The Reluctant Cowboy (15 page)

“She wants you to pick her up.  She likes to be held after she eats.” 

“Are you sure I won’t hurt her head?” 

“No, she’s fine.  You can pick her up, if you want to.” 

He didn’t hesitate, but scooped her up, causing her to squeal in delight as he did.  He positioned her on his lap and sat back in his chair.  He was careful with her head as he ran his hands down her little arms and chubby little legs.  She seemed so fragile and tiny in his lap.  She was leaning her back in the crook of his arm and let out a big yawn.  “Someone getting sleepy?” Cole whispered in her ear. 

She vehemently shook her head, but Cole could see her lids getting heavy.  “Bunny,” she yawned. 

“Skye, honey, you know how to ask for your bunny.”  Sierra was now standing near them. 

“Peas, mom-ee.” 

Cole understood that.  “She said, ‘please Mommy.’”  He was smiling down at his daughter. 

“Good girl, Skye,” Sierra complimented her daughter, then leaned down and kissed the top of her head.  “I’ll be right back.”  She turned and walked out of the room. 

Cole could still smell where Sierra had been standing so close.  He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.  She smelled like fresh flowers.  He leaned down to do the same with his daughter’s head.  She smelled so clean, probably the baby wash they used.  Nothing could describe how is senses were assaulted by these two. 

Sierra returned momentarily with the bunny blanket Skye had asked for and handed it to her.  “Ank you,” Skye responded. 

“You’re welcome, sweetie.” 

Sierra returned to sit on the couch, while Cole watched is daughter proceed to suck on the bunny’s ear and fall asleep in his arms.  He felt her go limp and smiling at Sierra, asked, “Will she be asleep for long?  I lost feeling in my arm a while ago.”  As Sierra started to get up to retrieve Skye, Cole stopped her, “No, I wasn’t complaining.  May I take her to lay her down?” 

She led him the up the stairs into adjoining bedrooms.  They were both large bedrooms with a shared bathroom between them.  They went to Skye’s room first.  It was painted a pale pink with white crown molding and white characters on the wall.  ABC’s were placed high around as a border.  It was a little girl’s room with white furniture and shelving. 

As gently as possible with his numb arm, Cole laid his daughter in her crib.  The realization of what seemed so mundane stunned him as he covered her up with a light blanket.  He stood staring down at her until Sierra cleared her throat, “She probably won’t be down long.  This is her post-nap.” 

Cole couldn’t help but take a peak in what he presumed was Sierra’s bedroom, as they walked out.  Compared to Skye’s room, this room seemed rather plain and uninspired.  He was about to comment, when she explained, “I don’t want it to feel like my room.  I already have a room down the hall that I grew up in.  This is just temporary for me.  I’m saving to buy a house for Skye and me.  I’m really close now and soon we will have our own home.”  

Cole took one last glance and his eyes were drawn to the tie hanging on the bottom post of her bed. It was the tie he gave her from their last time together.  He smiled inwardly as they made their way downstairs and her mother greeted them at the bottom of the stairs, “Why don’t the two of you take this time to talk?  Sierra, take Cole over to Quinn’s and show him the stables and horses.  It’s a nice day and you haven’t been riding lately.” 

He watched Sierra look at her mother strangely, then said, “I’d like that.  I’ve never been around horses and would like to talk with you.” 

Sierra’s mother smiled and Sierra sighed, “Well, alrighty, then.  This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder.” 

Cole smiled and said, “Goodbye.”  

Her father told them to be back in a couple of hours for steaks on the grill.  He saw Sierra roll her eyes at him as they made their exit. 

Sierra sat in the passenger seat trying to comprehend how this day had taken such a strange twist.  Talking with her friends early in the day, fighting with and then having sex with Cole before noon, and then having him come to her home and be caring and compassionate with Skye. 

She couldn’t deny how watching he and Skye interact made her heart melt.  He was good with her and she seemed to reciprocate with him.  She was a friendly, outgoing child, but generally didn’t let strangers hold her and fall asleep in their arms.  That had unsettled Sierra to see how comfortable she was with him.  She didn’t know what to expect and certainly hadn’t expected to laugh and enjoy watching them interact with each other. 

She was still hurt from the way Cole had treated her earlier, but was starting to see things from his perspective.  She had been angry, too, but here they were, together again in what seemed like a “truce” for the day.  She stole a glance at his profile as he drove.  She sighed as she realized his profile was just as handsome as the full frontal view, even with a day’s growth covering his face.  She noticed he was quiet, too, but it was a comfortable silence. 

“Turn right at the next stop sign.  You will see it in about a half mile, on the right.” 

She watched Cole’s expression change as he pulled into the beautiful lane, lined with large Maple trees on both sides.  White, wooden fencing surrounded the pastures as horses grazed on the green grass.  A huge archway with the letters QQH greeted them as they got closer to the barns and stables. 

“Wow, it’s beautiful.”  Sierra watched him as he parked the car and then sat, just taking it all in. 

“They work really hard and take a lot of pride in their stables.”  She didn’t know what Cole had expected, but Quinn’s Quarter Horses was a business. 

