The Rancher's Unexpected Family

by Helen Lacey

  Her hands moved up his arms and found his shoulders, holding on to him as though he was a lifeline as his tongue continued its seductive foray inside her mouth. She vaguely wondered when she’d last been kissed in such a way. Maybe never. She pushed closer, pressed against him, his body all hard angles and muscle against her curves. It felt so good she could barely draw breath. She wondered how she’d ever look at him again without remembering the feel of him, the taste of him, the scent of him that assailed every sense she possessed.

  “Oh...sorry.”

  Her mother’s voice was exactly what Ash needed to hear, even if was the last thing she wanted. It instantly drummed sense into her head. And Cole’s, too. He dragged his mouth from hers and released her, quickly putting space between them. Ash looked around his shoulder and spotted Nancy standing in the doorway. Her mother was smiling. Ash was mortified. What if it had been Jaye or Maisy who’d caught them making out?

  “Everyone is getting restless in the dining room,” her mother said, still smiling. “Will you two be along anytime soon?”

  “Yes,” Ash said and took a few steps back. “Of course. We’ll be right there.”

  She waited until her mother disappeared before she met Cole’s gaze. He was watching her with such scorching intensity it knocked the breath from her lungs. She looked at his mouth and felt her own tingle in response.

  “Are you okay?” he asked quietly.

  She swallowed hard. “That can never happen again. What if my son or your daughter had walked in here?”

  “I guess we’d have some explaining to do.”

  “Exactly. And I’m sure that’s a conversation neither of us want to have with our children. Jaye already thinks the sun shines out of you and if he saw us doing, you know...that, he’d start thinking that something is going on and—”

  “Something is going on,” he said, cutting her off. “We both know that.”

  Heat rose in her cheeks, fast and hard. He was right. But it was also out of the question. “And Maisy doesn’t need any more drama in her life,” she said, ignoring his words. “Things are already tense between the two of you without her thinking that we’re... That—that it’s okay to be...” Her protest trailed off and she took a steadying breath. “You already said you don’t want your daughter thinking that casual sex is acceptable. So, we can’t—”

  “But this doesn’t feel casual, Ash,” he said, interrupting her. “Does it?”

  He was right. It didn’t. Ash wasn’t sure what it felt like. Madness, maybe. A kind of crazy chemical alchemy that made her want him like she’d never wanted a man before.

  “No,” she admitted. “Which doesn’t make it right. Just...complicated. And we’re both too sensible to do complicated, Cole.” She took a deep breath. “We can’t do this. I won’t do this. We have to show some control.”

  He stared at her, his gaze riveting and confronting and almost more than she could bear. A tiny pulse beat in his cheek and she was unable to look anywhere else other than his perfectly gorgeous face. Ash felt vulnerable beneath his gaze and swallowed hard, ignoring the weakness in her knees and the pounding of her heart.

  “You’re right,” he said quietly. “It won’t happen again.”

  Ash nodded, feeling grateful and something else. Something she couldn’t quite define. Something that felt a lot like disappointment. And she didn’t want to think about why. Because that would mean digging deep into the place she kept closed off, that part of herself she’d always believed was locked up as tightly as a vault.

  Her heart.

  Which wasn’t up for grabs.

  Not now. Not ever again.

  Chapter Six

  By Wednesday, Ash returned to work and was pleased to be back in uniform. She was on the day shift and spent the first few hours of the morning returning telephone calls and catching up on some paperwork, then going over a larceny case with the department detective, Rand Carter. Rand was a serious, brooding man who had moved from Detroit over six months ago and had become a valued addition to the department. Aside from Rand, there was a school resources officer, two ordinance officers, six full-time police officers and the sergeant. There was also a reserve patrol, consisting of a sergeant and six reserve patrol officers. With Hank at the helm as chief and Phoebe Jamison the office manager, the department was efficient and effective.

