by Lexi Post
“Yes, and I want to see if Dale has sent me any resumes yet. We need to hire more staff.”
He closed her door then jumped in the driver’s seat. He looked at his wife. His wife. “I think we need to make another agreement.”
She cocked her head. “We do? What kind of agreement?”
“We both work hard, but if we want this land to be truly ours and not an extension of Poker Flat, I suggest that whenever we come on this land, we no longer discuss the resort. What do you think?” He held his breath, knowing exactly what kind of workaholic his wife was.
“I agree, with the exception of those emergencies.”
He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. “You are one special woman.”
She smirked at him. “I know.”
Laughing, he turned the key and headed to Poker Flat.
~~~~~
Kendra shuffled through the invoices Lacey left in her in-box. Nothing unexpected was in there, but then again, they’d only been gone one business day. It looked like everything was well in order. With no fires to put out, she turned to something more important, Wade’s wedding gift.
Rising, she walked over to the locked filing cabinet in the corner of her office. She opened the third drawer down and pulled it all the way out. Finding the file she wanted, she opened it and put the contents on Wade’s desk.
“I saw Wade, so that means Kennie is back. Did you see where she went?”
At her mom’s voice carried down the hall and into the open door of her office. She closed the drawer, ready to greet her mom.
“Well, shit.”
At her mom’s words, she took a step toward her door when Scruffy and Freckles ran inside.
Her heart skidded to a halt. Her automatic response finally overtaken by the memory of the coyote she’d chased away. She didn’t have to be afraid anymore. As she stood there, the dogs ran to her and jumped up, their tongues hanging out.
Hesitantly, she put her hand down to pet one of them, only to have it licked. Smiling, she crouched down and they pushed her over with their exuberance.
“Well, I’ll be a jackpot run wild. Will you look at that.”
She looked up from the floor to find her mother staring at her with a wide grin on her face. “I’m not afraid anymore.”
“So I see. Why?”
She shrugged. “I had another run in with a coyote.” She scratched Scruffy’s head before looking up again. “I won this time.”
Her mother beamed. “Well, you’re a lot bigger now. I’m glad you’re back. Believe it or not, I missed you.”
She rose from the floor and gave her mom a hug. “I won’t be leaving again anytime soon.”
“Good because we have a lot to talk about, including why you didn’t tell me that your asshole father had shown up twice before the wedding and how come Jorge is giving me the cold shoulder, and who is this Kane person exactly?”
Kendra guided her mom out of the office, the dogs following her. “Why don’t I bring dinner over and my husband and I will fill you in on everything.”
Her mom stopped and covered her eyes. “I don’t want to hear about your honeymoon.”
She stifled a chuckle. The last she knew, her mom didn’t listen with her eyes. “You can take your hands away mom, I wasn’t going to tell you about our wedding night. We’re actually taking a honeymoon in August. Even then, I’ll only tell you about the highlights.”
Her mom dropped her hands. “Well good. I know you have to unpack and get to work, so I’m going out to the bar to get me some more sex ed. Your Adriana is one smart lady.”
She watched her mom cross into the Great Room with the dogs before turning toward the reception desk to find Lacey and Wade staring at her. “What?”
Lacey pointed after her mother. “You had the dogs running around your feet.”
“Yes, I did.” She winked at Wade. “I learned a little something from a coyote.”
He smiled. “Ah, that makes sense.”
Lacey looked at them both as if they’d lost it.
Kendra laughed. “Come here, cowboy, I have something for you to see.”
Wade followed her down to their office. “If it’s a repair order, put it aside until Monday, but if it’s what you’re wearing under that shirt then move faster.”
“Wade, behave. We’re not in the suite anymore.”
“It was worth a shot.”
She stopped next to his desk. “Take a look.” Now that the moment had come, she was nervous. Had she done the right thing?
He moved behind it and looked at the pile of papers. Sitting, he picked them up and read. After a few minutes, he stopped. “Is this true? I’m now an equal owner of Poker Flat Nudist Resort?”
At his serious expression, her chest tightened. She nodded. “I hope you’re okay with that.”
