Cowboy All Night

“Linus,” came the whispered reply.

That made him smile. Linus had been his favorite Peanuts character.

“Can I...can I come in?”

He mentally crossed his fingers. “Sure.” He kept his focus on the baby, who seemed relaxed. “Just do it slowly. No quick movements.”

Her flowery perfume was subtle, but he registered it as she knelt in the straw beside him. The straw must be rough on her bare knees, but she didn’t seem to notice. Her breathing was steady and he didn’t feel tension coming from her. For a moment she didn’t say anything.

He wasn’t surprised. Miracles had a tendency to rob people of speech. He would have been disappointed if she’d started chattering away, oblivious to the wonder of watching a life begin.

At last she spoke, awe in her voice. “He has a blaze.”

“Yep.”

“And blue eyes.”

“For now. They’ll darken later.”

“He’s...perfect.”

“Yes, he is.” The emotion in her voice matched what he felt every time he attended a birth. He didn’t know much about her, but judging from her reaction to this foal, he would get along with her. If she could manage to relax a little more, they’d get along even better.

2

AS THEY ALL headed back to the house for a celebratory dinner, Aria was still puzzling over this exceedingly tall and muscular cowboy with the gentle voice. Her high school memories of him were vague, although she’d recognized him the minute he’d walked into the barn. But she hadn’t spent any time with him before today and hadn’t been prepared for his laid-back attitude.

When it came to this foal, she wanted a trainer who had laser-like focus. Rosie had said Brant was the best, but Rosie was prejudiced. She thought all her foster boys were the best.

Aria couldn’t deny that Brant had concentrated on the task during Linus’s birth. He’d been calmer than Herb. Although she didn’t fully trust his relaxed manner, she’d felt it settle over her like a soft blanket when she’d dropped to her knees to pet the foal.

Slowly her agitation had been replaced by awareness of Brant, the man. How unnecessary. How inappropriate. In spite of that, she’d noticed the ripple of muscles in his tanned forearms. She’d glanced at his profile and admired his strong nose and well-defined chin.

As if he’d felt her gaze on him, he’d looked her way. The warmth in his hazel eyes had stolen her breath. He loved animals. She could trust him with Linus. That might be all she needed to know.

On the way to the house, Cade, Lexi and Brant walked ahead with Cade’s gray cat, Ringo, trotting behind them. At one point Brant stopped, scooped up the cat and carried him. Ringo wore a blissed-out expression as he perched on Brant’s wide shoulder.

She couldn’t hear the cat purring at this distance, but with Brant stroking him, he must be. Brant made some remark about being a certified cat whisperer. Then he started whispering to Ringo and whatever he said sent Lexi and Cade into hysterics.

What a happy soul, this Brant Ellison. She wondered what it felt like to be that relaxed. She wouldn’t know.

Whether due to nature or nurture, both she and her brother had been high-energy kids who’d thrived on competition. She’d always known she’d run her own business someday and Josh had expected to ride his way to fame and fortune. Although fate had knocked him down, she was determined he’d get back up.

Brant must have been knocked down, too, or he wouldn’t have landed in foster care as a teenager. But if he’d been emotionally traumatized, he hid the damage well.

Rosie and Herb walked on either side of her on the way back to the house. “I’m sorry Josh wasn’t here.” Rosie’s voice was filled with compassion. “I know how much you wanted him to be a part of it.”

“He’d said he would come, but then he changed his mind. He must have had a bad day.”

“I’m sure it’s tough.” Herb took off his glasses and tucked them in his shirt pocket. “I’ve never had to use a wheelchair, thank God. Is he making any progress with his physical therapy?”

This was a recent development Aria hated talking about. “He’s stopped going. Says it’s no use.”

“Huh.” Herb tugged on the brim of his hat, a gesture that usually meant a cowboy was buying some thinking time. “He’d have an easier time working with Linus if he could get out of that chair.”

“I know. I thought he’d be motivated by Lucy’s impending due date. Instead he seemed to get more depressed.”

Rosie put her arm around Aria’s shoulders and gave her a quick hug of support. “Linus is a handsome colt. Wait’ll Josh gets a look at him. He won’t be able to resist that sweet baby.”

“He is handsome.” Aria’s throat tightened with gratitude. “Thank you both for making this possible. I didn’t have a clue what I was getting into.”

