Roping the Rancher (Harlequin American Romance)

by Benson, Julie

  “Stay out of this, Montgomery. This is between me and the lady here, and I didn’t hear the word no.” Travis stepped closer. “I didn’t realize it until I got up close. You’re the actress that was on that show with Griffin.”

  Stacy nodded and smiled, but it wasn’t an open, heartfelt one like he’d received earlier. This smile failed to make her eyes sparkle. “That’s me, and apparently my only claim to fame.”

  “McAlister was an idiot to let you go, especially for that plain mouse he married. If you’ve still got a hankering for a cowboy I’m up for the job.”

  Colt shook his head. What woman wouldn’t be thrilled with that offer? Protective feelings surged within him again. What was it about this woman that brought that out in him? “Go home and sleep it off, Carpenter.”

  “I don’t hear her complaining.”

  “Gentlemen, dial back the testosterone,” Stacy teased, in an obvious attempt to ease the brewing tension. “It’s getting a little deep in here.”

  Carpenter clasped Stacy’s hand and tried to coax her to stand. “Come on. How about that dance?”

  Stacy glanced between him and Carpenter, concern furrowing her brow. “One dance, but that’s it.”

  “You don’t have to dance with him.”

  Stacy smiled and waved him off. Once on the dance floor, Carpenter’s meaty hand slid around her waist and he pulled her against him. Too close. Stacy playfully swatted his arm and tried to put some distance between them. Colt scooted forward in his chair, waiting to see the other man’s response. Then the man’s hand slid to Stacy’s rear, cupping and then squeezing her feminine curves.

  Colt vaulted out of his chair and headed for the couple. As he approached, Stacy grabbed Carpenter’s hand and attempted to remove it. “Get your hands off my butt.”

  “Come on, honey. You’re a Hollywood actress. Don’t play modest,” Carpenter responded.

  “That’s it. We’re done.” When she turned to leave, Carpenter refused to release her. If anything, he tightened his grip.

  “You promised me a dance.”

  Colt closed the distance between them in two long strides. “Let her go.”

  Travis glared at him over Stacy’s shoulder. “You gonna make me?”

  “This isn’t about you and me. The lady asked you to let her go.”

  Stacy tried again to break free, but Carpenter only smiled. “You promised me a dance, and it’s not over yet.”

  “Yes, it is.” Stacy stomped down on Carpenter’s foot with her pointy little heel and elbowed him in the ribs.

  After Stacy broke free, Carpenter lunged toward her, but Colt stepped in front of her. The other man lowered his shoulder and barreled into him, sending him careening into a table. Couples scrambled to get out of the way. Women shrieked.

  White-hot rage darkening Carpenter’s features, he reached for Colt again, but Stacy grabbed his arm. “Stop it!”

  “Dad, are you okay?” Colt cringed when he heard his daughter’s voice as he struggled to free himself from the overturned furniture. Before he could, Carpenter hauled him to his feet. Having reached the limit of his patience with talking to the drunk, Colt managed to turn around and get Carpenter into a control hold.

  The drunk kicked and thrashed around, trying to get loose. “Montgomery, I’m going to take you apart.”

  Carpenter’s boot connected with another table, sending it tumbling over. Glassware shattering against the wooden floor added to the chaos. “Settle down, and I’ll let you go.”

  A shrill whistle cut through the chaos, followed by Mick Halligan’s harsh voice. “This damned well better stop right now. You two go to neutral corners and park it. I’ve called the police, and you can bet your sweet ass I’m pressing charges.” Then Mick glanced at the band. “Show’s over. Let’s have some music.”

  As Colt sat at the table waiting for the police to arrive, he couldn’t believe he’d gotten into a bar fight with his daughter around to witness his stupidity. Great example he’d set for Jess, he thought as he rubbed his aching jaw, but when Carpenter put his hands on Stacy he couldn’t think about anything but helping her.

  And look where it got him? Waiting to see if he’d get thrown in jail.

