“You’re too good to be true. It must be an act.”

“Awww, Nina.” His hand slid up to cup her face. “People can be genuine.”

She couldn’t help but be enticed by the promise in Alex’s eyes. Yet pain from past betrayals welled up, how her husband and her in-laws had so deeply let her down, worse yet how they let down precious Cody. “They can. But they usually aren’t.”

He stroked back her hair, tucking it behind her ear. “Then why are you even considering having dinner with me?”

“I honestly don’t know.” Her scalp tingled from the light brush of his fingers, his nearness overriding boundaries she thought were firmly in place.

Their gazes met, eyes held. She breathed him in, remembering the feel of his lips on hers.

Would he kiss her again? Because if he did, she wasn’t sure she could say no to anything.

* * *

Pursued by the Rich Rancher is part of the Diamonds in the Rough trilogy: The McNair cousins must pass their grandmother’s tests to inherit their fortune—and find true love!

Pursued by the Rich Rancher

Catherine Mann

www.millsandboon.co.uk

USA TODAY bestselling author CATHERINE MANN lives on a sunny Florida beach with her flyboy husband and their four children. With more than forty books in print in over twenty countries, she has also celebrated wins for both a RITA® Award and a Booksellers’ Best Award. Catherine enjoys chatting with readers online—thanks to the wonders of the internet, which allows her to network with her laptop by the water! Contact Catherine through her website, www.catherinemann.com, find her on Facebook and Twitter (@CatherineMann1), or reach her by snail mail at PO Box 6065, Navarre, FL 32566, USA.

To Mustang and his special boy. Thank you for changing my life and touching my heart.

Contents

Cover

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Extract

Copyright

One

Nina Lowery just didn’t get the cowboy craze.

Good thing she lived in Texas. All the cowboys made it easy to resist falling for any man after her marriage combusted. And never had she been more neck deep in cowboys than today as she accompanied her son to the weeklong HorsePower Cowkid Camp.

Nina peeled the back off the name tag and stuck it to her yellow plaid shirt that was every bit as new as her boots. She knelt in front of her four-year-old son and held out the tiny vest with his name stitched on it.

“Cody, you need to wear this so everybody knows which group you’re with. We don’t want you to get lost. Okay?”

Silently staring, Cody kept his eyes on the ground, so she had a perfect view of the top of his blond buzz cut. He lifted his hands just a hint, which she took as the okay to slide his spindly arms through the vest, leather fringe fanning in the wind. The summer smell of freshly mown hay mixed with the sticky little boy sweetness of perspiration and maple syrup from his breakfast pancakes. Cody had them every morning. Without fail.

They’d been running late today, so he’d eaten his breakfast in the car, dipping his pancake in a cup of syrup. Most of which drizzled all over his car seat. But after waking up at 4:00 a.m. to get ready, then driving from San Antonio to Fort Worth, she was too frazzled to deal with the fallout of disrupting any more of his daily routine. Syrup could be cleaned later.

There were far tougher issues to tackle in bringing up Cody than combating a trail of ants.

She would do anything for her little boy. Anything. Including immersing herself in the world of boots and spurs for seven days. Yeehaw.

About a month ago, when her four-year-old’s eyes had lit up during a field trip to a farm, she’d been taken aback. He’d been mesmerized by the horses. So Nina had devoted herself to becoming an expert on all things equine related, desperate for a means to break through the walls surrounding her autistic son.

Finding a pathway of communication was rare and cherished when parenting a child with autism.

Never in a million years would she have guessed this particular world would pique Cody’s interest. Usually boisterous encounters spun him up, leaving him disoriented and agitated. Sometimes even screaming. Rocking. His little body working overtime to block the excess stimuli.

But he liked it here. She could tell from his focus and the lack of tension in his body. She’d only seen him this way while drawing. He was a little savant with crayons and paint, finding creative canvases from rocks to boxes and, yes, walls. She even had a Monet-esque flower mural down her hall.

Apparently he was a horse savant, as well.

She held out the pint-size straw hat and let him decide whether or not he wanted to take it from her to wear. Textures were an iffy proposition for him. The brush of a rough fabric could send him into sensory overload, especially on a day when there were already so many new sights and sounds, horses and humans everywhere. She sidestepped to make way for a father pushing his daughter in a wheelchair, the tyke’s arms in the air as she squealed, “Giddyap, Daddy!”

Cody clutched his tiny Stetson in his hands until a long-legged ranch hand strutted past. Standing straight, his eyes tracking the man walking away, her son slid his hat in place and tilted it to the side just like the stable hand he watched. Nina breathed a sigh of relief. She’d made the right decision to come here.

The cowboy camp for special-needs kids was a clear fit for her son. The program had only started this summer, but was already receiving high acclaim. The wealthy McNair family had put their power, influence and money behind launching HorsePower Cowkid Camp on their hobby ranch—Hidden Gem. The bulk of their fortune, though, had been made in their jewelry design house that created rustic Western styles.

Cody toyed with the fringe on his vest, tracing the stamped jewel patterns imprinted in the leather. She reminded herself to stay cautiously optimistic. They’d only just arrived.

She’d learned long ago not to set unrealistic expectations. Life worked better when she celebrated individual moments of success, such as how Cody took steps toward that cowboy. A horse whinnied and her son smiled. That meant more than the hundreds of hugs she would never get.

“Cody, let’s walk around and explore. We have a couple of hours to settle in before the first activity.” She was used to rambling on to fill the silences. Her son did speak. Just not often. Rather than expecting Cody to answer, she was advised by the speech therapist to accept it as a pleasant surprise when he did and take heart in his advanced vocabulary choices.

Cody held up his hand for her to take and she linked her fingers around his. A rare reach-out. Her heart filled at the chance to touch her child. If Cody wanted the ranch experience, she would follow that broad-shouldered cowboy to the ends of the earth.

Weaving around the other families, she tried not to notice how many of the children were accompanied by two parents. She savored the feel of her son’s hand in hers and charged ahead to a corral about ten yards away, on the periphery of the camper chaos.

