All Night with the Cowboy Read online

  Her heart did a little flutter, but she ignored it. Tanner was in the past, period. This was a professional engagement, nothing more, nothing less. So what if she’d technically be vacationing with him on a beautiful island in Fiji? The fact her skin was on fire had nothing to do with Tanner, and she’d booked this trip months ago as a way to prove to herself and everyone else in her life that she was capable of relaxation. The irony that she’d now be working on her one vacation in almost a decade wasn’t lost on her though.

  She texted Mia back, her thumb flying fast over the screen of her iPhone.

  All confirmed, available for the entire three weeks if needed. Send me through all the final details, including his latest scans and reports so I can review, and you should already have my itinerary so you can schedule his flights and room. Looking forward to it. Lauren.

  She set her phone down and scooped her long dark hair up into a ponytail, slipping a tie from her wrist. She stripped down, put on tights and a t-shirt, then made her way into the adjoining bathroom. Lauren turned the faucet on and studied her face while she waited for the water to run hot. What would Tanner think after all this time? Would he think she’d aged? That she was different? Her face was a little slimmer than it had been back in high school and there were tiny lines feathering beside her eyes, but hell, that was twelve years ago. He’d probably changed since then, too.

  She washed her face then dried it and rubbed in some tinted moisturizer before brushing her teeth and heading downstairs. She’d walk to yoga and grab a shake for breakfast on the way. Who knew, it might help her stop thinking about a handsome as hell, reckless, fun-loving cowboy who’d stolen her heart in high school and had never, ever truly given it back to her. Or if he had, it sure as heck wasn’t in one piece.

  She grabbed her phone off the counter and her keys, then let herself out and locked the door, smiling the second sunshine hit her face and a light breeze of wind tickled against her bare skin.

  Lauren dialed her sister, Hannah, grinning to herself as she thought about her sister’s reaction to what she was doing.

  “Hey,” Hannah answered. “Tell me something exciting. Did you go out last night?”

  “Me, exciting?” Lauren laughed. “Come on, you know me, an exciting night is watching more than one show on Netflix and getting a big sleep.”

  “Seriously, when you’re up to your elbows in diapers one day, with kids’ television shows blaring, and you’re operating on zero sleep and way too many coffees? You’ll be wishing you’d made the most of your single years.”

  Lauren stifled a laugh. She didn’t know whether Hannah was joking or whether it was a genuine plea for help. “You need me to come over and help out?” she asked. “Because seriously, I was just going to a class. I can jump in my car and be there in, like, an hour?”

  “No.” Hannah sighed. “I just, you know, I love my kids so much but sometimes I’d just like to hit pause for a day, a weekend, heck maybe even an entire week. It’d be nice to go to the toilet for once without having an audience of little people.”

  “I can’t imagine being at home with kids. It must be…” she wasn’t sure what the word was. Boring? Repetitive? “But I do totally get the operating on coffee and zero sleep thing, that’s one thing I do understand.”

  “Rewarding,” Hannah said for her. “It’s all meant to be so rewarding, and I get it, I do. I love my kids so much my heart just about bursts sometimes, but I’m still the old me, too. I want to drink too much every once in a while and sleep in, or just talk to another adult for longer than thirty minutes without someone throwing up on me or pooping or needing to be fed.”

  “You realize you’re totally putting me off ever having children, right?” Lauren teased. “You may never be an aunty if you keep being so honest with me about this whole child rearing business.”

  “You’d actually need to meet someone first, you do know that, don’t you? And your last boyfriend doesn’t count because he was a douche bag.” Hannah said as crying erupted in the background. “You haven’t started dating some gorgeous player, have you? Because if you have I want every juicy detail. Don’t leave anything out!”

  Lauren laughed. “Not a chance. You know I’m way too professional for that.”

