Rocky Mountain Romance (Six Pack Ranch Book 7)

by Vivian Arend

  But there were horses on the land. Scrawny ones, the most swayed-back beasts she’d ever seen. She needed to take a closer look before she said anything, though. “Thanks for the info. I need to get rolling.”

  “Call me anytime,” he offered. “I like talking to you.”

  “Yeah, it is rather fine, isn’t it?”

  The sound of his rumbling amusement echoed in her ear as she hung up, a pleased sensation rolling over her at his quick response.

  She caught another glimpse of the horses, and her amusement faded. She checked her watch, but there wasn’t time to take a look before getting to the first scheduled appointment, so she put it on her mental agenda for when she was free.

  Walking into the first barn of the day always gave her a thrill. It didn’t matter whose land she was on, not really. The animals and what she knew about their habits and behaviours made her step with confidence into the middle of the action, whether she was at a mom-and-pop hobby farm or a billion-dollar-ranching operation.

  The first few jobs passed quickly as she fell into a routine, taking every back road possible to cut time off her trips.

  She hadn’t lied to Steve. The truck was amazing, and she wasn’t worried at all about it dying. Not like Myrtle, rest its soul.

  Melody checked the battery on her phone, wondering if she’d missed a call from Sean while she was out of range of the lone cell-phone tower in the area. It was possible, and when she called him back and got no answer, she was even more convinced there’d been a communication breakdown.

  But the time was closing in when she needed to get to his land for the long, sweaty task of inoculating the herd, and she wasn’t sure where she needed to be. Time to check in at the office.

  “Rocky Mountain Animal Care, Callie speaking. How can I help you?”

  The line was barely intact, and Melody rushed to get information before she lost contact altogether. “Hey, Callie, it’s Melody. You see a note from Sean Dalton saying where to meet him?”

  The front-desk receptionist at the clinic hummed. “I don’t see anything in the logbook, and there’s nothing that’s come in since I arrived.”

  “Drat.” Melody checked her watch again. “Can you call—?”

  The line crackled one last time as the connection between them severed.

  She thought a few choice words, then took a shot and headed for the main homestead, hoping along the way she’d pass a field or outbuilding with a batch of vehicles surrounding it. Something that would give her a clue to tell her where to go.

  Her detecting skills sucked, yielding not a single hint along the way. What was worse was when she pulled into his yard, it obviously wasn’t the right spot. There were trucks gathered, parked to the side, but the herd of cows that were supposed to be in the yard waiting for their turn to be prodded—they simply weren’t there.

  Melody made her way to the ranch house, cursing under her breath at the delay. She knocked loudly, peeking through the window for a sign of life.

  Emily Dalton came forward, wiping her hands on a towel, a frown creasing her forehead, dark hair pulled back in a neat ponytail. “Can I help you?”

  “I don’t know if you remember me, but I’m Melody Langley, one of the local vets. I’m here to do your inoculations, but I didn’t get word where to go.”

  The woman’s mouth hung open for a second before she slammed it shut, her frown increasing. She shook her head and turned on the spot, headed into the house. “Come with me, I’ll get a hold of Sean on the walkie-talkie.”

  “Thanks.”

  Melody took off her boots and paced farther into the neat farmhouse, the smell of home cooking filling the air.

  “Well, she’s here now,” Emily announced into the microphone in the corner of the room, glancing toward Melody with concern as a voice rumbled back, barely recognizable as words. “I don’t know why she’s here. You have everything ready for her?”

  Sean’s response was another buzz Melody couldn’t understand, but it set Emily nodding before she hung up and turned with a sigh.

  “They’re waiting for you down at the White Pine barn.”

  It wasn’t Emily’s fault. Melody held in the rest of her frustration as she headed toward the door. “That’s the one I reach off Simpson Road, right?”

  “That’s the long way around,” Emily muttered, pulling off her apron and slipping on a pair of boots. “Come on, follow me and I’ll get you there in no time.”

