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From City Girl to Rancher's Wife
Ami Weaver
COOKING UP A HAPPY ENDING? Josie Callahan is used to cooking up a storm in the big city. But when her life in Los Angeles falls apart, she jumps at the chance to start over as a private chef in Montana. More used to stilettos and stainless steel appliances than cowboy boots and cozy kitchens, Josie is out of her element...especially with her sexy boss, who doesn't think she'll last. Former country music star Luke Ryder has been a loner since personal tragedy brought him low. Josie is a palate cleanser for the reclusive rancher, who prefers horses to heartbreakers. But Luke can't resist his new employee's bright smile and bubbly ways, which soften his heart. A delicious happily-ever-after might be just what Luke ordered!
Luke hadn’t bargained on the new cook.
Sure, Rosa had asked if her niece could take over while she spent some of her vacation time with her daughter, who was expecting a baby soon. Trusting the older woman completely, he’d said sure.
He hadn’t thought about Josie being a woman.
It had been so long since he’d looked—really looked—at a woman, that when she’d glared at him from her car, blue eyes narrowed, with the pepper spray can in her hand, he’d been shocked to feel the unwelcome rush of attraction. And she was a self-confessed city girl to boot, which was a huge no-no in his book. He’d married a city girl.
He was no longer married.
So to feel something for someone who wore three-inch spiked heels to stomp across a muddy, wet road in the wilds of Montana wasn’t a good sign.
But damn, they’d looked good on her, even in the mud and rain.
From City Girl to Rancher’s Wife
Ami Weaver
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Two-time Golden Heart Award finalist AMI WEAVER has been reading romance since she was a teen and writing for even longer, so it was only natural she would put the two together. Now she can be found drinking gallons of iced tea at her local coffee shop while doing one of her very favorite things—convincing two characters they deserve their happy-ever-after. Ami lives in Michigan with her four kids, three cats and her very supportive husband.
To my parents, Jan and Nancy.
Thank you for all you’ve done and all your support. It means the world. Love you guys.
Contents
Cover (#ud54527ed-96f3-5c96-a334-74f97965db14)
Introduction (#u597ce978-145e-5803-9c3f-2559ee90b8c3)
Title Page (#ufb9a5b62-d8bd-5a15-81ce-e650c81fd23c)
About the Author (#u633e366c-ef6f-5903-9cdf-d1165ddd9225)
Dedication (#u524c6952-2be7-54c6-a295-6edc4bcdac75)
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter One (#uc22ad568-d01d-58df-940a-f75937aa0ad1)
After six hours in a middle-of-nowhere airport, two turbulent flights and a bottom-of-the-barrel rental car, Josie Callahan almost wasn’t shocked when she ended up in the ditch on a dark, out-of-the-way Montana road. In what seemed to be a monsoon.
She swallowed what felt dangerously close to hysterical laughter, because at this point, after how awful her day had been, what was the point of getting mad?
Just to check, she dug her phone out of her bag, then almost immediately dropped it back in. No service, of course. It had been hit or miss all day.
Since she had no idea where she was, how far she was from the ranch—this car had no GPS—and her phone wouldn’t work, she plopped her head back on the headrest and squeezed her eyes shut. She was hungry, but all she had was a squashed granola bar in her purse and half a bottle of water. No chocolate, unfortunately.
She opened her eyes and gave the rain that was coursing down the windshield a baleful glare.
Where she came from, none of this would be an issue.
Light bounced somewhere down the road. Josie squinted out the rain-streaked window. Lightning? It couldn’t possibly be a car out here on this godforsaken road. Could it?
It was getting steadily closer, and she could see the lights were in fact headlights, on what seemed to be a huge truck.
The truck slowed, then stopped on the opposite side of the road, so she wasn’t blinded by the lights. Josie scrambled for her pepper spray, her heart pounding. Her hysteria from a few moments ago had turned to a quasi panic. She saw the truck door open, and a tall man stepped out.
She gripped the can tightly. Okay. She was on the road—she hoped—to the Silver River Ranch. Her aunt knew she was on the way. It was possible he was looking for her.
He tapped on her window. She lowered it a few inches and lifted her can of pepper spray so he could see it. The rain splashed in, cold on her skin, but he wore a cowboy hat. The rain ran off the brim. He had sharp blue eyes that caught her attention.
“Are you Josie Callahan?” His voice was deep and a little hoarse, and she blinked.
“I am,” she said, holding the can steady. “Who are you?”
“Luke Ryder. Your aunt sent me to check on you.” He stooped a little more and lifted a brow. “You don’t need the pepper spray, ma’am.”
Oh, hell. She lowered the can. No, she didn’t need it. Luke Ryder was a well-known retired country star and her aunt’s employer. She dropped it in her lap, thankful she hadn’t accidentally discharged the can. On herself. The way this day had gone, it wouldn’t have surprised her. “Right. Well. Thanks.”
“Why don’t you get in the truck and I’ll grab your bags. You’re not that far from the ranch, and Rosa is anxious to see you.” There may or may not have been a note of censure in his voice, and she bristled just a bit. Rosa had told her to wait, to come in the daylight, but Josie had had it after everything had gone wrong and had just wanted to get there. Guilt swamped her. It seemed as if she was always causing people anxiety. “I couldn’t call her. My phone—”
“No service out here for regular cell phones. That’s why she sent me.” He opened the door as she hit the button to roll the window up. She twisted to grab her coat from the backseat and got her purse and laptop bag. He extended his free hand and, after a second’s hesitation, she took it and he pulled her out of the car. She was a little surprised at how tall he was—even though she was in heels he topped her by a head.
Despite the chill in the air, his palm was warm and rough as it slid over hers. The little shiver that ran down her spine had to be from the shock of the cold rain in late August, not his touch.
“Go ahead and get in the truck,” he said. “I’ll get the rest of your stuff.”
“Thank you,” she said, and marched across the sodden, uneven road, her boots with their three-inch heels sinking into the dirt. She was afraid she was going to lose one. They, like her, were made for city sidewalks. In retrospect, probably not the best footwear for Montana.
She climbed into the big red dually pickup and sank into the buttery leather seats. This wasn’t what she’d expected. She’d thought it’d be threadbare, dirty, more of a working truck for a cowboy. Which she knew from her aunt was what Luke considered himself now. It smelled like—
Luke.
As he opened the back door of the truck and put her bags in, she got another whiff of the fresh air and rain mixed with the scent of laundry soap and something a little spicy. She stopped herself from taking a deep inhale.
She’d been involved with a celebrity once. It had cost her more than she’d ever expected to pay. She wasn’t going to fall into that trap again, not for love or money.
“I took everything out of the trunk,” he said, turning slightly toward her so she got the whole effect of those eyes. Oh, my. “Is there anything else you need?”
“No, that’s everything. Thank you.” Her tone was a little prim, even to her own ears.
He arched a brow. “Those are two, full, heavy suitcases. How did you get them on the plane?”
She gave him a tight smile. “Paid extra. Of course.” She’d packed a few of her favorite pans and utensils. She wasn’t going to explain that to him.
“What about the car?” she asked as he climbed in the truck. “Can we just leave it there?”
“We’ll have to for tonight. In the morning I’ll come back and pull it out. I’d like to be able to see if there’s any damage.”
She swallowed a sigh. Damage to the rental car. She’d bought the insurance policy that they offered and she hoped it would cover it in this situation. She’d worry about it in the morning. “All right. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He put the truck in gear and made a series of short turns that eventually had the big truck facing the other way on the road. Josie just sat there, her hands in her lap. It was quiet in the truck, except for the rhythmic thumping of the windshield wipers. If she wasn’t careful, it could lull her to sleep. Her day was finally catching up to her. She’d gotten up at four that morning to catch her flight. She glanced at the clock on the dash. It was almost nine now.
Los Angeles seemed like a lifetime away. That was probably for the best. She wondered if Aunt Rosa’s no-gossip policy extended to her, too. Had she told Luke about Josie’s recent troubles?
She sneaked a little look at his profile, which was illuminated by the dash lights. His chin was strong and his hair was cut short under that hat. His shirt was soaked, and did a nice job of outlining strong arms. Aunt Rosa didn’t say much about her famous employer, but she had said he was a hard worker. Those arms seemed to be proof of that.
Not that she was looking, of course.
