Cowboy Blue Read online

  She could see his agony at feeling helpless. Casey moved to the end of the bed and tried to control her smile. “This is killing you, isn’t it? Being hurt. Having to ask for help.”

  “Yup.”

  “But you must have been hurt all the time when you were riding. I’ve watched professional bull riding on television. I’ve seen the guys limping around.” She spoke as she grabbed his boot and pulled.

  He winced. “I was younger then.”

  “You’re still young.” She pulled the other boot off and actually got a pain-filled grunt from Bonner. After dropping the boot to the floor next to the bed, she lay down next to him. She saw the pain in his face. Maybe he was even worse than he’d let on. “Wanna just lay here for a few minutes?”

  “God, yes.” Bonner didn’t even attempt to hide his relief.

  Casey sat up against the headboard as Bonner looked like it was all he could do to lay still. “Hm, maybe I should have gone with Dakota and Justus to the bar.”

  “Oh, shut your pretty little mouth. I’ll be fine… In a minute.”

  She smiled, enjoying the teasing. Enjoying even more that Bonner was in her bed, even if they weren’t having sex at the moment.

  That they could joke with each other and talk about things was nice too. It proved this wasn’t just some animal attraction between them.

  Bonner turned just his head on the pillow to face her. “So, now you know about my past. You owe me something about yours. Spill.”

  Even though she figured he was trying to distract her so she didn’t demand anything physically strenuous from him for a little while, Casey decided she did owe him a truth for a truth. He’d confessed something he didn’t like to tell anyone. Her turn.

  “I can’t cook.”

  “That’s your confession?” His forehead wrinkled. “I tell you I was married and divorced and ruined my career for a woman who still left me afterward and you tell me you can’t cook?”

  “Well, there’s a little more to it.” Casey turned to face him and launched into the story of Christmas morning the year she was eight. The Cowboy Cody doll. The pink Easy-Bake oven. And most importantly, the vow to grow up and be the best at whatever she did and to never use that damn oven, or any other oven, for the rest of her life.

  By the end of her tale, Bonner’s eyes were twinkling with laughter. “I take it back. That little confession is just about equal to mine.”

  She laughed. “It is?”

  He nodded. “Yup. And it explains so much.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like why you find me so irresistible.” He grinned.

  Casey rolled her eyes. “Don’t let it go to your head. It’s Cowboy Cody I had a schoolgirl crush on. You just happen to look a little bit like him. Actually, the resemblance pretty much ends at the blue shirt.”

  She wasn’t about to admit the truth to Bonner, that he might as well be the childhood man of her dreams come to life. The man definitely didn’t need his ego stroked that much.

  “You mean the blue shirt of mine you stole from me?” He lifted a brow and looked a bit too self satisfied.

  “I didn’t steal it. You gave it to me and I’m keeping it. You have a whole case of them anyway.” She crossed her arms, firm in her resolve. That shirt was coming home with her to New York as a memento even if she had to wrestle him for it.

  Actually, wrestling could lead to some fun.

  “That was before I knew you were only using me to fill your Cowboy Cody fetish. But yeah, I did give it to you. You can keep it. However, I bet I have something your Cowboy Cody didn’t have.”

  “And what would that be?”

  A devilish expression appeared on Bonner’s sun-browned face. “Unbuckle my belt and I’ll show you.”

  Casey narrowed her eyes. “Hm. I think you’re enjoying the idea that I’ll be doing all the work thanks to your injury.”

  “Well, I have an idea about that.”

  “Really. Do tell.”

  “Take off those pants of yours, spin yourself around and hop on up here.” He grinned and patted his chest. “I’ll be happy to show you what I have in mind.”

  She didn’t need to have what he was suggesting spelled out. Her cowboy was a real creative problem solver and she wasn’t about to argue with his solution.

  The idea of his tongue on her, his mouth torturing her into orgasm, his long thick fingers plunging into her as she worked him with her mouth at the same time had Casey throbbing and he hadn’t even touched her yet.

