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This whole idea had sounded much more doable before he’d sobered up.
Miles of nothing stretched before him as well as behind him. In the time since they’d left the city of Bozeman, they had encountered highway and mountains, nothing more.
A blue sky, fading slowly into dusk, looked almost low enough to touch. Dex couldn’t recall ever feeling this close to the heavens before. He scrubbed a hand over his face. The disorientation was clearly turning to delusions. This was bad. Very bad.
She turned right again, this time onto a long winding dirt road. The sun barely hovered above the mountaintops in the distance. Acres and acres of fenced pasture yawned on either side of the rough road. Cattle grazed serenely on the lush carpet of green grass.
Around the next bend in the road, a sight that Dex would not soon forget appeared before him. A two-story sprawling ranch house stood against the breathtaking backdrop of majestic mountain ranges. A barn right off the pages of a New England calendar lay in the distance, as did other not-readily-identifiable structures. A corral he recognized from its circular design encompassed a large area near the barn. His gaze shifted back to the house. It was the house that held the place of honor among nature’s and man’s embellishments. With the authenticity of a perfect reproduction from the set of an old black-and-white Western movie, the house looked homey, inviting.
“Home sweet home,” he murmured as his heart rate increased, sending adrenaline surging through his veins.
“Yessiree Bob,” Leanne agreed.
She smiled, a gesture that sent a spear of heat straight through him. Were all the women out here so innocent-looking and apparently sweet?
“Come on, they’ll be waiting.”
She got out, skirted the hood and reached in back for his bag before he had the presence of mind to react.
Dex wrenched the door open and all but fell out of the truck. “I’ll get that,” he insisted, grappling for his equilibrium and at the same time reaching for the heavy duffel. She was certainly stronger than she looked.
“Gran fixed your favorite for supper,” she told him with another of those wide, sincere smiles.
He nodded, but hoped to God he could bow out of dinner, er, supper. He wasn’t ready to play Ty Cooper to a larger audience just yet. And he didn’t have a clue what Ty’s favorite meal was supposed to be. Surely the Coopers would understand that he was exhausted after his trip and required an early retirement this evening.
Dex followed Leanne up the steps to the wooden porch that spanned the front of the house. A low growl froze him in his tracks. His eyes widened when his gaze sought and found the source of the sound. A dog. A large, rather fierce-looking animal that appeared poised to lunge at him. Dex had no experience with dogs to call upon. Grandmother Montgomery had allergies. Pets had never been allowed in the Montgomery residence.
“Lady,” Leanne scolded. “Why would you growl at Ty? Just because he took a trip without you?” she said in that child-like tone adults took when speaking affectionately to children or animals. “He’s only been gone a week. Now you be a good girl. You know better than to misbehave.” She scratched the big animal, which Dex now recognized as a golden retriever, behind the ears.
“You should recognize me, Lady,” he put in when Leanne looked up at him as if she expected some sort of reaction. He certainly wasn’t about to reach down and touch the animal.
Leanne gave Lady’s head one final pat. The dog lumbered away, then dropped onto the porch as if too tired or disgusted to pursue the situation further.
“Looks like you’re not the only one feeling out of sorts this evening.”
Dex feigned a laugh. “Jet lag,” he repeated.
Leanne stared at him for one long moment. “Yeah. Maybe I don’t want to go to Chicago if flying is that tough on you.” She opened the front door and entered the house as if she lived there.
No locked door. No knock first. Dex would have been appalled at the Coopers’ lack of security measures had his heart not been pounding like a drum in his chest. He had to find a way out of this. He would never fool these people.
“We’re here!” Leanne shouted as she wandered down the hall.
“Welcome home!”
Dex jerked to an abrupt stop in the middle of the hall. The duffel thunked to the hardwood floor. What looked like a dozen people, of varying sizes and ages, all beaming smiles, and heading for him, crowded into the entry hall. A big banner reading Welcome Home! draped from one wall to the other. One would think that Ty had been gone for months.
An older woman, her gray hair in a tight bun, her hazel eyes shining with emotion, threw her arms around him first. “It’s good to have you back home, son.”
His Grandmother Cooper.
