Best of Cowboys Bundle

by Vicki Lewis Thompson, Barbara White Daille, Judy Christenberry, Christine Wenger, Shirley Rogers, Crystal Green, Nina Bruhns, Candance Schuler, Carole Mortimer

  He needed to get several more pieces finished soon. He was way behind schedule.

  Hell, he would have bet his last dollar that she hadn’t been thinking of her business empire last night. But he didn’t know what to do about the fact that she thought a relationship with him would mean bad publicity for her. He couldn’t help that. He was just a cowboy, and she’d have to take him or leave him.

  Hell, she’d made her decision: she was going to leave him. He’d known that right from the start.

  “All right, cowboy. Just put her out of your mind. She’s just Karen’s friend. That’s all,” he mumbled, as he sanded one of the doors of the cabinet by hand. “We had some fun together. No harm done. Right, Bandit?”

  The horse whinnied. If nothing else, at least a cowboy could count on his horse.

  A couple of hours later, Buck found Ty eating pancakes and potatoes with Merry under the cottonwood tree. Cait was up, dressed and eating, too. She looked tired, though, and her eyes still looked a little puffy.

  He walked over to Cait, gave her a kiss on the cheek and smoothed down her hair. He licked his lips. “You taste as sweet as maple syrup.” She should—it was all over her face.

  Even if she still didn’t respond, she didn’t cringe away from him, and that made him feel good.

  “I’m going to take a ride over to Gunderson’s ranch,” he said to Ty. “I have to check out a horse for Doc Goodwater’s grandson.”

  Ty turned to Merry. “Why don’t you take a ride with him?”

  “Well…um…” She avoided Buck’s eyes.

  “Go ahead, Merry. It’d do you good to get away from here for a while and see some of the countryside. Right, brother?” Ty gave Buck a pointed look. “Go look at some horses. Cait can help boss us men around. She has Merry’s list and she’s tough.”

  Merry looked up at him, and he could see the resolve in the stiffness of her spine. She was probably still thinking about the phone call from her publicist. He guessed that she’d just remembered that she was the boss, and she’d do whatever she wanted.

  And Buck Porter was going to be used to make her point.

  “I’ll bring the truck around,” he finally said, feeling trapped.

  Ten minutes later, they were bouncing down the main road of the ranch in Buck’s ancient pickup.

  They managed to make polite, neutral conversation as if their picture had never appeared in the tabloids, like they’d never made hot passionate love, and like there wasn’t a chasm in between them as wide as the Grand Canyon.

  Buck pointed to the right. “Gunderson’s just over that mesa. It’s called Buffalo’s Back Mesa.”

  Merry noticed nothing that looked like a buffalo or its back.

  Buck turned into a narrow dirt road in between two huge saguaros. “Gunderson’s a tough old bird who’s made a fortune selling bull sperm.”

  “Don’t go there,” Merry warned.

  Buck chuckled. “He’s got several prize bulls that he gambled on, and it paid off. People pay thousands of dollars for a straw of sperm.”

  “You insisted on going there,” Merry joked, feeling good that things were back the way they were between them, at least on the surface. “Will I get to see these sperm donors?”

  “Sure. Gunderson loves to show them off.”

  As soon as Buck pulled in, a tall, thin man with a John Deere baseball cap appeared out of a long brick house and waved.

  “Hey, Olan.”

  “Hey, Buck.”

  They both got out of the pickup. “I’d like to introduce you to a friend of my sister’s. Olan Gunderson, this is—”

  “Meredith Bingham Turner.” The baseball cap came off his head and he crushed it between his hands. “I’d know you anywhere.”

  “Nice to meet you, Mr. Gunderson,” Merry said.

  Gunderson wiped his right hand on his jeans, then held it out to her. They shook.

  Buck’s eyes twinkled. “Olan, I didn’t know you were a fan of Merry’s.”

  “Inez will skin me alive when she finds out that Meredith Bingham Turner was right here on our ranch, and she missed her.”

  “Where is Inez? Is she all right?” Buck asked.

  “She’s fine. She’s at a meeting about the fund-raiser this Saturday night.”

