Part Time Cowboy (Copper Ridge Book 1) (15 page)

She had big plans for it. Tables. A barbecue. No, a barbecue wouldn’t strictly be breakfast, but she could fix other meals.

Her one serious question, though, was whether or not a group of construction workers was a bevy.

Perhaps they were more an assemblage. Or a herd. A pack. That sounded nice and manly. Very sexy. She sipped on her lemonade and watched them from her living room window, privately pleased that she was perving on them rather than the other way around.

“Yeah, baby,” she said, tilting her glass back and catching an ice cube between her teeth. “Show me what your mama gave you.”

She was determined to get some visual enjoyment out of these guys. It was a way better idea than thinking about Eli and how much she would rather see him shirtless and sweaty.

There was a knock at the front door and she jumped, splashing lemonade onto her hand. She shook her head, walking to the door. She supposed it served her right. Getting caught being a dirty peeping Tom. She still didn’t feel guilty, though.

She tugged the door open and saw Kate standing there, schooling her expression into something almost comically casual. “There are a lot of work trucks out here.”

“There are indeed,” Sadie said. “Because I’m having a deck built. And the guys are doing it without shirts on if you want to come in and watch.”

“That was what I was hoping,” Kate said, her cheeks flushing pink.

“Never apologize for being a connoisseur of the male form, Kate. And never blush about it.”

Kate blushed deeper and followed Sadie into the living room.

“Dear Lord,” she said, and Sadie had the feeling that only the barest hint of decorum was keeping her from pressing her face to the glass like a frustrated window-shopper.

She recalled what Eli had said about feeling protective of Kate, or rather, being content to deny she had a sexuality altogether, and she wondered if Kate ever got to do anything more than window-shop.

“Not bad at all,” Sadie said. “Makes me feel like a lady of leisure. Sipping cool beverages and ogling the slick sweaty men. And I’m not sorry about it.”

“My female intuition told me that this might be happening over here.”

“The force is strong with you. Would you also like a cool beverage? Lady of leisure status could be yours, too.”

Kate smiled. “Sure. That sounds great.”

Sadie went into the kitchen, humming as she did, and took a glass out of the cabinet before pouring some lemonade from the pitcher on the counter.

She returned a moment later and handed it to Kate. “Get your leisure on.”

Kate took a sip and let out a long sigh, her eyes glued to the activities outside. “It’s too bad this isn’t a transferable skill.”

“Not so much a big market for ogling while indulging in cold drinks, no.”

“My goal is to make money doing things with horseflesh. Not manflesh.”

“Doing what?”

“I barrel race. I’m looking to turn pro, but I haven’t quite earned enough points to get my card. I didn’t get to compete as much this year because I needed to work more hours at the Farm and Garden. Focus on saving. I won a decent-sized pot a while back, but not much since and I need money if I’m going to travel with the rodeo.”

“That’s incredible. You really barrel race? Like...you ride horses around barrels and wear sequined jackets and things?”

“I’m light on the sequins, but yeah.”

“And you’re good enough to go pro.”

Kate took another sip of lemonade and smiled broadly. “I think I am. And my winning streak concurs. But it’s just getting everything to line up. And feeling like Eli won’t implode when I leave.”

“Ah. Eli.”

“He’s a nervous hen.”

“I can definitely see that,” she said, thinking of him and his do-gooder complex.

I’m a good man but I’m not a nice man.

Oh, no, she didn’t need to replay that scene.

Because it made her shivery in...places. Which was silly because that should be off-putting. She liked nice men. She did not like scoundrels. Or men in uniform with hella-bad attitudes and control-freak tendencies.

She could not be controlled or contained. She was the mothereffing wind.

“And he needs me more than he thinks,” Kate said.

Sadie had a feeling that was a lot more insightful than Eli would think it was. “Sure,” Sadie said slowly. “But you can’t live your life for other people, Kate.” She knew she was playing therapist again. But she was licensed, so it wasn’t really
playing
. She was unsolicited, but she was a professional at least. “It only builds resentment, and in the end it destroys more bonds than honesty will. If you want to go, then you should be free to go.”

“You make it sound really simple.”

“It is,” Sadie said. “It’s what I do.” She realized dimly that insinuating anyone should do what she had done was edging into bad-advice territory, so she attempted a redirect. “But it isn’t as though you’ll stay gone. It’s just that you may need a bit more independence.”

“And more shirtless men in my life that I don’t share genetic material with,” Kate said. “We’re country, but not that country.”

Sadie laughed. “Uh, I don’t suppose you are.”

“But yeah. I need to get away. Small town. Same places. Same jobs. Same guys. Take those guys, for example. I either went to high school with them, and they showed no interest in me. Or they went to high school with my brothers and wouldn’t dare touch me.”

Sadie figured it was better not to mention she hadn’t had that problem with guys in high school. But then, she hadn’t given off the salt-of-the-earth vibe Kate did. And she also didn’t have two giant older brothers.

There was also the fact she doubted Kate had the knack for finding trouble that Sadie did. Which was probably for the best since Sadie had managed to find serious, life-threatening trouble thanks to the smaller trouble she’d found.

Not that anyone in Kate’s family would ever hurt her. She could say that for Eli and Connor. She knew they would never hurt women, or anyone who didn’t really deserve it.

And she was thinking about unpleasant things again. Ugh.

This place had a way about it. Good and bad. And both a little more intense than she’d been prepared for.

Though, if she was totally honest, she was never really prepared for intensity.

“That is a problem,” Sadie said, keeping an eye on the guys. “Which ones did you go to school with? I feel like they’re probably off-limits to me.”

