To Have And Hold A Cowboy (Cowboy Nuptials Book 1)

by Charlene Bright

  “Maybe you missed your calling and you should be a firefighter instead of a cowboy.” Luke didn’t sound like he was complimenting his brother. He actually sounded like he was taunting him. The animosity between the two was unmistakable. Brad narrowed his eyes at him but didn’t say anything. Luke was looking at Stephanie, his face unreadable. She wondered if he’d been drunk enough that night to forget her too.

  Mrs. McMurtry suddenly looked at her older son. “Luke, go and see if Reed needs any help getting the goats out of the pasture.”

  “Mick is with him.”

  “You go too. They’ll need help with the babies and the sheep too.”

  “Sure, Ma, you keep your baby close and safe, and the rest of us will suck in the smoke and make sure your goats and sheep are safe.” Luke’s voice dripped with sarcasm, and his mother didn’t look pleased.

  “Luke McMurtry!” He’d already turned his back on her and was headed out the door. She looked back at Brad. “What in the world is going on between you two?”

  Brad glanced at Stephanie. She felt uncomfortable being in the center of a family moment. “I think I’ll step out on the porch,” she said.

  “Just stay close,” Brad told her. He had that look in his eyes like he wanted to kiss her again as badly as she wanted him to. They would definitely have to revisit that when there wasn’t a fire raging on the ranch. She nodded at him and then smiled at his mother before leaving them to have their conversation.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Stephanie spent part of the time she was at the main house chatting with a couple from the U.K. and the rest of her time curiously watching the exchanges between Brad and Luke, once Luke and Reed came back in from rounding up the animals. Reed didn’t look anything like his brothers. She had seen him a time or two around the ranch, but she wouldn’t have ever guessed he was a brother until Brad introduced him. He sat behind the registration desk alone most of the time and flipped through a Guns and Ammo magazine. He was definitely not as social as the other two.

  As long as Brad and Luke stayed on opposite sides of the room, they were the lives of the party. Luke answered question after question from the guests about the ranch and the horses and even the history of the land. Brad played with the kids, joked with the male guests, and approached all the females with a slightly flirty air that made Stephanie somewhat bristle. Every so often, she felt his green eyes on her and everything else in the room was forgotten. She also noticed Luke looking at her every so often with an intense gaze that almost burned through her. She decided he definitely recognized her, and she wished she could remember exactly what, if anything, had happened between them.

  Once the fire chief gave them the all clear and the guests began to disburse, Stephanie sought out Brad. “I’m not sure I really thanked you properly. I was a little shocked when you ran into my bathroom. But sincerely, thank you. I hate to think of what may have happened if you hadn’t come in to get me.”

  “You’re welcome and I promise that tonight I won’t dream about what I saw.”

  She felt her face go hot but smiled in spite of herself. “Such a gentleman.”

  “Not really,” he said with a wicked grin. “I was lying. I can’t wait to go to bed.”

  She laughed. He winked and tipped his hat, and she marveled at how that simple gesture could set her core on fire. Back in gentleman mode, he asked her, “Would you like me to walk you to your cabin?”

  She was on the verge of saying yes with the anticipation of another kiss on her mind when she heard another voice say, “Brad, go with Reed and get those sheep back in the pasture.”

  Brad threw a disgusted look at Luke. “And what will you be doing while I’m doing that?”

  Luke looked at Stephanie, and she almost shuddered. His look was predatory, and he kept his eyes on her as he spoke. “Making sure our guests get safely back to their cabins.”

  Brad glared at his brother and looked back at Stephanie. “Come with me. Your cabin’s on the way out to the pasture. Let me and Issy drop you off.”

  “Okay, thanks,” she said, breathing a sigh of relief. She didn’t want to be alone with Luke. Brad once again put his hand possessively on the small of her back and led her toward the front door. She wasn’t sure, but she thought she heard the sound of his brother chuckling softly. She got her kiss when he dropped her off at her cabin, and even better, he left her with a promise to come back when he’d finished his work. She couldn’t wait.

  *****

  Stephanie had been back in her cabin for less than an hour when there was a knock on the door. She’d been pouring herself a glass of wine and when she heard it, she got a tickle in her belly. She had changed into a sundress that she thought was flattering, fixed her hair, and put on just a little bit of makeup. She knew it was crazy, and she would probably regret it later on down the road … but she wanted this man like she’d never wanted anything.

  She carried her wine glass over to the door and pulled it open with a smile on her face. It fell as soon as she realized it was Luke with that same predatory look and a smile that she might find sexy in any other situation.

  “Hello there. Stephanie, right?”

  “Yes, hello. Is everything okay?” She ignored the fact that he knew her name. Brad hadn’t introduced them, and Luke seemed to want to remind her they’d already met.

  “Everything’s fine,” he said, dragging his eyes across her body. They didn’t have the same effect on her that his brother’s did; they only served to make her nervous. “I was just checking on you. Your cabin was the closest to the rec center. I wanted to make sure you weren’t feeling any after effects of breathing in all that smoke, and since we hadn’t had time to talk since the night at the bar.”

