Caught by the wind, the condom packet tumbled against her leg. She picked it up and tucked it into the picnic basket. She’d brought a lot of them with her, wanting to contribute her half of the birth control expense, since she hadn’t been able to start taking the pill yet. Her periods had always been irregular, and she had to wait until after her next period to start the oral contraceptive. She just had to be patient.
“Look.” He pointed to the lake.
Her hat floated, half-submerged in the middle of the lake like a waterlogged canoe. “Oh pooh. I paid twelve dollars for that hat.”
“Twelve bucks? Hell, can’t waste all that money. Let’s go rescue it.” He secured his hat under the picnic basket and walked backward a couple steps. “Race you.” He took off without warning.
“Cheat!” She laughed as she scrambled to her feet and followed.
He whooped and hooted as he did a high-step run into the shallows then dove in when it got deep enough. The cool water brought goosebumps to her sex-heated and sun-warmed skin. By the time she caught up to him in the middle of the lake, Chase had her soggy, unstarched hat on his head.
“Ruined?” She tread water next to him.
“Yup. We’ll have to go to town and shop some.”
She swam closer, wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his shoulders. His big muscles worked harder to keep them both afloat. “I don’t want to go to town. I want to stay here.”
“Forever?” His tone sounded teasing, but his eyes looked serious. He waited for an answer.
The sweet knowledge that he waded into the same intimidating waters as she did gave her heart a jolt. She didn’t want to rush it. Not with this man, who possessed every quality she was looking for in a mate. They had to go slowly, set a good, strong base for their relationship.
She winked. “For now.”
*
WHEN THEY RODE their horses past the house toward the barn an hour later, two pickup trucks and a sports car sat in the driveway. “You’ll get your chance to see that studio session tonight, if you want.”
Reno looked down at her swimsuit. “I can shower first, right?”
He laughed. “Yeah. There’s no way those horny cowboys are gonna see you in that skimpy thing.
“Possessive, aren’t you.”
Turning his head, he leaned toward her, rested his hand on the back of her saddle, and captured a kiss. “Damn right.”
Fifteen minutes later, after they’d shared a quick shower, Chase gave her instructions on how to get down to the recording studio, and left her to dress and dry her hair.
In front of the bathroom mirror, she brushed on mascara. Chase led such an interesting life. Breaking horses one day, recording songs the next, and touring the world the day after. Reno looked at her plain features and round curves. It was still hard for her to believe they were together. An amazement so strong, she had to pause every so often to remind herself this wasn’t a fabulous dream. This was her fantasies coming true.
Reno found the doorway off the kitchen that opened to marble steps leading down to the studio. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, glass doors separated her from the studio in front of her and from the recording booth to her left. The heavy wood door to the right must be the entrance to the guest bedrooms. In the studio, high ceilings and bright walls surprised her. She’d expected a dark, smoky cavern. Three men and Chase stood around a table looking at papers. In the booth, a woman wearing huge headphones over her dark, braided hair slid knobs and pressed buttons. One of the musicians, wearing a baseball cap, turned in her direction. Removing his cap, he strolled toward her and grinned.
“Holy crap.” It was Ryder Landry, absolutely as handsome in person as he’d been when she’d seen him last week accepting New Artist of the Year at the Country Music Awards.
He pulled open the door and held out his hand. “You must be Reno.”
She nodded stupidly, staring into his green eyes, then pressed her palm onto his for a quick shake.
“I’m Ryder Landry.”
“Good.” She swallowed. “To meet you.” How was she so tongue-tied with this young star when her own cowboy was as just as famous?
“Nice to meet you too, ma’am.” Tucking his cap back over his short brown hair, he nodded over his shoulder toward the studio. “Go on in. We haven’t started yet, and Chase said you hadn’t had a chance to get down to the studio before today.” He grinned again. “What’s he been keepin’ you busy with all week?”
Reno felt the blush rise from her chest to her forehead. “You are as bad as your reputation, aren’t you.”