  Still took them nearly twenty minutes, which was a lot less time than it would have if Melody had taken the only other route she knew. Emily drove confidently through side fields, popping out of the truck to steal through gates Melody would never have known to use.

  She waved at Emily in thanks as she parked beside the barn, grabbing her equipment and heading in to the corrals behind the barn at a near run.

  The cattle had been there for a while—that much was obvious from the mess in the yard.

  Sean looked daggers at her as he folded his arms over his chest. “You’ve wasted over an hour of my time, and my men’s time.”

  “I could have been here on time if you’d left word where you would be,” Melody pointed out as politely as possible. “I mentioned that to you this morning.”

  “I called. Left a message at the clinic.” He turned his back on her, jamming his hat farther on his head as if he were fighting to control his temper.

  Melody suddenly wasn’t sure what to do. Had she missed the update? Dammit. Until she found out who had screwed up at the office all she could do was move forward. “Let’s get started then.”

  She kept her head high in spite of the rocky start, but from the expressions on the hands waiting to help, Sean wasn’t the only one holding back from giving her hell.

  It was going to be a long afternoon.

  Steve spent more time checking his watch that afternoon than he had in a long time. By the time his phone finally rang, he was done for the day and eager to get together with Melody. He’d done some thinking about their evening, and his plans for the night included more than just rocking her socks.

  Although, that was on the agenda.

  Only she didn’t have good news for him.

  “I have to cancel.” She let out a long groan as if stretching sore back muscles. Steve recognized the sound—he’d been there often enough himself. “I’m so far behind I can’t see the finish line. I need to finish this round of shots at the Daltons’, plus I just got a message from the clinic that I have to head over and check the last animal I did surgery on—Tom insists it’s my work, and he doesn’t want to interfere.”

  First day Mathis was gone, and Tom was already being a dick, but Melody probably didn’t need anyone pointing that out. “I don’t mind waiting,” Steve said.

  “I have no idea what time I’ll be done. Let’s call it quits for the night and get together later this week.”

  The urge to deny her request was so strong he nearly bit his tongue in two, but instead he pulled in his hard-earned smarts and listened. At least for now.

  “Take care of yourself,” he ordered, not sure what else he could do.

  “I always do.”

  Frustration swept him. He wanted to be taking care of her.

  He’d barely hung up when the phone rang again.

  “I’m looking for trouble, and I know you’re the man to help me find her.” The familiar voice of his cousin Jesse.

  This could be a good distraction from the fucked-up change of plans. Maybe. “I don’t know if I want any of your brand of trouble,” Steve warned.

  “Wimp.”

  “Jackass.”

  “Fuckhead”

  “Stupid.”

  Jesse snickered. “We could do this all night. Or you could get your ass over here so I can show you what I’ve got.”

  “What? You’re actually at home? I thought you’d decided to turn into a hobo and live out of your truck.”

  “Screw you.” Only the words were said without any heat. It app
eared the enthusiastic smartass version of Jesse was back—the guy everyone enjoyed spending time with. “Come on, Steve, I can’t keep this under wraps for much longer.”

  His curiosity shot skyward. Steve turned his truck reluctantly away from Melody and down the back roads.

  On the low porch outside the rental house, Jesse, Trevor and Lee were gathered in a tight knot, their broad backs blocking the view of whatever the hell had Jesse in an uproar. He ordered Prince to stay, his dog settling back on its haunches by the truck, peering toward the house with interest.

  Steve made his way forward, jerking to a stop at a low growl that rang out as the first step creaked under his foot.

  Instantly, Jesse spoke, employing the low, singsong tone used everywhere to soothe a cranky animal. “It’s okay, Charlie. That’s Steve, and he’s okay. No, wait. He’s a bit of an ass at times, but he’s mostly okay.”

  Trevor and Lee chuckled as Steve pushed himself between their shoulders to check out the center of attention. On the ground before them lay a sleek German shepherd with four large pups nestled against her nursing.