He took her hand in his. “I’m thrilled and humbled that you’d share all of this with me.”
“I want us to be equal partners in everything. You’re my husband and that’s how it should be. I’m hoping we can do this marriage thing right.”
A devilish gleam appeared in his eyes. “Equal partners in everything?”
Oh, no. “What are you thinking?”
He pulled her around to his side of the desk, spreading his knees to capture her legs. “I’m thinking that we should celebrate. First we make love on my desk and then we make love on yours.”
Her heart swelled. “I like the way you think.”
Sweeping the papers into his top drawer, Wade sat her on the desk and proceeded to undress her until she simply couldn’t think at all.
For updates, sneak peeks, and special prizes, sign up to receive the latest news from Lexi http://bit.ly/LexiUpdate
Read on for Kendra and Wade’s love story and the opening of Poker Flat in Cowboys Never Fold (Poker Flat #1).
Chapter One
Wade Johnson slowed his Chevy Silverado and stared at the wooden sign with burnt-in letters hanging above the dirt road: POKER FLAT NUDIST RESORT.
It swung between two weathered posts, the sign’s newness jolting the senses against the Old West background.
Stopping his pickup, he hesitated to make the left turn. His best friend had called in a big favor. Nine years ago, Wade had been blinded by love and almost made the worst mistake of his life. If it hadn’t been for Dale’s instincts and a paternity test, Wade would have been shackled to a selfish sorority girl and left with another man’s kid. Shit, he could have been a country song.
He owed Dale and he’d never back out on a friend, even if it meant working at a nudist resort for three months. “I am doing this.” The sound of his voice gave him the boost he needed. With his commitment firmly in place despite a dozen misgivings, he turned the truck down the dirt road.
At least the pay was outstanding, and he could choose his own horseflesh and set up the stables as he felt they should be run. Just the thought of starting a new operation had him stepping on the gas a bit harder, his truck throwing up a cloud of dust that could probably be seen in Wickenburg.
After a good mile of nothing but desert, a wooden barrier declared the end of the road. To the right was an overly large garage with only three sides. He brought the truck to a stop underneath the shelter. It could clearly house a couple dozen cars and the massive metal structure was tall enough for RVs too. The roof had to be at least twenty feet high.
Exiting his vehicle, his boots hit concrete. Nice. If this is how the owner built the garage, he couldn’t wait to see the new stables. Dale’s voice in his head dampened his enthusiasm. I’ve sent three men out there to set up this woman’s stables and all three quit. This could kill my temp agency’s reputation. I need someone I can trust to find out what’s going on. If she is a cranky old bitch who expects miracles, I don’t need her as a client. But if it’s something else, I want to know. If her resort takes off, I plan to be the one filling her staffing needs.
Wade straightened his black Stetson and walked toward the old man sleeping
on a chair in the relative coolness of the structure. It was August and days in the desert usually hit three digit degrees. The sound of his boots hitting the floor didn’t wake the man, so he shook him.
“What? What? I don’t knows nothin’.” The man’s eyes were a bit glazed and his chin showed a few days of beard growth.
Wade tipped his hat. “Afternoon. I’m Wade Johnson. Dale Osborn sent me to set up the stables here.”
The man stood and teetered before steadying himself with the folding chair. “I’m Billy.” The smell of alcohol was faint but definitely there. Billy thrust out his hand as if suddenly remembering his manners.
Wade shook, taking in the faded blue jeans, ripped sneakers and dirty t-shirt. He sincerely hoped Billy wouldn’t be the one greeting the guests. “Where would I find the owner?”
The short man stared at him for a few moments. “Right. Right. Come on. I’ll takes you down.”
Down? Wade followed Billy to a tan golf cart and got in. As they proceeded out of the garage, he looked everywhere for the supposed resort, but there was nothing but desert for miles, and no butte stood out to hide it.
Then they drove past the wooden barricade and after a few minutes he recognized the edges of what must have been a hundred-year-old ravine that had weathered away to create a small canyon. As they drew closer to the ledge, the resort came into view.
“Wow.” It was an ingenious design. One that had him rethinking a few of his own plans for a spread.
