Chapter 10: Chapter Nine

“I’m sorry, you agreed to what?” Jordan’s voice shouted through the phone in shock and excitement.

Ella yanked the cell away from her ear as Jordan continued to shout and put it on speaker to save her eardrum from future abuse. In the background, she could hear the chatter of people and the clink of dishes. Jordan’s conference was clearly in full swing.

“I know. Is this crazy? I feel crazy.” Ella chewed her lip as she studied her reflection. She felt like she was trying too hard. It was her brace’s fault. It was hard to find something casual and comfortable to wear over a brace.

And maybe she wanted to look just a little bit nice for Ty.

“I just want to show that I can put myself out there,” Ella continued, twisting in the mirror.

“I see,” Jordan said. “I knew he wasn’t as bad as you painted him.”

Ella cringed. She really had been a complete idiot when it came to Ty. Jordan echoing her earlier sentiments only proved it further. It was likely she had lost her chance with Ty, but at least she’d have a better idea after tonight.

“What are you wearing?” Jordan asked.

“I’m wearing a black tank dress with that cropped denim jacket you got me for my birthday.”

“And wear your hair down. You won’t regret it,” Jordan advised.

“Don’t read too much into this.” She pulled a pair of black flats over her feet and slipped the two silver bangles her mom gave her when she graduated community college over her wrist. “We’re friends working through the past.”

Jordan snorted. “Have you kissed him?”

Despite the fact her friend couldn’t see her, Ella could feel her face start to burn. Good thing Jordan was away at a conference instead of in the same room.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Jordan said smugly when Ella didn’t answer. “Have you told your dad yet?”

Jordan may as well have dumped ice on her good mood.

“There isn’t anything to tell yet.” For all she knew, after tonight, Ty would only be interested in a friendship. And she would take it.

“Does your dad even know that Ty is working on your horse?” Jordan followed up.

“Yeah, about that…” Ella said sucking air between her teeth. Jordan had a point. She needed to tell her dad. It was better he heard it from her rather than through some long-distance gossip. “I’ll tell him this week. I hope he doesn’t kill me.”

“Well, if the rumors are true, you and Ty sound like you’ll be hooking up soon,” Jordan predicted.

Ella cocked her head at the phone.

“How are you hearing the Garnet Valley rumors? I thought your conference was in Nevada.” Ella hadn’t realized the town gossip crossed state lines.

“Please,” Jordan laughed. “My family lives in Garnet Valley, and I’ve only been gone a week. My mom heard from your neighbor at her last grocery run.”

Leave it to Ms. Minna.

Ella stared at her reflection in the mirror. She had on light makeup, her hair was down, and in the black tank and denim jacket, she was the most dressed up she had been since the dance at the Dillon rodeo.

She was really going to do it. She was going to put herself out there. Not as a girl from the wrong end of town. Not as a winner. Just as Ella.

A wave of panic slowly washed over her. What if tonight was a complete disaster and people didn’t care who she was?

If felt like she was ripping herself open and showing off her weaknesses for the town to see.

And Ty was definitely one of her weaknesses.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” she said quickly to Jordan.

“Of course you can. If you’re second-guessing the dress, don’t,” Jordan said, as though reading her mind. “Just give Ty a chance and follow through on your word. I think Ty will surprise you.”

Ella chewed her lip.

“Promise you’ll wear the dress?” her friend asked, her voice calm and soothing.

Ella sighed and pulled her hair over her shoulder. “I’m wearing the dress.”

“Good. That cowboy is going to be a puddle at your feet,” Jordan said smugly.

That didn’t help her nerves one bit.

Ella looked stunning.

Ty sucked in a breath and rubbed his jaw as she came out of the house, free of crutches, wearing a soft-looking black dress and a denim jacket. Her dark hair fell in waves over her shoulders and curled around her breasts.

The brace still restricted her movement, but that didn’t detract from how beautiful she was.

“Is everything okay?” Ella asked as he walked her to the truck.

He could barely breath, she was so pretty.

“I’m fine.”

The corners of Ella’s mouth pulled down for a second, then she shrugged and hoisted herself up into the truck. “Thanks for picking me up. I’m still feeling a bit off with the crutches gone. I guess I was more dependent on them than I had realized.”

Her hand rested on the console between them as he maneuvered the truck to the Last Saloon. Her long fingers were slightly spread, as though waiting for him to twine his hand with hers.

It was only that reminder that tonight was her trial run that stopped him.

The Last Saloon was crowded, as it always was for trivia night. The event gave the community a chance to get out, socialize, and compete. Those who didn’t like trivia came down for the wings and dancing afterward. Either way, the monthly night was a hit with the town.