  “Seriously?” Steve didn’t know if he should laugh or smack Jesse one. “You called me over because you want to show me a dog?”

  His cousin squatted and ran a hand over the bitch’s head. “Isn’t she a beauty?”

  Steve glanced at Trevor and didn’t bother to hide his amusement. “She’s gorgeous. So, where did you meet your new girlfriend?”

  Jesse multitasked wonderfully, continuing to pet the dog while he gave Steve the bird. “Consider it my good deed for the day. I’m thinking about keeping one of the pups. If any of the rest of you want one, the bitch is supposed to be a prize-winning tender.”

  “And you know this? How?”

  His cousin stiffened before shrugging and answering noncommittally. “Oh, something I heard.”

  “Does she have papers?” Trevor asked.

  Jesse shook his head. “If she did, I don’t have them, and I’m the one in charge of her now.”

  There was something his cousin wasn’t saying, but Steve wasn’t sure he wanted to know much more. “Just tell me no one’s going to come after you for having stolen their prize-winning dog.”

  “I am shocked and dismayed at your lack of trust,” Jesse muttered, sniffing the air before flashing a grin. “Well, no, I’m not. But since I’m a bigger man than you, I’ll put your mind at ease. I won her in a bet.”

  “Gambling?” Trevor caught hold of the pup that was now exploring by their boots, picking up the little thing and looking him in the eye. “I don’t know you’re much of a bargaining chip, tiger, but I suppose you might be worth a buck or two.”

  Inside the house, the phone rang, and Lee shook his head. “I’d better answer that. It’s Mom, Aunt Dana or Auntie Marion. Our moms are the only people who call the landline.”

  As he vanished inside, Trevor passed the pup in his hands to Steve. “Which reminds me—I left my phone charger here the other day when I had supper with the guys.”

  “Do you ever eat at your own house?” Steve demanded.

  “Not if I can help it.” Trevor pushed through the door with his back, his grin lighting his face. “I like to eat. I don’t like to cook.”

  “Bad thing to confess,” Steve shouted after his brother. “We’ll find a way to make you pay for that.”

  “I’m shaking in my boots,” Trevor called.

  Steve turned back to Jesse with a chuckle, the small animal in his arms wiggling in an attempt to rejoin his family until he replaced the pup next to his mom.

  She thumped her tail a couple of times, knocking against the wood of the deck. “She’s pretty good-natured,” he commented. “And I have to admit the pups are damn cute, all feet and big wide eyes.”

  “They’re old enough to wean. So let me know if you want one.” Jesse rose to standing, his mischievous grin suddenly gone solemn. “Don’t let this get around. The truth is the guys I was playing cards with weren’t going to keep them, so I made a big show of wanting to try my hand at training.” He made a face. “I don’t know what came over me. They’re just some dogs.”

  “Award-winning dogs. Don’t forget that part,” Steve reminded him. Maybe rescuing the pups didn’t make a lot of sense, but it was a generous thing to do, and Steve had no problem encouraging Jesse in that direction.

  His cousin had been running hot and cold a lot over the past year. The entertaining and good-natured man was still there, somewhere underneath the cocky, almost impossible arrogance that could show up at times. Steve enjoyed Jesse’s company when he wasn’t being an ass.

  Probably a little like himself, before and after his makeover. Before, selfish asshole. After? Decent human being who looked out for others instead of just himself.

  Even as he thought it, another idea struck. “Hey, what are your plans for the bitch?” he asked.

  Jesse paused. “It’s funny. She’s already well trained, and I could use her on the ranch once the puppies are claimed, but…”

  It was his turn to scoop up one of the litter, stroking between the ears of the black ball of fur as his eyes got a far-off look to them. Steve shuffled his feet away from the pup that’d crawled over and started chewing on his boots.

  “I wasn’t kidding around when I said I want to train a pup. My last dog passed away two years ago, and he was kind of my dog and Joel’s.” Mention of his twin brought a momentary grimace to his face before he pasted on a smile and presented it to Steve. “You interested in the female?”

