by Joanne Rock
“Ms. Ross is not currently a guest with us, ma’am,” the woman informed her. “We’re not allowed to give out more information than that.”
Damn it. Had she left town?
Thanking the woman, Scarlett disconnected the call and opened her browser to search Jillian Ross online. She found her profile immediately. A gorgeous redhead with short auburn curls... It was easy to find the name of her production firm.
Scanning the company’s list of projects, Scarlett discovered a modern Western that might be the film Jillian was working on. For the heck of it, she did a search on that, too.
And found a man’s name she knew well.
Logan King.
Everything inside her went still. It couldn’t be a coincidence. She’d met him—then, a small-time actor—a few months ago on a flight to Los Angeles when she’d taken a shopping trip for her mother’s birthday. They’d flirted. Kissed. Had an incredible surprise night together. She had thought it was about more than lust, and grew certain the feeling was mutual when they’d messaged each other for a few weeks afterward. Then he’d mysteriously stopped texting. Had vanished. She’d been ghosted.
Since then, he’d had a big breakout movie. She’d been slammed with images of him all over social media, endless reminders of how forgettable she’d been for him. How dispensable.
Could there be a chance he might really come here? To her home turf? Anger simmered through her all over again as she remembered their night together. The hurt of the aftermath. He’d made it clear that his Hollywood career was more important than a fling with her.
Her brain raced with half-formed revenge schemes, each more outrageous than the last. What she really wanted was to tell him off to his face. But in his hometown, not hers. She couldn’t wait around for him to show up in Cheyenne, possibly with some new actress girlfriend on his arm. Somehow, she needed to tell him exactly what she thought of him before then.
She had to hurry and change for her fly-fishing expedition back at the White Canyon Ranch. But first, she looked up Logan on one of the star-watcher sites to find out where he’d been spotted last. Just in case one of her revenge schemes came together. She also left a message for Jillian Ross at her production company.
Because Scarlett’s primary concern was making sure the whole family’s interests were represented. There was no reason Madeline’s guest ranch shouldn’t benefit from the movie exposure. And maybe Scarlett would make some valuable contacts in the business, too.
But if she could also find a way to confront Logan King and tell him he could go to the devil? So much the better.
Five
Steering her rental car down a public access road that bordered Carson McNeill’s Creek Spill Ranch, Jillian tried to picture the landscape standing in for the property where she truly wanted the film to be shot—Cody’s Black Creek Ranch with that gorgeous, iconic barn as a backdrop.
It was tough to imagine her original plan coming together now. Not after what had happened between them. Cody had taken her number and told her he would call the next day, but all of Saturday had passed without a word. The silence shouldn’t have bothered her, since she’d wanted a simple, no-strings encounter. And yet...she couldn’t deny the sting that came with not hearing from him.
She’d checked out of her hotel room in town this morning, planning to register at the White Canyon Ranch tonight. It was yet another property owned by a McNeill sibling. The family possessed the second most acreage in the state, so they were a powerful voice in the ranching community. That could hurt Jillian’s cause, of course, if they banded together and refused her request. But the McNeills were a large and disparate group of individuals with wide-ranging interests and pursuits. Surely one of them could be swayed to compromise with her. Two executives from Jillian’s company had already booked flights this week to visit the location.
She couldn’t give up her quest yet because this job was her means to an important end—her ticket to seeing all the places she’d promised herself she would go after her treatments. Life was too short to live in the shell she’d been stuck in before cancer struck.
Even though Cody had shut her down after their surprise encounter, she still had options. She could find a way to salvage this trip and keep her job.
Her cell phone chimed and she pulled off to one side of the road to take the call, high grass brushing the passenger door as the tires dipped onto the shoulder. She didn’t recognize the number, but it was local.
“Jillian Ross,” she answered, as she moved the gearshift to Park, wondering if her earlier inquiries had paid off. She’d left messages for both Carson and Madeline, hoping one of them could accommodate the film crew.
Or reason with their stubborn brother.
“Jillian.” The male voice on the other end made her pulse quicken. “This is Cody.”
He put the slightest emphasis on his name, giving the simple sentence a whole wealth of subtext. That subtle reminder about the identity mix-up, delivered in his sexy voice, stirred all kinds of feelings inside her. Resentment, maybe. A little embarrassment. And, no matter that she wished otherwise, a whole boatload of attraction.
“Hello.” She rolled down her window before switching off the engine, wanting to feel the Wyoming breeze on her suddenly warm face.
“I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time.”
“No.” She stared out over fields of golden hay waving gently under the bluest sky she’d ever seen. There wasn’t another car or person in sight. “I’m just surprised to hear from you after the way we parted.”
She closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of roadside wildflowers. Yarrow and daisies. Some tiny yellow blossoms she didn’t recognize. She was determined to take joy in this trip, even if she failed in her quest and lost her job. Her dreams of travel and adventure had gotten her through the darkest hours of her disease.
“That’s why I’m calling.” He paused a beat, and she opened her eyes, surprised. “To apologize about that. No doubt I overreacted.”
