Branded

by Candace Havens

  “Just Callie.”

  A tiny shiver slid along my spine as he said my name. Since when did that happen?

  Never.

  “Let’s get you out of the heat.” He gave me a lopsided grin that was oh so sexy.

  Holy shit. Gut tightening, I felt my breath catch—again. What was it about this guy?

  “And you are?”

  “Just another ranch hand, ma’am. No one to you.”

  What the fuck did that mean?

  Chapter Two

  Damn. She was fucking beautiful. I hadn’t expected that. When she’d fallen against me, her body had been soft in all the right places. And that strawberry smell from her hair was fucking sweet, and those tits…they were real. A lot of the women around town had fake ones. But I’d always been fond of the natural kind, no matter the size.

  She sat there next to me on the golf cart as we made the long drive back to the house, and all I could think about was what it would be like to be skin to skin with her.

  Off-limits.

  My uncle had told me two things when I took over as temporary ranch foreman for him. The first was not to fuck around with the boss’s granddaughter. The second was if I even looked at Callie Llewellyn cross-eyed, I’d get my ass kicked. That was a joke, since he’d been in the hospital at the time and was still in recovery from his leg being crushed by a tractor. Now, if that had been my dad, the joke would have been a threat, one he would follow up on. I had the fucking scars to prove it.

  I was here to do a job, to help my uncle, and take care of my sister. That meant leaving the princess alone. And that was okay, since I wasn’t much for relationships or anything much more than one-night stands. I had a list of women in Amarillo I’d never call back on my phone. Someday, I’d get around to deleting them. Anything more than once and they tended to get clingy.

  She might think I’m an asshole, but I answered to her grandfather, not her. Best to keep my distance. Her grandparents had been talking about her arrival for weeks, like it was the second coming of Christ.

  “I can’t wait for you to meet her,” Mrs. Llewellyn had said. “She’s a sweetheart and absolutely brilliant. Someday, she’ll take over the empire. We’ve been grooming her since she was a babe.”

  I couldn’t imagine being groomed for anything. My sister and I grew up hard. We lived day to day. Things were good right now, but one wrong move, and we’d be out on the streets.

  No way would I jeopardize my family’s future for a piece of ass, didn’t matter how fucking hot it was.

  …

  Ranch hand. Like he was too good to share his name. Whatever. He drove the golf cart across the tarmac, through the path in the woods that separated the airstrip from the house, and up the long drive to Tara. Okay, it’s not really called Tara, but it looks like something out of my grandma’s favorite movie, Gone with the Wind. And it was nothing short of breathtaking. To some people it might look like a hotel, but to me it was home. Or least it had been. This had always been my safe haven, but now this secret I had to keep made my haven a prison.

  While I realized a few bad grades weren’t the end of the world, there were few things I did well. School was one of them. And failing…it was a wake-up call. This was my future I was screwing around with, and my family was depending on me to take over the business. I couldn’t do that if I flunked out of school.

  That awful tightness in my chest pulled tighter.

  My phone dinged, and I pulled it out of my pocket.

  You home safe? Bethany texted.

  I sent her one back saying yes.

  Feeling evil, I snapped a quick picture of my driver. The flash must have blinded him, because we came to a near-whiplash stop in the circular drive.

  “What the?” He blinked several times. “What did you do that for?”

  “I wanted to send my friend a picture of you. I’ve never met someone named Ranch Hand before.” He was quite possibly the hottest guy ever. Too bad he was rude.

  “You could have killed us both,” he said, his tone dangerous as he grabbed my backpack from the back of the golf cart, along with my suitcase.

  “I can take that,” I said, reaching out for my stuff.

  “Oh, no. Can’t have the princess carrying her own bags. I’d lose my job.”

  “Whoa. I don’t even know you. What’s with the attitude?”

  That seemed to stop him. “Sorry, ma’am. I have an odd sense of humor, and it hits some people wrong.”

  He didn’t sound sorry at all. And there was nothing humorous about him. Damn, was that him? I sniffed again. Crisp pine mixed with the musky scent of a man. Everything about him was sexy as hell, except his caustic attitude.

