“Right.” Tyler smiled at him. “I thought you looked familiar.”
He cleared his throat. “There was a lot going on that night.”
Especially in the hayloft. “It was a memorable evening.” Tyler forced her gaze away from his before someone figured out just how well she remembered the guy who’d played the music, the guy who had a really talented mouth, clever hands, and a way of stealing a girl’s heart when she wasn’t looking.
“I adored my wedding.” Morgan seemed oblivious to the undercurrents swirling between Tyler and Alex.
“The ceremony on horseback was certainly unique.” Tyler focused all her attention on her hormonal and understandably self-centered sister, who looked like she’d stuffed a basketball down the front of her green paisley dress. Morgan had a month to go before she delivered, which meant this would be a large baby, because she looked ready to give birth at any moment.
Anyone who saw dark-haired Tyler and redheaded Morgan and knew they were sisters would understand why their parents had decided to combine last names and create the O’Connelli surname to honor both the Irish and the Italian sides of the family. It had been a quirky solution from a certifiably quirky couple.
“And there was Jack’s incredible toast at the reception,” Sarah added. She’d managed to shove into the box whatever she’d been holding when they’d arrived. “I’ll never forget that toast.”
“Me, either.” Morgan sighed. “The whole event was so romantic and happy that I think it helped bring Jack and Josie back together. Was that when they decided to have a double wedding with Nick and Dominique?”
“I think the four of them did come to that conclusion sometime during the reception.” Sarah moved in front of the box sitting on the round oak table, as if wanting to block it from Morgan’s view. “We were lucky to get their ceremony planned and completed before the first snow.”
Tyler suspected the box was full of baby things. She had quite a few in her suitcase, too. She’d managed to finagle this short leave from work knowing she’d be in the middle of the Mediterranean when the baby arrived.
She glanced at Sarah. “So how does it feel, having all three of your sons married?”
“Very empty nestish,” Sarah said. “I hope you can stick around for awhile. We have plenty of room upstairs now and I’d love the company.”
“She might be happiest here,” Morgan said. “I’d love to have her sleep at our house, but with the construction still in progress, and only the master bedroom finished, it’s sort of—”
“Like camping out.” Sarah laughed. “Tyler, you’ll want to take one of the upstairs bedrooms and leave the newlyweds to their chaos. I told them all to wait and move when the houses were done, but all three couples insisted they wanted to rough it in their new digs. I’ve tried not to take it personally,” she added with a grin.
“I can sleep wherever,” Tyler said. Except the hayloft. “But if there’s a room available upstairs, that sounds wonderful.”
“Great.” Sarah beamed at her. “How long can you stay?”
“I have to fly back next Wednesday.”
“Wow.” Sarah blinked. “That’s hardly enough time to unpack.”
“But at least she’s here, which is totally awesome.” Morgan’s happy gaze met Tyler’s.
“I had to see the new mommy-to-be.” And her sister’s enthusiasm made the effort so worthwhile. Alex’s presence was a small complication she’d work through.
“Tyler about gave me a heart attack,” Morgan said. “I didn’t know she was coming until she called me from the L.A. airport and said she was on her way.”
“I wasn’t sure I could get off until the last minute, and I had to sign in blood that I’d be back on Wednesday.”
Morgan regarded her sister with obvious pride. “That’s because Tyler’s the activities director for a world cruise that sails from L.A. a week from today. If she gets a good evaluation at the end of it, she’s been promised a promotion to cruise director, which means she’ll be the head honcho next time out. How cool is that?”
“Very cool.” Sarah gazed at Tyler with obvious respect.
“Good for you, Tyler,” Mary Lou added.
“Thanks. If I get this promotion, I’ll be the youngest cruise director in the history of the company.” Tyler found herself basking in Sarah’s and Mary Lou’s approval. Her parents, who claimed to care nothing for status or worldly goods, hadn’t been particularly impressed by her rapid rise in the business. She hadn’t thought she cared whether they were impressed or not, but maybe she did.
