The Cowbear's Curvy Valentine (Curvy Bear Ranch 5) (2 page)

“TMI, Madison.”

She chuckled.

“How many guests do we have this week?” Cody asked.

“Just Abigail. We’ve never kept the B & B open in January before, so I think it’s going to take a few seasons before we’re full.”

“We’ll get there,” he said.

The doorbell rang. As Madison struggled to her feet, Cody shot her a chastising look.

“I’ll get it,” he said.

He hurried through the foyer and opened the door. A stunning woman with fluffy golden hair, glacier-blue eyes and a creamy complexion stood shivering on the porch. Dressed in a damp, rumpled business suit and snow-saturated heels, she looked like she’d been in a fight with an army of snowmen.

“I fell,” she said. “I think I tripped over a rock underneath all this snow.”

“Heels aren’t exactly the right shoes for January,” he said as he stepped back to let her in.

The moment she entered the B & B, her eyes went wide. As she took in the room, he stole glances at her cherry-kissed lips. If it was a makeup trick, it was a dammed good one because everything about her screamed natural, corn-fed sexy. When she turned to face him, he closed his mouth. He couldn’t let her see him drooling like an oaf.

His bear stood at attention, obviously intrigued by her. He needed to keep the beast in check before he made a fool of himself.
Down, bear!

“I’m Cody. I’m one of the brothers who owns the ranch,” he said.

“I’m Abby.”

He couldn’t stop staring at her lips as she spoke. He finally forced himself to look away.

“Is your luggage out in the car?” he asked.

“No. I… um… lost it,” she said. “I’m heading into town to get more tomorrow.”

“How did you lose it?” he asked.

“Well… it’s a long story.”

She wrapped her arms across her chest and turned toward the living room. A crackling fire warmed the space. He’d been so busy staring that he’d forgotten his manners. She had to be freezing.

“Why don’t you go sit by the fire. Can I get you something?” he asked. “Coffee, tea?”

“Have anything stronger?”

“What, like whiskey?” he joked.

“Jack Daniels, if you have it.”

When he realized she was serious, he cocked his head to one side. “I’ll see what I can find.”

As he strode through the dining room, he passed Madison. She sat in a chair facing the window with a pensive expression on her face.

“What’s wrong?” he asked softly.

“Nothing. Just hormones. They make you have all kinds of crazy thoughts,” Madison said.

“Like what?”

“Nothing. I think I’m just tired.”

“Maybe you should go take a nap,” he said.

“It’s almost four p.m. I need to start dinner,” she said.

“Let me handle it,” Cody said. “What were you going to make?”

“There are beef ribs in the fridge and... oh!” She doubled over as pain racked her face.

“What’s wrong? What hurts?” He rushed to her side.

“I think it’s just gas pain, but it feels like knives.”

“How long has it been happening?” Abby asked as she walked in from the living room.

“A couple of hours,” Madison said.

“Did you tell Mack?” he asked.

“No. He’s going to get worried over nothing.”

“I’m going to tell him,” he said.

“No, I—”

“Madison, we’re not arguing about this. Abby, can you stay with her and make sure she doesn’t move until I come back?” he asked.

“Of course,” Abby said.

“I really think you’re overreacting,” Madison said.

“If I don’t tell Mack, he’ll kill me. I’ll be right back,” Cody said.

He rushed to grab his boots and then ran back to the main house. After shoving open the door, he called for Mack. His brother Brady poked his head out of his bedroom.

“Where’s the fire?” Brady joked.

“Something’s wrong with Madison. Where’s Mack?”

The smile on Brady’s face vanished. “In the barn with Logan.”

“Thanks,” Cody called as he hurried toward the door.

“Want me to come with you?” Brady asked.

Jimmy, Brady’s four-year-old son, walked out of the bedroom. “Daddy, are you coming back to play with me?”

“I’ve got it under control,” Cody said.

“Are you sure?” Brady asked.

“Positive.”

Brady gave him a quick nod before taking his son’s hand and leading him back into the room.

Cody made it to Logan’s barn in less than three minutes. He yanked the barn door open and rushed into the empty space. On the far end of the barn, Mack and Logan stood looking up at the newly finished hay loft.

“Madison’s sick,” Cody yelled.

“What?” Mack jogged over to him.

“She’s having pain in her side for hours but didn’t tell anyone,” Cody said.

“Shit,” Mack said.

“You need to get her to a doctor,” Logan said.

“Let’s go get her.” Mack sprinted out of the barn.

“I’ll get the truck,” Logan yelled as he took off in the direction of his house.

When they reached the B & B, Cody ran in behind Mack. They rushed into the dining room, only to find Madison smiling and laughing with Abby. Cody looked from one woman to the other.
What the hell?

