by Mary Leo
“Callie and Joel’s wedding turned out okay,” Coco reminded her.
“Except for Great-Uncle Peter streaking through the back of the church in his birthday suit during the vows, everything else went off beautifully.”
“Oh, yeah, I forgot about Great-Uncle Peter. Will he be coming?”
“Yes, and Great-Aunt Beverly promised to keep a tight rein on him this time.”
“Isn’t she the one who tried to do a pole dance during the reception, and I had to treat her when she slid too fast, fell over and bonked her head?”
“Yes,” Kenzie answered, remembering Great-Aunt Beverly circling the pole with her undies showing, singing “I’m an Old Cowhand.” “Mom might be right.”
“So, I wonder what this is? Maybe Mom and Dad want to ride in on special horses? White Arabian horses to go with the white doves, maybe?”
Kenzie snickered and shrugged. “Who knows? She’s been springing these changes on us for the last couple of weeks. She’s also thinking of handing out white helium balloons to everyone to be set free once Mom and Dad say ‘I do.’ For someone who doesn’t believe in elaborate weddings, she’s really all in for this one. I’ve stopped trying to second-guess what she’s thinking up next. I just go along with everything. It’s simpler.”
As the rig came closer, Kenzie’s stomach began to feel queasy, like the bacon and eggs she’d downed in a hurry that morning weren’t sitting well. Or perhaps it was the instant coffee she’d made in the microwave before her mom put on a pot?
It didn’t help that the dogs seemed skeptical of the intruder as well, their tails still as they sniffed the air for any strange scents.
“That’s a Montana plate on the front of the truck. I can’t believe she had to go all the way to Montana to find a horse. Something else must be going on,” Kenzie offered.
“I know the Scotts are driving in for the wedding. Maybe Jan and Fred decided to show up early?”
Henry Grant, their dad, and Fred Scott had served in Vietnam together, and had a long-standing friendship. The two men would do anything for each other, and over the years, the Grant family and the Scott family had spent time on each other’s ranches. For the most part, those visits had been fun, but there was one member of the Scott family Kenzie never wanted to see again. One cowboy she hoped would stay home on the family ranch where he belonged.
The screen door behind them squeaked open, then banged shut. “Right on time,” Kenzie’s father, Henry, said.
“Dad knew about their early arrival and didn’t tell us?” Coco asked her sister. “I would have changed some of my commitments around. As it is, I can’t stay. I’m already late for my next appointment.”
“I think there’s something more to this than just an extended visit from Jan and Fred. When have they ever stayed longer than a few days? And why would they bring along some horses? No. Something’s up, and I’m getting a bad feeling about it.”
Kenzie glanced back at her mom who’d stepped out on the porch to join their dad. “I better make up another batch of bacon, and throw on some more flapjacks. Prob’ly drove all night and they’ll all be as hungry as a bear.”
“Why are the Scotts here so early, Dad?” Kenzie shouted back to her dad.
She couldn’t imagine why he hadn’t told her, especially since it now appeared as if they’d be staying on the ranch. The guesthouse hadn’t even been cleaned out yet. Kenzie had planned to have it done by the end of the week. It was on the top of her priority list, along with several other critical items. She’d been storing some combustible supplies in the guesthouse to keep them away from the livestock. She intended to move them to one of the sheds. Plus Carson had been promising to move all his equipment to his own shed at his rented house for weeks now. The timing of their arrival couldn’t be worse.
“Ain’t the Scotts, at least not all of them. Just one,” her dad finally said in that raspy morning voice of his.
Coco raised an eyebrow and caught the look of concern on Kenzie’s face. “What’s wrong? You look sick.”
Kenzie pressed a hand to her stomach and ignored her sister’s question.
Instead, she asked her dad, “Which one? I mean, which Scott?”