  Buck nodded. “Doc Goodwater sent me to check out that horse he wants to buy for his grandson, and Merry wanted to see your bulls.”

  “Is that right, Miss Turner?”

  Merry was caught off guard as Buck grinned. “Um…I’d love to see them, Mr. Gunderson.”

  They walked over to a long, narrow building with dozens of stalls. Many horses were peeking over the half doors. “These are beautiful horses,” she told him.

  “Call me Olan.”

  “And I’m Merry.”

  Gunderson grinned, and his teeth reminded her of horse teeth, big and yellow. “Al Capone.”

  “Al Capone?” Buck asked.

  “That’s the horse Goodwater was looking at.”

  Gunderson unlatched the door, and led Al out. Buck let out a low whistle. “He’s a beauty.”

  “He sure is.” Gunderson thrust the horse’s rope into Merry’s hand. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to get my camera. Buck can take a picture of us so Inez will believe that you were really here, Merry.”

  “Okay.” She took a step back from the big horse and let out some slack in the rope.

  Buck shook his head in disbelief. “Even Olan Gunderson knows you.”

  Merry watched as Buck trailed his hands over most every part of Al. His hands were gentle as they moved down the gray horse’s neck and legs.

  Mesmerized, she remembered how the same hands moved up and down her body and did such magnificent things.

  Even now, just thinking of their lovemaking made her knees buckle. She couldn’t manage to look away from Buck, his every move accentuating his taut, muscular body.

  Great heaven above, she had to stop thinking of Buck. She had already told herself a hundred times that a relationship with him wasn’t realistic. She had a job to do here, and she needed to concentrate on it. The last thing she needed was a romance with an Arizona cowboy.

  Buck stood and his turquoise eyes scanned the area until his gaze settled on her. He grinned and winked. A tingle started in her stomach and radiated to all her nerve endings, making her whole body hum in excitement.

  Merry smiled back and felt all her resolve melting in the afternoon sun—along with her heart.

  Chapter Twelve

  “B uck, get close to Merry,” Gunderson said, camera poised. “And say cheese,” he shouted.

  “Are you sure you want a picture taken with me again?” Buck whispered to her. “What will your public think?”

  Her heart sank. They’d been doing so well, keeping things light. “I can see the headlines now: Domestic Goddess and Cowboy Visit Sperm Bank.”

  Buck laughed. “Good one.”

  Buck’s arms went around her waist, and her breath caught from his touch.

  Olan took the picture—five of them, actually. “Buck, you go ahead and test-drive Al, and I’ll take Merry to see the boys.”

  He slipped the camera into his pocket, took her arm and pulled her away from Buck. They walked through a variety of cacti and some tiny wildflowers. Partridges hurried away in front of them and birds chirped in protest and flew away. Merry thought about how pretty it was, and then she thought about snakes. That was a first for her—she used to think about the snakes first and then notice the scenery after.

  “There they are.” Olan pointed behind a fence made of thick rusty pipe. “The black one’s called Rocket Science. He’s a Brahmin. The muley, that’s the one without horns, looks like a skunk, doesn’t he? His real name is Skunk on Steroids, or Skunky for short. And there’s Phantom of the Opera.”

  Merry saw a cream-colored bull amble toward them.

  “Ain’t he a beauty?”

  Actually, they were all the ugliest things she had ever seen on four legs.
Two of them had huge lumps on their backs that swayed as they walked, and they had an assortment of lethal-looking horns, except Skunky. And the huge creatures were all walking toward them now. “Um, Olan…this fence will keep them in, won’t it?”

  “You have nothing to worry about. It’s one-hundred-percent Bethlehem Steel, made in Pennsylvania. In the U. S. of A.”

  “Good.”

  The bulls were about five feet away from the fence and they stopped there. She looked into their big black eyes, and respected them immediately. Who was she to argue with a zillion pounds of beef?

  She could hear the scrape of boots on the gravel. She turned to see Buck approach.

  “Aren’t they beauties?” Buck asked.

  “Exactly what I was just thinking,” Merry lied.

  “Cowboys ride bulls like these for sport—and money and buckles.”

  “Money, I could see…maybe. But buckles?” She shook her head.

