Never Say Never Again

by A. E. Easterlin

  Maddie had caught sight of Gideon’s back as he stepped out through the door.

  Darn, but that man could fill out a pair of jeans.

  Chapter Seven

  Three hundred thousand. That’s what her preliminary figures showed. And that was just the basics.

  All night long, her mind had been filled with facts and figures. That is, when she wasn’t drifting into flashbacks of a certain cowboy in Stetson and jeans, and into the taste of pure man on her tongue. Into promises of more to come.

  Ah-hem…back to work.

  Costs would no doubt escalate once salaries were negotiated. Most specialists were altruistic, but they had to eat. The commute from Cheyenne, even Laramie, made it unlikely she could find pediatric internists and orthopedists willing to work part-time on a regular basis. That meant full salaries for at least one doctor, one physical therapist, and a couple of trained paraprofessionals.

  Opening this summer was out of the question—she could spend the long winter months seeking a solution for the personnel problems; for now, she would concentrate on the facility requirements.

  Subcontracting locally would save money hiring a contractor, and she could supervise the work herself. Finishing the external roofs and walls first and attacking the inside renovations later when the weather turned cold made sense to her. They could wait on the pool, she supposed, but the covered arena, new corrals, barn expansions, trail excavating—all that had to be completed this summer. And that would take time and money. That gave her two weeks to polish her plan and July and August to get as much done as possible.

  Money. It always came back to money. How to get it—where to find it. How much to invest.

  Pap was a great help and supportive as all get-out, but the more she researched, the more she realized how much was needed. Maybe her plans were overly ambitious. Maybe she shouldn’t do this at all, scale down, back away.

  Should she or shouldn’t she?

  The camp wasn’t an obligation, and Lord knew she had plenty to do taking care of Pap and the ranch and cleaning Snowy Branch for Gideon once a week. But the cons weren’t enough to abandon her plans, not yet, and she gave up the fight raging in her head.

  The potential—the possibility of impacting young lives confined by physical limitations and lacking a way to experience the world outside, its beauty and its power, and benefit from exposure to it—was enough to convince her she had to find a way.

  Yeah, she should do this. Compelled by her nature, the desire to bring joy into the life of a child gave her the heart to persevere with her plan. Somewhere up there, she had a guardian angel watching out for her, and she liked the idea; Maddie could feel it. This was right and good, and she wanted it with every cell in her body.

  Pap shuffled up behind her, studying the computer screen over her shoulder, and frowned. “That’s an awful lot of money, baby girl.”

  “Yeah, it is. And this estimate is only going to escalate.”

  “Told you I had a little money put back—not as much as you need, but I’d appreciate an opportunity to invest. Me and Em.”

  Maddie’s heart thumped as she patted the hand resting on her shoulder. “Thanks, Pap. But even if we added it to the remainder of my savings, it wouldn’t be a drop in the bucket compared to what we need.”

  “Maybe so. The ranch is paid for—I’d be willing to take out a mortgage,” he suggested.

  “I appreciate it, but the only way I can qualify for grant money is if we set up as a non-profit. The cost for startup would be all on me, and the process is lengthy. Even if I went the traditional route, what happens if we can’t make the payments? We could lose the ranch, and then where would we be? I’m not comfortable with that strategy.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  Maddie blew a heavy sigh. “Loans, private investors, charitable organizations. Whatever I can. We’ll take things one step at a time. First, I’m going to get my state certifications and obtain licensing. Until that’s done and I know if this is even a possibility, money is the least of our worries. Meanwhile, I’ll work on a reasonable business plan, seek out information on similar operations around the country, find out how they started and how they’re run.”

  Pap patted her back and straightened. “That’s my girl. One step at a time—best way to approach a problem. I’m proud of you. I know Emma would be proud, too.”

  “Yeah,” Maddie agreed softly. “She would.”

  Turning back to her computer, she found a website that spelled out the state’s requirements for working with exceptional children. She’d taken the necessary course load when she got her master’s degree—all she had to do was register for the test in Cheyenne, take it, and hope she passed.

