Cowgirl Up (26 page)

“Yes.”

“How on
earth did you manage to get a colt out of such a famous racehorse?”

“I give
all the credit to Madeleine Hunter for her generosity. Without her, Legacy
wouldn’t be here. You’ll never find a more compassionate, intelligent, and
wonderful person.”

The
announcer waited, but when Trinity stopped speaking, he changed topics. “I
understand you lost your mother earlier in the year and dedicated this season
in her memory.”

Cody
saw the sprinkle of tears appear in her eyes and wanted to rush out, take the
microphone from the man’s hand, and beat him with it. Let her enjoy this
moment, not remind her of her losses.

Trinity
drew in a deep breath. “Yes. She was such a great barrel racer, one of the best
ever. She never got a chance to fulfill her dream, so I did this for both of
us.”

“You’re
a class act, Trinity. I hope we get to see you again next year.”

“Thanks.”

Trinity
wiped her tears, accepted her check, then waved at the fans.

The
crowd applauded enthusiastically.

A
couple of minutes later, the announcer indicated the finals had concluded.
People began to depart.

Cody
strode forward, waited for Trinity to finish chatting with the men who won
their respective sports, then drew her into his arms. “You did great.”

She
stepped back and smiled up at him. “Thanks. You’re just in time.”

He
arched an eyebrow. “That sounds ominous.”

She
laughed. “Not too bad. I have this cardboard check as big as I am and this
fancy saddle and the stand.” She pointed to her right. “Unless I stick the
check in my mouth and drag it, I think I might need an extra hand.”

He
chuckled. “You’re in luck. I happen to be well versed in lugging saddles
around.” Cody easily picked up the beautifully crafted leather western saddle
and lifted it onto his shoulder.

Trinity
collected the metal stand and tucked the humongous check under her arm. “For
some reason I don’t think I can stuff this in the drive-thru at the bank.” She
tripped a bit, readjusted the cardboard, and walked at his side.

“Might
not work. Hell, is this supposed to even be cashable?”

“Well,
if not, they gave me a smaller version as a back-up.”

“Smart.”

“Yep.”

They
entered the night air and headed toward the barn to relieve Madeleine. Cody,
thoroughly content to give her a hand and hang by her side, savored this
moment. After all, her earlier comments led him to believe this might be the
one and only trip to the finals for her.

She’d
be free of competitions for a while, maybe forever. Which meant, it was time to
get down to some serious dating. They had been dragging along at snail speed
all season. Now, his job was finished and she wasn’t being yanked all over the
country every weekend. That spelled out some alone time for them. Finally.

“Do you
have to be at work tomorrow?”

“No. I
took a few extra days off to recuperate after the finals.”

“Come
home with me.” The offer tumbled from his mouth, but he didn’t wish them back.

She
blinked. “Are you sure?”

“Positive.”
He wrapped her hand in his.

“I’d
like that.” She stared ahead at the barn. “What about Legacy?”

Cody
grinned ruefully. “Bring him along, of course. My father will drool and harass
you for colts out of him, but I’m sure we can find some time to ourselves.”
When she remained mute and bit her lip, he squeezed her hand. “Or, if you
prefer, we can return him to Heritage and I can hang out with you.”

She
peered up at him. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah.
Whatever you want to do, I’m all for.”

“How
about both?”

He
smiled in relief. “Works for me. Where do we start?”

“Kentucky,
please. I think Legacy will be happier at home. Then we can be responsibility
free for a few days.”

“Okay.”
He lifted their clasped hands to place a kiss to hers. “You lead the way, I’m
along for the ride.”

Her
face lit up. “I thought that was my line?”

“I’ll
lead the way in other areas.” He waggled his eyebrows at her.

A crimson
blush covered her cheeks, only adding to her natural beauty. “That sounds like
a promise.”

“That’s
because it is.”

Madeleine
met them at the Legacy’s stall. “All done?”

Trinity
nodded. “Yep. Did you have any trouble?”

Madeleine
waved her hand. “A couple of nosey reporters was all. Nothing I couldn’t
handle.”

“Kids’
play for you.” Trinity smiled wide. “Thank you for staying with him.”

“My
pleasure. I miss him and his sire quite a bit.”

“Move
to Kentucky, Madeleine. You can spend every day with them. We’d be thrilled to
have you.”

