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He studied her but she seemed to be sincere. “I’d be grateful.”
“I have conditions.” Delaney gave him a wide grin.
He couldn’t help but return her smile. It was infectious. “Lay them on me, cielo.”
“I want you to get your boots dirty.”
It was his turn to narrow his eyes. “What does that mean exactly?”
“Spend time with me out here. Our home is a working ranch.” She did a small twirl as her hands waved toward the expanse of fields behind the house and the large barn to one side. “I want to put you through the paces to see if you can handle what it means to be a Fortune Jones.”
The crisp, summery scent of her wafted over him as she moved. He wasn’t sure if it was her perfume or shampoo, but it made his senses reel. Cisco felt himself drifting closer to Delaney, as if pulled by an invisible thread of curiosity. She was so different from any woman he’d met before, completely authentic and pure, as if she was untainted by life. It was also obvious she loved life on the ranch. While he tried to live by his own code of right and wrong, the deals he brokered often left him walking a moral tightrope. It had been years since Cisco had felt anything close to innocent. He found that quality in Delaney intensely attractive.
But this was business, he reminded himself.
As if to drive home the point, his sister suddenly appeared at Delaney’s side.
“What are you two talking about so intently?” she asked with a bright smile for Delaney and a warning glance at Cisco.
“Delaney is going to teach me how to be a real cowboy,” Cisco told his sister.
He expected her to laugh or make a joke about how he wouldn’t be able to handle it, but she stepped forward and gave him a hug. “I think it’s a great idea.” She turned to Delaney. “It’s about time he broke a sweat in someplace other than a fancy gym.”
“You wound me,” Cisco said with a laugh. “For your information, there are plenty of times I’ve broken a sweat outside of a gym.”
Gabriella rolled her eyes when he winked. “Don’t go there, big brother.” She linked her arm in Delaney’s. “Let’s join the others. The desserts are going fast, Delaney. There’s a brownie with your name on it.”
Cisco followed the two women back toward the rest of the guests, although he realized he would have been happy to keep Delaney all to himself for a while longer. Apparently he’d have more time to spend with her as he met her criteria for taking the meeting with the executives from Cowboy Country. He just had to come up with a plan to hold them off in the meantime.
* * *
“How about this one?”
Cisco grimaced as his father held up a garish Western shirt decorated with rhinestones and leather tassels. “Now you’re just being cruel, Dad. I may not be an expert on cowboys, but I can tell you no self-respecting man would wear that in public.”
“You’d be surprised,” Orlando answered with a chuckle. “But we’ll start you out subtle. After all, Deke Jones is going to expect you to look like you can handle yourself before he lets you do anything on his ranch.”
Like Gabi, Orlando had been all for Cisco spending time with Delaney at her family’s ranch. His brother Matteo had found it hilarious to imagine Cisco doing any sort of hard physical labor. That irritated him. Sure, his experience was brokering big-time deals, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t get his hands dirty. There might not be a lot of opportunity for that in Miami, but Cisco was confident he could hold his own.
Unfortunately, his wardrobe didn’t lend itself to ranching. In Miami the style was South Beach cool, silk shirts and trousers or polo shirts for the golf course. He didn’t want to look as green as he really was in front of Delaney’s father, so he’d asked his dad where to shop for Western clothes. Orlando had insisted on accompanying him to nearby Vicker’s Corners to pick up some new, more Horseback Hollow–appropriate clothes.
In the end they kept it simple—a few button-downs, one plaid with pearl buttons and two of solid colors, a few pairs of Wrangler and Cinch jeans, and a belt with a three-piece buckle.
They walked out of the store and threw the purchases in the backseat of Cisco’s truck before grabbing sandwiches from a local street vendor. Orlando led Cisco to a bench in a nearby park. It was good to spend time with his father and great to see how healthy and happy Orlando looked. He’d been nearly killed last year when the plane he was piloting crashed but now seemed to be back to his old hale and hearty self.
“Your mother would get a kick out of us shopping together,” Orlando said as he unwrapped his sandwich.
