So Not a Cowgirl

by Starla Kaye

  Tanya turned away to look out the side window, thinking about the last time the managing partner at Hewitt, Packert, and Sweltzer had cornered her in the conference room, alone. El Jerko was pretty mild for what she really thought of him. Frankly, she was pretty disgusted with most men right now. Enough that she had broken things off with the man she’d been dating off and on for several months, and he hadn’t been all that upset about the break-up. Which really rubbed her raw. Even he had evidently only pursued her for her body.

  “Too much bother, and expense. But I will send a formal letter to the senior partner sometime soon. He’s a good man and deserves to know what a low life he has a close connection with.”

  They traveled in thoughtful silence until they reached the main ranch yard. Tanya had seen pictures of Mandy’s family home, but seeing the place in real life was completely different. She sat forward and stared in surprise. “It’s a log cabin! Jeez! A real honest-to-gosh log cabin.” She glanced at her friend. “Okay, ‘cabin’ falls way short. The place is huge. And I don’t remember it being made of logs in the photos you showed me.”

  Mandy laughed. “What I’ve shown you before isn’t this house. There was some minor tornado damage four years ago, and Drew had the old house torn down. He personally designed this house. I think he even helped with some of the construction. He’s a real hands-on type of guy.” She sounded very proud of her older brother, as she usually did.

  Tanya’s body immediately reacted to the “hands-on” comment. Her buttocks clenched, heated. Why? Surely he didn’t… Surely he wouldn’t… She rolled her eyes and told herself to get a grip. Her thoughts had wandered down a path she didn’t even want to consider.

  Still, she’d seen a flash of a stern look in Drew Weatherford’s dark brown eyes during his brief visit to California. It had been a look similar to what settled into her father’s eyes when they were having a disagreement just before… Stop it!

  All the mental warning did was to draw forth another image buried in her mind. She couldn’t help remembering Drew’s definite Alpha male attitude. And she remembered noting that he had large, calloused hands. Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! she ordered herself in disgust again.

  “Something bothering you?” Mandy asked with a concerned glimpse in her direction.

  Tanya felt a blush creeping up her neck and focused again on the massive house as Mandy pulled into the driveway. “Wrap around porch, complete with wooden rocking chairs from one end of the house to the other. Homey.” She hoped Mandy wouldn’t press her about the fleeting spell of weirdness she’d just experienced.

  Whether or not her friend would have prodded her for further explanation of her mood, Tanya was “saved” by one of the pair of front doors opening. Drew stepped onto the porch, looking their way. Even though his face was partially shadowed by the black Stetson he wore, she felt certain he wasn’t smiling. From the stiff way he held his shoulders and general silent attitude, she doubted he wanted her here. Great.

  “I thought you said he agreed to me coming here to work for him,” she accused, shooting a disgruntled look at Mandy.

  Mandy ignored the comment and turned off the Jeep, and then quickly got out. She met her brother halfway between the house and the driveway. He gave her a bear hug that Tanya envied.

  As Mandy stepped back a second later, she turned to motion Tanya closer. “Tanya’s really excited, and appreciative, about you giving her this job. Right, Tanya?”

  Reluctantly, Tanya climbed out of the Jeep, tried to calm the butterflies fluttering madly inside her, and forced a smile. “All of that,” she knew it was a stupid statement, but it seemed the best she could do while noting how Drew’s expression had once again hardened.

  “So, Bro, where do you want her to put her things?”

  “Mandy—“

  Before he could possibly say something she didn’t want to hear, Mandy speed walked back to the Jeep. “The foreman’s house that Greg doesn’t use. Of course. You’re right, that’s perfect. Just the right size. Private too.” She nodded across the ranch yard, beyond the riding arena in the middle. “Let’s go drop your stuff off.”

  She jumped in to the Jeep, giving her brother a pointed look that Tanya noted. “We’ll be back in a jiffy. Why don’t you get us some coffee?”