Multiple barns, cabins and corrals were walking distance from the lodge. Some would call the lodge a mansion—a rustic log ranch mansion with two wings. One wing for vacationers, the other wing for the McNairs’ personal living quarters. The place had expanded from a B & B to a true hobby ranch, with everything from horseback riding to a spa, fishing and trail adventures...even saloon-style poker games. They catered to a variety of people’s needs, from tourists to weddings.

And now this special needs kids’ camp, as well.

She refused to be wowed by the family’s power. She’d walked that path, been too easily blinded by her ex’s charm. The thought of a wealthy life of ease with a handsome guy had seemed like a fairy tale and so she’d seen what she wanted to see. But her would-be prince had definitely turned into a toad, taking that fairy-tale ending with him.

Nina skirted past a half dozen children surrounding a rodeo clown passing out toy horses. Childish squeals filled the air.

“I wanna spotted pony.”

“Please, please the brown one with a girl rider.”

“I wike the one wiff sparkles on the saddle!”

Cody, however, kept his eyes on the cowboy. For the most part, she’d only seen chaps on men in aftershave commercials. Even in Texas they weren’t common. This guy’s leathers were dusty and worn, the type a man wore to work. A real man. Not an overindulged toad prince like her ex.

So okay, maybe there was something to be said for the cowboy appeal after all.

Cody’s cowboy leaped over the split-rail fence in a smooth blend of instinct and strength, his tan Stetson staying firmly in place. He walked with loose-hipped confidence toward a wild horse pawing the ground, nostrils flaring. The animal clearly didn’t like the saddle on his back and eyed the approaching man with wariness. The horse danced nervously, shifting uneasy weight from hindquarter to hindquarter, powerful muscles flexing. She felt her son’s pulse kick in excitement. So in spite of the tremor of fear in her heart, she stepped closer to the corral.

She’d been thrown once as a child and hadn’t been a fan of horses since then. She liked to think she was a person who learned her lesson. Once burned. Twice shy.

Yet the man in front of her showed no fear as he spoke softly to the stressed beast, lulling with his hypnotic voice and gentle strokes. Her stomach gripped just as he slid onto the horse’s back.

Pinning his ears back, the horse yanked hard on the reins. Now the animal was well and truly pissed.

Cody tugged his hand free. “Let go.”

And she only then realized she’d been squeezing too hard. “Sorry, sweetie.”

“Uh-huh.” Her son walked closer to the fence, and a different fear took over. Her child had very little sense of danger.

She stifled her own anxiety and stepped closer. “Cody, we have to stay outside the fence to watch. We can’t go inside and disturb the man’s work.”

“Kay...” Her son nodded, enraptured.

The cowboy urged the horse gently forward. The horse bucked hard but had no luck at unseating the skilled rider. His cowboy hat, however, went flying. The midmorning sun glinted off his head of thick black hair.

The kind of hair a woman could run her fingers through.

The wayward thought hit her as hard and fast as those hooves pounding the ground. She’d never bought into cowboy lore, especially after being tossed on her butt by that supposedly docile pony. Until now. At this moment, she couldn’t take her eyes off the smooth flow of the ranch hand’s body as he became one with the horse. He rode the frenzy without letting it take control of him, rolling naturally with the unpredictable movements. She understood the restraint and self-control it took to tap in to that Zen state in the face of such outright terror.

She carried fears of her own. Of not being able to care for her son as a single parent. Of trusting a man again after the hell and betrayal her ex-husband had put her through before their breakup and then his death in a motorcycle accident.

Those fears were nothing compared to the terrors her son faced. And the roadblocks.

Somehow she could tell this cowboy understood that fear. Knew how to ride through the moment until peace returned. He had the well-being of the horse in his care in mind at all times. And Cody was mesmerized.

So was she.

Finally—she had no idea how long they stood watching—the horse settled into a restless trot, circling the fenced area, snorting. Nina exhaled in a rush, only just now realizing she’d been holding her breath and secretly rooting for him.

Cody knelt down and picked up the man’s hat, shook off the dust and held it out. “Mister. Your Stetson.”

Her son’s voice came out a little raspy from being used so infrequently. The cowboy tipped his face toward them, the sunshine streaming over...

Oh my.

He’d stepped right off some Wild West movie poster and into her reality. High, strong cheekbones and a square jaw, damn good-looking power. She blinked fast against the sting of dust in the air.

He guided the horse to their side of the fence, and her stomach flipped. Because of close proximity to the horse, right?

Ha.

She’d quit lying to herself a long time ago.

The cowboy dipped closer, extending an arm toward Cody. “Thank you, little man.” His voice was like Southern Comfort on the rocks, smooth with a nip. “I’m guessing by that vest you’re here for camp. Are you having fun?”

“Uh-huh.” Cody nodded without making eye contact. “Spectac-u-lar.”

Would the man understand? This was a special needs camp, after all.

The cowboy stroked a hand along the horse’s neck. “I see you like Diamond Gem. He’s a good horse, but too large for you. The camp counselors will start you out with pony rides and before you know it you’ll be ready for the big leagues.”

Cody shuffled his feet and tugged at the fringe on his vest.

“Thank you,” Nina said. “Cody’s not very talkative, but he understands all we’re saying.”

He looked at her, his eyes laser blue. A shiver of awareness tingled through her. Did all of him have to be so damn charismatic?

A dimple tucked into one of his cheeks. “I’m usually not much of a chatty guy myself, actually.”

He’d done better with Cody today than her ex-husband ever had. Warren had been a charmer, sweeping her off her feet with extravagant gestures, making her believe in the fairy-tale ending right up until...ribbit. Warren was a shallow, spoiled mama’s boy with too much money and too little ambition other than the next thrill. When life got real, when the day-to-day specifics of dealing with their son’s autism added up, he’d checked out on the marriage. Then he’d checked out on life altogether in his reckless motorcycle accident.

Cody scuffed his little boots in the dirt, his mouth moving, repeating, “Rodeo man, rodeo man.”

The cowboy dipped his head, then nodded. “Back in the day, I was. Not any longer.”

Cody went silent, and Nina scrambled for something to say. For her son’s sake, of course, not because she wanted another taste of that Southern Comfort drawl saturating her senses. “Then what was that show all about?”

