Big Sky Bachelor (9781460320624)

by Mcdaniel, Lesley Ann

  Her face puckered. “Do you think it’s funny that I didn’t recognize you?”

  Seeing that the chuckle had sent the wrong message, he turned serious. “Now, just take it easy.”

  “Don’t tell me what to do.” Her fists shot to her hips. “Why didn’t you let me know who you are?”

  Since her volume had increased to a level that might garner unwanted attention, Micah started down the steps, his hands held up in a gesture of surrender. “You make it sound like I’m trying to hide something.”

  “Well, are you?” Her eyes burrowed into him like two perfect brown marbles.

  His feet hit the base of the steps as he considered how best to answer that without either fueling her anger or telling a bold-faced lie.

  The marbles slitted into two perfect almonds. “Well?”

  He felt his reins on the conversation slipping from his grasp. “I thought it wouldn’t matter to you.” The second that was out of the chute, he wanted to herd it back in. He was supposed to be calming her down, not riling her up even more.

  “Wouldn’t matter? You tried to rope me into competing against you in the rodeo, and you thought it wouldn’t matter to me that you’ve won championships all over the country?”

  Micah grimaced. He’d liked it better the night before, when she’d seemed a little off her game. Now she appeared to be completely in control, and Micah, unfortunately, wasn’t.

  “Look, I’m sorry about that, but it’s no big deal.” Oops. What was it about this girl that made him blurt out all the phrases he knew he should avoid? Next he’d be saying something about her being too emotional or having a crisis. Not good.

  “No big deal? Maybe not to you, but you can’t expect someone to agree to compete against you not knowing—”

  “So now you know. No big deal.” Really? He might as well concede defeat. He was totally blowing it.

  “You lied to me. You let me think you didn’t even like rodeos. Then you said you could ‘take up tie-down roping’ like it was just that easy.”

  “Hey, I didn’t lie. My event is bull riding. I haven’t ever competed as a roper.”

  Her voice seemed to catch in her throat. “If you still think I’m going up against you—”

  “I understand.” He mentally clicked through his repertoire of past successful strategies. “You’re used to calves, and you might not feel qualified to rope a steer.”

  “I live on a ranch.” The glare she fired communicated that he’d picked the wrong strategy. “I rope steers all the time. That’s not the point.”

  “Look.” Moving closer, he patted the air in front of him with his hands, hoping to encourage her to calm down. “There’s more to this that I have to explain to you.”

  “What more could there possibly be?” Refolding her arms, she lowered her voice a touch.

  Aware that her willingness to listen might be extremely short-lived, he calculated his words. “Remember what you said last night about me being self-absorbed? That I should do something for somebody else?”

  Those soft brown eyes creased, giving her a contemplative look that he found encouraging. “Yes...”

  “Well, this is it.”

  “I’m not following.” The line of her china-doll jaw hardened. “How is tricking me doing something for someone else?”

  He cautioned a quick glance toward the bunkhouse. “Owen is crazy about Keely.”

  Her brows rose to a near knot. This was apparently news to her. “Okay. So?”

  “So, Keely is only interested in guys who are in the rodeo. We need to get Owen into the rodeo.”

  Her mouth cut into a thin line of skepticism. “You think that Keely is going to be interested in Owen just because he enters the rodeo?”

  “I think it’s worth a shot.” He maneuvered his head, trying to get her to make eye contact. “It’s a good idea, right?”

  She focused upward, pulling in a breath. With the release of that air, she met his gaze with seemingly reluctant surrender. “It’s not a bad idea.” The fire returned to her eyes. “But why do you need to involve me?”

  A good question, and one that he wasn’t quite prepared to respond to with complete accuracy. He would have to give her the answer that he could actually get a saddle on.

  “Because it’s not enough for Keely to just watch Owen compete. She needs to spend time with him. Get to know him. This is how I figure it.” He held up a hand as if to paint the image against the evening sky. “Seeing as Keely and I are a team, we need to practice together. We need Owen and you there, too, so she doesn’t get the wrong idea about being alone with me.”

