THE COWBOY SHE COULDN'T FORGET Page 7

  “You’re a good friend, Sarah. Thank you, but unless you want to drag my sisters back here, there isn’t much you can do.” She smiled. “Taking me to lunch was the best. Thanks for calling and insisting I come into town.”

  “A lot of good it did.” She nodded to the nearly untouched sandwich. “You aren’t eating enough.”

  Ana sighed. “I’m not very hungry.”

  “Well, make yourself eat. Colt needs you to stay strong.”

  Did her father even care? She knew that he needed her at the ranch. Whether he wanted her there or not, she wasn’t sure. But she wanted him well and back home to run the Lazy S. Then she could go back to her life. Her job. Except for the kids at the school, there was no one special waiting for her.

  * * *

  The following morning came far too soon for Ana. She got up with the sun, ate toast for breakfast and drank down some coffee, then headed out to the barn. She was going to do whatever needed to be done.

  She was ready to face Vance, whom she hadn’t seen in two days. Once inside the barn, she found a list of chores hanging on the door of the tack room, but no Vance around. The note stated that he’d gone out with most of the ranch hands, who were moving the herd.

  She shook off her disappointment that she hadn’t been asked to go along, then went to start her tasks. At the feed bin, she began to scoop out the morning’s rations of oats for the horses. With Jake’s help she got the job done within the hour. Then the cleaning began, the mucking out stalls and hosing down the center aisle.

  She even had the buckskin, Blondie, in the washing area. By the time she was finished with the bathing, she was as wet as the horse.

  It felt good to do physical labor. It took her mind off everything except the job at hand. She walked Blondie back to her clean stall. The horse nudged her for more attention.

  “If I have time later, it’s you and me headed across the meadow.” She gave the affectionate horse one more rub and left the stall.

  Jake walked by, whistling. “Thanks for the help, Ana.”

  “Not a problem. What’s next?”

  The twenty-one-year-old smiled. “We’re finished for the morning.”

  “Good, then I think I’ll go up to shower.” Ana wrinkled her nose. “I can’t stand myself any longer.”

  She took off toward the house, then paused to admire the huge stone and brown-clapboard structure. The original two-story house had been built for her mother, but over the years, they’d added on as each baby came along. Now it looked big and empty and in need of some tender loving care.

  Ana walked up the stone path to the back door, to find Kathleen folding clothes in the utility room.

  “Hold it right there, young lady. You’re not going into the house wearing those filthy clothes.” The housekeeper handed her a towel from a stack of clean ones. “Strip and put everything in the hamper.” She shook her head. “This sure brings back memories. You always could get the dirtiest of all your sisters. I miss those times,” she said, lifting a basket of clean clothes and walking out.

  Ana smiled as she kicked off her boots and unzipped her jeans, shimmied the wet fabric down her legs and tossed them into a hamper. That was the benefit of staying for the summer: she got to be around the horses and live here at the ranch. She pulled off her sweatshirt and threw it on top of the jeans. She was shivering by the time she got out of her soggy panties and bra. She reached for the towel and wrapped it around her just as the back door opened.

  Ana gasped in shock when she turned around and saw Vance step into the small room.

  “What are you doing here?” she demanded, gripping her towel tightly.

  He didn’t answer right away, but his gaze took a slow journey up her body. “Right now, I’m enjoying the view.”

  She felt warmth surge through her. “Well, stop it.”

  He tipped his hat back and leaned against the doorjamb. “That’s a little hard to do.” He shook his head. “Damn, if you don’t look good in a towel.”

  “Oh, grow up.” She hated that he made her feel so anxious. “I’m going to take a shower. So if you need anything... I mean, is there something I can do—”

  “Believe me, a lot is coming to mind, but right now I just need to move in.” He grinned. “Looks like I’m going to be enjoying my stay here.”