  Tanya glanced from Drew—the employer who clearly didn’t want a new employee—to where Mandy had nodded. Another log home, considerably smaller than the main house. It, too, had a long covered porch with a pair of rocking chairs. Evidently this was rocking chair country. But she kind of liked them and they did look inviting. Except that sitting there would mean she had to look out at the arena that currently was occupied by a couple of cowboys who kept curiously glancing in her direction. And occupied by a giant horse not real pleased with having a saddle on its back. But then all horses were giants to her, as well as something she preferred to be as far as possible from.

  Heart racing, she practically threw herself into the Jeep and slammed the door.

  “I completely forgot you mentioned one time that you were not fond of horses,” Mandy said apologetically as she quickly backed out of the driveway. “They’re really not as scary as they seem.”

  Tanya sat stiffly. “I’m not fond of big animals period.” She looked desperately at her friend. “I can’t do this, Mandy! I can’t.”

  Driving toward the smaller house, Mandy said in a calm voice, “You need the job. Drew—even though he may grumble about it—needs your help. You can handle all of this, I know you can.”

  Drew stood at the kitchen bar, staring at the cups he’d just placed beside the coffee pot. He’d seen the almost terrified expression that had flashed onto Tanya’s face when she looked at the horses. Living on a ranch with nearly three dozen horses would be hard as hell for her. No way could this deal that Mandy had schemed up work. Nor did he want it to.

  He poured a cup of coffee and curled his hand around the cup. Hot. The scent drew him, made him take a quick sip that nearly burnt his tongue. He hadn’t been within twenty feet of Tanya and yet his body had reacted to her, just as it had the last time he’d seen her. Which was absolutely ridiculous.

  He hazarded taking another sip of coffee as he mulled over his thoughts. He liked brunettes. She was blond. He had relationships with ranch women familiar with his world, been married to two of them. Of course, neither of those marriages had worked out. Evidently he just wasn’t the marrying kind of man—at least that’s what the last ex had told him repeatedly during their many arguments over his loving the ranch more than her. Women. Hell if he could understand them.

  Understand them or not, he liked women. A lot. But his kind of women wore comfortable jeans, boots, and sensible workshirts. He hadn’t really seen what Tanya had been wearing since she’d stayed on the other side of the Jeep, but he remembered her in skin-tight leather pants and a low, low cut top she’d worn when he met her in California. Oh yeah, he definitely remembered that! She’d pranced around in the tempting outfit often enough in his dreams.

  Damn! She didn’t belong here. He didn’t think he could handle her being here.

  Footsteps on the tiled hallway coming toward the kitchen made him suck in a breath. Every fiber of his being warned him of Tanya’s approach. He was furious with his sister for putting him in this awkward position. She needed her butt warmed but good. He’d only spanked her a time or two in the years that their parents hadn’t been around. Grown woman or not, she’d needed it.

  “If you don’t want me here—“ Tanya began only to be cut off by Mandy.

  “Of course he does. He wants and needs help with the ranch books, and now with his new business’s books, too. Right, Bro?” Mandy said as she strolled over and poured cups of coffee for her and Tanya.

  Drew looked up, annoyance in his expression, and then all but gaped at Tanya. Jeans hugged her short, shapely legs. But it was the body hugging, v-necked purple sweater that captured his attention. Good Lord, if she dared to bend over those breasts—those
plump, full breasts—would burst free of confinement. Not that he was totally opposed to that happening. He was a man, of course.

  She walked over and took the cup Mandy held out to her. Her hair had grown longer, reaching nearly to her waist as it hung free in a cascade of blond waves. Damn if he didn’t want to touch it. Without even trying to, she was playing serious havoc with his sanity.

  “I’m really pretty good at my job,” she offered, lifting her blue gaze to his.

  Embarrassed about being caught avidly admiring her assets, his tone was rougher than he would have preferred as he said, “So why aren’t you still with whatever firm it was you were with in Sacramento?”

  “Drew!” Mandy snapped in outrage.

  Tanya’s face pinkened with a blush that instantly made him feel like a jerk. She tilted up her chin and said quietly, “I was temporarily suspended while they investigate a situation between one of the partners and me.”

