Ride Me Cowboy #4 (The Cowboy Romance Series - Book #4) Read online

  RIDE ME COWBOY #4

  BOOK 4

  By Alycia Taylor

  Copyright 2015. All rights reserved.

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  CHAPTER ONE

  LEXI

  When I got back to the ranch the morning after my girls’ night out with Samantha, I followed my nose and found Mom in the kitchen making muffins. The house smelled wonderful. She was in her “happy” apron as she called it. She must be in a really good mood.

  “Oh good, you’re home! How was your night out?”

  I went over and kissed her on the cheek and said, “It was fun. It was nice to get out. You know Sam. She’s always fun to hang out with.”

  “Good to be back in the city?”

  I nodded. “It was.”

  “What did you girls do?”

  “We went to a new club that Sam’s boyfriend is promoting entertainment for. We danced and had a few drinks…”

  “You didn’t drive, did you?”

  I laughed. “No, Mother. We took a taxi.”

  “Good. You’re a good girl. I don’t know why I worry about you.” I could make her a list of my past transgressions, but I’m sure she knows them all by heart. Then there was the one where I slept with my stepbrother…

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  “I’m glad you got out. I could tell you were going a little stir-crazy around here.”

  “Yeah, I was. But I kind of have a strange confession to make.”

  “What’s that?” Mom looked worried and for a second I wondered what she thought I was going to tell her. Did she know or suspect about me and Mark? Am I being paranoid? Probably. I told myself though that I’m sure anytime your daughter said those words, a mother might worry.

  “I just felt happy and peaceful on my way back out here this morning,” I said. “As soon as I hit that spot where the highway is surrounded by rolling green hills…it just kind of descended on me. I guess I like it here more than I’ve been willing to admit.”

  Mom smiled. “I know the feeling. Remember when you asked me how I adjusted so quickly from so many years of living in the city, to this?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, that’s how. It’s hard to put in words and it just kind of sneaks up on you…and then

  boom! You’re a ranch wife. I love it here, I really do. It’s hard to imagine ever living in the city again.”

  I laughed. “Boom! You’re a ranch wife, not me. I’ll never get that comfortable…but when I yearn for some quiet beauty from now on, I can come see you. It’ll be a nice change.” As long as I figure out what to do about my feelings for Mark.

  “Always,” she said. I just made fresh coffee as she took a batch of muffins out of the oven. They filled the sunny kitchen with an even more amazing aroma. My mouth was watering and when she turned her back, I stole one of the golden brown delights and got up to pour a cup of coffee to go with it. I sat back down and took a quick bite – in case she wanted to take it back. When she turned around and saw me, she laughed. “I was going to offer you one, you didn’t have to steal it.”

  With a full mouth I said, “I only borrowed it. I wanted to be sure you weren’t going to say they were off limits.”

  Still laughing, she said, “So what are you going to do today?”

  Avoid Mark again. “I don’t know. Do you have any plans?”

  “I do, honey, I’m sorry. I have to take these muffins into town for the bake sale at the carnival tomorrow. I also told the ladies I’d help set up. You can come with me, if you’d like. I was just afraid it might be boring for you. We’re going to set up the kiosks and check admissions and make phone calls…”

  “Um…well no offense, but…”

  She laughed. “It’s okay. I was young once and I do remember what it was like. I don’t think I would have chosen to spend the day with a bunch of old ladies when I was your age, either.”

  I stuffed the last of the muffin in my mouth and went over and kissed her on the cheek. “You’re not old.”

  Looking offended, she said, “I know that! I was talking about the rest of them.” I laughed and hoped to have that kind of confidence still when I’m her age.

  I finally asked the question on my mind since I drove up the driveway. “Why is it so quiet around here? Where is everyone?”

  “Rob went with the hands to round up the calves. They won’t be back until late tonight or tomorrow morning. Mark took off last night for his rodeo. He left a day early…”

  I didn’t plan on going and I was still angry with him, so I’m not sure why that bothered me so badly…but it did. “Why? I thought he wasn’t leaving until today.” I tried to sound casual about it.

  Mom sighed. “He and his father got into a fight. I’m sure that’s why he left, the poor thing. I wish I knew what all of the tension was about. I feel really bad for Mark. I think Rob is much too hard on him. He’s a good boy – he’s polite and respectful and he’s a hard worker.”

  I didn’t say anything either way about him being a “good boy.” Instead I asked, “Have you asked Rob what’s going on between them?” I wasn’t going to tell her what I knew, mad at Mark or not. He’d told me in confidence and I just couldn’t do that.

  “Of course. I’ve asked him more than once. It’s frustrating because he’s just always vague about it. He blames his constant anger with Mark on the rodeo and his lifestyle…I just get the feeling there’s a lot more to it than that. I get that he doesn’t approve of how Mark lives his life, but he’s always so angry with him. There just has to be more to it than that. Don’t you think? If you made a choice I wasn’t happy with, I still can’t imagine practically writing you off.”

  I hoped that if she ever found out what Mark and I had done, she’d remember that. I gave her the most honest reply that I could think of. “I don’t know what to think, Mom, but I agree with you that there is probably more to it.”

