Cowboy 12 Pack

by Cynthia D’Alba, Paige Tyler, Elle James, Donna Michaels, Shoshanna Evers, Randi Alexander, Cora Seton, Beth Williamson, Sabrina York, Sable Hunter, Lexi Post, Becky McGraw

  “Then why the sudden need to choke?”

  “Because…because…” She glanced at the door. “I really should get to my meeting.”

  Kerri chuckled. “Okay, I get it. Believe me. You’re wearing the same look I lived in last year, thanks to a very confusing cowboy.”

  Not knowing what to say or how to respond without incriminating herself, Brandi just nodded. Best to not even open her mouth. Her friend stepped close and squeezed her free hand.

  “If you ever need to talk, I’m here. Okay?”

  She nodded again. “Okay. Thanks. But I’m good…and should go.”

  “You do that.” Kerri released her with a laugh. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

  Happy to make her escape, she turned and shot out the door in one point two seconds. A new record. Personal best. She was still congratulating herself as she knocked on the apartment upstairs.

  Jordan opened the door and smiled. “Hi, Brandi. Come on in. I’m excited to see the plans.”

  “I’m excited to show you.” And she refrained from blowing out a breath in relief. Another bullet dodged. She’d half expected her client to take one look at her and ask her about kissing Kade. After all, Jordan was nothing if not astute.

  Following the woman into the open kitchen, she forced her mind into business mode. “I’ve incorporated all your wish list items into the master bedroom footprint.”

  “Sweet!” The beautiful brunette rubbed her hands together. “I can’t wait to see.”

  A smile tugged Brandi’s lips as she pulled her tablet out of her bag, fired it up and set it on the counter between them. “Here you go.” She called up the plans and waited and watched as her client’s brown eyes widened.

  “Oh my God, Brandi. This is fantastic.”

  “Thank you. But you haven’t even seen the 3-D rendering.”

  Jordan grabbed both her arms and squeezed. “You have it in 3-D?”

  She laughed. “Yep. It’s on my laptop. Call me old fashioned, but I prefer to use the software on the computer, not the tablet.”

  “Sweet,” her client said again, releasing her arms.

  Smiling, Brandi removed the computer from her bag and set it on the other side of the counter. “And I found these great glass tiles for your shower in the colors you wanted,” she informed as her laptop booted up.

  “Cole is going to freak.”

  That visual caused Brandi to laugh. She highly doubted the CEO of McCall Enterprises ever freaked over anything in his life. “Speaking of Cole, please tell him thanks. I absolutely love this rendering software his company puts out. So much easier to maneuver than the old program I used to use.”

  “Thank your boyfriend’s cousin.”

  Brandi glanced up from her computer and frowned. “What?”

  “Kevin,” Jordan replied as if that clarified everything.

  “What about him? And I don’t have a boyfriend.”

  Her client smirked. “Sure you do. You’re just in denial. It’s okay. My sister and I went through the same phase. It’ll pass,” the woman stated with a wave of her hand. “And Kevin is the one who created this rendering program.”

  Information overload. Brandi didn’t know what to address first. Jordan’s misconception that she had a boyfriend, or the fact that the good-looking, flirtatious, blue-eyed cowboy was a genius.

  The ding alerting her of a Skype message saved her from answering. “Sorry, it’s one of my brothers. I’ll just let him know I’m busy.”

  “No, don’t do that. Take the call. I’ll be here drooling over my soon-to-be master suite,” Jordan said, staring at the tablet.

  “Okay, I won’t be long.” She clicked the window and her brother’s face appeared. “Hi, Ben. Is something wrong?” Her second oldest brother rarely Skyped and was the reason she bothered to answer in the first place. Anyone else and she would’ve ignored the window and waited until later to call back.

  “You tell me, Brandi,” he said, green gaze regarding her with a shrewdness she could feel even through the screen. “I’ve had this feeling something was wrong for several days now. What gives?”

  Darn him and his sixth sense. Ever since she’d known her step-brother, Ben had had this weird ability to clue into people when they were injured or in trouble. She knew better than to deny it—that would only put his ass on a plane, and he’d be knocking on her door in a matter of hours. Besides, it was no big deal.

  “Oh, sorry.” She shrugged, doing her best to play off the accident as minor. It was to her. “You’re probably referring to last Thursday. I swerved to miss a horse and clipped a tree.”