Rosie chuckled. “I could tell. I’m glad you went for the idea of boarding Lucy here.”

“So am I,” Herb said. “I haven’t delivered a foal since I retired. That was a blast.”

“You did a fabulous job, Herb. So did Brant.”

“He has the touch,” Herb said. “I knew that the first time I took him along on a call and watched him with a pregnant mare. Then he went nuts over the foal and he’s been in love with the process ever since.”

“So why didn’t he become a vet like you?”

“I can’t say for sure, but he never expressed any interest in the other parts of the job. He only wanted to come with me when a mare was foaling. Besides, he doesn’t like being tied down, and a vet needs to live in one place and establish a practice.”

“Yeah, that wouldn’t fit Brant,” Rosie said. “He likes to stay loose, take life as it comes.”

The exact opposite of her, Aria thought. She required routine, stability and concrete goals. Her brother’s uncertain future coupled with his lack of focus had worn her to a frazzle. “Thank goodness he was available today.”

“It was meant to be.” Rosie looked pleased with herself. “Did you get pictures? I didn’t see you taking any.”

“I didn’t have my phone. I left my purse and my phone in the van and didn’t even think about pictures until it was too late.” And that was unlike her. She was usually a details person, but having Lucy go into labor early had thrown her off her game.

“That’s okay. We all took some. We’ll text them to you. That will light a fire under that Gloomy Gus of yours.”

Aria smiled as she followed Rosie up the porch steps. Rosie’s confidence boosted her own. “I’m sure you’re right. By the way, are you going to let me cook tonight? I really want to, after all you’ve done today.”

She’d discovered her passion for cooking through sharing meals with her best friend Camille’s large Italian family. Her bank job allowed her to save money toward her goal of opening a cooking school. In the meantime she made deliveries for Camille’s restaurant in exchange for using the kitchen to give classes on Monday nights. She lived for those classes.

Rosie paused before going inside. “You sure don’t have to. I thawed some chicken and planned to bread and fry it like usual.”

“Do you have mushrooms?”

“I think so. Yes, I’m pretty sure I do.”

“I saw a package of mushrooms in the fridge,” Herb said as he joined them on the porch.

“Okay, good. How about bacon and pearl onions?”

“I always have bacon, and I still have some pearl onions left over from the last time you cooked for us. What are you leading up to?”

“Coq au vin! It’s one of my new specialties. I taught the recipe to my cooking students last Monday night and everyone loved it.”

“Coq au vin?” Herb’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“Wait a minute,” Rosie said. “I just remembered it’s Friday night. What about your deliveries for Camille? Can you even stick around, let alone cook dinner?”

“Absolutely. I called her after I heard from you. For all I knew Lucy could have been in labor all night and I wasn’t going to leave to make deliveries. Camille asked her sister to fill in for me.” She let out a breath. “So I actually have the night off.”

“What a concept,” Herb said. “Nobody works harder than you.”

“I don’t mind. I like staying busy.” Especially when going back to her apartment meant dealing with her brother. She’d optimistically encouraged him to move into a first-floor apartment in her complex so she’d be available for anything he needed during his recovery.

But instead of helping him get better, she was forced to watch him giving up. He’d found an IT job that allowed him to work from home and set his own hours, so theoretically he didn’t need to learn to walk again.

“There’s such a thing as being too busy,” Rosie said. “Why not let us fix you dinner while you relax on the porch with a glass of something refreshing?”

“That’s very sweet, but cooking is fun for me, and doing it for people I care about is even more fun. Your kitchen is one of my favorite places in the world, especially when everybody hangs out while I’m fixing the meal.”

Herb looked at Rosie. “Then it looks like we’ll be feasting on coq au vin tonight.”

Aria saw a subtle message pass between them. “Is that a problem? I didn’t think to ask if you hated it. I can make something else with the chicken. I don’t have to—”

“We both love it,” Rosie said. “We had it on our honeymoon in Jackson Hole at the fanciest restaurant we’ve been in before or since. I briefly considered trying to make it, but one look at the complicated recipe took care of that.”

Aria began having misgivings. “Was it a five-star restaurant?”

“Probably.” Herb chuckled. “There were no prices on the menu, so the bill was a bit of a shocker, but...” He shrugged and gave Rosie a fond glance. “It was worth it.”

