Emily Carmichael - How To Lasso A Cowboy

Cait smiled bitterly. “I made the mistake. It was my price to pay.”

“Lots of girls make mistakes.”

Cait turned to the only person in the world who knew what had been stolen from her, although Beulah didn’t know the identity of the thief. “Pa wouldn’t have understood.”

Beulah sent her a sidelong glance, but didn’t comment. The remainder of the trip into town was thankfully silent.

WHEN CAIT AND Beulah returned from town with their wagonload of supplies, Deil was alone in the corral, and there was no sign of Win. His horse, however, was in the other pen along with Cait’s own saddle mount, so Win hadn’t gone far.

Beulah halted the wagon in front of the house and Cait hopped down to unload the dry goods onto the porch. She’d carry them inside later, after lugging the sacks of grain into the barn. Cait walked ahead of the wagon, while Beulah drove the mule. She reached out to open the wide barn door, but jumped back when it was pushed out from the inside.

Wiping his damp torso with a towel, Win smiled at her. “I thought I heard someone drive in.”

Frozen, Cait stared at him, her gaze following a single water droplet that rolled down the middle of his smooth, glistening chest. Muscles flowed beneath the bronzetanned skin, tantalizing her and giving her an odd fluttery feeling deep in her belly.

“Cait, the man’s askin’ you a question.”

Cait dragged her gaze away from the tempting expanse of skin and sinew. “Uh, what?”

“Do you want some help?” Win asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

“I can do it,” she snapped. “Besides, you’ve got a hurt arm.”

He held out his injured arm, which no longer had a bandage wrapped around it. “Good as new.”

The gash had closed, and a faded blue, purple, and yellow bruise surrounded the scab. The wound wouldn’t be bothered by carrying a sack or two of grain, but she didn’t want him near, especially after she’d made such a fool of herself staring at his bare chest. As if she’d never seen a chest before. Hell, she’d seen her pa’s chest hundreds of times while he’d washed up on the porch. One man’s chest was just like another.

Liar.

“No, I-” Cait began.

“Let ’im help, girl,” Beulah interrupted in exasperation. “It ’pears he’s used to heavy liftin’.”

Not appreciating Beulah’s interference or her deliberate look at Win’s muscled arms and torso, Cait pretended not to hear. She reached for a sack of oats from the wagon bed.

Big, workroughened hands brushed hers. “I’ll take that,” Win said.

For a moment, Cait wasn’t going to release it, but her common sense overcame her stubborn pride. She allowed him to take the bag, then reached for the next one.

Carrying the fortypound sack, Cait entered the welllit barn and fought to keep her attention from straying to Win’s broad, naked back and shoulders. But his body lured her, just as it had so long ago.

“Why didn’t you let me get that?” Win asked with a scowl.

“I’ve been doing it for years.” She dropped it onto the sack Win had just laid down.

“Why?”

Startled by the question, Cait stared at him through the barn’s shadows. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Your pa-”

“Was getting old. He couldn’t do it all himself.”

“He should’ve hired some help.”

“How? We were barely scraping by before he died. Capturing the wild herd was going to take care of all our problems. Now my only chance is that stallion.” Cait had leaned closer and closer to Win, until her nose was almost touching his chin. His scent-musky sweat and maleness-suddenly filled her, making her heart pound and her palms dampen.

“And you need me to tame that stallion.”

His matteroffact words and warm breath fanning across her cheek made Cait reel back. “Yes, dammit. I need you. Does that make you feel better, to hear me admit it?” Despite her anger, her voice was subdued.

He stared at her, his eyes softening with regret and apology. “I’m sorry, Cait.”

They both knew he wasn’t only apologizing for his blunt remark. Cait’s insides clenched and she felt the humiliating sting of tears but fought them back. She lifted her chin. “Don’t be. I wanted to find out what it was like and you obliged me. I’m glad you left. It would’ve been uncomfortable with you hanging around like a lost puppy.”

Win’s nostrils flared and his lips became a grim line. “So it didn’t mean anything to you?”

Cait shrugged, while her insides cramped with agony. “It meant as much to me as it did to you, which obviously was nothing.”

Win’s eyes blazed and he grabbed Cait’s shoulders, yanking her against him. Cait felt her breasts crushed to his bare chest and her nipples hardened. He swooped down and kissed her, his lips at first unyielding, then moving like a summer breeze across a smooth pond.

