Stranded with the cowboy

A McCall Adventure Ranch story

While out on the range, cowboy Josh McCall finds himself the victim of vicious sabotage. Now he’s stuck in the wilderness with no one but city slicker Kate Carrington. The rough-and-tumble rancher must use all his skills to survive, his willpower to protect Kate and his determination to resist their mutual attraction. Until Josh makes one fateful decision that could jeopardize their bliss...and their lives.

BETH CORNELISON began working in public relations before pursuing her love of writing romance. She has won numerous honors for her work, including a nomination for the RWA RITA® Award for The Christmas Stranger. She enjoys featuring her cats (or friends’ pets) in her stories and always has another book in the pipeline! She currently lives in Louisiana with her husband, one son and three spoiled cats. Contact her via her website, bethcornelison.com.

Also by Beth Cornelison

Rancher’s Deadly Reunion

Cowboy Christmas Rescue

Rescuing the Witness

Rock-a-Bye Rescue

Guarding Eve

The Return of Connor Mansfield

Protecting Her Royal Baby

The Mansfield Rescue

Soldier’s Pregnancy Protocol

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Rancher’s High-Stakes Rescue

Beth Cornelison

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-07951-8

RANCHER’S HIGH-STAKES RESCUE

© 2018 Beth Cornelison

Published in Great Britain 2018

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

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To Paul

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Epilogue

Author’s Note

Extract

About the Publisher

Prologue

Eight-year-old Kate Carrington climbed the silo ladder, one rusty rung at a time, while her mother’s voice shouted in her head, Stay away from the old silo, Katie. It’s dangerous!

But Mama was a worrywart. That’s what Daddy called her, and Kate tended to agree.

If she were a boy, you’d call her athletic and adventurous. Don’t be overprotective just because she’s a girl, her daddy would say.

The rusty ladder creaked and wobbled as she climbed, and Kate paused. Looked down. She was pretty high. She cast her gaze around her family’s sun-drenched Missouri farm. The corn was waist high and bright green. The sky was clear blue, and the scent of tilled earth was heavy in the air after Daddy had plowed the west field, prepping it for a new planting. This kind of day filled her with the sort of excitement and curiosity to do and see and explore that Mama called recklessness.

She tried to be good for Mama’s sake. She didn’t want Mama to worry, but Kate figured she knew her limits. And today, Mama wasn’t home. She and Daddy had gone to chaperone a 4-H conference all weekend with Henry and his class. Grandma, who was her babysitter for the weekend, would never know she’d climbed up here.

And she wouldn’t be climbing the old silo if her brother’s new remote-controlled airplane, the one he’d just gotten for his birthday, hadn’t landed smack on top of the silo roof and gotten stuck upside down. Kate wasn’t supposed to be playing with it. If she lost it, she’d be in so much trouble! So she had to at least try to get it.

The ladder up the outside of the silo rattled again and swayed. She hesitated, wiping her sweaty hand on the seat of her shorts. Just a little farther...

When she finally pulled herself high enough to see the roof of the silo, she exhaled a sigh of relief. The plane was still in one piece. And it wasn’t that far in from the ladder. She could easily crawl out to get it.

She swung her legs over the top bar of the ladder and began scooting slowly up the rough slope of the sagging silo roof. She heard a snap, and her heart thumped harder. She stretched to reach the plane, but it was still just beyond her grasp. Swallowing hard, she edged farther along the rotted roof, inching her hand closer, closer...

In an instant, the roof beneath her gave way with a loud crack. Her stomach swooped as she plummeted down. The fall felt endless and lightning fast at the same time. Terrifying.

And then she hit the bottom. The abrupt stop rattled through her body with a tooth-jarring jolt. Pain worse than anything she’d ever known streaked up her leg. Her head smacked against something hard, and when she tried to scream, she couldn’t catch her breath.

Then everything went silent. Black.

Chapter 1

Twenty years later

The Colorado terrain was breathtaking, Kate thought, as she peered out the backseat window. The tiny car belonged to the Uber driver who had picked up her and her coworker, Dawn, at the Denver airport. The owners of McCall Adventure Ranch had been scheduled to give them a ride to the ranch, but she and Dawn had managed to get an earlier flight out of Dallas and hadn’t remembered to notify the ranch staff until they were about to land.

“Here’s the turn,” Dawn said, leaning forward to direct the driver with a pointing finger as well as her verbal cue.

The driver eyed her via the rearview mirror, his look clearly disgruntled.

“Thanks,” he replied dryly and reached up to shut off the turn-by-turn directions on his cell phone in the dashboard mount.

Dawn took the hint and sat back again with a sheepish “Oh. Sorry.”

Kate hid a grin behind her hand, pretending to scratch her cheek. She was well familiar with Dawn’s bossiness but knew her coworker didn’t mean to be controlling. Dawn simply had a high-energy, highly organized, highly efficient type A personality, and she let it get the best of her sometimes. Dawn got results, because she didn’t take no for an answer. She did her research, knew her business and had a plan for everything.

If you hesitated or wishy-washed around her, you were likely to get swept along by her tidal wave of persuasion and direction. Case in point—Kate’s presence on this trip.

When Dawn had brought the public relations firm’s new client campaign to her and told her about the trip to gather firsthand knowledge and have in-depth, in-person strategy meetings with the ranch owners, Kate had balked.

“So they want us to go on one of these adventure excursions?” she’d asked, the contents of her stomach curdling.