  “You had an affair with one of the partners?” he questioned, not particularly wild about the idea. It also irritated him that an affair was the first probability that crossed his mind.

  Mandy slugged his arm. “Idiot! That wasn’t the problem at all.”

  He watched Tanya’s face heat even more, sensed she was praying his sister wouldn’t say anymore. He should apologize or something.

  Before he could get his foot out of his mouth, Mandy angrily explained, “The scumbag got a little too handsy in the office. Gropped her. On more than one occasion, too.”

  Drew stiffened, outraged himself now. “The hell you say!” He looked at Tanya. “Why did you get suspended? That shouldn’t have happened.”

  “Damn straight it shouldn’t have happened!” Mandy inserted.

  “He’s a partner. I was a staff accountant.” Tanya focused on her cup of coffee. “Besides, it’s no longer a suspension. I quit before Mandy and I left Sacramento. I’m not dumb enough to think they would take me back.”

  She met his gaze again, almost in challenge. “Especially when I broke his wrist for touching me inappropriately. Accidentally broke it, although I don’t really regret that.”

  He blinked, and then grinned. “Broke his wrist, huh? Good for you.”

  Tanya’s warm blue eyes widened in surprise. After a second, she drew in a breath and said, “As your sister mentioned, I really do need this job. At least for a month or so. After that, I’ll try to look for something else.”

  He should hold firm to his decision about not hiring her. But, damn, she had the most amazing eyes. Amazing body, too, and that was really a potential problem for him. No, he couldn’t have her staying anywhere around here.

  “Drew?” Mandy prodded.

  “A month,” he blurted out, wanting to bite his betraying tongue off when he’d meant to say no. He set his cup on the counter and strode toward the back door. “Tomorrow. You can start tomorrow.”

  He stopped, remembering that his sister had overstepped the boundaries of his privacy and had shoved this blond walking temptation into his personal space. He met and held Mandy’s gaze. “We’ll talk about this later. In private. I’ve got some ranch chores to attend to right now.” His “talk” would involve mainly applying his hand to her bottom, and he was pretty sure from the way her eyes widened that she understood.

  A glance at Tanya caught him by surprise. Her eyes had widened, too. Instinctively he realized that she understood his hidden warning to his sister. Almost immediately he envisioned taking that little blond over his knee, and it wouldn’t take much of a reason for him to want to do that. It wouldn’t take but the barest hint of invitation and he’d want to take that same woman to his bed. Lord a’mighty, he was in more trouble than he’d first thought!

  Chapter Two

  Tanya sat on one of the bar stools lining the longest eating bar she’d ever seen in a kitchen while Mandy stirred a pot of beef stew across the room. They’d unloaded Tanya’s few belongings in the little log cabin, and then driven into Dodge City to buy some things to help feminize the place. They’d also picked up groceries. Mandy had wanted to smooth over some rough edges with her brother by cooking for him. The smells swirling around the kitchen almost made Tanya’s mouth water. Almost. She couldn’t get past the idea of beef parts swimming around in all that mix of vegetables and broth.

  Mandy turned her way and shook her head in amusement. “These men—including my brother—work hard. They need sustenance, lots of it. Good thing cooking for him isn’t part of your job description.”

  “I’m a good cook,” Tanya protested, pinching off a piece of rice cake to nibble on.

  “I’d hardly call warming up pre-cooked vegetarian dishes in the microwave cooking. Certainly Drew wouldn’t.”

  Mandy’s cell phone rang and she dashed across the room to answer it, saying, “Drew should be coming in any minute now. Can you get the cornbread out of the oven? Put the stew in a bowl? While I take this call.”

  Abandoning the rice cake, Tanya went to do as asked. She had to hold back the urge to gag, though, as she poured the stew into a bowl and noted all the chunks of beef. She’d just put the bowl on the counter where Mandy claimed her brother ate all of his meals when heavy footsteps came their direction.

  “Damn that smells good,” he said in a tone of pure male pleasure. He glanced at Tanya, with a curious look. “You cook this?”