  I visited with her a little bit longer. She asked me about Samantha’s new man since she knew her history, as well.

  “Honestly, he was nice to me when I met him, but he seems just like all the others. I expect the call in a few weeks, telling me what an ass he is. It’s sad. She’s got so much going for her.”

  “She does. Some girls can’t see their own worth, unfortunately. I hope that when she gets older, she’ll figure it out. I hope you never forget yours, either.”

  “I won’t, Mom. If there’s one thing I’ve always been it’s the one in the relationship with the tendency to be too bossy. I’m not one to be pushed around by anyone.”

  “Good.”

  “Mom?”

  “Yeah, honey?”

  “Is Rob good to you? I mean really good to you when no one is around and when it counts?”

  She put her whisk down and looked at me. “He has his faults. Not being very communicative is one of them. But yes, he is good to me. He likes to see me happy and that’s a great thing, right?”

  “Yeah it is, I’m glad to hear it.”

  When she finished making her muffins and gathered them up to take to town with her, I went upstairs and put my things away from my overnight trip. I looked at Mark’s closed bedroom door and I thought about how mean I was to him, telling him that I’d rather jump off a building t
han go to his rodeo. That was so far from the truth and I only said it to hurt him. I wanted him to feel as bad as I did, but I don’t think my words even came close to having the effect on him that the kiss I walked in between him and Taylor did on me. I was even a little bit angry at myself for letting it affect me the way it did. The more I dwelled on it, all of it, the blacker my mood became. I found myself wishing he was here so that I could yell at him some more. Then I found myself being glad he wasn’t because I knew that wouldn’t make me feel any better afterwards. I’d feel like I do now…still hurt and angry and confused.

  I looked out the window. It was a gorgeous morning and when I got out of the car, the first thing I’d noticed was how good the air smelled. Everything was so fresh and it smelled so much better than the city. Maybe what I needed was some nature therapy. I decided that it definitely couldn’t hurt. I put on my walking shoes, and on my way down, I ran into Mom coming up.

  “Are you going out?” she asked.

  “I was going to take a walk. It’s such a pretty day, and I think I need some fresh air.”

  She furrowed her brow as she looked at my face. “Okay, but what’s wrong?” Damn her maternal intuition! Since I was four years old, I haven’t been able to get away with a thing.

  “Nothing’s wrong. I just feel like I need some exercise. Besides, I’ve been here a month already and I have yet to actually see the ranch. All I’ve really seen is here around the house.”

  “A walk sounds great. I wish I could go with you. It always helps me clear my head. But, if whatever is in there is still bothering you when you get back, let’s talk, okay?”

  I laughed. “You never give up, do you?”

  “Nope. I’m a Mom. It’s what we do.”

  “I’m fine, really.” I hugged her and went on my way. I was actually telling her the truth when I said I was looking forward to seeing the rest of the ranch. It really is a beautiful place, and I can see why Rob and Mark are so fond of it.

  The mountains lay in a line around the property, almost like the spine of a giant dragon that had lay down one day and just never got back up. Everything else grew around him. As I walked the path along the outside of the pasture, I could see a high range to the west and low to the east and it curled together at the end like the tail of the beast. Everywhere I looked I could find beauty. It wasn’t like being in the inner city where sidewalks are cracked and discolored and buildings are worn. There was no smog…nothing heavy hanging in the air, just fresh, clean air to breathe. Here and there were yellow and purple flowers just growing wild and as I walked past them their soft aroma would waft up and fill my senses.

  I reached the horse pasture where Mark kept the wild horses that he bred and was so proud of. I almost felt ashamed for not coming out here sooner when I saw them. There was a group of them grazing in the lush pasture grass. They were beautiful, sleek creatures with muscles that rolled underneath their shiny coats with flowing manes and big, intelligent looking eyes that seemed to be looking into your soul when they looked right at you. Mark had good reason to be proud of them. It made me feel good just looking at them.

  I kept walking, wondering what I should do about this thing with Mark. Was it simply infatuation? Was part of my attraction to him the taboo of it all? I’d never been the girl who was attracted to a guy just because he was off limits or dangerous in some way, so I doubted it. I think I was just grasping for an explanation that would make giving him up easier. He hurt me too badly for this to just be a sexual attraction. If that were the case, the kiss I witnessed might have annoyed or angered me a little…but this hurt and deeply. I felt an emotional connection to him and that’s why I felt so betrayed.

  I kept walking past the pastures and stopped at the man-made lake that I liked to look at out my bedroom window at night. I found a big rock at the edge and sat down. The lake was surrounded with green pine trees that seemed to be having a race to see who could reach the sky first. That was another thing you didn’t see much of in the city – trees. Unless of course you went to the park, and then you had to be concerned about hoodlums and thugs and gang bangers when you were a woman alone. This was amazing and peaceful. The brilliant summer sun shone across the water, making it a perfect mirror for the hills surrounding it. I could actually sit here and hear my own thoughts. I just wish they were saying something that I wanted to listen to.

