For a moment he thought maybe he’d apologize again now, but then he heard the voices of Dax and Alice following behind them and ran into James who was coming in from the hallway that led to the back door. “Am I early?” he asked.
“Nope, right on time,” Cole said.
He stopped long enough to make introductions. “James, do you know Claire Geddy?”
James took off his cowboy hat and gave Claire the smile that made women fall all over themselves around James. Not that he seemed to be much of a playboy—as far as Cole could tell, James rarely left the ranch—but he’d heard rumors about all the women that had set their sights on their quiet ranch hand.
And right now, seeing that smile, Cole had the distinct urge to smack it off the younger man’s face.
“Of course,” Claire said, her voice filled with such warmth and familiarity, it took everything in him not to tighten his grip on her shoulders. “I haven’t seen you for a while but you were a couple grades behind us in high school, right?”
He tipped his head. “That’s right, ma’am. I was a grade below you and Cole, but I surely remember you.”
Cole looked on in disbelief as Claire blushed. She blushed. Yes, she’d blushed around him before, but that was different.
He scowled at James as he guided her to the dining room. The rest of the family, including James, filed in after them. He helped Claire into a seat as Dax set out the chili and Alice filled the water glasses.
“I hope you’re all right with chili,” he said as he took his seat across from Claire. “It’s pretty much the only meal in my repertoire,” he joked. Also, he hadn’t even known he was going to invite her over to dinner until it was already done so it wasn’t like he’d had a whole lot of time to prepare.
“Cole’s being modest,” Alice chimed in. “He’s the best cook out of all of us.”
He resisted the urge to roll his eyes at Alice. “Not that that’s saying much. You lot are a bunch of heathens when left to your own devices.”
Dax proved his point by half standing and reaching an arm right in front of Claire’s face to get at the corn bread. “Then maybe you shouldn’t leave us to our own devices.”
He stared at Dax in shock for the second time that evening and who knew how many times since he’d gotten back. Was it his imagination or was Dax trying to say that he was okay with him coming back to the ranch?
Cornbread now on his plate, Dax turned to a smiling Claire with mock sincerity. “For the record, Cole only learned how to cook to avoid chores in the stables.”
James laughed quietly. “That’s true,” he murmured.
Cole raised a brow in his direction which only made James laugh harder. At him, he realized. James was outright laughing at him and most likely because he knew that Cole had been green with jealousy at the way she’d looked at him before.
Man, he had to get a grip or he’d end up making a fool of himself.
More than he already had, if that was possible.
Alice shook her head. “No, you guys got it all wrong. Cole learned how to cook to impress the ladies.” She sang the last part with a ridiculous wag of her eyebrows that was so over the top they were all laughing. Even Claire, he noted with some relief.
“What ladies?” James asked. He looked around pointedly, “No ladies live in this household.”
Alice leaned across the table to thwack James upside the head and he tilted his head down, laughing softly but heartily.
“She means Mom and Grandma,” Dax said, his lips twitching up at the corners as he met Cole’s gaze. “Our Mama’s boy over here was always aiming to please those ladies.”
That had all of them laughing again, even Cole. He wasn’t above laughing at himself, especially when his siblings were being so ridiculous. Besides, he knew very well they were keeping the tone lighthearted to make sure Claire was at ease after his epic case of foot-in-mouth disease back in the kitchen.
Claire reached for her water glass and took a sip. He found himself mesmerized by the playful way her eyes twinkled with mirth above the rim of the glass as Dax and Alice continued to throw barbs back and forth, this time at each other’s expense and not his.
But when Claire spoke, it wasn’t to him at all. She spoke to James. “Are they always like this?”
James gave her a lopsided smile. “Always.”
When she laughed in response, Cole’s chest seemed to relax. He took a deep breath as the last of his tension melted away under the familiarity and comfort of his family and their home.
When Claire glanced in his direction, he grinned at her. She was here, and she was enjoying herself.
He refused to overthink the overwhelming joy he got seeing her here, fitting in as if this was where she was meant to be.
She was here, and that was all that mattered.
Chapter Eleven
What was she doing here? She’d almost run away. Almost. And for a little while there she wished she had.
I’m not marrying Claire. I’m not even interested in dating her. How embarrassing. Every time she thought of it, she could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. She could only hope that her entertaining dinner companions were chalking her red cheeks up to the spice in the chili.
But really, how mortifying. And irritating. Who asked him to marry her?
Not Claire.
And she wasn’t the one who’d invited him to dinner, it was the other way around.
Anger. That was good. That was so much better than humiliation.
But the anger ebbed, along with the overwhelming embarrassment, as Cole and his family fell into a comfortable banter and teasing that was wholly unfamiliar for her, but clearly the norm in this household.
She liked it. Surprisingly, since the whole concept of family dinners and sibling squabbling was alien to her, and honestly had never held much allure. She’d never been the type of kid who’d begged Santa for a sister. She remembered one of her teachers asking her once if she minded being an only child and she could recall her answer perfectly. Of course not, she’d said. Why would I want another person to take care of?
