Rancher's Choice

by Kylie Brant

  She entered the office expectantly, but Jackson wasn’t there. She sighed impatiently. And men were always complaining about how long women took to get ready! She crossed to the window and peered out toward the barn, wondering if Jackson had gone outside already. Then steps sounded in the room. Before she could turn around, two large hands grasped her waist from behind.

  “Waiting for me?” a gravelly voice asked, before a kiss was pressed to the sensitive area below her earlobe.

  “That depends,” she said, not turning, “on just who you are.”

  The hands at her waist moved down to caress her flanks, then up again. “Let’s see if I can refresh your memory,” he responded teasingly, and then proceeded to whisper in her ear.

  Kaly giggled at the extravagant descriptions of himself that he was painting in that husky undertone. “Now do you remember me?”

  “Um-m-m, I think so,” she pretended to guess. “Fred Flintstone?”

  The hands tightened on her waist and spun her around to face him. Her eyes widened in mock amazement. “Why, it’s Jackson Roberts! From your description, I expected someone much more apelike.”

  Jackson’s face lowered threateningly to hers. “Apelike?”

  “I’m kidding, I’m kidding,” she replied placatingly. “I swear, I rarely think of primates anymore when I think of you.” She waited a heartbeat, then added, “But ‘Neanderthal’ now, that’s a word you do still occasionally bring to mind.” Kaly shrieked as he picked her up, threw her over his shoulder and headed out the front door.

  They passed Jeff and Carrie on the porch steps, who watched them in amusement. “He must be asking her for another date,” Jeff surmised. He shook his head sorrowfully. “He definitely seems to have lost that impressive smoothness he once had.”

  Kaly was giggling so hard she could hardly talk. “Jackson! Where are you taking me?”

  He continued walking. “The last man who called me a name landed in the horse trough,” he explained matter-of-factly as he continued toward the barn.

  “But surely you could make an exception,” Kaly hastened to appeal to him. “Besides, you didn’t let me finish detailing what a sterling example of masculinity you are.”

  He stopped but didn’t put her down. “Continue.”

  She searched for outlandish descriptions to appease him. “Well, you’re a shining example to gentlemen everywhere. A real prince among men. Not at all the kind of person to, let’s say, throw me in a horse trough.”

  Jackson let her slide partway down his chest, until her face was level with his. “Yes,” he informed her, “I am.” He pretended to reconsider. “However, there is one way you could talk me out of it.”

  Kaly watched him warily. “There is?”

  He nodded. “You could spend the day and the evening with me.”

  Kaly pretended to weigh the options. “Either spend all day with you or take a bath in the smelly, slimy water that horses put their mouths in? Okay, okay,” she answered quickly when he started to lift her up again. “I guess I’d rather spend more time with you.”

  Jackson lowered her until her feet touched the ground and rubbed noses with her. “You’ve had a very narrow escape.”

  “I know.”

  “You’ll have to have something very special planned to make it up to me.”

  “I do.” Kaly’s voice was smug.

  His face was alight with interest. “You do, huh? Do I get a hint or do I...” His voice trailed off as his eyes took in the scene over Kaly’s shoulder. “What the hell?” he muttered.

  Kaly turned to see what he was talking about. Three men were grouped around another coming out of the barn. “Is someone hurt?” Kaly’s voice was alarmed as she hurried to keep up with Jackson’s long strides.

  “Looks like Nick,” Jackson affirmed grimly.

  As they neared the men, one of them spoke. “Boss, someone’s going to have to run Nick in to the doc in town.”

  Nick contradicted the man testily. “I don’t need a damn— darn doctor,” he said, amending his words when he caught sight of Kaly. “It’s just a scratch.”

  “Where have I heard that before?” Kaly murmured with a meaningful look at Jackson. Not for the first time, she was struck by the strong similarity between Nick and Jackson. It seemed they also shared an aversion to medical personnel.

  “Let’s have a look,” Jackson ordered, and unwrapped the bloody cloth around Nick’s arm. Kaly gasped when she saw the wound. “Hell, yes, you need a doctor.” He quickly rewound the cloth. “Looks mighty deep to me. What happened?”

