Chapter Seven

“What are we doing here?” Ella asked as Ty pulled his truck into the parking lot in front of Joe’s Deli.

It had been three days since Ty brought the pony over, and, as much as she hated to admit it, he was right. Mickey was much happier with some equine company and had stopped cribbing and pawing. She’d decided to put the two together tomorrow, and Ty agreed to the plan. Considering Mickey was constantly standing near the pony’s enclosure, trying to be closer, Ella had a feeling the transition would be smooth.

“Getting lunch. On me,” Ty said turning off the truck. “Unless you’re happy with whatever you packed in that paper bag.”

She glanced down at the brown paper bag at her feet that contained yet another peanut butter and jelly sandwich with some celery sticks.

Not exactly the lunch of champions. After she bought her ranch and got it running, she would be happy to never see another PB and J again. However, at the moment, she had bread and peanut butter in the pantry, and she was grateful for that.

“I’m good.”

Ty turned to her. “Are you? Because this is the third time I’ve picked you up around lunch, and each time you’ve brought the same sad sandwich in a brown paper bag.”

“Wow, judge much?” She nudged the bag with her toe. “What if I happen to like my lunches?” After all, that sandwich was her sad sandwich.

Ty held up his hands. “Fine. But now I’m wondering, how are you doing on groceries?”

She narrowed her eyes. Her supplies were running low, but if she became desperate, she could go with Ms. Minna on her grocery social outing. She wasn’t that desperate yet. She still had eggs, peanut butter, bread, and part of a casserole.

“I’m fine.”

A muscle ticked in Ty’s jaw as he studied her, as though trying to read her mind. “It wouldn’t hurt to accept help sometimes.”

Accept help? She accepted plenty of help—from Jordan and her two neighbors. She was just about to tell him so when he opened the door and got out of the truck.

Pushing open her door, she scrambled out, struggling with her crutches. “I accept help.”

“Yeah, after it’s forced on you,” Ty retorted over his shoulder.

Ty opened the worn wood door and waited until she caught up, holding it open for her.

To prove her point, she swallowed the comment that she could hold the door herself and headed inside.

Joe’s Deli hadn’t changed since Joe started the place decades ago. He had since retired, and his son Mike now ran the place. Mike’s kids were frequently helping out, and one smiled at her as they approached the counter.

Rock music from the late fifties and early sixties played overhead as she breathed in the scent of sweet ice cream and fresh-baked bread. She inhaled deeply, her argument with Ty ebbing from her mind. Going to Joe’s was a treat for her. Something that she did on occasion when she wanted something special for lunch.

Coming in on a random Tuesday was not special. She quickly calculated how this would affect her weekly budget, which was already stretched tight as Ty cared for Red. Hopefully, Ty’s therapy was working, and she’d be back on the rodeo circuit before she knew it and earning her big paycheck once more.

It was just before noon, so she and Ty were the only customers at the moment. Thank god. Between Ms. Minna and the rumor mill, there was enough gossip rolling around about the two of them without adding fuel to the fire by getting lunch together.

“You ready to order?” Ty asked. His expression was sharp, assessing, as though he were daring her to not accept his offer.

“I can accept help,” she hissed at him. “Ordering lunch isn’t going to prove that.”

Ty gave a lazy shrug. “Sure. I see you do it all the time.”

She chose to ignore the thin veneer of sarcasm.

Ty continued, “I’m just saying that maybe you should give the people of this town the benefit of the doubt. It’s not like they’re out to get you.”

No, but judging how they talked about her father who almost lost their home after they sold the horses and the feed store closed, the people of this town weren’t exactly supportive either.

Head held high, just to show Ty she could accept an offer, she ordered an Italian sub.

She’d save her PB and J for dinner tonight.

Ty moved next to her to place his order. He wasn’t touching her, but his nearness made her all too aware of him. That kiss was still at the forefront of her mind, and despite the fact they hadn’t kissed since, her body seemed to be in tune to his every move. Ty’s scent wrapped around her like a warm hug.

