Caught Up in a Cowboy, page 6
Good. They could use some funny after that bleak conversation.
Rock smiled down at Max, then opened the book and started to read.
* * *
Quinn had spent longer than she’d anticipated outside, and she stretched out her sore muscles as she walked down the hall toward Max’s room.
She didn’t hear anything coming from his room, and she peered around the doorjamb and had to stifle a laugh.
Rock was laid out on the twin bed, sound asleep, and Max was sitting next to him, leaning against his shoulder and quietly reading a book.
The boy looked up as Quinn stepped into the room. “He fell asleep halfway through the book, and I didn’t want to wake him up,” he whispered. “I heard Uncle Logan talking about him, and he said that he got hurt pretty bad, so I figured he needed his rest.”
Her heart melted, as it often did, at the pure sweetness of her son’s personality. “That was really nice of you. How’s your leg?”
He shrugged. “It’s okay. I feel bad about not helping Grandpa. Is he mad?”
She shook her head. “No. He’s fine. We’re almost finished. They’re just cleaning up. How about if I stay and watch Rock for a little bit, and you can go outside and see if you can help?”
He nodded, setting his book down and carefully easing off the side of the bed.
Quinn gave him a quick hug, glancing down to check on the bruise and trying not to wince at the deep-purple color.
She helped him with his sneakers, then listened as his footsteps raced down the hall, followed by the faint slam of the screen door as he headed outside.
Taking his place, she gently sat on the edge of the bed, trying not to disturb Rock. She let out a breath as she peered down at his handsome face, his chin so defined that it could have been chiseled from stone.
His hair fell across his broad forehead, and she wanted to brush it back, then run her fingers through it—the way she used to do when they were teenagers.
They had known each other their whole lives, had spent so much time together. They’d been in the same class at school, had ridden the bus together, and Rock had been the one who insisted they all get skates and learn to play hockey on the pond that separated their two ranches.
He’d been a part of every milestone in her life: her sweet sixteen, her first rodeo, losing her mom. And she’d been there for his: for every hockey game he’d played, for his graduation, for the day he got his first truck.
They’d always been comfortable around each other, cared for each other, and each could practically read the other one’s mind. Even now, even with all the years that had passed, she doubted anyone knew her the way Rockford James did.
Although she couldn’t say the same about him, because she never would have believed he could have left her the way he had when he got offered the scholarship and the chance to play college hockey. Evidently, she hadn’t known him as well as she thought she had.
“You’ve got a pretty great kid,” he said, his voice still husky with sleep.
She peered down at him, watching the crystal-blue eyes that were as familiar as her own, blink open and gaze up at her. His lips curved into an impish grin, and she smiled back.
Dang it. She couldn’t help it. She’d always been a sucker for his grin.
“I know,” she said. “I came in, and he was reading a book and watching over you while you slept.”
“I didn’t fall asleep. I was just resting my eyes.”
“And snoring.”
His forehead creased. “Why does everyone keep saying I snore?”
She chuckled, trying to keep it casual, even though she’d just realized that she was in a bed alone with Rock. “We made it through most of our calves. I think we have fifty or sixty left. We’re taking a break to eat, then we’ll finish them off tonight. You planning to stay for supper?”
“What are we having?”
“Chili and corn bread. It’s been cooking in the Crock-Pot all day.”
“Is it Ham’s recipe?”
“No. It’s mine. So don’t worry, it doesn’t have any onions.”
He grinned, and her stomach went all topsy-turvy. “You always could read my mind.” His grin turned flirty, and he ran the back of his fingers over the curve of her hip. “Do you know what I’m thinking about right now?”
“You’re probably thinking that if you don’t move your hand, you might get slapped. I don’t care how big you are, cowboy, I can still take you out.”
He laughed, a loud belly laugh. “You are probably right.” He pushed himself up on his elbows and winced.
“You okay?” Those bruises covering his back had to hurt.
“I’m fine.” He brushed off her concern. “You don’t need to coddle me.”
She swallowed. That hadn’t been one of the assorted things that had come to mind that she had imagined doing to him. Best to focus on something else. She stood up from the bed. “Good. Then you can help me serve the chili.”
* * *
Five long hours later, Rock fell into bed. His body ached. He was in good shape, but working on the ranch and wrestling calves used different muscles than he was used to exercising.
He couldn’t believe he’d fallen asleep in Max’s room earlier that afternoon.
But waking up to Quinn next to him had made the unexpected nap worth it.
Even all these years later, she still looked great, like the same girl he’d known—and loved—most of his life. And she still made his heart race and his palms sweat, just like when he was a teenager.
Memories of time spent with her filled his head—and his dreams—as he drifted off.
* * *
The morning came too quickly—its arrival announced by the bright strip of sunlight coming through the windows.
Rock let out a groan, squinting against the sun as he checked the time. His eyes widened. He was surprised to see that it was past eight already and he’d slept in again.