Billy smiled a toothy grin. “Yup. That be what everyone says.”
Wade shook his head in astonishment. Across the ravine, near the top was a natural shelf of land where a large building, pool and stables sat surrounded by green lawn and narrow pathways for walking. Below that shelf was another that was home to small cottages sporadically placed among the natural desert landscape. There were more walking trails going farther into the small canyon. At the bottom was a creek with a strip of green growth on each side.
“How long did it take to build this place?”
Billy frowned. “If you counts the stonewallin’ from the county, two years. But when the permits was in place and legit, the construction took a year. The stables is the newest building.” He pointed to the white structure.
Wade’s stomach tensed with excitement. A new barn, corral and soon horses of his choosing without spending a dime of his own money was too enticing to pass up, not that he would. Dale’s company was new and he needed a good reputation if he was to succeed in Phoenix. Wade owed him and he would stay long enough to discover why the other stablemen left. That Wade would enjoy the job he was hired for was a bonus. He could already see possibilities for trails down to the creek. How far did it go?
“We could has opened sooner if we has reli…help we can depend on. I hope you plan to stay longer than the last horse man.” Billy spat over the side of the cart. “We needs someone we can count on out here.”
He looked at Billy and his excitement dimmed. “Was the stable manager quitting the only thing that held everything up?”
“Nah. We gots a nosey sheriff and stupid stuff breaks every day.” Billy slowed the cart as they drove around a switchback. After the cart rumbled across a well-made wooden bridge that spanned the creek, Billy pointed at the road. “This here path were designed for the wagon and stagecoach. Only the employees gets to drive those. The golf carts, them is for the guests.”
“Stagecoach?” Wade scanned the resort as they drove closer, expecting to see the oddity sitting on the verdant lawn.
Billy broke into a big grin, revealing a missing tooth on the left side. “You betcha. Prettiest darn thing I has ever seen. It’s a repro…copy of one of them Old West ones. You be in charge of it. Maybe you can give me a ride in it? Miss Kendra don’t lets me drive that one.”
Wade silently agreed with Miss Kendra’s decision. There were a lot of the woman’s decisions he agreed with, so why did she have such a hard time keeping staff when she hadn’t even opened? It couldn’t be because of the nude clientele. She didn’t have any yet. He would never have taken a job at a nudist resort if Dale hadn’t needed him. People walking around nude in public wasn’t his thing.
Oh shit. What if the resort was the owner’s retirement dream come true and she ran the place nude? Now that was a sight he wasn’t in a hurry to see.
“Here you be. Miss Kendra through that there pavilion. At least, that where I sees her last. She were bossing over the buildin’ of some water thingy by the pool. Whatever it are, I sure when she be done, it will look good.”
Wade stepped out and tipped his hat. “Thank you.” As Billy drove away, Wade shook his head. How could the old man obviously idolize the owner and yet others quit on her? He strolled in the direction Billy indicated. He appreciated the view the resort presented, but he mentally braced himself for encountering a naked old woman.
As he turned the corner at the end of the freestanding pavilion, he found the pool, its crystal-clear water actually making him thirsty. The large rectangle had a curvy pool coming off it that imitated a winding river. Every eight feet or so a concrete high-table broke the surface of the water. Talk about an enticement to drink. Whatever kind of personality this woman had, he would be the first to admit she was smart.
He approached a group of three men with Desert Pool Design emblazoned on their shirts. They rested in the shade, chowing down on sandwiches. “Good afternoon. Could you tell me where to find Miss Kendra Lowe?”
One of the men pointed, his mouth full.
“Thanks.”
Wade strode toward the bar. It was under another pavilion, but this one attached to the main building and its far side was supported by stone columns. The sleek wood bar top was at least three inches of ironwood. The rattling of glasses came from behind it but he couldn’t see anyone.
“Hello there. I’m looking for Miss Kendra Lowe?”
A young woman stood up from behind the bar, her disheveled dark brown hair caught in a clip behind her head. She wiped sweat from her brow with the back of a dirty hand. It seemed everything was clean but the workers. She gazed at him, no curiosity whatsoever in the deep blue of her eyes. “I’m Kendra Lowe.”
