“Alright, Vinny would like to thank you for giving him his exercise this morning.” Marshall leaped off the horse, then held his hand out to help Colette onto the step.
“Thank you, Vinny. And Marshall.” Her mouth curved into the brightest smile. Parting with a nod, he distracted himself with leading Vinny to a bucket where they had a couple carrots waiting for him. Colette giggled as he taught her how to feed the horse a treat, holding her hand flat. She patted Vinny’s nose as though they were old friends. What he wouldn’t give to have her pat him like that. Marshall was getting jealous of the attention and sweet smiles she was giving his horse. It was time to put an end to this tender time.
“I’ll finish up here. Let me know if you need anything else. My office will be empty if you want to work there.” Marshall nodded in the direction of the ranch offices. Colette blinked, seeming unsure.
“Of course,” she said, her mouth curving to one side. “Thanks for the ride, Marshall.”
His stomach dropped to his boots, and his mouth gaped open slightly as their gazes locked. Her eyes were so bright. It was as though they could see through him completely.
He coughed.
“My pleasure, Colette,” he said, the words thick in his throat. She turned on her booted foot and grabbed her jacket off the fence post before heading for the office.
Marshall focused on the steady presence of Vinny, warm and heavily snuffing next to him, as he watched her walk away. Vinny nudged his shoulder, as though encouraging him to follow her.
“No, Vinny. She’s off limits,” he spoke softly, hoping the horse would understand. Vinny bowed his head, his coat sweaty.Marshall tucked his head in Vinny’s neck, stroking the smooth coat. Turning the beast around, they walked in the direction of the large stable doors. If it were up to Vinny, they would have spent hours in Colette’s presence, immersed in her scent, her soft cooing, and her gentle touches. Vinny was an animal, and he didn’t understand boundaries.
Marshall understood boundaries.
There would be no more tempting horseback rides.
He would stay away from Colette Slip. Keep things extremely professional. Her work would keep her busy, and his duties would fill his days on repeat.
Should be easy enough.
Surely, he had more self-control than Vinny.
Right?
CHAPTER 10
Marshall wiped his brow as the last of the bales of hay was broken up at the feeding station. The sweet scent of hay was a comfort; it mingled with the cool late afternoon air drifting across the fields. It wouldn’t be long before they could reduce the feeds in favor of the abundant fresh grass that would be available once the spring rains came and turned the fields to a lush, verdant green. Grateful his cousin Lachlan had volunteered to cover the other stations and distribute the rest of the evening feed, Marshall watched as the cattle gathered, a familiar sight at their dinner time. Fatigue overcame him. Normally, work was a comfort, and he could lose himself in the endless tasks that filled his day on the ranch.
After his ride with Colette, he had trouble collecting his thoughts and making sense of them. His mind kept wandering back to the feel of her in his arms, to her unguarded enthusiasm as he showed her the breadth of this beautiful land he called home. What was wrong with him?
When he arrived in Rosebud to stay, he committed himself to living celibate for a while, staying away from the casual relationships that were in abundance when he was in the city. He wasn’t opposed to being with a woman again, but he was waryof falling into the same toxic pattern of using them and moving on as quickly as possible. It wasn’t healthy for the women, and it certainly didn’t make it easier for him to face himself in the mirror. Those flings were empty and meaningless.
Though his family always supported him, he wasn’t immune to how happy they were when his brother Roger married his first wife, settling down in a respectable marriage. His mother’s little comments about how she couldn’t wait to see Marshall settled in the same way only left him feeling sad, because in fact, he had been doing the actual opposite of settling down. It upset the order of things. As the older brother, he should be setting the example for his siblings. Yet he always remained disconnected, unable to make anything stick. He had no desire to get his mom’s hopes up if he started dating Colette. It was easier to keep his small-town relationships in Rosebud, whereas if he dated Colette, the time for that information to travel to Rowena King’s ears would be infinitesimal. And Roger would murder him if he acted foolishly and indulged in a fling with Colette. He was used to being the family disappointment. He didn’t want to give them any other reason to feel like he didn’t meet their expectations. Marshall was unsuccessful as an athlete and left his degree unfinished. He would not fail them in this.
Coming to Rosebud Ranch was one of the best things he had ever done. There was no way he was going to start a good life here and sleep with every woman he was interested in. He was trying to keep away from his old reputation, not revive it. His new beginning involved some discomfort and discipline. Not the kind of discipline he had as an athlete. That work hard, play hard kind of mentality.
More like work hard. Be a better person. Make something of your life. Gone was the young man who slept around, partied constantly, and drove his body to the limits. Here, he was building a life to be proud of, becoming someone better. Manyyears later, his life was calm, routine, and yes, predictable. He made time for the occasional night out and dated a few local women who showed some long-term potential. Someone who would give him more than what he was used to having. But those few relationships left him wanting. For what, he didn’t know exactly. They appeased his needs temporarily, but they didn’t give him what he was craving. Possibly because he wasn’t sure what he wanted.
Then, there was Colette.
She walked into his life as quiet as a mouse.
The woman was as sweet and tart as raspberry jam on his tongue, and a breath of fresh air. An animalistic lust roared through him when he thought of her prim, collared blouses and little skirts. He snorted. Such inappropriate wear for a ranch. Perfect for an indoorsy woman, as she described herself. He tamped down the sensations she stirred within him. They were wrong. It wasn’t her fault the press of her curvy ass against his crotch during their horseback ride drove him insane. Or that the scent of her floral shampoo touched him somewhere deep inside, awakening some beast Marshall had long thought under control. She made him want to take something that wasn’t his. Possess someone who was out of bounds. Hold on to her and protect her. He had no idea where this primitive instinct came from, and he was now grappling with a strange battle inside him. Take what you want versus don’t bethat guyagain. Give in versus don’t touch. He was already under scrutiny for messing up the finances. Imagine if he slept with the new accountant and things went sour? How on earth would he explain it to his grandfather? Roger would murder him. His grandfather would demote him for someone more capable.
When he finished spreading the bales of hay, Marshall leaned against his truck, his eyes on the horizon. This distance was good for them. He needed to stay the hell away from Colette. At leastuntil he found a woman in town to satisfy his urges with. Just this once. To take the edge off and help him calm whatever storm she was brewing up inside him.
That was the most sensible solution.
He stayed long enough to watch the sun begin to set, when the sky took on the delicate mix of blue and yellow and a slight tinge of orange. He never grew tired of this view.
A sharp bark broke him out of his reverie.
“Dammit, Hank,” Marshall swore. “How did you get out?”
