by Sarah Smith
Billionaire Rancher for Love
A Clean BWWM Interracial Romance Book 3
By: Sarah Smith
Copyrighted material
Copyright 2016 by Sarah Smith
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental.
About the Author
Sarah Smith is an educator for two decades. She maintains a teacher’s blog and spends her free time reading romance novels.
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Smashwords Edition 2016
Manufactured in the United States of America
Table of Contents
Copyright
About the Author
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Recommended readings
CHAPTER ONE
“I cannot believe you sent me out here in the middle of nowhere to interview a man who doesn’t want to be interviewed!” Mia grumbled into the phone, her eyes focused on the road as she sped down the two-lane blacktop.
Her boss, Hal Winters, chuckled at her histrionics. “I had no idea you were such a whiny person when I hired you. You’ve been begging for a big story for months, Mia.”
“Yes, Hal. A big story. In Dallas! Not in some teeny-tiny town five hours away!” Mia huffed into her phone, then frowned because she was pretty sure the GPS on her phone had announced she had missed a turn. “Dammit.”
“What’s wrong now?”
“I’m hopelessly lost. My phone keeps telling me to make a right turn into the woods, and I haven’t eaten since breakfast,” Mia listed, hoping for a little sympathy. But she knew she’d get none from Hal.
“We all have to pay our dues, honey,” Hal said through a mouthful of some kind of food. She waited while he swallowed, watching a gaggle of birds flying in one of those strange patterns they all seemed to know. “This is a good story, Mia. This guy is worth billions, is single, and dodges the press like we’re bullets being fired at Superman.”
“And you expect him to talk to me?” Mia asked as the birds changed directions and looped in and out of the group. “I don’t know why he would.”
“You’re young, within ten years of his age, actually. You’re beautiful—” Mia snorted. “You are. I think this guy will respond to you. When we sent Freddie out there, he met him once and barely shared anything with him.”
“Freddie? Really?” Mia rolled her eyes. “Freddie asks questions like a teenager on the school newspaper.”
Hal laughed. “Very true. And just so you know, he heard you say that.”
Mia heard grumbling in the background mixed with laughter. “Why am I on speakerphone?”
“Because we miss your dulcet voice, darlin’.” Freddie’s dry tones came through her phone, and Mia put her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing at him.
“Sorry, Freddie.” She wasn’t really; the man was misogynistic and pretty much a jerk.
“Yeah, whatever. Good luck getting the billionaire cowboy to talk,” Freddie told her, his sarcasm biting her through the phone line.
Mia heard the click of the receiver being picked up, then Hal’s voice coming through much more clearly. “Are you going to make it there tonight?”
“Probably. When we hang up, I’ll put the address in my GPS and have Siri guide me in. Hopefully,” Mia added mirthlessly. “I’ll tell you what, Hal, this had better be a cover story. His picture with my name under it on the front cover of the magazine.”
“Front cover? If you get half the story I’m hoping you’ll get, the cover is yours,” Hal told her.
“Exactly what kind of story are you looking for?”
“Well, the guy has never done a real interview. He will answer a question or two and then disappear. No one knows anything about his private life. All we know is the man comes from an immigrant Irish family that built the ranch from one hundred acres to the sprawling two-hundred and fifty thousand it is now. Apparently he never leaves that ranch,” Hal told her. She heard pages turning and knew he was consulting what notes he had on the guy.
“Brock Maclancy, billionaire rancher-slash-hermit. What an interesting story,” Mia deadpanned.
“There has to be dirt somewhere, Mia. You find it, the front cover is yours.” Hal cleared his throat and took a sip of something.
“When did this magazine become interested gossip? Next I’ll be doing a story of some Hollywood celebrity with no talent,” Mida mumbled.
“I’m not paying for you to fly to California,” Hal teased seriously.
Mia rolled her eyes again. “Listen, Hal. I’m starved and have no idea how much longer I have to drive. I’ll call you tomorrow after I’ve met him.”
“Tomorrow sounds good,” Hal said. “Get the good stuff, Mia! And make sure you get pictures!” He ended the call before she could reply.
Mia rolled her eyes again. Hal had hired her right out of college with no experience except what she’d garnered working for the college newspaper and maintaining her creative blog. Her ultimate goal was to write novels, but writing for a small Dallas magazine had its perks. She did get to travel, usually to better places than where she was heading this time, and she got to attend all sorts of events with the high rollers of Texas. Plus, she met interesting people, like when she’d interviewed and written a stellar piece on the Texan author Stefan Santiago, a Mexican immigrant worker who’d written an award-winning memoir about his life.
Overall, she loved her job. In fact, this assignment was the first one she wasn’t thrilled about. The man didn’t want to be interviewed; in fact, he shied away from reporters when he did leave the ranch. She’d never even seen a picture of him, so she had no idea what he looked like. Rumor was, though, that the man looked like a movie star in a cowboy hat and boots. If he’s that hot, she thought, I might hit on him. Then she remembered how far away she was from civilization. She’d promised herself no long distance relationships, and there was no way she’d live way the heck out here. No thanks.
