Southern Charm: A Single Daddy Cowboy, Secret Baby, Ranch Western Romance (Rainbow Canyon Cowboys Book 5)

by KC Crowne

  “Nah,” Mama G answered. “Rest of the crew’s already out workin’. Don’t like it, but that’s life on the ranch for ya.”

  Chance finally spoke. “I’m gonna take El into town to get some school supplies. Sam, if you’d rather relax and unpack, we can meet after lunch and get started on your first day. Sound good?”

  “Sounds great.”

  Our eyes lingered on each other’s for a few beats before I glanced away.

  Chapter 5

  CHANCE

  Thinking about Sam like that was a huge mistake. But damn, I couldn’t help it. A woman as beautiful as her, standing naked in front of me? How could I not think about it? And if there had been any doubt Sam was the most gorgeous woman I’d ever seen in my life, the glimpse of her perfect, naked body right in front of me was more than enough to put that question to rest.

  She was like a damn dream – curvy hips, round breasts, and an ass like I’d never seen.

  But the whole thing made me feel ill at ease. I wasn’t supposed to have seen what I had. It’d been some dumb misunderstanding, me hearing something and her having said something else. My head had been a million miles away when I’d knocked on the door and asked if I could come in, my thoughts on the day ahead.

  Fucking hell.

  Sam had been cool during breakfast, but it was we needed to address what had happened. You don’t just accidentally see your newest employee naked and act like it was no big deal.

  At my cabin, I tried to get the schedule for the next few days sorted out. The door opened, and Ellie flew into the living room, plopped on the couch, her attention a beckoning light on me.

  “When do we start?”

  I grinned and cocked my head to the side in mild confusion. “Since when have you been anxious to start the day?”

  “I don’t know,” she said with a dramatic shrug.

  She seemed a little conflicted, and I had a feeling I knew why. Ellie had been resistant to the move, making things difficult for me in the process. I understood the way she’d been acting, but that didn’t mean it had been any easier. But with Sam around, Ellie was showing some enthusiasm I’d never seen before. I loved it. At the same time, however, I could see that she didn’t want me to get that she was happy about it. My daughter was stubborn as they came, like her father, and she wouldn’t be letting go of what irked her any time soon.

  “Can Sam teach me instead of going to school in town?” she asked.

  Her question struck me. I hadn’t even thought about that. Sam had been a teacher before coming to Texas. Maybe homeschooling wasn’t a bad idea.

  “That’s an interesting idea, El. I’ll ask her.”

  Ellie looked satisfied with the answer. “Mama G told me to come find you for lunch. She said if you don’t show up, she’s gonna make you do all the dishes.”

  I checked the time, which I’d lost track of. The bell had been rung, and I’d missed it.

  “Sam there?” I asked.

  “Yeah, she was in her room putting stuff in the dresser. Does that mean she’s gonna be here for a long time?”

  I rose and cracked my back, the hours in the desk having taken their toll. We had a family hike planned for that afternoon with some of the tourists, and I was eager as hell to get outside and take in some fresh air and sunshine.

  “I don’t see why not,” I said. “If she’s lookin’ to stay, that’s fine with me.”

  True, I’d given her a week probationary period. But already, I had no doubt she was going to do just fine. And Ellie’s enthusiasm for her only made me more optimistic that we’d found the right woman for the job.

  “Then let’s go eat lunch!” Ellie squealed, bouncing out of her seat. “Mama G’s making grilled cheese!”

  My stomach rumbled. Grilled cheese sandwiches were one of Mama G’s signature lunchtime meals. And they weren’t simple “white bread and American cheese” sorts of affairs. Nope – they were made with thick slices of homemade bread, rich cheese made right here on the ranch, and likely some tomato soup from the vegetables in the garden.

  “Alright, alright. Let’s walk to the cabin – it’s nice and sunny outside.”

  “Okay!”

  Ellie bounded out the door, and I had to hurry to catch up. I fired off a quick text to Wyatt to pass along that we’d be running a few minutes behind for lunch, and we were on our way.