Only the teacher’s look of pity clued her in to the fact that her answer had not been normal. It wasn’t until years later that she’d realized why.
She picked at her cornbread and watched with amusement as Alice teased James mercilessly for the way he’d been avoiding some girl in town. Apparently a lot of girls had crushes on him.
She found herself casting a quick glance in Cole’s direction. She couldn’t imagine James was any more in demand than Cole.
Now that her initial irritation and embarrassment had faded somewhat, she could pinpoint that other sensation that had made her feel winded when she’d overheard him talking to Dax.
I’m not even interested in dating her. Even now, those words were still a blow to the gut, which was stupid and irrational. She was well aware of that. It wasn’t like she had any intention of dating him either. There was nothing to feel disappointed about.
But try telling her stomach that. It had done a nosedive in response to the words and she was still struggling to bring her body back to an even keel. The laughter and chatter helped. Not only was it comforting, but it was a relief knowing that she wasn’t expected to take the reins in a conversation.
She hated being the center of attention, unless she was on stage dancing, of course. But that was a different matter.
And a different life. She drew in a deep breath of air to keep those gloomy thoughts at bay. After that initial shock wave of emotions, she’d actually been enjoying herself. This was no time to wallow.
She had the rest of her life to do that.
Yup. There she went, wallowing again.
She snapped back to reality at the feel of Cole’s hand covering hers. When she looked up startled and met his gaze, she was struck breathless for the second time tonight.
His words earlier might have stung, yet she couldn’t help but think that he was just so…so…kind. Despite his appearance
—and his earlier words—his eyes told a different story. She dropped her gaze before she could try and read too much into them. Clearly she had no sense of judgement around this guy. Maybe she never had. He always was her one weakness when she’d lived here. Granted, she’d been a child then. An obedient, disciplined, responsible child, but young nonetheless. Of course she’d had a weakness. Even she could excuse herself for childish foibles.
But she was a grown up now. She knew better.
Looking down at her half-eaten chili, which truly was delicious, she heard his gravelly voice and wished it didn’t make her so warm and tingly. What had she just told herself? She knew better.
“I’m guessing you’re wondering why we asked you over here,” he said.
Why we asked? No, you asked. The petty voice sounded distinctly like her former teenage self. At the same time her first instinct was to make sure he knew that she knew that this wasn’t a date but her brain came up empty on how to politely make that point without bringing back the entire humiliating event. She really didn’t want to relive that.
So instead of pouting like a teenager or justifying herself like a weirdo, she raised her eyebrows and gave him what she hoped was a politely inquiring smile. Though she was a little afraid it came across as a stilted, too-cheerful smile.
She never had been much good at fake smiles.
Nevertheless, Cole continued talking. “The Twilight ranch is having a bit of a rough time.”
Oh.
She had not been expecting that.
Her hand froze with the spoon hovering over her chili bowl. She was painfully aware that the laughter and chatter had come to an abrupt end and everyone at the table but Cole was staring anywhere but in her direction.
For one brief, crazy moment she had the horrible impression that this was somehow her fault.
She shook her head, physically shaking off that ridiculous notion. Of course this wasn’t her fault, whatever this was. How to politely ask him to elaborate on what exactly “rough time” meant?
It seemed she didn’t have to. Cole wasn’t done.
He cleared his throat in a vulnerable gesture that tugged at her heart. Gosh darn it, why did he have to be all humble and sweet? It would be easy enough to guard herself against a typical bad boy, but a nice guy with all the appeal of a bad boy? She bit back a sigh.
Sometimes life was not fair.
“The ranch has been struggling financially for a while and this year there were some… unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances that put the property in jeopardy.”
She noted his pause and how diplomatic his words were that. He’d been honest but thoughtful. Almost like he wanted to make sure no one person bore the brunt of the blame. Her respect for him rose immeasurably as a result.
She looked around at his siblings and James, all of whom looked somber but determined.
Heck, she had a great deal of respect for the whole family and the way they were dealing with what had to be a stressful, traumatic situation. Looking around this home, being here with the family, it was startlingly clear that this wasn’t just a financial crisis.
This was a threat to their home—the place where they were raised, the place where they had a legacy and a lineage. It was the house where their parents had lived and where they’d most likely envisioned sharing holidays and get-togethers for years to come. Even if one or some of them left for a while—and really, who expected Cole Deckland to stick around for the long haul—it must have been so reassuring that they always had this place to come back to.
She might not have had more than a little shabby apartment over an even shabbier old bar, but it was still a home and when her life fell apart around her in New York, it had been the safe haven she’d needed. Heck, it still was.
Her gaze moved away from Cole’s. She needed a moment to compose herself under his intense gaze. She didn’t want him to see her pity. Sympathy, yes, but never pity. She knew exactly how awful it felt to have that particularly toxic emotion aimed in one’s direction and she’d vowed never to do that to someone else, no matter what their circumstances.
