Her Dream Cowboy

by Laura Ann

  One of her guilty pleasures in life was cowboy romance novels. A gift she inherited from her mother. Jaz thought it was hilarious, but Scarlett was convinced they were the only true gentlemen still alive on the planet. Men in the city had lost the rugged wildness that cowboys seemed to ooze in abundance.

  “Being able to grow a beard doesn’t make someone a cowboy,” Scarlett grumbled. “After all, who wouldn’t want a man who can ride a horse, shoot a gun, and rope a cow all in one afternoon?” Scarlett murmured as she fumbled in her car for her phone. Standing in the middle of the road, she turned on the camera app and set up the perfect shot.

  As she was admiring her handiwork, a honk shook her out of her daydreams and Scarlett scurried off the road with an apologetic wave. A Suburban filled with waving arms sped past her, a stick figure family sticker on the back window. It slowed just enough to turn down the asphalt road that led to the ranch, letting Scarlett know the vehicle contained either more guests, or workers of the ranch. The SUV had chrome rims and was shiny and clean. That has to be other guests. And the shine on their car won’t last long out here, Scarlett thought with a grin.

  However, the look of the vehicle let her know that the family had money. She looked down at her jeans and boots, noting that they weren’t brand name anything, nor were they brand new. She’d had the jeans since college and had managed to buy the boots second-hand. She’d found two pairs at the thrift shop. One with mint green details on them, which was the pair she was currently wearing, and another pair that were red. The colors were bright and fun, exactly the type of thing Scarlett preferred.

  Maybe I should have packed more of my nice stuff, Scarlett lamented. There’s no way I’ll be able to compare with a bunch of richies. She sighed. “Oh, well. I’m not here to prove myself. I’m here to live mine and Mom’s dream.” She tucked a chunk of her reddish-brown hair behind her ear and headed to her car.

  Throwing back her shoulders, Scarlett put her chin in the air. “Who cares, anyway? You don’t have to have money to ride a horse or feed the pigs.” She got back in her car and cranked the engine on her trusty old sedan. “As long as I learn to rope and ride and tell a good campfire story, I’ll have checked off most of my bucket list.”

  Putting on her blinker and checking over her shoulder, Scarlett pulled back onto the road and turned onto the long driveway. Her natural optimism and sunny disposition came rushing back as she put herself to the task. She knew without a shadow of a doubt that these next two weeks were going to be the best experience of her life.

  It only took five minutes to drive up the road and arrive at a large farmhouse. Several other cars were gathered out front and a crowd of people were milling about, some dressed in jeans and boots while some were in shorts and T-shirts. Eeeh! It’s exactly how I imagined it, she thought excitedly. She parked next to the Suburban that had nearly run her over and got out, eager to meet the other attendees.

  Putting on her best smile, Scarlett walked over to a group mixed with women and men. “Hey!” she said a little too loudly. She winced when every eye in the group turned to her. Scarlett could tell her cheeks were turning an unflattering shade of red. Her pale skin seemed to grow freckles just fine, but no other dark colors dare mar her face, which left it a perfect canvas for embarrassing blushes. “Sorry.” She cleared her throat and thrust her hand out to the tallest cowboy. “Scarlett Dylan,” she said, forcing a smile in order to hide her embarrassment.

  The tall, handsome man smiled and tilted his chin down. “Levi. Welcome to Sagebrush Ranch.”

  His deep voice was slightly gravelly and was a perfect tone for a country boy. She grinned, hoping she’d be able to get to know him more. Mom would have loved listening to him. “Nice to meet you, Levi.”

  He nodded again. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go check on a few things before we get started.” He walked away, leaving Scarlett with the remainder of the group. She kept her smile on and turned to the next person, a man who appeared about her age. Her smile faltered a little at his mocking grin, but she plowed ahead anyway. “And you are?”

  The man reached out, his palm clammy against hers. “Trent Jones.” He pulled back, that creepy grin still in place. “You aren’t really what I expected to see here.”

  Scarlett’s frown dipped a little further. “Excuse me?”

