*“Eggs look disgusting at six in the morning.” Cindy yawned, pushing her plate away. “I can’t believe I’m on vacation and up before noon. This isn’t normal.”
“You better eat,” Trisha warned, taking a bite of bacon. “You’re going to be starving before lunch.”
“She’s right.” Tim walked up behind them. “No one will have time to hunt you down something to eat.”
Trisha’s eyes widened slightly at the tone of Tim’s voice, while Cindy’s eyes narrowed dangerously. Trisha had seen that look many times. Looking down at her plate, she decided it was safer to just shut up and finish her breakfast.
“I will not need anyone hunting me down something to eat, Mr. McCabe,” Cindy sneered. “I will, however, need to hunt someone down to pull that stick out of your ass.”
“If you would have read the brochure, you would have known.” Tim didn’t even flinch at her words, which was impressive.
“Would everyone just shut up about the damn brochure? So I didn’t read it. Big damn deal.” She threw her hands in the air disgusted. “Because if I had, I sure wouldn’t be here. Paying to be woken up at six in the morning by a damn chicken—”
“Rooster,” he corrected.
“…and then working my ass off is not a vacation in my book,” she finished, ignoring his correction.
“Then why are you here?” Tim questioned, his eyebrow cocked arrogantly.
Something happened that Trisha had never seen before and would have sworn she never would: Cindy at a loss for words. Absolutely nothing came out of her mouth. Cindy looked at her for help, making Trisha choke on her egg.
Looking between Cindy and Tim, she suddenly wondered why she always had her mouth full when a handsome guy was present. “Ah…” she said then stopped, trying to chew quickly as Cindy glared at her. Swallowing hard, she cleared her throat. “Coming here was my idea. Or, ah, at least Cindy knew it was something I’ve always wanted to do, so she set it up…for me.” God, she sucked at lying.
“Not that it’s any of your damn business.” Cindy once again found her voice then stood, stomping away.
Cringing, Trisha watched her go. She glanced at Tim, who was also watching Cindy’s departure before turning his attention back to her. “She’s not much of a morning person,” was the only thing she could think to say.
“Apparently.” Tim took off in the opposite direction of Cindy, leaving Trisha standing alone.
“Well, that was pleasant.” She snorted, dumping her uneaten food in the trash before following everyone out the door. She had no idea where she was going. She guessed she was going to have to wing it.
“Hey, pool shark.” Hank stepped beside her with a grin. “Where you headed to?”
“Morning.” Trisha smiled up at him. “I’m supposed to help Jake, but I have no clue where to go.”
“Well, you’re in luck.” Hank motioned with his hand to follow. “I’m heading that way.”
Hank made small talk as Trisha took in the scenery. It really was beautiful. They passed men, who were hard at work, and would nod. It was definitely a busy ranch. “So are you ladies staying for the rodeo?”
“I believe so,” Trisha replied as they walked up to a large barn, the smell hitting her before they entered. It wasn’t overwhelming, but you sure knew it was a barn.
“How’s Lilly doing?” Hank walked up to a fence looking over.
Wondering who Lilly was Trisha stepped up on the fence. Kneeling, Jake rubbed the stomach of a beautiful black horse.
“Don’t know,” Jake replied, concern evident in his voice. “Just to be safe, I’m going to call Peterson over to take a look.”
“What’s wrong with her?” Trisha frowned, thinking the horse looked fine.
“She’s pregnant.” Jake glanced at her as he stood, brushing hay from his jeans. “Her last was stillborn and we almost lost her.”
“Ah, poor thing.” Trisha jumped off the rail quickly when Lilly swung her huge head toward her.
Hank laughed, steadying her before letting go. “I’ll see you guys later.”
Jake stepped out of the stall nodding toward Hank, but his eyes were on Trisha. “You scared of horses?”
“Never been around them before.” Trisha looked over at Lilly, who was staring at her over the fence. “They’re pretty big when standing next to one.”
“Lilly is the gentlest horse on the ranch.” He grinned at Trisha’s doubtful look. “Go ahead and pet her. She won’t bite. I promise.”
With the look he gave her, Trisha was sure she would do anything he asked. He had grabbed his cowboy hat off a rail and put it on, his intense gaze making her body tingle again, dammit. What in the hell was wrong with her? She wasn’t ready for this. She didn’t want this…did she? She refused to let Doug dictate her life, so fighting an attraction because of him would actually be letting him dictate her life…wouldn’t it? Snapping out of it, she realized she was staring at Jake during her inner battle. Embarrassed, she spun toward Lilly, stepped up on the rail again and stared at the horse.
“You don’t eat fingers do you, Lilly?” She reached her hand out slowly, touching the softness of Lilly’s nose. Trisha laughed when Lilly lifted her head impatiently, nudging her hand.
