by Em Petrova
“Might be the smallest wire. I’ve seen it before.”
“Same. You got a water bottle?” Theo looked to Dom.
He walked to his saddlebag and pulled out a water. He passed it to the ranch hand and watched as Theo uncapped it and then dumped water on the injury.
Dom winced. “Looks like it could use stitches.”
“Dang. I hate making the decision to call the vet. Kaoz bitches about keepin’ overhead costs low on the Bellamy.”
“Yeah, but this is just life with cattle. Better the bill than losing twelve hundred if it dies.”
“You’re right.” Theo stood from his crouched position. “Let’s get her to the gate. Keep her separated until the vet arrives.”
“Then I’ll check the fence.” Dom could think of worse ways to spend his day than in the outdoors.
Using some teamwork and Dom’s horse, they managed to propel the cow to the gate. Theo pocketed his phone with a grunt. “Seems the vet’s already on his way to the Bellamy to check on a horse. Cort called him to come this mornin’.”
“That’s good luck. I’ll start checking the fence.”
Theo gave him a nod, and then another call came in. Dom started walking away, when Theo’s shout brought his head up. Confusion fogged Dom’s mind as he watched the man sprint to his horse and leap onto its back.
“What happened?” Dom called to him.
“Fire broke out in the hay shed!” He wheeled around and galloped hell-bent for the main ranch. Dom looked at the cow and the fence and then made the snap decision to let it return to the herd and help with the fire.
He ran at the cow, waving his arms and shouting. “Yah! Go on!”
The cow slowly joined the others, and he quickly locked the gate before gaining his mount again. Fire in the hay shed? How the hell? Sure, it hadn’t rained in a while, but only carelessness could cause such a catastrophe.
Up ahead, he saw Theo streaking across the field. How quickly life dialed up the stress. So far, he hadn’t met with many issues on his journey as a business owner, and he was damn lucky for it.
When he rounded the property to see the flames and the entire hay shed up in a blaze, panic and adrenaline hit. His heart raced as he jumped off his horse and skidded into the bucket line the other ranch hands had formed.
“We need water tanks, now!” Dom called to Theo. He took off running to the corner of the nearby outbuilding where the Bellamys always kept a hose or two for watering the garden or chickens. He grabbed one and switched on the water, uncoiling the length of rubber as he ran back toward the bucket line. Max ran up to him, face creased with concentration and worry, and Dom filled his bucket with water.
The rumble of a tractor engine had him looking up just as Theo rolled into the yard, one of the big water tanks on a trailer behind him.
“Don’t get that tractor too close!” Dom yelled to him.
Theo’s boots hit the ground when he leaped from the high seat. Then he ran to the big water tank and opened the cap. Water flooded out, licking over the ground to create a fire break if nothing else, but then the guys ran up with buckets and began filling as Dom did his part with his hose.
Some of the flames sizzled and smoked, which was a good sign they were making headway in fighting the fire. Then the fire sirens sounded from the crew coming in.
He issued a hoot, dropped the hose and sprinted out front to direct the water tanker. Minutes later, he and Theo and the others stood side by side watching the Crossroads firemen douse the flames.
“What the hell happened?” he asked Theo.
He shook his head. “Beats me. Only way that hay could go up in flames is if someone was smokin’.”
“That’s my thinkin’ too.” He sliced a look toward Max, who did enjoy an occasional cigar, but didn’t say anything. It wasn’t his place to launch an investigation, and he had no doubts that the Bellamy men would be hot on that trail before they even returned from auction.
The final wisps of smoke vanished into the air, and Dom shook his head at the ashes that had once been the hay shed and a hell of a supply of hay.
“Damn, that’s gonna hurt the Bellamy.” He tugged off his hat and rubbed at his jaw.
Theo gripped his shoulder and squeezed. “Couldn’t have done it without your help, man. Thank you.”
“Of course.”
“Shit. I forgot about the hurt cow.”
