Crazy for Lovin’ You

by Teresa Southwick

  Across from it, standing all alone, was her destination. Charlie’s Tractor Supply—a sort of one-stop shopping for ranchers. She’d left her truck by the dispenser so the long hoses could fill the bed with oats, like a filling station for horse feed.

  She walked across the street and Dev Hart joined her.

  “Howdy neighbor,” he said. “Long time no see, little T.”

  “Hi, yourself,” she said, smiling at the good-looking rancher as well as the nickname he always used.

  He stood beside her and folded his arms across his chest as they watched the white bed of the truck disappear beneath the oats. Dev was at least six foot two and had the sexiest indentation in his chin. His brown eyes and hair were nothing to write home about, but as a whole, he made female hearts under the age of sixty beat fast and furious.

  All except hers. Because she’d learned the hard way.

  Mitch had been her first lesson. Her broken engagement to Evan McCoy had been her last. The only love she would ever again permit herself would be for her land. If her heart got broken somehow, at least it wouldn’t be personal. Unless Mitch had lied to her. If he wasn’t fair, square and completely objective about a choice for the rodeo, then it would be very personal if her ranch went under.

  It had been two days since she’d seen him and she was about to go crazy wondering when he would make up his mind. He was worse than a kid trying to pick one thing from the candy store case. Then she remembered that Dev was the one who had roped him into the acting commissioner’s job.

  Taylor moved closer and looked up at him. “Have you seen Mitch Rafferty?”

  “Nope,” he said, shaking his head. “But I’ve talked to him.”

  “Really?” She hoped she’d added just the right amount of indifference to the single word.

  “He talked to me about the places he’s already checked out for the championships if that’s what you’re asking.”

  She smiled. “You know me too well. At the risk of presuming on our friendship, what do you think of my chances for getting the nod?”

  “Good. Why? Are you worried about it?” He lifted his dark brown cowboy hat and ran a hand through his hair, before replacing it.

  “Considering what the Stevens’ sisters did to him—yeah,” she said.

  “That was ten years ago,” Dev pointed out. “We were all young and foolish back then. Every one of us made mistakes.” His words were meant to be encouraging. But there was a shadow in his eyes and his mouth tightened into a straight line. She couldn’t help wondering what else he was remembering.

  “You mean Jen?”

  “I mean all of us. But Jen jumped in with both feet. I’m just not sure her eyes were wide-open.”

  “How can you say that? Was it foolish to lead with her heart? To elope with the love of her life?”

  “She was only eighteen. What did she really know about Zach Adams?”

  She didn’t miss the fact that he hadn’t actually answered her question before asking one of his own. “Jen knew she loved him and he was the only man for her. What are you saying?”

  “When a girl is that young, the stars in her eyes can blind her to things. If she’d just waited, maybe—”

  “What?” Taylor demanded.

  He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter anymore. Zach’s gone.”

  He muttered under his breath what sounded like some things are best forgotten. But she knew the stubborn set of his jaw meant he wouldn’t say more. Still, she wondered about the little he’d told her. She had a feeling that Mitch Rafferty’s return had triggered memories for someone besides herself.

  “You’re in a mood today,” she said. “Anything wrong? Have you heard from Corie?”

  Dev had been divorced for over a year. His young wife had left him and his two-and-a-half-year-old son for a career in New York. Taylor had been engaged when she’d been jilted. She couldn’t help wondering if rejection hurt more after the wedding.

  He shook his head. “She sent a package for Ben’s birthday next month with a note that said she would be too busy to see him.”

  Taylor touched his arm, a gesture of sympathy. “How’s Ben doing?”

  He smiled, but it was sad around the edges. “He’s the best thing I’ve ever done. But if it wasn’t for Polly Morgan…” He shook his head. “I don’t know what I’d do without her. Full-time housekeepers and nannies don’t grow on trees. And she’s like a mother to the boy.”

  “Doesn’t she have a daughter?” Taylor asked. “As I recall, she’s a real brainer. Skipped a couple grades in high school.”

  He nodded. “Hannah. As a matter of fact, she’s here now, for a visit. She’s a doctor.”

  “Staying with you?” she asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “Is she pretty?”

  “I guess.”

  “Do you like her?”

  “Doesn’t matter. She’s dedicated to her career. I need a woman like that about as much as a snake at a garden party.” He shuffled his feet nervously. “Besides, I won’t see her much. She’s filling in for Doc Holloway while he’s away on a family emergency. Started today.”

  “Uh-huh.” Taylor couldn’t help grinning. For a man of few words, that was a lot like a jump up and down, kick your feet, put your fist through a wall kind of protest.

  “Mitch asked her to be the on-site doc for the championships—wherever they’re held.”

  As much as she liked teasing Dev, that brought her back to her original question. Did she have a snowball’s chance in hell of getting the event for her ranch?

  She kicked at the dirt and gravel in the parking lot with the toe of her boot. “Jen isn’t the only Stevens Mitch has a bone to pick with.”

  “I heard about that involuntary dip in the pool.” Dev grinned with genuine amusement.

