Country Thunder: King Creek Cowboys Read online

  When he reached them, Miranda glanced at him and gave him a quick smile. “Hey, Justin.”

  He nodded and touched the brim of his hat. “Hi, Miranda.”

  She turned away and went back to talking with Kaycee. “Are you ready to walk the girls?”

  Kaycee nodded. “I’d like that.” She hesitated. “I don’t think I’m ready to ride one of them yet.”

  “You don’t have to.” Miranda rested her hand on Kaycee’s shoulder. “Come on. Let’s go say hi. I have some treats for you to feed them.”

  “Okay.” Kaycee reached the corral and only hesitated a moment before walking in after Miranda opened the gate.

  Miranda took a lead rope off the gate and approached Star while Kaycee petted her. Miranda snapped the lead to the bridle. “Are you ready to walk her?”

  “Yes.” Kaycee took the lead and started off with the horse. Miranda watched Kaycee walk away before turning back to face Justin.

  He couldn’t help but grin at her sexy smile. “Get much sleep last night?”

  “Surprisingly, yes.” She stayed a couple of feet away from him. “I had a great time.” She turned back to watch Kaycee.

  “Are you free Friday night?” He braced his arms on the top rail of the corral. “There’s a good band playing at the Hitching Post.”

  “I don’t know.” She glanced away from watching Kaycee. “I have to get up awfully early Saturday morning.”

  He winked at her. “I promise I’ll have you home in bed by ten.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Alone?”

  He couldn’t help but grin. “Won’t be easy, but I promise to leave you at your doorstep. Won’t even come inside.”

  “Let’s keep that topic on the table.” She smiled, then shifted her gaze back to observe Kaycee, who was coming back around.

  Justin had to restrain himself to keep from distracting Miranda as she worked with Kaycee. Miranda added another step today, having Kaycee saddle one of the horses after promises that the girl wouldn’t have to ride. She’d said it would move her closer to the goal, but they would take whatever time Kaycee needed before she was in the saddle.

  Kaycee clearly enjoyed her time with Miranda, and she loved the horses. At the end of the session, Kaycee even seemed reluctant to finish. She unsaddled Socks, brushed down both horses, then fed them the treats Miranda handed her.

  When Kaycee left the ring, she smiled at Justin. It warmed his heart to see his daughter smile like that, just as big as could be.

  “Next Tuesday for Kaycee’s next appointment?” Miranda asked. “Same time?”

  “That’ll work.” He looked at Kaycee. “Sound good to you?”

  She nodded. “Yes.”

  “Ready to go home?” He settled his arm around his daughter’s shoulders. “It’s my turn to cook. I’ll fire up the grill and make a couple of burgers.”

  “Okay, Dad.” Kaycee turned and waved at Miranda. “Bye.”

  Miranda smiled and returned the wave. “See you next Tuesday, Kaycee.”

  Justin wanted to say, “See you Friday,” but he figured he’d wait til he’d call her, probably tomorrow, if not tonight. She hadn’t said yes, but he hoped she would.

  He touched the brim of his hat and smiled at Miranda before he turned and walked back to his truck with Kaycee.

  On the way home, Kaycee seemed a lot brighter and happier, chatting away about the horses and saddling Socks, then later when she’d taken the saddle off and brushed down both horses.

  “I bet they get good and spoiled,” Kaycee said. “If all her clients brush them down.”

  “No doubt about it, they look happy,” Justin said. And so did Kaycee.

  They made it home and took care of chores before heading to the house. Justin’s mind didn’t stray far from Miranda. The way he thought about her bordered on obsession. He wanted to be with her so badly he couldn’t get his mind off her. He’d never been this way with a woman—it was brand new territory for him.

  He liked women. Hell, he liked women a lot. But he’d never thought about them the way he couldn’t stop thinking about Miranda.

  Justin joined his ranch hands who were in the middle of branding new stock he’d just purchased at a livestock auction. The work kept him busy, and mostly kept his mind off of the one woman who was going to drive him crazy if he didn’t stop thinking about her.

  * * *

  After dinner, Justin relaxed in his study as Kaycee went to her room to do homework. He sat back in his padded leather chair, put his boots on his desk, and called Miranda.

  “Hi, Justin.” She sounded breathy as she answered her phone. He loved her voice.

  “Hey.” He pictured her like she’d been last night. “You looked gorgeous today.”

  She laughed. “Grubby and in jeans and a T-shirt.”

  “If that’s grubby, I’ve never seen anyone look so good.” He smiled to himself. “For some reason I keep picturing you without your shirt on.”

  “Justin,” she said in a mock serious tone. “Behave.”

  “Not when it comes to you, sweetheart.”

  “I have to admit I wanted to kiss you like crazy today.” Her tone was softer now. “I want to kiss you now.”

  Imagining her kissing him right this moment, and thoughts of her kisses last night caused an uncomfortable tightness in his jeans. “Better watch it, or I’m coming right over there.”

  She gave another soft laugh. “Can’t say I’d complain.”

  He pushed his fingers through his hair. “Saturday seems an awful long way off. What do you think about my suggestion for Friday?”

