by Joann Baker
“No, I—”
The door opened, and Gabe entered with a devilish grin on his handsome face. Cal followed behind him more sedately.
“Good morning, lovely.” Gabe stopped at the foot of the bed, his dark eyes raking over her in a way she would have found exciting if all her attention wasn’t focused on the cowboy who had somehow gotten the mistaken impression that she was tired of him. As if that could ever be possible.
“Good… Good morning, Gabe. Cal.” She inclined her head, wishing she could magically appear better groomed and beautiful. Like her sisters. They wouldn’t be caught dead letting three gorgeous men see them with their faces shiny and devoid of makeup, rats nests in their hair and wearing crumpled day-old clothing. Somehow Lynn and Faye would have found a way to be perfectly quaffed and presentable while at the same time appearing meek and helpless.
She sighed. It just wasn’t in her DNA to let anyone take care of her—no matter how much she liked it when Ryder did it.
“Did Ry let you sleep in your clothes?”
Ryder’s face flooded with color at his older brother’s words. Damn it, he’d been so wrapped up in worrying about her pain before getting lost in her kisses that he’d forgotten about everything else. It was a wonder he’d even remembered the ice pack.
“Losing your touch are you, little brother?”
Ryder stiffened at the insinuation. He knew his brother’s suggestive words hadn’t been lost to Georgia when her spine straightened and her small chin jutted out. Damn it, the last thing he needed was for his big-mouthed brother to foul up the headway he’d been making into getting to know the woman sitting on the bed, her shoulders rigid with injured pride. Shit, shit and double shit. He needed to get out of there before things went from bad to worse.
“I’ve got horses to train.” He walked toward the door, then turned back to look at his brothers, Gabe in particular. For some reason, he didn’t want his panty-collecting brother anywhere near Georgia when he wasn’t around. “Y’all coming?”
“I thought maybe I should stay and help Miss Georgia Peach eat her breakfast.”
The slow wink from Gabe had Georgia’s stomach doing flip-flops. Yes, he was gorgeous and no, she wasn’t immune to his particular brand of charm. She’d have to be dead and even then she bet she’d still be affected by the big cowboy’s attention. Still, he wasn’t Ryder. Her eyes went helplessly to the tall man standing like a statue at the bedroom door.
“Get on out to the arena, Gabe,” Cal’s low voice cut through the tension building in the room, “those two-year futurity horses aren’t going to get themselves ready for the Breeder’s Stakes.” He turned solemn chocolate brown eyes to Georgia as his brothers left the room, their booted footsteps echoing on the wooden staircase. “If you need anything, just call out.” His face twisted into something that was probably supposed to resemble a smile. “I’ll be in the office most of the morning working on the books and Pops is always roaming around somewhere.”
“Thank you, Cal,” Georgia whispered, swallowing the lump in her throat. Ryder was upset with her, and she didn’t understand why. And least of all, she didn’t understand why his being upset with her upset her so much.
“Give him time, Georgia. Like Gabe and me, Ry doesn’t have much experience when it comes to being loved by a woman.”
Caught off-guard by the quiet cowboy’s perception, Georgia didn’t know what to say. Was he right? Had her feelings for Ryder gone deeper than lust or attraction?
“Don’t worry, I won’t say anything.”
“Not possible,” she whispered to herself as the door closed quietly. There was no way she was in love with Ryder. Love didn’t happen that quickly.
Still, as the day wore on and Ryder didn’t reappear, she found the ache in her chest worse than that in her foot. Pops had checked on her several times, bringing her lunch and magazines. Cal had stopped in briefly late morning to make sure she was okay before he headed out to the barn. After an early afternoon nap, even Gabe had stopped in to see her, leaving his usual ‘Casanova’ attitude outside the door as he replaced her ice pack and re-wrapped her ankle. Behind his Lothario actions was a man carrying a load of weight on his massive shoulders.
Now, however, it was well past supper and the evening sun had already sunk below the horizon. Gramps had brought her a tray and the remains of the succulent pot roast sat there, congealing on the plate. She’d been unable to muster up much of an appetite.
