The Rancher's Rose: Ranchers Only Series

by Elle Christensen

  “Cookie, what would it take to get you to set aside a plate of those for me?” I asked pleadingly.

  She laughed and pointed to a container set off to the side on one counter. “Damn, woman, I love you.” I rushed over and pried open the corner of the lid. At least a dozen cookies were packed in there and I licked my lips in anticipation. But, when I went to grab one, a spatula came down and smacked my hand.

  “Ow, fuck!” I yelped and cradled my injured hand against my chest. I got a slap to the back of my head that I knew was for my language in front of the kids. Oops.

  “Set a good example and don’t spoil your dinner, boy,” Cookie snapped. Then she spun around with a huff and marched over to the stove.

  I laughed as I resealed the container, then patted it lovingly before heading out of the kitchen. James was in his home office working, his head bent over a couple of reports.

  “Hey.” I ambled in and plopped down into a comfy, overstuffed chair in the corner of the room. “You got a minute?”

  James pushed the papers away and rubbed his eyes before looking over at me. “I welcome any distraction from paperwork.” He preferred to be out on the ranch, but as the owner, there were some things he couldn’t pass off.

  “I’ve been thinking about the situation with Red Hill,” I started, choosing my words carefully.

  James sighed. “You’ve got to get over the idea that Rose is still a kid, Garrison.”

  “Trust me, I know that.” James’ brows furrowed, and I cursed in my head at my loose lips. It just kind of slipped out. I cleared my throat and looked him in the eye, so I didn’t appear guilty. “I mean, it’s time I started treating her like an adult.”

  He leaned back in his chair and watched me silently, so I went on. “You and I both know that Maddie is ready to take on a larger role. So, instead of losing her to someone else, what if she takes over as Locke Creek’s manager and I help Rose run Red Hill? I can teach her everything she needs to know.”

  He was studying me in a way that almost made me run for the hills, but I had an ace and I threw it on the table. “You don’t have time and I know you don’t want Lia out there working alongside her. Which you and I both know is what will happen if she doesn’t trust the person that steps in for her.”

  Lia and his kids were James’ world and I knew he wouldn’t have a good argument once I brought up Lia’s condition. It was a bone of contention between the two of them because Lia refused to sit her ass down and rest like James wanted her to.

  He rubbed his jaw thoughtfully then nodded. “If Rose agrees to it, it seems like the best scenario for everyone.” His gaze turned a little dark and he frowned. “You better be on your best behavior, Garrison. If you make my baby sister cry again, I’m going to kick your ass from here to Timbuctoo.”

  “Understood.”

  “I’ll talk to her about it tonight.”

  I nodded and stood, waiting for him to join me before we left the office and headed down the hall to the kitchen.

  “You know,” James murmured. “Andy moved out of the manager’s house when he retired. If you felt like moving over there to make it easier to work there, you’re welcome to it. Maybe Maddie would want to rent your house here.”

  Obviously, it wasn’t the time to tell him that I intended to be living in the main house with Rose, so I just mumbled a, “Maybe,” and left it at that.

  6

  Rose

  When I moved to Red Hill Ranch, James and Lia had made me promise that I’d still come over for dinner at least once a week. Just my luck, I picked a night when Garrison had also decided to eat at the main house.

  There was a large dining room for every employee who lived at the ranch to gather for dinner and my brother and his family often joined them. But, there was also a smaller, private dining room for just family. Of course, they considered Garrison family. So, when he strolled in and took the seat next to me, it took a lot of effort not to bang my head repeatedly on the table.

  Dinner was mostly filled with chatter from the three kids. I kept my attention on my plate, trying to ignore the heat radiating from Garrison’s body. Why did he have to be so damn sexy? My traitorous body was tingly and aroused.

  After dinner, the children were excused to go play for a while before bed. I was about to follow them out when James called to me.

  “Marigold, don’t leave just yet. I’d like to talk to you about something.”

  I held in a sigh as I returned to my seat. “What’s up, bro?” I asked with fake cheeriness.

