Heart of a Rancher

by Renee Andrews

  “I didn’t know, but I do now.” And inside, he was glad Miss Brooks wasn’t spoken for. Even if she’d head back where she came from in a month, he was happy there wasn’t some suit-wearing guy with a truckload of money waiting in Chicago for her return. And he wasn’t going to analyze why he felt so pleased about that.

  She cleared her throat, looked away from John and back to the abundance of color lining the path. “So, what do you think about having some photos taken of the trees now, while they’re in bloom, to show on the site?”

  He knew she’d intentionally changed the subject, but he didn’t mind. He wasn’t all that comfortable talking about weddings and engagements, either. Besides, he’d gotten the information he wanted; Dana wasn’t planning a wedding of her own in the near future. “I’ve already taken some photos with my phone,” he said, “but I’ve talked with Mandy Brantley, who owns the photography studio in the town square, about taking professional photos for the site. She’s supposed to come out this week. She’ll send the pictures to my younger brother, Casey. He’s designing the website for us for free. He’s young, but he’s talented.”

  She seemed to think about his answer, then she tilted her head and continued surveying the magnificent blooms. “I can get some of our advertising and web specialists to help with the site. They’ve done beautiful work and would be happy to help with this project. We could even send one of our photographers down here to take the photos, if you like.”

  John hadn’t thought to ask her opinion about designing the website and taking the pictures. If she was investing in his dude ranch—and she was the sole investor willing to gamble on his dream—he should let her have more control. Dana had an abundance of assets at her fingertips, highly paid, experienced advertising specialists and web designers. And they would all come running if she asked them to head this way.

  On the other hand, when John needed something done, he turned to family and friends, people with less experience, but people who cared about him and would typically do the work for free. Dana was used to having the best and paying for the best. Mandy had been so excited about taking the photos, and Casey was thrilled about the opportunity to design the site. But what if Dana wouldn’t be satisfied with the final product? “Would you rather someone from Brooks International take the photos and design the site?”

  She turned her attention from the blooms back to John, and he braced himself for her response. He’d started to believe that she enjoyed and even appreciated the ranch, but if the people of Claremont weren’t good enough for a project backed by Brooks International, then she was no different than MaciJo, saying that it wasn’t possible to “be anything” in this tiny town. Mandy Brantley might not be a world-renowned photographer, but she’d won awards at the state level, and John knew she’d do a good job photographing the ranch. And Casey had only recently started working with web designs, but he knew and loved the ranch, and John believed that personal touch would be conveyed in his design.

  Dana cleared her throat, her eyes softening as she shook her head. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean that I thought Mandy and Casey wouldn’t do a great job. I think they’ll do an incredible job, especially since they know this area so well. The guys in Chicago would be hard-pressed to put a ranch feel to their work.” She shrugged. “They deal mostly in marketing overpriced real estate. All I meant was that if Casey wants some help with descriptions or with how to make something on the site work the way he wants, I do have the resources to help him get it the way he wants it. And if Mandy needs any help manipulating photos, we have people for that, as well. But I want Casey to design the site and Mandy to take the photos, because that’s what you want, and this is your business.”

  John’s relief was instant. “They’ll do a great job. I’m sure of it.”

  “I don’t doubt that. You want potential guests to really feel the place, to sense everything that I’m experiencing today on these trails. The best people to convey that are those who have lived around it, like Casey and Mandy. There probably isn’t a single person at Brooks International who has ever stepped foot on a farm, much less ridden a horse or hiked a trail. Except me, of course.”

  John’s smile came easily. “I’m a little defensive when it comes to people and things I care about. Mandy and Casey are both pretty excited about helping.”

  “I’m excited about their helping us, too.” She stroked Fallon’s mane but continued looking at John. “It’s a rare thing, though, to see someone who would be loyal to his friends when he has a chance at something that might be perceived as better. That’s not the way things work in Chicago, not the way things usually work in business.”

