Christmas Cowboy (A Standalone Holiday Romance Novel) Read online

  I tossed the junk mail in the trashcan in the kitchen with a sigh. It felt like this stroke of bad luck was never going to end after the fire. Nothing seemed to go right anymore, no matter how hard I prayed every night. After tidying up the house with a dust rag and broom, I sat down with my laptop to click through the other adoption emails. At least there were people out there still interested in adopting one of the rescues. I just didn’t know when I could arrange a good time for them to come by the Smith ranch to talk about the adoptions.

  The construction crew the insurance company had contacted arrived yesterday morning to pour the new foundation for the barn. The silent auction was well on its way thanks to Tiffany and Colt’s legwork. The sanctuary would be okay. There would be a new barn, new supplies, and tack, but it didn’t erase the unease brewing inside of me.

  Everyone in Green Point seemed to have a good idea of who had started the fire, but everyone was also afraid of pinning the blame on the person.

  My fingers curled up into a tight fist when I thought of Bill Coates’s leering face when he had stumbled out of the Iron Stallion to confront Colt and me. No matter what the sheriff said—or what anyone else said for that matter—I knew Bill was capable of destroying anyone he deemed a nuisance. He had proven that by killing Colt’s horse in cold blood over losing a contract to Colt’s father.

  I grabbed my personal laptop from the small office I kept backup files on.

  “First things first,” I said. “The electric needs to be turned back on.”

  “Knock, knock.”

  “Shit, Colt!” I exclaimed, holding a hand over my thumping heart. “Where did you come from?”

  Colt stepped inside, pushing the front door open with a frown. He took his cowboy hat off, a habit I noticed whenever he walked inside, and glanced around the living room at the lamp lights.

  “I rang the doorbell, but didn’t hear anything,” he said. “What happened to the electricity? I don’t hear the usual hum.”

  I reached up to play with the end of my braid nervously. “Well, I haven’t been here to monitor when the bills need to be paid.”

  “So, the electricity is disconnected?”

  “Yes. I was just going to—” I stopped when Colt strode through the living room to the kitchen. I heard him twist the kitchen sink on before coming back into the room with his cellphone in hand. “What are you going to do?”

  “Pay the water and electricity,” Colt said, thumbing through his phone contacts. “You can’t stay out here with nothing turned on.” He paused to look at me with a heavy frown. “Why didn’t you say something about being behind bills?”

  I looked down at the pile of bright pink warning letters on the coffee table when Colt’s eyes flicked to there. “Oh, right. I just didn’t think it was your problem is all. The bills have to be paid despite the fire.”

  Colt sighed as he lifted his phone to his ear. “Yes, that’s true. You could’ve said something though. It would’ve made things cheaper.”

  “You can’t possibly think that it’s okay to pay for my bills,” I said, aghast. “You’ve already done so much, Colt. I can’t accept you paying my bills.”

  “You can’t live in the dark without heat, electricity, or running water. Anything else that I need to worry about while I’m here?”

  Before I could protest further, Colt surged forward with surprising grace to grab the pile of pink disconnect notices from my lap. I tried to snatch them back, but he was stronger and quicker. He disappeared through the front door with his phone attached to his ear. The gentle rumble of Colt’s voice reached my ears as I slid off the couch, hugging myself to keep the cold autumn from seeping into my bones.

  He is right, Cheyenne. You can’t live off your pride.

  The compassion of the Smith children didn’t cease to amaze me. Especially when it came to Colt Smith.

  A smile tugged at my lips while I watched Colt open the driver’s side door of his truck to dig around the front seat. He was going to make a woman very happy one day. The thought of another woman wrapped up in his strong arms made my stomach clench. I shook my head as Colt tapped a credit card impatiently on the steering wheel.

  Just keep it friendly, Cheyenne. No men. Remember?

