Home on the Ranch: Her Cowboy Hero

by Pamela Britton

  “Let’s see.” A tongue peeked out between Crystal’s teeth. “How do you spell Kotch?”

  “I’m not going to tell you.” She went and scooped up Paisley, soothed by the scent of her hair. Some days holding her daughter was the only thing that kept her sane.

  “Down,” she said, wiggling.

  Jayden sighed. The older Paisley got, the more she resisted being cuddled. Worst part of her getting older.

  Crystal tapped her fingers on the counter. “Hmm. I’ll try K-O-C-H. And I’ll put the words Texas and oil.”

  It wouldn’t pull up, not when she’d spelled it wrong, but then Crystal’s eyes lit up and Jayden knew she’d been wrong.

  “The first thing that comes up with his name is Kotch Petroleum. K-O-T-C-H. Houston, Texas. Probably not the same family, but you never know.” She focused on the laptop again, tapped a few more keys. “Let’s see why his name is mentioned.”

  Jayden sank into her own kitchen chair, covering her face with her hands. “I can’t believe you.”

  “Wait a second, Jayden. Is this him?”

  She swung the laptop around. Jayden’s gaze zeroed in on a picture, and at first she didn’t recognize the smiling face that belonged to Colby. He stood with his mom and dad. He was young, probably in his teens. Some sort of society event, judging by the fancy dress Mrs. Kotch wore, a stunning woman with Colby’s dark hair and blue eyes. Colby’s parents must have gotten married later in life. They looked to be in their late forties in the picture. But it was from his dad that Colby got his handsome face, and she realized she’d caught a glimpse of what Colby would look like in a dozen years or so.

  Pictured left to right: Heir to Kotch Industries International, Darren Kotch, his wife, Anna, and son Colby.

  Heir to Kotch Industries.

  “That is him,” she said in disbelief. He was heir to an oil empire? That didn’t make sense. What was he doing working in California, then?

  “See.” Crystal swung the laptop around again. “That’s why you Google. You never know what you might unearth.”

  She’d never seen her aunt like this before. She seemed morbidly fascinated with Colby and his family. Jayden gave up. Her aunt tapped a few more keys. “Looks like his mom died about fifteen years ago, probably not long after that picture was taken. Oh, look. The dad has a Wiki.”

  She wanted to plug her ears. Or maybe get up and go play with Paisley. She could build a tent out of blankets and hide in there with Paisley for the rest of her life.

  “Looks like Dad remarried after Colby’s mom died.”

  “Oh?” she asked despite herself.

  “She was much younger. Pretty.” Crystal pursed her lips. “They’re divorced now. Wow. That didn’t last long. Two years.”

  She felt like she was riffling through Colby’s personal belongings. “That’s enough, Aunt Crystal. Really.”

  “He’s an only child.” Crystal’s brows lifted. “And if the information on his dad’s page is correct, Colby is worth billions.”

  And you would never know. She’d never met a more humble man dedicated to helping others. But that wasn’t the point. The point was, he was her kryptonite, a man who made her forget herself in a way that she knew could lead to trouble.

  “He’s never mentioned having money.”

  “The good ones don’t.”

  “Not that any of it matters. He could be the Prince of Wales and I wouldn’t care. We’re coworkers. And I like him, but it can’t go any further than that,” she quickly added. “We all know what happened the last time I got involved with a man. I’m not going to make another stupid mistake, and believe me, this would be one.”

  But he’d kissed her.

  She couldn’t ignore that one incontestable fact. And when he had, he’d become a red-blooded male, one that made her toes curl and her heart pound and her breath rush out of her like she’d jumped off a cliff. Neither of them had been thinking about their jobs or the future or where their attraction to each other might lead.

  “There’s that funny look on your face again,” Crystal said.

  “That’s my look of hunger. Time to make dinner. You want to stay and eat?”

  “Are you kidding? I have to go home and cook for your uncle Bob.”

  She hoped that was the end of the Colby Kotch discussion, but she should have known better.

