To Tempt a Cowgirl (8 page)

“How’s it going?” he asked casually, glancing around as if looking for changes before bringing his attention back to Dani. He still had his golden-boy good looks, but they were somewhat marred by the grim set of his mouth.

“Going well,” she said noncommittally. Now that he was here, she couldn’t help but flash on the standpipes. The horse escape.

“Good.” He attempted a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Hear from Allie lately?”

“I have,” she said, the same noncommittal note in her voice.

“Is she doing okay?”

“Starting school is an adjustment, but yes. I’d say she’s doing okay.” She and Kyle had gotten along just fine until Allie had become so unhappy with her marriage. After that, things had gotten awkward. And now that she was wondering if he’d been vandalizing the ranch out of spite, she wanted him off her property. Now.

“She did say that you were bringing the tractor back soon,” Dani said, pushing back a few strands of windblown hair as she tipped her chin up at him.

His face started to go pink as it always did when he was confronted on an issue. “I’ll bring it back this weekend. I’ve been on vacation at the Washington coast.” He spoke with an edge of challenge in his voice, making her wonder if he expected her to question his whereabouts. It also made her wonder if she was in for more retribution via property vandalism if she crossed him. “I heard you made a call to Dispatch while I was off.”

“A week ago.”

“Today was my first day back and when I heard, I thought I’d stop by and check out the situation.”

The fact that he was doing that made her wonder when exactly he’d left and if he’d stopped by the Lighting Creek on his way out of town to stomp a few standpipes, let a few animals go. It’d be a passive-aggressive way to give Allie grief...or maybe to take out his frustrations on the ranch he wasn’t going to get a piece of.

“Nothing to check out,” Dani said. “A neighbor helped me with the problem and he was the one who suggested that I make a report.”

“A neighbor?”

“Yeah.” She turned to point across the field. “A guy who designs parks is renting the Staley house for a vacation.” As if Kyle wouldn’t already know this. Sheriff’s office personnel knew everything in this county. “Long story, but we’d met a couple of times and when I found the standpipes broken off, I called to see if he could help me find the water main.”

Kyle frowned in the direction of the house for a few thoughtful seconds before turning his gaze back to Dani. “You don’t think that’s a little suspicious?”

“What?”

“He moves into the place next door, then strange things start happening here?”

Dani frowned back. “No. I don’t find it suspicious because I don’t think he had anything to do with it.” Yes, he could have let out Lacy, because she didn’t know his whereabouts when that happened, but she knew exactly where Gabe was when the standpipes were snapped—with her.

Kyle didn’t look convinced and Dani had to bite her lip to keep from saying, “Nice try, Kyle, but I think I know who’s responsible for doing those things...and so do you.” He’d only deny it and right now her objective was to get him off the property.

“I heard Jolie is moving back,” he said as if she hadn’t spoken.

Dani smiled, wondering when her ex-brother-in-law was going to get the hint that he wasn’t going to get a lot of family information from her. She didn’t want to burn any bridges, but she wasn’t going to open up to him, either.

Kyle glanced down at his dusty boots, his eyebrows drawn together in a thoughtful frown, then back across the field at the Staley house. “I might just see what this guy’s about,” he said.

“He’s not about anything,” Dani said, earning herself a sharp cop look.

“You don’t know that.”

She let out a barely audible sigh. “No, I don’t. But I haven’t seen him in a week.”

“And nothing’s happened in a week.”

“Are you trying to make me nervous?” she asked.

“I’m trying to keep you safe. Allie and I might have split the sheets, but that doesn’t mean I can shut off feeling protective just like that.”

Dani had never noticed a lot of protectiveness before the divorce, but she wasn’t fool enough to say that when all she wanted was to get rid of him. “Look. I just want to be a good neighbor. I don’t feel threatened. Would you mind holding off on seeing what the guy is about until something else happens?” Which she was pretty damned certain wouldn’t.

Kyle studied her for a moment and Dani did her best to look unconcerned. “If you have anything strange happen, you call me,” he said, pointing his index finger at her.

“I will.”

He nodded. “All right.” Another awkward face-off and then he headed to his SUV.

