Her Fated Cowboy (Harland County Series)

by Donna Michaels

  Jordan exhaled the stiffness from her body and noted color had returned to Kerri’s face at the news.

  “That’s okay. It’s not necessary for them to be here.” She flipped her loose braid behind her back and switched her attention to her parents. “So, Mom, Dad, when do we get to see the old house?”

  “How about right after you’re settled?” Her dad smiled.

  “Great,” Kerri’s reply echoed her own.

  Forty-minutes later, they piled into their dad’s car with their parents and made the ten-minute trip to their old two-story Spanish-style house.

  Several pickup trucks and vans dotted the driveway. Workers dodged about, some heaving sheetrock inside, their biceps bulging under the weight. Childhood memories flooded her brain as she stepped out of the car and stared at the house that had once been her home for the first sixteen years of her life. If it were possible for her heart to smile, it just did.

  The whine of dueling saws echoed in the background as workers cut a pile of two-by-four boards.

  “Wow, renovations are in full swing.” Kerri glanced at the hustling, muscled men, blushing when a few smiled at her. “Let’s see the inside.”

  “Yes, lets.” Jordan put her arm on her sister’s shoulder and together they entered the noisy house.

  The sweet smell of spackling and paint immediately tickled her nose. The overhauled entrance sported fresh umber colored walls and a new hardwood floor shot straight into the opened great room in the back.

  “You knocked down a wall.” She blinked at the transformation. “This is great. It’s more open.”

  “Yes, and we took down the one between the dining room and kitchen as well.” Her mother’s eyes sparkled. “Wait till you see.”

  Jordan stepped into the dining room and gasped. “Wow. Look at that kitchen.”

  “Pinch me. Am I dreaming?” Kerri floated toward the industrial size stainless steel gas stove without glancing at the incredible view from the wall of floor-to-ceiling windows in the back. “I think I’m in heaven,” Kerri sighed. “Look at this monster. It has four burners, a griddle and even a warming rack built in. I can’t take it!” Her sister shook her head in awe.

  “We hoped you’d like it. After all, you’ll probably be the one to cook our holiday dinners on it.” Their mother walked over and hugged her sister.

  Kerri turned, passion sparkled in her eyes. “I can’t wait until Christmas!”

  Jordan laughed with her parents. “And look at this refrigerator.” She strolled to the other stainless steel giant occupying a full corner of the kitchen and peered inside. “What in the world do you need with such a big thing?”

  “Well, the two of you will eventually have families and I assume, come for long visits…” her mother’s hopeful voice trailed off.

  “I’m not sure children are in my cards,” Jordan replied. Not with Cole in possession of her deck.

  The hair on the back of her neck tingled and spread over her shoulders then down her back. Speaking of the possessor… She stiffened, butterflies suddenly swarming her knotted stomach.

  “Jordan with children? Now that’s a scary thought,” came the amused reply from down the hall.

  She swiveled around and scanned the faces, until they centered on Cole. Holy Transformations. Her throat dried. They weren’t kidding when they said she wouldn’t recognize him. She almost hadn’t.

  He’d cut his hair. Short around his ears and neck, a little longer on top where it carelessly flopped onto his forehead. The style suited him and increased her pulse to super-sonic. Gripping the handle on the refrigerator, she continued to size up the approaching man.

  Dark and sexy in jeans and a dusty black t-shirt stretched thin over his muscles, it was obvious he’d been working on something in the house. She’d question that in a minute, first, she needed to catch her breath.

  As he neared, she studied his eyes. He’s back. Her heart turned over, then soared. The only thing hard on Cole was his fit form. The coldness and almost constant frown he’d worn during her last visit, had disappeared. Gone. Adios. Sadness no longer lurked in the warm brown depths. His gaze was reminiscent of the mischievous look of his childhood. He looked younger, happy even. Like a man who enjoyed life again.

  “Cole?” Kerri stared opened-mouthed at him. “Is that really you?”

  “Yeah, it’s really me.”

  He chuckled and picked her sister up to twirl her in a circle. Kerri’s laughter filled the room. Recovered from her shock, Jordan pushed from the refrigerator and walked around him, resisting the urge to hug.