He teased her lips open and swept his tongue into her mouth. Her hands, trapped between their bodies, flattened against his bare, silkysmooth chest. She could feel his heart thundering against her palms and her fingertips pressed into his warm skin. Cait groaned and surrendered, brushing her tongue against his and savoring his unique, masculine taste.

Suddenly, he thrust her back. “I wouldn’t call that ‘nothing.’ ”

Hot shame poured through her veins. She’d hated him for ten years. How could one kiss make her forget so easily?

“What’re you two doin’ in there?” Beulah called from outside the barn.

“Nothing,” Cait hollered back immediately, then realized she’d echoed Win’s word.

Her face heated, she stalked out of the barn. Beulah had jumped down from the buckboard and was attempting to lift a sack of grain. As Cait approached her, a coughing fit stopped the older woman and she grabbed a crumpled hanky from her sleeve and held it against her mouth and nose.

“It sounds like you’re getting croupy,” Cait said in concern. “Would you like to come into the house for some tea?”

Beulah shook her head. “I’d best get going.” Her voice was muffled by the handkerchief she held to her face.

There were only two sacks left in the wagon, and Cait tossed one over her shoulder. Win, who must’ve come out of the barn soon after she had, grabbed the other one. Cait ignored him as she carried the grain sack into the barn. She hurriedly dropped it beside the other two and rejoined Beulah, who was stuffing her handkerchief back up her sleeve with trembling hands.

“I can saddle Pepper and ride back to your place with you,” Cait offered.

Beulah snorted. “Why in the world you wanna do that, girl? There ain’t nothin’ wrong with me but some dust gettin’ up my nose.” Shaking her head and muttering, the cantankerous woman climbed into the buckboard. She picked up the reins and eyed Cait closely. “Now, you best behave yourself, girl. I got to run back into town in a few days so I’ll stop by to see how you and Taylor’s doin’.” Beulah raised her head and gave Win, who lounged against the barn door, a warning look.

“I’ll be good,” Win said with a wink.

Beulah leaned down toward Cait and said in a loud whisper, “Don’t you let him be talkin’ you into anythin’ you don’t want.”

Surprised by the oddly phrased warning, Cait only nodded.

Without so much as a wave, Beulah hiyahed her patient mule into a lazy walk. Cait, feeling a frisson of worry for her friend, watched until the buckboard disappeared from view.

Win, buttoning his shirt, joined her. “Now I remember her. She’s that crazy lady from down near Otters Gulch.”

As children, Cait and Win had only known Beulah as that crazy lady from Otters Gulch. It wasn’t until after Win had disappeared that Cait had come to know Beulah Grisman as an eccentric, independent woman with a heart the size of a saddle blanket.

“That’s what we used to call her,” Cait admitted, then added, “She may be a little strange, but she’s not crazy. We became friends after you left.”

Win’s brows furrowed, probably wondering how they came to know each other, but Cait wasn’t about to enlighten him. That chapter of her life was closed.

Cait knew she should shelve the box of goods she’d picked up at the mercantile, but standing in the shade with Win was oddly comforting in spite of the shocking kiss they’d shared earlier.

“How is Deil coming along?” she asked.

Win slid his thumbs into his front pants pockets and stood hipshot, with one knee bent. “I’m going to try to forefoot him again tomorrow morning.” He paused and his gaze felt like a caress, sending a shiver down her spine. “I could use your help.”

Cait’s muscles tightened, hoping she had the strength to face the demon again. “I’ll be here.”

With the predatory grace of a wolf, Win stepped in front of her. “Can I count on you?”

Her heartbeat climbed a notch or two, but she met his intense gaze squarely. “Seems to me I should be asking you that question. I wasn’t the one who ran off like some horse thief in the night.”

“I guess I deserved that.” He lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “I had my reasons, Cait.”

“You could at least tell me what they were.”

He tipped his head back and stared at the hot blue sky. “It was nothing you did, Cait.” He chuckled softly. “You did everything right. Too damned right.” Win’s steady gaze settled on her. “You were so young. Hell, we were both kids. But I was older and knew better. I shouldn’t have taken advantage of you.”

Even after all the heartache he’d caused her, she believed his remorse. He was older than her and had often taken the blame for the mischief they’d gotten into together. She laid her hand on his forearm. The light hairs tickled her palm and his skin’s warmth brought a burst of heat with it. “What happened that night was as much my fault as yours, maybe even more so. I was the one who had to tempt you with that stupid dress.”