The words jumped from her mouth in a rush of adrenalin. There was only one member of the Scott family who got under her skin, one Scott who annoyed her to distraction and caused her blood to boil. Over the years, their rivalry had grown into a full-blown war. The last time they met up Kenzie was sixteen, and somehow that conniving, underhanded Jake Scott had managed to get her to kiss him. She hadn’t kissed a boy before that, and Jake knew it as soon as their lips met.
He’d laughed.
Right there in the middle of the kiss, he’d up and laughed.
It was possibly the most embarrassing moment of her life, and because of it, she’d stopped visiting the Scotts. And Jake, thank you very much, never showed up on the Grant Ranch after that. So it couldn’t be Jake Scott inside that pickup. It just couldn’t. She’d made it as clear as sunshine that she never, ever wanted to see or talk to him again as long as she lived.
“I’m not exactly sure,” he told her with that fatherly tone he took on whenever he didn’t want to be questioned further.
“I’ve got to run,” Coco said after she glanced at her watch. “Call me with the details. Sounds like our dad has something up his sleeve... Who knows? Maybe it’s a surprise for Mom for their anniversary. Think positive.”
Then she dashed off to her red SUV parked near the horse barn, started it up and drove past the Scott rig on her way off the property, sticking an arm out and waving at the driver.
Kenzie watched as the Scott truck and trailer came to a stop a few feet away from her. She waited, telling herself that Jake wouldn’t dare show up on the Grant ranch with so much time before her parents’ anniversary wedding, not after he hadn’t shown up for her sister Kayla’s three weddings or Carson or Callie’s weddings. He could have at least shown up for one of them. His parents and his brothers, Curt and Lucas, had been there for all of them.
Though Kenzie had never married, she’d heard that Jake was married in a private civil ceremony, but no sooner had that news come through that it was known he’d gotten a divorce. It seemed only fitting. No woman in her right mind could live with the likes of Jake Scott, who was no doubt a scoundrel.
She took a deep breath, and headed for the rig, just as the driver’s door swung wide open, and a pair of muddy Western boots hit the gravel. The man who wore those boots also wore an open crumpled long-sleeved black-checked shirt, with the sleeves rolled up; a tight black T-shirt that caressed a chiseled chest and a flat stomach; faded jeans, and a cream-colored Western hat that he slipped on his head. A big grin spread across a scruffy chin, and eyes the color of emeralds peeked out from under the wide brim of his low-slung hat.
Dora and Dolly ran to greet him, now excited about this new visitor. The cowboy bent over and gave them both a warm welcome.
Her darn knees went weak just looking at him, and for a brief moment, she felt swept up in the vision of pure cowboy walking toward her.
“Is that little Kenzie Grant?” the man asked, his deep voice searing her senses.
All she could do was nod.
“Darn, girl!” he said, “C’mon, bring it in closer.”
Then he held open his arms and waited for her to step in next to him.
But she didn’t.
They stood there for an awkward moment, neither of them really moving.
Everything was happening so fast, it made her dizzy with confusion. She could barely speak, much less allow him to take her in his arms.
“Don’t tell me you don’t recognize this ol’ cowboy? It’s me, Jake Scott, the kid you used to follow around like a motherless calf. Look at you.” His gaze quickly swept over her body, not in a lascivious w
ay, but in a genuinely friendly way. But she still didn’t like it. “All grown up into one fine woman. Still playing cowboy with your fancy hat and your rodeo buckle. And will you get a load of those boots.” He whistled while gazing down at her feet. “Must be handmade with all that fancy work going on. Good gracious, you look like that doll you used to carry around in your back pocket.”
She resented his disparaging attitude.
“And you look like you slept in your truck.”
He tugged at his wrinkled shirt, smiling. “As a matter of fact, I did. But hey, I hear you’re runnin’ this ranch just like you told me you would. Always did admire that about you.”
Kenzie let out the breath she’d been holding as the fuzzy lens slipped from her brain and she could think clearly again. “Admire what?”
“Your spunk. You got it goin’ on in spades.”
