Her Man on Three Rivers Ranch

by Stella Bagwell

  “I’m not worried,” she told him. “I’m just amazed at Nick. He buddied up with Hannah almost instantly. He never does that with anyone. Especially with a girl.”

  Blake chuckled. “Well, Hannah does have a way about her. And she is cute, even if she is my niece. Maybe Nick is starting to get the idea that girls are fun, too.”

  Katherine let out a good-natured groan. “Oh, please. Not yet. I’m just now getting used to him being in the fifth grade and playing Little League baseball.”

  “I wouldn’t start worrying about him getting a broken heart just yet,” he told her. “It’s grown-ups like us who manage to make a mess of our feelings.”

  “Yes. Unfortunately,” she said wryly.

  Oh, Lord, why had he said something like that? Now she was going to think he had some sort of phobia about love and marriage and everything in between.

  No use hiding the truth, Blake. You do have a fear about trusting your heart to a woman. So if you ever plan to get anywhere with Katherine, you better get rid of it, and quick.

  Determined not to dwell on those negative thoughts, he placed a hand at the back of her waist and urged her toward the house. “Let’s go in. The family is waiting for us.”

  Chapter Six

  The moment Blake ushered Katherine into the living room of the big ranch house, she realized very little had changed. Although the leather furniture had been updated to a lighter shade of brown, it replicated the comfortable style that had graced the large room twelve years ago. The same cowhide rugs were scattered on the parquet floor, while huge pictures and paintings of Three Rivers’s ranching scenes still adorned the sand-colored tongue-and-groove walls.

  Pausing, Katherine allowed her gaze to soak up the entire room. “Everything is just as beautiful,” she murmured.

  “I’ll tell Mom you said so. That will please her. She doesn’t consider herself much of a homemaker. Not when it comes to decorating. But give her a horse and a branding iron and she has plenty of confidence.”

  “I remember her being a remarkable woman. I’m sure that hasn’t changed, either,” Katherine murmured while wishing she could say the same for her own mother. Paulette had never had the self-confidence to stand up for herself. Instead, she’d wanted someone else to rescue her from a miserable marriage.

  They moved on to a wide hallway, where a long staircase led up to the second and third floors. Katherine pointed to the bottom step. “There’s one of my old sitting spots. Sometimes I’d wait there while Mom and Mrs. Hollister went upstairs to go over all the items to be altered or mended. Mostly I sat out on the porch so I could pet the dogs.”

  “I remember.”

  She glanced up at him, and as her gaze roamed his handsome face, she realized just looking at him had the same startling effect it had on her all those years ago. Her heart was pounding and her thoughts were swimming with all sorts of romantic notions. What was wrong with her, anyway? Weren’t teenage crushes supposed to die with time?

  “Really? I’m surprised,” she said. “You barely even paused to say hello.”

  “Sorry. I never was good at talking to girls back then. I’m not much better at it now.”

  “You hardly seem to be having a problem at the moment,” she said drily.

  “That’s because you’re different.”

  She shot him a skeptical look and he quickly added, “I meant different in a very nice way.”

  He was certainly different from any man she’d ever met, she thought as her heart continued to helplessly pitter-patter against her ribs. Even though he was dressed very casually in faded jeans and a green plaid shirt, he wore the clothes like a tailor-made suit.

  “Then I’ll take that as a compliment.” They continued on through the house before she suddenly remembered the handbag hanging on her shoulder. Pausing, she said, “I’d rather leave my handbag here in the house. Can you put it in a safe place for me?”

  “Sure. I’ll put it in Mom’s desk.”

  “Uh, give me a second. I have something inside for your mother.” She slipped the bag off her shoulder and dug into the contents until she pulled out a tiny box. “Just a little token.”

  His eyes took on an odd look as she handed him the bag.

  “I’ll be right back” was all he said.

  So what was he thinking now? Katherine wondered as she watched him disappear down the hallway. That she was trying to get her foot in the door with a gift to his mother?