He crawled out of bed and scratched his stomach as he stumbled down the stairs and into the kitchen. His mom handed him a cup of coffee. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head, and she wrapped her arms around him in a hug.
“How’s your head?”
“Good. Better every day.”
“Well, don’t get better too quickly. I kind of like having you around,” she teased. “You want some waffles?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he answered, swiping a piece of bacon off the platter by the stove. “Anything I can do to help?”
“Nope. Just sit down and keep me company is enough. Tell me what’s new.”
He didn’t have much to tell her. They’d always been close and usually talked on the phone a couple of times a week. She stayed pretty current on the happenings in his life. But now, after his brother’s comments the day before, he wondered if he hadn’t been paying enough attention to what was happening with her and the ranch.
Had he missed something that was going on?
“I’m good, Mom. You know everything. Why don’t you tell me what’s new with you. Everything good? Things with the ranch okay?”
She tilted her head. “Are you worried about me, Son?”
“Do I have reason to be?”
“No. Lest you forget, I’m the parent here. I’m the one who does the worrying.” She turned her back to pour batter into the waffle iron, but he thought he’d caught a flicker of something in her eyes.
The front door slammed open, and his brothers walked in, followed by their two dogs. Mason’s border collie stuck to his side, but Watson, the golden retriever, raced directly for Rock, wagging his tail and his body in delight, whining as he begged to be petted.
“Nice of you to join us, princess,” Mason joked from the sink where he was washing his hands. He dried them on a towel as he sat down at the table. “We’ve been up and working for hours while you’ve been in here getting your beauty rest.”
“From the look of your ugly mug, you should have stayed in and slept a little longer yourself.” Rock picked up a piece of bacon and tossed it at his brother.
Mason caught it and crammed it into his mouth.
“That’s enough of that talk,” Vivienne said, setting a platter stacked with waffles on the table. “None of you have a clue about needing beauty rest. All of you boys are too handsome for your own good.”
Mason grinned at her. “Thanks, Mom. I’m going to add that to my dating résumé—my mom thinks I’m handsome.”
Colt chuckled and sat down at the table. “That’ll win you some favor for sure.”
Rock reached for a waffle, but his mom slapped at his hand. “Sorry, Ma.” Duly chastised, he bent his head as his mother blessed the meal.
They put their joking aside to focus on passing the food and filling their plates.
“So, are you going to the game with us tonight?” Mason asked before shoving a forkful of waffles into his mouth.
“What game?”
“Colt’s softball game. He plays on a league with The Creed. Tonight’s the game against Franklin, so half the town will likely show up.”
Franklin was the neighboring town to Creedence, and their biggest rival. It didn’t matter if it was football, baseball, or 4-H animals—if Franklin was involved, the whole town was rooting against them.
A sour feeling filled Rock’s gut as he thought about the rival town, and he knew it had more to do with than just softball. Franklin was the also the town Monty Hill was from.
“Tonight’s a playoff game, so it should be a good one,” Colt said. “And we’ve got a good team this year.”
Rock was glad to see that Colt was still involved in sports of some kind. He’d always been a natural athlete, and it was a cryin’ shame what had happened with his hockey career.
He’d had a promising future, was a rising star in the minor leagues, and could easily have moved up into the pros, if one bad injury hadn’t taken it all away.
It was a crushing blow. Colt’s entire future changed in the span of less than a minute.
And the kid had been good, could have been better than Rock, with a few more years under him. Not that Rock would ever tell him that. Although Colt already knew. Everyone knew.
That’s what made the whole thing even worse.
Stupid injuries.
“You pitchin’?” Rock asked. Colt had always been good at whatever sport he tried, but he had a great arm and could throw a ball with the speed and accuracy of a pro.
“Yeah. It’s coed, and we’ve got some great girls on our team. I think we could take the championship this year.”
Rock tried to push down the disappointment about his own team being out of the running for the Stanley Cup this year. Better to focus on his brother’s success than his own failings. “Sounds good. I’ll be there.”
“We can all go into town and grab a burger together at the diner before the game.” Mason reached for another waffle and turned to Rock. “I’m working on fixing that far stable in the barn this morning. One of the mares kicked out a section. Wanna give me a hand after breakfast?”
“Sure.” He nodded, and the conversation turned to the endless list of chores that needed to be accomplished on the ranch.
He spent the day working with his brothers, lending a hand and pitching in where he could. It felt good to be working with his hands, to be helping his family. Even though he didn’t come home as often as he wanted to, he easily fell back into the comfortable companionship of his brothers. They might joke around a lot, but it was obvious they loved each other and were fiercely loyal to each other.
Rock wasn’t sure how long he wanted to stay out, so he took his truck when they left the ranch later that night. He had two he kept at the ranch. A new Ford with all of the trimmings, and his old blue truck that he’d driven as a teenager. He’d paid a local guy to refurbish the old truck, adding a new engine and a fresh coat of paint. The pickup held a lot of memories, and he typically drove it when he was at home.
But there were already enough old memories swirling in his head, so he drove the new truck into town tonight.