He tipped his head back and laughed.
The other men turned toward them and Chase smiled. “Keep away from him, Reno. He’s hell on wheels around gorgeous women.”
She shook her head. His flattery was nice, but a little too over the top.
Ryder stepped back, held open the door, and gave a quick bow. “Gorgeous lady.”
Reno brushed past him, taking one quick look at his lean muscles and long, long legs. He was a charmer, all right. He’d been dating some of country music’s young cuties, as well as working his way through a good share of movie starlets. Now she knew why all those ladies chased him relentlessly.
She stepped into the big room, heading toward her cowboy, careful to step over cables and around music stands.
Chase held out an arm and pulled her to his side. “Guys, this is my Reno.”
Her heart melted like chocolate in the Texas sun. She smiled at the musicians as Chase introduced her to Smith and Bender.
“I don’t mean to interrupt.” She looked up at Chase. “Can I sit in the booth if I promise not to turn any dials?”
He kissed her, quick and hard. “You sure can, baby. That’s June in there.” They turned toward the booth where Ryder was talking to the technician. Chase nodded toward the two musicians. “Smith’s wife.”
Reno glanced at Smith who was looking at his wife with that loving gaze in his eyes that Reno had caught Chase using on her a couple times.
Chase pulled Reno closer. “She may even let you play with some of her buttons, if you ask nicely.”
The two musicians broke into loud laugher as Reno stared, wide-eyed at Chase.
The double-meaning of his words hit him and he chuckled. “I sure didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”
“Shortage of blood in your brain, Tanner.” Bender winked at Reno and walked away. Smith followed, chuckling.
Chase kissed her again and bumped his hip against hers. “You’d better head out, sexy girl, or that lack of blood might just get me fired from this gig.”
Tingles flowed through her knowing she was the cause of the rise behind Chase’s zipper. “Okay, I’ll be in the booth for a while then I’m going to head upstairs and do some work.” She rubbed her palm in a circle over his hard abs. “But you stay down here as late as you need too.”
He tugged her close again. “It might go all night.”
“Thank God. I can finally get some sleep.” She smirked.
He pinched her ass. “You love how I keep you awake all night.” His voice rolled low and sexy and his eyes darkened.
“Break it up in there!” Ryder’s voice came over the speakers. “Or take it upstairs.” He left the booth and came back into the studio.
Chase turned her toward the door and patted her ass to get her moving. The gesture reminding her of the sexy afternoon at the lake and her newfound desire for spankings.
Reno headed to the booth where June showed her a few things about the mixing board and even let her experience the slides and monitors. Within minutes, the musicians started tuning up. Bender stepped into a small room partitioned off by a glass wall and sat at his drums.
June pressed a button. “Okay, let’s check levels. Smith?”
The bass guitarist played first. Chase went next and Reno fixated on the speed of his fingers. He slowed a bit and played the song he wrote for her.
She gave him a littl
e wave.
Ryder put his hand over his chest and made a puppy face. He said something to Chase.
Without looking away from Reno, Chase responded to Ryder with something that had the young singer roaring with laugher.
“They never grow up, do they?” June pressed the button. “Ryder, you okay to play? Or do you need a nap?” She smiled at Reno.
Ryder broke into a wild guitar solo and in a few seconds, Bender joined in on the drums.
Switching dials, June brought up the drum music then had him hit one drum at a time.
After a few more rounds of level checks, June rubbed her palms together. “Ready to go, guys.”
They played a dozen versions of a rocking song Reno had never heard before, stopping to check with Ryder, who must have written the piece. June talked about her life as a musician’s wife, and Reno appreciated the way the woman gave her both the pleasures and the downfalls.
After nearly half an hour, the musicians found the perfect tempo and music, and had played it twice.
June pressed her speaker button. “Okay, ready to go, guys?”
Ryder nodded. “Let’s do it.”
June got busy with her mixing board and the band got serious about recording the song.
