Now all he needed was for Andie to get her little tush out there. Just as the thought crossed his mind, the cabin door squeaked open. Trenton circled the horse back around, recalling the business-looking getup she’d been wearing. But as he caught sight of her now in denim jeans, an oatmeal-colored sweater, and a pair of cowgirl boots, the prior image vanished.
She’d pulled her hair into a braid, he realized as she tugged on the doorknob with a grunt before securing the lock. Like anyone would steal anything around here. The main reason to lock the cabins at all was to prevent folks from accidentally wandering into the wrong place. Innocent folks. Good and decent folks. But would they remain so good and decent with that little number running around? On second thought, she was right to lock it up tight.
“Sorry,” she breathed as she hurried from her porch and onto the dwelling’s driveway. “I thought I’d better get my hair out of the way too. And put on a warmer top.”
He stifled an inner curse. He should have offered her his coat. Hopefully he’d at least shield her from the wind on the way over.
Trenton’s pulse revved as he appreciated her altered appearance. Dang, she looked…sexy, a fact that was better left unsaid. Or better yet,unthought. She still looked like money, but perhaps that was due to the gold hoops and the matching chain that hung over the soft looking texture of her sweater. Without meaning to, he pictured what she might look like in his cowboy hat. Even sexier, he mused.
Trenton climbed down from the horse and cleared his throat, hoping to clear thoughts like that from his mind as well.
At once, she stopped walking and looked down. “Is this…okay?”
Trenton nodded and gulped. “Yep.” It came out raspy so he tried again. “Yes. Are you warm enough? You can take my coat if you’d like.”
But Andie was already shaking her head. “You kept me warm on the way over. Just, being close like you were.” Splotches of pink heat spread over her cheeks.
A similar heat stirred low in his belly. He liked the idea of keeping this woman warm. Liked it far too much. “I’ll help you up again. Let’s move over to the bottom step.”
He walked Trigger to the porch as Andie hurried back to it. For a brief moment, Trenton considered grabbing her by the hips as he’d done before. Another dose of heat flared low in his belly. Probably not the best idea.
He offered his hand instead, feeling very glad he hadn’t slipped his gloves back on while leaving the inn.
Soft sunlight illuminated her flawless-looking skin as she rested her small hand in his.
“Go ahead and step into the stirrup,” he said with a nod.
Andie hiked her curvy leg up and into the nearby stirrup as Trenton balanced the saddle with his weight. She grunted as she climbed up and over the horse.
By force of habit, Trenton moved his hands to her waist to steady her. Something he’d done about every time he’d assisted someone onto a horse. But, as he’d discovered the first time he helped her up, touching Andie was different.
He pulled his hands back like she’d burned him and cleared his throat. “You steady?”
“I think so,” she said.
Trenton climbed on behind her, his thoughts tangling into knots. Man, Andie had been here a few hours tops, and already he was thrown off-kilter. An earlier thought came back to him then—trouble.
Maybe that’s just what she was.
What difference did it make? He was on his way out.
That thought added a hint of relief as he repeated it once more. Maybe Andie was trouble, maybe she wasn’t. If things went according to plan, Trenton wouldn’t be there long enough to find out.
* * *
Three questions ran through Andie’s mind while she, Trenton, and Trigger made their way to the stable. First, was it super obvious that she’d put so much effort into her appearance?
The second thing on her mind followed the first thought—whyhad she felt the urge to do that? Even as she tugged the makeup from her travel bag, brushed powder over her face and slid gloss over her lips, Andie didn’t have the best answer for it. But shedidhave an excuse—she’d been traveling all day. Of course she needed a touchup.
Question three came to mind every time she pulled in a solid breath: why did he have to smell so good?
Her musings had made for a soundless ride to the stable, which only then became evident and a little awkward too as Andie climbed off the horse and glanced around the wide clearing of the barn.
“Looks like we’ve got a few minutes before the group gets here,” Trenton said after getting Trigger settled.
Andie breathed in the musty scent of hay, surprised by the rather tidy appearance of the space. Rakes and shovels hung in a row along one side of the entry. Ropes and reins hung in hoops just beside. Right above, a wooden shelf held an assortment of saddles and a haphazard stack of cowboy hats. She ran her gaze over the stitched seams on the saddles, hats, and the weathered appearance of the ropes nearby.
The worn nature of each item was like a badge of honor—one that showed just how much use and joy they’d given.
