Sweet Talking Cowboy, page 12
Her mind was churning. He certainly wasn’t giving her any time to think things through. He was like a tornado, just spinning around, uprooting everything or anyone who got in his path. In her mind she had a quick glimpse of Tris, herself, Aunt Poog and several horses, all swirling helplessly in the air around a dark, angry Slade Butler. And then, out of the storm, she caught sight of a lonely teenaged boy, being sent out of his father’s house by a haughty Tanya, her shrewish finger pointing to the barn, her face, a mask of evil. Briann could see the hurt on the boy’s dark face and her heart began to melt. Slade was fighting for his family as his own father had never fought for him.
When Slade returned to the room, he was surprised to find Briann stepping out of the bathroom. As he turned to close the door, she was close enough he caught a quick smell of her breath, just freshened by brushing her teeth.
“I’m ready,” she said.
He glanced around the room. “You’ve got everything you need?”
She nodded. “I keep most of my stuff in the dressing room of my trailer.”
He followed her out and watched as she turned automatically toward her truck. “Is there any reason to drive your truck? Is there something in it you might need?” He asked.
She dropped her head and a smile touched her lips. “No. Old habit.” Then she turned and followed him to his truck. He opened the passenger door for her and waited while she got in, then pushed it closed.
Briann looked around. His truck was newer and a more luxurious model of truck than hers was. In fact it was top of the line. “Nice,” she said as he got behind the wheel.
He grinned. “I practically lived out of my truck and trailer all summer, but the clinics I gave paid well, so I decided if I had to spend so much time on the road, I might as well be comfortable. Got this as it came off the line in Detroit.”
She nodded her approval. “Nice,” she repeated.
As the day passed, Briann discovered that having Slade there to help her was not a bad thing. He had shown horses himself so he was able to anticipate her needs and often had things ready before she needed it. He carried a soft rag in one rear pocket of his jeans so he could make sure her mount was shiny and dust free as she entered the ring and there was always a cold bottle of water in his hand for her when she exited the ring.
When there was a lull, he made sure the horses were settled and resting before joining her at the arena to watch the other classes. She discovered they knew many of the same people and Briann found that she resented it less each time he mentioned their impending marriage to people they ran into.
When she complained of being tired, Slade sent her to her trailer to rest for a while on the bed in the dressing room. “You have time, so take advantage of it. You know you’ll get more out of your horses if you aren’t tired.” He reasoned with her.
Her horses had done well at halter, the gelding taking first in his class and the filly taking second in hers. She was happy with them and didn’t want to take anything away from the saddle classes, so she agreed. “In case I doze off, will you wake me up in time to eat?”
He assured her he would and watched as she walked away.
When she woke up a little later, he was gently shaking her shoulder. “Hey, sleepy head, time to eat.”
She slipped off the bed and realized he’d brought lunch with him. They ate quickly and spent the afternoon switching saddles and horses almost back to back for the different classes her mounts were entered in. It was a busy afternoon and she was amazed, a dozen times that she’d ever done this by herself.
When she finished her last class, for the evening, it was dark and she was tired. It was a good tired, though. The two horses she’d shown had amassed a total of six firsts, two seconds and two thirds. It had been a long day.
Together she and Slade made the horses comfortable for the night, and then as they walked toward his truck, she found herself mentally preparing for another long tension filled night. She felt her nerves tightening, her defensive system kicking into gear and her brows knitted into a frown that she wasn’t even aware of. She slipped into the passenger seat and huddled near the door.
Slade sensed her tension and would have liked to soothe it over with some irrelevant conversation about the events of the day, but he knew she wasn’t in any mood to talk. The drive to the hotel was silent and when they parked they exited the truck from opposite doors and walked through the back door and to their room. Once there, he opened the door and paused as she entered. He slipped the key into his pocket.
“I know you’re tired so why don’t I let you have some time to yourself. I’ll find something to do for a couple of hours.” He offered.
She looked at him in surprise and nodded. “That would be nice.” Then added, “but if you decide to get drunk again, don’t call me to come get you.” There was no humor in her voice and he figured she wasn’t joking.
He sighed with great exaggeration. “Not even married yet and you’re already naggin’.”
She looked up at him. “If that was an attempt at a joke, it wasn’t funny.”
He shrugged. “Well, at least I tried.” Then he added. “Want me to bring you something to eat first?”
“I’ve got the salad I forgot to eat last night. It’ll be fine.” She shook her head negatively and turned to gather the things she wanted to carry into the bathroom with her.
“Okay. Make sure you lock the door. I’ll be back later.” He waited outside the room for a minute, silently wondering what lay ahead of them, but then headed out to his pickup.
Briann was thankful for the privacy. She’d really been dreading the long hours in the room alone with him. She drew a tub of water and soaked for a while, then slipped into the oversized football jersey that she brought along to sleep in, nibbled at the salad and then lay down across the bed to watch television. She didn’t figure Aunt Poog and Tris would be home from Wild Adventures until much later, she decided she’d wait and call them in the morning.