Hope shot through her. Maybe he was giving her a second chance to film on the ranch? Or maybe he wanted to see her again? She really shouldn’t want the latter. But she couldn’t deny how the idea ran through her brain, tantalizing her.
“When you didn’t phone yesterday, I assumed I wouldn’t hear from you again.” She picked at a loose thread on the leather steering wheel cover.
“Sometimes I’m slow to think my way through things,” he admitted. “But my youngest sister made a point of reminding me I don’t speak for the whole family when it comes to the McNeill lands.”
So he was calling about the film. Part of her rejoiced that there was a chance he would reconsider. But she couldn’t help a small twinge of regret that his call had nothing to do with what they had shared.
“Should I get in touch with your sister?” Jillian asked quickly, sweeping aside her disappointment that this wasn’t a more personal conversation.
“Actually, I hoped I could give you a tour of the ranch,” he offered, his voice a warm rumble in her ear. “Show you some of the drawbacks that might make you reconsider where you want to film.”
She would see him again. A hidden, secret part of her feminine self stretched and preened like a satisfied cat. She closed her eyes to shut out the feeling, impatient with all the wrong-headed instincts that had landed her in his arms in the first place.
“But a tour might further convince me that the Black Creek Ranch is the ideal location.” She wondered if she’d meet this sister he’d mentioned.
“I’ll take the chance.” He sounded sure of himself. “When would be a good time for you to come? How much longer will you be in town?”
“I’m close to the ranch right now,” she admitted, knowing she could be at Cody’s place in ten minutes, tops. “How’s today?”
She was met with silence for a long moment.
�
�Today is fine,” he said finally. “Drive straight to the main house. I’ll meet you out front. Assuming, of course, you know the way here?”
He knew perfectly well she’d been trespassing when she had scouted the location the first time.
“I’ll manage.” She started the engine on the rental car, a surge of anticipation firing through her. “See you soon.”
Disconnecting the call, Jillian contemplated her best approach. For starters, she’d take the scenic route to the Black Creek Ranch. No sense revealing she’d been lurking just around the corner from his property, contemplating how to get in touch with Carson.
Based on what had transpired between her and Cody Friday night, the news that she was still trying to meet with his twin wouldn’t be well received.
She was excited to see him again, but she couldn’t let that attraction draw her into doing something that would risk her job. And there was beginning to be hope on that front. Jillian might have allies in some of his siblings, particularly his sister. But she needed to work fast now that executives from her company were coming into Cheyenne this week.
She would be sharp, professional and keep an ear out for any way to get an agreement signed with the McNeills. And perhaps most important, keep squarely focused on business around the man who’d shown her a kind of physical pleasure she might never experience again.
* * *
Absently pulling a few weeds out of the cook’s cottage garden by the main house, Cody steeled himself to see Jillian Ross again.
He’d had nearly two whole days to process what had happened between them and put it behind him. He hadn’t.
If it hadn’t been for Scarlett’s objections, he wouldn’t be seeing Jillian at all. He would have called, as he’d promised, but just to make sure their night together hadn’t had consequences. He wasn’t a careless man, and the way he’d lost his head with her that night didn’t sit well.
Cody heard a car pulling into the driveway, followed by a sudden chorus of barking dogs. Straightening, he dusted off his hands and turned to see Jillian waving tentatively at the animals from the driver’s side of her car as she parked.
Cody whistled, bringing the two border collies and the Australian shepherd to his side while Jillian got out of the vehicle and strode toward him. She was as colorful as he remembered. The red hair and bright turquoise boots were the same as the other night. But today she wore dark jeans and a tan blouse with Aztec designs embroidered in green, red and yellow beads around the tassel ties down the placket.
“Thanks for calling off the dogs.” She grinned down at them. “They looked friendly, but I wasn’t sure what they thought of strangers. May I pet them?”
The canine trio looked longingly at her, tails wagging. At least they minded their manners, sitting still for the moment.
“Sure. Start with Hammer.” Cody pointed to the Australian shepherd. “He sets the tone for the younger two.”
“As older siblings do.” She met his gaze, her hazel eyes teasing. Then she turned her attention to the dog, scratching him behind one ear. “Hello, Hammer.”
“How did you know I was the oldest?” He wondered how much research she’d done on the family in her quest to access his land.
“I didn’t.” She petted the collies as they hopped up to meet her without being asked. “I just knew you were the older twin because you mentioned it the other night.”
He didn’t recall that, but then, he’d been fairly preoccupied.
“That’s Gomez and Morticia, by the way.” He pointed out which dog was which and she patted them briefly before they trotted off to seek shade. “The younger ones never think the rules apply to them.”
“Is that so?” She tucked a springy curl behind one ear as she faced him.
Something about the gesture triggered a vivid memory of Friday night, of his face buried in that honeysuckle-scented hair, her arms twined around his neck as he kissed her deeply. Blinking, he forced aside the thought.
“Are you a younger sibling?” He waved her toward the equipment shed, where he’d gassed up one of the Gator utility vehicles to show her around.
Hammer rose, too, following Cody, as was the dog’s habit.
