Saddled and Spurred

by James, Lorelei

  A feeling he was beginning to understand way too well.

  But despite their prickly relationship, Harper busted ass on the ranch from the moment she arrived until the moment he dismissed her. She’d cleaned out the biggest stall in the barn without complaint when Bran had brought his favorite pregnant mare in to foal. Harper had stuck around to watch the birth and cried when the colt had taken its first wobbly steps. That birth created a bond between Harper and the little guy, plus she’d paid the proud mama proper attention, so the mare and her baby were smitten with her.

  Another feeling Bran understood only too well.

  So she hadn’t seemed happy when she’d shown up at the ranch today and discovered Bran had turned the pair out. But she hadn’t questioned him, or confronted him, she’d just gone back to work. Bottle-feeding the calves. Indulging the goats. Baiting the bunnies. Goading him by ignoring him.

  Bran knew a fight was imminent.

  They’d gone about daily chores as usual. She cut the strings on the bales of hay after he’d scooped them up with the tractor. She dutifully jotted down notes when he spied sections of fence that needed fixing. She opened and closed gates, while humming that annoying “9 to 5” song.

  The instant they pulled into the yard, she bailed out of the truck as if she couldn’t stand to be in the cab with him another second.

  Bran stormed after her into the barn and snapped, “What do you think you’re doin’?”

  She whirled around. “My job.”

  “Huh-uh. You jumped outta the truck before I had the chance to tell you what job I wanted you to do next.”

  “So sorry, boss, that I jumped the gun and took some initiative. But I’ll remind you I need to finish up what I didn’t get done after I got here this morning because you had to chew me out first thing for feeding the bunnies.”

  “I told you to stop feedin’ them, Harper.”

  “I don’t get why it’s such a big deal.”

  He loomed over her, crowding her against the outer stall. “Ever heard the phrase ‘reproducing like rabbits’? That’s what happens when they have an unlimited food supply. You feed them, and suddenly I’ve got a bumper crop of bunnies, which I sure as hell don’t want to deal with after you’re gone.”

  “Oh, yeah? Well, I’m surprised you haven’t scared them off, with the way you’ve been stomping around for the last couple of days, grumpy as an old bear.”

  “It’s your fault. If you hadn’t—”

  Harper drilled him in the chest with her index finger. “No, sir. You are not pinning your crap attitude on me, Bran Turner. I’ve been doing everything I’m supposed to do and then some. So I don’t know what else you want from me.”

  In a split second, Bran made his decision. He said, “I’ll show you what I want.” Then he lowered his mouth and kissed her.

  It wasn’t a hard kiss; though God knew he could’ve inhaled her lush lips and sweet mouth from the get-go. He forced himself to take it slow, giving her every chance to push him away.

  Harper didn’t even try.

  But neither did she move. She just let him brush his mouth across hers, over and over. Tasting her top lip, and bottom lip. Kissing the corners of her mouth, coaxing her to kiss him back. To open her mouth and invite him inside. When Bran licked the seam of her lips, her breath caught on a soft gasp.

  He swallowed that gasp, taking her invitation for an openmouthed kiss. His tongue sought hers, teasing and stroking, cranking the intensity until they were sharing the same breath. Even as they changed the angle of their heads, attempting to swallow each other whole, their lips were only apart for a fraction of a second as undeniable hunger consumed them both.

  When Harper’s arms slid up his chest to circle his neck, he growled a warning, pushing her hands against the wooden slats above her head. Letting her know that he was in charge.

  She moaned, arching her back, forcing their bodies to touch. Despite the fact that they were dressed in thick winter clothes, that movement affected him as strongly as if they were skin to skin.

  Bran kissed her harder, bumping his hips into hers. Wanting her beneath him in his bed. Wanting her bent over the edge of the couch as he took her from behind. Wanting her straddling him as they rocked in the easy chair. Wanting her on her knees with his hands gripping her hair as his cock plunged in and out of her pliant mouth.

  Would you be paying her for these services? Since she works for you?

