Cowgirl Up (17 page)

“Like?
Girl, that stud thinks you’re his momma the way you pamper him.”

Trinity
laughed. “Well, since he’s my baby, I guess that works.”

“So,
how did tonight go?”

Trinity
sighed. “Fourth. It’s tough competition.”

“And
riding a new horse isn’t easy, either.”

“No.
She’s a great mare, just very different than riding Legacy.”

“Well,
buckle down, Trinity. We’re all rooting for you here.”

“I
know. Thank you.”

“Welcome.”

“Thanks
for taking care of Legacy for me. I’ll check in tomorrow.”

“I
imagine so. A time or seven.” Carmen laughed. “Goodnight, Trin.”

“Goodnight.”
Feeling better after the update on Legacy, Trinity went through her contact
list once more, found Cody’s name, then hesitated. She bit her lip and debated
calling him. After all, it was late and he’d probably be exhausted from endless
meetings today.

Still,
she missed him. A lot. They’d grown close through the season. He made for a
good friend, a great conversation partner, even a decent foot massage
therapist. Then, he’d been right there when Legacy went down. She couldn’t pay
him enough for his fast actions and the way he stuck by her through the whole
experience, even staying the night.

She
couldn’t help but grin at the memory of his excuse to spend the night, that he
had no transportation back to the rodeo. A plausible excuse, sure, but one with
holes. In all reality, there were several options open to him. He ended up
staying because they both wanted him to. She recalled waking up in his arms,
the coziness, the comfort. Even with his clothing still on, she loved the feel
of his body wrapped around hers. Safe. Protected. Cared for.

I can so get used to that.

They
would reunite at the finals.
If
she
qualified.

I will. I didn’t come this far
to come up short.

Determined,
she sealed the positive motto into her mind, and called Cody.

He
answered on the second ring. “Hello?”

“Cody?
Did I wake you?”

“Nope.
Wasn’t asleep yet.”

She
heard the fatigue in his voice. “Do you ever sleep? I know you don’t seem to at
rodeos.”

“Now
and again.”

“So,
what are you doing if you aren’t sleeping?”

He
paused for a moment. “Not much. How did your ride go? What do you think of
Shannon’s back-up mare?”

She
caught the abrupt shift in topics and went with the flow. “I came in fourth.
But, I know we can do better. She’s just different than Legacy, more hands on
instead of auto pilot.”

“Enjoying
your time with Shannon? She seems like a good woman.”

“Oh,
she is. Fed me. Put me up in her spare bedroom. Letting me borrow her horse and
gave me some tips and training this afternoon. She’s an angel.”

He
chuckled. “Sleeping in a real bed, huh? That’s novel for you.”

She
smiled at his teasing. “It’s different, definitely.” A weary sigh followed.
“I’d trade it all in for my lumpy cot if I could be with Legacy.”

“I
know, Trinity.” A few seconds ticked by. “Keep your head up. You can do this.
It’s a challenge, sure, but you’ve met every one so far and came out on top.”

As much
as she appreciated the pep talk, she wished to hear it in person, rather than
over the phone. “How’s the meetings going? Are you bored out of your mind yet?”

He snorted.
“The whole morning was one, endless security briefing. Necessary, but it would
have been a bit more interesting if they actually had someone with high-level
security experience draw up the plans and lead the meeting. As it was, the guy
couldn’t answer most questions and seemed rattled that people even asked.”

“Ouch.
Sounds like they need a replacement or someone fell through the cracks.”

“Yeah.
I had a chat with one of the board members. He’s supposed to be looking into
things.”

Sounded
like the Cody she knew. He saw a problem, then pulled strings and made needed
moves to get it corrected. “Think he will?”

“Probably.
I pointed out some big loopholes. Considering how many fans, competitors, and
vendors will be in this place, he’s not about to leave everything up to
chance.”

“Cody?”

“Hmmm?”

“I’m
proud of you.” She spoke the words straight from the heart.

“For
what?” Confusion laced his voice.

“For
going above and beyond. For being caring, smart, and compassionate. For getting
the ball rolling and finding a way to give me a chance at the finals.” Not for
the first time, she realized how much Cody stood heads above most other men.
His conscience and willingness to stand up for what’s right made him a rare
breed these days. A warrior, through and through. And a man she found herself
falling hard for.

