What a Man Needs Read online

  Nora’s voice broke through Cynthia’s reverie. “Kelly, Cyndi, I’d like you to meet my brother, Patrick. Patrick, this is my boss, Kelly Reynolds, and her sister, the actress Cynthia Reynolds.”

  “Oh, my God,” Kelly said. “You were at Morgan’s last night. You were with—” She gave Cynthia a confused look, then quickly masked it as she turned back to Patrick.

  Patrick nodded, fighting to act nonchalant. But too many emotions were churning through him, the most prevalent being anger. So his Cyndi was Cynthia Reynolds. And last night the famous actress had been looking for some entertainment. He’d just been a diversion to her.

  “Yeah, I was at the pub. I was supposed to meet Nora, but it seemed she had a flat tire.” He glanced at his sister. “If you want to show your friends around the ranch, it’s not a problem, but I’m breeding the Keefers’ mare this morning.” He shot a hard look at Cynthia as he rubbed the mare’s nose.

  “She’s beautiful,” Cyndi said. “What’s her name?”

  Patrick had trouble listening to her soft, husky voice. “Suzy Q.” His gaze bored into her startled brown eyes. “Now, if you’ll excuse me…” He started to open the stall.

  “Wait, Patrick,” Nora called. “I need to talk with you.” She took him by the arm and started off, but looked back toward Kelly and Cyndi. “Kelly, will you take Cyndi up to the house? I have coffee and Danish in the kitchen. I’ll be up in a few minutes.”

  “Maybe we should just go,” Cyndi said. “This wasn’t a good idea.”

  “No, it’s fine,” Kelly said. “We’ll be at the house. Nice to meet you, Patrick.”

  Patrick watched both women walk off. He wanted to run after Cyndi and demand to know why she hadn’t told him who she was. But he first needed to speak with Nora. He had a feeling that she’d set something up. She usually didn’t bring strangers to the ranch without telling him.

  He folded his arms across his chest. “Okay, talk.”

  Nora forced a smile. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”

  “Who?” As if he didn’t know.

  “Cynthia Reynolds, that’s who.” She rolled her eyes. “And she came here for help.”

  Now all the pieces were starting to fall together. “Was Cynthia the reason for our meeting at Morgan’s last night?”

  “Well, kind of.” She wrinkled her nose. “I was hoping that if you met and liked each other, that you would want to help her.”

  Oh, brother. He’d helped her all right…and Cyndi had helped him, too. He drew a calming breath. “Just how am I supposed to do that?”

  “She has this movie part coming up and it’s a Western and…you need to teach her to ride.”

  Great. When did things get so bad that he had to teach a spoiled Hollywood actress to ride a horse? “Like hell. I don’t have the time or the disposition to put up with a demanding actress.” He couldn’t stop the flood of memories of last night. Cyndi was demanding, all right, as a lover, but she had been just as giving. He turned away.

  “Patrick, wait. You don’t understand. She’s terrified of horses.”

  “Not my problem.”

  “She’s willing to pay twenty-five thousand dollars.”

  He stopped and stared at his sister. “You’re kidding.”

  She shook her head. “I know you normally work with children, but Cyndi needs to be able to ride for this movie. When Kelly told me about it, naturally I thought of you. You are the best.”

  Patrick hated it when his baby sister pulled this sweet act. Ever since she was a kid, she’d brought home all kind of strays. He still had two dogs and a cat that she’d rescued. But this… “I have too much to do.”

  “I thought your dream was to enlarge the vineyard, to start a winery. Helping Cynthia Reynolds will bring you a lot closer to that goal.”

  It would take a long time for Patrick to save that kind of money. But the problem was, could he get past his relationship with Cyndi? Hell, what was he talking about? It was a one-night stand.

  “Tell her I’ll give her some time in the afternoon.”

  Nora looked funny. “Patrick, she needs more than that. You’ve got to work with her full-time. And this has to be a secret. That means she should live out here.”