Wade couldn’t help staring in disbelief. Out of habit, he wiped his hand on his jeans although it was probably cleaner than hers. “Good afternoon, Ms. Lowe. I’m Wade Johnson. Your new stable manager.”
She studied him as she shook his hand, her expression revealing nothing.
He, on the other hand, didn’t expect the owner of such a pristine spread to be so young, maybe thirty or so, almost his age. Her mouth was wide with a straight nose above it. She had very high cheekbones, but her face held none of the lines of a woman used to manual work, which she appeared to be doing. Her arms were toned, almost muscular as revealed by the modest black tank she wore, though nothing could truly hide the substantial chest it covered. But she was too thin by half, as his grandmother would say.
She placed one dirty hand on her waist and jutted out her hip, giving it a curve that wasn’t there before. “So, Cowboy, it appears Dale was successful in finding me another stable manager. Good. I don’t have much time left before we open and the trails still need to be chosen, the horses need to be purchased and transported, feed needs to be ordered and a ton of other details I have no clue about. I must have someone who is going to stay at least three months. Can you commit to that, no matter what?”
A surge of adrenaline shot through his body again when she mentioned picking horses. He could pretty much stay however long she needed for a chance to do that. “Yes, Ms. Lowe, I can.”
“Good. I can’t be worrying about that side of the operation, so you just tell me what you need, Cowboy, and we’ll make it happen.” She turned toward the main building. “Lacey!”
Wade stared at his new boss. This was a dream job to any cowboy worthy of riding, which made it harder to understand why so many before him quit. Maybe she was really a micromanager and pretended not to be. Or maybe she was too
hard to read. Her eyes, a nice royal blue, were anything but windows to her soul. There was no smile of welcome or satisfaction. Even her tone of voice didn’t give away anything.
A petite blonde woman came through the glass door of the building and smiled warmly as she approached. “Howdy, I’m Lacey.”
Now that was the kind of greeting he liked. He shook her hand, careful not to squeeze too hard.
Kendra leaned on the bar, her substantial chest supported by the dark wood. “Lacey will show you your living quarters. Then become familiar with the stables, corrals and your office. We can meet around nine tonight to discuss next steps.”
“Nine, yes Ms. Lowe.” He nodded, not sure what to make of the late hour, but she was the boss.
Lacey hooked her arm in his. “Right this way.”
“And Cowboy.” They’d only taken a couple steps, when Kendra stopped them. “Don’t call me Ms. Lowe. It makes me sound like a teacher or something. Kendra will do.”
He tipped his hat. “I can do that if you can call me Wade.”
Kendra’s face didn’t even twitch. He waited for a sign from her that she understood. Finally, she nodded once. “Fair enough. See you at nine, Wade.”
Kendra watched Wade leave, his tight butt impossible to ignore. Once he was through the glass door into the main building, she let herself slither back over the edge of the bar to sit on the floor. Damn, the man was hot. Why had Dale stopped sending her old codgers? The last thing she needed now was a distraction.
And Wade Johnson was definitely a distraction. His clean-shaven chin could serve as artwork. His brown eyes, which matched his short hair, reminded her of milk chocolate and his voice had her muscles wanting to melt. Thank God she’d been behind the bar because what really had her libido revving was his broad shoulders. Only a muscular man could be that thin at the waist and have such broad shoulders. Dammit. She hadn’t had sex since she bought Poker Flat and she’d be damned if she’d have it now with some hunky cowboy employee. The odds were stacked against that working out well.
Refocusing, she pulled the small cooler back into place, assuring it would drain through the floor and not all over it. At least she wouldn’t have to worry about the cowboy being underfoot. He had his domain and she had hers. She just needed to make it through their meeting tonight. After wiping her hands on her work jeans, she picked up the glass washer and set it in the sink. The plumber would be in tomorrow morning to take care of installing the final pieces of the bar according to code. Luckily, she had the liquor license from the last owner of the Poker Flat Bar, which had been located where her garage now stood. That license was worth every penny she’d paid for the ramshackle building she tore down.