Dawn’s eyes had been bright with excitement and enthusiasm. “Yes! No charge. Isn’t it great?”

“Um...”

“The trip includes rappelling, white-water rafting, zip-lining, camping, a hands-on ranch experience—meaning they’ll show us roping and riding—and if we want, they’ll even take us BASE jumping!” Dawn had laughed and smacked the palm of her hand on the desk. “How cool is that?”

Cool hadn’t been the word that came to Kate’s mind. Terrifying was more like it.

“Um. W-wow,” she’d stuttered as her hands began to shake.

“We leave in two weeks. It’s gonna be awesome!” Dawn had gushed.

And no excuse or expressed reluctance had convinced Dawn to find another staff member to go in Kate’s place.

“No way! I want you. Don’t be a chicken. This trip is the perfect way to shake up your staid life and get your adrenaline pumping!” Then Dawn had made Bambi eyes at her, adding, “You’re my friend. I want to experience this with you, not Frank or Hattie. We’ll have a blast.”

Gauntlet thrown down. Friend card played. Pleading look employed. Yes, Dawn was good at getting her way.

So here Kate was, in the back of a tiny Uber, her heart in her throat as they bounced down the rutted drive to a beautiful Colorado ranch. She took a deep breath and squeezed the straps of the purse she held in her lap as if they were a lifeline. Maybe she could wrangle her way out of the more dangerous activities. Even as the anxious thought crossed her mind, a niggle of something long dormant kicked in her soul.

Ever since the incident at the silo when she was eight years old, she’d waged this internal battle. Her innate curiosity and longing for adventure got shouted down by the pervasive terror, the lingering memory of two gut-wrenching, pain-filled, nightmare-inducing days at the bottom of the abandoned silo.

As they pulled to a stop in front of the building with the sign that read Check In Here, the scents of manure and fresh hay greeted her. And made a cold sweat pop out on her upper lip that had nothing to do with the warm May weather. She hadn’t lived on her family’s Missouri farm for ten years, but just a whiff of the smells inherent to agribusiness stirred memories both bitter and sweet.

While Dawn spoke to the Uber driver, Kate climbed out and stretched her back. She could only partly blame her tight muscles on the narrow airplane seat and hours of sitting. Her heart beat an apprehensive tattoo as she took in the rural setting and filled her lungs with the fecund, late spring air.

“Hello there!” a male voice called, and she pivoted to face the tall, broad-shouldered rancher striding toward them with a sexy grin. “Welcome to the Double M! Can I help you with your bags?”

“Sure.” She smiled at the cowboy, whose black hair was neatly trimmed and whose bright blue eyes stood out against his tanned complexion and dark eyebrows. “We’re checking in. For the adventure excursion.”

He paused, looking confused. “Wait. Are you Dawn Fetzer?”

Dawn strode over to him with her hand out. “I’m Dawn. This is my colleague, Kate Carrington.”

He stuck out his hand to Dawn. “I’m Zane. We’ve talked several times.”

“Of course. Nice to meet you in person.”

He shook Kate’s hand as well before turning a look of dismay to Dawn. “Did I miss a message about a change in your flight schedule? I was going to pick you up.”

He hurried to the trunk of the small coupe, where the Uber driver was unloading their suitcases. Hoisting one suitcase in each hand, he moved the bags out of the driveway while Dawn explained about the opportunity to take the earlier flight.

“We had to hurry to board, and I completely forgot to call you before we turned our phones off for the flight. I’m sorry!”

Zane waved off her apology. “Forget it. Just glad to have you here safely. Let me show you to your rooms.” He pulled out a small two-way radio receiver and held it to his mouth. “Hey, I need you out front. The reps from the PR firm are here.”

A voice on the radio answered, “Already? They’re early!”

Zane flashed an embarrassed grin to them. “Yeah, I know. Get out here.” Then to Kate and Dawn, “This way, ladies.”

He led them across the hard-packed dirt yard toward a freshly painted clapboard building with a wooden sign over the front door that read Guest House.

As they followed their host, Dawn leaned close to Kate and whispered, “This trip just gets better and better. High-adrenaline adventures and a hot cowboy as our host.”

Kate grinned and elbowed Dawn in the ribs. “Flirt.”

Dawn waggled her eyebrows. “You know I’m faithful to Dean. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a nice fling.”

Kate’s pulse tripped. “What?”

Dawn sent her a sly grin. “Look at him, Kate. Don’t tell me you don’t want a little bit of that cowboy action.”

Kate shifted her gaze to the admirable posterior encased in blue jeans and square jaw of their swoon-worthy host. “I admit he’s good-looking—”

“Mmm-hmm.” Dawn’s hum of agreement held a lascivious overtone.

“—but I’m not a fling kinda girl, vacation or otherwise.” Two mistakes of that nature in three years cured her of that bad habit. She had a talent, it seemed, for allowing herself to get hurt in more ways than just physically.

“This used to be the bunkhouse for our hands when the ranching operation was bigger,” Zane said. He set their suitcases down and swept a hand toward the front room. The living room had been decorated with shabby-chic ranch decor and homey furniture in warm shades of beige and chocolate with brightly colored accent pillows from red to rust. “This is a community area for relaxing. The TV remote is on the coffee table just there.” He pointed it out then, rubbed his hands together and continued, “No room assignments. Just pick whichever one you choose. We do have two other small parties coming later in the day who’ll be in the last two rooms. Dinner will be—”

His spiel was interrupted as another cowboy burst through the door they’d just entered, lugging the last of their bags. “Hi, ladies! Welcome,” he said, sounding winded.

