Six Pack Ranch: Books 1-3

by Vivian Arend

  She looked through the window of the rambling house toward the rolling foothills and the high Rockies rising beyond them. The Coleman ranch was set in one of the most beautiful areas in the whole world, yet young people were scrambling over each other to get away.

  She knew better. There was nowhere she’d rather be than here.

  A warm spot hit her, right in the middle of her chest. It wasn’t just the location that made her happy. There was no one she’d rather be with than Blake Coleman. She’d do anything to have him be the one holding her tight. To care for the land at his side. It’d been that way forever. Every time she looked at him, pictured him—heck, dreamed of him—it was enough to get her juices flowing. The man was a hunk of handsome, generous to a fault and smooth in all the right ways.

  Jaxi smiled as she dropped the diced potatoes into a pot and swirled cold water over them. She was finally grown up enough there would be less complaining among the gossipmongers. All she’d wanted her whole life was to be a rancher’s wife. Blake’s wife.

  Staying here put her in a great position to let him know how things would go down from now on. He’d been looking ragged around the edges the past couple times she’d seen him in town. He needed a little caring for.

  She was more than up for the calling.

  “Jaxi? Wow, girl. Mike just told me you planned on lending us a hand for a bit but I never expected you’d…” Marion leaned on the doorframe to the kitchen, the clumsy bulk of her arm held cautiously in front of her. The older woman grinned and the expression took years off her face. “Well, actually, yes, I did expect you to jump in and make yourself at home. Your momma going to miss you if you bunk here with us?”

  “No, ma’am. I’ve been living at the Yales’ place since the spring so she’s fine with the occasional visit. I’m all yours,” Jaxi said.

  “Good. We’ll have to see about where to tuck you. The upstairs bedrooms are all full with the twins still here for another few weeks. We can put you in the guest cabin or in the den downstairs, or move one of the other boys from their room in the basement. The cabin is the most private.”

  “It’s also a lot farther away if you need me quick. I really don’t mind the den.”

  Marion sniffed. “I can get Daniel or Blake to move.”

  Jaxi shook a hand at her. “Please don’t do that. I don’t need much space for my stuff.” Jaxi popped the potatoes on the stove and set the heat to boil. “For supper, there’s a green bean casserole from the Thiessens and a large pot of stew from the Laings. You got salad fixings in the garden?”

  “Some. I’ll go—”

  “You’ll do no such thing. How are you going to pick cucumbers and lettuce with one hand? I can get everything in the oven and warming in five minutes. You stay and watch the potatoes don’t boil over.” Jaxi pulled herself up sharp before turning a guilty smile on the other woman. “Not that I plan on bossing you around in your own kitchen or anything.”

  Marion laughed out loud. “Oh, Jaxi, it’s good to have you here.” She tugged Jaxi in close for a hug, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “You go right ahead and boss all you want. I’ll warn you if you step over the line. I consider you a part of this family, you know that, don’t you?”

  Jaxi glided around, prepping things for supper. She grabbed the garden pail and hurried through the back door. From Marion’s lips to God’s ears.

  Blake finished up early in the shop. He’d seen the neighbours’ cars trickle away and figured he should head in to help with supper preparations. His dad was all right in the kitchen, but unless they wanted to live on pancakes for the next few weeks all of them would need to pull a little extra duty.

  He marched around to the back of the house and the lower entrance. When his great-grandpa built the ranch house, he’d included enough room for all six of his boys and a few extra hired hands. They had worked the land by hand and with horses, time-consuming and backbreaking labour raising cattle and tending fields. In those days the bunkhouse attached to the house by an open walkway, but years ago the family had closed the path in and turned the extra space into a shower room and private entrance for the boys to access their downstairs bedrooms. Even though the ranch was now fully modernized, it was still dirty and exhausting work.

  He unbuttoned his shirt, stripped the soiled fabric from his body and wiped the sweat from his neck. It was hot for late August, and he hadn’t even been in the tractor with the broken air conditioning. Daniel had drawn the short straw this morning.

