The Rancher's Mail-Order Bride Page 12

  He was certainly her dream.

  Chapter Nine

  Wyatt tossed his tools in the bed of the truck and started the engine. “It’s little things like that fence there that keeps us on our toes. Weather and the animals take their toll and it’s all we can do to keep up with the repairs.”

  “With so many acres, why do you need the fences?”

  “We have to keep the herds sectioned off. And we don’t want our cows straying onto the neighbors’ land.”

  She laughed softly. “It’s hard to picture that image, with your neighbors being so far away.”

  “Yeah, but Cherry’s land borders mine. And she wouldn’t appreciate my bulls surprising her heifers, especially the registered herd Wendell spent so many years building.”

  “That’s the one you’re after, right? The bull that can start you a herd like that?”

  “Yeah. I’d give my eyeteeth to own Casanova. There are other registered studs out there, but there’s something about Casanova that draws me. He’s different. And the stock he produces is mighty fine.”

  “Is Cherry hesitant to sell?”

  “I’m not sure why she’s holding out. She’s barely scraping by since Wendell passed on. She’s hinted at selling the whole operation, moving away. Something keeps her here though, she’s reluctant to get down to the paperwork on that bull.”

  “Maybe she’s waiting for you.”

  “Me?” He looked at her oddly.

  “Maybe she’s looking to have you take over more than just Casanova. Maybe she’d like to give the animal to you, along with her land and herself.”

  He shook his head. “Cherry’s a neighbor.”

  Hannah shrugged. Men could be so obtuse at times. And from what she’d seen, Cherry Peyton had her sights set on Wyatt.

  “Do you need that bull? I mean for financial reasons?” Was her presence here going to cost him?

  He tipped his hat back, propped an elbow on the open window, and navigated the road with one hand on the steering wheel. “Winters are tough on the stock. We lose a lot. Plus we had a bad run last year with disease. Added to the fluctuating beef market, and profits are slim. I’m always looking for a way to increase my bottom line.”

  He hadn’t actually answered her question, but she let it pass. She didn’t want to embarrass him if his finances were on shaky ground.

  A toucher by nature, Hannah reached across the space separating them and laid her hand on his arm. “I’m sure you’ll get your bull.”

  He went very still, his eyes flaring. Here was that look again, the look that literally held her with his gaze alone, so singular, so potent.

  She licked her dry lips, unconsciously leaned toward him.

  A high-pitched bleat distracted them both.

  “What in the world?”

  Wyatt slowed the truck. “Look.” He pointed across the creek. “An antelope fawn.”

  The tiny creature was caught in the fence, its mother nervously pacing on the opposite side. “Oh, the poor thing. Can we help it?”

  “Maybe.” Wyatt gauged the creek and the sturdiness of the bank. Thinking he’d hit it on the high side, he did the one thing he’d told his employees never to do. He didn’t get out and do a walking recon. He just put the truck in four-wheel and headed across.

  When he hit the edge of the water, it dawned on him what a bouncy ride he was giving Hannah. At the last minute he let his foot off the gas, worried over her and the baby’s safety, visions of early labor scaring the tar out of him. With the loss of momentum, the back tires dug in, spun. The truck walked sideways, aligned itself with a boulder.

  “Damn it. Hold on.” Too late to back out now, he tried making it over the rock, miscalculated, and high-centered the truck, the undercarriage teetering on the bolder.

  A lot of good four-wheel drive did him when none of those wheels were touching the ground.

  He nearly pounded on the steering wheel, but refrained.

  Hannah, wise woman, kept silent. Although her knuckles were white on the dash, she didn’t make a peep or attempt to give instructions.

  He appreciated that.

  He was embarrassed enough as it was.

  “Well, we’re in a bit of a mess.”

  She smiled. “Just like an amusement park ride.”

  He looked at her strangely for a moment, then laughed. “I like you Hannah Richmond. You’re a good sport.”

  “So, what now?”

  “Now, we have to do the unthinkable and call somebody to come get us unstuck.”