“Just doing my job, ma’am. This was actually a low-key session,” he said, his voice washing over her as he sat astride the horse, his muscular thighs at eye level...and his hips. Diamond Gem shook his head up and down, shaking the reins, a reminder that the horse, although calm now, was still unsettled. “Diamond Gem and I have been working together for a couple of weeks.”

That was an easy session?

“Do you miss the rodeo days?” she found herself asking, unable to stop herself from thinking of all the regrets Warren had lamented over after settling down.

The dusty cowboy scratched under his hat, then settled it back in place. “Let’s just say these days I prefer to spend my time communing with the animals rather than performing for people.”

“And this horse? You were communing?”

“This fella was confiscated by local animal control for neglect and...” He glanced at her son. “And for other reasons. Releasing him into the wild where he would be unable to fend for himself wasn’t an option. So he came here to us where we can socialize him. He’s a little green and gun-shy, but we’ve made progress.”

So he’d used the old skills to help this horse. Was he playing on her heartstrings as a part of some camp gimmick or was he as genuine as those blue eyes? She settled on saying, “That’s admirable of you to risk breaking a rib—or worse—to help the horse.”

The dimple twitched at his cheek again. “I may have enjoyed myself a little bit...” His eyes dipped down to the name tag stuck to her shirt. “Nina.”

Her skin prickled and heat flushed through her at the sound of her name coated in those whiskey tones. What harm was there in indulging in a light flirtation with a regular guy? No risk. She was only here for a week. Although she could be imagining his interest.

It was probably just his job as an employee to be polite to the customers.

“Well, my son certainly enjoyed it, as well. Thank you.” She backed up a step. “We should start unpacking or we’ll miss the lunch kickoff.”

“Wouldn’t want that to happen.” He touched the brim of his hat. “Y’all have a nice time at the HorsePower Cowkid Camp.”

Her skin flushed, heating at the sound of his low and rumbly voice soothing ragged nerves. How strange to be lulled and turned on all at once. But God, how she craved peace in her life. She treasured it in a way she never would have guessed a decade ago.

And watching the lumbering cowboy ride away, she had a very real sense of how smooth and sexy could coexist very, very well in one hot package.

* * *

For the first time in months, Alex McNair was stoked about the possibility of asking out a woman. He’d been telling himself for months he needed to move on after his cousin got engaged to the only woman Alex had ever wanted to marry. But the one-night stands he’d been having lately didn’t count as moving forward with his life.

He slung the saddle off Diamond Gem’s back and passed it over to a stable hand. Diamond Gem looked sideways at Alex from the cross ties and let out a long nicker. He preferred to brush and settle his own horses, but his responsibilities overseeing the Hidden Gem Ranch interfered more often than not with that simple work these days. He missed free time in the saddle, but his MBA was needed here more than his equestrian skills.

And the number-one priority today? He was due to meet his grandmother for an early lunch. That took precedence over anything else. He didn’t know how many more meals they would share, since she had terminal brain cancer.

With his grandmother’s illness, he had to step up to fill the huge void left by their McNair matriarch. Which probably made this a bad time to think about starting a relationship, even a short-term one, but the woman—Nina—intrigued him. Her curly red hair and soft curves snagged his attention, and the memory of her berry scent lingered in his senses.

And the protective way she watched over her son drew him in at a time when his emotions were damn raw. He didn’t want to overanalyze why she pulled at him. He was just glad as hell for the feeling.

It had taken him a long while to get over the fact that his cousin would be marrying Johanna. But he’d gotten past that. He had to. She would be in the family forever now. Family was too important for any kind of awkwardness to linger.

The family needed to stick together, especially with their grandmother’s cancer. They needed to support her, and had to make sure the McNair empire ran smoothly through this time of transition. Giving their grandmother peace during her final days was their most important task.

Still, he couldn’t stop thinking about the woman—Nina. He didn’t even know her last name, for God’s sake, but he sure intended to find out. He could see asking her to accompany him to his cousin’s wedding. How far did she live from here? People came from all over for the camp, but the bulk were local.

Regardless, distance didn’t really matter. Not to a McNair. He had the family plane at his disposal. And yet all that money couldn’t give them the one thing each of them really wanted.

Their grandmother’s health.

He strode toward the main house, veering off to the family’s wing where he was to meet his grandmother on the porch. His boots crunched along pine straw, children’s chatter and a banjo playing echoed in the distance. Branches rustled overhead. Some of those oak trees were older than him and he’d climbed those thick branches as a kid.

He neared the family porch where his grandmother—Mariah McNair—already sat in a rocking chair. A tray of sandwiches and a pitcher of tea waited on the table between the two rockers.

His gut knotted with dread over the day that rocker would be empty.

Her favored jean jumper and boots fit her more loosely these days. And her hair was shorter now. For as long as he could remember, she’d worn it long, either in a braid down her back or wrapped in a bun on her head. But she’d undergone a procedure to drain blood buildup in her head a few months ago. Her hair had been cut short and shaved away at the surgery site.

That made it real for him. She was going to die sooner rather than later, and not of old age. That damn tumor was going to steal her from them.

“You made it,” she said, clapping her hands. “Come sit beside me, load up a plate and let’s talk.”

“I’ll clean up and be right back down.” He worried about her getting sick on top of everything else.

“Now is better. A little dust and dirt isn’t going to make me keel over. Besides, I’ve seen you messier.”

“That you have.” He swept off his hat and hunkered down into the rocker beside her, resting his hat on his knee, thinking of how cute that kid Cody had looked passing it back to him. “How are you feeling, Gran? Do you want more tea?”

He reached for the pitcher, noticing she’d only nibbled at the corner of a sandwich.

“I’m fine, Alex, thank you. I have the sunshine, a glass of sweet tea and one of my grandchildren here. All is right in my world.”

But he knew that wasn’t really true. She didn’t have long to live. Months. Maybe only weeks. She’d been getting her affairs in order, deciding who would inherit what. Not that he cared a damn thing about the McNair wealth and holdings. He just wanted his grandmother.

