This Cowboy of Mine--Includes a Bonus Novella

by R. C. Ryan

  Kirby jerked awake, feeling more than a little confused. A glance around reminded her that she was in the luxurious guest room of Casey Merrick’s ranch. The fading light outside the windows assured her that at least she hadn’t slept away the night.

  When she climbed out of bed, still wearing the towel, she glanced at the pile of clean clothes on the chair. She held them up, pleased to find a pair of denims and a soft, long-sleeved shirt in pale peach, as well as a pair of soft, knitted slippers.

  With gratitude for this thoughtful family, she dressed and ran a brush through her hair before stepping from the room.

  The sound of voices grew louder as she descended the stairs and made her way to the kitchen.

  “Hey.” Casey separated himself from the others and crossed the room to take her hand. “You look rested.”

  “And you look—” she stopped, suddenly embarrassed at what she’d almost blurted out in front of his entire family “—fresh.”

  There was no trace of the trail bum she’d first met. He’d shaved, and his hair, curling at the collar of a crisp plaid shirt, still bore the evidence of his shower. His long legs were encased in clean denims. On his feet were scuffed boots. He looked rested and relaxed, and entirely too handsome and sexy to be the scruffy man she’d just spent time with in a cave in the middle of nowhere.

  As he drew her toward his family, she felt herself blushing. “Thank you all for these clothes.”

  Meg looked over. “You’re welcome. Avery and Liz contributed the clothes, since they’re close in size to you, Kirby. I have to take credit for the slippers. I thought, since you’re dealing with a sore ankle, they would feel better than stiff shoes or boots.”

  “Well, I thank all of you.” Kirby accepted a glass of pale wine from Casey’s hand. “For the clothes, the lovely room, and your hospitality. It’s so much more than I expected, and I’m so grateful.”

  “You’ll be even more grateful when you taste Billy’s pot roast,” Casey said with a wink.

  “I can’t wait.”

  She took a seat beside Liz and Avery, enjoying the warmth of the fireplace and the conversation that swirled around her. When Liz held out a tray, she accepted what was offered and began to nibble on a cheese roll fresh from the oven that had her sighing with pleasure.

  When she looked at Casey, he winked, and she felt her heart take a sudden bounce. Oh, the man looked good enough to devour.

  When Billy announced that dinner was ready, the family moved across the room to take their places at a big trestle table.

  Before Kirby could wonder where to sit, Casey was holding a chair out for her. When she was seated, he took the place next to her.

  With Hammond at the head of the table, and Egan at the opposite end beside his Meg, the others gathered around, passing platters of tender roast beef and another of garden vegetables—potatoes, carrots, snap peas, and tender green beans. There was a salad of various greens and tomatoes tossed with a light dressing of oil, red wine vinegar, and lemon, along with rolls still warm from the oven.

  Kirby helped herself to salad. “These greens look like they just came from a garden.”

  “They did.” Billy said proudly.

  “Oh, yes. Casey mentioned your greenhouse.”

  While they ate, the family took a moment to praise Billy’s cooking before carrying on an animated conversation about the latest problem with one of the plows they’d had to abandon on a stretch of road acres from the barn.

  Jonah was shaking his head. “It stopped cold. No warning.”

  “You sure you didn’t forget to fill the tank?” Hammond’s tone was a growl of displeasure.

  Instead of taking offense, Jonah simply shook his head. “I’m old-school, Ham, just like you taught me. That’s always the first thing I check.”

  “How old is the battery?” Egan nudged his wife. “Not that there’s anything wrong with being old.”

  The two shared a laugh.

  “The battery’s new this season.” Jonah helped himself to another roll before glancing at Casey. “I’m hoping the good doctor will take a look at it tomorrow and figure out what’s wrong. Otherwise, it may just have to sit out there until next spring.”

  Casey was grinning. “You can drive me out there first thing in the morning and I’ll have a look at it.”

  Brand turned to Kirby, who hadn’t said a word through the entire meal. “In case you’re wondering, Casey isn’t just good at doctoring animals. He’s the one who usually ends up doctoring most of the equipment around here, too.”

