Courting the Cowboy Boss: Reclaimed by the Rancher

by Janice Maynard

  If the topic of his downfall had been any less personal and painful, he might have been tempted to ask one of his married buddies for advice. But this situation was deeply intimate, and he knew in his heart that Mellie wouldn’t want her name and the nature of her relationship with Case bandied about. She was a very private person.

  In a few days, it would be December. The nights would grow longer and the days shorter. Christmas cheer would fill the streets of Royal, Texas. But for Case, this holiday season loomed bleak and empty. He’d been given the most precious gift of all...a woman’s trust.

  And he had thrown it away.

  Seventeen

  Mellie was exhausted. Running two businesses at the same time required her utmost attention. During the day she bounced back and forth between both offices. At night she fell into bed too wiped out to do more than say her prayers. At the top of the list was an urgent plea that her father was not going to hate her for what she had done.

  It had required a concerted effort by a number of people, but Mellie had managed to more or less kidnap her father and check him into a wickedly expensive but highly successful rehab facility about a hundred and fifty miles from Royal.

  Her father had been sober and shaky when she left him there. She’d given him an ultimatum. Either dry out and learn how to make a change, or resign himself to the fact that Mellie was going to run the family business and there would be no more handouts for Harold.

  The rules at the facility were very strict. For the first thirty days, Mellie would have no contact at all with her father. It wasn’t until later that she realized those rules meant she would be spending Christmas alone.

  She had many friends, of course, but she would not intrude during family time. She was a grown woman, and she could get along on her own.

  Today was Friday. The letter from her lawyer had been delivered to the Texas Cattleman’s Club on Tuesday. Case had to have seen it by now. And yet nothing. Seventy-two hours, with not a peep out of him.

  The total lack of communication indicated more clearly than anything else that Case Baxter had no intention of either forgiving Mellie or continuing their relationship. She should have told him right away that her father had taken the wallet. Her lie of omission had caused Case to question her motives...to doubt her sincerity. And he already had trust issues when it came to women.

  Mellie’s first instinct had been to protect her father, even though he didn’t deserve it. But her misstep had cost her dearly.

  Gradually, though, as the hours and days passed, her regret changed to anger. Case should have trusted her. It had been far too easy for her father to drag her into his little blackmail scheme. If Case had really cared about her, he wouldn’t have been so quick to believe Harold’s lie. She had given Case her body and her heart and yet it hadn’t been enough.

  Because he didn’t love her.

  At the moment, despite her own personal heartache, she was driving out to the Courtyard because Raina Patterson had sent an agitated email asking for a meeting. Apparently, Mellie’s indirect reassurances via Raina’s cousin had not been enough.

  When Mellie pulled up and parked, she was struck again by how charming and appealing this little cluster of studios and shops had turned out to be. Mellie found Raina inside the big red barn, frowning over a cash register receipt.

  Raina looked up when the bell over the door tinkled. “Miss Winslow,” she said. “Thank you so much for coming to see me.”

  “It’s a beautiful day,” Mellie said lightly. “No hardship at all. What can I do for you? In your email you sounded upset.”

  Raina grimaced. “I don’t know quite how to say this because I thought the matter was settled. But I received a letter from your father saying that our rents were going to quadruple. I think it must have come last week, because I found it in a stack of mail on my desk that I had overlooked. He said he had a good offer for this property, but he’d be willing not to sell if we all agreed to the new terms.”

  Mellie held on to her smile grimly, disguising her utter disgust with her father’s methods. “I think I can relieve you on that score. That letter would have been mailed before I checked him into rehab. I’m running the business now, and we have no plans to increase the rent. In fact, you and all the other tenants will receive a registered letter to that effect on Monday from me, stating the new terms. I’m sorry my father caused you sleepless nights.”

  Raina’s relief was almost palpable. “Thank you, Miss Winslow. I’m very sorry about your father, but you don’t know how much this means.” She handed Mellie a small clay pot glazed in shades of ochre and midnight blue. “Please accept this as a thank-you. I think I speak for all the artists here when I say it’s hard to make a living via a creative endeavor. With a stable rent, we’ll be able to keep our books in the black.”

  “The Courtyard shops and the farmers’ market are helping make Royal a center for tourism and the arts. What you do is very important. I hope your business will continue to grow.”

  Though Mellie chatted with Raina for several more minutes, her heart wasn’t in the conversation. Eventually, she said her goodbyes and returned to her car.

  Though she had reassured the shop owner, it was little consolation for her own situation. She felt as if her whole world had caved in. Even though she had convinced herself that she and Case weren’t suited, his lack of faith hurt more than she could have imagined.

  Until now she had never understood that heartache could be an actual physical ailment. Remembering the hours she had spent in Case’s bed was nothing less than torture. He’d been so gentle with her and at the same time hungry and demanding, drawing a response that stunned her. Until Case she hadn’t understood the human body’s capacity for pleasure. Sex with Case had opened her eyes to how narrow she had made her life.

