Wolf Call

by Jane Jamison

  “I’m game.”

  DJ leapt to his feet, his agility reminding her of the graceful movements of the large wolf she’d seen by the lake. She skimmed her gaze over the smooth surface of the water.

  I wish I knew what happened to him.

  “Me, too. Then maybe afterward, we can talk about the sale of the ranch.”

  Aw, shit. Not that again. “I’d rather not let knowledge of the sale get around town any more than it already has. It’s not supposed to be public knowledge. At least not yet.”

  “But it is up for sale, right?”

  She wished she’d never told him that she was a Cumming family friend. “Technically, yes, as far as I know. It’s supposed to be handled through a sealed bid. No haggling back and forth. Whoever comes in with the best offer buys the ranch.” Why was she giving them details? As the person handling the bids, she shouldn’t tell them anything yet. Even she didn’t have all the details.

  The ringing of Rick’s phone broke into their conversation, making her aware that the Banning boys had already gotten half-dressed and she was still sitting on the ground butt naked. She hurriedly grabbed her pajamas and held the front of her shirt together. She was already warming up between her legs and wanted Rick off the phone.

  The expression on his face, however, wasn’t what she wanted to see. By the time he’d ended the call, his scowl had replaced his earlier sexy look.

  “Damn it. Brandon’s ordering us back now. He wants to talk about…things.”

  What things? But she wouldn’t get her answer. Instead, Rick shoved the phone into his back pocket and pulled on his shirt.

  “I hate like hell to turn such a tempting offer down, but we’ve got to go.”

  “You go on. I’ll stick around and keep Heather company.”

  “Yeah, like I’m going to go for that. Move, asshole.” Rick looked back at Heather. “We’ll call you, okay?”

  “But you don’t have my number.”

  “Don’t worry. We’ll find it. Do you live in Passion?”

  Damn. She couldn’t have them looking for her number. Not after giving them the wrong last name. “No. I’m only in town for business. How about you?”

  “Yeah. We’re in the book, and we work at Saddles. Come by tonight, if you can.” Rick gripped DJ around the back of the neck and shoved him toward the house. “Until later, okay?”

  “Okay.” An empty sensation twisted in her gut. She couldn’t shake the impression that they weren’t telling her everything, and she hated that. Still, she’d gotten off on a bad start by lying about her name. But at the time, she hadn’t wanted them to know she was John Cumming’s daughter. Men tended to act weird once they knew. Besides, if they knew her real last name, they would’ve hounded her for more information about the sale.

  Waving at them, she started toward the back door. Tonight she’d check them out at the club and confess before things got even worse. And this time she wouldn’t be too buzzed.

  Chapter Five

  Heather knelt in front of the simple headstone and placed the small bouquet of yellow tulips on her mother’s simple marker. Yellow tulips were her mother’s favorite flower, and she always came ready to place them at her grave. It didn’t matter that she had to have them flown in by a nursery that grew and kept them in stock year round. She’d spend her last dollar to make sure her mother received her flowers every time she came to visit. Her mother’s name and the dates of her birth and of her death were the only other markings on the stone. But that was how her mother had wanted it.

  “Mom.” She wiped a tear away. Although she’d practiced what she wanted to say, now she couldn’t find the words. How could she tell her mother that her father wanted to sell the ranch? How could she promise as she always did that she’d return again with flowers? Would the next owner allow her to keep coming? Or would they tear the ranch apart, selling parts of it to developers and investors who wouldn’t give any thought to her mother’s resting place?

  “He’s going to sell it, Mom, and I don’t know how to stop him.” She choked back a sob. “He isn’t the same as he was when you were alive. At first, he was bitter, angry, but now he’s even worse. I don’t think he has any feelings for anything except money.”

  She pressed her palm to the ground and closed her eyes, envisioning her mother the last day she’d seen her alive. Even with the cancer eating her from the inside out, she’d stayed radiant, with a smile always on her face. She hadn’t believed her mother could die. How could such a strong and wonderful spirit ever pass on?

