A Cowboy for the CEO

Chapter 23: More Than Words

Carefully maneuvering upward only after making sure her hands and feet were always firmly on each narrow rung, she was only a few yards off the ground before Hank interrupted again. "Can you go a little faster? I'm getting kind of hungry."

Glancing over her shoulder, she cleared her throat before answering. "I have a broken wrist, if you can't tell."

He held back a smile, keeping his lips pressed together and causing faint creases to appear at the edges of his eyes. "Oh, yeah? How'd you manage to do that?"

Returning her attention to the climb, Ali reached up with her good hand and pushed up with her feet. "I fell off a horse," she grumbled, realizing full well he already knew that.

"Is that why you're here?" Hank's voice was mixed with amusement and curiosity.

Knowing dozens of eyes were on her—and feeling as if they were boring a hole right through her body as she struggled to complete the challenge—Ali had to regain control of the situation. "Good grief. Is this a therapy session now? Of course it is." There was no way to deny the obvious, and her blunt answer earned a few giggles from the women below.

"But why? Anyone who's ever gotten on a horse has fallen off one," he countered to similar murmurs of agreement.

Ali moved farther up the pole. "True. I've been bucked plenty of times."

"Then what's the problem?" he asked, continuing to prod.

"I shouldn't have been there," she mumbled, catching a view of the increasing height from the corner of her eye.

Hank either didn't hear or wanted to know more. "What was that?"

"It wasn't my stable, and it wasn't my horse," she called out, feeling her legs shake. The sensation continued up her body, reaching her arms and fingers as they gripped the supports.

"So you're blaming yourself for what you claim was an avoidable mistake."

It was not quite a question, and she didn't answer.

"But don't you show jump at a national level?" His tone now clearly demanded a response, but his use of such a personal revelation finally got to her.

"Yes. Jesus! So now this is an interrogation?" Ali took a deep breath and moved up one more rung. The faster she finished, the faster she could get away from Hank and his third-degree treatment.

"Well, an expert horseman should be good on any animal they put under him." He sounded like he was thinking out loud. "Or her."

Ali recalled Robert's reasoning for getting her to the stables that day. "That's what he said."

"He who?" Hank's query came hard and fast.

"You know, my singing voice is terrible, but I think I'd rather you distract me by breaking into a song instead right about now," she suggested, realizing that nothing good could come out of continuing with this subject.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm quite enjoying this conversation," Hank said with a laugh. "Ladies?"

Another round of hoots came from the crowd.

"Majority has spoken," Hank gloated. "So, you were saying? Who's the he?"

Ali smiled. It was the first time she had alluded to a prior relationship in front of him and apparently it had touched a nerve. If this is how he wanted to play, it was fine by her. "My ex."

"He sounds like a smart man," Hank said, but there was a bitterness lacing the compliment.

After picturing the guy who cared more about getting into the infamous Skull and Bones society than actually having enough credits to graduate from college in time, she couldn't hold back a giggle. "No, he really isn't."