She found a reality show she’d been keeping up with, but the first few minutes of it were all she saw.
The next thing she knew, Slade was shaking her shoulder gently. “Bri,” his voice was soft, near her ear and she could smell that he had been drinking, even though he had just brushed his teeth. She opened her eyes quickly, bumping his nose as her head jerked up.
“It’s alright,” he continued, rubbing his nostrils gingerly. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I just think you’ll sleep better if you get under the sheet and put your head on the pillow.” He was again wearing his low slung pajama bottoms but no shirt and she knew he’d showered before disturbing her.
She hurriedly did as he suggested, fully aware that her shirt didn’t cover much. When she was comfortable, he turned the television off and settled onto the other side of the bed once again lying on top of the bedspread.
She almost smiled at his thoughtfulness, and then wanted to kick herself. It was his demanding, selfishness that was the cause of all this. She hoped he had a miserable night.
Morning again found them snuggled together. At some point, Slade had gotten cold and worked his way under the spread, but had tactfully left the top sheet between them, although it did little to keep them from touching. When Briann awoke, she was in his arms and one of his long legs was resting across her hips.
She began pushing at him, “Get off me,” she growled.
He opened his eyes and a smile deepened the slashes in each cheek. “Are you tryin’ to take advantage of me?” He asked.
“I’m trying to get you off me!” She declared angrily.
He laughed. “Once again let me point out that you’re on my side of the bed.”
She realized he was right and felt her face burn. “Shut up, and get off me.”
He frowned. “What’s the rush? The classes don’t start until one o’clock.”
“The horses still have to be fed and the stalls cleaned. I want to get everything packed that I don’t need so that as soon as the last class ends, I can load the horses and start home.” She didn’t want him to know that although she’d planned to stay over another night, her plans had changed due to his being there.
He shook his head. “No way. Your last class won’t be over before seven and that would make you around two in the mornin’ gettin’ home. We’ll just stay again tonight and drive home tomorrow.”
Briann hopped out of the bed and turned to face him, not even remembering that the shirt she’d slept in barely came down below her panties. “Let’s get one thing straight, Mr. Butler. I guess I don’t have much choice but to go along with this marriage thing, but don’t start thinking that you’re my lord and master. I didn’t invite you here and I will leave when I decide to leave, not when you allow me to leave. You got that?”
His eyes were taking advantage of the pleasant view she was providing and his smile deepened. “This marriage just might get to be fun. I might even learn to enjoy our fights. Especially if we fight while you’re dressed like you are now.”
She snatched up the pillow she’d used and swung it at him.
Slade grabbed it as it slammed down onto his chest and tugged on it forcefully and before she could catch herself, Briann found herself falling across him.
He caught her in his arms, her hands spread on his chest to break her fall, their faces so close she couldn’t see his eyes. Her eyes were focused on his lips and she knew he was going to kiss her. She shook her head negatively, unable to voice a protest, but felt one of his hands in the back of her hair, not forcing her movement, but gently guiding her face to his.
It was a gentle kiss, his lips warm and alive, hers starting out hard and unresponsive, but slowly melting, flowing into his with warmth and the beginning of a reawaking passion.
He wanted to hold her, wanted to let that passion surge into life and consume them both, but he knew a lot depended on how this ended. Reluctantly he broke the kiss, but continued to hold her in his arms for a minute, allowing both of their breathing to return to normal.
When she moved, he released her and watched as she quickly slipped off the bed to disappear into the bathroom. After a couple of minutes she returned having realized there was little need for modesty, found the clothes she wanted and returned to the bathroom to get dressed. She hated that she’d allowed her anger to overrule her judgment, hated that she’d allowed her actions to put her into a compromising position, hated that she had not been able to remain impassive when he’d kissed her, hated that all he had to do was touch her and she lost all sense of self, hated that his one gentle kiss was enough to melt her bones.
When she came out of the bathroom, he was dressed and sitting on the side of the bed pulling his boots on. She moved around the room carefully avoiding eye contact with him, but feeling his eyes following her movements. She found her boots and put them on and when she turned around he was standing at the door waiting for her.
“Ready?” He asked.
She walked through the door without answering, resisting the urge to elbow him in the stomach. He acted as if the kiss hadn’t happened while her heart was lurching crazily just from having to walk that close to him. At the exit door of the hotel, she felt one of his hands settle between her shoulder blades as he followed her to his truck. It was amazing how warm his hand was and how that heat radiated into her entire body.
They worked quietly, feeding the two horses, then tying them out while they cleaned the stalls. Once the animals were again settled in clean stalls munching on their hay, Slade caught her attention.
“Can we go have breakfast now?”
“You can. I think I’ll just hang around here. I’m not really hungry right now.”
Slade nodded. “I won’t be long. Can I bring you something?”
“No, I’m good.”
He seemed to hesitate, but then walked away.
Once she saw his truck leave, she walked to her trailer and drug out a folding chair. She opened it up and sat down after she got her cell phone. She punched in Aunt Poog’s number and waited for it to be answered.
She had almost decided they weren’t home, when she heard Poog’s voice. “Hello?”
