Rancher Dragon

by Terry Bolryder

  Probably not.

  It wasn’t like things had changed just because he’d fended off some Copperheads. He had made it pretty clear that he had no interest in helping her.

  But then why had he been hiding somewhere back behind her trees?

  As if in response, he turned and tromped past her up her porch steps. His hand on the door, he looked at her from over his shoulder, cocking an eyebrow.

  “I ain’t going into your house without you,” he said. “You coming in?”

  That unfroze her.

  She hurried up the steps as Beck pulled the door open and let himself in. His form was so wide that he had to turn sideways in order to fit through the small doorframe.

  He made his way through her ancestral home like he knew the place by heart, and she couldn’t help but wonder why he was being so invasive.

  She had invited him in, not the other way around.

  When they got to her kitchen, he began to rummage around in the worn wooden cabinets, and Sierra just took a seat at the counter, unsure of what to say.

  “Um, did you need something?” she asked.

  He grunted. “I don’t need something. You need something. To eat. You’re paler than a ghost.”

  Puzzled by why that should matter to him, Sierra sat back in her chair. She wanted to ask more questions, but the mountain man seemed angry and gruff and in his element, so she decided to let him do what he wanted with her kitchen.

  She’d let him do whatever he wanted with her body too.

  Don’t go there, Sierra.

  She shook her head before becoming entranced with his hands. They were big and calloused and strong, obviously from hard days out on Dragonclaw Ranch.

  But they moved so deftly that she wondered if he might be able to put them to more interesting uses.

  Sierra, stop.

  She looked down at her lap, eyes wide as she shoved the inappropriate thoughts out of her mind. She’d never really thought this way about a man before.

  “Here,” he said, setting a plate in front of her. “Eat.”

  In front of her was one of the most perfectly arrayed sandwiches she had ever seen. It was piled high with cheese, lettuce, meats, and other fixin’s.

  She just stared at it for a second, drawing a laugh from Beck as he leaned back against the counter and folded his arms.

  “What?” he said. “No man ever made you a sandwich before?”

  “Not like this,” she replied, picking it up and taking a small bite.

  It was delicious.

  “Well, then I’m the first real man you’ve ever met,” Beck said, smirking smugly.

  He was definitely something; that was for sure. Intimidating, huge, sexy, beating up Copperheads one second and then making her a sandwich the other.

  And the sandwich was the part he seemed to be most proud of.

  It was odd, almost as odd as the intense glower he gave her as she ate.

  “So how is it?” he asked when she was about halfway done.

  “Fantastic. I never would have expected you to be such a great cook.”

  He frowned. “A man’s gotta eat, don’t he?”

  “Well, yeah,” she said. “But I don’t reckon I’ve ever seen a man so good at cooking.”

  “As I said, I’m the first real man you’ve ever met.” He winked, and it set off flutters in her belly. “But let’s change the subject.” He leaned forward on the counter. “How’d you get involved with the Copperheads?”

  Sierra paused, wondering how much she should tell him. Even though she had only known him a few days, there was something about him that told her she could trust him.

  “I haven’t been,” she answered honestly. “Tonight was the first night I’ve had trouble from them. I’m guessing it’s because Ross…” She trailed off. “Well, you know how the Clarksons are.”

  “Enlighten me.”

  “They own the whole town, most of this county in fact,” Sierra explained. “Been buyin’ up large swaths of land for years.”

  He cocked an eyebrow. “Yours included?”

  “They’ve been trying, but I don’t plan on givin’ up my family’s homestead anytime soon.”

  Not that she could really do anything now that Ross was getting pushier and Beck had turned down her idea to ask for help.

  “Are you alone out here?” he asked. “I didn’t see anyone else when I came in.”

  “It’s just me and Lasso,” she said. “Has been for years.”

  He whistled through his teeth. “Sounds like a lot for one woman to have to handle all on her own. You’re pretty tough, lady.”

