Big-Hearted Cowboy

by Vicki Lewis Thompson, Stephanie Bond

  “No, ma’am.” He put on his hat. “It’s my insurance policy.”

  “To keep you from going in with me, after all?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “That soothes my ego.”

  “Glad to be of service.” Climbing out, he shut the door, rounded the truck and helped her down.

  “Sure you don’t want to turn off that motor?”

  “Not when mine’s going full throttle.” He closed her door. Keeping her hand in his, he started toward the porch steps.

  “You’re lucky I’m not a devious woman.”

  “You’re not?” He climbed the steps and focused on the soft rumble of his truck’s engine. One kiss. One. Then he’d be back in that truck.

  At the door, she turned to him. “If I’d wanted to sabotage you, I would have unbuttoned my blouse while I was sitting in the truck and given you a peep show before I shut off the motor and pocketed the keys.”

  He stared at her. “Holy hell, Millie.”

  “Would it have worked?”

  “Like a charm. Why didn’t you?”

  “Do you wish I had?”

  “Not answering that.” Nudging back his hat, he pulled her close. “One kiss.”

  “Make it a good one.”

  “Don’t worry.” He lowered his head. “It’ll be a doozy.” He touched down.

  And was lost. Her mouth… dear God, he couldn’t get enough of her supple lips. He delved deeper, reveling in her moist heat, the wicked stroke of her tongue, the erotic pressure when she sucked on his.

  Her coat was unbuttoned. His, too. When had that happened? Who cared? He pulled her in tight and she wrapped one leg around his, opening to him, inviting him to rock forward… sweet agony… Millie.

  She moaned and reached for the buttons on his shirt. He had one of hers undone and had reached for the next one when the nearby hoot of an owl startled him.

  CJ. That crazy guy had perfected the call of a great horned owl. Jake lifted his head, breathing hard.

  “Owl.” Millie gazed up at him, her eyes heavy-lidded with passion. “Come back here, you.”

  “Might be CJ.”

  “It isn’t. They’re still—”

  “Yeah.” He took a ragged breath. “At the movies.” He gazed into her flushed face. “If I don’t go now, I won’t go at all.”

  “I’ll wait while you turn off the motor.”

  He shook his head and took another lungful of air. “I’m leaving.”

  “Your body wants to stay.” She pressed her palm against his chest. “Your heart’s going a mile-a-minute.”

  “I know. And I ache for you, but I want all night, with no threat of being interrupted in the middle of… anything. Let’s wait for that, Millie. Please.”

  She cupped his face in both hands. “Okay, but don’t make us wait too long.”

  “I’ll get something worked out for tomorrow night.”

  “Promise?”

  “Yes.” Somehow he’d do it.

  “Then take off, cowboy.” She stepped back. “Sweet dreams.”

  “I know exactly what kind of dreams I’ll have. And they won’t be sweet. Good night, Millie.”

  “Good night, Jake.”

  Touching two fingers to the brim of his hat, he turned and clattered down the steps. Wearing new jeans tonight had been a mistake. No give to them at all.

  She was still standing by the door when he got in the truck and looked out the window. He blinked the lights and revved the engine.

  Blowing him a kiss, she went inside. Then she flicked the porch light on and off.

  Tapping the horn lightly, he put the truck in reverse, backed out of the small parking area and drove away.

  To his surprise, the trucks were parked by the bunkhouse and judging from the boisterous sounds coming from inside, a poker game was in progress. The movie must have let out earlier than Millie had calculated. Was Kate in there?

  He walked in and everyone looked up from the game to stare at him.

  Kate was the first to speak. “What are you doing here?”

  “I live here.”

  “Where’s Millie?”

  “At your house.”

  Rafe started laughing. “All that for nothing.”

  “All what?”

  “It’s like this,” Nick said. “We got out of the movie earlier than expected and decided to head over to the Moose to spy on you and Millie. Patsy informed us you’d left.”

  Leo folded his cards and laid them face down. “Assuming you’d gone back to the cottage for some quality time we invited Kate over for some poker.”

