by Gerri Hill
“It’ll always count.”
He opened his arms, and she didn’t hesitate as she went to him. Their hug was hard and tight and she was caught off guard by the tears that formed.
“I missed you, Car,” he said into her ear.
“Me too.” She squeezed him tighter, then pulled away. “You look good.”
He brushed her dark hair away from her face affectionately, then dropped his hand. He motioned inside. “The guys are in with Kerry, the consultant. We voted to do the dude—excuse me, guest ranch thing. She ended up being quite persuasive. I think Cody’s in love.”
“Oh yeah? She cute?”
“Very.” He grinned. “But you’re not her type, so don’t get any ideas. Besides, it would break Cody’s heart. He’s got a crush.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time. Remember Angie Bonner?”
He laughed. “I thought Cody was going to shoot you.”
“I was only sixteen. I didn’t know any better.”
“Yeah. But getting caught in the hay barn is classic. I bet Cody still thinks about it when he goes in there.”
She elbowed him in the side. “I took Jenny Ramsey in there too,” she said with a smile.
His eyes widened. “My prom date? You slept with my prom date?”
She shrugged. “What can I say?”
He held open the door for her. “Maybe there’s a reason we’re all still single,” he said. “We should have taken pointers from you.”
She stopped. “All still single? Even Chance? Wasn’t he dating what’s-her-name? From the Evan’s Ranch. I thought they were going to get married.”
“Marla. We’re not quite sure what happened. Just one day they called it off. He wouldn’t talk about it. Still hasn’t.”
She stood in the kitchen, looking around. Some things had changed, but enough remained of her mother’s touch to make it feel like home.
“Who cooks?”
“Martha Cox. You probably don’t remember her daughter. She was a few years younger than us.”
“Beverly?”
“Right. Martha lost her husband and Beverly shortly after you left. Driving in a storm and hit a tree. Anyway, she didn’t have anything. They were renting. So we hired her, moved her in here. She does all the household chores now, keeps us in line.”
They both looked up as a burst of laughter sounded. She glanced at Chase with raised eyebrows.
“They’re in the den. Come on.”
She hesitated, her nervousness coming back. It was easy with Chase. It always had been. But the others? She and Chance never really were close. Cody? Cody always had a temper, and she seemed to set it off. The Angie Bonner thing had pretty much done them in. And Colt? Colt was the spitting image of their father—in looks and personality—and their relationship had always been rocky. No matter what, Colt always sided with their father.
“Car? It’ll be okay. We’re not kids anymore.”
She sighed. She and Chase had been so close. When he’d called, they’d just picked up where they left off. But the others? Oh, well. It didn’t matter. Her plans were to stay for a week or two, reconnect a bit with the ranch, with Chase. Perhaps have a conversation with her father, maybe try to make amends. Then she’d head back to her life and leave them to theirs.
Carson met his gaze, his hazel eyes identical to her own. She smiled slightly. “Lead the way, little brother.”
Chapter Five
The boisterous laughter came to a sudden halt as they all looked up, Kerry included. The beautiful woman standing beside Chase was obviously their sister. Her dark hair, cut stylishly short and parted on the side, feathered across her forehead, much as Chase’s did. Her flawless skin, again like her brothers, made her look younger than her years. Kerry had already learned she was Chase’s twin, and she was just as handsome as her brothers, although not nearly as imposing. Her frame was almost slight compared to that of Chance, the oldest.
“Well, well. She returns,” Cody said. “I guess I owe Colt twenty bucks.”
A charming smile flashed across the woman’s face. “I see you’re still losing bets on my account,” she said. “Haven’t you learned yet?”
Chase stepped forward. “Kerry, this is our sister, Carson. Car, Kerry Elder. She’s the consultant I was telling you about.”
When Carson turned those hazel eyes on her, Kerry felt an odd familiarity, almost as if she already knew the woman. She returned her smile easily.