  “What?” He sat up and moved closer to the screen. “Are you all right?”

  This was the reason she hadn’t told anyone back home. It was no big deal, but they’d treat it otherwise.

  “Yes, just a little bump on the head and a few stitches in my arm.” Okay, the cut wasn’t from the accident, but he did not need to know about her fence incident. She’d had enough embarrassment for one week.

  “All right.” He blew out a breath. “As long as you’re okay,” he said, settling back in his chair, arms crossed over his broad chest.

  All four of her good-looking brothers were tall, ripped, and blessed with gorgeous dark hair, but Ben was the only one who didn’t inherit his dad’s brown eyes. Apparently, he had his mother’s green eyes.

  “I am,” she reassured with a smile.

  A knowing gleam came into those eyes, and he cocked his head. “So then, who’s the guy?”

  Chapter Six

  ‡

  GREAT. BRANDI RESISTED another forehead palming and played dumb, instead. “Excuse me? What guy?”

  “That’s what I’d like to know,” he replied, eyebrow raised. “The one responsible for the sparkle in your eyes.”

  “His name is Kade.” Jordan spoke up.

  Brandi jumped, having forgotten the woman was there. Shoot. Now her client got up and came around to her stool.

  “He’s the local sheriff, First Sergeant in the Guard, and co-owner of a horse ranch here in Harland County.”

  Her eyelids fluttered a few times. Really? How in the world did they know? Did she have a sign on her face saying Kade Dalton kissed her to within an inch of her life and now she was confused as hell? And what was with her client spouting Kade’s resume?

  “Well, hello there.” Ben sat up, arms dropping to his sides as he stared open-mouthed at Jordan.

  “Hi, yourself.” Her friend smiled.

  Brandi snickered and waved a finger at her brother. “Don’t even think about it, Casanova. Jordan’s married.”

  His face fell. “Why is it all the good ones are taken?”

  “And why is it they’re the only ones you look for,” she countered. It would truly be wonderful if her brother stopped avoiding meaningful relationships. “Could it be you’re too afraid of commitment?”

  “Oh, look at the time.” He pretended to glance at an invisible watch on his wrist. “Got to go. Nice meeting you, Jordan. Good talking to you, Brandi. First Sergeant, huh? Wow. Glad to hear you’re willing to take a chance with another soldier. Good for you. Oh, and give Dad a call. I know he’d love to hear from you. Bye.”

  The screen went dead.

  Brandi smiled. Worked every time. One mention of commitment and her brothers ran away like little girls.

  “Oh, you’re good.” Her friend snickered, holding her hand up for a high-five. “Nicely played.”

  “Thanks.” She smacked Jordan’s hand. “I had to learn a trick or two over the years to survive.”

  “How many siblings do you have?”

  “Four older brothers.”

  Her friend’s eyes widened as she dropped back onto her stool. “Oh, hun. That had to be brutal during your teenage years.”

  Brandi nodded. “You’ve no idea.”

  KADE WAS DAMN happy to be busy. It was late Wednesday, and between his duties at work and the Guard, he’d hardly even thought about the designer and her tale
nted lips, hot taste, soft, supple curves, need-quivering body…

  Bullshit. He hadn’t stopped thinking about Brandi all week. Whoever coined the phrase ‘out of sight, out of mind’ never met the Yankee bombshell.

  “Sorry to be such a burden, Mr. Sheriff, sir?”

  Donny’s voice snapped Kade’s mind back to the present and the call he’d received that sent him to assist the kid. He glanced from the deputy, holding his hat in his hand, to the rear end of the squad car somehow hung up on a section of guardrail. “So, tell me again exactly how this happened?”

  The deputy cleared his throat, hat practically spiraling out of his fingers. “Well, Sheriff Dalton, sir, it…it’s not my fault.”

  Of course not.

  “I’d just picked up our supper from the Texas-Pub that Ms. Masters was kind enough to make, and was backing out of the parking lot when a pig came out of nowhere.”

  “Pig?”

  “Yeah, well, wild hog, sir.”

  He nodded. Although rare, the critters did tend to show up in town once in a while. “Still doesn’t explain how your rear end contacted the guardrail…in the adjacent lot.”

  “Oh, well that was because of the cat, sir.”