  He turned to Gunderson, took his hat off and held it to his heart. “Forgive her. She’s from Boston,” he joked.

  Olan chuckled. “Miss Merry, around these parts, a cowboy’s belt is like his trophy case.”

  She laughed, pointing at Buck’s buckle, as big as one of his mother’s silver platters. “I’ve noticed.”

  Buck shook Gunderson’s hand. “I’ll tell Doc Goodwater that Al Capone is a perfect horse for his grandson. I’d like him myself.”

  Gunderson nodded at Buck, then pointed at Skunk on Steroids. “You still interested in Skunky?”

  “I’ve always been interested in Skunky, Olan. You know that.”

  “Just make me an offer. I’d love to sell him to you.”

  Buck took a deep breath. “Maybe sometime.”

  A horn beeped and a huge black pickup sped down the drive trailing dust behind it.

  Olan turned. “Why, it’s Russ Pardee. I wonder what the hell he wants.”

  Merry saw Buck’s hands tighten into fists.

  They all watched as the big man lumbered toward them. Russ Pardee was as tall as Buck, but twice as wide and not at all physically fit. His face was red and he was sweating profusely after the short walk.

  “Howdy, Olan.” Pardee nodded to him, then turned to Buck. “Porter.”

  “Pardee,” Buck mumbled in greeting.

  Pardee tweaked the brim of his hat to Merry. “Ma’am.”

  That was the end of the man’s politeness. He turned back to Buck. “So, Porter, have you decided to accept my latest offer?”

  “I’m not going to sell my land to you, Pardee. Not while there’s a breath left in me.”

  He grunted. “Someday you will.”

  “Don’t wager all your chips on that,” Buck drawled.

  “I only bet on a sure thing—like you going under.” Pardee chuckled, then turned to Olan. “So, you going to sell Skunky to me?”

  Merry noticed that Buck’s knuckles were turning white. If there was going to be a fight, she just might be throwing the first punch—at Russ Pardee.

  How dare Pardee treat Buck as if he was nothing and turn his back to him?

  Her stomach sank. Wasn’t that what she’d done this morning?

  “I don’t have any plans on selling Skunky, Russ,” Olan said, turning away from Pardee and winking at her. “I can’t part with him, but the others are for sale for the right price.”

  “I want Skunky,” Pardee hissed.

  “You must have jalapeños in your ears, Pardee. Olan said he’s not for sale,” Buck said slowly through gritted teeth. “Neither is the Rattlesnake Ranch. Now, get that through your thick head.”

  Merry touched Buck’s arm. “Buck, I think we’d better get back. I promised to cook a meal for the boys, remember?”

  His eyes told her that he wanted to stay and fight, but he eventually nodded.

  Buck shook hands with Olan, ignored Pardee, then took her hand and led her to his pickup.

  As she settled in the seat, she thought of how Buck wanted to buy Skunky. Obviously, the bull was a good one if Pardee wanted him, too.

  Olan wouldn’t sell the beast to Pardee. He wanted Buck to have him. That told her that Olan respected Buck enough to wait until he had the money.

  But Buck would never have the money.

  Merry would like nothing better than to write a check to Olan right now for the animal so Buck could have it. Money didn’t mean anything to her, and it meant so much to him.

  But he was extremely proud, and she remembered how he flat out told her that he wouldn’t take her money.

  And she had humiliated him enough for one day.

  “I’ll bet that you wanted to throw your hat back there,” Merry said as they drove away from Gunderson’s.

  “You’d win the bet. I’ve been wanting to do a lot of hat-throwing lately.”

  “Look, I know that what I’m about to say is going to make you mad, but I’m going to say it, anyway. Let me give you the money.”

  “I’m not going to borrow money from you.”

  “I’m giving it to you.”

  Buck snorted just like one of Gunderson’s bulls. “No.”

  “Look, I’m not clueless. I know you have your pride, but it’s something that I want to do.”

  “Donate your money to a worthy cause.”

  “That’s what I’m trying to do.”

  “No.”

