Making Room for the Rancher

by Christy Jeffries

  “Because I’m just a rent-a-dad, as someone pointed out tonight. So I don’t really get a vote in the matter.”

  The muscles recoiled in Dahlia’s shoulders. “Who would say something like that? Did Amelia hear them?”

  “No. I would’ve probably given him another black eye if he’d said it in front of her.” Connor tilted the beer to his mouth, and even though his frame was casually lounging against the decorative throw pillows, his knuckles were white from clenching the bottle so hard. “Maybe I still will if I ever play against him on the basketball court and he has his uniform off.”

  Realization crossed her expression, and Dahlia pulled her legs onto the sofa and tucked her bare feet under her. “Deputy Broman is such an ass.”

  “But he wasn’t wrong.” Connor’s head fell to the side as he turned his face to her. “I’m not a dad or even a relative. Which is fine. I’m not looking to replace anyone. But something about the way he said it just didn’t sit well, you know? Like he was trying to put me in my place.”

  “Broman has had a chip on his shoulder ever since Marcus beat him in the election for sheriff. How does he know what your place is?”

  “What is my place, Dahlia?” Connor shifted his torso, extending his arm to drape along the back cushions of the couch as he studied her.

  She wasn’t going to pretend like she didn’t know exactly what he was asking. She’d spent the entire week since their kiss at the Spring Fling asking herself the same question. “I haven’t figured that out yet. What do you want it to be?”

  “I like spending time with you and Amelia. In fact, I’d like to spend even more time with you. But if things don’t work out, it could be complicated.”

  “If things do work out, it could be just as complicated.” Dahlia bit her lower lip, surprised she was open to the possibility in the first place. She’d only dated once since her divorce and that had been a disaster.

  “How complicated?” he asked, dropping his hand so that the tips of his fingers were resting on her shoulder. A shiver radiated through her at his slight touch.

  “I’m not just a single mom, Connor, all on my own. Amelia and I might be a package deal, but my ex-husband is still a big part of our lives, and he always will be. Then there’s my family. You might think that going to dinner at the ranch every once in a while is a fun spot of entertainment, but they actually can be a lot to handle.”

  He leaned forward to set his empty bottle of beer on the coffee table. “It’s true that I don’t need any extra complications right now.”

  Instead of getting up and leaving, though, he slid his body closer to hers. Dahlia’s breath suspended while her pulse picked up speed.

  “But you’ve seen my ranch. I don’t know how to back down from a challenge. When I’m hot on the trail of something...” his voice was low and direct and sent a thrill all the way to her toes “...the twists and turns and roadblocks along the path aren’t a deterrent for me. Only an enhancement on the way to my goal.”

  His lips lowered to hers, his mouth capturing Dahlia’s breathy exhale.

  * * *

  Connor had only intended to kiss Dahlia briefly, just to confirm that after everything that had happened tonight with Deputy Broman, their attraction was still strong enough to steer them both down this trail together.

  But this kiss was even hotter and more intense than the previous one. He’d barely begun exploring Dahlia’s mouth when she shifted her back against the arm of the sofa, sinking lower into a reclined position as her lips slanted over his, her tongue inviting him to delve deeper. Her hands slid across his shoulders until they were firmly planted on his upper back, encouraging him to follow her lead and lower himself until he was balanced on his elbows over her.

  She brought one knee up alongside his waist, moaning deeply as his hips settled between her legs. His arousal pressed against the confines of his zipper as she arched against him and groaned.

  Finding the hem of her shirt, Connor eased his hand underneath, the heat of her silky smooth skin skimming his palm as he maneuvered the snug fabric higher until he could cup her breast. Dahlia’s moans turned into little pants as he used his thumb to trace circles around her tightened nipple.

  When Connor had kissed Dahlia at the livestock auction, he’d been limited by the narrow bleachers and the public venue. Now, though, fully stretched out on her living room sofa, there was nothing stopping them from taking things to the next level. His body was already thrumming with anticipation.

  Except, just like last time, Amelia was still asleep nearby. The realization made him lift his head and pull back slightly. Dahlia’s lips were swollen and her lashes slowly fluttered open. “What’s wrong?”