He reached for a plate and piled on sandwiches, more to make her happy. His stomach felt as if it had rocks in it right now. “Thanks for lunch. It’s a chaotic day with all the campers coming in.”

“Stone surprised us all by starting that camp instead of taking over the jewelry enterprises, but in a good way.”

Alex touched his hat on his knee. “That he did.”

“His new life fits him. Johanna helped him see that path while she helped him with his inheritance test.” Mariah set her plate of uneaten sandwiches aside. “Alex, I want to talk to you about your test.”

“My test?” The rocks in his stomach turned icy. “I thought that was just a game to get Stone and Johanna back together.”

At least he’d hoped so as time passed and his grandmother didn’t bring up the subject of putting her three grandchildren through an arbitrary test to win their portion of the estate.

It wasn’t about the money. It was about the land. A mega-resort developer simply could not get a hold of Alex’s portion of the land. That, he definitely cared about.

“Well, Alex, you thought wrong. I need to feel secure about the future of what we’ve built. All three of you children have a stubborn streak.”

“One we inherited from you.”

“True enough.” She laughed softly before her blue eyes turned sad. “Much more so than my two children.”

Her daughter had been a junkie who dropped her child—Stone—off onto Mariah’s doorstep. Alex and his twin Amie’s father had been unmotivated to do more than spend his inheritance and avoid his wife.

Mariah had been more of a parent to Alex than his own.

He, Amie and Stone were like siblings, having grown up here at Hidden Gem together. Once they’d finished college, they all turned their attention to home, working to keep the McNair holdings profitable even after their grandfather died. Each one of them had a role to play. Alex managed the family lands—Hidden Gem Ranch, which operated as a bed-and-breakfast hobby ranch for the rich and famous. Until recently, Stone had managed the family jewelry design house and store. Diamonds in the Rough featured high-end rustic designs, from rodeo belt buckles and stylized bolos to Aztec jewelry, all highly sought after around the country. And Amie—a gemologist—created most of their renowned designs, even though the McNair jewelry company was now under new management, an outsider his grandmother had hired.

Gran rocked slowly, sipping her iced tea, her hand thin and pale with spidery veins as she set the glass back on the table between them. “Now back to what I’ve planned for your test.”

That damn test again. Stone had already passed his test to retain control of the jewelry business. Gran had made Stone work with Johanna to find loving homes for his grandmother’s dogs. Yet once Stone had finished, he surprised them all by proposing to Johanna and announcing he didn’t want to run Diamonds in the Rough after all. He didn’t want the all-consuming ambition. The camp had been Stone’s brainchild, shifting his focus to the family’s charity foundation, investing his portion of the estate into a self-generating fund to run the HorsePower program while a new CEO assumed command as head of Diamonds in the Rough.

“Seriously, Gran? You’re still insisting on the test? I assumed since Stone backed out and opted to live on his own portfolio you would pass the company along to Amie.”

“And leave the running of the ranch to you?”

He stayed silent. The land. This place. He’d put his heart and soul into it. But that was his grandmother’s decision to make. Money wasn’t a concern. He had his own. He could start fresh if need be.

Except he didn’t want to. He wanted his home to stay untouched by takeover from some mega-ranch theme park.

Mariah set aside her tea. “Alex, it’s a simple test really. There’s a competitor—Lowery Resorts—that has been quietly buying up shares of the McNair empire through shell corporations.”

Alarms went off in his head. This was the worst possible time for someone to stage a takeover. Stockholders were already on edge about his grandmother’s illness, concerned about the uncertain future of the McNair holdings. “A controlling percentage?”

“Not yet. But between my illness, Stone’s resignation as CEO and his replacement still gaining his footing, some investors perceive a void. If our loyalties split or if they continue consolidating, we could be at risk of having our haven turned into a sideshow resort.”

How the hell had this happened? His hands gripped the arms of the chair and he resisted the urge to vent his frustration. He bit back the words he wanted to spout and simply said, “How did they manage that?”

“When word first leaked of my illness, they moved fast and took advantage of investor fears. I should have seen that coming. I trusted old friendships. I was wrong. I need to move faster now. Time’s too important.”

He should have seen this coming. He should have thought beyond his part of the family holdings. “We could have Stone return as CEO until the crisis with the Lowery Resorts passes.”

“No, he doesn’t want it, and I need to see the company settled with our new CEO, Preston Armstrong, in control before I can rest easily. The board and I chose Preston because we believe in him, but he will need time to gain investors’ trust. So in the meantime, I need your help.”

“You don’t need to make it a test.” He patted her hand, then gripped it. “Just tell me what to do for you and I’m here for you, for the family.”

Smiling, she gave his hand a squeeze back, before her eyes narrowed with the laser focus that had leveled many in the business world. “The Lowery family has a vulnerability in their portfolio.”

“You want me to exploit it?” His mind churned with possibilities he wanted to discuss with Stone.

“Convince the Lowerys to sell back a sizeable portion of those shares bought by their shell companies and I’ll transfer all my shares of the ranch into your hands effective immediately.”

He waved aside the last part of her words. “It’s not about me accumulating a larger part of the homestead. It’s about our family. I will not allow our land to pass into anyone else’s hands.”

She nodded tightly. “There’s that old competitive spirit of yours. I was wondering if you’d buried it completely under that laid-back air you carry around these days.”

“Hmm.” He didn’t like reminders of that side of himself. He picked up his tea and drank. There was still a lot of dirt inside him to wash away from those rodeo days. Things he’d allowed his parents to push him to do. Things he regretted.

“You need to be aware, the Lowery family is going to be resistant. You’ll need to be careful and savvy in gaining the trust of the one chink in their armor. I’ve even given you a head start.”

He paused mid-drink, then set his glass back down carefully. “What do you mean by head start?”

Her thumbs rubbed along the arms of the wooden rocker. “The vulnerable shares belong to the Lowery grandson. His widowed mother is the executor, and she needs to invest wisely for the boy’s future—long-term.”

A kid? A widow? A creeping sensation started up his spine, as if he were about to get kicked by a horse or run over by a stampede. “Gran, what have you done?”