Mia reentered the address she’d been given into her GPS. Siri redirected her and told her to head straight down the road for thirteen miles. She nodded, resigned, and said, “Thanks, Siri. Let’s do this.”
She pulled back onto the road, mumbling about the fact that it was getting dark. At the end of the thirteen miles, she was supposed to turn left, which would lead her to the Maclancy Ranch. However, if she turned right, she’d reach a town which looked large enough to have some kind of restaurant and hopefully a hotel. I’ll just call as soon as I get into my room to let Maclancy know I got lost and will be there tomorrow.
Mia frowned as the trees around her grew denser rather than lighter, as she expected when she neared a town. Before long, the sun would disappear, and she would be out in the middle of Nowhere, Texas. Visions of a man in a human mask wielding a chainsaw filled her mind, and automatically, she looked in the rearview mirror. When she looked forward again, a huge buck was in the middle of the road. With a scream, she jerked the wheel to the right, missing the buck but plowing into a ditch.
The car came to a jarring halt lodged in the side of the ditch. Mia was sure the steering wheel would have her finger marks imprinted into it for the rest of her car’s life. She breathed heavily
, fear ebbing and anger slowly replacing it. She looked back. The buck was gone. She put her head on the steering wheel and let the tension leave her body. The car, for some reason, was no longer running, and she prayed nothing was wrong with it. She had no desire to be stranded on the side of the road all night. She couldn’t remember how long it had been since she’d seen a car, definitely too long. Who knew how long it would be before someone drove by.
When she felt sufficiently calmed, she put the car in park and turned the ignition, and luckily, the car came to life. Mia sighed in relief. She put the car in drive and gently pressed the gas; the tires spun but the car did not move. Ok, she thought. She put the car in reverse and pressed the gas with the same result.
Mia gingerly climbed out of the car, trying not to get her heels dirty. Unfortunately for her, the unusually wet spring had created a mud puddle exactly where her car had landed. She, and her heels, sank into the mud. The temptation to curse rose up in her throat, but she pushed it down. No need to be crass, she reminded herself.
She looked at the car, and the mud it had sunk into. Her car didn’t seem to be damaged, but it was too far into the mud to drive out. Her ability to handle this situation was no longer in her hands. Sighing, she leaned into her car and grabbed her phone. As carefully as possible, she climbed up the slight embankment and stood on solid ground on the side of the road. Frowning, she searched for the number for AAA, thanking the Lord this godforsaken place had cell service so she could utilize the internet on her phone.
“How hard is it to find the number for AAA?” she grouched quietly to herself. A noise just inside the cover of trees pulled her attention away from her phone, and her body tensed, ready to fight or fly, whichever might be necessary. She shined the flashlight on her phone towards the noise and watched the edge of the woods for what felt like a century, but nothing was there, as far as she could see. Fearful, she thought about climbing back into her car but discarded the notion. If a masked maniac was planning to kill her, he’d get her no matter where she tried to hide.
After several moments without sound, Mia turned the flashlight off and returned her attention to the phone in her hands. When she found the number, she let out a whoop, which echoed against the trees. She clapped her hand over her mouth and waited for an ax murder to step out. Again, nothing happened.
Frowning, she hit the call button and waited for the ringing, tapping her foot. The call wouldn’t connect. She checked her signal bars, and her phone showed only two. The internet on the phone worked, but she couldn’t make a call? Maybe they had an emergency email.
Frustrated, she decided to get into the car. A real threat entered her mind, not the imagined serial killers who had resided in her imagination. Some stranger could pull up next to her and kidnap her, and she’d never be heard from again. Inside her car was the safest bet; a kidnapper rapist murderer would drive by what looked like an abandoned car. She hoped.
Back in the safety of her car, she took off her mud-covered, one-hundred-percent ruined shoes and tossed them on the floorboard of the passenger seat. She searched the AAA website for an email and finally found one. But she couldn’t get the email to send. She tried to call again without luck. Exasperated, she let out a frustrated screech.
Deciding her only option was to walk, she got up on her knees in the front seat and opened her suitcase. She had packed two pairs of jeans and a pair of boots for her time on the ranch, even if she had planned to interview him in one of her business suits and heels. She dug around and pulled out a shirt, the jeans, and the boots, then shifted around to sit on her butt in the front seat.
She was about to unbutton her blouse to remove it when her back window was flooded with lights. She froze and watched as the lights of a large truck halted directly behind her car. In the rearview mirror, she saw a tall figure emerge from the driver’s side and amble towards her slowly. She sent a quick prayer up for safety, re-buttoned the top two buttons of her blouse, and cracked her window to greet the man.
“Hey, there,” the man said, leaning over to look into the car. She could barely make out his features in the dark. The sun had set while she had been focused on trying to call for help. “You seem to be in a spot of trouble.”
