CHAPTER 15
Haley’s first opportunity to help Hope execute her plan came later that afternoon. All she needed to do was flirt with Axel every chance she got over the next three days. Hope would take care of everything else.
Haley had to admit, she was looking forward to this. She’d never been good at flirting. She’d met Axe at the end of her freshman year in college, and they’d paired up almost instantly. The next few years had been spoken for. After that, it had been study hard, work harder, which didn’t leave time for things like perfecting flirting.
Once she’d filed her reports and completed inventory check, she was ready. The weather was even cooperating. No storms forecast for another four to five days.
Normally, on the rare occasions at home when she had time to kill, she’d have pulled a research paper to read. But with the plan in motion, she went looking for Axe. She didn’t have far to go. He was out in the paddock working with his interns. This time, Hope was with him, introducing the students to natural horsemanship techniques. She climbed up on the bottom rung and slung her arms over the top. It was fascinating to watch. By the end of the session, each student had managed to invite a horse to follow them around the arena without using a lead rope. Haley noticed that the students who relaxed earliest had the most success. That made sense. If they were at ease with themselves, the horse was at ease with them too.
Her regard for Axel grew too, as she watched him move with confidence among the students, offering a word of encouragement here, a gentle correction there. She liked seeing him in his element. For all his shenanigans, Axel was kind hearted and gentle when it was required. And he seemed to have a natural instinct for which student needed what approach. If only she’d had an adult like that in her life when she’d been that age, maybe she could have saved them both years of heartache.
But Axe’s demeanor alone wasn’t responsible for launching the butterflies in her stomach. He moved with a sureness and confidence that commanded attention. And although his face was somewhat obscured by his straw cowboy hat and aviator lenses, she never had trouble following where he focused his attention.
In fact, the more she watched him, the more enchanted she became. Today, Axe wore a black tee which clung to him in the afternoon heat. His jeans hugged his ass perfectly. And when he walked, she could see his thighs contracting, rock-hard beneath the worn denim.
At one point, he hunkered down, drawing a picture in the dirt for his students. The muscles in his back bunched and rippled as he gestured, pulling the black cotton tight. Her body responded with a long, slow pull, that settled between her legs. Her fingers twitched as she longed to run her palms down his torso. Soak in his heat. Knead and press until he groaned and flipped under her so she could do the same thing to his front. Her pussy clenched as a hot lick of desire snaked up her legs and took up residence in her clit.
“Like what you see?” The cocky knowing in his voice dragged her attention back to the man who now stood in front of her, grinning smugly.
She’d been so lost in her fantasy that she hadn’t noticed him rise and cross the arena. Well, she had, but it hadn’t registered. She’d been too involved in removing his shirt with her eyes.
“You think you’re all that, huh?”
“You pretty much told me that over and over again the other night.”
Even though Axel’s eyes were obscured by sunglasses, she felt his gaze slide over her, and her nerve endings zinged to attention.
“Hmm… I don’t recall.” Her stomach tap danced up her insides. Okay, if this was flirting, it was fun.
“I’d be happy to refresh your memory.”
Haley’s mouth went dry at the myriad of ways he could refresh her memory. Her brain buzzed so hard that for a moment, her fingertips went tingly. His words caressed her with the same sureness that his hands had the other night. And she was just as turned on. She bit her lip to keep from groaning aloud. His quick hiss grabbed her attention. So he liked it when she bit her lip, huh? She slowly rolled her lips together, then swiped her tongue out, wetting both top and bottom.
“Coop.” Was it her imagination, or was there a quaver in his voice?
“Mhmm?” She slid her thumb along her bottom lip, smoothing it.
“I mean it.” His voice held a note of warning.
“Sorry,” she grinned at him when she couldn’t stand it anymore. “Girls’ night tonight.”
She swore she saw him deflate the tiniest bit.
“Tomorrow, then,” he offered.
The hardest thing she did was to hop off the paddock fencing. When she landed, she dusted her pants and shrugged, then turned and walked away, being sure to put an extra sway in her step. “We’ll see,” she tossed over her shoulder.
She swore she heard him curse under his breath as she walked away. Maybe there was something to this flirting thing after all.
Hope cornered her a few hours later at girl’s night. Haley had been under the impression that when Millie and Emmaline had suggested “girls’ night,” it would be the three of them, a bottle of wine, and a movie. It turned out that “girls’ night” meant bunco night for the ladies’ group, The Prairie Posse. The posse was made up mostly of older women in Prairie, namely Dottie, who owned the diner, Gloria McPherson who was the organist at the Lutheran church, and Axel’s mom, Martha. A younger group had also formed. Millie and Emmaline were the leaders, but Hope was also there tonight.
