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Cole leaned against his truck and looked at her. “What happened to you?”
“What?” Tess glanced across the street toward the Curl Up and Dye Salon. A facial and a haircut were in order before the day was through. “I’m fine, Cole.”
“I fully expected ten minutes of banter, five at the very least. Did New York suck out your soul? The Tess I knew wouldn’t give up so easily.”
“I’m sure I don’t understand what you mean.” She didn’t have to look up at him to know he was still scrutinizing her.
“Since we’re getting things out in the open, yes I heard about your ex-fiancе, and if you don’t mind me saying, you’re better off without him.”
“I do mind because it’s none of your business, or anyone else’s for that matter.”
“Come on, Tess, this is Ramblewood. Everyone’s in everybody else’s business.”
So much for reassurance that she’d survive the next few weeks with her dignity intact. Small-town gossip was something she’d learned to live without when she moved to New York. In a city that big, it was easy to become another face in the crowd. Everyone was so wrapped up in their own lives they didn’t care what was going on in yours.
“I miss New York already.” Tess slid into the ice-blue rental and started the engine. “Again, Cole, I’m really sorry. Your dad was an incredible man. I’m sure I’ll see you around.”
“I guarantee it.” Cole stood firm at the window. “But I hope, when I do, you’ll have found some of that old feistiness we love.”
Tess saw an impish glint in his bourbon-colored eyes before he stepped aside. It wouldn’t take much persuading to get caught up in them for a lifetime. Had he always looked this good?
“I, uh—I need to get going.” Shaking her head of the salacious thoughts that churned in her mind, she scrambled for an escape. “It was a long flight and I’m anxious to unwind a bit.”
“Your mom’s out at my place.” Cole slapped his hand down on the hood of the Ford. “You know you’re always welcome there and we have a few things to catch up on.”
He tipped his hat, nodded and turned to walk into the Magpie. Tess peered over the top of her Ray-Bans. No man could possibly compete with the way Cole’s jeans fit across his backside.
With the center of town and Cole behind her, Tess pulled into her parents’ gravel driveway. A wisteria-covered arbor stood at the entrance of the slate walk leading to the two-story cream-colored farmhouse. The purple blooms were breathtaking in the spring, but this time of year, the vines had a more mysterious charm, which her mother enhanced with artificial Halloween cobwebs and festive scarecrows.
Spanish moss danced in the breeze as it swung from the gnarled boughs of the majestic live oak in the front yard. Throughout the sweltering Texas summers, the tree shaded the impeccable front yard. Tess never figured out how her mother found the energy to run the luncheonette and still accomplish the countless gardening projects she did every year.
Ricky caterwauled once again.
“Okay, little guy.” She hauled the carrier out of the car along with the rest of her luggage. “Let’s get you inside.”
Tess climbed the pumpkin-lined porch stairs, reaching into her handbag for the key she’d carried since the day she left for college. She knew she should have taken it off her key ring years ago, but there was comfort in realizing she could always go home again. Stopping short of trying the lock, Tess turned the knob and the door opened.
Four dead bolts on Tess’s New York apartment door gave her a sense of security. Her parents, on the other hand, had never locked a door in their lives.
The spacious living room and kitchen combination always reminded Tess of The Waltons. The stairs to the left displayed old-fashioned milk bottles on each step. When dairies began to phase out glass bottles in favor of wax cartons and plastic jugs, Maggie had started saving every one she found.
Tess ascended the old staircase, relishing the familiar squeaks and groans of the wood. Stark white linen walls replaced the tiny pale wild-rose print wallpaper in her former bedroom. A lone oil painting of yellow roses hung on the wall opposite the door. A rough, unstained pine bed now stood where her four-poster once had. Her mother had changed the room shortly after she went to college, but Tess still missed the one place of comfort she’d always retreated to when she was younger. That room was probably the only thing that had changed in this town during the past thirteen years.
She opened the wire door of the carrier. Ricky hesitated and then strolled out, arching his back and stretching his legs one by one.
“I know how you feel, little man.” The cat looked up at Tess and let out a soft meow. He padded over, rubbed alongside her leg and purred loudly. “I hear your motor running.”
