Montana Hearts: Her Weekend Wrangler

by Darlene Panzera

  “Mr. Owens offered to show us around his guest ranch next door,” Chelsea informed her.

  “And introduce us to his employees,” Katelyn explained.

  Rebecca nodded. “We need to keep our options open.”

  “That’s good to hear,” Ryan said, pushing through the crowd to join them. “Ladies, let me introduce you to my brothers—­Dean, Josh, and Zach.”

  The Tanner brothers each tipped their hats toward the women and asked them to dance. Chelsea, Katelyn, and Rebecca each offered them a smile, their faces lit with enthusiasm, and accepted.

  Mr. Owens scowled and narrowed his eyes at Bree. “There’s no harm in showing there’s a variety of different guest ranches in the area.”

  “I think you should leave,” Bree told him. “You and your wife weren’t on the guest list.”

  “I agree,” Grandma said, leaning her head toward them as she danced with the town sheriff.

  “What?” Bree’s mother asked, overhearing their remarks and turning around. “Don’t be silly. Merle and Olivia don’t need an invitation. They’ve been our neighbors for over fifteen years.”

  “That’s no reason to trust them,” Bree said in a stern whisper as Mr. Owens stomped away into the crowd. “Don’t let yourself be fooled like you were by your previous ranch managers.”

  “You just don’t like them because Ryan Tanner chose their daughter over you,” Ma whispered back. “I wasn’t too much of a fool to notice you had a crush on him.”

  Bree glanced at Ryan, who stood off to the side less than ten feet away. “That was a long time ago,” she argued, keeping her voice low.

  Her mother arched a brow. “Was it?”

  Of course it was! She’d graduated college since then, lived on her own for several years, helped manage a large department store chain, and dated several other men for long periods of time. There was no way she was still hung up on some small-­town cowboy she’d known since grade school . . . even if he was even more good-­looking than when she left him minutes before . . . and he flashed her that big, infectious smile that said he could guess what she was thinking . . . and he stepped toward her . . . and said, “I think I owe you a prom dance.”

  Bree took his hand and he spun her around the barn to the tune of a lively country-­western ballad. She told herself she was just enjoying the moment. She could still have fun, right? But when he led her outside, away from the crowd of ­people, memories of their earlier kiss came swooping back to tease her senses, and she realized she was in real danger.

  “Would you care to kiss me again?” Ryan asked, lacing his fingers through hers.

  “Hmm . . . about that earlier kiss—­”

  “Which one? The first when you kissed me, or the second when I kissed you?”

  “Both,” she said, heat rising into her cheeks. “I was just so happy you got your brothers to come to the dance that—­”

  “No need to explain,” he said, drawing his head closer.

  “But it wasn’t a serious kiss, was it?” she asked.

  A soft thud broke the mood as Mr. Owens emerged from the building beside them and slid the door shut.

  “What are you doing in our stable?” Bree demanded.

  “Looking for my wife.”

  Ryan’s face went rigid. “What would she be doing in there?”

  Mr. Owens shrugged and Bree pointed toward the ongoing party in the barn. “I saw her by the refreshment table.”

  “Thanks,” Mr. Owens grumbled and once again disappeared into the crowd.

  “I don’t trust him,” Bree said, shaking her head.

  Ryan laughed. “I don’t either. So before he interrupts us a third time, will you tell me what you meant when you asked if our kiss was serious?”

  “I meant, it’s not supposed to mean anything, right?”

  Ryan frowned. “Why would you think that?”

  “Because,” Bree said, looking him straight in the eye, “rumor has it that you don’t take your dates seriously. You like to keep things . . . casual.”

  “Maybe that’s because the only one I’ve ever been serious about is you.”

  Bree was silent a moment, then realized he must be joking and laughed. “Great line. Do you use that with all your women?”

  He shook his head. “Only you.”

  “C’mon,” she said, smiling. “You don’t mean it.”

  “What would it take to convince you?” Ryan challenged.