  Casey shared a smile with Kirby. “That’s me. A jack-of-all-trades.”

  “And master of none,” Ham said smugly.

  “You didn’t say that that when you asked me to figure out what was wrong with your favorite truck, Ham.”

  At Casey’s taunt, the old man nodded. “You’re right. When it comes to that old pile of nuts and bolts, no one’s better at fixing it than you, boy.” The old patriarch turned his attention to Kirby. “Where’re you from, girl?”

  “I grew up not far from here on my uncle’s ranch. You may have known him. Frank Regan.”

  Ham’s eyes widened. “I knew Frankie. Come to think of it, I remember seeing him in town years ago with a skinny little girl in tow. Rumor was that he’d brought his brother’s girl to live with him.”

  Kirby smiled and nodded. “That’s me.”

  Ham’s tone lowered. “I heard he passed away not long ago. They say his ranch is standing empty.”

  “Not for long, I hope.” Kirby ducked her head.

  The old man pinned her with a steely-eyed look. “Rumor is his daughter isn’t willing to come back to work it.”

  Kirby shook her head, hoping to defend her cousin. “It isn’t that Caroline doesn’t care about the ranch, but she’s made a life for herself, with a husband and three children, far from here. It wouldn’t be right to ask them to leave all that behind for the sake of her childhood home.”

  “So she’ll just turn her back on it?”

  Casey looked up from his meal. “I recognize that tone, Ham. Kirby’s hoping to buy the ranch from Frank’s daughter.”

  The old man gave her a long look. “You thinking about running Frank’s place on your own?”

  Kirby nodded. “Of course, I’ll need help. But I met with a couple of his wranglers at the funeral, and they told me they would welcome the chance to come back.”

  Hammond’s tone softened. “It’s nice to know someone’s willing to try to save both the ranch and its employees, girl.”

  Meg gave her a smile. “Where did you go when you left your uncle’s ranch, Kirby?”

  “Washington, DC. I got a job with the Association of Land Management.”

  At that Hammond’s lips thinned. “Bean counters. All of them.”

  Ignoring his great-grandfather’s disdain, Jonah asked, “What did you do there, Kirby?”

  She kept her tone level. “Bean counting.”

  That had everyone except Hammond bursting into laughter.

  The old man, she noted, shot her a look guaranteed to freeze her blood before returning his attention to the food on his plate.

  “As you can see, the ALM isn’t one of Ham’s favorite government agencies.” Jonah shot her a grin.

  “Technically, it isn’t government owned. It was put together by ranchers to be a counterpoint to the government agencies.”

  “It’s still a bloated bureaucracy,” Ham said with a tone of anger.

  Jonah interrupted. “So where are you working here in Wyoming?”

  “I’m still with the Association. When I left DC I found a temporary apartment in Devil’s Door. But leaving the city meant I’d have to take a demotion.” She sighed. “As the newest member of the team here, I was given the assignment nobody else wanted.”

  Brand passed a platter of beef before looking over. “And what’s the job nobody wanted?”

  “I was sent to the hills to identify as many mustang herds as possible.”

/>   “Like I said.” Ham’s frown deepened. “A bean counter.”

  “I’m afraid so.” Kirby wondered why the old man’s words didn’t bother her. Maybe it was because of the roast beef, so tender it melted in her mouth, along with the mashed potatoes so creamy and yummy she was almost humming with pleasure. How could anyone feel anger while indulging in such a meal after a long day on the trail?

  She looked at the cook. “Billy, Casey wasn’t exaggerating. This is the best I’ve ever tasted.”

  While Billy smiled in pleasure at the compliment, Casey nodded. “Told you. Even those fancy DC restaurants can’t hold a candle to this.”

  “I absolutely agree.” She helped herself to another biscuit. “And this…” She gave a sigh. “Pure perfection.”

  Around the table, the others smiled and nodded.