  “Amelia could wake up at any moment and come in here and see us.”

  Dahlia’s face lost some of its rosy glow. “If we go to my room, you could sneak out before she gets up in the morning.”

  “You have no idea how much I want to carry you to your bed right now.” He groaned as he dragged himself away from her and plopped onto his side of the sofa. “But if we sleep together, I don’t want there to be any sneaking around.”

  “That’s fair,” she replied, pulling her top down, which only emphasized the erect state of her nipples. His own chest swelled with pride that he’d been the cause of her arousal. Then it quickly grew hollow when he realized she wasn’t going to insist that they didn’t have to sneak around. Instead, she asked, “So we just go back to running into each other around town and pretending none of this happened?”

  “Only until you realize that you want something more.” His hand shot through his hair, trying to smooth it into place after the way she’d run her fingers over it.

  “You seem pretty confident that I’m going to come to that realization.” Her eyes traveled down the length of him, and Connor stood still, holding back a smile as she boldly assessed him. She would’ve had him questioning himself if her pink lips weren’t so puffy and her pupils weren’t still dilated.

  “A man can hope, can’t he?” He bent down to give her a quick parting kiss. He couldn’t risk letting his mouth linger and still walk out of her apartment with full control of his libido.

  If he was going to sleep with Dahlia, he needed her to be absolutely sure. Because once Amelia found out about them, there’d be no going back.

  * * *

  Dahlia stayed awake long after Connor left on Friday night, wondering if she should’ve convinced him to stay the night. In the end, though, he’d done the honorable thing by leaving. Plus, she’d never been very good at sneaking around. That had been Finn’s specialty growing up. Dahlia had always been afraid of getting caught.

  She’d barely fallen asleep before dawn when the theme song from Top Gun jarred her awake. She recognized the ringtone and reached for her smartphone.

  Before she could say hello, her brother Duke asked, “Permission to buzz the flight tower?”

  The phrase from their favorite movie was their inside joke and they used it instead of saying, “Brace yourself for this.” Dahlia groaned and pulled the down comforter over her head. Last time Duke had asked to buzz the flight tower, it was to tell her that Uncle Rider had invited Aunt Freckles to the Twin Kings for their dad’s funeral.

  It had only been a couple of months since then, and the King family had been even more turned upside down since Tessa had been stranded at the ranch with that sexy Secret Service agent. Her sister had been so secretive about things before she’d left, Dahlia still had no idea if she’d decided to pursue anything with the guy. Then there was MJ’s arrest and Marcus dealing with his ex-girlfriend staying in town to defend their baby brother. Dahlia didn’t think she could handle any more King family drama. She pushed her hair out of her sleepy eyes before replying, “Negative, Ghostrider. The pattern is full.”

  Duke chuckled. “Well, I hope you have a huge cup of coffee because the controls ar
e out of my hands on this one.”

  “Who messed up this time? Finn? Mom? Certainly not you.”

  “Of course not me,” Duke snorted. “I’m the golden child, remember?”

  “You never let us forget.” Although, last time Duke had left town, something had been going on between him and his husband, Tom. Even Tessa, who’d been dealing with her own relationship issues, had commented on Tom leaving the Twin Kings a week before Duke had. But their brother was the family mediator and was always too busy working through everyone else’s problems to bring any attention to his own. “So what’s the latest gossip?”

  “I got an email from Kenneth P. Burnworth about an hour ago.”

  “Mr. Burnworth?” Dahlia shot up in bed. “Since when does my annoying and grouchy neighbor from the bakery email you?”

  “Since Tom and I hired him to do our wedding cake a few years back. Anyway, seeing as how I’m his favorite King at the moment, he thought I should know that Jay Grover was in the bakery this morning telling everyone that some hotshot new rancher out at the Rocking D took Amelia to the father-daughter dance last night.”

  “Well, he did.” It wasn’t like Dahlia expected it to be kept a secret. Nothing traveled faster than the news posted to the Teton Ridge Elementary Booster Club social media page. “And his name’s Connor, by the way.”

