by Roxy Wilson
“If they do wander off, I don’t think I’ll be able to make it back to the farm on my legs.”
He laughed at the first admission she made regarding the exhaustion she must be feeling. He was used to riding every day, but for her, it was a new experience, at least after several years. “Don’t worry.
She walked to the grove of trees where Blade and the other ranch hands had already made a place.
“Tired?” he asked.
She hesitated. Her gaze flicked to him and then flitted away. “I haven’t ridden in many years. Of course, when we were young, my father made it a point for us to learn to do everything on the farm, but I never liked it that much.”
“And yet, here you are, willing to try it all over again.”
Shayne shrugged her shoulders. “Circumstances change,” she paused. “People change.”
There was some story to the pain reflected in her eyes. The emotion was gone before he could fully decipher it. He knew she’d gotten divorced recently and could understand that she must be hurting. He longed to kiss her anguish away, but she was off limits. He really shouldn’t be thinking anything along those lines. A woman like her wouldn’t ever settle for a ranch hand. Way below her standards, and it wouldn’t hurt to remember that.
They settled with the other men, and he felt surprised to see that she seemed totally at ease. With no air of superiority or authority. She blended in as if she’d spent countless hours with these people, and yet he was aware that she was deliberately making an effort to make them feel at ease with her. He appreciated the effort. As did the men.
“How long have you been living on the farm, Blade?”
The middle-aged guy who’d spent too many days outside in the sun scratched his head. “Maybe about ten. When I came, I wasn’t so sure about this place but your father was a good man, and you were just a young girl.” He chuckled. “Of course, Cullen has also done well for herself. She’s made a success of the farm since he passed on. That’s what he wanted. He was very proud of all his girls.”
“I didn’t inherit his love for farming.”
“You have your own strengths and your father recognized that. He was happy when you got that job in that fancy New York Company and I remember when he came back after a visit. Said he was right proud that you were doing so well.”
She glanced away, probably to hide the tears that sprang to her eyes.
“Where did you work in New York?” Juston asked to help change the topic.
“At a public relations firm.”
“What kind of work?”
“We built up brand images for corporations and individuals. Public relations is about dealing with the media or other outside sources on anything to do with a client.”
“Do we need public relations here?”
Her smile lit her face. “I sure hope so. That’s why Cullen hired me. I’m supposed to build an image for the farm and also do marketing activities to boost sales and bring more clients. That’s why I want to understand every aspect of the work that goes on here.” She shrugged her shoulders. “If I don’t know it, I can’t sell it.”
He thought she could sell anything she chose. All she had to do was smile that sunshiny smile, and a client would agree to whatever she wanted. The woman had charm and personality and he felt sure there weren’t many people in the world who could resist her. “Our work is simpler, I guess. We just deal with cattle.”
Her gaze locked with his. “It certainly isn’t easy. I don’t know how you guys do it, day in and day out.”
“We’re used to the hard ride and the heat,” he said. “I grew up on a farm, so it’s something I can do in my sleep.”
“Which farm were you on?”
“It’s a day’s ride away. Rosa Ranch. Owned and run by a family for four generations. My father moved there with me when I was seven. Before that, we were in a town west of Chicago.”
She opened her lunch box and took out a sandwich. “Would you like some?”
“Nah! I have my own.” He opened his pack and drew out his lunchbox. “I loved the farm from the first day and of course, there was no stopping me. Every day after school, I was learning how to handle animals, fix fences, ride horses…or drive my dad’s truck. There was no looking back.” He opened the box and used the fork to spear some pasta. His gaze lingered on the lunch box. “Would you like some?”
“Sure.”
He offered her the lunch box.
Then, she tasted some of his food. Her expression shifted and changed. “My God! This is good. Who made this?”
“I did.”
Her eyes widened in surprise as she took another bite and then handed back the lunch. “You can cook?”
Blade laughed. “This guy could give Jackie competition in the kitchen.”
“That’s not true,” he disagreed. “There are so many things she could teach me. Trust me, I’m nothing compared to her.”
“But you’re definitely very good,” she said. “I can handle myself around a kitchen, but nowhere as good as that. What did you put in this?”
“Thyme and some sweet basil. Usually, I grow mine in small pots in the kitchen, but I haven’t gotten around to doing that here yet.”
“Where is your cottage?”
“It’s behind the one that Graeme has. You just keep walking straight and it’s there behind a grove of trees. I like it.”
“Yes, I remember it. Haven't seen it in a while, but I remembered my father built it quite a few years back.” She took a bite of her sandwich. “Now, there have been quite a few additions in the farm in the time that I was gone. And I think Cullen is also thinking about building some more cottages behind the farmhouse.”
“The way she’s growing the business, that girl is going to need a lot more hands. I don’t think it will be too long before we need a few more people,” Blade piped in. “I see a great future for this farm.”
“Yeah, so do I. That’s why I came here,” Juston agreed.
“Some men might not like the idea of working under a woman,” she said.