“Hey, slowpokes!” Brant opened the front door and came out holding two frosty champagne bottles with vapor coming from the uncorked necks. “We fed the cat and then I found these hiding in the rec room fridge with a bunch of their buddies. Looks like we’re all champagned up for this occasion.”

“I knew we’d be celebrating,” Rosie said, “so I stocked in plenty.”

“Excellent.” Brant nodded in satisfaction. “So are we going to toast Linus or stand around gabbing all night?”

“I’m ready to toast.” Lexi walked out on the porch, clutching four champagne flutes by the stems. Cade followed with two more.

Aria was charmed by their enthusiasm. Although she wished Josh had come with her, she couldn’t predict his moods anymore and he might have been a sourpuss. Maybe it was just as well he’d stayed home. She took the flute Lexi handed her.

After everyone had glasses, Lexi turned to Brant. “Okay, do your thing.” She moved over next to Aria. “Hold your flute next to mine and be amazed by the two-fisted pourer.”

“Aw, shucks, Lexi.” Brant ducked his head. “You’ll make me blush.”

Lexi snorted. “As if. You’re too cool to blush.”

“When you’re right, you’re right.” Grinning, Brant lifted both bottles and filled their glasses without spilling a drop.

Cade rolled his eyes. “You are such a show-off, Ellison.”

“Just honoring the lady’s request for a demonstration of my unique skill.” He turned the bottles upright with a flourish and glanced at Aria. “You’re in charge of the toast, so make it good.”

Aha. A challenge. Anticipation fizzed within her like the champagne bubbles in her glass. “Oh, I see. No pressure.”

“None at all.” He used the same dramatic pouring routine for Rosie and Herb. “Just be aware that some excellent toasts have been made on this porch, so the bar’s pretty high.” He winked at her before continuing over to Cade.

“Way to go, Ellison,” Cade said. “Intimidate our special guest.”

“I’m not intimidated.” A task she could handle got her blood pumping, but Cade and Brant might not know that. She waited until everyone had champagne before raising her glass. “To everyone who’s a part of Thunder Mountain Academy. Today a handsome colt named Linus became linked with its history and I thank you all for giving him that honor.”

Cheers and whistles of approval followed. Before taking a sip, Aria looked over and caught Brant’s smile. She was ridiculously pleased that he seemed to like her toast.

“Now that we all have champagne,” Rosie said, “we should move this party into the kitchen. Aria’s going to make coq au vin.”

Brant’s eyebrows lifted. “That sounds sexy and possibly illegal. I’m in.”

“Down boy.” Lexi patted his chest. “It’s chicken cooked in wine.”

“It’s way more than that.” Herb moved to the door and held it open as they all trouped inside. “It’s a dish fit for the gods.”

Although Aria had faith in her cooking skills, she’d never put her work up against that of a highly paid chef. “I can’t promise a dish fit for the gods. Your chef in Jackson Hole probably studied in Paris.”

“What chef are we talking about?” Once they were in the kitchen Brant emptied the rest of the champagne into Rosie’s and Lexi’s glasses.

“The one who cooked their most memorable honeymoon dinner, which happened to be coq au vin,” Aria said.

“No kidding? This is new information.” Dropping the empty bottles into a recycling bin, Brant turned to Cade. “Do you remember hearing anything about this?”

“No, but they got married, so it stands to reason they’d have a honeymoon.”

“Of course we had a honeymoon.” Herb leaned against the kitchen counter. “Three days in Jackson Hole.”

Cade nodded. “There you go. So, logically, you had honeymoon food, and it stands to reason it would be fancy and pricey.”

“Huh.” Brant polished off the last of his champagne. “I always figured honeymoon food would be booze and munchies.”

Aria spoke without thinking. “Remind me never to go on a honeymoon with you.” Then she realized what she’d said and felt her cheeks warm. When Cade grinned at her, she braced herself for some teasing.

But then he surprised her by turning to Brant. “I would never go on a honeymoon with you, either, Ellison.”

Brant’s deep laughter filled the kitchen. “And here I was all set to propose, bro. Way to shoot a guy down.”

