The Divine Creek Ranch Collection Volume 3

by Heather Rainier

  “Oh.” Lydia nodded, realizing she might have hurt him by plunging in to the business aspect of what he wanted. She’d never meant for him to feel like she was purposely overlooking the underlying current between them. She’d been responsive to his kisses and his attention, but she hadn’t gone out of her way to let him know how she felt this morning. She vaguely recalled telling him she was attracted to him and possibly to his brother as well. Her fingertips drifted to the turquoise pendant at her throat. “I’m sorry. I felt comfortable discussing the details of what you’d need from me as a chef, but I’m not sure how to begin with…”

  “Me wanting you?”

  Her cheeks flooded with heat, and she nodded. “Tell me what you want.”

  Chance took her hand in his and enclosed it between his palms and said, “I don’t want a fling with you, if you’re even remotely worried about that. You occupy my thoughts when I’m away from here. Baby, you occupy my dreams, for that matter. If I had my way, I’d woo my way into your heart and sleep cuddled up with you every night, just like last night. I haven’t slept that good in…”

  Lydia smiled. “Forever?”

  Chance chuckled and nodded. “Yeah. In forever. I’m usually all over the bed and sleep really light. Last night I slept like a rock.”

  “I was afraid you were uncomfortable, sleeping on top of that scratchy bedspread, without any covers of your own.”

  “I would have thought so, too, baby. But you generated enough heat to keep me warm, I guess. It will be nice to eat good food at home for a change but what I really want is for you to be there. Be with us.”

  “What about Clayton?”

  Chance smiled and said, “Clayton hopes that once you get to know him as well as you know me that things might work out for him, too. If you can’t handle the thought of two men adoring and taking care of you, then he doesn’t want to press the issue.”

  Lydia giggled and said, “Well, when you put it like that, handsome, it sounds very appealing.”

  Chance’s eyes twinkled, and he gave her an irresistible, playful grin. “I’m putting my best foot forward here, baby. I’m sure he’ll go out of his way to make the idea very appealing to you. He can be pretty persuasive but he wanted me to have this chance with you at the very least. The bottom line is this. You’d have carte blanche in the kitchen and the house, if you want it. You can have whatever or whoever you want. And there is no rush, from either of us. We know this is very unconventional, asking you to come and basically live with us without knowing us as well as you’d probably like. I would let you set the pace, baby.”

  “It’s very unconventional from other points of view as well. What about the people in Divine? How much will they know?”

  “Our ranch is a little farther out from the town but there are other relationships like what we hope for, in the area. I’m not sure we ever would’ve voiced that both of us were attracted to you except that we see how well these relationships work with the right woman in the mix. Two of our ranch hands and their brother are planning to marry another woman, who is new to the area as well. Her name is Maya and she’s a real sweetheart. You’d probably like her a lot. She’s known them for a long time and things just sort of developed between them on a visit to Divine, a month or so ago. There are others, as well. The woman who sold me your jewelry,” he said, indicating her pendant and bracelet, “and the other gifts I gave you is involved with—Well, you’ll meet her real soon, I’m sure. That is if you’re interested.”

  The moment of truth had snuck up on her. The choice was obvious. Stay in Fort Stockton and be lonely, work her tail off so she could start over in a city not of her choosing, separate from Chance. Or allow him to take her to Divine to be the chef on their ranch…and possible more.

  As if he sensed her hesitation and its cause, Chance said, “Just in case you’re worried about it, let’s say by chance it doesn’t work out when you get there. If you’re unhappy for whatever reason, personally, professionally, or a combination of the two, we would help you start over somewhere else, with excellent references. We would not bring you there and then give you no options if you weren’t happy with us.”

  Gazing into Chance’s vulnerable, sincere blue eyes, Lydia doubted they could make her unhappy enough to leave but liked the fact that Chance acknowledged the possibility long enough to reassure her. She prided herself on being flexible in a work situation and doubted that she would find much not to love about Chance. She didn’t have any illusions about them being perfect. It was uncomfortable to do it, but she brought it all home with one more question.

  “Chance, can we be crystal clear on this point because it is the most crucial one for me.”

  “Go ahead, Lydia. Lay it on me.”

  “I can handle just about any situation you put me in if you have running water, a stove that works, and the tools I’ll need to run your house. But there is no way in hell that I’m going to be your House Bunny, doing your will and warming your bed. Beds. If I get the impression I’m being treated disrespectfully, it’ll be the last you see of my happy, little ass.”

  Chance still clasped her hand closely between his again and said, “Lydia, I promise we would never treat you that way or allow any of our men to draw that conclusion. Your status in the house will be very clearly drawn for them and they will treat you with absolute respect or find themselves on their asses outside the ranch entry, after we’ve dealt with them personally.”

  Lydia nodded. “So there are other women in Divine who put up with more than one man?” she asked with a playful smirk.

  “Several who profess to be the most spoiled women on the planet. We plan to outdo their men, though.”

  Lydia smiled and said, “All right, Chance. I’ll do it.”

  “You’ll give us a chance?”