Dani walked toward the house, even though she still had outside chores. She needed a drink. Or maybe just to splash cold water on her warm face. What she didn’t need was for Kyle to harass her next-door neighbor. She’d just as soon stay off the guy’s radar, because frankly, she didn’t like how easily she could conjure up that mental picture of him standing on his porch when she’d gone to collect her truck, looking all rumpled and sexy. Or the way she’d found herself leaning across the table toward him when they went to lunch. Oh, yeah, she was attracted. Like a magnet. She knew nothing about the guy, had been recently burned in the worst way, yet her primal instincts were saying, “Oh, yes. We must have some of this.”

Not. Going. To. Happen
.

Of course it wasn’t. She hadn’t seen Gabe in a week. He’d made a duty call after the standpipe incident and after that, nothing. For all she knew, Gina, who’d made no secret about finding him supersexy, was having her way with him and he’d never given her another thought... No, she
would
know that, because Gina wasn’t quiet about her conquests. But that didn’t change the fact that he was keeping his distance and that was exactly the way she wanted things.

She glanced over her shoulder at the Staley house before pulling open the door. Off the radar. That was where she wanted to be.

* * *

“
S
HE’S A REAL
nice little horse,” the older man leaning against the fence said as they watched the dark brown mare with the white legs trot around the round pen. “What exactly are you looking for?”

Gabe shot him a look and the man said, “A trail horse? Arena horse? Cutting? Roping?”

“Ah. Well, to tell you the truth, I’m looking for a horse with no bad habits and I figure if I get one that hasn’t been used and have it trained, then I might just get that.”

The old guy smiled broadly. “You’re on the right track there.” He gestured to the round pen, where a woman with golden-brown hair that fell almost to her waist was putting a horse through its paces. She looked a lot like Dani, only smaller, her hair a shade darker. “Marti is one of the best trainers in the area. If she wasn’t, then she wouldn’t work here...even if she is my daughter.”

Gabe gave a polite nod, watching as the daughter stopped the horse, then walked over to pet its neck and slip a halter onto its head. “We have a partnership,” Paul said, bringing Gabe’s attention back to him. “I raise horses, Marti trains. She brings in outside horses, but she also trains my youngsters for their new owners. Gets them off to a good start, like you were talking about.”

Gabe gave a tight smile and turned his attention back to the mare. He liked her looks. She was quiet and trusting and when he’d scratched her ears, she’d bobbed her head appreciatively. A far cry from the nervous, anxious, skittish and just plain mean horses he’d looked at over the past few days. He knew next to nothing about buying a horse, but even to his unpracticed eye, this mare looked well put together and the price was right because, as the man had explained, the cost of hay had tripled recently due to severe drought, so horses were going cheap.

The bottom falling out of the horse market put a damper on his resale plans, since Serena made it clear that she was not accepting a gift horse, but he’d figure out how to get the mare a good home later—even if it was at a loss. Right now the connection with Dani was more important than money lost or gained.

“She’s been started under saddle, but she’s still green. What’s your riding level?”

“I haven’t ridden in a while. I want to get back into it while I’m here,” Gabe said without hesitation.

“With a young horse? That’s a wreck waiting to happen.”

A soft laugh came from behind them. “Not necessarily.”

Gabe turned to see Paul’s daughter standing behind them. “Hi. I’m Marti,” she said, running an eye over Gabe as if he was himself a piece of horseflesh. “You look athletic.”

Gabe shrugged. “I run and bike. Swim a little.”

“Triathlete,” she said with a smile. “You have balance then. And stamina.” He almost smiled at the way she said
stamina.
“Tell you what,” she said, crossing her arms. “You buy Molly from Paul, I’ll train her and throw in a couple weeks of riding lessons. We’ll start you on a finished horse, then shift you over to Molly once I’m confident she’s ready.”

Damn, damn, damn
. Gabe forced a smile. “Very generous of you.”

“It’s one way of building repeat clientele.”

Gabe looked over at Paul. “Tell you what—give me a day to think about it. I have another horse to look at later today, then I’ll call and let you know.”

Paul pushed off from the fence where he was leaning. “All right. I’ll hold her until tomorrow for you. After that...” He shrugged.