Dex opened his mouth to speak but no words formed. He felt suddenly overwhelmed with unfamiliar emotions as those slim, frail arms tightened around him.
A strong hand clapped him on the back even before the older woman released him. “Take that hat off, young man.”
Dex turned to greet the man who’d spoken. Tall, slim, thinning gray hair, brown eyes. Dex dragged the hat from his head and dropped it on a nearby table. “Pa,” he offered, the single-syllable word steeped in too many emotions to sort. This was his mother’s father.
The older man slung an arm around his shoulder and started down the hall, Dex in tow. “Come on, boy, supper’s waiting.” He paused and beamed a proud smile in Dex’s direction. “We’re glad you’re home, son.”
Everyone started talking at once then. Dex lost track of the number of times his journey was halted so that he could be hugged and welcomed home. His Grandmother Cooper insisted that Leanne stay for supper. For some reason he couldn’t begin to understand, he was glad she agreed to stay. He’d analyze that bit of irony later.
Right now it took all his powers of concentration to watch his step. Especially since three small children all but clung to his legs as he followed the crowd into the dining room. He felt certain his back would be bruised considering all the hearty poundings he’d taken from the male Coopers. For these people, outward displays of affection were apparently a way of life.
The dining table was long, like the one in his home back in Atlanta, only this one was a rustic country style, the tabletop scarred from years of everyday use. The heavy stoneware dishes bore the same worn appearance and spoke of both hard times and good times, neither of which were forgotten or taken for granted.
The elder Coopers occupied the head positions at the table. Leanne sat across from Dex next to Angelica, the five-year-old daughter of Ty’s adopted brother Chad. Chad and his wife also sat on that side. Next to Dex was Chad’s older brother Court, his wife, and their four-year-old twin boys. At least he hoped he had the right name with the right brother.
Ty had explained that Court and Chad were the sons of Grandmother Cooper’s younger sister who had died years ago, leaving the boys alone in the world since their father had already passed away. The Coopers had gladly taken in the boys, adopting them and rearing them as Ty’s brothers. Dex suddenly wanted to know what that sort of love was like. That kind of family bond. Though he knew his grandparents in Atlanta loved him, it wasn’t the same.
“So, did you have a pleasant trip?” Grandmother Cooper asked as she offered a platter of steaks to Dex.
Dex stared at the enormous platter as he accepted it. Big, thick, juicy cuts of beef. He selected the smallest portion then passed the platter to Court. “It was…” How the hell was it? he wondered. “…as well as can be expected, I suppose,” he said noncommittally.
Grandfather Cooper snorted. “I told you not to get your hopes up, son. You’re just like your mother, always dreaming big dreams. But sometimes you just have to be satisfied with the way things are.”
Dex stared at the older man. Just like his mother. His mother’d had big dreams? What kind of dreams? He suddenly wanted to know.
“Enough of that,” Grandmother Cooper scolded when Dex was relatively sure his grandfather would have gone on. “Ty’s just gotten home. He can tell us about the business part of his trip tomorrow.”
She smiled at Dex and he had the abrupt, overwhelming feeling that it was exactly like seeing his mother smile. Before he could dwell further on the gesture a bowl of green beans was thrust under his chin. Dex peered down at the clearly overcooked vegetable. The whole meal was a ticket to an early grave. Green beans, cooked with what appeared to be a hunk of meat consisting totally of fat, steak, potatoes brimming with golden butter, and a slab of cornbread that looked as though it could keep them all fed for a week. The kind of meal the Montgomerys avoided at all costs.
Not a single lettuce leaf was in sight.
Dex surveyed the large group gathered around the table. Hadn’t any of them heard about eating healthy? Without warning, something hit him square in the chest. A green bean lay on the table, a greasy spot just above the fourth button soiled the tan-colored shirt he wore.
Across the wide expanse of worn, but well-polished oak Angelica smiled innocently at him. Dex peered at her in confusion for a moment, then at the bean once more. Had she thrown it at him? He lifted his gaze back to her just in time to see her use her spoon to launch another one in his direction. This one hit high on his right shoulder.