  Sierra blushed and shrugged. “It’s nothing.”

  “Don’t sound like nothing,” he said, cocking an eyebrow. “Running a ranch, no matter the size, is a big deal, and to do it all on your own for several years is no easy feat. Hell, I don’t know how Harrison does it, even with all the help.”

  “He’s the boss of Dragonclaw?”

  “That he is.” Beck’s voice went quiet. “I’m sure it’s been lonely here for you too.”

  “It has. But this is my home, and we’ve survived this far.” She paused. “I appreciate the sandwich, but you said you didn’t want to help, and I respect that, so why are you here?”

  “Well,” Beck said, rubbing his neck uncomfortably. “Things changed. I want to help you.”

  She lifted her head at that, feeling a glimmer of hope that she hadn’t felt in a long time. “Why?”

  “Because, for some reason, I really care about what happens to you, Sierra.”

  She blushed, and butterflies fluttered down in her stomach at the way her name sounded in the tone of his deep, growly voice.

  Had he really just said that? He cared about her? This huge, gorgeous mountain of a man cared about her?

  “I mean, as my neighbor,” he added gruffly. “And as someone who saved my life. I wouldn’t wanna see something bad happen to you.”

  Oh.

  That hadn’t quite been what she was hoping for, but she didn’t really have any leeway to be picky, just grateful.

  “Well, I appreciate that, Beck.”

  He just grunted and nodded at that, grabbing her now-empty plate and washing it in the sink.

  “I didn’t want to place any pressure on you, but since you’re open to doing me the favor, I should probably tell you more,” Sierra said.

  Beck just grunted in assent, his back to her.

  “Ross has been after my land for some time now, but he’s been getting more insistent, even going so far as wedding proposals and such and threatening me.”

  His huge back muscles tensed through his shirt. “That ain’t right.”

  “No, it’s not,” she said. “So if you could hang around, give me time to figure out what to do, and make sure he can’t stir up any trouble, that would be great.”

  Beck chuckled darkly, turning around as he toweled off the plate. “Sweetheart, I usually cause trouble, but in this case, I’ll do my best to prevent it.”

  He could cause trouble all right, in her heart if she wasn’t careful. And as far as being able to prevent it, she wasn’t worried about that either. He’d proved himself with the Copperheads.

  “So I have a guest room if you’d like. The bed might be a bit small, but it’s clean.”

  He shook his head. “Nah, I’d rather camp out on the edge of your property. I do better when I’m outside.”

  She waited for him to explain, but after realizing that he wasn’t going to, she sighed inwardly. Knowing him, she had about as much chance of convincing him to stay in the guest room as she did of moving a mountain. She was probably lucky that he had even changed his mind enough to help her.

  “All right then, if you insist. But if you do need to come inside, just knock.”

  There was a twinkle in his eyes. “Will do, ma’am.”

  As they passed Lasso’s bed on the way out, the dog got up and sniffed Beck’s hand curiously, and Sierra could have sworn she’d seen a hi
nt of a smile on the surly man’s face as he stopped to let the dog smell him.

  She saw him out the rest of the way, watching from the door as he trooped quietly out to the tree line where he had presumably set up camp.

  As she was going about getting ready for bed that night, she stopped at her bedroom window, which faced out to the front of her property.

  From here, she could see his big white truck next to a small tent. A small lantern hung from the tent’s front post, illuminating his cozy camping area.

  She smiled at the image. It was oddly nice that he was here. It was probably just because now that he was, she didn’t have to worry so much about Ross or the Copperheads anymore.

  Sierra was safe, and it had been a long time since she’d felt that way. Even more bizarre was the fact that it was because of the intimidating man whose life she’d saved only a short while ago.

  7

  Beck awoke the next morning having slept better than he had in a long time. It was especially odd because he was sleeping in a tent and not in his bed back at Dragonclaw.