Kate caught the frown Zane directed at the other man, and she turned toward the new arrival. She eyed the cowboy in surprise, understanding Zane’s displeasure. The out-of-breath cowboy wore dusty jeans and a stained white T-shirt, and his boots had definitely seen better days. He removed his hat to rake his fingers through shaggy black hair that grew past his earlobes with wisps that drooped messily over his eyes. He was the opposite of neat and trimmed Zane in so many ways...and yet he was a carbon copy. Same startlingly blue eyes, same ruggedly cut jawline—though this cowboy’s chin was dusted with a couple days’ worth of stubble—and the same broad-shouldered, muscular-legged physique.

Kate’s mouth dried as she studied him, unsure why his disheveled appearance unsettled her.

Zane cleared his throat. “Ms. Fetzer, Ms. Carrington, this is my brother, Josh.”

Dawn stepped closer to Josh with her hand out. “Nice to meet you, Josh. Call me Dawn.”

Josh flashed a lopsided grin and held both hands up out of Dawn’s reach. “I’m gonna pass on the handshake for now. When you arrived, I was in the stable with one of our first-calf heifers, overseeing the latest birth for our herd. I’ve mostly washed up, but I’m still kinda grimy.”

“Aww,” Dawn cooed. “A baby?”

“Yes, ma’am. We’re a working ranch, and replenishing the herd is our livelihood.” Josh spared Kate a glance, and his boyish grin slipped a little before returning to full wattage. Holding her gaze, he added, “If you want to meet the new calf, I’d be happy to take you to see him once you get settled.”

Kate swallowed the flutter of disquiet that she could feel pulsing in the vein in her neck. “That sounds great.”

Dawn wagged a finger between Zane and Josh. “You two are...identical twins?”

Zane nodded. “We are. And we have a sister, who rounds out the set. Triplets.”

Kate blinked and goggled at Zane. “Triplets! Wow. Does your sister live here, too? Will we meet her?”

“She does now. Just moved back from Boston. You’ll meet her at the welcome dinner tonight. Which, I was saying when Josh stormed in, is at six p.m. Out in the side yard.” Zane directed them with a finger pointing out the window. “That way. Can’t miss it.” He clapped his hands together. “Well, we’ll get out of your hair, let you unpack. The refrigerator has soft drinks and bottled water. Help yourself. Can we do anything else to get you settled before we scoot outta here?”

“I’m good, thanks,” Kate told Zane, and when she glanced back at Josh, his piercing gaze was still riveted on her, the playful twitch of a grin tugging the corner of his mouth.

Her heart bumped, and her breath snagged in her throat. His stare was unnerving, both because of the intensity of his sky blue eyes and because of the mysterious smile he gave her. As if he knew a secret about her. As if he were undressing her with his eyes. As if he could read her fears and reluctance about being there and was privately mocking her.

She calmed her edginess with a deep inhale and slow exhale, the way her therapist had taught her after the trauma of being trapped in the silo. Center yourself by focusing on something near you, something real, something safe.

Kate tore her gaze away from Josh’s and concentrated on a whimsical rooster figurine above the kitchenette cabinets until the uneasy feeling passed. She could hear Dawn telling the brothers goodbye and thank you. Heard the screened door slap closed followed by the squeak of hinges as the main door closed.

“Wow,” Dawn said, returning to the living room area of the guesthouse. “Twice as nice! Two for the price of one...” She gave Kate a play-punch in the shoulder as she strolled past on her way to check out the bedrooms. “I do believe we need to get you into some double trouble.”

With a grunt of disagreement, Kate followed her friend toward the bedrooms. The last thing she wanted from this trip was trouble. Double or otherwise.

Josh McCall scrubbed his hands and fingernails with the small brush at the stable’s wash station, while the hot water sent billowing steam up in his face. His motions were mechanical, habit, which was good, because his thoughts were miles away. Or rather, a few dozen feet away in the guesthouse.

He was not sure what he’d expected from the two representatives from the Dallas PR firm Zane was working with, but the wheat-blonde beauty, even now unpacking in the old bunkhouse, had not been what he’d pictured. Kate Carrington, Zane had said her name was. Kate, with her heart-shaped face, full lips and nervous smile had left him awestruck. He wasn’t as sappy as to believe in love at first sight, but lust at first sight, or intrigue, or captivation—whatever you wanted to call it—he was pretty sure had just happened. His body was thrumming, and his brain was clicking, anxious for the chance to talk with her again, get to know her. And yes, possibly sample those pink lips that had trembled a little when she’d smiled at their introduction.

He’d stared. He knew he had, and maybe his rapt attention had unsettled her. Maybe she wasn’t used to guys openly, unabashedly admiring her. Maybe—his heart stuttered—crap, was she married? He hadn’t thought to look for a ring. Gorgeous as she was, beguiled as he was, he would put his attraction on ice before he messed with a married woman.

“I think you missed a spot,” Dave Giblan, one of the Double M’s ranch hands, said as he sidled up beside him to wash his hands.

“Huh?”

Dave chuckled. “Geez, where’s your head? You’ve been scrubbing away over here for like ten minutes. Your skin’s gonna be raw.”

“Oh.” Josh passed the scrubbing brush to Dave and stepped aside. “Just trying to be thorough.”