  Casey looked around at his family. “I haven’t heard the sound of helicopters for a while now. Have you heard anything about the missing convict?”

  Brand shook his head. “No word on his capture yet. But I noticed a number of state police officers up in the hills on all-terrain vehicles.”

  Bo frowned. “We’ve been warned to be careful while going about our chores, especially if we have to go any distance from home. And the authorities asked us to report anything out of the ordinary.” He glanced around the table. “With so many of the ranchers around here having range shacks in the hills, most of them empty once the herds have been brought down for the winter, the fear is that a man could survive for months on the supplies stored at any one of the camps.”

  The others nodded in agreement.

  Bo muttered, “Think about it. A lone man finding shelter, heat, food, and all far enough from civilization where nobody would ever intrude for months.”

  Ham’s gravelly voice lowered with feeling. “You mark my words. Sooner or later that escapee’s bound to make a mistake. Whether he tries to steal a vehicle, or just gets cabin fever and decides to make his way to a big city, he’ll leave a trail. In the end, these guys always get caught.”

  Bo looked at his three sons. “That may be true, but it’s the destruction he could cause before getting caught that worries me. I don’t want any of you taking foolish chances. Remember, desperate men will do whatever necessary to survive. And the authorities have already said this guy is dangerous. Ray Keller was doing time for murder, and the media is calling him Killer Keller. I guess, according to them, he enjoys killing. His last victim was a prison guard who left behind a young wife and three kids.”

  With a shudder, Meg turned to Billy. “With all this talk of trouble, I think a change of scenery is in order. We’ll take our dessert and coffee in the great room.”

  Egan offered his hand, and the two led the way from the kitchen, with the others trailing behind.

  Casey walked beside Kirby. “In case you haven’t noticed, Gram Meg is the peacemaker in the family.”

  Kirby smiled. “I noticed. I’m glad she changed the subject. Just thinking about an escaped convict hiding somewhere in the hills makes me uncomfortable.”

  He closed a hand over hers. “You’re safe here.”

  She felt the quick rush of heat at his touch and felt a shiver along her spine.

  Safe here?

  She nearly laughed out loud. In this cowboy’s company, safe wasn’t at all the word that came to mind.

  Tempted was more like it. Very, very tempted to let down her guard and simply enjoy whatever this cowboy was offering.

  “Let’s all sit by the fire.” Meg and Egan took their places as the family gathered around the big stone fireplace that dominated the room.

  Egan picked up the TV remote.

  Kirby settled on a sofa, with Casey beside her. There were two more matching sofas along with several comfortable chairs and ottomans. A round basket holding a variety of knitted lap robes stood guard near the hearth. A cheery fire blazed on the grate.

  As everyone settled into their favorite spot, a picture of a man with long, stringy dark hair and a hound-dog face that bore a puckered scar on the left side from his temple to his jaw filled the television screen. The reporter was saying that Ray Keller, a lifer with nothing to lose, had earned his scar in a prison fight, killing one of the other inmates with his bare hands.

  At a look from Meg, Egan turned off the TV just as Billy entered the room pushing a rolling cart holding a three-tiered chocolate cake, along with plates, cups, coffee, cream, and sugar.

  After passing the dessert around, the family turned to Casey, eager to hear about his time spent in the hills.

  Bo spoke first. “I saw your wounded mustang out in the barn. She’s a beauty. What do you think happened to her?”

  “It looked to me like she may have tangled herself up in some barbed wire and then thrashed about until she did damage, or maybe an animal trap some rancher had set out. Whatever got her, she was beyond being able to fight it. When I found her, she was lying in the snow, waiting to die.”

  “Poor thing.” said Liz, her tender heart obviously going out to the animal. “I’m so glad you found her in time, Casey.”

  “I hope I found her in time.” Casey gave a shake of his head. “The jury’s still out. Even though she’s up and walking now, if that infection got into the blood, she’ll need a lot more help before it’s completely cleared up.”

  Brand polished off the last of his cake. “I want to hear about the avalanche.”

