Who Wants to Marry a Cowboy? (6 page)

“I saw the light on in here and wanted to make sure everything was okay.” The older man’s gaze softened when he studied Riley. “I don’t remember seeing you in here since you come home.”

Riley walked around him, a hand twisting the inside his chest. “I’m heading to the house now.”

Cookie turned with him. “I’m taking the truck to town tomorrow. One of your ladies wants to go to some girly craft store.”

Riley’s long strides took him out the door, and he headed to the house and up to his room, but his mind stayed behind with the woman with the soft voice and honey-colored hair.

Ainsley opened the cabin door the next morning, her grit-filled eyes squinting against the low sun. Even though her bed had been comfortable and her pillows appropriately fluffy, the sexy, rude, insufferable, primally masculine, antagonistic, and intriguing cowboy had invaded her thoughts for most of the night. Not to mention he also invaded her belly with a little quiver whenever she thought of him. Which was often. She had finally given up on sleep when light streamed in through her curtains two hours ago.

Meagan’s sandals clicked on the floor behind her. “The sun’s not going to get any dimmer, Ainsley. Let’s go!”

She held her breath for a moment before blowing it out. Going back to bed sounded better than heading to the brunch and seeing him again. Though flirting with him last night had been fun. Natural, like she could be herself, not the painted picture her mother wanted. Until he’d made her hide in the plants like a dirty secret.

Meagan pushed her out the door, not giving her a choice. “Aren’t you ready to meet Riley?”

No. “It’s why I’m here, right?” She pranced down the path so Meagan wouldn’t be able to see the change in her aura and tell that she was lying.

Riley wasn’t the smelly cowboy she had envisioned. Instead, when he had crouched beside her, she got a hint of the outdoors, of pine and hay. Her belly fluttered again.
Stop it
. And his eyes. Swirling hazel, set off by dark, thick lashes, that had been hostile and cold when she first saw him but warmed like molten gold when he fought back a laugh.

“Geez, slow down, Ainsley! It’s not like he’s going anywhere.”

Ainsley paced herself, letting Meagan catch up while they approached the house. Not that she was eager to see him again.

The heavy wooden doors opened and the two women wandered into the foyer. Instead of food being served in the kitchen like last night, a buffet had been set up against one wall. The six other women milled around, glancing upstairs, waiting for the famed Riley Pommer to appear. Jeanne bit the insides of her cheeks while she peeked out the front window.

Pinpricks in her fingertips indicated her blood was flowing again and Ainsley let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. He wasn’t here yet. Good. The fresh aroma of just-baked bread lured her to the heavy wooden table covered with plates of eggs and bowls of fruit.

“Oh, are you going to eat?” Jewel asked. She was standing with Leigh, the dark-haired woman from the previous night. Leigh wore that same preppy style—a straight black dress with a lavender sweater tied by the sleeves over her shoulders.

Ainsley paused a moment at Jewel’s question before answering, especially because of their last conversation. Plus the friendly smile didn’t touch her eyes. “The muffins look really good.”

Jewel looked over at the pastries, then scrutinized Ainsley as if comparing the two. “I think it’s great that you don’t watch what you eat,” she said, then sashayed away to stand near the stairs with Leigh.

Ainsley watched her go, half caught between wanting to laugh and being insulted. “Did she just call me fat?”

Meagan didn’t seem to hear. “I’m too nervous to eat,” she whispered, hooking her arm through Ainsley’s. “This sounded like a good idea back home, but now… I don’t know. I’m a little scared. I wish my family was as supportive as yours.”

“Yeah, if you can call blackmail being supportive,” Ainsley muttered.

An excited murmur passed through the women as a door slammed near the kitchen. Four or five dogs scrambled over each other into the room and Jeanne shooed them out the front door, relief etched on her face. The women surged forward as Molly came in through the kitchen.

And there he was, standing twenty feet away, as muscled and handsome and scowling as last night. She wouldn’t say he sought her out, but a warm flush crawled up her neck when his gaze jumped over to her. One eyebrow lifted at her reaction but she kept his eyes, earning a small nod of acknowledgment before Molly stepped in front of him. “Ladies, may I present my brother to you? This is Riley Pommer.”

