Ride a Cowboy (3 page)

the middle of her bed, all pink ‘n pretty. Didn’t know sweat could look so hot.” Dwight

shook his head mournfully. “Too bad I’m a married man.”

“Bet Maria wouldn’t be too happy hearing you talk like that,” Daniel said, sending

him a warning glance. He glanced away and asked the question that was burning a hole

in his gut. “What’s her first name?”

“You talkin’ about Katelyn Carter?” Dwight’s eyebrows rose. “Now, she’s a little

long in the tooth, but it don’t look like you even noticed that fact,” he said, a wicked

twinkle in his eyes.

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Ride a Cowboy

Oh, Daniel had noticed all right—but he couldn’t change the day she was born.

Daniel resisted adjusting the crotch of his jeans and narrowed his eyes at his erstwhile

buddy. Try as he might, he couldn’t push the memory of her moist, sleep-tousled

blonde hair and wide blue eyes from his mind. His body was as taut as a barbed wire

fence and his groin ached. If she’d looked down the front of his body even once, he’d

have frightened the tart-tongued woman even more than the snake.

Wanting to change the subject, Daniel asked, “How do you suppose that rattler got

into her house?”

“Cain’t be sure, but Miz Carter left her back door open all night. She don’t have no

screen door on it. That snake was probably just lookin’ for a warm spot to spend the

night. Cain’t think of anyplace warmer, kin you?”

Daniel ignored his teasing and paused for a moment, his hand on the door as he

digested that bit of information.

“So, you decided to stay in town for yer vacation?” Dwight’s question intruded on

his thoughts.

Daniel’s gaze drifted back to Katelyn Carter’s front door. “Yeah, I’ve got a lot to do

around the place. I’m gonna catch up on chores,” he lied. He wrenched open the door of

the cab and climbed inside.

“Well, enjoy yerself, and stay away from the station. I want you rested—I’ll need

you this weekend.” Dwight winked slyly at him and cocked his head toward the house.

“Maybe you should check on her later. Make sure your new neighbor’s doin’ all right

after her excitement this morning.”

Daniel didn’t respond as he inserted his keys into the ignition. He was way ahead

of Dwight.

“You know,” Dwight continued, “she could probably use some help unloadin’ the

rest of the stuff she’s got in that trailer. And Daniel…I didn’t notice no ring on her

finger.” He winked again and grinned, then touched the brim of his white sheriff’s hat

before sauntering back toward the house.

17

Delilah Devlin

Daniel cursed the fact his interest in the woman was so apparent. He’d have liked

to keep it to himself a while—savor the heady emotions running riot inside him in

private. Thank God he had a few days off. He needed time off to get himself under

control. By the time he went back, he wanted the heat banked that burned through his

body at just the thought of
Katelyn
.

Such a pretty damn name.

The long list of chores he’d hoped to accomplish during his vacation would just

have to wait. They weren’t nearly as urgent as his need to be around the woman. But

first, he had to make a run to the hardware store.

Not that it was gonna be easy convincing her she needed his help.

Last night during the long walk home, he’d thought long and hard about how to

get beyond the bone-deep wariness that made her expression defensive and almost

brittle. He’d decided not to rush her, to take her slowly—one step at a time.

First he’d gain her trust, then he’d gentle her with his voice and hands. Kind of like

breaking a nervous filly to bridle.

Last night he’d grinned at the thought. Today, he wasn’t so certain she could be

brought around to trust him. Someone had hurt her, made her skittish around men. The

man who’d had her before was a damn fool.

Her body was tanned and toned like a model’s, and she carried herself like a

queen—even when she stood in the middle of her bed in her underwear. She had class

stamped all over her face and body.

What the hell did he have to offer a woman like that?

* * * * *

Around noon, Katelyn was busy putting away the last of her dishes into the

cupboard when the dull thud of a vehicle door slamming shut echoed through the

house. Sighing, she made her way around unpacked boxes to the front door to see who

her visitor was just as Daniel Bodine stepped onto the porch.

