Taming A Texas Bad Boy (Bad Boy Ranch Book 1)

by Katie Lane

  Dylan laughed. “I noticed he was a little controlling in the interview.”

  “Controlling and arrogant and self-centered. He’s like a bear with a thorn in its paw most the time.”

  “My grandpa was like that. Grumpy as hell and proud of it. I worked my butt off to get one word of praise from the man. He passed away a few years back from lung cancer. You know what he said to me on his death bed?”

  “That he was proud of you?”

  Dylan smiled. “Nope. He said, ‘Boy, don’t fuck up.’” He laughed. “That was my grandfather for you in a nutshell.”

  Penny understood perfectly. She had spent her entire life trying to get praise from a father who rarely gave it. “I think you’ll be able to handle my daddy just fine. Now let’s get out of this heat and go get some of Sadie’s iced tea.”

  They headed back to the ranch. But on the way, they discovered a couple of the ranch hands searching for a missing calf. By the time they got it back with its mama, Penny was as hot as a barbecued jalapeno pepper and all she could think about was taking a swim at Mesquite Springs.

  “Why don’t you boys head back to the ranch and show Dylan the bunkhouse,” she said. “I’ll catch up with you later.” She waited until Dylan had ridden off and the other hands left in a ranch dually truck before she turned her horse around and headed to the watering hole.

  The cutting horse wasn’t nearly as fast as Severus. But the mare was much easier to handle. All Penny had to do was tighten her legs to get Dixie to slow down as they reached the cluster of mesquite, oak, and pecan trees that surrounded the springs. She tied the mare up to a low hanging branch of a mesquite and then stripped down to her bra and panties.

  The watering hole was deep enough to jump into from the rope tied to a nearby tree. The springs were freezing cold, Penny decided to wade in and let her body slowly get used to the change in temperature.

  It didn’t take long. After a few laps across the springs, she adjusted to the chilly water and floated on her back, closing her eyes against the sun’s glare. In the relaxed state, she wasn’t surprised when Cru nudged his way into her thoughts. He had been doing that a lot lately. It had been two days since he’d almost run her and Severus over, and she could only hope he was long gone by now. And yet, she couldn’t help wondering why he had come back in the first place. Was it just to visit with Chester and Lucas? Or was he there for a different reason?

  And why him? Why couldn’t it have been one of the other boys from that summer: Logan, the dark, brooding leader of the group. Holden, the charming rich kid. Lincoln, the intense athlete. Sawyer, the jovial prankster. And Val, the sweet chubby boy with the heart of gold and a way with words. Why did it have to be Cru . . . her crush and her sister’s first love?

  No longer finding solace in an afternoon swim, she stood and waded to shore. She was halfway out of the water before she saw him. He was sitting on a rock tugging off his boots. He wasn’t wearing a shirt and his tanned chest muscles gleamed in the late afternoon sun like loaves of bread brushed with melted butter.

  She wanted to dive back in the water and shield her half-naked body, but she refused to act like an immature teenager the way she had the other day.

  She defiantly lifted her chin. “You’re trespassing on Gardener land.”

  His gaze took a slow-as-molasses trip down her body and back up to her eyes. A smile creased his handsome face. “Like father like daughter. Your daddy loved to remind me of that when I came here to swim.”

  “And yet here you are.”

  “I’ve never been a good listener. Especially when I want something.”

  The Texas twangy way he said wont sent a wave of heat spiraling through her. It was quickly followed by anger. “Yes, when Cru Cassidy wants something, he’ll do anything to get it—no matter the consequences.”

  His gaze lowered to her breasts. “Sometimes the consequences are worth it.”

  “Especially if you aren’t the one who has to pay them.” As she strode over to the mesquite tree where she’d left her clothes, she tried not to think about his gaze pinned to her butt in the wet panties. She usually toweled off with her t-shirt, but today she quickly pulled it on, tugging the hem down as far as it would go.

  “Why do I have the feeling that we’re no longer talking about me trespassing on your land?”