H
e would never look at a cattle auction the same way again.

Eight pairs of eyes watched his every move from the moment he stepped through the kitchen door. Eight feminine bodies subtly shifting closer to him as if getting ready to have a calf-roping contest.

Make that six. The woman from last night took a step backward. Apparently she knew how to play the game. He dipped his head in a brief nod of acknowledgment as his sister gripped his elbow, tighter than the way he held the rein when he used to ride broncos. She dragged him to the green-eyed blonde who stood nearest to them, the other women fixing their sights on him like he was a bullseye for their target practice. “Riley, this is Mary Ellen Singers,” his sister said. “She’s a news segment producer from Ohio.”

Mary Ellen twittered as she offered her hand to him and he shifted his focus to this new intruder. There had to be something he could do to get rid of them, the woman in front of him and the audience behind.

Well, if they wanted a cowboy, he’d show them a cowboy. He planted his feet wide while he took her hand, then laid his other hand on top, grinning at her with all the teeth he could show at once. “A news segment producer? Well, now, that sounds mighty interestin’.”

A small noise escaped Molly’s throat at his cowboy accent and he suppressed a smile of satisfaction. Mary Ellen beamed at his interest, undeterred by his behavior.

“Oh, it is,” Mary Ellen said. “I get to—”

“You should produce a show ’bout mares that foal and the physical changes to their bodies. See, first, when their nipples get swollen—before the foal is born, o’course—you have to spend time cleanin’ ’em so they get desensitized, right?” Riley mimicked wiping a mare’s belly. “Then they git covered with this waxy-like substance, and you know the foal’ll be born soon. Real interestin’ stuff. I could go show you some pictures—” He turned to leave, hoping he remembered the location of the photos Jeanne took for a 4-H project a couple of years ago.

“No, that’s okay. Uh, thank you, though.” Mary Ellen’s eyes darted around for a place of safety as she took a step back.

Riley stepped forward to close off her space. “Y’shore?” He could feel Molly glaring at him, but he ignored her and the heavy dullness settling in his gut. She wanted him to be a Casanova Cowboy, so she was going to have to deal with the results. “It won’t take me but a right minute.”

“No, really. Thanks.” Mary Ellen slunk away and was immediately replaced by another woman. Orange-red hair framed the pale skin of her face, and her blue eyes held a touch of reserve. Riley almost felt guilty for what he was about to do. Almost.

“Riley, this is Jessica.” Riley heard the threat in Molly’s voice and raised his brows, his face a picture of innocence and serenity.

“Jessica, what’s a pretty little filly like you doin’ tryin’ t’ find a stallion all the way out here?” He puffed out his chest to indicate that he was the stallion, camouflaging the gulp of air he swallowed. He waited, holding it in the back of his throat.

“I’m…um…”

He opened his mouth and burped, bringing up as much gas as he could muster, and let it hang in the air for a couple of seconds as Jessica took a step back. Riley waited for her to run like Mary Ellen while he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “’Scuse me.”

Instead, her lips pulled back into a brilliant smile that transformed her face, and she gave a little giggle before clapping a hand over her mouth. “Boy, have I pegged you wrong! I thought you were going to be all polite and ‘yes ma’am’-ing us all over the place. I’m glad to see you’re more relaxed than that.”

Well, damn. Score one for the filly. But what about the others?

They milled around the open space, casting occasional smiling glances his way. Even though he was being rude and insufferable, none of them stepped away from him. Like they didn’t care.

Like none of them would care about him.

Except the one from the greenhouse. She wasn’t following his every move. All he could see of her was the curve of her back and the golden hair that tumbled down. He’d like to go up against her, see how she’d react to this new side of him.

See if he would be burned again by the heat that had sizzled between them last night.

“Pardon us,” Molly said and placed a firm hand on Riley’s arm to guide him away from Jessica, hiding the vicious pinch she delivered through his shirt. “What in blazes are you doing?” she whispered.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he answered, then focused as his next victim approached. He planned his defense.

