Texas Two Step: Texas Montgomery Mavericks, Book 1 (21 page)

“Momma. Look at me. I’m riding all by myself.”

Olivia gulped again. Nervous fear swelled in her throat. Forcing a smile on her frozen lips, she said, “I see you, honey. Hold on with both of your hands, okay?”

Mitch led the large animal toward her. While the horse seemed calm and placid as it neared her, Olivia had to force herself to hold her ground, force herself to project a calm exterior.

“He’s a natural,” Mitch said. “Must be in the genes.”

Adam looked at his denim clad legs. “Yep. It’s my new jeans.”

Mitch laughed. “Hobbs. Everyone ready to head out?”

“All except your guest.”

Mitch looked at Olivia, then at her crutches before arching an eyebrow. “Problem?”

Olivia ran her hand under Lady Belle’s stomach band. “I need this tightened. I was trying to figure out how to do that. On crutches it’s a little tough.”

Mitch pursed his lips. “A little tough?” he repeated. “How about a little impossible?” He tossed the reins of his cutting horse to one of the cowboys. “Hold this.” Mitch stepped up beside Olivia. “Scoot over,” he said, then turned toward the horse, leaving Olivia staring at his denim-covered bottom. She might not want to admit it, but the man looked good in jeans. Then the memory of how good he looked all over flashed through her mind and she felt her flush as it rushed up her neck and onto her cheeks.

Her fascination with his shape only intensified when he bent his leg to tap his knee against Lady Belle’s gut to force her to exhale. That action moved the muscles in his rear in such a delectable fashion it had Olivia licking her lips. When he jerked the strap through the rigging ring, securing the saddle tight on the horse’s back, the muscles in his forearm twitched and flexed, reminding her of how strong Mitch was. Reminded her of the time he held her against a shower wall while making love.

“There,” Mitch said, stepping back to admire his work. He looked at Olivia. “Are you okay? You look a little flushed.”

“I’m fine. Just excited to get going,” she lied.

“Have you thought about how you’re going to get on Lady Belle?”

She gritted her teeth. He knew she was going to need some help. Her lips pressed together as she thought of how to answer him.

“I’ve got an idea.” He picked her up and sat her in the saddle. Her crutches fell to the ground. He picked them up, walked over to his truck and tossed them into the passenger’s seat. “Now, let’s get gone. Daylight’s burning.”

She wanted to be incensed at how he manhandled her into the saddle, but the feel of his strong, hot hands around her waist, the bunching of the muscles in his arms as he’d lifted her, woke a swarm of butterflies in her stomach. Of course, that fluttering could be fear of being on the back of a horse. Or it could be because she was supposed to be sitting with her leg propped up and not riding a horse. But Dr. Gowen would just have to cut her some slack today. No way was Adam going without her nearby.

Olivia checked her watch. Daylight burning, indeed. It was just now six a.m.

Mitch threw himself into the western saddle behind Adam. Gathering the reins in his right hand, he wrapped his left arm around Adam and pulled him snug.

“Grab the horn and hold on,” he instructed Adam.

Adam wrapped all ten fingers around the saddle’s knob. “I’m ready. Let’s go.”

Hobbs rode out first with the rest of the cowboys close behind at a trot. Mitch wheeled his horse toward the other riders and followed at a somewhat slower pace. Olivia was left in the yard. She clicked her tongue and tapped the heels of her boots against Lady Belle’s side. The horse began to move at a pace appropriate to a snail—perfect as far as Olivia was concerned.

Lady Belle’s broad body between her legs felt as familiar and comfortable as a worn pair of jeans. She’d missed the feel of having a thousand pounds of horseflesh under her control. She leaned forward and patted the old horse’s neck. “Good girl. You’re exactly what I needed today.” And she was. Olivia hadn’t realized how much she’d missed riding until now.

But as good as it felt to be on a horse’s back, she couldn’t help but flashback on that awful day six years ago. Given her advanced pregnancy, she had no business riding Alice Cooper, but she’d spent so many years on a horse, and on her personal mare specifically, riding was like breathing.