  A laugh sputtered from her throat. “You think that just because a woman spends time alone with you, she’s going to fall in love with you?”

  “I just know how these things can go is all. I don’t want her to get the wrong idea.”

  She shrugged her brows. “Go on.”

  “So I figure if the four of us practice together, that’ll give them the opportunity to get acquainted. So I need you to be teamed up with Owen.”

  She regarded him in a slightly disapproving, slightly annoyed way that made his neck feel prickly. He had seen other guys get that same sort of look from girls, but being on the receiving end of it was new for him. He was used to the look the girls generally sent his way. That trusting, lash-batting look that said You’re perfect and you’re my hero. Janessa’s look read something more along the lines of I can see right through you, and I don’t trust you one bit. Much to his surprise, he found himself warming up to that challenge.

  Her expression hardened. “I don’t have time.”

  Choosing to see her objection as a request to help her justify giving in to him, he turned intentionally taunting. “Don’t you want to help Owen?”

  “Well sure, but—”

  “Because believe it or not, romance isn’t exactly my specialty.”

  She pursed her lips. “Yeah, I got that, Mr. ‘Nothing Serious.’” Her eyes flashed with suspicion. “It doesn’t have to be me. You could find someone else.”

  “I’m afraid it’s too late for that. You’re the local favorite. Didn’t you see how excited everybody is to have us competing against each other?”

  He’d taken a chance on that last line, judging from what he’d experienced from the grocery patrons that morning. Seeing her argument deflate, he figured he was right and she knew it.

  She fired him a glare. “I’m just not doing it!” With that, she whirled around and stomped off toward the main house.

  Micah drew in a long breath. Something told him convincing her was going to be harder than riding an ornery bull and even more dangerous. He smiled. Good thing he was well acquainted with danger.

  * * *

  The soothing aroma of chocolate hung in the air of the shop that had served as the candy store’s packing facility for as long as Janessa could remember. Now, as she stood next to Andra, an unexpected lump formed in her throat.

  “Well, ladies.” Joe pushed some buttons on the wall by the door, bringing to life the old-fashioned fishbowl lights that dangled from the high ceiling. “What do you think?”

  “I think it’s amazing.” Andra slowly took it all in, from the well-worn hardwood floor to the stamped metal ceiling. “It’s bigger than I thought.”

  Joe fairly beamed. “The kitchen’s a nice size, too. Let’s go see if they might’a left any of their homemade marshmallows sittin’ around.”

  Andra flashed Janessa a nervous smile as she followed Joe.

  Janessa lagged behind, looking around the vaguely Victorian room. She traced her fingers across the smooth edge of a huge copper cauldron and lingered alongside the old-time taffy machine that she’d seen in motion a million times from the other side of the window. Although she’d never actually been inside this place
before, she had treasured memories of it nevertheless.

  She always made a habit of glancing through the large windows as she walked past, but her favorite memories were of her dad bringing her here at Christmastime. When she was small, he’d put her up on his shoulders so she could get a good view of the workers, dressed like elves at that time of year, making taffy and fudge, and packing hundreds of boxes with chocolates and other confections. She and Daddy would watch in fascination until they agreed that their toes were cold and it was time to walk around the corner to visit the actual candy store. There, they’d warm up with peppermint hot chocolate while making their official candy selections.

  The memory warmed her, almost as much as that hot chocolate had.

  Now as she slowly walked between the long tables stacked with rectangular white boxes, she thought about the delicious caramels, brittles, hand-dipped chocolates and other treats that had come from this place over the years. Who wouldn’t be happy in here?

  She made her way down a short hallway and into the brightly lit commercial kitchen, which stole her breath. Stainless-steel counters and vintage-looking industrial appliances lined three of the cream-colored walls. The other wall was mostly taken up by three tall, white-trimmed windows that looked out on the lot where Beau Healy kept the cars waiting for repair in his shop. Not very scenic, but it added a reassuring connection to the activity of the community.

