Cowboys & Navy SEALs

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

The next two weeks passed quickly as Brooke settled into her new routine. She couldn’t pinpoint what it was, but there was a subtle difference in Nash. Something had shifted since their conversation, where they agreed to be friends. He seemed more comfortable around her and made a point of complimenting her and joking around. It was hard to have him so close in proximity and yet so far out of reach. Since the moment she’d stepped foot on this cursed ranch, he’d consumed her thoughts, and all she could think about was when she was going to see him again. She really was pathetic! The more she tried to erase him from her mind, the stronger the attraction grew. His very smile sent butterflies fluttering through her stomach; and when he casually touched her arm in conversation, she could feel the heat of his flesh on hers. It was as if all of the feelings that she’d had for him before were still there, and multiplying daily. If things kept going like this, she’d be a lost cause in eighteen months! And the saddest part was—he only considered her a friend.

She pushed aside the despondent thoughts and forced her mind onto something more positive. Myrna . She’d been a lifesaver! One of the things she looked forward to the most was their daily breakfasts. By an unspoken agreement, they would meet in the kitchen after the morning rush, where they would munch on pancakes, waffles, or whatever was leftover from the 6 a.m. breakfast. It was nice to be able to share the camaraderie of another female, and she appreciated Myrna’s candor and sharp wit.

Afterwards, Brooke would go to the stables for her morning ride. She never would’ve believed it in a million years, but she was actually starting to love riding. Carlos was still giving her tips and riding instructions, and she’d graduated up to what he called an intermediate horse. Honey Bee was a Palomino with a shiny gold coat and white mane. She was certainly more high-strung and energetic than poor Bessie, and she loved to gallop on the open prairie. There was something exhilarating about riding full speed through open space (or rather as fast as she dared to go, with her limited riding experience) with her hair flying wildly behind her. She could forget about her problems and simply be .

Today’s ride had been a little unnerving, however. Several times when she slowed Honey Bee to a walk, she felt the uncanny impression of being watched. Each time, she jerked around, scoping the area, but no one was there.

The same thing was happening when she was alone in her living quarters. She would catch a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye, and she had the feeling that someone was always with her. It was so strange, and she feared she was imagining things. Was the isolation of the ranch getting to her? It would be worse this coming weekend because Nash was going to Vegas for another round of bull riding, and she would be left here alone. She briefly considered planning a lunch with someone to help pass the time, but the sad reality was that she didn’t have many close friends. Her phone buzzed. She scowled and pushed the side button so that it would stop ringing. It was her daddy. He’d called twice yesterday, and this was his second call today. He was probably trying to ease his conscience to make sure she was doing okay. She felt a little guilty for ignoring him, but was still ticked at him for putting her in this situation, and didn’t want to talk to him right now.

She heard a noise and jumped slightly when she saw Alice, her daddy’s personal assistant, standing by the door, studying her. How long had she been there? She’d certainly not heard her come in. She frowned. “What’re you doing here?”

“Your dad sent me to go over your hours, to make sure you’re spending the required time with Nash.”

“Well, a head’s up would’ve been nice,” she said frostily.

“May I sit down?”

“As if I could stop you.”

Alice hesitated like she was unsure what to do, until Brooke motioned impatiently. “Go ahead.”

“Your dad’s been trying to get in touch with you, to tell you I was coming.” She removed a notebook from her bag and crossed her legs, giving Brooke a challenging look, like she knew she’d been avoiding his calls.

So that was why he was calling. She should’ve known! Disappointment rippled over her.

“How are things going with you and Nash?”

She crossed her arms tightly over her chest. “Well, we haven’t killed each other yet, if that’s what you’re asking.”

Alice chuckled. “Seriously, are the two of you getting along?”

“Yeah, we’re the best of friends,” she said sarcastically. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Alice was really Gracie from the inn in Utah. It had to be her! There was no way two people could look that similar. Alice’s hair was different though. It was brown and short, whereas Gracie’s was strawberry blonde. Maybe Alice was wearing a wig. She looked closely. No, it didn’t look like it. She could’ve dyed her hair though. But why? What reason would she have for impersonating Gracie?

