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“I’ll take care of it tomorrow,” Chance said. He had intended to show Fee around the ranch anyway; he could include the northern section of pasture as part of the tour.
“Something smells absolutely wonderful,” she said, walking into the kitchen.
“Thank you, ma’am.” Bent over to take a pan of biscuits out of the oven, Gus added, “I don’t fix anything real fancy, but I can guarantee it’ll taste good and there’s plenty of it.”
“Fee Sinclair, this is Gus Swenson, the orneriest cowboy this side of the Continental Divide,” Chance said, making the introductions.
When Gus straightened and finally turned to face her, Chance watched a slow grin appear on the old man’s wrinkled face. “Real nice to meet you, gal.” He stood there grinning like a damned fool for several moments before a scowl replaced his easy expression. “Where’s your manners, boy? Don’t just stand there blinkin’ your eyes like a bastard calf in a hailstorm. Offer this little lady a seat while I finish up supper.”
“Thank you, but I’d be more than happy to help you finish dinner,” Fee offered, smiling.
“I got it all under control, gal,” Gus said, reaching into the cabinet to get some plates.
“Could I at least set the table for you?” she asked, walking over to the butcher block island, where Gus had set the plates. “I really do want to help.”
Gus looked like a teenage boy with his first crush when he nodded and handed her the dinnerware. “I appreciate it, ma’am.”
“Please call me Fee,” she said, smiling as she took the plates from the old man.
When she turned toward the table, Gus grinned like a possum and gave Chance a thumbs-up behind her back. “Why don’t you make yourself useful, boy? Get some glasses and pour up somethin’ for all of us to drink.”
As Chance poured three glasses of iced tea and carried them to the table, he couldn’t get over the change in Gus. Normally as grouchy as a grizzly bear with a sore paw, the crusty old cowboy was downright pleasant to Fee—at least as close to it as Gus ever got. If he didn’t know better, Chance would swear that Gus was smitten.
Twenty minutes later after eating a heaping plate of beef stew, homemade biscuits and a slice of hot apple pie, Chance sat back from the table. “Gus, you outdid yourself. I think that was one of the best meals you’ve ever made.”
“Everything was delicious,” Fee agreed, reaching over to cover the old man’s hand with hers. “Thank you, Gus.”
The gesture caused Gus’s cheeks to turn red above his grizzled beard. “You’re more than welcome, gal. Can I get you anything else? Maybe another piece of pie? We got plenty.”
Smiling, Fee shook her head. “I couldn’t eat another thing. I’m positively stuffed.”
Chance rose to take his and Fee’s plates to the sink. If anyone was falling all over themselves to do whatever Fee wanted, it was Gus. The old guy was practically begging her to let him do something—anything—for her.
“Would you like to go for a walk after I help Gus clear up the kitchen?” Chance asked, wanting to spend a little time alone with her.
“That would be nice,” she said, getting up from the table. “But I want to help with the cleanup first.”
“You kids go on and take your walk,” Gus said as he got to his feet. “There ain’t nothin’ much to do but put the leftovers in the refrigerator and load the dishwasher.”
“Are you sure, Mr. Swenson?” Fee asked, her voice uncertain.
“The name’s Gus, little lady,” the old geezer said, grinning from ear to ear. “And I don’t mind one bit.”
Chance turned to stare at Gus to see if the old man had sprouted another head and a new personality to go with it. He’d never in his entire thirty-two years heard Gus sound so amiable. What was wrong with him?
“Are you feeling all right?” Chance asked, frowning.
“I’m just fine,” Gus answered, his smile warning Chance to drop the matter. “Now, you kids go ahead and take that walk. I’m gonna be turnin’ in pretty soon. I’ll see you both at breakfast in the mornin’.”
Chance shook his head as he reached for his hat hanging on the peg and opened the door. He suddenly knew exactly what was wrong with Gus. Damned if the old fart wasn’t trying to play matchmaker.
As they left the house, Fee looked confused. “It’s not that late. Is Gus really going to bed this early?”
Chance shook his head. “No, but he’s got a set of priorities and in the summer it’s baseball. The Rockies are playing the Cardinals on one of the satellite TV channels tonight and he wouldn’t miss that for anything. He’s going to hole up in his room watching the game.”
They fell silent for a moment as they started across the yard toward the barn. “Do you mind if I ask you something, Chance?”
“Not at all. What do you want to know?” he asked, barely resisting the urge to put his arm around her.