The diner’s cheeseburgers were just as good as he remembered, and his stomach was full as he parked behind Mason’s rig and followed his mom and brother toward the baseball fields.
Creedence might be a small town, but they took their sports seriously and, several years ago, had installed a nice sports complex, complete with four baseball diamonds and two soccer fields. Having the substantial donation from Rock might have helped as well.
The four diamonds were color-coded and spread out from a center area that had a snack bar, two locker rooms, and public restrooms.
The scent of grilled hot dogs and popcorn filled the air. Even though he was stuffed from supper, he couldn’t resist the smell of popcorn and bought a round of tubs and sodas for him, his mom, and Mason.
“Thanks, honey,” Vivi said, taking the offered cup. She nodded toward one of the diamonds. “Colt’s team is playing on the blue field tonight. I think I see him over there warming up.”
It took them ten minutes to cross to the field and climb up the bleachers. Not that the walk was that far, but between the three of them, they found that one of them had to stop and chat with almost every person they ran into.
Rock fielded questions about the team and the fight and his injuries. He smiled and joked, happy to visit, but found his gaze continually searching for one particular tall blond. He hadn’t seen her yet and didn’t want to admit that hopes of running into Quinn may have influenced his decision to come out to the game tonight.
Not that he didn’t want to support his brother, but the off chance that he might run into his neighbor was also a strong factor.
He heard her familiar laugh as they climbed the bleachers behind the field, and he looked up to see her and Max sitting a few rows ahead. Her hair was loose, falling in golden waves around her shoulders, and the white tank top she wore accentuated her slim, tanned arms.
She had on a pair of khaki shorts and tennis shoes, and even in such a simple outfit, she was breathtakingly beautiful.
A rush of heat coursed through him, both from the sight of her long, tan legs and from the wave of anger inspired by the too-smooth-looking cowboy standing next to her who was making her laugh.
Chapter 6
Despite his annoyance at the chump who was chatting up Quinn, Rock smiled at Max, who was waving and calling out for them to come sit with him.
“I didn’t know they’d be here,” he said quietly to his mom.
She turned back to him, an innocent smile on her face. “Oh, didn’t I mention it? Logan plays on the team with Colt.”
“No. It must have slipped your mind.”
Yeah right. Nothing slips that woman’s mind. He’d wager a hundred dollars that she knew Quinn and Max would be here, and double down that their presence was the main reason she’d encouraged him to come along.
Mason climbed the two rows in front of them and spread out the blanket their mom had him carry in from the truck. Vivi sat down, conveniently leaving plenty of room for Rock to sit next to Quinn, and Max clamored across the bleachers to sit next to Mason and Vivi.
“I’ll see ya later,” the cowboy was saying as Rock dropped onto the bleachers next to Quinn.
He didn’t know if his angry glare had anything to do with the guy leaving or not, and he didn’t really care. “Who was that guy?” he asked, the question coming out a little harsher than he’d intended.
Quinn raised an eyebrow. “Well, hello, Rock. Nice to see you too. Yes, the weather is lovely tonight, and oh yeah, it’s none of your business.”
Yeah, definitely came out too harsh. He held his hands up in surrender. “Sorry. You’re right. What I meant to say was ‘Hey, Quinn, how you doing? Isn’t it a great night for some softball?’ Is that better?”
“Barely.”
He shifted in his seat, setting his drink on the bleachers in front of him and trying not to stare at her amazingly long legs. “So really, who was that guy?”
She let out a laugh and shook her head. “You are terrible. He’s just a customer from the coffee shop where I work.”
He huffed. “A customer that seems interested in more than just your coffee-making skills. So, did he ask you out?”
“Why, Rockford James, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were jealous.”
He shrugged. “What if I am? Or what if I just felt like punching that guy in his fat, stupid nose?”
Her eyes widened. “Wow. That is so mature. I can tell that you’ve really grown up.”
He ignored the jab, used to their verbal sparring. “You didn’t answer the question.”
This time, it was her turn to shrug. “No. He didn’t ask me out. But he asked for my number.”
His blood boiled, and he tried to rein in the sparks of jealousy that were firing through his veins. “I hope you told him to shove it.”
“No, I didn’t. Because I’m a civilized person who doesn’t go around telling perfectly nice people to shove it.”
He cocked an eyebrow.
“But I also didn’t give him my number.”
A smug smile tugged at the corners of his lips, and the fire in his veins cooled.
He was working on a witty comeback, when another person walked up the bleachers to talk to Quinn.
This time it was a girl, probably in her midtwenties. Her hair was mousy brown and unkempt, her bangs too long and hanging in her eyes. She wore faded jeans and a black tank top with a marijuana leaf embossed on the front. Real classy.
Rock felt Quinn stiffen next to him as the girl warily approached. She looked familiar but he couldn’t quite place her, more like he’d known her as a kid instead of as an adult. He shoved a handful of popcorn in his mouth and watched their exchange.
