Champagne & Chaps (5 page)

Before they went into the house for a drink, Wyatt went into the barn to talk with Trent for a moment then returned. When Wyatt had returned, the chaps were gone and she was vaguely disappointed. She had loved watching the way his chaps had framed his sexy cowboy butt as he’d walked away from her.

When they reached Wyatt’s house, she found it was spacious and beautiful with acres of tile, western furnishings, and décor.

When they were in the kitchen, Wyatt asked Sabrina if she would be hungry for lunch soon.

“In a little while,” she said.

“Got an idea that you might like.” He ducked into the fridge then started pulling ingredients out for sandwiches.

She watched him put mayo, mustard, and lunchmeats on the counter. “Can I help?”

He winked at her. “I’ve got it.”

She liked watching him as he worked. His movements were easy and natural as he threw together the sandwiches and put them into what looked like a large lunch bag with a drawstring. He tossed in a couple of small bags of Doritos and pulled a package of Oreos out of the cabinet and put it into the bag, too. Lastly, he filled a thermos with ice and sun tea then twisted the top shut.

“I take it we’re going to eat outside or we’re going on a picnic,” she said.

“You’re such a smart girl.” He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. “I guess that’s why I like you.”

She laughed and walked through the house to the front door. He was so much fun to be with.

When they stepped outside, she saw Trent between two saddled horses, holding their bridles. One looked like Senorita, Wyatt’s horse that she had met when she first got there. The other was the one with big white spots on brown and white legs that Wyatt had called a paint, that had been in the corral with the other horses. Her name was Sally and she had taken pellets from Sabrina’s hand, too.

She looked up at Wyatt and he grinned down at her and pointed to the horses. “Your carriage, ma’am.”

Sabrina wanted to squeal with delight and clap her hands together, but she didn’t want to sound or look like a teenage girl. “Thank you,” she said with a big smile as she walked up to the two horses.

He gestured to the paint. “Sally is perfect for new riders. Gentle but loaded with personality. You won’t feel like you’re on a pony ride at the circus but you also won’t feel like she’s going to toss you.”

In response, Sally bobbed her head and snorted. Sabrina smiled.

Wyatt went to each horse and checked the saddles, ensuring they were on snug, she guessed. Then he adjusted the stirrups on Sally, making them a little shorter, probably for her height.

“Good job, Trent.” Wyatt said then turned to Sabrina. “Trent is first class when it comes to horses.”

The boy beamed. “Anything else, boss?”

Wyatt shook his head as he slipped the bag with their lunch into one of the saddlebags on his horse. “It’s about lunchtime. Why don’t you take a break and eat?”

“I’m super hungry.” Trent nodded. “Thanks, boss.” He tipped his hat to Sabrina then headed off toward the barn.

As Wyatt guided her to the right side of the horse, she started to feel a little nervous. “What if I don’t do it right?”

“Don’t worry. Sally and I will take care of you.”

Sabrina was so petite in height that the stirrup looked too high, but Wyatt boosted her up with his hands so that her foot slid into the stirrup and then he helped her into the saddle.

She clenched the pommel, afraid she would fall off. “I don’t suppose this thing has a seatbelt.”

Wyatt laughed. “You’ll be fine.

At first she felt uneasy sitting so high and feeling such a big animal beneath her and butterflies fluttered in her belly. She was grateful that Sally stayed so still.

“Let’s give you a little spin around the driveway before we head off anywhere.”

Wyatt took Sally’s reins and started to walk in a circle in the big clear area between the house, the barn, and the corrals.

Her knuckles ached from hanging onto the pommel so tight as she felt the horse sway beneath her and felt the restrained power in the big animal’s movements.

“Relax, sweetheart.” Wyatt smiled at her. “Nothing’s going to happen.”

She nodded and eased up on her grip on the pommel. After they’d made a couple of trips around the driveway, he brought them to a halt beside Senorita.

“You’re going to hold the reins now.” He handed them to her. “I’ll tell you what to do each step of the way.”

