A Rancher's Christmas

Chapter Three

Gina hunched her shoulders and wiped her eyes, and it was obvious that she was racked with guilt for not visiting while Lucky was still alive. She also seemed tormented over not knowing what he’d wanted to tell her. Zach knew, and this seemed a good time to enlighten her.

Even now she was beautiful, her eyes a soft green through the bright sheen of tears. She bit her bottom lip, and then freed it. Full again, it looked pink and soft and warm....

Zach tore his gaze away. He had a job to do, and he wasn’t going to think about his strong attraction to her. She was mired in the corporate world and he wanted to stay as far away from that as possible.

He handed her a paper napkin to blow her nose. “Don’t beat yourself up over what you can’t change,” he said, giving her the same advice Lucky had given him. “Your uncle knew you loved him, and that’s what counts.”

“But I’ll never know what he wanted to talk to me about.” She brushed crumbs from the tabletop into her hand and dumped them on her plate.

“I think I do.”

“Oh? Tell me.”

Her mouth opened a fraction, and from out of nowhere, Zach had the crazy urge to taste those lips. Down, boy. He raised his gaze and gave her a level look. “Lucky wanted to talk to you about his decision to leave you the Lucky A.”

She blinked in surprise. “That can’t be right. Uncle Redd is his brother. The ranch is supposed go to him.”

“Lucky and Redd discussed it, and they both felt it should pass to you.”

“But Uncle Redd never said a word about that over the phone or last night. I think you misunderstood.”

Having sat in on the conversation, Zach shook his head. “I know what I’m talking about, but if you don’t believe me, you’ll find out when you meet with Matt Granger this afternoon.”

“But I don’t want this ranch,” Gina said, looking stricken.

“All the same, it’s yours.”

“What am I supposed to do with it?”

Zach figured that was a rhetorical question, and in the silent moment that passed, he could almost see her mind work—and it worked fast.

“I guess I’ll sell it,” she said.

Not if Zach could stop her. “That’s one option, but Lucky wants—wanted—to keep it in the family.”

“Then he shouldn’t have left it to me,” she muttered, pushing her hair behind her ears. “I’ve had a lot of good times here, but I saw my uncle struggle every year. I know how hard it is to work from dawn to dusk, sometimes longer, all the while praying that Mother Nature behaves so that you can make a profit and survive another year. Sorry, but I’ll pass.”

She wore a stubborn look that reminded Zach of Lucky. With that and the defiant lift of her chin, Zach knew she’d made up her mind. Still, he had a promise to keep. “At least think about it for a few days. For Lucky.”

“You’re playing the guilt card. That isn’t fair.” Once again, she caught her lip between her teeth. “Even if I wanted to keep the ranch, and believe me, I don’t, I don’t see how that’s possible. I live in Chicago. That’s where my job—my life—is, and where I want to be. I’m a city girl now. Lucky’s known for years that I wasn’t coming back here.”

“He left you the ranch anyway.” Zach let the words hang there for a moment. “Ranching is good, honest work,” he added.

“And for the most part, ranchers are good people—I know that. But it doesn’t pay, not for the Lucky A. I don’t have to look at my uncle’s bank statement to know that he doesn’t have two dimes to his name. He always struggled to keep his head above water. I decided long ago that this wasn’t the life for me.”

“Lucky used to talk about how you helped with the chores around here and how you enjoyed taking care of the animals and being outside.”

“When I was little, I did.”

Zach tried a different tack. “Can you honestly say you’re happy with your life?”

“What are you, my psychiatrist?” she quipped, but she looked like a deer in headlights. “I’m a creative person, and I get to use that creativity in my work.”

She hadn’t answered the question, which in itself was an answer. “You didn’t look like you were being creative when you walked off the plane last night,” Zach said. “You looked ready to drop.”

“I don’t mind the long hours because it means that I’m successful and productive. And FYI, I happen to thrive on stress and a big workload.”

Having been there, Zach understood. He also knew that that kind of adrenaline never resulted in long-term satisfaction. “So you enjoy life on the human hamster wheel.”