  “Can you help me? Can you tell me what to do?” She reached out, hoping to find her mother’s spirit surrounding her. She inhaled, seeking something, anything that would prove that her mother was listening. When she felt a presence, she stood, turning to face what she prayed would be her mother’s ghost.

  “Oh. It’s you, Joe.” Her driver stood several feet away, his hands clasping a bouquet of yellow tulips. His sad gaze met hers, and in that moment, she knew that he’d loved her mother, too.

  “I’m sorry, Miss Heather. I, uh, didn’t know you were down here. I wanted to drop these off before I went to the house to get you.” He took a step toward the grave then stopped. “Would it be all right to leave these, too?” He held up the bouquet.

  “Of course.” She touched his arm. “You really cared for her, didn’t you?”

  He blinked then darted his gaze from hers. “Yes, miss. How did you know?”

  “Only those closest to her knew she loved yellow tulips the best.” She touched his arm as he laid his bouquet next to hers. “I’ve seen the other bouquets you left. At first I thought my dad was the one who’d brought them, but then I figured it out. You’re so nice to remember her all this time.”

  His sad smile made her want to hug his sadness away. “She was a wonderful woman, your mother. Very kind, very giving. And very loyal, even when she shouldn’t have been.”

  “Loyal? Do you mean to my father?” Why would he say that when her father had treated her mother like the most special thing in his life?

  Joe swallowed. The sorrowful expression on his face left, replaced by a professional, unemotional one. “Of course to your father, but I meant, to her employees, miss. She treated us all so well.”

  “Yeah, Mom was like that. She liked everyone.”

  “Everyone liked her, too.”

  They remained silent, each of them lost in their own thoughts. She reached over and laid a hand on top of the headstone. “Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll save Windy Hills, no matter what I have to do.”

  “Miss Heather? The time?”

  “Right.” She wiped away another tear, pressed her fingers to her lips, then blew a kiss. “I’ll come back soon, Mom. I promise.”

  * * * *

  Heather walked into Saddles, glanced around the room and resisted the urge to tug her short skirt down. She’d purchased the sparkly top and tight black skirt early in the afternoon when her confidence level was higher. But now, stepping into the club made her rethink her decision to wear the skimpy outfit. It wasn’t her usual style of dress, but she’d wanted to wear an outfit that would catch the Banning brothers’ attention. Judging by the men gawking at her, she’d get what she wanted. Maybe too much of what she wanted.

  Even though it was early, the club was already packed. Dancers moved around the floor, some with a partner and others joining in on their own. Soon a line dance formed and one of the waitresses she’d seen the other night hopped on top of the bar and called out to the participants as she moved from one end of the bar to the other.

  Why did I think this was a good idea? It would’ve been better to contact the Banning brothers in a quieter setting. Although if they get angry, they’re less likely to make a scene in the place where they work and with all these other people around.

  She couldn’t see DJ or Rick losing their cool, but she didn’t want to risk it, either. And who knew what Brandon would think. She was sure his brothers must’ve told him about the sale and
maybe even about their time by the lake.

  She drew in a breath. Ever since DJ and Rick had left the ranch she’d been racked with guilt. She didn’t like to lie, and, after getting so close to them, she hated that she’d fibbed.

  Yeah, that’s it. It was just a fib. A little white lie. She cringed. Yeah, right. A lie’s a lie, no matter how I’d like to spin it.

  They thought she was just a guest of the Cumming family. Hell, they didn’t even know her real last name. After worrying that they only wanted a fling, she’d realized her mistake and wanted to correct it. She had to confess lying, and, if she was lucky, they’d forgive her and still want a relationship with her.