  “Hardly!” she countered and took a seat again, as far from the bowl of stew as possible. To settle her stomach, she picked up the rice cake and took a bite.

  Mandy disconnected her call and carried over glasses of iced tea. “Tanya doesn’t eat meat. She has a hard time even being around the smell of it cooking.”

  Drew looked horrified. His gaze shifted to the cake in Tanya’s hand. “Is that one of those taste-like-cardboard vegetarian things I’ve heard about?”

  Tanya rolled her eyes and primly said, “They’re quite tasty actually. Better for you than that pot of cut up cow.” She shuddered just at the thought.

  He glared at his sister, who glared right back. “This is a ranch, for God’s sake. We raise cattle here. We eat beef here.”

  “You didn’t hire Tanya to cook, Bro.” Mandy ladled some stew into her bowl and passed the ladle to Drew.

  Clearly annoyed he couldn’t argue with that comment, he nodded toward Tanya. His glance settled on her spiked red-and-white polka dot sandals with wrap-up ankle straps. “Did you see her shoes? What kind of footwear is that to wear on a ranch? Walk around on gravel?”

  Offended at his attack on a pair of her newest and cutest heels, Tanya raised her leg up so he could have an even closer look. She watched his nostrils flare at his couldn’t-help-himself male interest, and then she slowly wiggled her foot at him.

  “I always wear high heels. They make my legs look good, and they make me feel good. What I wear has nothing to do with my work skills. So get over it.” She wiggled her foot one last time for good measure before lowering her leg.

  He bristled, although he seemed to have trouble pulling his gaze from her leg.

  “I made apple pie for dessert,” Mandy inserted, drawing Drew’s attention again.

  He went back to glowering at his sister. The air between them sizzled with tension and Tanya felt as if she were intruding on something personal. So she slipped from her chair, snagged a second rice cake, and announced, “I’m going to put up the curtains we bought. See you later, Mandy.”

  She stopped in the middle of the room to add, “Wait until you see the shoes I planned to wear tomorrow.” Then she pranced toward the doorway, purposely adding sway to her walk because she knew Drew was watching her.

  As soon as she was around the corner into the hallway, she heard him practically growl, “Mandy…” Not wanting to hear their argument—which would probably be about her—she speed-walked out of the house.

  To her disgust, she nearly twisted her ankle halfway across the ranch yard. Thankfully she didn’t break the heel off her new shoes. Sore ankle or not, she vowed to never let the
gruff cowboy know that he just might be right about her choice of footwear.

  The sky had already darkened for the night and Tanya had put up not only the new living room curtains but also the ones in the main bedroom by the time she heard Mandy open the front door. She’d had a long talk with her brother, something that kind of concerned Tanya. She really didn’t want to be a problem between them.

  Mandy looked flushed when Tanya spotted her, pissed off, too. She warily asked, “So, am I fired already?”

  “You most certainly are not! He’s even promised to bite his tongue about the whole vegetarian thing.” Mandy hesitated before adding, “He’s still annoyed with the footwear matter. But that’s his problem, not yours.”

  Mandy headed for the kitchen and snagged a bottle of beer from the apartment-sized refrigerator. “Worked up a thirst. Do you want one too?”

  Tanya nodded and when they had both taken their first swig, she went to curl up on the corner of the thick, really comfortable sofa. She watched Mandy ease down into the matching over-sized chair by the stone fireplace. “Are you all right?”

  With a sigh, Mandy bobbed her head. “He can be such a pain in the ass sometimes.” She met Tanya’s gaze with a telling look. “Well, on my ass sometimes.”

  Taking a long drink, Tanya mulled over the admission. One time a couple of years back Mandy had casually mentioned during another of their girl-talk/drinking sessions that her older brother occasionally spanked her. They’d never really discussed it after that. But Tanya couldn’t help but be curious now, especially now that she would be working here at the ranch.

  Trying to sound casual, she asked, “He spanked you?”

  Mandy wiggled a bit and pursed her lips in annoyance before answering, “Yes, the wretch did.”