“Are you okay?”

“You remind me so much of a girl I know. In fact, except for the hair, you could be her twin.”

Alice tilted her head thoughtfully. “Oh, yes. You mentioned that when we first met at your dad’s office.” She chuckled good-naturedly. “I’ve always heard that everybody has a double. I guess it’s really true.”

Brooke leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. “Who are you? What do you get out of all of this? Is this about Sheldon?”

“Who’s Sheldon?” Alice said dubiously.

“You’re good, I’ll give you that, but I’m not buying it. You’ll slip up, and when you do, the truth will come out.” She watched her closely for any reaction, but Alice just sat there—a benign expression on her face.

“Well, as much as I’m enjoying our little chat, I’m on a tight schedule,” Alice said, giving her a strained smile. “Let’s go over the hours, and then I’ll get out of your hair.”

She blew out a breath. “Fine.”

Fifteen minutes later, they were done. Alice stood. “It sounds like that for the most part, things are going well. You’re a little short on your quota … and will be even shorter, since Nash is going out of town for his tournament. I encourage the two of you to spend as much time together as possible.” She flashed a hopeful smile. “You never know what might come of it. Who knows … the two of you may even decide you like each other.”

“Yeah, and pigs may sprout wings and fly,” she said nastily. It was bad enough to be forced to give a report of her personal life to this woman. She certainly didn’t appreciate her trying to buddy up.

Her smile fell a notch, but she managed to pick it back up. “Okay, I’ll be back next week,” she said pleasantly, but it sounded forced.

Brooke waited until she got to the door. “Gracie?”

She turned. “Yeah?”

“Hah!” She sprung to her feet and pointed. “I knew it was you!”

She turned white as a ghost. “I—I’m sorry?”

“You answered to Gracie. Don’t try to deny it!”

She shook her head. “No, I just heard you say something, so I turned.”

“Sure you did.” She gave her a triumphant look. “See ya around … Gracie.”

Nash pulled his leather glove over his hand and adjusted his cowboy hat. The constant roar of the crowd was like a steady drip of adrenaline that flowed through his veins. As luck would have it, he drew Night Ranger today. Night Ranger was a middle-of-the-road bull. A safe bet that was predictable, yet still able to deliver enough torque to keep the judges happy. Most riders would’ve thanked their lucky stars to be riding Night Ranger, but Nash couldn’t help but feel disappointed. He hadn’t realized it until the moment the drawing took place, but a part of him was hoping to get another shot at Sledgehammer. Admittedly, a ride on Sledgehammer would certainly raise the stakes, but few things could compare to the euphoria he felt when he rode the undefeated bull for the first time. He chuckled. Maybe Myrna was right. Maybe his diehard, stubborn streak would bite him in the end. His mother always said he was the only kid she knew, determined to tromp through the mud and weeds, when the easy path was as clear as day and running right beside him. “Honey, you don’t always have to do things the hard way,” she said more times than he could count. But then her eyes would glow with pride as her voice grew soft as tender biscuits fresh out of the oven. She would tell him he’d been given a great gift—the gift to see opportunity when others could see only failure. “Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. You can accomplish anything you put your mind to … if you’re willing to put in the sweat equity.” Then she would repeat one of her favorite quotes, “That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.”

Yeah, he’d been living by that motto since he could walk. He prided himself on looking life square in the eyes and fighting his way through the opposition.

His thoughts went to Brooke. His relationship with her was a lot like riding Sledgehammer. From the moment they met, she sparked his world like a Roman candle—all stars and thrills, yet hot enough to burn you to ashes if you got too close. She was the only woman that could send him soaring to heaven one minute, then wanting to wring her neck the next.

The day they got caught in the storm, she accused him of being a cowardly wuss—tucking his tail and running away from what they had together. Those hateful words were burrs in his boots that kept rolling around and irritating the fool out of him. Brooke was right. There was more to the story than he was telling, although the part about Jeremy Givens was true. When he learned she was out with another man, it gutted him wide open; and all he could think about was ripping the guy to shreds with his bare hands. But there was more. More that he could never tell her. It was better to leave the past where it belonged—let sleeping dogs lie.