  “I’ve been thinking about the best way for you to learn to run the ranch and Garrison came up with an idea.”

  He laid out the plan, backing it up with excellent points that I couldn’t refute without telling him exactly why I didn’t want Garrison managing Red Hill Ranch.

  “What do you think?”

  I opened my mouth with every intention of coming up with a bullshit excuse, but nothing came to mind. Frustrated, I glanced at Garrison to see him watching me with a smug expression. My hand itched to slap it right off his beautiful face.

  “I guess that would work,” I sighed with barely contained resignation.

  Lia smiled brightly and gave me a knowing look, to which I sent her a glare. “Great! I’ll pop over from time to time to work with the trainers, but otherwise, Garrison will be there for you. Pretty soon, you’ll be a pro.”

  My eyes strayed to Garrison again and he winked at me. I could have sworn steam was literally spouting from my ears. Before there could be any more discussion, I abruptly pushed away from the table and stood. “Well, I’ve got an early start tomorrow. I’m going to go home and go to bed.”

  James stood and came around to give me a hug. It went a long way in soothing my ire. I knew my brother loved me and simply wanted the best for me.

  “Goodnight, Poppy.” I rose up on my toes and kissed his cheek. Then waved to Lia and hurried out to my truck. James had insisted on giving me his old one, stating that my small sports car was impractical. When it came to living on a ranch, he was right. But, I argued that I should buy it from him which only earned me a dark frown and a guilt trip about how he couldn’t take care of me anymore since I was all grown up and on and on until I caved. My brother knew my soft spots and had no problem exploiting them when he thought he was completely in the right.

  After I got back to my house, I changed into an over-sized T-shirt that hung off one shoulder and a pair of sleep shorts. I was in the kitchen making a cup of tea when I heard noises out on the porch. I knew what was causing it, or should I say, who. But, curiosity got the best of me and I peeked out the kitchen window.

  The air in my lungs came out in a rush when my eyes landed on the sexiest ass I’d ever seen. Garrison was bent over, removing his jeans, leaving him only in a pair of dark blue boxer-briefs. When he rose back up, the muscles in his back rippled and I felt those tingles again. Particularly in between my legs. It had been a long time since I’d had my legs wrapped around his lean waist, but I hadn’t forgotten how it felt.

  He turned, and I quickly backed away, hoping he hadn’t seen me playing peeping Tom. I jumped at the sharp rap of knuckles on my back door. Before I could get to it, I heard it open and suddenly Garrison was standing in the doorway. His large presence made the kitchen feel like it had shrunk. The scowl on his face, while scary to some people, was sexy to me and made butterflies erupt in my stomach.

  “The door was unlocked,” he admonished. His tone snapped me out of my lustful fog. I tensed and gave him an equally dark look.

  “Don’t tell me what to do, jackass. I’m a grown ass woman,” I snapped, planting my hands on my hips. “You’re right, though. I should keep it locked so unwanted visitors can’t just mosey in here any time they want.”

  A wicked smile stole across Garrison’s face before he ate up the space between us in two long strides. He pushed my hands away and grasped my waist to hoist me up onto the counter. Then he moved to stand in between my legs.

&n
bsp; “Oh, I think we both know you want me,” he drawled arrogantly. I started to protest, but he cut me off by pressing our lips together and licking inside my mouth. A small moan escaped, and Garrison plunged his hands into my hair, holding me still as he ravaged my mouth. After a minute, he slanted his head and took the kiss even deeper. My hands found their way to his shoulders and I held on for dear life.

  I don’t know how long we kissed, but it felt like hours. Eventually, he softened the kiss, placing two small ones on each corner of my mouth. We were both panting, and he groaned faintly as he leaned his forehead against mine.

  “I most definitely want you, baby.”