  Trent leaned forward. “You’re not really what I’d call” —his eyes roved up and down— “cowgirl material.”

  Scarlett jerked back, feeling slightly violated at his obvious perusal. “And what, pray tell, is ‘cowgirl material’?”

  Trent shrugged, his smirk still in place. “You’re a little skinny for one. No filling out—”

  “Excuse me.” A deep voice came from behind Scarlett and a moment later, warm hands wrapped around her upper arms, moving her to the side.

  At first, Scarlett was ready to turn and let whoever had touched her have it, but her words froze, along with her tongue, when she met a flash of hazel eyes before they turned toward Trent. Soon all she could see was a pair of extra broad shoulders in a worn T-shirt that blocked her view of the group.

  “I understand you just arrived,” the newcomer was saying. His voice was smooth, but there was an underlying hint of steel that told Scarlett this guy was not to be messed with. “But you need to understand that here we have rules. Abide by them and you’ll be fine. Break them and we’ll send you packing.”

  “Really?” Trent’s voice grew a little in volume. “I’m paying good money to be here,” he shot back. “You don’t have the right to do anything to me.”

  “All the rules will be explained later, but you should know,” the stranger continued, as if Trent hadn’t spoken, “we respect our women around here. We don’t speak or treat them in any way that might be construed as crude or offensive. Doing so will get you kicked out faster than a fly on a horse’s backside. Got it?”

  Scarlett’s eyes were wide and she held her breath. She hadn’t meant to get in a fight as soon as she arrived, but the fact that she had been saved by the good-looking cowboy in front of her almost made it worth it. Jaz will never believe me.

  “Got it,” Trent said, his voice tight.

  The cowboy waited with his hands on his hips while Trent and the rest of the group slowly walked away, many of them looking the other direction like they didn’t want to get in trouble.

  Scarlett stayed still, not only wanting to thank her savior, but desperate to get another look at those gorgeous eyes. I’ll bet his face is just as pretty to look at.

  NOAH CLOSED HIS EYES and took a deep breath in through his nose. He hadn’t meant to lay down the law within the first twenty minutes of people arriving at the ranch, but he hadn’t had a choice.

  The minute he’d seen the perky little thing hop out of her car, he’d known there was going to be trouble. She was cute as a kitten and her bright smile was going to seriously clash with some of the personalities Noah had already seen show up that day. At first, he had brushed it off. He didn’t usually interfere between the patrons. Most of them were adults, and could handle any problems themselves.

  But when the jerkwad, Trent, had started speaking like some backwoods caveman, Noah knew he’d need to step in. No woman, no matter what, should be spoken to like she was simply an object.

  A tug on the back of his shirt had him bracing himself to turn around. Despite the fact that this woman had seemed like one who would have an easygoing personality, women today seemed to think they could handle anything, and Noah was afraid the lady would be angry he had interfered.

  Noah finally made his body complete the circle and he looked down at the cute and intriguing face before him. A smattering of freckles tiptoed across the bridge of her petite nose, with a few on her upper cheeks. Her dark brown hair seemed to have some red in it as loose chunks of it swirled around her face, highlighting the light color of her skin. Her eyes were bright green and surrounded by short, dark lashes. Pink lips were pulled into a wide smile, which was currentl
y moving up and down, and Noah finally realized it was because she was speaking to him.

  Small but strong arms wrapped around Noah before he could register what was happening, and the surprise of it knocked him back a couple of steps. “What?” he whispered. A warm buzzing began to form in his chest where she was wrapped around him and it startled him.

  “I just wanted to thank you,” the woman gushed. She pulled back and put her hands on her hips. “Although, I should probably be all up in arms about you stepping on my grown woman toes, but there’s just something about a man who takes charge, ya know?” She tilted her head and scrunched up her face. “I had no idea that introducing myself would bring out a fight! Geez. That guy is gonna be hard to get along with for the next two weeks. I mean, why is it his business if I’m not all curvy and junk, huh?” She threw her hands in the air. “If you have to have curves to be a cowgirl, then most of us wouldn’t be here! I mean, you might as well say that flat girls can’t be doctors or lawyers. One thing doesn’t have anything to do with another.” She shook her head and growled. “Guys like him are so frustrating.”