Dave grunted and gave his boss a skeptical side-eye. “Heard the first guests arrived. You meet them?”

“Yeah,” Josh said, drying his hands on a clean towel from the shelf above the industrial-sized sink. “Couple of ladies from the PR place that’s handling our advertising and marketing.” He put the towel on a hook near the sink where Dave could use it next and hitched his head toward the back stall. “How’s mama doing?”

Dave nodded. “Great. She’s tired, but she’s taking care of her baby like she’s supposed to. Calf weighed in right at seventy pounds. Vet says he looks good.”

“Excellent.” He slapped Dave on the shoulder. “I’ll leave them in your capable hands. Let me know if anything changes with mama’s or the little guy’s conditions.”

Dave shut off the water. “Will do, man.” Dave hesitated, then asked, “Say...what’s this adventure tour biz mean for me?”

Josh gave him a puzzled look. “For you?”

The hand jerked a nod. “I’m already busier than a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest since Karl left. And now you, Brady and Zane have your hands full with the adventure tours. Are there plans to hire a new hand? Get me some help?”

Josh grimaced and ran a hand through his shaggy hair. “Not that I know of. Sorry. We don’t plan to leave you hangin’. Brady’ll only be involved in the new business in small ways, and Zane and I’ll do our best to give you extra help when we’re around.”

Dave looked skeptical, but said nothing more about it.

Josh left the stable, pondering the truth that Dave had raised. The ranch did need more hands. But where would they find the money to hire more help? As he crossed the ranch yard, he heard the familiar squeak of the guesthouse’s screen door hinges. He glanced over to find Ms. Fetzer hurrying over to him.

Changing direction, he moved to intercept the woman, whose red-brown hair had been pulled into a single braid at her nape and whose ample curves jiggled as she trotted toward him.

“Hi. Josh, is it?” she said cheerfully, her dark brown eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

“Yes, ma’am. What can I do for you?”

“Well, you can call me Dawn instead of ma’am for starters. We are going to be working together, after all.”

Josh grinned and poked his hands in his front pockets. And, yes, they were a little raw from his distracted and extended scrubbing. “Dawn, then.”

She toyed with her braid—auburn, that’s the name of the color he’d heard Piper use for that shade of brownish-red hair—and she gave him a coy smile. “I’m really looking forward to trying all the adventures. Especially the rafting. That looks like so much fun!”

“It’s a blast,” he returned, nodding and giving her a schooled smile.

The guesthouse screened door screeched again, and when he glanced toward the small porch, his blood surged and heated. His smile grew as Kate walked toward them. She had a graceful stride, but even her poise didn’t mask the sexy sway of her hips. When she met his gaze, her cheek dimpled with a quick grin before her attention shifted to her friend. “Dean just called you. I answered it and told him I’d get you, but he said he was just checking that we arrived okay.”

Dawn pressed a hand to her full bosom. “What a sweetie. Did he want me to call back?”

Kate shrugged. “When you get a minute. The connection wasn’t good, so...”

“Yeah. Cell reception out here stinks. The landline in the guesthouse might be the better option for phone calls.” Josh got his first up-close look at Kate’s mossy green eyes, and something deep inside him kicked.

She tucked her blond hair behind her ear and moistened her lips with a quick swipe of her tongue. Josh’s mouth watered, and he clenched his hand inside his pocket.

Damn but he wanted to kiss those pink lips!

Instead, he motioned toward her, saying, “You’ll want to keep some lip balm close by. The air here is pretty dry, and it can be brutal to lips.”

She seemed a little startled by his non sequitur, and a wrinkle of confusion creased the bridge of her nose briefly before she nodded. “Okay. I will. Thanks.”

Her gaze went to his mouth before darting away.

“And sunscreen, especially when we’re on the adventure outing. It might only be May, but skin as fair as yours—” he caught himself and included Dawn with his gaze “—and yours, will burn easily, even this time of year.” He touched the brim of his black felt Tony Lama hat, adding, “A good wide-brimmed hat helps, too.” He winked at them. “And you thought we just wore these doozies because they look good.”

Both of the women laughed, and Dawn swatted his arm, clearly flirting. “That they do, cowboy!”

He stepped back from Dawn’s hand and doffed his hat as he eased away. “Until later, ladies. Duty calls.”

As he shuffled into the mudroom of the main house, he shook his head and chuckled. “Ironic.”

“What’s ironic?” his sister, Piper, said from a stool at the kitchen counter.

After shucking off his work boots, he strolled into the kitchen and snitched one of the potato chips on Piper’s plate. She batted at his hand.

“Hey, mooch, get your own!”

“Why? Yours are right here.” Man, he loved to tease her. Having her back at the ranch after seven years felt good. The McCall family was complete again. Having her part of this new business venture with Zane felt ordained.

“What’s ironic?” she repeated, sliding her plate out of his reach.

“Oh, the two women who came this afternoon from the PR firm. I was just talking to them outside and...well, one of them is not so subtle about her interest in me...”

Piper snorted. “Vain much, Josh?”

“Hey, I know flirting when I see it.” He walked around her and took another potato chip. “But the other lady, the one I actually think is pretty hot, seems...I dunno...kinda skittish.”

Piper pivoted on the stool to face him, folding her arms over her chest. “Back up, Doofus. You find her hot?”

“Damn right. She’s gorgeous.”