He had also informed her that Gabe had gone into town; Cal had ridden up to the Mesa—wherever that was—and that he and Pops were going to the bunkhouse to play cards with some of the hands. He’d told her they wouldn’t be out long, but had left the number for the bunkhouse written down on the bedside table, telling her to call if she needed anything. He hadn’t mentioned Ry.
She was contemplating going to bed when the door opened again. She looked up expecting to see Gramps or Pops—or even Cal—but it was Ryder that stood there. The first thing she noticed was the paint splotches on his worn jeans. The second thing was the small duffel bag in his hand. The third thing was the look on his handsome face. Her heart turned over.
“Where have you been?”
“Painting the kitchen so you won’t take any more unnecessary risks.”
A slow thudding kicked through her veins.
“What’s that?” Her slight nod indicated the bag in his hand.
“I brought you a few items from your closet.” He sat the bag on the chair by the window, then seated himself on the side of the bed facing her. “I thought you’d like to get out of those things and into something more comfortable.”
Though completely innocent, his low remark sent heat hurdling through her. Yes, she wanted to get out of the constricting clothing and she wanted him to watch while she did. The thought shocked her. She’d never before imagined herself being confident enough to let a man watch her undress. Her one and only sexual experience had taken place in a dark motel room on prom night. She’d even redressed afterward in the bathroom with the door firmly shut.
The thought of Ryder handling her intimate things made her go all warm and gooey inside. She wondered if he’d been surprised at her choice of under things. Had he thought it odd that a woman of her size would wear such lacy lingerie?
His hand reached for hers, his thumb making small, warm circles in the center of her palm. “I should have thought about it last night but, honestly, all I could think about was getting you here, where I could make sure you were okay.” His breath huffed out. “Then I screwed everything up this morning. I shouldn’t have bothered you so early, but I wanted to check on you before…”
Georgia twined her fingers with his, stopping the intimate stroking of his calloused fingers. “It was sweet of you to check on me, Ryder. I’m sorry I got so…” She shrugged. “It’s just that I’m not used to all the attention. I’m more the wallflower type.”
“Baby,” he breathed, his eyes tracing her face, “you’re all I’ve thought about since I met you. Unless you’re not interested in being anything more than neighbors, you’d better get used to it.”
Georgia couldn’t breathe. Was he serious? She’d spent most of her life living in the shadow of her much thinner, much prettier sisters. Not that they’d made her feel that way, but Georgia was nothing if not pragmatic. She had no illusions that she was most men’s idea of the perfect woman.
“Georgia?”
“I’m definitely interested.” She licked dry lips. “But I have to ask, what exactly do you expect from us being together?” There was so much more she wanted to know. Like how long he expected them to be together. Was he talking about a hookup or an actual relationship? But that was way too deep for a new… whatever he was proposing.
“I’d like us to get to know one another better.”
His fingers began their lazy tracing once more, sending goosebumps up her arm.
“I’d like that too.”
“Good.” His cocky grin was back, but t
he look in his eyes tempered it. “After I finish working with the horses in the morning, how about we go on a picnic?”
“Hey cowboy, I can’t walk, much less ride a horse.”
He grinned again, leaning in to give her a swift kiss. “I never said we had to go anywhere.” His gaze had traveled the length of the big bed before his eyes met hers once again. “There’s plenty of room right here.”
“Ryder,” she breathed his name, unsure how to deal with this man, this force of nature that had been dropped into her life.
He must have sensed the edge she was on, the uncertainty of what was about to happen between them because his face grew serious. “Don’t over think it, Georgie. I promise you I won’t hurt you.”
Not intentionally, she thought to herself. But she knew deep inside, the chances of her walking away without heartache were low. But, wasn’t that why she’d moved here, to break out of her routine, seek the life she’d always wanted? Grab some adventure while she still could? Seeing the look in his intense, dark eyes, she realized he couldn’t see the future any more than she could. She sensed he was a good man. All of the Anderson brothers were. Even Gabe. Despite his flirtatious, carefree, ‘how-you-doing’ attitude, she knew he’d been raised to respect women.