“I investigated all the Lowerys, of course. And when I found out the grandson adores all things cowboy, I made sure a brochure for our camp landed in his mother’s hands so we would have the chance to meet with them—away from the grandparents’ influence.”

Ah, damn. It couldn’t be...

“In fact, I believe you’ve already met her and her son.” She pointed a frail finger toward the corral, where she would have had a clear view of his morning activities.

Crap. He could almost hear that stampede gaining speed, ready to run him over.

“The lovely red-haired lady who watched you work with Diamond Gem.”

Two

The sun was low and warm, piercing through the barn windows as Nina sat at a long wooden table eating supper with the other parents. A country band played twangy children’s songs, a group of young campers sitting clustered in front of the small stage. Cody rocked and flapped his hands in time, having already finished his macaroni and cheese. A little girl with a pink scarf over her shaved head spun in circles with a streamer. A little boy with cerebral palsy held his new friend’s hand as they danced. Three children ran up to the stage clapping.

She’d spent the morning unpacking, then eating lunch and attending camp sessions with her son, followed by pony rides, arts and crafts. They’d made belts and jewelry. And not just the children, but the adults had been included, as well. She touched the bracelet full of little charms, all Wild West themed, and a gem that was also her son’s birthstone.

Between the horses and the art, her son’s two favorite activities, Cody had been enthralled. The tiny sticker jewels he’d glued to the belt made an intricate repeating pattern that had even surprised the instructor.

Her son was happy, but tired from a good day. The best she could remember having in a long time. And she couldn’t deny that her mind wandered back to the morning and the dusty cowboy who probably hadn’t given her a second thought. But she’d kept looking for him in the crowds.

And she didn’t know his name.

She stabbed at her dinner salad, covered in strips of tender steak. The big grill outside had been fired up with a variety of meats, potatoes and corn for the adults. She was wondering how the fee they charged possibly covered such a high-end production. The McNair family, or some of their wealthy friends, had to be underwriting the expense. Her in-laws were always looking for tax havens. As fast as the thought hit her, she winced. She hated how cynical she’d become, but it was hard to feel sympathy for people who wanted to write a check rather than get to know their only grandchild.

Old anger and hurt simmered. She sliced through a steak strip, took a big bite and reminded herself to enjoy this great food and the break from always staying on guard as the only person to watch over Cody.

A shadow stretched across her, giving her only a second’s warning to chew faster.

“Would you like some dessert?” Warm whiskey tones caressed her neck and ears.

She set her fork down carefully and swallowed the bite before turning around. Sure enough, her dusty cowboy stood behind her, holding a plate of blueberry cobbler—except he wasn’t dusty any longer.

His chaps and vest were gone. Just fresh jeans and a plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Her eyes were drawn to the sprinkling of dark hair along his tanned forearms. Masculine arms. Funny how she’d forgotten how enticing such details could be.

“Oh, hello, again.” Why had she thought she wasn’t attracted to cowboys?

“Dessert?”

She shook herself out of the fog before she embarrassed herself. “Not just yet, thank you. I’m stuffed from supper. I didn’t expect the meal to be this good, so I snacked earlier.”

He straddled the bench, sitting beside her. “What did you expect? Rubber chicken?”

The hint of man musk and aftershave reminded her of how long it had been since she’d had a man in her life. In her bed.

Shrugging, she twirled her fork in the sparse remains of her salad. “I thought since this is a kiddie camp, the cuisine would be all about catering to their finicky palates. And there certainly was plenty for my son to pick from. I just didn’t think there would be such a lavish adult course, as well.”

“Gotta keep the parents happy too if we want repeat customers.” He cut the spoon through the cobbler and scooped a bite, his electric blue eyes on her the whole time.

She shivered with awareness. And she wasn’t the only woman noticing. More than one mom cast an envious look her way.

“True enough. Well, um, thank you for checking on us...” Was this standard for all the customers? Something in his eyes told her otherwise. “I still don’t know your name.”

“Sorry about that. How rude of me.” He held out his hand. “My name’s Alex.”

He said it with an intensity that made her wonder if she was missing something.

Shaking off the sensation, she folded his hand in hers and held back the urge to shiver at the feel of masculine skin, delicious. “Hello, Alex, I’m not sure if you remember but I’m Nina and my son is Cody.”

“I remember,” he said simply. “But it’s still nice to meet you both. Officially.”

She eased her hand from his before she made a fool of herself. “You must be tired after a full day of work.”

“Truth be told, I’d have rather had more time outdoors rather than spend the afternoon at a desk.”

A desk? She’d assumed...well, there were lots of jobs on a ranch. She should know better than to judge by appearances. It was better to get to the heart, the truth, straightaway. She glanced at Cody. “My son has autism, if you didn’t already guess.”

This was usually the point where people said something about being sorry and how they knew a friend who had a friend who had a kid with autism, and then they left. And that was the reason she made a point to blurt it out early on, to weed out the wheat from the chaff. Life was mostly full of chaff.

He mixed some blueberries with the vanilla ice cream and brought the spoon to his mouth. “You don’t have to explain to me.”

“Most people are curious and I can’t help feeling the need to tell you before Cody has one of his meltdowns.” She wet her mouth with a quick sip of tea. “It’s easier when people understand why.”

“This camp is here to do what’s easier for him, not easier for us.”

His words surprised her, warmed her. “Thank you. That approach is rarer than you would think.”

“Since Stone put this camp together, we’ve all become more enlightened.” He dug into the crust covered in blueberries.

“This place is amazing, and it’s only day one. I can’t believe how much fun I had and how much I’m already looking forward to tomorrow.”

He eyed her over his raised spoon. “You sound surprised.”

“I hope you won’t take this the wrong way.” She picked at the knee of her jeans. “But I’m not much of a cowgirl.”

“Really? I never would have guessed,” he said dryly.

“What gave me away?”

“What didn’t?” He pointed to her feet. “New boots.”

“New shirt too.” She toyed with the collar. “I’m trying to fit in for Cody’s sake, but apparently I’m not pulling it off as well as I thought.”

“You’re here for your kid, helping him pursue his own interests. That’s nice, no matter what you’re wearing.” His eyes held hers, launching a fresh shower of sparks shimmering through her.