  John could only state the truth. “Well, that’s the way we do things down here. We’re loyal, and we take care of our own.” He thought of MaciJo, turning her back on John when she had a chance at a “better” life. “Most of us around here, anyway. That’s the way I was raised, and it’s pretty much the only way I know.”

  She smiled, and at the same moment, those golden rays of sun pushed through the trees to cast her in a glistening spotlight once more. “I could get used to that, to loyalty and people who take care of their own. Honest to a fault, that’s how my father would’ve described it.”

  “Nothing wrong with being honest.” He moved Red closer to Fallon.

  “I’d better not get too used to it, though, or I might not be able to adjust to the cutthroat business tactics of Chicago when I go back.”

  “Maybe you’ll find out you want to stay down here.” John had no idea what made him make the bold statement, but he couldn’t deny the whisper in his heart saying that’s exactly what he wanted—for Dana to stay—at least a little longer than a month. She’d only been here a couple of days and already he didn’t want to think about her leaving.

  Luckily, she didn’t take the comment too seriously. She laughed, a rich, throaty laugh that made him grin. “Yeah, I can just hear Ryan if I told him I’d stay in Alabama and live on a farm.” She took Fallon closer to one of the lower branches, plucked a hot-pink bloom from the limb and put it behind her ear. “How does it look?”

  The vivid hue accented her cheeks and somehow made her eyes an even brighter shade of blue. The image of Dana on Fallon with the rhododendrons surrounding her silhouette was breathtaking.

  “Stay right there.” He fished his phone from his pocket, activated the camera and snapped her picture. Glancing at the image on his display, the bold colors surrounding the stunning woman bathed in golden spears of sunlight, he didn’t hold back his thoughts. “Beautiful.”

  Her cheeks flushed from his compliment. Then, obviously embarrassed, she turned Fallon away and looked ahead. “So where does this trail lead?”

  He loved how sensitive she was to compliments. She wasn’t conceited about her beauty and presumably didn’t even realize the effect she had on him. But she was affecting him, with every word, every move. Right now, with her cheeks tinged pink as she awaited his answer, all John wanted to do was brush his fingertips across her cheeks.

  He cleared his throat and cleared his head of the irrational thought. This was Dana Brooks, a millionaire businesswoman from Chicago, and she was here because of her investment, not because of John. In four weeks, she’d return to Chicago, and only a fool would let himself fall for a woman destined to leave.

  He moved past her on Red. “Now, I can’t tell you where the trail leads. When I take the ranch guests for rides, I’ll want them to be surprised at what we find along the trails. If I tell you everything, you won’t experience the same effect.”

  “Oh, right.” She laughed, looking adorable with the hot-pink flower tucked behind her ear. “So there’s more to see on this trail? More than a colorful rainbow of rhododendron blooms?”

  He was glad she couldn’t detect how hard he was trying to rein in his emotions. Surely she wasn’t feeling anything like that toward him, not
toward an Alabama rancher. He needed to stay focused on the task at hand, showing her this trail. “Come on, I’ll show you. And I’ve still got to tell you the background of dude ranches. That’s also part of this tour.” He led Red along the trail, the gelding’s hooves crunching against the fallen leaves and pine straw covering the path.

  “So this is a tour now?” Her amusement with his attempt to play tour guide made him grin. She really was a lot of fun.

  “Yes, it’s a tour. The nickel tour.”

  “I didn’t pay a nickel—” she tapped her jeans “—and the only thing in my pocket is a phone, so you’re out of luck. I’m only in this for the free tour.”

  “No, you didn’t pay, but those ranch guests are going to pay for their stay, so I want it to be worth their while. And since I’m feeling generous, I’ll give you the nickel tour for free.”

  Another small laugh bubbled out, and she said, “Okay, tell me a dude ranch story.”

  “Sorry, ma’am. This isn’t the time for the dude ranch story. This is the time for us to see the next picturesque scene along our path up Lookout Mountain.”

