Her Forbidden Cowboy (Cowboys After Dark Book 12) Read online

  The morning following his incident with Cathy, Scott had been ready for anything. Her father, David Coleman, was a wealthy man, though what he did to earn his pennies Scott didn’t know, nor did he care. He’d never met the man. Cathy appeared to live a life of leisure, and it was her father’s name on the checks he received every month. They came in like clockwork, unlike other boarders who would take their time dropping their checks into the box outside his office, and Coleman’s checks never bounced.

  The horses were brought in at dusk, and put out again after being fed breakfast. Scott had several volunteers during the day, two part-time workers, Benny and Todd, both agricultural students, and an older man who was his groundskeeper, Joe Hanson. Benny did the morning shift, feeding the hay and mucking out the stalls, and the morning after Scott had pulled Cathy over his knee, Benny had been there as usual, smiling as he’d swept. Scott had stood listening to the sounds of the horses pulling their hay from their hay nets, emitting a few snorts as they did, and had inhaled the earthy smell of the barn. It never failed to fill his soul with a contentment he found nowhere else, and being cloaked in the early morning serenity, he had thought about how much he loved it there, but it hadn’t been enough to change his mind. As he’d stared at the tack trunks outside the stalls, Cathy’s bright pink one catching his eye, he’d nodded his head. It was time to move on.

  He’d strapped his ankle and taken some ibuprofen, and it didn’t feel bad as he’d walked into his office, and though his first chore for the day was to order bedding, as he’d reached for his phone he’d found himself pausing. The realtor who had handled the transaction when he’d bought the barn, Jennifer Sanders, had been a consummate professional, and pulling out his address book, he’d dialed her number.

  It had been a difficult phone call to make, and as the days had gone by he’d second-guessed himself more than once. Much to his surprise, there had been no fallout from the spanking he’d delivered. He’d waited for the shoe to drop, but Cathy hadn’t mentioned it, and it was obvious she’d not told anyone at the barn, but he’d noticed her belongings were no longer scattered around the place, and the energy in the barn seemed to be settling down. Even Tammy and Susan had worked out their issues, but he wasn’t going to kid himself. He’d enjoyed calm seas in the past, but they never lasted. When the realtor had called and said the listing agreement was ready, he’d driven to her office and signed it, but had asked her to hold fire until he’d had a chance to notify the boarders and his small staff.

  Now that day had arrived. It was the end of the month. He planned on giving sixty days notice. If the place sold, and the new owners wanted to retain the current boarders, they would issue new boarding agreements. It was almost dusk. Everyone had come and gone, Todd had finished feeding the horses and filling their water buckets, and was sweeping out the barn aisles. Taking a deep breath, Scott approached him and gave him the news.

  “I’m real sorry to hear about this,” Todd frowned, “and I know Benny will be bummed.”

  “I’ll tell Benny in the mornin’, so keep it to yourself for now. I’d like to be the one to break the news. I appreciate you both. You’ve been great.”

  “I don’t get it. I thought you were doin’ well.”

  “My checkbook isn’t complainin’, but my head hurts from all the drama. You’re not here when all the crap’s happenin’,” Scott grimaced. “It’s time for me to move on. I’ve got a nice quiet horse property not far from here that I’ve been slowly renovatin’ to turn into a trainin’ and sales barn, and when it’s up and runnin’ I’ll call you and Benny. If you’re available I’d love to have you.”

  “I sure will miss this place,” Todd said sadly. “Maybe the new owners will keep things the same and the boarders will stay on. I’ve gotten to know all the horses so well. They each have their…wait…is that a car I hear?”

  “Sure is,” Scott frowned. “I wonder who’s drivin’ up this late.”

  “We never see anyone past six,” Todd remarked. “Maybe someone forgot something.”

  “Maybe, I’m gonna go check it out, and Todd, thanks again for everything you’ve done for this place,” Scott said warmly, then turned and walked briskly through the barn.

  Heading towards the parking area, he was surprised to see a gleaming black Mercedes. He didn’t know much about the high-end German cars, but he knew enough to recognize that it was one of the expensive models. An older man with thinning blond hair, dressed in a sharp dark suit, white shirt and red tie, and wearing tortoiseshell glasses, stepped from the car and looked across at him.