  “Yeah, Uncle Rider told me about him last month. What’s his deal?”

  “Connor inherited the Rocking D from his great-aunt Connie. He’s a horse breeder and Rider asked him to bring his stallion out to Twin Kings.”

  “I meant what’s his deal as far as it relates to my niece? And to you, I guess. But especially to my niece.”

  “It’s so nice to be loved, big brother.” Dahlia rolled her eyes. “Anyway, you know about the white stray dog and how we met, right?”

  “Yeah, that all happened before I had to return to my ship. I remember being at Big Millie’s that night with Tessa and her Secret Service agent when you told everyone you weren’t interested in the guy.”

  Dahlia collapsed on the fluffy pillows. “Well, he’s starting to grow on me.”

  “You know who he’s not growing on?” Duke asked, but didn’t wait for a response. “Mr. Burnworth. Your neighbor doesn’t think it’s natural for a grown man to be bringing a dog all around town with him. He thinks Connor is using the mutt to win favor with Amelia, which will in turn win favor with you, which will in turn get him one step closer to your trust fund and the deed to Big Millie’s. Mr. Burnworth doesn’t like having you as a neighbor, but...how did he phrase it... He’d rather trust the devil he knows than the one he doesn’t.”

  That sounded like something her neighbor would’ve said. Despite their businesses running on completely different schedules, the older man’s chief concern was that she’d expand the saloon into something bigger and drive away his customers. “So what did you reply to Mr. Burnworth?”

  “I told him that I’d like to order five dozen of his famous chocolate chip muffins to be shipped to my squadron. I’m not going to argue with the best baker in Wyoming.”

  “You don’t argue with anyone, Duke.”

  Her brother’s pause was longer than she expected—even with him using the spotty reception onboard the aircraft carrier. Finally, he sighed before saying, “Depends on who you ask.”

  “Talk to me, Goose,” Dahlia said, using another line from their favorite movie. “Is everything okay with you and Tom?”

  Duke cleared his throat. “Yeah, we’ve just had some challenges with my latest deployment. It’s what we signed up for, though, right? Look, I’ve got to meet my squadron in the ready room for a briefing. I just wanted to give you the heads-up that people are talking. Give Amelia a kiss from her favorite uncle.”

  The call disconnected, and Dahlia burrowed under her covers for a few more minutes before hearing the unmistakable clanging of pots and pans tumbling out of the kitchen cupboard.

  “I’m okay,” Amelia called down the hallway, but Dahlia was already out of bed.

  “I hope you’re not using the stove without permission,” she said to her daughter as she trudged barefoot into the kitchen on the cold hardwood floors.

  “No, Mommy. I’m just getting everything ready to make you and Connor pancakes.”

  Dahlia had to do a double take around the living room and entryway to make sure she hadn’t missed something. Namely, an early-morning visit from an unexpected rancher. “Peanut, Connor’s not here.”

  Amelia’s lower lip curled downward. “But I thought he was gonna sleep over.”

  “Why would you think that?”

  “Because Peyton’s mom has a boyfriend and sometimes he spends the night at their house. Peyton’s dad got real mad at her mom’s boyfriend at the bake sale and dumped a tray of fudgy bars right over his head. But I don’t think my daddy would dump fudgy bars on Connor’s head.”

  “No, I don’t think he would, either,” Dahlia agreed, hoping she wasn’t lying. But how was she supposed to know what would happen if Micah and Connor ever met? How they would react to each other. She’d like to think they’d get along, but she’d owned a bar long enough to see what happened to men when they got competitive or when their heated emotions got the best of them.

  It was one of those unknown complications she’d mentioned to Connor last night. If they took their relationship to the next level and then things didn’t work out, how would Amelia react?

  It was why Dahlia hadn’t seriously dated anyone since her divorce. Sure, there was Seth, the drummer from Tectonic Shift who’d tried to comfort her after she and Micah first split. But Amelia had still been a baby and Dahlia had soon realized what Seth’s real intentions were. In hindsight, the experience had been a wake-up call for her. It had also cemented in the fact that Micah, despite their amicable divorce, would always put Dahlia and Amelia first. Even over his own band. Which made it that much easier for Dahlia to get along with her ex-husband and foster that bond between him and his child.