Out of the corner of her eye, Reno noticed movement.
Standing at the bottom of the steps, Steele McLaren frowned into the recording studio, his hands in fists. Reno’s heart thudded. This didn’t look good. Was he angry with Chase? He watched the musicians for a few minutes before turning toward the mixing booth. When he saw Reno, he visibly relaxed, smiled, then pushed open the door and headed in.
June, with her headphones on, nodded to him and he patted her shoulder.
Sitting next to Reno, Steele leaned close. “Hey, lady.” He spoke quietly. “Nice to see you again.” His musky sandalwood cologne reminded her of camping trips in the woods.
The same fan-shock struck her and she nodded, not able to find words.
“Chase said you were here.” He spoke to her, but watched the musicians. “How’s it going?”
With purpose, she calmed herself. “Good.” She talked quietly about the ranch and Chase’s hands-on approach to the land.
He turned those gray-green eyes on her. “I don’t know how he does it all. I get back to the family ranch once a month or so, but Chase loves it here. He’s found the key to balancing his life so he can ranch.”
She just nodded, taking it all in. Was Chase becoming a recluse? Would he eventually give up singing altogether? She doubted it. Watching him play his guitar, and the pure joy on his face, she could see him saving room in his life for both.
Reno leaned closer to Steele. “Are you recording, too?”
“No. Not today.” That frown pulled his face again and his body tensed. After long minutes, he hefted out a breath and turned to Reno. “You know, I was wondering about your friend. Tracy.” A little color spotted under the tan on his cheeks.
“What do you want to know?” She had reservations about Tracy getting involved with a man like Steele. Even though her friend had been in LA for a lot of years, she had a vulnerable, quiet side.
“Is she…seeing anyone?” His dark brows dropped low over his eyes.
“Not as of two days ago when I talked to her.” Reno would be talking to Tracy again very soon, though, to warn her about Steele’s interest, and remind her of his reputation.
“What’s her story? I mean, whatever you feel comfortable telling me.”
She came up with things that would hopefully make Steele think twice about using, then losing, Tracy. “She’s from Montana.” Tracy had admitted she was from a poor family and she’d hinted about some abuse, but that wasn’t Reno’s story to tell. “She’s got a four-year degree in the arts, and she moved to LA when she was twenty-two.”
“Huh.” Steele sat back, staring at the band again. “She’s done well in five years.”
Reno smirked. “Oh so you know her age, huh?”
Steele locked his eyes on Reno then opened his mouth to say something when Ryder burst into the booth behind him.
“Hey, big brother. You came to help me with my new track?”
Reno’s body jolted as if she’d stepped on a live wire. “Brother?”
Chapter Thirteen
‡
RENO LOOKED AT the two men. She’d never noticed until now that Ryder did look similar to Steele. The same height, probably six feet two inches, dark hair, identical noses, and the same shape to their eyes, though the iris colors were different.
Steele stood and fisted his hands. “Don’t call me that.”
Ryder’s eyes narrowed and his lips curled up in a parody of a smile. “Why not? It’s true. Or are you still denying it?”
Chase stomped in. “Guys, not here.” He stepped beside Ryder. “Take it outside, or if you can keep from fighting, go upstairs to the kitchen.”
When the brothers didn’t move, June got up with a worried look on her face.
“We’ve got ladies here.” Chase put a hand on each man’s shoulder. “And I can’t afford to have this mix board out of service.”
Reno knew that Chase could probably afford a dozen more boards like it, but the comment worked to get the brothers moving. They stormed out of the room and up the stairs, silent in a deadly sort of way.
Chase wrapped an arm around Reno. “You okay?”
She nodded.
He turned to June. “You okay?”
She let out a breath. “Haven’t they worked it out yet?”
“Evidently not.” Chase guided Reno out of the room and up the stairs, leaving June behind to secure her electronics.
When they stepped into the kitchen, Sue Lynn stood looking out the window. “They’re not fighting again, are they?”
