Page 63 of The Cowboy's Country Charm

He nudged his horse into a trot, and she followed him to the solitary cabin.

“What is it doing here in the middle of literally nowhere?” she asked as she slid off her horse. There was a single section of fence, likely put there to tie up horses.

“Comes in handy when you have to ride out to the herd. It can take a half day’s ride to get to some of the places. If a rider can’t get back before dark or hits bad weather, this is the place they’ll come to. No one will be using it today. Weather is nice. Herd is on our old ranch. This is on Cort’s original place.”

“How do you know about it if it’s on Cort’s property?” She set to tethering her horse to the fence rail using a manger tie.

He slid off his horse, the movements of his body both muscular and graceful. “When you’re a young kid looking for a quiet space, you find it, even if it’s on your neighbor’s land. And that’s a pretty good knot you tied.”

“4-H.” She turned toward the lowering sun. A slight breeze teased her hair and brushed her face. Though in the low eighties, there was no humidity, so it didn’t feel oppressive. “Have you brought other women here?” No harm in asking.

“Only one, and that was a decade ago.”

Tamara?

He strode to the fence post closest to her. She fought the urge to wrap her body around his and plant one on him.

Instead, she looked around at the tranquil setting. Grass had been cut to carve out two trails and a small path among the waving grasses. One path, the width of one door, went to a small building, likely the outhouse. The other went all the way to a thin ribbon of water that shimmered in the sunlight, more trickle than stream.

With the cabin behind them, it was secluded and private. The perfect place. But despite the humming of her body, doubts crept in. If something happened, ifithappened, it would lead to more complications. Was she ready for those type of complications? Her body was saying yes… Her heart was saying no…

She needed to stifle those types of thoughts.

“Do the cattle water there?” She pointed to the creek.

“When the herd is in the area. Which won’t be until fall. Hopefully, we’ll get more rain by then, because it’s running pretty shallow.”

He tugged on the reins tied to the fence rail and then rechecked the knot she had tied. Satisfied, he turned to her and swept his arm in an exaggerated fashion. “Let’s eat.”

***

Rusty undid the saddle bags on his horse. They were filled with food, human and equine. The saddle bags on Kristy’s horse held the extra clothing, his and hers, and the blanket to spread out on the grass.

If Kristy was agreeable, he hoped to take the relationship to the next level and get out of the friends zone. Better for him to find out sooner than later, so he’d decided to test it. Away from everyone they knew. Alone.

Kristy spread the blanket out over the grass he’d mown on his reconnaissance trip out to the cabin the day before. He’d also brought fresh bedding, swept out the cobwebs and dust bunnies, cleaned the outhouse so it was presentable, and made sure the stove worked. He’d even picked some sunflowers—that Junie planted every year behind the old homestead—and set them in a jar of water on the small table inside. The scene was set, but he wasn’t at all sure about the act.

He set the saddle bags on the blanket and knelt to unpack the food. There was a tub of fried chicken, a loaf of homemade bread, and containers of what looked like green bean salad and coleslaw. A box with apple tarts completed the feast.

He kept his sights on her as she unboxed the haul of eats, setting each container on one side of the blanket after she opened the lid and sniffed. The smile on her pretty face said she was pleased.

It was an impressive spread, and he was hungry, but not for food. She looked up at him from under her lashes, and his insides melted.

God, he hoped she’d be agreeable. He didn’t have a plan B, for the present or the future, if she wasn’t.

“You hungry?” he asked.

She nodded. Too bad. If she had said no, he’d have pitched his plan and, if she’d agreed, picked her up and carried her inside the cabin. But he wanted their first time to be special, and getting all caveman on her would not do that. Some women might like that, but he didn’t think Kristy was one of them.

“Looks like your mother went to a lot of trouble,” she said.

“I’m a grateful son that she likes to cook.”

“I have to tell you, I’m more of a Door Dash gal.”

He laughed. “Then I guess I better learn how to cook more than steaks.” If it meant being with Kristy, he’d take cooking lessons.

She shrugged. “I like cooking, but I usually don’t have time.”

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