  “Not me. I already got Prince, and there are a couple other dogs on the ranch, but I’m wondering…” He wasn’t sure if he should mention the idea to Jesse first, or check with Melody. “I’ve got a friend who might like her. Can you give me a few days to find out?”

  “Not a problem with me. I have to find homes for the rest of the pups, first,” Jesse said. “The dog population at the Six Pack ranch is going up rapidly.”

  It was kind of amusing. “You know these things happen in cycles. Always seems as if we have a lot of dogs around then suddenly the place is empty, and we all start looking for new animals.”

  They moved the pups and the bitch farther under the eaves, Jesse bringing out a blanket for the box. The pups curled up around their mom. Steve took an extra minute to check her over, but as far as he could tell she seemed sound.

  “Hey, Steve. We’re going to go grab some burgers in town.” Trevor called over his shoulder as he and Lee shot out the front door and went for their trucks. “Maybe hit Traders for a while and shoot some pool. You want to come?”

  He was torn, but only for a moment. Over the past half hour he’d figured out exactly where he wanted to be. “You go on without me.”

  Trevor waved a hand and didn’t bother to look back. Jesse took off as well, and Steve headed home for long enough to grab a bag and shove a few things into it, just on the off chance his idea was successful.

  The lights were still off at Melody’s house, so he drove on past and picked up food at the grocery store. Some of that premade dinner stuff that was far better than anything out of a box.

  Then with the bags sitting on the small table outside her door, Steve pulled his guitar from the crew cab and found himself a comfortable spot on the porch to wait for her to come home.

  He didn’t play as much as he used to. He didn’t have dreams of making it big and heading out to commercial success. He didn’t want to play in Nashville—he just enjoyed playing.

  And frankly, even that was difficult at times with the wear and tear ranching placed on a man’s body. Hands and fingers got rough from the cold, and sometimes in the middle of winter it was impossible for him to play anything, his fingers like thick slabs of unresponsive meat. Trevor teased him for it, but Steve used cream and took care of his hands best he could.

  The reward was moments like this, when his brain was rambling too hard to settle in one direction. Better than any drug, a bit of time at the strings, and a kind of blissful cal
m settled over him.

  He picked songs he loved as the sky grew bright, the sun just starting to set behind the mountains. Reflections of brilliant bronze and gold highlighting against the wisps of cloud strung over the sky.

  Music calmed him. Soothed his soul.

  He was downright mellow by the time a set of lights bounced toward him as Melody’s truck approached.

  She swung down from the cab, shutting the door firmly before heading his direction. As she drew closer, he put the guitar aside so he could focus on her.

  She’d probably worn coveralls for most of the day, so her jeans and T-shirt were mostly clean. But there was dirt on her face and in her blonde hair, her hands scrubbed but with traces of dirt under her nails as she came to a stop in front of him, her expression bemused.

  “I thought I told you not to bother coming over.”

  Steve rose to his feet. Even with shit on her boots and God knows what in her hair, he still thought she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. “I brought supper.”

  “Oh, God, thank you,” she breathed, opening the door with one hand and offering a tired smile as she gestured him forward. “I was going to have a shower and pass out.”

  “Sounds like a great plan,” Steve teased. “We’ll just add a little food to your list.”

  He placed his guitar to one side before dropping the bags on the countertop. “Go have your shower,” he encouraged her. “I’ll get things ready.”

  She hesitated.

  “Go,” he commanded.

  Melody hesitated. “How come you’re in my house bossing me around?”

  “Because you didn’t come over to my house so I could boss you around there. And it’s more private here than bossing you around down on Main Street.”

  She groaned. “Lord, I’m so tired, I’m not going to attempt to figure that one out.”

  “If you hadn’t argued in the first place, you’d already be under the shower,” Steve pointed out. He let his gaze drop over her. “Or are you looking for some assistance? I can get you naked damn fast if you want.”

  She held up a hand in protest. “I can’t even think of flirting with you right now.”