My One and Only Cowboy

by A. J. Pine

  “Callahan number two?” she asked as the other man approached them. He wore an unassuming black T-shirt and jeans, but there was nothing unassuming about the man himself. He was Sam’s height and build, but he walked with swagger that said he knew how good-looking he was while Sam—sexy as could be—either didn’t know it or didn’t think it mattered. She guessed it was the latter, which unfortunately made him even sexier to her.

  “That obvious, huh?” he asked.

  “What happened to you, big brother?” the other man asked. He crossed his arms, his smile widening when he looked at Delaney. “And who is your lovely friend?” He winked at her. “Ben Callahan.” He extended a hand, his biceps flexing as he did. “How did I miss you on the list of guests?”

  She shook his hand quickly and looked at Sam and then back at his overtly flirtatious brother. “Delaney,” she said, purposely omitting her last name in case he recognized it. “My car broke down on the way through Meadow Valley, so I’m staying at the ranch for the week. Can’t quite afford a week’s stay,” she said with a wince, “so I’m earning my keep. Mucking out stalls, testing new trails in the rain, putting together a marketing plan for the festival auction.” She gasped and clapped her hands. “We can set up a mailing list for those who bid—and even those who don’t—so you can start sending out monthly mailers of what’s new at the ranch, share pictures of excursions, and—”

  “Whoa, there, Miss—what did you say your last name was?” Ben asked.

  Shoot. Nothing was getting past this guy. Or maybe it was the nervous word vomit that made him suspicious.

  “I didn’t,” she admitted. “It’s Spence. Delaney Spence.” Which wasn’t entirely a lie. Before she married Wade Harper, that was her last name. And as soon as this whole quitclaim deed forgery situation was behind her, it would be her last name once more. All she knew was that, right now, the most important thing to do was protect Sam from whatever the fallout would be when she won her half of the land back. Maybe by the time it came to that, it wouldn’t be such a big deal. She had a little over a week to fix the situation so everyone would come out a winner.

  “You had Colt and me tow her car, and now you’re giving away my job to the first person to pass through town?” Ben turned his attention to Sam. “I thought you were happy with the website. If you wanted brochures and auction items and whatever else you think I’m not doing for the ranch, feel free to speak up.”

  Shoot.

  Shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot.

  Her intent was to not ruffle this guy’s feathers, but apparently the preening peacock was sufficiently ruffled.

  “We didn’t think about the festival,” Sam said evenly. Just from that one sentence she could tell there was friction between the two that stemmed from something further back than this particular incident.

  Ben crossed his arms again, setting up a wall of defiance that Delaney—and anyone else who grew up with a younger sibling—was all too familiar with.

  “No,” Ben said. “We agreed we didn’t need to advertise to the locals. They know we’re here.”

  Delaney cleared her throat, and both men raised their brows, turning their attention to her. Sam and Ben stood with the exact same posture—backs straight and arms crossed over their chests—their expressions identical. The only difference was the places where their faces held the slightest clues they might no longer be in their twenties. Ben had the finest crow’s-feet at the corners of his eyes. They were more prominent when he smiled. Sam’s almost imperceptible sign of wear and tear were the twin creases between his brows, as if he furrowed them too often. It gave her heart a little squeeze to think about all that Sam must carry on his shoulders running this place.

  “It’s a holiday week, right?” she asked them. “If celebrating autumn were an actual holiday.”

  Both men nodded in unison, and she stifled a laugh. They really were two peas in a pod, even if they were at odds with each other for the time being.

  “And holidays are a good time for family reunions and such. Sam told me the inn was booked, which is why I’m staying here rather than in town.”

  She could see the wheels turning in both their heads, and then—bingo! Their eyes widened with realization.

  “Out-of-towners,” Ben said, his ego seeming to deflate. “I just kept thinking about the town shutting down and the festival being a local thing. Kinda ignored the potential for new guests.”