She leaned forward and placed her lips on Ryder’s, sealing her fate.
Ryder almost forgot how to breathe as he waited for Georgia’s answer to his unspoken question. He wanted to spend time with her, get to know her. Who wouldn’t? And yes, he admitted to himself, he wanted her in his bed, writhing with passion as he took her.
As she leaned forward, he knew she had worked through whatever doubts had been holding her back. Hell, he had doubts too. He’d been a player all his life and now, here was a woman in front of him that might mean more than a few days’ hookup. Much, much more. And the potential for him to screw it up was astronomical. Heaven knew Gabe—and even Cal for that matter—hadn’t been the best of role models for him either. If he considered himself a player, he had no idea what to call Gabe. Gabe’s attitude towards women bordered on insulting. Oh, he respected them, but he didn’t always like them. Cal, on the other hand, was a loner through and through. Ryder rarely saw him with a woman, much less one that he would consider getting serious with.
Tasting the sweetness of Georgia’s lips, he realized he didn’t need anyone to tell him what to do with the woman in his arms. He drew her closer, deepening the kiss until they were both breathless. His hand had just slid beneath her shirt when a loud pounding sounded at the door and Gabe’s equally loud voice said, “Pops said you either need to keep the bedroom door open or join us in the living room.”
He pulled away from Georgia slowly, breaking the kiss reluctantly. He pushed the hair away from her face, tucking it behind the delicate shell of her ear. Yet another place on her body he was eager to explore. “I guess we need to go join the others.”
She smiled up at him, the sweetness of it threatening to bring him to his knees. “I guess so,” she whispered, lifting her arms expectantly.
˜**˜
Georgia woke up the next morning feeling like the slug-a-bug Pops had accused everyone of being. She knew by the brightness and warmth of the sun coming through the bedroom window that she’d slept late. It wasn’t surprising considering how late she and Ryder had stayed up. After Gabe’s untimely interruption, they’d joined everyone in the living room where Cal had already set up the real estate board game she remembered playing for hours with her own family. Her only real surprise was that Gabe had come home at such a sensible hour—and alone.
Pops and Silas had set up a chess board and played that while she and the three brothers scrambled to buy up as much property as they could. Cal, she discovered, really was a financial genius if his game playing real estate skills were any indication. Gabe, she realized, would probably be lucky to have a roof over his head if left on his own since he eagerly traded properties for kisses. Feeling confident in the attention the three big cowboys were throwing her way, she took advantage of Gabe’s generosity, flushing with feeling at the dark scowl that appeared on Ryder’s face each time she allowed Gabe to kiss her cheek.
The night had flown by and Georgie couldn’t remember a time when she’d enjoyed herself more. As the others had said goodnight one by one and gone to bed, she’d waited for Ryder to help her to her room. He hadn’t. Instead, when the room was clear, he’d picked her up and sat with her in his lap on one of the oversized leather chairs. There, he’d made her pay for her flirtatious behavior with his brothers. A price she was more than willing to ante up.
They’d explored each other innocently, kissing and touching over their clothes.
She sighed and rolled over to her back, smiling up at the ceiling.
“Well, well, Little Miss, what put that smile on your face this morning?” Gabe’s voice sounded from the doorway and she gave a little squeak, quickly pulling the covers up to her neck.
“What are you doing in here?” Even as she asked the question, she realized he was holding a tray of food. A wave of guilt swarmed over her. She really did need to go back home. She couldn’t have everyone waiting on her.
“Just bringing you a little lunch, lazybones.” He walked over to the bed and placed the tray on her lap. She knew as he leaned over her, he’d done it deliberately. What was his game, she thought to herself? Flirting with the new girlfriend to see if she were true to his brother? Gabe might have ‘player’ and ‘good time guy’ written all over him, but she’d already sensed the streak of loyalty that ran through all three brothers.