  “How about if we become partners? I’ll front the money, and you can run the business. I have several ventures like that….” She stopped at that. She sounded like she was a major snob, but she didn’t mean to be. She was trying to make him understand. “A rodeo-stock contracting business would be another investment for me.”

  “Or a write-off,” he snapped. “Thanks, anyway. I appreciate the offer, but forget it. I have a couple of ideas on the fire.”

  “You said that before. Care to share?”

  “I have something cooking with a friend in Scottsdale. If that plan doesn’t work, there’s a developer who wants to buy a parcel along the river for condos and a golf course. It’d clear up all of what I owe the bank and then some.”

  Merry’s heart sank. “Oh, Buck, no. Don’t do that.”

  “Maybe I won’t have to if Scottsdale works out.”

  “What do you have going on in Scottsdale?”

  “It’s not important. Just something that might work, maybe not.”

  She rolled her eyes. Getting information from him was like trying to remove cookies from a baking pan that wasn’t lined with parchment paper. “I couldn’t help overhearing about your bill at the feed store.”

  “I’ve got another idea for that.”

  “Want to share that one?”

  “Nope.”

  Merry let out a sigh of frustration. “What about Skunky?”

  “I’m counting on my share of the dude-ranch profits, if there are any, to purchase rodeo stock. Skunky will be my first purchase. Olan will wait.”

  “Don’t sell the land by the river, Buck. Please let me give you the money.”

  He didn’t answer.

  Frustrated, Merry blew out a breath. “You’re going to lose the best part of the ranch because of your damn pride.”

  “If it means selling some of it to keep the rest of the place, it’d be worth it.”

  “What about the water? Isn’t that a big thing in Arizona?”

  He took a deep breath. “I’d keep the rights. They just want it to make the ninth fairway look pretty and to stick a bridge over it to the tenth hole.”

  “I can see you have it all figured out. Well, if you won’t let me help you, I figure that you’ll need the dude ranch even more than ever for your stock-contracting business.”

  There was more silence. Dead silence.

  “Okay, then. When I feature the ranch on my TV show, I guarantee you that you’ll have to turn guests away. It’ll be a fabulous success. Just what you wanted.” Merry took her notebook from her purse and starting writing. She snuck a peek over at Buck and saw a vein bulging in his neck. He w
anted his home turned into a dude ranch about as much as he wanted tickets to a Debbie Dalton concert.

  “I think we ought to get a menu finalized for your guests,” she pressed. “I’ll prepare a draft and discuss it with Karen and maybe Cookie. Do you think he can handle doing all the cooking?” She scribbled on the paper. “If not, I should interview for another cook, maybe two. I think we should turn the bunkhouse into a rustic dining hall. It’ll probably attract a local crowd, too.” She kept writing things down, and watching his vein pump faster. “With a little signage on the main highway and roads, we’d have a good turnout for meals. And don’t forget the trail rides and chuck-wagon picnics. We can advertise them in the papers and offer discounts for large groups. We’re going to need to train your ranch hands in first aid, the proper way to serve and take away dishes, and other hospitality etiquette. I can work up a short training program.”

  Buck flicked on the truck’s radio and someone singing in Spanish filled the cab of the truck. She got Buck’s message loud and clear: he didn’t want to hear any talk about the dude ranch or hear any more about her money or his lack of it.

  What was she to do then? The stubborn cowboy didn’t want her financial help. There weren’t any other alternatives.

  Maybe she could get Karen to convince him to take her money.

  “I’ll use the commercial on my next first-run show that airs in three weeks. After that, the Rattlesnake Dude Ranch will be known throughout the United States and Canada.”

  She flipped the page in her notebook and made more notes. If he only knew that she was jotting down names for her Christmas list instead. She wanted to push him, wanted him to really know what he’d be in for. Maybe then he’d accept her offer of financial assistance.

  Finally, they arrived back at the house, and Merry opened the door of the pickup. “Thanks for taking me along to Gundersons.”

  “No problem.”

  She half expected him to say more, but he was quieter than usual and he avoided her eyes. Something was still on his mind, and she knew exactly what it was.

  She took a deep breath and plunged right in. “Buck, I’m sorry if I hurt you today. It was bad timing on my part, and then I went and offered you money.”