Piper arched a dark eyebrow at him. “This is a travel adventures business we’re trying to launch, bucko, not a dating service. The customers are off-limits.”

He paused with a potato chip halfway to his mouth. “Says who?”

“Says...everyone. Mixing business and pleasure is bad form.”

He gave her a withering scowl as he crunched the chip. “I disagree. If both parties are willing, why can’t I have a little fun on the side...if you know what I mean.” He gave her a wink.

Piper chuckled and shook her head. “Josh, even Zeke knows what you mean,” she said, referring to the family’s part–Maine coon cat, who was circling Josh’s legs, meowing for attention. “You’re about as subtle as a bat to the head.”

Josh stooped to lift the long-haired cat into his arms. Zeke immediately draped himself over Josh’s shoulder and commenced purring loudly. “You’re on my side, right, buddy? You think I should be able to romance the customers if they’re open to it, right?”

Piper grinned. “He’s been neutered. He doesn’t know what you’re talking about.”

Josh winced in sympathy for the feline, then gave his sister a wry snort. “His being neutered is not the reason he doesn’t know what I’m saying.”

“Case remains, you cannot mess around with the customers.” She stood and gave Zeke a scratch on the head, which the fur ball leaned into with relish. “It’s bound to end badly, and we cannot afford to screw anything up with the business.”

Josh shoved the cat into her arms, then took the last potato chip off her plate. “Maybe we’ll put it to a vote of all the partners.”

“Maybe we will,” she returned. “But in the meantime, we have a welcome dinner to put on and more guests arriving in another hour.” She looked him up and down. “And you smell like crap.”

“Because I was helping deliver a calf an hour ago.”

Piper perked up. “Really?” She set Zeke on the ground and dusted fur from her shirt. “Why didn’t anyone tell me? I would have helped! I love births!”

“Plenty more to come, sister dear.” He took his leave. “I’ll be in the shower if anyone comes looking for me.”

“Are you looking for anyone in particular?” Dawn asked Kate that night as they strolled into the small cluster of people gathered on the ranch yard around a festively decorated buffet table and smoking grill.

“Uh, no. Why?” Kate tucked a loose wisp of her hair behind her ear and felt a telltale prickle in her neck as she flushed with embarrassment. She hadn’t realized she’d been so obvious, craning her neck as she scanned the faces in the crowd for one in particular.

Dawn bumped Kate’s hip with hers and cackled. “You are the worst liar!”

Kate bumped her back. “Shut it.”

“You know you don’t need to look for him. I guarantee Josh’ll find you before this shindig gets started good.” Dawn straightened the neon multicolored scarf she had draped around her neck to accent her bright green blouse. “You need only sit back and wait.”

Kate questioned her friend with a furrowed-brow glance.

“Oh, come on, Katie! You did see the little heat waves rising off him when he looked at you this afternoon?”

Kate pulled a face and dismissed her friend with a buzz of her lips.

Dawn stopped walking and faced Kate fully, taking her by the arm. “No, seriously. His tongue was dragging the ground. Eyes popping out of his head. You didn’t catch all that?”

Kate laughed and brushed past Dawn. “You make him sound like one of those cartoon characters when they see the femme fatale.”

“Uh...bingo!” Dawn took a few quick steps to catch up with her. “He was seriously interested, sister, and you’d be crazy not to act on it.” Dawn tipped her head and narrowed her eyes. “Unless you have some problem with hunky dark-haired cowboys with eyes straight out of heaven. Or is his more clean-cut brother the one you’re considering?”

“Would you stop?” Kate said with a chuckle. “I’m not considering either. I’m here on business, not pleasure.”

“So?” Dawn persisted. “You could have both.”

“I was just telling my sister the same thing,” said a deep voice behind them.

Kate whirled around with a gasp. “Josh. Hi.”

The subject of their discussion gave her a devastatingly handsome grin and tipped his hat.

Dawn didn’t try to hide her smug grin as she muttered in a quiet singsong, “Told you...”

Josh had changed into clean jeans and a light blue polo-style shirt that set off his straight-outta-heaven eyes and hugged his muscled torso. His raven hair was still damp from his shower and combed back behind his ears, where it then curled slightly at his nape. And he smelled divine. Something woodsy and fresh, without the cloying and pretentious scents of the colognes the men in her Dallas office wore.

“Did you ladies get settled in okay?” He slid his fingers in the front pockets of his jeans and divided a look between them.

“Yeah. Just fine,” Kate said and clutched the thin straps of her purse so that she didn’t fidget. Good grief. She felt like some junior high girl with a crush on the school’s quarterback. “I love the way you’ve decorated the guest rooms.” Doh! Could you sound more banal?

“Thanks, but I had nothing to do with that. My mom and sister were the bosses of that part of the renovation.” His smile dimpled his cheek, and she felt her stomach swoop and her knees soften.

“Well, they have good taste. They split the difference between masculine and feminine decor perfectly.” She sensed more than saw Dawn easing backward, leaving her alone with Josh. She snuck a hand out and grabbed her friend’s arm before she could duck completely away.

“We have time before dinner is served if you’d like to go see the new calf now.” He waved his thumb toward the stables.

Kate couldn’t help but smile. She may have some bad memories of her parents’ farm, but she missed the animals. “I’d love that.”

Dawn lifted a foot to him, waggling her high-heeled sandal at him. “I’m not sure I’m in the right footwear. You two go ahead, and I’ll see the baby tomorrow.”