  “Okay, then.”

  My phone dinged again, and I forced my gaze away from his.

  You need to jump on that. You need to jump on that right now. And I’m booking a ticket to Texas. If guys there look like that, I might transfer to U.T., Bethany texted.

  I snorted. While there was nothing wrong with the law school at the University of Texas, I couldn’t imagine Miss Ivy League Bethany there. She might not always show up for class—it was the only thing she wasn’t anal about—but she definitely loved everything about Harvard.

  “Darling girl, you’re here,” Grandma’s voice chimed behind me.

  I whirled around and ran up the steps. “I missed you.” I slung my arms on her neck and squeezed. It was true. My grandparents had raised me, and they were tough. But they were also my rocks.

  “We’ve missed you, too, my perfect girl.”

  I flinched at that. I’d spent my entire life trying to live up to their expectations because they had given me so much. But I’d failed them this time.

  I plastered a smile on my face and kissed her cheek.

  “Where’s Grandpa?”

  “In the family room, watching the baseball game. Let’s go say hello.”

  Someone coughed behind us, and she glanced over my shoulder.

  “Cole, hon, can you take those bags up to Callie’s room? In the east wing, third door on the left. And then why don’t you join us for dinner tonight? It would be wonderful for my granddaughter to have some young people her age around while she’s home.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Llewellyn. But I’m afraid I need to get home to my little sister. I don’t like leaving her alone for too long.”

  Grandma waved a hand. “You go home and pick up Adina and bring her with you. I hate the idea of you kids alone in that foreman’s cottage. In fact, why don’t you pack some bags and stay up here for a few days? Y’all need to be around family. You both have had such a rough time lately. And I’m sure my granddaughter would love the company while she adjusts to being back home. I should have thought of it sooner, but I’ve just been so busy.”

  Deer. Headlights. I almost felt sorry for him. It was really hard to tell my grandmother no.

  “Uh, I need to be close to the horses,” he said quickly. “We’ve got foals on the way.”

  “Yes, and we have monitors you can watch on your computer. Edwin told me how you set everything up to be more efficient down in that barn, saving on labor and from needing stable hands around at night. Besides, you’ll be just as close here. Pack your bags. You and Adina are staying here in the east wing with Callie.”

  Cole’s mouth became a thin line. But he nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Placing an arm around my shoulders, she pulled me into the house with her.

  “Are they feeding you at that school? I swear, the bones in your shoulders are poking out. We’ll take care of that. We have roast and mashed potatoes for you tonight. And I made your favorite bourbon balls and divinity.” She held up a hand. “I know it’s not Christmas, but I thought it’d be fun. Besides, bourbon balls should be a year-round pleasure. Rosalee and I have been in the kitchen for days making all of your favorites. We’ll fatten you up in no time.”

  I laughed. “It’s good to be home. And I have to admit, the dorm food isn’t bad, but it gets old
after a while.” And I’d been so busy cramming for finals the last two weeks of school, I’d forgotten to eat. That wasn’t something that had ever been a problem for me before college. I’d never missed a meal. But it had been super stressful the last month.

  Bethany had taken to hiding my laptop until I ate a piece of pizza or one of her god-awful healthy snacks like granola. I usually ate everything in sight. I had the ass to prove it. But it’s amazing what a near nervous breakdown caused by a horrendous class load can do for a girl’s figure.

  I wanted to ask about Cole, but I didn’t get a chance. Why was he living in the foreman’s cottage? And for the love of all things holy, why did Grandma have to invite him to stay at the house when it was obvious he wanted to be as far away from us as he could get.

  “My little CEO.” My grandfather’s voice boomed across the den. God, he was a welcome sight. He was a tough old dude, but I never doubted for one minute he loved me.

  I didn’t even flinch at the CEO thing. There was hope for me yet.

  “From your emails, it sounds like you were really focused on those studies. Good to hear. Some kids can get a little lost that first year, but not my granddaughter. I can’t believe you finished your first year of college. We need to celebrate.” He wrapped me in a big bear hug. I closed my eyes, and by sheer force of will pushed the tears clogging my throat away.