  Kade glanced around the deserted lot. “Cat? What cat?”

  “The one chasing the wild hog.”

  Scrubbing a palm over his face did little to clarify the situation, but just to be sure, Kade did it twice.

  “You look like you could use some help, buddy.”

  Connor’s amused drawl hit his ears, and he turned to see his friend ambling over from the restaurant parking lot, a lop-sided grin on his face.

  “Do I want to know how this happened, Skippy?” His friend stared at the squad car, confusion clouding his gaze.

  “It’s Donny,” the deputy corrected. “And all I did was swerve to miss the wild hog.”

  Connor’s brow rose.

  “Don’t forget about the cat,” Kade reminded.

  Now both his friend’s brows disappeared behind his Stetson. “Cat?”

  “Yeah.” He nodded. “The one chasing the hog.”

  Connor’s jaw worked as he blinked. “I’m beginning to understand your face palm.”

  “Thought you might.” Kade knelt down to inspect under the car. Not as bad as he’d thought. He rose, brushing his hands on his pants, his heart doing that stupid rib-kicking when he noticed a certain designer getting out of her car at the restaurant.

  “Look, Kade,” Connor said. “There’s your girlfriend.”

  The cowboy waved to the woman, giving Kade no choice but to do the same.

  “I didn’t know Brandi was your girlfriend,” Donny said, joining in on the waving.

  She smiled, a little hesitant, but lifted a hand and waved back. He wondered if anyone would notice if he strangled his friend in broad daylight. Then the designer turned and walked into the pub and all thoughts of strangling fled from his mind.

  Damn, she sure filled out a pair of jeans.

  “You’re a lucky man, sir,” his deputy said. “Brandi’s nice. I run into her at the creamery. We sometimes talk as we eat our ice cream. I have to tell you, the guys are always checking her out.”

  Guys? What guys? He opened his mouth to ask, then caught site of Connor biting back a snicker, and decided the questions could wait.

  “Well, Moose, looks like you and I can take care of this.”

  His friend nodded and headed for the other side of the car as Kade turned to his deputy.

  “Donny, you climb in, put the car in neutral and don’t do anything else. Got it?”

  The boy’s face brightened. “Yes, sir. We don’t need a tow truck.”

  No, but he could use a stiff drink. He glanced across the back of the trunk to his friend. “On the count of three. One. Two. Three.”

  Gripping the bumper, he and Connor lifted the heavy car enough to free the rear end from the rail. Once they set it down, the kid had the good sense to hit the brake and put the car in park.

  Donny got out and smiled. “Thanks, boss. You want your supper here?”

  Kade shook his head, his appetite strangely nonexistent. “No, go on and take it to the station. And, Donny?”

  “Yeah, Sheriff Dalton?”

  “Fill out an incident report.”

  “Ah, shoot.” Deep lines creased the kid’s forehead. “Do I have to, sir?”

  “Yes, you have to,” he said.

  The kid sighed as he climbed back into the car, then drove away.

  Connor walked over and clamped a hand on his shoulder. “You look like you could use a beer, buddy.”

  Kade help up two fingers.

  “Oh, boy, something tells me it’s more than the deputy fueling that thirst.”

  He snorted, but kept his mouth shut as he twisted around and headed for his jeep. Thank God he was off duty for a few days, starting tomorrow. After the week he’d had, he sure as hell needed the break.

  “Well, at least you get to spend time with me and some horses at the auction the next couple of days.” Connor slapped his shoulder again, falling into step with him. “That should take your mind off of things…but it won’t help with Brandi.”

  He stumbled just a little, but enough to cause his buddy to laugh. Damn giant thought because he had a good thing going with Kerri he knew everything. Just because his friend had screwed up royally—several times—and managed to fix things, and redeem himself, and get the girl… Shit. Okay, maybe his buddy did know something. The thing was, Kade didn’t need help. He was fine. Just. Fine.

  “Whatever it is you just thought…you’re wrong,” Connor said. “And if you think you don’t need her, you’re wrong.” They came to a stop by his vehicle, a huge smile on his buddy’s face. “And the big one, my friend. Take it from me, if you think, for one minute you’re in control of the situation…you are completely and utterly fucked.”

  Wrong. He shook his head. “This isn’t like what you have with Kerri.”

