C is for Cowboy (ABCs of Love Sweet Romance Book 3) Read online

  “That was nice looking at all those stars,” she said as he turned in the direction of the motel.

  “Yeah, there’s a lot of them.” Cash coughed then turned on the radio.

  Madi took a risk and put her hand on his leg. Maybe it would give her a better read on the situation. He tensed, then coughed again. She wondered if she should move her hand, but that seemed weird when she’d just put it there. He was sending out more mixed signals than Kanye West at the White House.

  At the first stop sign, Madi turned to Cash hoping to see some kind of anticipation or excitement, but he kept his eyes forward. And he seemed to be taking an awfully long time to get to the motel.

  When they did finally arrive, she wasn’t sure what to do next. He’d barely said a word to her the entire drive back, but then when she slid out of the truck after him, he took her hand to help her down. He could have let her go when her feet touched the ground, but he kept her hand in his and gazed down at her.

  He took a deep breath. “I had a really good time tonight.” He dropped her hand but inched closer and ran his fingers down one of her braids.

  She closed her eyes, waiting for a kiss. Expecting it.

  Instead of the warmth of his lips, she felt the air turn colder and opened her eyes to see him stepping away from her.

  “I’ll wait out here while you get ready, then I’m going to bunk on the floor.” Cash looked in her direction as he spoke, but not in her eyes.

  “Oh.” Her cheeks burned hot, and she knew they were splotchy with shame. “Okay.” She followed him the ten feet to their room, which was too short a walk for her temperature to go back to normal. “You don’t have to do that… sleep on the floor, I mean.”

  How was she supposed to tell him he’d be safe sharing a bed with her when she’d obviously been throwing herself at him? Her mother had told her at least a million times that she was too quick to give her heart away—among other things—and she was right again.

  “I’ve slept on dirtier ground than that floor.” Cash stuck the key in the door, then held it open for her. “I’ll be fine.” He smiled, almost meeting her eye. She was glad he didn’t. The less he looked at her the better.

  Once inside, she opened her suitcase and dug out a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. She’d probably melt, but Cash had made it very clear she’d come on too strong. There was no way she was going to wear her usual tank and boxers to bed and have him think she was trying to seduce him again. But she also didn’t appreciate him leading her on by giving her that line about getting her to bed—or whatever.

  Or maybe she’d heard what she wanted to hear, and he hadn’t said that at all. The thought filled her with even more hot shame. It took a lot of splashes of cold water before her face was back to its normal color. She hurried through her usually lengthy bedtime routine so that she could get into bed and forget the whole humiliating night. In lieu of her usual pre-bed cat stretches to encourage a restful night’s sleep, she took a Melatonin and rubbed a few drops of lavender oil on her palms. Then she put in her earbuds, pulled up the meditation app on her phone and clicked on her favorite sleep sounds.

  After she’d climbed into the bed and pulled the sheets up to her ears, she told Cash he could come in. She pulled her sleep mask over her eyes before he opened the door.

  “Goodnight,” she said once the door clicked shut. She waited until he returned her goodnight before pushing play on her ocean sounds and curling deeper into her fuzzy blanket. With the sounds of waves crashing on the beach, it was easy to pretend she couldn’t hear the faint sounds of Cash moving around the room. It was harder not to think about him taking off his boots or wonder what he’d be sleeping in. He hadn’t come prepared to spend the night somewhere.

  She breathed in the scent of lavender and let ocean wash away her embarrassment and every other thought about Cash. At one point she thought she heard him say something, but by then she was deep into her long, slow, breaths and almost asleep. She answered with, “uh huh,” then drifted off to sleep.

  The next thing she heard was the clang of the heavy steel door banging shut. The smell of coffee filled the room, and bits of light peeked under her mask. Madi pulled off the mask and sat up in bed to see Cash standing at the end of it holding coffee and a paper bag.

  “Good morning.” He sounded more at ease than he had the night before, but Madi didn’t feel any less embarrassed. “I got donuts.”

  “What time is it?” Madi tugged at her t-shirt before smoothing her hair. Bed head and humiliation were not a great combo, but if she didn’t meet his eye, she’d never have to know how disgusted he was with her.