“Here, give her one of these.” Jake took Trisha’s hand in his, turning it palm up and placing a carrot on top. “Keep it on your palm so she doesn’t accidently grab a finger.”
Trisha laughed again when Lilly eyed the carrot then took it gently from her hand. “That is so cool.” Trisha grinned at Jake. “Can I have another one?”
Jake gave her another carrot. “She will stand here all day eating these.”
“It tickles.” Trisha scratched her palm then held her hand out for another carrot. “One more?”
“You’re going to make her fat,” Jake teased, but handed her another one.
Trisha rolled her eyes. “On carrots? I don’t think so. That’s all I snack on when I’m dieting.”
“Why the hell would you diet?” Jake frowned, looking her up and down.
Okay, if she wasn’t already crushing on Jake, she sure as hell was now. She felt heat rise in her cheeks as his eyes gazed over her body. Before she could say anything, Cindy walked in.
“Shoo wee.” Cindy headed toward them, holding her nose. “It stinks in here.”
“Ah, maybe because you’re standing in the middle of a barn.” Trisha laughed, shaking her head. “You okay?”
Cindy nodded with a fake smile. “Dandy.” She looked between Trisha and Jake, a sly grin playing on her lips. “Did I interrupt something?”
“Jake was just showing me how to feed Lilly a carrot without losing my fingers.” Trisha looked back at Lilly petting her on the nose.
“Oh, did he?” Cindy crossed her arms staring at Jake. “Okay, boss man. What do you have in store for us?”
Leaning against the fence, Jake tipped his hat back staring at Cindy with a cocked eyebrow. “Two of us need to clean stalls while another one brushes down the horses.”
“I’ll clean the stalls,” Trisha volunteered, knowing Cindy would throw a fit.
“Have you been around horses before?” Jake asked Cindy, his stance still relaxed.
“I’ve been around all different types of animals, Mr. McCabe,” Cindy replied, her eyebrow cocking to match his.
Trisha frowned, her eyes moving from one to the other.
“Good to know, but right now, I’m just concerned with horses.” Jake took brushes off a table handing Cindy one. “I’ll get her started and be right back.”
Trisha nodded, watching them walk off. Glancing around, she headed toward another stall and stood on the bottom rail to look over. A beautiful horse stood munching on some hay. The color reminded her of Jake’s eyes. Frowning at that thought, her eyes moved down and she about fell off the rail. “Whoa.” Now she knew what ‘hung like a horse’ meant.
“That’s Devil.” Jake walked up beside her. “He’s the proud papa.”
“Proud papa?” Trisha said, still embarrassed at being caught looking at Devil’s huge… “Oh, you mean he and Lilly…” God, if she had a gun she’d shoot herself.
“Yep, they sure did.” He chuckled, grabbing two rakes and pitchforks. “Come on. Let’s get to work.”
If it would get her out of this humiliating situation, she’d do anything. With a sigh, she followed him.
*
Jake was working in one stall while Trisha worked in another. He had to give her credit, she was a hard worker and he sure liked having something to look at other than horseshit. He had a rule of not dating clients, but he was seriously rethinking that. It had only been one day and he wanted to know more about this woman, which surprised him. He chuckled to himself, remembering walking up to her when she was looking at Devil, who was the horniest stallion they’d ever owned, so she definitely got an eyeful. He almost teased her, but decided to be a gentleman and not say a word.
“Okay.” Trisha looked over the fence at him. “What do I do with it once it’s in the wheelbarrow?”
Tossing his pitchfork in the corner, he opened the gate and walked to the stall she had just cleaned. “Not bad.”
“Thank you.” She beamed with pride. “So what do I do with it now?”
“Just leave it there and I’ll get it.” When she looked disappointed, he grinned. “Don’t worry there’s more work to be done.”
“Okay, what’s next?” Trisha glanced at another stall. “That one?”
“Yeah.” They headed that way when he noticed he hadn’t given her rubber boots. Grabbing a pair, he handed them to her. “Here put these on, just in case you step in it.”
Taking the boots, she laughed. “Yeah, I was really careful since these are the only shoes I brought. Shoes on or off?”
“Leave your shoes on in the boots.” He turned toward her and wished he hadn’t. She was bent over, her sexy curved ass practically parallel to his hardening cock. “Damn.”
“What?” She looked around at him, still bent over.
“Nothing.” Jake jerked off his hat swiping at the sweat pouring from his forehead. This was going to be a long-ass day. When she straightened, he sighed. “You ready?”
“Always.” She smiled, holding her pitchfork.
He groaned, even knowing she meant she was ready to shovel horseshit, the man and his cock heard something entirely different. “Go ahead and work on that one.”
Trisha nodded, stomping toward it with the boots, which were too big on her. Adjusting himself as she disappeared, he once again wiped the sweat from his face. “Son of a bitch.”