To keep from acting on the impulse, he stuffed his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. She had only been on the ranch a couple of hours and he didn’t want her to feel as if he was rushing things.
“Earlier this afternoon, you said your mother didn’t have time to become an interior decorator because she was too busy chasing after a houseful of children.” She paused as if she wasn’t sure how to word her question. “I was under the impression that the only sibling you had was your sister.”
He nodded. “She is. But up until a couple of months ago, I thought I was an only child.”
Fee’s confusion was written all over her pretty face. “Am I missing something?”
“Hannah is the product of an affair my dad had when he was out on the rodeo circuit,” Chance admitted, still feeling a bit resentful. Although he loved and accepted his half sister, he still struggled with the fact that his father had cheated on his mother. “My mom, dad and uncle J.D. knew about her, but the rest of the family didn’t find out until a couple of months ago.”
“Okay,” Fee said slowly. “But if all your mother had was you, who were the other kids she was running after?”
“Working for Lassiter Media, you’ve probably heard that Uncle J.D.’s wife died within a few days of having Angelica.” When Fee nodded, he continued, “Uncle J.D. had his hands full trying to raise three little kids on his own. Mom helped out as much as she could, but she had me and Dad to take care of and was only able to do so much. Then after my dad got killed four years later, my uncle suggested that Mom and I move into the main house with him and his kids. By that time he had opened the Lassiter Media office in L.A. and traveled back and forth a lot. He needed someone he trusted to take care of his kids and my mom was the obvious choice. She knew and loved the kids and they all considered her a second mother anyway.”
“That makes sense,” she agreed. “Was your parents’ home nearby?”
“We lived here at the homestead.” He couldn’t help but feel a strong sense of pride that he was the third generation to own this section of the ranch. “My dad was more of a cowboy than Uncle J.D. ever thought about being and when he wasn’t riding the rough stock in a rodeo somewhere, Dad was working here at the ranch. After my uncle built the main house, Uncle J.D. gave this part of the Big Blue to us.”
“No wonder the family is extremely close,” Fee said thoughtfully. “Sage, Dylan and Angelica are more like your siblings than they are cousins.”
As they walked into the barn, Chance gave in to temptation and casually draped his arm across her slender shoulders. She gave him a sideways glance, but he took it as a good sign that she didn’t protest.
“The only time the four of us weren’t together was at night when we went to bed,” he explained. “Uncle J.D. gave my mom and me one wing of the house so that we would have our privacy, while he and his kids took the other wing.”
“You must have had a wonderful childhood with other children to play with,” Fee said, sounding wistful.
“I can’t complain,” he admitted. “What about your family? Do you have a brother or sister?”
She shook her head. “I was an only child.”
When she failed to elaborate, Chance decided to let the matter drop. It was clear she didn’t want to talk about it and he’d never been one to pry. If Fee wanted to tell him about her family, he would be more than happy to listen. If she didn’t, then that was her call.
Walking down the long aisle between the horse stalls, Chance pointed to a paint mare that had curiously poked her head over the bottom half of the stall door. “That’s the horse you’ll learn to ride tomorrow.”
Fee looked uncertain. “It looks so big. Do you have one in a smaller size?”
“You make it sound like you’re trying on a pair of shoes,” he said, laughing. “Rosy is about as small as we have around here.”
“I’m not so comfortable with large animals,” she said, shaking her head. “When I was little girl, my grandmother’s next door neighbor had an overly friendly Great Dane that knocked me down every time I was around him. I know he wasn’t trying to hurt me, but I ended up with stitches in my knee from his friendly gestures.” She eyed the mare suspiciously. “She’s bigger than he was.”
He guided Fee over to the stall. “I promise Rosy is the gentlest horse we have on the ranch and loves people.” Reaching out, he scratched the mare’s forehead. “She’ll be the perfect starter horse for you and she won’t knock you down.”
“Rosy likes that?” Fee asked.
He nodded. “You want to try it?” When she shook her head, he took her hand in his. “Just rub Rosy’s forehead like this,” he said, showing her how. “While you two get acquainted, I’ll go get a treat for you to feed her.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Chance.” He heard the hesitancy in her voice as he walked across the aisle into the feed room. “She looks like she might have pretty big teeth. Does she bite?”
He shook his head as he walked back to the stall with a cube of sugar. “Rosy might nip you unintentionally, but she’s never been one to bite.” He placed the cube on Fee’s palm. “Just keep your hand flat and Rosy will take care of the rest.”