Dex frowned, uncertain of what course of action he should take, if any. He hadn’t spent any time around children. He only knew that they were messy and cried a lot. This one appeared intent on the former. He scanned the other adult faces. All were engrossed in eating or some discussion about the ranch he probably wouldn’t have understood even if he’d been listening.
Just when Angelica, an evil grin plastered across her pretty little face, prepared to fire at him once more, her father’s hand closed over hers. “Stop that, young lady,” he said firmly.
Relieved, Dex relaxed. “She’s a pretty good shot, Court,” he offered conversationally.
Everyone stopped talking and stared at him. What had he done? The sound of blood roaring through his ears made the silence deafening. Had he made a mistake already?
And then he knew.
“Chad,” Dex amended, then shook his head. He’d called the man by the wrong name. Dex shrugged. “Jet lag,” he offered in explanation.
All nodded, some even laughed and seemed to be satisfied with that excuse. All but Leanne, who studied him inquisitively. Flashing her a strained smile, Dex focused on the food on his plate. He’d have to be more careful. His head was throbbing, his heart pounding. But he was here now. He might as well give this trading places thing a shot. There was no reason he couldn’t do it. He glanced at the child sitting across the table. She gave him one of those I’m-not-through-with-you-yet looks. Then again, maybe he couldn’t do it.
Had he lost his mind entirely? Dex slowly studied the people seated around the table. Uncertainty undermined his newly found determination. How in the world was he supposed to fool all of them? When his gaze settled on his Grandmother Cooper again she chose that precise moment to turn toward him. Another of those heartwarming smiles spread across her lovely face. This was why he was here. This was his opportunity to learn what kind of person his mother had been. To see pictures…to learn about her past.
And maybe to somehow understand how a family as seemingly loving and generous as this one could take one child and turn their back on the other.
Chapter Two
Dex felt like a character from an episode of a reality TV show.
He was mentally and physically drained, but his first meal with the Coopers was nearing an end at last. The moment anyone seated around the large table made a move signaling the event was officially over, he intended to excuse himself for the evening. His senses were on overload. Too much conversation, too many different voices and personalities. He’d definitely taken for granted the experience of quiet dining. He doubted he would do that again anytime soon. This level of stimuli during a meal couldn’t possibly bode well for the digestive system.
Not to mention he’d ingested more saturated fats in one sitting than he had in a lifetime of eating his usual cuisine. He had to admit, however, that the steak had been more than palatable…tasty even. If what he’d been served tonight was indicative of Cooper beef, then the quality was premium.
He could see now why Ty felt compelled to pursue larger markets. The product was certainly worth the extra effort.
“We’ll clear, ladies,” Chad, or at least Dex thought it was Chad, said as he pushed back his chair and stood.
At this point Dex wasn’t sure of anything except that he had to be alone.
“Why, thank you, honey,” Chad’s wife—Jenny, if Dex remembered correctly—crooned with a wide smile.
Following the example of the other men, Dex stood as well. He knew a moment of panic as he considered what he should do next. He’d never had to clear a table before. How difficult could it be? Drawing on years of experience of eating at restaurants, he reached for his plate and glass like the waiters who’d served him in the past.
“No way, brother,” Court said from beside him. “You’ve got the night off.” Court winked. “Besides, you have company to see to.”
Dex blinked, uncertain what the man meant. What company?
“Oh, don’t be silly, Court,” Leanne chided. She pushed to her feet. “I can see myself out. It’s past time I got home.” She leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to Grandmother Cooper’s cheek. “Thank you for having me to supper.”
“Anytime, dear,” she returned. “Anytime. You tell your mama I said hello.”
“I sure will.” Leanne glanced at Dex. “Well, I guess I’ll be going.”
Court elbowed him. “I’ll…ah…see you to the door,” Dex offered, suddenly remembering his manners, and realizing, just as abruptly, that the rest of the family clearly considered Leanne his company.
Still trying to figure that one out, Dex followed her into the front hall. “Thank you again for picking me up at the airport,” he offered for lack of anything else to say.
“I didn’t mind,” she said, turning back to him when she stopped at the door. “I hope something good comes of your trip, Ty. I do know how much it means to you.”
