Stacey Joy Netzel Boxed Set
Page 26
Great. Just freakin’ great. Sheriff Martin would pounce like a mountain lion on a chance to make James miserable. And if she got that vindictive old cuss involved, the story of Reese’s stupidity would be all over town by nightfall.
His frustration must have shown on his face because a knowing smile curved those luscious lips. James propped his hands on his hips in defeat and took a step back. “Fine. You wanna play house, lady, be my guest. Just don’t get too comfortable.”
With a toss of her head, she picked up her suitcase, her high heels clicking on the tiled floor of the foyer as she strode past him. It took all James’ self-control not to give her denim-clad ass a swat as she passed by.
* * *
Angela gazed around the surprisingly modern log ranch house, nearly overcome by emotion. Her heart swelled with hope as she took in the vaulted ceiling, large stone fireplace, and overall rustic charm. So beautiful...and by being in the right place at the right time she was now half-owner. Reese had said the place was nothing special. Big brother was right about one thing; Reese was an idiot.
She turned to face Mr. Tall, Dark, and Incredibly Handsome, feeling a sudden pang of insecurity. “I’ve never seen a more beautiful home. Reese made it sound...well, I didn’t know what to expect.”
“Reese always preferred bright lights and the big city over the hard work of running a horse ranch.”
She met his gaze. “I can’t imagine why. I’d have done anything to get out of the city.”
The hostility in those whiskey-brown eyes returned. “Is that a confession?”
Angela set her suitcase on the foyer. “You can think whatever you want, Cowboy. The fact is, Reese was about to put his half of this place up as collateral with some high rollers who, trust me, you wouldn’t have wanted showing up on your doorstep. I had a pretty decent nest-egg saved, so I offered to buy it outright. He got more than he would’ve as a bet, and I got a ticket out of the city.”
“And how did you happen to be at this ‘high rollers’ card game?”
She understood the resentment and anger that laced his words. Hell, she still couldn’t believe Reese had nearly put up his half of this gorgeous paradise to match a fifty-thousand dollar bet, even if the pot had been worth twenty times that. And big brother may not think so now, but Angela was most definitely the lesser of two evils. She could only imagine the look on his face had Vinnie the Butcher showed up at the door with his goons. “I was the dealer.”
He lifted his Stetson and raked his hand through thick, dark brown curls. Angela swallowed the urge to sigh like an infatuated schoolgirl. Reese was a hottie in a dimples and suave charm sort of way, but big brother was easily the best-looking man she’d ever seen. She much preferred his brooding sexuality to Reese’s boyish charisma.
“Come on, I’ll show you to a guest room.” He picked up her suitcase and headed toward the winding staircase that led to the second floor. Angela decided to keep her trap shut about the ‘guest room’ dig. No sense pressing her luck. At least she was in the door.
She followed him upstairs to the last room on the left. When he swung open the door, she sucked in a breath. The room was stunning—and huge—ten times nicer than anything she’d ever imagined. A king-sized sleigh bed sat against the far wall, the rich burgundy bedding and matching curtains looked like they belonged in a queen’s room. The dark oak mirrored dresser, chest, and armchair all appeared to be antique.
He set her suitcase down and glanced around the room, as if lost in memories. “Pretty, ain’t it? Belonged to my grandmother. She passed last year.”
Before Angela could process that bit of news, he strode to the door and said over his shoulder, “Supper’ll be served in about half an hour. If you wanna eat, don’t be late.”
She winced when the door slammed shut behind him. Okay, so he had reason to be upset—he’d just lost half of his ranch to a stranger. And since he didn’t know her from Eve she could let the ‘gold-digging opportunist’ comment slide, too. But dammit, she was a hard worker, willing to do anything necessary to prove she belonged here. If he’d give her half a chance, she could win him over no problem. She’d worked two and three jobs at a time since she was fifteen years old; no one who knew her would ever accuse her of being lazy. And hell, at least she was here, which was a lot more than could be said about his brother.
Angela did a quick bounce on the bed before hurrying over to look out the window. Miles and miles of lush green hills were dotted with trees and fuchsia wildflowers against a backdrop of the majestic Rocky Mountains and crowned by the bluest skies she’d ever seen. Tears burned her eyes. This was the kind of home she’d always dreamt of having, the kind of home she’d read so many wonderful stories about.
No way in hell would she give it up without a fight.
After trading her pumps for a pair of white tennis shoes, she ran a brush through her hair and headed downstairs, feeling like a little kid on Christmas morning. She was hoping to get a quick look at the horses before supper. Angela had never been on a horse, had never even touched one, but she’d always hoped to learn to ride one day. And thanks to a little thing called kismet, it looked like that day had finally arrived.
That is if James let her anywhere near them.
The house was fairly quiet, although she could hear faint sounds coming from the back. Probably whoever was making supper. She had no idea whether or not they had servants, but she figured they at least had a cook since James didn’t exactly look like the chef type, and Reese had mentioned his brother was single.
She slipped out the front door and followed a stone path that led around back. A fenced in area she believed they called a corral was set maybe a hundred feet behind the house, with a structure directly to the left which she assumed was the barn. A lone horse trotted inside the enclosure, and Angela’s fingers itched to touch its shiny, chestnut brown coat and matching mane. She hurried over and whistled to the beautiful creature, hoping she could tempt it to come her way. Too bad she hadn’t thought to buy a box of sugar cubes. She’d read that horses loved them.
The gorgeous creature turned her way and made a snuffling noise. It tossed its head, and then proceeded to saunter over. Angela clapped her hands, just barely holding in a squeal of delight. The horse stuck its muzzle through the fence, and Angela gently rubbed the bridge of its nose. “Well, aren’t you just the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen. Got a name?”
“His name’s Lucky.”
Angela swung around in surprise; she hadn’t heard James approach. He strode up beside her, propped a boot on the bottom rail, and leaned over to pat Lucky’s nose. Again, she couldn’t help but notice how attractive the man was. “I suppose there’s a story behind his name?”
He shot her a quick look, then returned his attention to Lucky. She figured he meant to ignore her, but after a few moments he said, “I came across him just as a mountain lion had taken him down. If I’d been a minute later, he’d have needed burying, not saving.”
Angela gave a delicate shudder. The thought of this beautiful animal being eaten alive was a horrific one. Something she could barely fathom having grown up in the city. “You’re a hero then.”
His mouth crooked up at that. “Hardly. Just happened to be in the right place at the right time.” He stood up and stepped back, gazing past her as if something more important had caught his eye. “Supper’s ready. And trust me when I say Meara doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”
“Is Meara the cook?”
His gaze swung to hers and that coldness she had come to expect returned. “Meara’s as close to family as a body can get without being blood related.”
“Sor-ry, I was just curious. You know, you really need to do something about that attitude.”
“I’ll be back to my cheerful ol’ self just as soon as you’re gone.”
Angela made a face at his retreating back. Good luck with that, Cowboy, ’cause I’m not going anywhere.
~~~
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Donna Marie Rogers’ other titles:
There’s Only Been You (contemporary small town romance)
Meant To Be (contemporary small town romance)
Writing As Liza James:
Game On (contemporary erotic short story)
Mischief In The Dark (Halloween erotic short story)
Hot For Teacher (contemporary erotic novella)
Lying Eyes (contemporary erotic short story)