Page 5 of Taming the Wild Cowboy

A combination of the two plus the overwhelming desire to vindicate herself—even as she told herself that it didn’t matter what Trev Matthews thought. The truth was that being the scapegoat for Brooke’s misadventure pissed her off. Of course, everyone believed Brooke. She was that kind of person.

Before she could put the truck into a forward gear, Trev rapped on the window. Resignedly she lowered the glass, and he said, “Come into the house for a minute.”

“What?” Maclyn stared at him stupidly. “Why?”

“You can’t just say something like that and drive away.”

Wanna bet?

“How would me coming into the house fix things?”

“I’m not looking to fix things.”

She squeezed her forehead with one hand instead of putting the truck back into gear. The worms were fleeing the can in directions she hadn’t anticipated. Her fault. She dropped her hand.

“What are you looking for, Trev? I don’t know anything about the other guy.”

“Yet you say that he existed. And that he was married.” He shot a frustrated look at the running board before looking up again, his dark eyebrows pulled into a fierce frown. “I need to know what happened that night.”

“I explained all that five years ago.” No one believed her because no one believed that perfect Brooke would lie. Mac had been stunned to find herself thrown under the bus, but she’d been unaware of Brooke’s secret affair until more than a year later.

“Maybe I’m in a better position to listen.”

Maclyn’s temples were starting to throb. A conversation might be in order. Even if he didn’t believe her, perhaps they could part less than enemies. The last thing Mac needed in a small community was someone working against her while she was job hunting.

“Fine.” She turned off the engine.

“Your dog can come, too.”

“I don’t think so.”

Mac left Raisin in the truck as she followed Trev across the driveway toward the open gate leading to a rather wild-looking front yard.

“Are you still roping?” she asked to break the silence as they walked. The question sounded stilted. Awkward. A perfect summation of her feelings.

“Copper Mountain was my last rodeo for a while. Dylan has other commitments, and I don’t feel like finding a new partner.”

“Ah.” So much for small talk.

Trev turned to her after they mounted the front porch steps as if he couldn’t hold in the questions any longer, then his jaw muscles tightened as he held back the words. He opened the door and stood aside to allow her to enter the old-fashioned kitchen. An antique oak table with a T carved in one corner sat beneath a large window looking out over the driveway and outbuildings. The counters were neat, the appliances shining. A mudroom was situated to the left, with a long line of coats, vests, and jackets hanging on hooks over an equally long line of boots. In the distance she could hear a vacuum cleaner, and she had to admit, even though she felt safe enough being alone with Trev, she liked the idea of having someone else around.

She didn’t know how he was going to take her answers to the questions he was about to ask. He might call her a liar and send her on her way, or he might believe her.

Either way, she wasn’t getting a job.

Chapter Two

Could Brooke have had a guy on the side?

Trev’s first reaction had been no fucking way, but the uncomfortable stirring in his gut nudged him toward something he didn’t want to acknowledge. Maybe there had been signs, red flags he’d ignored prior to the breakup. A sense that, while things seemed to be good between them, something wasn’t quite right.

But a side guy? Brooke certainly hadn’t fallen into the arms of anyone else after their breakup.

Maybe Maclyn was just rattling his cage, getting back at him for not buying her story about having nothing to do with his wrecked truck. He shot a glance her way as he filled the coffee reservoir with water. She stood with her back to him, studying the photos of him and his brothers hanging on the wall next to the telephone. The Matthews Brothers Rodeo Hall of Fame his Uncle Wade called it, and indeed it had grown from a few snaps of sheep riding to professional action shots. When the coffee started dripping, he filled two mugs with hot water to warm, then gestured to the table before taking a seat. Maclyn put her hand on the back of a chair, hesitated, then pulled it out and sat.

“Tell me about this spot you’re in.”

She blinked, apparently expecting to be interrogated about Brooke. He’d get there, but not immediately. He needed time to sort through things before embarking on that route.