Capturing the Cowboy's Heart

by Lindsey Brookes

  “You see to the fence?” Brandt asked gruffly.

  Why a man with Brandt’s wealth wanted a rundown place like the Flying T was beyond him, but as long as getting the old man what he wanted lined his pockets he’d make damn certain it happened. “I took care of it, but they’ve already gotten it repaired.”

  “But he lost some cattle before they got the fence back up?”

  Danners hesitated in answering, knowing the old coot wasn’t going to be happy with what he had to say.

  “Danners,” Brandt growled.

  “No,” he conceded with a frown. “They discovered it before any cattle could wander out.”

  “Son-of-a-bitch!” Brandt’s round face turned bright red, a stark contrast to his thick, white hair. “I’m disappointed in you, Danners. It’s a good thing I bought that magazine. Maybe that pretty little reporter I sent in to get the dirt on Tyler can do what you seem inept to do.”

  Danners bristled at that. He’d done everything the rich bastard had asked of him. It wasn’t his fault Tyler was a hard man to bring down.

  “Once I get Lacy Dalton’s interview, I’ll make a few changes to it and deliver the final blow to Cade Tyler,” Brandt continued, his eyes gleaming with his lust for revenge.

  “I wouldn’t be too sure of that.”

  Hard brown eyes pinned him. “What do you mean?”

  “Tyler has warned your sexy little journalist to steer clear of me.”

  Brandt raised a thick brow. “So he’s suspicious of you?”

  “Far from,” Danners said cockily. “It appears he’s taken a shining to Lacy Dalton. The man can’t keep his eyes off her.”

  The older man’s harsh expression eased and a low chuckle rumbled in his barreled chest. “So I was right. I knew when she came in to interview for that job she would be the perfect distraction. Tyler might hate reporters, but he is a man. One who’s been without a female for a very long time.” He grinned triumphantly.

  Danners pushed his weather-beaten hat higher up on his forehead. “So what do you want me to do now?”

  “Torch the hayshed. That will hit Tyler where it hurts – his wallet.”

  “Will do.”

  “After that, I’m going to get another long awaited slice of revenge.”

  “Which is?”

  “Going after that murdering beast of his,” Brandt replied with a sneer.

  “Bluster?”

  Brandt shook an angry finger at him. “That bull’s name is never to be spoken in my presence. Ever.”

  “Understood. But I’m not sure how we’ll get to that bull. Tyler keeps it in the pasture closest to the house. Someone might see me.”

  Brandt rolled his eyes. “Must I do all the thinking for you, Danners? You don’t have to go near the beast to take it down. See that something gets into its feed.”

  “Poison it?” he replied, contemplating the thought. Then he nodded with a grin. “It could work. With only Burk and me helping at the ranch they’d know it was me, but with Lacy Dalton working the ranch, too...”

  “Working the ranch?”

  “Apparently, your little reporter gal made a deal with Tyler to work for him as one of his ranch hands in exchange for his letting her do the story. She’s as green as they come when it comes to ranching. She could easily poison the cattle without knowing it.”

  “I like that. But wait until she’s got her story. Then I could care less what happens to her.”

  “Will do.”

  “And Danners...”

  “Yeah?”

  “Be damned careful. Reporters are naturally sharp. Make certain Miss Dalton doesn’t catch on to our little plan or you’ll be doing more than poisoning cattle. Understand?”

  He did. Stealing, lying and poisoning cattle were one thing, but he had no desire to add murder to his list of crimes. That was Brandt’s department. Most of all, he had no desire to find a cement block attached to his feet. “I’ll take care of it.”

  “Good. I’ll be in touch.” The tinted window of Brandt’s Mercedes closed, the man’s permanent leer disappearing behind it. A moment later, he backed out and drove away.

  * * *

  Lacy busied herself with anything that would keep her thoughts off both the loss of her grandmother and her growing feelings for Cade. It was getting harder and harder to keep all her emotions in check, but she was determined to do so.

  She walked over and grabbed a package of cold cuts from the refrigerator and the only package of cheese that didn’t look like the fairway on a golf course. Didn’t men ever think to clean their refrigerators out?

