Wrangling the Cowboy (Circle B Ranch #3) - Kennedy Fox Page 0,37
lot to me. I’m just nervous about all this.”
“Shouldn’t be. You’re a pro, Maze. That prize is yours,” I stress, wishing she’d believe me. I look around and notice the B&B is empty. It’s just her and me. The place is a mess, so I stand and help her pick up the remaining dishes left on the tables. We grab as much as we can so we don’t have to make another trip, and I follow her to the kitchen area.
Maize sets the dishes in the sink and then steps slightly out of the way to give me more room to add what I’m carrying. Our arms touch, and electricity shoots through me. She must’ve felt it too because I notice goose bumps form on her arms. Though she denies anything between us, moments like this remind me there is something. Nothing she could say would make me think otherwise because her body gives her away every single time.
“Maze,” I whisper, watching her breasts rise and fall. I place my palm on her warm cheek and brush my thumb against her skin. She swallows, and I’m tempted to kiss her, but I don’t want to press my luck when I’m gaining ground.
My phone rings, and I glance down to see it’s Jackson. I’m sure he’s wondering where the hell I ran off to because I’ve been gone for a while. “I don’t want to go, but I have to,” I admit.
“I know,” she whispers.
I look down and reject the call, not ready to go just yet, but knowing I have to.
“Do you want a hand?” I ask.
She tilts her head. “Not unless you want Uncle Jackson bursting through those doors and dragging your ass back to the training facility. You’ve helped me more than enough already.”
Leaning over, I place a soft kiss on her head, then turn away just as her employees are walking through the door with baskets of veggies from the garden.
“See you later,” I say, then leave. I sent her flowers on Valentine's Day, and the note I left wasn’t a joke. I would make it worth her while if she’d let me.
When I get in the truck, I call and let Jackson know I’m on the way. Apparently, a mare’s being delivered this afternoon. It slipped my mind that I needed to check her in, but I got to the barn in record time.
Jackson pulls hay down from the loft, and I grab a few bales and help distribute it to each stall. It’s a revolving door with training now that three of us are doing it. Kiera and Jackson have been happy with how much we’ve grown the facility, and the word has traveled fast. We’re booked nearly two years in advance, and the waitlist is a mile long too. Wouldn’t be surprised if they hire a few more people to keep up with the demand.
Before long, a truck with a gooseneck horse trailer comes traveling down the rock drive. A man parks and pops out of the cab and walks over to me. “You Gavin?”
“Yes, sir,” I tell him.
He nods. “I’m Billy Gibson. Own the ranch a ways down. Ready to unload her?”
“Sure am. And very nice to meet you.”
Billy goes to the back and lifts the bar to the trailer gate. The mare instantly starts throwing her hoof out, ready to kick one of us. She’s pissed.
“We call her Angel,” he tells me with a thick Southern accent.
I chuckle. “Sarcasm, I assume?”
“Absolutely, son.”
“Perfect, I’ve got one named Demon right now. They’ll probably get along just fine.”
Just as I’m assisting Billy, I see Grayson and Diesel pull up in the old beat-up Ford. They go inside the office, and I do a walk around of the horse. We like to make a note of any injuries before accepting them. I lift her hooves, and she’s not having it, but thankfully, she’s not too big or hard to handle yet.
“Whatever you do, don’t walk behind her,” he warns and pulls me back.
“Thanks,” I tell him.
“She might’ve kicked your balls right off. It’s one of her bad habits,” he explains. “Her only goal is to take out anyone or anything that gets behind her flank. My dog learned his lesson real quick.”
I nod and check the other side. “Noted. Well, she looks good.”
“Y’all gonna earn your money with this one,” he says, patting her.
It makes me chuckle. I’ve yet to meet a horse that was easy to break. “You’ll just need to sign some paperwork inside,