Her Rancher Rescuer

by Donna Alward

  The truth was, he had stepped in at the wedding for two reasons. First, he’d seen the hurt on Amy’s face. She’d looked first surprised at Rhys’s put-down and then defeated, and he hated that. And then there was the fact that he was going crazy beneath the polite smiles and required happiness for Callum. Not that he begrudged his brother a thing. Avery was awesome and Callum’s daughter, Nell, was sweet. But it was a stark reminder of what Jack might have had if things had been different, and Amy had been the perfect distraction.

  He’d played it cool back in Cadence Creek. Slowed things down the night of the wedding, hanging out with his parents instead of having a private toast for two in his room. Why, he couldn’t say. He was pretty sure that if he’d pressed the issue, things might have ended in the morning rather than before midnight. But there was something innately sweet about Amy. She hadn’t dug in her claws or tried to make the most of the situation.

  And then there was the kiss. The one on the dance floor had whetted his appetite, a small amuse-bouche giving him a taste of what was to come. The kiss in the parlor of the B and B had been different. And still he’d shown restraint. Walked her home. Kissed her good-night at her door.

  Then Christmas Eve had arrived and she’d been like a ray of sunshine in the midst of his stress. He’d convinced himself that they could just be friends. Especially when she came up with a very practical solution to his problem.

  He frowned as he took another sip of coffee. They were going to be alone at Aspen Valley and now that they were on their way he was reminded of how very beautiful she was and how kissing her had left him wanting more. Much more.

  Dammit. He was going to have to be careful, wasn’t he? There was helping and then there was getting in way over his head....

  They arrived at the small airport in Whitefish before lunch and transferred into his SUV that he’d left parked. It had snowed on Christmas Day and while the highways were fairly clear, the side roads were more snow-packed and he took his time. The sky was a clear, clear blue, the perfect backdrop for the mountains in the distance. When they finally turned onto the lane leading to his place, he heard Amy catch her breath.

  “This is so beautiful. How far until we get to your ranch?”

  He grinned, relaxing more and more as they got closer to home. “We’re on it.”

  “All this is yours?”

  He nodded, enchanted by the awe in her voice. “Most of it. It extends down past the valley there,” he said, pointing. “We’re bordered by a creek on the south side.”

  “How on earth do you look after it all? And run your company?”

  He shrugged. “When I bought this place, I kept the foreman on staff, and most of the hands, too, to run the stock operation. They know way more about ranching than I do and so we all play to our strengths. I have a team in place to do the heavy lifting with Shepard Sports, so I can spend a lot of my time here.” He grinned. “I couldn’t give Callum a hard time about farming. I know exactly why he loves it. I’m enjoying the ranch far more than I expected.”

  Indeed he did. In the months after Sheila’s betrayal and his devastating injury, he’d been lost. His heart had been trampled on and his dreams of Olympic gold ripped away. Even building Shepard Sports hadn’t given him the fulfillment he’d expected. It was the ranch that had finally done it, where he felt like himself again.

  “And the outdoor adventure part?” she asked.

  “Satisfies my thrill quotient.” He laughed a little. “The trail rides and cattle drives we do from here. For other events I either hire locally or partner with other businesses. It’s good for the local economy.”

  “Things like the zip-lining? Are you still a daredevil, Jack?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe, just a bit. I like the adrenaline rush, you know? There’s that, and powder skiing, and rock climbing. There are other fun things, too, that are less hair-raising. You’ll learn pretty quickly. Scheduling and confirming those activities are going to be on your to-do list this week.”

  She smiled back. “I feel like I’m in another world.”

  He turned his attention to the road. It was odd how her words so accurately reflected how he’d felt the first moment he’d arrived here, too. Like it was a world so completely detached from his crazy everyday life.

  The lane widened at a break in the trees and there was the house, two and a half stories of wood siding stained a dark cherry, and a wraparound veranda surrounded by pristine white snowbanks.

  Home.

  The tension seeped out of his body as the car crawled up the drive and around the circular driveway to stop in front of the house. There was something about this place. Something that spoke to the deepest part of him. Whenever anything went wrong, when business was too crazy and the demands never-ending, a weekend here was all it took to center him again. When he needed solitude this was where he came. It was his hideaway. Sacred. Even when guests had free run of the house, it was okay. It was like he was offering them a glimpse of his corner of heaven. He didn’t need to be greedy; he could share.

  But to his recollection he’d never brought a woman here. Not that Amy was a woman in that sense. He just needed to keep telling himself that over the next several days.

  He put the car in Park and shut off the ignition, then looked over at her.

  “Holy crap,” she whispered, staring at the lodge. “This place is huge.” She turned to stare at him. “You own all this, and the apartment in Vancouver?”

  He nodded. And he was on the cusp of buying another property, too, though that wasn’t quite a done deal and he hadn’t said a word about it to anyone but Callum. He’d had a meeting on the twenty-third, just before Christmas, and hopefully all that was left was to officially sign the papers and take possession once all the environmental inspections were completed.