  “I’m fine, thank you. I’m sorry about the bar. I had too much whiskey and I’m not used to it.”

  His smile looked more genuine than before. “You don’t have anything to be sorry about. You were having a great time until you fell asleep on the table.”

  “Oh God,” slipped out before she thought about it. Suddenly, she wanted to die. “I’m sorry.”

  This time he laughed softly. “Like I said, nothing to apologize for. You were actually really adorable.”

  “How did I get back here?” As soon as she asked that she wished she hadn’t. Not knowing had to be better than reality.

  “I brought you in the golf cart. I didn’t want to leave you to sleep it off in the bar.”

  Her face was on fire, but she owed him thanks at least. “Thank you. I’m sorry again.”

  “Stop apologizing, I had fun with you. You’re a hell of a pool player.”

  “Thank you,” she said again. She was wondering if that was all he came for and why he was still standing in her doorway when he looked at the glass in her hand.

  “You have any more of that wine?”

  Shit! She didn’t want him to stay. She didn’t want to have to make conversation with him, and she didn’t want him here when Brad came back. There was definitely something going on between those two, and she didn’t want to be in the middle of it. He was staring at her; she knew she had to say something. Finally, she decided that if she poured him a cup, maybe he’d go away. “Yeah, sure.”

  “I’d love a glass. It’s been a long day.”

  “Okay, let me grab a Styrofoam cup.”

  She turned away and heard him laugh. “You’re going to fix me a to-go cup of wine?”

  Damn! “Oh, you wanted to have it here?”

  “I wouldn’t mind, if you don’t.” Still grinning, he stepped inside the door and closer to her—too close.

  She took a step back. “It’s actually been a really long day for me too. I’m tired. I was thinking of turning in early.”

  “That would be a shame,” he said. “If you sit out on your porch under those beautiful stars, you’ll be able to catch a glimpse of the Mama deer when they come up to eat.”

  “Deer? They come up here to eat?”

  “Yeah, we put out
deer chow on the lawn every morning. They come down out of the hills once things settle down at night. Have you ever seen a deer up close, Stephanie?”

  “No.” She’d love to; she just wished that he’d leave so she could spy one on her own and wait for his brother in peace. He was making her a nervous wreck.

  “One glass of wine on the porch, what could that hurt?”

  “Okay,” she gave in. At least on the porch he wouldn’t try whatever it looked like he had on his mind, she hoped. The quicker they had one glass of wine, the sooner he would leave. “You go ahead and have a seat. I’ll be right out.” As soon as he stepped out, she closed the door behind him. Taking a deep, shaky breath she poured him a half glass of wine—she didn’t want him to stay too long.

  He was sitting in one of the porch chairs and when she came out, he stood up. She had to give Celia McMurtry credit for raising men with good manners. He took the wine glass she held out and waited for her to sit down before taking his seat next to her.

  “Where are you from, Stephanie? The other night you said something about Newark?”

  “I live in New York now, but I grew up in Newark.”

  “What brings you to Texas?”

  “Vacation. I just needed a change of pace for a couple of weeks.”

  He nodded. “Texas has its own rhythm, you know. People come here sometimes and feel it so strongly they never want to leave.”

  She couldn’t help but smile. She already felt that way. “I can see how that could happen. I like it here, a lot. Unfortunately, I have a job waiting for me back in the city that I couldn’t just walk away from.”

  “No husband or boyfriend waiting for you?”

  She felt both a pain in her heart and another nervous flutter in her belly. She’d just begun to convince herself that Brad really liked her. She was getting the feeling now that Luke had picked up on that too and now he was somehow trying to use her against his brother. She didn’t like it. “Not at the moment,” she remarked.

  “Hard to imagine a beautiful woman like you single in a big city. The men must all be crazy.”

  She took a big gulp of her wine and waited several long, uncomfortable seconds before replying. “Thank you. What about you, no girlfriend or wife?”

  “No. In a town this size there isn’t much to choose from.” He was smiling, but something in his eyes led her to believe he’d been hurt, maybe recently. She was searching her mind for a different topic when he handed her one. “But I love it here and I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. This ranch is in my blood. I’d never be able to leave it.”

  “How long has your family owned the ranch?” Brad had already told her a lot of the ranch’s history, but she wanted a benign topic.

  “My great-grandfather started out with just this main eighty acres way back in 1920. It’s been in the family ever since and it kept growing. The ranch is a little over seven thousand acres now. My grandparents turned it into a guest ranch in 1957.”

  “Was it your mother’s family that owned it?”

  “No, my Dad’s. It’s been a McMurtry ranch from the beginning. My mom was actually a guest here from Oklahoma when she met my dad.”

  “She seems to have definitely acclimated to it.”

  He genuinely smiled. “Yeah, she was born to be a rancher’s wife.”

  “Is your father still living?”

  “No, he passed away four years ago.” His eyes lost the edge he’d been carrying in them all evening. “I miss him, a lot.”

  “I’m so sorry for your loss. I never knew my father. He died when I was a baby.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said in a sincere tone. “That had to be hard, growing up without a dad.”