  She nodded and replied, “Yes, but we’ll take it slow, like you said. I’m going to need some time to get settled, okay? I couldn’t abide you sleeping in your truck last night, but that doesn’t mean I’m hopping in the sack with you tonight.”

  Chance grinned, seeming undeterred. “I don’t expect it, baby. I appreciated the consideration last night and have drawn no conclusions. I’ll give you all the time you need.”

  “And Clayton?”

  Chance crossed his heart and held up two fingers. “A total gentleman, I swear.”

  Lydia couldn’t deny that she hoped it would work out with him as well, regardless of the fact that they had ground to cover. “I don’t know him as well as I know you, Chance. As long as he understands I can’t make any promises yet and that I’ll need time, I can come with you when you’re ready for me.”

  “Hot damn!” he yelled, and they both laughed when he grabbed her to him and hugged her hard. “You won’t regret it, Lydia.”

  Feeling playful, she replied, “I don’t know. We’ll see, I suppose.” He grinned, and she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back when he planted his lips on hers. He tugged her to him until she was straddling his thighs and held her tight as their lips melded into a slow, wet kiss that left her panting and wanting more. She wanted to press her pussy against his erection that hardened against her and might have if her phone hadn’t chosen that moment to ring.

  Chapter Seven

  Chance helped Lydia back to a sitting position next to him as she reached for her phone in her purse. He was unhappy to be interrupted right as they were getting to the good stuff, but grateful if it was the owners of the café that were calling her. He’d love to get her home to the ranch and wanted to leave as soon as she was ready to.

  “Hello? Yes, it is.”

  He shifted in the spot he sat to make a little more room for the erection burgeoning at his groin. Lydia evidently brought out the horny teenager in him judging by how fast he’d responded to the feel of her lush body pressing against his.

  “I’m not sure what to say. Yes. Can you give us about ten minutes to get there? We’re outside of town right now. Yes, thank you.” She frowned as she disc
onnected the call and looked up at him as he rose to his feet and helped her to stand.

  “Was it good news?”

  “I don’t know that I would call it good news. I need to go visit with the owners, Phil and Marge Howard. They are both at the café right now.”

  The thought occurred to Chance that if her employers wanted her to work, there might be a delay getting her back to the ranch. He knew it was likely she would insist on giving and working her two-week notice to them. The thought created a knot in his stomach because he really didn’t want to leave without her.

  “Do they need for you to work this morning?”

  “They didn’t say anything about that. They offered me the management position that opened up when they fired Mr. Cortez. They said they never received a copy of my resume and job application when I first applied, otherwise they might have dismissed him sooner, given the way he managed the café. They say they are auditing everything in his office and found my money in a labeled envelope in the safe. They want to give me his job.”

  Chance tried to hide his worry at that news and asked, “What will you do?”

  Lydia smirked. “And turn down the chance to cook whatever I want for two handsome men and be the queen of all I survey? You’re kidding, right?”

  His heart did flip-flops in relief, and he let out the huge breath he’d been holding. “You’ve got that right, baby. But you’ll be cooking for more than two men once they get a load of how good we’re eating.”

  “Don’t worry about that. I plan to serve a big meal for them and show them firsthand. But I have one little problem I have to deal with first. Two actually.”

  “What’s the first one?”

  “Gunther isn’t running, and I can’t leave him behind.”

  “Piece of cake, baby. What’s the second problem?”

  “I have to give my two-week notice. I can’t leave Fort Stockton yet.”

  Chance nodded, knowing the possibility had been there. It felt good when she slid her little hand into his as they walked back to the truck. She smiled up at him, and he could see the hint of mischief in her eyes as she said, “Did you really think I would take the management offer?”

  Chuckling, he said, “I hoped not, but you had me going for a few seconds. I really want you with us.”

  She hugged him beside the truck door and said, “I want that, too. More and more now that the decision is made.”

  “Was it a tough decision to make?”

  “On the surface, no,” she replied as he helped her into the truck. “But in a way, yes. I like doing things for myself. You know my brothers, and I explained about them always looking out for me, but I want to take care of myself. In a way this idea seemed like me trading one pair of guardians for another. I was doing okay and didn’t need rescuing.”

  Chance leaned against her seat as she buckled up and said, “Lydia, if I wanted to ‘play savior,’ I would have left you a thousand dollar tip under my plate and already been back in Divine by now. I wanted you with me. Maybe this is you saving me. Did you ever think of that?”

  “No, because you don’t look in need of saving. I, on the other hand, was practically destitute, or at least I was until we found my belongings and my money. I guess all we can do now is go see what happens next.”

  Chance climbed in on his side and looked out the windshield one more time. “This is a pretty place. I’m glad you showed it to me,” he said as he started the truck.

  “I like it here. This is one of the few places I could come where I didn’t feel so lonely with the world pressing down on me.”

  “I’m glad you had it, baby. Ready?” he asked as she smiled up at him. He’d do just about anything to have her smile at him like that all the time. Her eyes almost glowed with happiness, and she really did look gorgeous with the turquoise on. He owed the ladies of Discretion for helping him to woo Lydia home.

