Need You Now

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Heck, she hated that her neighbor hung wet rugs on the shared picket fence that was now beginning to sag from the weight. But Melanie hadn’t said a word to Mrs. Sutter.

Anxious to let the subject drop, she dug her phone out of her pocket, then glanced back at him. “I’ll call the Sundance if you’re still interested in staying overnight.”

“If it’s not a problem.”

“Calling the Sundance?”

“Me staying.” Lucas tried to hold her gaze as he rode up alongside her, but she looked away.

“No, of course not. Why would it be—?” She knew better than to ask a question that could produce an answer she might not like. She hit speed dial and prayed for the call to go through. Up here the reception could be dicey.

The connection dropped after the third ring. She kept the phone to her ear while she gathered her composure. The weird thing about him having misread her was that Lucas was observant. The kind of quiet, intense observant that made her nervous. Made her feel self-conscious, as if she needed to explain herself.

She knew he didn’t mean to upset her. After living under a magnifying glass half her life, she could tell the difference. And she also knew he was watching her right now.

“Oops.” She lowered the cell phone. “Lost the call. I’ll have to try again in a few minutes.”

He gazed up at the sky. “If they don’t have room, I keep a sleeping bag in my truck. Looks like a nice night to sleep under the stars.”

“You’d do that?”

“Sure.” He glanced at her. “I love sleeping outdoors. Only problem is I gotta have my morning shower.”

A stunningly vivid picture of him wet and naked flashed in her mind. She let out a gasp that startled them both. What was wrong with her?

“Not a fan of outdoor living, I take it,” he said, amusement lacing his tone.

“Um, no, I’ve enjoyed camping, but yeah, the, um, shower thing...” She cleared her throat and hit speed dial again. “That’s a deal breaker for me.”

She’d never been so glad to hear Rachel’s voice. “Hey, it’s Melanie. I know it’s last-minute, but have you got an extra room?”

“Actually, we do,” Rachel said. “But only for one night. We have a ton of arrivals tomorrow. Who’s it for?”

Melanie gave Lucas an affirming nod, and then it dawned on her. “Oh, wait, do you accept male guests?”

He was looking at her, his eyes narrowed and curious.

Rachel laughed. “Yeah, sure, but you’ll have to warn him. You know how some of these women are.” She lowered her voice. “Subtle as a mare in heat.”

Letting out a chuckle, Melanie briefly met his eyes. “He looks pretty tough. I think he can handle them.”

“Hey, you giggled. Who is this guy?”

Melanie groaned. “Goodbye, Rachel, and thank you.”

“Wait—”

Melanie disconnected the call but didn’t bother pocketing the phone. Rachel was probably already texting her little heart out. “There’s room for you at the Sundance but only for one night,” she told Lucas without looking at him, because her pink cheeks would only invite more curiosity. “If you’re still interested in sticking around, we can see if the cabin’s available tomorrow.”

“I’m interested.” He nudged Sergei to keep up with her and Candy Cane. “I think.”

“You can decide tomorrow,” Melanie said, pleased at her cool even tone. Despite the dreaded thought he could change his mind and leave first thing in the morning.

“Is there something you should tell me?”

She turned to him. “Like what?”

A small cautious smile curved his mouth. “You asked if your friend takes male guests.”

“Oh.” Her phone buzzed. No surprise, it was a text from Rachel. “Excuse me—I think this is about your reservation,” she murmured, assuring herself she hadn’t lied.

WTF? CALL ME THE SEC HE LEAVES.

Melanie hurriedly stuffed the phone in her pocket. “You’re all set.”

“Are you purposely trying to make me nervous?”

“No, of course not....” She saw he was kidding. Duh. It probably took an earthquake to rattle him. “The Sundance sort of caters to young single women.”

“Sort of?”

“They’ll be crawling all over the place.”

“Great.” He sighed, clearly not pleased.

And that suited Melanie just fine.

5

LUCAS STEPPED ONTO the porch of the McAllisters’ large three-story log house carrying his bag, the brim of his Stetson tugged down low. Normally, he wouldn’t have bothered wearing his hat from his truck to the front door. But it helped eliminate unnecessary eye contact.

He’d assumed Melanie had exaggerated about the ranch being overrun by female guests. Hell, he must’ve seen two dozen of them already, and he’d only just arrived. Fortunately, it seemed most of the ladies were headed to the row of rental cars parked near the stable. Though that hadn’t stopped a few from trying to engage him in conversation.

The door opened before he could knock.

“Hi, you must be Lucas.” The woman had long auburn curls, bright green eyes and a friendly smile. “I’m Rachel McAllister. Come in.”

He saw a trio of women approaching from behind her, and he automatically stepped to the side.

Rachel glanced over her shoulder. “I think this is the last wave,” she whispered, then moved to let the women pass.

The curvy brunette and her smaller friend flashed him smiles as they walked past him and hurried down the porch steps. A tall blonde wearing red heels and a short denim skirt lagged behind them, pausing to say something to Rachel that made her laugh.

“My brothers are spoken for,” Rachel said. “You see them in town, you leave them alone. Same goes for Matt.”

“You know I’m harmless.” The blonde gave her a mischievous grin, then continued onto the porch. She stopped again when she spotted Lucas. Eyeing him up and down, she drawled, “I haven’t seen you before.”

“Nope, just got here.” He had a good look at her ample breasts. Couldn’t miss them, molded by the clingy shirt.