by Becky Barker
“Drea?”
Andrea looked up from the pile of paperwork scattered all over her aunt’s desk. She stretched and offered a smile. “Hi, Nanna. Did you have a nice nap?”
Her aunt frowned. “Yes, even though I hate spending so much time in bed. I always seem to drop right off to sleep.”
“They say the body heals itself while you sleep.”
“I don’t know about that but it sounds better than just wasting what’s left of my life,” she replied as she took a seat across from the desk.
“You won’t reconsider having the surgery? You don’t have any health problems like high blood pressure or diabetes that would hinder your recovery, do you?”
“No, no. Other than some clogged arteries I’ve always been healthy as a horse. I’m just too old for that nonsense.”
“I don’t think age is as much of a factor these days. You might breeze through the surgery and live to be a hundred.”
Nanette gave her a hard stare. “I’m glad you want me to live another twenty years but I wonder if it’s out of love or if you just want me to keep managing Bridleton.”
After a brief, heavy silence, Andrea answered with a wry grin, “A combination of both, I think.”
Nanette returned her smile. “I always could depend on you for honesty. But whether I live a day or a decade it’s time to pass the reins of Bridleton to your generation. As of today, I’m officially retiring.”
“Well I hope you’ll be available as a consultant for a very long time because we’re sure going to need your advice.”
“I’ll think about it but there’s not much advice I can give at this point. We have bills to pay and not enough income to cover them.”
“Did I mention ‘unpaid’ consultant?”
Nanette’s short bark of laughter warmed Andrea’s heart. Whatever the next few weeks held in store, she really wanted to protect Nanna from further worry and work. Noah’s lecture had left her feeling selfish and guilt-ridden.
Her aunt grunted and rose from the chair. “Just keeping a roof over my head will be sufficient payment. And I’m really fond of Meredith’s cooking.”
“Noah says the rains this spring have provided some relief and hope for a better growing season. I know you’ve been operating on a shoestring and we can continue to do that a little longer. I have enough money to pay off the major creditors and the rest will have to wait until we’re in the black again.”
“Providing we can get there.”
“I’m sure our ancestors fell on a few really hard times. The weather in this part of Texas always swings from drought to floods. It couldn’t have been any easier for our relatives but there are no wimps in the Bartell family. We’re strong and resilient. We can save Bridleton.”
“From your lips to God’s ears,” mumbled Nanette. “I’m turning the control of the ranch over to your generation. I intend to spend the rest of the summer lounging around the pool, providing we can afford to maintain it, and sipping sweet tea, providing we can afford to buy the tea bags.”
Andrea gave her a smile. “I promise you’ll never be without tea bags.”
“Your decision to stay the summer is more than I expected,” she said, her voice going gruff. She cleared her throat, turned toward the hallway and added, “Now I’m going to investigate the wonderful smells coming from the kitchen. Lunch at noon.”
Andrea considered her aunt’s words when she was alone again. She hadn’t promised to stay the whole summer, had she? Nanna must have misunderstood. Or maybe the decision had been made for her. She’d spent five years trying not to fret about the property, but now that she was home, saving her inheritance had suddenly become the most important thing in her life. What was happening to her? Career burnout? She’d certainly grown tired of the jet-setting lifestyle. Maybe it was the depth of her roots in the Texas soil or a deep-seated devotion to family.
Or a tall, tanned man with a body to die for?
No! Panic clogged her throat at the thought of spending the next few months working closely with Noah. She’d given him her heart and soul once and his betrayal had devastated her. She couldn’t survive another love affair with him yet the passion between them remained strong. The memory of last night’s encounter made her shift in her seat, feeling restless and needy.
Regardless of the physical desire, she’d never trust him again with her heart. For all she knew he had several lovers or even a fiancé. He’d always had women fawning all over him so there were bound to be a few special ones in his life now. The thought had her grinding her teeth and that foolish reaction annoyed her even more.
Deciding she’d done all the accounting she could handle for the day, she put away her checkbook, raised her arms above her head and stretched some of the stiffness from her shoulders. The action pulled the silk of her blouse tight against her unbound breasts. Her nipples tautened and tingled at the sensual caress. A needy shiver ran through her body. She blamed Noah for rekindling a passion in her that had been tempered for years. Why was he the only man she’d ever known who could stir her desire from cool embers to scorching flames in the space of a few seconds?
“Have you found any miracle cures for our financial woes?”
Noah appeared in the doorway, his cynical tone startling Andrea. She dropped her arms and crossed them over her chest, hiding her pouting nipples but unable to hide the blush on her cheeks.
“You know there aren’t any miracles. Not unless Nanna is storing some extremely valuable antiques in the attic. A couple of Chippendales or a Monet would be nice.”
He didn’t move any further into the room but leaned a shoulder on the doorframe and crossed his arms over his chest. Every small movement, every ripple of powerful muscle, reminded her of last night, of the way their bodies fit together so perfectly, so tightly, so hotly.
“She already ruled out hidden treasures,” he assured her.
Andrea chided herself for being distracted by his blond good looks. She needed to keep her mind on business and clarify a few things. “You said she’d exhausted all efforts to raise cash. Is that why you’ve moved into the house or is it a little premature possessiveness?”