  Moving about the kitchen, she dug through the cupboards in search of bread and plates. Then, she began to make the lunch she’d promised Cade. She came across a slightly overripe cantaloupe in the back of the fridge that she was able to salvage, cutting it up into bite size chunks.

  When she finished, she carried the plates over to the table and stood staring at them with a frown. It just didn’t seem like enough food for men the size of Cade and Burk. Thankfully, Danners never ate at the ranch. There wasn’t enough lunchmeat left for even a small sandwich. The hand preferred to take his meals in town. Usually at the boarding house where he stayed since coming to town.

  Lacy made a mental note to pick up whatever groceries they needed the next time she was in town. Crossing the kitchen, she stepped out onto the back porch and called out, “Cade! Burk! Lunch is ready!”

  “Time to eat,” Burk said, swiping his sleeve across his brow.

  “Good. I’m starving,” Cade said, wiping his hands on the front of his jeans.

  They made their way out of the barn with Domino close on their heels.

  “So Lacy can cook, too,” Burk said with a grin.

  “So she says,” Cade replied as they stepped up onto the porch.

  “My kind of woman.”

  Cade shot him a warning glance. “Don’t get too excited. I told her not to cook anything.”

  “You told her not to? So what are we having for lunch? Cereal?”

  “I’m sure she’ll figure something out. Dalton’s a smart girl.”

  “Girl? You had your eyes checked recently?”

  He didn’t need Burk reminding him of how sexy Lacy Dalton was. It was a constant on his mind. “My eyes are fine.”

  “So you say,” Burk said with a shrug. “I sure hope Lacy’s forgiven you for pissing her off the other day. Otherwise, our stomachs might pay for your being an idiot.”

  “She’s over it,” Cade said, ignoring his friend’s insult. “I even took her out with me today to feed the cows.”

  “How romantic.”

  “You really are a pain in the ass,” Cade informed him as he reached for the screen door.

  Burk chuckled. “I try my best.”

  Lacy turned from the sink when they stepped into the kitchen, a freshly filled ice cube tray clutched in her hand. “Didn’t take you two long to get here,” she said with a grin as she returned it to the freezer.

  “What can I say?” Burk replied as he hung his hat on its hook. “We’re starving.”

  Cade glanced toward the table. “Impressive work, Dalton.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Mmm..mmm,” Burk muttered as he took a seat. He pointed to Domino, “Lay.”

  The dog obeyed, settling under the table at Burk’s feet.

  “Uh...uh...uh,” she said, waving her finger at both men.

  Cade froze halfway into his seat. “What?”

  She pointed toward the hallway. “Neither of you are eating until you wash those filthy hands.”

  Burk looked to Cade. “Can she do that?”

  “Suppose so,” he replied with a grin. “The cook runs the kitchen.”

  She cleared her throat and tapped her foot as she waited for her orders to be followed.

  Cade didn’t miss her grin as he stepped past her. “Bossy woman,” he muttered as he went.

  When they returned, Lacy playfully reached for Cade’s hands to inspect
them. “Much better.”

  “Can we eat now?” he asked, fighting the urge to pull his hand away. Her touch made him want things he couldn’t have.

  “Eat up,” she said as she released his hand and returned to the sink where she busied herself with wiping off the counter.

  “Lacy,” Burk drawled, “aren’t you eating?”

  She shook her head, but continued on with her task. “No.”

  “You’re gonna waste away to nothing,” Cade told her with a worried frown.

  She glanced back over her shoulder with a smile. “Hardly. I picked while I was making your lunch.” She poured them both some lemonade. “Now, if I’m done with my chores, I’d like to soak in a long, hot bath.”

  The mental image of Lacy lying naked in his tub had Cade choking on the drink of lemonade he’d just taken. He coughed several times, fighting for air.

  “Cade!” she exclaimed as she ran over to smack him on the back. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine,” he said, his voice strained. It wasn’t as if she’d never gotten a bath there. But it was usually in the evening while Burk and he were out in the barn. “You’re taking a bath now?”