  “You really have a thing for him, don’t you?”

  Jayden tipped her chin. “I do, but I don’t like him enough to want to risk my job. If things went south, I’d have to quit. I’m not willing to go down that road. He isn’t, either—trust me on that. We’re just friends. And that’s how it will stay, because I’m not a stupid teenager anymore. I’m a grown-up with a daughter to raise. That’s what I have to focus on.”

  No matter how much she wished things were different.

  Chapter 11

  Aunt Crystal drove her into work the next morning.

  “Is that him?” she asked.

  It was, indeed, him, the man riding around the arena hell-for-leather, as if he sought to outrun his troubles from the back of a horse. The dark brown chinks he wore—short chaps that reached barely below his knees—glistened, the fringe matching the bounce of the horse’s stride, the morning air so chilly the horse’s breath left behind puffs of steam. Jayden would bet she was one of the “troubles” he tried to outrun.

  “That’s him.” She glanced back at Paisley. Her daughter had fallen asleep on the way over. Oh, to be that young and carefree. What she wouldn’t give to sleep the whole night through. “Just pull up by the entrance there.”

  Her aunt directed her SUV in the direction Jayden indicated, but she didn’t let the truck idle. Oh, no. She put the SUV in Park.

  “You don’t need to park. I can hop out.”

  “I want to meet him.”

  “Aunt Crystal, no.”

  “Why not? Paisley’s asleep in the back. I can slip out for a couple minutes and shake the man’s hand.”

  “He’s working.” She picked up her purse, clutching it to her like a Viking shield. “I need to get to work, too. We don’t have time for social calls.”

  “Sure you do. You said yourself someone came back from vacation yesterday. It’ll be fine.” Crystal slipped out before Jayden could say another word, softly closing the door so Paisley wouldn’t wake up. She headed for the covered arena where Colby rode a dappled gray. Jayden saw him glance over at them, doing a double take, no doubt wondering who the lady was in the Navajo print shawl, knee-high cowboy boots and jeans tucked into the tops. For a moment Jayden thought about heading for the horse stalls. Maybe she could hide inside one and stay out of sight for the rest of the day. Her aunt could handle this first meeting all on her own. What stopped her was the way Crystal waved Colby over, like some kind of pool boy she wanted to do her bidding.

  Oh, dear goodness.

  “You must be Colby,” she heard her aunt say.

  Colby pulled his horse up next to a wooden gate. Belle, the horse he rode, sneezed her approval of the unexpected break.

  “And you must be Aunt Crystal.”

  Score one for Colby for remembering her aunt’s name. She couldn’t even remember when she’d told him what it was. Maybe last night? Everything before their kiss had become a blur.

  “I just wanted say thank you so much for taking care of my niece.”

  “No problem.” He patted his horse, resting the reins on the mare’s neck. “Least I could do.”

  Her aunt glanced back at her, and Jayden didn’t trust the look on her face. It reminded her of a politician just before they slammed their opponent in a debate.

  “Maybe you’ll let us make it up to you.” Jayden caught a whiff of what was coming next, her aunt’s machinations as foul as the manure pile out back. “We have a family dinner every weekend. You should come over. I’ll
introduce you to my husband and sons, and Jayden’s brothers. We can get a little loud and raucous at times, but it’s fun.”

  No, Aunt Crystal. No, no, no.

  She didn’t want to risk running into her dad. Unless this was her aunt’s way of forcing her hand and ensuring Jayden spoke with him.

  Colby didn’t seem enthusiastic about the idea, either. He glanced in her direction, but only for a split second, and in the moment she saw dismay hidden in the lines of his face. He didn’t want to spend any more time with her than absolutely necessary, too. Well, that made two of them.

  “That’s mighty nice of you, Crystal, but I’m going to have to decline.”

  His Texas accent seemed more pronounced all of a sudden. A waxing of the Southern charm to take the sting out of his refusal?

  “Well, now, Mr. Kotch, I wouldn’t feel right if I let it go that easy. How about next weekend?”