His gaze remained unflinching as it locked with hers. “I moved in when Trace bought the manager’s house.”
“Convenient, huh?” She couldn’t disguise her irritation.
“Convenient for what?” he challenged. “Convenient to have room and board? Yeah. To utilize one of the five empty bedrooms and be close if Nanette needed me? Yeah. Why are you really grousing? Because I’m not family so I shouldn’t be living in the family home?”
Andrea glared at him. It had been a real shock to find him sharing a balcony with her last night, learning that he slept right next door to her room. The thought of continued proximity was even more disturbing.
“I just want to make it perfectly clear that sex is not part of the employee package,” she insisted, voice tight. “Sleeping in the room next to mine doesn’t equate to an open invitation and I’m not handing Bridleton over to you just because you’ve taken up residence.”
His gaze narrowed and his expression went grim. “I suggest we drop the subject of sex and discuss how you plan to save the property.”
“Zack and I are putting all our available funds to work. It won’t put us in the black but it’ll pay taxes and the most pressing bills. Beyond that, the ranch will have to turn a profit.”
His tight expression eased a little. “That might be possible if we have enough help. Trace and I are already working sixteen-hour days. We have a few full-time employees and some part-timers but we need more.”
“Chey, Zack and I are going to help. It’s been a while but Granddad made sure we all had a working knowledge of the ranch.”
He looked skeptical but didn’t argue. Straightening, he turned to leave. “Whatever you say…boss.”
His emphasis on the word “boss” had her gritting her teeth. They couldn’t save Bridleton without him and he’d still be giving the ord
ers but technically he did work for her whether he liked it or not.
“You are an incredibly annoying human being,” she said.
“Right back attcha, baby.”
Andrea’s pulse lurched. How many times had he thrown that phrase at her in the past? More than she could count. Over the years it had evolved from a kid’s taunt to a teenage challenge and then a lover’s vow. What now? What new phase would their relationship enter now?
“If you’re gonna help, I need someone to drive the tractor while I spread hay to the cattle in the east pasture. I’m gonna grab a bite to eat but I’ll be at the equipment shed in about an hour. You’d better change clothes.”
With that, he turned and left the room.
It took a few minutes for her to reclaim her composure. Noah always had that effect on her. Apparently in their revised relationship she became the boss who followed his orders. Just as well since she had no idea what needed to be done.
Zack and Nanette shared a quick lunch with her but Noah had already left the house and Chey didn’t make an appearance. Zack promised to rouse their youngest sister and get some necessary chores done before the contractors arrived to start painting. Andrea gave them a brief update on the business she’d handled earlier and then excused herself to help Noah.
Most of her old clothes were still stored in her dresser so she searched for a comfortable pair of jeans. What used to be skintight now fit loosely but her tee shirt, socks and boots fit fine.
Her hair hung halfway down her back. It had always been an asset to her modeling career but it wasn’t very practical on the ranch. She quickly braided it, slathered sunscreen over every inch of visible skin and slapped a hat on her head. It wouldn’t do to keep the ranch manager waiting so she hurried out of the house.
Once outdoors, she tilted her head back and soaked up some sunshine. The house stayed cool by design yet she welcomed the warmth as well as the familiar scents of the ranch. Texas was the only place she ever felt truly warm and it seemed like she’d been cold for a very long time.
As she walked the hundred yards from the house to the barnyard, she glanced back at the French Colonial-style home. Designed in the late 1800s by a New Orleans architect, it sat atop a small rise of land and sported a wraparound porch. Several bedrooms had balconies with all the railings a match to the ones on the lower story.
The house sat like a slightly defective jewel in a bed of overgrown velvet lawns with an abundance of untended flowers and shrubs. Gleaming white in the sun, the spots of peeling paint made it look bruised and battered but a new paint job would easily restore its elegant beauty. Zack’s decision to spend money for renovations would make a world of difference and bring back its showplace appearance. She desperately hoped they wouldn’t have to put it on the market.
Halfway across the yard, a wild chorus of barking greeted her. Bert and Ernie, the family’s Blue Lacy herd dogs rushed toward her. Their sleek, dark silver coats glistened in the sunlight as they danced circles around her. She knelt and hugged their necks while they yapped in excitement.
“Hello guys. It’s been a long time but you never forget do you?” she crooned, petting them as they vied for attention. “You both look as healthy and energetic as always. What’s your secret, huh? Lots of exercise and no stress? I hope Noah doesn’t work you too hard. He can be a slave driver.” She took their low whines to mean they agreed. Standing again, she said, “Speaking of which, I’d better go find him or I’ll be in the doghouse with you.”
The rumble of the old tractor engine grew louder as Andrea approached the shed where Noah worked. She slowed her stride and watched as he wrestled to connect the heavy hitch between the tractor and the wagon. Bending over the iron tongue, he had his back to her. She got an up-close-and-personal view of his tight rear end packed in even tighter jeans. The flex of cheek and thigh muscle made her heart thump and her temperature rise.