Ty pushed the heavy front door open and was greeted by an onslaught of conversation and laugher. Crowds weren’t his thing, but he did enjoy trivia night.

He maneuvered around the crowd, weaving his way through the bodies as he looked for familiar faces. Ella stayed close behind him. Both of his brothers were supposed to be here, as well as a few friends from around town.

A warm delicate hand pressed lightly on his back, and a flare of heat rocked through him.

“Over there,” Ella said, leaning close so he could hear her above the conversation. The nearness of her lips and breath against the shell of his ear had him suppressing a groan. Looking in the direction she pointed, he spotted his brothers, their ladies, and a couple of longtime friends, and, of course, Lindsey.

If Ella had anything to say against the other woman, she kept it to herself as he grabbed her hand and led her to the table.

If anyone was surprised to see him with Ella, no one said a word. Gus and Hailey greeted Ella immediately, wrapping their arms around her in quick hugs.

Ty smiled to himself as Ella looked a little surprised at the fondness but hugged them back. He seated himself next to Colton and pulled a chair close for Ella.

“Ella,” someone in the crowd called. “It’s good to see you.”

Ella’s hands on the table curled into themselves, then relaxed as she turned around and smiled at the woman who called out.

“Did you ever come to trivia?” Ty asked after Ella exchanged small talk with the woman. Another person called her name, and Ella waved back.

“On occasion with Jordan, but we’d typically sit in a corner and eat wings.” Ella grimaced and ducked her head, her dark hair gleaming softly in the dim light. “I guess I was hiding away. I had no idea people would be happy to see me.”

A few more people stopped by to say hi. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Lindsey giving his dark-haired beauty long glances. After hearing about the prom prank, he couldn’t help feeling a little irritated at Lindsey’s youthful immaturity but forced himself to let it go. Lindsey had changed, and honestly, so had he and Ella.

He leaned back, looking for the waitress, the move shifting his body closer to Ella’s. The coconut scent of her shampoo managed to rise about the smells of beer and wings, arresting his attention as she pulled her hair forward and over her chest.

“Everyone is staring,” she muttered softly under her breath. Her fingers twisted her long length of hair into a rope.

Indeed, there were quite a few people sneaking glances at them. Some were flat-out staring. Something told him the recent town gossip wasn’t helping. And honestly, part of him was thrilled to be seen out with Ella.

He shrugged. “Let them stare. We know what this is. Let them think whatever they want.”

Ella looked ready to say something but seemed to think better of it. He leaned closer to ask what was on her mind, but Colton interrupted.

“Ella, it’s good to see you. I was worried when you didn’t show up the last couple of days. It looks like you lost your crutches and are closer to recovery,” Colton said.

Ella’s shoulders relaxed. “I did. Just a few more weeks, and I should be back in the saddle. I can’t wait to be riding Red again.”

Ty stiffened. Red was not on track, and the more days that passed, the more concerned he became the horse wouldn’t be ready for the NFR.

Then, before he, or either of his brothers, could say a word, their waitress, April, stopped by. Ella’s knee pressed into his as she turned to place her order.

The young woman eyed them both with unconcealed interest as she took their orders.

“Glad to see you guys here tonight,” April said, gracing them with a wide, friendly smile. “Jace and Hailey, I’ve heard some people have been studying all week to get one up on you two. Are you ready for tonight?”

Ty snorted. Jace and Hailey usually teamed up for trivia, and last month, they destroyed everyone in the room.

“She’s the genius behind this operation,” Jace said, pointing at his wife fondly. “So the pressure is on her, not me.”

Hailey gave Jace a friendly smack. Ella laughed softly next to him as she watched the banter between his brother and sister-in-law.

“I’m not sure why everyone is talking up Jace and Hailey. I’m just as bad-ass at trivia as those two,” Ty said, smiling at his oldest brother so he knew Ty was joking.

“You’ve got to keep these Hartmans in check,” Gus said to Ella. “Or they get big egos like Ty here.”

Ella snorted. “It’s hard to keep that vet ego in check.”

She laughed as he rolled his eyes.

“The only egos here are Jace’s and Colton’s. I’ve got mine under control.” He reached up and tugged a lock of her dark hair, wrapping it around his fingers.

“Dear god,” Ella chuckled. “Fine. Fine. You have a miniscule ego. I have to grab a magnifying glass to find it.”

He couldn’t help himself and was soon laughing with her.

When he looked at Gus, her eyebrows were raised, and a smile played on her lips, like she knew a secret he didn’t.

Clearing his throat, he unwound Ella’s silky hair from his fingers and dropped his hands to the table. However, despite his best efforts, he was finding this laughing, friendly Ella impossible to resist. He wanted to be closer to her, to touch her. Her leg brushed against his, the contact ebbing and flowing along with the conversation.