  “Jess, I don’t want you thinking using physical force to solve problems is the right thing to do.”

  “Dad, you don’t need to make this a teachable moment. Mr. Carpenter was crazy out of control. His hands were all over Stacy. I mean, he was grabbing her ass.”

  “You saw that, huh?” Stacy asked, blushing.

  “I did, too.” Ryan turned to Colt. “If you hadn’t done something, I was going to. Someone had to show that bastard he couldn’t treat my sister like that.”

  At least he’d kept Ryan from having to defend his sister. Even drunk, Travis would’ve pounded Ryan into the floor.

  “I think you did the right thing helping Stacy. It wasn’t your fault he threw the first punch. After that you were just defending yourself,” Jess continued.

  But would the police see it that way? Where had his military training gone? He should’ve assessed the situation and the risk before he acted, but when Travis started pawing Stacy, all he wanted to do was protect her.

  A few minutes later the front door swung open and in stalked what looked like half of the Estes Park police force. Chief Parson immediately talked with Mick. After a short discussion, the chief told his officers to get statements from the patrons. Then Parsons headed straight for their table.

  “Can we talk about this somewhere other than in front of my daughter?” Colt asked when the lawman reached them.

  Of course, since Jess witnessed the whole scene, he was trying to close the window after the house was full of flies.

  “I agree. These youngsters don’t need to hear this.” The chief moved a few feet away with Colt and Stacy. Then Parsons said, “I hear this ruckus started because two men were arguing over you.”

  Stacy stiffened, crossed her arms over her chest as her eyes flashed fire at the lawman. “That’s right. I turned on my feminine wiles and stirred both men into such a frenzy they ended up brawling over me.”

  “This isn’t Los Angeles. You might be some fancy star there, but that doesn’t mean a thing to me, so don’t get smart with me, Missy.”

  “Then show me some respect, and don’t assume I did something wrong.”

  Colt bit his lip to keep from smiling. It sure was easier to appreciate her stubborn feistiness from this side of the conversation.

  “Fair enough,” Parsons acknowledged. “Tell me what happened.”

  “We were sitting at a table—”

  “I want to hear this from her, Colt,” Parsons snapped.

  Stacy detailed how when she and Ryan arrived tonight the wait for a table was almost an hour and how Jess had invited them to join their table. “The kids wanted to stay for the band, but didn’t want to actually be seen with us. You know how teenagers are.” The lawman nodded. “Colt and I sat at a table where we could keep an eye on Jess and Ryan. When Travis came over it was obvious he’d had too much to drink. He asked me to dance, and I politely declined. He wouldn’t take no for an answer and got confrontational. I decided the best way to get rid of him was to humor him, but once we got on the dance floor his hands were all over me. When I tried to leave he wouldn’t let me go.”

  “That’s when you stepped in?” Parsons asked Colt.

  “He was manhandling her. I told him to let her go.”

  “None of this was Colt’s fault,” Stacy continued. “If Travis had let me leave the dance floor when I wanted to, the fight wouldn’t have happened. He threw the first punch.”

  The chief shook his head. “Travis doesn’t surprise me. He’s always been a little long on temper and short on common sense, but you, Colt? This isn’t like you at all.”
>
  No kidding.

  “I don’t have any choice but to haul you and Carpenter in to get your statements and sort this out.” The lawman rubbed the back of his neck. “Mick’s pretty pissed about the damage. He wants both your heads, and Carpenter’s hollering for you to be arrested for assault. I should let both of you cool your asses in a cell for the night. That would fix your wagons.”

  “Travis deserves to go to jail. He started all this, but not Colt. He’s done nothing wrong. All he did was help me.” Stacy’s voice rose in pitch as her anger boiled over. “If he hadn’t stepped in who knows what I would’ve had to do to get Travis to back off. You didn’t see the look in his eyes. I guess the lesson here is the next time a man takes liberties with a woman, the men around here shouldn’t offer help because it could land them in jail.”

  “Jack, cut me a break. I’m here with Jess, for God’s sake.” Colt’s voice and gaze pleaded with the chief.