  “It sounded like a freight train roaring overhead.” Casey glanced at Kirby. “Once the opening to the cave was sealed, we were trapped. We had to douse the fire so we wouldn’t choke on the smoke. If we hadn’t had a battery-operated lantern we’d have been in total darkness.”

  “How long did it take to break through?” Jonah asked.

  Casey shrugged. “We both lost track of time. But we used whatever tools we had and kept chipping away at it until we could see daylight. That was the hard part. By this morning I knew we’d be able to make our way out in plenty of time to reach the ranch before supper time.”

  “What do you think caused an avalanche so early in the season?”

  Casey shook his head. “I’m only guessing, but I think the police helicopters flying low overhead may have contributed to it.”

  Ham clenched a fist. “Another thing we can blame on that damnable convict. He better not come around here, or I’ll teach him a thing or two.”

  That had his family sharing smiles. The old man’s temper was legendary.

  Brand got to his feet and caught his wife’s hand. “Morning chores come early. We’re heading up to bed.”

  As they said their good nights, the others began setting aside their empty plates and cups and doing the same.

  Casey turned to Kirby. “Ready to call it a day?”

  She nodded before saying to Billy, “Casey had every right to brag about your cooking. The dinner was amazing. And so was this dessert.”

  The cook beamed with pleasure. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

  She wished everyone good night and followed Casey up the stairs.

  At the door to her room he paused. “Is there anything you need?”

  She made a sound of protest. “Not a thing. I can’t believe how thoughtful your family has been.” She put a hand on his arm. “They’re amazing. They’ve made me feel so welcome.”

  He looked down at her hand, then up into her eyes. “It’s obvious that they like you.”

  “Now how could you possibly know that?”

  “I can tell by their reaction to you.”

  She chuckled. “Even your great-grandfather? Could he possibly like an Association of Land Management bean counter?”

  He shared her laughter. “That’s just Ham’s way. He’s known around these parts as a stern bear of a man. Ham was here in Wyoming before all the rules were even written, and he resents them, even those put in place for his protection. But believe me, once he bonds with a person, he becomes their fiercest protector. Give him time. You’ll see. He’s the original f
ree spirit.”

  “A free spirit?” She arched a brow. “He reminds me of someone.” She grinned. “I think you’re a lot like him.”

  That had him returning her smile. “Guilty.”

  As she turned to push open her door she felt his hand at her shoulder. Turning, she was caught by complete surprise when Casey bent close to press a kiss to her cheek.

  It was the merest touch of his lips on her skin, as soft as a butterfly’s wings. And yet she could feel the shock waves all the way to her toes. Especially when she could sense him breathing her in.

  “Sweet dreams, bean counter.” He tugged on a lock of her hair before giving her one of those heart-stopping smiles.

  “’Night.” It was all she could manage over a throat that was suddenly as dry as dust.

  She stepped inside and closed the door before leaning weakly against it.

  A half hour later, as she lay in bed, she wondered what in the world was wrong with her. Her reaction had been over the top.

  After all, she’d been thanking him for his family’s hospitality, and he had probably wanted to add his own lukewarm welcome.

  Except…

  There had been nothing lukewarm about her reaction to it. Even now, just thinking about the simple brush of his lips on her cheek had her toes curling.

  It was as she’d thought earlier. This cowboy was too sexy for his own good. And hers.

  Chapter Seven

  The next morning, Kirby lay perfectly still in bed, listening to the alien sounds. Cattle lowing. A door closing down the hall. A man’s deep laugh.

  A glance at the floor-to-ceiling windows revealed the soft glow of dawn beginning to color the sky with streaks of pale pink and mauve and crimson just above the peaks of the Tetons.

  After her years in the city, she’d grown accustomed to the sounds of traffic from early morning until late in the night. Of elevators signaling a workforce on the move. The street lights outside her apartment obliterated the night sky, making it impossible to differentiate between dawn and dusk.

  She bounded out of bed and crossed the room to watch as the sunrise turned everything to rose-gold over a land that lay hushed and silent.