  “Seven. I let you sleep in.” He shifted his feet. There was nowhere to set the donuts and coffee down except on the bedside table. And, clearly, he didn’t want to be anywhere near her.

  “Thanks.” Madi tugged at her t-shirt again before pointing to the bathroom area. “I’m going to use the ladies’ room if you want to set my donut down here.” She wagged her head at the bedside table, still not looking at him.

  “All right. I’ll wait outside for you,” Cash said as Madi ran for the bathroom. “Take your time,” he called after her.

  “‘Take my time,’” Madi mumbled to herself as she sat down. ‘Let you sleep in.’ Since when is seven sleeping in?

  When she came out of the bathroom, Cash was outside. She eyed the donut and coffee, then inched her way to the bed and sat on the edge of it. She picked up the coffee, took off the lid and smelled it before taking a drink. It wasn’t terrible, and it did the trick of calming her down. With another long sip, she didn’t hate Cash anymore, but she wasn’t quite past hating herself.

  Madi was also, definitely, going to take her time. She and Cash had a long, uncomfortable ride ahead of them, and she wasn’t too anxious to start that journey. A long shower was in order, plus there was packing that had to be done. And she hadn’t even checked her phone yet. That obviously had to come first.

  Madi tore off a piece of donut and took another long sip of coffee, then noticed her blanket. At some time during the night she must have kicked it off because it lay crumpled on the floor. It would have to be washed; which meant she’d have to find somewhere, somehow to do it on her own. She’d be too embarrassed to ask anyone to wash her “blankie” for her. That would be a total diva move.

  Sighing, she picked it up and carefully folded it before putting it in her Comforts from Home suitcase. She grabbed her other travel comforts and packed those around the blanket, so they’d be kept safe. Then she rifled through her Day Wear bag for something comfortable enough to both travel in and soothe her damaged pride. She’d found the perfect outfit and was headed to the shower when there was a knock at the door.

  “Almost ready?” Cash asked.

  “Um, no.” It had only been twenty minutes. How in the world could she be ready that quickly? Especially when he’d told her to take her time.

  “Uhh, do you know how much longer you’ll be?” The door made his deep voice sound tinny.

  “An hour?”

  There was silence on the other side of the door.

  “Is that okay?” Madi asked after a few seconds.

  “Yeah.” Cash drew out the end of the word like he was on slo-mo. “I’ve gotta get some work done today, so if there’s any way we could leave earlier, that’d be helpful.”

  Then came the second wave of mortification. Not as soul-crushing as the one from last night, but it still flung her around like a surfer in a rogue wave. Because of course he had to work. And she’d been treating him like her own personal chauffeur.

  Total diva moment.

  “I’ll be ready in five.” Madi grabbed her clothes and ran for the water closet. “You can come in if you want!” she yelled before shutting herself in the two-by-four-foot room and changing as quickly as she could without falling in the toilet.

  When she came out, Cash was taking her bags to the truck. “I just have to brush my teeth and pack a few more things,” she said.r />
  Ten minutes later, they were headed out of town. She hoped Cash realized what a miracle that was, then she reminded herself she shouldn’t care. He obviously wasn’t into her, so why worry what he thought?

  Madi took out her phone to check likes and messages. “Do you mind if I do some work?” she asked Cash, more out of politeness than any desire to actually “Be Present” during the two hour drive they had ahead of them.

  Cash glanced at her like he wanted to say something but then reached for the volume on his stereo. “Be my guest,” he said and turned up the music.

  And those were the last words they said to each other until they were within sight of the Rocking M.

  “There it is,” Cash said and Madi looked up.

  Green pasture bordered each side of the dirt road for as far as the eye could see with a sprinkling of pine trees here and there. A river snaked its way through tall grass and bright red wildflowers dotted the grass while a bird—a hawk, maybe?—soared upward before diving for the ground.

  “It’s breathtaking!” Madi held up her phone and started recording.

  Cash slowed the truck and pointed out her window. “Look down by the water.”