“No
problem.” The words came across softly, but hinted at humble emotion. “Trin?”

“Yes?”

He
paused as if he wanted to say something, then changed his mind. “Good luck
tomorrow. Believe in yourself.”

“Thanks.
I’ll do everything in my power to move up in the standings. If I don’t punch a
ticket to the finals, you’ll be going without me.”

He
chuckled. “We can’t have that.”

“No
way. Who else will give me foot rubs and share my pie.”

“Then
ride like the wind tomorrow, Trin. I sure as hell ain’t rubbing anyone else’s
feet at that rodeo.”

She
laughed, the tension easing from her as typically happened when she talked with
Cody. “Not even Jared’s?”

He
snorted. “Especially not Jared’s.”

Feeling
so much better, she giggled at his mildly disgusted tone. “I miss you.”

“You’ll
be in Vegas soon enough. But, bring a jacket and a blanket. The nights are damn
cold.”

“Will
do. Goodnight, Cody.”

“Night,
Trin.”

She
disconnected the call, then leaned back in the chair.

When
she started this seasonal journey, she never envisioned a man like Cody
becoming a main character. Now, she looked at him, then her future, and wasn’t
sure the two weren’t intertwined.

Blowing
out a deep breath, she glanced at the clock, and headed for the shower.
Tomorrow would be another eventful day and she needed some shuteye.

The
indoor arena was huge. Biggest to date that she’d encountered with the
exception of one, which happened to be outdoor, simply massive, and didn’t
count in comparison. How they kept this ceiling up with no poles down the
center, she couldn’t fathom, but thanked the feats of engineering just the
same. For the size provided a definite advantage for her mount as compared to
the smaller ones. With the long run both in and out, Legacy could hit full
stride and fly like his namesake down the backstretch time and again. His long
legs would eat up the distance while his powerful hindquarters, provided the
catapult. If there was one event center that suited her crossbred stallion,
this was the one.

Her
spirit soared at both the comforting fact and the realization that she’d
finally reached her destination. The national finals. A lifetime of preparation
came together to make this moment possible. She intended to enjoy every second
along the way.

She’d
pulled the rabbit out of the hat, the prior weekend by finishing second overall
to Shannon. The points catapulted her firmly into number ten in the nation. If
she could win the average here, she could move up enough places to take home
the grand prize—national barrel racing champion.

Legacy
snorted and danced under her. His time off must have done him good because he
bristled with energy as evidenced by his bucking and kicking up his heels.
“We’re just going to trot through this time, buddy. Get your confidence back up
first.”

He
chewed on the bit, but obeyed, moving with long, flowing strides around the
barrels. His ears pricked as he picked up the pace when he headed back toward
the finish line.

Trinity
laughed. She’d worried like an overprotective mother about Legacy after the
fall. He remained sound and his attitude hadn’t been dented in the least
judging by the way he fought to turn on the speed.

Her
world turned right side up again.
Thank
goodness.

Ten
days. The long, drawn-out rodeo tested everyone’s stamina on a nightly basis.
She’d already done the math. Win the average and she would be national
champion. Knock a barrel down and she fell out of the race. The best barrel
racers in the nation were here, all bidding to take the top spot. She clung to
her spot by the skin of her teeth and needed to win a few rounds along the way
in order to jack up her points as well as keep her in the running for the
finals average bonus. Mistakes would cost her pretty much everything. She
hadn’t come all this way and made such sacrifices to go out without laying it
all on the line.

This is our time.

Trinity
patted Legacy’s neck and let him walk around the inner circle of the arena to
get acclimated to the large place. “We’ll do one loping run through, then it’s
back to the stall for you. Tonight will be here soon enough.”

Once she
made it back to the starting area, she let him move into a canter, then run the
cloverleaf pattern again. He fought her before finally giving in and sticking
with the less than full throttle pace.

Satisfied
with their practice time, Trinity slid off him, grabbed the reins, then led him
back to their assigned home for the next several days.

On the
way, she saw a couple of people she knew and waved. Unfortunately, the one
person she wanted to come across the most remained absent. Cody.