  It would be a long time before she got over this. A very long time. But perhaps one day she would be given another chance at happiness with a man who was worthy of her heart and her trust.

  Grabbing up her purse and briefcase, she got out of the car and stopped dead when she saw Case sitting on her doorstep.

  He held up a hand, his expression impassive. “Don’t worry. I parked the car two streets over at the grocery store. I know how much you dislike gossip.”

  She realized he wasn’t kidding. Good grief.

  It seemed prudent to halt a good six feet away. Her decision-making skills always took a hit when she got too near Case Baxter.

  His jaw was shadowed, his eyes sunken with exhaustion. Stress lines she hadn’t noticed before bracketed his mouth. “I need to talk to you, Mellie.”

  She folded her arms across her waist. “So talk.”

  “Privately. Please.”

  It seemed dangerous and stupidly hopeful to let him into her house, but she couldn’t help it. “Very well.”

  In her living room it was impossible to forget what had happened in this spot just two weeks before. Humiliation washed over her, reddening her throat and face.

  Case must have been affected strongly, as well, because he frowned. “I’d rather not do this here. I have some snacks and a picnic blanket in the car. Will you go for a drive with me?”

  “It’s chilly outside.” She teetered on the edge of uncertainty. Even if Case forgave her and she forgave him, they still weren’t suited as a couple. Wouldn’t she simply be inviting more heartache if she dragged this out?

  Case had his hands shoved in his pockets. His jeans were soft and worn and conformed to his hips and legs like a second skin. His yellow cotton shirt was a button-down with the sleeves rolled up above his broad wrists. “Please, Mellie,” he said. “It’s important.”

  “If it’s so important, why didn’t you talk to me on Tuesday? You did get the letter...right?”

  He nodded slowly. “I did. And I went to find your father and deman
d an explanation.”

  “But he was gone. My assistant told me you came around asking questions. You didn’t try to find me, though.”

  “That’s true. I wanted to think about things before I saw you again.”

  “I checked my father into rehab. And gave him an ultimatum. He blows through money when he drinks, and apparently, he’ll stoop to anything to scrape up cash. Including blackmailing good tenants who have never done him any wrong.”

  “You didn’t know what he was doing...”

  “No.” She grimaced. “And unfortunately, it wasn’t only you he targeted.”

  “So will you come with me so we can talk?”

  “If it’s that important. But I’d like to change first.”

  She switched outfits rapidly, going by Case’s appearance as a guide and changing into jeans of her own. She grabbed up a scoop-necked sweater in a shade of teal that flattered her pale skin and then slipped her feet into black flats.

  A quick check of her face in the mirror, and she was done, though her pulse raced with uncertainty and fear.

  When she returned to the living room, Case was standing where she had left him. He didn’t smile, even now. In fact, his sober demeanor rattled her quite a bit.

  Without speaking, they exited the house and walked for fifteen minutes until they came in sight of an old dusty Land Rover parked at the curb. “This is Betsy,” Case said. “She can go anywhere, anytime.”

  Mellie was glad he hadn’t brought the sports car. She’d managed to maintain her composure up until now, but she needed to keep some physical distance between her and Case.

  She didn’t ask where they were going. That would involve conversation, and apparently, Case was fresh out of that. They drove out toward his ranch, leaving her to wonder if that wasn’t their destination. But Case flew right past the B Hive gate and kept on going.

  At last he turned onto a narrow rutted lane. Now it was clear why he’d brought the Rover. Though the tire tracks were deep and well defined, wild grasses growing in the middle dragged at the bottom of the vehicle.

  Finally, the car came to a stop. Nearby, a small stream rippled and gurgled. Across the creek, a gentle rise, likely one of the highest places in Royal, drew attention to a single large oak, its branches flung wide in what would be wonderful shade in the summertime.

  While Case grabbed up a few items from the back of the vehicle, Mellie shaded her eyes and scanned the area. She couldn’t see another soul for miles around. The sense of peace and isolation was stunning.

  Case looked her way. “Come on,” he said. “I want to show you something.”

  She followed him toward the creek and across a small bridge. Even then Case didn’t take her hand. It was as if he was afraid to touch her.

  When they approached the rise, she could see two small tombstones at the top beneath the tree. She and Case climbed the hill, and he spread out the blanket. He indicated the small stone markers. “My mom and dad are buried here. I used to come out and talk to them a lot. Haven’t done that much lately. But I wanted you to see this place.”

  “It’s beautiful,” she said. “Absolutely perfect.” She bit her lip, shivering slightly, though not so much from the cold as from her jangled emotions.

  “Mellie...” He stopped, his jaw working.

  ‘What?”

  “I am so damn sorry. I never should have believed him. You even told me how convincing he could be. But when he said that raising the lease price was your idea, I was furious and hurt and—”

  “And you thought I had betrayed you.”

  “Yes.” His face reflected grief and sorrow.

  “You jumped to that conclusion pretty quickly...almost as if you were expecting me to hurt you.”