  “Where?” She scanned her phone back and forth following the river and trying to see what Cash pointed to.

  “Put your phone down and look forty-five degrees to the west.” He stopped the truck completely and put his hand over her phone.

  She had no idea which way was west or even what forty-five degrees looked like, but she followed his directions and turned off her video.

  “You see it now?” He asked as he moved her head an inch to the right. “Drinking out of the river.”

  She gasped. “Oh my gosh! I totally see it! Is that a real… what is that?”

  Cash laughed. “That’s a moose, and it’s real. We didn’t hire someone to play the part.”

  “Is he dangerous? Will he attack?” She couldn’t resist turning on her video again so her followers could experience what she was experiencing.

  “It’s a she, not a he, and yes she will attack if you get between her and her calf.” He put the truck back into drive and inched forward, while Madi kept videoing. The moose lifted her head and turned toward the noise of the tires rolling over gravel.

  “Did you see that?” Madi shouted. “She looked right at me!”

  “Keep it down,” Cash whispered. “And if you happen to run into one, don’t be dumb and try to video it. Just back quietly away.”

  Madi turned the camera on him, and he pulled down his hat as far as it would go. “And take that thing off me. I don’t want to be in any more of your Instas, or whatever you call them.”

  “Sorry.” Madi turned the camera back on the moose, pushing down the rising lump in her throat. She hated how easily tears came when her feelings got hurt. She had almost half a million followers who loved her. Why should she care that some Montana cowboy thought she was dumb? She was smart enough to build up a business so she could work for herself.

  The moose ambled away, and she focused her phone on the ranch house as it came into view. “Oh, it’s beautiful!” And it wasn’t his anymore. “I was expecting something more rustic, but it looks as nice as anything in Bel Air, except with more land.”

  “It’s one of the nicest spreads in Montana,” Cash said with pride as he pulled into the circular driveway.

  Madi shut off her camera. “I wasn’t talking to you. If you don’t want to be on camera, then don’t talk while I’m filming.”

  Cash had barely rolled to a stop before she jumped out. She would have pulled her suitcases out of the truck bed, but she had no idea how to open the gate, so she had to wait for Cash. A friendly collie ran to her, barking his welcome before sniffing her feet. Madi squatted to pet him at the same time a young woman skipped down the porch steps, her curly brown hair springing up and down as she bounded toward Madi.

  “Hi! Welcome to the Rocking M!” She grabbed Madi’s hand, clutching it in both of hers while she shook it. “I just started following you, and I love everything you post. I’m so excited you’re here. If you need anything at all, just ask me.”

  Madi glanced over her shoulder at Cash as he took her bags out of the truck. She wanted to want to refuse his help, but there was no way she’d be able to get all those bags inside. This girl gave her the perfect excuse to not refuse his help.

  “It’s so nice to meet you too.” Madi put her free hand over the girl’s, so they were one big happy handshake. “I wasn’t expecting to meet any fans way out here. Now tell me your name.”

  “Lyla.” She gripped Madi’s hands tighter, shaking with excitement. The girl couldn’t be much more than eighteen, but Madi loved her earnest smile, and the fact she had something to focus on for a few minutes besides Cash. “But for real,” the girl went on. “Anything you need, just let me know. I’m kind of the hospitality person. I do everything here.”

  Madi only hesitated a second before she knew exactly what to ask for. “I actually need something washed. Have you got a washing machine somewhere I could use?”

  “What is it?” Lyla’s eyes widened like she’d just won some award. “I’ve got a washing machine. I can totally wash whatever you need.”

  “Oh no, you don’t have to do that.” Although, it wouldn’t take much to convince Madi. She wasn’t great with laundry. “If you’ll show me how to use it, I’ll do it.”

  “Don’t be silly! Bring it to my room, and I’ll do it for you!” Lyla finally let go of Madi’s hands as Cash rolled a couple suitcases toward them.

  “Do what for who?” Cash asked as he handed Lyla one of the suitcases. “You know which room she’s in?”

  “Madi needs me to wash something for her.” Lyla grabbed the suitcase handle. “I offered to do it.”