Then he blinked and stood. Regret stung over his leaving, which was silly because she was only here for a week. It wasn’t as if they were going to have any kind of relationship. Her focus should be her son. Just because this cowboy seemed down-to-earth and uncomplicated didn’t mean a thing. Not in the long run.

He glanced back over his shoulder at her, and her thoughts scattered.

“Nina, it would be a real shame for you to miss out on the Hidden Gem’s blueberry cobbler. How about I bring some by this evening?” He held up a hand. “And before you accuse me of being some cowboy Casanova with ulterior motives, we’ll stay out on the porch where you can hear your son if he wakes up. And the porch will be very public, so there’s no cause to worry about me making a move.”

“Does this kind of service always come with the camp registration?”

“No, ma’am. This is just for you.” He tipped his hat. “I’ll see you at nine tonight.”

* * *

He didn’t have a plan yet on how to persuade Nina Lowery to sell her stocks to him. He was going on instinct with her, except right now his gut didn’t want to maneuver her anywhere but to bed...or on a walk.

What the hell was his grandmother thinking bringing a woman and her special-needs son here under false pretenses? There were a dozen other ways this could have been handled, but all those honest means were no longer an option now that she was already here.

At dinner, he’d considered just coming clean with her right away. Then he’d seen her eyes light up when he’d come to sit with her. The next thing he knew, he was chatting with her, digging himself in deeper until it was going to be one heck of a tangle to get himself out. If he told her now, she would shut him down, which would be bad for his grandmother and quite frankly, bad for him. He wanted to get to know her better. Maybe if he understood her, he would know the best way to approach her.

He couldn’t deny that she was skittish. That much he knew for sure, sensed it the way he sensed when a horse was about to bolt.

Damn.

She definitely wouldn’t appreciate being compared to a horse, but he’d realized long ago, his instincts with animals served him well in dealing with people too. He needed to approach carefully, take his time, get a sense of her.

Learn more about her.

Then he would know how to proceed. And that didn’t stop the pump of anticipation over seeing Nina. He secured the two bags in his grip—the promised dessert.

He scanned the line of cabins that held the campers. Most of the buildings were two-bedrooms. He’d searched through the paperwork to learn she was staying in number eight. Katydids buzzed a full-out Texas symphony in the quiet night, allowing only muffled sounds coming from the lodge’s guest lanai. Guests had already begun to arrive for his cousin’s wedding. Between them and the campers, the place would be packed by Friday.

Spare time was in short supply. Alex stood at the bottom of the three steps in front of cabin number eight, eyeing the pair of rockers on the porch, exactly the same style as the ones on his family’s longer wraparound that held a half dozen rocking chairs and four porch swings.

Guilt pinched his conscience again.

His grandmother had always been a woman of honor and manners. He couldn’t figure out why she’d come up with such an underhanded test for him. It just didn’t make sense, and his grandmother had always been logical, methodical. Could the cancer be clouding her judgment in spite of the doctor’s reassurance otherwise?

But Alex wasn’t ready to lead the charge to declare her unfit. That was a step he simply couldn’t take. He would ride this out, play along and hope like hell an answer came to him soon.

He stepped up the wooden stairs, his boots thudding. He rapped his knuckles on the door, not wanting to wake Nina’s son. He heard her footsteps approach, pause, then walk again until there was no question that she stood just on the other side of the door. But it didn’t open.

Definitely skittish.

Finally she opened the door, angling outside and making it clear he wasn’t coming in. She wore the same jeans and boots from earlier but had changed into a formfitting T-shirt with “hello” in multiple languages. Her hair was free from the ponytail, flowing around her shoulders in loose red curls.

God, he could lose himself for hours running his hands through her hair, feeling it brush along his skin. “Cobbler’s warm and the ice cream’s still cold. Shall we sit?”

“Yes, thank you.” She gestured to the rockers, studying him with a wary smile. “You didn’t have to do this.”

He stopped. “Do you want me to leave?”

She glanced back over her shoulder, her hair swishing, enticing. “You’re already here and I wouldn’t want to deny you your dessert. Have a seat.” She gestured to the table between them. “I set out some iced tea.”

He thought of his talk with his grandmother earlier, the shared tea, so few moments like that left with her. “Sweet tea?”

“The kind that was waiting for me in the fridge, compliments of your staff.”

“Sweet tea is Southern ambrosia.” He placed the containers on the end table between the rockers.

“One of my favorite things about moving down South.” She cradled the glass in her hands, those long slim fingers drawing his eyes to her.

He cleared his throat. “What brought you to Texas?”

“How do you know I’m not from another Southern state?” She set her drink aside and took the container with her dessert, spooning ice cream on top.

“I saw your application.” He could confess that much at least.

Her delicate eyebrows shot up. “Is that ethical?”

“It’s not illegal, and I can’t deny I wanted to know more about you. I still do.”

“I guess I’ll forgive you. This time.” She ate a bite of cobbler, a sensual hmm vibrating from her as she closed her eyes.

Her pleasure sent hot lava through his veins.

“For what it’s worth, I didn’t read much of your application.” But only because he’d been interrupted. “Just enough to make sure I got the right cabin so I can learn the rest on my own, asking you, getting to know you better while you’re here. Are your rooms comfortable?”

“The place is perfect. Hardly roughing it.” Smiling, she dug into her dessert with gusto.

“Hidden Gem works hard to keep authenticity to the experience while providing comfort. It may be a hobby ranch, but it’s not a resort.” He joined her in eating even though he’d had some earlier. Sharing the food with her here in the dark night was...intimate.

“I can see the special charm of the Hidden Gem. And hear it.”

“What do you mean?” He glanced at her, surprised.

“I can’t believe how peaceful this place is. That’s important for my son, keeping the stimuli manageable,” she said matter-of-factly.

“For his autism?” he asked carefully.

“Yes, it’s moderate.” She nodded. “I’m sure you’ve noticed his verbal impairment. He’s advanced academically, especially in areas of interest like art and reading. He’s only four, but he can lose himself in a book. Reading soothes him, actually...I didn’t mean to ramble.”