“I’m not sure she’d believe it.” Cisco took a drink of iced tea. “I’m not sure I believe it.” He reached over and patted his father’s shoulder. “But it’s good to see you so happy, Dad. Mom would have wanted that.”
The breeze blew through his father’s thick silver hair. “I miss her every day, son, but you’re right. She wouldn’t have wanted any of us to put our lives on hold and wallow in grief. Gabriella found her happiness, and it appears Matteo has, too. Now it’s your turn. Horseback Hollow is a good place for the Mendozas.”
“Whoa,” Cisco said quickly, his head shaking. “I don’t disagree the town is great, but I’m not looking to settle down like Gabi and Matteo. My life is in Miami. There are some business opportunities in Texas, and I’m going to take advantage of them. That’s all it is.”
Orlando opened his mouth to answer just as his cell phone beeped. He checked the screen, then punched at the keys with his thumbs, a small smile playing across his lips.
“Are you texting?” Cisco smiled around a bite of sandwich. It was grilled chicken with avocado on thick buttered toast and one of the best things Cisco had tasted in months. He ate out almost every night in Miami, often at trendy restaurants with clients, but somehow the down-home food in this area was infinitely more satisfying.
“I may be old, but I’m not dead.”
Something about the look on his father’s face gave Cisco pause. “Are you texting a woman?”
Orlando kept hitting keys on his phone, but as he pressed Send and looked up, Cisco noticed color rising up his neck. “That’s none of your concern.”
“Do you have a girlfriend, Dad?”
“I loved your mother very much, Cisco. I was devoted to her for all our years together. You know that.” Orlando pocketed his phone and concentrated on his sandwich.
“I know how much you loved Mom,” Cisco agreed, choosing his words carefully. “And how difficult it was when she died. But she’d want you to keep living. If you’ve met someone who makes you happy, I support you, Dad. We all will.”
Orlando looked at him a long moment, then nodded. “You’re a good boy, son.”
“So who is she?” Cisco nudged his father’s arm. “Are you officially dating? When do I get to meet her? Do we need to have the ‘be safe and responsible’ talk?”
“You’re a good boy who needs to mind his own business.” Orlando wadded up the paper from his sandwich. “Don’t worry about me. You just straighten out your own life.”
“My life is fantastic.” Cisco realized the words sounded more defensive than he’d meant.
“There’s more to life than work.”
“I understand, but I’m also building a career,” Cisco answered, irritation flaring through him. “You took your career in the air force very seriously.”
“Of course I did,” his father agreed. “But I had your mother and you kids, as well. It was a lot to juggle, and I know it wasn’t always easy on our family.”
“I didn’t mind it.”
His father chuckled. “You had a gift, Cisco. You could go into any school, any group of kids and make your mark within minutes. You were the leader of every situation. I’ve never met a kid with so much confidence.”
Cisco hadn’t thought of it that way as a kid. He’d been intent on survival. As “military brats” of Latino heritage, the Mendoza kids had definitely made an impression wherever they went. He’d felt as if it were his job to make sure the impression was a good one. He’d had a natural gift for influencing people that had served him well both as a boy and later as he started his career. Plus, he always liked a challenge, which was part of the reason he’d taken the job at Cowboy Country. His reputation in Miami was solid. It was time he made a name for himself in other areas.
“You and Mom set the bar high,” he told his father, standing and taking their trash to a nearby garbage can. “I’ll get there, Papi, don’t worry. But right now I’m focused on business.” Still, an image of Delaney and her cornflower-blue eyes popped into his mind. He shook off the mental picture.
“I know you will, son.” Orlando gave him a knowing smile. “You’re a Mendoza. We’re built for true love.”
Cisco wasn’t sure he agreed, but he didn’t argue. Right now all he wanted was to make this deal with the Cowboy Condos a success and move on to even larger projects. Texas was a big state, and he intended to conquer every inch of it.
Chapter Three (#ulink_042f7d8f-b66e-56d5-979f-258a1ed40d4f)
“Stop fidgeting.” Jeanne Marie took a pan of freshly baked blueberry muffins out of the oven. She turned to Delaney as she took the pot holders off her hands. “You look beautiful.”