  I was about to say to hell with it and take him back to my room, but he placed one rough finger over my lips. “Not yet, Rose. When I finally take you to bed, it won’t be because you’re lost in the moment. It’ll be when you’re ready to admit that you’re mine.” Then he was gone, the soft snick of the door shutting the only noise breaking up the silence in the kitchen.

  I sat there for who knows how long, my fingers rubbing at my lips, reliving his kisses. Eventually, I hopped off the counter and went to bed where I spent the night tossing and turning in between dreams of Garrison that left me feeling empty and alone.

  At four in the morning, I gave up on sleep and stumbled blearily out to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. While it percolated, I stripped out of my PJs and took a hot shower.

  The bathroom was full of steam when I stepped out and wrapped a towel around me. I wiped the mirror clean and stared at my reflection.

  “You’re stronger than this, Rose,” I lectured myself. “He’s just a man.” I sighed. “A sexy as hell man who makes me want to climb him like a damn tree.”

  Shaking my head at my weak attempt to corral my hormones, I dropped the towel and walked into my bedroom.

  “Fuck!”

  The deep, male voice scared the shit out of me and I jumped with a short scream.

  I spun around to see Garrison standing in the doorway. “Garrison!” I yelled. “You scared the fuck out of me!” A deep frown marred his face at my language, but I didn’t care. I opened my mouth to lay into him until I realized he was barely paying attention.

  His fists were clenched at his sides, and his eyes were devouring every inch of me. He was shirtless once again, his tight abdomen rising and falling in quick succession. And when my eyes dropped to his unbuttoned jeans, my breath hitched at the growing bulge pressing against the fabric. Garrison’s hazel eyes darkened to a deep green as they scanned me from head to toe.

  My whole body tingled, my nipples hardened to taut points, and wetness gathered in my sex. A light bulb went off and I remembered that I was buck naked, which meant he could see my physical reaction to him.

  His gaze slowly returned to my face, leaving the sensation of having been caressed in its wake. I suddenly didn’t care about anything but having his hands on me. I couldn’t even remember why I’d been fighting him.

  Before I could say anything or make a move toward him, his jaw clenched and his eyes squeezed shut. He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. When they reopened, he stared up at the ceiling. “Breakfast is ready,” he spits before spinning around and marching down the hall. “And, shut your fucking door if you want to walk around naked,” he shouted.

  I stood there, trying to wrap my brain around what had just happened until the sound of a drawer slamming shut startled me. Garrison was confusing the hell out of me. One minute he is trying to convince me to let him into my bed, then the next he walks away from steamy kisses or my obviously turned on, naked body.

  I dropped my head back in frustration and looked up, as though the answers were above me. Then I shook it off and went about getting dressed. I didn’t have time for this bullshit. I had a ranch to run.

  When I strolled into the kitchen, I was thankful to see that Garrison had donned a shirt and buttoned his jeans. He was setting French toast on the table and looked up as I approached. His eyes drifted over my braided hair, T-shirt, jeans, and boots with an appreciative glow. It warmed me all over and that annoyed the crap out of me. I cleared my throat and gave him a cursory nod before sitting at the table.

  “Mind telling me what the hell you were doing in my bedroom this morning?” I snipped.

  “I came to tell you about breakfast and your door wasn’t all the way shut.” He looked at me reproachfully. “I knocked, and the door swung open just as you stepped out of the bathroom.”

  I narrowed my eyes in suspicion, but he was too busy glaring at me to notice. “Anyone could have walked in on you, Rose.” His eyes darkened as they filled with a possessive gleam. “No one is allowed to see you like that but me.” I wasn’t touching that statement with a ten-foot-pole, so I just rolled my eyes and dug into my food.

  The first bite of buttery cinnamon and vanilla goodness burst on my tongue and I moaned. Damn, this guy knew how to cook.

  “You’ve got to stop making those sounds, baby,” Garrison said, a note of pleading in his tone. “Unless you want to be flat on your back and making them as I fuck you.”

  I gawked at him, my mouth hanging slightly open. Why did his dirty mouth turn me on? Ugh. I needed to get a grip on my libido if I wanted to keep him at arm’s length. Who are you kidding, Rose?