He jolted back to the present when a man pointed in his direction. “Rigby, you’re up next.”

He nodded, clearing his head of all distractions. Time to focus on the ride.

It was one of those big sky evenings, for which Texas was known. Thirty minutes earlier, the sky was streaked with pink and blue swirls, reminding Brooke of puffy cotton candy. Now that the sun had fully set, the evening took on a mellow quality, with a pleasant breeze just cool enough for a light sweater. The tantalizing scent of fresh popcorn mingled with the sweet smell of funnel cakes, making Brooke’s stomach growl. She was rather enjoying Myrna’s plan of eating small amounts of whatever she wanted, rather than counting carbs and fat. Before, popcorn and funnel cakes would’ve been strictly off limits, but now she could actually eat them. The thought was liberating. Lively carousel music filled the night air, and she could hear laughter coming from teenagers riding the nearby Ferris wheel. Brooke felt it was a night of endless possibilities, and she hardly wanted to breathe for fear of messing something up. She looked at Nash, walking beside her. When he felt her gaze, he smiled. He was so handsome that he nearly took her breath away.

Then it happened! She caught sight of a familiar face, standing near one of the booths. Her blood ran cold as she stopped in her tracks and looked again. There was no one there. She shook her head in confusion. She could’ve sworn she’d seen Gracie … Alice … or whatever her name was . Was the crazy woman following her?

“Are you okay?” Nash said.

She brushed her hair back from her face and looked towards the booth. Then she looked again. No one was there. “Yeah … I thought I saw someone I knew.”

He cocked his head. “Are you sure everything’s okay?”

She forced a smile. “Yeah.” She didn’t know what in the heck was going on. But whatever it was, she wasn’t going to let it ruin their evening.

They continued walking. After a few minutes, Nash turned to her. “What do you wanna do first?”

“Let’s ride the Ferris wheel.”

He smiled broadly. “The Ferris wheel it is.”

Conversation flowed easily between them as they made their way to the Ferris wheel. By the time they got in line, she managed to convince herself she’d only imagined seeing Gracie … or Alice. Nash’s sharp wit kept her laughing, and there was such a strong undercurrent of attraction running between them that she felt like a teenager again—out on a hot date with the man of her dreams. Sooner or later, she was going to have to rethink her anger towards her daddy, because things were working out better than she would’ve ever believed. When she and Nash had the conversation about just being friends, she nearly lost all hope of anything developing between them. Thankfully, she had enough sense to be patient and let things play out. She couldn’t pinpoint why the change had occurred. But these last few days, it was as if the sun had finally broken through the dark clouds. Ever since Nash returned from the bull-riding tournament in Vegas, things had been different. He took first place and returned to the ranch, almost giddy. Then he insisted on taking her out to celebrate. “There’s a carnival in Grandbury this weekend. Let’s go check it out,” he’d said. She’d played it cool, not showing too much excitement. In reality, she was ecstatic!

Grandbury was a stone’s throw from the ranch. With its nineteenth-century storefronts and quaint, historical houses, Grandbury was a popular spot for tourists. People came from miles around to attend the myriad of festivals held throughout the year. She’d been to Grandbury several times with her parents when she was a teenager but had never taken time to go as an adult. She’d overlooked Grandbury because she thought it was behind-the-times and hokey; but seeing it this evening as they drove to the carnival, she realized how wrong she was. It was a gem, and she’d totally overlooked it. What else had she overlooked? She never would’ve thought she would enjoy horseback riding, but she loved it! This whole experience was making her rethink many of the things she’d held as hard-fast truths.

She was jolted back to the present, as Nash began telling her all about the tournament the previous weekend. She smiled at the enthusiasm in his voice and the look of pride in his eyes as he recounted the thrill that shot through him when he got on the bull and slipped his hand through the rope. Then he described how the bull charged out like a fire-breathing demon when the gate opened. “For a minute there, I was afraid he had me and that I’d go flying straight over his horns. But by some miracle, I was able to stay on for the eight seconds.” He shot a fist in the air. “Whamo! The rest is history.”