  Ana didn’t have a comeback, so she swung around and marched off with as much dignity as she could manage in a towel. All the way reminding herself that there would be a man in the house. A man she definitely needed to stay clear of.

  Vance enjoyed the view from the back almost as much as the front. But if he wasn’t careful, and if he came on too strong, Ana would run far and fast. He frowned. The wise thing to do might be to back off completely, as he’d been doing for years. Yet all he could think about was the kiss they’d shared in the barn. No other woman could tie him in knots like Analeigh Slater.

  Hell, he’d thought the years apart would lessen his appetite for the pretty brunette. But all she had to do was flash those big blue eyes at him, and once again he couldn’t remember his name.

  He grabbed the duffel bag outside the door and walked into the kitchen just as Kathleen was coming down the hall.

  She gave him a bright smile. “So now I know what’s got my girl so riled up.” The housekeeper paused. “A word of advice, Vance. Don’t push too hard.”

  He played innocent. “I only came by to drop off some things in my room.”

  The older woman shook her head. “Yeah, I know. Just be warned, Ana is vulnerable right now. She’s been fighting for her daddy’s approval all her life.” Kathleen pushed her finger into his chest. “I don’t think you’d ever break her heart intentionally, but...just tread softly.”

  Vance felt his chest tighten. That would be the last thing he would ever do. He was more worried that she would destroy him.

  * * *

  An hour later, Ana came out of the same bedroom she’d slept in since she was a little girl. She was freshly showered and shampooed, realizing she’d be sharing a bath with Vance at least for a few days.

  In the past four years, she’d seen Vance Rivers only in town. They would nod in greeting, but rarely exchanged words. Now she had to work with the man, and she’d be sleeping a few doors down the hall.

  Okay, it was a big house. There were four bedrooms upstairs and a master suite at the opposite end. They could go their separate ways, except when they needed to come up with ideas to help the ranch.

  She headed for the stairs and saw her sister Marissa’s bedroom door was open. There was Vance, taking clothes out of his bags and putting them in the dresser drawers.

  In the walk-in closet there was a row of shirts hanging neatly. Well, he was making himself at home. Ana closed her eyes. He had every right to be here. He’d been a part of this family for years. He should be like a brother to her. So why didn’t she feel sisterly toward him?

  Just then Vance turned around, and she zoned in on the tall, broad-shouldered man with that lanky cowboy build a woman couldn’t take her eyes off. Her gaze moved to his handsome face with those deep-set, coffee-colored eyes. His sandy-brown hair was thick and wavy, and maybe a little on the long side.

  “See anything you like?” he asked.

  “Well, you were checking me out downstairs. I thought I’d turn the tables and see how you like it.”

  He dropped his stack of T-shirts and came toward her. “I like it a lot, especially from you,” he told her.

  She fought to move away, but he was so close, and so tempting. “This playing around isn’t a good idea, Vance.”

  “Who said I was playing?” he challenged.

  Her heart started to pound as she met his intense gaze. She managed to step back. “Whatever it is, stop it. We need to concentrate on other things. Are you settled in?”


  “I’m getting there. Back at my house, I put away all my personal things. Jake and Gary moved beds from the bunkhouse into the other two bedrooms. So the place now sleeps four to five adults. Kathleen is going to put on the bedding and add some special touches.”

  “Thank you, Vance. Thank you for doing this.”

  “It’s not a big deal. The house is part of the ranch. It’s not even mine.”

  “But it comes with your job as foreman.”

  Vance had plans to have his own place soon. The dream might be pushed further into the future than he wanted, but he wasn’t giving up. He had the land, and the crop nearly ready to harvest, and soon he’d be able to build his house. He looked at Ana. Question was, would he ever have the girl?

  “I can handle living here,” he said, wanting to change the subject. “I bet your sister would have a fit knowing I’m sleeping in her room.”

  Yeah, and so close to me. Ana suddenly remembered the kid who used to sleep in the barn.

  “Like I said before, Colt should have never made you stay out in the barn,” she said.