  She tilted her mouth upward. “Another kiss?”

  Ryan swung her around in time to the distant music, then leaned her back in an eloquent dip, and grinned. “Darlin’, all you had to do was ask.”

  Chapter Nine

  ELEVEN O’CLOCK THE next day, Ryan arrived at Bree’s guest ranch to lead the weekend mini-­roundup. But even more important, he had to make sure Bree had no regrets about kissing him the night before.

  Ryan knew he had none, even if she picked up and left town again. He and his son would be a little heartbroken if she did, but they’d bounced back from being abandoned before and he was sure they could do it again if they had to. After all, they were Tanners, strong and resilient.

  And kissing Bree had been worth the risk.

  “There he is!” exclaimed one of the three women he’d hooked up with his brothers.

  She wore exceptionally bright, pink-­fringed western attire, so bright a man almost needed sunglasses to look at her. The other two women by her side wore similar outfits, one in all yellow and the other in all green. For some reason he couldn’t remember their names, a first for him. He’d always been one to take careful note of a woman’s name as soon as they met. He guessed the names of these three must not have been as impressive as their outfits.

  “Mornin’, ladies,” he greeted. “Ready for a mini-­roundup?”

  “I’d say!” said the one in green. “How about we round up your brothers again?”

  The pink lady giggled and agreed. However, the yellow-­clad CEO still appeared to have her sights set on him. She smiled and her gaze covered him like a steam bath, one that was far too warm for his liking. “I’m all in for wrangling with this one right here.”

  “Me, too,” Bree said, also smiling, as she made her way toward them. “Delaney has a sick horse in the stable this morning and needs me to ride in her place.”

  Even better. Ryan couldn’t help but grin. She was beautiful. From her honey-­brown, wavy hair all the way down to her teal-­tipped boots showcasing her handmade boot bling. But the real beauty was in the way her eyes sparkled and her smile drew the last of his fears away from him.

  He didn’t have to ask. Bree had no regrets. In fact, she looked as if she’d be willing to kiss him again. As soon as possible. The thought made his blood jump in his veins. He’d like nothing better than to scoop her up in his arms right now and kiss her senseless. But he didn’t think that would make the yellow gal happy, and Bree needed those corporate contracts. Instead, he gave her a quick shoulder squeeze as they turned to go into the stable to tack up the horses.

  “Del, which horse should I ride?” Bree asked, glancing at the stall chart on the dry-­erase board by the tack room.

  “You can ride mine,” Luke said, handing her a halter and lead rope.

  Bree and her brother exchanged a quick look and Bree asked, “Are you sure?”

  Luke’s smile seemed forced. “Yeah. If anyone can handle him, you can.”

  Ryan glanced down at the cane by Luke’s side. Had to be hard for a bronco-­bustin’ guy like Luke to watch others saddle up, which made Ryan respect him even more.

  A series of loud bangs came from within the stalls, horses kicking against the wood planks eager to get out. Ryan met Bree’s gaze. “Sounds like they’re a little frisky today.”

  “They’ve been like that all morning,” Bree informed him. “Hopefully they�
�ll settle down once they’re out in the open.”

  However, the ten horses they took out into the pasture to round up their small herd of cattle only got more agitated. One took off at a gallop with the male guest staying in Bree’s main house. His wife screamed, concerned over her husband’s safety, and spooked her own horse. Ryan took off after them, and guided their mounts back to the group.

  Then he gave instructions on how to circle the pronged herd, but the other greenhorn guests also had trouble controlling their rides and only succeeded in driving the cattle farther apart. Especially when the horse carrying one of the three cosmetic queens—­the one in yellow, wouldn’t you know it—­started bucking.

  “Hold on!” Bree shouted. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

  Ryan would have raced over himself, but Bree was closer. She rode up beside the woman’s horse and, leaning over, tried to grab the reins. “Easy, boy,” she said, using her voice to try to calm the jittery quarter horse down. “That’s a good boy. You’re doing just fine.”