  “My chores are done. Unless there’s something else you’d like me to do.”

  Oh, he could think of several things he’d like for her to do – to him. “No, you’re done for the day.”

  “Thanks, boss. Enjoy your lunch. I’m going to go start my bathwater.”

  “Burk gave a playful wiggle of his brows when Lacy left the room. “Maybe I should have offered to help wash her back.”

  “If anyone’s going to wash her back, it’ll be me.” The words slipped out before Cade could stop them. He looked across the table to find Burk grinning to beat all. “Just shut the hell up.”

  Lacy peeked into the kitchen a moment later wrapped in a towel. “Cade, there’s no hot water.”

  “Happens a lot,” Burk muttered. “Maybe Cade here could give you a hand.

  Cade ignored Burk’s muffled snickers. “It’s the hot water tank. I’ve been meaning to get a new one for a while now.”

  “But it’s been working fine,” she whined with a disappointed frown.

  “Guess you got lucky,” Burk said as he stabbed at a chunk of cantaloupe. “Cade will have to rip it apart again and see if he can get it working.”

  “So you’re telling me I have to take a cold bath?”

  Burk nodded. “Yep.”

  “Afraid of a little cold water?” Cade teased.

  “No. But it’s not the most relaxing way to bathe.” She reached up to push a strand of hair from her face, making Cade wish he were her towel. Wrapped so snuggly around her naked body. “So when do you think you might have time to work on that?”

  “Later this evening,” he replied.

  “No guarantee it’ll work,” Burk said around a mouthful of cantaloupe. “We went nearly a month once without hot water.”

  They had never gone that long without... Then it hit Cade what Burk was doing. Lacy was at the receiving end of one of his friend’s practical jokes.

  “I can’t walk around all day with dust clinging to my skin.”

  Dust wasn’t the only thing that wanted to cling to her skin, Cade thought biting back a groan.

  “Reckon she’ll have to do what the rest of us do when the hot water goes out,” Cade joined in with a grin.

  “And that would be?” she asked as she stood clutching the towel to her slender form.

  “Ride down to the pond to wash up.”

  “The pond?” She made a face. “Are we talking about the thing ducks and snakes swim in?”

  Burk chuckled. “Water’s too cold for snakes this time of year, but warmer than the water here because of the sun, so you should be all right.” He took a long swallow of his lemonade and then thunked the glass down on the table. “Of course, the ducks might join you if they take a hankering to.”

  “The pond, huh?” she replied, looking anything but pleased.

  Both men nodded in unison.

  “Okay, fine.” That said, she spun about and disappeared from the kitchen.

  “Okay as in she’s going to do it?” Burk asked in surprise.

  Cade shrugged. “Beats the hell out of me. Women usually say one thing and mean another. Judging by the look she had on her face when she asked about snakes and ducks, I think it’s safe to say no.”

  “Reckon you’re right. Lacy doesn’t come across as the outdoor bathing type. Pity.”

  “We’d just better hope she doesn’t find out this was all a joke. One little shake of the hot water heater would have given her what she wanted.”

  “And ruined a bit of fun for us,” Burk reminded him.

  Lacy returned to the kitchen several minutes later dressed in a pair of shorts and a breast-hugging tank top. “All set.”

  Cade’s gaze zeroed in on hot pink bra that dangled from the end of the rolled up towel under her arm. Then, he caught the sweet scent of sun-warmed strawberries coming from the bar of soap in her other hand. His gaze slid lower to her bare feet. Never had he given much thought to bare feet being sexy, but the sight of her dainty feet with their cherry red toenails had effectively shot his body temperature up several notches.

  “Okay, so which one of you cowboys is going to show me the way to the pond?”

  “The pond?” Burk muttered as he sat staring at her.

  “The cowboy-style bath I’m going to have to take since the water heater is acting up.”

  “Oh, yeah, that,” Cade muttered almost incoherently. All he could do was stare. How could one woman pack so much sex appeal?