  “Picturesque. Good description, cowboy.”

  He was exhausted from lack of sleep, and shouldn’t be having this much fun chatting on a horse ride this afternoon. He should be home sleeping and getting ready for tonight’s shift at the steel plant. But he couldn’t think of anywhere else he wanted to be, especially with her seemingly flirting with him. Dana Brooks, the Dana Brooks, flirting with him. “Thanks, I’ve got a few five-dollar words in my pocket.”

  She clicked the roof of her mouth and urged along Fallon, who’d stopped to look at a squirrel. “So I get a five-dollar word on my nickel tour.”

  He smiled. “You see? You’re getting your money’s worth already.”

  They continued the teasing banter as they moved beyond the scent of the rhododendrons; then the crisp scents of pine, damp earth and woods claimed dominion once more. The quiet sounds of the woods—breezes filtering through the trees, birds chirping, owls hooting—enveloped them as they moved farther along the trail.

  Dana sighed. “I can’t get over how peaceful it is here, as if we’ve removed ourselves from the outside world. My phone hasn’t gone off at all since we started on the trail.”

  “I’ve got an answer for that. I’m sure you don’t have a signal. No phones catch a signal up here. Nice, isn’t it?”

  She laughed. “Yes, it is. And I’ll bet Ryan is ready to kill me for not responding to his texts.”

  John had never met her brother, of course, but he’d seen his pictures online. Ryan Brooks looked as if he was in his late twenties or early thirties. No way should he be as stiff as the guy Dana kept describing. “It’s Saturday. Shouldn’t he be taking the day off?”

  “He should, but he won’t. I’m sure he’s been in his home office all day finalizing details for our latest deal.”

  “Which is...”

  “Buying a golf resort in Miami. It was my project initially, but Ryan took it over when Daddy got sick.”

  John heard what she didn’t say. “When you stopped working to stay with your dad and take care of him, you mean.”

  She nodded, and just like that, all the flirty teasing disappeared, and he saw hints of sadness in her eyes.

  “And now Ryan wants you back in control, working with him on the same kind of deals you handled before you left to take care of your dad.” John guided Red down the path, but he wasn’t paying as much attention to his surroundings anymore. Instead, he studied the myriad of emotions playing on Dana’s face. Why had she left Chicago and projects that she’d started—big projects evidently—to help him start a dude ranch in Alabama? It didn’t make sense to him, even if he was glad she was here, and he assumed it didn’t make sense to her brother, either.

  “Is that a waterfall?” Dana’s question brought his attention back to the trail and the next sight he planned to show her along the way.

  John decided to put off any intense discussions regarding what brought the pretty millionaire to his ranch in Alabama. Instead, he wanted to enjoy the moment with the woman who captivated him with her genuine appreciation for the ranch’s beauty. “That’s our next stop, and where I plan to set up camp with our guests.”

  They rounded the next bend in the trail and viewed a scene that rivaled that of the rhododendrons in distinctive beauty. Jasper Falls tumbled into a babbling creek that flowed along the mountain. From this vantage point, Dana could see the falls, the creek and the woods dotted with white dogwood trees. “I need to have this graded a bit more, so we’ll have more room for tents and we’ll need a small building for supplies, but guests will set up camp here, by the creek, so they can swim, tube, that kind of thing. And if you look behind the falls, there is a recessed area where they can actually hike behind the water.”

  “So can we hike behind the water? Now?” Her excitement bristled through her words. Then she glanced at her watch. “Or do we need to get back? You still haven’t slept, and I’m sure you weren’t planning to stay out here all afternoon. We can come back another day.”

  His eyes were beginning to droop a bit from lack of sleep, but there was no way he’d leave now. He could see how much she wanted to go behind the falls, and it was an incredible experience. Sleep could wait. This was more important. And he knew how much sleep he needed to be fine for work. He had time, and he’d spend it with Dana. “I’m fine. Let’s tie up the horses here, and I’ll show you the back side of the falls.”