“I’m an only child, so sibling dynamics fascinate me.” She walked quickly beside him, making him realize he was burning a path to the shed like he was being chased by a grizzly.
He slowed down, leading her to the small lot beside the shed where the two-seat vehicle was parked.
“Well, I’ve got two younger brothers, my twin and our other brother, Brock. Then I have three half sisters from my father’s second marriage—Madeline, Maisie and Scarlett.” He glanced over at Jillian as she stared at the Gator. “I thought I’d drive you around the ranch. Unless you’d rather go on horseback?”
It hadn’t occurred to him she might ride.
“This is fine.” She nodded. “I’ve just never seen anything like it. Sort of a modified lawn tractor?”
He laughed. “Hardly. Hop on.” He proceeded to take his own seat behind the wheel. “We use this to get around the property quickly, especially for hard-to-reach places where a truck is too heavy. It’s quick and economical.”
“It looks like you have your own fleet in there.” She pointed to the equipment shed, where he kept the tractors and trucks.
“Most days, those are all out in the fields and pastures, but it’s quiet around here on Sundays.” He switched on the Gator while she fastened her seat belt. “And that brings me to the first of many dangers of ranch life I’ll be pointing out on the tour today. Accidents happen all the time with heavy machinery, especially when untrained people are around. Visitors get too close, the operator can’t see them and the next thing you know, there’s a serious injury.”
He knew too many people who’d lost fingers, toes or whole limbs to accidents. She needed to understand why filming around here could be dangerous.
“Maybe we could get most of our shots on a Sunday when it’s quiet.” She reached for the roll bar on the passenger side while Hammer jumped into the cargo bed behind them.
Cody stepped on the gas, holding back the argument that rose to his lips. His sister would get on his case if she found out he was being too difficult, so it wasn’t wise to alienate Jillian before they even got under way. Besides, given the way they’d parted at Wrangler’s the other night, he figured it made sense to smooth things over with her. He’d been speechless after what took place. And once he’d learned why she couldn’t have children, he’d been so caught off guard he had forgotten to ask about taking the extra precaution of a morning-after pill. Hell, he hadn’t known what to say, period.
For now, he focused on driving Jillian around the spread, pointing out some of the outlying buildings and pastures. She asked a few questions about the hay fields and the different breeds of cows, but mostly she seemed to take in the long views. Every now and then she would snap a few photos on her phone.
“It seems idyllic,” she observed while they watched a herd of cows grazing on a green hill.
“It’s nonstop work.” He’d kept her away from most of the ranch activity today, not wanting to get in the way of the foreman and a few others who were putting in hours on the weekend. “And believe me, it’s dangerous.”
He couldn’t give her the impression the ranch was just some scenic spot for touring around.
“You mentioned the equipment.”
“Plus the weather. And the animals.” He hadn’t wanted to share his personal nightmare, but she still seemed convinced this place was nothing but the perfect backdrop for the movie she had in mind. “My mother grew up on a bigger spread than this. She was an experienced rancher. And that didn’t save her when she tried to separate a bull from one of the cow pens.”
He’d been only four years old at the time, but the memory of seeing his mother downed by that bull had been burned in his brai
n. He hit the gas harder, but knew he’d never outrun that memory.
“You mean...” Jillian turned her head to him. He sensed the movement even if he didn’t see it.
“She died from her injuries three days later.” Cody and his brothers had filed into her hospital room to say goodbye. He couldn’t recall what he’d said to her. He only remembered his father sitting in the chair beside her—shell-shocked and white as a ghost as he stared at his dying wife.
“Cody, I’m so sorry.” Jillian touched the back of his hand where it rested on the steering wheel. “How frightening that must have been for you and your brothers.”
He ground his teeth, unwilling to accept condolences for something that should have never happened in the first place. For something preventable. “It taught me to respect the animals and the land.”
He glanced at her, hoping she recognized the dangers better now. Her eyes were filled with empathy. But this wasn’t about his loss. It was about safety.
Jillian’s hand fell away and she nodded. “I understand.”
“Good.” He didn’t want to dwell on the past. He just wanted her to find someplace else to shoot her movie. Somewhere that wouldn’t pose risks to her film crew or to his own workers. Or his cattle, for that matter. He hoped he’d talked her out of her plans by telling her about his own tragedy.
They continued the tour. About ten minutes later, he stopped the vehicle, and she stood up and turned three hundred and sixty degrees, shielding her eyes from the sun as she drew deep breaths. He couldn’t help but be drawn to her.
“What do you think?” he asked. They were near a shallow creek between grazing fields. He was resting this pasture now, giving the plants time to regenerate. There wasn’t much to see.
She stood tall beside him, resting her elbows on the high roll bar as she looked out over the hills.
“I know it’s a dangerous place, but I still think it’s incredibly beautiful.” The warm sincerity in her words stirred something in him. Sunlight turned the tips of her hair yellow, giving her a special glow. “I’ve never seen so much nature. So few people.” She tipped her head sideways and glanced down at him. “I’m used to crowds everywhere, and this is just so peaceful.”