  “Scott Sampson?”

  “That’s me,” Scott nodded walking up to him.

  “We’ve never met, my name’s David Coleman, I’m Cathy’s father.”

  Scott’s mind immediately flashed to Cathy stretched over his knee. Maybe he hadn’t dodged a bullet after all, but the man was wearing a smile, and though Scott was wary, he extended his hand.

  “Good to meet you,” Scott said, willing his heart to settle as he shook the man’s hand.

  It was frighteningly smooth, and Scott could imagine how rough his calloused palms must have felt.

  “Have you got a minute?” David Coleman asked.

  “Sure, you wanna come into my office, though it’s not exactly dust-free,” Scott remarked, eyeing the man’s spotless suit and spit-polished shoes.

  “Why don’t we sit in my car? I’ll be leaving here to go to a dinner meeting, so…”

  “Ah, right,” Scott nodded.

  Still not sure if this was going to be good news or bad, Scott walked around to the passenger side, and sliding into the plush tan leather seat, he stared at the rich woodgrain trim, and idly wondered the cost of the car in which he suddenly found himself. A hundred grand maybe?

  “I’ll get right to the point,” David Coleman said, his voice all business. “I understand you have listed this property for sale with Jennifer Sanders at Sunrise Realty.”

  “Wow! I know it’s probably a waste of timing asking how you could possibly know that, but how could you possibly know that?”

  “Scott, may I call you Scott?”

  “Please do. Whenever anyone calls me Mr. Sampson, I look around to see if my dad’s standin’ behind me,” he grinned.

  “I think I’m going to steal that line, I like it,” David said, grinning back at him. “I’m a real estate developer, and any time a certain type of property is listed, I’m informed. The moment you signed the paperwork, it became public knowledge. One just has to have eyes in the right places.”

  “It’s the same in the horse world,” Scott remarked. “When I was buyin’ and trainin’, I’d get phone calls.”

  “I’m sure you did, anyway, my daughter is very happy here, and she hasn’t been happy at a barn in a long time. She can’t say enough good things about you.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes, she thinks the world of you. Just the other day she was telling her mother and me how great is to be at a barn where the owner is a caring horse person and knows what he’s doing.”

  “She did? Just the other day?”

  “You look surprised.”

  “You could say that,” Scott replied, incredulous at the news.

  “Cathy has been a rolling stone with her horses. Quite frankly, her barn life has been stressful for her mother and me. I would buy her a place of her own, but I don’t think she’s mature enough to manage a property.”

  “I can understand that” Scott agreed, thinking of all the times he’d wanted to wring her neck.

  “It’s obvious Cathy has finally found a good horse home, and I’d really love for things to stay as they are, so if you’re selling because of financial difficulties, I’d like to invest.”

  “Oh, no, it’s not financial,” Scott said hastily, “but I appreciate the offer.”

  “I see,” David said thoughtfully. “What will it take to persuade you to reconsider?”

  “As much as I’d like to oblige you, I honestly don
’t think that’s gonna happen.“

  “I see. In that case, can I ask you to do me one favor?”

  “That depends on the favor.”

  “Think about things, just for a few days. Will you do that? Selling is a big step. Ask yourself, is it the only option? Sometimes, if I look at things from different angles, I see alternative answers.”

  “You’re right about it bein’ a big step,” Scott agreed. “Sure, I’ll think about it, see if I missed somethin’, but Mr. Coleman-“

  “David, please, call me David.”

  “David, will you answer a couple of questions for me?”

  “Ask away.”

  “Does Cathy know I’m plannin’ to sell, and does she know you’re here?”

  “I don’t know if she’s aware of your decision or not. Naturally she knows many of the same people that I do, so it is possible, but no, she doesn’t know I’m here, and I’m not sure she’d approve. I was going to ask you to keep it under your hat. She’s an adult now, and she doesn’t like her father fighting her battles anymore, not that she ever did,” he added with an amused smile.

