had just registered next door and put her bag in her room when she decided to check out the outdoor amenities before the predicted storm moved in. She hadn’t been on a horse since she was five. Yeah, she was so far outside her comfort zone she didn’t even know where comfort was anymore.
But if the horse came equipped with a captivating cowboy, maybe doing something different wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Her best friend would definitely be thrilled Alexa was showing signs of life in the lust department, that was for sure.
This stable hand had sultry written all over him, from the dusty boots to the fitted denim over narrow hips to the black hat. And the way he drawled out the word ma’am had her stomach tingling.
Clearly, it had been too long since she’d had interaction with someone outside her preschool special education classroom and her fourteen-month-old son.
“You ever ridden before?” he finally asked.
“Once,” she admitted, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jeans. “I was five and at a cousin’s birthday party.”
He took a step closer, minimizing the gap between them, and all the breath in Alexa’s lungs seemed to vanish. How could one man be so striking, so bold? The deep eyes with long, dark lashes and a stubbled jaw outlining the most perfectly shaped lips...and that was all just his face.
Broad shoulders stretched his button-up black shirt in the most glorious way, one that had her imagining what excellent muscle tone he must have beneath the fabric. Those lean hips covered with well-worn denim could make any woman beg...but not her. She’d sworn off men who made her tingle—they were nothing but a hindrance in the life she’d carved out for her and her son.
And this man? He looked like pure trouble. The kind of trouble that could make a woman forget all common sense, the kind that would have a woman crying out his name over and over, the kind—
No. Her days of flirting or dating or anything else with a man were over—at least until her son got older and she could focus on her own life. For now, Mason was her everything and all that mattered.
Still, that didn’t mean she couldn’t look and appreciate...and there was so much to appreciate with this cowboy.
“Do you work here?” She had to assume so, but now she wondered if he was a guest, too.
He held out his hand. “Hayes Elliott.”
Elliott. She wasn’t just ogling any stable hand or random guest. Hayes was the elusive, mysterious war-veteran Elliott brother. Living in Stone River, she’d heard rumors about how he never left the ranch and the term PTSD had circulated nearly every time she’d heard his name.
Also what had cropped up along with his name was how he’d saved several children in a small village overseas and then been left severely injured, and how some of his friends had died in the same battle.
Something like that alone would make waves across a small town like Stone River, but couple the rumors with the fact that Hayes was a member of the prestigious Elliott family, well...it was difficult not to have gossip.
So where were his employees? A spread this large surely had several workers so the owners didn’t have to lift a finger. She knew the Elliott brothers were gearing up to open a dude ranch on their five-thousand-acre spread. What she didn’t know was why this brother, the sibling scarcely seen since he’d returned home, was the only one around.
“Alexa Rodriguez.”
She gripped his hand and, though it was cliché, she felt... Well, she felt legitimate sparks. Sparks she hadn’t experienced for years, and never at just the simple touch of a man’s hand. How did that even happen?
“You’re staying at my sister-in-law’s bed-and-breakfast?” he asked, still holding on to her hand and looking her over.
Alexa nodded, impressed that he knew the goings-on of the B and B—but even more impressed at how her entire body responded to a handshake and a heavy-lidded stare. “I arrived this morning and thought I’d venture out before the storm.”
And because she missed Mason. Alexa had already texted Sadie three times and requested a picture of him.
“My sister-in-law has the best B and B in Texas.”
The low tone combined with a dimple that appeared when he spoke drew her attention to his mouth...a place she should not be looking. Granted, the rest of him was just as impressive. So where was a girl supposed to look when presented with such an intriguing man? Even his dusty boots were intriguing. They instantly sparked fantasies of him doing manual labor around the ranch...shirtless, to show off those sweaty, tanned muscles.
“The stable hands are all gone for the day. How long will you be staying next door?”
Well, that pulled her right from her glorious daydream.
“I’m here through the weekend,” she replied, nerves swirling through her belly. “I, um... I didn’t know they were gone, and I wanted to check things out before the weather turned. Sorry if I disturbed you.”
The horse behind her stomped its foot as if protesting. She sort of felt like doing the same. She’d talked herself into taking a ride even though she wasn’t completely comfortable, because she wanted to do something for herself and she didn’t want to feel guilty about her friend paying for this getaway.
When Hayes continued to stare at her without a word, she got the impression he didn’t want to be having this conversation any more than she did at this point. He obviously hadn’t expected to find someone in his stable, especially when he thought his workers were gone.
The awkward silence had her offering a feeble smile before she turned. No need to stay where she obviously wasn’t wanted.
“Wait.” Hayes muttered a curse beneath his breath that had her cringing. “I’ll take you out if you really want to go.”
Alexa fisted her hands at her sides and pulled in a deep breath. Hayes’s boots shuffled behind her as the horses shifted in their stalls. It was almost as if they were waiting for her answer.
“Listen.” She turned, but stopped short when she realized he’d moved in closer than she expected. “I don’t want to put you out.”
There went that stare again, the one that held her in place and made her wonder what he was thinking...because the way he looked at her seemed an awful lot like—No, it couldn’t be.
Why would someone like Hayes Elliott look at her with desire? He was a sexy cowboy, a war hero, a wealthy rancher and she was, well...just a single mom and schoolteacher.
“I came to take a ride now that everyone is gone,” he explained. “Might as well take you.”
Didn’t that sound like a lovely invitation? All warm and sincere and wrapped in Southern hospitality.
“That’s okay,” she replied. “It’s obvious you want to be alone.”
She turned to go again, more than ready to get out of here. So far her vacation consisted of irritating a grouchy cowboy. The weekend could only get better from here...right?
“Damn it. Don’t go.”
Alexa laughed and spun back around. “It’s fine. Really.”
“No. I’m just not used to dealing with guests. It’s supposed to rain later and over the next two days.” He shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets. “You’re here now. Let’s do this.”
Let’s get this over with.
The unspoken words hovered in the air between them. Fine. She wanted to ride and he was here. It wasn’t her fault he was the only one left or that he was angry.
The sulking, sultry cowboy continued to stare at her from beneath that Stetson and another jolt of lust shot through her.
Who knew a cranky rancher would be the one to get her heart