  Blake headed to the outdoor shower. It was safe, as all the visiting vehicles were gone, and he much preferred to wash up in the open air while it was this warm. He stripped off his jeans and boots, pitching the clothes into a pile. He threw his boots on the rack inside and grabbed a towel from the shelf over the door before returning to the bright afternoon sunshine and blasting the water on. Joel, the music addict in the family, had wired speakers on either side of the outdoor area. With a flick of a switch, a country station blared about hurtin’ and lovin’ and leavin’. Blake smiled as he lathered up and sang along with Randy Travis.

  Daniel and Matt sauntered by, enormous grins splitting their faces.

  “What’s your problem? Either of you want the shower? I’m just ’bout done.”

  Matt ignored the question, but he snickered before entering the house. Daniel shook his head. “I’ll use the ones inside. You’re a brave man, Blake, braver than I thought.”

  Blake turned off the water and toweled himself vigorously. “What the hell is the matter with you? Tractor heat-fry your brains?”

  “Let’s say I like my privacy more than you. Is Mama all right?” Daniel asked.

  “Cast the size of a lamb on her arm. We’re going to have to pick up the slack over the next while. It’ll be tough for her to get any work done.”

  “Oh, she’ll be fine, Blake. I’m pretty sure she’ll have the help she needs. Now, you’ve got me curious. You plan on joining us at the supper table dressed that way or a little more formal?” Daniel grinned again as he turned to stare out into the yard.

  Blake stepped next to him, towel held in a fist at his hip. He followed Daniel’s gaze. He looked past the walkway, the garden and the greenhouse, clear to the sheep and cattle barns without seeing anything unusual. Shaking his head he retreated toward the house. “I swear, you get harder and harder to understand. Of course I’m dressing. You think I plan on prancing around stark naked in front of everybody?”

  Idiot.

  He scooped up his dirty clothes, stopping to deposit them in the laundry room. The piles waiting on the floor only took a minute to deal with. Blake loaded the oversized washer and got it going. He ducked into his bedroom to pull on clean jeans and a T-shirt, wondering how long he’d be able to keep up with the washing before his ma found out and tried to take over.

  Walking the familiar path through the sleeping area of the basement, striding past TV and recreation rooms toward the stairs to the main level—even after living elsewhere for years, the place felt like home.

  Appetizing scents greeted him as he stepped onto the landing—rich beef stew, mashed potatoes and something that smelled like apple pie. The neighbours, it had to be. Damn it was good to live in an area where people took care of each other. Maybe his father’s dreaded pancakes could be avoided for a few days.

  Blake rounded the corner to see his folks resting easy in the family room, talking together quietly. In the adjoining dining area, the massive table that could comfortably sit a dozen was already set for the meal with pickles and salads, butter and sliced bread.

  “Wow, ladies help organize supper before they left?” Blake asked as he settled on the couch across from his father. “Looks great. We’ve got a wonderful bunch of friends, don’t we?”

  Marion nodded. “Well, yes, we do, Blake, but actually it was—”

  “You get that furniture order ready today, Blake?” Mike interrupted. His parents exchanged peculiar glances. “I know you had to take a break to help your ma. If
you need a hand after supper, the boys and I can come and load the last of it.”

  Blake sat back in his chair. “I’d appreciate that. There’s still a couple of items to haul together, but it won’t take long.” The strange looks continued. “Did they give you some happy gas while you were in the hospital today, Ma? Or is it a full moon tonight? Everyone is acting bewitched.”

  She smiled innocently and raised her eyebrows. “I don’t know what you mean. I believe supper is ready, so ring the bell, please?”

  Blake strode to the side of the room and picked up the hammer for the dinner bell. They used an old-fashioned triangle to call for meals, and in spite of being a grown man, he still loved to chime the meal in. One place that his past memories of family time blended into his future.

  Or maybe it was a simply Pavlovian reflex—ring the bell and salivating could begin.