  Noah’s eyebrows grew higher and higher as he listened to her rant. She never seemed to take a breath, and if she didn’t stop talking about women’s curves, he wasn’t going to be able to stop studying hers. It didn’t matter that she was on the thin side. He’d easily noticed her figure when he’d walked up to the group.

  Noah’s neck was hot and he knew he needed to change the subject quickly. “Uh, look, Ms...” He tilted his head in an obvious invitation for her to fill in the blank.

  “Scarlett. Scarlett Dylan.” She put her hand out and grinned widely at him.

  Noah shook her hand, that same electric feeling shooting up his arm. He let go of her quickly, flexing his fingers to try and stop the sensation. After a moment, her words registered and his heart fell. Shoot. She’s the last minute fill-in, which means I’m in charge of her for the duration of the camp. How the heck am I going to make this work? And what exactly is going on when she touches me? “I’m Noah. Look, Ms. Dylan—”

  “Scarlett. Just call me Scarlett.” She winked. “Ms. Dylan makes me sound old.”

  Noah held back a sigh. “Okay, Scarlett. I wanted to say I’m sorry you got off to a rough start, but we’ll keep an eye on Trent during your stay here.” He straightened and looked over at the barn in the distance. Slowly, the groups had begun meandering that direction, which indicated almost everyone was here and Noah’s father would give the official welcome soon. “Look, if you’ll follow the crowd over to the barn, we’ll be starting things soon—”

  “Right! Sorry. I didn’t mean to hold you up.” Her smile turned slightly shy and it made Noah’s exit pause. “I’ve been waiting for this opportunity for a long time. Thank you again. Next time I’ll know to be on my guard for jerkface.” She tilted her chin toward the others, where Trent was also standing.

  Noah nodded. “Uh-huh. Right. Now if you’ll just go that way, the employees will see that you’re taken care of.”

  Scarlett started to walk, then paused and looked back. “Aren’t you coming?”

  Noah’s jaw clenched, but he smiled. “Yeah, but I have a few things I need to do first. You go on.”

  “Gotcha. I’ll leave you to it then. But I owe you one.”

  “No!” Noah said a little too loudly, then corrected himself, bringing down his volume. “That’s okay. Anyone would have done it. That guy was out of line. I don’t want you to think anything of it.” No matter how attractive you are, the last thing I need is a woman tagging after me now that I’m finally going to be getting out of this place.

  Scarlett’s smile dimmed a little and she straightened her shoulders. “Right. I’ll just, uh...” —she pointed toward the barn— “head that way.”

  Noah felt a sliver of guilt, knowing he’d come across a little rude, but he wasn’t sure what to do about it. Scarlett Dylan seemed like a really sweet woman, but he couldn’t risk her coming in and upsetting his plans. He’d spent too many years here and had finally worked up the courage to leave. His desperation for a change was much stronger than his desire to get to know her. Spinning on his heel, he stormed into the house. “Mom?” he called as he got inside. “Mom!”

  “Noah! For heaven’s sake! What is it?” Bethany MacMillan asked as she came into the front room from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel.

  “Is the paperwork for the camp in here?” Please still be here. Please still be here. Noah had to do something about the fact that he was going to be paired with Scarlett. He just knew she was going to be too tempting if he had to work closely with her for the whole camp.

  “No. Your dad took it with him when he headed over to the barn five minutes ago.” Bethany put her hands on her hips. “What’s this all about?”

  “Nothing.” Noah pushed a hand through his thick hair. I need a haircut, he thought, distracted for a moment.

  “Noah Tyler MacMillan,” his mother scolded. “What’s going on? You burst in here like a herd of stampeding bulls and it’s nothing?”

  Noah pasted a smile on his face. “Sorry. I just forgot something and was hoping to fix it.” He headed toward the door. “I’ll head over to the barn. They’re going to be welcoming the campers soon.”

