A Rancher's Bride

by Vivian Arend

  He knew she was blunt-spoken, but damn. That sounded dirty.

  Luke cleared his throat and blinked hard. It was his own fault for letting his mind start down this road.

  “Luke? You need a written invitation?” she teased.

  He stood and adjusted the heavy gate until she told him to stop. He lowered it into place, suddenly feeling a little more awkward than the usual comradery and competitive spirit between them created.

  “I should get back to work,” he said.

  “I’ll be a few more minutes finishing this up. Let me know when you hear about the gala, but I’m pretty sure you’re a shoe-in for this.” She glanced at him quickly then back at her work.

  He took off a lot slower than he’d arrived, feeling something strange in the pit of his belly.

  It had to be nerves over waiting to hear. That was it—that was causing everything to feel so out of joint. Discomfort with his brothers, strange sensations brewing while talking to Kelli.

  This wasn’t him. This wasn’t the organized and easy-going person he was.

  It was almost anticlimactic when midway through Monday the official email arrived. Dates and times for checking at the Grand Palisade in Kananaskis Country. An agenda for the event.

  Link to payment options—he didn’t hesitate. Half an hour later, he was out the door and headed over to Caleb’s to let him know the good news.

  Come Friday, he and Kelli would be waltzing through the doors of what could be the turning point for Silver Stone ranch. It was going to be perfect.

  What could go wrong?

  5

  Kelli looked over the notes scrawled on the two-by-two-inch Post-it note in her palm “I should just kill him now, because chances are before the week is over, I’m going to commit accidental homicide.”

  Lisa considered. “I don’t think that’s possible. The fact you mentioned the possibility to us means you’ve given it some forethought, so you’d either get a second-degree murder or voluntary-manslaughter charge. Unless you’re talking about justifiable homicide, which I totally understand.”

  Kelli wasn’t the only one who fixed her gaze on Lisa. The entire room fell silent, seven women staring until Lisa realized what she’d done.

  The dark-haired woman raised her brows and attempted to look innocent. “Oops?”

  “CSI addiction?” Hanna Lane asked.

  “Don’t mind my sister, she reads the encyclopedia for fun,” Tamara teased. “Come on, Kelli. What horrible things has my brother-in-law jotted on that teeny note that’s making you grimace so hard?”

  He’d handed her the note when he’d told her they were going to the gala. She’d nearly fallen over between the rush of panic and hopefulness that had slammed her.

  He’d grinned then left immediately to deal with scheduling, which was probably a good thing because she’d been tempted to grab hold of his plaid shirt and climb up him to plant a kiss right then and there.

  Which would have been awkward, to say the least.

  She focused on the issue at hand, which seemed to be that girls-night-out had become “let’s figure out how to send Kelli to a shiny event without embarrassing herself” night.

  It seemed her guess about artsy-fartsy activities hadn’t been far off.

  She looked over the note again so she could give an answer, but the mess didn’t become any clearer. “That’s part of the problem. His handwriting is the shits, always has been. One time he left a note for Ashton that looked as if we were supposed to get the cattle out from the far lane. We spent all day hunting for invisible beasts only to discover he wanted us to move the cats out of the far loft.” She waved the teeny bit of blue paper in the air. “I can make out the words swimming pool, dancing and formal, but if that means we’re going to a ball, he’s taking the wrong person with him.”

  “I think he’s taking exactly right person,” Tansy said, tossing her head cheekily. “Honey, you know how to dance, and you know horses. Bullshit your way through the rest.”

  Tamara was on the phone even as she nodded her agreement. “Exactly. I couldn’t agree with Tansy more.”

  “Bullshit I can do,” Kelli muttered.

  Tamara held up a finger as someone at the other end answered. “Luke, we’ve got a couple questions. We’re helping Kelli get together clothes for the trip, and I want to make sure we’ve got everything covered.” She listened for a minute. “Okay, we can deal with that. Do you need anything? I don’t know if Caleb’s got anything fancier in his closet than what’s hanging in yours.”