“That’s terrific.” Alex lifted his unopened beer bottle. “Can I get drinks for anyone? We should toast Tyler’s success.”
“Well, I don’t have the promotion yet.” But maybe it was good that the subject was on the table, so that Alex knew that she was still fully immersed in her career and excited about the next big step.
Or maybe he wouldn’t care. Maybe he was over his ex and had hooked up with somebody from around here. All her worries about resisting him might be for nothing if he was otherwise occupied.
“I’d love a beer,” Mary Lou said. “Move aside, Alex, and I’ll see that we all get something cold to drink and happy hour munchies. Sarah, I know you’ll join me in a Friday afternoon beer. Tyler, what will you have?”
“The same, thanks.” Maybe a cold beer would settle her nerves. She’d expected she might see Alex while she was here, considering that he was Josie’s brother and part of the extended Chance family. But she hadn’t planned on running into him first thing out of the gate and immediately having to deal with her emotional reaction.
“Root beer for me, please,” Morgan said.
“I know, honey,” Mary Lou said. “I have it right here.” She opened the refrigerator and began passing out bottles.
Sarah quietly removed the box from the table and tucked it out of sight before swinging into hostess mode. “Everybody have a seat. I’ll get us some chips and dip. The rest of the gang will probably show up pretty soon, and if I know my boys, they’ll be ready to toast the beginning of the weekend with a cold one.”
Tyler chose a seat at the opposite side of the table from where Alex stood. She couldn’t help sneaking glances at him, and every time she did, he was looking back. Not the usual behavior of a man who had a girlfriend.
He could still be unattached, and if so, she’d have to be very careful. As if her memories of his lovemaking weren’t enough to make her heart race, he’d turned into every woman’s fantasy — a broad-shouldered, lean-hipped, yummy cowboy. She wondered if he’d bought himself a Stetson.
In no time Mary Lou and Sarah had the impromptu party organized with drinks all around. Bowls of chips and several kinds of dip sat on the table along with a stack of napkins.
Sarah took a chair and raised her beer bottle. “Here’s to your world cruise, Tyler, and the important promotion I’m sure will follow.”
“Thank you.” Tyler began to understand why Morgan loved being a part of this stable, loving family. Morgan, Tyler, and their six siblings had lived a vagabond lifestyle traveling the country in a psychedelic van with their New Age parents.
They’d spent a few months in Shoshone back when she and Morgan were teenagers. For Tyler, it had just been one stop in their constant travels, but Morgan had loved it and had vowed to come back. Although Tyler had inherited her parents’ wanderlust, Morgan had yearned for roots, and now she had them. Her baby would represent the fourth generation of Chances living on this ranch.
“I guess that means you can’t be here when the baby’s born,” Mary Lou said.
“Exactly, which is why I came now. When that little tyke arrives, I’ll be somewhere in the Mediterranean. On the way here from the airport I tried to talk Morgan into setting up a video call in the delivery room, but she wasn’t buying it.”
Morgan made a face. “Sorry, but I have this image of the entire crew of the Sea Goddess gathered around your computer watching me give birth. I’m even thi
nking of having the baby at the ranch, to keep the moment more private and special.”
“You thought I’d invite people to see the birth on my laptop?”
“Well, maybe not, but—”
“Shoot, I’d put it up on the big screen in the movie theater!” As Morgan’s eyes widened, Tyler nudged her in the ribs. “Gotcha.”
“No, you didn’t. I knew you were kidding.”
“Did not. You should have seen your face. Are you really thinking of having a home birth?”
Morgan glanced at Sarah. “I’d like to.”
“And Gabe and I are trying to talk her out of it,” Sarah said. “Maybe if we were five minutes from the hospital, I wouldn’t worry, but if something goes wrong, it’s a long trek into Jackson.”
“Nothing will go wrong,” Morgan said. “My mom had all of us in the back of the family van.”
“Yes, but dad said he always parked it next to the hospital.” Tyler was inclined to agree with Gabe and Sarah on this one. She looked across the table to where Alex sat peeling the label off his beer bottle. Maybe he wasn’t all that comfy discussing the birthing process.