  Vance raised an eyebrow. “He didn’t make me stay anywhere.”

  “A boy shouldn’t have to live with animals.”

  “It wasn’t that bad. Really. My room was upstairs. It was a big area, and finished just like a regular house.”

  “But you were a kid,” she insisted. “You needed adult supervision.”

  “I was fourteen,” he told her. “Chet was close by. I had pretty much been living on my own for years. Though my mother left, my dad was around most of the time. I liked being at the ranch, because he wasn’t there taking a swing at me.” Vance glanced away. “It was heaven to have a warm bed, three square meals and clothes.”

  Ana felt the tears building.

  He gave a frustrated sigh. “Don’t you do that! Don’t go feeling sorry for me. I’ve had a good life here. Your father took me in, helped me learn about horses and cattle. He gave me a chance at a good life, Ana. So just drop this.”

  Seeing her frown, he quickly changed to another topic. “I heard you worked pretty hard today.”

  “Isn’t that what you wanted? There was a list.”

  He folded his arms over his chest. “I post a list every day, but I didn’t expect you to do it all.”

  “I want to help out.”

  “You don’t need to go overboard, Ana. There are men who get paid to do the job.”

  “You can’t expect me to sit around and do nothing.”

  He hesitated. “Then how about taking a ride with me this afternoon? I need to help with the herd.”

  She was excited. “You’re not just making the trip up for me?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t have time for that. I wouldn’t have come in, except I needed to get my clothes out of the house. I’d planned to go back out after lunch. You can come along or not.” He went back to putting clothes away in the dresser.

  “I’ll come,” she agreed.

  “Then let’s have some lunch and go.”

  She smiled, and he found there was nothing sweeter.

  * * *

  There was nothing like the view of the mountains and feeling the cool breeze against her cheeks as she raced across the pasture. Blondie loved to run, so Ana gripped the horse’s mane and let her have her lead through the high grass.

  She glanced over her shoulder and saw Vance on Rusty only a slight distance behind her. He could easily catch her, but she was glad he allowed her the freedom to do her thing.

  Finally, he rode up beside her and pointed toward the pasture, where cattle dotted the landscape.

  “Fun is over, it’s time to go to work,” he called to her.

  Ana pulled back on the reins and her mount slowed. They approached the herd of Hereford cows with their babies, and she immediately heard the calves bawling. She smiled at the familiar sound, and inhaled the scents of cattle and fresh grass.

  Vance closed the space between them. “You ride in with the herd. I need to check for strays.”

  With her nod, Vance kicked Rusty’s sides and they took off after an errant yearling. Ana couldn’t help but smile, seeing the gelding react like a pro cutting horse. She knew Vance had entered Rusty in many competitions.

  The horse and rider were putting on a show now. They headed off the calf, and a dance of wills began between the equine and cow, until Vance managed to direct the little guy back to the herd and his mama.

  Ana walked Blondie along with the herd, careful not to startle any of the cows. Vance soon fell in beside her.

  “Pretty impressive work.”

  “Thank you, ma’am.” He tapped the brim of his hat with a gloved finger. “You want to play cowgirl?”

  She nodded. “Show me what to do.”

  “Watch Gary and Todd,” he told her.

  She leaned over her saddle horn and spotted two young cowboys with lariats in their hands, using the ropes to keep the cows in a tight group. Before she could ask, Vance handed her a bandanna from his pocket.

  “Tie this around your mouth. It keeps out the dust.”

  She did as he told her, then he handed her a rope and rode with her to the back of the herd. “We’re going to ride drag, but the dust shouldn’t be too bad, since it rained last night.”

  “It’s okay,” she said. “Where are we taking them?”

  “A good mile to the branding pens.” He looked concerned. “Will you be okay?”

  She nodded, though she wasn’t sure. “I can do this.”

