Her Texas Cowboy Protector (The Winchester Cowboys #3)

Chapter Two

Landon entered the outskirts of Austin the following weekend, his heart beating fast at the prospect of his first date with Natalie.

The first thing he’d done after returning from his trip to Enchanted Rock had been to call his older brother Carson and tell him about meeting her.

Carson had said, “Call her, man. Don’t let the grass grow under your feet. Someone like her doesn’t come around often.”

So he’d called Natalie right after his shower and invited her out for dinner. He’d been on pins and needles ever since.

His dinner reservations were at seven, and he’d allowed plenty of time to pick up Natalie first. They’d be eating outside, and he hoped that the more relaxed atmosphere would help make getting to know one another that much easier.

As he pulled up outside Natalie’s apartment building, she came walking down the steps toward him. He smiled at her as he got out of his truck, pleased that she must have been watching for him. As he opened her door for her, he said, “You look beautiful tonight.”

She glanced down at her short, coral-colored sleeveless dress. “Thank you. This is one of my favorite colors.”

“It looks wonderful on you. Your skin almost glows,” he said as he handed her the seatbelt.

She smiled up at him as he stepped back to close the door. “Thanks. You know how to make a girl feel pretty, cowboy.”

He chuckled and shut the door, still stunned by how gorgeous she looked. Smoky makeup enhanced her large dark eyes, and her full lips with their tinge of coral lipstick made him want to stop everything and kiss her.

As he climbed into the truck, he said, “We’re going to the Arboretum. I’ve made reservations at Juliet Italian Kitchen.”

“Oh, I love that place. The food’s so good there.” Her eyes sparkled as she turned to him and smiled.

His heart flipped over a couple of times. “I was hoping you’d say that. I like it too.” He took a breath to calm his response to her. “How was your week? I’ll bet you’ve been busy.”

“Oh, you know it.” She launched into a description of her hectic days, which included monitoring several new employees in the special services area where they did the wine-tasting and cooking classes. “And I’m preparing for my quarterly reports, too, so there’s that.”

She seemed to thrive on her job, though. “What time do you get off in the evenings?”

“I shoot for five, but it’s a miracle when that happens. I try not to work too late, though. I don’t want to burn out. I know I’ll never finish everything, so I set my priorities and then I go home.”

“That’s smart. Good for you.” Traffic was still heavy, even though the traditional rush hour had passed. It was one of the things that he detested about Austin.

They arrived in good time, however, and easily found a parking space. As he assisted Natalie down from his tall truck, he couldn’t help but notice the sexy curves of her legs.

They walked toward the restaurant, his hand lightly touching the small of her back. As the hostess seated them, he was glad he’d made reservations. The patio was crowded with other diners.

Natalie boosted herself up into the tall seat and grinned. “These kinds of chairs are always tough to get into and out of.” She glanced down and pulled at her hem. “Especially in a short dress.”

He chuckled at her grin. “I imagine they are.”

The hostess set menus in front of them and asked, “Would you all like to start with something to drink?”

He looked at Natalie and raised his brows.

She smiled. “I’d like an old-fashioned, please.”

The corner of his mouth lifted. So she liked her bourbon. He said, “Bourbon on the rocks.”

The woman nodded and strode away.

Natalie looked down at her menu. “They serve so many great things. I always have a hard time choosing.”

“I’m glad you like the place. We seldom have much Italian food at home, so coming here is always a treat for me.”

She glanced up at him and smiled that amazing smile of hers, sending his pulse into overdrive. Her eyes looked into his with a glint of desire. “And I’m glad you picked this place. It’s like you know me already.”

He felt himself blush. “I hope I will by the end of the evening. Tell me more about yourself.”

After another glance at her menu, she closed it and met his gaze again. “I’m a daddy’s girl, and I always have been. I love my mother, don’t get me wrong, but me and my dad, we’ve always been like this.” She held up her crossed fingers and smiled.