  “The men aren’t too far from us, are they?”

  “We need a vehicle with a winch. Glen’s still at the ranch. But every man carries a radio. They’ll all hear my call.”

  “I take it having to call for a tow is right up there with having to ask for directions?”

  “Not that I agree with that very sexist remark, but yes, that’s about the upshot of it.”

  She grinned at him again, reached over and squeezed his arm. Touching him was part of the reason they were in this fix in the first place.

  He couldn’t think clearly when Hannah touched him, when her citrus scent wrapped around him and teased his senses. When he wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and kiss those plump lips, to skim her smooth skin, to press her against the seat and…

  He snatched the radio’s mike and depressed the button. “Wyatt to base. Glen are you there?”

  He waited, watching the fawn that had given up the struggle and was resting in the fence, its mother licking its face as though lapping up tears.

  “Skeeter here, Wyatt. What’s up?”

  Wyatt’s back teeth snapped together. “I was calling for Glen.”

  “Heard you just fine. Asked you a question, though.”

  He closed his eyes, waited a beat. He would take some ribbing over this.

  “I stuck the truck.” His words were terse and spare.

  The sound of bawling cows and male chuckles came over the radio. “Cute,” he said.

  “What?” Hannah asked.

  “Skeeter just opened the mike so I could hear the rest of the guys laughing.”

  “Do you often laugh at one another when you get the vehicles stuck?”

  “No. Just the opposite. It’s the fact that I did it.”

  The radio squawked. “Glen here, boss. I’ll come. Where are you?”

  Wyatt gave their location, replaced the mike and opened the truck door. “I’ll go see if I can free that fawn.”

  “Wait! You’re not going to leave me here, are you?”

  “The truck’s not going anywhere.”

  “Still, I’d rather go with you. What if it falls off the rock or something?”

  He smiled. It would only have a few inches or so to drop, not like going off a cliff or anything. “Stay put. I’ll come around.”

  Hannah was reluctant to make any big moves for fear of rocking the truck or doing something wrong. Aside from her unease over the precarious perch of the vehicle, she didn’t want to just sit there. She wanted to participate. Interact with nature.

  Be with Wyatt. In his world.

  She didn’t want to look like the city woman that she was. Darn it, she was trying. And learning.

  Wyatt came around the front and opened her door. Centered on the rock this way, it was a ways to the ground—and the water in the creek.

  He reached for her, lifted her down and into his arms, cradling her until they reached the bank of the creek, his boots wading through a couple inches of water and rocks.

  It was a beautiful trickling creek, looking innocent, fresh, and clean. Restful. But it had certainly made a mess of the truck. The front tires were actually on the grassy bank, but the boulder under the chassis kept the truck from going anywhere.

  Once on firm ground, he let her slip to her feet, the front of her body sliding down his. Erotic friction arced between them. With her arms wrapped around his neck, he paused for just an instant when their faces were level.

  E
yes held. Silent questions were asked but left unanswered. Desire was evident but went unquenched.

  Lips so close they could have brushed, opened slightly, breath mingling with breath. Around them, birds chattered from fence posts.

  And the baby fawn bleated in distress.

  Her feet touched the ground and her blood pulsed.

  Assured that she was steady, Wyatt turned and strode toward the trapped antelope. She watched him go, kept a slight distance.

  She didn’t know if she’d ever felt such fierce desire in her life. She didn’t know she was even capable of these rushing feelings, the ache, the throbbing that was like a scream building, shouting for release.

  She wanted to make love with this cowboy worse than she wanted to breathe.

  Heart still galloping, she watched as he gently freed the fawn from it’s trap, lifting it in his arms and setting it over the fence where it bounded away to join its mother.

  His hold on the small animal had been so gentle, his voice soft and soothing as he’d worked.

  He stood for a moment and watched mother and baby, then turned, his gaze meeting hers across the space of several feet.

  The air smelled sweet, the breeze warm. A couple of mockingbirds fussed at one another from the fence top.