  She whirled at the words to find him standing only inches away. She tried to take a step back, but the prickly mesquite branches wouldn’t allow it. It annoyed her to no end how breathless she suddenly felt and she had to remind herself that she wasn’t a crushing thirteen-year-old girl anymore. She also had to remind herself that Evie would kill her if she let the cat out of the bag.

  “What else would we be talking about?” She turned her back to him and picked up her jeans, hoping her insides would stop trembling if she didn’t have to look into his mind-altering green eyes.

  “You’re not as funny as I remember,” he said.

  She buttoned her jeans before she turned around. Thankfully, he’d moved away and was sitting on the rock. “Don’t act like you remember me. You didn’t give me a second glance when you were fifteen.”

  “I remember you.” He grinned. “Knock-knock.”

  She couldn’t help but blush. “So you remember the stupid knock-knock jokes I told you. So what?”

  “I remember more than the knock-knock jokes. I remember a cute redhead with braces looking at me like I hung the moon, not like I was a piece of cow dung stuck to the heel of her boot.” He cocked his head. “Did I do something to hurt your feelings? I was pretty full of myself back then.”

  He hadn’t done anything back then except be too handsome. And he still was. Which probably explained her snappish reply. “And you’re not too full of yourself now?”

  He cringed. “Ouch.”

  She pulled on her socks and boots, balancing from one foot to the other. “Sorry, but the way you drive says you haven’t lost an ounce of arrogance.”

  “Just because I like to drive fast doesn’t mean I’m an arrogant asshole.”

  “No, it just means that you’re a careless asshole. And I don’t know which one’s worse.”

  His brow knitted. “You don’t mince words, do you?”

  “The truth is the truth.”

  He studied her for a moment before he smiled. It wasn’t the practiced smile. This smile was soft and real. “You sound like Lucas. He used to say the same thing.” His smile faded. “How long has he been forgetting things?”

  “Since last month when he got a bad cause of the flu. I brought him some chicken noodle soup and he seemed disoriented. I was hoping it was just a fever. But even after he got better, he still kept forgetting things.”

  “Like his beloved recipes.” Cru released his breath and stared out at the water. “He made pancakes this morning for breakfast with no flour. Although they were better than his burnt broth soup.”

  “He made me peanut butter cookies that tasted like dog biscuits.”

  He shook his head. “If it wasn’t so sad, it would be funny. But it’s hard to see someone you care about losing something he loves to do.” He glanced back at her. “Thank you for watching out for him and Chester. They both think the sun rises and sets on you.” His gaze grew intense. “And with hair like that, it looks like it does. Penny is an appropriate name. In the sun, you sparkle like a new penny.”

  She self-consciously smoothed a hand over her wet hair. “Why are you here?”

  “The same reason you are. I wanted to cool off.”

  She shook her head. “I wasn’t talking about the springs. I was talking about coming back to the Double Diamond Ranch. Why would you come back to check on two old guys you only spent one summer with?”

  He picked a piece of the tall grass and stuck the sweet end in his mouth as he stared out at the sun-lit water. “I don’t know. Maybe because those three months were the most memorable months of my life. I learned a lot that summer.”

  His words surprised her.
Then they made her angry. She jumped up. “If they were so memorable, why didn’t you come back sooner? Why didn’t you make the effort to at least check in with—?” She cut off before she said her sister’s name.

  He got to his feet. “You’re right. I should’ve checked in sooner. But I’m here now. And I want to know what I can do to help.”

  She wanted to yell at him that he was fifteen years too late, but he wasn’t talking about Evie and Clint. He was talking about Chester and Lucas. She needed to remember that.

  “You can start by convincing them they need help. A week ago, Chester went to the barn to check on his horse, Misty, and Lucas turned on the gas stove while he was gone but forgot to light it. When I got there the entire house smelled like gas. And there’s no telling how many times it’s happened in the past.”

  “I should’ve thought of how dangerous that old stove is. I’ll order them a new one.”