  “So what exactly happened between the two of you last night?” Kelly asked curiously. “The man didn’t seem to be too happy to see you. And before you deny it, I saw the sparks between you two, but I wasn’t sure if he was going to throttle you or jump your bones.”

  Cynthia paced the large farm-style kitchen. Although the room had obviously new maple cabinets and the countertops were tiled in a natural-colored stone, there was a homeyness about the place that was warm and inviting. But no matter how inviting, she wanted to leave, to convince Kelly to take her back to town.

  “I never told him who I was last night. We only exchanged first names.” She tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. “What’s the big deal? You encouraged me to share a few drinks and some laughs.”

  Last night’s memories were still fresh in her mind, still stirred feelings within Cynthia. She couldn’t believe how much she’d wanted Patrick just hours ago. So much so she couldn’t keep her hands off him. Seeing him again this morning, she realized those feelings hadn’t gone away. Trying to work with Patrick Tanner would be a disaster.

  “Are you saying that more happened between you two?” Kelly’s eyes were wide with hope and surprise.

  “Since when do we—” Just then the back door opened and Nora walked into the kitchen.

  “Sorry to keep you waiting,” she said. “Patrick and I needed to go over some things.” She released a long breath and looked at Cynthia. “My brother wants to talk to you. He’s outside on the porch.”

  “Look, Nora, if this is going to cause trouble…” Cynthia began.

  “No, he just wants to make sure that you’re serious about learning to ride. And to work out a few details.”

  Cynthia nodded. Good. She would straighten this out. She’d tell Patrick Tanner she didn’t need his services and leave. There had to be dozens of instructors who could teach her to ride.

  She walked out the door and found him sitting on the back-porch railing. His arms were folded over that gorgeous, broad chest. She shook away the mental picture of Patrick naked, then her gaze connected with his. “Look, Patrick, I’m sorry about last night.”

  “What are you sorry about, Cyndi? That you spent the night with me, or that your little joke backfired?”

  “It wasn’t a joke. You may not believe it, but I don’t make a habit of going to bed with men I just met.”

  He didn’t look like he believed her. “No problem. We used protection.”

  Seeing her pained look, Patrick wanted to take back his words.

  “How come it’s only my behavior that’s being scrutinized?” she asked. “Is it because I left you first, instead of you leaving me?”

  Her fiery question hit home.

  He fought back. “How about because you didn’t mention that you’re Cynthia Reynolds? Was that the reason you wanted to leave it at just first names?”

  “You ever think maybe my reason was that people act differently around me when they know who I am?” she asked. “You didn’t recognize me. It was nice being myself for a change. You didn’t seem to care who I was.”

  Hell, she’d had him so hot he couldn’t remember his own name. “What do we do now?”

  She shrugged. “I’ll just tell Kelly and Nora we can’t work things out. Although, I would appreciate it if you gave me the name of someone who can teach me to ride.” She glanced around, not really looking at him.

  He could direct her to a half-dozen people, but he doubted she would get results in such a short time. “Nora said you only had ten days and needed to keep this quiet. That if the media gets wind of you taking riding lessons, you could lose the opportunity for this movie.”

  “It’s not your problem. Tell your sister thanks and tell my sister that I’ll meet her in the car.”<
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  Before Cyndi could pass him, he reached out for her. Mistake. The hot sizzle from the connection was unbelievable. What he was about to do was another mistake. “I’ll do it. But by my rules.”

  Cynthia didn’t pull away, but she didn’t back down either. “What are the rules?”

  “We’ll work from early morning until the afternoon. You’ll also be responsible for the care of your horse. There will be no media around, and you’ll move out here for the next ten days.” And he asked for a larger amount of money for his services than she had originally offered just to see how far he could go. He expected her to tell him to go to hell.

  “And what if I don’t agree?”

  “Then we say goodbye…this time.” Inside he wasn’t sure what he wanted her to do. He knew he didn’t need this distraction, but he still wanted Cyndi. Maybe during the ten days she’d be here, he would get her out of his system.

  Cynthia stepped back. “I have one condition of my own. We keep this arrangement strictly business. What happened last night will not happen again.”