She tore her eyes away and fixed them on the bit of road she could see in the swath of light from the truck’s headlights. The rain ran in rivulets down the sides of the road, and a washout from that was probably what had pulled her off the road and into the ditch.
“Thank you,” she said finally, “for your help. I am sorry for making you come out in this weather.”
“You’re welcome. Did she tell you to wait until morning?”
Now she heard the note of censure in his tone. But all Josie had wanted was to get away from the airports and into a real bed. “She did, yes.”
He glanced at her. “You didn’t think that maybe she knew what she was talking about?”
Josie threaded her fingers together so tight it hurt. “Of course I did. I just thought—” She trailed off. She’d thought it couldn’t be that bad. That remote meant a little ways out from town, that roads were paved, that there’d be people around. Somewhere. That she’d just be out in the country, not in the middle of nowhere in a monsoon. She combed her hair back from her face. Her neat knot had given up hours ago. “I was stupid. I’m completely aware of that.”
“Stupid can get you killed out here,” he said mildly, as if he was pointing out the obvious. “Soon enough this won’t be rain. It’ll be snow. It could take days to find someone who’s wandered off.”
A little shiver ran over her skin. She’d be gone before the snow set in, thank God. “Point taken. I’ll be careful.” Not that she’d be driving anywhere. She’d been driving for almost an hour past the last little town when she’d gone in the ditch. There’d be no quick trips out for anything, clearly.
Not like her neighborhood in LA, where she could walk everywhere if she wanted. She massaged her temples with her fingertips.
“Rough day?”
She laughed, because otherwise she’d start crying. And maybe never stop. “You could say that.” Her past few months had been a series of rough days. She was due for something better. Sometime. Any time. It was why she was up here in Montana instead of back at home in California trying to salvage her career.
Which, of course, was beyond fixing, as was her life as she’d known it. Stupid didn’t just kill a person. It could cost them everything.
Luke made a turn onto a tiny road that she didn’t even see in the rain and the dark, which meant she’d have missed it if she’d been on her own. They bumped along a rutted road for a quarter mile or so before passing through an open gate under an arch. They wound a little farther, and over a rise the house came into view.
Josie couldn’t contain her gasp. Even in the dark, she could see the house was a huge log home. Not a cabin—her aunt had referred to it as a cabin! A cabin was smallish. This place was closer to a mansion. Lights were on in many of the windows, and the front porch was illuminated as well, showing a row of Adirondack chairs. Luke pulled the truck off onto a short gravel drive that opened to a parking area. He stopped next to a low stone wall with soft lights set into it.
“We’ll have to make a run for it,” he said. “I can’t get any closer than this.” He cast a doubtful eye in the direction of her feet. “Don’t break an ankle, please.”
She snapped out of her awe and grabbed her laptop bag and purse. “Oh, I won’t. I can run in these. I’m a city girl, born and raised.” This was not a plus out here in the wilds of Montana, but she’d make it work for the next couple of months.
“That’s what I was afraid of,” he said, low enough she almost didn’t catch it, and got out, opened the back door and grabbed a suitcase. She got the other one, and it bumped along behind her as she half walked, half ran to the porch behind Luke, whose long stride made it impossible for her to keep up without trotting.
The heavy front door swung open. Aunt Rosa was framed in the light from the house, anxiety and relief etched on her face. “Josie! Oh, thank God you’re okay.”
Josie walked into her aunt’s embrace, even though it was awkward with all the bags she was juggling and she was soaking wet. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Aunt Rosa gave her a fierce hug. “Just like your daddy. Stubborn.” Her tone was affectionate, not scolding, but Josie still felt bad. “Let me go grab you a towel. Wait right here.” She hurried off, and Josie and Luke came all the way in, the suitcases trundling awkwardly over the threshold. Luke came to a stop right behind her, and she felt the heat of his body. It was an odd sort of awareness, one that made her uncomfortable.
“I’ll put this in your room,” Luke said quietly, and she turned partway around and nodded, making brief eye contact with him.
“All right. Thank you. For all your help.”
He tipped his head at her. “You’re welcome.” He strode off, and Josie pulled her gaze away when it snagged on his broad shoulders and looked around the room instead.
The place was clearly even bigger than it looked, with huge vaulted ceilings and a fire crackling in a massive fireplace with floor-to-ceiling stone on the hearth and up the chimney, all the way to the ceiling. There were two full-size leather sofas and a couple deep chairs covered in what looked like chenille. Magazines were stacked on the end tables. A rug in deep colors anchored the space, in an intricate woven pattern. The walls had been left natural, so the logs seemed to fade away, and she guessed the focus was on an incredible view of the ranch and mountains out the floor-to-ceiling windows that covered the back wall. It was a room that could have been intimidating, but somehow felt homey and lived in, and Josie wanted in that moment to curl up on one of the couches in front of the fire and go to sleep.
Aunt Rosa hurried back down the hall with a towel, which Josie took gratefully.
“Thank you,” she said, then gestured at the room. “This is—amazing.”
“Yes. Actually, this part is the original house his father built. Luke and his brothers added on to it. Tomorrow you’ll be able to see the view. I don’t know if Luke told you, but this kind of rain isn’t typical for this time of year.”
She managed a smile. “So I just got lucky?”
Aunt Rosa smiled and patted her arm. “Something like that. Now, let’s get these bags to your room so you can get into something dry, then I’ll feed you.”
Josie pulled the handle on her suitcase and looped the other two bags over her shoulders, waving off Aunt Rosa’s extended hand. “I’ve got them. But thank you.”
She followed her aunt’s trim figure down the hall past that wonderful fireplace and was surprised to meet an older woman coming out of a room right at the beginning of the hall. She moved slower than her age would indicate, with a walker, and a bag of what appeared to be knitting supplies. Her smile was friendly as she saw them. “Well, hello. You must be Josie. I’m Alice Ryder, Luke’s mother.”
Josie extended her hand. “I am. Nice to meet you, Alice. Thanks for sharing your home with me.”
Alice chuckled. “This is Luke’s home. I’ve got my own a little farther down the lane. I’m a temporary guest.”
“Alice had her hips replaced,” Aunt Rosa explained.
“The boys insisted I stay here so they can keep an eye on me,” Alice said cheerfully, and then her smile faded. “I’m glad you got here safe. This place is hard to find in the daylight, much less the rain and dark.”
“Yes. I learned that the hard way,” Josie admitted. Luke had been clear on her folly, and he’d been right to call her on it. Sheer stubbornness mixed with exhaustion had colored her judgment, and look where that had gotten her. “It’s a mistake I won’t make again.”
Alice smiled at her. “I’m sure you won’t. Now you get settled in and relax.”
“This is a gorgeous house,” Josie said as they continued on.
Rosa nodded “It is lovely. I love it here. But it’s time for me to go spend some time with Kelly.”
Rosa’s first grandchild was due next week. “I know she’ll be thrilled to have you around.”
Rosa laughed. “Considering how long she waited to have children, she’s not surprised that I want to be there.” She paused to open a door a few steps down. “This is your room.”
Josie followed her in. The bedside lamps were already on, which gave the room a lovely glow. She set her bags down on the floor, next to the one Luke had already dropped off. She thought she could catch a whiff of his scent lingering in the air. Crazy.
“You’ve got a view of the mountains,” Rosa said. “In the morning you’ll be able to see it.”
“It’s a lovely room. So—serene,” Josie said. And it was. The walls here weren’t log. They were painted a very pale lilac gray, a color that felt a little like twilight. The carpet was cream and very thick underfoot. The queen-size bed had a light blue quilt and a white coverlet folded over the end. There were a few framed photos on the wall, shots of what she assumed was the ranch. A small sitting area rounded out the space, with a television.
And a cattle skull over what turned out to be the bathroom.
“Yes,” Rosa said, following her gaze with a good-natured sigh, “the senses of humor around here tend toward warped. I can take it down if you’d rather not look at it every day.”
“Ah, no, it’s fine,” Josie said, eyeing it warily. She was in the West after all. “It lends character.”
Rosa gave her another hug. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Me, too.” Josie’s stomach growled, and they both laughed. “So there’s dinner?”
“Oh, yes,” Rosa said and smiled. “Change if you’d like, then follow your nose to the kitchen.” She left, pulling the door shut behind her.
It took Josie only a few minutes to use the bathroom and put on yoga pants and a long-sleeved T-shirt. She pulled her hair up in a ponytail and stared at her reflection with a wince. Pale, with dark circles under her eyes, she looked as exhausted as she felt. While she’d jumped at the chance to get out of LA, she wasn’t sure after her adventures today that she was cut out for this kind of place.