They’d
spoken on the phone a few times this past week while he was in Vegas getting
ready for the big event. He sounded tired on the phone, like the meetings had
bored him out of his skull. Come to think of it, they probably had. Cody was a
man of action, not one to sit behind a desk.

She
grinned at the image of him crossing his eyes and chafing at the forced
endurance of hour-long discussions. He’d be just like Legacy today. Raring to
get out and run.

Maybe that’s one reason I’m
drawn to Cody. He reminds me of Legacy.
They both possessed fast motors, intelligence, and a
definite sweet side. Each carried themselves with confidence and attitude.

Yep, that must be it. Wait until
I see Cody and tell him he’s just like my stud.
She giggled at the idea. His
mouth would probably fall open before a wicked smile creased his face.

Unfortunately,
she might not run into him for a while. Always before he cited the first day of
the rodeo as hell on wheels with all the checking in of livestock. Each animal
had to be gone over, searching for illness or injury, and their paperwork
verified. There might be a dozen vets running around, but the number of
livestock had to be in the triple digits.

She
sighed. Work before pleasure, but that’s just another aspect of Cody that made
him the man he is. Not afraid of getting dirty, he went above and beyond. A
wonderful trait to have in a boyfriend and lover.

Lover?

The
word popped into her mind and stuck. She blinked. Talk about putting the cart
before the horse.
Wow.

They’d
just started loosely dating. Shared a few kisses. Even the night he spent with
her at the stud farm, he shared her bed, but that was it.

The
memory brought a soft smile. She woke up snuggled into his body, warm and
protected. Even with his clothes on, she savored the experience and hoped for a
repeat sometime soon.

Speaking
of, it was a bit odd that he didn’t strip down to his underwear or at least
take his shirt off. She’d pondered over his decision more than once, but never
came up with a good answer. Perhaps he wanted to avoid shocking her, especially
with his natural and predictable morning erection. Maybe he thought she’d
protest the minute he started shucking clothes. Boy, would he have been wrong
on that count. Cody was damn sexy with clothes on. Without…she resisted the urge
to fan herself.

Which
led her back to that word. Lover. No shudder of terror raced down her spine. No
panic attack hit. Instead, she considered the term barely out of her reach,
just like her goal of winning the finals. Both were doable, realistic goals,
and would be life changing. Although one big difference existed. The run at the
finals would be fleeting. A bright moment in her life. Cody, on the other hand,
she’d hang on to him for a good long time. Maybe forever.

Her
stomach clenched. What about the plans to pick up stakes and move elsewhere,
leaving everything behind? To see the world and take a brand new path? How
could she do that when Cody tied her down?

Prior
ideas and current situations clashed like a couple of male bighorn sheep
fighting for a female.

She
shook her head in an effort to toss the deep thoughts aside. No sense in
getting all up in arms over deciding her future this very minute. Besides, she
had bigger fish to fry in the form of the first run of the finals starting in a
few hours.

Focus, Trin. One day at a time.

Repeating
the sage advice, she entered the barn, found Legacy’s stall, and led him
inside.

“Miss
me?”

Trinity
heard Gary’s voice and flinched. “No.” She twisted to grace him with a glance
before returning to the task of organizing her clothing for the night. She had
an hour before show time and couldn’t decide which shirt to wear for tonight’s
run.

“Now, darling.
You treat me so cold.” He steadily approached with a conceited smile plastered
on his face.

She
stood but refused to retreat, even though her heart sped from nervousness. “How
many times do I have to tell you I’m not interested?” She crossed her arms over
her chest.

He
stopped at the edge of her comfort zone. “I don’t believe that. More like
playing hard to get.”

“No,
I’m not. I’m not interested.
At all
.”
She emphasized the last words, hoping to drill them through his thick skull.

“We’ll
see about that.”

Before
she could do more than open her mouth to speak, he wrapped her in a strong
embrace, forced her against the stalls, and sealed his mouth over her own. Her
arms were trapped between their bodies as she tried unsuccessfully to shove
while he nipped at her lip and shoved his tongue into her mouth.