Giving birth wasn’t her top priority, either, but she found herself longing to hear him talk. During the reception last summer his voice had seduced her long before she’d suggested they could share a bottle of champagne in the hayloft. “Ever seen a baby being born, Alex?”
He stopped peeling the label and looked at her with his intense gray eyes. “Can’t say that I have. How about you?”
That voice, honed by years of radio work, gave her goosebumps. “Yes, and it’s an awesome experience, so I was hoping for a live stream of my big sister’s event.” She was still curious about why he was at the ranch this afternoon. He seemed completely at home, as if he lived here, and yet she was sure he’d planned to rent a place in Jackson once he started his job there.
“So how are things at the radio station?” she asked.
“Oh, he left that job, Tyler,” Morgan said. “He’s the marketing director for the Last Chance, now, and he lives out here.”
Tyler could have used that information earlier, before she’d walked into the kitchen and been struck dumb by the incredible backside of Alex Keller. But Morgan would have no reason to tell her. Morgan didn’t know about the night in the hayloft.
Alex leaned forward. “And speaking of my job, I’ve run into a couple of snags for tomorrow’s event.”
“What event?” Tyler had a feeling that Morgan had neglected to mention several important items during the drive from the Jackson airport. Tyler couldn’t blame her, though. Morgan had spent the drive talking about her plans for the baby’s room, assuming it was completed in time for Morgan to add the decorating touches she had in mind.
“I’ve set up an open house,” Alex said. “I’ve had to operate under some tight time constraints, but I wanted to catch people at the beginning of the summer with the idea that if it goes well, we can do it again in August.”
“It will go well,” Sarah said. “We’ve invited everybody who might be a candidate for buying one of the Last Chance Paints, and we should have a good turnout because June is when the summer tourist season gets rolling. We’ll have tours of the barn, cutting horse demonstrations, plenty of food—”
“Sounds great,” Tyler said. “I’m not a prospective buyer, but I’m sure I’ll enjoy all that, if I’m invited, that is.”
Morgan touched her arm. “Of course you’re invited! You’re family!”
“Thanks.” Tyler was surprised by how pleased she was to hear that. She loved her carefree life and didn’t mind that home was a sparsely furnished efficiency apartment in L.A. with no live plants and a refrigerator that was usually empty. But she wouldn’t mind borrowing the nurturing environment of the Last Chance for the next few days, providing she could control her urge to snuggle up with Alex.
Her fantasy man leaned back in his chair. “The thing is, I’d hoped to establish the mood with live music, but the country band I’d hired just canceled a half-hour ago.”
“What about Watkins?” Mary Lou set down her beer. “That cowhand plays a decent guitar if you could talk him into doing it.”
“It’s a thought, but that’s not the only issue. I also ordered three event canopies because we’re supposed to have some rain, but only one showed up. I’m a little worried that—”
“Say no more.” Tyler leaped into the breach automatically, a learned response from handling this kind of crisis all the time on cruises. “It’ll be fine. I’ll help you figure out some alternatives.” Belatedly she realized that her offer would throw her into direct contact with the man she’d decided to avoid for the duration of her visit.
Alex sat forward, hope in his eyes. “You will? That would be great.” Then he seemed to catch himself. “Wait a minute. You’re on vacation. You shouldn’t have to—”
“Don’t kid yourself,” Morgan said. “She loves this kind of thing. It’s her job to coordinate all the onboard entertainment, so parties are her deal. I had to hold her back or she would have planned my entire wedding from her stateroom on the Sea Goddess.”
“Then I accept.” Alex blew out a breath. “I don’t know what kind of magic you can work, but whatever it is, I’ll take it.”
Magic. That’s the exact word she would use to describe the night they’d spent together in the hayloft. She was realistic enough to know how much she’d be tempted to make love with him again, but that was a really bad idea. Considering the emotional tug she felt every time he looked at her, they could end up in a no-win situation that would break both their hearts.