Sierra was amazed at the growth after Jeremy Quinn got national attention a few years ago during the Quarter Horse Congress.  He already had a remarkable reputation as a trainer and rider, but once he dominated the Congress, his fate was sealed and his business grew and thrived.  He had to hire extra trainers and build more stables to accommodate the riders who wanted to either be trained or have their horses trained by him and his team. 

With Riley’s encouragement, they also opened up more channels for anyone that wanted to ride, to be able to come to the stables and ride some of the mature horses.  They were involved with charity organizations and would have open stables for disabled or handicapped kids to come out and enjoy the horses. 

Sierra took the time to tell all of this to Cole as they sat in the car, “They hired a full time staff of about twenty people to help run the stables and take care of the horses.  They have hay fields adjoining, so they bale their own and sell to other local farms.” 

“When you said ‘horse trainer,’ I pictured a barn, a horse and one person.  This is incredible!”  Cole was in awe.

“Told ya. It’s an industry.”  Sierra opened her door and got out of the car.  As Cole got out of the car and made his way around to stand next to her, Sierra described more of the ranch, “See the woods back there?  I like to ride on the trails.  There are about ten acres of well-maintained trails to ride on.  It’s good for the show horses to get a break from the arena to go for rides in the woods, so they don’t get burned out from showing.” 

“How much land does he have here?” 

“I think Riley told us they have two hundred acres now and may be purchasing more in the future.” 

“Wow.  The stables and barns look like an equestrian paradise.” 

“It really is.  Let’s go find Jeremy and Riley and get you on a horse.” 

She stopped when she realized Cole wasn’t following her, but reluctantly said,  “About that.  Not sure I’m ready to ride a horse.” 

“Have you ever ridden a horse, Cole?” 

“That would be a negative.”  Sierra was somewhat surprised by his admission. 

She just assumed that everyone at some point had ridden a horse, so she was asking for clarity, “Not even at the fairs as a kid?  Pony rides? Nothing?” 

When he shook his head again, she walked back to where he was still standing and asked, “Do you want to ride a horse?” 

As many people have a fear of horses, she watched to gauge his reaction as he answered, “I don’t know.  I would like to watch you ride and see how it goes.” 

“Okay,” Sierra nodded and started walking toward the barn with Cole following this time. 

Considering it was a Sunday afternoon, there was still a lot going on inside the barns.  People were riding in the arena, stalls were being picked out and there was a lot of activity.  Cole removed his sunglasses and tucked them in the front of his shirt as he took it all in. 

“Hey Sierra, over here,” Quinn called to her from one of the tack rooms. 

Cole touched her shoulder to get her attention before she headed over to the tack room, “Still confused on the name.  Does he go by Jeremy or Quinn?” 

Sierra laughed as she explained, “Most people call him Quinn, even me.  Riley calls him Jeremy.  We asked her why, but she said she didn’t have a good reason.  She just wanted to use his first name.  It’s kind of endearing.” 

Cole raised an eyebrow in response, but nodded his head.  They walked down one of the long aisles to where she heard Quinn talking.  He motioned for them to come in the tack room as he finished his conversation with his barn manager, Brent. 

“Hi Brent,” Sierra greeted the barn manager. 

“Hey, Sierra.  Good to see you.  Haven’t seen you around much.” 

“I know, I’ve been busy.  I’m going to go for a ride today.” 

“Who do you want me to saddle up for you?” 

“You don’t have to, Brent. I can get my stuff together.” 

“It’s no problem.  Boss here won’t mind.”  Sierra watched as Quinn grinned at Brent and agreed. 

“Well, okay.  I think I’ll take Tinker out, if he’s available?” 

Cole interjected, “Wait.  The male horse is named
Tinker?
” 

Sierra laughed, “His full name is
He’s a Tinker
.  It’s a play on
He’s a stinker
.  He was ornery as a yearling and got a reputation for being a stinker.  His dam’s name is
Tinker Bell
.”  

“I’m so out of my league, here.  What’s a dam?” 

“Oh, sorry.  A dam is the mother and a sire is the father.” 

“You know I consider myself a knowledgeable man, but I have no idea when it comes to horses or the terminology.” 

“It’s fine.  You are not the only person who doesn’t understand horse talk.  I grew up with it, so it’s second nature to me.” 

Quinn stepped in to make introductions, “Brent, this is Cole, a friend of Sierra’s.” 

Sierra smiled as she saw Quinn glance in her direction to make sure that was the proper term.  She adored Quinn.  She had a school girl crush on him years ago, when she started training in his barns.  He was tall, dark and handsome.  When he married Riley, she thought he was the most handsome man she had ever seen, wearing his tux.  He looked like a movie star, with his striking looks. 

Watching Quinn and Cole interact made her smile.  She watched as the men were talking with each other.  Quinn was about 6’2” and was wearing his t-shirt with faded blue jeans and his straw cowboy hat.  He was the epitome of the rugged cowboy. 

Standing next to him was her own fantasy.  Cole stood a little taller than Quinn and had a slightly larger build.  He was broader across the chest and had a more athletic build than Quinn.  Standing together, they would make any woman swoon. 