“I let her back in with the herd. We’ll have to separate her again so the vet can tend to her.”
Theo nodded. “I’ll go with ya. Spike? Max? You got this covered?”
“Yeah, man. The vet’s still here somewhere. Said he’d stick around when he saw the fire, just in case.”
Dom abandoned his post at the scene of the blaze and went in search of his mount. He found the mare grazing on the opposite side of a fence from some other horses, all of them munching without a care in the world.
“Funny how life works. One second everything’s fine and the next, shit’s burning to the ground,” he said to the horse as he approached.
He felt the need to check in on his grandpa, Jada and his restaurant staff to ensure things were okay with all of them. If working on the Bellamy today had shown him anything, it was not to take a single thing for granted.
It was time that he stop beating around bushes and tell Jada how he really felt about her.
* * * * *
“Jada, I need someone to talk to!” Joss’s frantic tone flooded Jada’s ear as she answered the phone.
She reached for the basket of fries and pulled them out of the grease. “What happened?” She spun from the fryer, moving out of the noisy kitchen to talk to her sister.
“There was a fire on the Bellamy! Cort is away at auction with Kaoz and his dad and Sherman.”
“Oh my God! What burned?” Her stomach bottomed out with fear for the beloved ranch that was baby CT’s birthright.
“A hay shed burned to the ground, along with everything in it. I just heard from the vet’s wife. She was in my store having a browse,” Joss said.
“How did she hear the news?” Jada entered her office and closed the door for privacy.
“The vet’s up at the ranch right now. Said without the ranch hands and Dom’s quick reactions, the fire would have spread to other outbuildings.”
Jada blinked. “Dom?” She rushed to her office window and looked across the parking lot. Sure enough, his truck wasn’t in front of Savage’s Barbecue. “Why was Dom on the Bellamy?”
“I told you Cort and the guys are away today at auction, and Theo asked him to spend the day there since they’re shorthanded. Thank God he was!”
In the background, Jada heard the baby fussing and gearing up for a full-blown crying fit.
“Yes, thank God he was there,” Jada echoed.
“I’m sorry, sis. The baby just had one of those diaper explosions, and he hates being dirty. You can’t believe the amount of laundry I do nowadays. If you see Dom, please thank him for me, would you?”
“Of course. Love you, Joss.” She ended the call and stood in the middle of her office, drinking in the news and processing it.
Dom had been in the right place at the right time, and thank goodness he had been.
It also meant that he’d been in the line of danger.
She pictured him fighting that fire on the Bellamy, sleeves rolled back over his thick forearms and concentration creasing his brows.
She looked out the window at Savage’s Barbecue again and saw his truck parked there. She sucked in a sharp gasp and ran out of her office, through the restaurant and outside. She jogged across the road and up to Dom as he climbed out of his truck.
He looked at her, surprise flickering over his handsome face. “What’s wrong?”
She shook her head. “Nothing’s wrong. Except the fire! Are you all right?” She glanced over his dusty hat and noted it might have some gray ash coating it too. But his broad shoulders filling out his chambray shirt seemed unharmed, and he didn’t hav
e so much as a singe mark on him.
“I’m fine.” His low voice reminded her of dusk when the moon and the stars all popped out on the dark canvas of sky. It also made her think of him telling her to go with the flow about his grandpa’s engagement party the other night.
“Hey, I have a bone to pick with you.”
He slipped her a crooked smile. “Do ya now?”
“Yes.”
He started walking toward his restaurant doors, and she followed along, taking two steps to keep up with his every one.
“Our little fake engagement needs to be un-announced. Publicly. Today.”
He eyed her. “Why? Nobody really cares.”
“Apparently the news of the party spread to the church ladies. You know Stella, Rosemarie, Fredericka and Macy?”
“Yeah, I know they come by here every Sunday and share a brisket. Take doggy bags home with them too.”
She stifled a groan. “Well, they spread it all over church. Which meant first thing this morning, my employee Carolee came in asking me when the big day is set and if I need help with food.”