  Ash adored her job and the people she worked with. Law enforcement had been her dream since high school and she was grateful to have the opportunity for a career that enabled her to serve in the community she cared for so deeply. It gave her value and purpose.

  And right now an escape clause from the ranch.

  She loathed admitting it to herself. And it was only true in part. She loved the ranch and the kids and her mom and Uncle Ted. She loved her friends and held deep feelings for the people of Cedar River.

  But what she didn’t want to do, what she was never going to do, was think about love and feelings and Cole Quartermaine in the same sentence. The same space. Not even the same stratosphere. Because that would be plain old foolish. She’d known him only a matter of days. Five days. Five long days of lust and awareness. Conversation that made her feel both alive and, somehow, almost lonely. And, of course, there had been one earth-shattering kiss. It was inexplicable. Confusing. Stupid.

  And I’m not a stupid woman.

  “You look as though you need this.”

  Ash glanced up from her desk. Nicola Radici was standing a couple of feet away, two take-out cups in her hand.

  She laughed, delighted to see her friend, and took the coffee. “I probably do.”

  She’d known Nicola since the second grade and since the other woman had resettled in Cedar River a year earlier to care for her orphaned nephews and take over her family’s restaurant, they had rekindled their friendship. With her friends Lucy Monero, Brooke Laughton and Kayla Rickard all finding love in the last year, Nicola was one of Ash’s few remaining single friends.

  “Everything okay?” she asked, spotting Nicola’s frown.

  Her friend shrugged. “Just having a few problems with Johnny. He’s been in trouble at school. And he’s stealing. He took twenty dollars from my purse yesterday.”

  Johnny was Nicola’s ten-year-old nephew. “Do you want me to talk to him?”

  “I don’t know what to do,” she said and sighed. “The boys have been through so much already. I know it’s been twelve months, but some days it feels like yesterday.”

  “You’re doing a good thing,” Ash assured her friend. “The right thing. Once you’ve all worked through your grief, things will get better.”

  “I hope so,” she said and sighed. “So, how are things going with Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome?”

  Ash shrugged and smiled a little. “I think Cole and his daughter are working through their relationship.”

  It was true. Maisy had thawed significantly in the past couple of days. She’d even agreed to let her father give her driving lessons on Uncle Ted’s truck. She was homeschooling with Nancy and had found a friend in Ricky.

  “I meant with him and you,” Nicola said and grinned. “Spill.”

  She shook her head, silently regretting that she’d ever mentioned Cole to her friend. “It’s...nothing. It’s out of the question. It’s not on the table.”

  “So, then it’s serious?”

  Ash laughed loudly. “No,” she said. “It’s simply a silly flirtation. Not serious. And definitely not going anywhere.”

  Nicola sipped her coffee. “Is it a geography thing?”

  “It’s a heart thing,” she replied. “His. Maisy’s. Jaye’s.” She took a long breath. “And mine.”

  Nicola’s gaze softened. “Who says it will be all risk?”

  “Me,” Ash replied. “He’s here to work on his relationship with his daugh
ter. And I’ve always had a strict code about getting involved with the people who come to the ranch needing help. Every time I foster a new child, I am always torn with wanting to give them a permanent home, to love them unconditionally and forever. But that’s not my job,” she said and saw Nicola’s understanding in her gaze. “Early on I had to learn to let go, otherwise my heart would break every time a child I’d cared for was reunited with their parents, or found a loving home with another family member, or was adopted.” She took a long breath. “I love being a foster parent. I love being a mom. But for now, anything else seems out of reach.”

  It felt right to say the words and she knew Nicola understood. Her friend had become a parent under tragic circumstances a year earlier and had no time in her life for dating or anything remotely resembling a private life. They chatted for a few more minutes and almost an hour after Nicola left, and still neck-deep in paperwork, Ash took a call from the officer on the front desk saying there was someone waiting for her in reception. She stood up, holstered the pistol that was kept locked in drawer, left the office and walked down the hall.