  Soon the table groaned with food. He never would have guessed his ma had a broken arm by the way the food overflowed the bowls. He and his dad transferred dish after dish from the sideboard until his mouth watered. There were three salads, a huge bowl of corn on the cob slathered with butter, mashed potatoes, the stew, a couple of different casseroles and the biggest apple cobbler he’d ever seen in his life.

  Blake shifted around to access his usual spot, waiting while his dad seated his ma. Her expression as she picked up her fork in her left hand was priceless—another tough challenge she had to face. The rest of the boys filtered in, all scrubbed and tidy, a vast improvement from the sweaty mess he’d seen less than thirty minutes earlier. Jesse wore a collared shirt, and Blake raised a brow in his direction.

  “Hot date tonight, stud?”

  “Just looking presentable for the family.” Jesse ignored his brothers’ laughter and grabbed a chair opposite Matt.

  Joel wandered from the kitchen carrying a couple of pitchers. He held the door open with his hip and spoke to someone behind him. Blake did a fast check. Why was there an extra place set at the table?

  His question was answered soon enough as Jaxi floated through the door carrying the gravy boat. She chuckled at something Joel said before depositing the dish and taking her seat in the only empty chair. The one directly across from him.

  Blake’s mouth went dry and a loud roar of blood in his ears deafened him. Shit, he was in a mess of trouble.

  2

  Jaxi was so busy passing food bowls she missed his question. Jesse nudged her in the ribs, and she turned to discover Blake’s storm-grey eyes staring at her. Jesse’s fingers lingered on her side, and she pinched his wrist to prompt him to withdraw them.

  Jesse was fun, but Blake…he made her body ache.

  “Are you still working for the doctor and his wife?” Blake asked again.

  Mike cleared his throat. “Actually, Jaxi’s got a new job.” All heads swung toward the end of the table.

  “She’ll be my helper for the next bit.” Marion made a face at her arm before glancing up and putting on what Jaxi was coming to recognize as her make-the-best-of-it expression—something midway between a grimace and a grin. “Doctor’s orders are that I have a nursemaid, and if I have to have one, she’s my first choice.”

  Joel leaned over and whispered as he scooped another spoonful of stew onto her plate. “You’d be my first choice as well. Wanna play doctor with me later?”

  Jaxi hid her laugh behind a cough. She had to cool the twins off and fast if her plan to catch Blake’s attention was going to work. She looked across to see Blake’s eyes darken as his gaze flicked between her and where Joel’s elbow rested on her chair.

  Interesting. A tiny flicker of feminine intuition trembled with hope.

  Marion told Daniel about the compound fracture of her arm and how long the cast needed to stay on and all the details he’d missed while trapped in the tractor hauling bales. Jaxi enjoyed her supper, taking time to lick every drop of the savoury stew from her fork, listening to the easy conversation about what needed to be accomplished in the fields the following day and what animals had to be transferred where.

  She watched each of the faces around her in turn to see what their reaction was to the announcement she would be in their hair for the next while. Travis gave her his usual smoldering stare, the one that made her wonder if he was still attracted to her, in spite of everything else that had gone south between them. Daniel and Matt seemed pleased to have her around, in their typical non-threatening and non-sexual way. The twins—well, they were a little too delighted by her presence, but she’d already suspected she’d have to nip any plans of theirs in the bud.

  “Pass the potatoes,” Matt said, scooping the last of the sliced cucumbers onto his plate.

  “Sorry, Daniel finished them.”

  Jaxi pushed back her chair. “There’s still more in the kitchen, I’ll go—”

  “You sit. I’ll get them. Everything is delicious but you’ve barely eaten anything.” Jesse held her in place as he grabbed one of the empty bowls and trotted away.

  Jaxi sat comfortably and looked around. A feeling of contentment rose at being here with the family, accepted and cared for by all of them. She checked Marion with a casual glance. The woman was managing all right for her first meal with her left hand, although she seemed to be running out of steam.

  Mike was doing a little examining of his own. “Young lady, you make sure to eat enough. You’ll be working hard the next couple of weeks and we don’t want you to overdo it.”

