by Renee Rose
She tossed her head as if agreeing.
My cell chimed, indicating a text. My heart jumped into my throat because it was either Keely or Dax. I gave Seraphina one more pat then retrieved the cell from my bag.
“Shit.” It wasn’t Keely.
Dax: The shipment still hasn’t arrived.
I stared at the text. Honestly, I was relieved he didn’t have his grubby hands on the stuff. That meant it wasn’t being sold. But it also meant I was still on the hook and got annoying texts.
I stared up at the rafters of the stable, wondering what the hell happened to my life. I was screwing cowboys and peddling drugs. I’d gotten him exactly what he wanted. It wasn’t my fault someone was diligent and locked the drugs away. Still, Dax wasn’t reasonable.
Me: OK
I had no idea what else to put. I wanted to type in so many things. “So?” or “Fuck you.” or “Deal.”
He responded right away.
Dax: You better B bringing the other batch with U. Or else.
Tears filled my eyes instantly. There was no escape. He wanted the ketamine however I could get it. I was too far into this now. I should’ve gone to the police from the start. Shoulda, woulda, coulda.
“Charlie!” Clint shouted.
I wiped my eyes and dropped my cell back into my bag. “In here!” I called back, then stuck my head out Seraphina’s stall.
He was coming my way at a fast clip, but there was a smile on his face, cutting through my instant worry. “I think you’re about to be a momma.”
I instantly thought of Levi and the condoms we’d used. They’d worked, as far as I knew, and I was on the pill.
“Shadow seems to be in labor.” He opened the stall door for me. “Come on.”
We walked together to the bunk house, our steps quick. From Levi’s bedroom, we’d moved Shadow to a comfortable corner in the main room where others could come in and check on her. We’d shifted the couches so she was enclosed with the wall on one side, the backs of the couches on two others so she felt like she had a pseudo-nest. She had the old blankets beneath her, so she was comfortable. By the time we got to her, two puppies had slid out already.
I put my finger to my lips so Clint stayed quiet. Shadow knew what to do, and I would only mess with the process. I’d only help if needed. After another was delivered and Shadow was licking off the membrane, I looked to Clint who watched the process leaning over the back of the couch.
“Got a heating pad around?” I whispered.
He nodded, then went to retrieve it, and I tucked it beneath the blankets so the babies would stay warm. Clint took the cord and plugged it in.
All in all, there were eight pups total. Some were all black, the others black and white. They were tiny and perfect and nursing from a proud Shadow.
By dinnertime, news had spread of the new ranch babies, and everyone had stopped by to visit.
“I agreed to board one extra horse not nine dogs,” a large cowboy teased, adjusting his hat on his head. A beautiful redhead scooted around from behind him and dropped to her knees in front of the puppies.
“Oh. So cute!” she gasped.
I scrambled to my feet and brushed off my jeans.
“I’m Rob Wolf, owner of this ranch.” He gave me a small smile and held out his hand. “Sorry I haven’t come by to introduce myself before now.”
“Charlie Banbrook.”
“You’re not a man,” he said with a wink.
“That’s what everyone tells me,” I countered. “Nice to meet you. Thanks for having me and Seraphina. The dogs I didn’t bring, but surprise!” I opened my fingers in jazz hands and shook them.
He chuckled then tipped his chin toward the redhead. “This is my wife, Willow.”
Willow. Right. The DEA agent.
I started sweating, as if she might somehow sniff me out just being in close proximity. She looked at me and grinned. “This is so much better than picking out fencing.”
I remembered that Marina had said they’d gone to Billings to man shop.
“Nice to meet you.” I joined Willow on the floor by the pups.
“We’re keeping one.” Willow stroked Shadow’s ears. It wasn’t a question, it was a firm statement, like she dared Rob to disagree.
I looked over my shoulder at her husband when she didn’t.
He shrugged. “Happy mate, happy fate.”
It was a strange variation of the “happy wife, happy life,” and both Clint and Willow looked askance at him.