“Guess so.” Chase stopped with Reno between him and Sue Lynn. Outside, the brothers stood talking—probably yelling—and gesturing angrily.
“Chase. They won’t…” Reno couldn’t stand to watch them hit each other.
“Shit.” Chase mumbled under his breath. “I don’t know what they’ll do. I’ll keep an eye on them and get between them if it comes to that.”
Sue Lynn tsked and wandered away. “Such a shame.”
When they were alone together, Reno took Chase’s hand. She summoned all her willpower to hold back from asking him what was going on. Brothers? This mammoth fact had never been released to the public.
He squeezed her palm but stared out the window. “Steele just found out three months ago he had a half-brother.”
“How?” This story was more unbelievable than any novel she’d ever written.
“Ryder’s mother died. She’d been sick for a long time. Some say it was a blessing.” He sighed. “Ryder and I have been friends for a few years, and he’s used the studio a lot. Watching him go through what he did—seeing his mother’s cancer waste her away…” He bowed his head. “It was hard as hell.”
Reno held tighter to Chase’s hand. “I’m glad you were there for him.”
He gave her a soft smile. “Yeah. Compared to what happened after, that was almost easy.”
“You mean finding out he had a brother?”
“Yep. And a father and sister who can’t do enough to welcome Ryder into their family.” His eyebrows lifted. “While Steele can’t stand the idea. And it doesn’t help that Ryder looks more like Jeb McLairn—their dad—than Steele does.” He kissed her temple. “I’ll tell you about it later.” He nodded toward the window. “I’m thinking I should step in here.”
The two men were toe to toe, now.
Chase reached for the door handle.
Ryder turned to the side and dropped his head, stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets, and said something.
Reno’s heart hitched for the man.
Steele spun on his heel and stomped away. After about fifteen steps, he stopped, turned and slowly walked back to his half-brother. He set his hand on Ryder’s shoulder and spoke.
Ryder looked at hi
m and after long minutes, nodded. Together, they headed toward the barn.
“Wonder what that was.” Chase spoke more to himself than to her.
“Looks like things are finally settling.”
“Yeah.” He furrowed his brows. “With them, it’s peace one day, war the next.” He looked down at Reno. “Okay if I ask them to stay for supper?”
She wrapped her arms around her wonderful, intelligent cowboy. “I’d like that very much.”
That evening, Reno chewed the last juicy bite of steak that Chase grilled for them. The four of them sat at the poolside table with Steele and Ryder facing off on opposite ends. Neither of the brothers had said much to each other, but they’d kept up conversations with Reno and Chase.
June, Bender, and Smith had declined the invitation to supper, probably guessing it would be tense with the two brothers in attendance. The three of them had headed into town for a meal and some fun. Reno envied them the freedom. No matter where she and Chase went, there would always be someone who recognized him. A life of caution was something else for her to get used to.
The tentative cease-fire cast a cloud over the delicious meal, but Chase did an excellent job of including both brothers in his conversation. Especially when it turned to horses.
“Ryder has a place just over the Louisiana state line.” Chase finished his steak and sat back, a longneck beer in his hand.
“Do you? A farm?” Reno leaned forward.
Steele stared off into the distance, his jaw tight as if the topic bothered him.
“It used to be.” Ryder pushed grilled asparagus spears around his plate with his fork. “But Chase, here, talked me into doin’ some horse breeding. We partnered up, sort of.”
She looked at Chase who watched Steele with a tight jaw. Another touchy subject?
Reno asked about Ryder’s horses, and he and Chase talked equine stock for a while. Reno nearly asked Steele about his family ranch east of Houston, but thought better of it. If Steele’s—and Ryder’s—father wanted to welcome Ryder into his family, there was a good chance the ranch was a point of contention.
When the topic turned to music, the three men jumped in full-throttle. Reno brought fresh beers for everyone and served each of them a slice of Sue Lynn’s blueberry pie with homemade vanilla ice cream.
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