“Good morning, Aunt Poog. How’re you two doing?” Briann wanted to sound as normal as possible.
“We’re fine, how’re things there?”
“It’s great! I’ve got six blues, two reds and two yellows. We’ve placed in every class and the competition is hard. There are horses here that are already qualified for the World Show.”
“Is Slade still there?” Poog cut right to the heart of the matter.
Briann frowned. She’d been hoping to forget him for a few minutes, but since Aunt Poog brought him up, she might just as well know the truth. “Yes, he’s here and he’s threatened to sue for custody of Tris.”
She heard the quick in-take of breath from the older woman on the other end of the conversation. “Oh, my!”
“The only thing I can do to prevent that, is marry him,” Bri said softly. “So I guess that’s what I’m going to do.”
There was silence for a minute. Then Poog said, “Well, I suppose it could be worse. To tell you the truth, I think Mike was hoping things might work out like that.”
“Well I wasn’t!” Briann’s voice was edged with anger. “If I knew I’d win against him in court, I’d fight this, but I can’t take a risk of losing Tris!”
“Slade is a good man, Briann. He wouldn’t do it if he didn’t think it was the right thing to do.”
“Right for who, Aunt Poog? Slade Butler?” Briann knew she wasn’t being objective, but right now, she wasn’t feeling objective. She resented that Aunt Poog was defending him. “Look, I don’t want to argue. Is Tris awake?”
“No,” Poog said. “We got back so late last night and I was letting her sleep in. Do you want me to wake her up?”
“No,” the disappointment was heavy in her voice, but she knew the child needed her rest. “Just let her call me when she gets up.”
When she put her phone away, Briann was at a loss for anything to do, so she just wondered through the barn, looking at the other horses and speaking to the few people who were there tending them. Finally she ended up back at her trailer. She opened the door and went in to relax for a while.
She pulled her show saddle out and brushed it down good, spraying a little leather conditioner on it, then cleaned the bridle and matching breast collar. She wanted them looking their best for the performance classes later. She had just finished replacing the bag she covered it with when she heard a tap on the door, then Slade pulled it open.
From the grin on his face, she knew he was up to something. She faced him, her defenses in place. “What have you done?”
He handed her a small box. “For you.”
She took it and opened it so she could look inside. She was cautious as she peeked in. Then she gasped. “How did you do this? There aren’t any stores open this early.” The ring was beautiful. A modest diamond set in gold with small diamond chips encircling it. She just held the box, looking from the ring to him, then back again.
“I wanted you to have an engagement ring.” He said.
She shook her head negatively, and pushed it back toward him. “I…it…”
He took the box, removed the ring, caught her left hand and slipped it on her finger. “I know this arrangement is not what you want, but I’d like to try to make the best of it, Bri. If you give me a chance, I’ll make you happy. We can be a real family.”
She dropped into the chair, her eyes frozen on the ring on her finger. It was so beautiful. She couldn’t imagine finding one she’d like any better, but it was the symbol of a marriage she was being forced in to. She didn’t want it. “If you want to make me happy you know what to do. Just leave me and my daughter alone.”
His eyes dropped and she knew she’d hurt his feelings but then he looked at her again and she saw the smoldering anger. “Not your daughter, Briann. Our daughter. And it’s because you can’t seem to think of her that way, I have to do what I’m doin’.” He looked at the ring on her finger and then his eyes bored into hers. “If you don’t want it, throw it in the damn trash. But my plans aren’t changin’.” He turned and left the dressing room.
Well, she looked at the ring again. She certainly hadn’t handled that very tactfully, she thought. She hadn’t wanted to hurt Slade’s feelings but, he didn’t seem overly concerned with her point of view. Still, they were getting married and it was a beautiful ring. She sighed deeply and pulled it to the end of her finger, almost off, then hesitated before pushing it back in place. Maybe wearing it would show him she was willing to make some concessions, as long as they weren’t too dramatic. There was still some time to kill before she needed to get ready for her classes. She stepped to the door and pushed it open. Her eyes quickly scanned the area, not sure if she was hoping to spot Slade’s frame in the growing number of contestants beginning to arrive, or not. But she did. He was standing not far from the nose of the trailer, deep in conversation with two young women.
She felt her back stiffen as his face broke into a smile, followed by his deep chuckle. Apparently he was finding the conversation very entertaining. She closed the door firmly as she stepped down to the ground, casting her eyes around as she appeared to spot him for the first time. His eyes met hers and she smiled. Turning in that direction, she casually strolled over to join the threesome. The girls were two she knew from the shows they all attended. She remembered that the two spent more time flirting with the male contestants than they did working the horses they competed on.
She smiled a greeting at them. “Hi, how are y’all this morning?”
The girls returned her greeting and made only a token attempt at small talk before they excused themselves and headed toward the barn where their horses were stabled.
When she looked at Slade, there was a speculative look on the face he turned toward her. Her smile was still in place, but there wasn’t a sign of warmth in it. His dark brows arched. “Was I doin’ somethin’ I shouldn’t do?”
