Her Cowboy Knight (8 page)

“Gabby, could I have a word?” Her father’s formal tone caused Gabby to pause on the trail from the family camp to the jousting arena. Everyone else moved on ahead, leaving the two of them to speak privately.

“Sure, Da.”

“Well, I wanted to ask how things are going for you… at the Harrises’?”

She started walking again. “Well, things got off to a bit of a rough start, but I’m holding my own. It’s a nice place.”

He nodded. “And this fellow… Cooper… you like him?”

Gabby smiled. “Sometimes I think he’s the best guy ever, and then sometimes I want to bash him over the head. So yeah, I think I like him.”

William took a deep breath. “Well, I know it’s a long way to travel, and I’ve been thinking. Eamon is getting too big to be running loose. It’s time I trained him properly into the shows. I think for this city, I’m going to use him as the third squire. He’s worked very hard this week, and I think he’s ready. Why don’t you just stay at the ranch for the next few weeks, and do the job there, and we’ll make do without you?”

As the words came out of his mouth, and their meaning hit Gabby, she felt as if her entire existence shifted. The anchor of her family no longer wanted her around. He was discarding her to make room for another, and that realization hurt more than she had words or emotions to express.

She stopped walking, her mind rejecting the idea that she could be replaced so quickly. “But I have the demo ride…”

“Seamus has been learning it, and he’s gotten quite good.”

“Seamus…”

“Don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. I mean, you could have been sick anytime. What would we have done then, eh?”

Gabby didn’t mention that she had been sick many times and had gone on anyway, because that’s what you did when you worked the Faire; you went on no matter what. She had seen her father and uncle go on with broken hands and cracked ribs and never complain once, so what was a little fever or sore throat… or pneumonia.

“Da, this isn’t necessary. I can come back for the weekends…”

“Gabby, no, I’m bringing Eamon up next weekend. Now stay put and enjoy your time away. Think of it as a vacation.”

“I’m not going to think of it as anything other than what it is, Father. This is a betrayal. If you wanted me out of the way, you should have just said so.” With that, she turned and ran down the path.

* * *

As Gabby ran, her hurt and shock receded, and her anger grew. By the time she got to the stable, she felt like exploding, or vomiting. She stomped into the changing room, slamming the door as she passed, not speaking to anyone. She looked up and saw that someone had prepped Thaddeus, and even that frustrated her, as she had hoped that the time spent with the horse would calm her. She blew out a frustrated breath through her teeth and spun on her heel, stalking back through the stable door into the dressing area.

With jerky movements she pulled on her fine chainmail. When she snagged her shirt, she ripped it back over her head and slung it across the room. “Goddamnit!”

She kicked a stool across the room, then tossed the small shield she sometimes carried for sword practice. As it clattered to a stop by the wall, she bent over the small table and tried to steady her breathing.

When she had it under control, she jerked her chainmail back over her head, not even bothering to corral her riotous curls beyond a cursory attempt at a braid. She didn’t look in the mirror before she stepped out of the room, and looked right into a pair of very familiar blue eyes.

“Hello, darlin’.” Her cowboy almost melted her heart, but then he opened his mouth and messed it all up. “Where are you headed, because I know you’re not getting on a horse and carrying sharp objects with a mad on like that.”

Gabby felt every bit of her rage return full force, but she said coldly, “Mr. Harris, this is no affair of yours. Just step aside and let me do my real job.”

Leo spoke up from off to her left. “I think he has a point, Gabby. I’ve never quite seen you this mad before.”

Gabby felt the last of her control snap. Enough that this man who barely knew her questioned her skill, but Leo, who had ridden with her every day for the last twelve years? Too much. She almost saw the words coming out of her mouth rather than heard them. “Fuck off, Leo.”

They weren’t loud words. They weren’t yelled or screamed, but their impact could not be understated. She heard a gasp and realized for the first time that her younger brother Eamon had stepped into the stable with her father sometime in the last few minutes.

Her father’s face arranged itself into an instant scowl. “Is this how you’ve learned to talk the last week at this ranch, daughter?”