  There was one scheduled the first week in July. That was doable. She registered online and marked her calendar. That would give her time to review some of her course work. It certainly couldn’t hurt.

  The next step would be getting quotes on repairing the corral, barn, bunkhouse, and covered arena. It didn’t have to be a big one—something they could use in inclement weather and that would accommodate a handicapped lift to assist more challenged campers. Again, more money.

  All in good time.

  She was cleaning at Snowy Branch tomorrow. The image of the impressive cowboy filled her mind. Why on earth had she agreed to go out with him? A flutter of nerves reminded her she hadn’t been out with a man in over three years. Gazing out over the miles of horizon, Maddie toyed with the idea of calling and cancelling.

  She picked up her cell. And put it down again. Pap would be all over her if she didn’t go out with him at least once.

  Even though Saturday was days away, she mentally raided her closet and knew she didn’t have anything appropriate that she wanted to wear. Could she get by with jeans and a nice top, or would she need something dressier? A quick trip into town wasn’t out of the question. She could hit Le Boutique for a dinner dress. Not that she didn’t have clothes or shoes—she’d had those shipped from Boston. But for some reason, she didn’t want to wear a dress from her old wardrobe. Those were Harrison clothes—too many unhappy memories.

  She’d go Thursday. Find some new duds, have lunch with Loretta, and do something else she’d had on her agenda for a few weeks—talk to Pap’s doctor.

  It was obvious to Maddie that his health was failing. He’d outright lied to her when she questioned him, but that was Pap. If there was something they could do for him, she wanted to know about it. If not… Well, she wouldn’t even go there.

  Wednesday morning, she showered and put her long hair in a ponytail. Gideon would probably be out and about the ranch and not waiting for her. Refusing to question why she put on a tiny bit of makeup and had brushed her hair until it shone, she pulled on her jean shorts and an old tight tank top to work in. She wasn’t trying to impress anybody—at least, that’s what she told her reflection in the mirror as she gave herself a once-over before leaving the bathroom.

  Maddie pulled a pan of lasagna out of the freezer. She hated to cook when she was tired, and she tended to prepare meals ahead of time and freeze them, so that all she had to do was pop them in the oven or microwave. That ought to keep him fed for a couple of nights.

  Adding a pot roast in the slow cooker, with veggies and seasonings, and a big pot of chili, she figured he should be good for a week of meals. She wondered if Gideon minded leftovers. Well, if he did, he could make other arrangements. He’d asked for home-cooked, not gourmet, and that’s what he was getting.

  She loaded her ’63 and headed toward Snowy Branch, her thoughts skipping from one subject to another along the way. Somehow they always came back to a certain man.

  Gideon.

  He must be lonely, living alone. Hadn’t he said Eli was coming home soon? She couldn’t help but smile, thinking of the youngest Branch brother. He’d been a year ahead of her in school, but had a reputation with the cheer squad. The girls all thought he was hot—which he was.

  She’d cru
shed on him herself for about six months, until she’d overheard one of his buddies mention her name, and he’d replied he had no interest in “that scrawny little thing.”

  Which had brought her back to Harrison.

  Harrison had her heart—Eli was just a passing fancy.

  Maddie bumped along in the Chevy. The morning sun hadn’t yet heated the day, and the cool breeze from the open window teased her hair and her memories.

  How was Harrison doing? Was he still with Tyler? She missed him—he’d been so much a part of her life. Would the ache ever go away? Funny, when she tried to remember the way he made her feel, their times together, it was different now.

  Without warning, the image of Gideon, brushing up against her at Loretta’s, knocked Harrison right out of her mind, and she was back in that crowded hallway with the heat of his body, the smell of his aftershave, the feel of his kiss as real as if it was happening now.

  Reliving the sensual pleasure of his lips touching hers had her squirming on the old bench seat of her truck. Just thinking about that man turned her on, made her antsy and warm and soft and gooey.

  Gideon was one cool-looking dude—that was for sure. She wondered what it would feel like to…

  The blare of a horn sounded, and she quickly swerved back onto her side of the road, rolling her eyes as the driver screamed and raised his middle finger.