  “Actually, I invited myself. Didn’t want to interrupt and all that.”

  “Oh.”

  “Yeah, oh.” Kate shook her head. “Why aren’t you—” Her eyes widened. “Don’t tell me you had a fight.”

  “No fight. We had a great time.” He noticed Kate wasn’t the only woman in residence. Serena was also at the table. Not Isabel, though. CJ was missing, too. ”Where’s CJ? And Isabel?”

  “Over at Isabel’s cabin,” Kate said. “Some people seize the moment and others don’t. I can’t believe you’re not with Millie.”

  “She invited me in, but—”

  Rafe’s loud groan cut him off. “She invited you in and you turned her down? Major mistake, bro. Huge.”

  “I didn’t like the odds of Kate coming home in the middle of the action.”

  She glanced at him. “But as you can see, I took steps to keep that from happening.”

  “I didn’t know that. You could have come straight home.”

  “And noticed your truck was there. I would have asked Rafe to bring me over here for a while to give you two some space.”

  “But I couldn’t count on that and I didn’t want to start out worrying about such things. The first time should be special.”

  Kate’s expression gradually softened. “Ah, now I see the problem. You’re way more romantic than I’ve given you credit for.”

  He shrugged, embarrassed. “Normally I’m not.”

  “Except when it comes to Millie.” Rafe gave him a knowing look.

  “Guess so.”

  Kate gazed at him. “Now that I understand, I have a solution for you. And I think you’ll love it.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Kate’s text added one more element of wonkiness to a wild and crazy evening. I’m at the bunkhouse playing poker with the guys and Serena. I’m winning so I plan to stay awhile. You’re welcome to drive over if you want, or someone can come fetch you. If not, see you in the morning.

  Millie texted back that she was settling in with a cup of herbal tea and a book. She wasn’t about to go over there. The night had been enough of a rollercoaster without adding poker night with the gang. And Jake.

  The tea and book routine made her drowsy, thank goodness. A night of tossing and turning might not be in her future, after all. She went to bed and was asleep before Kate came home.

  When she woke up the next morning, her roommate had already left for the dining hall to cook breakfast for the guests. Millie showered and dressed, fixed herself some breakfast, and set off to make the rounds of the cabins.

  She shifted her routine to arrive at Seth and Zoe’s cabin first. They were checking out this morning and she didn’t want to miss saying goodbye.

  Zoe called out a greeting when Millie rapped on the door.

  “It’s me.” Millie poked her head in.

  “Hey, you.” Once again, Zoe was alone with Hamish, getting him dressed for the trip home. “Seth’s down at the barn. His replacement, Garrett something-or-other, just arrived from Wyoming.” She pulled a long-sleeved shirt over the baby’s head. “Seth wants to meet him since he’s the first new guy hired in about nine years. It’s a big deal.”

  “It sure is. Leo’s the most recent hire, and he was here when I came on board. I wonder how the Brotherhood will handle having a new wrangler in the bunkhouse. Of course they’ll make him feel welcome, but….”

  �
��There’s the Brotherhood thing.” Zoe worked Hamish’s pudgy arms into the sleeves of the shirt.

  “Right. This guy wasn’t here when Charley was alive. Or Seth’s mom. Do you know how old he is?”

  “Twenty-seven.” She picked up a baby-sized pair of faux Wranglers with snaps strategically placed for easy diaper changes.

  “That’s a lot older than the others were when they came.”

  “Yeah, Seth expected Henri to hire another teenager who needed a place to land.” She tugged the pants over the baby’s diapered bottom. “He said that was her pattern when Charley was alive.”

  “She does do that. Or did. People change.”

  Zoe glanced over her shoulder and smiled. “Like Jake? I heard you guys went out on your first-ever date last night.”

  “We did.” Millie’s cheeks warmed. “Listen, do you need any help getting packed? Or can I hold Hamish while you get organized?”

  “You can definitely hold Hamish.” She grabbed soft booties that looked like boots and put them on the baby’s feet. Then she handed him over.