The sincerity in her eyes was so genuine that it moved Dex. Or maybe it was just those big blue eyes that affected him. And all that silky blond hair. For the first time since he’d met Leanne, Dex took a moment to really look at her. She was of medium height, her figure curvy, voluptuous. Nothing like the waif-thin women he usually preferred. The well-worn jeans and button-up blouse were accessorized with scuffed boots and a leather belt that cinched her tiny waist. The smallness of her waist accentuated her womanly hips and particularly full breasts. Dex drew in a tight breath. She certainly had a nice set of…
“Are you sure you’re all right, Ty?”
Her question jolted him to attention. He blinked and dragged his gaze back to hers. Though she looked concerned, he could well imagine what she must think at the moment. He’d blatantly stared at her breasts. Thoroughly measured her body with his eyes. He had no doubt he’d lost his mind. The chances of a speedy recovery looked dim at best.
“I’m fine…really,” he insisted. “Fine.”
She nodded, the doubt clear in her eyes. “Well, I’ll see you around then.”
He felt his head bob up and down though he couldn’t recall issuing the necessary command. “Sure,” he managed to choke out.
She hesitated when she would have opened the door, adding a new layer of tension to his already unbearable state. “I almost forgot.” She stared up at him. “Are we still on for the dance Friday night?”
Dance? Ty hadn’t mentioned any dance. Worry tightened around his throat like a noose. “Dance?” he echoed his bewildered thought.
“The annual barbecue and dance to raise money for the volunteer fire department. You haven’t forgotten, have you?”
Faced with her expression of disappointment and maybe even a little hurt he heard himself say, “No, no. I haven’t forgotten. I’m just too tired to think, that’s all.” He shrugged. “Sure, we’re still on,” he added, using her words.
Her face brightened. The smile with which she gifted him shifted something in his chest. How could a mere smile have such a mesmerizing effect?
“Good night,” she murmured.
“Good night.” Despite everything, he just couldn’t help himself. He felt his lips curl upward as he stared deeply into those wide, blue eyes.
Before he could fathom her intent, she tiptoed and placed a chaste kiss on his jaw then rushed out the door.
Dex stared after her as she hurried away. He didn’t close the door until the tail lights of her truck had disappeared around the bend. He touched his jaw where she’d kissed him and he felt weak with something he couldn’t name. What was it about this woman—this place—that made him feel so strange? He couldn’t recall ever having felt so flustered, so uncertain of who he was.
“Dex Montgomery,” he murmured. “You’re Dex Montgomery.” He had to remember that.
“Ty.”
Dex turned to find Grandmother Cooper waiting near the bottom of the stairs. He smiled automatically, which was not his custom. He couldn’t say for sure whether he intended the gesture or if he’d simply done it so she would smile back at him. There was something about her smile.
“I know you’re worn out, son,” she said kindly. “Why don’t you call it a night? You can tell us all about your trip in your own time.” She winked covertly. “I left a present for you in your room.”
Dex felt weightless as he watched her walk away. His grandmother had gotten him a gift. Why that should give him such pleasure, he had no clue. But it waited for him in his room.
Dex stilled. No. It was waiting for him in Ty’s room.
Where the hell was Ty’s room?
HOW COULD SHE have kissed him?
Leanne slammed on her brakes and skidded to a frustrated halt a few feet from her own front porch. She shut off the lights and engine and heaved a disgusted sigh.
She’d kissed Ty. At least it had been only on the cheek, but she’d kissed him nonetheless.
She had undoubtedly lost her everloving mind. Why else would she have behaved so irrationally? Been so forward? There was no telling what he thought.
Depressed now more than disgusted, she laid her forehead against the steering wheel and considered how she would ever face him again.
Warmth spread through her as the brief meeting of her lips and his stubbled jaw played through her mind once more. Though always clean-shaven, Ty’s dark features left him with a five o’clock shadow every evening. She’d always imagined that beneath that darkly handsome exterior beat the heart of a truly sinful lover. A man who could please a woman. The details of his muscular chest ran through her mind. Never had the idea of Ty’s virility or masculinity intrigued her so.