“Are you really going to...talk to them?” Kate asked, sounding awed.

She should. She should offer them cold beverages while wearing a bikini top. And get numbers. But she wasn’t going to.

And she had a horrible feeling it was stupid Eli’s fault.

Why she was still thinking about him in those terms was a mystery to her because he’d made it very clear he didn’t want to find her hot. Even though he obviously did find her hot. And he’d turned down her very clumsy, ill-advised, sort-of offer of casual sex, too.

In that moment, if he’d agreed, she really would have hopped into the nearest bush with him and ridden him until she was saddle sore.

Had she ever wanted a man this much?

She didn’t think she had, and that made her feel relieved he’d put a stop to it. Well, maybe not relieved. She felt twitchy and annoyed, and super horny.

She scowled and looked more determinedly out the window, trying to decide which guy had the nicest butt, and from there trying to decide if she would enjoy smacking it.

She could not decide. And she did not want to smack
any
of the denim-clad asses, truth be told.

She was broken, and it was Eli Garrett’s fault.

There was a knock on the front door, which was still slightly open since she’d let Kate in. “Come in,” she shouted.

The door opened and she heard footsteps on the hardwood in the entry, and then in walked the man himself. The new owner of her libido. Who had rendered her mainly useless when it came to ogling. It was all very upsetting.

“Hello, Eli,” she said. “Is this your version of avoiding me?”

“Why were you avoiding her?” Kate asked.

“I’m not,” Eli said, lying neatly for a man with an honor complex. “I came looking for you.”

“How did you know I was here?” Kate asked.

“Your truck is in your driveway, but you weren’t, and your horse was in his paddock. You weren’t with Connor, so I thought I would see if you were here, and lo...” He looked past them both and out the window. “Are you kidding me?”

“We’re learning how to build a deck,” Sadie said, arching a brow and swilling her lemonade, the ice clinking against the glass. “By observation.”

Eli looked at Kate.

“The human mind is an amazing thing,” she said, on the verge of giggles.

“Just watching all the nailing and screwing,” Sadie said. “It’s so sweaty.” She took the glass and pressed it to her cheek, giving Eli a very meaningful look.

He swallowed visibly and shifted. Well, he’d obviously taken
that
innuendo on board. Good. He deserved to suffer. He deserved to suffer as she was suffering. He deserved to watch beach volleyball and get no joy from the bouncing. Which was mean-spirited, she knew. But she didn’t care.

“I was looking for Kate,” he said, his words very pointed as he turned back to his sister. “Carl Ames came by and was looking for someone who could possibly board a horse for his daughter. I said we had the space, but the thing is they might need someone to ride him on days they can’t make it out. And I didn’t want to volunteer you without asking. Of course, you would get the boarding money.”

“All of it?” she asked.

“Yeah. I mean, if you took responsibility for the horse, I don’t see why you shouldn’t get paid.”

“Paid to ride a horse. You know I have no problem with that.”

“Great. Well, here’s his number if you want to call. They’ll probably have him by next week.” Eli handed her a card and Kate smiled, set her lemonade on the sideboard, then waved at Sadie and dashed out of the house. Obviously construction workers still ran second to horses in Kate’s world.

Eli probably loved that.

“That’s going to leave a ring,” Eli said, indicating the glass Kate had just discarded.

Sadie picked it up. “How did she turn out to be thoughtless of coasters with you in charge?”

“I blame the missing coaster gene on Connor. Anyway, I see you’re being a bad influence on my sister,” Eli said, but there was no venom in his words.

“Your sister heard the work trucks a mile away and came running for her chance to gaze upon some prime, Grade A man muscle. Don’t blame me for her actions.”

“I don’t really,” he said.

He should leave because there was no reason for him to be there. Not when they were avoiding each other.

“So, you’re having a deck built?” he went on.

She nodded. “Yes. Connor approved that plan before I moved in. I’d seen pictures of the place in the online ad and knew I wanted something more than just the front porch.”

“Online ad. Liss must have helped him with that.”

“Was she the woman who answered the phone call I made?”

Eli lifted a shoulder. “I would guess so.”

“His...girlfriend?” Sadie asked, knowing it was nosy but not really caring.

“Friend. You met her at the poker game,” Eli said. “She’s one of the only people he listens to. Incidentally about the only person who can put up with his bullshit for more than a very short amount of time.”

“I see. And who puts up with yours?”

“No one. I put up with everyone else’s.”

“Right,” she said, looking back at the construction workers. “Men and tools are a marvel.”

“What about you? Ace putting up with yours?”

She laughed. “Uh...not currently.”

“Interesting.”

“Why?”

“I’m surprised he didn’t ask you out.”

Dammit. “He did,” she said. “But flannel isn’t really my thing. Beards are so...scratchy. You have testosterone, we get it. So much that hair is growing from your face!” She waved her hands, the ice clanking against the glass again. “Just so...obvious.”

“You prefer nonobvious men?”

“Just, you know, maybe I don’t prefer any man right now. Or any one man. I have a fine assortment right out there. Why would I tie myself down to a date with one bartender, when I could stand here and look at the variety behind the glass, so to speak.”

“You’re making an awful lot of excuses about turning down a date. To a man you profess not to like.”

“I don’t like you,” she said. “And may I say, you’re loitering a lot in the house of a woman that you profess to be avoiding.” She looked pointedly at him.

“I guess I am.”

“And so...”

“Nothing. I’ll go.” He turned and she felt instant regret, which was more annoying than anything else. More annoying than not being able to enjoy checking out other guys. More annoying than all the darn emotions this place made her feel.