  “Does she work? Sorry, I’m just curious. I’ve never heard her talk about any kind of job or career, not that we chat that much.”

  “She does, sort of. She dabbles with interior design. She has an excellent eye, but she’s not good at sticking to the books, so she left school before finishing a degree. Even so, she does have clients, and those clients refer her to other clients. She’s developed quite a reputation, and now, unfortunately,” David said, glancing at his watch, “I’m afraid I’m out of time. I’m going to give you a card with my cell phone number. Please, call me any time.”

  “Thank you,” Scott said taking the card, smiling when he saw it was glossy black with silver writing. “It looks like your car.”

  “I suppose it does,” David replied, raising his eyebrows. “I’d not thought about that.”

  “Nice to meet you, David,” Scott said climbing out of the luxury automobile. “I’m glad Cathy is happy here, but I doubt I’ll change my mind.”

  “Sometimes an obvious solution can be right in front of us. As I said, we just need to look at things from a different angle,” David reminded him.

  “I’m gonna think on that,” Scott replied, then swung the door shut, loving the thud it made as it closed, and as the sleek black car rolled away he noticed its beefy tires.

  “Damn,” he muttered. “I’ll bet that thing can fly.”

  Turning around to walk back into the barn, he noticed Todd leaning against the barn wall, his arms crossed, watching the expensive Mercedes disappear down the driveway.

  “Can you tell me who that was?” he asked as Scott reached him.

  “Sure, that was Cathy Coleman’s dad.”

  “No kiddin’. No wonder she can afford two horses and a BMW.”

  “Yep.”

  “Is everything okay?”

  “He knows I listed this place and he doesn’t want me to leave.”

  “That makes two of us,” Todd sighed, then breaking into a grin, he added, “did he make you an offer you can’t refuse?”

  “Not yet,” Scott chuckled, “but I suppose I should keep that in mind. I’m surprised you know that line.”

  “Are you kiddin’? I’m addicted to The Godfather, but do you think you will? Change your mind, I mean.”

  “Not likely, and by the way, he doesn’t want her to know he was here, so if you see her-“

  “No worries. She’s not usually here when I am. I’d best be off. Mandy’s waitin’. See ya tomorrow.”

  “Yep, have a good night.”

  As Todd jogged across to his old panel van and jumped inside, Scott couldn’t help but wistfully stare. It was the perfect vehicle for his young worker, and it reminded Scott of his own youth, full of keg parties and not getting the girl, and when he did, fumbling his way through the bases. Discovering he had a passion for more than kissing and fondling had been a glorious revelation, but finding a female who shared his kink had been anything but fun. He’d seen more looks of horror than he cared to remember.

  Moving back into the barn, he did his final walk-through, double-checking all the horses and making sure the tack rooms were locked. The sun had set, and looking out over the back fields, he saw the lights go on outside his groundskeeper’s trailer. Though Scott’s house was close by, it was comforting to have someone living on the property.

  Joe Hanson was responsible for taking care of the corrals, repairing the fencing, and any odd jobs that came up. Scott had yet to tell him about the sale, and he felt bad. He didn’t know the man’s background, he didn’t even know if Joe Hanson was his real name. The guy had been down on his luck and Scott had given him a chance. He paid him in cash, and in five years the man had never put a foot wrong. Sighing heavily, Scott headed out to his SUV, and as he climbed behind the wheel he started thinking about what Cathy’s father had told him.

  Just the other day she was telling her mother and me how great is to be at a barn where the owner is a caring horse person and knows what he’s doing.

  “That is just unbelievable,” he muttered.

  Starting up his car, he rolled slowly down the driveway and headed home, but bratty Cathy stayed with him as he drove, and when he pulled into his garage he sat for a minute, a frown crossing his brow.

  “Cathy Coleman, did I actually get through to you?” he muttered. “Is it possible I’m the first guy who’s stood up to you, and you dug it? Did you like that I put you over my knee? It’s the only thing that explains this. Damn. I need to think about this. I really need to think about this.”

  Much later, laying in bed, the quiet darkness surrounding him, he imagined her over his lap again, but with her backside naked to his eye. It was turning a beautifully bright pink as he spanked her, and he could see her wet, wanting pussy peeking through her thighs. He was suddenly groaning his way through a powerful climax, his cock spewing its hot cream over his hand.