While she gathered her thoughts and steeled her features, she let her gaze move over the others. James was looking down at the table, not giving anything away. She had to wonder what this was like for him. She remembered his situation. He was a friend of the family and he lived and worked for the ranch. She imagined this was just as much his home as it was theirs.
Alice’s expression was so determined, it was like looking in the mirror and seeing herself at that age. In her early twenties she’d had that same drive. She recognized it instantly. Alice wouldn’t let this place go, not without a fight.
And then there was Dax. Leaning back in his seat with his arms folded across his chest, his handsome features were set in a neutral expression, his gaze unreadable. She made a mental note to never play poker around this guy.
She knew from her mother and the other town gossips that he’d been the one running this place since their parents died. The others helped but everyone knew that this ranch was his pride and joy. It was his legacy.
While she knew what it felt to be attached to a family home, she couldn’t begin to imagine what it must feel like to worry about losing your land. A huge swath of land that she knew from local lore had been in the family since forever.
Well, at least for as long as anyone around here could remember.
Finally, she drew her gaze back to Cole’s and saw that he had been waiting for her, most likely giving her time to process what he’d just told her. But the question was…why? Why had he told her?
For the first time since he’d asked her over to dinner this afternoon, that question came back with a vengeance. “What can I do to help?”
Cole’s answering grin startled her. Goodness, was this man always a charmer? Even now with this incredibly serious topic going on, he still smiled at her with that easy charm that made the air rush out of her lungs.
“Glad you asked,” he said slowly, teasingly. She found herself returning his smile like a goofball. As soon as she caught herself grinning she sobered, drawing in a deep breath and pressing her lips together to keep them under her control instead of his.
“Obviously I’m willing to do anything,” she said. Oh heavens, that hadn’t come out right.
She waited for Cole’s smile to become a knowing smirk, but it never did. Unlike just about every other man she knew, he didn’t seem to be looking for the easy joke. If anything, his gaze turned almost…tender. Like she’d said just the right thing and it had made him emotional.
Sweet mercy, now she was making stuff up, giving him more depth and credit than any man had a right to. What was she thinking? Where was her reason when she needed it most?
Her reason was apparently lost in his steely gray eyes.
Oh dear. She was such a goner.
Luckily he started talking again, saving her from her inner teen and all her crazy romantic notions that she’d thought had been banished after her failed attempts at dating in New York. Apparently they’d just been hiding out, waiting for the chance to swoon over her old high school crush.
“We don’t mean to put you on the spot,” he started.
“Yes, we do,” Alice said. She flashed Claire a mischievous grin and Claire found a laugh bubbling up in response to the younger woman’s pluck.
She’d never known Alice well—she’d been a little too young to hang out with her circle of friends—but she decided right then and there that she liked her. A lot.
She returned Alice’s grin and turned to Cole. “Go ahead, put me on the spot.”
His brows lifted and then he let out a short laugh, one that was genuine and clearly came from surprise.
She loved that laugh.
“Okay then, we’re hoping you can use your connections in New York for our next endeavor to bring money in to the Twilight Ranch.”
Claire felt her smile falter. Use her connections? That would mean reaching out to the people sh
e’d shut herself away from, return the phone calls and answer the emails, all of the things she’d been studiously avoiding doing for six long months.
He was still talking and she wanted to interrupt. Ask me to do anything… except that.
Her hands felt clammy and cold as she clasped them together in her lap.
Cole stopped speaking and she realized she hadn’t heard the last bit. Probably, she realized in horror, the most important part. She’d been too caught up in her own anxiety to listen to their ideas on how they planned to save their home.
She glanced from Cole to his siblings, taking a deep breath and hoping to play it cool.
“Um, I’m sorry. Could you explain again what your plan is?”
Alice cut Cole off this time, launching into a fully detailed explanation about their plans to turn the place into a guest ranch. Now that she had gotten past her own issues long enough to listen, she was entranced. The idea was inspired.
When she said so, Alice beamed. “You really think so?”
Claire nodded enthusiastically. “Of course I do. Your family is blessed with this beautiful location. There are so many people out there who would pay good money to experience the kind of life that you guys have at your fingertips.”
Herself included, but she kept that to herself. Sure she’d been raised with the idyllic backdrop of the Rockies and with the vast prairies surrounding their little town—but growing up she’d always envied her friends who lived in those expensive homes with the land that seemed to go on forever.
Compared to their little flat above the bar, which was smack in the middle of town, that sort of home had seemed too good to be true. She could only imagine how much that sort of experience would appeal to people in New York or any other big city, where fresh air was a rare commodity and expansive land with no one around a priceless dream.
Alice’s smile brightened even further. “So then you’ll help us?”
Claire’s own smile froze. What on earth was she getting herself into? But there was really only one answer. “Of course.”
Of course. Because, even if Cole hadn’t save her life the other night, these were still good people. A great family. Kind neighbors. And they had come to her for help. So of course she would do what she could.
Dancing Queens & Biker Kings: Sweet & Rugged in Montana Page 10