“What?” He lifted his shoulder again. “It’s true. You went fencing shopping which made me happy,” he said to Willow. “Now you get to pick a puppy which makes you happy.”
Willow smiled at him and shook her head as if he were an idiot. But I didn’t think she’d argue since he agreed to the puppy.
“I checked Shadow for a microchip, but she doesn’t have one,” I said aloud, figuring everyone would want to know. “I also called the local animal shelter to tell them we had her, but they hadn’t had a dog matching her description reported missing.”
“Well, we’ll keep Shadow, for sure,” Willow said. “But I definitely want one of her puppies as well.”
“Becky wants one, too,” Clint said.
“So do I,” Marina piped in. “I know Boyd will want one, too. For Lizzie.
“Somehow I have a feeling this place is going to overrun with dogs before this is all over,” Rob said ruefully, but he wore an indulgent smile.
“Sorry,” I said, mock cringing.
“No, we’re so grateful you found Shadow and fixed her broken leg. Another day out in that canyon, and she could’ve died,” Clint said.
It was true, and I didn’t like to think of what could have happened.
“And these puppies—” Willow clapped a hand over her mouth, horrified.
“Well, it didn’t happen,” I said quickly. “She’s going to be fine, and the puppies all seem healthy.”
“Hey, looks like you all are having a party without me.” The sound of Levi’s deep rumble sent my heart flip-flopping. I looked over my shoulder at him. His gaze wasn’t on the puppies but directly on me. He walked straight over, crouching down and resting his hand on my back. “What do we have here?”
I beamed proudly, like I was the mama. “Eight little wiggle-pups.”
He grinned. “Wiggle-pups. That’s cute.” He still had barely looked at the puppies. Instead, he studied my face, that look of fascination I sometimes saw on him clearly in place.
I honestly didn’t know what I’d done to warrant such attention from him. There was nothing special about me. Nothing different or more beautiful than the next woman. And yet, he seemed to think there was.
“Well, I don’t know about you all, but looking at puppies makes me hungry,” Levi said. Totally ridiculous because he hadn't even looked at the puppies.
“Being alive makes you hungry,” Marina teased. She looked at me. “I swear to you, these guys eat more than a bear storing up for winter.”
Levi scoffed. “Bears eat fish and blueberries. We eat red meat.”
Marina laughed. “Don’t worry. I took some steaks out of the freezer this morning. There’s plenty of red meat for all of you carnivores.” She glanced at me. “How about you? Hungry?”
“Yeah, she eats meat,” Levi said.
I’m not sure if he meant it to be a double entendre, but Clint and Rob choked a little and looked away to hide smiles.
I tried to ignore the heat in my face. “I would love some steak. That is, if you have enough.” Even though Marina expected me to eat with them at every meal, I always asked to make sure I wasn’t imposing on their family time.
“Of course, we do. Rob, if you’ll fire up the grill, I’ll take care of the rest of it.” She held out a hand and looked at me. “Please don’t go thinking I cook because I’m the woman and these fat-heads can’t feed themselves. They’re actually quite capable. As I told you the other morning, I just love cooking. Baking, especially.”
>
“I enjoyed your home-baked hamburger buns the night I arrived. Delicious. And the cinnamon rolls.” My mouth watered just remembering. “I’ll go get cleaned up for dinner.”
“I’ll help,” Levi murmured in my ear, making my pussy clench.
Damn. I liked being at Wolf Ranch way too much. Everyone was so nice. Easy going. They were like a team, a family. Well, they were. Most of them anyway.
Worse than liking this place, I liked Levi way too much.
We had a deal—two weeks of pleasure—and then I left.
But I hadn’t counted on this. On feeling like I was one of their big extended family. On liking it so much.
On having puppies. God, what could be more sappy than puppies?
I hadn’t counted on falling in love.
Shit.
Was I falling in love?
That was definitely not part of the plan. Not in two weeks, and I hadn’t even been here half that. Was it because I was new to relationships that I made sex out to be more than it was? It was supposed to be just sex.
But it wasn’t just sex. Sure, I had nothing to compare it to, but I knew. This wasn’t normal. The connection, the chemistry Levi and I shared was… more.