  Still, the tension between Hannah and Wyatt was like a tangible thing, electrifying, provocative.

  She didn’t know who took the first step.

  She felt her feet moving, saw his intent stride match hers until the gap between them closed, faster now, as though touching were of life and death importance.

  One more step and she was in his arms, his mouth moving over hers, his arms wrapped around her, lifting her up on her toes.

  He kissed her with the single-minded intent of a man with a keen thirst. Here was the intensity she’d felt earlier, the certainty that his entire attention was focused strictly on her and nothing else.

  He made her feel like the only woman on the face of the planet, made her feel special and desirable and sexy.

  And he made her come alive, brought out a bold self-assurance that she hadn’t known she possessed.

  She kissed him back with every fiber of her being, giving as much as she took, surprising a groan out of him.

  His hands raced over her back, her sides, slipped under her top, cupped her breasts.

  “You’re so soft. You feel so good.”

  “Mmm,” was all she could manage to reply. Her mind was wrapped up in sensations that left no room for coherent thought much less conversation.

  The squawk of the radio made them both jump apart like scalded cats.

  Hannah blinked as if she’d just come out of a dark tunnel into the blinding sunlight. Wyatt was breathing hard.

  Wyatt cleared his throat. “That was…”

  “Earth shaking.”

  “I was going to say inexcusable.”

  She looked as though he’d socked her. “Why?”

  “We’re supposed to be looking for suitable ranchers for you. If we keep this up, it’ll only cloud both of our thinking.”

  Glen’s voice over the radio plus the sound of an approaching vehicle put an end to the conversation.

  Wyatt waded through the creek and snatched the mike.

  “Go ahead, Glen.”

  “Sheriff’s on his way.”

  Wyatt smothered a groan. “I see.” The cruiser was kicking up dust as it came down the dirt service road. Trust Bodine to be monitoring their radio frequency on his scanner.

  “Still want me to come?” Glen asked.

  “Stay put until you hear from me. Cheyenne’s car has a winch. He’ll probably be able to get us loose.”

  The sight of a horse and rider racing the sheriff’s car caused Wyatt to shut his eyes. Hell on fire, were they going to have a town meeting right out here in middle of the pasture? With him obviously still half-aroused?

  He went to stand by Hannah as Cheyenne Bodine stopped the cruiser, and Cherry Payne reined her horse right next to him.

  He did groan this time.

  “What?” Hannah asked.

  “It’s damned embarrassing to stick the truck. It tears up the equipment and takes up everybody’s time. I’m always fussing at the men, lecturing on caution, and here I go and do the very thing.” Because he’d been concentrating on Hannah’s touch and not on what he was doing.

  Cheyenne got out of the car, leaned his arms on the top and tipped back his hat. “Afternoon Wyatt. Hear you’re having some troubles.” Bodine grinned and sent a charming smile in Hannah’s direction. “Good to see you again, Hannah. Looks like your tour guide could use the services of the cavalry.”

  Wyatt scrutinized the sheriff. Tall, half-Indian, good-looking. Available. The right qualifications, he thought, his mind halfheartedly trying to conjure an image of Hannah and Cheyenne Bodine together. After all, he was supposed to be finding her a suitable husband, repairing the wrong that Ozzie had perpetuated.

  Kissing her like he’d just done was not part of the plan. He had to remember that.

  Hannah elbowed him in the ribs. “You’re doing it again,” she said, smiling, her lips barely moving, her voice soft enough for only his ears.

  He glanced down at her. Cheyenne was by the car still, grinning at them over the top. “What?”

  “Being obvious. We’re going to have to change Ozzie’s gang to the five musketeers.”

  Darn it all, matchmaking was not his thing.

  “You’re right. Besides, you’re looking for a rancher, not a cop.”

  She gave him a provocative look that slammed right into his gut, flipped his heart and made him hot and hard in an instant.

  This wasn’t going to work. He was trying to give her away and all he could think about was taking her to bed.