“Thank you.” She let go of the covers, folding them primly across her waist. She wore one of the oversized nightshirts Ryder had picked up for her along with a matching set of underthings. She had on as much clothing as she would any day of the week. She grew slightly nervous when he sat down on the edge of the bed. To hide it, she picked up a fork and took a bite of the scrambled eggs Pops had made for her. There was also three slices of crisp bacon, toast with butter and jam as well as a bowl of freshly cut fruit. It was food good enough to be served in any five-star restaurant.
“So, aren’t you going to ask me where Ryder is?”
She swallowed her bite of eggs and took a drink of the freshly squeezed orange juice also on the tray. “No. I figure he’s working.”
Immediately, she remembered that she should be working and frowned. For a brief moment, she’d forgotten about her job. A job she needed in order to pay her rent and stay in this town.
She glanced up when Gabe nodded his head. “And you don’t like that do?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You’re frowning. You don’t like the fact that Ryder is spending so much time working and not paying attention to you.”
She narrowed her eyes at the cowboy trying to make trouble. “Look, Gabe, I don’t know what your game is, but my relationship with your brother is none of your concern.” She pushed the tray down her body, indicating she was through with their conversation, and he should move out of her space.
In the span of an instant his face changed, dark thunder clouds appearing to mar the usually happy-go-lucky look he wore. He rose to his feet, then leaned over her once more, forcing her back against the pillows. Although she knew he wouldn’t hurt her, his stance was slightly intimidating.
“That’s where you’re the wrong sweetheart. Everything about this family is my damn business. And if you wind up hurting my brother, there will be hell to pay. And don’t think for a moment I won’t collect.” With that, he turned on his heel and walked out of the room.
“Well,” Georgia thought, “who knew?” It was great to know that Ryder’s brothers had his back, but not so much that she was the object of all that protective fury. Anyway, it wasn’t likely that she was going to be the one doing any heartbreaking. Deciding she wouldn’t allow Gabe’s attitude to steal her joy from the day, she pulled the tray back in place and ate her breakfast.
˜**˜
; Ryder was putting a two-year-old through its paces when Gabe came striding back into the barn, whistling. Must have gotten laid last night, he thought to himself. After the board game had ended with Cal as the victor, Gabe had left the house and, as far as Ryder knew, hadn’t returned until this morning.
“Must be nice,” he muttered out loud. Tension still raced through his body as he remembered the heavy petting session he and Georgia had engaged in last night. Tonight… he planned for tonight to go a whole lot differently.
“How’s it going?” Gabe leaned against the white fence surrounding the training arena.
“Almost done,” Ryder answered in a soft voice, not wanting to distract the horse. Knowing the progress he’d already made with the horse, a deep sense of satisfaction came over him. He really did love his job. Being part owner of the ranch allowed him some freedom which made what he did all the more appealing.
“Cal still in the office?” He shuddered mentally. He’d hate to be the one stuck in the office for hours on end trying to make sense of all the numbers and reports. Poor Cal. He hadn’t wanted the job either but had been the obvious choice since he was a lot more controlled than his brothers.
“Yeah.” Gabe swiped at a fly buzzing around his ear. “I think he likes that damned computer more than he likes us.”
Ryder chuckled. “Not likely. Just yesterday I heard him talking about it like it could understand his threats to throw it out the window if it didn’t work properly.”
“Machinery and women,” Gabe muttered, “two things you should use lightly and never take too seriously.” He straightened from his leaning position against the fence. “I’d better get to those other two-year-olds.”
Ryder watched his brother walk away, the usual swagger missing from his step. Somehow he had the distinct impression that the words Gabe had uttered were meant as a warning to him. The older Anderson brother was a walking contradiction. He chased women like he could never get enough of them, but wouldn’t keep one around long enough know any more about her than her bra size. He shook his head, turning his attention back to the horse that was, for once, following instructions perfectly. If all continued to go well, he’d be done early. Which would give him more time with Georgia.