  My daughter’s enthusiasm made me happy as hell to see. Was Ellie finally going to change her tune about life on the ranch? I didn’t want to get ahead of myself, but God, her settling down so we could be something like a normal family was about the nicest thing I could imagine.

  We headed toward the main cabin, the huge building growing in the distance with each passing step. As we walked, Ellie chattered about whatever was on her mind, mostly about what she was hoping to learn during her lessons with Sam. It was the first excitement I’d heard from her since she’d moved in with me. And damn, was it nice.

  Before long, we reached the main cabin. I opened the door, and the smells I’d been looking forward to ran up to greet me. Adam and Travis were seated in the lounge, Skye with them along with their baby girl.

  “Howdy, bro,” Travis announced. “Been waitin’ long enough.” He flashed me a smile and a wink.

  “Hey there, Chance,” Adam called.

  “Hi, Chance!” Skye piped in.

  All three of them had risen when they saw I was there.

  “Hi guys!” Ellie said, waving her hand to the group when she walked in behind me. She’d stopped to see one of the barn cats who was sunning itself on the porch.

  “Well, hey there El!” Skye said as she hurried to her. She was holding their five-month-old daughter Amelia.

  Adam and Travis and Skye…well, they had an unusual living situation, to say the least. The three of them lived together, both of the guys were in love with Skye, and she was in love with them. They’d never bothered to find out which of the men was Amelia’s real dad, and as time passed, the idea of her real dad seemed less and less important. They all loved the kid like crazy, and that was enough for all of us.

  “Hi Amelia!” Ellie chirped as Skye approached. “Aw, you’re so cute!”

  Amelia cooed happily. It was odd – though she was technically either Travis’ or Adam’s baby, she almost looked like the two of them combined. She had the steely, golden-green eyes and oak-brown hair that all of the Walker men had along with Adam’s sharp features.

  “Can she talk yet?” Ellie asked.

  Skye laughed. “Not yet. Still got a year or so before she’s holding any conversations.”

  “How’s the sanctuary?” I asked.

  The three of them had started a horse sanctuary together – Happy Hooves, a place where older horses could retire, if you wanted to call it that, instead of being put out to pasture, so to speak.

  “Better than ever,” Adam cheerfully replied. “Might have to expand with all the new horses.”

  “That’s what I like to hear.”

  “Daddy, can we go sometime? Maybe Sam can come with us.”

  “You know you’re more than welcome,” Travis told Ellie, winking at her as he added, “assuming it’s alright with your pops.”

  “Maybe it’ll be a reward if you do well with your studies, kiddo,” I told her, mussing Ellie’s hair.

  “Okay,” she said, not unhappily, but not quite happily either. She had to learn that earning a reward was much more fulfilling than getting everything she wanted.

  “Anyway,” Travis said. “Lunch is ready – they’ve all been waitin’ for you two.”

  “I told y’all to not wait.”

  “You know how Mama G is,” Adam commented quietly, looking over his shoulder to make sure the woman he spoke of wasn’t listening. “Not a meal until everyone’s there.”

  We headed to the dining room, and the whole gang was there. And sure enough, each plate had a delicious grilled cheese sandwich on top served with deep red tomato soup and a side of potato salad. Like at
dinner the night before, my family was peppering Sam with questions, and though she didn’t seem ruffled in the slightest, I thought I’d save her.

  “Alright, alright,” I said, sitting down. “It’s her first day here. Maybe give her a little bit of time before you subject her to the full interrogation.”

  “Sorry, Sam,” Emily apologized, chuckling. “Just such an interesting story. Can’t believe you packed all your stuff and drove here, just like that.”

  “I’m a big believer in going with your gut,” she explained. “And in this case, my gut was telling me to head out here. Wide-open with fresh air and all the rest, and after living in a cramped apartment for years, this sounded like Heaven.”

  “Heaven’s right,” Silas agreed. “That’s how I think about this place sometimes – like a little slice of Heaven.” He took Molly’s hand and squeezed.

  “Such a softie,” she said with a grin.