She didn’t inform him that it was more like she had heard this language around Renaissance Festivals and even her father’s Marine Corps buddies her whole life. Instead Cooper spoke up. “I assure you, sir, she did not. In fact, she showed up with quite a blue streak of language all of her own the first day in my town… the sheriff even commented on it.”

Declan grabbed Eamon by the shoulders and spun him toward the door. “Why don’t you go tell them we’re going to be a little late starting. There’s a good lad.”

William kept his eyes on Gabby. “What on God’s green earth has gotten into you?”

Gabby felt tears pricking her eyes. “You’re replacing me with a twelve-year-old, my boyfriend doesn’t trust me to do my job, and now even Leo doesn’t think I can ride. What could possibly be wrong with me?”

She took a deep breath and met his eyes. “Look, Father, I’ve tried my best, and if I could have grown a penis, I would have, but that’s the one thing I just couldn’t do. I’m sorry.”

Leo held up his hands. “Look, maybe I should go…”

William said, “No, Leo, stay. You’re part of this.”

Gabby gave a shuddering laugh. “By all means, Leo, stay. You’re more a part of the family than I am, apparently. I’m guessing you knew about this all day yesterday, and just didn’t tell me?”

She could tell by his guilty expression that she was right. “Well, I can tell you now that he’ll drop you like a yesterday’s porridge just like he did me as soon as Seamus is old enough to joust.”

She swung her gaze to her father. “But I’ve got news for you, Father. That time will be a long time coming… or has he not told you about the Marine Corps recruitment site he frequents on the Internet. He’s going to enlist, Father… and make you proud.”

A gasp from the doorway alerted them all to the fact that Moira had joined the party.

Declan muttered, “Oh, that’s done it.”

Seamus stood up straighter. “And what if I do.”

Moira gave him a hard look, then advanced to Cooper. “I apologize, Cooper, you’re not really seeing us at our best.”

Gabby shook her head and clenched her jaw. “Oh, by all means, we must appear at our best. Did he perhaps mention, in all your cozy chatting yesterday, the naked roll in the cow field we had?”

“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.” Declan’s oath pretty much summed up the gobsmacked look on all of her family’s faces.

Gabby, however, knew she had finally crossed the line with Cooper. His body shifted just slightly, but his blue eyes turned that slight shade colder. “Yes, ma’am, that’s the truth. And I’m not ashamed to admit it, although I don’t think I’d have announced it to your family quite this way. But let’s not stop there. Sounds to me like we are in sharing mood right now, Gabriella. Let’s share it all. Yes, we were naked, but we didn’t have sex, but not for lack of trying. I intend to do it many times in the future. But let’s go farther. I also spanked your little bottom several times, something I also intend to do many, many,
many
times in the future… the very near future.”

Cooper never took his eyes off Gabby as he said, “So we’ll be taking our leave of you folks now. I’m guessing that you can carry on without us.”

Gabby said, “Cooper, I still have a show to do today.”

Cooper shook his head. “No, ma’am, you’re still not getting on that horse with sharp objects.”

William knocked down the final support to Gabby’s thin reserves of strength. “We don’t need you today, Gabriella. We’ll make do. You shouldn’t sit on a horse in your state.”

Nothing he could have possibly said could hurt her more. She absorbed the words as physical blows to her body. All of the high color she had displayed earlier left her face, and it took everything she had not to lose what remained of her breakfast.

Gabby looked around the room at all of the damage she had just done with her extended outburst and felt all of the fight go out of her body. This family that had always been her haven looked like strangers in their judgment.

She raised her chin. “Very well.” She walked out of the stable in complete silence.

Gabby immediately spotted Eamon leaning on the rail looking at Thaddeus. She walked over and leaned on the rail beside him.

He said, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you… that I was training, I mean. It was meant to be a surprise for you.”

Gabby’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. “It’s not your fault, Eamon. I’m not mad at you.” She dropped her arm over his shoulder. “Actually, I came to ask you a favor.”

Eamon looked up at her. “What’s that?”

Gabby sighed. “Well, it doesn’t look like I’ll be back for a couple of months, at least until the end of Texas. Will you look after Thaddeus for me? I don’t really trust anyone else to make sure he gets the right attention. They are all so wrapped up in their own worlds and not quite sensitive enough.”