  She listened, nodding in silence. She said goodbye before looking up at Kelli with a long-suffering expression. “Good thing we checked. Luke talked to a friend who will be there. There’s only one formal event. The rest of it is business casual, and there is a swimming pool.”

  “What the hell is business casual?” Kelli demanded.

  “It means you can’t wear jeans,” Hanna informed her.

  There had to be some mistake. “How is that even possible? Is that something people do on a regular basis?”

  The only description for the expression on Tansy’s and Lisa’s faces was smirk. “They really do. It’s only one week,” Lisa offered in consolation. “Just think, you can eat all the steak you want. The Palisade has a really good restaurant. I looked it up online,” she said before Tansy could make some smartass comment.

  Kelli dropped into a chair and rested her head in her hands. “Nothing is worth this much hassle.”

  “Sure it is. By the way, what’s Luke giving you for helping him?” Tansy asked.

  “Not enough,” Kelli responded, hauling out her phone and finding his number. She hit call before she had time to think it through.

  Seduction 101 might be on the books, but some atrocities were pushing it a little too far.

  Luke didn’t even bother with the niceties. “What?”

  “Hi to you, too. When we get back, I am in charge of all of Pepper’s training,” she demanded, turning her back on the rest of the room as the girls pretended to get busy. They were probably writing down lists of tutus and ballerina slippers and other horrible things she needed to pack. “You didn’t tell me I couldn’t wear jeans.”

  His chuckle carried over the line. It was annoying how the sound alone was enough to make her skin quiver as if he were in the room, stroking her body. “If it makes it any better, I don’t get to wear jeans, either.”

  Okay, her brain was really not being her friend, because the options it slapped up involved him, a pair of boxers, and nothing else. Probably not business casual, but something her imagination had dreamed up far too many times for it to be healthy.

  “Kelli? You still there?”

  She shook herself alert. “I’m glad we get to suffer together, but I mean it. That’s what I want for payment for attending the event. I’m going to do the best job possible, just like you know I will with Pepper’s training, but I want you to promise.”

  He let out a long sigh. “Yes. Anything else?”

  She wasn’t fast enough on the uptake to come up with something terrible on the spot.

  “I’ll let you know.” She hung up then turned back to others, smiling sweetly. “Okay, now that I have that settled, gird my loins, girls. I’m going into battle.”

  It wasn’t the first time the differences between her and her friends became clear. As they suggested outfits, Kelli felt as if she was listening to them speak a different language. Rose got out a notebook and started drawing pictures, adding notes of the few things Kelli already had in her closet that the girls remembered would be appropriate. Things like tank tops and a few skirts she’d worn during summertime dances.

  Tansy and Rose raided their closets, and slowly a pile of borrowed items was stacked on the coffee table.

  Hanna snuck away after her phone rang. She came back into the apartment with a bag in her hand and a flush on her cheeks.

  “You just got kissed,” Tansy guessed.

  Hanna lifted her chin and blushed h
arder. “Thoroughly, and there wasn’t any mistletoe in sight.” She made her way over to Kelli and offered the package. “See if this fits. You lent me clothes after I lost everything. We’re pretty much the same size, and it’s really a gorgeous dress. I’m not going to have too many opportunities to wear something that formal, so you might as well enjoy it.”

  Kelli peeked into the bag and found a creamy froth of white fabric. “Oh my God.”

  Tansy leaned over her shoulder and peeked in. “Sweet. That looks fancy.”

  “New Year’s Eve we had a formal thing to go to with the Fire Chiefs from all over Alberta. I told Brad I didn’t need anything special, but he insisted.” Hanna offered a secretive smile, twisting a very shiny engagement ring on her finger as if she was still getting used to it being there. “We went shopping for a few things while we were in Calgary.”

  Tansy pushed the bag against Kelli. “You’d better try it on and see if it fits.”

  There had to be something else Kelli could demand of Luke to make up for this. Still, it made no sense to show up at the hotel with nothing to wear.

  She hauled Hanna with her into one of the back bedrooms. “You have to help, because I do not want to rip anything.”