  “Shit, this could be trouble,” he muttered, as he tried to catch his breath. “Are you gettin’ under my skin, or are you already there?”

  CHAPTER THREE

  Sampson’s Boarding Stable was a twenty-four stall facility, with two separate barns offering twelve stalls each, but Scott had found having only twelve horses was an ideal number. When he’d factored in the cost of boarding more than twelve, the labor, feed, bedding, insurance and incidentals, there wasn’t much to be gained, and he’d always believed that less horses made for happier owners. There was more arena and round pen availability, less time waiting for the wash rack, the tack rooms had space, and given what he’d learned about the constant nature of barn drama, he could easily imagine how much worse things would have been had the other twelve stalls been filled. Just the thought of it made him cringe.

  In the five years he’d been in business he’d received several inquiries from trainers looking for a place to hang their hat, but he had always declined, holding true to his vision of a happy barn with a warm, family atmosphere. Bringing in a trainer was contrary to that vision, and he suspected his boarders would be none-too-happy, but his boarders had made him none-too-happy, and the following morning, he’d woken thinking that perhaps David Coleman was right. There might be an alternative to an outright sale.

  He’d seek out a trainer to take over the management of the facility and lease the empty barn. Scott would pay for the hay and bedding for both barns, and retain his small staff for the boarders only. The trainer would have to find his own workers, but Scott knew trainers had their grooms, and those grooms often doubled as stall cleaners. Some boarders might leave, but that was fine, and the amount he could charge the trainer would more than make up for the loss. If the trainer wanted to take over the stalls left empty by those who had vacated, he, or she, would be welcome to them.

  The more he considered the plan, the more he liked it, and when he arrived at the barn and settled behind his desk, he did so with a sense of relief. His ide
a could work. Staring across at the old love seat, he decided to ask Joe to haul it away. He’d been meaning to replace it, but the office would no longer be his domain, and getting rid of the sofa would be the first job in his clean out. Powering up his computer, he began scanning his emails for the trainers who had been in touch. He found several that sounded promising, emailed them all, then called Jennifer and told her about his change in plan.

  “I’m really sorry to mess you around,” he apologized. “This might not pan out. I’m gonna give it a month, and if I don’t find the right candidate I’ll move forward with the sale.”

  ““It’s obvious you love that place,” she said warmly, “and I get calls like this all the time. Things change.”

  “Thanks for understandin’, and there’s no guarantee that even if I do find a trainer wantin’ to come in here, it will work out, so don’t shred that listin’ agreement. It’s good for six months, and you may need to pull it out of the filin’ cabinet sooner than you think!”

  “Don’t worry, I won’t shred it,” she promised.

  “If you run across anyone lookin’ for a situation like this, I’d be happy for you to do the leasin’ deal. I’m sure you could do a better job of it than me.”

  “You know what, I would love that. I’ll email you the lease listing contract. It’s non-exclusive, so if you find someone yourself there won’t be a problem.”

  “Great, but even if I do, I’ll still want you to do the deal. Like I said, you’ll do a better job than me, and I want a clean exit written in that paperwork in case I wanna bail and sell.”

  “That’s easy,” she said confidently. “I’ll send out the lease listing agreement right away. I’ll do it with an electronic signature so you don’t have to worry about coming in.”

  “Great, thanks, Jennifer.”

  Ending the call, Scott felt as if he needed some air, and stepping outside he noticed some clouds cruising across the sky, and though they looked innocent enough, he could see a darker threat on the horizon. Walking across to his ATV, he climbed on board and was about to head off to Joe’s trailer when he saw Cathy’s white BMW coming in through the gates. The top was down, surprising considering the chill in the air, and Scott decided to intercept her. He had barely spoken to her for the last couple of weeks. It was time to hold his finger up to the wind. Was his theory right? Had she been turned on by the unexpected spanking? Waiting until she had pulled into the parking lot and was stepping from her car, he jogged towards her calling her name, and to his delight she turned around and smiled as he approached.