She nodded and took the reins, suddenly feeling a little more out of control. But she gripped the reins and waited for him to mount his own horse.

He showed her how to gently tell the horse with the reins where she wanted to go and he instructed her on how to make Sally go and stop. He kept them at a sedate pace, letting her get used to the horse as they headed out of the driveway, through a gate, and into a back pasture.

As they went, Sabrina started to feel comfortable with the easy rhythm of Sally’s gait and she found herself thoroughly enjoying the experience.

They talked and laughed as they went over flat grasslands and then up over a hill. It was a low hill but she had a feeling like the saddle was going to slide right off the horse’s rump. But the saddle stayed put and the horse continued with a nice, steady gait that eased Sabrina’s fears.

After a while, they reached a copse of trees and huddled amongst them was a small building, sort of like a cabin. It looked quaint with a chimney and windows shaded with curtains. When they halted their horses in front of it, Wyatt dismounted and took the reins of both horses and looped them around the railing along a brief porch that had two old wood rocking chairs on it.

“What’s this place?” she asked as he helped her down from Sally.

“Years ago, a foreman offered to build this place because he wanted his own space.” Wyatt said as they walked up onto the porch. “The folks who owned this parcel of land gave him the materials and he built it. I bought this parcel a few years ago and the abandoned house came along with it.”

The door handle turned easily and the hinges were surprisingly silent as he pushed open the door. Sabrina stepped inside and saw that it was a simple one-room place with a bed in one corner and a small kitchen area. There were a couple of recliners in front of a wood stove, and a gas lamp on a table between them. There were skylights but she noticed an electric light, too.

“It doesn’t look abandoned,” she said as he closed the door behind them.

“I keep it as a guest house.” He looked down at her. “It was in good repair and it seemed a shame to just let it go. The man who built it put in a generator that still works fine so there’s electric light and a fan for when it gets warm.” He gestured to a tall fan she hadn’t noticed which was close to the bed that was covered by a patchwork quilt.

“It’s adorable,” she said.

“Trent used to sneak up here when his dad was on a bender. His dad never missed him and I made sure we kept an eye on the place. Trent never knew that. He always kept it neat and clean and it never looked like someone had been here. Well,” he added with a little smile, “Except for the fact that when he’d clean up, he’d clean up all the dust, too.”

“Does he come out here now?” she asked.

He shook his head. “He’s happy in his new home, so no running away anymore for him.”

“That’s great.”

Wyatt went to a large window between the kitchenette area and the chairs and wood stoves. The window had pretty gingham drapes. She went with him, and when he pulled the drapes aside she caught her breath.

“The view is amazing.” She looked out over rolling hills with miles of green grass dotted with pockets of oaks. “It’s so beautiful in this part of the country.”

“I had this window put in for the view,” he said. “And it makes the room a lot brighter.”

He let the curtains fall back in place and then they went back out onto the porch and had their lunch while they sat in the rocking chairs. She loved being with Wyatt. He made her feel so comfortable, so…happy.

That thought gave her pause, but she pushed it aside.

When they finished eating, Wyatt stuffed the lunch bag with the garbage in it back into his saddlebag. Then he took Sabrina’s hand and led her back into the little house and closed the door behind him. He took off his hat and set it aside on the small table.

“Getting stuffy in here.” He switched on the fan. “Getting close to noon.”

The way he held her hand caused her heart to pound a bit faster and then he took her in his arms. “I need to kiss you in the worst way.”

Her eyes widened and a thrill went through her belly. He brought his mouth down on hers in a gentle kiss that sent her pulse rocketing and her mind spinning. Without thinking she slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him in return.

Slowly she came back to her senses and she braced her hands on his chest and pushed away.

“Hey.” He brushed hair out of her face. “I didn’t bring you here to take advantage of you, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

She lowered her gaze. “That’s not it at all.” As matter of fact she
wanted
him to take advantage of the time alone. But she couldn’t without telling him. And then what would he do?

He hooked one finger under her chin. “Then what is it?”

“I have something to tell you.” She met his gaze, wondering what his reaction would be.