Mack dropped to his knees beside Madison. “What’s going on, honey? Cody said you were hurting.”

“A little, but I told him not to worry about it. It’s nothing,” Madison said.

“I’m taking you to the clinic right now,” Mack said.

“You’re overreacting. I appreciate how concerned everyone is, but really, I’m fine. I probably just need a nap,” Madison said.

Mack looked at Cody, who shrugged.

“I didn’t think I was overreacting,” Cody said defensively.

“He wasn’t,” Abby said. “I would have done the same thing. But after you left, the pain stopped. I think she just needed to sit down for a bit. She said she’s been on her feet for three hours.”

“I keep telling her to rest.” Mack frowned. “You need to listen to me before you work yourself to death. You can’t run around like you did before you got pregnant. Your body needs more rest.”

“Since when are you the expert on pregnancy?” Madison snapped.

“Since I started reading all of those books about what to expect when you’re having a baby,” Mack said.

“The truck’s outside. Let’s go,” Logan yelled as he ran into the room. He stopped short. “What... is she okay?”

“I’m fine. I appreciate everyone’s concern, but I’m fine.” She pushed up off the chair and batted Mack’s hands away when he tried to help.

Mack looped an arm around her upper body and guided her toward the stairs.

“I guess I’ll go re-park the truck,” Logan said.

“Probably a good idea,” Cody said.

After everyone left the room, Cody turned to Abby. “I promise you, it’s not usually this dramatic around here.” He rubbed the back of his neck where the muscles had bunched into knots. “I’m going to need to soak in the hot tub later.”

“You have a hot tub here?” she arched a brow.

“Yeah. My brother Logan—who you just met for about five seconds—decided we needed one. He built it last week. He just finished a new barn for his wife, Kate, but apparently he caught the construction bug. Not that I’m complaining. I just haven’t had time to jump into the spa yet.”

“If I had a bathing suit, I’d join you. I drove for two days to get up here, so my back could use the heat,” she said.

“You look like you’re about the same size as Madison was before she got pregnant. I could probably find one of her swimsuits for you.”

“Oh, I don’t want to bother her right now,” she said. “She’s resting.”

His bear huffed in frustration.

“I’m sure she wouldn’t mind,” he blurted.

“I don’t want to interrupt her,” Abby said. “I’ll buy a bathing suit in the morning.”

“Okay,” he said. “But if you change your mind, I’ll be out there later tonight.”

Really? Could you sound any more desperate? Damn bear.

“We’ll see,” she said with an enigmatic smile.

His bear did a somersault at the possibility of seeing Abby in a bathing suit. The beast argued that it would be even better if he could convince her to go skinny dipping. Of course his bear would want to go from zero to naked in two-point-five seconds. The creature had always been hard to control. But in this case, he had to agree.

Too bad he’d vowed not to get tangled up in another relationship with a guest. He’d learned that lesson once before and now he was strictly hands off. He could look, but he couldn’t touch—regardless of how much he wanted her.

Chapter 2

Abby stood at the window in her bedroom at the B & B and stared out at the moonlit night. The serenity of the gently rolling hills across the lake did nothing to calm her nerves. She couldn’t stop wondering where Edward Lee Drake was right now. Was he stalking the streets of Dallas while looking for his next victim? Did he already have another boy locked in the basement?

She clenched her fists. Maybe Browning was right. Maybe it was her fault. If Drake took another child, how could she live with herself knowing that she could have done something to prevent it?

She turned away from the window and eyed the discarded novel on the bed. After reading the same sentence five times, she’d given up. So far, she’d tried reading, taking a hot bath, and pacing the length of the room for the last two hours. Nothing was working. And why would it? She’d failed at keeping a child predator in jail. If she could fail at something as big as that, how could she accomplish anything else?

A long sigh escaped her lips as she returned her gaze to the window. Movement near the end of the road caught her attention. As the dark blob moved closer, she realized it was a man.

When he reached the front of the house, she recognized Cody. He looked up at the window and smiled. She stepped back in surprise. The digital clock on the nightstand glowed 10:30 p.m. What was he doing outside at this time of night?

Oh, right—the hot tub.

She leaned forward and looked down to find him standing with his head cocked to one side. When he spotted her, he grinned and pointed to the side of the house. Maybe he was showing her the way to the hot tub?

Come out
, he mouthed while waving an invitation to join him.

Although she didn’t have a bathing suit, she considered joining him. What better way to take her mind off of Drake? Escaping the disaster that was her life was the whole point of the trip. In that context, running out in the middle of the night made sense. Why the hell not? She could wear her bra and panties. Bikinis didn’t cover any more skin than that anyway. Besides, they were both adults.

