by Loraine, Kim
The back of my neck prickled with unease. “We had to let them go. But yes, most of them were single guys and a few ladies who lived on site. We’ve got a row of cabins for them.”
“How many?”
“Twelve.”
Her smile was so bright I was momentarily blinded by the striking beauty of it. “Perfect.” She held out a folder filled with what I had to assume was a contract.
“We ain’t prepared to take on people who don’t know anything about ranches. You can’t just toss people into the role of ranch hand and expect them to succeed.”
“For the right amount of money, we can. Take a look. Then tell me what you think.”
I opened the folder and read through the first page of the contract, stopping when I got to the number they were offering as an advance. I swallowed hard. For that amount, I could replenish half of what we’d lost.
“The residuals would be substantial. This is going to be huge, Mr. Ryker. Cowboys are making a comeback.”
I cocked a brow. “I never thought we’d gone out of style.”
Her cheeks turned a bit pink, and I couldn’t stop my grin. “Neither did I.”
“I need some time to think about this, and of course, my lawyer needs to look over the contract before I make a decision.”
She squirmed just a hair in her seat. “How long do you need? I’m due back in LA on Thursday.”
“Should be all set by then. You two have a place to stay tonight?”
Her assistant, Joey, sat up a bit straighter. “We’re booked at the Best Western a few miles away.”
“That’s at least a thirty-minute drive. It’s gonna snow tonight, and the roads will get icy,” Mama offered. “You girls should stay here tonight. Lord knows we’ve got extra beds.”
“Oh, no, we couldn’t impose.” Ever’s eyes were wide as she protested, but Mama was right. They weren’t driving a car built for snow or ice.
“Ms. Wilson—” Mama started.
“Call me Ever, please.” I loved the gentle way she spoke to my mama. There was kindness and a softness to her when she wasn’t wearing her business hat.
Mama smiled. “All right. Ever, you and Joey should stay in the house. I can’t tell you the last time the ranch hands’ lodgings were cleaned. I’ll get you some clean sheets and towels. You can have Sam’s room, Joey, and Ever, you’ll take Sera’s.”
“Oh, I don’t want to put anyone out,” Ever protested.
“Not at all. Sammy is off training for his next bull riding competition, and Sera isn’t coming home from college for the holidays this year. Apparently, she’s met a boy and it’s true love.”
That stopped me. Sera was barely old enough to vote. She couldn’t possibly be in love already. Protective instincts had questions on the tip of my tongue about my little sister, but Mama shot me a look that said I’d better keep quiet.
“You got bags in your car?” I asked, my voice gruffer than I’d intended.
“Just a couple of overnight bags. We really didn’t plan on being here longer than a day or two.” Ever stood at the same time as me. “I can get them.”
I chuckled and looked down her long legs to the pointy shoes she wore. “Coulda fooled me. Those shoes’ll have you toppling over in no time.” I held out a hand to Joey. “Give me the keys, and I’ll grab your things.”
Joey grinned and tossed them to me while Ever watched on, righteous indignation coloring her features. Oh, this was going to be fun. Ever was easy to rile, and I just bet she had a temper on her. She’d be a challenge to break, but something told me worth every minute of it.
Shrugging into my coat, I left through the back door in search of my brothers. The last thing they needed was a surprise run-in with either of these ladies. Tristan would end up in bed with one of them, and Buck might scare them away. Jealous heat flashed over me at the thought of Ever giving her attention to anyone but me. I shook my head and strode toward the stables. That’s where I’d find both of them this time of day—tending to the horses, preparing to see to the cattle, and making sure they were eating and drinking as the cold weather set in.
Heavy clouds had rolled in over the last half hour, and the temperature had dropped at least a few degrees. I shivered and pulled my collar up to cover my neck as I settled my hat on my head. Soon enough, it’d be gloves and heavy coats for us out here.