  THE NEXT MORNING, Hannah was up early and had fed the chickens and groomed and visited with Daisy before Ian woke up. She hadn’t yet gotten up the nerve to tackle the egg gathering after the incident with the snake, but knew she was going to have to face that chore sooner or later.

  Much later was her choice.

  She stood outside the kitchen door staring at a stretch of soil that wasn’t covered with grass.

  Wyatt, already astride his horse, rode up next to her, looking down from beneath his buff-colored hat. Strong hands lightly held Tornado’s reins as he leaned an elbow on the saddle horn and tipped back his hat.

  Just looking at him, so tall and masculine in the saddle, gave her a giddy thrill.

  “You’re in awfully deep concentration about something,” he said.

  It was uncanny how he kept an eye out for her, always aware and watchful. It was a wonder the man could get any work done for worrying about her.

  Then again, maybe it was a good thing. Perhaps he was aware because he was attracted to her. Like she was to him.

  Perhaps he wanted to be near her, in which case, the distraction she presented in his life could well be played up.

  “I was just thinking about this piece of ground here. It’s going to waste and it’d make a great place for a garden. Would you mind if I…uh, got some seeds and gave it a try?”

  “You can practice all you want on my ranch, remember?”

  She nodded. “When Ian gets up, I’ll go into town and see what I can round up.”

  “Check with Henry over at the feed store. In fact, I’ll take you if you want.”

  “No. You’ve got work to do.”

  He hesitated. “Do you remember the way?”

  “The one thing I’m very good at is directions.” Although she’d never relied on cows and fence posts and abandoned, rusted-out tractors to mark the way.

  He nodded, still watching her in a way that made her want to place her hand on his knee and tell him it would all be okay. She didn’t know why she felt that way, what his look meant, what those flashes of sadness and longing were caused by.

  “Do you need money?”

  “No.” Just like a married couple, she thought, then cautioned herse
lf not to get carried away. “This is my project, and in case I’m totally inept at it, I want to make sure I’m the one who funds it.”

  “You couldn’t be totally inept if you tried.”

  Her laughter startled a robin perched on the satellite dish. “That’s the biggest white lie I’ve heard in a long time, but I thank you for sparing my feelings.”

  His brows shifted, lifting his hat, his lips curving in a slow, sexy smile that made her heart skip. “No lie, Hannah Richmond. You’ve got more guts and spirit and capability than any woman I know.”

  The compliment was genuine. She had no idea what he was basing it on, but she glowed under his praise. And she became even more determined to make her garden flourish.

  HANNAH RAN INTO Cherry Peyton in the feed store. She wore jeans and a vest and a cotton shirt rolled up showing off tanned, well-defined arms. Her red hair brushed her shoulders with lush fullness. She was a beautiful woman.

  And she looked at Hannah like the outsider she was.

  A reluctant smile touched Cherry’s lips as she noticed what Hannah was inspecting.

  “A garden will take some hard work.” Her gaze went to Hannah’s pregnant stomach. “I don’t imagine Wyatt will have the time to help you out. We’re coming up on the busy season in ranching.”

  Although there appeared to be unavoidable competition between them, Hannah was determined to make peace with Wyatt’s neighbor. After all, she was hoping to be Cherry’s neighbor, too.

  She smiled. “I know it seems like a crazy thing to tackle, but I’ve always loved the feel of earth beneath my hands. It’s very soothing. And since I’m not exactly in condition to ride out and chase after cows, it’ll give me something to do.”

  Cherry seemed about to say something, then obviously changed her mind. “I saw your little boy up at the counter talking to Henry.”

  “Is Henry surviving?”

  “Henry always survives. Meddles almost worse than Ozzie, but he’s a good man. So, how are you getting along on the ranch?”

  “Truthfully? Just about every animal out there scares the devil out of me. Luckily, I’m very stubborn. I’m determined to win. The goat and I are making progress. The skunks and chicken snakes are another matter, however.”

  Cherry laughed, seemingly despite herself. “I’ll let you in on a secret. I hate chicken snakes, too.”