  “It’s true, Saturday does seem a long way off.” Images of her smiling went through his mind. “But maybe we should pace ourselves and skip Friday.”

  He shifted in his chair. “When it comes to you, I don’t know if pacing is possible.”

  She gave a little sigh. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with you.”

  “Anything you want,” he said.

  “Hmmm…” She sounded thoughtful. “I can think of lots of things. None of which involves slowing down.”

  “That’s what I want to hear.” He grinned. “Kaycee is spending Saturday and Sunday with a friend, so I don’t have to be home Saturday night if you change your mind about camping overnight instead of just spending the day fishing.”

  A moment’s silence. “Let me think about it. To be honest, I want to say yes, but like I was saying, I worry about rushing into things too fast.”

  He swung his legs down and leaned forward, his elbows on his desk. “I want you to say yes, but I won’t push you.”

  “I know.” She spoke hesitantly. “Let me think on it.”

  “You can tell me Saturday morning,” he said. “It won’t take long to get prepared for an overnight trip if you decide to.”

  “Okay,” she said. “Deal.”

  A knock came at the door of his study. It could only be Kaycee, and she wouldn’t knock if she didn’t need help with something.

  “Kaycee needs me,” he said. “I’ve got to go, sweetheart.”

  “Goodnight,” she said.

  “Sweet dreams.” He disconnected the call and raised his voice. “Come in.”

  The door creaked open and Kaycee peaked around the door. “Can you help me with my history assignment? You’re so good with history stuff.”

  “Sure thing, kiddo.” He beckoned her to come to him. He loved history.

  She placed a thick history book in front of him. Her assignment was about a world event that was over twenty years old but seemed far more recent to him.

  He settled in to help his daughter with her homework. Nothing could be better than having his daughter come to him when she needed him.

  Although having Miranda at his side permanently would rank pretty high up there.

  The thought of a future with Miranda took Justin off guard, and he had to change his focus. Too fast, too soon. Maybe Miranda was right.

  After their conversation Tuesday nig
ht, Justin hadn’t pushed Miranda about Saturday, and she appreciated it. They’d talked Wednesday and Thursday nights, too, and all he’d done was talk about the best way to catch rainbow trout and the kind of wildlife they might see. Snow would be melting now in the mountains and the lakes rising. They’d make it after the lake was restocked, so there should be plenty of fish to catch.

  Here it was, Friday morning, and she hadn’t made up her mind about an overnight camping trip with Justin.

  She wanted to…

  But it was too soon…

  Wasn’t it?

  Of course she’d have to tell him about every single thing that had been holding her back.

  She was still in her PJs and she carried her mug of hot coffee to her small kitchen table near a window that looked out on the desert surrounding her temporary home. She sat in front of the bagel with cream cheese she’d placed there a few moments before putting creamer and sweetener in her coffee.

  Miranda placed her elbows on the table, her coffee mug in her hands, as she stared out the little window. She worked it all over in her mind again. She was thirty-two years old, a grown woman with an open mind. Justin had only been in her life a couple of weeks, but it seemed like she’d known him far longer than that.

  Spending time with him in the mountains would be a kind of test. Would she enjoy herself? She knew she would. Just being with Justin made her happier than she’d been in ages.

  What was wrong with spending more time with a man who made her happy? Made her feel special even? She could never imagine him hurting her in any way.

  But then she’d never thought Craig would or could hurt her.

  Was she a bad judge of character? Or had some kind of switch flipped inside of Craig’s head?

  Her throat worked as she swallowed. Damn. She shouldn’t let one man ruin things for her. Just because things had turned out terribly with Craig didn’t mean they would with Justin.

  She closed her eyes and thought about Justin. His smile, the way he laughed, how he teased her, and his touch and kisses that were pure magic.

  Miranda smiled and reached for her phone on the other side of the small table. She would call Justin and tell him yes.

  As she picked up her phone it started to ring. Craig’s name and number flashed on the screen.

  Miranda’s heart pounded and her throat grew dry as she stared at his name. He’d called her every day since the last time she’d spoken with him, and she hadn’t answered. If she ignored it, would he eventually go away? He was obsessed with her, and she didn’t think anything would change that.

  So how should she handle it? How should she handle him?

  Her finger hovered over the button that would send his call to voicemail, but then she clicked the answer button instead.

  She brought the phone to her ear. “Craig, stop calling me.”

  Silence. Then, “Baby, please—”

  “No.” Miranda kept her voice firm. “This has got to stop. I have a new life and I want you to leave me alone.”

  “I’m not giving up on you.” His voice was firm, hard. “I’m not giving up on us, babe.”

  “There’s no us.” It was everything she could do not to yell at him. “Stop calling me.”

  “Miranda,” this time there was a warning note in his voice that chilled her, “I’m going to find you and bring you home.”

  The horror of that thought caused ice to creep through her body. “Go away.” The words came out shaky even though she tried to be strong. “Don’t ever call me again.”

  “Miranda—”

  She disconnected the call. He immediately called again, but she ignored it. At least he couldn’t find her—she hadn’t let anyone know where she had gone except for her parents, and she had made them swear they wouldn’t tell Craig where she was. They had promised, albeit reluctantly. They still thought she belonged with Craig, not knowing that he had been hitting her. She’d hidden the bruises or made excuses for them that they had easily swallowed. They couldn’t possibly have imagined what Craig had become.