  We’ll see about that, Patrick thought. “Agreed. Strictly business.” He shook her hand then released it before he broke his promise right here and now. “Talk with Nora and she’ll show you where you’ll be staying.”

  He started down the steps toward the barn, then turned. “I’ll be busy most of the day, so you’ll be fending for yourself. But tomorrow I expect to see you in the barn at 6:00 a.m. If you’re not, I’ll figure you’ve changed your mind.”

  “Oh, I’ll be there,” she tossed back, a challenging look on her beautiful face. “So be ready to live up to your reputation.”

  Three

  Four hours later, Cynthia and Kelly returned to the Tanner Ranch from town. Cynthia had brought back her car, along with two suitcases filled with jeans, blouses and a couple of pairs of boots for her stay.

  Nora greeted them, then took her to the ranch house, recounting some of the history of the hundred-year-old structure. The place had been remodeled, showing off shiny hardwood floors throughout covered partly by taupe-colored rugs. The large, overstuffed furniture in the main room was done in earth tones and arranged around the stone fireplace and a large television.

  “Years ago Patrick knocked out the wall between the dining room and living room,” Nora explained. “He said he needed to keep an eye on all of us girls and this way it was easier.”

  “What about your parents?” Cynthia asked, surprised that Nora hadn’t mentioned them.

  Sadness flashed in the young girl’s eyes. “They’re dead. My mother passed away when I was about nine and my father a few years later.”

  “I’m sorry.” Cynthia knew how it was to be without a father since her parents were divorced, but to lose both would be devastating.

  “Thank you. It was tough at first,” Nora explained, “but Jane, Karen and I had Patrick. He was the one who kept the family together, who worked around the clock to save our home. He’d just turned twenty-one when Dad died, and had been handling the ranch long before that.”

  Nora managed a shaky smile. “Will you listen to me go on. I’m sure you’re not interested in our family history.”

  “Not so. I know what it’s like to be without a parent. Kelly’s and my father left us when I was ten.” Of course it had been better than the nonstop fights, Cynthia remembered sadly.

  Just then the back door opened and Patrick walked in carrying her two suitcases. Kelly followed behind him with a small duffel bag. His wary gaze was directed at her. He didn’t say anything, but the meaning was clear. He wasn’t happy she was here.

  “I’m putting these in Janie’s old room.”

  Kelly handed Cynthia the duffel. “Better go with Patrick and see your accommodations.”

  Cynthia reluctantly crossed the room to the wide oak staircase. On the second floor, there was no sign of Patrick Tanner so she continued down the hall, glancing into several of the bedrooms. Each one of them was neat and tidy, adorned with subtle homey touches. So unlike her modern hillside house in LA. Finally she found her host in a soft yellow room with an ivory chenille bedspread covering a canopy bed. Cynthia smiled. She would have given anything to have had a room like this growing up.

  At the row of windows across the room Patrick pulled back the floral curtains, then raised the windows, letting in the sweet-smelling country breeze.

  Patrick turned around, but he refused to look at Cyndi. What had he done to deserve this? He never brought women to the ranch—to his home. Not since Gwen. Damn. He hated thinking about how stupid he’d been back then. How much it had nearly cost him.

  “The bathroom is across the hall,” he instructed her. “Towels are in the cupboard. I don’t have a full-time housekeeper, so you’ll have to make your own bed and clean up after yourself.”

  “I can manage that.”

  Patrick stole another look and his breath caught in his chest. She was beautiful. Her face, her flawless skin, those expressive eyes. Memories of last night came flooding back. Cyndi’s passion, her eagerness in their lovemaking…then her disappearance. It had never crossed his mind that she was the movie star Cynthia Reynolds.

  “Good,” he said, “because no one here has time to wait on you.”

  “Patrick, have I made you angry?”

  Hell, yes. “No, I’m just busy. I have a mare in season.”

  “Please, don’t let me keep you,” she told him without any sarcasm in her tone. “I said I didn’t want any special treatment, and I meant it.”