  “Sorry, sorry,” she yelled. Maddie, you’d better pay attention to your driving, or you’re going to kill someone.

  Darn. Thinking about Gideon almost caused an accident. Better slow down and pay attention, or she’d have a hard time explaining her crumpled vehicle, or something worse, just because she was daydreaming about a guy in a snug pair of denims.

  Large crossed timbers carved with the name Snowy Branch welcomed her to the Branch homestead. Maddie had always loved this place and had to admit it was a beautiful ranch. The house nestled on flatland near the foothills of the Snowy Mountain Range. Long prairie grasses undulated in the ever-present Wyoming breeze, gentle waves on an endless sea. Around the ageless one-story mountain-rock-and-timber home, centuries-old trees shaded a portico and cast dappled shadows on the rocking chairs and tables that called a welcome to family and visitors alike. It looked like home, smelled like home, welcomed like home. Aside from her own place, Snowy Branch felt as near to heaven as a place could.

  Gideon must have already begun to purchase livestock. Barns and corrals were scattered over the landscape, and a few horses frolicked in the distance. Due to Arthur’s death and the deployments of his grandsons, Snowy Branch was nothing like it had been under Gideon’s grandfather’s tenure. But in her mind’s eye, she envisioned what it could become again.

  It had another man as master now. She didn’t know Zack, couldn’t remember much about Eli, but Gideon was more than capable of mastering the land and making the Branch inheritance as magnificent as it had ever been.

  Pulling next to the side entrance where the kitchen was located, Maddie started to unload the food and groceries. From the corner of her eye, a movement caught her attention.

  Whoa!

  Gideon. Shirtless. Wielding an axe above a large flat tree stump, a scattered pile of newly cut firewood by its side. As he raised the handle and it came down, the wood splintered in half and fell into a sizeable pile already chopped. She watched as, again and again, pieces of wood joined the stack, cut in two by powerful strokes of back and bicep.

  Maddie stood mesmerized by the sight. Heat spiraled from her core, and her heart started a two-step. Gideon Branch was definitely a beautiful example of the male species. He favored his bad leg a touch, and his hand reached to rub the muscle before he returned to his task.

  After each log fell in two, he split another, then another, until a substantial amount of wood lay on the ground. Chopping done, he buried the axe in the stump, stretched, and bent to stack the wood.

  His muscles bunched and relaxed as drops of sweat trailed down his spine between two dimples framing the hollow of his lower back. Her tongue licked her lips, moistening, and she wondered what he would taste like, all that salt. All that man.

  And Maddie was all woman.

  Unaware she’d been holding her breath, she clasped her hand to her chest to still the pounding of her heart and pressed her knees together to ease the heat between her legs. Feelings long ignored rushed to the surface, impossible to ignore or deny. There was no better description for her new neighbor and Pap’s good friend than “sizzling hot.”

  The feelings he evoked confused her. Why now? Why him? She’d lived in a self-protective cocoon, safe and uninterested, and then Gideon Branch swept into town and pierced her soul with his sky-blue eyes and the temptation of his beautiful man’s body. All the things she’d ignored for years performed an erotic slideshow in her mind. Needful things. Sexual things. The kind of things a woman felt when she wanted a man.

  Feeling like a voyeur, Maddie lifted her hand to attract his attention, and a breeze kicked up behind her and blew her hair over her shoulder. As if scenting her, Gideon riveted in her direction and their eyes met. Standing there, he looked like some mythical god of old. The perfectly formed visage of man in all his glory. Thor. Indestructible. Invincible. And sexy as hell.

  Removing his gloves and dropping them beside the axe, he headed in her direction. There came those darn butterflies again.

  “Had to cut down an old oak that was too close to the barn. Come in handy for firewood this winter.” He grinned as he stalked toward her.

  “If you chop another cord, I’ll buy it from you. Pap can’t handle the chopping, and neither can I.”