  I don’t know how long I sat there ruminating over my life and what to do about Mark before the sun started heating up and I decided to head back to the house. I went back the way I came, stopping again to watch the horses as they cavorted in the grass. When I reached the edge of the fence line, the driveway came into view. I saw a red pick-up approaching and by the time I got close to the house, a pretty woman about my age with long blonde hair tied back in a ponytail was getting out. She was wearing jeans, boots, and a t-shirt that said something about country music on it. She stopped when she saw me and waited. When I got close, she smiled. It seemed to be a genuine smile, not like the one that Taylor had given my mother and me the day she drove up and started trouble.

  “Hi there.”

  Suspicious because of Taylor, I gave her a cautious smile and said, “Hello. Can I help you?”

  “I was looking for Mark. Is he around?”

  Of course she’s looking for Mark. Probably another jilted lover. “No. He’s gone to a rodeo this weekend.”

  “Oh, okay. Taylor said he was home a few days ago. I guess I missed him.”

  The mention of Taylor’s name made me angry all at once. A little too harshly I said, “Who are you?”

  She didn’t seem fazed by my attitude. Sweetly she said, “I’m sorry. My name is Emily. I’m an old friend of Mark’s.”

  “And Taylor’s?” I sounded like a bitch, but just then I didn’t care.

  She was taken aback now by my tone. “I wouldn’t call myself a friend where Taylor is concerned. She’s just someone I’ve known for most of my life. She lives on the ranch next to ours. I can see by the look on your face that she’s been stirring up some trouble.”

  “You can say that,” I told her.

  “It’s what she does best. I don’t know what’s the matter with that girl. Poor Mark has been trying to get rid of her for years. I know he’s sorry he ever got mixed up with her in the first place. She’s more than slightly obsessive. I can’t fathom how a person can throw themselves at someone who repeatedly tells you that they don’t want you. Taylor is a master at it, though.”

  She was telling me what I wanted to hear, but I was still suspicious of her. “Are you and Mark…did you date him, too?”

  “Oh no. I’ve been with a good friend of his for years – since high school. We’ve stayed close. My husband is away at boot camp, he just joined the army. He’s a friend of Mark’s, too, and it’s hard on both of us with him being gone. I just came by to check in and maybe get a little moral support. I miss my Bobby something fierce.”

  I smiled at her then, genuinely. She seemed like a nice person and I felt bad for her, and I felt bad for my attitude. “I don’t know him like Mark does so I don’t’ know if it will help, but if you need to talk about him, I’m willing to listen. I’m Lexi, by the way. I’m sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My mother is married to Mark’s dad.”

  “Oh, Lydia’s daughter! I love your mom. She’s so cool. She talks about you all of the time.”

  I laughed. “That’s funny because I think my mom is amazing and great and beautiful…but cool is not how I would ever think to describe her.”

  “Well, Lexi, it was good to meet you. I might take you up on that talk sometime, but today I have some things I need to tend to. I was just out this way, so I stopped. If you’ll just tell Mark I stopped by, I would appreciate it.”

  “I will. Nice meeting you.” I watched her leave, ashamed of myself for jumping to conclusions about her and Mark dating. I’d never been a jealous person, and I didn’t like the feeling. I thought about what she said and I wondered if I had jump
ed to conclusions where Mark was concerned, too. When I walked into the house, the house phone was ringing. “Mom!” There was just the echo of silence and I realized she must have left already. I went and picked it up. “Hello?”

  “Hello. This is Vince Gray. I’m the rodeo doctor at the Livingston rodeo. I’m looking for a relative of Mark…”

  “I’m his sister, Lexi. What’s wrong?” My heart was suddenly racing. Please God, tell me he’s okay. I suddenly felt like I could hardly breathe.

  “He had an accident during his bull ride today. He was taken to Mercy Hospital in Merced…”

  I heard the tremor in my own voice as I said, “Oh my God! Is he okay?”

  “As far as I could tell, there were no life-threatening injuries. We sent him for x-rays and they’ll check for a concussion or any internal bleeding as well because you never know. The bull dragged him for a bit.”

  “Okay, I’ll be there, doctor! Thank you!” I hung up, wondering why it felt like something was sitting on my chest. He was all alone and that was my fault. He shouldn’t be alone. I should have been there. How bad would I feel if the injuries had been life threatening. I left my mom a note and brought up Mercy Hospital on the GPS. I grabbed my purse and took off.

  CHAPTER TWO

  MARK

  I woke up in the hospital hours after taking the pain pill the nurse had brought me. I was disoriented at first. I didn’t know where I was or what time of day it was. My mouth felt like it had cotton in it and there was a dull ache in my head. I felt like I did when I have a hangover, but I didn’t remember drinking. I started to sit up and forgetting about my injuries, I pushed with my wrist. It was wrapped, but it still bent and I wanted to scream. The pain shot up my arm and into my shoulder and finally settled and exploded in my head. “Damn it!” Everything suddenly started coming back to me. My hand was stuck. The damned bull dragged me…I wasn’t going to be able to ride again for months…I felt like I was drowning in my own, miserable life.