Since the conversation about his mom, the man kept his distance, but she frequently caught him looking at her with heat in his eyes.

It was thrilling and unnerving at the same time. It didn’t help she kept noticing little details about him, like the freckles on his cheeks that were impossible to see unless you were up close. Every time she noticed something new, she found herself wondering, just how wrong was she about Ty?

Maybe her grudge against him was as misplaced as her father’s grudge against the entire Hartman clan. She still hadn’t told her father about Red staying at the Rocking H, though she had mentioned her horse was getting therapy. Eventually she’d have to say something.

She gripped her crutches tighter and eased herself from the space. Pulling her wallet out of her pocket, she handed Ty a ten, which he waved away.

“Take it,” she insisted, and tucked the bill into the front pocket of his shirt.

Her fingers brushed the hard plane on his chest. It was an innocent, unconscious move, but a warm spark raced from the tips of her fingers to deep in her core.

She swallowed, her fingers still pressed against his hard muscle, feeling the heat of his body against the sensitive pads of her hand.

What would it be like to touch him without his shirt?

She glanced up at him.

His face was stony. The only hint that he felt anything was the color staining his high cheekbones.

The cafe door opened, and a blond woman stepped in.

Sucking in a sharp breath, Ella dropped her hand and turned away. Of all the people to walk in, Lindsey was the last person she wanted to see. She wasn’t ready to face the other woman, not after the accident. She didn’t want to hear the gloat or smugness in Lindsey’s voice.

Holding perfectly still, Ella did her best to blend with the old-school fifties’ décor of the sandwich shop, thought it was probably next to impossible as she stood next to a six-foot-something vet. Ty, who was wrapping up the order, hadn’t even noticed Lindsey.

Maybe it wasn’t too late to run to the bathroom. If Lindsey was focused on Ty—

“Ella.” Lindsey’s voice rang out across the shop.

Damn it. Ella’s shoulders crept up to her ears.

“I’m surprised to see you here.” The smile on Lindsey’s face didn’t quite reach her eyes as the other woman took in the crutches Ella had tucked tightly against her sides.

As usual, Lindsey was decked to the nines—her expensive chandelier earrings caught the sunlight filtering through the window, her sheer black top offset her pale hair, and no doubt there were rhinestones on the back pockets of what looked like brand-new designer jeans.

Ella wished she could pull her arm across her stomach and cover the plain black tank she had pulled on over her worn, cutoff shorts. Her white sneakers, while new, were nowhere near as fancy as the strappy leather sandals Lindsey had on her manicured feet.

“Congrats on placing first in Dillon’s rodeo. It wasn’t my best run that weekend, but—” Lindsey’s eyes dropped pointedly to the crutches. “I guess that doesn’t matter anyway. How long are you out for?”

Gritting her teeth, Ella forced herself to ignore the barb. Pushing her shoulders back, she swallowed the retort on her tongue. Lindsey did not have a good run this past weekend, and Ella was still leading in the standings.

“Long enough,” Ella said, keeping it vague.

“Shame.” Lindsey’s gaze moved behind Ella, and the smile on her face grew. “Hey there, cowboy.”

Ella rolled her eyes.

“Lindsey. Didn’t expect to see you here,” Ty said easily.

The warmth in his voice irritated Ella.

“Just grabbing some lunch.” Lindsey looked between the two of them, interest sparking in her eyes. “So, are the rumors true?”

Ella didn’t dare look at Ty. The last time she confessed feelings for Ty to Lindsey, she ended up being a victim of a high school prank. Granted they were older and wiser, but she wasn’t willing to put herself out there again.

While Ella knew that Lindsey and Ty still hung out on occasion, the blatant interest on the other woman’s face did not sit well.

“Italian sandwich and turkey club,” the high school kid behind the counter called.

Thank god. Despite being on crutches, she managed to beat Ty to the counter. At least the kid had the foresight to put everything in a plastic bag, making it easier to carry.

Grabbing their lunch, she turned in time to see Lindsey tilt her head as she peered up at Ty. Her long curls spilled flirtatiously past her shoulder and over her breast.