  “You really are rich, aren’t you, Jack?”

  He raised his eyebrows, surprised at the blunt question. “Was there ever any doubt?”

  She shook her head. “Not really, not with how big Shepard Sports is. But you just...well...you don’t act rich.”

  He knew it was a compliment. And it was something he made a point of—not letting success go to his head or change who he was. His jaw tightened a little, remembering how it felt to be on the receiving end of a man who wasn’t afraid to throw his power and control around. Only then it hadn’t been about money. It had been something entirely different. It had been about possession and dominance and it had altered Jack’s life forever and in ways he hadn’t expected.

  Sheila had come to him and shown him the bruises. Jack had been so angry. So filled with rage. She was a lovely, gentle woman who deserved better. And this was at the hands of the man who was responsible for Jack’s day-to-day training.

  She’d convinced him to stay. That she needed him, and that he needed to train hard for the next Olympics. Their secret turned to more—to an affair—and Jack had been stuck firmly in the middle. He’d promised to find a new coach after the current season, to take her with him, keep her safe....

  He’d let her down so badly. He frowned, pushing the memory of his failures aside. “Let’s get inside and get you settled, then I’ll give you the grand tour. Tomorrow we can run into town and pick up some groceries and other necessities.”

  Together they got their bags out of the back and then Jack led the way up the steps and unlocked the door.

  He watched as she crossed the threshold, put down her bag and gaped.

  She was charming. There wasn’t a pretentious, fake bone in her body. It was marvellous, seeing things through her eyes as she took them in for the first time. The past was the past, he reminded himself, and couldn’t be changed. Maybe he’d lost the innocent, trusting part of himself but that didn’t mean it didn’t still exist in others.

  His harsh introduction to reality had led him to the life he had no
w, and it was a good life. Sometimes he forgot how good, but he was reminded when he looked at Amy. She was enchanted, and by extension, he found her enchanting.

  He found himself wishing they’d never struck the “no touch” bargain.

  For better or worse, they were here. And for the next several days, he’d just have to keep temptation locked up. Amy had plans. Far be it from him to ruin them. This time he’d keep his promises. He wouldn’t let her down.

  * * *

  SHE’D NEVER SEEN a house like this in her life.

  Directly in front of her was a wide-open great room with soaring ceilings, an enormous stone fireplace and heavy wooden beams. Stairs climbed to another level and a railing overlooked the open foyer, bedecked in swooping evergreen boughs and red bows. A Christmas tree sat in the corner, a good twelve feet tall if she had her guess. The furniture was rugged, constructed of heavy wood and sturdy fabrics, and suited the grandeur of the house perfectly. To Amy, it felt like a cross between a log cabin and a rustic castle.

  “Sorry about the lack of heat,” Jack said from behind her. “Once I get the bags in, I’ll get a fire going in the stove.”

  She spun around, still in awe of her surroundings. The fireplace faced the long sofa, but the huge flue also serviced a black iron stove on the opposite side. “You’re not going to build one in the fireplace?”

  He shrugged. “The woodstove throws better heat. The fireplace is better for atmosphere.”

  Clearly, he was siding with the practical here and away from having atmosphere with her. That was fine. Maybe in the evening she could light one and curl up with a book and a glass of wine....

  Suddenly uncomfortable, she stepped farther inside so he could shut the door. It wasn’t right that she was picturing such an indulgent scene when the deal was she was here to work. Not have Jack wait on her or lounge around drinking wine that he’d bought.

  “What should I do first?” she asked.

  He chuckled. “Wait here while I bring in your suitcase. I’ll light a fire and take you on a tour of the house.”

  He was back in moments, deposited her case next to the door and shrugged off his jacket. “You want to hang these up while I get the wood?”

  “Sure.”

  She hung up their coats and put her boots on a rubber mat then chafed her arms as she went farther inside the room. Jack kneeled in front of the heavy woodstove, adding little pieces of kindling until the fire caught. “There,” he said, sitting back a bit. “Another minute or two and I’ll add some logs. Once it really gets going I’ll turn the damper and before you know it we’ll be toasty warm.”

  “Is wood your only source of heat?”

  He shook his head. “Nope. The back of the house is south-facing and last year we put in solar panels. That’s how we heat all our hot water, which also does our in-floor heating. Cool, right?”

  She nodded and smiled at him. “Or hot, depending on how you look at it.”

  “There’s something to be said for reducing our footprint. I like the wood heat in the winter, though. I didn’t have the heart to take it out. But little by little we’ve been making some sustainable changes.”

  “Oh?”

  He stood up and brushed his hands on his jeans. “We expanded the vegetable garden, for example,” he said. “Most of the vegetables we serve come from right here on the ranch. The beef certainly does. We buy locally for whatever we can—chicken, pork, out-of-season produce. Jeff and I—he’s one of the hands—have talked about putting in a greenhouse, too. It would be awesome to have our own stuff during the winter.”

  “Are you turning into a farmer like your brother, Jack?”