  “Even more reason to toss you in jail. You should set a better example for your daughter.” Chief Parsons shook his head. “If I don’t haul you in every hothead in town will think he can use his fists to settle a problem.”

  “If you arrest Colt, I’ll contact my lawyer immediately and the press. I’m sure TMZ would love to do a story on this.”

  “Is that a threat?” Parsons asked.

  “It’s a statement of fact.”

  Colt placed his hand on her arm, pulling her attention from the lawman. A shudder rippled through him. “It won’t come to me getting arrested. I’ll go to the station and get this sorted out. What I need from you is to take Jess home. Stay with her until I get there.” He had to get Stacy out of here before she made a scene. This was his home and he had to live here once she returned to California. “Please?”

  She nodded, thankfully picking up on his unspoken plea. “But if charges are filed, I want to know.”

  * * *

  ON THE WAY back to Colt’s house with Ryan and Jess, Stacy tried to minimize the situation. She explained how Colt agreed to go to the police station to give a formal statement. She chose her words carefully and emphasize that he hadn’t been arrested.

  By the time they arrived at the house exhaustion set in. Even the kids looked weary. When they mumbled something about waiting up for Colt, Stacy said, “Taking statements and sorting things out could take a while. It’s silly for us to wait up. You can get all the details in the morning, Jess.” When the teenager looked as if she wanted to protest, Stacy added, “Ryan can crash here on the couch and I’m going to sleep in the chair. I’m exhausted.”

  “If you’re sure I don’t need to worry about Dad.”

  They’d finally hit the problem. How could she have failed to realize how concerned Jess was? The girl hid her emotions well. “I promise there’s nothing to lose sleep over.”

  She’d call in favors and threaten to blast the story from coast to coast if she had to in order to keep Colt out of jail.

  Some of the panic left Jess’s gaze. “Ryan can use the guest room.”

  “Great.” He turned to Stacy. “Then you can take the couch.”

  After the teenagers headed upstairs, Stacy turned on the TV and curled up on the couch. What a night. She still couldn’t believe Colt defended her. Not once, but twice. For once in her life someone stepped up and handled something for her.

  His actions still left her a little tingly inside. True gentlemen, especially in her business, were as rare as an exotic dancer with real breasts.

  The little voice inside her said she was being foolish. She’d watched enough Westerns to know about the cowboy code and protecting womanhood at all costs. Plus, Colt was a military man. Didn’t they all have that black-and-white sense of right and wrong ingrained in them during basic training? That’s what brought about his actions tonight. He wasn’t standing up for her because he cared for her. He would’ve done the same thing for any woman.

  But what if he’d stood up for her?

  No, she refused to think about that possibility. If she considered dating anyone, he’d be someone who’d never been married before. He definitely wouldn’t have children, much less a teenager. He’d probably be a man who was in the entertainment industry. One who could understand the demands of her career. One who would be comfortable accompanying her to movie premiers or the Academy Awards. She couldn’t see Colt putting up with the red carpet pomp and circumstance.

  But she kept coming back to how he’d stood up for her. She’d felt protected and safe. Something she hadn’t felt since her father died. And what did he get for his efforts? He got hauled off to jail.

  A couple of hours later, cowboy boots clicking across the wood floor woke her. She opened her eyes to find Colt towering over her.

  “Thanks for staying with Jess.”

  “I’m not sure if I told you, but thank you for that what you did tonight. If I didn’t seem grateful, it was because I was a shocked.”

  “I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m not usually the kind of guy who gets into a bar fight.”

  “It wasn’t that. I was surprised because you stepped in. I’ve learned to be pretty self-sufficient over the years.

  “That doesn’t say much about the people in your life.” He sank into the chair to her right and pinched the bridge of his nose.

  That was for sure. “I’m sorry helping me got you into trouble.”

  “Do you stir up this much trouble everywhere you go, or am I just lucky?”

  He turned toward her, and she noticed his swollen and cut lip. “You’re hurt.”