Get a grip! She scolded herself and shifted her attention higher. But the ripple of arm and shoulder muscles reminded her of Noah’s incredible physical strength. The way he’d anchored her body to his last night. The heat and hardness of him as he’d carried her this morning and the unwelcome sizzle of attraction she felt whenever they touched.
Shaking her head to rid it of the mental images, she reminded herself that she’d met hundreds of attractive men. There was nothing wrong with a healthy sexual response to a fine specimen of the opposite sex. There’d never been any lack of desire between her and Noah. Just a whopping lack of trust, commitment and fidelity.
Had Caroline been equally attracted to him? Had he responded just as passionately to her big sister as he had to her? Had he been sleeping with them both at the same time? Had Caro been carrying his baby when she died? Andrea’s stomach clenched at the thought. Even though she’d adored her sister, a dark, raging jealousy at the thought had gnawed at her for years.
She’d asked Noah, point-blank, if he’d slept with her sister. He hadn’t denied it. The sting of that pain still stabbed her in the heart. It would be wise to remember the pain any time she felt the pull of attraction.
Time had tempered the survivor guilt, the resentment and her possessiveness. Coming home had churned up all the old insecurities, leaving her plagued by turbulent emotions. Her body had become a battleground for what she wanted versus what she knew would destroy her.
“What?”
Andrea snapped out of her reverie at Noah’s question and wiped all expression from her face. “I didn’t say anything.” She yelled to be heard over the noisy old tractor engine.
He gave her a strange look that likely reflected the look she’d been giving him. Time to snap out of her trance and pay attention.
The dogs wanted to go with them but he gave them a firm order to stay. They gave her soulful looks and sat back on their haunches.
“You remember how to drive this thing?”
She put a foot on the chassis and grabbed the steering wheel, pulling herself into the flat, unpadded metal seat. “It might take me a minute.”
Noah stepped up beside her and grasped the back of the seat for support. She felt his gloved hand against her buttocks. A quiver danced along her spine. He loomed over her, his chest pressed to her shoulder. His hot breath teased her ear as he leaned close enough to give a quick refresher course on gears, gas and brakes. Andrea did her best to concentrate on what he said rather than how his closeness made her feel. She couldn’t seem to catch her breath.
“Drive out to the far west pasture.”
She pulled in air and asked, “Aren’t you riding on the wagon?”
He gave her a quick, searching glance. “I’ll get the gates first.”
The tractor lurched when she shifted into gear and Noah threw his other arm across her lap to anchor them both. Her blood pressure lurched with it, shooting heat throughout her body. He kept her caged by his arms while the engine coughed and chugged. Metal clanged against metal and the wagon creaked as they swung into slow, laborious motion. Andrea’s heart pounded in a matching rhythm.
The rise and fall of her breasts pressed them against his arm so she didn’t take another deep breath until they reached the first gate. He jumped down to open it, giving her a little breathing space. Once she’d driven through he latched the gate and returned to his position beside her.
This time he kept more distance between them, holding the seat but standing upright rather than leaning toward her. They traveled another mile or so before the tractor hit a pothole in the dirt road. It tilted sideways, throwing him against her and causing him to lose his footing. His hand brushed her right breast as he grappled to steady himself again. Andrea’s nipples tightened and she felt a pull deep in the pit of her stomach. She went utterly still as his whole body pressed so close to hers she could feel his erection.
For a long, heart-stopping moment, neither of them so much as twitched. Andrea felt like fused dynamite waiting for a match strike. The seething sexual energy coursing through her came dangerously clos
e to igniting. She shuddered and locked her fingers around the steering wheel to keep from reaching for him. Her strangled sound of denial had Noah cursing.
“I’ll get the next gate,” he said as he jumped off the tractor.
She dragged in several deep, cleansing breaths as he strode ahead of her. When he neared the gate she finally put the tractor in motion and followed. Once they’d passed through to the next field Noah jumped onto the wagon and began wrestling with bales of hay. Dozens of longhorn cattle bawled in greeting and began to gather around for the fresh supply of food.
A field of bluebells framed the pasture to the north. Andrea stared at the slowly undulating blossoms, letting the familiar sight calm her nerves. She shut off the tractor and crossed the tongue to the wagon, being careful to dodge the wickedly long, curling cattle horns. She’d always loved the longhorns. They were as hardy as the Bartells had always been on this sometimes unforgiving land. Right now the grass for grazing was minimal. That’s why they needed to supplement with hay.
Noah stripped the wire off the bales and pitched hay toward the hungry livestock. She moved closer to help him.
“I’ll get it. You aren’t wearing gloves,” he said.
“Give me your hook.”
He handed her a vicious-looking hay hook and they worked together for the next few minutes. He pulled the hay free of the wires and she separated it into sections with the hook. Then she flaked off chunks small enough to handle herself. She’d forgotten how dusty and itchy the job could be but she didn’t complain. They worked in harmony and emptied the wagon in less than fifteen minutes.
Andrea had just hefted the last flake of hay over the edge of the wagon when she turned and slammed into Noah. The collision knocked her off balance. She would have tumbled backward into the collection of pointed horns if he hadn’t snatched her into his arms. His abrupt action made them lose their footing and stumble. He landed on his back with her sprawled across him.