She took a deep breath. She could do it. It was six weeks in the middle of nowhere, cooking for four people. She’d spent the past few years cooking for critics and crowds, her life consumed by her career. How hard could it be?
Chapter Two (#uc22ad568-d01d-58df-940a-f75937aa0ad1)
Josie slept like a rock, and woke up confused when her smartphone alarm went off. She never slept through the night, in fact had prescription sleep medication that she tried not to take but often had to after several restless nights.
Blinking the sleep from her eyes, it took her a few seconds to remember where she was. The Silver River Ranch. She got up and hurried through her morning routine. Rosa had said she was usually in the kitchen by five, and it was nearly that now.
She hurried through the dark house and nearly screamed when a shadow detached itself from the darkness near the fireplace and hurtled itself at her, panting.
She darted behind a chair and whacked her shin on something hard. She bit back a curse and rubbed her aching leg as the shadow—a dark-colored dog—nosed her, tail going a mile a minute.
“You scared me,” she said accusingly, and the dog sat, tail still going, apparently unfazed by her tone.
She sighed and gave the dog’s head a quick pat, her heart still racing. She wasn’t a fan of dogs. Or animals in general, though she’d taken riding lessons as a teen. She’d never had a pet in any of her thirty-two years. Her parents had been too busy, and she’d followed right in their footsteps in terms of throwing herself wholeheartedly into her work. No time for houseplants, much less a pet.
She moved around the dog, who trotted behind her into the kitchen. It already smelled heavenly, and most important, like coffee. Aunt Rosa looked up with a smile. “Good morning. Did you sleep okay? Ah, I see you met Hank.”
“Good morning. I did, thanks.” She decided not to mention her little run-in in the living room with the furniture. Getting spooked by an animal seemed like a poor start to her job here. “You let the ranch dogs in the house?” Apparently giving up on Josie, Hank trotted over to Rosa, who rubbed his ears.
“Not the working ones. When they get old or can’t work for some reason they’ll usually get adopted by a family member. Hank is Luke’s dog.” To the dog, she said, “Go lie down, Hank.” He gave Josie another long look, then meandered out of the kitchen.
Rosa nodded toward the stack of white mugs on the counter next to the huge coffeepot. “Help yourself.”
“Thanks.” She moved around the island and poured a cup, adding a little milk and sugar. She closed her eyes as she took a sip. “Wow. This is really excellent coffee, Aunt Rosa.”
“Luke wants only the best,” Rosa said cheerfully, and Josie’s stomach soured just a little. Only the best was a familiar refrain. From her parents, from Russ.
She forced her lips into a smile. “Well, he got it here, for sure.” She set the mug down with a solid clink on the granite counter, eager to get started. “So...where do I start?”
The next hour passed in a comfortable blur of cooking and preparation. Josie enjoyed the chance to cook with her aunt, and the time passed quickly. She eyed the mountain of food on the platters and Rosa, catching her expression, laughed.
“Yep, only three men and then you and I and Alice. But remember, this isn’t just a nice meal out. This has to fuel them for hours and they can’t just run in and grab a snack. They’ll put a hurting on it.”
Almost on cue, Josie heard the low rumble of men’s voices and they entered the kitchen. Her gaze landed on Luke first. He just had on worn jeans and a flannel shirt over a T-shirt and the same hat as the night before, but her pulse gave a little skip. He gave her a polite nod. Before she could respond, two big guys stepped between them, and she looked up at them, startled. Her first thought was she’d never seen such good-looking siblings. All of them were tall and lean, with similar blue eyes, but their hair color wasn’t all the same. Luke’s was darker brown and these two were lighter. Still, they shared the same wide smile, similar to the one Alice had given her last night.
“Good morning,” the taller of the two said with a charming grin. “I’m Cade, and this is Jake. You must be Josie.”
“I am,” she said, shaking first Cade’s outstretched hand, then Jake’s. No little zings or fizzles of awareness. Which was good, of course, but why had it happened with Luke? Maybe she’d just been tired. “Nice to meet you guys.”
Behind them, Luke already had a plate, which he was heaping with food. Cade winked at her and said, “Looking forward to getting to know you better. Rosa’s said a lot about you.”
Ignoring the flirtatious first part of his comment, a little shiver of worry ran down her spine. Rosa didn’t gossip, but what had she said? Josie hadn’t talked a lot about her relationship with Russ, or the financial woes that had dogged them, but with his outsize personality and popular cooking show, he often made the gossip pages.
Rosa was beside her then, her hand light on Josie’s arm. “I talked up your cooking skills,” she said cheerfully. “As you’ve worked hard for them.”
Josie relaxed slightly. “Ah. Well, I’m not sure you guys want the kind of food I’ve been cooking for the past year or so. More for show than sustenance.” There may have been the slightest tinge of bitterness in her tone, so she smiled at both men to soften it. “So I’m looking forward to cooking real meals again.”
They exchanged a bit more good-natured chatter as Cade and Jake loaded up their plates and then left for the dining room, where she could hear the clink of silverware and the low rumble of voices.
“I didn’t say anything about your personal life,” Rosa said quietly as she carried a platter to the sink. “I just said you were between jobs at the moment and could fill in for me temporarily. I don’t know all that happened with you, honey, but I know it must have been bad to put those shadows in your eyes and to bring you all the way up here.”
The concern in her aunt’s voice made Josie want to cry. She blinked away the moisture. “I won’t lie. It’s been rough. But it’ll all work out.” She took a deep breath. “What can you tell me about those two?”
There was a slight pause, then apparently her aunt accepted the change in subject. “Cade is a flirt,” she said. “Harmless, but a flirt nonetheless. But he won’t push you or take it too far. He just loves women of all ages. Luke is the opposite. He won’t flirt at all. Jake is in the middle. They’re all good boys. Any one of them would be a wonderful catch.”
Josie bit back a sigh. While that was good to know, she wasn’t looking for any kind of relationship—long-term or temporary. Of all she’d been through personally, the worst had been realizing that engaged hadn’t meant the same thing to Russ as it did to her. Thank God she’d figured it all out well before the wedding.
She kept her tone noncommittal. “I think it’s wonderful that you think so highly of them, but that’s not why I’m here.” Then she added, “I’m famished. I haven’t eaten a breakfast like this in ages.” Sad but true. Yogurt and a piece of fruit usually made up her first meal of the day. Eaten in her car on the way to the restaurant. And that was because Russ had made so many comments about her tasting the food. Be careful. Too many bites will make you fat. She’d laughed it off at the time, but in retrospect, it made her slightly ill.
Rosa handed her a plate. “Of course, that’s not why you’re here. But you never know what might develop. If you close yourself off to possibilities, you might miss something special.”
Josie didn’t fully agree. She wasn’t concerned about missing something special. She intended to keep her heart under wraps for the foreseeable future.
* * *
Luke hadn’t bargained on the new cook.
Sure, Rosa had asked if her niece could take over while she spent some of her vacation time with her daughter, who was expecting a baby soon. Trusting the older woman completely, he’d said sure. He’d listened to Rosa explain with pride that Josie was a trained chef, and had owned her own restaurant in Los Angeles that people flocked to.
He hadn’t thought about her being a woman.
It had been so long since he’d looked—really looked—at a woman, that when she’d glared at him from her car with her blue eyes narrowed, the pepper spray can in her hand, he’d been shocked to feel the unwelcome rush of attraction. And she was a self-confessed city girl to boot, which was a huge no-no in his book. He’d married a city girl.
He was no longer married.
So to feel something for someone who wore three-inch spike heels to stomp across a muddy, wet road in the wilds of Montana wasn’t a good sign.
But damn, they’d looked good on her, even in the mud and rain.
“Don’t you think so, Luke?” Cade’s question broke into his thoughts.
Luke looked up from the sausage and gravy he’d been demolishing on his plate. “What was that?”
Cade stabbed the egg on his plate. “Josie. She’s a looker.”
Since she’d just been occupying his thoughts he shook his head, the denial as much for him as his brothers. “I wouldn’t know.”
Cade looked at Jake incredulously. “He’s blind.”
“Or stupid,” Jake suggested, but there was a glint of humor in his eyes.
“Or both.” Cade looked at him hard. “Luke. It’s okay to, you know, think a woman is hot.”