“Okay.” He studied her face. “Don’t tell me you have a boyfriend or husband somewhere waiting for you.”

She shook her head. “No, definitely not.”

“Good.” He gave her a gentle smile. “Then what is it you have to tell me that’s holding you back from kissing me?”

“I—” She took a deep breath then let it out. “I had a double mastectomy six months ago.” Her stomach twisted as she said the words, not knowing what to expect from him.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” He guided her to the bed and they sat down on the edge of it. “Did they get it all?”

“They say the cancer is completely gone.” She nodded. “That doesn’t mean it can’t come back. You never know with this disease if it will show up in the future. But right now the prognosis is good.”

He put his arm around her shoulder and kissed her forehead. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that.”

“I had to have radiation treatments so I haven’t been able to have reconstructive surgery yet,” she said. “Next summer, when school is out, I’ll have the procedure done. By then I’ll have enough money saved.”

He stroked her hair. “You didn’t lose your hair from the radiation treatments?”

“Not really.” She shook her head. “It was a lot thicker than it is now, but I was lucky because I didn’t lose much of it.”

“Even if you did lose it all, you’d still be sexy to me,” he said with a little smile. “So, backing up a little. As far as kissing me, that’s a problem, because…?”

Her lips parted. “I don’t have my breasts anymore.”

He raised his eyebrows. “I don’t care what you do or don’t have. All I know is that I have gotten to know you and what I care about is you, whether you think you have all you need to have or not.” He gave a teasing smile. “Unless you have male parts. Then we might have a problem.”

“Doesn’t it bother you that there’s always the possibility it might come back?” She swallowed.

“I can’t think that way.” He shook his head. “I think positive. You are fine. It’s the only way I can think.”

A feeling of disbelief knocked at the back of her mind, but then the thought that this is who Wyatt was. A good man who didn’t care about appearances, who didn’t have reservations about the cancer possibly coming back. A man who cared about
her
.

Happiness like she’d never felt before went through her. She could tell by the look in his eyes and the tone of his voice that he truly didn’t care.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to kiss her. This time he followed her lead and his kiss wasn’t so gentle. They both were demanding, needing each other in so many ways.

He drew back and she saw his chest rise and fall, his eyes dark with passion. “Unless you want to end prone in this bed, we’re going to have to stop.”

In answer she brought her mouth to his. She wanted him so badly she could barely see straight.

He drew away, his look pained. “Hold that thought.” He went to the door and slid a wooden bar to lock it. He returned to her and brought her to her feet. He kissed her hard again, grabbing her ass and rubbing his erect cock against her belly. The feel of his arousal caused an ache between her thighs.

She moved her hands to his shirt and he pulled it out of his jeans as she started to unbutton it, her fingers brushing his skin as she worked her way down. She pushed it over his arms and she spread her fingers over the expanse of his chest and through the light sprinkling of hair. His skin was warm and tight, his muscles rippling beneath her touch.

He seemed to understand her need to control the moment. “Boots,” she said.

With a smile that smoldered with sensuality, he toed off his boots and kicked them aside then pulled off his socks. She ditched her own shoes and socks and tossed them by his.

She moved her fingers to the button of his Wranglers and when it was undone she unzipped his jeans and pushed them down to his ankles.

The ridge of his cock was huge beneath his boxer briefs and she ran her hand along his erection, her heart beating in anticipation of having him inside her. She grasped his underwear and tugged it down, releasing his cock. It was thick and long and she slowly traced it with her fingers as he kicked aside his jeans and underwear.

When her gaze met his, he looked pained, like he was having a difficult time controlling himself. He caught her by her upper arms and started to unbutton her blouse. She shook her head and he smiled. “It’s okay, sweetheart.”

“Just let me leave it on, okay?” she whispered.

“Okay.” He cupped the side of her face. “Until you’re ready.”

He grasped the button to her jeans and undid it before pushing them down over her hips, leaving her in only her black panties and the Celtic knot necklace she always wore. He grasped her by her bare waist and brought her close, his cock rubbing against her silky panties.