  After reading Abrams’s e-mail regarding how her father wanted the sealed bids to go, she’d almost called her father to complain yet again. But what good would it do? The sale of the ranch was more than taking the highest bidder, and she did want a little input. According to her father’s instructions, he didn’t want her to simply choose the bid that was the highest. He wanted the highest bid coming from one of his friends. Anyone else, unless they outbid her father’s friend by a huge margin, was just wasting their time. Her father’s friend would buy the ranch, level it, and turn it into a parking lot or strip mall, anything that her father could invest in with limited risk then receive a huge yearly dividend. That beat his taking on all the liability and costs of the venture as the primary investor. She had no doubt that he already had a buyer lined up who would, in turn, let her father dictate what would happen to the land.

  The bit about choosing the next-highest bidder based on what they would do with the land was a farce put into place to appease her and to make her father look good. It was pure bullshit since her father would expect her to do as he wished and choose his friend’s bid.

  “Hey, Heather.” Rick eased out of the crowd and hooked his arm around her waist. “I’m glad you could make it. Are you alone?”

  “Yeah, I am. Was I supposed to bring someone? Like some of my girlfriends?” Was he disappointed that she’d come alone? Did sharing mean he wanted to share other girls with his brothers? With her?

  “Shoot, no. I like it that you’re here by yourself.” He laughed. “That sounded kind of creepy, but that’s not how I meant it. I’m just happy to see you.”

  “Is your brother here? And Brandon?”

  “Yeah, DJ’s here. So you do know Brandon? You never answered when I asked earlier.”

  “Not really. I, um, was in here the other night and heard someone say his name.”

  “Oh. So you two didn’t actually meet? Because I know Brandon would’ve mentioned you if he’d met you.”

  “No, we didn’t. I was a little, uh, under the weather, and he had his hands full with a couple of unruly drinkers. But I’d love to meet him tonight. Is that possible?”

  “Sure. Come on. Let’s grab them and snare a booth if we can.”

  He took her hand, and, once again, the quick thrill that she’d had before raced up her arm. What was it that caused such a reaction from a simple touch? She’d never had anything like that happen to her, but then again, she’d never met anyone like Rick and his brothers.

  He waved at DJ, whose face brightened when he saw Heather. DJ caught up with them as Rick patted the shoulder of the man she’d seen at the club the night before. Brandon Banning turned away from the waitress he was talking to. He was just as delicious as DJ and Rick, and when he saw her with his brothers, he narrowed his eyes then nodded before turning back to the waitress.

  “Don’t wait on him. He’ll join us once he’s through with Dana.” DJ took her other arm and, along with Rick, steered her to an out-of-the-way booth near the hallway leading toward the restrooms and, presumably, the offices in the back of the club.

  Heather slid into the semicircular booth with Rick joining her on her right and DJ on her left. Rick motioned to a waitress, the same one Brandon had helped the night before, who then hurried over to take their drink orders. Heather nixed the idea of having another Long Island Iced Tea and opted for a regular tea instead. She was already on the edge of losing her control around Rick and DJ without the influence of alcohol. Who knew what could happen if her libido mixed with booze? Goodness knows she’d enjoy whatever came from that mix, but this wasn’t the time or the place. She had to keep a clear head.

  “I’m glad you’re here. So is it wishful thinking on my part that you came to see just me?” DJ’s grin was infectious.

  “Get over yourself, little brother. She’s here to be with me. Right, Heather?”

  The two Banning brothers’ verbal jabs made her smile. “Actually, I came to see all three of you.”

  “That’s good to know.”

  She followed the deep baritone voice to find Brandon pulling DJ out of the booth.

  “Change places with me. After all, you two have already had a chance to get to know her. It’s my turn. Besides, I’m sure she wants to sit by the handsome brother.”

  “She already is.”

  Brandon made a derisive sound at Rick, but she knew that the barbs were all just a part of their fun-loving way with each other.

  He looked even better than he had the night before. The dark shirt and slacks he wore were molded to his hard body. A sprinkling of dark hair peeked out of the vee of his shirt while more dark hair covered his forearms where he’d rolled up his sleeves. His longish black hair fell forward to emphasize the strong cut of his jaw, but when he swept it back, she could see nothing except the soulfulness in his dark eyes. He was movie-star and hero material combined into one large hunk of a man.