Kate tightened her grip on her coworker’s arm, sending her a look that said, Stop playing matchmaker!

“Are you sure? We have boots you can borrow down by the stable,” Josh said.

“Yes, Dawn,” Kate said through her teeth, “you can borrow boots. Come with us.”

Dawn pried Kate’s fingers from her forearm and gave her a disgruntled look. “No thank you, Kate. You two go on. I’ll just go get a drink and wait for you up here.” With a wiggle of her fingers to wave goodbye, her traitorous friend backed away, wearing a victorious grin.

“All right then. Guess it’s just us.” Josh put a warm palm on her back to direct her toward the stable.

Her pulse jumped at his touch, and a tremor of acute awareness shimmied through her. She walked beside him, silently cursing Dawn and mentally fumbling for conversation that didn’t sound as lame and juvenile as she felt. She was awestruck and tongue-tied like some smitten kitten, and she hated the sense of vulnerability and hesitation that held her. Why did he make her so nervous? While he didn’t look a thing like Jason, her most recent mistake, her attraction to Josh was similar. Maybe that was why she was battling this odd mix of lust and wariness. Internal warning lights were flashing and sirens blaring. Don’t go down that path again! Danger ahead!

“...are you from? Besides the Dallas firm, I mean,” Josh was saying.

“Oh, um, I grew up in Missouri. On a farm. And then I went to school in Georgia and got my job in Dallas a couple years ago. How about you?” She kicked herself as soon as the question left her mouth. Idiot!

He chuckled. “Born and raised right here at the Double M.”

“Of course. Stupid question.”

“Naw, there are no stupid questions,” he said with another of his lopsided, dimple-producing grins. She almost stumbled when she saw that dimple reappear.

“Maybe not. But mine comes close. Just...habit. You know, throw the same question or compliment back at someone to keep a conversation going. I...didn’t think. I...”

Shut up. Shut up! You’re babbling now.

She was going to kill Dawn. She wanted no part of a vacation tryst or her friend’s misguided matchmaking, no matter how heartbreakingly handsome Josh was. Heartbreaking being the key word. She’d had her fill of short-term, lack-of-commitment, heart-wounding relationships.

“Well, truth be told, I actually spent the first three weeks of my life at the hospital in Denver. Zane, Piper and I were all less than four pounds when we were born.”

She nodded. “You wouldn’t know it by looking at you now,” she said, then grimaced. “Not that you’re fat... I, ugh!”

He laughed and patted his flat belly. “Well, thank you. I’ve been eating my meat and vegetables for years to get this size.”

She waved a hand, feeling her flush creep back up her neck and into her cheeks. “I’m rambling like a moron. Ignore me.”

As they reached the entrance to the stable, he reached over and brushed a wisp of her hair back from her cheek. The scrape of his knuckle on her face sent delicious shivers through her and backed up her breath in her lungs. When her gaze darted up to his, she met the smile that shone from his eyes as brightly as from his lips. The piercing look he gave her made her feel desirable and feminine all the way to her core. “You’re kinda hard to ignore. And I wouldn’t want to try.”

Oh, lordy. Her toes curled inside her slip-on shoes, and she wiped her palms on the skirt of her buttery-yellow sundress.

After a few seconds, staring back at him with her heart pounding in her ears, she managed to stutter, “Y-you said you had...boots I could borrow?”

“Absolutely.” He stepped away and fetched a pair of rubber work boots. “You can probably just wear these over your other shoes if you want.”

She nodded and slipped her feet into the man-size boots. She clumped along behind him as she followed him inside the stable. The oversize boots made her feel awkward and silly, yet a tingle still lingered on her cheek where he’d touched her.

“Back here.” He led her to a stall at the back, away from the bulk of the bustle and activity, and opened the gate. “Come on in. It’s okay.” He stood aside and motioned her into the stall, where a brown-and-white cow stood over a small brown calf.

Warmth filled her chest, along with nostalgia. She’d seen numerous newborn animals through the years on her parents’ farm, but the preciousness of new life never got old. “Oh, my goodness! She’s precious!”

“He. It’s a bull calf.”

“Oh, he, then. He’s adorable!” She cast a side glance to Josh, who was beaming with pride as if the baby were his.

“You can pat him if you want.”

She gave the mama cow a dubious look. “Really? It won’t upset mom?”

Josh grasped the straps of the mother’s halter and tugged, urging the bovine to step away. Then, stooping, he lifted the calf and brought it closer to Kate.

She lifted a hand to the curling fur on the cow’s head and melted inside. “Aren’t you the cutest thing?”

“Yeah, I am,” Josh said with an impish grin, “and the calf’s kinda cute, too.”

Kate snorted a chuckle. Then, when he laughed at her indelicate snort, she joined him in full-bellied gales. Even as she shared the moment of levity with him, she studied his handsome face, the spark of life in his startlingly blue eyes, and her heart flipped. She didn’t need a crystal ball to know the combination of his charm, good looks and ability to put her at ease were a lethal combination versus her ability to resist him. Today was only her first day in Colorado, and she was already in deep trouble.

Chapter 2

When Josh and Kate returned to the welcome dinner, Dawn was seated at a long table with several people, including Josh’s twin.

Zane smiled as they approached. “There you two are. We were about to send a search party. People here are hungry and ready to eat.”

“I’m down with that.” Josh motioned to an empty chair. “Kate, shall we?”

“Come meet everyone, Kate,” Dawn called.