  That was the problem though. It was getting harder to remember that with each passing day that I spent in Colt’s company. I could feel that sensation building up between us. It bubbled in the air whenever I turned to find Colt’s eyes lingering on me before turning to look at something else in the distance. It was only a matter of time before that overwhelming urge to kiss him madly finally took over.

  Colt walked into the living room a few minutes later with a smile. As usual, he took off his hat to set it down on the small dining room table.

  “All utility companies will be out here to turn everything back on,” he informed me, glancing out the window at the new foundation. “I see that the construction crew has been out here already.”

  “They came by yesterday,” I said. “Thank you for doing that, Colt. I can’t thank you enough for everything that you have done.”

  “You’re welcome.” He gave me a long and lingering look that instantly made my skin felt too tight and hot. “I suppose that means you will be getting out of my ranch here soon.”

  I cleared the bulge out of my throat. “Well, technically I have to if I want to have those grants cover the sanctuary.”

  “How much longer do you think you’ll be around?”

  “A week or so maybe,” I said, shrugging my shoulders. “I have no idea yet how long it will take, but I will let you know.”

  A sudden thought hit me then. It was late afternoon, and every day that I spent at the Smith ranch, Colt had devoted himself to the Iron Stallion. The only times I ever saw him were in the mornings or in passing.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked curiously. “I thought the Iron Stallion was open tonight.”

  Colt’s face visibly darkened at that. “It is supposed to be open tonight, but there is a problem with the plumbing. Don’t ask me what happened either.” He read the confused frown on my face. “Everything was fine a few months ago. Now, nothing works. The pipes are backed up, and my usual plumber is unable to come out for the next few weeks.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense. There isn’t enough work around Green Point for one plumber to be that busy.”

  “No shit,” Colt said, sighing. “I’m starting to think this is something else, but I don’t want to think that an old friend is turning on me.”

  An icy wave crashed over me.

  “Is this friend of yours good friends with Bill Coates?”

  Colt’s lips thinned into a straight line. His eyes focused on something in the distance that I couldn’t see through the dining room window. Sunlight danced across the sharp features of Colt’s scruffy cheeks. It took all my strength to not reach out and drag my fingertips along the stubble on his jaw.

  “He was a long time ago until Bill Coates refused to pay him for some plumbing work that he had done at the Coates ranch,” Colt said. “It doesn’t matter though. This plumbing problem is well beyond my skills. The Iron Stallion will be closed for the next few weeks. Unless I can reach a good plumber from another city.” He put a hand to his forehead like he had a headache. He looked stressed.

  I laid a tentative hand on Colt’s upper arm. Strong muscles flexed beneath the fabric of his shirt. Colt’s eyes glanced down at my hand resting there before he let out a long pent-up breath.

  “I’m sorry that things aren’t working out for you this week,” I said. “I know how it feels to have everything go against you all of a sudden.”

  “You would know that.” His lips curved up into a smile. “I’m starting to think you are bad luck. Maybe it’s a good idea for you to come back here. I’ll keep those horses safe.”

  He chuckled when I swatted him on the arm. “Very funny. What are you going to do with your few weeks off then?”

  “Work at the ranch. I can he
lp you out here too.”

  “That’s what the construction crew is for,” I said.

  The idea of having Colt around my house all the time made my heart race with nerves. We were treading on thin ice at this point. We were about plunge into the dark waters of lust, and judging from the look that Colt sent in my direction, he knew it too. He knew it well.

  “You need the help around here,” Colt replied, leaning up against the window frame. “I can’t sit idle for the next few weeks. I already cut checks for my employees, so I need to do something to keep my head off the financial hit.”

  “And you paid all my bills today? Colt—”

  A strong and calloused finger pressed up against my lips. Rooted to the spot, I stared hopelessly up at Colt who smiled down at me. I could smell fresh autumn air on his clothes along with some sort of earthy spice. My heart galloped furiously in my ribcage.

  “You really don’t make things easy, do you?”