  Connor threw his head back and laughed. Laughed. Kade didn’t see any humor in his words. Just the truth. “It’s not the same, asshole. It was just a kiss.”

  His buddy’s laughter increased to the point where the cowboy had to lean against the side of the jeep for support, large body shaking with a merriment lost on Kade.

  “Come on, Connor.” He frowned, waiting for the guy to stop. “Don’t you think that’s overkill?”

  The giant finally sobered enough to meet his gaze. “No. I think it was spot on. With the right woman, a kiss is never just a kiss. Sadly, you have a lot to learn, and you’re going to learn whether you want to or not.”

  More laughter shook through his friend’s large frame.

  Kade folded his arms across his chest and stared. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

  Connor nodded. “Only a lot.”

  If he hadn’t been in uniform, in a parking lot, in plain view of the public, he would’ve given his buddy the finger.

  “You just mentally flipped me off, didn’t you?” the smirking cowboy asked.

  “Yep.” A grin tugged his own mouth.

  “Well, I’m going to take pity on you and go inside. I’m supposed to be having dinner with my fiancée.” He straightened up from the vehicle then cocked his head. “Would you like me to stop by Brandi’s table and tell her you said hello?”

  “Would you like my fist to tell your teeth goodbye?”

  Connor’s chuckle echoed around them. “In your dreams, Dalton.” He adjusted his Stetson and nodded. “I’ll pick you up around six am so we can get an early start for the auction.”

  “Sounds good,” he said. “Thanks for your help, buddy. You’d better get inside. You’ve kept your fiancée waiting long enough.”

  “True, and you’d better get back to the station to babysit Skippy.”

  Kade nodded. Sadly, it was becoming a full time job.

  SUNDAY AFTERNOON, BRANDI was at Shadow Rock Ranch watching little Cody so Jen and Brock could visit his grand
mother, who had undergone open-heart surgery two days earlier. She enjoyed her time with the little boy; he reminded her so much of her nephew.

  A sharp pang of regret sliced through her insides. Even after several months, it still hurt to think about Tyler. She’d practically helped raise the little boy since before his second birthday, and had had sole custody of him while her brother was deployed last year. Giving him up had been tough, but inevitable. And now, thanks to her time with her nephew, watching the rambunctious four-year-old heir to the Dalton dynasty was a piece of cake.

  Chocowit cake…with a topping of extra energy.

  The little cutie was a lot like his uncles. He had blue eyes like Kevin, although his mama had them, too. But Jen wasn’t a prankster, and Brandi could already see that trait in Cody. The way he’d constantly moved her drink today when she wasn’t looking was a dead giveaway. Pure Uncle Kevin, there.

  “No. That’s bad,” he said now, reprimanding the kittens in the barn when the runt tried to nurse on mama cat but the others wouldn’t move.

  Brandi watched in awe as the little boy gently but firmly adjusted the kittens so they all had room. Now that was pure Uncle Kade. Cody definitely inherited his uncle’s kind and helpful traits.

  “Nice job, Cody,” she told him, patting his head, holding in tears of pride she knew the little boy wouldn’t understand. A treat was in order. And she knew just what to do. One of his favorite activities. “Now, who’s ready for a piggy-back ride?”

  “Me,” he hollered, excitement lighting his face as he rushed to climb on her back.

  Kind of reminded her of Ace when Cody played on the floor. The little dog had been quarantined to the inside of the ranch when Kade wasn’t around. Apparently, the mischievous pup needed lots of supervision near the horses.

  “Okay, hold on tight.” Brandi rose to her feet and galloped through the barn with the giggling toddler clinging to her back.

  They were rounding the corner, heading outside, when two horse trailers pulled up and several cowboys hopped out. She stopped dead, but her pulse continued to gallop. Darn. She’d hoped to be gone before Kade returned from the three-day auction.

  With the exception of that across-the-parking-lot meeting last Wednesday, she hadn’t seen the guy since their kiss-‘n’-run a whole week ago. Dealing with her mixed-up, crazy feelings was a hell of a lot easier when the guy wasn’t around. Now, her gaze was immediately pulled to the soldier. Sure, he was dressed like the other cowboys—boots, jeans, Stetson—but none walked with the lethal grace, or the deliberate, controlled movements of a man ready for any situation.