  “It’s Colby.” He rested his arm across his horn. “And I’m gonna have to check my calendar. Okay if I get back to you?”

  Aunt Crystal knew when she’d been outmaneuvered, and she seemed none too pleased, too.

  “Well, sure.” Crystal smiled up at him sweetly. “You can tell Jayden what weekend works best for you. I’ll even pop in and invite your boss, too. Make it a whole neighbor getting to know neighbor thing. You know what? I’ll just tell Jax what day.”

  And that was how you turned the tables on someone. Jayden stared at her aunt in mute wonder. Never underestimate a former rodeo queen—they knew how to think on their feet.

  “Well...”

  Her aunt turned. “Gotta go now. Paisley’s in the car. We’ll see you soon, Colby. Nice to meet you.”

  She winked as she passed by. Jayden hooked her arm.

  “What if I don’t speak to Dad before then?”

  “You don’t have to speak to him before then. You can talk to him at dinner.”

  Jayden started to shake her head.

  “No,” Crystal said, sounding as stern as when Jayden was a kid and got caught trying to jump her horse over a water trough—without a saddle. “It’s time you ended this feud, Jayden. I want my family back together again, and this weekend is the perfect time to do it. But if you’d rather have a private conversation, so be it. Every time you drive by your dad’s place you have the perfect opportunity to stop in. So you’re just as much to blame for this rift as he is.”

  “But—”

  “No buts. Talk to him, Jayden.”

  Her aunt turned away before she could say another word.

  * * *

  Easier said than done, Jayden thought later that week as she drove away from her aunt’s house after picking up Paisley. She felt ready to hyperventilate. Down below, in a small valley, vineyards stretched to the left and right. The view should have calmed her with its familiarity. It didn’t. Her aunt lived on one hill, her dad the other, and she had to pass the driveway to his place every day. Today was the first time on her way back from her aunt’s house that she slowed down, making a left and heading toward the single-story Spanish-style home perched atop a hill.

  “Here we go,” she told her daughter.

  “Where go?” Paisley asked, blue eyes nearly the exact same color as Levi’s peering back at her.

  “We’re going to see Grandpa.”

  “Grandpa?”

  “If he’s home,” she muttered under her breath. She’d thought about calling, had decided not to give him a heads-up. It’d be just like the stubborn man to not answer, and then if she left him a message, he probably would make a point not to be at home. She decided to wing it. His big truck was in the driveway, so she knew he was around.

  “Come on, sweetheart,” she said after slipping out of the truck, opening up the back door of the truck.

  “What are you doing here?”

  Oh, dear. She turned toward her dad, wincing at the scowl on his face.

  “Hey, Dad.” She swallowed. “I thought I’d bring Paisley by to see you.”

  “What do you want?”

  She tipped her chin up. “Nothing. I graduated from college. I have a job. I’m working over at Dark Horse Ranch, doing physical therapy like I told you I wanted to do.”

  “Then why are you driving Uncle Bob’s truck?”

  Damn the man. He wasn’t going to make this easy on her, was he? She turned back to Paisley. “Ready to meet Grandpa?”

  “Leave the kid in the car.”

  The kid.

  For the first time her own temper flared. She turned back to her daughter. “Hold on for a second, honey.” She gently closed the door. She would not subject her daughter to her dad’s foul temper. She turned back to her dad. “Listen, Dad,” she said. “I stopped by tonight in the hopes that maybe we could bury the hatchet. I’m tired of sneaking around out here like I’m some kind of third-rate citizen. I’m sad that my daughter, whose name, I will remind you, is Paisley, hasn’t gotten to know her grandfather. But most of all, I’m sick and tired of you thinking I’m ten years old and can’t manage my life when all I’ve done over the past two years is work my ass off to make something of my life.”

  “I see you still have your foul mouth.”

  And suddenly the fight drained out of her. She took a deep breath, imploring her father with her eyes to meet her halfway. “Daddy, please.”