“Nice to meet you,” she said politely, taking Carson’s offered hand. The other woman met her eyes, holding her hand tight for a long moment. Longer, certainly, than was necessary.
“You too,” Carson said. “You must have made quite an impression on my brothers. Dude ranch?”
Kerry smiled. “Guest ranch,” she corrected, thankful that Carson’s eyes finally left hers. She didn’t know why, but she had a sense that Carson was looking deep within her, finding secrets Kerry didn’t even know she had.
“That’s right. Guest ranch,” Carson said.
Chance finally spoke, stepping forward to give Carson a somewhat awkward hug. “Welcome home.”
“Chance, you’re looking well.”
“Thank you.”
Carson turned her eyes on Colt, the only one to remain silent. “Hey.”
He nodded. “Sis.”
Kerry didn’t know the circumstances of Carson’s departure from the ranch in the first place, but the reception she was getting was downright frosty. All but Chase. His eyes and smile showed nothing but affection for his sister.
“We’ll catch up at dinner,” Cody said. “We need to get back to this. Kerry’s got a trip to Billings this evening.”
“Oh, sure. Don’t mind me,” Carson said.
“I’ll give you a tour,” Chase offered. “Then get you settled in.”
“The old man added on wings for you, huh?” Carson said as Chase guided her out the door.
Kerry looked at the remaining brothers, all showing a bit of shock on their faces. She wasn’t sure why. They had been expecting their sister’s arrival.
“Can’t believe she really showed up,” Chance said.
“She came to see him die,” Colt said. “Nothing more. And then to try to collect her inheritance. That’s just like her.”
“She’s not in the will, you know that,” Cody said. He glanced at Kerry apologetically. “Sorry. Family dirty laundry.”
“It’s okay. If I’m going to be living here for the next six months, I’m sure I’ll hear a lot more family...laundry.” But curiosity got the better of her. “How long has she been gone?”
“Twelve years.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh. I had no idea it was that long.”
“Not just gone,” Chance said. “But no contact. No phone calls. No letters. Just gone.”
“With Grammy Mae’s money, let’s don’t forget,” Colt said bitterly. “She didn’t offer to share that, did she?”
Oh, yeah, there was a little hostility in the room. Kerry thought it best to steer the conversation back to the ranch and away from the prodigal sister. “Well, do we want to get back to the bunkhouse plans or—”
“You know what. Let’s wrap this up for the day,” Chance said. “I’ve got rounds to make. We all do.”
Kerry could sense the enthusiasm for the project had waned with the sister’s arrival. She looked expectantly at Cody, but he just shrugged as Chance and Colt left abruptly.
“Carson’s always been a little different,” he said. “She and Chance never saw eye to eye.”
More than just Chance, Kerry suspected, but she said nothing. It was obvious the sister was not welcome here. Kerry only hoped her appearance didn’t put a kink in their plans and cause them to call the whole thing off. She’d been desperate for a client so she’d accepted their terms. Ten thousand up front with an option to terminate the contract prior to the three-month date with a majority vote. If the contract was terminated, she would see no more money. Colt was in. He’s the one who
started this project. Chance definitely had his doubts about it. She’d noticed that Cody normally sided with Chance so she’d set her sights on him, so far being able to persuade him with charm and a little flirting. Chase she hadn’t quite figured out. He seemed indifferent to the project. Perhaps because he was the youngest and didn’t feel he had as much say. Or maybe it was because his sister’s impending return had held his attention. Regardless, if she wanted to see this project through, she had to keep at least two of the brothers in her pocket. Colt and Cody.
“Do you think your sister will be involved in the project at all?” she asked.
“Oh, no. She doesn’t have anything to do with the ranch. Never did.” His smile was almost apologetic. “Our father wouldn’t allow it, even though she could ride better than any of us. She always had a thing for horses.”
“Why wouldn’t he allow it?”
