The Rancher's Unexpected Family

by Helen Lacey

  Then he’d met Valerie. Beautiful, smart, self-destructive Valerie. He’d loved her. Married her. Divorced her. And then done his best to forget her.

  Cole shook off the memory and walked around the front of the house. He could hear laughter and the sound of clinking crockery. It sounded a whole lot like dinner at his parents’ house and the idea made him smile. He climbed the steps, waited for Maisy to catch up and then tapped on the front screen door.

  A woman around sixty, dressed in moleskins and a glittery chambray shirt and boots, appeared behind the screen and gave him a beaming smile. “Well, hello, there. I’m Nancy, Ash’s mother. Please come in.”

  Cole introduced himself and Maisy as they were ushered down the hall and into a large dining room. The table in the center of the room was wide and covered in a tablecloth, while dinnerware and an array of platters ran down the center. Dinner was clearly a big deal on the McCune ranch.

  There were several other people present—an older man he assumed was her uncle and three kids, a boy and a girl who were clearly siblings of Native American heritage, and a teenage boy with heavily gelled and spiked black hair. He also sported a couple of piercings in his top lip and a dragon tattoo on his neck. Cole wasn’t one to judge, since he’d gone through his own ink stage as a youngster. The older boy, Ricky, shook his hand and then grunted in a friendly sort of way in Maisy’s direction. Ash’s uncle came around the table to shake his hand and once the introductions were done, Nancy said she was heading to the kitchen for a round of drinks.

  “Wish it was beer,” Uncle Ted said quietly so that only Cole could hear and grinned.

  Another child appeared in the doorway. He had a shock of curly red hair and a face load of freckles. He also had a brace on his left leg and used a cane.

  “Hi, I’m Jaye,” he said and ambled slowly toward them, a noticeable hitch in his gait.

  Cole didn’t miss the disinterest in Maisy’s expression. “It’s good to meet you, Jaye,” Cole said, and introduced Maisy, who gave a half-hearted wave. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  “I’ve heard a lot about you, too,” the kid said cheerfully. “My mom was talking about you on the phone to someone today,” he said and then frowned a little and shrugged. “Though I probably wasn’t meant to hear it. Or tell you.”

  Cole laughed softly. He already liked the boy. “Well, it’ll be our secret, okay?”

  Jaye’s freckled face beamed. “Sure thing. Mom doesn’t ever need to know.”

  “Mom doesn’t ever need to know what?”

  Cole’s gaze instantly shifted to the doorway. Silhouetted in the door frame and wearing a short green dress that shimmied around her thighs and showed off a truly sensational pair of legs, Ash McCune just about dropped him to his knees. He noticed her hair was out of its band and fell just past her shoulders. Cole stared and then swallowed hard, trying to get his wayward thoughts off her smooth calves and the curves that had somehow managed to consume his thoughts for most of the afternoon.

  I’m in big trouble.

  “Nothing, Mom,” Jaye said and grinned. “Just guy stuff.”

  She smiled and Cole’s stomach took a dive. Damn, she was beautiful.

  “So you’ve met everyone?” she asked as she came into the room and stood behind her son, dropping her hands onto his shoulders.

  “Yes.”

  “Mom said you used to be a race car driver,” Jaye said, beaming up at him.

  “That’s right.”

  The boy’s bright green eyes widened. “I’d love to drive a race car. That would be so cool. Mom said that maybe next year I can enter the soapbox-derby races at the spring fair. I’d like to enter this year though,” he said and shrugged. “I’ve already got a plan drawn up for my cart and—”

  “I said next year...maybe,” Ash said and kissed the top of his head. “Now, how about you show Mr. Quartermaine and Maisy to their seats and we can all eat?” she said to the whole room.

  A minute later they were all seated and Nancy had returned with a pitcher of homemade lemonade that she placed in the center of the table. Uncle Ted said a short prayer before they ate and everyone stayed quiet, including Maisy. Cole had been raised in a strict Catholic household, but rarely went to church except for weddings and funerals. He found himself seated between Maisy and Uncle Ted, and while his daughter was sullen and uncommunicative during the entire meal, the older man talked incessantly about everything from motor racing to the current price of barley and wheat, and the last time he’d visited the nearby Mount Rushmore. Cole didn’t mind, though. Ted was friendly and personable, telling funny stories about the ranch and his years in the navy. But Cole was distracted. With Ash only a couple of seats away and holding court with the kids, who chatted about their day out, their haircuts and the upcoming spring fair, he couldn’t help but be aware of her as she laughed and bantered with her son and the two youngest children. There was a kind of natural energy around her, and he realized how out of the loop he’d been lately when it came to being around an attractive woman. He hadn’t been on a date for six months. And hadn’t had sex in longer than that.