“Dad’s taught me all about my Cherokee heritage, and so have my grandparents, of course. I’m proud of it and enjoy my visits back to Tahlequah whenever I can spare the time to go. I even have a Cherokee middle name, Onacona, meaning white owl.”

He smiled. “That’s beautiful.”

The waitress arrived with their drinks, and Natalie took a quick sip before continuing. “Dad always said that I had to go to college after high school, so I never considered any other future for myself. I got my bachelor’s degree in business administration, and, after working at a small business, I landed the management job with H-E-B. It’s a great company to work for. Good benefits and a really positive work environment.”

He nodded. “I can see why you enjoy your work so much. I’m glad you still make time for fun, though. What made you start rock climbing?”

“We’ve always gone to church. My mom’s an active member, always involved in something or another. Anyway, she sent me to church camp every year, and one summer we had a climbing wall. It was awesome. Tall and hard to ascend. I was one of the few that made it to the top on my first try. I was hooked. My mom and dad did some searching and found me a climbing coach, and I’ve been climbing ever since.”

He grinned. “Wow. A climbing coach. So you didn’t learn the hard way like I did. Falling and busting my butt. Slipping and sliding belly-down on a steep slope, hoping I wouldn’t fall and break my leg—or worse.”

She chuckled. “That must have been a sight. I’ve had my fair share of screw-ups, but nothing that bad.”

“So who did you climb with before the three of you started climbing together?”

She shrugged. “I’d usually meet someone on-site and climb with them. There’re always climbers heading up, and I’d just start talking and soon we’d be friends.”

He shook his head, staring at her in admiration. He just wasn’t cut out that way. He was too reserved.

She took another sip of her drink. “Mm, this is good.”

Their waitress came, and they quickly gave her their dinner orders.

“I’m so glad you reserved a table outside. This little breeze makes it perfect,” Natalie said.

He couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was mesmerizing. She really did almost glow in the soft rays of the lowering sun. God, that color looked amazing on her. He looked away so she wouldn’t think he was ogling her.

“So, tell me more about yourself,” she said.

He took a swallow of bourbon, wondering what might be interesting about his country life. “I rodeoed from the time I was a young kid. I was a champion mutton buster. Do you know what that is?”

She smiled and shook her head. “It sounds exotic, though.”

He grinned. “Little kids, sometimes as young as two years old, strap on a helmet and crawl on the back of a sheep in a chute. The gate swings open, and the ewe takes off. The kid who hangs on the longest wins the prize. Even when I was a little tyke, I held on for dear life. I wouldn’t let go for hell or high water. I even ended up almost under the sheep one time. It still counted as a win.”

She laughed softly and clapped her hands. “I can just see you all dressed up like a cowboy and riding your sheep.”

She sipped her old-fashioned and looked at him over the rim of her glass, her eyes sparkling. “What else did you do at your rodeos?”

“Well, as I got older, I started to rope in events around our surrounding counties. I had to do it on the ranch and was already pretty good at it. My daddy hauled me and my older brothers to rodeos and we competed in calf roping. We all ended up in the money more often than not. When I went to college, though, like my brothers, I decided not to compete in college rodeo so I could focus on my studies.”

She smiled and shook her head. “Man, you’re a real live rodeo cowboy. I love it.”

He felt a blush rising up his neck at her obvious admiration. “Yep. Always have been.”

“How many siblings do you have?” she asked him. “You said you have brothers. How many?”

“There are three of us. There’s Beau, the oldest, then Carson, and me, the youngest. We’re all two years apart. Mom said raising us was like having her own little circus. We were like wild animals.”

Natalie laughed. “I can only imagine.”

“How about you? Any brothers or sisters?”

Her expression grew solemn. “I had an older sister. She died of a heart defect three months after she was born. I think that’s why my mother’s always been so protective of me. It was really hard on her when I wanted to start climbing. It scared her to death. She’s the one who insisted that I take lessons. I admire her for not putting her foot down and saying ‘no.’ She let me be me, and I hope I’m that kind of mother someday when I have kids of my own.”