Dom didn’t seem fussed by her story or how irritating it might be for her to thwart talk of an engagement that wasn’t going to happen—ever.
He started to walk into his kitchen, and she got in his way. Tipping her head back, she met his stare. His very dark, warm stare that seemed to undress her with a single flicker.
Her stomach heated. “Dom. Are you seriously okay after that fire?”
His expression softened. “Yeah, sweetheart. I’m okay.”
“Good. That’s good.” Nodding, she stepped away from him. He didn’t enter the kitchen but continued to gaze down at her.
A long heartbeat stretched between them. “I can’t really be sorry that people think I’m going to marry you one day, Jada. You need anything else? Because I need to talk to my kitchen manager and then I’d love to go home and shower.” His dark brow arched. “You’re welcome to join me.”
She blinked rapidly at his statement about marrying her. “Um…no. I’m working. I just wanted to see if you’re all right after the, uh, fire. Joss filled me in. Anyway. Glad you’re fine. See ya later.” She hightailed it out of his restaurant, keeping her head down and her feet moving.
“Jada!”
She looked up to spy a young woman who often picked up chicken for her coworkers from Jada’s place but who was standing at Savage’s takeout window.
“Congrats!”
She stifled a very unladylike cuss and simply threw the woman a wave as she continued across the road to her own restaurant. Her boots crunched on gravel, and she had to slow down, wondering why she felt so ruffled by Dom at all. So what if he assisted on the Bellamy and helped to save more structures from ruin? Anybody with two hands would have done the same. And who gave a damn if people thought they were engaged? She knew the truth.
She had too much riding on tomorrow afternoon when her big rodeo star would arrive. She still needed to make sure they had enough pulled pork ready and enough supplies on hand to quickly prepare for the big rush she expected.
She didn’t have time to dwell on worrying over Dominick Cole.
But the way his stare had lingered over her left her hot and sticky in all the right places.
And he’d offered her a shower with him.
That was definitely a bad idea. Terrible idea.
A delicious idea.
Her pulse picked up. Part of her felt the urge to turn right back around and take him up on that offer.
Shaking her head, she entered her restaurant. Throwing herself into work would be the only way to break free of these sexy thoughts bouncing around her brain of going home with Dom…and soaping up every inch of his body.
She pushed out a sigh. Okay, maybe not even work would stop these desires he’d supercharged by suggesting that shower. She had to find a way to get back at him for mention of the shower and the fake engagement. What better way than to steal all his business? She’d beat him at his own publicity stunt with her meet-the-rodeo-star event.
Tomorrow, it was game on.
* * * * *
Dom pulled out his toolbox from the restaurant storage closet and carried it over to the table in the corner of the dining room. He’d tightened the wobbly leg on it twice in the short time since he’d opened his doors, but this time he planned to fix it for good.
“Maybe fixin’ that leg will bring some women over here. They’re all at Mortimer’s.” The kitchen manager paused to talk to Dom.
He flipped open his toolbox lid. “What do you mean?”
“See for yourself. I don’t know how you missed it.”
He followed the man over to the door and stepped out in order to stare across the street. Sure enough, Jada’s restaurant was hopping—and when he saw the huge trailer with a certain rodeo star’s face on the side, he understood why his manager said all the females were over there.
“Son of a bitch,” Dom drawled under his breath. When did she do this? How had he missed the fact that Jada had a huge autograph and photo op going on at her barbecue restaurant today—with Dom’s biggest competition on the rodeo tour?
His manager clapped him on the shoulder in sympathy. “Gonna be a slow day. I’ll tell the dishwasher to go early.”
Dom gave an absentminded nod. “Yeah, do that. Shit.”
He stood there staring at the setup at Jada’s. Ty Perry and Dom were like a gas line and a flaming torch—they didn’t mix. Probably why she’d chosen him as her celebrity guest of the day.