“Riley, this is Robin.” Tightness crept into Molly’s voice and Riley could tell she was close to losing it. He didn’t know why. The women were still fighting for position to meet him, like he was the grand prize in some unspoken female competition. The sooner he could prove to Molly that this idea of a meat market wasn’t working, the sooner he could get back down to the business of running a ranch.

Robin shook his hand with an enthusiasm that made its way to his shoulder, her short brown hair brushing her chin with the movement. “It’s so exciting to finally meet you!”

He yawned, opening his mouth so wide that Robin could count his teeth if she wanted. “Ooh, boy,” he said. “I’m really tired. I was up way too late last night surfing the Internet for por—”

“Pork products,” Molly interrupted, jumping in between them so he couldn’t speak again. “He was up late surfing for pork products. Riley, let’s see if Linda needs us in the kitchen.”

“Maybe she needs help bringing out some pork products,” Robin volunteered as Molly grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him around. “I could come with you.”

“That’d be right sweet of you,” Riley called over his shoulder while his sister propelled him toward the kitchen.

“But please, stay and eat,” Molly said. “We’ll be right back.” She guided him to the mud room before rounding on him, hands fisted at her hips.

“Don’t I get any breakfast?” Riley asked.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m meeting all these lovely women you scoured the country to find for your market research. I’m just being me. I should think that would make you happy.”

“Belching like an animal is supposed to make me happy? Talking about porn is supposed to make me happy? I don’t know what definition of ‘happy’ you’re thinking of, mister, but it sure isn’t mine.” Molly took him in with pleading, wet eyes, her anger leaving like the end of a storm. Her lower lip trembled and she turned away from her brother to hide her face, saying nothing more.

“Mol?” Riley asked cautiously. He swallowed around the building thickness in his throat and the twinge in his chest at the thought of her crying. There had been enough of that already in the past four months. Even if his cowboy game had just proven having the women here was a waste of time.

“What?”

Damn. Her voice had caught and he knew that any second she would…

She spun back to him and poked his shoulder. “It’s just that Jeannie and I worked so hard for this and we thought you would appreciate it.” Poke. “Instead you run and hide, and act like such a jerk and I’m sorry that we tried and I’ll go out there and send everybody home.” She poked him again, but it had lost some of its enthusiasm. “We only want you to be,” she paused, trying to take in a deep, calming breath, “we want you to be…” Her eyes squeezed shut.
“Happy!”
she wailed.

“Oh, come on, Mol.” Riley’s irritation flowed away and the desire to protect his sister from pain rose up within him. She turned into his shoulder and sobbed even louder, her fists ineffectively punching him. His arms automatically went around her and he patted her back, trying to comfort her.

“Mol.”

She didn’t respond. Riley started to panic. He needed to get her to stop, even if he was the cause. “Molly.”

“Wh-wh-what?” Tears fell down her cheeks, each following the pattern of the previous one, leaving streaks.

“Come on. Stop crying.”

“You go back to the stables and play with Westley or take care of Scarlet.” Molly took a deep shuddering breath and brushed her cheeks with the palms of her hands, then used her pinky fingers to wipe under her eyes. “Jeannie and I will tell everyone to go home and give them back their money. Maybe we can organize a trail ride first, just so their trips aren’t completely wasted.” She sniffed again and wiped her nose. “I’m sorry, Riley. I really thought you would see changing the ranch is a great idea.” She gave him a wan smile and patted his shoulder, then slowly turned back to the kitchen.

She got as far as two steps away, her shoulders slumped in defeat, before his need to protect his family shoved the word out of his mouth. Even through his gritted teeth. “Okay.”

Dammit, the thickness in his throat lessened along with the dull pain in his gut. He may hate what he was doing, but it was the right thing to do.

Molly stopped, but didn’t turn around. “Okay?”

“I’ll stop behaving like such a jerk.”

“Oh, thank you, Riley.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek, all evidence of her gut-wrenching sadness gone. “Let’s go meet some more women.”

His father had taught him to always follow through, no matter how distasteful the task. Riley followed Molly out of the mud room, ignoring the unsettling feeling that he’d been had.