  I was loved and lucky as hell to have these two.

  It wasn’t that I was worried they would stop loving me if they knew the truth. It was that I couldn’t stand to disappoint them. Why should I burden them with my failure when they had so much faith in me? They were both successful entrepreneurs by the time they were my age.

  No pressure or anything.

  “I survived,” I said.

  He put his hands on my shoulders. “Scrawny thing. Helen, we need to fatten this girl up. She’s going to blow away in that West Texas wind.”

  “That’s exactly what I was thinking.” Grandma pushed me toward the couch. “Edwin, my love, turn down the TV. I want to hear all about school.” She handed me a glass of iced tea, which had magically appeared on the coffee table in front of one of the long sofas. As much as I made fun of the house, it was homier than most people expected. The back den, as it was called because there was also one in the front of the house they used for parties, was warmth personified. From the taupe and orange in the rugs, to the leather sofas and chairs, it was casual elegance at its best, a style my interior designer grandmother was known for.

  Breathing deeply, I let the vanilla and cinnamon smells waft through my brain. The house always had the aroma of baked goods.

  They were staring at me expectantly. Wait. What were we talking about? School. No way was I going to talk about that. I could tell them the truth. Lay it all out for them. But the look on their faces, the disappointment I knew would come… It would break their hearts.

  And I was just being stupid. Sure, the business classes were boring as hell, but I was a grown-up. I needed to suck it up. They never had to know I was a complete and utter failure.

  “Honestly, right now I’d rather hear what’s been going on with you guys. School was hard. Harder than I thought it would be. But you know me, I love a challenge.”

  Grandpa slapped the arm of the sofa. “That’s my girl. Never backs down from a challenge. And it’s good they gave you a run for your money. If it were too easy, it wouldn’t be worth the small fortune we pay for you to go there.” He smiled.

  “Stop it,” Grandma huffed. She gave me a wary look like she saw something on my face that I didn’t even know was there. Great. Five minutes in and I was already giving away my secret. “Pay no attention to him. No one wants you to have the best education possible more than he does.”

  “True,” he said. “You know I’m proud of you.”

  I nodded. I didn’t really trust my voice.

  Grandma clapped her hands, and I jumped.

  “Poor girl. You nearly scared the crap out of her,” he said, patting my head like I was some kind of dog he needed to soothe.

  “I just remembered that I invited the Keller kids to stay with us. I can’t stand the idea of them being alone in that house. Tragic, those two. They are the sweetest, kindest souls, but they’ve had a hard life. Callie, I hope you’ll enjoy spending time with them. Cole is just as smart as they come, and that sister of his is one shy darling. He’s done all kinds of things to improve efficiency around here. I need to help Rosalee get their rooms ready.” She started toward the door.

  “I’ll help,” I said. I kissed my grandfather on the cheek and dashed out behind my grandma.

  Even though I was exhausted, there were two reasons I wanted to help. One, so I could avoid the third degree Grandpa would give me as soon as she left the room. And two, I had to find out what had happened to Cole and his sister that was so tragic. My grandparents believed in family, and most of the time the house was filled with various aunts, uncles, and cousins. But usually they put their friends in one of the guesthouses so they could have their privacy.

  Cole Keller. The outlaw name fit him. Dark and dangerous. Those damn chocolate eyes with so much—no. I was so not going there. Grandma had it wrong. He was an asshat. I’d only known him for an hour, even less, and I’d come to that conclusion. I might be one of the privileged. There was no way around that. But I’d spent most of my life trying not to act that way.

  I didn’t appreciate he’d pegged me as one of those people just because I’d arrived on a private jet and my grandpa was one of the richest men in Texas. I wasn’t one of those rich bitches. I knew those kinds of girls. I was forced to socialize with them, but I had absolutely nothing in common with them.

  Grandma refused to let me help, so I went to my room and showered for dinner. I’d missed my shower and my tub. The bathroom I shared with Bethany was a tiny little thing.