  The iciness covering her wouldn’t melt for a long time. She sat at the table with her hands clenched into fists.

  Deep breath in. Long breath out.

  Over and over.

  Not only did she have a wonderful career, she had a new life and a new man—if a piece of paper didn’t hold things back. She wouldn’t let Craig ruin something that could be the best thing that ever happened to her.

  Miranda let out another long breath and picked up her phone. She went to her “favorites,” where she had saved Justin’s number. It was crazy to have already listed him there, but silly as it was, she had done it.

  “Good morning, sweetheart.” Justin’s warm, smooth voice calmed her, filled her with warmth, and made her smile. She heard the sound of cows and the yips of cowboys in the background.

  This time she didn’t have a problem telling Justin what she wanted. “I have an answer for you.”

  “Yes?” He sounded both hopeful and teasing.

  “Yes.” Her heart pounded faster as she pushed the word out before she could possibly change her mind. “We can make it an overnight trip.”

  “Hell, yeah.” He had a grin in his voice. “I’ll pack up the tent and a few more supplies with the fishing tackle.”

  “Anything I need to get?” She couldn’t help smiling. “I can run to the store and get stuff like marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers for s’mores.”

  He laughed. “I tell you what. You get those and I’ll take care of the rest.”

  “You’ve got it.” A sense of giddiness took over. She’d actually said yes, and she was going to go camping with Justin. “I can hear you’re busy over there, and I’d better get ready for my next client.”

  “See you in the morning,” he said. “Five a.m.”

  “I’ll be ready.” She disconnected the call.

  The giddiness only increased. She focused on the feeling, not wanting to think about anything that might distract her from her happiness of the moment. She set about taking a shower then dressing in jeans, a T-shirt, and boots.

  Miranda took a moment to call Joseph, the teen she’d hired to help her when she needed extra assistance around her place. When Joseph said he’d feed the horses for her while she was gone, she was as ready as ever for the camping trip.

  Still humming to herself as she headed out to the mailbox, she felt happier and more light-hearted than she had in a long time. She’d forgotten to check it yesterday. She opened her mailbox and peered inside.

  No such luck.

  Even an empty mailbox didn’t ruin her morning. She was sure the papers would be here soon.

  Chapter 8

  The sun was rising when Justin knocked at Miranda’s door. He’d called her earlier to tell her he’d be an hour late and he’d explain why when he got there. A sense of excitement for the trip tickled her skin. She’d never been fishing, and she was looking forward to the new experience at Justin’s hands.

  “I’m ready,” she said when she opened the door to see him standing there with a grin on his face, his hands stuffed into his jacket pockets.

  Justin looked so damned sexy he made her think of all kinds of things that involved being alone, just the two of them.

  He slid his hands out of his pockets and reached for her. He brought her into his arms and gave her the sweetest kiss.

  She felt a little out of breath and off-balance when he released her, and she smiled up at him.

  “Where’s your gear?” he asked with a teasing smile, clearly knowing he’d affected her with that kiss.

  “Just a sec.” She tugged on a jacket—she wore a big shirt over a T-shirt so that she’d be able to keep her arms warm if she needed to. She grabbed a duffel by the door that held her clothes, and a tote with the things she’d bought at the grocery store.

  He took them from her. “Let’s head on out.”

  She locked the door and followed him to his truck. He helped her into the passeng
er side, then stowed her items in the back seat of the king cab. He jogged around, climbed into the driver’s seat and shut the door behind him.

  He gripped the steering wheel. “Ready for our big adventure?”

  She smiled and nodded. “As I’ll ever be.”

  “Almost couldn’t leave this morning,” he said when they were on the road. “One of my mares decided to start foaling after I went to bed last night. Went out to the barn at three a.m. when I heard a ruckus and found her in trouble. Fortunately, my brother, Bear, is a vet and lives on a nearby ranch. When he had everything under control, I cleaned up and came on over.”

  “Is the mare okay?” Miranda asked.

  “She’s a little worn out, but she’ll be just fine,” Justin said. “She has the prettiest little filly now.”

  Justin explained how the foal had been breech and how Bear had gotten the baby turned around and helped deliver her.

  “I was concerned it would take longer than it did,” Justin said. “I hated to see the mare in that kind of distress. She’s the sweetest thing this side of a lollypop.”

  Miranda couldn’t help a laugh. “All sugar. That’s pretty sweet.”

  He smiled. “You bet.”

  “You must be tired.” She tucked a strand of hair that hadn’t made it into her braid behind her ear.

  “All part of running a ranch.” He shrugged. “You never know what might come up, so you go with it.”

  “I had an uneventful night.” She glanced out at the sunrise. “Look how pretty the morning is starting out.”

  “Beautiful,” he said, and when she glanced at him, he was focused on her, not the sky.

  Heat warmed her as he moved his gaze back to the road. He made her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world the way he looked at her. Everything he did caused her to feel special, like no one ever had done before.