  Jaxi pulled a face at him. “Jesse exaggerated. I ate plenty, just not as much as he did. I’m not six foot something and two hundred pounds. Don’t you worry, I’m strong. I’ll do fine.”

  “You’ll do wonderfully.” Marion nodded her approval. “I can’t believe you found enough lettuce in the garden for a salad. What did you think about the rest of things out there? Can we leave the beets for a few days?”

  Jaxi’s face flushed at the mention of the garden. Involuntarily, her gaze swung to Blake’s face. She had to stop herself from licking her lips as she admired the way his plain blue T-shirt stretched over his shoulders, tight over the firm muscles.

  Soft laughter rose from Matt.

  “Yeah, Jaxi,” Daniel said. “I wondered too. When you were in the garden earlier, did you see anything interesting? Anything that needed taking care of?”

  Oh lordy, Matt and Daniel must have seen her gawking at Blake as he showered. An awkward silence hung in the air before she plucked up her courage. She grinned at Daniel. Might as well let them know right off the bat what her plans were. As far as she knew, those two boys wouldn’t give her trouble. Heck, they might even support her.

  “There’re a few things looking mighty fine in the garden.”

  Matt choked on his drink and his shining eyes met hers. He raised his glass for a moment, then leaned forward to speak around Blake to Daniel. “Wonder what Jaxi’s favourite vegetable is?”

  “Carrots?”

  “For better vision? I don’t know, she’s probably got pretty good eyesight already. Maybe the red-hot cayenne peppers?” Matt wiggled his brows, and Jaxi bit her lip and fought to keep from laughing.

  “You think? Here I thought it might be the zucchini.” Daniel started stacking empty plates together. “Course, the garden has such amazing views she—”

  Jaxi rose quickly and went to the sideboard to serve the apple crisp. She’d been watching Blake out of the corner of her eye and knew the exact second he realized what the boys were teasing about. He didn’t seem upset, more…distracted. She closed her eyes for a moment and drew in a slow breath.

  He’d probably never thought about her that way before. He needed some time to realize little Jaxi was all grown up, and it was fine for her to admire him as a woman admires a man.

  Hmmm. Maybe he needed a chance to do some admiring of his own.

  Blake and Joel finished hauling the last of the order into the crate and wrapped it carefully. A few years back, neighbours had asked their dad to make them sets of the log furniture he’d fille
d the house with. One thing led to another, and the handcrafted items had become a huge success with people living in Canmore and Calgary. Now in their spare time, the Coleman boys took turns creating the solid log bed frames, tables and other household items. Most of their work was done in the winter when field chores were slower, but there was a constant trickle of orders they filled throughout the year to keep their name in the community.

  Blake helped, although building furniture wasn’t his favourite thing. He preferred outdoor chores or working with the animals. Daniel and the twins were more into the woodworking, but as a part of the family business he did his share to get everything done.

  Besides, tonight it was mindless labour, and after sitting the whole meal across the table from Jaxi, he needed a little mindless.

  Since their disastrous trip home a few years back, he’d tried his best to avoid her. She spent so much time with the Coleman clan, it hadn’t always been possible. She was invited to birthday parties and holiday dinners, like she’d been since she was a little tyke. He worked hard to never be alone with her, always the first to leave the room and get chores started. Although he ached to touch her, all the reasons he had to stay away seemed more valid than ever. She was just a baby, barely twenty-one, while he was over thirty. She still looked up to him like a little sister to a big brother.

  When she and Travis had broken up, Jaxi had gotten real busy with school and work, even though she hadn’t left the community. She’d never mentioned anything about the ride with him, and Travis hadn’t said a word about any strange farewell message from Jaxi, so Blake assumed she either didn’t remember or just thought it was a fever-induced dream.

  A dream. That’s where the memories haunted him the most. He still woke in the middle of the night, picturing those wide grey eyes looking into his as her body pressed intimately close. Woke up armed and dangerous and no amount of cold showers stopped the wanting.