  Almost as though on cue, he met her gaze across the table. She was smiling just a little, as though she had some great secret only she was privy to. He wanted to look away, but couldn’t. Her smile deepened and he watched as she blushed. Whatever was going on, Cole’s instincts told him she was feeling it, too. He gave himself a mental shake, turned his attention back to his food and tried to start a conversation with his daughter, who’d barely spoken a word since they’d sat down for dinner. He managed to get a few sentences out of her and by the time the plates were cleared she was talking quietly to Ricky about music and the latest boy band. He relaxed a bit and pushed back the chair, got up and grabbed a few of the dishes still left on the table. The younger kids and Ted had moved into the adjoining living room to watch television and Cole headed for the kitchen.

  Ash was alone, loading the dishwasher, but she stopped the task when she noticed the plates in his hands. “Oh, thanks so much.”

  “No problem,” he said and placed them on the counter. “You’re an amazing cook.”

  Her mouth curved. “Thank you. But the peach pie was my mom’s doing. Some secret recipe she’s been threatening to share for years, but still hasn’t. Can you cook?”

  “Not a lick,” he replied and grinned. “Spoiled, silver spoon, only son—you get the picture.”

  She laughed. “Can you make coffee?”

  He nodded. “Sure.”

  She waved an arm in the direction of the coffeepot. “Then you’re on beverage duty while I keep stacking.”

  Cole moved around the counter. “You’re bossy, anyone ever tell you that?”

  She laughed again. “Of course. Just ask my son and Uncle Ted.”

  He grabbed the coffeepot. “He’s a great kid, by the way.”

  “I know,” she said quietly. “And you can ask, if you want.”

  Cole rested his behind on the countertop. “Ask?”

  “About Jaye,” she explained. “And his condition. He had an accident when he was two and half years old and was badly injured. There were surgeries and—and he...”

  “He’s a great kid,” Cole said again when her words trailed off. “That’s all I see.”

  She stopped what she was doing and turned, resting her hip against the counter, arms crossed loosely. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For not looking at me with the kind of pitying expression I usually get from parents of able-bodied children.”

  “I don’t pity you,” he said. “Or Jaye. He’s obviously bright and well-adjusted.”

  “Yes. And he loves reading and music and art.”

  “And soapbox-derby racing?” he said, one brow raised. “He mentioned several times that he wants to ente
r this year.”

  She nodded. “I know. Maybe next year. I may be an overprotective parent, but I don’t want him to get hurt, either physically or emotionally. The races can be really competitive and some of the other kids and their parents take it so seriously. I don’t want him to be singled out or be disadvantaged because of his disability.”

  “That’s a fair call,” he said and rested his hands on the edge of the countertop. “But I don’t imagine you can protect him from soapbox spills or schoolyard bullies twenty-four seven.”

  “My son is homeschooled,” she said pointedly. “And you’re right, I can’t watch him every minute of every day. But while he’s still a child, while he’s here under this roof, I’m sure as heck gonna try.”

  Cole grinned. She had a lot of spunk. He liked it. He liked her. And it was getting more intense the more time he spent with her. Something had to give. One of them had to say what was now glaringly obvious.

  He turned so they were facing one another. The heat between them had ramped up another notch. And then another. “Can I say something that might be highly inappropriate?”

  She met his gaze without blinking. “Go ahead.”

  He took a breath. “I’m...the thing is... Even though I know it’s kind of crazy because we’ve only just met, I’m really... I’m really attracted to you.”

  The air between them was suddenly thick with silence and he immediately expected outrage. But it didn’t come. Instead, she inhaled deeply and spoke. “I know. It’s mutual.”

  “But it’s out of the question, right?”

  She nodded. “Absolutely.”

  “And if I forget that over the course of the next few weeks, will you smack me upside the head to bring me to my senses?”

  “If that’s what you want.”

  “I think we both know,” he said quietly, “what I want. This is about what’s best. I need to keep my head screwed on straight while I’m here, for Maisy’s sake.”

  “I agree.”

  She was in agreement. It was all going to work out fine. But still, Cole wasn’t entirely convinced that they could ignore the tension and awareness between them.

  He pushed himself off the counter. “Great,” he said as he passed her and headed for the door. When he reached the doorway, he turned. “I think I’ll skip the coffee. And, Ash,” he said, looking into her eyes. “Maybe you shouldn’t wear that sexy little dress anymore. Because it seriously messes with my good intentions.”

  Chapter Three

  He thought she was sexy.

  Ash turned hot all over just thinking about it. Had she ever considered herself sexy before? Probably not. It made her feel like someone else. Someone she didn’t know.

  She wasn’t that person. She was the person other people confided in. In high school she was the girl always put into the friends-only category. Even her relationship with Pete had started out in the friendship zone. They’d been lab partners and then study buddies and then one night, over hot dogs and Kool-Aid, he’d kissed her clumsily. They dated for the last two years of high school and by then she knew they were perfect for one another. They’d talked about their future, made plans and imagined their wedding day and everything that would follow. She would join the police department while he would become an apprentice mechanic at a garage in town. Then they would travel and see the world together and one day start a family and live happily ever after. But then she got pregnant a year out of high school and everything changed. Not at first. In the beginning, Pete seemed as happy as she was. They got engaged and agreed they’d marry once the baby came. Jaye was born—beautiful and precious. But soon, her dreams turned to dust. Pete wasn’t interested in being a father. He was more interested in his motorcycle and drinking and other women.