“Sometimes it does seem like that, but... You couldn’t possibly understand.”

“Because I’m a ranch foreman.” Stung, Zach crossed his arms. “You don’t know anything about what I understand. You don’t know anything about me.” He considered explaining about the company he’d once owned, the things he’d done for the bottom line and the terrible price he’d paid. But that was his business. Besides, it was behind him now.

The starch went out of her spine. “That was rude, and I apologize.”

Zach nodded. She angled her head and really looked at him. “You’re right. I know very little about you, except that you’re from Houston. There are ranches all over Texas. How did you end up at the Lucky A in Saddlers Prairie, Montana?”

“I needed a change.” Which was all he was going to say. “You should know that I made a promise to Lucky that I’d convince you to keep the ranch.”

“You’re trying to change the subject. Don’t tell me—you left Houston because you’re a criminal.” Her eyebrows arched and her eyes twinkled, lighting her whole face.

“Very funny. Nope.” Not directly, anyway. In his own eyes, he was. The family of Sam Swain, the man who’d suffered a heart attack and died after Zach had forged the business deal that had undercut what he wanted, probably agreed. But Zach’s family and fiancée at the time hadn’t believed he’d done anything wrong—except when he’d sold his own company.

“You’re going to have to break your promise to Lucky. I can’t possibly—”

Not wanting to hear it, Zach held up his hands, palms out. “Just listen.”

She sighed. “All right, but I’ve made up my mind.”

“You no doubt know that people all over the country, maybe even the world, romanticize cowboys and ranching. Some even dream of living the ranching life. Why not indulge in that dream by offering a working vacation on a ranch?”

“You’re talking about a dude ranch.” She was tuned in now, her eyes bright and interested.

“Exactly. A few months ago, Lucky and I started laying out plans for turning the Lucky A into a working dude ranch. Imagine visitors staying for a weekend or as long as two weeks, paying for ‘the ranching experience,’” he said, making air quotes, “and providing free labor. In return, the Lucky A supplies lodging, meals and expertise.”

“Uncle Lucky thought that up?” Gina looked confused.

“Actually, I did, but Lucky jumped at the idea, especially after we penciled out the numbers. We’d have to update the bunkhouse and hire a cook, but if we brought in just twenty people a month between May and October, we’d break even.”

“My uncle has never penciled out numbers for anything.” Gina gave him a shrewd look. “Something tells me you haven’t always been a ranch foreman.”

“I’ve dabbled in a few other things. What do you think about the Lucky A Dude Ranch?”

“I have questions. These days, the crew lives in trailers. The bunkhouse hasn’t been used for years, except for storage. Getting it in working order will take a lot of updating. Where does the money to make those improvements come from?”

“We penciled that out, too. The wiring and plumbing are in decent enough shape, but the building needs more insulation and a new furnace and air conditioner, plus paint and new fixtures. I can do everything but install the heating and cooling systems, which will save a bundle. The estimated cost will be roughly twenty to thirty thousand dollars.”

“That’s a lot of money.”

Zach put up his hand, palm out, to silence her. “Lucky and I talked to the bank and they were willing to loan him half of that. If beef prices stay high, we figured he’d net the rest by spring. Once the business is up and running and profitable and the loan is paid back, we’ll look into adding a couple of cabins.”

Gina stacked her mug on top of her empty plate. “As intriguing as the idea is, you can count me out.”

He’d expected this. “You say that now, but I’m not giving up.” He scraped his chair back and stood. “Thanks for the coffee and toast. Before I forget, the combination to your uncle’s safe is his dad’s birthday, April 5, zero four zero five one nine. I’ll let myself out.”

He left her sitting at the table.

* * *

THAT AFTERNOON, ZACH, Curly and Bert, two of the crew members, checked the water troughs that provided a steady supply of water to the cattle. Sometime during the night, the heater in the big water tank had failed and the water had frozen in the pipes. Thirsty cattle had ventured onto the ice at the river, which was slippery and dangerous. Pete, a mechanical whiz, was already at work repairing the heater.