She picked up her favorite male companion and gave him a gentle squeeze before setting him on the bed. Leaning beside the window, Tess looked out across the yard, which was enclosed by a picket fence. As if it were yesterday, she remembered her father pushing her on the old tire swing that still hung from the hickory tree.
The frenzied way her mother chased her prized Silkie chickens around the coop provided comic relief for the neighbors within earshot. The coop remained, but the chickens were long gone.
Tess inhaled sharply when the image of Tim’s face interrupted her trip down memory lane. She’d come here to forget the two-timing rat of a man. Sorting through the entire secretary elopement situation wasn’t easy. Tim had his flaws like everyone else, but running off to marry Rachel was the last thing she’d expected. Hell, the woman was in the wedding party, at Tim’s insistence, of course. Why hadn’t she seen the signs sooner?
Tim’s deceit had sent Tess into a tailspin. Why had she wasted almost two years on that poor excuse of a human being? She’d cried all night on her roommate Cheryl-Leigh’s shoulder. And when she’d thought things couldn’t get any worse, she had gone to work the next day and found out the recent corporate merger had left her jobless.
Executive management told her they were “trimming the fat.” She must have been a little chubby, because she was one of the first to go. Cheryl-Leigh remained employed at the web design company where they’d both worked, and Tess harbored a little resentment toward her best friend because of it. They were supposed to be a team.
Jesse Langtry’s wedding had come at just the right time. It was the break she needed to put some distance between her and the pain. Unable to take a real vacation over the past few years, Tess welcomed the chance to come home for more than a long weekend. Although she wasn’t quite sure what to do with herself during the day, since everyone she knew in town had a job.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket. Another text message from one of her friends asking if she’d found Mr. Right at the airport. Clichеd as it sounded, she’d met Tim in an airport bar and her friends had yet to let her live it down.
Tess headed downstairs and crossed the wide-planked hardwood floor. She remembered her grandfather’s weekend visits to help lay the flooring and lend an extra hand with the renovations. She had been barely five when her parents bought the old house, but she recalled how much work it had needed when they first moved in. She loved New York, but there was something about the familiarity of home that tugged at her heart.
Her grade school photos were arranged on the table next to the couch. Riding trophies lined the top of the fireplace mantel. Trophies she had won thanks to Cole’s father, Joe, and his countless hours of lessons. And how did she thank the man? She missed his funeral.
In the kitchen, Tess ran her hand down the front of the refrigerator over the magnets she’d sent home from her travels abroad. Anyone entering the house felt the love the Daltons had for their daughter and one another. Sometimes Tess felt guilty for not visiting more often.
It was still a few hours before her father came home for lunch. Pouring herself a glass of sweet tea, Tess sat on the front porch swing. She rocked back and forth, the worn cedar boards creaking beneath her. Ricky jumped up and lay down beside her, his tail swishing, enjoying the freedom from his earlier confinement.
“I had my first kiss on this swing.” Tess scratched the cat behind his ears while he purred contently. “Cole Langtry.” She whispered his name for fear if she said it aloud he would suddenly appear.
They were in the sixth grade and inseparable. One afternoon, when they were swinging, he’d grabbed and kissed her. Tess was so angry she hauled off and punched him. It was their first and last kiss until they were adults. They were close throughout junior and senior high school and even attended prom together when Travis Gardner stood Tess up at the last minute so he could compete in a rodeo. Scheduled for the same event, Cole chose to escort Tess instead, telling her he would do anything to stop her tears. They were crowned king and queen of the prom, and even though the night was magical, he didn’t try to kiss her again and they didn’t pursue anything more than friendship until a few years ago.
Tess stared at the empty glass she held. She didn’t remember drinking a single sip of the cool liquid. She jumped off the swing, causing it to bang the porch railing and launch her cat through the air. “Whoops! At least you landed on your feet.”
She scooped the angry tabby up in one arm and stormed into the house. Why couldn’t she get that blasted man out of her head? The screen door slammed behind her. One day her father would finally fix that broken spring. She picked up the phone to call the ranch and then hesitated, placing it on the kitchen counter.