  Three hot brothers, and they were all focused on her. She forced her attention away from them to check the room. Women stared, their jealous attention locked on her. If they’d had the means and the method, she had no doubt the women would’ve laid her out cold to take her place. And yet, the brothers didn’t seem to notice.

  Wait. Did he say something about his brothers getting to know me? So they did tell him. She tucked her chin and dropped her gaze to the table as the waitress returned to set their drinks, including one for Brandon, in front of them. When the waitress didn’t leave, Heather lifted her head, wondering why she hadn’t gone away.

  “Is there something you need, Caitlyn?”

  She could listen to Brandon’s voice all day long, even if he was reading a boring history textbook. His tone sounded like hot cocoa and sex worked into one smooth sound.

  “Dana just told me what you did.” Caitlyn twirled a strand of her long red hair around her finger. “I hate to ask this, but—”

  “But you need help making your part of the rent, too. Am I right?”

  Heather glanced from Brandon to the waitress and back. Although Caitlyn was obviously embarrassed at having to ask for help, Brandon didn’t appear annoyed. Instead, he took Caitlyn’s hand and told her not to go on any further.

  “I’ll get the money to you tomorrow. Is that soon enough?’

  Caitlyn’s brown eyes lit up. Leaning over, she planted a quick kiss on Brandon’s cheek.

  Anger flashed into Heather’s gut, and she clenched her fists. Since when did I become a jealous female, much less a violent person?

  “You’re the best.” Caitlyn flicked her attention to the other two brothers. “All of you.”

  “Yeah, well, what can we say? We’re great guys,” quipped DJ. He chuckled and shot a what can I say look at Heather.

  Caitlyn nodded her head. “You sure are. Thanks again, guys. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” She moved away, striding over to a waiting Dana, who took one look at the men then hugged her friend.

  “You know if we keep giving money away, we’re never going to have enough to buy any ranch, much less Windy Hills.”

  Heather’s breath caught in her throat. They still wanted to buy the ranch. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and got ready to tell them who she really was. When she opened them, she found the men looking at her with such intensity that it drove what she was going to say right
out of her head.

  “Did I do something wrong?”

  Brandon dropped his gaze then darted it at his brothers. “No. Sorry to stare. It’s…well, not to sound all sappy, but you’re more than we expected.”

  “Is that good or bad? And why were you expecting anything, since you just met me?”

  Rick and DJ tilted their heads at their brother, questioning expressions on their faces. Brandon took a sip of his drink then slid his arm around the top of the booth. The warmth from his body radiated over her, turning her inner thermostat higher. She squirmed in her chair as she grew moist between her legs.

  “Don’t pay any attention to me. All I’m saying is that you’re very pretty.” Brandon eased his body closer. “And sexy as hell.”

  She was again at a loss for words. Instead, she put her hands around her drink and hoped the coolness would seep into her and help lower the flames starting to burn inside her abdomen.

  “Slow it down, bro. You’re making her uncomfortable.” DJ, who had slid into the booth next to Brandon, gave him a whack on the shoulder. “Let’s talk about the ranch. How much do you think it’s going to go for?”

  “That’s prime real estate, so we’d better be ready to give it all we’ve got.” Rick played with the end of his napkin, his focus on the table, but he had a faraway look on his face. “It’s a long shot, but if we don’t get it, I’m not sure that any other ranch will ever measure up.”

  “That’s saying a lot about a ranch.” She stopped as three pairs of incredulous eyes landed on her.

  “Windy Hills isn’t any ordinary ranch. It’s like…”

  “Heaven on earth.” Brandon finished DJ’s sentence for him, and Rick nodded his agreement.

  She couldn’t have described the ranch any better. But she was surprised that they thought of it in the same way. “Heaven on earth? You really want this place, don’t you?”

  Brandon had the same wondrous expression that his brothers did. They were in love with Windy Hills just as she was. But why?