Donning safety glasses, the three of them wielded shovels and pickaxes to break the stuff up in the troughs and remove it. Then, with the help of a blowtorch, they began to melt the water in the pipes. For now the cattle would have the water they needed.

They were almost finished when Zach’s cell phone rang. He pulled off a glove and slid the phone from his jacket pocket. He didn’t recognize the number, but the 312 area code was Chicago’s. Had to be Gina.

He’d been thinking about her pretty much nonstop since that morning. Everything about her both fascinated and irritated him. The cute expression on her face when she told him about the awful coffee she’d made, her pretty smile and the way her eyes had sparked when she defended her career. How her breasts had looked in that sweater.

Zach swallowed. He was way too attracted to her for his own good and was both pleased that she had his number and put out that she’d called.

Curly and Bert eyed him curiously.

“I better get this,” he said. “This is Zach,” he answered gruffly.

A slight hesitation. Then, “It’s Gina. Is this a bad time to call?”

Did she have any idea of the knots she’d tied him up in? Yeah, it was a bad time. “I thought you had to meet with Matt Granger,” he said, drawing raised eyebrows from Curly. He knew that Granger was Lucky’s lawyer and realized who Zach was talking with. After hearing about her from Lucky for years, the crew had finally met her at the house last night.

“I’m supposed to meet him at three, but I can’t find Uncle Lucky’s bank receipts or other papers. I thought I’d find them in his desk, but they aren’t there. Uncle Redd isn’t answering his phone, and neither is Gloria or Sophie.”

“Did you check the safe?”

“Um, I don’t know where it is.”

Why hadn’t she asked him this morning? As much as Zach trusted the two crew members, he wasn’t about to tell her within hearing range of them. “Hang on a sec.” He muted his end of the line so she couldn’t hear him. “I need to go to the house and help Gina with something.”

“I’ll bet you do,” Bert said, giving him a sly look. “She’s a foxy one.”

Zach narrowed his eyes, and the burly ranch hand backed up a step. “No offense meant. What do you want us to do when we finish here?”

“Help Chet with loading the hay onto the flatbed. Make sure none of the herd has wandered off, and feed and water the horses. If you run into problems, give me a call.”

Zach climbed into his truck and drove to the house.

Looking worried, Gina met him at the back door. “I had to call the attorney and reschedule for four. I can’t find anything in the desk except junk. Uncle Lucky is—was—such a pack rat.”

Zach eyed the four-foot-high stack of yellowing newspapers against the kitchen wall. “He sure was.” He wiped his feet and stepped inside. “So you don’t know where the safe is.”

“I didn’t even know he had one until you mentioned it this morning, and I thought...I assumed that the papers I needed would be in the desk.”

“Let’s go into Lucky’s office.” Zach followed Gina through the kitchen and down the hallway. She was wearing the same sexy sweater and pants as that morning, an outfit that had to cost a mint. Gina had a great ass and hips that swayed naturally and seductively.

By the time they reached the office, he was semihard and not happy about that. Turning away from her, he headed through the room, stopping in front of an oil painting of a cowboy astride a horse that hung opposite the desk. He lifted the painting off the wall and set it carefully down.

Gina’s eyes widened. “For as long as I can remember, that painting has been hanging there. I had no idea it was hiding a safe.”

“Now you know. This is where you’ll find all of Lucky’s important papers, including a copy of the will and our spreadsheet for the dude ranch.”

“See, a word like spreadsheet—that wasn’t part of my uncle’s vocabulary.”

“After we developed one, it was. Try the combination.” Zach stepped back so that she could work the numbers.

She opened the safe and pulled out half a dozen folders. There was no room for them on Lucky’s cluttered desk, so she stacked them on the desk chair. “Just look at all this stuff.”

She was definitely unhappy about her uncle’s filing system. A lock of hair had fallen over her eyes, but she didn’t seem to notice.

“I wish I’d started earlier,” she said. “I’m not going to have time to look through everything, so I guess I’ll bring all these folders with me. Thanks for stopping what you were doing and showing me the safe, Zach. I don’t know what I’d have done otherwise.”

“Helping you out is part of my job.”