He shrugged. “I never cared. Man or woman, the person has to know what they’re doing. I don’t like people who try to throw their weight around but don’t know what they’re talking about.” Juston didn’t want to name names but he’d been very disappointed by the owner of the ranch next door. Max Hayes was a man he hoped never to see again. The man didn’t know shit about ranching and yet, he was born on a farm. He didn’t have a love for the land…that much was obvious. Strangely enough, he thought Shayne had respect for the land even though she chose to move out for a long time. He could see it in her eyes. It was there even if she didn’t realize it herself.
“Like some people we know,” Blade added.
Juston concentrated on his food. He didn’t want to encourage gossip about Max. The man was a weasel, but Juston had some standards, and he didn’t like to talk about former employers.
“So now, what we are going to do after lunch?” Shayne asked.
“Some of the guys are going off to fix the fence towards the east. They’ll be back after a couple of hours, and then we’ll drive the cattle towards the stream. We’ll cross it, allow them to spend some time on the pasture beyond it, and then start the ride home,” he explained. “The goal is to reach the farm before nightfall.”
“And you do this every day?”
“Every other day,” he admitted. “It’s important to let them rotate around the farm, so we go in different direction each time. It allows the grass to grow back before we return.”
“And what happens when you add sheep to this mix?”
“I heard Cullen is planning to buy some soon,” he replied. “Once she does so, we’ll be following a similar routine for the sheep but on alternate days. Luckily, the land is big enough to support many herds. It shouldn’t be a problem, but we’ll definitely need more people.” Juston stood and stretched. He cast an eye at the horses to make sure they were close by. If they lost a horse, it would take s
ome precious time for them to recover it. The good thing was that Cullen and her team had trained the animals well and they never strayed beyond a certain distance. He did feel happy to work on this farm. There was a discipline that he appreciated, along with dollops of respect and a good camaraderie amongst the ranch hands. Graeme, even though he was in a relationship with the boss, didn’t throw his weight around and was a fair foreman.
He could easily make a home here.
As he glanced back, he saw Shayne gaze flick away from him. Good. So she wasn’t as unaffected by his presence as he thought. Perhaps there was some hope for them, or maybe he was just being too optimistic. “I’ll just walk around to make sure the cattle are all okay.”
“I’ll come with you.” She winced as she stood. “I sure could stretch my legs after sitting on the horse for so long.”
“We’ll be off then,” Blade said. He stood and motioned for the other men to get up, as well. “We’ll fix that fence and be back soon.”
“Take care.” Juston strode forward and she joined him. “You should put on your hat.”
Obediently, she stuck it on her head. “Thanks. I guess I’m not used to taking these basic precautions.”
“It will grow on you. It takes time to get into a new routine, but you’ve grown up on a farm, so it should be easy to slide back in.”
“I don’t know about that…” Her voice sounded wistful as she replied. “…It’s been far too long since I actually did some work on a farm. I think the city life has made me soft.”
He didn’t quite agree with her. Even though he didn’t know her well enough, Juston suspected that she had a spine of steel and would be able to tackle anything she set her mind to. “Did you like living in New York?” He changed the topic. “I visited once, but all that noise and the people…made my head spin.”
She laughed at his description. “I guess that happened to me when I first went there, but slowly I got used to it and yes, I loved it. For a long time…I was really happy. The city has its own charm and I was sucked right into it. The late night plans, the cocktail hours, and the glamorous events. It was exciting, interesting. I enjoyed it.”
Juston lifted an eyebrow. “But?”
She glanced at him as if he said something strange. “But there is something about the city, or any other city, and that is loneliness. You can have a thousand friends but it’s hard to make real connections because everyone is too busy with their own lives. I mean…” She hesitated as if she’d said far more than she planned. “…I did have some good friends, but the friendships were very fluid, you know. Not like the friends, I grew up and went to college with. Those are buddies for life.”
“I get that,” he said. “I have a friend, Mason. We grew up together because his father owned the ranch where my dad worked. We still keep in touch, and when we meet, it’s like we’ve never been apart. With old friends, you can be yourself. There’s no need to hide anything, and no need to sugarcoat your words. It’s just you and the truth, and it’s damned liberating.”
She laughed. “Exactly. I’m glad you get it.”
He also got the fact that he felt the same way with her as he felt with Mason. Something about her made him comfortable. He could do anything, say anything, and she wouldn’t judge him. It seemed silly to feel like this, especially because he barely knew her…yet he felt as if he’d known her forever. As he locked glances with her, a cow suddenly charged towards them.
Shayne jumped into his arms and he took a few steps back. The cow turned back.
She trembled in his arms. “What the hell was that?”
“She just got startled or something.” He laughed. Casting an appreciative glance at the cow, he thanked her profusely. Not that he’d have done anything so rash or so hurried, especially so soon after her return to the ranch and the lifestyle, not to mention her divorce, but he wasn’t complaining. Now that she was in his arms, he was reluctant to let her go.
Her breasts pushed against his chest. He felt thrilled beyond belief at the sensation of the pebbled beads of her erect nipples, even through their double-layer of clothing. His skin hummed at the contact, nerves firing and sending exciting shivers cross his flesh, and he actually felt as if he was on fire. So hot, it competed with the heat of the sun on the range. This woman, his woman, was all hot flesh and erotic desires. A potent combination. One designed by some higher force to melt him to a puddle of goo.