  She had a feeling she was going to regret teasing him. He could give as good as he got. He hadn’t even lobbed his first taunt and heat crept into her cheeks that had nothing to do with the warm May afternoon.

  “Just for the record, I have no feelings for him whatsoever.”

  “Did I ask?” Dev said.

  “It’s just a matter of time,” she accused. “Don’t start with me.”

  “Look, Taylor. Ten’s a lot of years. I don’t think even Mitch Rafferty can hold a grudge that long. But prepare yourself either way. Because I’ve also learned that the things we want the most have a way of slipping out of our rope.”

  Taylor wasn’t so sure that Mitch wouldn’t hold a grudge. The intense way he’d looked at her while holding her in his arms didn’t make her believe he’d forgotten, let alone forgiven. The memory of the way her breasts had brushed against the solid, hard wall of his chest sparked heat in her belly even now. Just the way it had about every hour on the hour in the forty-eight of them since she’d last seen him. And darn it all, why couldn’t she separate that conversation from the fact that he’d been holding her close while they’d talked?

  With luck, she would get this—attraction, walk down memory lane, déjà vu, whatever it was—under control before she saw him again.

  She glanced up the street and groaned inwardly. So much for having time to steady herself. Just then, her walk down memory lane sashayed out of the café and was headed toward her. If the thundercloud on his face was anything to go by, Mitch didn’t look too happy. A bad feeling stole over her. Had he finally made up his mind? Was she going to hate the answer?

  As he stepped off the wooden sidewalk, Mitch saw Taylor smile up at Dev Hart. Something inside him went white-hot with anger. What ticked him off the most was that it made no sense. Why in the world would it bother him to see the two of them together?

  He and Dev had been friends ten years ago, and Mitch still didn’t understand why it had worked out. But it had, and they’d kept in contact through the years. Maybe because of what happened that night at the lake a decade ago. He shook his head to clear it of the unwanted memory.

  The fact was, he liked and respected the other
man even though Dev had had everything Mitch always wanted—family, roots and money. The roots part made him think about Taylor, and what she’d said to him at the ranch. The angry feeling in his gut intensified. She and Dev had a lot in common—family and ties to the land that he would never understand. She could do a lot worse than a guy like Dev Hart. He’s not a drifter, he thought. Not like me.

  The knot tightened and if he had to give it a name, he’d call it jealousy. But that was laughable. You had to care about someone to be jealous. And the ability to care had died in him a long time ago.

  He stopped beside them. “Taylor. Dev,” he said, holding out his hand.

  “Mitch,” the other man answered. A wide grin split his face as he squeezed Mitch’s palm and clapped him on the back. “It’s good to see you.”

  “You, too.”

  “How’s it going?”

  “Never better,” he said.

  “Oh? Problem?” Dev asked, raising one eyebrow. One corner of his mouth quirked up.

  “Nope. Like I said, things are great.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  But the look on Dev’s face said he didn’t believe a word of it. Mitch would swear the other man thought he could see straight into his head, and what he’d been thinking. But he’d be wrong. Ever since he’d returned to Destiny, memories had come flooding back. Not all of them bad. At least the ones about Taylor.

  Like most of the guys, he’d had the hots for Jen. He thought he’d died and gone to heaven when she gave him a tumble. Only he’d been afraid to open up with her, afraid she wouldn’t like what she saw. Hell, his own mother hadn’t cared enough to hang around. Then Jen had tossed him aside for someone else, never bothering to look deeper.

  But it had been different with Taylor. He’d talked to her a lot. When he’d waited for her sister, or took his practice rides on her father’s bulls, Taylor was always hanging around. He hadn’t thought about it a lot until now. But they had been friends until he’d angrily pushed her away.

  Hell, she’d only been fourteen. And looking at her that night had been a reminder that he wasn’t good enough for a Stevens. Now he was back, and she was running the ranch by herself. He admired that. He also felt as if he needed to make amends for the way he’d acted that night.

  “Don’t you have better things to do than stand around talking?” he asked Dev. “Haven’t you got stock to tend to?”

  Instead of taking offense, the other man grinned. “Sounds like you’re gettin’ ready to burn some powder. Since I’m not in the mood to get scorched, I think I’ll mosey on over to the café. I think I see someone I know.” He smiled at Taylor and touched the brim of his hat. “Nice talking with you, little T.”

  “You, too, Dev. Say hi to Polly for me.”

  “Will do. Let’s get together later and catch up. See you, Mitch.” Then he walked to the wooden sidewalk and stopped to talk to Hannah Morgan.

  “She’s changed a lot since high school,” Mitch commented, looking at Hannah.

  “Haven’t we all.” Taylor shot him an irritated look. “And aren’t you just Mr. Congeniality today.”

  “What?” he asked.

  “You chased Dev off with your charm and grace.”

  “I did him a favor. He was looking for an excuse to take a pretty lady to lunch,” he said, glancing at the café where the two were just disappearing inside.

  “Okay,” she said. “Let’s can the polite banter. You can give it to me straight.”

  “What?”

  “You found a better site for the rodeo.” She put her hands on jean-clad hips. She tried to hide it, but she was upset. “You chased Dev away so you could tell me in private.”