  Reaching for the waist of her pants, she smiled. “Sounds good to me.”

  CHAPTER 12

  Casey couldn't believe the week was over. Just when she really didn't want to leave, she was sitting down to her last meal at the ranch—breakfast with Jake, Dakota, Justus and Bonner. Tomorrow they'd all still be here, but her seat would be empty. She glanced sideways at Bonner.

  Would he even notice?

  She shook that thought out of her head. Of course, he'd notice. They'd spent the past two nights in her bed together.

  His injury aside, they'd pretty much taken each other every way imaginable. Their time together may have been short, but it sure was productive—in her bed, and on the desk in her room, even in the big old cast-iron bathtub.

  That had begun strictly to see if a soak in a hot bath would help his muscles feel better. It wasn't her fault the hot, soapy water was too much of a temptation for both of them. That she'd ended up straddling Bonner, sliding down over him, hard and fast until the water splashed over the edge and on to the floor.

  They’d soaked quite a few towels mopping it up, then had to drape them all over her room to dry before Mrs. Jones noticed.

  But now it was over. Whatever had been between Bonner and her was over.

  How could it continue with her in New York and him in Colorado? It was crazy to even consider trying. Besides, he hadn't said a word about trying to maintain any semblance of a relationship after she left. Maybe this was just a fling for him.

  That’s what it should be for her too. It wasn’t.

  "What time is your flight?"

  She glanced up as Jake’s question broke into her misery.

  "Noon." Casey cleared the frog out of her throat that had made her voice unclear.

  Jake nodded. "You've got plenty of time."

  She forced a smile. "Yeah, I don't think the security lines at Yampa Valley Regional are quite as long as the ones I’m used to in the New York airports.

  "No. Not quite. The bigger issue is if they close the security checkpoint while the only worker goes to get coffee or take a leak." Jake’s hearty, gruff laugh never failed to make her smile.

  Sometimes it was hard for Casey to remember Jake had two sides to him.

  That even though the Jake she'd come to know was completely at home on the ranch, dressed in boots and jeans, his hat tipped back as he yelled across a pen of cattle to one of the guys, he was a hugely successful business man. The man who'd shepherded a multi-million dollar, multi-national, hundred-year-old corporation into the twenty-first century.

  Or that Jake flew to the corporate headquarters in New York to check on the operations there monthly. She’d even heard he maintained a standing reservation at one of the better hotels bordering Central Park for his monthly trips.

  The dichotomy was surreal.

  She tried to picture Bonner in New York, her city, and found it nearly impossible.

  He’d be like a fish out of water.

  No, Bonner Blue Boyd belonged in a saddle on the back of a horse. Riding the range, the wind in his face, his boots in the stirrups, the cattle at his feet, his dog Misty trailing behind.

  His home, his life, was here.

  Jeez, she was getting sappy. She couldn't help it. Like it or not, she was going to miss him. More than she wanted to admit.

  She’d miss it all. After taking almost every meal in this room with these people, her two-room apartment in the city was going to feel even emptier.

  M
aybe she should get a cat for company. Or a dog. One like Misty. But what would she do with it when she had to travel for work?

  Which brought up another concern—what was she going to do when she did come back here to the ranch for business?

  Would she and Bonner pick back up where they’d left off? Fall right into bed like no time and distance had been between them? And what if she came back to find he’d gotten a girlfriend?

  The bitter taste of bile crept into the back of her throat at that thought.

  Bonner had been right. Don’t mix business with pleasure. They should have stuck to his cowboy code and not given in to the attraction. Codes were codes for a reason.

  Now... Well, now she'd have to deal with the consequences. She was afraid those could be pretty bad. Wearing his shirt while weeping on her sofa with a pint of ice cream and a spoon kind of bad.

  The huge disappointment over Cowboy Cody when she was eight aside, Casey had lived twenty-eight years without a broken heart. One trip to the Maverick ranch may well break that winning streak.

  Meanwhile Bonner ate his steak and eggs and drank his coffee, occasionally defending his mug from Jake's thievery, like this morning was no different than any other.