For a
long moment Madeleine stared at Trinity. Cody watched the expressions cross the
older woman’s face and could tell she seriously considered the offer.

There must be a handful of
lonely women connected to that stud farm.
He turned his attention to Trinity who peered at Madeleine
with hope in her eyes. The two had formed a bond years ago, one that still held
strong today. He couldn’t thank Madeleine enough for her generous nature in
assisting Trinity’s dream to come true.

“We?
Have you decided to stick around after all?” Madeleine asked.

Trinity
blew out a breath. “I’m honestly not sure yet. I’ve learned a few things
lately, namely that I have a boatload of friends and sometimes running away to
start over again isn’t the answer. I’m still figuring things out, but the road
is looking less and less appealing.”

A small
smile appeared on Madeleine’s face. “I’m proud of you, Trinity.” She stepped up
and gave her a hug. “I need to get going. I have to catch a late night flight
back to California.”

“Oh,
okay.” Trinity’s happiness ebbed. “Will you be back at the farm anytime soon?”

Madeleine
paused. “I’ve learned a few things as well lately. Nothing is set in stone, but
I’ve got some thinking to do.”

“Change
is hard.”

“But
necessary at times.” Madeleine smiled softly.

“You
did it, Trin.” Lacey trotted over and gave her a big hug. “I’m so proud of
you.”

“Thanks.”
Trinity turned back around. “Lacey, this is Madeleine. Madeleine. Lacey.”

“Pleasure
to meet you, dear. That paint mare of yours is a fine racer. Beautiful.”

Lacey
shared a look with Trinity, then lit up. “Madeleine Hunter?
The
Madeleine Hunter?”

Madeleine
chuckled. “I’m afraid so and honestly, there’s no need to put an emphasis on
the name. I’m just a person like the rest of you.”

Lacey
shook her hand. “It’s so good to finally meet you.” She studied the older
woman. “You’re just like Trinity said. Down to earth and sweet.”

“Thank
you.” Madeleine checked her watch. “Oh, dear. I need to get going so I won’t be
late for my boarding.”

“Do you
need a ride? I’m ready to pull out, just wanted to say goodbye to Trinity
before I left. I’ll be more than happy to give you a lift to the airport,”
Lacey offered.

“I
don’t want to be a bother,” Madeleine replied.

“Not in
the least. I’d be honored.” Lacey smiled happily.

“If you
truly don’t mind, I would like that.” She pulled Trinity into another embrace.
“Congratulations again. I’ll call you soon.” She turned to Cody. “I hear I have
you to thank for looking after her.”

“I
didn’t do much.”

“Hogwash.”
Madeleine pinned his gaze. “You’ve done an amazing job. I hope you enjoyed the
task enough to keep it up for the next sixty years or so.”

Cody
gave her a lopsided grin. He’d give her credit for brains, observation skills,
and being able to hit the nail on the head. She impressed him, not just for her
gift to Trinity, but in the way she treated others. Tough, yet compassionate.
“It wasn’t a bad experience.”

Madeleine
chuckled and glanced to Trinity. “You’ll have your hands full with this one.”

Trinity
rolled her eyes. “I already noticed.”

“Those
are the best kind, though.” With one more pat on Trinity’s shoulder, she headed
toward the exit.

Lacey
waved, winked at Trinity, then held her hand to the side of her head and
mouthed ‘call me’ before spinning around and hurrying to catch up with
Madeleine.

“That’s
one classy woman.” Cody’s admiration only grew each time he saw the lady.

“Which
one?”

“Both?”

Trinity
chuckled. “They’re the best.” Trinity’s words held supreme respect and adoration.

Cody
checked his watch and cringed. “It’s late. Do you want to spend the night here
or get loaded up and drive all night to get home?”

Trinity
didn’t even hesitate. “Home.”

“Okay.”
Cody pulled out his cell phone and called his uncle. “Jared?”

“Yep.
You about ready to pull out?”

“I
think so.” His eyes locked on Trinity. “I’ll ride with Trinity.”

For a
moment the line went quiet before a soft chuckle carried to his ears. “Not
surprising in the least. You gonna stop by the ranch for a few days first?”

“We’re
going to take Legacy home first. After that I’m not sure.”

