The Cowboy's Unexpected Love: Wade and Sierra (MacFarland Ranch Book 1)

by SJ McCoy

  “No! I don’t feel guilty. Not one bit. At first, I thought I was wrong to feel so drawn to Wade, you know because it’s so fast after I was supposed to get married. But now I don’t feel guilty.”

  “What do you feel?”

  She drew in a deep breath and blew it out. “I feel incredibly lucky to have met him. But at the same time, I feel like I have the worst timing in the world.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I wish I could have met Wade at some other time than in the two weeks between the day I was supposed to get married and the day I take on two small children. At any other point in my life, I’d think there was a possibility to pursue this, to hope that something … something big might happen between us. But with the way everything stands, it’s just not possible.”

  Jane nodded and blew out a sigh. And if Sierra was honest, that was not the reaction she’d been hoping for. She’d hoped that Jane might tell her that it was possible, that she believed there was a way for her and Wade to be together for something more than a quick fling. Her heart sat heavy in her chest when Jane sighed. “I want to argue with you, but I know you’re right.”

  Well, there was her answer. She knew that Jane was in her corner, that she liked her and wanted her to explore what she could with Wade. But if Jane wasn’t encouraging her to try for more then she had to accept that these next couple of weeks were all she was going to get.

  When they got to the bakery, Sierra slid down from the truck and trotted after Jane. As soon as they were inside, she stopped to breathe it all in. She loved the place immediately. It assaulted her senses in the best possible way. The sound of people talking blended in with low music playing in the background. The smell of coffee and pastries made her mouth water. The atmosphere felt homey and welcoming.

  Jane looked back at her and smiled. “Are you ready to meet Frankie and her fiancé, Spider?”

  “Yes.”

  “Come on then.”

  When they reached the counter, a girl who looked to be about the same age as Sierra slid down from one of the stools and greeted Jane with a hug.

  When she stepped back, Jane gestured to Sierra. “Sierra, this is my cousin, Frankie. Frankie, this is Sierra.” She stopped and frowned, and Sierra guessed that she didn’t know how to describe her.

  It didn’t matter. Frankie stepped forward with a smile and instead of shaking hands, she leaned down to give Sierra a quick hug. “Hey. It’s good to meet you.”

  “Thanks, you too.”

  “Do you want to sit up here, or should we grab a booth?”

  “Let’s grab a booth,” Jane said.

  Once they were all seated, Frankie grinned at Sierra. “So, you ran out on your wedding, huh?”

  Sierra just stared at her. How did she even know? She looked at Jane. She wouldn’t have expected her to go telling people her business.

  Jane gave her a warm smile. “Sorry. I should have warned you. There are no secrets in this valley.”

  Frankie’s smile was gone. “Shit. I’m sorry. I didn’t even think. I guess I’m so used to the way things work here it didn’t occur to me that you wouldn’t be. Sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “That’s okay.” Sierra forced a small smile. “I’d be more upset if you’d told me that I was stupid for running out on my wedding. At least you were on my side.”

  Frankie grinned. “Hell yeah, I am, girl. Good for you. Do you know what you’re going to do now?”

  Sierra shrugged. “I think I’m going to be staying here for a while.”

  Jane gave her a puzzled look, but at that moment a tall muscular man who was covered in tattoos came and loomed over the table. Sierra could feel her eyes widening. She felt like she should be scared of him, but for some reason she wasn’t. He wasn’t trouble, she could just tell. He was a good guy. Her instincts were proved right when both Jane and Frankie smiled at him, and Frankie caught hold of his hand and pulled him down to sit beside her.

  “Sierra, meet Spider.”

  She smiled at him, and he nodded and smiled back. “It’s good to meet you.”

  “You too. What can I get you, ladies?”

  That surprised Sierra; she wouldn’t have thought that he worked here, but that seemed to be the case as he took their orders. He dropped a kiss on Frankie’s lips before he left the table, telling them that he’d be right back.