  Sam clapped a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “I didn’t think of it either. We all have a lot on our plates right now. Delaney’s stuck in town, so how about we just let her roll with this?”

  “Yeah, sure. Sounds like a good idea,” Ben said.

  “Where’s Colt, by the way?” Sam asked.

  Ben winced and scratched the back of his neck. “I, uh, had some unexpected plans come up tonight. So he’s setting up the bonfire.”

  Sam shook his head and huffed out a bitter laugh. Before he came up with any sort of retort for his brother, she decided this was her cue to exit.

  “So, I’m starved, and there’s a taco bar. I’m gonna go load up a plate and you can meet me at that conveniently open table just to the right of said bar?”

  Sam nodded absently. “There in a minute. This won’t take long.”

  Ben rolled his eyes, but Delaney put on her best customer service smile. “It was really nice meeting you, Ben,” she said.

  Then she escaped to the oasis of the taco bar.

  She tossed her hat on the chair next to her and was a taco and a half in by the time Sam sat down across from her with his plate, tossing his hat on the empty chair next to him. She didn’t even apologize. Her appetite waited for no one.

  She had to finish chewing and swallowing before she spoke. “Why aren’t you shoveling the contents of your plate into your face like I am?”

  His plate was piled with food, but he wasn’t touching it.

  “What do I have to do?” he asked. But his gaze was straight ahead rather than on her. She followed his line of sight to where Ben was back at it, ingratiating himself with the ranch’s remaining dinner guests, and they were eating up his charm as if it were just as good as the tacos, which was bullshit. Nothing was as good as the tacos.

  “About what?” she asked, the next bite of her fish taco already halfway into her mouth.

  He leaned back in his chair and placed his palms on the table. “You know, if I told him this second that the real reason you’re here is to take half our land away, I don’t even think he’d bat an eye. He has no damned clue what that would cost us. All he’d see is more time for ‘unexpected plans’ to come up.”

  Delaney put her taco down and placed a hand on his forearm, giving him a gentle squeeze. “I know you’re all bent out of shape right now, which is why I’m not even going to touch the ‘take half our land away’ comment. So do yourself a favor and just eat.”

  “But I—”

  “Eat, Sam. Lunch was hours ago, and you worked your ass off building us that shelter for the storm.”

  “But he’s such a—”

  She picked up one of his tacos and held it to his mouth.

  “Either you eat this of your own volition, or I’m going to feed it to you like you’re a child having a tantrum because he doesn’t realize how hangry he is.”

  His jaw tightened, and his nostrils flared. If he were a cartoon character, she was pretty sure smoke would puff right out of his nose.

  “Give me the damned taco,” he mumbled, so she handed it over. He ate half of it in one bite. He closed his eyes as he swallowed, and his shoulders relaxed. “Thank you. I needed that.”

  “Yeah,” Delaney said. “I know. That’s my version of slapping you across the face to snap you out of your hysteria. Except I’m not a big fan of violence, so my weapon is food.”

  He polished off the rest of the taco, then drained the contents of his water glass in mere seconds. “Is that why you tried to break my nose earlier today?”

  She rolled her eyes
. “You were a complete stranger who was pointing a knife at me.”

  “While I was making you the best grilled cheese sandwich you ever tasted. I can see how that might have confused you.”

  She fidgeted in her seat. “I didn’t want to hit you. I don’t want to hit anyone. But I’ll do what I have to do to protect myself if the time ever comes.” Not from Wade. She knew he wouldn’t lay a hand on her. But her ex-husband mixed with the wrong people. It was what had landed him in the ER more than once and what taught Delaney that the world wasn’t all puppy dogs and rainbows, even in what she thought was a haven like Meadow Valley.

  Sam looked at her appraisingly but didn’t say anything.

  “So. Siblings, huh? I have a younger sister. Born and raised in the same home by the same parents, and it’s like we’re from two different planets.” Here, at least, she and Sam had some common ground.