He shrugged. “She’s not my type.”
“Maybe she’s mine,” Cade said thoughtfully, and took a bite of toast.
Luke leveled a glare at him. “Don’t even. She’s our employee, not a plaything for you.”
A slow smile spread across Cade’s face and he pointed what was left of the toast in Luke’s direction. “You did notice.” He turned to Jake, who nodded as he chewed. “He sure as hell did. Well, well. That’s a first, isn’t it?”
He’d have to be dead not to notice Josie, but he wasn’t going to say that to either of his brothers. Ever. Before he could say anything, Jake held up his coffee.
“Leave him alone, Cade. He wants to ignore her, that’s his business and his loss. He’s hiding, remember?”
Luke bit back a groan. He’d stepped away from performing, from that life to avoid all sorts of entanglements. His brothers might accuse him of hiding, but he’d wanted to just focus on the ranch, to get it into the black and after years of his father running it on the edge of total ruin. To prove he was more than the kid who couldn’t wait to bust out of here with big dreams.
He kept his voice steady. “I’m not hiding. I’m retired. Big difference. We’ve got a lot to do today. I’ve got to get that car out of the ditch, so I can’t go all the way up to the ridge.”
The talk changed direction then, and Luke was more than happy to let it go. His brothers meant well, and they’d tease him, but they didn’t know just how destructive his marriage had been—and with the benefit of hindsight, how unprepared he’d been, not only for the spotlight but all it entailed.
He’d learned the hard way he was better off on his own, not caught in the bright lights of Nashville’s glare.
Finished with his meal, Luke brought his dishes into the kitchen along with his brothers, who then headed out the door. Josie was on the other side of the kitchen, spooning something into a container. Outside, he could see the peaks of the mountains turning pink with the sunrise.
“Josie,” he said, and she turned, spoon in hand, polite expression on her face. “I’m going to get your car. Do you have the keys?”
“I do. In my room. Hang on.” She set the spoon down and hurried out of the kitchen. His gaze tracked the sway of her hips as she disappeared from sight.
“Thanks for helping her,” Rosa said from her perch at the end of the island, and when he snapped his gaze to her, he realized from the bemused expression on her face that not only had he been staring after Josie’s slender figure, her aunt had caught him.
Damn.
He cleared his throat. “You’re welcome. Least I can do, after all you’ve done for us.”
Rosa waved his words away. “Nonsense. But, Luke? Be careful. She’s fragile. Even if she won’t admit it.”
Before he could either ask what she meant or deny any interest in her niece, Josie came back and handed him the keys. “Thanks for doing this.” Her tone was formal and polite, not the easy one she’d used with Cade and Jake. Just as well.
“You’re welcome.” A tendril of her short blond hair had escaped from her headband, and he curled his fingers around the keys so he didn’t tuck it back in. He added, “That car won’t do you much good in a few weeks, though. It can snow here as early as October.” It wasn’t likely, but she needed to understand where she was. He rubbed Hank’s ears when the old dog leaned on his leg.
She frowned, whether at his words or the dog, he wasn’t sure. “I know that. It was the only one they had.”
He gave Hank a last pat. “We’ll take it back. You can use one of the ranch trucks. It’ll save you money and be safer for you on these roads.”
Josie’s first instinct was to snap at him and say she was completely capable of making that choice on her own, thank you very much, but then she realized he was right. He knew this area and she, of course, didn’t, as she’d proved last night. She most definitely didn’t want to get herself in a situation where she needed him to fish her out of the ditch again. Or worse. She sighed. “All right. Thank you.”
“You sore or anything from yesterday?”
Surprised at his concern, she lifted her brows. Her shoulder was, in fact, a little sore from the seat belt. She touched the sore spot. “A little. It could have been much worse.”
His gaze sharpened as it landed on her hand. “Do you need a doctor? There’s a clinic in town, or a hospital in Kalispell.”
Josie dropped her hand and shook her head. “Oh, no. It’s fine. I took a couple ibuprofen.” She’d taken a hot shower last night and that had helped, too. It had been such a low-speed accident, it was a wonder anything had hurt at all.
“If that changes, let us know. I’ll let you know when I’m back.” He left her standing in the kitchen as he went out, and didn’t look back.
Well.
She huffed out an annoyed breath and propped her hands on her hips. She could not read him. At all. She’d apologized for last night. She had to work here and live here with him for the next several weeks. It would be uncomfortable if he didn’t like her.
Rosa came back in the kitchen with Alice, who dropped a bagel in the toaster, despite Rosa’s fussing that she sit and let Rosa do it. Their cheerful interaction told Josie that this was a regular morning occurrence.
“Every day, we go through this,” Alice told her with a laugh. “And every day, same result. Don’t we, old friend?”
Rose pulled a jar of preserves out of the fridge. “Yes, we do.” To Josie she said, “Don’t be put off by Luke’s grumpiness. He’s a good man.”
She gave both women a wry smile. “I’m sure he is. He doesn’t seem to like me much, though.” Not that they’d gotten off to the best start.
Alice sighed. “Give him time. You might remind him of his ex-wife.”
Josie gaped at her. “What? How can you say that?” She pictured Mandy Fairchild, the petite platinum-blonde country singer, with her huge brown eyes and bombshell figure. Josie was tall and thin. No curves. They couldn’t be more different. “Um. No.”
Rosa laughed. “I don’t think she meant physically, honey.” She looked at Alice for confirmation.
Alice nodded as she spread the rich red preserves on her bagel. “That’s right. I meant your background. From a big city, in a new environment. Mandy lasted about a month out here. He doesn’t know you and he probably thinks you’ll bolt as soon as things get tough.”
Josie raised a brow. “I’m not staying for long,” she pointed out.
“No,” Alice agreed. “Of course not. But you know how things can trigger the memories even when you’re not expecting it. It doesn’t have to make sense.”
“True,” Josie said. But she didn’t think there was anything up here that would trigger anything for her. It couldn’t be more different from home. She looked out the huge window over the sink. There was no glitz and glam, but the pink-kissed mountains scraped the sky and took her breath away. “Wow. Oh, my gosh. Look at that.”
Her aunt came and stood beside her and looked out. “Yes. I see that every morning and it never fails to make me catch my breath. I love it up here.”
Alice smiled as she came up beside them. “I’ve lived my whole life in Montana. And I’ve never failed to be humbled by the natural beauty up here.”
Rosa carried Alice’s plate and coffee out of the kitchen. A few minutes later, she was back. “She likes the living room, where she can see the views and watch the news, too. That reminds me. It’s satellite TV out here and it can be a little hit-or-miss in bad weather. Now, I’m heading out in a couple of hours. Let’s get you up to speed. I’ll show you what I do and you can take it from there.”
They spent a good hour at the little table in the breakfast room off the kitchen, where Josie could see not only the mountains but the barns and people moving around. It was hard to believe just a couple days ago she’d been in one of the biggest cities in the world. “Feel free to put your own spin on anything. This isn’t a sacred document,” Rosa said with a chuckle. “It’s just things that work well for me and hopefully for you, too. Not haute cuisine, I’m afraid.”
Josie ran her hand over the torn and faded cover. “I wouldn’t expect that out here. There’s no reason for it. It’s comfort food, and hearty meals.” And she could work with all of it, make little changes and tweaks that wouldn’t take away at all from her aunt’s meals. “It’ll be fun.”
She’d work around the awkwardness with Luke and remember it was only for six weeks. She was tough. She could do pretty much anything for six weeks. Even learn how to live in the wilderness of Montana.
Chapter Three (#uc22ad568-d01d-58df-940a-f75937aa0ad1)
Josie called the rental company while her aunt went to finish packing for her trip and made sure she could drop the car off earlier than planned. The problem was, she’d need a ride back from Kalispell. Would a taxi come out this far? It didn’t seem likely.
Luke came in the kitchen. He tipped his head in her direction as he headed to the sink to wash his hands and then over to the fridge, where he started pulling out the fixings for a sandwich. “Got the car. It’s fine. Some grass and dirt stuck up under the front bumper, and it’s muddy, but no actual damage.”
Josie expelled a long breath and relief slid through her. She wouldn’t have to worry about the money, then. “Oh, good. Thank you.”
“Did you talk to the car company?”
Josie turned back to the potato casserole she was preparing for dinner. She’d pop it in the fridge until it was time to put it in the oven. “I did. I can return it anytime.”