When Fee tentatively put her hand out, the mare scooped up the sugar cube with her lips. “Oh my goodness!” Fee’s expression was filled with awe when she turned to look at him. “Her mouth is so soft. It feels just like velvet.”
Seeing the wonder in her eyes and her delighted smile, Chance didn’t think twice about closing the gap between them to take Fee in his arms. “Do you remember what I told you this afternoon?”
The glee in her vibrant blue eyes changed to the awareness he’d seen in them earlier in the day. “Y-yes.”
“Good.” He started to lower his head and was encouraged when she brought her arms up to encircle his neck. “I’m going to give you that kiss now that we’ve both been wanting.”
When he covered her mouth with his, Chance didn’t think he had ever tasted anything sweeter. He took his time to slowly, thoroughly explore her soft lips. They were perfect and clung to his as if she was eager for him to take the kiss to the next level. When she sighed and melted into him, he didn’t think twice about tightening his arms around her and deepening the caress.
The moment his tongue touched hers, Chance felt a wave of heat shoot from the top of his head all the way to the soles of his feet. But when she slid her hands beneath the collar of his shirt to caress the nape of his neck, it felt as if his heart turned a somersault inside his chest. The magnetic pull between them was more explosive than anything he could have imagined and he knew as surely as he knew his own name it was inevitable—they would be making love. The thought caused the region south of his belt buckle to tighten so fast it left him feeling lightheaded.
Easing away from the kiss before things got out of hand, he gazed down at the dazed expression on her pretty face. She was as turned on as he was and, unless he missed his guess, a little confused by how quickly the passion had flared between them.
“I think we’d better call it a night,” he said, continuing to hold her.
“I-it would...probably be a good...idea,” she said, sounding as breathless as he felt.
“Mornings around here start earlier than you’re probably used to,” he advised, forcing himself to take a step back.
When he put his arm around her and started walking toward the open doors of the barn, she asked, “How early are we talking about?”
He grinned. “Well before daylight.”
“Is it that imperative to get up so early?” she asked, frowning.
“The livestock get breakfast before we do,” he explained, holding her to his side. “Besides, in the summer we get as much done as we can before the hottest part of the day. The earlier we get up and get started, the better chance we have of doing that.”
“I suppose that makes sense,” she said as they climbed the porch steps and went into the house. “Why don’t you wake me up when you get back to the house after you feed the livestock?”
“Hey, you’re the one who’s here to observe what a real cowboy is all about,” he reminded, laughing. “That includes the morning chores as well as what I do the rest of the day.”
“No, I’m here to talk you into being the spokesman for your family’s PR campaign,” she shot back. “It was your idea that I needed to see what you do.”
Walking her into the foyer of the homestead and up the stairs, they fell silent and Chance cursed himself as nine kinds of a fool the closer they got to their bedrooms. After he had put her in the room across the hall from his, he’d realized that it probably hadn’t been one of his brightest ideas. But now that he knew the sweetness of her lips and how responsive she was to his kiss, there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that it was the dumbest decision he’d made in his entire adult life. But at the time, he’d thought she might like the room with the window seat. It was the only one of the six bedrooms that was the least bit feminine.
When they stopped at the door to her room, he barely resisted the temptation of taking her back into his arms. “Sleep well, Fee.”
“You, too, Chance,” she said, giving him a smile that sent his blood pressure skyrocketing.
He waited until she went into her room, then quickly entering his, he closed the door and headed straight for the shower. Between the kiss they’d shared in the barn and the knowledge that at that very moment she was probably removing every stitch of clothes she had on, he was hotter than a two-dollar pistol in a skid-row pawn shop on Saturday night.
He’d have liked nothing more than to hold Fee to him and kiss her senseless. But that hadn’t been an option. If he had so much as touched her, he knew he wouldn’t have wanted to let her go. And that had never happened to him before.
It wasn’t as if he hadn’t experienced a strong attraction for a woman in the past. But nothing in his adult life had been as passionate as fast as what he had felt with Fee when he kissed her. He hadn’t counted on that when he asked her to stay with him. Hell, the possibility hadn’t even been on his radar.
Quickly stripping out of his clothes, he turned on the water and stepped beneath the icy spray. Maybe if he traumatized his body with a cold shower, he’d not only be able to get some sleep, maybe some of his sanity would return.
As he stood there shivering uncontrollably, he shook his head. Yeah, and if he believed that, there was someone, somewhere waiting to sell him the Grand Canyon or Mount Rushmore.