  Maybe he wouldn't miss her after all.

  "Well it’s sure been a pleasure having you here, Miss Casey." Fork and knife in hand, Justus gazed at her over his meal.

  Dakota nodded. "Yes, ma'am. It was a pleasure. You come back again real soon."

  "Come back in February or March for calving season. You'd enjoy that. Seeing 'em born." Justus turned to Bonner. "Blue, don't you think she'd like that?"

  Bonner glanced at her and then away again so fast, she nearly missed it. "I do."

  Fighting what suspiciously felt like tears, Casey nodded. "I would like that. It sounds miraculous. We'll have to see what the corporate schedule looks like, I suppose."

  Jake let out a snort. "You come back whenever you want to. We don't live by corporate schedules at this end of the business the way the square asses in the New York offices do."

  She laughed. "Have you forgotten I'm one of them?"

  "Nope. You may well be one of them, but you’re one of us too. You’ve proven yourself here this week. Keeping up with the boys around here. Riding out with Bonner. Surviving a night in the cabin."

  Jake's mention of the night she'd spent with Bonner had her heart aching. "Thanks, Jake."

  "Oh, and I looked over that marketing plan you left for me. I like it. You've got a good head on your shoulders and a knack for all that stuff I’ve got no mind for myself. Maverick Western is lucky to have you."

  Now she really did have to fight the tears. Validation from the old man himself was more than she’d dared hope for. "Thank you, sir. That means a lot to me."

  Bonner, quieter than usual, didn't comment or even glance up as he scraped the last of the eggs off his plate.

  Casey pushed her chair back from the table. If she didn't get out of this room, she'd break down bawling in front of the boss as well as the man who apparently wasn't affected at all by her leaving. "I still have to pack a few things."

  Jake nodded. "If I don't see you before you leave, safe trip."

  Dakota looked up. "Yes, ma'am. You have a safe journey."

  "See you next time. Think some about calving season. You ain’t truly experienced ranch life ’til you’ve spent a night in a calving barn." Justus grinned.

  Bonner finally glanced up. He stood and extended his hand to her. Amazed that one of the most incredible weeks of her life was going to end with a handshake, she couldn’t do much more than reach out her own hand and shake his.

  "It was a pleasure working with you this week, Miss Casey."

  Working? She swallowed hard. "You too."

  Images flashed through her mind as she held his hand, so big and warm, in hers. She remembered how his touch had been all over her. His fingers knew every inch of her body, inside and out.

  That was over. Now he was all business once again. Her chest actually hurt from that knowledge.

  She pulled her hand out of his grasp. "I better...you know. Get ready."

  With a nod he sat again and she walked as fast as she could without looking like she was fleeing, to the privacy of her room.

  An hour later, earlier than she had to, she said goodbye to Mrs. Jones in the kitchen, and then loaded her bags into the trunk of the rental car. She’d rather wait at the airport than here amid all the painful memories.

  She programmed the GPS for the airport, and was told to drive to the nearest recognized route.

  Teary eyed, she laughed, reminded of her arrival here. It felt like a lifetime ago, and at the same time the week had flown by in the blink of an eye.

  Casey glanced at the buildings in view, stupidly searching for one last glimpse of Bonner. She tried to reason away the pain.

  Men were different. They didn’t let themselves get emotionally attached. It didn’t mean he didn’t care about her. Of course, he couldn’t show emotion at the breakfast table anyway. Not with the others there. Their relationship, or fling, or whatever it was, had been secret.

  A private good bye would have been nice though. She supposed the kiss he’d given her before slipping out of her bed about midnight last night was her good bye. Had she known that, perhaps she would have prolonged it a bit more.

  With a sigh filled with regret, Casey put the car in gear and headed down the path she knew led toward the gate. It was a beautiful drive. She wished she could appreciate it more, but the myriad of emotions assaulting her didn’t leave a whole lot of room for enjoying the scenery.

  Casey wiped at a tear that crept from her eye. She would not allow herself to cry over a man.