“Do you want to go tomorrow? May as well get it taken care of.” When she hesitated, not wanting to put him out any more than she already had, he added, “I’ve got to pick up a part for the tractor over there anyway. May as well take care of both things at once.”
She nodded. “Okay. As long as you’re sure. I can probably make other arrangements.”
He chuckled as she covered the pan in tin foil. “No, you couldn’t. It’d cost you a fortune.”
She sighed. “That’s what I was afraid of.” And money was at a premium right now. She’d sunk most of it in the restaurant, only to lose it to Russ.
He touched her shoulder as she picked up the heavy casserole pan. She almost fumbled it in surprise. He’d been so cool toward her she’d never expected him to actually touch her. Even if he pulled his hand back awfully fast. “You’ll have to get used to it. It’s nothing like where you’re from.”
Before she could say anything, Rosa came in the kitchen, and Luke gave her a hug. They exchanged goodbyes, and before Luke left, he asked Josie, “Is eight okay tomorrow? I’d like to get the part before eleven.”
“Eight’s fine,” she said and tried not to notice Rosa looking between them curiously. Luke left and Josie smiled at her. “Are you ready? You have everything?”
Rosa patted her shoulder bag. “I think so. And the boys gave me a tablet for the trip, so I can watch movies and read. Wasn’t that nice of them?”
“It was,” she agreed. “I’m sure Kelly can’t wait to see you.”
Rosa gave her a big hug. “I can’t wait to see her and meet my new grandbaby. But I do wish I had more time here with you. Enjoy your time here. Relax.”
Josie hugged her back. “I wish we did, too. But Kelly’s waiting for you.” She didn’t touch the “relax” portion of the comment, since it’d been so long since she’d really relaxed that she wasn’t sure she knew how to anymore.
“Give Luke time,” Rosa said as Josie walked with her through the house. “He’ll come around.”
Josie laughed. Aunt Rosa was determined to make her point about Luke. “Oh, no. Not going to happen.”
Rosa gave her a little smile, then sighed. “I know. I’m sorry, I don’t mean to keep bringing it up. I just want to see you happy. Him, too.”
Josie stopped in her tracks and looked around for Alice. The last thing she needed was Luke’s mother hearing any of this. “Oh, Aunt Rosa. That’s nice of you to say, but there’s no way I’m staying here. My life is in LA.” What was left of it, of course. But she had every intention of salvaging what—if anything—she could and starting over. She didn’t need a celebrity chef to give her credibility.
* * *
The next morning she had breakfast done and cleaned up in time to leave. She made sure there was sandwich stuff in the fridge from the leftover roast the night before, since she wouldn’t be back in time for lunch, but the men had taken box lunches with them when they went out that morning. She heard Luke asking his mother if she’d be okay while they were gone. Patty, the wife of one of the ranch hands, would be in the house, watching TV with her, but Josie understood his hesitation. He didn’t want anything else to happen to her.
She waved him off. “Luke. I’ll be fine. We are just going to watch True Blood and knit. It’s not as if you’re leaving me for a week to fend for myself. I’m healing well and this place is crawling with people.”
Josie shrugged into her sweatshirt with a smile. Luke might be grumpy toward her, but he clearly had a protective streak a mile wide when it came to his mother.
She stepped out on the porch to wait. It was a lovely morning, but not what she was used to. When was the last time she’d stood outside and appreciated the morning? It wasn’t really quiet—the birds were chattering up a storm and she could hear some of the hands down by the barns, their laughter carrying on the still morning air. The grass was damp with dew and the air smelled—fresh. No exhaust, food scents, the general smell of a city in a hot climate. Nothing like what she was used to. It wasn’t eighty degrees already—in fact, it was cold—and there was no smog or traffic noise.
It was a little unsettling. As was the fact she’d nearly overslept. Again.
The door opened and closed behind her and she turned to see Luke standing there. “Sorry about that. I just had to make sure Mom was okay.”
She smiled at him. “No problem. I understand.” She wondered what her own mother was doing right now. Of course, her own mother was much younger than Luke’s. She must have had the boys at a much older age.
“Let’s go, then. You’ll need to follow me. It’ll be easier for you.”
Josie got in the little rental car and followed the big truck down the lane to the road. He was absolutely right that this kind of car wasn’t suited to this area. But the SUV she’d reserved at her aunt’s suggestion had been given away when she hadn’t made it to the rental place before the cutoff time. This was what they’d had left.
The trip in the daylight was eye-opening. The views were killer and she could see, after they’d gone a half hour before seeing another vehicle as they neared the small town of Powder Keg, just how remote the Silver River was. The roads near the ranch were rough, too. She wondered if that was by design, to help discourage people from tracking Luke down. Or if it was simply that the county had other things to do than maintain roads that were hardly driven.
They drove through the little town with its general store that, from the signs on its front, advertised it sold everything, including animal feed, groceries and clothing. There were two bars, a diner, a bakery, a drug store. A couple churches. One stoplight. The streets were wide and the little town seemed to crouch down in the shadow of the mountains. It was a working town, not a tourist town, but Josie thought it had an Old West appeal all its own.
Having left Powder Keg behind, it was another fifteen minutes before they reached the highway that took them to Kalispell. Josie spotted a couple huge elk grazing off the road and figured a collision with one of them would end badly for all involved. Especially in this car, which probably weighed less than one of those elk.
Kalispell was much busier. A tiny fraction of the size of Los Angeles, but traffic was one thing she knew how to navigate without problems, and there was plenty of it here. The town was charming, something she hadn’t appreciated when she’d first arrived, thanks to all the drama she’d endured. Luke pulled in the rental car place at the airport and she parked the car beside him. He opened the door to get out but she shook her head at him. “This will just take a minute.”
She ran in and went through the process. The guy came out and gave the car no more than a cursory glance over, even though she’d told them on the phone it had slid in a ditch. When she had her paperwork, she hurried back out to the rumbling truck and hauled herself in rather awkwardly.
“Thanks,” she said. “Where to now?”
He put the truck in Reverse. “The equipment dealership.”
She hesitated a second, then said, “Would it be all right if we stopped at the grocery store, too? I know you’re in a hurry, but it won’t take me long. There are a few things I’d like to stock up on while we’re here.”
“Sure. Actually, why don’t I drop you off there. There’s a grocery store just down the road from the dealer. I’ll just come back and wait in the parking lot.”
She agreed, and he left her at the store and she went in, pulling her list out. There were a few things she didn’t know if she could get that she might have to order. She’d have to ask how that worked—did the delivery couriers come all the way out to the ranch? She wasn’t even sure how mail got there. Maybe she could arrange for delivery in town somewhere and then pick it up. She made a mental note to ask Luke when he came back.
She grabbed a cart and wheeled it down the spice aisle. This store was bright, with wide, well-stocked aisles. They had a surprisingly good collection of spices and fresh items. She loaded up and checked out. When she came out, she spotted the big red truck, Luke at the wheel, his hat tipped back on his head. He pulled forward, stopping in front of her.
“You find what you needed?” he asked as he opened the back door of the truck, and she settled her bags on the floor.
“I did. They’ve got a lot in there. Just out of curiosity, if I need to order anything, where is it delivered?”
They got in and shut the doors. He put the truck in gear. “Schaffer’s—the general store—is where all Silver River deliveries go. Couple times a week someone goes in and gets the mail from the post office and anything that gets delivered. Hungry?”
She hadn’t realized it until right that moment, but yes, she was. “Yes.”
“There’s a good little diner up here. That okay with you or would you rather do a drive-through?”
She laughed. “I can’t think of the last time I ate at a drive-through.”
He arched a brow in her direction. “Food snob much?”
She shook her head. “Not so much. Just too busy to bother.” It was true. It was also true she’d never left the restaurant hungry.
That thought gave her a little twinge.
“Well, this place has great burgers,” he said. “And it won’t take long. I know you need to get back.”
He pulled in the parking lot of a dingy-looking building. The flowers had clearly not been watered in weeks and the blacktop was cracked and weeds grew through them. Luke gave her a full-on grin, and it stole her breath how it transformed his face. Even with the dour expression he usually wore he was handsome. But the smile was something else. “Don’t worry. Trust me, okay?”
“Okay,” she said, and got out of the truck. The day was starting to heat up. She took her sweatshirt off and tied it around her waist and followed Luke to the door.