  “Cow was shoving me around and I caught my arm on a loose nail,” Nick muttered, shrugging away from the others.

  Jackson’s mouth flattened. “Tom, you drive Nick into town. When you come back see to it that he goes home for the rest of the day.” He ignored Nick’s protests at his words. “Rod,” he said, his gaze spearing another man standing near, “you and Larry get a couple of hammers and go through those barns. I don’t ever want to see an accident like this again.”

  The men went off to do his bidding, and Jackson looked at Kaly. “I’m going to have to make a phone call, honey. I had an appointment this afternoon I was going to have Nick take care of. I’ll call and try to postpone it.”

  But Kaly could tell by the look on his face as he spoke into the cell phone a few minutes later that their plans for the afternoon were thwarted. The scowl on his face when he finished the call and turned to her would have been comical if she hadn’t been so disappointed herself.

  She managed a slight smile. “No go, huh?”

  “Afraid not. Whitfield is adamant that it has to be today.” He heaved a sigh. “I’m sorry about this, sweetheart,” he told her as he reached an arm around her waist to pull her close. “But he called a week ago for some information on our breeding operation. I think he’s ready to do business with us.”

  “I understand,” Kaly answered, leaning her head against his shoulder. And she did. She knew how hard Jackson had been working in recent years to establish the ranch as a purebred breeding operation and how much the prospect of a client meant.

  “Damn Whitfield, anyway,” Jackson grumbled. “If I didn’t know better I’d think he knew exactly how we’d planned to spend the day, and is only insisting on this meeting to ruin it for us.”

  “I doubt it,” she answered with a smile. She had never said anything to Paul about her relationship with Jackson, but when his calls and visits had come to an abrupt halt, she’d assumed he’d heard that they were seeing each other.

  Jackson brought his other arm round her to capture her in a loose embrace. His head lowered and he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll try to get away as soon as I can. Maybe we can salvage the evening.” They kissed lingeringly before he tore himself away and Kaly made her way back to the house.

  Kaly worked on her paper for the rest of the afternoon. Jackson called before supper and said he wouldn’t be back until later that evening. She couldn’t help feeling a bit miffed at the way the day was going, especially since she’d had such high hopes for it earlier. At loose ends after dinner, she watched television for a while, flipping through the channels desultorily. This is ridiculous, she finally decided when she found herself watching an old sitcom. I can certainly manage to entertain myself better than this!

  She wandered out to the barn, intent on saddling Misty for a ride. As she approached it, she met Larry Scott wheeling his motorcycle around the corner.

  “Hey, are you up for that ride I promised you?” he called.

  Kaly eyed the cycle longingly. She adored speed, loved the wind whipping her face. It had been years since she’d ridden with her brother. “I’d love to,” she said, smiling sunnily at him. “Just let me tell Carrie where I’m going, okay?”

  Minutes later they were roaring down the ribbon of road away from the ranch. Larry shouted back at her once, promising to keep off the gravel, and she nodded. Conversation was impossible over the sound of the cycle and the wind
, combined with the noise-muffling helmets. Contentedly, Kaly watched the scenery, aglow with the setting sun, whiz by

  It was nearly dusk by the time they turned back toward the ranch. On the way Kaly noted lights ahead. As they approached a small bar on the side of the road, Larry slowed to a stop. “Would you like to go in for a drink?”

  Kaly eyed the building dubiously. It was a bit dilapidated, the sign proclaiming it as Pete’s faded by the weather. A dozen motorcycles were lined up outside and she could hear music coming from inside.

  “It’s not as bad as it seems.” Larry read her hesitation correctly. “It can get a little wild on Saturday nights, but other than that it’s all right. By the looks of it tonight there’s not too many people. How about it? Are you game?”

  Kaly shrugged and nodded. It wasn’t the sort of place she usually frequented, but she wasn’t a snob, either. Larry had been kind to offer her this ride, and it had succeeded in taking her mind off her frustrated plans for the day. It couldn’t do any harm to spend some more time talking to him over a drink.