“I understand. Thanks.” Gabe started for his car and Marti fell in step. “My offer stands even if you don’t buy Molly. I have a few open slots in my schedule and I’d be happy to work with both you and your new horse.”

Gabe stopped at the car. “I appreciate the offer. Thank you.”

“Anytime.” She patted the top of his car, then stepped back as he got inside. Gabe drove away thinking it was too bad he couldn’t take her up on her offer. He had a feeling that Marti could teach a guy a lot.

* * *

“
I
’M FULL UP
.” Dani felt a ridiculous pang of regret as she said the words, but facts were facts. “Eight horses, eight hours in the workday.” She smiled a little. “Not counting all the other things I have to do.”

“I understand.” Gabe spoke matter-of-factly, but she’d caught the flash of disappointment in his expression. Well, one thing was for certain—if Kyle had indeed stopped by to “check him out,” Gabe didn’t hold a grudge. “I can give you the names of other trainers in the area.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

“What kind of horse did you buy?”

“A dark brown horse.”

“Breed?”

“Quarter horse?”

“Gender?”

“Female.”

“What do you know about horses, Gabe?”

“Not a lot.” He smiled disarmingly. “I want to learn.”

“Do you ride?”

“I don’t have a lot of experience, but I have ridden.”

She studied him askance for a moment. “Do you plan on learning to ride better?”

“That’s the next step.”

She couldn’t help smiling. “Do you have a checklist?”

“A mental one.” He shrugged one shoulder. “I can’t help the checklist. It’s the way I’m wired. And I like horses, but never got a chance to learn to ride well. It’s not easy for a guy my age to get back into it.” He smiled a little. “Since we have a small amount of history, I thought of you.”

Something about the way he said the last words made Dani very aware of, well, him. His effect on her, which wasn’t the effect she was looking for right now. “If I had one less horse...”

“Again, Dani. Not a problem.”

“Do you want me to get you those names?”

“I already have one. Marti? She offered to train the horse and give me lessons at the same time.”

“You’ve met?”

“At the place I bought the mare.”

Dani forced a smile, said nothing. Gabe smiled back and she realized he was truly disappointed. It was all she could do not to say, “Sure. Another horse. Why not?” But she couldn’t. She was too busy.

It wasn’t until he’d driven away and the rooster tail of dust had settled that she admitted the truth to herself. It wasn’t all about being too busy. When you started a new business, you made sacrifices. It was something about Gabe Matthews himself and the gut-level attraction she felt toward him. That and a sense that he was showing one side of himself in order to protect another. A sense that he had trust issues as deep as hers.

A sense that he was a guy with deep secrets.

The last thing she needed in her life was a guy with secrets, but she couldn’t deny the fact that she was drawn to him.

Moth to flame. No good ever came from that.

* * *

“
M
ARTI’S NOT EVIL
. She’d just hard to be around.” Dani took a sip of her coffee, Gina’s treat, since Dani was sharing her break with her after the morning rush at the café.

“No. She’s evil,” Gina countered.

“How so?”

“I was at a meeting last night of the Eagle Valley Days fund-raising committee chairmen—”

“You’re a chairman?”

“I’m in charge of the silent auction, thanks to my mom.” She made a face that indicated that she hadn’t exactly volunteered. “I need some help and someone mentioned that you were back in town and might be interested. One thing led to another, someone said you were starting a training business and then Marti announced in this snotty voice that anyone could bill themselves as trainers, but that doesn’t mean they knew what they’re doing. She said there should be a licensing board.”

Dani stared at her for a moment, feeling her blood pressure start to inch up. “Indicating that I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“I’d say that was the message loud and clear.”

“Was Mitzi Thorensen there?”

“Yes. She’s in charge of the ice cream social. Why?”

“Because she called this morning and told me she’s decided to wait a month or two before starting her filly. I was supposed to start working her tomorrow.”

“Probably
not
a coincidence,” Gina said, leaning back against the booth cushion.

Dani flexed her fingers, telling herself to stay calm. Marti had never before caused her trouble, but Dani had never before gotten in her way. With Marti it was easier to just step aside and let the queen pass by, but that wasn’t possible in this circumstance, when the woman was messing with Dani’s potential income and reputation.