She nodded and held up a finger indicating that he should wait for her. She didn’t want to risk going out into the snow and getting lost.

After taking off her clothes, she hurried into the bathroom to survey her body. Of course she’d worn granny panties for court. If she hadn’t been so upset, she would have stopped and bought new clothes during the fifteen hundred mile trek from Dallas to West Yellowstone. But she’d been too upset to do anything but drive.

Her sensible white bra did nothing for her plump figure. Back home, she had a rainbow of pushup bras and shapers. A lot of good they did her now. Oh well, it wasn’t like she was trying to seduce the hot cowboy. She just wanted to get out of the silent bedroom. Talking to another person would help get out of the increasingly negative head space she’d floundered in for the last two days.

After slipping into a fluffy white robe she’d found hanging in the bathroom, she tiptoed downstairs. Cody stood in the foyer.

“Hey,” he whispered. “You ready to help me break in the hot tub?”

“Break it in?” She arched a brow.

“Just a figure of speech,” he said innocently. It might have worked if he didn’t look like the cat that ate the canary.

“Lead the way,” she said.

He opened the front door and let her pass before closing it behind them. As she stepped into the chilly night, her lungs contracted in protest. She’d never inhaled air this cold. It had to be below zero. Was that cold enough to freeze your lungs from the inside out?

She hurried to keep up with Cody’s long strides. Dressed in jeans, a flannel shirt, and a jacket, he didn’t seemed fazed by the weather at all. He was probably used to it since he spent all of his time outside.

As they rounded the corner at the back of the B & B, Cody veered off toward the woods. She’d expected the hot tub to be on the back deck. Why would they put it so far away from the house? She was going to freeze her ass off when she got out of the water.

Just inside the tree line, a wooden deck appeared. A set of stairs led up to the three-foot-tall platform. When they reached the top, she gasped. A huge spa sat in the center of the deck. Steam curled up from the surface of the still water. Without waiting for an invitation, she slid out of the robe and laid it over one of the lounge chairs which encircled the hot tub.

She poked a toe into the water to test it. Perfect.

After grabbing onto the handrail, she quickly descended the steps into the near-scalding water. She bit back a moan of pleasure. The muscles in her back relaxed for the first time since the jury had read the verdict.

As she slid to rest against the side of the tub, the sound of a zipper cut through the relatively silent night. She glanced up just as Cody dropped his jeans. Her eyes went wide. He wasn’t wearing anything but a pair of boxers, which left little to the imagination. She quickly looked away.

He padded across the deck to a spot just behind her. The scrape of metal on metal sounded just before bubbles spurted from jets in the spa. She yelped, shocked by the blast of air against her back.

“Sorry, I guess I should have warned you,” he said.

“It’s okay. I just wasn’t expecting it.”

“I’m a man of many surprises,” he joked.

“Apparently.”

He walked back to the front of the spa and hooked his thumbs in his boxers. Her mouth went dry. Was he seriously about to strip? She didn’t even know him. Maybe this was a Montana thing? Maybe naked hot tubbing in the middle of the night was normal here.

“You don’t mind, do you?” he asked.

Unable to speak, she shook her head from side to side.

“I’m not a big fan of bathing suits,” he said. “I’m not really a fan of clothes in general. If it was up to me, I’d spend all of my time naked.”

She blinked. Holy shit. He was
huge
. She couldn’t stop staring as his boxers pooled at his feet. As he stepped out of them, she mentally yelled at herself to look away, but she couldn’t. Every perfectly defined muscle rippled as he leaned over to retrieve his clothes. When he turned to toss them onto a chair, his butt clenched and the sides of his thighs flexed.

She’d never seen a man so incredibly ripped in her life. The men she’d dated in Dallas had all run in the same high political circles as her father. None of them could compare to Cody’s incredible physique. Did all cowboys get that muscular, or was he a special case? She’d briefly met Mack and Logan, but they hadn’t strolled around naked in front of her, so she had no idea if they were just as hot.

As she suppressed a grin, Cody slipped into the water. He groaned and leaned his head back against the edge of the spa.

“This feels so good,” he said. “It was my turn to muck the stalls today. But don’t worry, I took a shower earlier.”

“That sounds like a lot of work,” she said. “Not the shower part, the mucking part.”

“It’s definitely not my favorite job on the ranch. What do you do for work?”

“I’m… well, I was a lawyer.”

“Was?”

“Yeah.”

“Sounds like there’s a story behind that,” he said.

“Not one I want to talk about.” She crossed her arms over her chest.

“Suit yourself.” He shrugged.

As silence stretched between them, so did her nerves. Maybe she should talk to him about the case. He probably knew all about it already, so why hadn’t he brought it up? Maybe he had manners, unlike the staked-out reporters. She should have just rushed past them and gone home. No. Then she would have had to deal with her parents. It was a miracle they hadn’t called her yet.