  She loved the smile on Frankie’s face as she watched him go back behind the counter. She looked like a genuine cowgirl and the last person who’d be with someone like Spider – all tattoos and mohawk, but it was obvious that the two of them were together and very much in love.

  Sierra bit down on her bottom lip when another man joined Spider behind the counter. He must have come out from the back. He hadn’t been there before – she would have noticed him if he were. He was even taller than Spider, his shoulders were even broader, and he was covered in even more ink. He was a handsome devil though.

  Frankie glanced at her and winked before turning to Jane. “Did I tell you that Rocket’s here?”

  Sierra watched in fascination as Jane’s cheeks turned bright red and she dropped her chin before saying, “No.”

  Frankie winked at Sierra again. “I think Spider’s going to have him bring our order over.”

  Sierra looked at Jane and then back over at the big man, Rocket? Was that really his name? He was talking to Spider and smiled when he glanced over in their direction. Well, no, he wasn’t looking in their direction, he was looking directly at Janey, and his smile turned into a grin when she lifted her head and met his gaze. Her cheeks turned from red to crimson before she grabbed her purse.

  “I have to run to the bathroom. I’ll be back.”

  Sierra watched her scurry away. Frankie laughed beside her. “Don’t worry. I’m not being cruel. She’s besotted with him, and he feels the same way. But our Janey’s stubborn and doesn’t believe that he’s actually interested in her. I’ve tried everything I can think of to talk sense into her, but she won’t have it. So, now I just stand back and see what happens.”

  “Is he really interested in her?”

  Frankie’s smile disappeared and she scowled at Sierra. “Yes. He is. I know that might be hard for someone like you to believe. But not everyone is all about looks and the superficial.”

  Sierra sat back in her seat, the force of Frankie’s words hitting her hard. She was glad that she wasn’t that kind of person, she had no doubt that Frankie would beat her down if she were. It was still a little scary, even knowing that they were of the same mind, but instead of being offended or cowering from Frankie’s words, she smiled and nodded. “Sorry, that must have come out wrong. I was trying to look out for Janey, not put her down. I wasn’t doubting that he should be interested in her, I was more checking whether he has good intentions. That’s all.”

  Frankie held her gaze for a long moment. “Why?” she asked eventually.

  “Well, because Janey’s my friend. We haven’t known each other very long, but I know who she is and how she sees herself and I’d hate for anyone to hurt her – in any way.”

  Frankie smiled at that. “Okay. I’ll let you off then.”

  Sierra smiled back. “What, you’ll let me off for not being as mean and superficial as you decided I was?”

  Frankie chuckled. “Yeah. I guess that about sums it up. I did jump to the wrong conclusion. But I’m not going to apologize for it. I did it for Janey’s sake, to protect her. I’m glad I was wrong, but I think it’s more important to drive away the wrong kind of people. The right kind of people can take a little misunderstanding.” She grinned. “As you just proved.”

  Sierra smiled back at her. She was proud of herself for not backing down. She liked Frankie and now it seemed that Frankie liked her. And they were both united in their determination to look out for Janey.

  “Do you think Janey likes him?” she asked.

  Frankie snorted. “Err, yeah. Just a lot! I just don’t know how to convince her that he’s for
real about being interested in her. You up for helping me?”

  “Absolutely. What do you want me to do?”

  Frankie laughed. “Help me figure out what the hell we can do.”

  Sierra watched Rocket make his way over to their table. He was huge! He must be six-foot four at least. And he must be one of those guys who lived in the gym. He was like a wall of muscle. A very broad wall.

  He grinned at Frankie when he reached them and then smiled at her. “Where’d she go?” he asked.

  Frankie rolled her eyes. “She ran to hide in the bathroom.”

  Aww. Sierra wanted to pat his hand when she saw the disappointment in his eyes. He was a good guy and there was no question that his interest in Janey was genuine.

  He set the tray down on the table and then sat down next to Sierra. “Sorry. It’s good to meet you, little lady. You’re Sierra, right?” He held his hand out.

