Page 27 of The Rancher’s Ecstasy

She heard rather than saw the group of people that were gathered in the dinner barn. The barn was red with white trim and looked brand new outside, but inside it had the feel of an old barn. Old horse tack and black-and-white pictures of the ranch were spread across the walls.

The long buffet counter was to the left of the barn doors. On the right and toward the back were old wooden tables and benches that covered the majority of the barn. Emily stood just inside the doors, looking around for Cole. She smiled at several people as they walked by. The western music was turned low, but mixed with the sounds of several groups talking, it was hard for her to hear.

Her heart stalled, and she froze when her eyes landed on Cole, with his arms wrapped around a woman and lips pressed almost passionately against hers. She tried to tell herself she saw just a friendly exchange, but the blonde, beautiful woman was wrapped around him almost possessively, and the fact she reminded her of the woman her husband left her for made it hurt worse.

She couldn’t seem to get her legs to work. The only thoughts going through her head were how stupid she was to believe a man like him would really want someone like her. To him, it was a summer affair, or a quick fuck to bury an urge or something to do with his leisure time. Unfortunately, to her, it was already much, much more. She tore her eyes from the couple and turned abruptly, making her escape before she made a fool of herself. A bigger fool than she already was.

A shiver coursed down her spine as a bit of cold crept through her jacket. The darkness of night had fully descended. There were yard lights spaced around the parking lot area to help the people go to and from their cabins. She turned away from the brightness, needing the darkness to hide and try to pull herself back together. She found her way to the small fenced-in area where Cole kept several of his horses.

Emily looked through the white fence slats and, for a moment, watched the beautiful animals eat the hay in the middle of the small pasture. She whistled quietly until one of the horses came to her. She climbed the wooden fence to stroke its muscled neck. It was a beautiful gelding. It was black with dinner plate-sized white spots scattered over its body. His forelock, mane, and tail were pure black and looked almost silver when the rays of light from the yard lights reflected against the sleek hair.

Emily scratched its ears. “Hey, big guy. You are so sweet.” A calm came over her as the thoughts inside her head settled. “Do you want to meet a stupid human?” She laughed sadly and quickly wiped a stray tear that escaped her eye. “I can’t seem to finally get it. And now it’s going to be uncomfortable around him. I have eight and a half more weeks here. I really don’t think I can handle it, but I won’t get any money back.”

She kissed the horse’s muzzle as it nipped at her hair. “What should I do, boy?” Emily sucked in a startled breath. She felt the heat of him before he touched her.

“What are you doing out here?” Cole rested his chest against her back and wrapped his hands over the top rung of the fence on either side of her, blocking her in. “I thought we agreed to meet at the barn?”

Emily climbed down and pushed him away with her back. She turned when there was space between them. She was unable to look at him. Her emotion was too close to the surface. If she could just get back to her cabin, she’d be able to pull herself together.

“I decided I wasn’t hungry.” Emily shrugged. “Sorry.”

God, she just wanted to be by herself and cry. She couldn’t handle being near him at the moment.

Chapter Sixteen

Cole frowned down at the top of her head. What had happened between this morning and now, for her to want to pull away from him and put up those damn walls he’d just broken down?

“Okay. We could go bac—”

Emily shook her head. “No. You have people that need you, and I have a lot to do.”

Cole stepped forward, which made her step back until her back hit the fence, only stopping when his chest pressed against her breasts. His arms shot out, and he growled when she tried to sidestep away from him.

“Not so fast. Look at me.”

Emily took a deep breath, unable to raise her head.

“Look at me, Em.” He waited for several seconds before cupping his hand under her chin and raising it for her. His breath caught in his chest at the hollow pain reflected in her eyes. “What the hell happened? Why are you so sad?” He tightened his hold on her when she tried to pull away from his grip.

She flinched at the harsh tone of his voice. She blurted out the first reason that leaped into her brain. “I’m homesick, I guess.”

His gaze scanned hers, wanting to catch every emotion that crossed her beautiful face. Something was going on, and it had nothing to do with homesickness.

“Why all of a sudden?”

Emily wrapped her small hands around his wrist to pull his hand away from her face in an attempt to escape. “I think it best if we stay away from each oth—”

Cole pressed harder against her and growled against her ear. “Bullshit. Don’t you dare lie to me.”

Emily swallowed back a whimper of desperation. “I’m not—”

Cole growled low in his throat and pulled her tightly against him, banding his arms around her to keep her steady.

“Don’t! We have something good going, and I don’t want anything, especially lies, to come between us.”

Emily gasped and stared open-mouthed at him. How could he possibly say that when he was just wrapped around another woman?

“Please tell me what the hell is going on?” he asked.