Eamon looked forward again, excitement almost reverberating through him. “Really? Can I ride him, too?”

Gabby smiled and gave a half laugh. “Only if Declan supervises. I mean it. I’m leaving you on your honor. I don’t want you getting hurt, but he will need exercise, and I can’t think of anyone better.”

Eamon threw his arms around her. “Gabby, you really are the best.”

Gabby hugged him to her and felt the first of the tears break through. “Go on. I’ve got to get going or the cowboy will get grumpy. Take care of yourself, okay?”

Eamon said, “I will… and Gabby… you too, okay?”

* * *

As soon as she was gone, Declan said, “This is wrong. Dead wrong. I’ve seen that girl ride when she could hardly sit on a chair, let alone a horse, and now you’re saying she can’t ride because she’s had a temper tantrum? Well, it’s bullshit. Liam, I’ve never gotten between you and your children, but you’ve just crushed that girl, and it was wrong. I wished I’d spoken up while she was in here. She’s done everything you’ve ever asked of her, including ride through grief, heat, snow, pneumonia… you asked, she performed. I don’t know what you’re pulling, but to make her think you don’t want her, it’s cruel. Now, am I too hot-headed to ride, too?” He spun on his heel and stalked out of the stable to gear up to ride.

Cooper looked at both of Gabby’s dumbstruck parents and followed Declan out the door of the stable. He found the older man just outside the door, where the tall redhead had stopped to lean against the wall. Declan called out, “Hey, Harris.”

Cooper stopped and turned, intrigued enough to hear the man out. Declan continued, “Look, you can’t wrap Gabby in cotton. She’s a tough girl, and smart. If you’re the sort to mollycoddle a girl, or treat her as if she hasn’t a brain in her head, you might as well just walk away now.”

Cooper said, “That so? Well, it sounded to me as if you lot didn’t seem to value her much.”

Declan looked to the barn. “I don’t know what game her da’s playin’, but we value her just fine. I’m just sayin’, she’s not a girly girl who will be happy being treated like that, is all.”

Cooper nodded once. “Well, thanks for the warning. I don’t exactly know what happened in there just now, but I’m going to do my best to sort it out. All I can say is that I care for Gabby… a lot.”

Declan nodded. “I reckon that’ll do for now. Just keep in mind what I said.” With that he headed off toward the paddock where he grabbed Gabby in a quick hug, then wrangled Eamon away from the couple.

Cooper stood about three feet from the paddock. She didn’t turn to look at him. He hooked his thumbs in his pockets and rubbed the back of his neck. Well, hell, now what did he do? When he heard a slight sob and saw her shoulders hitch, he sighed and stepped forward. Her body remained stiff in his arms for a moment, then she turned and melted into his chest.

He laced his fingers in her hair and rocked her against his chest. He felt her flinch when the announcer said, “Ladies and gentlemen… lords and ladies…”

He squeezed her tighter. “Come on, baby, why don’t you get changed, and we’ll get on the road.”

Gabby slipped her chainmail over her head and threw it over the rail. “Can we just go?”

Cooper hugged her again. “Yes, we can go.”

They laced their fingers as they walked toward the truck. Gabby waited until they were near the truck, then asked in a small voice, “Cooper? Are you going to spank me?”

Cooper lifted her into the truck, then climbed in himself. He looked down over the sunglasses he had just put on and said, “What do you think?”

Gabby didn’t have to think. She knew good and well from the second she had started her diatribe back there in the barn what the outcome would be, but she had been angry enough then to think that it wouldn’t matter when it came down to it… now, it mattered.

Chapter Six

The ride back to the ranch seemed both too long and too short as far as Gabby was concerned. When they pulled up in front of the house, Cooper turned off the engine. Gabby tried to make herself as small as possible in the truck as she pressed herself against the door. Cooper looked at her. “Gabby, are you scared of me?”

His question startled her so much that her eyes shot to his, and the hint of vulnerability behind his direct look surprised her even more than his question did. She realized she hadn’t answered yet. “I’m sorry, what?”

He asked again. “Are you scared of me?”

Gabby shook her head, a puzzled expression on her face. “No, Cooper, I’m not scared of you. Not really.”