“What kind of lawyer are you?” he asked.

“Prosecutor,” she replied. “But I’m sure you already knew that.”

“Why would I know that?” he asked as he sat up.

Her jaw tightened. Really? Was he actually going to fake ignorance of the trial? It had been front page news for a month. Everyone in the US had to know about it by now.

“Don’t you read the papers?” she asked.

“Nope.”

“Really? Who doesn’t read the paper every morning?” she asked.

“A lot of people,” he replied. “If I want to get the weather report, I step outside and look at the sky. If something major happens, like a big earthquake or a political scandal, someone will tell me when I go into town.”

“I can’t imagine not reading the paper every day. As soon as I could read, my father put a newspaper in my hands. When I was growing up, we’d sit and discuss the news while eating breakfast,” she said.

“I wouldn’t want a child to read about the horrific things going on in the world right now. Ignorance is bliss,” he said.

“You don’t care about current events?” she asked, dumbfounded.

“It’s not that I don’t care,” he said. “I just don’t see the point in worrying about things you can’t change.”

“That attitude is exactly why things don’t change.”

“Okay, let’s take war as an example. If I get up every morning and read about the atrocities of the past twenty-four hours, is that going to change anything?” he asked.

“No.”

“If I call my congressman, do you think he’ll be able to do anything about the war?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “Maybe?”

“It’s doubtful. I prefer to worry about the things that I can control, and not worry about the things that I can’t,” he said. “My brother Hank just married a sweet woman whose mom is a recovering drug addict. She taught me the serenity prayer, which basically sums up my approach to life.”

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things that I can, and the wisdom to know the difference,” she said.

“You know it?”

“Yeah. I used to go with my best friend to her AA meetings.”

“You sound like a good friend,” he said.

“I was,” she said.

“Was?”

“She ended up moving away from Dallas. She said she couldn’t resist the attraction of the bars she used to frequent. She needed a complete change of scenery. I didn’t understand it at the time, but I get it now.”

“What happened?”

“A couple of days ago, I lost a huge court case. It’s been covered extensively by every media outlet in the country. That’s why I was so shocked that you didn’t recognize me,” she said.

“What was the case about?” he asked.

“A man kidnapped a child and murdered him after keeping him locked in the basement for a week. I was the lead prosecutor… and I lost the case.” She fought back tears.

“Hey,” he whispered as he moved closer. “You probably did everything you could. Some juries are just too stupid to convict an obviously guilty person. Look at the O.J. trial.”

“The prosecutors royally fucked up that case,” she said.

“They shouldn’t have asked him to put on the glove.”

“Yep. Rule number one—never ask a question you don’t know the answer to. I didn’t make that mistake in the trial. I never asked anything that I wasn’t sure about. But it didn’t matter. They still acquitted him.”

“If you did everything you were supposed to do then it wasn’t your fault,” he said.

“I wish I could believe that.”

She leaned back and stared up at the night sky. A million stars twinkled overhead. If she believed in magic, she’d wish for a different verdict. But no amount of sorcery could take away the pit of despair in her stomach.

During their conversation, Cody had moved close enough that she could see the expression on his face. His eyes were closed, giving her an opportunity to study the wash of stubble along his chin. Her fingers twitched with the urge to touch him.

She’d never been an impulsive person, but right now, a piece of her wanted to throw caution to the wind. The stress and tension of the trial had worn away her emotional defenses, leaving her raw and exposed. Maybe it was the aura of isolation, or the romantic mood of sharing a hot tub with a sexy stranger in the middle of a snow-enchanted forest. Whatever it was, she didn’t stop to question her sudden need to be closer to him.

***

Cody sensed her movement the way his bear sensed a predator’s stealth. But when he opened his eyes to find Abby sliding across the bench, the look in her eyes was anything but predatory. Longing radiated off of her with such intensity that it stole his breath. He’d never been able to resist a woman in need, especially someone so incredibly sexy.

The swell of her perfect breasts rose a few inches above the waterline. Bubbles lapped at her luscious curves, revealing and then hiding her soft, round figure. He loved a woman with wide hips and a bubble butt. She had both.

He’d only caught a quick look before she’d slipped into the hot tub, but he’d seen enough. Her large white panties and utterly boring bra did nothing to detract from her appeal. In fact, they implied an innocence he wasn’t used to seeing in women. Not that he didn’t appreciate frilly bras and lacy thongs—what hot blooded male didn’t—but he liked her conservative look. So many women liked to put everything on display these days that it left nothing to the imagination. In a way, it took away some of their mystery and made them less interesting.