“I want to know more. I apologize if I’m being too nosy.”

“Not at all. I would rather people ask than harbor misconceptions, or worse yet, pass judgment without any knowledge.” She sagged back in her chair, dessert container resting on her lap. “I knew something wasn’t right from the start, but my ex-husband and his family insisted he was just colicky. Then his verbal skills lagged and he couldn’t initiate even the most basic social interaction with other children... We had to face facts. I had get help for him even if that caused a rift with my husband.”

Her maternal instincts, that mama bear ferocity, spoke to him. He admired the hell out of that, even as he realized his grandmother might well have underestimated how hard it would be to get this woman to part with those stocks unless she was 100 percent certain her son got the best end of the deal. “I’m sorry you didn’t get the support you should have from Cody’s father.”

“Thank you.” Her green eyes shadowed with pain mixed with determination. “Early intervention is so crucial. I had to be his advocate, even if the rest of the family wasn’t ready to accept the truth.”

He found himself asking, “And Cody’s father?”

“My ex-husband sent child support payments.” She set aside the foam container as if she’d lost her appetite. “But he didn’t want to have anything to do with Cody.”

“Sent?”

“He died in a motorcycle crash shortly after our divorce.” Silence settled like a humid dark blanket of a summer night.

“I’m sorry.” Such inadequate words for the mix of losses she’d suffered, not just through the death of her ex, but in how the man had let her down.

“I like to think with time he could have accepted his son and been a part of Cody’s life.” Her head fell back against the rocker, her red hair shifting and shimmering in the porch light. “Now we’ll never have that chance.”

Time, a word that was his enemy these days, with his grandmother’s cancer. “Regrets are tough to live with.”

And he would always regret it if he didn’t help ease his grandmother’s last days.

Nina shook her head quickly as if clearing her thoughts and picked up her dessert again. “Enough about me. I don’t mean to sound like my life is some maudlin pity party. I have a beautiful son who I love very much. I have a great, flexible job and no financial worries. Moving on.” She scooped up some berries. “Tell me about you? How did you end up working at the Hidden Gem Ranch?”

“My family has always lived here.” He couldn’t imagine living anywhere else, especially after spending so much of his childhood and teenage years being dragged around the country by his parents to participate in rodeos. “I guess you could say I appreciate the quiet.”

“So you’re a professional cowboy? Rodeos and all?”

He’d lived a whole career by eighteen thanks to his mother’s obsession with trotting her kids out into competitive circles—him with rodeos and his twin sister, Amie, with pageants. “My rodeo days are long past.”

“Because?”

He shrugged. “Too many broken bones.”

She gasped. “How awful. Are you okay?”

“Of course. It’s all in the past. Kid stuff.” As a boy, he hadn’t argued with his parents’ insistence that he continue to compete the moment the latest cast was removed. He’d even enjoyed parts of the competition. Most of all, he’d craved his parents’ attention, and that was the only reliable way to get it. But then his favorite horse had broken a leg during a competition and had to be put down. He’d lost the fire to compete that day, realizing he’d only been doing it for his parents. More than anything, he’d wanted to go home and commune with the land and his horses.

Time to change the damn subject. “What do you do in San Antonio?”

She blinked at the quick change of subject, then said, “I’m a translator. Before I married I worked in New York at the United Nations.” She toyed with the Eiffel Tower charm on her simple silver necklace. “My husband worked at the stock exchange. We dated for a year, got married, moved back to his home state of Texas...” She shrugged. “Now I help translate novels for foreign editions.”

Ah, the necklace and T-shirt made sense now. “What languages?”

“Spanish, French, German.”

“Wow,” he nodded, eyebrows lifting, “that’s impressive.”

She shrugged dismissively, her hand sliding back to her neck, stroking the Eiffel Tower charm. “Words are my thing just as horses and running a business are yours.”

Words were her “thing,” yet she had a virtually nonverbal son. “When you said you’re a city girl, you weren’t kidding. Do you miss the job?”

“I don’t regret a thing,” she said between bites of cobbler. “I’m lucky to have a job that enables me to stay home with my son. I don’t have to worry about making the appointments he needs.”

“What about help? Grandparents?”

“My parents help when they can, but I was a late-in-life baby for them, unplanned. They’re living on a shoestring budget in a retirement community in Arizona. My ex’s parents come up with different options, ranging from some cult miracle cure one week to institutionalizing him.”

“You should have their support.” Since weeklong camps had started in the spring, he’d seen how stressed many of the parents were, how near to breaking.

“I have great friends and neighbors. I told you,” she said firmly. “No pity party.”

“Fair enough,” he conceded.

She stared down into her cobbler, the silence stretching out between them. Finally she looked up. She stirred a spoon through the ice cream on the side. “Do you always deliver dessert to the campers?”

The question hung in the air between them, loaded with a deeper meaning he couldn’t answer. Sure, he was here for his grandmother, but he would have been here anyway.

He settled for answering honestly. “You’re the first.”

“Oh.” The lone syllable came out breathy, the wind lifting her hair.

He reached to catch a lock, testing the fine red threads between his fingers before stroking it behind her ear. Her eyes went wide, wary, but with a spark of interest he couldn’t miss. For a long moment that stretched, loaded with temptation and want, he considered kissing her. Just leaning in and placing his mouth over hers to see if the chemistry between them was as explosive as he expected.

But that wariness in her eyes held him back. He had limited time with her. One mistaken move and he wouldn’t have the chance to make it right before she left.

He angled back, pushing to his feet. “I should let you turn in. Morning comes early here.”

She blinked fast, standing. “Thank you for the dessert.” She stacked the containers and backed toward the door with them clutched in a white-knuckled grip. “I assume I will see you tomorrow?”

“You most definitely will.”

* * *

It was only dessert. Only a touch to her hair.

And just that fast, she was tied up in knots over a man she’d met this morning. A cowboy.

God, she felt like a cliché.

Nina stood at the sink and scraped the last bite of gooey dessert down the disposal before tossing the disposable container in the trash. And God, it would be so easy to stand here at the sink and watch Alex through the window as he walked away. She’d only known him for a day. She wished she could just call it physical attraction, but she’d enjoyed talking to him. Even liked the way he could let peace settle for moments, as well.