He wanted more.

Leaning close, he murmured in her ear, “Are you having fun?”

Ella’s face turned a soft, pretty shade of pink under her olive skin. “Yeah. Your family is great.”

Her green eyes caught his, and suddenly their surroundings seemed to disappear. It didn’t matter that they were in a bar, or the crowd was so loud that they had to shout to talk to each other, or that dozens of eyes were on them, it felt like it was just them.

“Here are your beers!” April stopped just behind him and Ella, and with smooth movements, started unloading drinks from the black tray she carried.

Ella pulled away to give the blond waitress room to set the drinks down, but her knee still touched his. The contact was so innocent, yet it was driving him up the wall.

“And the trivia supplies,” the waitress added as she dropped trivia cards and pencils on the table.

“Thanks, April,” Ella said as she grabbed her beer and held it up. “Thanks everyone for letting me sit with you guys.”

Her face was flush as she said the words, but Ty knew that she was saying more than just thanks to his family.

“Of course,” Jace said. He leaned across the table. “By the way, do you know anything about horse bloodlines?”

Ty snorted. Jace, while still researching a stud, was now looking into brood mares as well.

Ella gave him a weird look. “Sure? Why do you ask?”

Which started a long conversation about Jace’s job to find a stud for the ranch. Ella threw in some of her insight, while Jace took notes on his phone, until trivia was announced.

“Team with me?” Ella asked Ty as people started to quiet down.

“Of course, partner,” he said, grinning at her. He dropped an arm on the back of her chair, pulling himself closer.

Ella flushed and took a drink of her beer. Ty watched with interest as he sipped the beer he planned to savor for the night.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lindsey get up and excuse herself. Grabbing her jacket and her purse, the other woman pushed through the crowd, not once looking back. It appeared she wasn’t planning on returning either.

That wasn’t like Lindsey. She normally said goodbye. At least to him.

“Everything okay?” he asked his buddies down at the end of the table.

They both shrugged. “She said something came up.”

Ty turned and watched her until she exited out the front door, her shoulders stiff as the door closed after her. Hopefully, everything was okay.

He tapped his thumb against the table, a static rhythm until Ella quietly slid her hand across the table and flattened her fingers against his.

“Go catch up with her,” Ella said softly.

He looked at her face, trying to discern if there was any sense of sarcasm or envy in her voice. But instead, all he found was her looking at him with wide, concerned eyes.

He hated having a friend hurt. Grabbing his phone from his pocket, he shot her a message. Lindsey was a big girl. Whatever was going on with her clearly had something to do with Ella. Shifting in his seat, he wondered just how long he’d been missing Lindsey’s snide comments.

“All right, ladies and gents,” the announcer called. “It’s that time. The one you’ve been waiting for. It’s Trivia Night!”

He turned to his trivia partner, who smiled happily up at him, and all troubles were forgotten.

Jace and Hailey not only kicked butt at trivia, they destroyed all competition.

Ella shook her head as she watched them rack up the points round after round. Jace watched his wife with quiet pride as Hailey furiously scrawled the answers to the trivia questions.

It was cute really. If she and Ty weren’t losing so bad.

“I’m sorry I ever said you had a big ego,” Ella whispered to Ty, leaning close so he could hear. The scent of pine and leather washed over her. “Jace and Hailey take trivia to a whole new level.”

“Tell me about it,” Ty laughed. The sound was low and gravelly, and her body reacted instantly, heating as she swayed closer to him. Her belly felt like a molten pool, and her panties were damp from the constant contact with the sexy vet sitting next to her.

It was driving her wild.

As soon as trivia wrapped up, the crowds began to disperse, some heading home for the night as others hit the dance floor or the pool tables. The jukebox was turned on, and music began to blast from the overhead speakers.

Jace and Hailey were laughing with each other, faces bright from another trivia win, and Colton smiled as he offered Gus his hand. Seconds later, both couples left the table to dance.

What happened now? Hailey pushed her trivia card to the middle of the table before giving him a tentative smile. She didn’t know if Ty planned to stick around or if he wanted to go.

Either way, she was game. Tonight turned out to be more fun than she was expecting. Why had she waited so long to put herself out there? It was so worth it.

She pressed her face against Ty’s shoulder and squeeze his forearm with her free hand.

“What’s that for?” he asked, his voice a low rumble.

“Thanks for getting me out of my shell,” she said.

“Any time.” He slid his hand over hers, trapping her fingers against his arm.

People were passing by their table, and she could see the sidelong glances. Biting her lip, she fought her body’s urge to snuggle in closer and instead pulled away.

If Ty noticed anyone staring, he didn’t show it. His leg pressed against hers, thigh to thigh, calf to calf, the denim of his pants creating a slight friction against the bare skin of her leg.