  Cole was waiting for her, seated in one of the chairs, his long legs stretched out in front, looking relaxed and way too gorgeous for her peace of mind. She thanked the young officer manning the reception desk and headed for the waiting area.

  He got to his feet the moment he saw her and looked her up and down. She’d never considered her uniform particularly sexy before—but beneath Cole’s penetrating gaze, the sensible belted trousers, tucked-in shirt and shiny black shoes almost felt like a gossamer-thin peignoir.

  “Hey,” he said finally and half smiled.

  Ash couldn’t help frowning. “Something wrong?”

  Cole shook his head. “No. I was in town picking up a couple of parts for your truck. I thought I’d stop by so we could talk.”

  She didn’t want to talk. She didn’t want to think. She didn’t want to remember the feel of his mouth against hers. Because she needed to forget and get her real life back on track.

  “About Maisy?”

  “No,” he said, almost gravely. “Can you take a break? It’s important.”

  Ash saw the seriousness in his expression and checked her watch. “Sure. Just give me a minute.”

  She headed for reception, called Hank and said she was going off-grid for half an hour and signed out on the time sheet. When she returned to the waiting area Cole was standing by the window, his back to her, looking out through the barred window.

  Once they were outside she spoke again. “Where would you like to go?”

  “This is your town,” he replied. “You choose. But somewhere private.”

  She nodded and headed down the street, toward Chandler Park. It was small park with a duck pond, lots of trees, seating and plenty of privacy. They crossed the road, walked half a block and sat at a picnic table near the pond, which was shaded by a tall ponderosa pine. A couple, walking hand in hand, passed by and said hello and Ash waited until they were out of earshot before she spoke.

  “Okay,” she said and linked her hands together. “Let’s talk.”

  He looked at her, elbows on the table, his chin rested on his hands. His blue eyes were unusually dark, his jaw inflexible, his breathing sharp and his expression tenser than she’d ever seen. Ash realized that he looked as though he was stuck in the center of some kind of internal crisis. He clearly had something on his mind.

  “The thing is,” he said quietly, his voice capturing every ounce of her attention, “I really don’t want to have sex with you.”

  Ash swayed back in the seat and couldn’t help the brittle laugh that escaped her throat. “Gee...thanks.”

  His brows shot up and he shook his head. “No, I mean...of course I want to make love to you. I just...can’t.”

  “Can’t?”

  “Won’t,” he amended, his eyes darkening ever more.

  Ash had never considered herself either easy or a prude. But that didn’t mean she wanted to have a conversation about sex with the one man who suddenly had her thinking about sex. “I didn’t realize I’d made the offer.”

  He sighed heavily. “You know what I mean.”

  She did. They were attracted to one another. They’d kissed. There was obviously potential for more than that. “I think we’re both sensible enough to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

  “That’s just it,” he said impatiently. “Usually I am sensible. Very sensible. But around you...” His words trailed off with a kind of uneasy self-derision. “Around you I don’t feel the least bit sensible. I feel as though nothing else matters except wanting you. I don’t like what that says about myself. Every time I look at you I feel like I’m an awkward, horny teenager,” he said bluntly. “I hate that I can’t control it, because it’s distracting and putting at risk the very reason I came here.”

  Ash swallowed hard. His honesty was both humiliating and arousing. “I think we’re both capable of putting the brakes on whatever is going on here. We did last night.”

  “Last night your mother caught us making out in the kitchen,” he said and unexpectedly reached across and grabbed her hand. “And if we’d been alone in the house I’m pretty sure we would have ended up between the sheets. Or on the table. Or the couch. Or wherever we managed to get before our clothes were off. And right now, good sense aside, I just want to take you to that big hotel in town, book a room and spend the afternoon making love to you.”

  His words were off-the-charts sexy. And true. She knew there was no controlling the attraction that burned between them. He was rubbing her hand, his thumb tracing circles that were so intimate, so erotic, that Ash could have hauled herself across the picnic table and kissed him as though there was no tomorrow. But, of course, she didn’t. Instead, she pulled her hand from his and tucked it into her lap.

