Wrangled by the Watchful Cowboy

Asking Jessica to the dance wasn’t a bad idea, but she was bound to be suspicious of his motives. Every time he thought he was making progress with her, she accused him of spying for Nick. Eventually, Cord intended to tell her the truth… that his desire to spend time with her had nothing whatsoever to do with following her brother’s orders, and everything to do with the fact that he liked her.

Maybe now’s the time.

His stomach rolled in

a series of somersaults.

Or not.

“I’m busy right now, Mason.” Focused on Shadow as she led him out of the stall, Jessica didn’t hear what Mason was saying. He’d been hanging around more often, all too encouraged by the attention she’d thrown his direction. What a mistake! Her efforts to worry her buttinsky brother had backfired in a big way. And all for nothing. Cord hadn’t even been around to see her flirting with Mason. “Can we talk after the trail ride?”

Mason fell in step beside her, his ever-present cowboy hat shading his eyes as they stepped outside. From the piece of straw clinging to his tank top, she assumed he’d been putting out hay this morning. She noted two female guests, the only coeds in today’s trail ride group, gawking at his exposed muscles. Ordinarily, he would’ve preened under their attention. Today, however, he was focused on Jess. “Sure, I’ll save you a seat at lunch.”

She turned her mind to the task at hand, tucking the brim down on the open-weave straw cowboy hat she wore to protect against the sun. The cloudless sky promised sweltering heat by the time the ride was over, at noon. Thankfully, the majority of the trail wandered under the trees, along the river.

“See ya later.” She tried to dismiss Mason, but he caught her elbow.

“Wait. You didn’t answer my question.”

Ughh! He’d probably asked her on another date. So far, she’d managed to find excuses to avoid going out with him. The guy was as tenacious as a coonhound on a scent trail. Confessing she didn’t intend to date anyone until after graduation would only increase his efforts to wear her down. The one sure dissuasion would be swearing she wasn’t interested in him, a conversation which was bound to hurt his feelings.

“Can’t we do this at lunch?” she suggested, still moving toward the line of trail horses and waiting guests.

“But I wanted to make sure I was the first to ask you.” He tilted his head, looking out from under the brim of his hat.

“Ask me what?”

“To go to the dance with me. Didn’t you see the email this morning? The annual dance got moved up to rodeo weekend.”

She stopped in her tracks as her mind scrambled for a new alibi. He’d already asked her to be his date for the annual dance at the end of summer. The fact that her college classes started in mid-August had provided a perfect excuse. Now what can I say?

Shadow snorted his impatience at the delay. She’d put it off as long as she could. She had to be honest with Mason, but she hated to embarrass him while a bunch of guests milled around within earshot.

“Mason… I… uhmm… I’m…”

Giggles from the two female guests distracted her, and she followed their slack-jawed stares. Cord was striding toward the trail ride gathering… all six feet of him, with lean rippling muscles and a face that could’ve been in movies. No wonder the women were salivating over the guy.

“I’m in love with that cowboy,” the brunette girl gushed, with a husky chuckle.

“He’s mine.” The blonde flipped her long braid to her back, exposing her shoulder, naked except for the tiny spaghetti strap on her barely-there top. “He sat by me at lunch, yesterday.”

Jessica fought an insane urge to chop off the thick plait of hair and toss it into the nearby horse trough.

What’s wrong with me?

“Jess?” Mason tapped her arm, his earnest expression reminding her of his pending invitation.

In the desperation of the moment, Jessica blurted out, “I’m going to the dance with Cord.”

Cord spied Jessica beside the guests lined up for the trail ride. He was hurrying to catch her before she started her instructions when he noticed who was with her.

Mason McCaffrey. I may be too late.

Funny that before Sharon mentioned asking Jessica to the dance, it hadn’t even crossed his mind. Now, the thought of her swinging to the music in anyone’s arms but his had him seeing red. But was he ready to swallow his pride and admit he liked her? Right here and now, in front of Mason and all these Sage Valley guests?

He was so intent on reaching her that he forgot to watch where he was stepping. Almost there, the sound of his footstep changed from a clunk on hard-packed dirt to a sloppy squish, and he realized his mistake. The horses had left fresh piles of dung, and like a city slicker, he’d stepped right in one.

Maybe no one saw me.