“Best
way to do things. Just go with the flow. If it means anything, you’ve picked
yourself a dandy.”

Cody
already knew that, he just didn’t vocalize it out loud. Not until Trinity
passed the last test and he knew with absolute certainty that she could accept
him. “Will you be okay driving back by yourself?”

“Sure.
I might give Lucas a holler to see if he wants to ride as far as the western
Oklahoma line with me.”

“Do
that. You need a back-up driver.”

Jared
snorted. “I might be older, but I’m not an invalid just yet. I can still tan
your hide if needed.”

“Uh-huh.”
Cody grinned at the familiar threat that he’d heard as long as he could
remember. “Just be careful. I’ll catch up when we get settled in one spot.”

“Take
care of that girl. She’s good for you.”

“I plan
on it.”

“I need
to get my bag from the RV before you pull out. I’m going to drop some things by
Trin’s truck, then be right over.”

“See ya
then.”

Cody
disconnected the call and found Trinity already packing up her belongings.
“I’ll be glad to take these on since I have to swing by before Jared takes off
with my clothes.”

She
smiled at him. “That would be great. Even with people making a mass exodus, I
don’t want to leave Legacy.” She tossed him the keys.

“Understood.”
He carried his armload straight to the vehicle, secured them, then made a quick
stop to pick up his things. After bidding his uncle goodbye, he returned to
help Trinity finish loading.

Within
ten minutes, they had cleaned out Trinity’s temporary home for the past ten
days and loaded Legacy into the trailer. She stole the keys back and hopped
into the driver’s seat. “Homeward bound.”

The
words sounded almost as good as when he climbed on board a military plane for a
one-way trip back to the U.S.

“This
is gorgeous.” A low whistle followed. “I didn’t get a good look at it before,
but seeing the whole spread, full of prime horseflesh, damn. How many barns are
there?”

Trinity
glanced over at Cody as she pulled up to the parking area nearest her
apartment. “It’s always like this. Everything is manicured, painted, the upkeep
is phenomenal.” She sighed happily at the sight.

Home.

The
word fit surprisingly well. Sure, she’d lived there for a while, but she’d
always considered Heritage temporary. Now, with her barrel-racing season over,
a national title tacked onto her name, she found the thought of packing up and
leaving disheartening. Odd considering how long she’d been planning on running
free across the nation, moving here and there, until she found a place to
settle down.

“Four
stallion barns. You just saw the west side of the farm where my barn is
located. Coming in from this direction gives a great view of the whole place.”
She loved to pause at the top of the hill and just stare down at the beauty
below. This was one of her favorite places in the world these days along with
sitting in Legacy’s saddle as they raced around barrels.

Well,
that particular pleasure was now gone with her retirement. A flush of sadness
entered her mind.

“I can
see why you stay here.” Cody turned his head this way and that, obviously
taking in the scenery.

“Wait
until you see all the stallions. The ones in my barn are my favorites, of
course, but there’s some big time winners in the others as well. They make the
view and the scenery that much better.” She cut the engine, pocketed her keys,
then headed to the trailer to unload Legacy. He stood patiently waiting as she
opened the gate, stepped inside, and untied his lead rope. “We’re home, boy.”

He
followed right behind her, not the least bit hesitant about exiting the
trailer. Once on solid ground, he lifted his head, perked his ears, and
whinnied.

A couple
of other horses answered.

Trinity
grinned and patted her horse. “I think you’re glad to be home too.” She turned
around to see Cody leaning against the trailer with a lopsided grin on his
face. With a shrug, she led Legacy through the open end of the barn and
straight to his stall, noting Cody trailed behind.

She
placed him inside, unhooked his lead rope and shut the door behind him. “Hang
out a second and I’ll get your breakfast.”

“I’ll
help.” Cody matched her strides as they headed back to her truck.

“I
appreciate it.” She watched Cody easily shoulder the bag of feed. When he
stepped back, she reached inside and pulled out her racing saddle, then dropped
it over her forearm for easy carrying. Legacy’s feed bucket came next before
she turned and headed back.

By the
time they returned to the front of his stall, he nickered in greeting, his head
hanging over the door as he stared pointedly at his bucket.

Cody
laughed. “He knows what’s coming.”