  Hanna stood quietly as Kelli removed her flannel shirt and tank, then slid out of her jeans. But when she grabbed the dress and went to step into it to put it on, Hanna shook her head.

  “I promise I won’t look, but you can’t wear a bra. Or at least not that one. And the dress goes on over your head, not stepping into it. Trust me, I got that lesson taught to me very firmly in the salon.”

  It wasn’t Hanna who deserved her rumbles, so Kelli kept them in. Stripping down to nothing but her undies, and with help from her friend, they wiggled the feather-light material over her head.

  It dropped into place. She felt as if she was waiting for it to land. Kelli glanced down, expecting to have to shimmy things into place, but the material lay wrinkle-free over her breasts and torso, flaring over her hips before coming to a halt mid-thigh.

  Hanna stepped behind her and did up the zipper that stopped barely above her ass. The dress size was right, amazingly enough, and the shiny garment seemed whisper soft. Kelli was afraid to touch the fabric for fear her rough fingertips would snag the material.

  “I’m scared to wear this,” she admitted.

  Hanna stepped in front of her, shaking her head as she looked Kelli up and down. “You should be scared of the reaction of absolutely everyone who sees you in that. Wow. Now I know why Brad couldn’t keep his eyes off me, if I looked half as good as you do in it.”

  “I can’t wear this,” Kelli said hurriedly, tempted to reach behind herself to undo the zipper and escape. “The dress is special to you. What if I rip it? What if I spill something on it?”

  Her friend laid a hand on her arm. “Kelli, I lost absolutely everything in a fire a month ago, and I have never been happier in my life. Do you really think I’d be upset if something happens to a dress? Even a special one? I have the memories, and they’re not going away.”

  Kelli took a deep breath, squeezing Hanna’s hand. “Okay. You’re right.” She stepped back, trying to see herself in the small mirror on Tansy’s hutch. “Does it really look okay?”

  Hanna pushed her toward the door. “You won’t believe me no matter what I say, so go ask Tansy. You know she won’t lie.”

  Even walking was wrong, the fabric sliding over her thighs in an unfamiliar way.

  When she stepped through the doorway and all of her friends turned to gawk at her, conversation coming to a complete stop, Kelli felt extremely uncomfortable.

  She stood there for a moment before folding her arms in frustration. “You’re not being very encouraging.”

  “Don’t jump to conclusions,” Rose said. “It’s just really hard to talk when you’ve swallowed your tongue. “

  “Wow.” Tamara sat up straighter in the corner of the couch. “So many things I want to say, but I think wow pretty much sums it up.”

  Kelli slid farther into the room to try and catch a glimpse of her reflection in the window, the darkness outside turning the pane into an uncooperative mirror. “Don’t say things just to make me feel comfortable, because as long as I don’t make a fool of myself, I’m okay. But since the whole point is to make Silver Stone shine, there’s no use putting a load of manure up on display.”

  “Stop that. You’ve never put yourself down before, so I don’t know why you’re starting now.” Tamara glared in annoyance.

  Because this wasn’t just about making Silver Stone look good? Kelli’s pulse was far faster than normal.

  “You look good,” Tansy told her softly. “Really good. Except you need different undies.”

  Kelli was torn between accepting the compliment or picking up the gauntlet regarding the continued attack on her poor, defenseless undergarments. “I’m already mostly naked under this. Don’t push it. Also pointing out, horses don’t give a damn what I wear on my ass, unless it was armour. Then they might bitch.”

  “The equivalent to chain mail for females is a chastity belt, and honey, I don’t think you want to wear that under anything, jeans or a slinky dress.”

  “The undies I have on are as dressy as I’ve got,” Kelli admitted.

  A soft cough came from the quietest member of their group. Ivy Fields adjusted her grip on a cup of tea. “I might be able to help you with that.”

  Kelli was torn between absolute rejection of the idea and extreme curiosity.

  Curiosity won. “What naughty secrets are you about to confess?”