  “It doesn’t reflect well on me, but I’ve had a hard time with women since Leslie. No, that’s not exactly it. I’ve had a hard time with me. I have a tendency to be arrogant and in charge, so back then when I let myself be blinded by Leslie’s come-ons, it made me doubt myself.”

  “Your marriage was over a long time ago.”

  “Yes. But I’ve never really wanted to be close to another woman until I met you. Suddenly, there you were in my house and in my bed and I couldn’t help falling in love with you.”

  She blinked. “What did you just say?”

  “I’m in love with you, Mellie.” His smile was lopsided.

  “Love doesn’t happen so quickly.”

  Finally, he took her hands in his. “Maybe not for you. But I’m willing to wait.”

  She wiggled free of his hold, mostly because she wanted so badly to nestle against his chest and feel his heart beating beneath her cheek. She wrapped her arms around her waist, feeling as if she might fly into a million pieces like dandelion seeds dancing on the wind.

  “You and I both live in Royal,” she said. “Always have...probably always will. And now you’re the president of the Cattleman’s Club in addition to being one of the wealthiest ranchers in the state. My father will always be my father. He’s in rehab, that’s true, but you and I both know that the statistics for full recovery aren’t stellar.”

  “What are you saying, Mellie, my love?”

  Hearing him say the words brought tears to her eyes and a painful lump to her throat. “I can’t be in love with you,” she said, the words hoarse. “You may not ever be able to trust me completely. And my father may come between us down the road.”

  Case took Mellie by the wrist and reeled her in. “I’ll never doubt you again,” he said, utter certainty in his voice. “When we made love to each other, that was the real us...no masks, no barriers. We were the only people in that bed. And that’s the way it’s going to be. You and I against the world. Forever. If you say yes, of course.”

  His expression let her know that he was not completely sure of her response. Her knees wobbled. “Sex doesn’t solve all the problems,” she muttered, even as her stomach pitched and rolled.

  Case held her close, tipping up her chin so he could settle his lips over hers. “I need you, Mellie,” he whispered, his breath warm on her cheek. “Like I need air and food and a place to lay my head at night. I need your wonderful entrepreneurial spirit and your gifts of organization. I need your independence and your work ethic and the way you go above and beyond the call of duty. I need your compassion and your kindness. But most of all, I need your love.”

  “Oh, Case.” He wasn’t being fair.

  “Oh, Mellie.” He mocked her gently as he pulled her down onto the sun-warmed quilt. “Forgive me for doubting you. Make love to me. Let me show you how the world stops when we’re together, flesh to flesh, heart to heart.”

  He waited an eternity for her answer.

  “I don’t want to rush into anything,” she said. “I need us to be sure.”

  “But do you love me?”

  The vulnerability on the face of this big, strong man broke her heart a little bit. He’d opened himself up to her, had been the first one to speak words of love. It was a pretty good apology...a very nice way of making amends.

  “You’re everything I’ve ever looked for in a man, Case,” she said. “You’re the other half of me.”

  Eighteen

  They undressed each other slowly, shoes first and then the important stuff. The afternoon was chilly, but the heat between them was sufficient. Case shivered when he felt her hands on his bare chest. He’d come so close to killing something wonderful, so close to losing the one person who could make him want more than a bachelor’s existence in a big empty house.

  With steady hands, he lifted her sweater over her head and then unfastened her bra. Soft, firm breasts filled his hands. “You’re beautiful, Mellie.”

  Big green eyes looked up at him, searching his face as if she expected to find something she didn’t like. “Please be
sure about this, Case. I can’t change who I am... I can’t change my father.”

  He eased her onto her back and undid the snap on her jeans. “You’re perfect just the way you are. And Harold will be the only grandparent our children have, so you and I will just have to keep him on the straight and narrow and make sure he has plenty of little ones to spoil. I want you, Mellie. Now and always.”

  Her jaw dropped. “Children?”

  “Children. Marriage. The whole package. That’s what I want. What I need.”

  He slid his hands inside her pants, dragging them and her underwear down her legs. When she lifted her hips, he eased the tangled clothing away.

  Mellie’s skin was covered in gooseflesh. He stood and stripped, vowing to warm her up or die trying. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy the way Mellie’s eyes widened as she took in the evidence of how much he wanted her.

  Seconds later he moved between her thighs and then cursed when he realized he’d forgotten the condom. Mellie laughed softly while he scrambled for his discarded pants and found the item he needed.

  And then the waiting was over. He moved in her with his heart burning and his brain marveling that a man could be so clueless about what was important in life.

  Mellie wrapped her legs around his waist, taking him deeper, kissing him wildly until neither of them could breathe. Her skin was soft and warm. He felt as if nothing he said or did was enough. He was helpless to make her see what a miracle she had wrought inside him.

  He fought for control, even as his body drove mindlessly to a pinnacle that promised physical bliss.

  But beneath it all, some tiny rational still-functioning part of his brain noted an important omission. Mellie hadn’t said she loved him.