  “I wish I would have had a chance to get to know him, but my mother did the best she could. I always knew I was loved, and I was well taken care of. I also grew up only a few blocks from my dad’s family so although I didn’t get to meet him, I got to know him through them.”

  “That’s nice. My grandparents lived here on the ranch until they passed away. We’ve always been surrounded by family.”

  “That’s good.”

  His eyes darkened again slightly. “Most of the time.”

  She got the feeling he was talking about Brad. Instead of coming right out and asking him she said, “Are there just the three of you?”

  He nodded and took a sip of his wine. “Yeah, I’m the oldest and then Reed, and Brad is the baby.” He emphasized “baby” as if it were an insult.

  “I always wished I had a brother.”

  He smiled. “I wished I had sisters instead of brothers.”

  “Really?”

  He took another drink of his wine. “Sometimes. Men are inherently more competitive than women, I think.”

  “What do you compete over?”

  He was silent again for what seemed like a long time and then suddenly sat forward in his chair and put his glass down on the small table between them. Surprising her, he reached over and touched her hand. She drew it back just as he whispered, “Look, by the trees.”

  She set her glass down too and leaned forward. He reached out, took her hand again, and pulled her to her feet. Leading her to the edge of the porch, he pointed at the little family of deer. “Oh my goodness!” she whispered. “They’re beautiful. Do you think I could get a picture of them?”

  “Usually all that shows up at night are their glowing eyes,” he said.

  She was about to take her hand back and go get her camera anyway when she heard, “Well, isn’t this a cozy little scene.”

  She dropped Luke’s hand and watched the deer take off just as she turned around and looked into Brad’s angry eyes. It was the first time since she’d met him that he didn’t look at least a little bit happy; he looked hurt and angry. She glanced at Luke and saw that he was smiling. What he’d just said about the competiveness suddenly made a lot more sense. Neither of these hot cowboys wanted her; she was part of one of their twisted little contests. It must get awfully boring out here in the country if this is fun for them.

  “Hello there, little brother.”

  “What are you doing here?”

  Luke picked up his glass. “Having a glass of wine and enjoying the beautiful evening with Stephanie.”

  “You son of a bitch. This is still about Karli. I told you a thousand times she came on to me and I had no idea you were seeing her.”

  “It has nothing to do with Karli. I just happen to enjoy Stephanie’s company.”

  “Bullshit!”

  “Stop it, both of you!” She had heard enough. She couldn’t believe these men actually ran a guest ranch while acting like adolescents. The grown-up work must all fall on their mother’s shoulders. “I have no desire to get caught up in your middle-school games. You can both leave now.”

  “Stephanie …,” Brad pleaded.

  “No! Get out of here, both of you.”

  Luke wasn’t smiling any longer. He actually looked slightly embarrassed. Brad looked mortified. Stephanie didn’t care how either of them was feeling; she just wanted them out of there.

  “Please …,” Brad tried again.

  “Go!” She turned and went inside the cabin, slamming and locking the door behind her. This time she set the privacy chain as well, and once again dissolved into a torrent of tears in the floor. What the hell was wrong with her? Did this place just leave her emotions so raw that she could no longer keep them inside? She didn’t have any idea, but what she did know was the last time she sat here and let herself go, it was cathartic, and she needed that release yet again.

  *****

  That night she thought about checking out the next morning and going home, but when she woke up she was resolved not to let the two arrogant men ruin her vacation. Her heart hurt each time she thought about Brad. She told herself that was the price she had to pay for not listening to her head all along. As it turned out, she didn’t have to worry about running in to either of them for a while. On her way out the door for brea
kfast she found a note from Brad attached to her door.

  Stephanie, I’m sorry about how I acted last night. When I saw my brother touching you, I lost my head. It took everything in me not to punch him in the face. What stopped me is that I know I hurt him recently. He was seeing a girl, but he hadn’t said anything about it. I was at the bar in town one night and she came on to me. I was drunk and … well, I’m sure you can figure out the rest. I think Luke might have had real feelings for her because he’s not showing any signs of getting past what he sees as my betrayal. Anyway, I’m so sorry he saw fit to use you to try and get to me. He can obviously see how special you are to me. Please believe that, Stephanie. I want nothing more than to get to know you better. Ma has sent me and Luke out on a cattle run. We’ll be gone for a week. Please don’t leave until I get back. I need to see you again. Please. I’m sorry. Brad.

  CHAPTER SIX

  After five days on the trail with Luke, Brad was ready to be home. He always missed home when he was away. More than once when he was a teenager he’d thought about leaving when he was old enough and going somewhere that had excitement and women, but after his trip to New York he’d come to appreciate Texas in a way he never had. This time it was even worse because he was aching to see Stephanie. He dreamt of her every night and couldn’t wait to kiss her again … if she’d let him after the way he and Luke had acted.

  At least where Luke was concerned, this trip their mother had forced them to go on had brought him around a little bit. The first two days, his brother didn’t utter a word to him that wasn’t an order. By the third night, the boredom must have gotten to him because he actually told Brad a few jokes and they talked about business on the ranch without butting heads too much. By the fourth day, things were almost back to normal. On the fifth day, they drove in the stray cattle on their ride back to the ranch.