“Maybe we can hang out sometime. It’s been a while,” the blond woman said.

Ella’s gut tightened and she squeezed the plastic handles of the bag.

She was not jealous. She was not jealous.

Okay, maybe just a little. But she was also tired of Lindsey always getting what she wanted.

“We should get going,” Ella said, her voice brusque. Ty looked at her like she just dropped in from another planet, but he didn’t argue with her.

“Call me,” Lindsey called after them. “Feel better soon.”

The last words felt like an afterthought, and Ella was surprised Lindsey didn’t add “but not too soon.” After all, the longer Ella was out, the better chance Lindsey had to qualify for the NFR.

One thing was for certain, she didn’t want Lindsey to qualify. The sooner she and Red recovered, the better. She needed back in the game as quickly as possible.

After leaving Joe’s Deli, Ella morphed from a feisty cowgirl to a woman he barely knew. She stewed in the passenger seat, arms crossed as he headed to the ranch. Anxiety rolled off her in waves, and it made the roomy truck cab feel claustrophobic.

“When’s the earliest Red will recover?” Her voice sounded brittle.

He slowed his rig as he approached the road that led to the Rocking H. Honestly, he didn’t know if he was relieved she was finally talking or annoyed the nice lunch he had planned in his head for them was getting ruined.

Annoyed. But not because his plans were ruined.

“You’re silent the entire trip back to the ranch, and the first question you ask has to do with Red’s timeline? As we discussed, if the therapy goes according to plan, we said eight to ten weeks,” he reminded her, trying to keep the irritation from his voice. “But it’s still up in the air.”

At the moment, while Red was showing improvement, it wasn’t as quick as he would like.

“Fine. Whatever it takes for Red to heal as quickly as possible so I can get back out there.” Her shoulders were tense, and she wasn’t looking at him.

This had something to do with Lindsey. The second the other woman walked into Joe’s Ella’s mood turned.

Granted Lindsey wasn’t the easiest person in high school. He’d heard Ella and Lindsey had a falling out their junior year though he didn’t know what caused it. He always assumed it was because Lindsey had everything handed to her with minimal effort, and Ella had to earn everything in her name.

However, Lindsey had changed over the years. Life got handed to her a few times, and her breakup with Jeff seemed to open her eyes that she wasn’t the most important person in the world. She was definitely working on being more empathetic with people less fortunate than her.

“I feel like there is more going on than what you’re sharing with me right now,” he said, keeping his voice mellow.

Ella looked out the window and didn’t say anything.

Alright, fine. He had a solution to her stubborn silence.

As they reached the ranch, he didn’t slow to park at the barn. Instead, he drove past the structure, past the pen where Red was kept, and toward the pasture they kept their cows during the winter.

The dirt road to the small creek was well worn over the years. The truck bumped and rolled along the path until they reached a small grove of trees.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Ella shooting him a questioning look, but she didn’t say anything.

That’s fine, he could be patient. He was a vet after all and was used to dealing with stubborn and angry animals. Patient was his middle name.

He parked by the small grove, locating the truck bed in the shade dappled with sunlight. The silence was broken by the sound of the babbling creek and the occasional lull from the cow herd nearby. In the distance, he could see the old cow dog ambling out to greet them.

This was his own peaceful paradise, quiet and private. Growing up, it was where he escaped when his father was too distant, when the absence of his family hurt too much, or when life wasn’t going his way. This spot was his haven.

Hopefully, Ella, in all her prickliness, could let her spikes down for a minute to enjoy this peace. It was a small gift he was offering her.

“I thought we could enjoy lunch before working on Red,” he explained as he killed the engine. The other vet at the practice was taking the afternoon appointments, so unless an emergency popped up, Ty could enjoy a longer lunch. “Do you have other plans today?”

Ella shook her head then got out of the truck. “No plans.”

She looked around as he pulled the tailgate down and grabbed a woven blanket out of the emergency bag he kept in his truck in case he broke down in the middle of nowhere.