As I looked to Levi, I realized I needed to pull back now because every day I fell deeper would make it harder when I had to leave.
Because I was. Not only did I have to get back for Pops, but Dax was only going to remain barely patient for so long. If I didn’t deliver the ketamine, either at Mr. Claymore’s or bringing it back to Colorado with me, he’d do something. I didn’t know what, but it wasn’t going to be good.
And that would mean I was in even deeper. In even more trouble. That meant a bigger betrayal for Levi if he found out what I really was.
And with that thought, the feeling of contentment slipped away.
Or at least it tried to, but halfway to the stairs Levi tossed me over his shoulder and carried me to the shower where he ensured I quickly forgot everything.
18
CHARLIE
* * *
“You guys go outside and grill. Leave us to the girl talk.” Marina shooed the men out the back door of the big ranch kitchen.
I guessed on Wolf Ranch it took about forty minutes to produce a party. In the time since Marina said she took steaks out of the freezer, the big ranch house had filled with people. Most of them I’d met before, but there were a few new ones. No one knocked. Everyone was loud. Boisterous and friendly.
Rand, Clint’s younger brother, showed up along with Nash, his best friend. Maybe a couple others. I still hadn’t put them all together. Who was with whom and all that. As for names, I’d have to make name tags to get them all right.
When the men obeyed Marina and traipsed outside, I was left in the large kitchen with her, Audrey, Willow and Becky, Clint’s wife. Audrey and Becky both sat in chairs at the table with newborns in their arms. Becky’s baby, Lily, nursed noisily. Marina and Willow were busy preparing food at the central island.
Feeling awkward, I made faces at Lizzie, Audrey’s baby. “Do you want to hold her?” she asked, pushing her glasses up her nose.
I was a hard core introvert, not much of a people person, but I was a baby person. They were so soft, so tiny. So snuggly.
“Yes, please,” I admitted, scooting out a chair to sit beside her. Babies were like animals—totally innocent. Always themselves. No agenda. I took the chubby infant and cradled her in the crook of my arm where I could continue raising my eyebrows and smiling big.
“How old is she?” I wondered.
“Five months,” Audrey replied. “She’ll be sitting up on her own soon.”
“So how’s the breeding going?” Willow asked, looking up from slicing tomatoes.
I knew she meant Seraphina, and yet my thoughts instantly went to Levi. Yeah, if women paid a stud for breeding, he would fetch top dollar.
“It’s good. According to her hormone levels, implantation has already taken place. I’m just going to watch and make sure the levels keep doubling every day.”
“That’s great! But you still better stick around a while to be sure, right?” Marina asked with an impish expression on her face. “In case she needs a little more time with her stud?” She turned and waggled her brows.
My cheeks got hot, and I looked down at Lizzie who had her hand stuffed in her mouth.
Audrey’s gaze sharpened. “Ooh, is there something going on I should know about?”
All the women in the room turned to stare at me. I flushed. “Um…”
“Yay! There is, isn’t there?” Marina sounded triumphant.
“Wait—with whom?” Becky demanded. She lifted Lily up onto her shoulder to burp her.
“Levi!” Willow crooned, her eyes alight with something akin to glee.
Becky gasped. “Levi! Oh my God. And Clint was worried he was going to be bent out of shape about sharing the bunk house.”
“He wasn’t too bent out of shape,” I admitted, my body still relaxed and languid from the orgasm he gave me in the shower before we walked over.
“Aw, that makes me so happy,” Becky said. “Levi’s such a great guy. He’s quiet but completely reliable and trustworthy. Hard worker.”
“And loyal,” Willow added. “Rob said from the moment Levi arrived on Wolf Ranch, he’s been one hundred percent attached to it. Even now with his new duties as sheriff.”
“I’m only here for another week,” I said quickly, suddenly feeling like I was on one of those matchmaker shows. Not that I watched reality shows. I didn’t have time for TV.