Inside it was every bit as small as it looked from the outside. Eight booths and four tables made up the whole place. Three of those were occupied. The floor was cracked vinyl, but clean. The booth the waitress led them to was slightly sticky in the way all diner booths seemed to be, and while it, too, was faded and old, it was clean. The whole place smelled divine. Her mouth watered.
He handed her a small laminated paper. “All you can get here are burgers,” he said. “With your choice of fries or onion rings. So there’s no real menu, but this is the list of toppings.”
Josie took it from him. So this would be an adventure, then. She was game. “All right.”
The waitress came back over with tall glasses of water. “What can I get you to drink today?”
Josie chose a diet soda and Luke an iced tea. Then they placed their burger orders. She went with honey mustard, brie and Granny Smith apples on a burger cooked medium. Luke got so many things on his she couldn’t keep track.
The waitress left and came back with their drinks.
“So you closed your restaurant?”
His words jarred her. Luke probably thought he was making polite conversation. He had no idea what a minefield that question was. She took a sip of her soda and traced a finger on the laminate tabletop. “It’s not quite that easy,” she said, settling on a version of the truth. “I had a partner. He has it now.”
If he picked up on the bitterness in her tone, he didn’t show it. “What made you leave?”
She managed a smile. “It was time to move on. That’s why this was perfect timing.”
* * *
Luke studied her for a second. There was something there she wasn’t telling him, but he wasn’t going to press. He knew all about keeping things private, and he wasn’t going to make her uncomfortable, especially when he didn’t know her very well. “Fortunate for us.”
Her smile was more real that time and reached her eyes. “I hope so.”
She asked some questions about the ranch, and he was more than happy to talk about it, especially since she seemed truly interested in his answers. The waitress delivered two steaming plates of food, and he saw Josie’s eyes widen almost comically. “I guess I forgot to mention it’s enough to feed a couple people.”
She folded her napkin in her lap with a small laugh. “I guess so.”
He took a bite of his fully loaded bacon cheeseburger and chewed reverently. There wasn’t another place in the world like this. If there was, he hadn’t found it. And he’d looked in all the cities he’d played over the years he’d been touring with his band.
“This is amazing,” she said, and her tongue slipped out to catch a dab of ketchup. His gaze snagged on the motion and heat flared inside him, deep and hot. He picked up his tea and took several swallows, hoping the cold liquid would cool him down. He hadn’t expected to react to another woman like that—and definitely not another city girl with no plans to stay.
She looked up then, and he was pretty sure she caught him looking at her like something he’d like to eat. She patted her face self-consciously with her napkin. “Did I get ketchup all over?”
“No,” he said, and his voice was a little rough in his throat. “No, you’re fine.”
She gave him a little frown, and he turned his plate and offered her an onion ring to cover the awkward moment. “Want to try one?”
She picked a small one off his plate and took a bite. She closed her eyes as she chewed. “Mmm. Wow. Amazing.”
“Not haute cuisine, I guess.” It had mattered to Mandy that there was no place, at the time, to get things like sushi in the area. To find a five-star restaurant that wasn’t a steak house.
She opened her eyes and frowned at him. “Good food is good food, Luke. It doesn’t all have to be fancy and complicated.”
He hid a smile. “Sorry. You’re right.”
She moved her plate out of the way and leaned forward. It was enough to push her breasts up, and he managed to keep his eyes on her face. With great effort. “I’m trained as a chef, but I’m a cook, period. I love to hang out in the kitchen, experiment with recipes and create new ones. Really, the whole idea of haute cuisine doesn’t appeal to me. It was part of what led to my split with my partner. Different visions for a lot of things, the very least of which was the menu.”
“I understand.” He did. She looked at it as an expression of herself, like he had with music. Still did, even if he didn’t perform anymore. He wondered if the split had been personal as well as professional, but it wasn’t any of his business.
She picked up another fry and nibbled on it. “Do you think I can get a box? I can’t take the fries home, but I’d hate to waste the burger.”
He’d managed to demolish his. In fact he’d all but licked the plate clean. “I don’t know. I’m sure you can. I’ve never needed one.”
She laughed and the sound flowed over him, almost made him smile. “I’m not surprised.”
She did get a to-go box and he paid the bill, after she insisted on leaving the tip. They walked through the Montana sunshine to his truck. She made him feel—lighter. She hadn’t once referred to his history as a country star. He allowed so few new people into his world it was always a surprise when that happened, because so many over the years had wanted something from him. Or they hadn’t wanted him—they’d wanted the country star.
So while it was refreshing to be with someone who didn’t have demands or expectations, it was dangerous, too. He didn’t want to let down his guard only to learn he’d trusted the wrong person. Again.
Chapter Four (#uc22ad568-d01d-58df-940a-f75937aa0ad1)
Two days later, Josie couldn’t get the trip they’d made to town out of her mind. Or how easy it had been to be with Luke. When he let down the gruff exterior, he was a charming, funny man. Between the laugh lines around those incredible blue eyes and the small dimple in his cheek—
Sexy.
She shook her head to clear the unwelcome thought. She wasn’t even going to go there.
“You up for a little walk?”
Josie started and looked up at Alice, who was standing there with a smile. A little thread of embarrassment ran through her. Thank goodness the other woman couldn’t read her thoughts.
“Sure. Where to?” She wanted to ask if it was okay for Alice to do that, but she didn’t know the other woman well enough to do so.
As if she’d read Josie’s mind, Alice smiled a little wider. “It’s okay. We’re just going to my house, which is the one down the lane a little way. It’s a nice, even path. I need a couple of things. If you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind at all.” She followed Alice out the back door, Hank on her heels. She turned to shoo him back in, but Alice shook her head.
“Let him come. He’ll be fine, even if he wanders off.”
“Okay.” Josie held the door for both Alice and the dog, and watched carefully as the older woman navigated the steps. Hank was very courteous as well, waiting for her to be on the ground before trotting after her and looking back at Josie as if to say, What are you waiting for? This late in the afternoon it was comfortably warm out, but not hot. She was still trying to adjust to this weather. Cold enough at night for a fire and a quilt, hot enough during the day for short sleeves. The house didn’t even have central air.
“Not long now,” Alice said cheerfully. “I go back to the doctor next week. Hoping to get the all clear. Then the boys won’t argue when I move back into my own house.”
Josie rather thought they’d check on her every hour, but she kept it to herself. Hank stopped to examine a bush, then raised his leg.
“I agreed to stay up here because otherwise they’d be checking in with me every ten minutes. Seemed easier to just be where they are. For all of us,” she said on a little laugh.
“That makes sense,” Josie said, because even after just a few days she could see how devoted these guys were to their mother. It was a refreshing change. Alice hadn’t been kidding—her house wasn’t far from the main house at all, but around a curve and behind a copse of trees that made it feel farther away than it was. As a bonus, it added to the privacy for all of them.
“Someday Cade and Jake will build their own houses,” Alice said. “For now, they all live in the big house since it’s a central location. And—well, and Luke remodeled that house thinking he’d have a big family. That didn’t happen. But they each have land on this same property.”
“That makes sense,” Josie said, caught for a moment on the fact Luke had wanted a big family. She wasn’t sure, but she thought his marriage had probably been over before the house had even been finished. But she wasn’t going to go there, not with his mother. So she asked the safe question. “How big is the ranch?”
“Almost three thousand acres,” Alice said. “Some of that is leased from the rancher to the north. He is dialing back his spread but isn’t ready to sell.”
Josie’s eyes bugged. “Three thousand acres?” She couldn’t even wrap her mind around that amount of land. True, she’d seen no other people or signs of people on her drive out here, but given the apparent propensity for half-hidden drives, it was likely she’d missed it. Not many, though. Three thousand acres was an awful lot of land.
Alice laughed. “Yes. It’s a big place.”
“Wow,” Josie said. “I had no idea.” She lived in a condo. With lots of other condos and other buildings. Nothing like this.
The wide front porch was one step up. She followed Alice in and was immediately charmed by the little log house. It had a lovely open floor plan, with the kitchen, dining and living area all open to each other. There was another stone fireplace and the fabrics on the couch and chairs were all soft. There were throws all over and another brightly patterned rug, similar to the one in the main house, was on the floor. The end tables were piled high with books. She could see a bed through one of the open doors at the other side of the room, and the bathroom through the other. The back wall of the main room had sliding glass doors, and Josie could see Alice had an incredible view of the mountains. She wasn’t sure there was a bad view anywhere on the Silver River.