After she took her place, Josh helped her scoot her chair in, then sat across from her.

Josh motioned to the man to Zane’s right as he started around the table with introductions. “This is my father, Michael. And my sister, Piper. And her fiancé, Brady Summers, who’s another partner in McCall Adventures.”

She smiled, giving a wave of greeting to them all, and shook Brady’s hand when he offered his. Then Josh started down the other side of the table. “My mother, Melissa.” He skipped Dawn, moved on to a little boy with rumpled brown hair and barbecue sauce on his chin. “And...that little squirt is my nephew, Beelzebub.”

The boy frowned at him. “Connor!”

The adults laughed, and Josh held up a finger as if he’d just remembered. “Oh, that’s right. Connor.”

“Nice to meet you, Connor.” Kate winked at the little boy, who gave a shy wave back.

“And...” Josh scanned the other tables and people milling about. “Over by the grill, flipping burgers, is our jack-of-all-trades and foreman, Roy Summers.”

“He’s my grampa,” Connor added.

“So it really is all in the family,” she said, making a mental inventory of relationships and faces.

Josh removed his hat and hung it on the back of his chair. “It is.”

“I was just telling Zane about your ideas for the brochure,” Dawn said, lifting a glass of a fruity drink, “how we want to be sure to capture pictures of all aspects of the ranch and the adventures while we’re here.”

“Oh, right.” Kate nodded her agreement. “I brought a camera with me, professional-grade, to capture some shots. We’ll need permission to use images of any people in the photos, though.”

“We brought a waiver with us,” Dawn explained.

“Of course. Sounds great.” Zane passed a large plate of ribs, burgers and sliced beef down the table to Kate. “Dig in. This is all Double M beef. One hundred percent fresh, and the best Angus beef you’ll ever eat.”

Kate took the tray, but hesitated. Her stomach growled, affirming she was hungry. The last thing she’d eaten was the tiny packet of pretzels on the plane. But she thought of the sweet bull calf she’d just visited and balked. “I’m going to stick to the side dishes tonight, I think.”

Josh sent her a concerned look and lifted a pitcher of tea, filling her glass when she nodded that she’d like some, then his own. “Are you a vegetarian? We didn’t think to ask—”

“No,” she said, passing the tray of meats to him. “Just...thinking about my new little friend and...” She flashed a sheepish grin. “I grew up on a farm. I know where meat comes from. I just can’t go from fawning over the little baby to...eating his dad.”

Josh grunted and helped himself to a few ribs and a burger. “Trust me, this is not that little guy’s father. Papa is one of our best breeding bulls, and his life is safe as long as he keeps fathering prime offspring.” He set down the platter. “But I get your point, and I promise the rest of the dinner Helen made is pretty spectacular, too. Try this.” He handed her a pan of potato casserole. “She calls it potato supreme. I just call it delicious.”

“Helen?” Kate took the pan, savoring the scents of cheese and onion that wafted from the dish.

“Our cook. She used to be full-time, when we had more hands. Now she just does lunch for the family and hands along with special events like tonight.” Josh handed her another bowl, full of a mix of green vegetables.

“Can I have my pie now?” Connor said, drawing Kate’s attention.

“Finish your meat first, buddy,” said the guy introduced as Piper’s fiancé. She dug through her memory for the name. B... B...

“Aw, Brady!” Connor whined, flopping back in his chair and folding his arms across his chest with a pout.

Brady! That was it!

When she studied the boy and Brady closer, she saw the resemblance between them. While Dawn continued chatting up the plans for the travel brochure with Zane and Piper, Kate leaned toward Josh, whispering, “Connor is your nephew, you said? But he called your foreman his grampa. So that means Brady is...?”

Josh gave her a crooked grin and whispered back. “It’s complicated.”

She arched an eyebrow, intrigued.

“Well, not that complicated, but...” He rubbed a hand over his lips. “I’ll fill you in later.”

She leaned back in her seat, regarding Josh with a puzzled gaze. When she glanced toward the boy’s chair, she found it empty.

“Tell me about the calf, Kate,” Dawn said, drawing her attention. “We should definitely include pictures of the new baby in the brochure. What a precious way to bring home the point that this is a working family ranch.”

“Oh, he’s definitely precious,” Kate agreed. She was musing over the point that the Double M was a family ranch, a point brought home as she glanced around the table at the three generations gathered for dinner. Well, two generations...the third generation was still missing.

Something under the table bumped her knee, and she raised the edge of the plastic table cover to peek underneath.

Connor sat huddled at her feet and met her gaze. His eyes widened, and he placed a finger over his pursed lips in a shushing signal. She gave him a conspiratorial wink and returned her attention to the adult conversation.

“We can do a print run of one hundred thousand copies to start with,” Dawn was saying, “and print more as—”

“A hundred thousand?” Piper repeated, clearly aghast. “Why so many? Won’t that cost a fortune?”

“Well, we want a wide distribution of the materials,” Kate said. “You’d be surprised how few one hundred thousand really is, and with printed materials, the more you do, the less they cost per piece.”

“Where’s Connor?” Piper cut in, her face reflecting her alarm that the boy wasn’t at the table. “He was just here.” She looked around, clearly dismayed.

Brady covered her hand with his and gave her a calming smile, hitching his head toward their feet. “I don’t know,” he said in a stage voice, “but since he left, I guess that means I get to eat his pie.”