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Ride a Cowboy

Desire flushed her skin, unwanted and perverse in its choice of obsessions—which

Daniel was quickly becoming. Inside, her body softened and moistened. Outwardly, she

lifted her chin and waited.

He pulled off his cowboy hat, revealing chestnut brown hair cut short, but not short

enough to hide a tendency to curl.

Her fingers itched to sift through his rich, curling pelt.

Daniel cleared his throat. “Howdy ma’am.”

Katelyn waited behind the screen of her front door, glad for the barrier between

them. He was a sight to behold—muscles stretching the shoulders and arms of his pale

T-shirt. Her heart pounded just looking into the green gaze that watched her steadily.

Pleasure washed over despite her intentions, causing a tingling sensation in places

she’d thought numb from years of neglect.

His face wasn’t pretty-boy handsome. Instead, it was almost harshly defined and

very masculine. Something about the way he stood so still and kept his unwavering

gaze on her face, told her he was an honest man–-but he was still too good-looking for

her peace of mind.

“What can I do for you, Mr. Bodine?” she finally managed to blurt out.

The corners of his mouth lifted just a fraction—just enough to warn her he knew

she’d been checking him out. “I couldn’t help but notice earlier,” he said, his voice

dropping lower, “you don’t have a screen on your back door. It isn’t safe to keep it

propped open like you did last night.”

She frowned, not sure where the conversation was leading and not liking what his

rumbling voice was doing to her body. She squeezed her thighs together to stop the

instinctive yielding. “I kept it open because it was hot as a furnace in the house, but a

repairman is coming out tomorrow. I won’t have that problem again.”

His gaze dropped and he cleared his throat again, twisting his hat in his hands.

19

Delilah Devlin

She wondered cynically if this feigned shyness was an act he used to convince

women to trust him.

When he raised his gaze to hers again, his expression was clear of any humor—and

seared her with its intensity. “Ma’am, I know this house has a lot of problems. The

previous owners were friends of mine. I take on jobs as a handyman from time to time,

and I’d be glad for the work. I’d like to help you get this place to shine again.”

Katelyn’s breath caught.
How does he do that?
When he looked at her like that—like

she was the prettiest woman he’d ever seen—she felt herself melting like a Popsicle in

the sun. It was likely a practiced technique, but she was falling for it. Falling into those

moss green eyes.

“Ma’am, what do you think?”

Me, think?
This tower of a man—any woman’s wet dream—could sap her resistance

with just a look and that smoky, deep voice.

Katelyn sighed. The little sound that escaped broke the trance that had her leaning

toward the screen door. She lifted a hand to her mussed hair, buying some time to get

her reactions under control. But touching her hair was enough to remind her, she was a

mess and he was probably only staring at a smudge on her face.

Her prejudice against handsome men might be coloring her impression of him. His

eyes looked at her steadily without a hint of sexual innuendo. Her gaze turned to the

ancient pickup parked in her driveway and she guessed he might need the money

every bit as much as she needed help.

If she were truthful to herself, she’d admit the thought of having him underfoot

made her feel more alive than she had in years.

Taking a deep breath and hoping she wasn’t making a big mistake, she replied,

“Mr. Bodine, it’s not that I can’t do this all by myself—and that would be my

preference—but I want things in their proper place by Monday. That door’s just one

more thing I won’t have to do.”

“I understand, Miz Carter. You don’t really need me.”

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Ride a Cowboy

She gave him a sharp nod. “That’s right. If I’m satisfied with your work, we’ll talk

later about what else you might do for me.” She blushed when she realized how that

last statement might be interpreted, but a quick glance at his face eased her mind that

he hadn’t read anything into it.

He still wore the same steady expression. “I’ll get started on it right away.” He

replaced his hat on his head and turned away.