  “Now, now,” he said. “Let’s not get too crazy.”

  “How’s Christopher?” I asked, referring to Silas’s son and Molly’s best friend.

  “Doin’ alright since we last talked,” he said.

  “Better than alright,” Molly said. “He’s getting married.”

  Noises of surprise and happiness filled the room, and the conversation quickly formed around the topic. I was happy to hear about Christopher but damned if I couldn’t stop thinking about Sam and doing my damnedest to not stare at her. I caught her stealing glances at me, and I wondered how she felt about what had happened earlier.

  Lunch was over quickly, and Mama G enlisted Ellie’s help to clean up. The family filed out of the dining room, all going to separate parts of the house. Sam headed the same direction I was. We were soon alone, walking side-by-side up the stairs.

  “So…” I began, not sure how to broach the subject. “I hope you’re alright, you know, about what happened.”

  She tucked her straight, blonde hair behind her ear as she glanced at me. “You mean with you seeing me naked?”

  “Well, that’s one way to get right to the point.” I chuckled, partially out of relief. “Like I said, just misunderstood what you said.”

  “Chance, it’s not a problem. Totally innocent mistake.”

  “Glad you feel that way. I’ll make sure to double-check the next time I come to your room.”

  “Or maybe just clean out your ears before you do.” She smiled, letting me know she was messing around.

  We reached the hall to our bedrooms, our steps leading us to hers much faster than I wanted. “Hey, I wanted to ask you something.”

  “What’s that?”

  “What would you think about doing Ellie’s schoolin’ here at the ranch? You know, instead of her goin’ to school in town. You said you were a teacher, so I thought I’d ask. I think it’d be easier on El to do her schoolin’ here,” I explained at her questioning look. “I’d pay extra for it, of course.”

  A large smile spread across Sam’s beautiful features. “I can do that. I’d love to teach her here.”

  I nodded and let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. One more thing going my way. “Thanks. I really appreciate that, and I know El will be happy to hear it too.”

  “I’m glad to be able to do it. I can even start today if you want.”

  “Sure, that’d be great.”

  We gazed at each other for a few more moments without speaking. Finally, Sam cleared her throat and broke the spell. “Anyway,” she said. “I’m going to freshen up before it’s time to start Ellie’s lesson. It’ll have to be something relatively simple for today, but I’ll work on my lesson plans this week.”

  “Any supplies you need, you just let me know,” I told her. “I’ll get them here quick.”

  She nodded. “Any place in particular you want me to do it?”

  “Wherever works for you,” I said. “But I’d avoid the barns unless you want her to get distracted by the horses every five seconds.”

  “She does love those animals,” she mused, her eyes traveling as if she were thinking. “Maybe the three of us could go out for a ride sometime?”

  “Yeah? You ever been on a horse before?”

  “Not once. I was thinking maybe you could show me the ropes.”

  I imagined being on the back of one of the horses, Sam behind me with her arms wrapped around my waist, her full tits pressed against my back. It was enough to make my cock move in my jeans.

  “That’d be nice,” I said, clearing my throat a little uncomfortably. “Uh, well, anyway, I’ll leave you to it. Good luck with El.”

  “Thanks. I’ll let you know how it goes.” Her eyes lingered on me, and mine did the same to her. “Bye,” she said, opening the door and stepping into her room.

  Lord almighty, I thought as I walked down the hall to my room. Of freakin’ course the best woman for the job had to be the finest-lookin’ gal in the state.

  Once I was in my room, I shut the door and locked it, dropping onto the bed. A glance down revealed that my cock was still half-hard, my erection straining against the denim of my jeans.

  I had to do something to relieve the pressure, all the tension taking up too much of my thinking. After getting up quickly to check the lock, I went back to the bed and undid my jeans. My cock was fully erect, and when I pulled it out of my boxer-briefs and wrapped my hand around it, I was thinking of her.

  The fantasy was me back in her room, Sam standing in front of me naked. Instead of letting out a shriek and covering herself, she only smiled.