  Stop it, Katherine! Quit trying to read every little expression on the man’s face. You’re only here for dinner. What he thinks about your motives doesn’t make a whipstitch of difference to your future. Because your future certainly isn’t destined to be intertwined with this man on Three Rivers Ranch.

  The chiding voice going off in her head was suddenly interrupted with Blake’s return, and once he took her by the arm and guided her onto the back patio, she was too busy meeting his family to worry about tomorrow.

  “Katherine, you look amazing! It’s so good to see you again!” Vivian reached for her hands and gave them a tight squeeze. “We only just learned from Blake that you’d returned to Wickenburg. You should’ve let us know!”

  Holt nudged his sister out of the way and reached for Katherine’s hand. “Hello, Katherine. Remember me?” he asked with a charming grin.

  “Of course I remember you, Holt.” She glanced down at his black cowboy boots. “You were always wearing spurs, though. And the brim of your hat was usually bent cockeyed.”

  He laughed and so did Vivian.

  “That’s because Holt spends more time with his face in the dirt than he does in the saddle,” Vivian said with a teasing wink.

  Holt pulled a face at his sister. “Keep it up, sis, and I’m going to start telling tales on you.”

  “Let me through, you two. I want to get my hands on this young lady.”

  A female figure plowed her way between Vivian and Holt until she was standing directly in front of Katherine. After one long look, Maureen Hollister grabbed her and enveloped her in a tight hug.

  “Little Kat. It’s so wonderful to see you again.” She put Katherine at arm’s length and, through misty eyes, took another survey. “And what a beauty you’ve turned into! It’s no wonder Blake is so smitten.”

  Directly behind her right shoulder, Katherine could hear Blake awkwardly clear his throat.

  Holt turned a baited grin on his brother. “Smitten, eh?”

  “Knock it off, Holt,” Vivian ordered, then grabbed her brother by the arm. “Come with me. Mom and Katherine can’t talk with you around.”

  Vivian jerked Holt away from the group, and with a rueful smile, Maureen said, “Sorry, Kat. Holt gets a kick out of provoking his siblings. Don’t pay any attention to him.”

  “I’m not offended by Holt’s teasing,” Katherine assured her. “And I must say you don’t look a day older, Mrs. Hollister.”

  Her laugh was full of skepticism. “Oh, honey, the wrinkles and sunspots and gray hair are quickly catching up to me, but I try not to notice. I have too much work to do to worry about those little things.” Her gaze made a search of the patio. “Did your son come with you this evening?”

  Before Katherine could answer, Blake said, “Hannah has already captured Nick and taken him down to the horse barn.”

  Maureen chuckled. “My granddaughter is horse crazy. Dog and cat crazy, too. I think she’s going to end up being a veterinarian like her uncle Chandler.”

  “Speaking of Chandler, will he be coming to dinner tonight?” Katherine asked. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen him I’m not sure I’d recognize him.”

  Maureen shook her head. “Unfortunately, he had an emergency call out on the T Bar O. He won’t be able to make it.”

  “What about Tessa and Joe?” Blake asked his mother. “I thought they’d be here by now.”

&nb
sp; “I just got a call from Tessa a few minutes ago. Joe’s shift ran overtime and they’re running a bit late. But they’re coming, and Sam, too.” She turned her attention back to Katherine. “So how is your mother, Kat? I used to get a card or short note from her in the mail, but I’ve not heard from her in a long time.”

  “She’s doing okay. She lives just a few houses down from her sister.”

  “Is Paulette still sewing?” Maureen asked.

  “No. She gave that up once she moved away from Wickenburg. She works as a checker in a grocery store.” Katherine handed Maureen the small box. “This is for you.”

  A look of pleased surprise crossed Maureen’s face as she accepted the box and lifted the lid. “Oh, this has to be your mother’s thimble.”

  “It is. When I returned home to Wickenburg, I discovered Dad had collected all the sewing equipment Mom had left behind and stored everything away in a chest. I thought you might want the thimble for a keepsake.”