Again, just a shrug. “Long story. Look, maybe we should just call it a day. You said you needed to go to Denver and with the cowboys starting to arrive, we’ll be busy getting the cattle ready to head up to their summer pastures. The next couple of weeks we’ll all be out and about until we take the week-long trip with the herd. There are a lot of things to get ready.”
She knew, of course, that the ranch had to continue working even while the project was starting, but she was afraid if they took a three-week break, then the brothers would be back in familiar territory, trailing the cattle, surrounded by their seasonal cowboys, and the idea of a guest ranch would seem absurd to them then. Cody apparently saw the panic on her face.
“Don’t worry. We’re not going to scrap the project. A ten-thousand-dollar investment is not something we can throw away just to void the contract. You know enough to know we’re losing money each year. We’ve got to do something other than stay the course.”
“Okay. I’ll be gone two days. I’m flying out of Billings tonight then I’ll drive back with my things. Will anyone be here when I get back?”
“We’ll be around. We’ll be moving the cattle from the winter place up here to the ranch. There’s a lot of prep before we can move them to the mountains. Inoculations, branding and castrations all have to be done before the drive.”
She made a face. “I’ll definitely stay out of your way for all that.”
He laughed. “Yeah, takes some getting used to. Of course, we’ve been around it our whole lives. It’s just part of it.” He pulled her into a quick hug, surprising her. It was the first obvious show of affection he’d given her. “I’ll see you in a few days.”
She nodded, silently watching him go. Since she didn’t protest his hug, she was setting a precedent. She realized she should have stopped him. Despite her innocent—or not so innocent—flirting with him, she didn’t want to send the wrong message. She rolled her eyes. Of course she was trying to send him a message. Why else was she flirting with him? She shook her head, wishing she’d never added flirting to her plans to get the contract signed. He was a nice guy—an attractive guy—but there was simply no interest there for her. There never was, it seemed. But she wasn’t in the mood to scrutinize her love life just then. She quickly gathered up her drawings and outlines, shoving them into her briefcase without much order. Despite Cody’s words that the project would go on, she had a bad feeling about it. Maybe she should have courted the client in Idaho instead. He was an old man with no children living on the ranch. It would be an easy fix. Here? Four opinionated brothers, a dying father she had yet to meet, and now apparently their money-hungry sister had come to stand vigil over the father, expecting an inheritance. It all added up to chaos and uncertainty. What if the father died sooner rather than later, dividing the ranch? What if the father regained strength and put an end to the project? Or what if the sister demanded a say in the ranch? Any or all of those things spelled trouble for her.
But it was too late. She’d signed the contract. Short of her returning the ten thousand dollars—something she was not prepared to do—she was at their mercy.
Chapter Six
“You want to see the old man?”
Carson shook her head. “Not really. Does he know I’m here?”
“I told him you were coming.”
“And what did he say?”
Chase grinned. “Hell must have frozen over.”
Carson laughed. “I didn’t realize he had a sense of humor.”
“He doesn’t. I think he was serious.” Chase opened the fridge. “You want something to drink?”
“What are my choices?”
“Water, lemonade, cola.”
“No, thanks.”
“Something stronger?”
She glanced at the clock on the wall and nodded. “It’s four in New York,” she said, as if needing an excuse.
“Let’s go into his study. The good stuff is still kept there, despite Chance.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s a teetotaler. Won’t even drink a beer with us after we’ve been working all day.”
“A teetotaler? In this family?”
“Yeah, I know. Weird. They’ve all gotten weird.”
Carson sat down in one of the leather visitor’s chairs across from the desk, her eyes darting around the room, a room she was never allowed into as a kid. She remembered standing at the door watching her father sipping whiskey and smoking a cigar, his feet propped up on the edge of the desk, paperwork scattered around.
“Scotch?” he asked, opening a cabinet showing it fully stocked.
She raised her eyebrows. “Not if you expect me to make it until dinner.”