  They entered the bar, and Kaly was relieved to note it was not in the least threatening. Her eyes narrowed at the dimness. Smoke hung in the air, with stale cigarettes and beer the overpowering odors. A jukebox sat in one corner, and a song of lost love wailed from it. The dance floor was occupied by a few couples, but most of the people sat at the bar or at scattered tables. No one paid them the slightest attention.

  Larry guided her to a table, where a lethargic-looking waitress took their order. Then they passed an enjoyable hour or so just talking. Kaly laughed often. Larry’s good-natured wit was highly entertaining.

  The door opened then, and a large group of people, obviously bikers, came in. Larry glanced up and his eyes widened in alarm. “Uh-oh,” he muttered, watching the group carefully as its members filled the small bar.

  Kaly looked at him curiously. “What’s the matter?”

  “Some rough characters just came in. I think this place is about to get rowdy. Maybe we should leave.”

  Kaly shrugged. “Whatever you think.”

  Larry stood up. “I’m going to the restroom first. Wait right here until I get back.”

  Kaly nodded bemusedly as he walked away. He certainly seemed worried, but she failed to see why. The noise level had risen since the group of bikers had walked in, but the place still seemed pretty normal, with the dance floor now crowded, and others grouped around a pool table. She rose from her chair and made her way back to the ladies’ room.

  She noticed with interest as she passed through the crowd that many of the people sported tattoos, including some of the women. She caught sight of Larry as she walked toward the back of the bar and watched with some surprise when he paused to speak to a burly, bearded man in a leather jacket covered in chains. Larry dug in his pocket and handed the man something before brushing by him to go into the men’s room. The biker walked over to lean against the wall next to the door Larry had passed through and pulled out a cell phone.

  The ladies’ room had a line of women waiting to get into it, which put Kaly directly in back of the biker. She watched him curiously as he punched in a phone number with one huge hand. On the back of that hand he sported a tattoo with a large eagle carrying a snake in its mouth.

  She grimaced. Not very appealing. Larry was right, some of these people did look rough. She was beginning to feel glad that they would be leaving in a few minutes. She turned her eyes ahead again and sighed impatiently as it appeared that the line in front of her hadn’t moved at all.

  “Yeah, where the hell have you been?” Scraps of the biker’s phone conversation drifted to her. “The boss said to call you, that’s why. He’s planning another job. Are you in or not?”

  Kaly glanced back at the man quickly and wondered what he was talking about. Whatever it was, it didn’t sound pleasant. His tone and demeanor were menacing enough to give her chills. Her eyes moved over him, and she suddenly recalled how the sheriff had described the man who had sold some of the stolen Circle R cattle. A lot of people wore black leather jackets, but how many draped chains all over it?

  She watched the man consideringly for another moment, before shaking her head at her flight of fancy. After all, what were the odds she would happen into this place and run into someone involved in the rustling?

  She inched ahead as the line shortened. The man on the phone raised his voice. “You think you done all the work? Who the hell you think sold the...” Kaly’s head snapped back toward him, straining to hear the rest of the sentence. Had he said “cattle”? The increasingly loud conversations of the women in front of her made it impossible to pick up more than a few of his words.

  “Forget it.” A loud burst of laughter from in front of her made Kaly grit her teeth, and she strained harder to hear what the bearded man was saying.

  “I said forget it. Tell him yourself.” More loud talking from some women coming out of the washroom and others going in. Larry walked out of the men’s room, saw Kaly and frowned, then moved toward the bar area. The line in front of her was getting shorter, which meant she had to move farther from the man on the phone.

  “I’ll give it to you. You can call and tell him yourself if you got the guts. I’m...” Whatever else the man said was lost in the noise. Kaly watched surreptitiously as he pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. It sounded as if he was reading a number, but Kaly couldn’t be sure. As the man ended the call, he ripped up the small paper and dropped the pieces on the floor.