  “Sometimes I’d like to send my brother to another planet. Do you know any that have an all-female population? He’d leave on the next flight out.”

  She laughed. “He does seem to be quite the charmer.”

  Sam groaned. “That is what everyone seems to think. Helps him get away with a lot.”

  She shrugged, her next taco in her hand and at the ready. “I don’t know. I like a guy who’s steadier. Reliable. Hell, I’ll even throw in responsible. Much sexier than a charmer who’s out the door the next morning.” Or who charms her right out of her life savings and investment money.

  The corner of Sam’s mouth twitched, but he didn’t exactly smile. It didn’t matter. He knew she meant him.

  Despite their attraction to each other, she knew nothing could happen between the two of them beyond this week. The whole land situation was just plain sticky. If she got her half back, it would mean dismantling some of what he and his partners built. She was pretty sure that messing with someone’s livelihood would douse any sort of flame between them. Wade messed with hers, and that was the last straw. There was no taking him back after that.

  If she didn’t walk away from the courthouse next week with some sort of guarantee her land was, in fact, her land, well, then it was back to Vegas to continue pinching her pennies and putting her dream on hold for a while longer.

  No matter what happened at the courthouse, her stay in Meadow Valley would end either in Sam hating her or in Delaney trudging back home looking like a fool.

  It was too bad. Delaney had a serious thing for the whole responsible, hardworking, kind, and damn-I-can-make-a-good-sandwich vibe Sam Callahan was giving off. Not to mention what she’d seen at the swimming hole. Responsible was sexy, but tall, dark, and naked didn’t hurt either.

  She blew out a breath and looked around the room and out the window to where the setting sun painted the sky a brilliant orange and pink. She reminded herself what it felt like to lose all that Wade had taken from her, and tried to imagine if she’d have forgiven him if he took only half the crowdfunded money and half of what she’d put in their savings account. If he’d sold only half the land without telling her.

  She shook her head softly to herself. She’d still have left him, which meant Sam Callahan and everyone who was a part of this ranch would always see her as the person who took what they believed was theirs.

  She set her taco down and pushed her plate forward, her ravenous appetite suddenly disappearing.

  “Done already?”

  She pressed her lips into a closed-mouth smile. “I’m just realizing how much I could use a shower, some dry clothes, and a good night’s sleep. We can get to work on the brochure bright and early in the morning. Maybe you could take me around to some of the best spots for photos? Might not hurt to head into town as well. A ranch just outside a quaint small town could be a good draw for those who don’t want to be totally off the grid. Plus it’s been ages since I took a stroll down First Street. I know everything is pretty much closed, but—”

  “The inn’s always open. We could start there with some coffee. Morning’s a great time to take photos in town. The sun lights the place up like you wouldn’t believe.”

  She laughed softly.

  “What?” he asked.

  “Nothing. You just seem a little sentimental. And I know you’re not a local since, well, your land was once mine.”

  He shook his head. “Been in Meadow Valley almost two years, but no. Not a local. I did grow up in a small town not much different from here. Guess that’s why I picked the area. Reminds me of home.”

  Her eyes burned, and a lump formed in her throat. All she’d ever wanted was to leave the hustle and bustle of Vegas for someplace else. For someplace like this. What if Sam had been here before, when she was married to Wade? Then a guy like him would still have been beyond her reach.

  “Timing,” she mumbled.

  “What’s that?” he asked.

  “Time to head out,” she said more clearly. “Dinner was great. Tell your brother thanks for towing my car.” She pushed her chair out, and he stood as well. They really broke the mold when they made him, didn’t they? “Have a good rest of your evening, I guess.” And because she had no clue what an appropriate parting would be for a man she’d almost kissed under a waterfall, she awkwardly offered her hand, and he awkwardly shook it.

  “Good night, Vegas.” He grinned.

  This morning the nickname had annoyed the heck out of her, but tonight—tonight it made a warmth spread through her that she hadn’t felt before.

  She smiled back. “Goodnight, cowboy.”