She tugged at her sweater, drawing his gaze to her breasts. “I’ve been thinking about how we left things this morning. You meant a lot to Lucky, and he obviously trusted you. You’re important to this ranch. My family and I need you here, Zach. You’re not going to quit, are you?”

“I wouldn’t do that. But you should know that I intend to honor my promise to Lucky. I’ll do what I can to change your mind.”

“Try away. It won’t work.”

With her chin up and the confident smile on her mouth, she was irresistible.

“That sounds like a challenge—and I always like challenges,” he said, advancing toward her. “Did you mean that?”

“I... Did I mean what?”

“About me trying to convince you.” Her eyes were the prettiest color, green with little flecks of brown and gold. “Did you?”

He brushed the silky lock back from her face and tucked it behind her ear. Her pupils dilated and he knew she felt some of what he did. She touched her lips with the tip of her tongue in what he recognized as a nervous gesture.

“I—”

He laid his finger over her soft lips. “Shhh.” Tipping up her chin, he kissed her.

* * *

ZACH’S HANDS WERE cold from being outside, but his lips were warm. And very good at their job. Gina hadn’t kissed anyone since she and Wayne had parted ways in June. Even in their first few months together, when there was some degree of passion between them, Wayne had never kissed her like this.

The kiss was firm, yet sweet and gentle, and something more she couldn’t define. Whatever it was, she liked it. A lot. Zach smelled of fresh air and man and was every bit as hard and muscled as he looked.

His arms tightened around her, and she willingly sank against him. Another kiss followed, and another. Shifting so that she was even closer, he slid his tongue over hers. Gina felt his arousal against her stomach. Her nipples tingled and her panties were instantly damp.

She wanted to go on kissing him forever. Instead she pushed him away.

He looked every bit as stunned by the heat between them as she was. “You better go or you’ll be even later for your meeting,” he said, his eyes hot as he straightened her sweater.

“Right.” She managed to close the safe and hang the painting with barely a tremble.

“You’re a very convincing man,” she murmured on the way to the kitchen. “But—”

“You’re still going to sell.”

She nodded.

By the time they reached the back door, she felt reasonably normal again. “Thanks,” she said as she opened the door for him.

The corner of his mouth lifted. “For showing you the safe, or for those kisses?”

Both. “I’ll see you later.”

“No doubt. Have fun with the lawyer.”

* * *

IN A DAZE, Gina drove down the highway in Uncle Lucky’s hulking truck. Traffic was light, but then in Saddlers Prairie it always was. Her mind wandered. She couldn’t get over Zach’s kissing her and how much she’d enjoyed it. In Uncle Lucky’s office of all places.

Her uncle had only been gone a few days. They hadn’t even held the funeral yet, and here she was fantasizing about the hunky foreman. What was she thinking?

That was the trouble—she hadn’t thought at all. She’d simply reacted. Boy, had she.

Up in rancher heaven, Uncle Lucky was probably shaking his head, wondering if she’d lost her mind.

She had—temporarily. Zach Horton wasn’t her type. Besides, she wouldn’t be here long. Getting involved with him was a bad idea.

Involved? Gina frowned. Just where had that idea come from? So they’d shared a few kisses. Fabulous, bone-melting kisses, the thought of which, even now, made her lips tingle and her stomach flutter. They didn’t mean anything and wouldn’t happen again.

Though if Zach did kiss her again, she wasn’t at all sure she’d stop him.

Her cell phone rang. Grateful for the interruption and eager to get her mind off Zach and his kisses, she set her phone on speaker mode and picked up.

“It’s Carrie,” her assistant said.

Gina started guiltily. She hadn’t thought about work or Carrie since early this morning. “It’s about time you called me back,” she chided. “Where have you been all day?”

“Where do you think I’ve been?” Carrie sounded defensive.

“I called you early this morning—hours ago.”

“The note from Marsha didn’t say it was urgent. Did she tell you that I was at the office until almost nine-thirty last night? I was up before dawn this morning and worked from home. Then I stopped in at a few of the Grant stores so that I could get a visual to go with the numbers they’ve been sharing.” She filled Gina in on what she’d observed. “I sent you an email with all the details. Did you see it?”