“Oh,
yeah. Like I said, he’s obsessed with feeding time.” Plopping the saddle over
an empty stall door, she placed the bucket on the ground and watched Cody fill
it with practiced ease.

Legacy
whinnied again. Trinity grabbed the full bucket, entered the stall, then placed
it in the corner holder. Her horse wasted no time in chowing down.

A few
more horses clamored for breakfast as they trotted in from their individual
paddocks.

Trinity
rolled her eyes.
Some things never
change.

Swiveling,
she watched Cody take in the sight. His eyes locked on one horse after another
while his lips pursed in apparent appreciation. “Damn. They look even better in
daylight.”

“They’re
definitely top of the line.” Trinity headed over to the buckets and feed bags
in order to start pouring up the morning meal for the rest of the barn’s
inhabitants.

“You
can say that again.” He strode over and tugged the sack from her hands. “I’ll
pour. You just say when.”

“I can
do it.” She frowned up at him.

“I
know. But, I feel like a bump on a log standing here while you work.” He
grinned mischievously at her.

She
relented. “Okay. Blue all the way full. Green nearly full and yellow about
three-fourths.”

Muscles
in his arms and shoulders pulled tight beneath his long-sleeved T-shirt with
the activity. Not for the first time did she wonder what they looked like, felt
like as she ran her fingers over every dip and bulge. By the way he filled out
his clothing, she knew he had to be ripped. At the beginning of the season, she
vowed to look but not touch. Now, she couldn’t wait to break that stringent rule.

Strip him down naked, learn his
body, and then maybe climb on for a long, hard ride.

“Trin?
Trinity?”

The
sound of her name pulled her from her daydreams. “Yes?”

Cody
grinned like a cat caught lapping up milk from his owner’s glass. “Care to tell
me where your mind went?”

She
shook her head as her face heated. “Nope.”

He
laughed, the sound contagious and pleasing. “Oh, yeah. It must have been good.”

Trinity
rolled her eyes. “Not telling. Besides, these guys are hungry.” Lifting the
first bucket, she carried it to the far stall. “Hey, Ransom. I know. Here you
go.” She set his food down and left the stall, pausing to check the latch.

“Need
some help?”

“No
thanks. These guys are temperamental. You’d probably be fine, but I don’t want
to take a chance this morning.”

“Okay.”

She fed
a few while directing Cody to change types of feed, and fill a couple more
buckets. After taking care of everyone else, she had one remaining. “Want to
officially meet Victory?”

Cody’s
eyes lit up. “You bet.”

“Come
on over. He runs hot and cold, so be careful.”

Entering
his stall, she placed the feed in the holder, then stepped to the edge of the
stall where the open door led into a long field full of green grass. She
spotted her target in the corner grazing contentedly. “Victory!” She whistled.

He
lifted his head, sniffed the air, then made a beeline her direction, galloping
with his ears pricked and tail waving behind him. Only when he got within a few
feet did he slide to a halt, lower his head, and nicker to her.

Trinity
laughed and scratched under his halter. “Missed me, huh?”

He
nudged her with his head, then turned to face the corner before walking over to
start eating.

“You’re
right. Legacy is the spitting image.” Cody’s quiet voice carried awe and
appreciation.

“Their
white socks are different heights, but that’s about the only difference. Right
down to attitude and a love for peppermints.” She stroked Victory’s shoulder,
then gave him an affectionate pat.

“They
get to come and go?” Cody inclined his head toward the pasture.

“Yep.
Barring bad weather or a breeding scheduled, they get to come and go as they
please. Carmen believes since they are horses, they should get to act like
one.”

“They
don’t go at one another over the fence?”

She
glanced outside where the sun had finally breached the horizon fully. “No. They
can get their noses over the top board, but I’ve never known any of them to do
more than playfully nip at one another.”

“Amazing.”
Cody shook his head.

“Yeah,
they are.” She grinned proudly and exited Victory’s stall in order to stand
next to Cody. “Just wait until they finish eating.”

His
eyebrows furrowed. “What happens then?”

“You’ll
see.”

Sure
enough, a few minutes later, Victory knocked his empty bucket to the stall
floor and snorted as if in frustration. He spun around and dashed off again,
zipping down the west fence, Legacy racing alongside, keeping abreast the
entire way.

“Wow.”