“Thanks, but coming from you, I can’t tell if that’s a compliment or a barb.”
His deep laugh rumbled through her, as his eyes sparkled with the same amount of tease he had when they were kids. “Then nothing’s changed between us.”
“Should it have?”
“Absolutely straight it should. Come on over here and give this ol’ cowboy a big kiss.” He stepped in closer, and whispered, “I’m hoping you’re a little better at it than you were when you were sixteen.”
Kenzie could feel the blood rushing through her veins, could feel the anger exploding in her gut. She wanted to push him away, lash out, tell him what she thought of him, maybe even say something to wipe that grin right off his downright adorable face. Instead, she narrowed her eyes, and said, “I wouldn’t kiss you, Jake Scott, if my very next breath depended on it.”
“Glad we got that settled right up front, ’cause I was worried you’ve been pining over me all these years, seeing as how you’re still single and all.”
Kenzie heard her dad step off the porch. She glanced back at him as he headed toward them. Unlike Kenzie, he looked genuinely happy to see Jake.
“Why don’t you keep on going where you’re going? We already have a pugnacious bull on this ranch. There’s no room for another one,” Kenzie told Jake, a hand resting on one of her hips.
“Can’t. First you and me have a little business we need to take care of.”
She had no idea what he was talking about, and from the look on his face, he seemed adamant about staying. She folded her arms across her chest.
“You must be mistaken. I don’t have any business with you, now or ever.”
“Sure you do, and from what I hear, it might take some considerable time to accomplish.”
She moved in closer to this misinformed cowboy, so much so that she could smell his musky skin, and feel his breath on her face. Jake Scott had always been taller than she was by at least six or seven inches, but now as she stood not two inches from him, she realized that gap had shrunk to a more perfect fit. Being this close to someone she’d sometimes fantasized about caused a momentary hesitation in her resolve.
Despite her burning rage, she couldn’t help the desire that raced through her. She’d always had a thing for Jake, ever since that first summer when they met on his family ranch. That “thing” was more that she’d wanted to be like him: confident, surefooted, smart and perfectly adorable. He even had a small dimple in the center of his chin, from what she could see under all that sexy scruff.
She didn’t know why she’d been so attracted to him, or why in some secret way that “thing” still burned bright. Maybe it had something to do with those emerald green eyes of his or that perfect nose, and those tempting lips. Whatever it was, she had no intention of ever giving in to her emotions again...like she had when she was sixteen and she kissed him.
Mistake.
Big mistake.
He smirked and murmured, “Can’t keep away from this cowboy, can you? Maybe we should try that kiss again. Might be better now that you’re all grown up.”
Then he leaned in and she instantly turned away, pressing her lips right up against his ear. “Listen up, you egoist in a cowboy hat. Not only can I kiss you and make your toes curl, but I make love like an alley cat, then purr like a kitten when it’s over. I’ve got a body that’s sinfully fabulous, and a mouth that will set your world on fire. Too bad you will never, ever get to even touch my soft, silky, naked skin, much less taste it, you sad excuse for a real cowboy.”
Then Kenzie turned on the heels of her very expensive handmade cowgirl boots and strutted away, with an emphasis on some tantalizing hip action. The dogs followed her excitedly.
Eat your heart out, Jake Scott.
* * *
JAKE HAD WANTED to make a good impression, especially on Kenzie, and from the look on her face, and from what she’d said, it wasn’t exactly what he’d been hoping to make.
From the moment he first saw her as he drove up the ranch road to the main house, he knew he was going to be in big trouble. Not only had she grown into a stunning beauty, but from how her dad had carried on about her, he knew she was an accomplished rancher—albeit a commercial rancher. Which took a lot of hard work, research and knowledge. Not that organic ranching was any easier. It wasn’t. But with his hands-on upbringing, and having always lived on an organic ranch, he hadn’t had to sit through countless ranching classes in college to learn about what came naturally to him. It was just part of who he’d always been, who he always wanted to be, a rancher.