If she could build a little house here, this was what it’d look like.
“I love this,” she said, and Alice smiled.
“Luke had it built for me. He’s very generous. Asked what I wanted. He was willing to go big, bless him, but this is all I need, since it’s just me now. It suits me to a T. I do miss the main house,” she said with a sigh. “But it was just way more than I needed. I really love my own space, though. So will you help me carry a couple things back?”
“Of course.” She helped Alice gather a few items and put them in a bag, which Josie carried. She’d been a little worried that Alice might try to push Luke on her, especially since he’d driven her to Kalispell and they’d been alone for a few hours, but she didn’t. Her feelings were decidedly mixed when it came to Luke. He put her off balance, which, for someone who had conceded control unwittingly, could develop into a major issue.
She put him out of her mind as she and Alice walked back to the main house. She’d find a way to deal with this. It wasn’t for all that long. It was perfectly okay for her to find him attractive. It meant Russ hadn’t damaged her beyond repair.
Alice went back to her room and Josie went back into the kitchen. She had dinner almost done, and the men would be back before too long. She put the finishing touches on the meal and got everything set to be served as they came in through the back door. She was getting pretty good on the timing. She didn’t know if it was just luck that had them all coming in around the same time or if this was a common occurrence. Each of the four nights she’d been at the Silver River, the men went back out after each meal until dark. Evening chores, they said. It seemed like a hard life, with long, incredible hours and hard work that never ended and a constant battle with the elements. She’d only been here a week and she had an incredible amount of respect for ranchers and those who chose this life, not to mention a newfound respect for Mother Nature.
She looked again out the long window above the kitchen sink. There were no window treatments and she could see why—the view didn’t need anything to enhance it. The sharp peaks, the rolling green pastures, the tiny black dots that she knew were cattle all caught her attention. It was both gorgeous and overwhelming.
* * *
“So,” Cade said with a smile as he set his dishes on the counter after dinner, “have you been to the barns yet?”
“No,” Josie said. She’d actually been kind of avoiding it. She felt comfortable in the house. Outside—well, that was a whole other story. Even her walk with Alice earlier had been a tad unsettling.
Not seeming to catch her reluctance, Cade said, “Can you come down for a tour tomorrow morning? I’ve got to meet with a potential buyer for one of my horses at eleven, but if you came down about ten, that would give me time to show you around and you’d still have plenty of time to get your things done.”
Josie swabbed the counter with the dishrag. She knew she should go and see for herself how this place was run. Not really seeing any way to decline, she smiled at Cade. “That sounds good. Thanks for the offer.”
He told her where to meet him and left the kitchen whistling. She finished her cleanup and the prep for the next morning. Already, she was finding a rhythm here. That was good.
So the next morning after breakfast, Josie dutifully left the house at the appointed time and walked down to the barns, Hank the dog trotting after her. She’d asked Alice if it was okay, and she’d said yes. The yard sloped down to the barn area. It was a good walk. She wore jeans and tennis shoes, not real sure of the proper footwear for a barn tour, but reasonably sure her boots with the three-inch spike heels weren’t it.
Hank wandered off as she approached the meeting place. Cade came up while she was looking after the dog, trying to decide if she needed to call him back or not. Alice had told her before to let him go, but she just wasn’t sure.
“He’ll go back when he’s hungry,” Cade said, his voice cheerful. “He knows where the food bowl is. Ready?”
She turned her attention to the handsome cowboy in front of her looking at her with a warm smile. She smiled back. “I am.”
She followed him into the depths of the huge barn. It was bigger and brighter than she’d thought it would be, and smelled of horses and leather and hay, all things she remembered from her long-ago days of riding. There were a good dozen or so stalls, most with the doors open, unoccupied. It had an indoor arena, with a soaring ceiling and clerestory windows. She stopped.
“Wow. This is amazing.” It rivaled the prestigious barn she’d taken lessons at all those years ago, after her mom had gotten a good job and dated the guy who managed the facility. The outside of this barn didn’t give a clue to what was inside.
Cade shoved his hat back on his head. “We’ve put a lot into this. Patty and Jim can train in here all year round. They even hold clinics in here sometimes,” he said, nodding toward the small gallery area at one end. “We’ve all worked hard to build this.”
Josie nodded. “I can see that.”
Cade was a knowledgeable guide and clearly loved what he did here. They finished in the horse barn and stepped outside, which brought them face-to-face with Luke.
Josie stiffened at his look. His eyes narrowed as he took in her and Cade. But Cade had a smug look on his face he wasn’t bothering to hide as he rocked back on his heels.
Cade gave his brother a nod, but Josie saw Luke’s face darken a little. Was he unhappy to see her in his space? That seemed unlikely, but he was hard for her to read. Cade looked from her to Luke, and the smug look turned into a smile.
“You want to finish this, big brother? I thought it’d be a good idea to let Josie get acquainted with the ranch while she’s here.” He looked at his watch. “I’ve got to get ready for my client anyway.” He touched her arm lightly. “Is that okay, Josie? You’ll be in good hands with my brother here.”
Luke gave her a nod, but his face remained expressionless. “I’ve got some time.”
“Great. See you later.” Cade strode off whistling, and Josie stared after him for a minute, wondering if somehow they’d just been played. Cade hadn’t seemed very surprised to see Luke.
Well, of course not. They all worked here after all. And now it was just her and Luke. She looked at him and waited for him to say...anything.
“What did Cade show you?” He was ever so polite. No hint of the fun and humor he’d displayed on their trip to town a few days ago. They were back to the stiffness and formality, clearly. She swallowed a sigh.
Josie turned around and indicated with her hand. “Some of the horses, which he explained was his own business on the ranch. I’m not sure where we were going next, actually.”
“Okay.” Luke walked toward the back of the barn. “Let me show you something.”
Curious, she followed him out of the relatively dim barn into the bright light of outside.
Almost immediately her gaze seemed to hone right in on him, rather than the gorgeous scenery around them. He wore worn jeans that looked as if they’d been made just for him, hugging his rear and legs in a way that made her want to reach out and run her hand over the curve of his butt. Appalled, she jerked her gaze back up to his shoulder blades. His broad back was equally as enticing, with the henley shirt he wore stretched nicely across his back. Goodness. She slid her shades off her head and onto her nose. What was wrong with her? She’d never even looked at Russ that way, as if she just wanted to eat him up, and she’d been planning to marry him.
Maybe that was part of the problem.
Maybe. But there was no way to follow that to its logical conclusion. Frankly, just because she thought Luke was hot didn’t mean anything more than that. She stepped up beside Luke rather than walk behind him and get herself in trouble, and headed toward the large, round, fenced-in paddock where a trim woman was working a horse.
“Hey, Nikki,” he said as they approached the fence. “How’s he going today?”
The big bay horse tossed his head, but didn’t break stride as Nikki slowly rotated to keep up with him as he loped in a circle at the end of a long line. She was tall and slim, and in her sleeveless top, her arms were muscular and browned from the sun. Her long blond hair was caught in a loose ponytail under her hat, and Josie thought she bore a striking resemblance to his ex-wife.
But Nikki’s smile was wide and open as she glanced at them next to the fence, with no sign of anything flirty. And why that mattered, Josie didn’t want to even think about. Maybe after so many years of being on the sidelines and not noticed, being eclipsed by the guy with her, it was just nice to not have another woman look at her as though she was the enemy. “Good. Real good, Luke. I think he’ll be ready soon. I already told Cade.”
Luke kept his eyes on the horse and Josie sneaked a look up at him. He was clearly assessing the horse’s movement, and there was a genuine sparkle in his eye. She nearly peered closer, but that would be rude. So instead she looked back at the horse, who had slowed to a trot. She didn’t know much about horses, not really, but she did think this one was beautiful.
“Ready for what?” she asked, leaning on the fence. The smooth wood was cool on her arms. The sun was getting warm on her back, but it felt good. The pound of the horse’s hooves on the hard ground was steady background noise.
“Cade trains top-notch cutting horses here,” he said. “Nikki’s one of the best around.”
Nikki made a motion and the horse stopped, but his eye was still on her. She walked over, looping the rope up, and patted his neck as she led him to the fence. “What Luke didn’t tell you is he’s just as good with the horses as his brother is. Modest to a fault.” When Luke shifted beside her she gave him a knowing grin. “You are.” To Josie she held out her hand and said, “Nikki Thurman.”