  Delaney waited until after a long shower to check the time on her phone. It was nearing nine o’clock. The exhaustion of the overnight drive had finally caught up with her, but it was more than that. It was one thing to step foot on a ranch owned by a nameless, faceless entity that seemingly took what was hers. It was another to spend the day with Sam Callahan, to put a face to that entity—a face she still saw when she squeezed her eyes shut and begged for sleep, only to realize he’d likely be the first person she saw the next morning.

  Good night, Vegas.

  Delaney groaned as she stared at the ceiling, sleep more elusive than ever.

  No matter which way she sliced it, Delaney Harper was in way over her head. But until she saw this week through, she had no intention of coming up for air.

  Chapter Seven

  Sam raised his hand to knock on Delaney’s door, then lowered it. Even though they’d settled on starting the day in town with coffee at the inn, they hadn’t exactly discussed a time.

  He checked his watch. Maybe 7:30 a.m. was too early to go knocking on someone’s door. On any other day he’d have been up for hours already. Usually he took a trip into town around 4:30 a.m. to spar with the guys at the station, but he’d slept like shit last night, tossing and turning, wondering why Delaney had just up and left in the middle of dinner. And then tossing and turning some more, wondering why it mattered so much.

  Knock on the damned door, idiot.

  He was about to do just that when instead the door swung open and Delaney Harper barreled straight into him.

  She yelped, jumped back into her room, and then slammed the door in his face.

  “Sam?” she called.

  “Yeah?” He stared at the white number 210 painted on the polished brown wood.

  “What are you doing here?”

  He laughed softly and shook his head. “Picking you up for coffee. But seeing as how I’m talking to a door, I’m thinking it’s going to be more difficult than I thought.”

  The door opened slowly. She stood there in a blue sundress dotted with tiny pink and yellow flowers. Thanks to the cooler temperatures after the storm, she carried a denim jacket to wear over the dress. The boots that were encased in mud the last time he saw them now looked almost brand new.

  “You startled me,” she said to him. “Again.”

  That made two of them, because his first reaction when she opened the door was to kiss her, but they didn’t do kissing. They didn’t do anything of that sort, and agreed t
hat what had almost happened at the swimming hole was best left at almost.

  He scrubbed a hand across his jaw and realized he’d forgotten to shave.

  “Appreciate the absence of your left hook this morning. Not sure I’m awake enough to have blocked it this time. You clean up pretty darn good, by the way.”

  She slung her purse across her body, smoothed out the dress, and shrugged. “What, this old thing?” Then she laughed. “I know she’s closed today, but I really need to meet Ivy and thank her. I can’t believe she just gave me all of this.”

  He clenched his teeth and tried to cloak his reaction, but Delaney noticed and her brow furrowed.

  “She didn’t give it to me, did she?”

  He scratched the back of his neck and winced. “She did. I mean, she would have. But I know how hard she works, and money can get tight. I might have run a check over to her yesterday while you were mucking out the stalls.”

  Delaney went from bubbly to deflated in the time it took him to blink.

  “Sam. I may not be in the best financial situation, but I didn’t come to Meadow Valley to freeload. I’m paying you back. For the clothes. The room. I realize that once this week is through, you and I might not be on the best of terms, but I’d once planned on making Meadow Valley my home. And that was still the plan when I came here yesterday…”

  She trailed off, and he thought he noted a tremor in her voice.

  “Vegas…?” He wasn’t sure if his reaction was one of hope or dread. “Are you changing your mind about contesting the deed?”

  She squared her shoulders and sniffed, then shook her head, her hazel eyes bright as daylight.

  “No.” Her tone was firm. “Just coming to the realization that you are pretty well liked around here, which is not surprising.” She let out a nervous laugh. “I might make a few enemies in town if I set up shop here, so I don’t want to start off on the wrong foot with anyone thinking I’m here to collect freebies.”

  His chest tightened. “I’m not your enemy, Vegas. And you’re not mine.”