  I shrugged my shoulders because I didn’t know what else to say. The hair on the back of my neck stood on edge as Colt leaned in, closing the distance between us. I could see the orange and pink skylight reflecting in Colt’s eyes.

  Warm breath puffed against my tinging lips. I parted them instinctively, but the sound of someone knocking on the front door startled us both.

  “Electric company,” a male voice called out. “Anyone home?”

  I took a hasty step back from Colt, who glanced over his shoulder in thinly veiled annoyance at the front door.

  “Coming,” I called out. “Give me a few seconds.”

  Colt’s eyes threatened to burn holes right through my back while I scuttled out of the dining room as quickly as possible. Danger. That was all I could think when I opened the front door to let the electric company in—thankful for another person to distract myself from what had nearly happened.

  Chapter 16

  Colt

  Dark clouds twisted above in the sky. The cold air was thick with the promise of a heavy and chilly rain when I holstered my hammer to look up. Green Point wasn’t a stranger to early autumn rainstorms that usually brought on an early frost. Summer was officially at an end, and with the clouds promising rain, I knew it was only a matter of time before the rest of the world started to change.

  The leaves on the oak trees were already changing on the very top. My breath puffed out in front of me as I stared down at the replaced roof shingles. At least the rain wouldn’t be getting in the barn any longer. The wooden beams wouldn’t be rotted out any longer either.

  I sat back on my knees to take a deep breath while Rick finished stapling the last shingle down.

  “Good timing,” I remarked, glancing up at the sky. “I don’t think this roof would’ve lasted very long under another downpour of rain.”

  “It wouldn’t have lasted much longer,” Rick said. He sat up to look at the sky too. “I’m glad we got this finished before the rain though. Getting soaked in the rain is not on my list of things to do for you.”

  “The beams should’ve been replaced this summer, so don’t complain.”

  Rick’s face contorted at that. “I know, boss. I’m sorry again for what happened. I really did mean to replace them, but with how much work had to be done around here, I—”

  “I know, Rick,” I said and reached across to clasp him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, okay? I know I’ve placed a lot on you to handle while Tif and I are out doing our own things. I appreciate everything that you have done here.”

  The boom of thunder caught us both off guard. I got up from my knees, helping Rick stand up as well, and walked carefully to the ladder. I spotted Cheyenne riding the palomino mare, a friendly horse that seemed attached to Cheyenne more than the others, along the field in the direction of the barn. I climbed down to watch as a line of horses followed behind her without being roped or linked together.

  I shook my head in amazement as Cheyenne rode up with a large grin. My heart skipped hard in my chest when I looked up at her with a cowboy hat perched on her dark hair to keep her head dry against the now drizzle of rain. I had been so close the other day to finally kissing her, but Cheyenne had made a point to keep herself at a cautious distance since then. That feeling overwhelmed me again looking up the curve of her toned leg in tight jeans.

  “Impressive,” I said. “I think I’ll call you the horse whisperer from now on.”

  Cheyenne laughed lightly as I opened the pasture gate to let the horses in. I shut the gate behind the last horse before going to help Rick put up the ladder. He came from inside the barn, glancing at the horses with a surprised frown.

  “I know,” I said once he reached where I stood at the pasture gate. “It’s impressive how she can get those horses to follow her around without any problems.”

  “She’s got a talent,” Rick agreed, glancing up at the sky. “Do you want to try and get to the fences or wait?”

  I glanced up at the sky with a sigh. The weather was not on my side since the plumbing issues at the Iron Stallion. If I had to wait around for Marcus to call me back with a time to look into the problem, then I didn’t want to sit idle. There were repairs that Rick needed help with around the ranch—including a few fences around the property line that we would need the four-wheelers to access.

  “Gas the four-wheelers up,” I told him. “I’m going to go up to the house to check messages and make sure Tiffany is okay.”

  “Right. I’ll get straight to it.”