She listened as Cole asked Quinn a lot of questions about the business side of the Quarter Horse Industry and Quinn took the time to answer them.  They seemed to be getting along fine, so Sierra left them to find Brent and see if Tinker was ready.   

Sierra kept her personal tack at the stables and Brent had Tinker saddled and ready.  She didn’t realize how much she wanted to ride until she saw Tinker nod his head in her direction as she approached him.  She enjoyed riding Tinker because he had personality.  Sometimes the horses were so well trained that they become “push button” ready and almost robotic. 

One of the reasons she respected Quinn and his trainers were because they made sure the horses were all trained differently, adjusting to the horse’s personality.  They didn’t want them to get bored during training and “customized” the training to each individual horse and rider, for that matter. 

Dana and Doug were both wonderful trainers, too, and she knew it wouldn’t be long before they had their own stables.  They were learning so much while training with Quinn and would be ready when they got to the opportunity to branch out on their own. 

She mounted Tinker and headed back down the aisle to find Cole and Quinn. 

“There she is,” Quinn spoke and ran his hand along Tinker’s shoulder and flank to pet him. 

Sitting on this 16 hand horse, she had to look down at Cole, who flirted, “How’s the view up there?” 

She saw his smile as he looked up at her, so she played right back, “It’s great.  I’m hoping to get you up here on one of the horses with me.  You can see for yourself.”  She watched as he tentatively stroked the horse’s head, face and large jaw. 

“I’ve got just the horse for him,” Quinn said, as he started to walk away.  “I’ll go get her saddled up and ready for him.  I’ll let him use my saddle.” 

“Thanks, Quinn,” Sierra said to his retreating back. 

“Sierra, I’m not sure I want to ride.  The ground feels pretty good from right here.” 

Sierra grinned at his unease, but understood, explaining, “We won’t push it. Come watch me warm Tinker up and see if you change your mind.” 

She turned the horse toward the arena entrance and started off in a slow trot around the arena.  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cole watching her as he stood, resting his hands on top of the wall he was leaning on.  She greeted a few of the other riders in passing, as she adjusted her seat and boots in the stirrups. 

She brought Tinker into an easy lope around the arena and as soon as she started, she felt the tension leave her body.  It was amazing to her that she could actually feel the stress exit her body as she became one with the horse.  Her arms and legs relaxed and her stomach muscles weren’t as constricted.  She let out a sigh as she rode this wonderful horse. 

She was doing small circles at a lope and then larger ones at a faster speed.  Tinker was working with her and they made a good team.  If she asked him to perform with a squeeze of her leg or legs, he responded immediately to her. 

She saw a straight view down the center and squeezed his flanks to ask for speed.  Tinker started to gallop and she guided him down the center of the arena in a sprint.  She asked for a sliding stop at the end of the arena, then spun him around to race down to the other end.  Tinker performed another sliding stop and Sierra was grinning from ear to ear. 

She started to walk him around the edge of the arena while talking to him and petting his sleek neck.  When she got around to where Cole was standing, she stopped and asked, “What do you think?” 

“Honestly, I think you look like you were meant to do this.” 

Sierra smiled at him, then added, “I was actually asking if you were ready to ride yet, but I appreciate the compliment.” 

“It wasn’t a compliment.  It’s a fact.”  She saw him lean closer, so only she could hear him, whispering, “Do you have any idea how sexy you look riding that horse?  I’m not sure I’m in any “condition” to ride a horse right now, if you get my meaning.” 

Sierra blushed, as she looked into his cloudy, smoldering eyes and completely understood his meaning.  Seeing him looking at her like that made the butterflies in her stomach do crazy things. 

Before she could reply, she saw Quinn leading another mare towards them, saying, “This is Sally.  Cole, meet Sally.” 

Sierra watched Cole blink and mask his features as he turned to Quinn, “Hello Sally. Finally, a horse with a normal name.” 

Quinn laughed out loud at Cole’s comment, elaborating, “Actually, her full name is
Lay Down Sally
.” 

“Of course, it is.  Let me guess, her sire was Eric Clapton.”  Sierra and Quinn were both laughing hard at Cole’s sarcasm, “Why is it that a horse has multiple names?  Why not like a dog or cat?  You don’t hear a person calling a dog with three names.  Can you imagine?  Come on, boy!  Come here,
He’s a Tinker
!   Or Where are you, Lay Down Sally?  I mean, come on….” 

Sierra was doubled over laughing and Quinn was trying not to lose it completely.  She had no idea how funny Cole could be.  When the laughter finally subsided, Quinn asked if he could show Cole how to sit a horse and give him a lesson.  Cole reluctantly agreed and walked out into the arena with him.  Sierra watched as Quinn patiently and thoroughly showed Cole how and what to do on a horse.  It was easy to see what made Quinn the exceptional trainer he was. 

Cole may not yet understand, but Sierra knew he was learning from one of the best trainers in the world.  About fifteen minutes later, she watched Cole swing his leg up and over Sally’s back. 

“Sally is a sweetheart, Cole.  She is very easy and you won’t need to pull on her mouth or bit much,” Quinn explained, showing Cole how to use his reins.