  He froze immediately and pushed back from her, staring at her kiss-swollen lips. Lust, fear, need, anticipation, and regret swam in his head, leaving him so confused he wasn’t sure which emotion was the right one in this situation.

  If he felt that way, what was Harper thinking?

  At this point, he was too much of a chickenshit to stick around and find out.

  His voice was barely a whisper when he said, “Fuck. I … we can’t … I shouldn’t do this.” He spun on his boot heel and walked off without looking back.

  Put that amazing kiss out of your mind.

  Confused and hurt, Harper unloaded the last of the stuff from the pickup and shut the barn door.

  On the way home she cranked up the country music and sang along with the radio, tunes about lying, cheating, and drinking. She showered and changed into her favorite outfit for her shift at Get Nailed, but even that didn’t improve her mood.

  Bailey came home and chattered away, appearing not to notice Harper’s distraction. As the middle sister, Harper had always been incredibly attuned to her family’s moods. Might be petty, but it sucked that Bailey didn’t care about her frame of mind. Chewing her sister out for being a teen wouldn’t be fair, so Harper left for the shop early.

  Friday afternoons were busy with a younger female crowd looking to get prettied up for a wild weekend. Talk turned to bar hopping, one-night stands, and normal partying stuff that people her age did. Harper didn’t begrudge anyone fun, but even if she hadn’t been responsible for raising Bailey, it wasn’t her style to go out every weekend, trying to get drunk and laid. She’d witnessed the aftermath of that attitude and lifestyle with her mother, and she had no desire to repeat it.

  “That purply pink would look kick-ass with what I’m wearing this weekend.”

  Roused out of her melancholy, Harper plucked the color from the row of pinks and held it out to her former classmate, Tiffany DeMeter. “This one?”

  “Perfect.”

  As she brushed the polish on, she sensed Tiffany staring and braced herself. “What?”

  “Why don’t you come out with us tonight? We’re whooping it up at Cactus Jack’s. It’ll be a blast. We can crash at Lita’s place so we don’t have to drive back from Rawlins.”

  “Thanks for the offer, Tiff, but I have to work bright and early tomorrow morning. So make me jealous and tell me what you’re wearing that’ll wow all the cowboys.”

  The instant Tiffany had the chance to talk about herself, she ran with it. Harper barely got two words in edgewise, which was just the way she liked it.

  “Well, hello, handsome,” Tiffany said with a throaty purr.

  Harper’s back was to the front door, away from the temptation of looking up whenever a new customer strolled in. This time, however, she did turn around. Tiffany had hit the nail right on the head—the long, lean cowboy was striking, and that was saying something. Good-looking cowboys were a dime a dozen in this neck of the woods.

  This guy doesn’t have anything on Bran Turner in the looks department.

  She ground her teeth. She’d done such a great job of putting the man out of her mind. Facing Tiffany again, she switched her hands. “Do you know him?”

  “No, but I’d like to.”

  “Maybe you should invite him to Cactus Jack’s tonight.”

  “That’s a damn good idea. Ooh, and look. Bernice is cutting his hair, so he won’t be able to get away when I talk to him.”

  The thought of the poor man being unaware that he’d become Tiffany’s captive audience caused Harper to gri
n.

  With no other customers scheduled, Harper cleaned up her station. For the first time in weeks she didn’t have to hustle to race to her other job.

  “Excuse me.”

  Harper whirled around. The object of Tiffany’s affection stood on the other side of her table. “Yes?”

  “Do you have time for another manicure?”

  “Sure.” Harper expected he’d bring in his wife or a girlfriend, or even his mother. Never in a million years had she expected him to sit down. Her mouth dropped open. “A manicure for … you?”

  “You sound shocked.”

  “I am. I’ve never given a man a manicure before.”

  He grinned. The tiny gap in his front teeth added a certain roguish charm to his almost too perfect golden good looks. “Manicures ain’t all the rage for real Wyoming men?”

  “No, sir.”

  “Maybe I’ll start a trend.”

  Harper laughed.

  “Such a melodic laugh you have,” he murmured.