  Millie accepted the sweet-smelling baby and cradled him in her arms. “Looks like you’re destined to be a cowboy, buddy.” He gazed up at her with interest and waved his tiny fists. “Cute outfit, Zoe.”

  “Thanks.” She folded the blanket Hamish had been lying on and tucked it into a tote sitting nearby. “Did you have fun on your date?”

  “We had fun. Jake’s… well, he’s Jake.”

  Zoe laughed. “I’m just getting to know the guy, but I understand what you mean. I love the bumper sticker on his truck—Face it, life would be boring without me.”

  “That’s him in a nutshell.” And yet, was it? He didn’t fit inside a nutshell, or a bumper sticker. There was so much more to him.

  “For what it’s worth, Seth is excited about you and Jake. He wondered if you’d eventually get together.”

  “I wouldn’t say we’re exactly together, yet.”

  “Heading in that direction, then.”

  “Cautiously. We’re both taking a risk. For one thing, we work together.”

  “That makes it trickier.” Zoe gathered several plush toys and began filling a second tote. “Although Seth is convinced everything will turn out great.”

  “That would be lovely.” She leaned down and gave Hamish a kiss on his soft cheek. “I’ll miss you guys.”

  “Same here. I’m glad the wedding brought us up to the Buckskin. Seth loves Eagles Nest and his newly-discovered relatives there, but this is where he grew up. We’ll be back. Soon, I hope.”

  “I hope so, too.”

  “Listen, do you need to start cleaning? I can scoot out of the way if you—”

  “I don’t have to clean now. Most of the guests are leaving today because they came for the wedding like you did. Not that many are checking in, so I can take my time working through the cabins. I just wanted to say goodbye.”

  “I’m so glad you did. We have each other’s cell phone numbers, so keep in touch. Let me know what’s happening with Jake.”

  She handed the baby back to Zoe. “And send me pictures of this little guy. If I can’t hold him every day, at least I want to see his adorable face.”

  “I promise to do that.”

  “Safe travels.” Millie hugged her and left. She was used to goodbyes. She lived on a guest ranch where nice people came, bonded with the staff, and left. But Seth, Zoe and baby Hamish weren’t guests. They were family.

  Her next stop was Isabel’s cabin. Her flight was several hours before Serena’s, so Millie wanted to touch base. She tapped on her door.

  “Door’s open! Come on in.”

  Millie left her supplies outside and went in. “I was hoping to catch you.”

  Isabel zipped her suitcase and set it on the floor. “I was about to put this outside the door for CJ. He’s taking me to the airport. Should be here any minute.”

  “Then I made it just in time. I just wanted a chance to say it was great getting to know you. I hope you come back soon.”

  “Oh. That’s so sweet of you. I’d love that. I’ve had a fabulous time.”

  A truck pulled up outside and Millie glanced out the partially open door. “That’s CJ. Have a safe trip home.”

  “Thanks so much.” Isabel gave her a hug, picked up her suitcase and hurried out the door.

  Millie waited until CJ’s truck pulled away before she retrieved her supplies and dived into her morning’s work.

  Although she’d told Zoe she had all day to clean, she decided to get ’er done in one fell swoop, which meant working through her lunch hour. Jake wouldn’t approve, but Jake wasn’t here.

  But then he showed up as she closed the door on her last cabin. He walked toward her with his trademark grin, the one that had stolen her heart a long time ago, much longer than she’d admitted to him.

  She returned his smile. “How did you find me?”

  “Just surveyed the area looking for the mop bucket. How come you didn’t answer my text?”

  “You texted?” She pulled out her phone. “So you did. Sorry. Must’ve come in when I was vacuuming.”

  He stopped when he was about four feet away and nudged back his hat. “Might be best if I communicate from here.”

  “Did you come down with something?”

  “Yes, ma’am. A bad case of craving Millie Jones.”

  “I see.”

  “Another two steps closer and we’d have a public display of affection going on. Not classy in broad daylight in the guest area of the ranch.”