  When I came out, I discovered my bag had been unpacked and probably taken down to the laundry. I was the walking cliché when it came to bringing home dirty clothes to wash every time I visited. Either my grandma or Rosalee had been busy. They were like tiny elves always working around the house.

  My grandmother had a successful interior design business with clients around the world. Still, she managed this house like it was a Fortune 500 company, much the same way my grandpa ran his corporation. They were two forces to be reckoned with, and yet some of the kindest people I’d ever known.

  I sat down on the chaise lounge at the end of my bed. We’d redone my room last summer before I left for school. Grandma wanted me to have a sanctuary when I came home for holidays or the summer. That’s exactly what the soft creams and cornflower blues were. I couldn’t help the silly grin on my face at the ginormous ficus tree in the corner. This one had been decorated with some of my old toys and dolls. Even some of my kindergarten artwork was displayed on it. It was a tree dedicated to me. I’d once asked my grandma why we couldn’t have Christmas all year long, and ever since, I’d had some kind of tree in my room adorned with memories.

  I found new clothes in the walk-in closet. No surprise there. My grandma wore a lot of denim and turquoise on the ranch, but when she was traveling, well, let’s just say for a woman in her sixties, she still made the top of the best-dressed lists in a lot of fashion magazines. Go figure—there wasn’t a single pair of jeans. I found a black skirt that hit me mid-thigh, a silver V-necked blouse, and a pair of silver Louboutins Bethany would sell her soul for when she saw them.

  I laughed. I was almost twenty, and Grandma still dressed me.

  When I stepped out into the hall, I heard muffled voices and followed them to a room a little down from mine. When I neared, I heard a girl say, “Please, Cole. Don’t make me wear that dress. I hate it.”

  There was a heavy sigh. “Listen, Ads, they’re trying to be nice by inviting us here. We need to show them respect.” Cole’s voice was soft and kind, missing the attitude that had been in the few words he’d shot my way. “We do that by dressing our be
st. I have to keep this job so I can take care of you. All you have to do is use the good manners Mom taught us.” He sighed again. “And wear the dress. I’m sorry, but we can’t afford to buy another one right now. And even if I could, we don’t have time. You’ll have to make do.”

  The girl sniffed. “I’m sorry. I’m being a brat. It’s just…I wore it to the funeral. And it makes me sad.”

  Funeral? The poor girl sounded heartbroken.

  I cleared my throat and walked past the door. Then I backtracked as if I’d just noticed them.

  “Hey,” I said. The girl was fifteen or sixteen. She sat in a faded red T-shirt and jeans, holding a black dress. Cole knelt beside her.

  The girl’s head popped up and she shoved tears away with the heel of her hand.

  Something about her eyes… Well, hell. I felt drawn to her. Like I wanted to give her a big hug and smooth away the pain I saw there.

  “Hi,” the girl said softly. “I’m Adina, but everyone calls me Ads.”

  “I’m Callie. And one of my super powers is eavesdropping,” I said. “You don’t have to dress for dinner. You can wear whatever you want.”

  Cole turned toward me, standing as he did. He wore a white button-down and tie, dark jeans, and holy shit, he was fucking to die for. The shirt was tight against his broad shoulders, and the jeans… Well, he filled those out just fine.

  “You’ve dressed for dinner,” he said, eyeing me up and down. But I couldn’t tell if he liked what he saw or found it distasteful. “When I saw you earlier, you were in jeans. I just want my sister to feel comfortable, and she won’t if she’s underdressed.” His tone was as abrupt as earlier.

  He had a point.

  But he was making her wear the funeral dress. I had no idea whose funeral it had been, but if wearing the dress broke her heart, it broke mine.

  “Yep. My grandma picked these clothes out for me and put the outfit together. She’s been doing that since I was about seven. It’s habit. And all the clothes I brought home are dirty, so I had to wear what was in the closet. But I promise you, they’ll be in jeans, or what she likes to call ‘casual nice.’ And you should probably lose the tie. Grandpa refuses to wear them at meals. Says it interferes with his digestion.”