  “Then we’ll make sure we’re never alone,” she suggested. “The ranch is filled with people, staying away from each other shouldn’t be too difficult.”

  He shook his head. “I’m taking Maisy home,” he said quietly. “Back to Phoenix.”

  Ash rocked back on the seat. “Just like that?”

  He shrugged. “You were right in what you said. If my daughter had walked into the kitchen and had seen us together it would have been a disaster. She’s already angry and hurt and I don’t want to do anything that will make things worse. I have to put her first.”

  “Of course,” Ash said agreeably, desperate to ignore her disappointed and heavy pounding of her heart. “When will you leave?”

  “Immediately.”

  She nodded and got to her feet. He did the same and moved around the bench. It was hard to ignore how crazy it all seemed. Five days earlier they were strangers. Now, oddly, it seemed like she was saying goodbye to a friend.

  “Well, goodbye, Cole. It was nice to meet you.”

  She held out her hand and waited for him to take it. But he didn’t. He stared at her, looking so deeply into her eyes she had to fight to maintain the connection. Because inside, she was all feeling, all unhappiness, all confusion. He was leaving. She’d never see him again. Their interlude would become a brief, baffling memory. And suddenly, her unhappiness was quickly replaced by irritation. And then anger. Stupid, egotistical man. Did he think he was so irresistible she wouldn’t be able to control herself? Did he think she was so completely sex-starved that he only had to snap his fingers and she’d jump into bed with him?

  “This is for the best,” he said.

  Ash shrugged and shot him a sharp, angry glance. “You’re probably right. But for the record, if you wanted to get me into that hotel room, you’d have to be a hell of a lot more charming and make a whole lot more of an effort. One lousy kiss isn’t temptation enough to get me into bed. Have a nice life, you narcissistic, self-centered jerk!”

  She turned and walked
off, too angry to pay heed to the heat behind her eyes or the pain in her heart. He was leaving. And the sooner he was out of her life, the better.

  * * *

  By the time Cole returned to the ranch he’d cooled off a little. Just a little. Ash’s parting comment had struck a nerve and he spent the trip back cursing himself, his wayward libido and his foolishness in coming to Cedar River in the first place. He should have stayed in Phoenix and worked out for himself how to be a father, relying on the support of his family and friends without dragging his daughter to stay at a ranch with a woman who believed he was a...

  Narcissistic, self-centered jerk.

  And a lousy kisser.

  Right. She’d made her thoughts abundantly clear. Not that he’d ever had any complaints in that department before. In the heat of the moment he’d been tempted to prove her wrong and kiss her again. And again. Out in the open, uncaring of prying eyes.

  He got out of the rental car, grabbed the small cardboard box that contained parts for the truck and slammed the door. He was right to leave. He didn’t belong on a ranch. He wasn’t a cowboy. He was pure city. Yes, leaving was the smart thing to do. And then he’d quickly forget all about Ash McCune.

  Oddly, that thought didn’t sit right inside him, either.

  He looked toward the cabin and spotted Maisy sitting on the porch with Ricky. The teens were playing cards and she was laughing and tossed a card at the boy and then another. He laughed in return and threw the pack in her lap. There was more laughter and giggles, and when he reached the bottom step he expected Maisy to clam up and glare at him. But surprisingly, she didn’t. She actually smiled and pointed to the boy opposite.

  “Ricky cheats,” she exclaimed, laughing.

  “I do not,” the boy said and guffawed. “You just play badly.”

  “Uncle Ted already warned me that you were a cheater,” Maisy said and smiled again, her face lighting up, and it occurred to him how much she looked like his youngest sister, Scarlett. And she’d just called the older man Uncle Ted? Cole looked at his daughter and wanted to capture the moment forever. She looked...happy. Like a normal, well-adjusted teenager playing a card game with a friend. “Did you two get your schoolwork done?”