  As Sierra shook with him, her own hand was engulfed by his. “That’s right. It’s nice to meet you, too.”

  He grinned. “Thanks. So, you don’t think I’m scary? I don’t make you want to run away and hide?”

  “No!”

  Frankie laughed beside her. “I’ve told you before. Janey doesn’t hide from you because she’s scared of you.”

  To be fair, when he scowled, he did look scary. “I know. She’s just not interested, right?”

  Frankie sighed. “She is interested.”

  Rocket shook his head. “But I have to be patient.”

  “Yup.”

  Rocket shrugged and smiled through pursed lips at Sierra. “Do you have any tips for me?”

  She smiled. “I’m not too good at that kind of thing myself, but I promise I’ll put in a good word for you.”

  “Aww, thanks. And I thought you were going to be one of them who’d look down their noses at me.”

  She laughed as she looked at Frankie. “It seems to me that we should all give people a fair go at showing us who they are before we judge them based on their appearances.”

  Frankie just laughed. “Touché. You win that one, and I’m glad.”

  “You are?”

  “I am. I’m glad to be wrong. I’m glad that you’re not a snooty bitch.”

  “Frankie!” Rocket scowled at her, but she just shrugged.

  “What? We’re being honest here, aren’t we?”

  Sierra smiled and answered before Rocket could. “We are. It’s all good. But do you think I should go and bring Janey back?”

  Frankie shook her head. “I’ll go.”

  Rocket didn’t move and they both watched Frankie make her way to the restrooms at the back. Sierra jumped when he spoke beside her.

  “I haven’t been here long myself. But I already know how fast gossip travels. I’ve heard your story.”

  Her heart pounded, and she swung her head to look at him. “You have?”

  “Yeah. ‘Fraid so, sweetheart. I don’t mean to embarrass you. I’m not bringing it up for any reason other than to say that if you ever need a bit of extra muscle …” He smiled. “If you need a scary looking dude to wheel out either for show or for real, you can count on me, okay?”

  It felt quite surreal. She was sitting here in a crowded bakery in the middle of an empty landscape, next to a man whom honestly, yes, she’d be scared enough of to cross the street from normally. Yet, his words made her smile, gave her a warm feeling, and made her feel … at home.

  She looked up into his eyes. “Thank you.”

  He grinned. “Of course.”

  “Do you mind if I ask why?”

  He chuckled. “I don’t mind, but it makes me sad that you need to.”

  She raised her eyebrows.

  “I’m offering you help if you need it because that’s the right and decent thing to do. It’s just unfortunate that doing the right and decent thing is so uncommon these days that it comes as a surprise.”

  “Wow. You’re right.”

  “Yup.” He’d diverted his attention from her and was now watching Frankie and Janey make their way back to the table. Sierra could feel him tense beside her and could see him twisting his big hands together; even his fingers were covered in ink.

  “Just be yourself,” she said quietly.

  “You reckon I stand a chance?”

  “I honestly don’t know. But Frankie said that Janey likes you, so I have to guess that you do.” If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn’t have believed that a guy who looked the way he did would ever be so nervous about whether a woman liked him.

  Frankie reached the table first and sat down, leaving the only empty space next to Rocket. Janey mumbled something that might have been hello as she perched beside him.

  Sierra watched with interest as he turned to Janey with a smile.

  “Hey, beautiful. It’s good to see you.”

  Jane didn’t even meet his gaze. She stared at a point somewhere over his shoulder as she mumbled, “You, too.”

  Oh, she was interested. She was definitely interested. Sierra snuck a glance at Frankie, who grinned back at her and nodded.

  Sierra wanted to say something to break the tension, but she didn’t know what. She wanted to pull Janey aside and attempt to reassure her. But all she could do was sit there in the uncomfortable silence that descended.

  Jane snatched up her coffee cup, spilling some of it in her haste. “We should be quick, Sierra. We need to get back.”

  “You got a busy day lined up, beautiful?” Rocket sat back and stretched his arm along the back of the seat behind Janey.