  “I already did. I’m going to have Raul pick it up in Abilene and install it—if Chester will let him. He doesn’t like to take help from people. I’ve tried sending the ranch hands over to fix other things, but he always runs them off. I think it has to do with the feud they have with my father.”

  Cru studied her. “But you don’t let a feud keep you from helping two old cowboys.” The intensity of his eyes made her feel fidgety . . . and hot. She felt even hotter when he reached out and smoothed a strand of wet hair away from her face. “You’re a good woman, Penny Gardener.”

  She didn’t know if it was the touch of his warm fingertips against her chilled skin or the sincere compliment that had her breath hitching and her knees turning to soft-churned butter. She swayed and Cru’s hand slid around her waist to steady her. That was all it took for desire to flow and logical thought to ebb.

  She couldn’t think. All she could do was feel. She felt the tip of his big toe touching hers and the press of all five of his fingers against her back. She felt the flex of his forearm muscles against her side and bulge of his bicep beneath her hand. Felt the heat emanating from his naked chest and the puff of his breath against her forehead.

  She wanted to break loose from the hold he had on her, but she couldn’t seem to move. All she could do was stare at the beating pulse in his neck and pray that he would release her.

  He didn’t. Instead, he placed a finger beneath her chin and lifted it until her gaze locked with his. His eyes were a vibrant green heat that took the last of her breath away. There was no way to get it back when he lowered his head and kissed her.

  As a child, she had dreamed about this kiss, dedicated pages of her diary to what it would feel like to have Cru’s lips pressed against hers. As an adult, she’d learned that first kisses were like first dances—it took a while to adjust to your partner’s step and pace.

  But from the first touch, Penny felt like she and Cru had kissed a thousand times before. Their mouths slid together in perfect harmony and proceeded to dance a slow, sensual waltz of lips and tongues as if they’d been doing this all their lives. It was perfect. The most perfect kiss she’d ever had.

  And it was wrong.

  So wrong.

  She pulled away. “No!”

  His hands dropped immediately and he took a step back. His green eyes were confused, but he didn’t voice that confusion. Instead, he gave her even more space and smiled. “Enjoy the rest of your day, Penny Gardener.” He turned and headed to the springs. With her standing right there watching, he shucked off his jeans and briefs and dove into the water naked.

  Penny wished she could cool off so easily. Unfortunately, she was afraid nothing would douse the fire Cru Cassidy’s kiss had lit inside her.

  Chapter Five

  Cru didn’t like routine. Growing up in a Catholic orphanage had been enough to sour him on monotonous schedules and repetitive rituals. After he graduated from high school and set out on his own, he vowed to do what he wanted when he wanted and fly by the seat of his pants. He chose jobs that worked on commission so he could set his own hours and quit when the urge hit him. Never signed an apartment lease for longer than three months at a time. And didn’t make plans more than a week in advance.

  But at the Double Diamond Ranch he slipped into a routine without even knowing it. He woke up at the crack of dawn and made coffee—mostly because he didn’t want Chester making the black crud he liked to drink—then he showered and shaved before helping Lucas with breakfast. He’d learned if he handed Lucas the ingredients, the old guy didn’t seem to make as many mistakes. Once breakfast was over, he cleaned up the dishes and then went out to take care of Misty. The old horse was as ornery as Chester and Lucas and had given Cru a nip or two before she got to know him. But once she did, she greeted him every morning and evening with a cheerful nicker. Probably because he always brought her a treat. It wasn’t long before they’d formed a bond. Maybe after he finished seeing the world, Cru would get himself a dog. There was something calming about being around animals.

  Once he finished taking care of Misty in the mornings, he worked on one of the numerous things that needed to be fixed around the ranch. He’d never been much of a handyman. He’d always lived in apartments where the managers took care of broken toilets or dripping faucets. And at the St. James’s Home for Children, Sister Stella had done all the handiwork. Once, she’d tried to teach him, but he hadn’t been interested.