Delaney huffed out a breath, annoyed as her stomach took another tumble. “I’m not trying to look beautiful.” She smoothed her palms down the faded denim of her shirt. “I’ll be working today and Cisco Mendoza is going to help.”
“He’s quite handsome.”
“Right,” Delaney said with a laugh. “Mom, saying Cisco is handsome is like saying Texas is hot in the summer.”
“Kind of an understatement?”
“Exactly.” She snagged a muffin from the cooling rack and bounced it in her hand until it cooled enough to take a bite. “I can’t image a woman not being attracted to Cisco. It doesn’t matter. I want a man with substance over style.”
“Who says you can’t have both? Your father was—and still is—the most handsome man I’ve ever seen.”
Delaney shook her head. “I’m not looking for anything from Cisco but some good old-fashioned hard labor. Like you said, I get into trouble when I’m bored. He’s a diversion. Nothing more.”
“You can at least enjoy getting to know him. He comes from a wonderful family. You know how much we all love Gabriella, and Orlando is a good man. In fact, your aunt Josephine seems quite taken with him.”
“Aunt Josephine and Orlando Mendoza?” Delaney didn’t know her British aunt well but already felt a connection to her. “That’s kind of sweet.”
Jeanne Marie smiled. “Keep this between us. If there is something happening between the two of them, they should have the time to figure it out for themselves.”
“Of course.” It was strange for Delaney to imagine her sophisticated aunt being with a salt-of-the-earth man like Orlando. She had a picture in her mind of who people should fit with and for her it was always someone from a similar background. A man who’d been raised for the cowboy lifestyle—working hard and loving the land—just as she had. She wondered now if that was narrow-minded, something Delaney had never thought about herself.
It wasn’t a help for her already jumbled nerves, but she didn’t have much time to examine those feelings as she heard a truck rumble down the driveway.
“Have fun,” Jeanne Marie told her, wrapping up two more muffins in a napkin. “And take these to your new man. He’s going to need the energy for what I imagine you have planned.”
Delaney grabbed the napkin and gave her mother a quick kiss. She did, indeed, have plans for Cisco. The thought of the fun she was going to have with him turned her nerves into excitement.
The roller coaster in her tummy went dipping and twisting again as Cisco climbed out of his truck. She was pleasantly surprised to see he’d shed his sophisticated Miami clothes and this morning looked like a true Texas cowboy in his plaid shirt, crisp jeans and sturdy leather cowboy boots. Even his hat looked custom-fit, the sort of hat any of her brothers would be proud to wear.
“You cowboy up pretty nicely, Mr. Mendoza.”
“Thank you, Ms. Fortune Jones. I’m honored to be here.” He reached into his truck and pulled out a pair of leather work gloves and a small gift bag. “These are for me,” he said, slapping the gloves against his thigh. “This is for you.” He held out the gift bag.
Delaney looked over her shoulder toward the house. For a moment she wondered if her mother or one of her siblings had told Cisco about her weakness for presents. As the youngest of seven, Delaney had been the recipient of countless hand-me-downs. Clothes from her sister, Stacey, and saddles from her brothers. Her parents had always made her birthday special, but that came around only once a year and it wasn’t nearly enough to satisfy her.
“You didn’t have to—” she began, then stopped when she noticed Cisco grinning at her. “But I’m glad you did.”
She pulled a piece of folded tissue paper out of the bag and unwrapped it. Inside was a delicate gold chain with a small charm in the shape of the state of Texas hanging from the end.
“I hope you don’t have one like it,” Cisco said. “I saw it in a store in Vicker’s Corners and it reminded me of you.”
“It’s adorable.” Delaney cleared her throat when the words came out in a whisper. “I love it.” She did, too. The necklace was perfect for her. She wasn’t sure whether that meant she should trust Cisco’s taste or be wary of how smooth of a charmer he could be.
“May I put it on you?” The deep rumble of his voice brought her out of her musings.