Outside, Tess unloaded the rest of her belongings from the trunk of the rental and began carrying them into the house while she debated what to do next. Take a nice hot bath or unpack? The heels of her boots dug deep into the ground.
Come on, eat your crow and get it over with. Tess knew she owed Kay Langtry a personal apology for missing her husband’s funeral. Repeated excuses via her mother only went so far and the woman deserved more respect than that. Guilt weighed heavily on Tess’s mind and the sooner she made amends, the sooner her conscience would stop haunting her.
Gravel flew as she jammed the key into the ignition and stepped on the gas. Without warning, the car jolted when the rear tire drove over something hard.
“What the—” Tess opened the door to see half of her luggage wedged under the car. Preoccupied with thoughts of the Langtrys, she’d forgotten about the rest of her bags. She grabbed the suitcase handle and yanked hard. It broke off in her hand, hurling her backward onto the ground. Tess sat in disbelief, staring at her expensive designer luggage.
“The perfect way to end a perfect week!” Losing all self-control, she started to laugh and felt the stress begin to leave her body. It was either laugh or cry, and at this very moment, laughter did truly feel like the best medicine.
“Are you all right, dear?” Her parent’s neighbor, Janie Anderson, stood at the end of the driveway, her Yorkie pulling toward Tess on a retractable leash. The giant pink polka-dotted bow on the top of the dog’s head seemed to make the situation even more humorous.
“Hey, Mrs. Anderson! Good to see you again!” Tess waved hello, then collapsed into another fit of laughter. Janie shook her head and continued with her walk. Still lying in the driveway, she propped herself up on her elbows and looked at the suitcases. “Let’s try this again.”
Tess stood, dusting off her jeans, and proceeded to struggle, kick and swear until she managed to free her suitcases and set them in the house. Then she took a deep breath and headed out to the Langtry ranch to apologize.
* * *
COLE HAD KNOWN for a few weeks that Tess was flying into town today and had been psyching himself up to meet her fiancе. When Maggie informed him the wedding was off, he’d chastised himself for the slight elation he’d felt at the news Tess was single again.
No, he’d rather drive his pickup over one of his championship belt buckles than give that woman an ounce of his heart again.
Tess had always seen him as a trusting, reliable friend, but the feelings Cole had had for her in high school grew stronger each time they visited one another after graduation. Tired of wondering what might be, two years ago Cole grabbed the bull by the horns and told Tess how he really felt. He’d been relieved to hear she had the same feelings for him, but annoyed he’d wasted so much energy on women who had meant nothing to him. The two of them made things official and started dating, but the long distance was difficult.
Although they made the relationship work with frequent trips, it grew harder to say goodbye and Cole was set to show Tess how much she meant to him by proposing. Always one to take a ride on the wild side, he knew how much she loved spontaneity and adventure. The night was meticulously arranged with his brother Shane’s assistance. A private roller-coaster ride high above the Stratosphere, followed by a four-course chef’s tasting menu at the Top of the World restaurant, would lead to a proposal as they overlooked one of the world’s most exciting cities.
For the second half of Tess’s surprise, Cole prebooked the Stratosphere wedding chapel for Valentine’s Day in hopes she’d love the idea of a destination wedding. But the chance to slip a ring on her finger never came.
When he and Tess walked out of the Thomas & Mack Center that evening after his victorious ride, he was blindsided by a couple of topless groupies. That in itself wouldn’t have been so bad, but when one of the women asked when they were going to spend another night together, Tess flew out of the parking lot before he had an opportunity to explain. The truth was he had been with each of them before, on more than one occasion but never at the same time, and he couldn’t blame Tess for assuming the worst of him. Before he was able to tell her he’d slept with them before he and Tess started dating, Tess had checked out of the hotel. He knew his ladies’ man reputation was bad, but after their past few months together, he’d thought she understood where his heart was, even though he hadn’t actually said the words.