Phew.
She released the breath she’d been holding, and then her brain unclenched as

she had another thought. “Wait!” she called out to him.

He hesitated on the porch step, and then turned. “Yes, ma’am?”

“I can’t afford too much, just yet. I start my new job on Thursday.”

He appeared to relax.

He must have thought I changed my mind, Katelyn thought.

“That’s okay,” he said, nodding solemnly. “You can pay as you go. I also know

which hardware stores have the best prices–-and I get a discount.” He smiled and

continued to his truck.

That little smile nearly blew her away. A hint of a dimple in his left cheek had her

thinking she was in trouble for sure. For a moment she melted, her toes curling against

the hardwood floor.

Then she remembered the path those kinds of thoughts could lead, and she

stiffened her spine. Glad she’d let him know up front where she stood, she turned from

the sight of his strong shoulders and tightly muscled backside as he hefted a large

toolbox from the bed of his truck and slammed the front door shut.

* * * * *

Daniel stubbed his toe against the top step of the back porch and cursed under his

breath as he set down his toolbox. Deciding he’d better remove the solid door to get it

out of the way while he worked, he reached for a hammer to tap the pins from the

hinges. As he worked, he let his mind stray back to his beautiful employer.

21

Delilah Devlin

Katelyn Carter had thrown him for a loop—again. No woman had a right to look

that good with dirt smudging her cheeks and sweat dampening her hair. Looking into

those baby blue eyes brimming with suspicion, he’d almost talked himself into

believing that showing up on her doorstep so soon was a very bad idea. And letting her

think he was a handyman didn’t sit right.

Uncomfortable with subterfuge, he still couldn’t think of a better way to spend time

with the lady. He needed to get his foot in the door before the rest of the unattached

males in Tierney, Texas discovered this exotic flower of womanhood. He knew he

didn’t possess a glib tongue or a pretty face, but usually he was satisfied with what he

did have. This morning, however, Katelyn made him wish he was so much more.

Daniel sensed if she knew what kind of hammering and painting he really had on

his mind she’d probably run screaming. As he tapped at the pins, he imagined himself

alone with her in the moonlight. He’d start with stripping that tiny excuse for a T-shirt

from her body and lick the sweat from between her plump breasts—

“Mr. Bodine?”

Her voice startled him, causing him to jerk, and he nearly mashed his thumb with

the hammer. “Yes, ma’am?”

She stood beside him, so close his ears began to burn. That T-shirt clung to her skin

like he’d imagined doing. She licked her lips nervously, drawing his gaze upward to

follow the pink tongue as it flicked once around her lips.

Daniel lost track of the conversation.

“Mr. Bodine?”

He blushed when he realized he hadn’t heard a word she’d just said. “Pardon me,

ma’am?”

“Um…” She blinked and her glance fell to his lips.

Was she thinking about kissing him too? He pushed back his cowboy hat and

leaned toward her. “Ma’am?”

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Ride a Cowboy

She shoved a glass into his hand and slipped back inside the house before he had a

chance to say thanks. Grinning, he was heartened to realize she was just as disturbed by

his presence as he was by hers. He chugged down the sweet tea and reached into the

kitchen to set the glass back on the counter.

Slipping the hammer out of his belt loop once more, he tapped at the bottom of each

hinge to unseat the pins and freed the door from its frame.

When he looked around, she was standing next to him again, a frown creasing the

soft skin between her eyes. “I’m sorry. I forgot what I came to ask you in the first place.”

She blushed, and twirled a curl of her blonde hair around her finger.
Definitely disturbed.

“Shoot,” he said, leaning the door against the side of the house.

“I was wondering if you’d help me bring in some of the heavier items from the UHaul trailer.”

“No problem.” He wiped his hands on his jeans and walked toward her.

She backed away hastily. “Oh, I didn’t mean right this minute.”

“No time like now.”

They met at the door that separated kitchen from living room, and she stood