She nodded but didn’t release the necklace. “Why did you get this for me?”
A look of surprise flashed across his face. “You’re doing me a big favor, Delaney. I wanted to thank you.”
“I haven’t done anything yet,” she countered.
“A thank-you in advance?” His smile was genuine.
She uncurled her fingers from the chain and dropped it into his palm. “Are you sure you’re not trying to get me to go easy on you?” She turned and lifted her braid out of the way as he reached his hands in front of her.
“Would it work?” His breath was warm on her neck.
As he spoke, he used one finger to push a stray strand of hair out of the way. A ripple of awareness shot down her spine in response. She shook her head a tiny bit, not trusting her voice.
“Then put me through the paces, Delaney.” He clasped the necklace together and turned her to face him. “I’m all yours.”
Delaney tried to ignore the satisfying warmth that traveled through her at his words. A man like Cisco wasn’t for her, she reminded herself. This wasn’t his real life. He didn’t belong in Horseback Hollow even if he’d shown up this morning looking the part. His boots might be sturdy, but they were brand-new.
* * *
By midday his boots were already broken in, along with the rest of him. When Cisco had told Delaney to put him through the paces, he hadn’t realized what he was asking. As he loaded a final bale of hay onto a truck in one of the far pastures at the ranch, every part of his body ached. This was definitely different from a five-mile run around South Beach and an hour at the gym. The sun shone high in the western sky, spreading patterns of golden light through the clouds.
They’d been working steadily since the morning. Delaney had saddled up a couple of horses first thing, and they’d started their day checking the fencing on the north end of the ranch. Cisco could hold his own on a horse, but Delaney rode as though she’d been born in a saddle. As he closed up the truck’s gate, the ranch hand behind the wheel gave a short wave and the truck slowly made its way back toward the barn.
He lifted his hat off his head and wiped one sleeve across his brow. It felt as if the temperature had risen several degrees just in the past hour.
“How are you holding up?” Delaney asked as she hoisted herself on the large horse she road. She looked more amused than concerned.
Cisco swung his leg into the saddle. “I’ll survive,” he said with a smile. “I knew running a ranching operation was a lot of work, but I didn’t appreciate how much until today.” He brought his horse to the side of hers. “The men have a lot of respect for you, Delaney.”
It was true. Deke Jones had greeted them on their way to the barn earlier this morning, but Delaney’s father had been heading to Lubbock to check out some new equipment. He hadn’t officially put Delaney in charge in his absence, but it had been clear the ranch workers looked to her for guidance.
She was a mighty force wrapped up in an adorably tiny package.
“My dad keeps this place running like clockwork. The men know what they’re supposed to do without much input from me. My brothers used to help out quite a bit but they’ve all got their own lives and families now. Well, Galen doesn’t have a family, but he’s busy.”
“Don’t downplay your role on the ranch.”
For the first time, she looked really flustered. “I’m not, but I think you’re giving me more credit than I deserve.”
“Or maybe, cielo, you give yourself less.”
Her eyes tracked to his for a moment and he saw a rare flash of uncertainty there. He realized Delaney Fortune Jones might not be as sure of herself as she led people to believe.
She looked up to the blue sky then, holding her straw cowboy hat to her head. “Let’s race back. Mom wants us to eat lunch with her and she’ll have it ready by now.”
“Did you just tell the time by looking at the sun?”
A hint of color crept up her cheeks. “It’s a habit. I don’t wear a watch when I’m out on the property.” She adjusted the horse’s reins in her hands. “Ready?”
He nodded and gave his horse a short kick with his boot heels, but Delaney was already off and running. Cisco didn’t bother to try to catch her. Instead he enjoyed the view of her moving across the pasture, the rhythm of her body perfectly matched to the animal beneath her.
When he’d first arrived in Horseback Hollow, he’d missed the BMW coupe he drove in Miami and the sports car’s power at his fingertips. Now he realized he’d underestimated the adrenaline rush of horseback riding. There was something about moving in sync with another living being that beat the excitement of even the fastest engine.