The day had started out well. The sun was full and bright, but the typical sweltering Texas temperatures hadn’t yet arrived. The grass had just begun to turn green. Tiny leaves were pushing their way out of tree limbs. She and new husband, Drake, were spending the weekend with her parents. She’d awakened that morning rested but restless. The Dallas Herald newspaper arrived on her parents’ doorstep delivering a two-page spread on the society wedding of Mitch Landry to Joanna St. Claire. Although she’d known of the wedding plans from Mitch’s own mouth, the reality of the situation spelled out for her in color pictures and detailed descriptions sent her fleeing to where she always found her comfort…riding and her beloved Alice Cooper. AC greeted her with a toss of her head and a loud neigh, seemingly as restless as Olivia herself.

So far, her pregnancy had been unremarkable. No hint of any problems other than some light spotting early in the first trimester, but her doctors had assured her there was nothing to worry about. As she’d stroked AC’s nose and neck, Olivia told herself that between being a new mother, a new wife and running her gym business, her opportunities for riding would be few and far between. She wasn’t due to deliver for another ten weeks. She needed the peace and comfort that riding always gave her.

After saddling her racer, Olivia had used a small ladder to help propel her onto the horse’s back. At a little over seven months pregnant, swinging into the saddle using a stirrup was out of the question. Nudging Alice Cooper forward with her knees and a click of her tongue, they’d charged from the barn into the open pasture. Her pregnant belly poked over the saddle’s horn, making the ride uncomfortable at times, but the sheer joy and mental high she got from being out in fresh air—and as far away from the newspaper reports of Mitch’s wedding as she could get—offset any minor physical discomfort.

About forty minutes after she’d ridden out, she turned into a pasture Travis had added to his holdings. She’d never been on that piece of land and should have been more cautious, but she’d finally lost a battle with her emotions and tears filled her eyes. Blurry-eyed, she failed to see the uneven ground and numerous holes. She kicked AC into a gallop, sending them both charging across the unfamiliar landscape. Five minutes into the run, AC’s front leg dropped into a deep hole, causing the horse to stumble and tossing Olivia over the horse’s head and onto her swollen abdomen. Alice Cooper screamed in pain. Olivia looked on in horror as her beloved mare tried to stand on a broken front leg. The rest of the day was pretty much a blur. The phone call to Drake. The ambulance arriving to transport her to the hospital. The pain in AC’s eyes just before Travis was forced to put her down.

Her breath skipped at the memory. A blanket of guilt settled over heart.

“Hey, pokey. Get a move on,” Mitch called over his shoulder.

“Yeah, pokey,” Adam parroted.

Olivia’s vision focused on her son’s shinning face. She pushed her lips up into a smile. “What’d you call me?”

Adam threw his head back against Mitch’s chest and giggled hysterically.

“Everything okay with Lady Belle?” Mitch asked as he circled back into the barnyard. “She not the spunkiest mare I own, but usually she’s faster than this.”

Olivia shook her head. “No, no. Everything’s fine. I was just thinking.”

Adam looked over his shoulder at Mitch. “She thinks a lot.”

Giving Adam a very serious look, Mitch nodded. “I see.” He looked at Olivia. “Do try to keep up with the rest of us. I realize you haven’t ridden in this pasture before, but I don’t have time to keep circling back to check on you.”

Heat climbed into Olivia’s cheeks. She nodded. With that, Mitch turned his horse and cantered toward the rear of the herd of slow-moving cattle.

The sound of hooves beating on dirt reached her ears just before Sylvia Landry rode up beside her.

“Good morning, Olivia.”

Olivia smiled at the older woman. “Morning, Sylvia. I see you’re up with us early birds this morning.”

The older woman shook her head with a chuckle. “Robert loves getting out there with his sons to move the cattle so I told him I’d ride over this morning.”

Olivia looked around. “I didn’t see Caleb. Is he home from college?”

“No. I don’t know what I was thinking. It’s just Mitch out there.”

Olivia knew Sylvia was remembering the days with her husband working alongside James and Mitch before James’s death. The two women began walking their horses side by side.

“I would have liked to see Caleb. It’s been a long time.”