  “Wow, Cole, you look so different.”

  This was the Cole she’d been afraid to find five months ago. The one she was terrified of and longed for at the same time. Her stomached fluttered with ripple upon ripple of awareness.

  Ah, hell. She was in trouble.

  Still smiling, he released her sister to place a hand over his heart. “I can assure you, it’s me.”

  Even his stance was different; confident yet relaxed, not stiff and unyielding. He stepped closer and all the hammering, sawing and voices faded into the background. The only hammering she heard now was the beating of her own heart.

  “Welcome back, Jordan.” Longing darkened his eyes as he held his arms open.

  Oh God, yeah. Big trouble.

  She swallowed. “I was going to say the same thing to you.”

  They stepped toward each other and Jordan found herself engulfed in heat and muscle…and heaven help her, never wanted to leave. Ever. She melted into him and sighed, burying her face in his neck. Damn, he smelled good, like spackle and hot man and musky aftershave. The sexy scruff dusting his face grazed her cheek, sending goosebumps down her right side.

  “God, I’ve missed you,” he whispered in her ear, sending more of those delicious shivers south to all her good parts.

  She smiled against his throat. “I’m glad.” His chuckle vibrated through her before she drew back slightly to look into his warm brown gaze and add, “I missed you, too.”

  Returning her smile, he brushed his thumb across her cheek. “I’m glad,” he said, and they just stood there, staring for several beats.

  Her father stepped forward and slapped Cole’s shoulder. Dust departed in a puff of smoke. “Cole and Connor have been a big help. They’ve worked on several of the rooms in this house.”

  Forcing herself to step out of Cole’s embrace, she focused on her father, and as nonchalantly as possible, backed up to lean against the countertop for support. Cole’s eyes sparkled knowingly. Bastard. He knew his blatant interest had knocked her off balance.

  “Heck, I spent half my youth here messing up the place. It’s the least I can do.” His appreciative gaze never left her face.

  Blatant attraction. He was no longer hiding his feelings. Damn, she could use some water. A cup. Bottle. Gallon. Her throat was parched. Maybe Cole was ready. Was she? Thoughts of Eric and what they’d had—love, trust, commitment, great sex, and fun, crowded her head. She looked into Cole’s warm brown eyes and sucked in a breath. I want all those things with him. She waited for the hand of guilt to grip her gut. It never showed. Not even a tug. Her pulse leapt.

  Maybe their time had finally come.

  Fingers relaxing, her grip on the round edge of the counter eased as that notion took root. Their time. Excitement shivered to her toes. Maybe it was okay to have a little fun. Her lips split into a grin. “Wow, McCall. You not only transformed yourself, you’re transforming this house as well?”

  “Only in a small way. Your father is too generous with his compliments. I’ve only given him some of my weekends.”

  “You’re the one being modest, Cole,” her mother insisted with a smile. “You should see what a terrific job he and Kevin are doing in the bathroom down here.”

  “Kevin’s here, too?”

  “Yes. Come on and say hi.” He grabbed her hand and Kerri’s, and led them down the hall. Heat shot up her arm and she suddenly wished their destination to
be more private so she could hold onto him longer.

  “Hey, Kev, look what I found for us in the kitchen,” he addressed the man busy installing a burnt umber ceramic floor tile.

  Kevin glanced up from his task and his blue eyes lit with warmth.

  “Hi, Jordan, Kerri. It’s great to see you both again.” He stood and wiped his hands on a rag before hugging them. “You’re back just in time, too. We’re having our good-bye-to-summer-barbeque tomorrow.”

  Jordan smiled. “Talk about timing. Sounds great.”

  “I’m sure you can hitch a ride with Cole and Connor again. Right buddy?” Kevin patted Cole’s chest and winked.

  Kerri turned wide eyes to Cole. “You mean you don’t already have a date?”

  “Nope. I don’t have one for tomorrow but I do, however”—he glanced at his watch—“have one in two hours. If you girls will excuse us working guys, we need to get back to the job at hand.”

  With a teasing smile he unceremoniously shoed them out the door.