  He saw the slight quiver of her chin, and the way she caught her bottom lip between her teeth to stop it. Her brown eyes darkened with disappointment, and something that looked like fear.

  “Hold on, Taylor—”

  “It’s all right. You said it yourself. The kids need the best possible location to showcase their talents.”

  “True enough. And—”

  “If the Circle S can’t cut the mustard, then I wouldn’t want it there.”

  “Me, either.”

  “So?” Her chin lifted slightly and she looked him in the eye, while she waited for his answer.

  “In my opinion, the Circle S is the best location for the high school rodeo.”

  She froze, almost as if she couldn’t believe it. Then a wide, bright, beautiful smile transformed her face.

  She threw her arms around him. “Thank you. You won’t regret this. I won’t let you down.”

  He hugged her close for a moment, savoring the way she felt against him. As much as he was enjoying her gratitude, he had one more thing to say. He’d just figured out where he wanted to set up his base of operation. What irked him was that seeing Taylor and Dev together had done it.

  “There’s something else. And it could be a deal-breaker,” he said, putting his hands at her waist.

  “What?”

  “The championships will be at your ranch. But so will I.”

  Chapter Four

  Mitch watched Taylor’s face. One thing that hadn’t changed was her inability to hide what she was thinking. And right now it was a good bet she was wondering whether to say “Thank God” or “Good God.” Her eyes grew wide and her full lips parted slightly in a puzzled frown.

  His hands were still at her waist. She looked down at them, then met his gaze. Instantly he released her and they both backed up a step. He wished she would say something, anything to give him a clue about whether or not she was upset. She lifted her hat and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before settling it again.

  “I have to run it by the board of directors, but that’s just a formality,” he said.

  “You mean about staying at the ranch?”

  “No, holding the rodeo there. But I’ll be there, too,” he added.

  “If the event is on my ranch, then it stands to reason that you’ll be there. Where else would the commissioner be?”

  He shook his head. “No. I mean I’m moving in beforehand to co-ordinate everything.”

  “Fine.” She fiddled with the collar of her denim shirt.

  When he followed the nervous movement, he noticed the pulse in her neck fluttering wildly. “I think it’s necessary.”

  “Okay.”

  “I have a business to run in addition to everything involved in putting on a rodeo. I need a space to work in that has what I need. The Destiny motel doesn’t cut it.”

  “I understand.”

  “You have a phone, I assume?”

  “Yeah. I figured it was time to join the twenty-first century, bite the bullet and put in one of those new-fangled contraptions,” she said wryly.

  Her sarcasm didn’t faze him. He just smiled. “Do you have a computer and a fax?”

  She grinned right back as she nodded. “The bright young fella at the electronics store talked me into the whole nine yards when I got the phone.”

  “Well, little lady,” he said, mimicking her tone, “looks to me like you’ve got everything I need.”

  He couldn’t help lowering his gaze from her face, to that traitorous pounding pulse in her neck, down to her chest, waist, jean-clad legs, and scuffed brown boots. By the time he looked in her eyes again, something as dangerous as a sizzling fuse attached to a stick of dynamite was churning in his gut, sending a wave of excitement coursing through him. He almost wished she would tell him her ranch was off-limits. Almost.

  “Time is short, Taylor,” he said, all business. “I’ve got a lot to do in four weeks. I need to secure equipment and supplies. Someone will have to take deliveries. Meet vendors. I’m guessing that running a working ranch in addition to finalizing plans for your dude ranch grand opening will keep you too busy to do that.”

  “Okay, but—”

  He rested his hands on lean hips. “Not only that, there’s your whole dude ranch thing.”

  “What about it?”
r />   “You want publicity, right?”

  “That’s the idea,” she said.

  “You want an endorsement from someone well-known, shall we say?”

  “Right again,” she answered.

  “That well-known someone can’t recommend something he knows nothing about.”

  “Makes sense,” she said.

  He shifted his boots in the dirt. “If you want a genuine, no-holds-barred, positive come-on-down to the Circle S, I need to experience it firsthand.”

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  He shook his head. “There’s a lot of work to do to get the rodeo up and running for the kids. It’s a big undertaking. I can’t coordinate that in a day or two.”

  “So you just said.” She folded her arms over her chest as she gave him a patient look.

  “Besides, you can fake hospitality for a couple of days. If I see for myself, I can give it a sincere thumbs-up.” He took a breath. “I know a few reporters. And I can bring some influential people here for the championships. If they’re impressed with the B&B setup, you’ll get enough referrals to keep you busy for the next two years. Minimum. I can do that if I stay on the ranch,” he concluded, as if he were a lawyer presenting his case.

  Her lips turned up in a small, quirky smile. “Are you trying to convince me or yourself?”

  “You.” And myself, he added silently.

  He stared at her. He’d expected her to say no—about him being under the same roof with her. He’d anticipated an argument and prepared rebuttals—subconsciously.

  “As long as you lend your name to the publicity, I’ll be a contented woman.” She smiled serenely.

  Why did she have to say it like that, looking like that? An instant picture popped into his head. Her beside him in bed—sexy and satisfied. Was he making a mistake moving in with her?