  He was staring at his plate, rubbing his temples with two fingers. Then he looked my way, determination hardening his features. “Eat, baby. We have a lot to do today.” Then he shoved back from the table and emptied his full plate into the trash then rinsed his plate and put it into the dishwasher.

  “Not hungry?” I asked.

  “Not for food,” he retorted gruffly before stalking out of the house.

  I didn’t want to think too much about his declaration, so I shoveled food into my mouth and quickly finished eating. Garrison had cleaned up the kitchen before he left, leaving only my dishes to deal with before I grabbed my hat and followed him outside.

  7

  Garrison

  Rose had only lived on a ranch since she was fourteen and left at eighteen for college. But, in that small time, she’d fallen in love with the land and ranching. Throughout the day, it was clear that she was a natural.

  The ranch hands, trainers, and other employees who’d been around as she grew up were already willing to do anything she asked. But, she quickly won over everyone else. She pitched in on the chores, working hard and earning their respect. When Ophelia arrived, we went back to the house and into the home office. We went over some of her responsibilities and did a crash course on some of the software we used.

  It would take time to really learn it all, but she picked it up fast and Ophelia was preening like a proud mama when she left.

  Over the next week, Rose and I had breakfast together every morning, then went about working side by side. It wasn’t that I didn’t think she couldn’t handle it, I just wanted to be with her…and, it kept the motherfucking vultures from circling. By the end of the week, every man on that ranch knew who she belonged to and knew to stay the fuck away from her.

  If Rose noticed my warnings and their distance when working with her, she didn’t make mention of it. I certainly wasn’t going to bring it up. Especially since she’d started to relax and become more comfortable in my presence.

  My nights in the hammock were becoming increasingly uncomfortable. Not because of the makeshift bed, but because I was suffering from a monumental case of blue balls.

  Every morning, I pictured her the way she’d been when I accidentally walked in on her after her shower. Her skin had been rosy from the heat, her pink nipples tight and ready for my mouth. Her tits had bounced lightly as her breathing sped up and her—holy-fucking-shit—bare pussy was glistening with her arousal. It had taken every ounce of my willpower to tear my eyes away from her incredible body and leave the room.

  I was nearing the end of my rope and I was afraid that if I didn’t convince her to open her shell, I’d end up bulldozing through it. Most likely, I’
d throw her over my shoulder like a fucking caveman and tie her to the bed until she was screaming as she came and admitted she was mine.

  We’d been eating at Locke Creek every night, but tonight was Saturday and it was going to be different. Sweat was covering both our bodies as we’d been working on some repairs. Normally, we shower—separately, to my continued disappointment—if it was needed, then drive over to dinner together.

  I hurried through my shower and put on a clean pair of dark jeans, a blue, long-sleeved Henley, and boots I didn’t wear to work on the ranch.

  When Rose emerged from her room, I was waiting as the end of the hall. She surveyed my outfit and smiled, almost shyly. “You look nice. Did I forget about a special occasion?”

  I shook my head and sauntered over to her, taking in her cut-off shorts—which were a little too short for my liking—her purple, spaghetti-strapped top, and sandals that showed off her matching, painted toes. She looked so fucking cute.

  “Nope. I didn’t tell you about it,” I informed her. Her smile turned perplexed as she looked up into my face. I loved how small and dainty she was compared to me. “I’m taking you out.”

  Her mouth popped open and her blue eyes widened. “Like a date?” she asked.

  She’d let her hair down, hanging in silky waves and I slid my hand into the soft tresses, cupping the back of her head. “Not like a date, baby. It is a date.”

  A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth and I breathed a silent sigh of relief that she wasn’t fighting me. “Okay,” she said sweetly. “Should I change first?”

  I looked her over once again, making it very clear how much I like what I saw. “You look hot at as fuck, baby, but if you want to change out of those shorts, it would save me from having to beat the shit out of any fucker who looked at your legs.”