  “Oh, I do. Your mother was a wonderful seamstress. I could always count on her to fix whatever I needed. Or to make me something new. You’ll never know how much I missed her once you all moved away.” She put the thimble back into the velvet-lined box, then leaned forward and kissed Katherine’s cheek. “Thank you, Kat. I’ll go put this away in the house. Blake, you take Katherine over and fix her something nice to drink.”

  Maureen moved away and Blake snared an arm around the back of Katherine’s waist. “That was very thoughtful of you, Katherine. Mom will cherish the thimble.”

  “Your mother was always extra nice to me, Blake. I’ve never forgotten that. I also think there were times she had Mom mending things that normally she would have thrown in a charity box. Just because she knew we needed the extra income.”

  He cleared his throat and his gaze softened on her face. “Mom has always liked to help others. I noticed she called you Kat. Is that your nickname?”

  “Yes. My dad called me Kat at times.”

  “Hmm. It suits you. Even though I’ve never seen you stick out your claws.” Grinning impishly, he nudged her forward. “Let’s go over to the bar. Jazelle, the housekeeper, has stocked it with anything and everything. Including chocolate milk for the kids. But I doubt we’ll see the youngsters until it’s time to eat. I’ll probably have to call the barn and have one of the ranch hands shoo them back to the house.”

  “That’s okay. I want Nick to enjoy himself.”

  His warm brown eyes settled on her face and Katherine wondered if the man had put some sort of magic spell on her. Just feeling his gaze slipping over her skin was causing her heart to melt.

  “And what about you?” he asked gently. “Are you enjoying yourself so far?”

  Knowing that Blake wanted to spend time with her when he could have most any woman he wanted for a dinner guest made her feel desirable. Something she’d not felt in a long time. And that alone was a joy.

  “You’re probably not going to believe this, Blake, but there were times these past twelve years that I thought of you and this ranch. I’m glad I’m here tonight.”

  Holt and Vivian were sitting nearby, but that didn’t deter him from bending his head and brushing a kiss on her cheek.

  “You’ve made me feel very special, Katherine.”

  Her face stinging with color, she forced her gaze up to his. “Um, I think you’d better get that drink you promised me.”

  She desperately needed something to stop her dreams from heading in the same foolish direction as her son’s, Katherine thought.

  Blake wasn’t her husband. Nor would he ever be. The more she could embed that hard fact in her brain, the safer her heart would be.

  After a meal of grilled T-bone steaks, charro beans, twice-baked potatoes and strawberry shortcake for dessert, everyone gathered in the living room for coffee. Except for Hannah and Nick. As soon as the kids had gulped down dessert, Katherine had given her son permission to go to the den with Hannah and watch a G-rated family movie.

  Since then, Blake had been listening to stories being swapped between his brothers and Sam, the foreman at Joseph and Tessa’s Bar X Ranch. Across the room, the women had gathered in a tight circle, no doubt discussing the things they deemed important.

  By the time Blake had swallowed the last of his coffee, he was silently groaning with frustration. As much as he loved his family, he wanted nothing more than to be alone with Katherine.

  Apparently his wishes were so strong she must have picked up on them, because she suddenly excused herself from the group and joined Blake where he stood on the cold stone hearth of the fireplace.

  Smiling, he rested a hand at the side of her waist. “I’ve been standing here wondering if you’d like to stretch your legs a bit,” he told her. “We could walk down to the barn and I’ll show you my office.”

  She looked at him with interest. “I assumed you did your office work here in the house.”

  He shook his head. “Dad used to keep his office here in the house. But I decided it would be better for me to be in the middle of the action. So I had a room built onto one end of the cattle barns and furnished it with everything I needed.”

  She wrapped an arm through his and Blake thought how natural it felt to have her touching him. How perfect it felt to have her and Nick here with his family.

  “I’d love to see your office,” she assured him. “But maybe I should tell Nick where I’ll be.”