  Unfortunately, the second tear hadn’t gotten that message.

  As she dashed the tear away, something caught her attention in the rear view mirror. She slowed the car and squinted at the motion reflected in the small mirror until the dust took the form of a man and horse.

  Heart pounding, Casey threw the car into park and opened the door. Bonner leapt from the saddle before the horse even stopped and strode toward where she stood next to the car.

  He captured her in his arms before she could wrap her mind fully around his actions. His mouth covered hers, hard and demanding. He tangled his fingers in her hair, angling her head and driving his tongue between her lips.

  When he finally broke away, he pulled her to him. He held her close, her head resting on his chest. “I couldn’t let you leave without a proper good bye.”

  Against her cheek, through that stupid blue denim shirt she’d come to love, Casey felt his heart pounding. “I’m glad.”

  There was so much to say. So much she wanted him to say, but neither spoke a word.

  He leaned back and, cupping her face in his hands, stared into her eyes. Somehow they didn’t need words. She knew. He cared. He didn’t want her to leave either. And, just like her, he’d realized there was nothing either of them could do about it. Her place was there. His, here.

  He pressed his mouth to hers again in a poignant, too brief kiss. Then he reached around her and opened the driver’s side door. She got in and while trying to memorize the look, feel, even smell of him, watched as he slammed the door, closing her in.

  She didn’t lower the window. They were done. There was nothing more to say. With a forced smile, she glanced one more time at Bonner and with a hand that shook shifted the car into gear.

  As she drove away, she saw him in the rear view mirror. He stood in the road and didn’t move. She watched until she couldn’t see him any more.

  CHAPTER 13

  “That is one magnificent turkey, Mrs. Jones.” Jake looked like he was starting to salivate just from the sight of it.

  Though that could also be from the fact he and Mrs. Jones had struck a deal. Just for this meal he was allowed to eat whatever he wanted—in moderation—even if it was against his diet.

  “It should be. I started cooking it at sunri
se. Oops, forgot the gravy.” She turned back toward the kitchen.

  Jake scowled and leaned in closer to Bonner. “Yeah. Spoiled my morning, she did. I snuck down early to steal a cup of real coffee from the pot and she was already in there stuffing the damn bird.”

  Bonner grinned. “Don’t worry. Tomorrow things will be back to normal and you’ll be back to stealing coffee again.”

  “Can’t come soon enough for me.”

  Mrs. Jones appeared again, carrying a gravy boat. “Here you go.”

  “Aren’t you going to sit and join us?” Jake lifted one snowy brow.

  “I’ve been tasting things all day. I don’t need to eat.”

  He screwed up his mouth. “Then just sit there and pick. Don’t you want to see me enjoying your cooking?”

  “Come to think of it, I better sit. Have to make sure you don’t stuff yourself or the doctor will be hollering next time he tests your cholesterol.”

  It was a dance the two had every year on Thanksgiving. Christmas too. Mrs. Jones, a widow, was always here cooking for the ranch on the holidays. Jake would always ask her to join them. They’d banter back and forth about it for a little while until finally Mrs. Jones went to the kitchen and got herself a place setting.

  Bonner wouldn’t know what to do if they didn’t stick to the tradition. It had been going on for so long.

  He had always found Thanksgivings at the Maverick ranch interesting. Who would be at the table was usually up for grabs.

  Some years there were cowboys in town for one thing or another, far from home and alone. The old man would always include them in the meal if they had nowhere else to go.

  Some years, though not often, members of the Maverick family would be there—Jake’s grandson or granddaughter and more recently their spouses and kids.

  And some years, like this year, it was just him and the old man.

  “Where’d Justus and Dakota head off to again?” Jake reached for the bowl of mashed potatoes.

  “Colorado Springs. Some Thanksgiving rodeo.” Bonner stabbed a turkey leg with his fork and pulled it onto his plate.

  “Ah, that’s right.” With a glance at the door, the old man scooped a second heaping spoonful of buttery potatoes onto his plate.