  Reaching for the shirt hanging over the corral, he pulled it over his head, the soft cotton sticking to sweaty muscle. He lifted his chin toward the stacks of wood standing at the ready and let his eyes travel the length of her. The touch of his gaze felt like a physical caress, and goose bumps rose beneath her hair.

  “I’ll fix you up before winter—don’t worry. Hope the house isn’t too big of a mess. The laundry is piled high—sorry. It’s the heat. I seem to change clothes three times a day.”

  Were they really talking about chores and firewood and laundry while he was standing so close she could count the drops of moisture that trickled down his thick neck? Maddie resisted the strong urge to swipe her tongue over his corded strength and taste the goodness.

  As if he could read her mind, Gideon’s gaze dropped from her eyes to her mouth and lingered. Feeling the heat rise in response, she swallowed a groan before she embarrassed herself.

  “N-no problem. I brought some food from my freezer for later in the week. They’re marked with micro or oven instructions. You have a choice of pot roast or chili tonight.”

  Gideon kept on coming, taking off his hat and wiping his brow with the tail of his shirt. Just as she thought. His front was as delectable as his back. Rock-solid abs, pumped from his recent activity. God, she had to get her mind on something else.

  One end of his mouth hiked up in a lopsided grin as if he was clairvoyant, and she felt it all the way to her womb.

  Damn. If I could bottle his sex appeal and sell it, I could finance my children’s camp without any problem. Every woman in America would place an order. And he has no idea—none—of the effect he has on me.

  Gideon hesitated, just enough to provoke a shiver and a hitch in her breathing, closed in, leaned down, and smeared a teasing kiss on her cheek.

  “Ew, Gideon!” She laughed and swatted his arm. “Stop! You’re dirty.”

  Flirting. Me. At least I haven’t forgotten how.

  Gideon shot her a teasing grin. “You have no idea how dirty I can be.”

  Deciding to ignore the double entendre, she pretended ignorance. The quirk at the side of his mouth told her he knew she’d understood his innuendo.

  Geez Louise, he smelled good, sweat and all. Man stink—the good kind. He reeked sex appeal, and her femininity instantly responded. Rivulets of moisture ran down his arm as he wiped the kis
s from her cheek. In spite of her protests, she wished he wouldn’t stop.

  “I’m a sucker for chili. Doesn’t matter if it’s summer or winter, hot or cold. I love that stuff.”

  Huh? Chili?

  “Then I guess I’d best get out my skillet. Lunch in a couple of hours?” Good recovery, Maddie.

  Gideon’s mega-watt grin melted her heart. “I wouldn’t say no. I could get used to being spoiled by a beautiful woman in the middle of my day.”

  Before she could count the cost, Maddie giggled. “Spoiling handsome men is a specialty of mine.”

  “You think I’m handsome?”

  “Like you don’t know the effect you have on women,” she cheekily responded.

  “I’m only interested in my effect on one woman,” he said with a cocked brow.

  The expression on his face rooted her to the spot as her grin faded along with his. Of their own accord, her eyes focused on his mouth—so firm, so finely molded, so temptingly male. Had the delicious creases framing his mouth deepened? She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t move. Filled with his image and all the naughty things it evoked, Maddie smiled a long, slow smile. Gideon Branch was a dangerous man. The things he made her feel should make her run for cover, but her feet remained firmly planted close enough for her to feel his heat. She shivered.

  Where was her determination to avoid this very thing? Why did this particular man cause her “never again” intentions to float away like dandelion seed on the ever-present wind? The moment felt right—he felt right.

  The breeze suddenly stilled, barnyard sounds quieted, clouds paused their journey through an aquamarine sky. An invitation as old as time—one Harrison had denied her, one she’d ignored until now—enveloped her. Captivated, she watched as his mouth softened over the line of his strong white teeth and his teasing grin faded.

  He wants me.

  At once, Gideon stepped against her, his hard chest pressing her soft breasts. Surrounded by his scent, Maddie rested her hand over his thudding heart. Slowly his face lowered, so close she could count the pores of his skin and see the beginnings of beard stubble on his jaw. Hot puffs of breath bathed her chin.