“You may need it. Chance cut the session short with the consultant. Apparently your presence here has the guys feeling a bit uneasy.”
“Colt is too much like the old man,” she said. “And Chance and I never were close.”
“True.” He handed her a glass half filled with the amber liquid. He lightly touched his glass to hers. “Welcome home.”
“Home? It felt like home as I was driving in. But here? Not so much.”
He laughed. “I know what you mean. We all have our own suites. It’s almost like a hotel now. And since he’s been sick, there really hasn’t been much direction.”
“Where are the cattle? I was expecting the valley to be filled, yet I didn’t see a one.”
“Not much of a herd left. Less than a thousand. We’ve had to sell off more than we normally would just to make ends meet.”
“Sheep?”
He shook his head. “No. Sold the sheep herd a few years ago. Wool prices were stagnant and we were losing money. The old man wanted to save the grazing land for the cattle.”
“He always said diversity was the key to a successful ranch,” she said.
“I’ve had a little success breeding horses,” he said. “In fact, Windstorm turned out to be a great stud. He sired a national barrel racing champion. That’s what got us started.”
“Oh my God! You still have Windstorm?”
“What the hell were we supposed to do with him? He wouldn’t let anyone ride him but you. That never changed. But he was a beauty. I had a fast young filly, so I let them mate.”
So her beautiful white stallion was a stud. She’d figured they’d gotten rid of him when she left. Windstorm wouldn’t let anyone near him but her. Her father used to say he was as wild as the mountain winds. Maybe so but she named him Windstorm because even on a still day, they would run through the valley so fast—her hanging on to him for dear life—it was like heading into a blustery blue storm as the wind slapped at her face.
“National champion, huh? Good for him. He’s fifteen now?”
“Yeah. He’s slowed down a little but we still breed him. Some big-time breeders from Kentucky brought four mares up here. I charged them ten grand a pop.”
“Damn.”
“That’s what a national champion will do for you. They’re racing them. One’s got a chance to win horse of the year. If she does, then we’re talking really big bucks for Windstorm. I’l
l start a sperm bank,” he said with a laugh.
“Even though he’s low on the temperament scale?”
“That’s my selling point. That’s what makes him fast.”
“The others aren’t involved in it?”
Chase shook his head. “No. They have no interest in breeding. I do the legwork, bring in the clients, and then keep the profits. I’ve got a couple of studs I’m using.”
She sipped from her glass, enjoying the smooth taste of the excellent scotch. “So what’s with this consultant? She’s really cute. I thought you said she wasn’t my type.”
“Yeah, she’s cute. I told you so. But I said you weren’t her type. She’s straight.”
Carson shook her head. “The hell she is.”
“Of course she is. She and Cody have been flirting back and forth since they met.”
“The only puppy dog eyes I saw in that room were Cody’s. That woman likes the ladies,” she said. “You want me to prove it?”
“I think you’re wrong this time, Car. Of course, you always seemed to land your share of straight ones,” he said with a laugh.
“There wasn’t a whole lot to choose from out here. Plus, you know, I had you guys to compete with.” And compete she did. Cody was normally the one she ended up pissing off the most. He had the worst luck with women. Apparently, things hadn’t changed if he’d resorted to flirting with lesbians.
“Kerry seems to pay Cody extra attention and he likes it. I thought Colt would be the one, seeing as how he started this whole thing with her, but there hasn’t been a spark there at all.”
“That’s because she’s gay,” Carson said with a grin. “How much are you paying her?”
“Forty grand.”
She nearly spit out the whiskey she’d just taken a swallow of. “Are you serious? For what?”
“Her ‘expert’ analysis on turning our sleepy little ranch into a vacation destination. That’s, of course, on top of the expense of renovating the bunkhouse.”
“And you went along with this?”
“I’m kinda torn. We need income. The ranch, as it is, is sinking. She says guests will pay two thousand each for a week’s stay. We want to accommodate twenty people a week.”