“Seriously, Aria.” Cade gestured toward Brant with his champagne flute. “This guy may be able to double-fist a couple of champagne bottles, but after that, it’s nothing but chips and peanuts. Maybe some cheese. He has no concept of honeymoon-worthy dining. Keep that in mind.”

“I will.”

Brant shrugged. “I like things to be simple and straightforward. Nothing wrong with that.”

“There is if you’re talking about that special time after the ceremony when you pull out all the stops,” Cade said. “Obviously, Dad knew that.” He set down his empty glass on the kitchen table. “But if we’re going to continue this discussion, we need more bubbly and I know where to find it. Be right back.”

“We can drop the subject of our honeymoon.” Rosie opened the refrigerator and began pulling out ingredients. “It was a long time ago and I’m sure customs have changed.”

“Have not!” Cade called out from the rec room.

Rosie chuckled. “He’s really looking forward to having one, Lexi.”

“I know. He probably will, eventually. Hey, Aria, Rosie and I can be your sous chefs, or whatever they’re called.”

“No, you can’t.” Brant put aside his empty glass. “You’ve both worked hard all day while I’ve been sitting on my butt driving. Allow me to help Aria. The rest of you have a seat. We’ve got this.”

Cade walked back into the kitchen with an unopened bottle of champagne. “Did I hear that right? Is Ellison, the chips and peanuts king, going to help prepare this fancy dish?”

“I actually don’t need anyone to help.” Aria wasn’t sure she’d be able to concentrate with Brant standing right next to her at the stove. Earlier she’d thought of him as a calming presence, but he wasn’t having that effect on her now.

“I promise not to get in your way.” His smile was endearingly genuine. “And I’m very good at taking direction.”

“I’ll vouch for that.” Herb pulled out a chair for Rosie and motioned her over to it. “The guy knows how to listen.”

“I reluctantly admit that’s true,” Cade said. “He may turn out to be good at this, after all. Mom, more champagne?”

“Love some.” Rosie sat and allowed Cade to refill her glass. “If I’m not going to help cook, then maybe we should talk about what needs to be accomplished this weekend. I haven’t allowed myself to think about that today because Linus took priority, but those kids will be here before we know it.”

“Even more reason I should be the one to help, so you guys can discuss academy stuff.” Brant turned to Aria, his expression hopeful. “Right?”

“Right.” Dear God, what had she gotten herself into? First she’d offered to cook a dish that was loaded with significance for Rosie and Herb, and now she’d be working with a sexy cowboy. She relished a challenge, but this might be a bigger one than she’d anticipated.

The four people sitting at the table obviously assumed she had the meal under control. Herb rounded up a pen and pad of paper while Rosie began outlining the weekend’s projects. Ringo snoozed in his bed tucked into a corner of the kitchen.

Aria glanced over at Brant.

He laced his fingers together and turned his palms out as he stretched both arms in front of him. Then he jogged in place. “Put me in coach. I’m ready to play.”

She couldn’t help laughing. “All right. While I prepare the onions, you can cut the bacon into one-inch pieces, cover the pieces with water and boil them.” She pulled a saucepan out of the cupboard and handed it to him.

“I’m boiling the bacon.” He sounded amused. “Can’t say I’ve ever done that before.”

“You’re probably used to pan-frying it.”

“To be honest, bacon isn’t my long suit.”

“Well, this part is easy. Once you have it cut up and in the pan of water, turn the heat to high. When it starts boiling, turn the heat to low and let it simmer for ten minutes.”

“I can do that.”

“So what’s your long suit?”

“I’m a pretty fair hand with toast.”

“I see.” She wasn’t sure how he could be funny and sexy at the same time, but he pulled it off.

“Okay, I’ll come clean. I don’t know anything about cooking.”

“Then why did you volunteer to help me?”

“Because I want to get to know you better.” He turned away and started cutting up the bacon as if he hadn’t just dropped a conversational bombshell.

Her heart rate picked up. “Why?” Trying to be nonchalant, she filled another saucepan with water, set it on a burner and switched the heat to high.

“I’m about to work with your foal. I want him to suit you.”

So maybe his gesture had been strictly business-related. “But actually he needs to suit my brother, not me.”

“I suppose that’s true. Then I’ll try this answer on for size. You intrigue me.”