  She heard it all the time from Hannah, and her mom, and just about every other woman in her life. She even received raised eyebrows from the player’s wives and girlfriends early on, until they’d quickly realized they had nothing to worry about where she was concerned. She just didn’t look at the guys she worked on like that. She took her job as physical therapist with the Texas Rangers seriously, and she would never, ever date a player or let anything happen to ruin her career. Or theirs.

  “I was calling to say that my trip is next week,” she said, talking louder as the crying intensified. “In case you’d forgotten.”

  “Ha!” Hannah scoffed. “Like I’d forget the exact hour you’re flying to some magical island and leaving me in domestic bliss.”

  “I just, well, things have changed a little, so it’s not exactly the vacation I planned.”

  “Don’t tell me you’re working in the off-season again? You need a proper break!”

  “Well, it’ll be part vacation, part work,” Lauren told her. “Heavy on the vacation part though.”

  “I’d do anything to be going to Fiji right now, so I guess if you have to combine it with some work, so be it.”

  “The work’s with, um, well, with Tanner. You remember Tanner Ford?”

  There was silence down the line. She had no idea where the crying child had gone or if Hannah was even there still.

  “Tanner?” Hannah suddenly hissed. “Tanner Ford? Quick, spill, I’ve locked myself outside for a minute.”

  Lauren smiled as she imagined Hannah on the other side of the door, with pudgy-faced, sticky-fingered little ones pressed to the glass, watching mommy from inside.

  “It’s a professional trip for him. He’s injured and his sister called me to see if I’d work on him. He needs intensive rehab to get ready for the next season, and…”

  “Is he okay with this? I mean, you kind of broke the guy’s heart, Lauren.”

  And mine. Lauren had never, ever forgotten the deep burn in her chest and the pain that reverberated through every inch at her when she’d walked away from Tanner. It was heartbreak like she’d never known before, and she’d made sure to protect herself from it ever happening again, too.

  “I guess I’ll find out soon enough,” she replied. “Honestly, he’s probably forgotten all about me. He’s a professional bull rider now and I doubt he’d have agreed to me treating him if he had a problem with it, and I said the only way I could work on him was if he met me in Fiji.”

  “Wow. Just, wow,” Hannah sighed. “Sorry, the kids are staring at me through the glass like I’ve abandoned them. I’d better go.”

  “Okay, see you later.”

  Lauren hung up and smiled to herself as she walked, imagining Hannah with her kids. They were a handful, with twins who weren’t yet two years old and a three-year-old too, but they were gorgeous. She was happy focusing on her career for now, but sometimes when she talked to Hannah or visited, it made her think about the future. She’d been so focused on work for so long that she needed to start making an effort with her social life, otherwise she’d probably wake up at 50, alone and wondering why the hell she’d never made an effort to go on any dates. And she knew she had a type—the guy who was fun for a little while but was never going to be anything serious, or someone nice who she had no intention of committing to. Deep down she knew she needed to put the effort into meeting the right guy, but …

  There’s always online dating, she thought, shuddering at the thought as she stopped outside her favorite café and headed in to order a juice. Over my dead body.

  Chapter 2

  “I feel like a kid being bossed around by his big sister,” Tanner grumbled as he stood, propped against the fence, watching Mia ride. She was on her favori
te mare, Indi, the only horse she was still exercising regularly now that she was six months pregnant.

  “Except I’m your little sister,” Mia called out, “and all I did was find the best PT in the state to work on you. You need to stop moaning and accept it.”

  “You do remember what it was like when Dad called in Sam, right? I recall you hearing he was the best horse trainer in Texas and still managing to act like a wildcat.” He wasn’t going to let her get away with acting superior on this particular topic.

  Mia pulled up in front of him, her horse blowing heavily. His sister was laughing. Why the hell did she find his plight so goddamn amusing?

  “And look at me now,” she said, gesturing to her stomach. “A belly full of baby and a cute-as-a-button kid inside the house. Maybe you’ll rekindle things with Lauren? It could be good for you.”