Sure as rain, I found Buck in the tack room, grabbing a bridle and saddle off the racks. “Got some ladies in from Los Angeles,” I said by way of greeting. “Where’s Tristan?”
“He’s out checking fence. He was getting on my last nerve.” He nodded. “He mentioned a fancy car. That must’ve been your ladies. You run them off yet?”
“No. Mama invited them to stay a few days. They’re from a network. Want to offer us a show.”
His eyes found mine, and he stopped on his way to get his horse. “What kind of show? Is this some Deadliest Catch kind of thing?”
“A reality contest. Ever said it’s like Survivor and City Slickers had a baby.”
He frowned. “Billy Crystal? That City Slickers?”
I laughed. “That’s what I said. They’re offering a lot of cash up front. Money after too. She’s sure it’s gonna be the next big reality show.”
Buck sighed and ran a hand over his jaw. “It’s…it’ll change everything. We won’t be Ryker Ranch anymore. We’ll be a damn dude ranch.”
“We gotta do something. Raising cattle and training horses is only getting more expensive. Besides, it’s not permanent, and the residuals will be passive income.”
“You really think this is the right move?”
I shrugged. “I’m not sure. I know if she’s serious, I want her to understand what it’ll take for these people to come here and learn what ranch life is really like. We’ll need them to work, really work.”
“Make her do it first,” he said.
“What?”
“You heard me. I bet you anything her job is riding on this. Why else would she have come out to bum fuck nowhere Montana in November?”
“Make her do it. That’s not a bad idea.” I clapped him on the shoulder and grabbed their keys out of my pocket before turning back to the stable door. “Let Tristan know they’re off limits, will you? If he wants someone to keep him warm tonight, he’ll need to find someone else.”
Buck grinned. “No promises.”
3
Ever
I couldn’t sleep. I never slept much more than a few hours at a time anyway, but being in a strange bed, in the Ryker’s house, with Clint Ryker not too far from me, made me antsy. I tossed and turned for most of the night, trying to force myself to relax, using every method I’d learned over the years. Long slow breaths, counting backward, reading, you name it, I tried it. Nothing worked. When the clock on the nightstand read four fifteen in the morning, I finally got up and decided I’d get some work done if I couldn’t get any rest.
I pulled my pale pink silk kimono out of my bag and wrapped up in it. I loved the way the fabric whispered across my skin. It made me feel delicate even though I was tall and curvy. After slipping a pair of socks on, I put on my black-rimmed glasses, grabbed my laptop out of my bag, and headed downstairs. The house was sleepy in the pre-dawn hours, and aside from the lit garland glowing on the banister and the Christmas tree in the living room, there was little light.
There was a fire blazing in the hearth, though. That made me wonder if someone was awake. I’d never had a fireplace, but something told me they didn’t just keep burning all night long. Even with a grate in front of it, I doubted Clint Ryker would leave us all sleeping with an open flame burning. Setting my computer on the couch, I wandered into the kitchen and flipped on the light. A kettle sat cold on the stove, a tea press next to it on the counter, then a well-used coffee pot. Coffee sounded perfect. I filled the carafe and dumped it into the reservoir before going on the hunt for a filter and beans. The tin marked coffee helped, and after opening a few drawers, I found the filters. In n
o time, coffee was brewing, and I was ready to get to work.
I walked back into the living room, preparing my list of to-dos in my head when I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sight of a man standing next to the fire. This wasn’t Clint. He was younger, his hair long and golden brown. He was more slight than Clint too, his shoulders and hips more narrow, but he moved with the same confidence.
“You must be the TV lady,” he said, a teasing note in his voice.
“Ever.”
“Interesting name. I’m Tristan.” He held out a leather-gloved hand before pulling it back and using his teeth to remove the glove. Then he offered his palm again. I shook, eyes locking with his and seeing the same color as Clint’s. “Ryker,” he finished, as though I didn’t know.
“Clint’s youngest brother?”