And now he’d been asked to share that innate knowledge with a woman who’d just told him she made love like an “alley cat.”
Why did she have to go and say that?
He couldn’t help himself, he felt about as fired up as grease in a hot pan.
He knew he’d have to pull up that little jerk kid she’d known or there’d be no chance of her ever taking his suggestions for the Grant ranch seriously . . . and he prided himself on keeping a level playing field when he had to work closely with someone. It was a rule he’d learned from his dad, and he never let anything get in the way of that, even if he had to go out of his way to be cordial until the job or the partnership was over.
Working with Kenzie Grant couldn’t be any different.
What a woman, he thought as he watched her walk away. Too bad he’d been called in to give her suggestions for more natural ranching operations or things might be a lot different. Ever since his divorce over ten months ago, he’d been charging in at full throttle, wanting to assure himself that it wasn’t his fault his wife left him before their first anniversary. Now he wasn’t so sure. With no one to really confide in, he’d been obsessing over the breakup ever since she’d moved out. He’d never been close enough to his brothers to talk to them about relationships, at least not his own relationships. Being the youngest, advice had never been something he would seek out from his brothers, at least not verbally. He’d learned a lot from them by just observing, but talking over matters of the heart had never been in the cards. He’d always been looked at as the baby of the family. His brothers, Curt and Lucas, were quite a bit older than him, and that gap may as well have been a deep gorge.
Ranching was something else entirely. Both brothers had more or less given that responsibility over to him. He had taken it on because he loved it so much, and it had always come naturally to him, unlike his brothers, who could think of a hundred things they’d rather be doing, especially Curt, who couldn’t seem to settle into anything, much less ranching.
Now that his divorce was final, all he wanted to do for the foreseeable future was slow down to the speed of life. Take a break from his everyday routine. Get a new perspective. Take a couple weeks to reflect and come to terms with his current situation.
Single.
I make love like an alley cat.
Oh, yeah, that would slow him down all right...real slow.
“Somehow, I thought my Kenzi
e would be happy to see you,” Henry Grant said, as he shook Jake’s hand then gave him a quick hug.
“We never were kissing cousins,” Jake replied.
“More like kissing rivals,” Henry said. “Hope that doesn’t cause you any problems.”
“Nothing I can’t handle,” he told Henry as he watched Kenzie disappear into one of the longest horse barns he’d seen in a while.
Chapter Two
“What do you mean he’ll be staying for a while? Staying where? And for how long?” Kenzie and her father stood in the center of the long horse barn. She had just walked most of the mares out to the corrals and was getting ready to release the last two.
“Here,” her dad said, looking a bit sheepish.
“Here, as in on this ranch?”
“Where else? You know the Scotts are always welcome.”
“Well, I hope that horse trailer is equipped with a sleeper compartment, because there’s no room inside the house, what with my siblings still claiming their bedrooms as their own. You can’t just drop somebody in one of their rooms without them knowing about it.”
Not exactly the truth. Her sisters Coco and Callie had long since moved their important things out of their shared room to their own homes, and only used that room on the rare occasion when all the sisters wanted to be together. Kayla would typically just share Kenzie’s bed. And she couldn’t even remember the last time Carson spent the night.
She was betting her dad hadn’t really noticed.
“What about the guesthouse?” he asked after a short pause.
She’d known her dad would think of that dang guesthouse. He’d built it special for relatives and the Scotts to use whenever they came to visit.
She shook her head. “It’s still loaded down with boxes of Carson’s rodeo memorabilia.”
That was the truth. She’d been after him for the last two months to get it cleaned out in anticipation of their parents’ anniversary party, but he’d always been too busy, or so he said. Her brother had mixed feelings about his Cowboy Days, especially after a near-fatal accident on a dismount following a solid bronc ride. Got his foot caught-up in a stirrup. Had to be saved by a rodeo clown who nearly died when the bronc Carson had been riding kicked him straight in the chest.