Chapter Two
Looking into Tyler’s dark eyes, Alex imagined he could read her mind. She already regretted her decision to help him, but he wasn’t about to let her off the hook. He needed her expertise.
If that meant they’d have to work together and deal with the heat that still simmered between them, so be it. He wasn’t about to interfere with her world cruise and probable promotion. He’d tell her once they were alone.
In fact, having a private moment to clear the air was a very good idea. “I don’t want to rush you, but we don’t have a lot of time to cook up those alternate plans. If you’d be willing to take a look at the outdoor setup before dinner, that would be great.”
“Sure.” She pushed back her chair. “Give me ten minutes to take my suitcase upstairs and change clothes.”
Morgan stood and pressed a hand to the small of her back. “I’ll go with you and help you get settled in.”
“That’s okay.” Standing, too, Tyler wrapped an arm around Morgan’s shoulders and gave her a quick hug. “No point in lugging baby whosit up those stairs.”
Sarah’s eyebrows arched. “So she hasn’t told you whether it’s a boy or a girl, either? I thought she might have let it slip to her little sis, and then we could pry it out of you before you leave.”
“I haven’t told anybody.” Morgan sat down again. “Gabe and I are the only ones who know, and it’ll stay that way until July when the little kid makes an appearance.”
“How about a name?” Mary Lou asked. “Have you picked one?”
Morgan nodded. “Yes, and I promise that you’ll know immediately from the baby’s name whether I had a boy or a girl.”
Tyler sighed with obvious relief. “Thank God. As you noticed when some of us were here last summer, our parents conspired to give all of us unisex names.”
“And I have to admit I had trouble keeping everyone straight during the wedding last year,” Sarah said. “I’m sure I called you by your twin brother Regan’s name at least twice.”
“Don’t feel bad about it. Regan and I had our names switched so many times in school it wasn’t funny.”
“I agree it was a nightmare while we were growing up,” Morgan said. “But now, as a real estate agent, my name works because it’s easily recognizable. Still, I’m not doing that to my child.”
“I’m glad.” Tyler picked up her empty beer bot
tle and the napkin she’d used for her chips. “Anyway, let me scoot upstairs and get changed.”
Mary Lou made a flapping motion with her hand. “Leave the bottle and napkin, sweetie. I’ll take care of it.”
“And I’ll carry your suitcase upstairs.” Alex pushed back his chair and stood.
“I can manage,” Tyler said.
Alex gave her a smile. “It’s the gentlemanly thing to do, and I’m the gentleman who’s available.” Hell, he probably shouldn’t have said that. He’d blame all those years of being a glib DJ.
“Thank you, but it’s a small suitcase, and I really can—”
“You don’t know which room.” He was determined to grab this chance to talk with her. “Where should I put her, Sarah?”
“Let me think.” Sarah tapped her chin. “Maybe we should stick with the wing you’re in, because we’re having some problems with the pipes on the other side. I need to call a plumber but I haven’t done it yet. Gabe’s room should be in decent shape.”
“It was the last time we were up there packing his high school trophies,” Morgan said. “I don’t think the bed’s made up, though.”
Sarah started to rise. “Maybe I should come up there with you.”
“Sit still.” Alex wasn’t giving up this opportunity to have a conversation with Tyler. “I know where the linen closet is. Tyler and I can handle it.”
“Absolutely,” Tyler said. “I’m perfectly capable of making a bed.”
And lying in it? Alex was trying so hard to play it cool, but thinking of Tyler smoothing sheets over the bed she’d sleep in for several nights, a bed that would be in a room right across the hall from his, didn’t help at all. He’d never shared a bed with her, but he had no trouble imagining how wonderful that would be. The hayloft had been earthy and exotic, but a good mattress had advantages, too.
At this point, he needed to decide how he felt about the possibility. Obviously, considering her career plans, it couldn’t be more than a short-term experience. Was that a mistake? Maybe, but not a huge one unless they slipped up on birth control, and he wouldn’t let that happen.
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