He grinned. It would have been heart-stopping if the Ryker men weren’t off limits to me. “Yes, ma’am. You’re an early riser. That’s good. You’ll fit right in.”
Laughing, I held up my hands. “Oh, I’m not here for anything more than getting this contract signed.”
“That’s what you think.” He went back to stacking firewood in the basket near the hearth. “If you’re hoping for a quiet morning, you’re out of luck. We start work between four and five. House’ll be humming with people before the sun’s up.”
“Guess it’s good I made a big pot of coffee, then, huh?”
He grinned again. “I like you. It’ll be nice having you around.”
What was he talking about? I wasn’t going to be around anywhere near him. “I think you’ve got the wrong idea. I’m not one of the contestants. I’m just a producer. I…produce.”
“Sure.” The coffee maker beeped, and he jutted his chin toward the kitchen. “Coffee’s ready. It was nice to meet you, ma’am. You take care now.”
Then he opened the grate covering the fireplace and added one more piece of wood before closing it again and heading out of the room. I heaved a sigh of something, was it relief or confusion? I wasn’t sure.
Making my way back into the kitchen, I stopped in my tracks when I found Clint standing with his back to me. And what a back it was. He was wearing a pair of Wranglers that hugged his ass in all the right places, and a white t-shirt stretched tightly across his broad shoulders, accenting every muscle he must’ve honed with hard work on this ranch.
“Morning,” I said, hoping not to startle him.
He turned to face me, his trimmed beard and slightly too long black hair making him seem like every inch the rough and tumble cowboy every woman fantasized about. “Mornin’.”
“Can I have a cup of that?” I asked, stepping closer. His gaze raked my form, taking in my thin silk robe.
“That what you wear in the morning?”
I cocked my hand on my hip. “Is that what you wear?”
He grinned. “It’s not what I sleep in, if you’re asking.”
“I don’t sleep in this either.”
“What do you sleep in, Ever?”
My cheeks burned. “It depends.”
“On what?”
“On where I am. Who I’m with.”
“I see. Well, I always sleep in the same thing, don’t matter who or where.”
“Really?” I stepped closer, until I was next to him. Then I reached past him for one of the mugs on the tree that held a bunch of mismatched coffee cups. My arm brushed his, and I had to fight the urge to shiver in anticipation of touching him again. “What do you wear?”
“Nothing.”
I held in my gasp and focused on pouring the coffee in my mug. I couldn’t let him see he’d gotten to me. He didn’t leave, even though I expected him to. The man leaned against the counter and sipped his coffee while I did the same with mine. It was a damn standoff, both of us seeing who’d break first.
“Meeting with my lawyer first thing today. Then I’ll make my decision.”
* * *
Clint
“We got a pretty city girl on the warpath headed your way, boss.” My brother’s voice came over my radio, crackling as he spoke.
“All right, thanks for the heads up.” I pressed my heels into my horse’s sides, it didn’t take much, and he moved into a steady trot. Max was well trained and had been mine a long time now. We knew each other. I saw Ever before long: tight black skirt, sky-high heels, sleek, put together, and made exactly for me.
I met her halfway between the stables and the arena, and I didn’t miss the way her eyes took in my form, the appreciative smile she tried to hide.
“I need you to sign before I leave.” Ever stood in front of me, one hand cocked on her hip, the other casually at her side, but those eyes were laser-focused on me.
“I been thinking about this. I’ll sign…” Visible relief took hold of her features, from the relaxed slope of her shoulders to the calm that softened her eyes. But then I continued. “On one condition.”
A tiny wrinkle formed between her brows. “What kind of condition? I’ll have to run it by the network.”
“It’s a pretty big one. In fact, it’s a no-go if I don’t get this.”
Her lips formed a thin line. “I’m listening.”
“I want to do a trial run of this thing.”