Just seeing the bull painted on the side of Ty Perry’s trailer along with his big headshot sent a pang of pain through him for Jackson. Dammit, why did he have to go doing what he loved? He should be out there now, riding bulls and living the high life.
“Hell,” he grated out.
Then there was Jada inviting his biggest competitor here. She had him all knotted up on a normal day. She also had him ticked off—as well as impressed—with her choice.
He went back inside to finish his original task of fixing the table leg. While he worked, he’d think up a way to draw some of her business across the street to his place. She might have a radio crew and an autograph and photo with a big celeb, but that didn’t mean she’d have a big line for food.
After digging out the tools he’d need to fix the table, he grabbed the furniture by two legs and flipped it over.
“Oh. Oh my!” The exclamation was followed by a breathless giggle.
He looked over to see two women standing in his dining room, trays in hand, staring at him.
One waved at him. “Keep working. Don’t let us interrupt.” She dropped him a wink and a matching smile.
Amused, he tugged his hat brim and shot her a grin before he got to work on the leg. The metal couldn’t get a tight fit, so he used a fatter screw as well as a slip of cardboard to snug it up, a trick Grandpa had showed him long ago on an old wobbly coffee table.
He heard another laugh and saw the ladies had settled at a table near him to watch him work as they ate their lunch.
He gave them another smile of appreciation that they were eating here and not over at Mortimer’s with Ty Freakin’ Perry.
After he flipped the table back over, he tested it by flattening his hand on the surface. It didn’t wobble a bit.
“You’d better check that one too,” the lady called out to him, pointing at the table beside theirs.
“Suppose I should while I’m at it.” He sauntered over to the table and tested it. One woman had a sudden coughing fit, and the other pounded her on the back without looking away from Dom.
When he found this leg could be a little sturdier too, he set to work on removing the screws.
“You’re a rodeo man too, aren’t ya, Savage?” one woman asked him, toying with her straw.
“That’s right. Retired.”
“Too bad. Maybe you’ll enter the amateur level at the next Crossroads rodeo.”
“Might do that.” Just to show o
ff his skills and win the girl again, that was. Jada had told him she couldn’t resist how he looked in his chaps.
“We’re heading over to see Ty Perry after this. Cammie wants to get his autograph, but I say twenty bucks is too expensive for a little scribble on a photograph.”
He looked up sharply. “Twenty bucks? That what he’s chargin’?”
The women nodded.
He grunted, more irritated than before. That was highway robbery, pure and simple. Twenty bucks to sign his name on his own picture? What did Ty Perry have that Dom didn’t? Hell, the guy was a sight uglier. He was missing more teeth than most people he knew too, and some weren’t even knocked out by bulls—he wasn’t the most popular man on the tour.
“Well, you ladies enjoy yourselves,” he said with another tip of his hat that had them tittering on their way to the trash can to throw away their garbage.
He watched them go for a moment and then threw his tools into the box again and snapped the lid closed. He stowed the box in the closet and decided he’d take a walk.
As he crossed the parking lot to Jada’s, he took in the party taking place. Women milled all over the place. Cars were parked bumper to bumper. Ty Perry’s trailer with his big stupid face was parked cater-corner, and the man had two big tables set up, one with his merchandise of T-shirts and ball caps, which the ladies were fawning all over. At the other table, he sat like a king holding court, pen poised over the next twenty-dollar headshot.
And standing not far off with a group of ladies was Jada.
Dom circled the parking lot, doing a mental count of the number of women lined up to meet Ty Perry. Forty-two.
Hell, he was lucky to get forty-two customers a day, let alone all at once.
When he returned to the front, he saw Jada standing next to Ty Perry, and they were talking away. Too chummy for Dom’s liking. As he looked on, Jada tipped her head back and laughed at something the bull rider said. Dom gnashed his teeth—the man wasn’t that funny.
Ty set down his pen and nudged Jada’s arm. She smiled at him, and Dom had to clench his fists to keep from knocking out one of his few remaining teeth and saw he had his pearly-white dentures in today.