  He crossed his arms. “I don’t know. Maybe. I love the sports thing and can’t see giving it up entirely. But this is home. It makes me excited.”

  “You like to build things, face new challenges. You get bored easily, don’t you?”

  The smile slid from his face. “That’s awfully perceptive of you, considering you don’t know me very well.”

  “Contrary to popular belief, I’m good at reading people.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Give me an example.”

  Was he upset at her for her insight? It seemed clear as day to her. He’d competed at an international level in his sport. When that had ceased to be an option, he’d built himself a business empire. Once that was well on the way, he’d bought this place. She wondered what he’d do when he got bored with it. Or did his jumping around from thing to thing keep him from getting too close to people? She got the feeling that there was Work Jack and Private Jack and not many people got to see the private side.

  He wanted proof that she could read people? She smiled. “Well, for example, at the wedding when I danced with Rhys. I knew he wasn’t into me. What it looked like wasn’t real at all. He only got close to me to make Taylor jealous. To make her see what she was missing. He only had eyes for her and I knew it.”

  “And it worked. They were arguing about you when he said what he did.”

  “Yeah.”

  He stepped closer. “You know, I think I’m pretty good at reading people, too. And you know what I think?”

  He was only a few inches away from her. He wore a fleece pullover with a half zip that looked soft and cozy as anything. Even though the fire was beginning to throw some heat, she was still chilled. But starting to warm up a bit, simply having him so close to her. She had to tilt her chin to look up and meet his eyes. “What do you think?”

  “I think you did it on purpose.”

  “Did what?” she asked, but her heart was beginning to pound.

  “Set up Rhys and Taylor.”

  Their gazes clashed for a few seconds more before she dropped her gaze. “That would be stupid, wouldn’t it? Considering how it ended for me. Looking like an idiot.”

  He put a finger under her chin and lifted it. “Maybe you felt so foolish because you’d been trying to help and got stomped on for it. It would really burn my biscuits if I did something noble like that and was then told how undesirable I was.”

  It had burned her biscuits, too, and she let out a long breath. “I knew she liked him. I saw them together when she first arrived in town. They had dinner at the diner. And then at Avery’s shower, his name came up and she blushed. We made fun of her that night, just a little. But it was clear there was something going on. At the wedding they were avoiding each other. I just wanted to give them a little nudge.”

  “It worked.”

  She smiled weakly. It had worked, all right. All a person had to do was be in the same room with Rhys and Taylor and they could feel the sparks.

  “You’re smarter than you let on, aren’t you?”

  She held his gaze. “You figured that out pretty fast.”

  “I’m good at reading people, too. And my guess is people see you a certain way and don’t bother to look too deeply beneath the surface.”

  “Right again. Which is why I’m ready to break away. Do something new. In a way, I kind of have to thank Rhys. What he said kind of jolted me out of my rut.”

  “Yay for Rhys.”

  They were so close together now her thick sweater brushed lightly against his pullover. The touch was so light it shouldn’t have had any effect on her whatsoever, but it did. Being so near Jack raised her heart rate and her temperature. It wasn’t that he was rolling in money. Had little to do with who he was or even his looks. It was that for the first time in her life, she was standing face-to-face with a man who didn’t see her with a warning label plastered across her forehead. He understood her without even having to try very hard. Forget what Rhys had done—it was Jack who’d convinced her to face things head-on. He’d been the one to nudge her into taking action.

  While they were standing there, his gaze slid away from her eyes to settle at her lips as the
y drifted closer, closer together...

  Amy stepped back. She was already feeling slightly over her head with Jack. To explore something physical would be just about the stupidest thing she could do. Maybe he understood her but the reality was that his life and hers were drastically different. This would end up going nowhere, and if she allowed herself to get too close she’d only get hurt in the end. She was here to give Jack a hand and to get away and enjoy the scenery.

  Jack couldn’t be included in that scenery. It would only complicate her plans.

  She cleared her throat. “Why don’t you take me on that tour now,” she suggested. “And then show me the office so I can get started.”

  “If that’s what you want.”

  His voice was low and suggested he’d rather be doing something else. It was so, so tempting.

  But a little voice inside her said that having a fling with Jack was exactly what everyone would expect her to do. If she wanted people to expect better from her, she should start expecting better from herself.

  She squared her shoulders. “Yes, I think it is.”

  His eyes were far too knowing, but he stepped back rather than press his case and she let out the breath she’d been holding.

  “Come on, then,” he said. “We’ll start with the downstairs. The kitchen’s right through here.”

  He turned away and Amy followed after him. She stared at his back—at his broad shoulders, his lean hips and the perfect way he filled out a pair of jeans. She had to be crazy to turn that down. Crazy, and stupid for thinking this was ever a good idea to begin with.

  Chapter Four

  Amy made one final notation on the calendar before shutting the program down and taking a breath. Rosa—Jack’s regular manager—ran a tight ship. Once Amy had the passwords, it had been easy as anything to access the schedule, contact list and even Rosa’s weekly to-do list, which was a finely tuned document.