He smiled. “So, how many kids do you want ‘someday’?”

She grinned. “I’ve always liked the number three. Just enough kids to have a good fight.”

He threw back his head and laughed. “Seriously?”

“Sure. I grew up alone and hated it. I always wanted brothers and sisters to play with or even fight with. I want my kids to know what it’s like to grow up with siblings to love.”

His chest filled with warmth. “I think you’ve got the right of it. I don’t know what I’d do without my brothers.”

Their food arrived, and the rich, savory aromas made his mouth water. He’d ordered the seventeen-layer lasagna. He’d had it before, and it was amazing.

Natalie’s eyes widened as the waitress set her plate of chicken fettuccine funghi in front of her. He noticed her take a sniff of the aroma wafting up from it and smiled.

“My God, this looks fabulous and smells even better,” she said as she picked up her fork and spoon.

He watched her deftly wind the noodles onto her fork with her spoon and then raise the bite to her mouth. Her eyes closed as she slowly chewed. After she swallowed, she opened her eyes. “Why haven’t I ordered this before? I’m dying here, it’s so good.”

He chuckled and took a bite of his lasagna. It was so hot it nearly burned his tongue, but it was so worth it. He enjoyed the different flavors before finally swallowing.

Natalie, who’d been watching, asked, “How is it?”

He sighed. “Like I’ve died and gone to heaven.”

She grinned. “Same here.”

The breeze, which had been faint but steady, picked up a little. A woman several tables over laughed. He realized that he’d forgotten that there were other diners around them. He’d been completely absorbed in his conversation with Natalie. She had a way of making him feel like he was the only man in the world. It made him feel special, listened to, important. He’d never experienced that before.

“Do the Cherokee have special days that they celebrate?” he asked as he took another bite.

Natalie stopped twirling her pasta and nodded. “The Cherokee National Holiday is held every year on Labor Day in Tahlequah. My family always goes, and we have so much fun.” She took another bite, then continued. “They have arts and crafts booths, and food booths, and families all get together and make big traditional meals. It’s a way to show how much we love each other. There’s an intertribal powwow and traditional storytelling, along with lots of games for the kids. We were just there. Maybe you can come with us next year. I think you’d really like it.”

“It sounds awesome. I’d love to go with you all.”

Her smile lit up her face from within. She reached across the table for his hand. “It’s a date then, for next Labor Day.”

He grinned and shook with her. “It’s a date.”

After dinner, he walked her out to the truck. He placed his hand gently at her lower back and, to his surprise, she leaned against him. He slipped his hand around her waist and smiled.

On the way home, he reached for her hand. She clasped his firmly and smiled at him.

At her apartment, he walked her up the stairs and to her door.

“This is me,” she said as she took her keys from her small purse. Then, before he could say anything, she slipped her arms around his neck and brushed a soft kiss across his lips. As she looked into his eyes, she said, “I had a wonderful time, Landon. Thanks for dinner.”

Stunned, he smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I did too.” After a pause, he said, “Come to my ranch next weekend. We’ll go riding. What do you think?”

“I’d like that. I’d love to meet your family.”

“I’ll call you this week. Is that okay?”

“Sure. Call after seven. I should be home by then.”

“I had fun tonight. I feel like I know you now,” he said.

She melted her body against him and said softly, “I like it that you’re so easy to talk to. I’m really glad I met you.”

He kissed her then, tenderly, exploring her soft lips. His body tingled where she pressed against him.

At last he drew back.

She smiled up at him. “Talk to you this week, handsome.”

He grinned. “You sure will, gorgeous.”

Her soft laughter tinkled after him as he strode to his truck. Would he ever get to sleep tonight? Probably not. He’d have a beautiful black-eyed beauty on his mind.