  Once he was dressed, he pulled back the flap of his tent and stepped out into the morning air. It was a beautiful day. Dew sat on the grass and bushes in the meadow, and a cloudless blue sky loomed over the homestead.

  Even more beautiful was the figure walking toward him, carrying a basket in one hand.

  Sierra. Wearing work jeans that outlined her luscious curves, boots, and a nice light-blue jacket that made her eyes shine like bright-blue sapphires.

  “I brought you breakfast,” she said, holding up the basket. “I thought we could eat together in the meadow. Least I can do while you’re here is return the favor of feeding you.”

  He took a whiff of the air, smelling delicious eggs, bacon, and muffins. Beck didn’t usually let other people cook for him, but this time he would make an exception.

  “All right,” he said.

  Together they walked through the meadow just off to the side of the house. Once they found a quiet, sunny spot, she sat down and began to pull plates and other utensils from her basket.

  Beck sat down next to her. Close enough to be near her but not so close that he was touching her, although he had to admit he wanted to.

  “This is a small piece of land, but it’s really beautiful,” he said, taking off his hat.

  Sierra nodded fondly, handing him a plate of food. “Yes, it was tended with love by my grandparents and their grandparents before them.” She shook her head, the breeze tousling her soft, sandy hair. “I don’t know how I’m going to keep up since Ross ran off any help I could’ve had.”

  Beck scowled. This Ross guy sounded like an absolute bastard. Not only had he threatened her, but he had also made it so she couldn’t properly care for her family’s farm.

  And her farm was obviously everything to her. Why else would she ask a monster like Beck for help?

  “Well,” he said gruffly. “I seem to know a man who owes you a favor.”

  She laughed. “Um, I seem to know a man who already paid me back.”

  “No, I didn’t! Beating those assholes was a favor to myself. I hate assholes. It doesn’t count,” Beck muttered, picking up a piece of bacon and taking a bite.

  “What about the fact that you’re guarding my property?” Sierra asked. “That’s enough already.”

  He snorted. “I ain’t guarding it if I let it go to hell. After we eat, I’ll go take a look at the place, and I will fix whatever I see that’s broken. Don’t try to stop me.”

  Damn, last night, he’d told himself that he was just going to camp outside her property and watch out for her. Now he was having breakfast with her and talking about fixing up the place.

  But he was curious about this strong, beautiful woman who had managed for as long as she had on her own.

  “But before that,” he added, “I want to hear more about your ranch and how you came to be alone.”

  Sierra, who had been blushing, shrugged. “Not much to say. Generations of my family have lived here. I lived with my grandparents until they passed away several years ago.”

  “Parents?”

  “Moved into the city. Never got along with them, so I came out to live with Grandma and Grandpa,” she said. “They taught me everything I know.”

  “That was kind of them,” Beck said, nodding. “I’m sure they’re proud of you.”

  She laughed, but there was a sad edge to her voice. “I’d like to think so. There are some days that I really miss them. I wouldn’t want them to see the farm as it is now.”

  Beck looked around. He had to admit that while the land was beautiful, the farm itself was dilapidated. Most everything was in need of repair or a fresh coat of paint. The good news was that he didn’t see anything he couldn’t fix.

  “Well then,” he said, setting his empty plate aside and putting on his hat as he stood up. “I’ll get it fixed up real nice.”

  “You don’t have to. That’ll be a lot of work,” Sierra said, putting everything away.

  “I already told you,” he said with a grunt, tipping his hat. “You’re not stopping me. Not much can.” He smiled. “Thanks for breakfast.”

  And with that, he left her in the meadow to go to work.

  Sierra watched as Beck made his way over to the porch at the end of the day. The sun was setting low over the sky, sending rays of red and orange burning across the horizon.

  All day, she’d been watching Beck from the window in awe of how much he could get done. He could do the work of ten men twice as fast as they could.