  Kaly eyed the pieces speculatively. She glanced again at the biker, but the man’s back was turned as he began to walk away. Without another thought she knelt down and began to pick up the pieces he had dropped on the floor. She snatched her hand back quickly, narrowly avoiding having a spiked heel grind into the back of it. The remaining pieces were scattered as people moved back and forth through the area, kicking the minuscule scraps aside. Mentally cursing, she crawled farther on the floor, reaching for another of the minute pieces.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Two hard hands grabbed Kaly’s shoulders and yanked her to her feet. She looked up into the biker’s face and swallowed. His long hair was pulled back with a leather thong. His belly hung over his studded belt, but he looked tough. And mean. Kaly gulped again, her mind racing. She sent a wild gaze to their table, but Larry wasn’t looking in her direction. She decided to brazen it out.

  She twisted her shoulders out of his grasp and sent him a cool look. “I lost a contact, do you mind?”

  “Yeah, and what were you doin’ with that paper?”

  Kaly held a tiny piece up and said in what she hoped was a bored voice, “I’m going to put my contact on it if I can find it—to keep it safe until I can put it back in.” Over the biker’s shoulder she saw that Larry had at last noticed the confrontation and was hurrying toward them. The bearded man looked suspiciously at her and said slowly, “Hey, you was watching me when I was on the phone, too.”

  Kaly tried to appear calm, despite her rising panic. “You’ve got an interesting tattoo,” she indicated his hand. “I was admiring it.”

  The biker seemed to lose some of his surliness. “Yeah? Well, I got a lot more than a tattoo for you to admire. Why don’t you and me go somewhere private?”

  Kaly quaked inwardly. “Sorry,” she said as lackadaisically as she could manage. “I’ve already got a date.”

  The biker moved closer, pressing Kaly’s back against the wall, his fetid breath bouncing off her cheek. “So lose him.”

  “I don’t think you understand,” crooned a dangerous voice from behind the biker’s shoulder. “I’m this lady’s date. And I don’t want to be lost.” Kaly’s eyes widened in horror as she looked over the biker’s shoulder. Where Larry had stood a moment ago, Jackson now towered, his face a mask of menace.

  The biker turned slowly and eyed Jackson. “Butt out, pal,” he said contemptuously. “Me and the lady are gonna get to know each other better.”

 
Jackson reached one arm out, and Kaly hurried over to him. He pushed her behind him, where Larry grabbed her and tried to drag her to the door. Kaly dug in her heels, determined not to leave without Jackson.

  The huge man moved toward Jackson. “You’ve got an awfully big mouth. Let’s see if you can back it up.” He whipped an ugly-looking switchblade from his pocket and waved it in front of him.

  Kaly was terrified. She was only half-aware of the people nearest them moving tables and chairs to get out of the way. The knife flashing dangerously close to Jackson was a wicked-looking weapon, and Jackson was empty-handed. Gazing wildly about the bar, she darted toward a nearby table, grabbed a beer bottle and put it in Jackson’s hand.

  Jackson didn’t take his eyes off the biker. His fingers closed around the bottle and he hefted it, before slamming it against the edge of a table. He raised the jagged edge to the biker. “C’mon,” he coaxed, making little circles with the weapon. “I’m ready if you are.”

  The two men circled each other before the biker lunged toward Jackson, his knife slicing downward. Jackson leapt to the side, keeping his back away from the wall so he couldn’t be pinned against it. Again the biker lunged, but this time as Jackson leapt aside, he kicked up with one booted foot and caught the man squarely in the chin. The biker’s head snapped back, and he stood for a moment, weaving dizzily. Then he crumpled slowly to the ground.

  Jackson dropped his weapon and grabbed Kaly, who was looking at the downed man in disbelief. He literally dragged her from the bar, with Larry trailing them. The fresh air felt wonderful to Kaly, but she was given no time to enjoy it. Jackson hauled her across the road, opened the pickup door and practically threw her in.

  He turned to fix Larry with a hard stare. “I’ll see you back at the ranch shortly.” His terse tone promised that the scene would not be pleasant. Larry nodded dejectedly.

  Kaly watched from the corner of the cab as Jackson turned on the ignition, threw the truck into gear and roared away. His jaw was tight and a telltale muscle jerked spasmodically. Hoping that silence would calm him, she said nothing for several minutes. But when he turned off the highway onto a gravel road, she was surprised into blurting out, “Where are we going?”