  Madi tried to take the other suitcase from Cash, but he wouldn’t let go of the handle. “That’s Miss Keller to you,” he said to Lyla who rolled her eyes at him.

  Cash ignored Lyla’s eyeroll and turned to the dog. “Let her be, Scout!” he ordered, but the dog kept sniffing and licking Madi. Having no success with the dog, Cash turned back to Lyla. “You too.”

  “Whatever,” Lyla answered with another eyeroll, but she stepped away from Madi.

  That’s when Madi noticed the similarity between the two of them. They had the same blue eyes. It would be just her luck if the two of them were related. Because it wasn’t bad enough that she’d thrown herself at Cash, made him late for work, and filmed him when he didn’t want to be filmed. Now she’d possibly asked someone in his same gene pool to do her laundry.

  “I’m in the cabin around back,” Lyla said to Madi. “Bring me whatever you need washed.” She rolled Madi’s accessory bag a few paces then carried it up the steps she’d skipped down only moments before.

  When she got to the top, she looked over her shoulder at Madi and Cash, took a moment to apprise the tension between them, then called to Madi, “Don’t let my brother scare you. He’s really a big softie.”

  Chapter Nine

  “You didn’t tell me you had a sister,” Madi said softly, still not looking at Cash. “She’s sweet.”

  Cash was relieved when she didn’t lift her eyes to him. If she had, he would have had a better look at her lips, and he already hadn’t been able to get those out of his mind since the moment she’d kissed him. If she’d looked at him, he wouldn’t have been able to stop himself from kissing her again.

  And he really didn’t want to want to kiss her again. She hadn’t said more than two words to him since he’d told her what he had the night before. He’d taken a big risk opening up like that, and she hadn’t bothered to reply with anything more than an “uh huh.” And now she wanted to play nice? After she’d treated his sister like a maid?

  Noooope.

  Not gonna happen.

  She’d had her chance. He wasn’t putting his heart on the line again. He’d made that mistake with Lindsey, and he wasn’t making it again.

  Som
etimes he had to remind himself of that. Like at that moment when Madi was flashing him that smile with those dimples.

  “Yeah.” He tucked a bag under his arm and picked up the two heaviest suitcases. “She’s in charge of making sure things run smoothly, especially when it comes to meals. This is a working ranch. She doesn’t have time to be doing extra laundry.”

  He hefted Madi’s bags up the stairs, leaving her at the bottom, her dimples gone. A pang of guilt shot through him, but he waved off the pinch in his chest as an old bronc-breaking injury aggravated by her heavy suitcase.

  “I didn’t ask her to do laundry,” Madi called after him as she struggled up the stairs with her two remaining suitcases. They weren’t loaded down with books anymore, but she had a hard time with them anyway.

  Cash wanted to help her. It went against his nature and everything his mom had ever taught him to not help Madi. But he had more important things to do, and he didn’t want her getting the idea she could use him the way she was trying to use his sister. So, he pretended not to hear what she’d said and walked in the nine-foot front doors his great-grandfather had crafted himself. He dropped her bags off with one of the kids they’d hired for the summer. It wasn’t Cash’s job to haul luggage around. He had horses to break, hay to bale, fences to mend, and a million other things that involved actual hard work, not talking into a phone camera.

  Once Madi’s bags were no longer his responsibility and he’d picked up his walkie-talkie, Cash went out the back door and called to Scout to follow him. He’d make the barn his first stop rather than Early’s office. Going out the back meant he wouldn’t have to pass Madi, and Early could always get ahold of him on the walkie talkie. He needed to forget about Madi, and the best way to do that—the only way he knew to forget anything—was to work.

  He went to the barn to saddle his horse, a brown Morgan he used for long rides. Judging by the sun and the time they’d left Hamilton, it was nearly eleven, which meant half the day was gone. But he’d ride fence anyway. With any luck he’d find plenty that needed repairing, which would put him back to the ranch long past when the guests ate supper. With any more luck, Madi would sign up for every excursion. Mr. Early liked to keep Cash close to the ranch rather than running excursions.