  Ivy shrugged. “I have a bit of an obsession with silk. But because I can’t get out to the shops that often, I’ve been ordering online. Anything that doesn’t quite fit gets put in a side drawer to be returned all at once. Come over tomorrow and we’ll see if there’s anything there that will work under this. Because the girls are right. It would be a travesty for you to not go all the way and look like a million bucks.”

  Kelli twirled toward the window and eyed herself critically. Hell, it wasn’t what she usually wore, but from what she could see, it seemed pretty enough wrapping. And the idea of having slinky underthings to try…

  Well, seduction was supposed to involve underwear, wasn’t it?

  “I do look decent,” she admitted. “Only don’t expect me to wear makeup. Can’t do it.”

  Tansy stepped behind her, wiggling her brows. “There will be lots of good-looking guys at this event, all of whom love horses as obsessively as you.”

  Great. Meanwhile she’d be standing next to the only good-looking guy who seemed to turn her crank. Good Lord, she’d been such a fool the other day, thoughtlessly slipping into as close to flirting as she knew how.

  The utter horror on his face when she’d made a dirty comment was a clear warning to wait until she had time to explain what was going on.

  Still, as Kelli turned to admire her reflection, this wasn’t the time to start feeling uncomfortable with her body. She was strong, no matter whether she was draped in fluff or her usual working gear.

  “Only thing you need to finish up is a bit of advice.” Hanna stepped in front of her, planting her fists firmly on her hips. “Trust me on this one, because I saw it at that New Year’s Eve party. This kind of outfit? You can’t move like your ass is on fire, if you’ll excuse the work-related joke.”

  Heads were dipping all around the room. “Pretend they’re a bunch of skittish horses,” Tamara suggested. “No sudden moves, then sweet-talk everyone, the way you do every day down in the barns.”

  Kelli laughed out loud before she realized they were serious. “You just told me to treat a bunch of billionaires like horses. You’re not speaking very complimentary about powerhouses in the industry.”

  “She’s not saying it to be insulting,” Hanna insisted. “It’s about the right tool for the job. Same with clothes. You wouldn’t wear rubber boots out on the dance floor, would you?”

  “Of course not.”
>
  “And you wouldn’t stomp through a stall with a pregnant mare…”

  Okay. Now it made sense. Kelli nodded then glanced around the room. Seven pairs of eyes were looking at her with admiration and happiness. “You guys are the best. Thanks for taking care of me.”

  Hanna squeezed her hand, and Tansy came in to wrap her up in a bold hug. “You’re worth it. Also, damn, that fabric is nice. Don’t mind me. I’m just going to stay here and pet you for a while.”

  Kelli slapped her hand away.

  Tansy snickered, and as Kelli went off to get changed into her normal clothing, she carried the warmth of friendship with her. She was ready for this. She had the clothes and a game plan that would help her impress the important people.

  Now all she had to do was figure out the best time to start.

  Friday had never taken so long and yet arrived so quickly. With his brothers’ help, Luke had pulled together everything he needed to make a good impression while he and Kelli were gone.

  He’d repacked his bag a dozen times, and wasn’t that just the kicker considering Kelli had been the one to give him hell about the dress code. He’d had to scrounge around to find enough things to wear, and in the end, Josiah saved his butt by providing formal wear that fit.

  Damn monkey suits. One of the reasons Luke loved working the ranch was because he didn’t have to dress up. He had a few outfits from his time dating Penny, but none of them were in good enough shape for this event, and he didn’t want to add expenses on top of what he’d already laid out. Borrowed gear made the most sense.

  He dropped his bags at the main house in the morning before heading into town to deal with some final banking with Caleb. Kelli had obviously already been there because her well-worn hockey bag rested inside the back door.

  Lisa came forward when he called into the house. “Hey, Luke. Caleb is saying goodbye to Tamara. She’s in bed again.”

  Damn. He felt terrible for her, but also helpless. “I thought morning sickness only lasted three months.”

  A slight motion lifted her shoulders. “There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to pregnancy. She’s healthy, just feels like crap. I’ll bet she’s having a boy.”