  Tanner glared at her. If she wasn’t pregnant, he’d have been tempted to climb through the railings and push her off her damn horse. He stretched his foot a little and grimaced, wishing his ankle wasn’t feeling so tight. His whole body was sore still, and he was trying to ease off on the painkillers—the last thing he needed was to down pills to make him feel better instead of actually solving the issues. He needed his body strong, which was the only reason he was going along with Mia’s plan.

  “Look, she’s the best, Tan. I’m not just trying to be a pain in the butt, I’m trying to do something meaningful to help you, okay?” She put one hand on her heart, holding her reins in the other. “I promise you that I looked at all options, but she was the only PT with such glowing references. She’s amazing at what she does, and everyone sings her praises.”

  He grunted, still scowling. “Want any help with the horse?”

  “Um, I’m pregnant, not disabled. Go get yourself ready for Lauren.”

  Tanner stared at her. Hard. “What? We don’t leave for another week.”

  “Oops, sorry. Didn’t I mention she was coming to check you over today? She wanted to make sure she understood your injuries so she could make a full plan for your recovery before your departure, and I mentioned you were staying here during your recuperation.”

  “And you’re sure we have to go to Fiji? I don’t see why you couldn’t have just paid her more to—”

  “It was Fiji or nothing, Tan. She’d already booked the vacation, and I sweetened the deal by upgrading her accommodation on this beautiful island and booking the jet. It’s done, so all you need to do is go along with it. Besides, where better to recuperate than a beautiful tropical island? It’ll be magical.”

  Tanner scooped his hand around the crutch and squeezed the plastic so hard he hurt his good hand. Damn his sister! He watched as she smiled sweetly then rode off in the other direction—from behind she didn’t even look pregnant, and if it were any other day he’d have laughed. Today he’d rather set her on fire. A week ago she’d broken the news to him, and now she’d set up an appointment without even telling him.

  Lauren goddamn Lewis. He couldn’t believe it. He’d thought about what he’d say to her if he ever saw her again, had even wondered what she looked like now. But he’d always resisted the urge to look her up on Facebook, and miraculously they’d never crossed paths. Until now.

  He looked up as a swathe of dust billowed in the distance, a sure sign a car was approaching. It was early December and it had been a dry winter so far, which was lucky given his current state. It would have been hard getting around on crutches if the ground was wet and muddy.

  Was this Lauren? He squinted as he stood, staring as a black Mercedes pulled up the drive and parked outside the ranch house. Tanner started to hobble, hating how dependent he was on the damn crutches. After all these years, the last thing he wanted was for her to see him looking useless and hunched over, but he didn’t get his cast off until the day before they were due to fly.

  And there she was. Lauren stood beside the car, her long dark hair pushed over her shoulders, glossy in the sunlight and looking no different than it had been a decade ago. The difference was that back then she’d have been wearing cut-off denim shorts and a tank top, whereas now she was in jeans, boots, and a sweater. He sucked in a breath when she turned, looking around, her chin held high, face so damn beautiful. He’d almost hoped she’d look different; that she’d have somehow aged terribly and not be anything like the beautiful girl he’d been head over heels in love with. But she hadn’t.

  Tanner leaned on his crutch and raised his hand in an awkward wave, before making his way over to her. He went slow, wondering what the hell he was going to say to her, and not wanting to slip and fall over and make an ass of himself.

  “Hey,” he called out when he was close enough for her to hear him.

  “Hi, Tanner,” she said, her voice warm in a professional kind of way. He felt her eyes sweep over him, up then down. “Good to see you up and about.”

  “As opposed to lying in bed feeling sorry for myself?”

  “You’d be surprised. Anyway, where can we talk?”

  He was tempted to be a smart-ass and tell her they were already talking, but instead he nodded toward the house. “We can head in there. I’ve been staying here since I was discharged from the hospital, so here’s as good a place as anywhere.” He was aching to go back to his own place, a small ranch he’d bought a couple of years earlier, but it made sense to be with his family until he was back up on his feet properly. He had a ranch hand employed full-time, so he only had to lend a hand when he felt like it, but he’d become used to his own space and his own house. It was nice having his own little piece of Texas paradise to retreat to.