  His mother’s gaze was all too shrewd as she watched him turn tail and run, but Noah didn’t care. He’d try to speak to his dad before the assignments were given out. He wasn’t sure how he was going to convince his dad to make the switch, but Noah had to try.

  CHAPTER 3

  Scarlett kept a smile on her face as she walked up to the crowd. She stayed on the outskirts, not wanting to get into any more confrontations, but let her eyes swing around to study who else was there. A family with twin boys stood in the middle. A group of young men and women, who appeared to be workers, if their clothes were anything to go by, all stood close to the barn entrance. Scarlett searched that group, but Noah wasn’t there. He said he had other things to do, she reminded herself.

  She felt a ping of embarrassment as the image of Noah swam through her mind. He was incredibly handsome, everything a woman could want in a cowboy. “And I made a fool of myself,” she muttered quietly. Who hugs people they don’t even know and then goes off on a rant about stupid things? From the way he kept his distance, he probably thinks I’m a nutcase, and I don't blame him. “But I’m not here for him,” she whispered. “I’m here for me...and for Mom.”

  “Welcome!” a loud voice boomed from the front of the barn. A makeshift stage had been created out of a bunch of straw bales, and an older man, who looked remarkably like Noah, was standing on it. The man wore faded jeans, cowboy boots, a brown Stetson, and a button-up Western print shirt. He was the epitome of a classic cowboy, and Scarlett felt her happiness seeping back in, blotting out the embarrassment from earlier. “I’m David MacMillan. Sagebrush Ranch has been in my family for three generations and we plan to keep it that way for many more.”

  Scarlett clapped politely, along with the rest of the group.

  “As far as I can tell, we’re all here now, so let’s get started.” He looked down at some papers in his hands, shuffling them a bit. “I suppose we should go through the rules and such first,” he mumbled, then looked up. “We keep our rules simple. First off, let’s remember to treat everyone, whether worker or guest, with respect. Being cruel or rude isn’t tolerated around here, so please make sure you use your manners while you’re here.” He winked. “Make your mamas proud.”

  There were a few chuckles at that, then Mr. MacMillan continued. “Most of you are here because you want to learn to ride a horse or find out what life is like outside of the city.” He nodded. “That’s wonderful, but like with any lifestyle, ranching has some aspects that aren’t as safe as others. Please don’t wander off by yourselves. This place was named Sagebrush Ranch, but it could have just as easily been called Rattlesnake Ranch.”

  Scarlett shivered. I think I’ll skip telling Jaz that.

  �
��Snakes, scorpions, and coyotes are plentiful around here, and wandering off could not only get you lost, but injured, and we’d prefer to keep you all in one piece if possible.” Mr. MacMillan grinned. “The same goes for the big equipment. Although you’ll be learning a lot, operating large machinery without supervision is not allowed. If the weather cooperates around here, you’ll get a chance to drive a four-wheeler or even a tractor, but not without one of us with you. That said, each of you will be assigned a personal helper for the two weeks you’re here.”

  Scarlett held her breath. She hadn’t realized that she would have one-on-one time with one of the cowboys. Or cowgirl, she thought as she looked around. There were a couple of girls who looked like they belonged with the group living at the ranch. Their clothes definitely weren’t those of a city girl.

  “I’ll get those assignments taken care of in a minute.” David took a deep breath. “Meals are served at the same time every day. Breakfast is at seven, but we rise at six.” He held up his hand when there was a grumbling from the guests. “Now...you wanted a ranch experience, so you’re gonna get one.” He chuckled. “We rise, build up an appetite with a couple of chores, and then get a mighty fine breakfast.” He waved at a building on the back side of the house. “My wife, whom you’ll meet later, is our cook and she knows how to fill a belly. Lunch is at noon and dinner at six. Be there on time.”

  “Or what?” came the obnoxious shout from the crowd.

  Scarlett turned to see who had spoken and she scrunched up her nose at Trent’s grinning face. I’m guessing his mama didn’t manage to teach him anything.