  In her mind, she could see a catering staff crowded around the large steel-topped table that ran down the center of the room, grabbing pots and pans from the racks above it as they busily prepared for an event.

  Janessa felt instantly at home.

  Joe was in the middle of supplying Andra with details. “Cynthia and Skylar are buyin’ themselves a brand-new stove and refrigerator, so I offered to take these beauties off their hands.” He patted the 1940’s-era cast-iron cooktop as he consulted his watch. “Well, ladies. I’d best get back over to the diner before the breakfast crowd gets to missin’ me too much. Take all the time you want.”

  With a reassuring bob of his graying head, he exited out the back door. The girls gave the kitchen another wide-eyed once-over.

  “Well?” Janessa broke the contemplative silence. “What do you think?”

  Andra slowly shook her head. “I think it’s incredible. I see why Joe is asking such a high rent.”

  They headed back to the front room, taking in details like tourists in the Louvre.

  Andra let out a resigned sigh. “I’m dreaming to think I could ever afford this place.” She clutched her upper arms and slowly scanned the room.

  Janessa swallowed her childish urge to yell Take it anyway! It would be wrong to influence her friend to make a decision she might later regret just to satisfy her own romantic notions of what this place might become.

  “I had pictured something smaller.” A sense of loss edged Andra’s tone. “You know, a nice-sized kitchen with a cozy space at the front to meet with clients.” She drew a half circle in front of her with her arm. “This is way more than we need.”

  Janessa cast her a sidelong glance. “Did you say we?”

  “We. I. Whatever. It’s too much space and too expensive.”

  “You’re probably right.” Janessa let her words drift out on a sigh, carrying a piece of her childhood right along with them. “It’s a shame though, don’t you think?”

  Andra gave her a sad smile. “I’ve always loved this place. I’d hate to see Joe rent it to someone who doesn’t really appreciate it.” Andra looked wistful as they took a last lingering look around the room, then switched off the lights and headed into the bright outdoors.

  “Want a lift to work?” Janessa had parked her car around the corner, surprised that tourists had already claimed the few spots along this side street.

  “No, thanks.” Andra hoisted her purse up onto her shoulder as they started toward the main street. “I can walk home and get my car. Besides, you have a riding class after work. You wouldn’t have time to bring me back to town first.”

  “True. I’d have to corral you into helping out.”

  Andra tilted her a glance. “I’m afraid of horses, remember?”

  “I remember.” The words came out with a light chuckle. “What are you going to do when you fall for some cute cowboy?”

  “Find me the cute cowboy and I’ll work on my horse-o-phobia.”

  Janessa laughed. “Horse-o-phobia?” Her phone beeped, letting her know she’d just received a text. “The word is actually hippophobia.” Still walking, she dug into her purse.

  “No way,” Andra said. “Then what do they call the fear of hippos?”

  “I don’t know.” She flicked her phone on. “Common sense?”

  “Very funny.”

  As they neared the corner, a couple of preteen boys rode past on bikes, whooping like they were on stallions instead of Stingrays, and distracting Janessa from the text she’d been about to read.

  “Whoo... Hey, It’s Janessa Greene!” One of them shouted as they looped back around.

  “Can’t wait to see you try to beat Micah Brody!” The other one swung his arm over his head like he was fixing to throw a rope. They continued up the block, hollering like cowboys and tossing imaginary lariats at everything from cars to pedestrians.

  Janessa gritted her teeth. “See what Micah’s done? Everybody in town is getting all worked up over something that’s not even going to happen.”

  “You could stop by Cal’s right now and take your name off that sign-up list.”

  Janessa clicked her tongue. “Micah’s the one who signed me up. He can just unsign me.”

  They reached the corner and stopped cold, wowed by a gorgeous cherry-red Dodge Ram pickup parked two spaces in, next to Janessa’s car. She let out a low whistle.