  I started in the direction of the house when Cheyenne’s shrill scream cut through the silence. Panic shot through me when I ran into the barn to find Cheyenne’s hands covering her face. The horses were dancing around madly in the barn, and I barely managed to squish myself up against a barn stall to avoid being trampled over. I looked behind to see that Rick was opening the pasture gate quickly to let the horses stream back into the corral before rushing over to Cheyenne.

  Her face was pale white and frightened when she looked at me through the gaps in her fingers.

  “In there,” she cried, pointing to the ground. “There’s so many of them, Colt.”

  I pushed the barn stall open to find a black mass scurrying along the barn floor. Out of reflex, I stomped on the one black widow that crawled in my direction. I stomped on all the ones that I could find on the floor.

  “What the hell?”

  I looked up to see Cheyenne peeking her head through the barn stall. Her frightened eyes met mine.

  “I hate black widows,” she said. “I hate spiders, period. What were they doing in the stalls?”

  “I don’t know.”

  I crouched down, pushing my hat up so I could inspect the squished mass along the floor. I counted thirty of them with a frown. Thirty black widows in one barn stall seemed overkill. It was too late the season also for brand-new spiders to be popping up.

  “What’s going on?” Rick asked worriedly. “The horses were running out of here in a sheer panic. Is there an animal in here or—”

  “Black widows,” I replied, looking up at him with a frown. “Thirty of them in this stall. That’s a bit out of the ordinary, right?”

  A frown tugged at Rick’s lips as he came into the barn stall to examine the squished spiders too.

  “At this time of the year, it is,” he said. “I’d expect the spring we’d see the spiders about here, but not in one stall in early autumn.”

  “I hate spiders,” Cheyenne repeated. A visible shudder went through her. “They wouldn’t bite the horses, would they?”

  Rick rubbed at his face as he straightened up. “I wouldn’t think so, but they could be in the tack room with the saddle blankets.”

  “I’ll check the horses for bites,” Cheyenne said. “I don’t want them to suffer through a black widow bite.”

  I motioned for Rick to hand over a broom to sweep up the dead spiders. “There isn’t enough venom to kill a horse in a black widow. You don’t have to worry about that.”

  “A bite can still be p
ainful though. Rick, would you help me look over the horses?” She shuddered again. “I have boots on, but I can’t smash a spider no matter how afraid I am of them.”

  I watched as Rick and Cheyenne walked out the barn door to check on the horses before sweeping up the dead spiders. Too many of them. Black widows were naturally aggressive towards other spiders. To see this many in one spot didn’t feel right.

  I checked the tack room for any signs of spiders along with the rest of the barn stalls but found none. The drizzle of rain had turned into a steady rain when I stepped outside to where Rick and Cheyenne were running their hands along a horse’s legs.

  “No bites?” I asked, relieved when Cheyenne nodded at me. “I don’t need to call Jacob out here then?”

  “No bites from what we’ve found,” Rick said, smoothing a palm along a brown mare’s neck. “Those spiders must’ve had a nest somewhere in the beams. Maybe it was knocked down into the barn stall?”

  “Black widows will kill each other,” I pointed out, pinching the bridge of my nose. “If they had a nest in the beams, we would’ve seen the webs. They are aggressive by nature. I’m surprised they didn’t bite the horses.”

  Cheyenne let out a relieved sigh. “I’m just thankful they didn’t because those bites are so painful. None in the tack room or other stalls?”

  “None. We can bring the horses in before the rain gets too heavy.”

  I caught sight of Cheyenne’s nervous look at the barn. Reaching forward, I clasped her smaller hand in mine. Her slender and delicate fingers were soft against my own when she looked up at me with fright in her eyes.

  “It’s going to be okay,” I assured her. “I promise, Cheyenne. I double-checked the entire barn while you two were out here.”

  “I’ll take your word,” she said over the boom of thunder. “Let’s get them in before this storm starts up.”