  “I agree.”

  “You sure look pretty with the sunlight on your hair.”

  “You sure look manly with your boots all muddy and your sleeves rolled back.”

  “Been helping Nick replace some fencing in the pasture. Need to get back to it, but… have you talked to Kate?”

  “Not today.”

  “Damn. I was hoping you had.”

  “Why?”

  “I figured it’d be better if you heard the plan from her. Then you could think on it before you and I talked about it.”

  “The plan for what?”

  He glanced around. “What we discussed last night.”

  Her heart began to pound. “You mean…”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “What’s the plan?”

  “It’s, um… oh, shoot, there’s my phone.” He pulled it out of his pocket and started backing away. “Listen, I should go. Nick probably needs me to… I should go.”

  “I didn’t hear your phone ring.”

  “Talk to Kate.” Touching two fingers to his hat brim, he turned and left, his long strides taking him quickly away.

  She opened her mouth to call him back before he was out of range. Closed it again. He likely wouldn’t stop, anyway. His phone hadn’t rung. She’d bet on it.

  Whatever the plan was, he wanted her to get the news from Kate. He’d looked worried, as if she might reject the idea, whatever it was. Fat chance. She couldn’t wait to spend quality time with that sexy cowboy.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Jake figured he’d hear from Millie before too long. Luckily he didn’t have barn duty tonight. He’d spent his lunch hour making a huge pot of chili and baking cornbread. Maybe he’d be eating chili and cornbread with the Brotherhood tonight and maybe he wouldn’t. Depended on Millie.

  Garrett Whittaker, the new hire, was spending his first night in the bunkhouse. Jake’s urge to be hospitable warred with a far more powerful urge.

  Given the option, he’d choose Millie. But she might not go for Kate’s plan, at least not all of it. He wouldn’t blame her for hesitating.

  He finished up the work in the pasture and hit the showers. By the time he came out, he had a text from Millie. Kate’s left for the dining hall. Can you come over to talk?

  Be there in ten. He dressed in record time, hopped in his truck and drove to the cottage.

  She opened the door before he had a chance to knock and jumped right to the hea
rt of the matter. “How do you feel about this plan?”

  He walked in and closed the door behind him. “How do you feel about it?”

  “I asked you, first.”

  He glanced around the room as if seeing it for the first time. “I’ve never spent an entire week with a woman. It’d be a big step. At least for me.”

  She nodded. “That’s what I thought. And there’s your job cooking for the guys. I know that means a lot. To you and to them.”

  “I mentioned that last night when Kate came up with this, and you should have heard Rafe, Nick and Leo carry on. We’ll handle it. Take that week with Millie. Don’t be an idiot. And so forth. They want us to do this. A bunch of matchmakers.”

  She smiled. “That’s very cute, but if the concept stresses you out…”

  “I won’t lie. It does.”

  “We could dial it back to just one night. Henri and Kate are totally flexible. Henri agreed to set Kate up in her spare room for the week, but I could help Kate bring her stuff back tomorrow. No big deal.”

  “Would that work better for you?”

  She gazed at him. “I don’t want to freak you out, but if you left it up to me, I’d want you to stay the whole week.”

  His chest tightened. “All right.”

  “I’m not sure it is all right with you.”

  He took off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. “It’s just that… it gives me plenty of time to mess up.”

  “Mess up how?”

  “Easy.” He sighed. “I’ll say something wrong, do something you don’t like. You’ll call me on it and I’ll turn into my father.”

  “That’s a huge assumption. Besides, you’ve lived with the guys in the bunkhouse for years. Have you turned into your father over there?”

  “No, because it’s a totally different environment. One of us develops an attitude, the others cut him down to size. Nothing gets completely out of hand because at least one of us steps in as a peacemaker.”

  “And think of all you’ve learned through that process.” She moved closer, her flowery scent teasing him with the possibilities. “At first I didn’t want to stress you with this plan, but now I wonder… maybe it’s time to find out you’re not your father.”