backed away and grabbed the helmet off the seat of the second ATV just before one of the big overhead barn doors slid open with a rattle of hinges.
TJ was standing outside. He studied us. “You gonna be gone long, boss?”
“Until supper. You think you can hold down the fort until then?”
He nodded, his eyes running over Emma’s form appreciatively. My fingers closed around hard plastic of the helmet, and it flexed under my grip. The words move along, cowboy rose up in my throat, but I forced them down. I had the right to say it, but not for the reason I wanted to. Still, I couldn’t stay completely silent. “Those cattle aren’t gonna check themselves, TJ.”
“Yes, sir,” he clipped, before finally dragging his eyes from Emma and heading into the barn.
Emma was checking out the ATV, so she hadn’t noticed the exchange. Once again, a smile spread over my face; she was running a hand across the seat with childlike wonderment.
“I really get to drive my own?”
“You do have a license, right?”
She tossed me a look over her shoulder. “Of course.”
“Then yes, you’re driving your own. I thought about putting you on the back of mine, and having your tight little body wrapped around me, but I wanted to make sure you’d have a good view of the ranch.”
Her smile turned a little shy. “Thanks, Ford. That was really thoughtful of you.”
“Oh, honey, I’ve put a hell of a lot of thought into today. Just wait until you see what I’ve got planned. Now let’s get your helmet on and load up.”
After I settled the helmet on Emma’s head and showed her how to operate the ATV, we took off. She followed me as I set an easy pace, but she grew more daring with every quarter mile we passed. Pretty soon, she was trying to race me, and I was having more fun than I could remember having in months—maybe even years. I wasn’t sure what it was about her, but that playful nature got to me. She was nothing like I’d expected when she stepped out of that truck. Not stuck up, not a bitch. Case in point, the woman had just deliberately splashed through a puddle and tried to get me wet—something she’d pay for when we stopped. She slowed up as we closed in on a more heavily wooded section, and I took the lead, waving for her to follow on the trail behind me. We headed to my favorite overlook—one that, luckily, didn’t require too treacherous of a climb. A quick check of my mirror showed that Emma was right behind me, with a grin still curving across her face, along with a streak of mud. Before this particular moment, I had no fucking idea how sexy mud could be—outside of a mudwrestling ring with some busty chicks rolling around in it. I forced my eyes back to the trail, or otherwise I ran the risk of clipping a tree and looking like a royal jackass.
A few turns later, we finally reached the clearing on the edge a foothill. Except in this part of Montana, a foothill rose up like an honest-to-God mountain. I groaned as I dismounted, because my hard-on had made itself uncomfortably known during the last couple of miles of the ride. Emma shut off her ATV and pulled off her helmet. If I thought she’d had an expression of childlike wonderment before, this must have been what she looked like on Christmas morning as a kid. She spun and took in the lush green meadow surrounded by tall evergreens.
“Ford, it’s beautiful.”
I grinned. She hadn’t even seen the best part yet. I hurried to unhook the cooler and bag from the back of my four-wheeler. Shouldering the bag and grabbing the cooler in one hand, I twined my fingers through Emma’s.
“Come on. Wait until you see this.” I pulled her toward the tree line.
As soon as we cleared the pines, she stopped, dragging us both to a halt.
“Oh, wow.” Her mouth hung open, and even I couldn’t impute lewd thoughts to it at the moment. Well, maybe. Just give me a minute to appreciate her excitement . “It’s amazing.”
“My
TJ was standing outside. He studied us. “You gonna be gone long, boss?”
“Until supper. You think you can hold down the fort until then?”
He nodded, his eyes running over Emma’s form appreciatively. My fingers closed around hard plastic of the helmet, and it flexed under my grip. The words move along, cowboy rose up in my throat, but I forced them down. I had the right to say it, but not for the reason I wanted to. Still, I couldn’t stay completely silent. “Those cattle aren’t gonna check themselves, TJ.”
“Yes, sir,” he clipped, before finally dragging his eyes from Emma and heading into the barn.
Emma was checking out the ATV, so she hadn’t noticed the exchange. Once again, a smile spread over my face; she was running a hand across the seat with childlike wonderment.
“I really get to drive my own?”
“You do have a license, right?”
She tossed me a look over her shoulder. “Of course.”
“Then yes, you’re driving your own. I thought about putting you on the back of mine, and having your tight little body wrapped around me, but I wanted to make sure you’d have a good view of the ranch.”
Her smile turned a little shy. “Thanks, Ford. That was really thoughtful of you.”
“Oh, honey, I’ve put a hell of a lot of thought into today. Just wait until you see what I’ve got planned. Now let’s get your helmet on and load up.”
After I settled the helmet on Emma’s head and showed her how to operate the ATV, we took off. She followed me as I set an easy pace, but she grew more daring with every quarter mile we passed. Pretty soon, she was trying to race me, and I was having more fun than I could remember having in months—maybe even years. I wasn’t sure what it was about her, but that playful nature got to me. She was nothing like I’d expected when she stepped out of that truck. Not stuck up, not a bitch. Case in point, the woman had just deliberately splashed through a puddle and tried to get me wet—something she’d pay for when we stopped. She slowed up as we closed in on a more heavily wooded section, and I took the lead, waving for her to follow on the trail behind me. We headed to my favorite overlook—one that, luckily, didn’t require too treacherous of a climb. A quick check of my mirror showed that Emma was right behind me, with a grin still curving across her face, along with a streak of mud. Before this particular moment, I had no fucking idea how sexy mud could be—outside of a mudwrestling ring with some busty chicks rolling around in it. I forced my eyes back to the trail, or otherwise I ran the risk of clipping a tree and looking like a royal jackass.
A few turns later, we finally reached the clearing on the edge a foothill. Except in this part of Montana, a foothill rose up like an honest-to-God mountain. I groaned as I dismounted, because my hard-on had made itself uncomfortably known during the last couple of miles of the ride. Emma shut off her ATV and pulled off her helmet. If I thought she’d had an expression of childlike wonderment before, this must have been what she looked like on Christmas morning as a kid. She spun and took in the lush green meadow surrounded by tall evergreens.
“Ford, it’s beautiful.”
I grinned. She hadn’t even seen the best part yet. I hurried to unhook the cooler and bag from the back of my four-wheeler. Shouldering the bag and grabbing the cooler in one hand, I twined my fingers through Emma’s.
“Come on. Wait until you see this.” I pulled her toward the tree line.
As soon as we cleared the pines, she stopped, dragging us both to a halt.
“Oh, wow.” Her mouth hung open, and even I couldn’t impute lewd thoughts to it at the moment. Well, maybe. Just give me a minute to appreciate her excitement . “It’s amazing.”
“My
Similar Books