Leanne straightened, frowning. She’d seen Ty shirtless hundreds of times. He was a strong, well-built man. She felt certain he would make some woman very happy some day. But not her. She loved him like a brother. Not once in her entire life had she felt even remotely sexually attracted to him.
Not once.
Until today.
The moment their gazes had locked at the airport she’d felt something…something different. She shook her head and climbed out of her old truck. The Coopers as well as her own mother had been trying to push the two of them together for as long as she could remember. She knew they meant well, wanted their children to be happy. But Leanne had other plans. She wanted to fall head over heels in love with a man who would sweep her off her feet. And she wanted to be financially independent.
“Yeah, right,” she grumbled as she trudged up the steps to her house. Just how was she supposed to meet Mr. Right and be financially independent when she was barely keeping her head above water in more ways than one?
She unlocked the front door and went inside. Being careful not to make any more noise than necessary she closed and locked the door behind her. The stairs to the second floor proved a bit trickier when it came to her efforts to be soundless. But Leanne knew all the spots to avoid. She didn’t want to wake her mother. Lord knew, sleep was the only peace she found.
Joanna Watley suffered with debilitating weakness and often a great deal of pain. Dr. Baker had done everything he could for her, to no avail. She needed further testing and a specialist or maybe even a team of specialists. But there was no money for such extravagances that would likely do no good, her mother insisted. Without medical insurance the burden of cost fell squarely on Leanne and her mother’s shoulders. A burden Leanne was ready to accept if her mother would only allow it.
Leanne paused outside her mother’s bedroom door. She slept soundly. Leanne eased into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed to watch her sleep. She was a truly beautiful woman. Long blond hair, peppered with a little gray, and blue eyes. The same blue eyes Leanne had inherited. Leanne’s father used to say that she and her mother looked more like sisters than mother and daughter. He’d always known how to bring a smile to her mother’s lips. It just didn’t seem fair that he’d died four years ago, and then last year her mother’s debilitating illness had struck. Leanne blinked back her tears. She loved her mother dearly and she would do whatever she could to help her.
Joanna Watley had a stubborn streak a mile wide, though. Leanne had begged her to sell the ranch and use the money for whatever medical treatment she needed. Joanna refused. She insisted that they hang on to the ranch no matter what. She’d be all right in time, she always said.
But that time never came. She only got worse. Leanne felt a burst of desperation in her chest. How would she ever convince her mother to listen to her? She probably couldn’t, which left Leanne with only one choice. She had to make the money herself. She couldn’t leave her mother alone all day to get a job in town. And anyway, Leanne had no real skills. With her father’s ill health, then his death, and now her mother’s illness, she’d been taking care of the ranch since she’d graduated high school. There’d been no time or money for college.
Instead, she spent every spare moment attempting to complete what her father had begun—turning their ranch into a dude ranch. Dude ranches were wildly popular, and this area of Montana was particularly attractive to tourists. No one else in the vicinity had one. It would be a gold mine, if only Leanne could finish the job.
The guest cabins had been constructed. The pool was pretty much complete. If Leanne worked hard enough, saved every cent possible, she could get it up and running. With the dozen horses they had kept and the guest cabins and pool ready, she could prepare to open this fall. She might not make much in the beginning, but her reputation would build. Then she would have the money to send her mother wherever she needed to go without selling the ranch.
But that seemed a lifetime away. Though Dr. Baker didn’t feel her mother’s symptoms were life-threatening, it was definitely debilitating, leaving her with a miserable existence.
Leanne blinked back a fresh wave of tears. She didn’t want her mother to suffer like this. But she was an adult, Leanne couldn’t make her go to a specialist.
“You home already?”
Leanne produced a smile at the weak sound of her mother’s voice. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“I’m glad you came in to say goodnight.” Her mother frowned. “But you shouldn’t have hurried home.”
“I didn’t want to stay out too late. You feeling all right?”
Her mother dredged up a smile from a source of strength Leanne could only imagine possessing. “I’m just fine. How did Ty’s trip go?”
“He won’t know for a while.” Leanne looked away. She didn’t want to get into a discussion of Ty with her mother. Not tonight.