A shiver ran down her spine. It was horrifying to think what could’ve happened if he’d gone over the bull. Myrna’s words came rushing back, driving home the fact that it wasn’t a matter of if Nash got hurt, but when he would get hurt. His luck couldn’t hold out forever.

“Hey, are you okay?”

She nodded and looked away.

He looked bewildered. “What’s wrong?” When she merely shook her head, he cupped the curve of her cheek, lifting her eyes to his.

There was such tenderness in his voice that it evoked a deep longing, causing a lump to form in her throat. “I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”

He looked surprised … thoughtful … and then a smile twitched at the corners of his lips.

“What?” she demanded, not liking that he was laughing at her.

“You’re just worried that you won’t be able to find another cowboy who’s as hard-headed and conceited as I am.”

Irritation blistered over her like a sunburn on an albino, and she was about to let him have it, but then she saw the teasing in his eyes. He was pulling a classic Nash—diffusing a tense situation with humor. “Yep, that’s it. What can I say? You’ve got me all figured out.”

Time stood still as he locked gazes with her. “I have from the moment I laid eyes on you,” he murmured.

Her breath caught as she looked into those smoky blue eyes that had been hijacking her dreams for weeks now. The moment got deliciously slow as he encircled her waist and pulled her close to him, sending electricity racing through her veins.

“You look absolutely gorgeous tonight,” he whispered in her ear.

“Thank you,” she murmured, a ripple of pleasure running through her.

His lips touched hers.

“Hey, get a room!” This was followed by several wolf calls.

Nash jerked back, his eyes wide. They turned and saw a group of teenage boys, standing directly behind them in line. Heat burned Brooke’s cheeks. She’d gotten so caught up in the moment that she forgot anyone else was around.

“Hey, now,” Nash drawled with an easy laugh, “I was just kissing my wife.” He put a proprietary arm around Brooke, pulling her to him, as he winked. “Maybe one day, you’ll be lucky enough to have a girl like her.”

Brooke’s eyes went round, and she looked at Nash to see if he meant it. Then she looked at the boys who seemed embarrassed that Nash had confronted them head on. The ringleader shook his head. “I hear ya, man,” he said admiringly. He held up a hand. “Y’all have a good night.”

“Oh, we certainly will,” Nash said, giving her a promising smile that sent tantalizing shivers circling down her spine.

It was their turn to get on the Ferris wheel. When they sat down in the chair and the bar closed, Nash scooted closer and put an arm around her. She leaned into the curve of his shoulder. Things were going so well that she could almost believe they’d never been apart. The chair rocked back as the large wheel turned and lifted them higher into the air. Lights from the town twinkled below, giving the illusion of being wrapped in a cocoon, where it was just the two of them in the entire world.

“Did you really mean what you said to those guys?”

“Which part?” he said playfully, trailing his fingertips up and down her arm.

She angled her face to his. He was so close that she could feel his breath. She could tell from the quirky grin on Nash’s face that he was toying with her. She certainly couldn’t fault him for that because they were cut from the same cloth. Nash was her equal in so many ways. “You’re making me work for this, aren’t you?”

He chuckled lightly, but there was a challenging look in his eyes. “Is that so bad?”

“Do you really feel lucky to have me?” She kept her voice light, but she couldn’t hide the urgency in her eyes. She needed to know for her own sanity where they stood.

“Immensely,” he murmured, trailing a finger down the curve of her cheek.

Her pulse began hammering in her chest. “Can we really make things work this time?”

His voice grew husky as his eyes caressed hers. “From where I’m sitting, it seems like we already are.” He slid his arms around her back as his lips came down hard on hers. Visceral warmth ignited and spread to her toes. A tiny moan escaped her throat as she slid her fingers around his neck and deepened the kiss. She breathed in the scent of him, letting herself get lost in the wonder of being in his arms. A few minutes later when he pulled away, they were both breathing hard.

A smile stole across his lips as he pressed his forehead to hers. “Wow! I’d forgotten how wonderful that was.”

“I’ve never forgotten,” she said fiercely, as she sought his lips once more.