All sane thoughts wafted out of his head and he gazed down at her. At the exact same moment, she glanced up. Her eyes were large, the pupils dilated, her lips slightly parted, and he could read straight up passion in her features. She was an angel. He couldn’t help what he did next. It wasn’t planned. In fact, he wasn’t even sure his mind had decided anything when he just reacted. Instinct, he would claim later, if she asked.
Juston planted his lips on her, and damn it…it felt so good, so right. He should have stopped there. Should have acknowledged the contact and then backed away. That would have been the smart choice. Would have been a mistake, though. A bad and regretful mistake.
She moaned under him. Her lips vibrating on his as the sound ripped itself from her throat.
Shayne’s eyes closed and he gave in. He closed his own. What happened from this point on would be destiny. No stopping now, even if he’d had the willpower.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him closer and he rejoiced inside. Smiling on her lips, he deepened the kiss. His large, work-roughened hands encircled her neck and held her steady, his fingertips lightly caressing the tender skin behind her ear. He felt her lean into his grasp. His thumb moved, caressing the column of her neck, where her throat met her chin. Her moan became a heartbreaking whimper. He felt relieved that the other hands had left them to take care of the fence. He wanted no other man to ever hear such a passionate sound from her again—unless it was him and she were spread out under him at the time. That soft noise had all the makings of an aphrodisiac.
Her lips were soft and warm, and when he touched them with his tongue, her mouth parted and he dove in. Swiping his tongue through the herb-infused warmth of her mouth, he wondered idly how he could have claimed his salad was delicious. She tasted better. Much better…his pasta salad times a hundred. He could feed from her for centuries and never get bored. Such a cornucopia of sensations, flavors, and aromas. All of them exciting him, making his heart race, and his head thrum. He refused to even consider the effect of her on his erection. That was too dangerous to contemplate—led to places he too eagerly wanted to take her.
He lost himself in the feel and touch of her mouth against his. In the feel of her so close, so wrapped up in his embrace. She was responding just as strongly as he was. Her tongue, so placid and demure, was reaching for his, chasing his as he retreated, licking his and begging him to lick her back. She shifted against him, rubbing her curves against the hard, lean planes of his body. For the first time in his life—including high school—he felt tremors in his knees and feared he might actually swoon. And ranch hands didn’t swoon. EVER. It felt as though he had literally entered heaven. As though he just died.
Juston devoured and plundered. Shayne returned the favor. He cupped the back of her head and bent her back, cradling her smaller, but not weaker form. A strong woman. He looted, all her defenses lowered and opened in invitation. Shayne didn’t murmur a protest. Not a single hesitant hum. When he lifted his head, her eyes were glazed over. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew, without a doubt, his eyes were equally glazed.
Damn it! What the hell did he just do?
Chapter Three
Shayne wanted to run away. It didn’t bother her that he kissed her. What made her wary was her own reaction to his touch. The moment he got his hands on her, all sane thoughts fled her mind and she melted into his arms. It made no sense to her. She’d never behaved like this with another man. Sure, there was always some sexual chemistry with men she liked, but this was way off the charts.
She didn’t kn
ow what to do.
Juston shook his head. “I know I shouldn’t have…” he said, with a wry smile. “But I was tempted.”
“Why?”
It was clearly not the question he expected because he blinked his eyes and then tipped the hat on his head. “Ah! I guess it’s because you’re so pretty and I’m honest-to-goodness attracted to you.”
Shayne took a careful step back. Now, that his arms were no longer around her, she could think a bit more. What he said made sense to her because she felt exactly the same way. “You have nothing to apologize for. I could have stopped you, but I guess I didn’t want to.”
“Why?”
How could she deny him the answer? “Because you’re so pretty and I’m honest-to-goodness attracted to you.”
At her mimic answer, Juston threw back his head and laughed heartily. “Good,” he said when he regained his composure. His hands reached for her as a grin split over his face, but she shook her head and took another step back. The light mood changed into a serious one. “What?”
“Look, you’re very good looking, and I can’t deny that I’m attracted to you, but right now I’m in a very strange position.” Shayne took a deep breath and then expelled it slowly. “I just got divorced, and there are a lot of complications in my life, and I don’t want to add to them.”
Juston nodded his head. “Complicated is good.”
She adjusted the brim of her hat, feeling self-conscious. She’d never talked to a guy so directly, but it felt good to say whatever it was in her heart. She didn’t want to lead him on and then push him away. It would be better to make it clear that she wasn’t looking for anything. A pang of regret hit her as she stared into his denim-blue eyes. It wasn’t just that he was good-looking but she could also sense a kind heart.
This was a man who could show a woman how to have a good time, and he would do with it ease and respect.
It would be great to hang out with him some more and forget about the troubles that plagued her, but Shayne knew that she wouldn’t be able to offer him anything permanent. She just wasn’t looking for a relationship. Shayne shook her head. “It’s not. At least, not for me. I just embarked on a new phase of my life. I need friends at the moment, and nothing more than that.”