Maybe she was simply starved for adult interaction. Her only time with other grown-ups centered on Cody’s doctors’ appointments or therapies. Even his play group focused on children with special needs. She wanted to give Cody every opportunity possible. But she couldn’t deny her life was lonely no matter what she’d told Alex about having friends back home. The only interaction she had with others was volunteering in Cody’s preschool program. Some said she should use that time for herself, and she tried. But it was easier said than done.

This week truly was a relaxing gift for her and Cody. She dropped onto the fluffy fat sofa. The cabin was cozy, comfy. A pink and green quilt—Texas two-step pattern on a brass bed. The whole place was an advertisement for Lone Star relaxation without being hokey. A colorful rag rug was soft under her feet. The lantern-style lamps and overhead light were made to resemble a flicker flame.

She should really finish unpacking and get some sleep.

Her well-traveled luggage rested on a pinewood bench. But her mind kept swirling with all the dreams she’d once stored in that case. She’d taken that suitcase with her to college, then New York City. The stickers all over the vintage piece advertised countries she’d dreamed of visiting. Warren had bought her a new set after they married, but she couldn’t bring herself to throw the old ones out. After her divorce, she’d donated the honeymoon designer luggage to charity and reclaimed her old “dreams for the future” set. Those changes had felt like a reclaiming of her values and hopes.

Her cell phone chimed, interrupting her swirling thoughts. She leaned from the sofa to grab her purse off the coffee table. Her stomach leaped at the possibility that Alex might be calling. He had access to her number from her registration.

She glanced at the screen. Disappointment jabbed at her. Then guilt. She should be thankful her friend Reed was checking in on her. She and Reed had met at a play group for their children. A nice guy, a single father of a little girl with Down syndrome. His partner had left him over the stress of having a special-needs child. Nina understood the mark that betrayal left. They helped each other when they could, but they both had such very full plates.

“Hello, Reed.” She propped her feet on the coffee table. “You’re up late. Morning’s going to come early for you getting Wendy to the bus stop.”

Reed owned a bistro and took his daughter to work with him when she wasn’t in school. Little Wendy loved the activity and charmed the customers.

“I’m not the only one up late,” her friend teased back, his Northern accent so different from a particular cowboy drawl. “Did you lose your phone? I’ve been calling for a couple of hours. Just wanted to be sure you arrived safely.”

“I was outside on the porch talking to...” She couldn’t bring herself to tell him about Alex, not that there was much to tell. So she fibbed. “I was talking with another parent. Cody was asleep. The nights here are...idyllic.”

“How did Cody enjoy his day?”

She grasped the safer topic with both hands. “He was enthralled by everything here. We’re only a day into it, but I’m cautiously optimistic we’re going to make a breakthrough here.”

“I wish I could be there to see that.”

“You have a restaurant to run.”

“True enough. So tell me more about the camp.”

What parts should she share with him? That she suddenly understood about the cowboy appeal? Or at least the appeal of one cowboy in particular? Reed was a friend, but not the kind of friend to whom she could say anything like that. “I was nervous coming up here that the camp would just be some overpriced excuse for parents to get a break. But it really is all about the children.”

“Such as?”

“They had pony rides but let the parents lead the children around so they would feel more at ease. The menu is kid-friendly with a variety of choices so even kids with issues about texture will find something that works.” And the adult fare was delicious, especially when delivered by a hot man who looked at her with hungry eyes. She hadn’t felt like a desirable woman in so very long.

“That’s awesome, really awesome. I’m glad you’re getting this break and able to spend time with other adults. You spend too much time alone cooped up in your house.”

True enough, but she didn’t want to dwell on negative thoughts. She sagged to sit on the edge of the brass bed. “You must have called for a reason...”

“Can’t I just check on you because you should have people looking out for you?”

“Sure you can, but I also hear something in your voice that worries me.” She traced the pink and green pattern on the quilt.

“Your mother-in-law called. She’d gone by your town house and realized you’d left. She checked again this evening.”

“What did you tell her?” Her mother-in-law didn’t approve of her choice to keep Cody at home, and Nina knew she would just get blowback for choosing this camp. Her mother-in-law would come up with a million reasons why it was wrong.

“I said you went on a weeklong vacation with Cody. She wanted to know where. I told her to call you if she wanted details.”

“Thank you.” Sighing, she sagged back onto the bed, her head sinking into the pillows. “I appreciate that.”

“Stop worrying. They’re not going to get custody of Cody. There’s no reason for a judge to pass over custody to them.”

“Thank you again. I feel like I’m saying that all the time, but I mean it.” She stared up at the ceiling fan slicing lazy shadows across the room, the distant echo of a band playing at the lodge penetrated the walls like a soft lullaby. “They just want to lock him away and control his inheritance. They don’t love him. Not really.”

“I know. And so will any judge who looks at the facts. When my partner tried to get out of helping with child support, my lawyer was on me 24/7 to keep a journal,” Reed said with the unerring persistence that made him a force to be reckoned with in the courtroom. “Write a detailed accounting of your schedule and outings. Document. Document. Document. You’ll have the facts on your side.”

“Aye-aye, sir,” she teased. “I will. Now you should stop worrying and get some sleep.”

“You too. And be sure to take lots of photos of Cody.”

“I will. And give little Wendy a hug from me. Tell her I’ll bring her a present.”

“Sure will,” he said, an unmistakable affection leaking into his voice. He loved his daughter. “I’ll be checking for text message photos.”

“You’re a good friend.” And such a good man. They could have a great life together—except for the fact that they weren’t attracted to each other. At all. Not a chance ever, since she wasn’t a guy. “Good night, and thanks.”

She disconnected the call, the taste of blueberries and the tangy scent of a certain cowboy’s soap still teasing her senses.

God, on the one hand she had an amazing friend she could never sleep with. On the other hand she had a week with the hottest man she’d ever met. Too bad she’d never been the fling sort. But with the memory of Alex’s touch still buzzing through her, she wondered if maybe she could be.

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