  The parking lot of the café was overflowing when they pulled in a few minutes later. Lydia groaned when they saw the crowd waiting in the lobby through the front window. “Chance?”

  “You want to go help them, don’t you?”

  “They let me off this morning when they really couldn’t afford to, with all these people in town for that reunion.”

  “Why don’t I drop you off and go see about Gunther. Call me when you know what time you’ll get off.”

  “Okay. I’ll know something then about whether they need me to stay two full weeks or not.”

  He opened the door on her side of the truck and asked, “You need me to run and get your uniform for you?”

  “There are extras here if they want me to change. I’ll be in touch,” she said as she unlatched her seat belt and put her arms around his neck. He hugged her and swung her down until she landed safely on her feet, and then he kissed her soft, full lips.

  “No running yourself into the ground today, okay?” He smooched her a second time and gave her a smile.

  “Bossing me around already, cowboy?” she asked with a cheeky gleam in her eyes.

  “More like taking care of someone who’s important to me, baby.” He hugged her, and she squealed when he patted her ass, even though she was out of sight of anyone in the café who might be looking out of the window. “I’ll look forward to hearing from you and see to Gunther in the meantime.”

  Her cheeks blushed as she looked up at him and nodded. If he were an egotistical man he’d say she seemed like she didn’t want to leave him. She gave him her key ring and waved as she went to the door at the rear of the café and slipped inside.

  When he arrived at her motel complex, it was to find there were two men working on changing her tires. He greeted them as he walked up and spoke with them at length about repair shops in the area.

  Lydia had mentioned to him that Mr. Cortez’s cousin had been willing to fix the Karmann Ghia once she had the money to afford the repair. The two men had shrugged when he’d mentioned his name, and Chance knew there was no telling how much the mechanic had inflated the price on her repair if he could judge by the distrust that shown in their eyes. To top it off, he was the only mechanic in the area that worked on imports like hers. Chance was happy to have seen Mr. Cortez’s attempt to trap Lydia foiled.

  His phone rang, and he excused himself. “Hello?”

  “I have great news.”

  He smiled at her cheerful tone. “What’s your news?”

  “I’m off at noon and then I’ll be done with the Oasis Café. Simone’s sister, Sirena, has waitressing experience and can start immediately. She’s going to fill my position. I turned down the offer for the manager’s job and they understood completely. They gave me the money Mr. Cortez stole from me, plus a full week’s pay. I can leave today if you want to!” He laughed when he heard her delighted squeal again on the other end.

  “Damn, that is good news! Well, Gunther has new tires, so I’m going to work on a way to get him out of Fort Stockton.”

  She paused on the other end and then said, “Chance, it means a lot to me that you understand about Gunther.”

  He smiled and said, “Baby, I wouldn’t take you out of Fort Stockton and leave behind something precious to you, even an old car like Gunther. I’m willing to bet we can get him fixed in Divine at a more reasonable rate than you can here, so I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Okay. See you at noon?”

  “I’ll be waiting for you.”

  Her voice sent a pleasant thrill up his spine as she quietly said, “I’ll look forward to that.”

  They said good-bye, and he called information. He asked for what he needed and waited as the call was transferred.

  A friendly voice heavy with West Texas twang came on the line. “Fort Stockton Rentals. How may I help you?”

  “Hi. I need a U-Haul trailer that will hold a nonrunning 1973 Karmann Ghia. Can you help me?”

  Forty-five minutes later, he was looking at Gunther’s bulgy little headlights peering from the interior of a U-Haul trailer. He settled Lydia’s bi
ll in the motel office and then went upstairs to make some phone calls.

  The line connected and began ringing. His brother answered on the second ring. “Hello?”

  “Clayton? I’m bringing her home.”

  Chance thought he heard Clayton sigh in relief. “Man, that is good news.”

  * * * *

  Clayton Carlisle pulled off his reading glasses as he sat back in his desk chair and stretched his knotted muscles. He hadn’t been aware of how tense he was until he was suddenly able to relax.

  “When do you leave?”

  “We’ll be leaving in an hour, give or take, in case she’s hungry. I’m going to wait and eat lunch with her.”

  “How does she seem? About the move, I mean?” Damn, he could hardly even think, he was so surprised. He’d figured she had family she was planning to go back to.

  “She said she couldn’t make any promises yet, but she’s open to the possibilities between the three of us.”

  His chair flipped forward and almost popped him clean out of it as he sat upright. “Really?” He hadn’t truly believed that she would be open to him as well as his brother. That she would want Chance was a no-brainer, because Chance had been taking time off to go see her. Clayton felt guilty because he knew he probably wouldn’t have invested the time going to and from Fort Stockton and found reasons to see her, the way Chance had. He didn’t deserve her openness toward him.

  “Lydia asked for time to get used to the place and us, first.” Chance recapped their conversation for him, and by the time his brother was done he felt like a heel. He should have been showing up with his brother every step of the way.

  “I owe you and her an apology.”

  Chance sounded surprised. “Why?”

  “For not believing. I figured she had other plans and that she’d never go for it. She could make good money in a big city.”