  Now he wished he had paid more attention. He easily fixed the clogged bathtub drain with drain cleaner and the squeaky back door hinges with some spray oil. But the broken toilet in the main bathroom was a little more complicated. Once he had the lid off the tank, he didn’t have a clue what to do. Lucas tried to give him instructions, but his memory of toilet fixing was as bad as his memory of recipes. And Chester had always preferred ranch work to housework. So Cru had to rely on the Internet. After watching a YouTube video, he thought he had it figured out and headed into town to the hardware store to get what he needed. But the big guy behind the counter had him second-guessing his Internet knowledge.

  “The thing about running toilets is that it could be a lot of different things causing them to run.” He leaned his muscular forearms on the counter. “It could be the flapper, or the flapper chain, or the overflow valve, or a leaky fill valve, or even a corroded toilet handle. That was what it turned out to be on Floyd Herman’s toilet. Of course, he didn’t find that out until he’d fixed all the other things. Does the handle look corroded?”

  Cru shrugged. “To be honest, I didn’t really look at the handle. But there is a crack in the flapper thingy.”

  The man nodded thoughtfully. “Of course, if the flapper is old enough to have a crack in it, the overflow valve and fill valve could too. Especially when Lucas hasn’t been in for toilet parts in a good six years.” Cru was impressed he kept such close tabs on his customers’ toilets. Although the pretty blonde who came hustling down an aisle seemed to keep closer tabs.

  “More like seven.” She held out a hand. “Emma Johansen. And this yammering fool is my business partner, Boone Murphy.”

  Cru took her hand. “Cru Cassidy.”

  Her eyes narrowed as she gave his hand a firm shake. “Cru Cassidy? Why does that name sound familiar?”

  “I spent a summer out at the Double Diamond Ranch when I was a teenager.”

  A sassy smile flirted with her lips. “So you’re one of those bad boys my mama warned me about.”

  Cru laughed. “I’m one of those boys.” He winked at her. “Although now I’m only bad on occasion.”

  One blond eyebrow arched. “Somehow, I doubt that.” She handed him a toilet repair kit. “Since you don’t know what’s wrong with your toilet, you should just buy this entire set now and be done with it. If you don’t need everything, I’m sure you’ll need it for one of the other two toilets out at the ranch. Extra toilet parts always come in handy. And this kit happens to be on special this week so you might want to get two.”

  “Thank you, Ms. Johansen. That sounds like good advice.”

>   “You’re welcome. And just call me Emma.”

  He flashed a smile. “Thank you, Emma.”

  “No problem at all.” She scowled at Boone. “Some people just like to talk folks to death instead of giving them what they need.”

  Boone straightened. “I was getting around to getting him what he needed when you butted in.”

  “And maybe by next Christmas he would’ve gotten something to fix his toilet.” She shook her head. “I swear I don’t know why your father gave you his half of the hardware store when you don’t know a screw from a nut.”

  Boone stared at her. “Oh, I know a nut when I see one. And I don’t know why your father gave you his half of the store when you have no business sense. You can’t balance our accounts to save your soul and would give away the entire inventory if I weren’t here to keep an eye on you. That repair kit”—he pointed to the package in Cru’s hand—“isn’t on special. You just put it on special because you think Cru here is cute and you’re looking to trap a husband.”

  Emma’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open for a second before she grabbed a package of plastic tubing and hurled it at Boone. He ducked just in time and the tubing bounced off the wall of tools behind the counter. “You jerk!” she yelled. “How dare you embarrass me—” She cut off when the bell over the door jangled. Cru was thankful for the timely interruption. He was even more thankful when Penny Gardener stepped in.

  He hadn’t seen her since Mesquite Springs, but not from lack of trying. He’d gotten her phone number from Chester and called her numerous times, but she never answered or returned his messages. So he’d stopped by the Gardener Ranch. She hadn’t been there, and the interrogation he’d gotten from the housekeeper had dissuaded him from going back again. If not for the kiss, he might have thought she wasn’t interested in him. But there was no way a woman could kiss him like she wanted to crawl inside his skin and not be interested. Which meant she was just playing hard to get.