after that long ride.”
“It’s probably the biggest bathtub anywhere on the Double Eagle,” Tag added.
“You told me, the first night we came up here, it was big enough for a party.” Lee slipped to one side to show him just how much room there was.
“I guess I did, didn’t I?” He tipped his hat back, as if studying the size of the tub for the first time. “Party of two?”
His voice sounded hopeful. Lee knew hers had a desperate edge to it. She was playing with fire, going against every argument she’d given herself against doing exactly what she knew was going to happen.
The two of them were going to make love. Right here in this big old bathtub with the steam rising off the water and a stupid flop-eared dog as witness.
She shivered, even though the water was definitely warm enough. Why couldn’t she remember all the reasons not to get any more involved with this man?
Hadn’t she just been going over them, one right after the other? Suddenly her mind blanked. Not only couldn’t she remember her past, she was having a terrible time with the past five minutes.
“A bath sure would feel good,” Tag said. “After a long day in the saddle, there’s nothing better than a long, hot bath.” He stood up, his gaze still locked with Lee’s, and began to unbutton his shirt. Lee thought about asking him to leave before this went any further, but for some reason her mouth refused to work, her lips wouldn’t form the words and the only sound she made was a nervous swallow.
His blue chambray shirt came off, then the cotton undershirt as well. Lee’d seen his chest before. It had the same effect on her libido this time.
Only Tag wasn’t stopping at his shirt. He sat back down on the commode and removed his boots and socks, then stood up and unfastened the heavy silver belt buckle. Lee swallowed again and nervously licked her lips.
Tag peeled the worn jeans and plaid boxers down his long legs, but Lee’s gaze stopped at the juncture of his thighs. Everything she’d read about cowboys must be true, she thought, almost hysterically. No wonder they made such popular heroes in romances.
Bob the Dog whined, as if sensing the tension filling the room. Tag shooed the reluctant beast out the door, latched it securely behind him, and with one quick step eased himself into the big tub opposite Lee.
The water sloshed over the edge, then the bubbles settled back into place. Lee drew her knees up to her chest, almost preternaturally aware of Tag’s long legs stretched out on either side of her. He nonchalantly grabbed a washcloth and began to soap his chest and arms, as casually as if the two of them bathed together on a regular basis. She couldn’t take her eyes off the slow, sensual movements of the cloth in Tag’s elegant, long-fingered grasp as he slowly dragged it across his chest.