“Yes, it has.” The older woman paced her horse to match Olivia’s speed. “It’s good to see you on a horse again, dear. You doing okay?”

Olivia nodded then drew in a shaky breath. “So far, so good. I admit my heart’s racing just a tad.” She patted Lady Belle’s neck. “But I’m being well taken care of this morning.”

“Lady Belle is a good horse. You pick her?”

“Nope. Hobbs.”

Sylvia nodded. “Good choice.”

They rode in silence for a moment, both of them ignoring the elephant in the room, so to speak.

Finally, Sylvia sighed. “Okay, you haven’t volunteered any information, so I guess I have to ask. What happened after I left last night?”

“Nothing. Mitch locked himself in his study and we didn’t see him the rest of the night. I figured he’d called y’all.”

She snorted. “Oh yeah, he called. Must have left ten different messages but…” Sylvia caught Olivia’s gaze. “This isn’t our story to tell him. You have to be the one to explain about the accident and Adam’s birth. Robert and I can’t keep avoiding our son.”

Mitch’s whistle drew her eyes toward him. A calf had decided to make a run for it. Mitch signaled and one of the ranch hands broke off and raced after the small black calf. Within moments, the cowboy had the little guy rounded up and reunited with his bawling mother. If she’d had any remaining questions about allowing Adam to come along today to move cattle, they were answered by the whoop and grin on his face right now. She couldn’t hear the conversation, but Adam appeared to be talking non-stop to Mitch, who didn’t show the least bit of annoyance, more like the patience of Job.

Olivia drew in the smell of horseflesh, dirt and cattle. The combination of scents took her back to her earlier life of rodeos, barrel racing and cowboys. Until today, she hadn’t missed those days, but a wave of nostalgia swept through her and elicited a loud sigh. She looked back at Sylvia. “I’m sorry you got caught in the middle of this mess.” She shook her head. “My mother should never have called you that night. But since we were all convinced Adam wouldn’t make it to morning, she thought you should meet him. She meant well, but it sure has put you in a rough situation with Mitch. I’ve always been bothered by that.”

“I thank God every day that not only did Adam live, but that you’ve allowed us to be a part of his life. I agree this is a bad situation all around. But talk to Mitch. You two have got to figure out how you’re going to make this shared parenthood work.”

The idea of sharing her son with Mitch made Olivia feel slightly queasy. She swallowed against the rising nausea and nodded. “I will. Soon. I promise.”

Three days of early mornings and hard ranch work had finally taken their toll on her son.

“Adam. Sit up and eat your dinner,” Olivia said as an exhausted Adam slumped in his chair.

Getting him to bed each night had been easy. Keeping him awake for dinner and baths was the challenge. But still, she couldn’t remember ever seeing Adam so happy. He mimicked Mitch in dress, attitude and stand.

Last night at supper, he’d complained when he’d been given milk to drink while Mitch drank tea. Mitch had stood, poured his tea in the sink and refilled his glass with milk. Olivia’s heart had softened at Mitch’s action. So far, nothing she’d said or done had softened Mitch toward her. Around their son, Mitch smiled and chatted, putting on a good front, but outside Adam’s presence, Mitch hadn’t spoken to Olivia.

The tension between them was palpable. Olivia knew she couldn’t let this go on. Time had come to open up the can of worms known as their past.

Adam propped his elbow on the table and his head in his hand, holding his face a scant few inches from plate. “I am sitting up.”

His little-boy whine screamed overtiredness. Olivia wondered if she’d be able to keep him awake long enough to take a bath. His eyes slid shut. His head swayed dangerously close to his mashed potatoes.

“I think he’s done, Magda.”

Magda ruffled his hair. “Long day, huh?”

Adam yawned and opened his eyes. “Me and Mitch worked hard today. He said I was the best help he’d ever had.”

“You sure were,” Mitch said. “You’re gonna be the best cowboy on the ranch pretty soon.”

Magda smiled at the child. “I bet you were loads of help.” She picked up his dishes and carried them to the sink.

“I think it’s bath time for you,” Olivia said, pushing her plate away. “You smell like that little calf that tried to make a getaway the other day.”