Hopping mad, Cole took his anger out on the rodeo and overrode every event, making one careless mistake after another and destroying any chance he had of winning. He still blamed Tess for that loss, although she wouldn’t know it, considering he hadn’t heard from her again with the exception of a brief voice mail when his father died. When she didn’t show up for the funeral, he didn’t bother to return her call. Now she was in town for his brother Jesse’s wedding and there was no avoiding her, especially since both of their mothers were handling the reception.
The Bridle Dance Ranch, one of the state’s largest paint and quarter cutting horse ranches, left Cole with little time on his hands. The newly added sod farm division was still in its infancy and had probably been one of his father’s better concepts, but Cole and his brothers’ lack of knowledge in the field added to Cole’s daily stress. Refusing to give Tess a second thought, he had successfully blocked her out of his mind until his father’s death. Although he’d been surrounded by friends and family, she was the one person he wanted around, and she had kept her distance.
“I heard Tess is in town.” Jesse sat on the stool beside Cole at the Magpie counter. “How are you holding up?”
“How the hell did you hear that? I just saw her a few minutes ago myself.”
“Ferris was behind her and said she was parked in the middle of the street, looking around. Had to toot the horn to get her to move.”
“It’s been two years,” Cole growled. “Maybe she forgot what the place looked like.”
“Still a sore subject, even after seeing her, huh?” Jesse asked.
“I told her we need to talk, but who knows? I used to be able to predict how she’d react to any given situation, but not anymore. She seems different.”
“She got dumped and lost her job,” Jesse stated. “What do you expect?”
“It’s more than that.” Cole stood, placing his hat on his head. “The fire that always got her in so much trouble is gone.”
“She’ll come around.” Jesse motioned for his usual breakfast order. “Call me later so we can go over the plans for the ranch.”
Cole slapped his brother on the shoulder and headed out the door. He knew Jesse still carried guilt from not resolving the decade-and-a-half-long falling-out he’d had with their father. When the will was read, everyone was surprised to hear Jesse’s name included with his brothers as one of the ranch’s stockholders. Although Jesse in no way wanted anything to do with Bridle Dance, his father had respected him for working to create a legacy of his own training horses at the Double Trouble Ranch without any of the family’s financial resources.
Nonetheless, Bridle Dance was Jesse’s birthright and he wanted to memorialize their father, with Cole and their mother’s help, by fulfilling Joe’s dream of converting part of Bridle Dance into a hippotherapy center. Joe had visited a similar facility and had seen how a horse’s movements were used to treat people with injuries and physical disabilities. Cole was overjoyed when Jesse voted for opening their own facility and pledged his share of the profits from the rest of the ranch to the project.
Due to the size of the Langtrys’ business, Joe had the foresight to name Cole’s mother, Kay, and attorney Henry Dalton, Tess’s father, as coexecutors of the estate. Joe’s will bequeathed the house, the land and their small winery to Kay, and the business side of the ranch was to be split evenly between the four brothers. The land itself was leased back to the Bridle Dance Ranch Corporation, providing Kay with a lifetime income.
The corporate bylaws stated every major financial decision involving the ranch required a majority vote, and without a say in the business, Kay was at the mercy of her children where Dance of Hope, the hippotherapy facility, was concerned. And since each sibling held a twenty-five-percent stake in the company, the brothers were at a standoff.
Cole and Jesse were determined to honor their father and bring the nonprofit to fruition, but Shane and Chase didn’t share that vision. They went along with it when Joe was alive because they didn’t have any other choice. They wanted to build an over-the-top, world-class rodeo school instead.
Cole had to find a way to change his brothers’ minds and he’d stop at nothing to see the project through. He needed to focus his attention on the ranch, not Tess, yet somehow, she kept popping into his head. Memories of her scent, the touch of her hand in his, even her tousled hair were singeing the outer shell of his heart.
But that book was closed and he refused to reopen it.
Chapter Two
The words Bridle Dance balanced between two rearing bronze horses located on either side of the dirt road. Despite the Langtrys’ wealth, Tess loved that they’d never paved the entrance, preserving the ranch’s historic appeal. Rows of pecan trees heavy with fruit formed thick canopies above her. She hoped they’d be harvested while she was in town.