At first, Haley felt awkward being there. Even though she’d dated Axel through college, she’d never felt very close to Martha. Martha was the quintessential rancher’s wife – caring for house and home, always making sure that the men in her life were supported and well fed. Haley had always been a bit intimidated by her.
But she was going to get over that tonight, or at least try. Taking a deep breath, she approached Martha and stuck out her hand. “Hi Martha, I just wanted to thank you for your hospitality. I’ve been meaning to come up the hill and say hi, but things have been a bit crazy.”
Martha smiled warmly and pulled her into a hug. “I know you’ve been avoiding me dearie, it’s written all over your face. I’m glad you’re here, and Hope tells me you’re keeping Axel busy.”
Warmth bloomed in Haley’s chest. Maybe from embarrassment, maybe from surprise. She couldn’t tell. It felt vaguely disconcerting to have the mother of whatever she and Axel were welcome her like a long-lost lamb. Had she misjudged Martha too, ten years ago? Martha waved at a sideboard piled high with fresh baked goodies. “I did a little baking this afternoon. Be sure to help yourself.”
Haley’s stomach sank to her toes. Martha’d spent the afternoon baking for a ladies get together? If Axel expected her to be like his mother, he was in for a disappointment.
Mama June had made sure that Haley knew how to make coffee, eggs and biscuits, but not much else. “You can always live off coffee, eggs, ’n biscuits, Sugar Plum. The rest you can find in a cookbook. And Mama June had made it very clear to Haley what she thought of the whole “stand by your man” nonsense. “It takes two people standing by each other to make a relationship work. You put on your own oxygen mask, Sugar Plum. Ain’t nobody in this world gonna do it for you. Understand me? Even the best man in the whole worl’ is gonna be an idiot and forget that at some point. It’s up to you to remember.”
Martha continued. “I even made Axel’s favorite banana bread. You can bring him the leftovers.”
Haley gulped and put on a smile. “Oh, I’m sure you’ll see him before I do.”
“Don’t be so sure about that, sweetie.”
What was up with all of the comments about Axel? Was Martha pinning her hopes for grandbabies on her? Martha’d have better luck with Hope in that arena. She and Axel weren’t even… what were they?
While there were only seven women present this evening, Haley quickly learned that their version of bunco involved wine and table gossip. After mixing it up all evening, the younger women ended the night at the same table. Haley looked over her shoulder at the three older ladies across the room. They were giggling to the point of tears over a dirty joke Gloria McPherson, the organist at the Lutheran church, had shared. Haley turned back to the women at her table. “Are they always this crazy?”
Millie’s eyes grew big. “It’s worse when they get tiddly.”
“Tiddly?”
Millie nodded. “You know, when they’ve had a little. They threw Maddie Hansen a wedding shower with pink penises.”
Haley shot another glance over her shoulder at Martha, then over to Hope. Pink penises, she mouthed. Haley couldn’t imagine Axel’s mother doing anything that racy.
Hope smirked and nodded. “I know what you’re thinking. And yes, I’ve recently discovered Ma has a rowdy side.”
“That explains where Axel gets it from,” she muttered under her breath.
“I don’t think he and Gunn know about Ma’s wild side. But speaking of, I didn’t want to put you on the spot earlier…” Hope hesitated, eyes filled with unspoken questions.
“But you will now?”
“C’mon, just a little dirt on my brother?” she cajoled.
First Martha, now Hope? “Axel and I are…” Shit. The question rose in her mind again. What were they? They were definitely something. And although it scared Haley to death to admit it, she still had feelings for him. “I…” She sighed heavily. “It’s complicated.”
Hope laughed quietly and took a sip of her wine. “I get it. I really do. Ben and I were complicated.” She flashed Haley a happy smile. “But then we realized we were making it more complicated than it was, and, well, now look at us.”
Haley reached over and squeezed Hope’s hand. “I’m happy for you.”
Hope squeezed back, and a lump stuck in Haley’s throat. For a split second, all the what-ifs crashed over her. What if she’d stayed? Or had been brave enough to ask Axel to come with her? What would it have been like to have a sister like Hope? Pulling in a slow breath, she pushed those thoughts back to the recesses of her mind and let go of Hope’s hand. Coulda, shoulda, woulda thoughts didn’t help anybody.
“Haley…” Hope took a breath like she was going to say more, then let it out, and gave her an encouraging smile. “If you ever need to talk…”
Haley nodded. “Thanks.”