  Fences were mended. Weeds were pulled. Trees were trimmed. Pens were fixed. The homestead looked better than it had in a long time, and it was all thanks to him.

  She ran to get him a glass of cold water, then stepped out onto the porch to meet him.

  Good gosh, he looked handsome after a day’s work. He was wearing work boots and jeans that displayed legs like tree trunks and a white work shirt that showed off his huge muscles. A bead of sweat glistened on his forehead just above his stormy eyes.

  He came to a stop in front of her and took the glass of water with a grunt.

  “Thank you,” she said. “You got nearly everything done in one day. How is that possible?”

  “It’s my job,” Beck said gruffly. “I said I’d get the place fixed up, and I stick by my words.” Then he put the glass to his mouth and guzzled the water. When he was done, he pulled up his shirt to wipe his mouth, revealing gorgeous, ripped abs and a perfect V-line.

  Oh merciful heavens… Stop looking, Sierra.

  “By the way,” he added. “I got a call from Harrison.”

  “What about?” she asked, wide-eyed and bright red and hoping he didn’t notice.

  “He’s inviting us over for dinner.” His lips quirked up slightly. “You up to it?”

  She nodded eagerly. “Of course!” She’d liked Harrison and Marian. And the idea of hanging out with them, plus spending more time with Beck, was irresistible.

  “There’s time if you want to go get ready,” he said.

  “Okay,” she said, furrowing her eyebrows. “But when will you change?”

  “I can change while I’m over there,” he said.

  “Oh, no,” Sierra said, putting her hand up in protest. “You do too much for me, Beck, to just be living out in that tent on the boundaries or waiting to go home for a shower. From now on, you’ll stay in here with a shower and bed and all the amenities.”

  He scowled. “But—”

  “No buts,” she insisted. “I won’t hear any rebuttals.”

  “But I’m dangerous—”

  “I’m not afraid of you,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I’m more afraid of you getting eaten by coyotes.”

  And it was true. He didn’t scare her, and there had been coyotes out on the prowl lately. And besides, she couldn’t in good conscience let him renovate her whole farm while living in a tent.

  That wouldn’t feel right.

  “Please, Beck?” she
begged, fluttering her eyelashes at him in what she knew to be blatant manipulation. But if it helped him get inside with her…

  “Coyotes,” he muttered somewhere between frustrated and amused. Finally, he sighed and gave in. “Well, I guess I wouldn’t want to worry a pretty lady like you.”

  “Exactly,” she said, flushing at his words. “Now get in here, and I’ll show you to your room.”

  This sexy man thought she was pretty?

  She fanned herself as she led him up the stairs and down the hall toward the bedrooms. She opened the door to the last one on the left, which used to be her room before she took her grandparents’ room in the house.

  He stooped under the doorway and into the room, then looked around, taking in his surroundings. After a second, he took off his Stetson and frowned, seemingly regretting his choice.

  “Listen, Sierra, I’m not sure that this is—”

  “Too bad,” Sierra said, grinning at the big, awkward, sexy mountain man. “You’re staying, and that’s final. Bathroom’s down the hall and on your right.”

  With that, she stepped out, closing the door behind her. Holy cow, it was getting more and more dangerous to be alone with him and all of his muscles.

  It was so weird that he thought he was so terrifying and scary. She had to admit that he was intimidating at first, but once she got to know him, it was clear that he was a big softie.

  Sierra hurried into her room, wondering what she was going to wear. This was so exciting.

  But wait… What if it was a date?

  She pursed her lips. It was Harrison that had invited them to dinner, but Beck had told her to get changed and dressed up.

  She really had no idea.

  There was a way he looked at her every time he saw her that tended to heat her up inside.

  But was she just imagining it because he was so gosh darn handsome?

  He was just doing a favor for her. She shouldn’t be getting ideas.

  But as she started her shower and waited for the water to heat, the question kept haunting her.

  Was there even a chance that the gorgeous, growly man now living under her roof might want something… more?