  Lauren stood back, gesturing for him to go first. He had to grind his teeth just to do it, his Texas manners getting the better of him at the whole not-letting-a-lady-go-first thing. But then again, she might have rolled her eyes at him and told him to get over himself if he’d insisted otherwise.

  “So I’ve gone over your latest X-rays and all your doctors’ notes, plus I took the liberty of talking to your orthopedic surgeon and viewing your ultrasounds,” Lauren said, talking away as if they were just two professionals having a normal conversation about his injury, not two people with one hell of a history. “I’m confident that with the right plan and a solid three weeks or more of therapy, we’ll have the building blocks in place to get you back to being the well-oiled athlete you’ve always been. But we’re going to have to take it slow, and you’ll still need regular, ongoing therapy once you’re home.”

  “Is that right?” he muttered, pausing at the solid oak door and leaning into it to open it.

  “Here, let me,” she said, pushing past him.

  “I don’t need your goddamn help with the door!” he snapped. “You might have to pussyfoot around your baseball players, but I don’t need a woman to take care of me. I’m a man, not a child.”

  She froze, staring back at him, her dark brown eyes so wide they reminded him of a puppy’s. More accurately a puppy that had just been kicked by someone it trusted.

  “I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I was just trying to help.”

  “Yeah, well, you weren’t.” He felt like a dick but he couldn’t help it. How the hell was she just standing there, pretending like nothing had ever happened between them? She was acting like they were friendly strangers, not enemy exes.

  “Tanner, if me being here makes you uncomfortable—”

  “You’re damn right I’m uncomfortable,” he shot back. “You walk away from me what, ten, twelve years ago, without so much as a goddamn explanation, and then you just arrive here and talk to me as if nothing ever happened. I call bullshit.”

  She didn’t say anything, but he could see the rapid pulse at her neck, recognized the vein that rose in her forehead, the way her tongue darted out to moisten her dry lips. It was funny what you could remember about a person, even after so long apart. “If you don’t want me here, Tanner, I’m happy to leave,” she said quietly. “I can put together a few names of great physical therapists, and you’l
l receive great treatment either way.” She sighed. “And it’s twelve years. Trust me, I remember.”

  He sucked back a breath and calmed the hell down. Why was he behaving like a child while she was managing to behave like a perfectly professional adult?

  “It’s fine,” he muttered. “I just didn’t expect to ever see you again.”

  She smiled, her lips faintly turning up at the corners. “I know the feeling. But I’m good at what I do, Tanner, and I will get your body working again. I’ve made a career of keeping athletes in top shape and rehabilitating them when they need it, so you can trust me.”

  He nodded. So he could trust her with his body, just not with his heart. “Follow me then.”

  Tanner could smell her perfume; it filled his nostrils, and teased him, following him as he limped down the hall and into the living room. He flopped onto a sofa and dropped his crutches, staring at the woman standing in the center of the room. Dammit, she was beautiful. And when she sat down across from him, leaning forward so he got more than a glimpse of her creamy chest, he had to swallow a rock in his throat.

  Lauren Lewis had been a gorgeous girl, but she’d turned into a devastatingly beautiful woman and it was going to drive Tanner nuts.

  * * *

  Lauren sat on her hands to stop them from shaking. She’d thought that after all these years, he wouldn’t still have an effect on her, but how wrong she’d been. Tanner was a man now—all grown up and then some. His eyes were still the brightest blue, and she bet his skin crinkled more at the sides now when he smiled, but she hadn’t seen him crack one yet. Instead she’d seen a coolness that she didn’t recognize, as well as heavily stubbled cheeks, broad shoulders, and a chest that was all kinds of filled out. She glanced up and hated the way he was considering her, his gaze still cold. This wasn’t the Tanner she’d known way back when, but he was even more gorgeous now, more sinewy and masculine than she cared to admit, despite the arrogant stare.