“It’s beautiful out here,” she added as he spread the blanket on the tailgate and set their lunch to one side.

He turned to her. “I’ll help you onto the tailgate.”

Her eyes went wide, and the guarded mask she wore dropped. Her face flushed, and he could see exactly where her mind was going—to that kiss only days before. He had hauled her onto the tailgate during that moment, desperate to have her wrapped around him.

His body hardened at the memory.

“Help me how?” Ella asked, her voice wary as he took the crutches from her hands and propped them on the side of the truck.

“Like this.” Ty moved closer, aligning his body with hers. Her gaze followed his, and as he dropped his chin down, she tilted her head back. Her movement was miniscule, a mere fraction, but it was just enough to align her mouth with his.

All he had to do was lean down and claim her.

“I’m going to touch you,” he murmured, giving her full warning so she could stop him if she wanted to.

Her pupils dilated, flooding out the green of her eyes, as she nodded.

His heart hammered in his chest, and the dry Montana air somehow felt even drier.

Bracing his legs on either side of her, he circled his hands around her waist. The warmth of her body seeped through her clothes, and he wanted nothing more than to slip his hands under her shirt and feel her soft skin.

Ella bit her lip, drawing his attention to her full mouth, and he nearly groaned.

His dick pressed hard against his zipper, and he hoped she didn’t notice.

He tightened his hands around her waist and lifted her easily onto the tailgate. Her gaze never left his.

Clearing his throat, he stepped away before he did something stupid, like kiss her again.

He eased himself into the spot next to her. Grabbing the sandwiches, he pulled out both paper-wrapped packages and handed the one marked Italian over to her. “Here.”

Her fingers brushed the back of his hand as she took the sandwich from him.

“Thanks.” Her voice was husky, and he could see the hint of haze in her eyes.

“I like it out here,” she added after a moment.

“It used to be my escape growing up. My private sanctuary. I thought you’d like it.”

Her green eyes held his, the look in them soft and understanding, as though she knew what this place really meant to him. “Thanks for bringing me.”

Ella carefully unwrapped the white paper and took a bite of her sandwich. They ate in silence as Ty tried to figure out just what to say. Unfortunately, the right words weren’t coming to him. Easy and eloquent words were never his thing. So he opted to just put it out there.

“What’s up with Lindsey?”

Ella went eerily still. Apparently, the blunt approach was not the best approach.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

She wasn’t looking at him, her eyes focused on the food in her hand. Her thumb ran along a ridge at the top of her roll.

“Don’t think I didn’t notice. The second she walked into the deli, you got weird. Defensive, even.”

Ella shifted in her spot, as though uncomfortable.

“We just don’t get along.” Her words were firm, as though she were stating a fact.

“I know you two were once friends,” he tried again.

She snorted. “Sure, once I started rising in the ranks at high school rodeo, Lindsey thought it would be okay to be friends. Then when I became better than her, winning at the rodeos she used to win, she no longer saw me as a friend and more as competition. Then I made the horrid mistake of liking the same guy she did.”

She looked like she was bracing herself, steeling herself for any attack from him.

“I’m sorry,” he started. “I didn’t know—”

Ella gave a short, bitter laugh. “Yeah, right, you didn’t know.”

What did that mean?

He turned toward her, but Ella was already looking away.

“Excuse me? What exactly are you implying here?” There was no way she thought he was involved in her falling out with Lindsey.

Ella scoffed. “It’s nothing. Old history. We’ve both moved on. It’s just made me wary of people, that’s all.”

She picked at the crust of the roll, tearing it away in chunks.

He covered her hand with his before she could mutilate the bread further.

“I’m still not clear what you’re talking about. Maybe you should get it out in the open.”

She shook her head.

“Ella?” he prodded.

She dropped her chin to her chest. “Why are you making me relive this?”

“I’m curious what I’m making you relive.” Something wasn’t adding up. What did he do that she considered so terrible? “Why don’t you explain it to me?”

Ella bit her lip and then let out a breath. “Fine. It’s about that prank? For prom? How you asked me to prom with the plan to ditch me that night?”