  But this was different. Amelia was older and Connor’s intentions—judging by his reoccurring thoughtfulness for her daughter, as well as his restraint last night—might actually be honorable. If things didn’t work out with Connor, though, she wouldn’t have the same compelling reason keep him in Amelia’s life. Her daughter didn’t necessarily need another father figure.

  Dahlia bit her lower lip. Would it be worth the risk? Only time would tell.

  Damn.

  Sometimes being a grown-up sucked.

  Chapter Nine

  “With Tessa and Duke both gone now,” Freckles told Dahlia that Saturday evening, “having the kids all spend the night here will help distract your mom from worrying about MJ’s upcoming court case.”

  Normally, Dahlia loved the fact that Amelia got along so well with her cousins and that her family’s ranch was close enough that someone was always willing to keep Amelia overnight when Dahlia needed a little time to herself. But after that make-out session with Connor last night, and then her talk with Duke this morning, she didn’t quite trust herself to be alone long enough to think.

  “What does Mom have planned for them?” Dahlia asked, thinking about the last cousin sleepover when Sherilee King, who was constantly relapsing in her battle to be a vegan, tried to teach the kids how to make butterless carob chip kale cookies. After that failure, MJ ended up sneaking the kids into the bunkhouse’s deep freezer where Gan Gan kept her secret stash of emotional support ice cream for an all-you-can-eat sundae party. Amelia had called home in the middle of the night with a bellyache.

  “A tofu burger bar, but don’t worry. I already have some ground sirloin patties pre-grilled and sitting in the oven warmer and that new cartoon movie cued up on Netflix. You know the one where the animals all sing ‘Jolene’ and ‘9 to 5’?” Aunt Freckles pointed to the extra-small T-shirt barely covering her extra-large bosom. It was
lime green with the words I Beg Your Parton bedazzled above a picture of the famous country singer. “Can’t ever go wrong with a little bit of Dolly.”

  “Maybe I should stick around?” Dahlia suggested, already envisioning the future conversation where she’d have to explain to her daughter why a chorus line of dancing giraffes would be singing the words please don’t take my man.

  “No way,” Finn said as she entered the kitchen, the mud still on her boots from where she’d been working in the outer corrals. “No kids want their parents ruining the fun of a sleepover. Could you imagine if Mom would’ve shown up at Kelly Gladstone’s house when she had her slumber party in tenth grade?”

  “She did show up, Finn.” Dahlia threw a piece of popcorn at her twin. “But you and Kelly had snuck out to watch Micah and Woody playing with their garage band at Big Millie’s. I had to cover for you and say you were in the bathroom because you ate too much cheese on your pizza.”

  “Is that what got Mom started on her lactose-free kick?” Finn tilted her head. “I was wondering why she always watches me like a hawk whenever Mr. Truong gets the Pepperoni Stampede to cater lunch for the ranch hands. You’ve always been the worst at covering for people, Dia.”

  Dahlia immediately flashed to Connor’s words last night about not being willing to sneak around. He was right. Even if it wasn’t a small town and she wasn’t from one of the higher profile families, she would no doubt get caught.

  “You should bring back live bands now that you own Big Millie’s,” Finn suggested, snapping Dahlia back to the present moment. “In fact, I was going to meet Violet in town to have a drink tonight. Join us and we can figure out where to set up a stage.”

  “That wouldn’t exactly be relaxing for me since the only place to have a drink in town is Big Millie’s and it’s supposed to be my night off.” As a business owner who lived above her place of livelihood, it had been too tempting in those early months when she was just getting started to not spend every waking moment at the bar being a helicopter boss. She’d had to make a conscious decision that if she and her daughter were going to live upstairs, Dahlia would designate two days a week to completely distance herself from her work. Originally, that had been on Sundays and Mondays, when there was the least amount of business. But when Amelia had started school and Dahlia’d hired two trustworthy college students as part-time bartenders, it worked out better for everyone’s schedule for her to take the weekends off.