“Not yet, but I’ll be checking soon.” On the way back from the attorney’s office.

Things seemed to be going well, and Gina smiled. “That sounds good, Carrie. I’m impressed with what you’ve done. I thought you were supposed to have dinner last night with that guy you met at the bar.”

“Chad. Yeah, but it was too late for dinner, so we had drinks instead. We made a dinner date for this weekend.”

Been there, done that. Getting ahead sometimes meant putting your personal life on hold. “I’m glad he’s flexible,” Gina said.

“Chad’s an attorney—he understands long hours. That’s one of the many things we have in common.”

Everything Carrie said reminded Gina of herself and Wayne. When they’d first started dating they’d both thought they shared a number of interests. But after a few months, they’d realized that the only thing they really had in common was the desire to climb the corporate ladder. Neither of them had been upset when they’d parted ways.

“Have you had a chance to work on any of our other campaigns?” Gina asked. “Is there anything I should know about?”

She heard the sound of papers shuffling. “Oh, you know—the usual reports and phone calls. All the companies are anxious about their holiday campaigns.”

Something in her voice put Gina on alert. “Is everything okay? If you need help, tell me now.”

“I don’t! It’s super busy, but I’m handling it,” Carrie assured, sounding extra perky.

Too perky. Gina’s worry radar kicked up again. But then, like herself, her assistant thrived on deadlines and stress, so maybe the bubbly enthusiasm was for real.

“Look for an updated report on the Grant stores tomorrow,” Carrie added.

“Do you think you could send it this afternoon? With the funeral tomorrow, I doubt I’ll be checking email until the following day.”

“I’ll try. How are you?”

Gina didn’t have to think long about that. She’d just been kissed more thoroughly than she could ever remember, by a man she had no business kissing, and already she wanted more. She was a confused wreck.

She shook her head. “At the moment, I’m driving my uncle’s old four-speed truck down an all-but-deserted two-lane highway to his attorney’s office.”

“That doesn’t sound fun. You take care of yourself and your family, and don’t worry about me or work. Things are great here.”

Gina disconnected, dismissed her concerns and went right back to thinking of Zach’s kisses.

Chapter Four

Thanks to the meeting with the attorney, checking her email—and not finding the report from Carrie—and running some errands, Gina didn’t return to the ranch until nearly dinnertime. She walked in the back door with her arms full. Her family was in the kitchen—Sophie and Redd getting out cutlery and dinner plates and Gloria putting one of the casseroles into the oven.

“You’re finally back.” Gloria lifted her cheek for a kiss. “What took so long?”

“Honestly, Glo.” Sophie tsked. “Give the girl a chance to catch her breath.”

“For goodness’ sake, Sophie. It’s a figure of speech, not a criticism.”

Gina ignored the petty squabbling and set down her things. “I met with Matt Granger. Then I ran around, doing all the things he needed me to do. I also checked my email and stopped off at Spenser’s to buy trash bags and boxes for when I sort through Uncle Lucky’s things. Since you’re all here...”

She leaned against the counter and crossed her arms. “You all knew Uncle Lucky left the ranch to me instead of Uncle Redd. Why didn’t one of you say something?”

Her uncle and cousins exchanged looks. “We thought it might be better coming from someone else. I need a kiss, too,” Sophie said, as if their keeping a secret from Gina was no big deal.

Obligingly, she kissed her cousin’s wizened cheek.

“Were you surprised when Matt told you?” Uncle Redd asked, offering his cheek, too.

Gina kissed him, then straightened and frowned. “I would’ve been if Zach hadn’t warned me.”

“Zach told you?” Gloria’s eyebrows shot up. “I didn’t expect that.”

“I’m thankful he did,” Gina said. “I don’t like surprises like that.”

Sophie looked contrite. “We were afraid you’d be upset.”

“That doesn’t mean you should avoid the subject. How would you feel if I did that to you?”

Her uncle gave her a sheepish look.

“I guess we should have told you,” Gloria said.