Four (#u7391c32f-7ffc-52c0-aaa9-60dc224e873f)
Fee yawned as she sat on a bale of hay in the barn and watched Chance saddle Rosy and another horse he’d called Dakota. She couldn’t believe that after he’d knocked on her door an hour and a half before the sun came up, he’d gone on to feed all of the animals housed in the barns and holding pens and met with his ranch foreman to go over the chores for the day—all before breakfast.
Hiding another yawn with her hand, she decided she might not be as tired if she’d gotten more rest the night before. But sleep had eluded her and she knew exactly what had caused her insomnia. Not only had Chance’s kiss been way more than she’d expected, it had caused her to question her sanity.
Several different times yesterday, she had practically asked the man to kiss her and when he finally had, she’d acted completely shameless and all but melted into a puddle at his big booted feet. Thank goodness he’d kept it fairly brief and ended the kiss before she’d made a bigger fool of herself than she already had.
Then there was the matter of the promise she’d made to herself years ago. She’d seemed to forget all about her vow to never put her career in jeopardy because of a man.
“You’re not your mother,” she whispered to herself.
Her mother had been a prime example of how that kind of diversion could destroy a career, and Fee was determined not to let that happen to her. Rita Sinclair had abandoned her position as a successful financial advisor when she foolishly fell head over heels in love with a dreamer—a man who chased his lofty ideas from one place to another without ever considering the sacrifices his aspirations had cost her. Maybe he’d asked her to marry him because she had become pregnant with Fee or maybe he’d thought it was what he wanted at the time. Either way, he had eventually decided that his wife and infant daughter were holding him back and he’d moved on without them.
But instead of picking up the pieces of her life and resuming her career, Fee’s mother had settled for working one dead-end job after another that left her with little time for her daughter. Her mother had died ten years ago, still waiting for the dreamer to return to take her with him on his next irresponsible adventure. Fee suspected that her mother had died of a broken heart because he never did.
When she’d been old enough to understand the life her mother had given up for her father, Fee had made a conscious decision to avoid making the same mistakes.
Although he wasn’t her boss, Chance’s family owned the company she worked for and that was even worse. She could very easily end up getting herself fired.
She tried to think if she’d heard anything about Lassiter Media’s policy on fraternization. Would that even apply in this situation? Chance wasn’t an employee of the company, nor was he an owner. But he was closely related to those who were and she’d been sent to smooth over a scandal, not create another one.
“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but if that frown on your face is any indication, it can’t be good,” Chance said, breaking into her disturbing thoughts.
“I was thinking about the PR campaign,” she answered, staring down at the toes of her new boots. “I should be working on ideas for the videos and print ads.”
Technically it wasn’t really a lie. She had been thinking about the reasons she’d been sent to Wyoming and how losing her focus when it came to him could very easily cost her a perfectly good job.
Squatting down in front of her, Chance used his index finger to lift her chin until their gazes met. “What do you say we forget about fixing the Lassiter reputation today and just have a little fun?”
The moment he touched her, Fee could barely remember her own name, let alone the fact that she had a job she might lose if she wasn’t careful. “You think I’m going to have fun riding a horse?” she asked, unable to keep the skepticism from her voice.
“I promise you will,” he said, taking her hands in his. Straightening to his full height, he pulled her to her feet, then picked up her hat where she had placed it on the bale of hay when she sat down. Positioning it on her head, he pointed to Rosy. “Now, are you ready to mount up and get started?”
“Not really,” she said, wondering if workers’ compensation would cover her falling off a horse since she was only learning to ride in an effort to get him to agree to be the Lassiter spokesman. Eying the mare, Fee shook her head. “Is it just me or did she get a lot bigger overnight?”
“It’s just you,” he said, laughing as he led her over to the mare’s side. He explained how to put her foot in the stirrup and take hold of the saddle to pull herself up onto the back of the horse. “Don’t worry about Rosy. She’s been trained to stand perfectly still until you’re seated and give her the signal you’re ready for her to move.”
“It’s the after I’m seated part that I’m worried about,” Fee muttered as she took a deep breath and barely managed to raise her foot high enough to place it in the stirrup. Grabbing the saddle as Chance had instructed, she tried to mount the horse but found the task impossible. “How is stepping into the stirrup any help when your knee is even with your chin?” she asked, feeling relief flow through her. If she couldn’t mount the horse, she couldn’t ride it. “I guess I won’t be able to go riding. At least not until you get a shorter horse.”