All he could do was stare. Ella shoulders hunched forward as he searched his memory for any prom prank he could recall.

None came to mind. The only event that popped up was the time she coldly and brutally cut him down in front of everyone on the football field.

“I’m sorry, what prank?”

Her jaw dropped, and she whirled on him, her green eyes hard. “Don’t play dumb with me. That stupid prank. I overheard Lindsey telling the plan to some of her friends. She was going to have one of the most popular guys in school ask me to prom and then ditch me the night of so they could laugh in my face. She knew I had a crush on you. It was the perfect revenge for someone who was clearly jealous of my success.”

And just like that, the reason she rejected him so cruelly clicked into place.

He must have looked like a trout fresh out of water as he gaped at her. How on earth could she think that about him?

His brain rushed to gather his thoughts, to make sense of what she just said, but the rational side of him was giving way to a simmer of emotions he had repressed long ago.

As the silence continued, the hardness on Ella’s face faded to confusion, as though she realized something wasn’t quite right.

“That’s why you told me you would rather take your dog to prom than some dirty cowboy?” There was a hardness to his tone that he couldn’t hide, and every muscle in his body began to clench.

Her warm hand was still interlaced with his, and he released it like it was a snake he grabbed inadvertently.

Hurt and confusion ran across her features, and she crossed her arms tight over her chest.

An hour ago, he would have pulled her close. Now? There was no way in hell.

“I… Yes. I know it was terrible, but I was trying to protect myself.”

The fact she thought he could do something so cruel cut him to the quick.

“You were protecting yourself from someone who didn’t what to hurt you,” he snapped. “I didn’t set you up. I was truly asking you to prom.”

She blinked. “Excuse me?”

“I wasn’t part of the prank. You’re accusing me of something I didn’t even know about.” Just saying it out loud pissed him off even more.

Ella shook her head. “What about you and Jeff? You two always hung out; he clearly knew about the prank. I had assumed…I mean, I thought…” Her voice faded as though she put two and two together.

Ty would bet his ranch that Jeff was the guy who was supposed to ask her. It was around that time that Ty started noticing that Jeff had a mean streak he didn’t like.

“Yeah, Jeff and I hung out, and yes, he turned into an awful person. That’s why I ended the friendship. I didn’t want to be around someone like him anymore. I had better people to spend my time with.” Ty pulled at the ends of his hair. “But what on earth did I do to deserve this reputation you have of me?”

Ella seemed to be folding in on herself, her green eyes wide and overwhelmed. He didn’t care. She brought this on herself.

“I had a crush on you, for years. That’s why I asked you to prom.” It was she who had pulled the stopper on his emotions, unbottling years of pent-up frustration. He was so tired of her thinking he was this awful person when he never deserved it. “I get that you were hurt, but that cut you gave me on the field hurt as well. You’ve assumed I’m some horrible person for years all because of some high school grudge.”

If Ella could physically backpedal, it looked like she would have. “I—I didn’t know. I just assumed—”

“If you think I’m that terrible, then why are you letting me help you out in the first place? Are you using me?” The words grated as he said them. He thought back to all the times they interacted, trying to pinpoint a moment where she could develop this perception of him.

“I’m not using you,” she said, suddenly defensive. “You kept inserting yourself into the situation.”

She may as well have slapped him.

Any retort he had flew out of his mind as he stared at her.

Ella tried to reach for his hand, but he pulled it away. “Ty, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t—”

“How much longer are you on the crutches?” His words were flat, brittle. The same tone he used with Colton when his brother finally returned to Montana. If he spoke like he didn’t care, then he couldn’t care, right?

Liar.

She hesitated, clearly trying to figure out the direction he was going. “The doctor says another week, and then I can stop using them.”

“Great.” He rolled his sandwich up in its paper and stuffed it back in the plastic sack. He was done. He couldn’t do this anymore. He wasn’t going to play martyr to someone he had a crush on for over a decade and who thought he was an awful person. “I’ll help you out for one more week. After that, you’re on your own. I’m done trying.”