  The wedding was postponed and their relationship deteriorated. After Jaye’s accident things got worse because Pete had been watching him that afternoon. Or not watching him, as it had turned out. He’d taken his motorcycle out for a test run and left Jaye alone on the porch. Pete had insisted he’d only been gone for a few minutes. But it was long enough for Jaye to crawl out of his playpen and wander off. And Ash couldn’t forgive him for not protecting their son. For months afterward, she was consumed with sleepless nights, hospital visits and endless doctor and physical-therapy appointments.

  Four months after the accident, Pete left town on his motorcycle and never came back, leaving a note saying he wasn’t cut out to be a father and wanted to see the world. Ash hadn’t heard from him since. His mother followed a few months after he did, clearly unable to deal with the shame that her son’s departure had left in his wake.

  After that, Ash focused all her energy on her son, the ranch and her career. She graduated from the police academy in Rapid City and then joined the department in Cedar River. She had all the support she needed from her mother and Uncle Ted and carved out a valuable life for herself and her child. She rarely dated and didn’t want to think how long it had been since she’d shared any kind of intimacy with a man.

  Sheesh...too long.

  Because with dating came sex, and with sex came responsibility and the potential for a relationship. And she didn’t have time for that. She had too much going on. With the ranch and her job and Jaye and the kids she took in, sharing her life with someone seemed...impossible. At the very least, difficult. So, love and sex took a back seat. Or so she believed.

  Since yesterday she had been thinking about sex. Sex that was hot and heady and scorchingly erotic. Sex that could made her senses sing and leave her breathless and wanting more.

  Sex with Cole Quartermaine.

  All night long.

  At least, that’s what she’d imagined in her dreams. She’d had a restless night and now, at nine o’clock on Sunday morning, Ash wished she could hole up in her bedroom for a few more hours and not allow reality to intrude. But it would.

  I’m really attracted to you.

  Cole’s words echoed in her head.

  She couldn’t remember a man ever saying that to her before. She had gone out with a few guys over the years and even had a couple of lovers, but there had been very little heat and even less real attraction. But this—this was different. This was heat and awareness on a whole different level.

  Of course, nothing would come of it. Firstly, he was at the ranch for her help with his daughter. An affair would be a distraction from that. Secondly, she wasn’t about to start anything that had no future since he lived in a different state. And thirdly, it was too ridiculous to contemplate!

  By the time she headed downstairs Jaye’s room was empty and Ash knew he would’ve already had his breakfast with Tahlia and Micah and was probably outside with his great-uncle. Ricky resided in one of the smaller cabins just a stone’s throw from the house, but the younger kids lived in the main house in the room next to her mother’s. Uncle Ted had moved into one of the larger cabins years ago, which made him a good chaperone for anyone staying in the cabins.

  Ash poured herself a coffee and buttered a piece of toast and was just about to sit down at the table when her mother entered the room. She looked up and smiled.

  “Everything all right?” her mother asked.

  She nodded. “Sure. I overslept. My busy week catching up with me.”

  “Well, you have a few days before you go back to work on Wednesday, so you have time to relax and unwind.”

  “I know,” she said and drank some coffee. She’d planned a few days’ leave to get acquainted with her new guests, but now she wasn’t so sure that was a good idea. “Is Jaye with Uncle Ted?”

  “No,” her mother answered. “With Cole.”

  Her back straightened. “Why is he—”

  “They’re in the barn,” her mother interrupted. “Tinkering with that old truck of yours, and there’s a good dose of hero worship going on. The kid
is certainly smitten.”

  He’s not the only one.

  Ash put on a serious face. “Cole’s here to try and connect with his daughter, not to answer Jaye’s million and one questions. I should probably—”

  “It’s good for Jaye,” her mother said, cutting her off again. “And probably good for Cole, too. I think he had a rough night with Maisy. When I went to check on Ricky last night after dinner and give him his lesson plan for this week, I heard them arguing. There’s a whole lot of hurt and anger in that young girl’s heart, most of it directed at her father.”

  Ash understood the feeling. Her own father had left when she was ten years old. Her stepfather left when she was fifteen. And then Pete when she was twenty-one.

  Men always leave.

  She shrugged off the notion and ate her breakfast, conscious of her mother’s scrutiny.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Exactly,” Nancy said and came around the table. “What’s going on with you?”

  “Nothing,” she said and got up. “I’m going to check on Jaye.”

  “He’s nice,” her mother said and smiled, seeming as though she knew exactly what was going on in Ash’s churning thoughts. “Really nice. Don’t you think?”

  Ash shrugged. “What I think isn’t important.”

  Nancy chuckled. “Oh, stop being so sensible. There’s nothing wrong with admitting you like him. Or that you think he’s...nice.”

  There was everything wrong with admitting that.

  “Have you been reading Jane Austen again?” she asked and took her dishes to the sink. “You know how that always makes you sappy and sentimental.”

  “And I love how you always deflect the conversation away from yourself whenever I mention the idea of you dusting off that cynical heart of yours.”