  “Chance,” she murmured, putting her hands on her waist and cocking her hips to the side. “Don’t you know better than to barge into a girl’s room like that?”

  I stared at her, my eyes lingering on her tits, her hips, the small patch of blonde hair above her pussy. How could a man hope to resist a woman like her?

  “Sorry,” I said. “Honest mistake.” But in the fantasy, I didn’t zip out of the room. Instead, I stepped over to her, cutting the distance between us down to only a few feet.

  “Well,” she said. “Nothing to do about it now.”

  “That’s right,” I said with a grin. “Can’t exactly unsee you.”

  “And something tells me you wouldn’t want to even if you could.” Her smile was sensual, sexual. And as if that weren’t enough, she licked her lips slowly, her blue eyes moving up and down my body.

  “You’re right about that.”

  “Well, looks like we need to find some way to even the score.”

  “What’ve you got in mind?”

  “You’ve seen me naked. So I’m thinking it’s only fair that you return the favor.”

  “That right?” I asked, nodding slowly. “You want to surprise me in my room after I get out of the shower?”

  She laughed, her breasts shaking as she did, my eyes flicking to her pink, solid nipples. “Or you could just strip for me, right here, right now.”

  “You serious?”

  “Serious as it gets,” she promised. “So go on, cowboy. Let’s see what we’re working with.”

  With a laugh, I started unbuttoning my shirt and slipped it off over my shoulders.

  “Mmm,” she said, placing her hands on my tattooed pecs. “Figured you had to look as good out of that shirt as you do in it.

  I was crazy about the way she touched me, the way she dragged the backs of her nails over my body, a hungry, sexy-as-hell look in her eyes.

  “That’s not all,” she said with a grin, glancing at my pants meaningfully.

  “Alright, alright. Damn, you’re an eager little thing.”

  “You think with a man like you in front of me I’d be any other way? Come on, now.”

  I laughed, my hands working my big belt buckle and then the zipper and button after. I yanked down my jeans, the denim dropping in a pile at my boots.

  “Mmm,” she said, taking in the sight of me as I stepped out of my jeans, wearing nothing but a pair of skin-tight boxer-briefs that clung to my bulging quads. “As much a
s I want to see you in nothing at all, there’s something about a cowboy in only his boots.”

  “Well,” I said with a grin as I slipped them back on for her. “You want me to put on the hat and complete the picture?”

  She appeared to give the matter some thought. “How I about I do something while I think it over?”

  Before I could say another word, she cut the distance between. Her breasts pressed against my chest, her hand on my cock over the fabric of my underwear. Just her touch was enough to drive me wild. She lifted to her tiptoes and planted a kiss on my lips, one that was long and lingering, her taste filling my mouth, driving me wild. I let our tongues tease for a moment or two before I backed up.

  “That was…intense.” I couldn’t wipe the grin off my lips.

  “Then I can’t wait to hear what you think about this…”

  Sam flashed me a sly smirk before dropping to her knees. Flicking her eyes up at me, she stroked my cock through my boxer-briefs before reaching below the waistband and pulling it out, her eyes flashing with surprise for a moment.

  “Damn,” she groaned. “I had a feeling you’d be big, but…” She shook her head as if trying to wrap her mind around it. But there was something else I’d rather she wrap around it.

  She glanced up, her eyes on mine, those gorgeous grey-blue eyes narrowed hungrily, sensually. Sam curled her fingers around my cock, stroking it slowly as she planted her lips on the end. She licked my head once, then twice, before opening her mouth and taking the end of my cock into it. Her warm, wet mouth all around my prick, her tongue flicking out and teasing the end, the sight of her full of me, loving it as much as I did. Pure Heaven.

  Sam slid her mouth down my length, taking as much of it as she could into her before dragging those plush lips back up and going for another pass. Pleasure tingled from my cock, spreading through my body. Before too long, she was sucking me at a quick, steady pace, her hand following her mouth.

  It was almost too much to take. I could feel the first waves of an orgasm building inside. But it was too soon for that.

  “Get on up here, gorgeous,” I said, giving a quick upward tilt of my chin.