  Bree was wrong. The horse was anything but fine. In the next instant he reared, sending the terrified gal dressed in yellow tumbling off his back and into the dirt.

  Ryan turned his horse around and chased after the frisky renegade that had dumped her, while Bree slid out of her saddle in a hasty dismount to make sure the woman was okay.

  “My ankle!” the woman cried. “I think I broke my ankle!”

  “Get me off of this beast before it bucks me off, too!” shouted one of her friends.

  “Me first!” demanded the last of the trio. “Before I die!”

  Ryan drove the first woman’s horse back toward the others and ordered everyone to remain calm, forget the cattle, and slowly return to the ranch.

  “It’s not broken,” Bree told the cosmetic company exec when Ryan was finally able to join them. “Probably just a bad sprain.”

  Ryan hoisted the injured gal into the saddle in front of him and Bree tied a rope to the woman’s horse to lead it home. Must have been a miracle, but somehow they all made it back to the stables without another incident.

  “Didn’t you get my text?” Delaney asked, helping the riders dismount as fast as she could. Luke and Sammy Jo were also there to assist.

  Bree checked her phone and read, Problem with feed! Return ASAP!

  Ryan helped the tearful yellow-­clad woman down off his horse and into Luke’s and Sammy Jo’s arms. “What’s wrong with the feed?”

  “Some of them have had a little too much,” Sammy Jo explained. “Look how sweaty they are! It’s made them hot and feisty.”

  “It’s made some of the others sick,” Delaney added.

  “I think I’m going to be sick,” the injured CEO complained, sitting down on a bench. “In fact, I think I’m going to pack my bags and take the first cab out of here.”

  “Leave?” Bree’s face paled.

  “There’s no way I’m staying another day at this wretched place,” the woman continued. “In fact, I fully intend to sue!”

  “Now I think I’m going to be sick,” Bree said, her voice trembling.

  “You can’t sue,” Ryan argued. “We had you sign a waiver before you got on. Horses can be unpredictable and if you’re willing to get up on one, then you can’t hold the guest ranch liable if something goes wrong.”

  “I’ll get a lawyer,” the CEO retorted. “A good one. And no matter what that stupid paper says, I will sue.”

  Bree looked like she was ready to cry. Ryan wished he could comfort her, but first he had to deal with the matter at hand.

  Kneeling beside the woman he asked, “Tell me again, what is your name?”

  “Rebecca.”

  “Rebecca,” Ryan repeated, taking her hand and giving her a broad smile. “Isn’t there something we can do to change your mind? After all, while you were here you did have a good time shopping for this wonderful outfit, didn’t you?”

  She hesitated, then nodded.

  “And you have been enjoying time away from your normal job vacationing with your two best friends?”

  Again the woman nodded.

  “And you can’t tell me you didn’t have a good time last night,” Ryan said, giving her a wink. “I saw you dancing with my brother and it looked to me like you were having the time of your life. Maybe I could arrange for you to see him again, go on a date?”

  Rebecca shook her head.

  “No?” Ryan’s confidence died. He thought for sure he was on his way to winning the woman over. He gave her a direct look. “What do you want?”

  Rebecca leaned toward him and smiled. “A date with you.”

  Bree gasped, her jaw dropping. “Excuse me?”

  “A date, it is,” Ryan promised quickly before Rebecca could change her mind. He knew Bree’s family couldn’t afford a lawsuit. They’d lose the ranch. He gave the woman another grin to seal the deal. “I’ll pick you up at your cabin tonight at eight.”

  BREE FUMED AS she and Ryan followed Delaney into the stable, then, once they were out of earshot of the other guests, she turned on him. “What was that?” she demanded. “You agreed to a date with her? Really? Ranch rules state that employees cannot date the guests.”

  “It’s just one date,” Ryan promised. “I don’t like it any more than you do, but isn’t that a much smaller price to pay than if she sued?”

  Bree ground her teeth together and remained silent. She knew she should be thanking him for helping her family, but she just couldn’t get past the fact he would be taking another woman out before her.