  Shock, hurt and jealousy took turns stabbing Jordan’s gut. What kind of game was he playing? Or had she just imagined his interest? She forced her smile to remain on her lips. “All right, we can take a hint. We know when we’re not wanted.”

  Cole’s gaze snapped to hers, dark, serious, heated. “I didn’t say that.”

  Her heart slammed in her chest. Did her wishful thinking put the longing in his eyes? Or was his need real?

  “Come on, Jordan. Let’s take a look at the rest of the house,” Kerri called from behind.

  Gaze still locked to his, she replied, “Yes, by all means, lets.” Turning on her heel, she broke eye contact and waltzed from the room head held high.

  If he was going to show interest one minute, then dangle women in front of her the next…this week was going to be the week from hell.

  Vowing to enjoy her short stay at the ranch, Jordan refused to think about Cole and his date. She was the one who’d encouraged him in the Spring. He was dating. Good. It was none of her business. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

  She needn’t have worried.

  “I’m sorry Cole couldn’t be here for your first night back, but it’s his company’s annual dinner,” Mrs. McCall explained with a tip of her head as they sat on the porch, enjoying a glass of lemonade while they waited for dinner.

  “That’s all right. He did say something about a date,” Kerri replied.

  “A date?” His mother laughed. “He’s escorting his secretary, Mrs. Dixon because her husband’s currently away on business.”

  Stella?

  Relief flushed away Jordan’s unhappiness with the force of a rogue wave. The thought of him deliberately ditching her for a night on the town with a faceless bombshell disappeared into dust.

  That devious bugger.

  Heart infinitely lighter, she hid a smile as she digested this welcomed news. He’d led her to believe he had an actual date. She sipped her drink, a plan forming in the back of her mind. Tomorrow, she’d get back at him.

  “I’m glad to hear he’s getting out and living a little again,” she remarked, concentrating on the slow, setting sun.

  Mr. McCall laughed. “He’s certainly doing that. I swear that boy is making up for lost time. He hit the dating scene like those earthquakes you get out on the west coast—unexpected and hard.”

  Emma’s wonderful fresh squeezed drink turned to pure sour in Jordan’s stomach. She should be happy for Cole, but a surge of jealousy and disappointment invaded. Her foolish emotions made her favorite drink tough to swallow.

  Desperate to change the subject, she turned to her parents. “What else do you plan to do to the house?”

  Her father went on to explain the rather extensive remodeling still to be done before they could move in.

  “That sounds like it’ll take several more months,” Kerri said, a slight frown to her brow.

  “Yes. The projected date should be around the beginning of December. Poor Alex and Leeann, they’ll be thoroughly tired of us by then.” Her mother sighed.

  “That could never happen,” Mrs. McCall promptly reassured.

  The rest of the evening was enjoyable. Good meal, good company. A fruitful discussion on the preparations needed for the anniversary party next weekend. All things to keep Jordan’s mind occupied. Not. Her damn thoughts strayed to Cole.

  Just how many dates had he been on? Did he compare their kisses to mine?

  Sunlight poured in through a stain glass window, casting a glow of blues, reds, greens and yellows over the pages of the hymnbook Cole shared with Jordan. She glanced at him from under her long lashes. Dark hair, dark eyes, perfect cheekbones, perfect smile. God, she was breathtaking. Wind blew in from the open pane, stirring her hair while her sweet voice stirred his soul. His heart warmed with a sense of peace he hadn’t felt in years. If ever.

  Afterward, they drove back to the ranch to find Emma ready to serve their brunch.

  “I understand you girls are going to the Dalton’s barbeque tonight,” his father remarked, digging into his eggs and salsa.

  “Yes. Kevin was nice enough to invite us yesterday,” Kerri replied before sipping her orange juice.

  “Then you’ll be riding over with the boys?”

  His mother’s tone held a hint of…hope. Jordan glanced at him, then his mother. She’d heard it too. His mother dropped her gaze, picked up a knife and fumbled with Emma’s prize winning jam already spread on her toast. Nope. Not imagining it. They were up to something.

  “Yes,” he finally answered. “That’s the plan.”