  He shrugged. “When Travis landed that sucker punch, his damn college ring cut me.”

  “You should put some ice on it to keep the swelling down.”

  She jumped off the couch, took a couple of steps and realized she had no idea where the kitchen was located. “Where’s the kitchen?”

  “I don’t need any ice. I’m fine.”

  That he was. Absolutely fine with a capital F.

  “At least let me clean the blood off and put some antiseptic on your cut.” She reached into her purse sitting on the floor, pulled out her little first aid kit and located a foil packet with an antiseptic wipe. When she stood beside him, she leaned over and dabbed the white square to the cut that started on his lip and extended about an inch onto his chin. His spicy scent floated over her, igniting her senses. The stillness in the house created an intimacy she hadn’t felt in a long time. “I feel like I should be doing more to make this right. If I had handled things better with Travis...I should’ve been able to get rid of him. What can I do to make this right?”

  His crystal blue gaze darkened. “You could kiss my sore lip and make it all better.”

  At first she thought he was joking, but then she looked into his eyes. No mistaking the desire shining there. Blood pounded in her ears. She shouldn’t kiss him. She knew that, but she wanted to. Desperately. She wanted his arms around her. She wanted to pretend he’d protected her because he cared. That he cared about her.

  Common sense told her to jump off the couch and run as fast and as far from Colt as possible.

  Instead, she leaned forward and touched her lips to his jaw. Then she kissed him lightly on his lips.

  Chapter Six

  Colt tossed out the “kiss and make it all better” comment expecting Stacy to toss a joke right back at him or put him in his place. His heart nearly stopped when she didn’t do either of those things. Instead her lips covered his, and his body shifted into overdrive.

  Her hands clutched his shirt and he wrapped his arms around her tiny frame. Her sweet floral scent floated over him. He felt alive. The need to be closer to her overwhelmed him. He missed having a connection with a woman. Sure he had friends and his brother, but there was something about having a woman in his life. They saw things, they understood on a different level, offer
ed a comfort a man couldn’t find anywhere else. A soft place to fall.

  “Better?”

  “My lip’s better, but certain other parts ache like crazy.”

  He lifted her onto his lap. His hands framed her face as he kissed her. He could lose himself in her so easily. She slipped her hand under his shirt, warm and searching. His breath hitched. Her seeking fingers brushed over one of his scars. “What happened here?”

  “I got hurt.”

  “No kidding. It’s a scar. Did you get it in Afghanistan?”

  He didn’t want to remember how Sanders had been blown apart and pieces of his buddy’s bones had slashed through his chest. To distract both of them, he nibbled on the sensitive skin below her ear. Her groan rippled through him.

  “Never mind.” She leaned forward and kissed his puckered flesh. His hands buried in her hair, the silky texture teasing his fingers as heat blasted through him. Unable to bear more of her tender exploration for fear of embarrassing himself, he pulled her face to his.

  His lips covered hers again, hungry and almost desperate. Her hands fisted in his shirt as she clung to him. Through a haze, he heard a door creak upstairs, followed by the click of dog nails and the slap of bare feet on the wooden floor. The sexual fog surrounding him evaporated. He lifted Stacy off him and dumped her on the couch. Her hair mussed from his hands, her skin flushed from his touch, her hands shook as she adjusted her blouse. Much longer and her shirt would’ve been on the floor.

  How could he have forgotten his daughter and her younger brother slept upstairs? The woman, her intoxicating kisses and her magic hands could make a man forget to breathe.

  A minute later Jess stumbled into the living room, her dog Thor trotting behind her. She glanced between him and Stacy.

  He was busted. How the hell was he going to get out of this mess?

  * * *

  STACY WANTED TO run for the front door the minute she saw Jess, but running would only make her look guiltier. Nothing to do but straighten out her big girl panties, or in this case her twisted blouse, and bluff her way through the situation. That was it. She was an actress. She’d pretend nothing happened. Play it cool, and Jess wouldn’t realize a thing.