Besides, knowing Levi would never leave Wolf Ranch didn’t do much to make me believe we had a chance beyond these two weeks. I had Pops at home in Colorado. I couldn’t leave him.
“Right, of course,” Becky said, but they all kept watching me with avid curiosity. I hated being the focus of attention, even as nice and welcoming as they all were.
“So does he talk more in private?” Becky asked.
“Yeah, does he? He’s usually the guy sitting quietly in the corner around here,” Willow said.
“Um, he talks some.” He used his tongue more for other things when we were together, though. But he’d divulged some of his secrets to me—his parents’ death and the lack of justice for it. Being raised by stifling grandparents who blamed his dad. It was no wonder he felt attached to this ranch, the first home he had after all that trauma. I felt welcome, and I’d only been here a few days.
And these people… they were kind. I could feel it.
Like the sweet baby staring up at me and smiling, they were unpretentious. Solid. Good people.
The vibe was one hundred percent different from Mr. Claymore’s ranch. The people here were more themselves than anyone I knew in Colorado. Even I felt almost comfortable here. Like I didn’t have anything to prove. Not as a woman, a person of color or a professional.
My opinions and boundaries were respected. Not that there were epic issues—besides Dax—at Claymore’s. But it was a working ranch. Literally that. Everyone was there because they received a paycheck. Everyone at this ranch, while receiving a living wage, lived here. This wasn’t just a workplace, but a home.
“Well, any chance you’ll have to come back? Bring another horse here to breed with our studs?” Marina asked.
“Not my stud,” Willow said, and we all laughed.
I shrugged, turned Lizzie so she sat up and faced me, my hands tucked under her armpits. I jiggled my leg, so she bounced a little. “I don’t know. It could probably be arranged.”
I wanted to. I desperately wanted to know that next week wouldn’t be goodbye with Levi. That there’d be a see you later instead.
But that was crazy.
I had a job and Pops. And even if Levi wasn’t running for sheriff, he was totally attached to Wolf Ranch. There was no possibility for us to be together.
Dammit.
LEVI
* * *
Oh shit.
When I walked
in and found Charlie with Lizzie in her arms, something strange and twisty happened in my chest.
What was it?
Fuck. Longing?
I’d seen Audrey with Lizzie and had my first—I want Charlie to have my babies moment. That had been in my imagination. Now Charlie was holding a baby. I didn’t have to imagine what she’d look like with an infant in her arms.
I wanted that. I’d sat back and watched almost all my best friends mate over this past year.
Boyd. Colton. Rob. Clint.
I hadn’t been jealous. I hadn’t even been sure I wanted what they had. I didn’t have the biology of the wolf driving me to mate before I was too old. Or at least, mine was suppressed.
Sure, I’d hoped I’d find my mate. And I’d definitely pictured mating a she-wolf—never a human.
But looking at that sweet softness in Charlie’s face as she made baby-talk to Lizzie had my heart lurching.
I wanted that.
Fuck—I wanted that with her.
This was more than fourteen nights. It was way more than sex. Charlie and I fit. I was falling in love with her—everything about her. Her over-active mind and workaholism. The way her walls came down when we were in private. How I felt as big as a mountain when I made her laugh. When I made her come.
How I felt was a pretty damn big problem considering she was leaving in a week.
I walked over and slid an arm loosely around her waist, joining her in pulling faces at Lizzie.
“First puppies, now babies. I think I’m on cute overload,” Charlie said, smiling up at me under her black lashes.
“Wait until Seraphina has that colt. It’s going to be one very beautiful baby horse.”
Charlie’s smile was easy—so much quicker than when she first arrived. “I know! I’ll have to send pictures.” Then her smile faltered as if she, too, was contemplating us being apart.
Knowing it didn’t seem right.
“I might have to come visit. Check out Eddison’s offspring in person,” I said, but I knew it wasn’t true. That just wasn’t done. Not with a high-paying client like Claymore. We weren’t friends. I couldn’t just show up at his ranch to “visit” our stud’s offspring. That would be unprofessional. “Okay, I guess that would be weird,” I admitted aloud.