“Oh?” Maybe his motives weren’t strictly business-related. Maybe he was interested in her as a person. He even might be interested in her as a woman. She didn’t need that kind of complication in her life, so why was her pulse racing?

“Is that other pan of water supposed to be boiling, too?”

Startled, she glanced at the bubbling water. “Yes. Yes, it is.” She dumped the onions in. “How’s that bacon coming along?”

“Just scooped the pieces into the water and turned on the heat. Am I good or what?” He did a little victory dance.

“Yes, you’re amazing.” Although he made her laugh, he was horribly distracting. At this rate she’d ruin the meal. “But you know what? I can handle it from here if you want to hang out with the others.”

He grinned. “Trying to get rid of me?”

“No, of course not.”

“Tell the truth, Aria.”

She hesitated. But Lexi had claimed nothing bothered him. “I admit you’re destroying my concentration.”

“Damn. And here I promised not to get in your way.”

“You’re not getting in my way. It’s my fault. I’m not paying attention to what I’m doing and that could be a problem, especially when I set fire to the brandy.”

“You’re going to set fire to it on purpose?”

“Yes, and I—”

“So this is one of those flaming dishes?”

“Yep.”

“Hot damn. I’ve always wanted to see how that’s done. Look, I won’t make any attempt at conversation. I won’t say a word unless it’s required. I’ll just stand here and do what I’m told. Can I stay?”

She couldn’t very well admit that he could turn her brain to mush simply by his existence. She took great pride in her cooking. Sending him back to the table would be the smart thing to do. But that wasn’t what came out of her mouth. “Sure.”

“Thanks.”

She prayed that she wouldn’t burn down the house.

3

BRANT KNEW HE made Aria nervous, but backing off wouldn’t solve the problem. So he’d moved in closer and joked around with her, which had worked better. He couldn’t say for sure if her skittish behavior was a sexual thing, but he suspected she might be unwillingly attracted to him.

He was definitely interested in her, but he could dial that back if she wasn’t in the market. A boyfriend didn’t seem likely unless he wasn’t in town. She’d put her heart and soul into Linus’s birth so any guy worth her time would have been here for the event.

She could be hesitant to encourage a new relationship for any number of reasons, and he’d respect that. Her uptight attitude in the beginning had put him off a little, but after they’d shared a special moment while admiring the newborn colt, he’d found himself liking her, after all. He’d looked forward to being around her a little more. Then she’d proudly given her champagne toast.

He hadn’t been prepared for the visceral punch of desire as she’d stood on the porch in her flirty little dress, glass raised and sincerity ringing in her voice. Despite not knowing her very well, he’d been swamped with lust. He’d desperately wanted to kiss her. He’d wanted to do a lot more than that.

So he’d volunteered to help her fix the meal to see how she reacted to working closely with him. She’d admitted he was a distraction, which probably meant she was interested in him, too. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that she was resisting that attraction.

If so, they should have a frank discussion about it. That little colt would pick up on either positive or negative tension between them and he wanted Aria to be part of the training process. That way she could continue using his methods after he’d left.

Ideally her brother would participate, but no telling how that would turn out. Aria already loved the colt. Brant had seen it in her eyes. If her brother lost interest, she would take full responsibility for Linus’s welfare, which meant she needed to be included in the early stages of his socialization.

Right now, though, wasn’t the time for that discussion. He didn’t plan to talk at all unless necessary. Following her instructions, he cut up the mushrooms while she cooked the onions and bacon in a heavy skillet. He concentrated on being totally nonthreatening as they worked silently side-by-side.

Gradually her shoulders lowered and her breathing evened out. He matched that rhythm and she seemed to loosen up a little more. She was getting used to having him close by. She might not be flattered to discover he was using a horse training technique to settle her down, but she’d never hear that from him.

Unfortunately, watching a beautiful woman prepare food was like foreplay. Her breasts shifted gently beneath her flowered dress as she stirred the onions and bacon. Heat from the skillet created a flush on her skin. Or maybe his presence did that.

If they’d been alone, he would have reached out to stroke a finger along the dewy curve of her cheek. He would have been able to judge where they stood from her reaction. But they weren’t alone, which left him with an ache that wouldn’t be satisfied now and might never be.

She was good at this cooking stuff, which probably explained her vanity plate. He’d never watched someone prepare a fancy dish like this, but Aria knew what she was doing.