  “Let’s get this over with. Maybe while I’m bathing in the pond I’ll imagine that I’m soaking in a hot tub surrounded by thick, scented bubbles.” Lacy headed for the door.

  Cade turned to see Burk’s Adam’s apple bobbing up and down, certain his was doing the exact same thing. Did she have to go into detail about her baths?

  “You sure you want to do that?” he asked as he stood up from the table to follow her. “I mean, we could just squirt you off with the hose.” Right after I run it down my pants to cool off.

  She shook her head. “No. I’m here to do a story on your life. Experiencing the way you live it falls under research. So if you say you bathe in the pond sometimes, I need to experience it myself to write about it. Besides, if you men can do it I can too.”

  He walked over to where she stood, his gaze drawn once more to her dangling underthings. “I don’t know, Dalton, that particular shade of pink might just blind the poor ducks.”

  She tugged her niceties free of the bundled towel and waved them at him in a playful manner. “Are you referring to these?”

  “Reckon I was.” He couldn’t help but notice there wasn’t much to them. Surely not enough to warm her shapely little bottom on a cold winter night. Maybe he would volunteer for the job if he happened to find himself in Denver on a cold winter’s night.

  “You’re just jealous,” she said.

  He arched a dark brow. “I’m jealous?”

  She leaned closer to him, her chin tilted stubbornly. “That’s what I said.”

  “Of what?” he muttered, thoroughly distracted by the close proximity of those full, tempting lips.

  “Because this is probably the only sexy lingerie you’ll ever see around these parts. I have a feeling most of the women around here wear grannie panties.” Stuffing the lacy bra back into her towel, she pushed open the screen door and walked out.

  She was probably right. He looked to Burk. “Katie wear grannie panties?”

  “How the hell would I know?”

  “Maybe you ought to find out.”

  Burk shot up from the table, shaking his head. “No way. No how. Going to bed with Katie would be like bedding a porcupine with great legs.”

  Cade chuckled at his friend’s comparison. He couldn’t argue that Katie O’Brien was a little spitfire, and maybe a little younger than Burk was used to in a woman, but
he’d never seen any other female get Burk riled up the way Katie did.

  “Think we oughta tell Lacy the truth now?” his friend asked with a glance toward the kitchen door.

  “After seeing her in that towel? Hell, it’s going to be all I can do to stay away from the bathroom keyhole once we have hot water again.”

  “That’ll teach you for not getting that thing fixed properly sooner.”

  “It was the least of my worries.” At least it had been. Now he wished to hell he’d dished out the money to have it fixed. Slapping his hat back onto his head, he said, “Reckon we’d best take Dalton to see how a real cowboy washes up.”

  “Real cowboy?” Burk snorted. “Hell, Cade, have you ever bathed in the pond?”

  “And your point is...?”

  Burk’s face split into a grin. “You want her to swim naked in your pond so you can watch.”

  “I’m not a peeping Tom. I just wanna see how long it takes her to change her mind about bathing in the pond once she discovers there are fish in it.” Grinning, he followed Lacy outside.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Lacy looked up as the pair of conniving cowboys stepped from the house. Snakes was more like it! She had started back to the kitchen to ask Cade how deep the pond was before she changed and had overheard he and Burk discussing their little prank.

  “Bad hot water tank my behind,” she muttered angrily. Well, she had news for Cade Tyler. Two could play his game.

  “Did you say something?” Cade asked with a smile as he stepped down from the porch.

  She returned his smile. “I asked which one of you drew the short straw and got stuck escorting me to the pond.”

  “We’re all going,” Cade announced as he walked past her toward the barn.

  “All of us?” she replied, pretending to be unnerved by his suggestion.

  “Yeah, we could use a bath, too,” Burk joined in as he followed behind.

  Cade slowed, waiting for Lacy to catch up. “You can ride with me.”

  “I’ll see to the horses,” Burk said, lengthening his stride and passing them both. “You kids just stay out here and enjoy the sunshine, kill some time.”

  If she killed anything, it was going to be Cade. Lacy smiled sweetly. “Burk is so thoughtful.”