  He had lots of plans and surprises for this week, and they all centered around a certain beautiful woman who stole his breath, challenged, and turned him on and inside out.

  “Provided they don’t have dates,” Jordan said, a small grin tugging her kissable lips.

  And God help him, he wanted to kiss them again. The right way. Their first one had been unexpected and way too short. Their second had been just as unexpected but spurred by anger, despite being the hottest, out of control experience of his life. Now, he was ready, and if he didn’t miss his guess, she was ready, too. Anticipation heated his body. Tonight. He would see to it everything was perfect for Jordan, tonight.

  “Nope. No dates,” he answered her, a smirk tugged the corner of his mouth. “I think I already told you that.”

  “Yes, you did. But that was yesterday.” She stabbed a piece of chicken with her fork and continued with her teasing. “For all we know, you might’ve already asked the girl you dated last night to go with you.”

  He couldn’t tell if she knew he’d taken Stella last night or if she was fishing. Either way, he was more than happy to play her game. “True. But I didn’t.”

  Mr. Masters chuckled, covering his mouth with a napkin. His father chewed his eggs while his mother and Mrs. Masters both smiled down at their plates.

  “Why not?” Jordan’s gaze grew serious. “Didn’t your date go well?”

  “It was fine,” he said candidly, pushing away from the table and the subject. “Connor’s due back by four. Meet us in the foyer at five. Now, if you’ll excuse me...” He stood. “I’ve been neglecting my preliminary reports for too long. They need my attention.” With a nod and a smile, he headed for his office before he decided to ditch work in favor of play.

  Two hours after brunch, enjoying a lazy afternoon of swimming and relaxing in the sun with Kerri, Jordan found herself alone when her sister went inside to shower, claiming she needed to discuss a few party entrées with Emma.

  Enjoying the peace and quiet of solitude, she adjusted her lounge chair, laid back and closed her eyes. Water lapped gently against the side of the pool, birds chirped in the nearby trees and the sun warmed her body. Ah, serenity. She’d missed this. Her busy schedule at the precinct and restaurant rarely allowed such a luxury.

  The screen door opened and closed. In an instant, the air changed, crackled, attacking her nerve endings with a prickle.

&nb
sp; “You’re going to burn if you don’t put on some lotion.” Cole’s deep tone shot a thrill down her spine.

  A smile tugged her lips. “Sorry to disappoint you but I’ve already done that,” she replied without opening her eyes.

  “Spoil sport.”

  She could hear the grin in his voice and a chair scrapping concrete as he sat next to her.

  “Are you sure?” His voice turned low, and quiet and friggin’ sexy as hell. “Maybe you missed a spot.”

  She opened her eyes and put a hand to her forehead to block the sun in order to see him better. Yeah, sexy as hell. “Oh, I’m sure, but I do give you an A for effort, McCall.”

  He shrugged his broad shoulders and the devil danced in his eyes. “You can’t blame a guy for trying.”

  “True.” She chuckled. “If you want to make yourself useful, you could poor me a glass of lemonade.” After repositioning her chair to sitting, she glanced sideways at him. Grin lifting his lips, teasing gleam in his dark eyes. Her heart fluttered. Lord help her, he was irresistible when he was like this.

  “Here you go, my Masters. But I’m sure you could come up with some other use for me.” Head cocked, he grinned endearingly and handed her a glass, deliberately grazing fingers.

  Her heart knocked into her ribs. He was playing a dangerous game, and heaven help her, she was all for it. “You’re right. I could, but I won’t.” She sipped her drink, then pointed at him. “Don’t think you can go out carousing with some bimbo one night, then expect me to allow you to massage sunscreen on me the next afternoon, Cole McCall.”

  He leaned toward the small table separating them, delight sparkling in his eyes. “Why Jordan, I do believe you’re jealous.”

  “Yeah, I am. I’m also disappointed in you.” She bit her lip to keep from laughing when he frowned.

  “Why?”

  “I never thought you’d go for a married woman, Cole, let alone an older employee.”

  His killer smile stopped her pulse. “Who told you it was Stella?”

  She shrugged, enjoying herself far too much.