  Cynthia wondered if she would ever again see the Patrick she’d met at Morgan’s. The man who had been so attentive, so loving. She realized she wanted to see that sexy smile of his again.

  He gave her a sharp nod. “Sounds good to me,” he said, but remained standing there with his hands on his hips. Those narrow hips attached to those long muscular legs. She let her gaze move upward over his flat stomach, to his broad chest and shoulders, unable to erase the memory of every alluring naked inch of this man.

  Her pulse shot off, racing. Staying here for the next ten days was going to be torture. If this movie role wasn’t so important, she wouldn’t be here.

  She picked up one of her suitcases and tossed it on the bed just as Nora and Kelly came in, nearly running into Patrick as he tried to get out the door.

  Nora called to him, “Patrick, I’m cooking a tri-tip roast for dinner so be on time.”

  He mumbled something impossible to understand, then all they heard were footsteps on the stairs.

  “Oh, Cyndi, I had another room picked out for you,” Nora said as she glanced around. “I don’t know why my brother put you here. We can move you.”

  “No, this is fine. I think we’ve disturbed Patrick enough for one day. I’m going to try and do exactly what he wants.” She glanced at her sister. “And you, I’m not finished with you. You didn’t even give me a chance to decide what I wanted to do. I’m not sure I can handle this.”

  Kelly didn’t seem fazed as she helped unpack the clothes, putting things inside the dresser drawers. “If I’d waited, the movie role would have been gone before you decided to get near a horse again.”

  Cynthia took out her cosmetic bag along with her bottle of NoWait oil. She glanced at Nora. “Is she like this at the office? If so, I feel sorry for you.”

  Nora smiled. “I thought my sisters and I were the only ones who argued like this. I’m the baby so I have no sympathy for older sisters. I got bossed around by everyone.”

  “Yeah, but I bet you were spoiled, too,” Cynthia said, glaring at Kelly. “Just remember all the mistakes are made on the oldest child.”

  “And I got all your hand-me-downs,” Kelly tossed back.

  Cynthia knew that Kelly wasn’t just talking about clothes. During their teenage years they’d shared a few boyfriends, too. She surprised herself by saying, “Not anymore.”

  Kelly grinned. “I guess there are some things we need to put off-limits.”

  Cynthia wondered what
had gotten into her. Had she gotten territorial over Patrick? She shook away the thought, knowing she needed to concentrate on her challenge of learning to ride.

  But which one was going to give her the most trouble—the horse or the man?

  After dinner, Patrick stood out on the back porch watching a light rain wash over the mountains. Billowy clouds clung to the peak, hiding the last of the day’s sun. He loved this time. The end of a busy day, when his body felt a satisfied tiredness, which meant he’d accomplished a lot. And he had. If everything went as planned, the mare Black Knight had covered today would soon test pregnant.

  Later that afternoon, he and Forest had ridden out to check fences and the herd. The cows and the new calves were doing fine. Then they went on to the west section to check the ten acres of rootstock vines they’d planted last spring. And finally he’d made it home in time to have a great dinner.

  He liked having his sister home and he loved her cooking. With Nora working in Portland she hadn’t been able to get out to the ranch much. That meant he was usually all alone. Not that he got lonely. He had plenty to keep him busy. And that was the way he liked it.

  Old memories rushed into his head. Aside from his sisters it had been years since he’d shared his life with anyone. Not since Gwen had ripped out his heart and nearly bankrupted him. He’d wanted a wife, a second mother for the girls, especially someone to love. But she had played him for a fool.

  Since then, Patrick had decided that he didn’t need the hassle or heartache. After striking out with Gwen, he realized he wasn’t cut out for relationships. So he kept any associations with women short, nothing serious, nothing permanent. And he’d let them know the score by the second date. But waking up this morning in the hotel room alone meant he’d never get the chance for that.

  Now he needed to stop remembering his incredible night with Cynthia Reynolds. His body suddenly stirred to life and he cursed his weakness. How was he going to handle having this woman around, sharing his home…his life?