  Her smile claimed her face. “You sure?”

  As if he could tell her no, with the way her face lit up and her eyes danced. “I’m sure.”

  They let the horses drink their fill of the cool creek water, then left them tied near the creek’s bank while they ventured toward the falls.

  “I love the mist from a waterfall.” She paused as they moved toward the tumbling water and closed her eyes to let the cold vapor caress her face.

  John found the mist refreshing, too, but not as refreshing as watching Dana lose herself in the feel of it against her skin. He swallowed thickly, turned his attention from the pretty lady to the falls. He was tired, and his judgment felt a little off as a result, because this tour suddenly felt more intimate than he’d intended. Which was crazy, he knew. He’d come to know Dana very well over the past few months, as a business investor. Maybe because of all those chats, he felt closer to her now than someone he’d only met in person yesterday.

  Surely that was it.

  “This way?” she asked, moving ahead of him and following the stone path that led behind the falls. Her hair was growing damp from the mist, and she pushed it away from her face.

  John loved it that she didn’t care if her hair was wet or that the path wasn’t all that easy, formed by large, somewhat jagged rocks that required a bit of agility to make your way through. “Yes, but let me lead.” He stepped past her on a large boulder. “Hold my hand.”

  She visibly swallowed, then slid her hand into his. Their eyes met, and John was once again taken by the intimacy of the location and the moment and the woman whose hand trembled slightly within his.

  “Stay with me. The rocks are slippery in spots, but I won’t let you fall. Step where I do, okay?”

  Her face glistened from the spray of the falls. “I’m ready.”

  John followed the path he’d taken many times before, stepping on the bigger, sturdier stones and steering clear of the slick, flat areas that might send them both toppling.

  They reached the center of the falls and he stopped, turned to see Dana, her eyes blinking through the spray and her smile mesmerizing.

  “I’ve seen so many waterfalls before,” she said, a giggle trickling through her words, “but I’ve never been behind one like this!” She shifted on the rock to take in the panoramic view, the curtain of water enclosing
them within the mountain. The movement caused her foot to slip, and her hand tightened within his as she lost her balance. “Oh!”

  John felt her begin to slide away. Instinct took over and he quickly moved to catch her before she tumbled. So instead of hitting the wet, jagged rocks, Dana fell against him.

  Her fragrance was sweeter than the rhododendrons. And John knew he should let her go, but instead he held her for a moment too long.

  “You said you wouldn’t let me fall,” she whispered. “And you didn’t.”

  “No, I didn’t.” But John wasn’t so certain he could keep himself from falling—hard—for Dana Brooks.

  Chapter Six

  “Ryan, I didn’t have a signal, so I couldn’t answer you.” Dana covered the phone and whispered to Eden, Georgiana and Abi, “You go on inside. I’ll come in as soon as I finish talking to my brother.”

  Abi huffed out a disappointed, “Awww,” but Eden, smiling, steered her granddaughter into the clothing store on the charming Claremont town square. Dana hadn’t been able to truly appreciate the quaintness of the place yet, however, because Ryan called as they were parking the car, and he hadn’t stopped talking—and complaining—yet.

  “I approved the Miami press release without you. It couldn’t wait. The media down there, including CNN, had already caught wind of it, and our PR folks didn’t want to miss the opportunity. You’d think since that was your baby, you’d have been interested in the announcement.”

  “We were on the mountain, and cell phones don’t pick up a signal there.” Her mind drifted back to the beauty of the trail, the waterfall and, more than that, the delight she’d experienced in John’s arms. She hadn’t imagined the look he’d given her, as if he wanted to kiss her behind that cascading water.

  “No signal. That’s ridiculous, Dana. Do you really think any kind of a business, even a dude ranch, could survive in a place so far behind? You know, when I searched for information on Claremont, I ran across this joke about Alabama. Reminds me of what you’re saying about the cell signals, or lack thereof.”