Conversation around Ainsley stalled again and she realized Riley must’ve come back from the kitchen. She stayed firmly planted by the staircase and watched the small scuffle among the women jockeying for a position in Riley’s path. Jewel won, and the brunette smoothed her white sundress before facing Riley with a friendly smile.

Ainsley was too far away to hear any conversation, but she could clearly read Jewel’s body language. Friendly, but not overeager. Add to that her hair flip and the occasional light touches on Riley’s arm and she could be an advertisement for a best-selling guide to flirting. And it seemed to be working. The cowboy’s previously stiff face crinkled at his eyes when his lips lifted into a smile.

After a few minutes, Molly guided him to Meagan. Her roommate gave an outward air of serenity, but her free hand was in her hair, twirling it as they chatted. Ainsley couldn’t tell what was said, but he left Meagan with a smile, and she continued to follow his path after he moved on to the next woman, still playing with her curly locks. She abruptly stopped and cast a quick peek around the room, then shifted her weight when she saw Ainsley watching her.

“Nice hands,” Meagan said, joining Ainsley with a nod in Riley’s direction. “What did you think?”

“Um…yeah.” Ainsley deliberately looked him over. Mistake—she hadn’t noticed in the greenhouse how great his butt looked in a pair of jeans. “Nice everything.” Except personality.

The housekeeper appeared and set out more platters of food on the heavy wooden table. The maple aroma of bacon wafted over to Ainsley, and she purposefully strode up to the buffet and helped herself to a plate, avoiding the cowboy. Even if she was curious to see if Riley would acknowledge that they’d already met. And to see if he was the same ill-mannered lout from last night. And to see if her pulse rate remained steady while she stood next to him.

She turned back to the food, deciding what to eat, when body heat caressed her, like the morning kiss of the sun. She briefly closed her eyes to gain control before she peeked to the side to confirm it was indeed Riley standing next to her, completely ignoring her presence.

Well, she could do that, too. He brushed her arm as he filled his plate, but she did nothing until they both reached for the serving tongs. His touch turned the heat into a shock of electricity and she froze, not daring to look at him.

Great. She was attracted to a jerk.

He stood in silence, though his rigid posture softened. “You go ahead,” he said after a moment.

“Thanks.” Ainsley wondered if he felt that ridiculous surge, too. She put a strip of bacon on her plate, and he reached for the tongs when she was done. “It’s Ainsley.”

He paused in the act of putting a piece of meat on his plate and glanced over at her, his brows drawn down over his hazel eyes. “What’s Ainsley?”

“My name. Ainsley Fairfax. I figured you’d want to know who you threw into the plants last night.”

“Ainsley Fairfax,” he said softly, caressing her name with his voice. He leaned forward, the solid planes of his body only a couple of inches from hers, close enough that she could taste the outdoors on his clothes, his mouth inches from her ear. His breath sent a small shiver through her that she fought to control. “You’re in the way of the eggs.”

“Right.” Arrogant man. She practically dropped her plate on the table, not caring about the clamor it made. “I can’t tell you how much of a pleasure it was meeting you earlier. This trip has been everything I’ve been expecting and more. Thank you for making me feel so welcome in your home.”

The woman’s words caused a ripple of guilt in Riley’s stomach. His father would have been disappointed in the rude way Riley had treated her. Apparently fed up with his actions, she turned away from the table and crashed directly into Seth, who had barged in from the kitchen.

Riley grabbed her arms and pulled her close in order to prevent her from falling. Her soft body molded against him and vanilla hit his nose. For one moment he stayed like that, allowing the sweet scent to invade his senses. Geez, what was he doing? He released her and stepped away, cursing the streak of lust that went straight to his groin.

“I’m sorry,” the teen said, as hay from his plaid shirt drifted to the floor.

Seth was supposed to be making sure the ranch equipment had fuel for the week. “What are you doing here?” Riley asked.

“I have to talk to Molly.” Seth ran off before Riley could ask any more questions, but he kept his eye on his siblings. Awareness of the woman by his side did nothing to calm his annoyance while his sister and brother had a quick conversation with Seth gesturing outside. They both shot Riley a quick glance.

They were definitely hiding something. He took a step toward them, but Molly guided Seth into the kitchen, their heads bent together, talking the entire way.