Getting Ahead by Emily Cale

to get in the way of her goal. She got up, put her boots back on, and headed out to the stable. This was why she couldn’t be in a relationship. Her thoughts were filled with images of him, which was not conducive to making her best rides. Her mind needed to be clear; the only thing she could focus on was getting the turns right. Nothing else mattered.
    Pulling Black Lightning back out of the stables, she started walking him around the barrels, whispering encouragement to him as they went along. A few times, he turned and nuzzled her, as though he knew all was not right. She tried to make him focus, but it was difficult when her own thoughts were elsewhere.
    Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Colt approaching. Why did he have to make things harder? All she wanted was for him to leave her alone. At this point, she’d wasted nearly two days with him. There wasn’t time for this crap. What she needed right now was time to get her head together.
    “I handled that poorly. Can we go somewhere to talk?” He stood a few feet away from her, his voice hushed.
    She bit the inside of her cheek. Her gut was telling her to say no and walk away without looking back. Her heart, on the other hand, was tugging at her, giving her permission to at least hear him out. “Fine, but keep it short. I need to train.”
    “I only need a couple minutes.” He didn’t move. “Can we go somewhere?”
    She sighed. More time away. Still, she couldn’t ignore her instincts. Amber tied Black Lightning’s reins to the fence and followed Colt back into the stables. Simply being in there with him again made her body twitch. Keeping her distance, she crossed her arms tightly across her chest and waited.
    “You need to know something about me. I’m not a ranch hand here.”
    She held her breath. Who the hell was he? She’d been following around a guy who didn’t even work there? Suddenly aware that he was standing in front of the only exit, she took a couple steps back, trying to plot out an escape.
    “I own the place. I like doing the actual work and hate all the managerial crap, so I hired someone to do it for me. It’s not really a secret, but it isn’t something I like to advertise either.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets and rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet.
    His confession explained so many things. Why his quarters were larger than everyone else’s and why he didn’t have to work every second of the day. What it didn’t explain was why he’d pushed her away.
    “I work hard to make sure I’m respected by all the staff here. I put in lots of hard hours, and I stick to any rule I create for them. It’s the only fair thing. If they caught me in here, with you, doing that, well, it wouldn’t look very good. It may seem stupid, but I have a reputation to maintain.”
    That was something she understood. Her whole life was about ensuring her public image stayed untarnished. Often, it meant suppressing her emotions or restraining her impulses. It sucked, but it was better than being the center of a rumor. “I guess I understand.”
    “It still doesn’t excuse the way I reacted. I should’ve trusted you and told you the problem right away instead of acting weird about it.” He moved closer toward her. “I’m hoping you’ll give me a chance to redeem myself.”
    She looked up at him, studying his face. “I might be willing to do that.”
    “What can I do to turn your maybe into a yes?”
    She ran her toe through the dirt. “Help me make a run.”
    “You actually want me to assist with your training? I thought I wasn’t worthy.”
    “You may not know a damn thing about barrel racing, but you do seem to know a thing or two about riding. I’m hoping to use that to my advantage.” She needed a kick in the ass to get her going again, and he’d already proven he was capable of just that.
    “Okay, but you have to do everything I say. No arguing.”
    The thought of surrendering to his every command made her body