  Blake shook his head. “No need to interrupt the kids’ movie. We’ll go out through the kitchen and I’ll tell Jazelle to check in on them.”

  A few minutes later, after the two of them had excused themselves from the rest of the family, Blake and Katherine strolled slowly through the moonlight toward the barns and feedlots that made up the working ranch yard.

  “The breeze feels lovely tonight.” She sighed with pleasure. “And it’s so quiet and peaceful out here.”

  He chuckled softly. “A pen of weanling calves are bawling up a storm and a pair of stallions are exchanging trash talk. You call this quiet?”

  A wan smile tilted her lips. “This is different than human noise. I can see why you don’t like to leave this place.”

  As they walked along, Blake could feel her hip occasionally brush against his and the sweet scent of her hair and skin drifted up to his nostrils. The hand she had resting on his forearm felt small and warm and it was far too easy for him to imagine her fingers moving over him, lighting a fire wherever they touched.

  Clearing his throat, he said, “It’s not that I’m against getting out and seeing other places and people. It’s just that the ranch is my life. And the work to keep it running smoothly doesn’t allow me much free time.”

  “I know.”

  Her short reply caused him to stop and turn to her. “Does that bother you, Katherine?”

  Her gaze suddenly dropped to the ground between their feet. “Why, no. Why should it?”

  “Well, because of your late husband. You told me he was obsessed with his job and making money.”

  “I’d rather not talk about him, Blake. This evening has been too nice to ruin it now.”

  She brought her gaze back to his and Blake could see she was trying to force a smile on her face.

  “I don’t want you to talk about him. I’m trying to ask how you feel about my job.”

  She tugged on his arm and the two of them continued walking in the direction of the barn.

  “Oh, Blake, there’s no point in asking such a question. Like you said, managing Three Rivers is your life. I’d never expect you to change that for my sake. Or any woman’s, for that matter.”

  She might not ask him to change his management role with the ranch, but could she accept it? Or would she be like Lenore and feel ignored and neglected? One thing was certain: he’d be damned before he set himself up for another broken engagement.

  H
e glanced at her profile etched against the silver moonlight. She’d already endured more hardships and loss in her young life than any one person should have to bear. He wanted to wipe away all that sorrow. He wanted to give her everything she needed and wanted. But it was clear to Blake that she wasn’t ready to accept anything from him. Especially not love.

  Chapter Seven

  At a big white cattle barn with a roof of corrugated iron, Blake guided Katherine to a door on the north end. When they stepped inside the large room, a small desk lamp was already on, shedding a dim pool of light across the hardwood floor.

  “I’ll turn on another light so you can see things better.”

  He crossed the room to a floor lamp positioned near a wall table. The second light flooded the office with a warm glow and Katherine studied her surroundings with interest.

  Near the back wall, a large mahogany desk, equipped with a computer and other technical necessities, faced the door. To the right, near a row of windows shaded with partially opened blinds, a long, oxblood leather couch was flanked by two matching chairs. In front of the furniture a large cowhide rug, similar to those in the ranch house, spread over a portion of the floor. Behind the desk, along one wall, were rows of file cabinets. Next to those, a table was equipped with a sleek coffeemaker and a stack of glass cups and saucers.

  No cheap foam cups or plastic chairs in here, she thought as she moved across a wide expanse of beautifully designed ceramic tile. Blake was accustomed to the best.

  As she meandered around the room, she paused to examine a set of large framed photographs hanging along one wall. Most of them depicted images of cowboys hard at work with smoking branding irons and boiling dust. “So this is where you take care of the business end of things. It’s very nice. Do you have a secretary to help you?”

  He moved over to the desk and rested a hip on a corner. “No. Holt and Chandler keep harping at me to hire one. Especially Holt, because he hates paperwork. He scratches down the necessities, then throws it all at me and expects me to deal with keeping his transactions straight. That’s a headache I don’t need. But the pain isn’t bad enough for me to hire a secretary.”