Through the fretwork of tree branches, she could see the sprawling three-story main house. If there was such a thing as a log manor, this was it. A porch produced from the same golden timbers spanned the front of the home, welcoming family and friends to relax and enjoy the sprawling landscape.
She caught a glimpse of Cole in the distance, mounted on a sleek black horse. He removed his Stetson and ran his hand through his thick brown hair before turning to eye her warily.
Gripping the steering wheel, she revved the car hard. With a wave of his hat, Cole signaled his horse into a full gallop. Tess floored the gas pedal, her tires spinning. Clouds of dirt encircled the car before it shot forward.
Machine versus beast took them back in time to when they were teenagers. Tess would try to best one of Cole’s prized quarter horses with a ranch rig. The horse always won.
History repeated, Cole reined his mount beside the front porch. Tess jerked the wheel to the left, braked hard and fishtailed to a stop on the other side.
Cole nudged his gelding to the driver’s side door. Before Tess placed one booted foot out of the vehicle, he was off his mount and blocking her path.
“Pretty impressive for a rental, but I win again.” He placed both hands on the door frame to prevent her escape, motioning with his head to the horse behind him. “But Blackjack here is the real winner. Although I’m afraid I might have to spend the next month unlearning this race toward home trick we just taught him. Remember how Captain Chaos threw riders when he charged the stables after he came off the trails?”
“Do I ever.” Tess ducked under his arms. “Your dad was furious with us for racing.”
Cole grabbed her by the waist before she had a chance to flee.
“What’s your rush?” He guided her back toward the car. “We have a lot of talking to do.”
She inhaled the scent of sweat, dirt and horse. Home. This is what home smells like. This was also what one hundred percent man felt like. At that sudden realization, she pulled away from him.
A rough, callused hand lifted her chin. “What’s the matter, sweetheart?” he challenged. “Have you forgotten what a real man is?”
Tess tried to squirm past Cole but only succeeded in wedging herself tighter between car and cowboy. The length of him pressed against her made Tess all too aware of the danger that lurked behind his mischievous grin. She’d wind up in a whole mess of trouble if she remained in this position much longer.
“Is my mother here?” Struggling to avoid his eyes, she stared instead at his chest. The corded muscles were unmistakably visible through his taut fawn-colored thermal shirt. She felt the urge to run her hands underneath it and trace each ripple with her fingers.
“In the house, but I didn’t tell her you were here. Figured you’d like to do the honors.”
He ran his hands leisurely down her sides and tightly gripped her waist.
Shock registered the moment Tess realized what he was about to do.
“Cole, please don’t.” She grabbed at his hands, trying in vain to pry them away. “Not that!”
Cole’s powerful fingers dug into her sides, tickling her. She twisted in his arms, her knees buckling.
“Okay, okay—you win!” she said in between shallow breaths. “We’ll talk, but later, all right? Let me go see my mom.”
Tess looked up at Cole. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed. When had life become so serious and complicated?
The noonday sun upon his face contrasted the shadow of the previous night’s beard. Tess reached out to stroke his cheek but withdrew before making contact. She refused to fall into that trap again. She hated to admit it, but being here with him felt good, although she knew Cole probably would never forgive her for missing his dad’s funeral. The most she could hope for was to put the past to rest and start over again.
Would Kay Langtry accept her apology? Tess didn’t know where to begin without sounding selfish. The problem was her reasons were selfish. She’d wanted to avoid Cole, even though she had seriously considered flying home. She’d also wanted to avoid a major blowup with Tim. He didn’t want her going back home without him and he wouldn’t miss work to attend the funeral of someone he’d never met. Tim wasn’t interested in seeing where she came from, no matter how hard Tess tried to convince him. How could she love a man like that? The signs were there, but she’d been oblivious to them day after day.
“It’ll work itself out.” Years might have passed, but Cole could still read her emotions.
“I hate it when you do that. I was never able to put anything past you.” Tess faced her old friend. “I truly am sorry.”
Cole turned her toward the porch stairs, placing his hands on her shoulders, and gave her a push.