“Um, yes. A, um, deer ran out in front of me, and I had to swerve to miss him. I guess I swerved too much,” Mia told him through the two-inch gap in the window. “I can’t get a signal to call triple A.”
The man nodded. “There’s not much of a signal until you get into town.”
“I see.” Mia debated. Ask the man for a ride to town? Too dangerous. Ask the man to send a tow truck back for her? A better option.
“I can pull your car out with my truck, if you’d like,” the man offered. “Save you some money and some wait time.”
Mia smiled. The best option she’d heard. “Oh, sir, that would be so great! I’ve been in the car for five hours! I’m so ready to be at a hotel, so I can rest and eat.” She put her phone down
The man stepped back as she opened the door and climbed out. The headlights of his truck showed his features more clearly. Stunningly good looking, the man held out a hand to assist her out of the truck. “Be careful of the mud.”
Mia laughed as she took his hand. “I’ve already been in it! Ruined my shoes.” The man smiled but did not respond to her comment. He released her hand once they’d reached the solid roadway. He looked down at her bare feet and grinned a lopsided grin. Mia felt a little uncomfortable with his inspection, but his smile was charming and so handsome she felt a little breathless. “Thank you so much for stopping to help me.”
“Sure thing. If I can’t get you out, I’ll drive you in to town.”
“That would be great. Is there a tow truck in town?”
He glanced at his watch. “There is, but he’s probably closed by now. Shouldn’t need him though.” He gestured to his big truck, still running and huge. “My truck should have no trouble.”
Mia watched him turn and walk back to his truck. She wasn’t sure if she was supposed to follow him, but she enjoyed the show as he walked away. The man was built! She wondered what he did for a living. His skin was a little pale, so she suspected he didn’t work outside in the sun all day, though the hat would shade his face. She remained by her car, watching his muscles bunch under his shirt.
She mouthed the word Wow just as he turned to look at her.
CHAPTER TWO
As Mia watched from the side of the road, still barefoot, the man pulled his truck around so that it was parked in front of her car, though still on the road. He climbed out and threw a smile her way as he pulled a huge chain out of a toolbox. The truck was tall, and she would not have been able to reach inside the bed of the truck to reach a toolbox. That man must be at least six-four or six-five, Mia mused as she watched his muscular frame scamper down the embankment to her car.
He laid down on the ground, stretching his body so he could get under her car. His t-shirt pulled out of his oh-so-wonderfully tight jeans, and Mia got a glimpse of his taut abs sprinkled with just a dusting of what she would bet was golden hair. He attached the chain to her bumper as she watched, causing her to frown. She stepped forward.
“Um, sir, are you sure that won’t pull of the bumper?” she asked skeptically.
He chuckled as he climbed back up the embankment with the end of the chain in his hand. He answered her as he bent to attach the chain to his trailer hitch. “I’m sure, ma’am. I’ve pulled more vehicles out of ditches than I can even remember. I’ve hooked the chain to the frame, not just the bumper.”
“Are you a tow truck driver or something?” she asked, curiosity about this strange, handsome man before her overtaking her concern for her car.
“No, ma’am. Okay, I’m going to pull your car out. I need you to get in your car and steer it out of the ditch,” he instructed. “Can you do that?”
Bristling just a little, she narrowed her eyes and said, “Yes I can do that.” She picked her way back down the hill to her
car and climbed in, grumbling under her breath about the mud in her floorboard. She’d have to get the car detailed as soon as she got back to Dallas.
The man honked the horn of his truck and called out, “You ready?”
After turning the car on and putting the transmission in drive, she yelled back, “Ready!”
A jarring jerk later, her car was out of the mud and coasting on the shoulder of the road. Mia clapped her hands joyfully as she hit the brakes to avoid smashing into the large truck in front of her. She leaped out of the car and gushed to the man, “Thank you so much! I did not want to spend the evening out here!”
He bent at the waist and unhooked the chain. With it dangling from his hands, he smiled and replied, “No problem.”
“Can I buy you dinner?” Mia blurted. When the man stared at her, she blushed and rushed to clarify. “You know, for helping me out.”
The man smiled. “That would be great, but I can’t tonight.”
“Oh, okay,” Mia replied, a little upset that he hadn’t accepted her offer.
“How long will you be in town? Maybe we could go another night,” the man suggested with a slow smile. Everything about him was slow: he spoke slowly, he moved slowly, almost as if he was in no hurry to be anywhere.
“Um, you know, I’m not sure. If you’ll give me directions to the nearest hotel, maybe you could stop by tomorrow night. I’ll buy you dinner then,” Mia flirted.
“Keep going straight on this road. You’ll come to a T in about five miles. Turn left, which will take you into town. The hotel will be on your right,” he told her.
Mia smiled at him and said, “Thanks! And thanks again for your help.” She walked back to her car and climbed in. She lowered the window and told him, “If you’re hungry around six tomorrow, come by.”