Fear
gave her strength. Trinity whimpered and tried to skirt to the side, but his
hold didn’t give an inch. Nearly gagging from his invasion of her mouth, she
desperately collected her wits and bit down on his tongue.

“Fuck.”
He released her just enough.

She
slammed her knee into his groin and shoved at his chest at the same time. He
didn’t go down, but he did back off. A great deal. Too bad the hard cup
lessened her blow. The satisfaction of watching him writhe in pain would have
been almost worth it.

He
glared at her while wiping at his mouth. His lips pinched in anger as his
nostrils flared before a smug smile appeared. “Good thing I like the feisty
ones.”

“Stay
away from me, Gary. I mean it.” Trembling, she lifted her chin and kept her
tone steady. Showing him how much he rattled her would only encourage more of
his caveman assaults. In order to get her point across, she had to hold her
ground, show no fear, and knock his balls into his throat if he reached for her
again.

His
gaze flickered around before he whispered to her. “I always get what I want.”
He started at her for a long moment before sauntering past and finally out the
back exit.

Frightened
more than she ever recalled being, Trinity drew in deep, calming breaths.

Get a hold of yourself. You’ve
got a run in less than an hour and you’ll only upset Legacy.

She
turned around and focused on her stallion, who stood with his head over the
door, watching her intently. Immediately, she walked over and started to stroke
his forehead, needing the comfort he always offered. The tension began to ebb
as she petted her horse and pushed the scary event from her mind.

Thankfully,
this was the last event of the season. While she might have nine more days to
go, she could pull out on Sunday night and never worry about seeing Gary again.
He would hang around the circuit, find another woman, and she’d be who knew
where, hopefully hundreds of miles away, living her own life. Man free.

Too bad
Cody hadn’t been here. If ever she needed a hero, it was a few minutes ago when
Gary attacked her.

What am I going to do?

What
could she do? File a complaint for sexual harassment? Like that would do
anything. The association might look at her letter in a couple of weeks, when
the season wrapped up. No one patrolled the competitors’ behavior. There were
no managers, no supervisors. No authority to take her complaints to. In
essence, she was on her own.

And
that frightened her all the more.

Because
the shady spark in Gary’s eyes told her he wasn’t ready to give up. Not yet.

A
shudder rolled through her.

Legacy
nickered and nudged her shoulder. She straightened his forelock and kissed his
nose. At least she had him. Nothing else mattered. Together, they would finish
what they started, then go home.

Home to
Kentucky. To the stud farm. And go from there.

Cody
started into the barn aisle, only to freeze in place. Before him, Trinity stood
against one of the stalls, her lips locked with none other than the biggest
playboy on the circuit—Gary. As Cody watched, Trinity turned her head and
latched onto the front of Gary’s shirt, while Gary leaned in heavily, one hand
cupping the back of her head, as he opened wide and added some tongue action.

Cody
saw red.

Fury
rose to the fore, quickly followed by a heady sense of betrayal.

Unable
to stand and watch the woman he was dating kiss another man, Cody spun on his
heel and stormed right back out of the barn.

He’d
suffered enough at the hands of women. Fell for their games. How he thought he
could trust another at this time just showed how blind and dumb he’d become.
Fickle. That’s what he’d learned in the past as a girl sashayed from man to
man, seeking a quick fuck or a ring on her finger. They all had their wily
ways, but maintained the same goal— to get what they want and screw the guy who
gave it to them.

He
thought Trinity was different, that she had more substance than most. Now, he
learned differently with a minced up heart. Just like the only woman he’d loved
in his life.

He
stepped through the office door, found his empty desk chair, and plopped down.
Rage boiled over in his gut as he recalled the last time a woman got the best
of him, leaving him torn and ragged.

She stood there in her bra and
panties, gorgeous as a runway model, with an expression of pure desire on her
beautiful face. He’d waited for this moment since he first asked her out,
fantasized about their first coming together. The first of many.

“I need you, Cody.” The softly
spoken words ratcheted up his arousal to a fevered pitch and hurried him along.
He couldn’t wait another minute to scoop her up, place her on the bed, and
cover her with his overheated body. His dick throbbed painfully and all other
thoughts dissipated under the relentless need.