  Or maybe she was fooling herself. Maybe Ryan would never ask her out on a real date. Maybe a few stolen kisses at the dance the night before was all he’d wanted. After all, he hadn’t kissed her when he’d arrived this morning, had he? He’d squeezed her shoulders. Her shoulders! What kind of man squeezed a woman’s shoulders after sharing several soul-­searing kisses together?

  Maybe Ryan Tanner had no soul.

  Ryan put his hand on her shoulder. Again. “Bree, I’m doing it for you, you know that. I know how much getting that corporate contract means to you.”

  Not that much. She was beginning to think the three women were more trouble than they were worth. “I understand your motive,” she said, fighting to keep her tone neutral. “It’s your methods I don’t like.”

  “It worked, didn’t it?” he asked, trying to draw closer.

  Bree stepped away. “Oh, yes, a little charm will get you what you want every time.”

  “A date with that banana peel woman is not what I want,” Ryan ground out, then he turned toward Del. “Can you show me the feed?”

  She opened an empty stall door, and when they followed her inside, she squatted down and pointed to the residue of a pellet supplement mixed into the hay.

  Bree picked up a handful and sniffed. “What is it?”

  Delaney shook her head. “It’s not anything we have here at our ranch.”

  “The supplement is called EHS,” Ryan informed them, his voice sounding strained. “An overdose can mess with the horses’ metabolisms.”

  “But what is it doing here? Who would have done something like this?” Bree gasped. “The ranch managers! Do you think it was Susan and Wade Randall? Do you think they are still around?”

  “ ‘Anything’s possible,’ ” Del reminded her, quoting their grandma. “The sheriff hasn’t been able to track them. They could be anywhere.”

  Ryan clenched his fist by his side. “Or it could have been someone even closer to the ranch, someone who wants those corporate contracts as much as you do.”

  Bree stared at him. “The Owenses? Do you know something we don’t?”

  For a minute it looked as if Ryan might keep whatever information he had to himself, but then he took a deep breath and said, “I saw this same supplement in the Owenses’ barn last week.”

/>   “And Mr. Owens was coming out of our stable when we were—­” Bree broke off abruptly, heat rising into her face. Kissing.

  Ryan shot her a quick grin, then took another look at the supplement and frowned. “Wouldn’t he know we’d suspect him when we found the supplement in the feed? I know he’s the obvious suspect, but it doesn’t make sense.”

  “He didn’t know we’d be there,” Bree reminded him. “Maybe by that time Mr. Owens couldn’t undo what he’d already done.”

  “What do we do?” Delaney asked, her eyes wide. “Call the sheriff?”

  “We can’t prove it was him,” Ryan said. “For all you know it could have been one of the new employees.”

  Bree nodded. “Let’s ask them.”

  NORA, NADINE, AND the redheaded woman and two men they’d hired as ranch hands sat at the picnic tables outside Bree’s office, their gazes flicking nervously toward each other.

  Bree started with the twins. “Who told you to apply for a job at our ranch?”

  “Nadine,” Nora said, glancing at her sister.

  Bree turned toward Nadine. “And you?”

  “Nora.”

  “You told each other to apply for the job?” Bree asked, narrowing her gaze. “At the same time?”

  “Yes!” they chorused in unison.

  Bree glanced at Ryan and he smirked. Then he asked the twins, “Did the idea just pop into your heads or did someone else put it there?”

  “Well . . .” Nora said, glancing at her sister with a guilt-­ridden expression. “I’d just said to Nadine that if we got a job—­”

  “We could afford to get our nails done like we saw in Trendy Teen magazine,” Nadine finished, also looking guilty.

  “And when the man in front of the café pointed to your Help Wanted sign on the bulletin board—­” Nora continued, her expression becoming more and more upset as she spoke.

  “We stole the sign and put it in my purse,” Nadine said, and winced. “So you wouldn’t hire anyone else but us.”