  Blushing, she scooted her chair up to the table. She gestured for him to set his hands on the towel. Instead, he thrust his right hand at her.

  “I’m Renner Jackson.”

  “Harper Masterson.”

  “Pretty name for a pretty lady.”

  Harper rolled her eyes. “Be careful with the compliments and pickup lines, Mr. Jackson. I might think you’re overcompensating for something.”

  He threw back his head and laughed. Harper knew everyone in the salon was watching.

  “Harper, darlin’, I assure you I’m all man. And I’ll admit to liking the ladies a little too much—that’s probably why I’ve got two ex-wives.” He finally set his hands on the towels.

  She winced. His fingers were a real mess. The skin was red, chapped, cracked, and peeling. Two of his fingernails were completely black. He’d be losing those two nails before long. The lines under his fingernails were pure black. Too black to merely be dirt.

  “Nasty, huh?” he said.

  “Are you a mechanic?”

  “As a hobby. My main business is a stock contractor, which means I’m outside a good chunk of the time. I wear gloves”—he turned his hands over, palms up—“but sometimes that makes it worse because the gloves get wet. Then my hands chap and freeze. It’s a never-ending cycle.”

  “So what have your other manicurists done? I’ll admit this is out of my league.” She met his gaze. Wow. Up close, Renner had startling eyes. A periwinkle blue.

  “Honesty. I appreciate that, Harper. Usually, they soak ’em, clean the nails, and push back the cuticles. I reckon the same treatment you give other clients.”

  “That’s all?”

  “Then they give me a wax dip, or rub heavy-duty cuticle oil into them and then put on a pair of cotton gloves and let the oil soak in.”

  “We don’t have wax, but I’ve got a really good oil that penetrates fast. It’ll help.”

  “Anything would be better than this. Tomorrow I gotta look like a businessman, not a grease monkey.”

  Harper found the deepest tub and he winced when she placed his hands in it.

  After he relaxed, Renner focused on Harper’s hands. “You don’t have fancy fake nails like other nail technicians I’ve seen.”

  Was her lack of acrylic nails with designs that could be changed on a whim considered bad advertising? Heck, she never painted her nails these days. Keeping them trimmed was the extent of her nail maintenance routine.

  “Is it because you’re the only nail tech in town and you can’t do your own nails?” Renner prompted.

  “No. I swore when I finished my last official obligation as Miss Sweet Grass, I wouldn’t ever wear fake nails again.”

  “You were Miss Sweet Grass?”

  “And Miss Rawlins. And Miss Carbon County. And Miss Sweetheart of the Rodeo Stampede. And Miss Sage and Spurs. And Miss Wyoming Beef Council.”

  “And Miss Wyoming?” he asked.

  “Nope. First runner-up. Three times.” She leaned back in her chair. “Tell me, Renner Jackson. What brings you to Muddy Gap?”

  “I lived with my grandparents here for a year growing up, so when their old place came up for sale again, I bought it. Plus another acreage that bordered it.”

  “Which place was that?”

  “The last people who owned it were the Kleins.”

  Harper shook her finger at him. “Now I know who you are. You’re the outsider who’s bringing ruin to Carbon County by buying up all available land when you’re not local. You’ll probably only let your big-city buddies hunt. Or worse, you’ll turn it into a hippie compound.”

  His gaze narrowed.

  The man had a serious death glare. Harper leaned forward. “I was kidding. But I’ll warn you, from one non-native Wyomingite to another? That’s the attitude you’ll run into around here.”

  “Tell me about it. And it doesn’t help when I’m keeping my evil plans close to the vest.”

  “So are you going to live around here?”

  “Eventually. Once I get the building under way and I—” Renner snapped his mouth shut. Then a slow, cocky grin spread across his handsome face. “You’re a wily one. Sweet and curious. I like that. Maybe I oughta offer you a job.”

  “Aw, lookit you. Already planning to steal the help away from the local businesses—that’ll go over well.”

  “Divide, conquer, and charm. That’s my motto.”

  “But it won’t work with me because I’m leaving this town for good in another two months.”