“They
do that quite often. Not sure why, but they seem to enjoy a bit of competition
now and again.”

“Do
they do it with the other stallions?”

“Not
usually. Just a father and son thing I guess.” She watched the horses settle
down and start to graze contentedly, then turned her attention back to Cody.
“So what do you think?”

He met
her gaze with heat flashing in his eyes. “You’re one special lady.”

The
compliment warmed her. “I meant the horses.”

His
lips hitched up. “They’re pretty special as well.”

“Uh-huh.”

He cupped
her cheek and bent down, his lips merely brushing hers.

“I
thought you were on vacation, Trinity.” Carmen’s voice cut through the moment.

Jumping,
Trinity grinned apologetically at Cody and turned around. “Carmen, you remember
Cody.”

“Definitely.
He’s kind of hard to forget.”

“Thanks,
I think. I didn’t get to see much in the dark before, but excellent place you
have here. Trinity told me about it, but words can’t describe the beauty of the
farm and the quality of horses here.”

Carmen
smiled. “Thank you. We run a top notch operation and are proud of it.” Carmen
focused back on Trinity. “Is he the one Madeleine told me about?”

“Umm.
Yeah, she might have mentioned meeting him at the finals.”

Carmen
stared at them for a long moment. “Then what are you two doing hanging around
in an old, smelly horse barn? You should be out and about, doing something
fun.” She shook a finger Trinity’s direction. “You’re on vacation, which means
you’re supposed to be out and about,
not
working.”

“I
know. But, I couldn’t just feed Legacy and not the others. They were looking at
me so pitifully…” Like she could ignore those adorable faces and sweet requests
for food. No way.

Carmen
snorted and peered up at Cody. “I can see Trinity is in sore need of some rest
and relaxation lessons. Think you can teach her how?”

Cody
grinned wide. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Good.
Then get going. If I catch a pitchfork in her hand, I’m going to kick someone’s
rear.”

Trinity
laughed, grabbed Cody’s hand, and tugged. “We just have to unload the truck.
After that, we’ll do…something. Promise.”

“See
that you do.”

She
giggled all the way to the truck having read between the lines with Carmen. Her
boss pretty much insisted Trinity and Cody go away somewhere and spend some
time together. Alone.

Who am I to disobey a direct
order?

“I
think we’ve been officially dismissed.” Cody spun her around, wrapped her in
his embrace, and pinned her up against the trailer.

“Yep.”
She lifted her hands and rested them on his shoulders, lightly squeezing the
muscles hidden under his shirt.

“Got
any ideas of what to do?”

Boy, do I.

Unused
to such lusty thoughts, Trinity bit her lip. Cody was the man in her life. If
only he would stick around, learn to love her, want to be with her for now and
years to come.

If only.
She cringed at the phrase.

Cody’s
face sobered. “What’s wrong?”

She
stared up at him. No sense in lying. Besides, she had long ago decided on
absolute honesty between them. Nothing less would work. “I was just wondering
how long you were going to be around.”

His lips
pinched. “Why?”

“I want
to see where this road leads and how long it will travel. If you’re planning a
short trip, I would just as well not start the journey.”

“What
are you trying to say?” He caressed her cheek with his thumb.

“Somewhere
along the line, I’ve fallen for you.”

A
slight grin crossed his face. “And?”

She
sighed. “And, if you’re going to break my heart I would rather you just do it
now rather than later.”

His
smile widened. “Trin.”

She
blinked up at him, hoping the love reflected in his blue eyes held true.

“Don’t
you know that you’ve grown on me? You make me smile, give me something to wake
up each morning for, and make me hungry.”

Perplexed,
she tilted her head, leaning into his touch. “You want me because I can bake a
pie?”

He
chuckled and settled his lips over hers briefly. “I want you for all of you. Do
you think I’d sleep on some lumpy cot for just anyone?”

Relieved,
she matched his grin. “Does that mean you want to make this work?”

“The
way I see it, baby, we’ve got a good thing going and I’m not dumb enough to
throw it away.”

“Sounds
good to me.” She lifted enough to meet his kiss.

Thirty
minutes later, they stood in her apartment. Trinity held her head high despite
the spartan living conditions the single room provided. “It’s not much, but
it’s rent free, close to work, and cozy.”