Josie took the other woman’s hand, felt the roughness and strength of her palm from all the ropes and horses she handled. “Josie Callahan. I’m filling in for my aunt as the cook at the main house.”
Nikki nodded. “That’s right. So nice to meet you. How do you like Montana? You’re from Cali, right?”
Luke ducked under the fence and took the horse from Nikki. She stepped back, but he didn’t take him anywhere. Josie watched as he stroked the horse’s legs and ran his hands all over the horse’s body. The horse didn’t flinch.
“I am,” she said, shifting her attention to Nikki. “This is—this is different from what I’m used to. Beautiful, though. Overwhelmingly so.”
Nikki nodded. “I understand. I came here from a small town in the Midwest—nothing like where you’re from—but it wasn’t remote like this, nor was it beautiful in this way. Montana, and this more remote area especially, is rugged and wild in a way few places are anymore.”
“How long have you been here?” Josie was genuinely curious. Nikki was young and gorgeous. This didn’t seem like the optimal place for a woman like her.
Nikki put her hands on her hips and cocked her head. The breeze blew her ponytail back over her shoulder. “Six years? Yeah, six years this winter. Yes, I came out here in the winter,” she said on a laugh.
Luke handed the lead back to Nikki. “He’s good. Get video of him and get it up on the site in the next week or so.”
“Sounds good.” To Josie she said, “Nice to meet you. I’m down here every day if you ever want to keep me company.”
“Thanks,” Josie said, a feeling of warmth in her chest. Nikki could be a friend. She hadn’t expected that out here. “I’ll do that.”
Nikki flashed her another smile before leading the horse away.
“What kind of site?” She’d known Luke did something with horses, but her aunt hadn’t really said a whole lot. And Josie didn’t know a lot about this type of business anyway.
“For the horses. When they’re ready, they go up on the website. People wait for them to go up.”
“So you raise and train them?”
“Some,” Luke said. “Some are bought at auction. And sometimes Cade will take on someone’s horse and train it for them. But that takes a lot of time. Nikki and Jim, who’s not here today, are the trainers, and my brothers and I train, too. Cade really runs this end of the operation. No thanks to our father.”
“I see,” she said carefully.
Luke didn’t look at her. Instead, he watched Nikki lead the horse back to the barn. His tone was almost expressionless, but she saw a muscle tick in his jaw. “When I got back here after—after everything ended in Nashville, the ranch was in bad shape financially. My father had made some risky decisions to try to save this place and then he died before he could really make them pan out—if they would have panned out at all. We almost lost the whole thing because of his carelessness. So when Cade wanted to do this it was a far more calculated risk. He’s been known for years for his way with horses. We’ve all worked together to use our strengths to make this place profitable. My dad never would have understood how something like this works. He wasn’t any kind of a team player, even when it came to his kids.”
Chapter Five (#ulink_69bdc9b9-67d9-50f0-9ca5-7223dbefeea3)
There was no real way to respond to that, so Josie just said, “How is it doing?”
“Thankfully, really well. It’s been going about seven years now. Cade brought Nikki in as soon as he could and Jim right after. The first year was no profit, but we told Cade to stick with it.” He turned from the paddock and started back toward the second barn, the one she hadn’t seen yet. “I’m glad he did.”
“I’m sure,” she agreed.
“Do you ride?”
The question shouldn’t have caught her off guard, considering what they were discussing, but it did. “I do. Well, I did. It’s been many years since I was on a horse.” Like nearly half her life ago, actually, now that she thought about it.
“Do you want to ride out with me tomorrow? I’m going up to the ridge in the northern pasture—” he pointed in the direction “—and it’s a pretty easy ride and an amazing view. That way I can show you more of what we do out here.”
She snapped her mouth shut before he turned around and saw her standing there with it hanging open in shock. Since he was looking at her expectantly, she said, “Yes. I’d like that.”
What did you just do?
Not seeming to notice her flustered state, he smiled at her, the full-on smile that made her forget her own name for a heartbeat. That wasn’t good. “All right. We’ll ride out after breakfast. Say, eight? That give you enough time?”
“Sure,” she said weakly. “Eight’s fine.” What she should have said was “no, thanks.” Josie walked next to him, and in this huge space, their arms still managed to bump into each other. It threw her off a little bit, yet neither of them made any move to walk farther apart.
“You’ll need boots,” he said, glancing at her sneakers. “If you don’t have any that are appropriate, Rosa has a few pairs. They are probably in the mudroom. If not, my mom probably has extras for sure.”
“I’ll find something,” she assured him, trying not to laugh at the idea of her boots, which she’d bought on sale but had still cost her more than six hundred dollars, actually on the back of a horse. They were city-girl boots. Not country-girl boots. She’d nearly destroyed them slogging through the mud when she’d gotten here. The death knell for them might just be an actual horse.
He stopped at the barn entrance. “Thanks for coming out here today.”
“Thank you for showing me,” she said, and meant it. “Cade thought it’d be a good idea for me to see what goes on here. I’m glad I did.”
Hank trotted up then, all wagging tail as he sniffed both Josie and Luke. Luke rubbed his ears. “Hey, boy. You come out with Josie?”
Her heart sank as she eyed his coat, which was wet, dirty and matted in places. “He didn’t look like that when he came out. Hank! What the heck did you get into?” The dog wagged harder but didn’t answer, of course.
Luke laughed, and Josie was momentarily awestruck. God, he was gorgeous when he stopped being grumpy. Apparently being around animals made him happy. “There’s a pond down the way. Lots of tall grass around it. He went exploring is my guess.” He gave the dog another pat. “You’ll need to hose him off and brush him down when you get him back to the house.”
This time, Josie didn’t even try to stop her jaw from falling open. “Hose him off? How am I supposed to do that?”
He gave her that grin. “There’s a doggie shower in the mudroom. Use it and stand back when he shakes it off.”
Josie thought of the small handheld shower in the mudroom. So that was what it was. She’d thought it was to clean boots. She looked down at the dog doubtfully, who looked right back up at her, tail still wagging. She would have sworn he was laughing at her. She’d never walked a dog, much less washed one. She sighed. “All right. Let’s go, Hank.”
* * *
She managed to get the dog mostly clean. She also got herself sopping wet—possibly wetter than Hank himself—and dirty in the process. Alice met her in the kitchen and laughed. “Oh, dear. Did Hank win?”
Josie looked down and plucked her shirt away from her body with a laugh. “Looks that way. That was my first dog bath.” And hopefully, her last.
Alice patted her arm. “It’s a skill. One that develops over time.”
“Mmm.” She sighed. “I think he knew I was a novice.” They both looked at Hank, who was sprawled on his back in the sun, looking for all the world as if the bath had worn him out. She had to laugh.
“It’s a dog’s life,” Alice said fondly, and Josie couldn’t disagree.
Josie hurried down the hall to her room, where she washed up and changed quickly into dry underthings, jeans and a hot pink T-shirt. She hung her wet things in the bathroom, since she didn’t have time to do laundry right now. She’d prefer to wait until later, when the place wasn’t quite so busy. The last thing she wanted to do was run into Luke with her underwear in her hands. That was way too personal. It seemed as if they danced around some kind of unspoken thing, as though if they didn’t acknowledge the thing between them, maybe they could pretend it wasn’t there.
She was willing to give it a shot.
* * *
That night, Josie lay on her bed, the full moon shining through her window. It bathed the mountains in an unearthly light, a cold glow, even though the night was comfortable enough to have the window open. It had cooled down significantly as the sun had dipped down lower and lower.
But the low fire in her belly jumped every time she thought of Luke.
She had her TV on, and a police drama played that she wasn’t paying any attention to. To get her mind off Luke, she called her aunt to see how she was doing in Arizona. She’d gotten an email saying Aunt Rosa had arrived just fine but had wanted to give her a few days to get settled before she checked in.
Her aunt answered on the second ring. “Josie! How is everything up there?”
“Just fine,” she assured her aunt. “It’s been really easy to settle in here. How was your trip? How’s Kelly?”
After asking about Alice, Rosa filled her in on all the details of her daughter’s final few days of pregnancy, and Josie was content to let her talk away. When Rosa finished up and asked again about the ranch and how Josie was faring, she cheerfully reassured Rosa all was well and she was managing just fine.
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