  Renner asked questions and seemed genuinely interested in listening to her answers. It was a nice change from being ignored, talked over, or conversing with the cattle. And Renner was a really nice guy. Smart. Funny. After she got his hands fixed up, he gave her a big tip.

  “This is too much,” she demurred, trying to hand the twentydollar bill back.

  “Consider it a bribe.”

  She frowned at him. “A bribe for what?”

  “When local folks ask if that outsider sissy-boy Renner Jackson really got his nails done? You’ve gotta lie and say you were pulling pieces of barbed wire out, or something equally manly.”

  Harper laughed. “Deal.”

  “You do have a great laugh, Harper. I’ll see you around.”

  Bernice lounged behind the front desk. “So. Doing a man’s hands. That’s kinda freaky, even when he’s that good-looking. Did you put … polish on his nails?”

  Harper shook her head. “Actually, I’m not supposed to say anything. But I was pulling metal shards out of his fingers.”

  Bernice blew out a cloud of smoke. “Really?”

  “Yes. He was welding and thought soaking them in hot water would bring the metal pieces closer to the surface. It worked.” She smiled brightly. “I got most of them, so he was happy.”

  “We’re all about happy customers here.”

  The door flew open.

  They both turned as Celia Lawson barreled in. “Surprise!”

  Harper threw her arms around her friend. “Celia! When did you sneak into town?”

  “Just now. I wanted to swing by before I got stuck at the house tonight with the brothers Grimm.”

  She held Celia at arm’s length and gave her a once-over. Celia was a cowgirl to the core. On her feet were her favorite pair of beatup Justin boots. Her dark blue jeans were tighter than the type she normally favored. The gold and silver circuit championship belt buckle, attached to a fuchsia rhinestone belt, matched the pinkand-purple-striped Western shirt. Her heavy black duster nearly grazed her ankles. She wore her cowgirl hat, a black Stetson that accentuated her fair coloring. Celia’s once-boyish figure had filled out in the past couple of years. She wasn’t curvy like Harper was, so they’d never swapped clothes in high school, another rite of passage that had passed them by.

  “You look great,” Harper said. “Life on the road agrees with you.”

  “Flattery will get you everywhere with me,” she cooed. “So, I’m spending the day tomorrow w
ith Eli. He’s going over Mickey with a fine-tooth comb. But tomorrow night? You and me? We’re hittin’ the bar.”

  “Good. Harper needs to get out more,” Bernice said. “I’m all for you revvin’ her up, Celia.”

  “Corrupting the former Miss Sweet Grass is a job I take very seriously.” Celia rested an elbow on the counter. “Can I steal her away, Bernice?”

  “Yep. We’re all done.” Bernice captured Celia’s swinging braid, which hung like a thick golden rope and brushed Celia’s butt. “Girl, I know I’ve said it a hundred times, but you’ve got such gorgeous hair.”

  Celia lifted the braid and threw it back over her shoulder. “One of these days I’ll surprise you and we’ll cut it all off so I can donate it to Locks of Love.”

  Harper snagged her coat off the rack and grabbed her purse from beneath the counter. “See you next week, Bernice.”

  With the size of Celia’s F-350 truck and her horse trailer, she’d practically parked up the entire block. Harper hoisted herself in the passenger side and had a hard time finding a place to sit.

  Celia scooped up an armload of stuff—CDs, a pillow, empty food wrappers, a curling iron, and a pushup bra—and tossed it in the back of the club cab. “Sorry. I’m used to spreading out since I travel alone.”

  “Does that bug you?”

  “Some days. I’ve picked up riders here and there. For a month at the end of last year I had a saddle bronc rider tagging along with me.”

  “Was he cute?”

  She smirked, glancing in her side mirror before she pulled out. “Very. He had the nicest ass I’ve ever seen. Tight. Muscular.”

  “You never mentioned him.”

  “I’ve learned to live the rodeo cowboys and cowgirls creed—if you don’t talk about what happens on the road, then it didn’t happen.”

  Harper smiled. “That fits you.”

  Celia parked in front of the rental. “Short ride.”