  “You said it,” Andra concurred. “Show me the cowboy who owns that rig, and I’ll show you a cowboy worth curing my hippophobia for.”

  Jarring herself out of her stupor of automotive admiration, Janessa glanced down at the terse text on the phone in her hand. “Oh, no.” She slapped her palm to her face.

  Andra pulled her eyes from the truck. “What is it?”

  “I can’t believe I spaced out emailing that stupid form back to Hana.” She shoved the phone into her purse. “It’s all Micah’s fault. If I hadn’t gotten so sidetracked by that whole rodeo thing, I would have—”

  “Uh... Ness...” Andra discreetly nodded past Janessa’s shoulder.

  Twisting around, Janessa saw Micah ambling toward them wearing a smirk that said she should pay more heed to her volume control.

  She snapped back around, smacking headlong into her own inner conflict. This guy had done nothing but unsettle her since the moment she’d first laid eyes on him. But the feelings that stirred in her at the sight of him weren’t entirely unpleasant.

  This disquieting thought barely had time to take shape before its object sidled up to her with that slow, sure gait that made her wonder how many late-night John Wayne movies he’d watched as a kid.

  He touched the brim of his hat. “Morning, ladies.”

  Ergh. She didn’t have time for this. Not if she wanted to stop by home on her way to work and take care of that form.

  “You must be Micah.” Andra flapped her arms up, then down, then up again like she didn’t know if she wanted to shake his hand or take flight. “I’m Andra.” She finally settled on offering to shake, then slid a perceptive back-and-forth look between him and Janessa. “Well,” she said a little too brightly, “I need to get to work.” With head bent toward Janessa, she added, “‘Young Brad Pitt’ is right.”

  Firing her a sharp arrow of annoyance, Janessa started digging in her purse for her keys. She stepped past the Dodge to where her car cowered in shame next to it. “I’m assuming you’re in town to take my name off th
e rodeo sign-up.”

  “Actually...” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I drove in to talk to Keely about setting up a practice schedule.”

  “Oh.” Where were those keys? And why did a twinge of fire shoot through her at the thought of him coming all the way into town just to talk to Keely?

  “Besides,” he went on. “I don’t think I should take your name off that sign-up sheet.”

  Her eyes snapped up to meet his. “Why not?”

  He raised and lowered a shoulder in a manner that emphasized the muscular shape underneath his deep green T-shirt. “Because I think you’re going to change your mind.”

  She puffed out air, trying not to notice how white his teeth were. “What makes you so sure?”

  “Because you love the sport of rodeo. And you recognize an opportunity when you see it.”

  “What kind of opportunity?” She fumed. How dare he presume to know what she was thinking? If there had been a shred of a possibility that she might change her mind, this was enough to kill it.

  “The opportunity to learn from a pro. I can teach you everything I know about roping.”

  “You’re a professional bull rider, not a roper.” She burrowed down deeper for her keys. “You said so yourself.”

  “What I said was that I’ve never competed as a roper. That doesn’t mean I haven’t done my fair share.” He paused. “I was fixing to compete next year for world all-around champion.”

  Her head jerked up again. Competing professionally in both events? Impressive.

  She shook off the thought and returned to her search. There was nothing impressive about his arrogance. As far as she was concerned, any bull on earth should take great pleasure in bucking this cowboy right off his high horse.

  Feeling a little ridiculous now, she took a break from the key excavation. “I’ve been roping my whole life. I don’t need lessons.”

  “We’ll see.” He tipped his hat and stepped into the space between her hatchback and the Dodge.

  She frowned. What did he think he was doing?

  As he reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a set of keys, it dawned on her. Of course a big rodeo champion would drive a flashy truck like this. She pondered. All the ranch hands she knew drove beat up old pickups, like her old Chevy...only newer. Why would a guy who could afford something like this need a ranch job, anyway?