“Trial? I don’t think—“
“I ain’t letting my family’s legacy get turned into a joke just to make money. So before this show gets the green light, I want to put you through your paces and show a city girl how to live life on a ranch. We’ll do everything we’d expect a ranch hand to do and if you still think it’s a good idea to bring a bunch of green city boys—“
“And girls,” she interjected.
“And girls, to a ranch for them to compete for this golden saddle, we’ll go for it.”
Her mouth opened, then closed, and she stared at me in shock. “You want me to work on your ranch?”
“Yep.”
“Well, how long will this take? I can’t give you twelve weeks. There’s no way.”
“What can you give me?”
“A week.”
I pursed my lips. “Four.”
“One.”
Narrowing my eyes, I said, “Three.”
“Two.”
Getting off Max, I strode to within a few inches of her. I could smell her flowery perfume, and honestly, I didn’t want to lose the scent. “Sold.”
A slight smile turned up the corners of her mouth. “I still have to clear it with my boss.”
I nodded and led Max by his reins and tied him off. Then I walked back to her. “Let me know what they say. Then I’ll sign.”
She huffed and shook her head before pulling a phone from her oversized bag. Then she teetered across the uneven ground, and I watched as she made a call. Her hand waved around as she spoke, a cocked hip and an annoyed expression accompanying the tail end of the conversation. She slipped the phone back into the depths of her purse and carefully made her way back to where I was waiting. It was funny as hell to watch her obvious attempt at grace as she tried not to roll her ankle in those damn heels of hers.
“Okay. I’ve got some things to take care of at home, but I can be back here after Thanksgiving.”
Her eyes flashed in challenge, and all I could do was smile. “I think you’ll need longer than two weeks here if I’m honest, but it’ll be the holidays soon, and you might have other obligations.”
“I don’t,” she offered, too quickly.
I cocked a brow. “Really? No husband, boyfriend?”
She shook her head. “No. Besides, this is a big deal for me, job wise. If I give you three weeks instead of two, will you sign the contract tonight?”
That meant I’d be spending close to a month with her. I liked that idea too much. “Fine. You’ve got yourself a deal after my lawyer looks this over.”
“I thought your lawyer looked it over this morning?”
“I’ll need a revised contract with my condition added. I may seem like a simple cowboy to you, but you can’t run a ranch with n
othing between your ears.”
“Fine. I’ll have Joey deliver the revisions to your office in an hour.” She held out a hand, and I pulled off my leather work glove and took her smaller palm in mine.
“Come get your signed contract after supper tonight, city girl. It’ll be in my office. Oh, and Ever? Might want to bring some different shoes when you come back,” I offered.
She lifted her chin in a defiant posture. “I’ll be fine.”
Turning on her heel, she began walking away from me, hips swaying in a mesmerizing way. Until she stepped right into a hole and nearly fell on her ass in the dirt. To her credit, she righted herself before she hit the ground and didn’t look back at me.
I couldn’t contain my chuckle. “Like I said, different shoes.”
I got no response but knew she was cursing my name all the way back to the house. Breaking her in was going to be fun.
4
Clint
This was going to be dangerous. I couldn’t get the visual of Ever in her thin pink robe out of my head. It had been all damn day, and I still saw her every time I closed my eyes. The contract sat on my desk, burning a hole in the wood because I was sitting here procrastinating. I couldn’t bring myself to sign, even if my lawyer had given the go-ahead. It wasn’t that I didn’t want Ever around. It was the rest of it. I’d be turning my dad’s hard work into a sideshow. Sure, we’d still be a working ranch, but what would the people of our town think of us? Would we be sellouts? Or would we be saving the small businesses by bringing tourists to us?
I rested my head in my hands and let out a heavy sigh.
“I know what that sound means. You need a drink.” Buck leaned against the door frame, hat still on, boots freshly polished.
“You going out?”
He grinned. “Yeah. I told the ladies I’d show ‘em around our town tonight. They leave in the morning. Course, you’d know that if you paid them any attention.”