  He winked at her. “I don’t doubt you can.” He stayed with her, sending Gary and Todd to flank the herd, and they continued the slow process of moving the cows.

  Nearly two hours later, they finally reached the large pens. They got the herd through the gate, where Gary had feed waiting for the hungry cows. Once the last one was inside and the gate shut, Ana climbed down from her horse.

  “Oh,” she cried, as her legs started to give way, but she felt someone grip her by the waist and hold her upright.

  “Whoa, there,” Vance said against her ear.

  “I’m okay.” She held on to the saddle horn, hoping he’d release her.

  “You sure?”

  “Let go and find out.”

  He did. And by a miracle, she managed to stay on her tired legs. “I guess I’ll need to toughen up.”

  “Not too much.” He tossed her a wide grin. “I kind of like your soft places.”

  Before she could say anything, he walked off to help the men. She decided that she would stay and rest a minute or two, or a hundred. Oh, boy. She moved very gingerly to the shade of a tree and leaned against the trunk. How would she pull this off tomorrow?

  She smiled. She didn’t care. All the aches and pains were so worth it. For once she felt she was a part of this ranch, and decided she was going to find a way to stay and be a part of this operation. She looked at Vance walking to his horse. He wore leather chaps over his jeans and a cowboy hat low on his head.

  The man took charge as if he were born to the job. Well, so was she. She just needed a little practice at being a cowgirl, and couldn’t let one good-looking cowboy distract her.

  * * *

  By the time they got back from the cattle pens, they were both exhausted and dirty. After taking care of the horses, Vance went into the bunkhouse for a shower, leaving Ana a chance for some privacy. Not that he wanted to be apart from her. He’d enjoyed spending the day with her, and wouldn’t mind more.

  He stripped down and walked into the large shower stall. He closed his eyes as the warm spray hit his tired body, but he wasn’t too tired to think about Ana. The picture of her standing naked in the big tub at the house flashed into his head. Water would be slicing over her slender frame from the overhead spray, her soapy hands mov
ing over those sweet curves. His mouth went dry as he remembered the taste of her mouth, and he ached to sample the rest of her.

  With a frustrated groan, he reached out and turned the faucet to cold, and quickly finished washing. He got out, dried off and wrapped himself in a towel. He cursed, knowing Colt would have a fit if he knew Vance had been thinking this way about his oldest daughter.

  He walked out of the shower area, stood at the mirror over the row of sinks and ran his hand over his two-day growth of beard. He’d no sooner reached inside his shaving kit for his razor when he heard a gasp.

  He glanced in the mirror and saw Ana standing in the doorway.

  What the hell... “Ana. Is something wrong?”

  Looking embarrassed, she shook her head. “Jake told me... He said that there was some liniment...in here.” She shuddered. “He said it would help with my soreness.”

  Vance glanced over her long legs encased in a clean pair of jeans. By the looks of her still-damp hair she’d already showered.

  “Your legs hurt?”

  “Along with other body parts,” she murmured.

  He tried not to think about the parts she didn’t mention. It didn’t work.

  “I want to be able to help with the branding tomorrow, so I need to do something to help my aches and pain.”

  She was staring at him as if she’d never seen a man in a towel before. He liked the interest he saw in her eyes. As much as he wanted to see where this would go between them, this wasn’t the time.

  “Maybe you should just take a day or two off,” he suggested.

  She frowned. “But I want to help.”

  “You don’t need to prove anything, Ana.” He opened the counter drawer, searched around and found a tube of ointment. He held it up. “You’re already sore from today’s ride.”

  She straightened, then crossed the room and took the tube from him. “Then let me prove it to myself. I can handle tomorrow.”

  He gripped her by the wrist. “I just don’t want you to get hurt in the process.”

  She looked both sad and angry. “So you expect me to just stand around?”

  “I want you safe. Those calves can be downright ornery when they’re riled.” He stepped closer, reached out and touched her cheek. “I don’t want this pretty skin bruised.”