Ty finished the last drops of water he had started half an hour ago and set the glass on the table. “I hate to do this, but I have a surgery first thing tomorrow and should probably head home. I can give you a ride if you want, or if you prefer to stay, I’m sure Jace or Colton can help you get back.”

“I’m ready to head home,” she said. The evening, while fun, was beginning to wear her down.

And she wanted a bit more time with Ty.

Ty stood and helped her out of her chair, wrapping his warm hand around hers to steady her. He didn’t let go as he led her through the bar, going slow enough that she could keep up even with her brace.

They finally broke through the crowd and pushed through the door into the cool night air. Ella took a deep breath of clean mountain air mixed with the sweet scent of fields and baked dirt roads. The smell of her hometown during the early fall.

Ty put his hand at the small of her back as they headed to his truck across the street. There was a bite in the air, and Ella shivered in her little denim jacket.

The ride back to her place was silent. Tense. Ty had been flirting with her all night, and not knowing what to expect only made her crave him more. He could just drop her off and drive home. Or he could stay a while. Just the hope that something would happen had her body humming with anticipation.

Ty parked in her driveway.

“Wait here,” he said before walking around her side of the truck to help her out.

His fingers lingered on her waist after she was steady on the ground, and he didn’t immediately move away. His hooded eyes were drinking her in, and her body arched in response.

Her knees felt like liquid and her body seemed too heavy to support itself. Bracing her hands against Ty’s chest, she leaned into him.

“Thanks for agreeing to this,” she said, her voice low. “I couldn’t have done this without you. I would have felt like everyone was laughing at me.”

“No one was laughing at you.” Ty’s voice was firm, gravelly. His brows pulled together, studying her carefully as he gently ran his thumb along her cheekbone.

Her breath hitched at the contact as lust surged through her.

“You were gorgeous tonight.” Dropping his head, Ty’s lips followed the path of his thumb, trailing soft, gentle kisses along her cheekbone, then jawline. “I hope you realize that.”

“Ty?” Her voice was breathy, practically a moan.

“Damn it,” he growled, then pulled her close.

His mouth found hers, hot and insistent. Like he couldn’t handle himself any longer. His tongue licked the seam of her lips, and she opened to him, yielding against his slightest pressure.

Before she knew it, her back was against the truck door, her legs parted, and she was straddling his thigh, her skirt up around her waist.

And she didn’t care. The cool evening air was a delicious contrast to the heat pooling between her legs and the rough denim that clad Ty’s thigh.

His mouth was hot as he took control, bracing his arms on either side of her as though if he touched her, he’d lose all control.

She wanted him to lose that control. Her fingers went to his shirt, pulling it out of the waistband, and she was immediately rewarded with the smooth skin of his stomach. She traced the lines of his abdominal muscles, following the path until they disappeared into the waistband of his jeans.

Tucking her fingers into the band, she nipped at his lower lip before going to his jeans button.

“Ella,” Ty groaned. His biceps flexed, and he broke the kiss. “Damn.”

Emotion battled over his face as though he were trying to restrain himself and was struggling to do so. He dropped his head, tracing a line of kisses along her jaw then collarbone, as though he couldn’t help himself.

“Want to come in?” There was no mistaking the throatiness in her voice and what the invitation was really for.

Ty froze, his mouth against her neck. Then, with a groan, he straightened, bracing his body against his arms.

“I can’t. Not tonight.” There was a hint of regret in his voice.

She froze, trapped in the cage of his arms. “Did I do something—”

“No,” he interrupted. “I just… Not yet.” He ran a hand over his face. “It’s not anything you did tonight. Tonight was amazing. I just don’t trust that this isn’t a one-time thing. I want this to be more. I really do, but only if you want more than one night of fun.”

If she wanted more than one night of fun? Of course she did. That seemed like an obvious answer.

But clearly there was more to it than he was saying. Only earlier this week she had hurt him, and after learning about his mom leaving, something told her that he was as wary about letting people in as she was. While she couldn’t fix the break with his mom, she could try to weld together the pieces she had broken. Somehow, she had to prove how serious she was, then hope that she hadn’t destroyed whatever chance she did have.

Ty pushed away, rubbing at his jaw. His body was hard and rigid, and she was finding it impossible to look away.

“I’ll stop by tomorrow to feed. Does that work?” he asked.

She nodded, suddenly feeling a little foolish.

“Just think about what you want,” Ty said, lust steeped in his voice. “We can talk about it later.”

Then with one last, light kiss on her lips, he walked her to her front door, waited until she was inside, and then headed back to his truck.

From her living room window, she watched him drive away. As she prepared for bed, she found herself wondering if now that she wanted more, Ty had decided he had enough.