  He threw his shoulders back, and she knew she wouldn’t get anywhere with him. Not tonight. Thank goodness she’d kept Paisley in the truck.

  “What have I done that was so wrong?” she asked him. “Why do you keep punishing me for my mistakes? I know I’m a single mom. I know I don’t have a husband. And I know you’re disappointed in me because I left Levi and got a divorce, but, Dad, people get divorced all the time. Stop punishing me for it.”

  “I wasn’t punishing you,” he said softly. “I was trying to get you to grow up. Levi was a good man. The son of a family friend. You should have worked it out.”

  That did it. The man had no clue what he was talking about, and she refused to explain it to him. On second thought...

  “You think Levi’s a good man? Really?” She took a step toward her father. “You should ask him where he was week before last. You should ask him how much he’s paid me in child support. You should ask him how often he watches Paisley.” She glanced at the car. Paisley was staring at her with wide eyes, and she realized she could hear every word.

  She lowered her voice. “I was hoping maybe you could be a father figure for Paisley since her own father is MIA, but I see I was wrong. Goodbye, Dad.”

  She all but ran for the driver’s side, flinging open the door and ignoring Paisley’s “What wrong?”

  Damn the man.

  She backed the truck out. Her dad hadn’t moved.

  “Nothing, baby,” she told the little girl in the rear seat.

  “Mommy?”

  Paisley was what was most important in her life. Not what her father thought of her. Not her ex-husband, and certainly not the man who’d kissed her the other day.

  But she still cried the whole way home.

  * * *

  He wasn’t invited to Gillian Ranch. He was summoned.

  Jax sent him a text Thursday evening.

  Dinner at Gillian Ranch this Sunday. See you there.

  He read it and reread it, trying to figure out a way to wiggle out of it without seeming ungracious or rude. He came up blank, but that didn’t stop him from trying.

  “I’m not sure I can make it,” he hedged when he sat down with Jax for their weekly meeting that Friday. It’d been a stressful week welcoming new clients, sorting out volunteers, working on schedules...avoiding Jayden.

  Jax didn’t say anything, and Colby grew more and more uncomfortable under his stare. One thing about his boss, he could spot a dishonest person from a mile away.

  “I’ll be
disappointed if you don’t go, Colby.” Jax leaned back in his chair. They sat in his second-story office, a wall of windows to his right that perfectly illuminated Jax’s intense blue eyes. “I was hoping to introduce you to the Gillian family. Jayden mentioned her family has some retired show horses that might work for our program.”

  He clenched the arms of the chair he sat in, the damn thing always uncomfortable, although maybe he was just feeling the effects of Jax’s scrutiny.

  “Jayden could probably tell us what they’re like,” he offered.

  “Jayden hasn’t worked with our program long enough to make an informed judgment.”

  In other words, he should go. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  Jax smiled. “Good.”

  He told himself it was no big deal. He could avoid Jayden at her family home just as easily as he had at the ranch.

  So he set off that Sunday evening dressed in his best white button-down and freshly starched jeans, topping them off with a tan cowboy hat. Jax had suggested they take separate vehicles since his was packed with kids. That suited Colby just fine. It meant he could take off whenever he wanted, and the sooner that would be, the better.

  As he pulled into Gillian Ranch, though, he couldn’t help but be impressed. He’d been to some pretty incredible estates over the years, and Gillian Ranch would fit right in with the best of them. He drove at least half a mile, passing between rock walls on either side of the driveway, before hitting the main homestead. Nestled in a small valley, the ranch played host to a vineyard of several hundred acres, and a barn was on his right that at first he thought was a house, it looked so much like a Spanish villa. Only as he crawled by it did he realize it was a stable, one shaded by tall oaks, pastures out behind it, an arena out in front. Crystal’s home sat up on a small hill to the left, within walking distance of the stables, but he passed another driveway to his right and he wondered if that was Jayden’s dad’s place and if he’d see him tonight. He had a feeling he wouldn’t. Something about the way Jayden had been behaving all week. Tense and upset. Of course, that could be because of their own stupid actions.