  Sierra was silently cheering him on until Jane sat forward, looking uncomfortable.

  “Come on, Sierra,” said Frankie. “If Janey’s going to steal you away so fast, I’d better get you those cookies for Wade.”

  Sierra leapt to her feet. “Thanks, that’d be great.” She turned to Janey. “I’ll only be a minute if you can hang on?”

  Frankie didn’t even give her time to answer, she just took Sierra’s arm and the two of them practically ran to the counter, where Spider opened a door and let them both through.

  When Sierra looked back, Rocket was leaning toward Jane, smiling, and saying something while Jane just sat frozen.

  “Is she really okay?”

  “She is. Don’t worry. Watch.”

  She did, and as Rocket continued talking, Jane visibly relaxed. She laughed at something he said and the way she looked at him gave her away. She was very much interested in him.

  Sierra grinned at Frankie. “I promise I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

  “What are you scheming, sweetheart?” Spider gave Frankie a stern look.

  She laughed. “Nothing yet. But I’m working on it.”

  Spider looked over at Rocket and Jane and then back at Frankie and Sierra. “Don’t you think we should leave them to figure it out for themselves?”

  Frankie shrugged. “We have and they’re not getting anywhere.” When Rocket and Jane got to their feet, she looked around wildly.

  “What’s up?” Spider asked.

  “I need cookies for Sierra. That was our cover story.”

  Spider laughed and fetched a bag which he proceeded to fill with cookies from the display before handing it to her. He must have put two dozen in there at least.

  She chuckled and reached for her purse. “How much …”

  Spider waved a hand at her. “No way. You don’t need to pay. I bet you had no idea you needed cookies till Frankie dragged you over here.”

  She chuckled. “That’s not the point. I’m still going to enjoy them.”

  Frankie grinned at her. “Don’t forget I told Janey that they’re for Wade.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he gets most of them.”

  Frankie raised an eyebrow at her. “Since we’re friends now. Are you going to tell me that I was right to assume that you’re happy to share your cookies with Wade?”

  Sierra wished she didn’t embarrass so easily, but the way Frankie said it sounded �
� dirty and very appealing. She laughed, even though she knew her cheeks were red. There was no point denying it. “More than happy.”

  “Can I get a coffee here or what?”

  The woman’s angry voice made them all turn. Sierra felt bad for keeping Spider from his customers, and Jane and Rocket were at the counter now. She took the bag from Spider and let herself back out with a murmured sorry, for holding them up.

  “Are you ready?” Jane grabbed her arm and towed her toward the door before she could thank any of them.

  But not before she heard Spider ask the impatient woman, “What can I get you, Josie?”

  Her heart pounded in her chest as she looked back over her shoulder. Was that Wade’s Josie? The woman he’d been married to? The woman who’d called him last night, wanting him to go over and help her? She was pretty. She had shoulder length dark hair and was way taller than Sierra. Just before Jane dragged her out the door, Frankie caught Sierra’s gaze and smiled. She jerked her chin toward Josie and shook her head.

  What did that mean? Sierra wanted to think that Frankie was reassuring her somehow. Was she telling her that Josie was nothing to worry about? Or was she saying that she shouldn’t be sharing her cookies with Wade because of her? No. That wasn’t it. She was being ridiculous. She didn’t even know if that woman was Wade’s Josie. And even if she were, she was his ex, Josie, and he’d told Sierra himself that she wasn’t important to him and hadn’t been for a long time.

  She pulled herself together and scampered after Janey, who was already climbing into her truck and still looking flustered. As soon as Sierra closed the passenger door behind her, Janey pulled away in a hurry.

  “Are you okay?” Sierra asked.

  “Of course. I just need to get to work. I’ll drop you off at the cabin.”

  “Oh. I thought I was coming with you to see the little mama dog.”

  Jane glanced over at her. “Yeah. Right. Sorry.”

  Sierra wondered whether she should keep quiet about Rocket, but Janey looked so stressed, she decided that she couldn’t. “Are you going to go out with him?” she asked quietly.