Under the table, Connor gasped, bumped Kate’s knees again, and cried out, “No! Here I am! I want my pie!”

Piper’s face reflected her relief, and a combination of amusement and irritation. “Connor, what are you doing under the table?”

While Brady and Piper leaned closer to talk in low voices to the boy, Zane waved a hand for Kate to continue. “Sorry. Life around here can be chaotic at times. You were saying?”

She shook her head. “Why don’t we save the business talk for later and just enjoy this pretty evening, the great dinner and good company?”

“I’ll drink to that,” Josh said, raising his glass of iced tea.

The rest of the meal passed with pleasant conversation about the history of the four-generations-old ranch, Piper and Brady’s upcoming nuptials, and Connor’s excitement over his friend’s dog having puppies. When they’d all finished eating, Zane, Piper and Josh excused themselves to mingle with the other guests who’d arrived just before dinner. Kate dawdled over the last of her slice of cherry pie and watched Josh greet one of two couples she’d met briefly when they arrived.

Dawn slid down to the chair next to Kate’s and leaned close. “He’s certainly charming and personable.”

Kate frowned at Dawn. “Who?”

Dawn’s returned look said, Like you don’t know.

Kate rolled her eyes. “The whole family is quite nice. It will be a pleasure to work with them.”

A peal of laughter drew her attention in time to see Josh lift Connor and drape the boy upside down over his shoulder. Connor laughed as Josh spun around, then planted the dizzy boy back on the ground.

“Yeah, see how funny it is when he throws up on you, Doofus!” Piper called to her brother.

After a few more minutes of racing around the yard with the boy, Josh jogged up, panting, with Connor on his heels. “Tag, man,” he gasped, slapping Brady on the shoulder. “You’re up. I’m dying here.”

“Thanks for wearing him out,” Brady said, pushing to his feet. “The kid is gonna sleep well tonight!”

“He’s not the only one,” Josh said, taking the chair Brady vacated.

“So the itinerary posted in the guesthouse says tomorrow we learn to saddle and ride horses and get a glimpse of other aspects of ranching life.” Kate ran a finger down the side of her glass, wiping off the drips of condensation.

“Yep,” Josh said. “Bright and early. We’ll start with a hearty breakfast, then gather up in the corral behind the stable.”

“I just remembered I never called Dean back,” Dawn said. “Will you excuse me?” Dawn rose from the table, wearing a smirk.

But Kate was having none of Dawn’s ploy. She already saw a battle with her attraction to him ahead and the day’s travel was catching up to her. “I’m going to call it a night, as well. Thanks for everything.”

Josh touched the brim of his hat and winked at her. “See you in the morning.”

Kate took her trash to the waiting receptacle, then headed into the guesthouse. Dawn wasn’t on the phone when she got there, lending more credence to her theory about her friend’s continuing efforts to play matchmaker.

Dawn grunted and frowned at Kate from the kitchenette, where she was pouring herself a glass of wine. “Why are you in here instead of enjoying Josh’s company?”

“Because, like I’ve said, this is a business trip. I’m not looking for a hookup.”

Dawn set the wine bottle down and licked a drip of the merlot from her finger as she pinned a hard look on Kate. “Are you sure that’s all it is? Is everything okay?”

Kate blinked, a bit startled by the question. “Of course. Why?”

Her colleague twisted her mouth and gave her a narrow-eyed scrutiny. “You just don’t seem that excited to be here. You’ve acted rather reluctant since we landed this account and scheduled this trip. What’s wrong? What am I missing?”

Kate waffled briefly between telling Dawn the whole truth and brushing off her reservations. “I’m just tired.”

Dawn continued to stare at her.

“Really! This place is great. The people are super friendly, the scenery is awesome, and it’s an exciting account to be working on. I just...” Shoot. Why did she add the unfinished addendum?

“If something about this account is bothering you, if you feel we need to go a different direction on some aspect of the campaign, you should tell me.” Dawn strolled into the common area with her wine, obviously waiting for Kate’s explanation.

“No, no. It’s nothing about the account or our plans for the ad campaign. It’s me.”

Dawn raised her chin. “So there is something?”

Kate closed her eyes and let her shoulders droop. “Ugh. Okay, yes. I didn’t want to say anything because it’s my issue to work out. But...” She moistened her lips, then took Dawn’s hand and led her to the couch. They sat facing each other, and Kate rubbed her hands on the skirt of her dress. “I’m chicken. All these ‘adventures,’” she said, drawing air quotes with her fingers, “scare me.”

Dawn’s face split with a grin. “Seriously? That’s all?”

Kate straightened her back. “All? Dawn, day after tomorrow, we’re supposed to leave on a camping trip filled with all kinds of dangerous and death-defying stunts. I can’t do it! Just the thought of all those high places and steep drop-offs leaves me in a cold sweat.” She raised her damp, trembling palms to show Dawn. “Look!”

Dawn laughed and grabbed Kate’s hands, then clutched them against her chest. “Oh, Katie! You’re supposed to be a little scared. That’s part of the thrill, the adrenaline rush. Facing down that instinctive fear and conquering it is what makes these kinds of adventures so exciting!” She squeezed both of Kate’s hands, smiling her enthusiasm.

Kate shook her head. “You don’t get it. I used to be adventurous. As a kid, I did all kinds of stupid, daring, dangerous stuff.”

“Well, there you go! You’ve got the adventurous spirit in you. Just dig it out and wear it pr—”

“No.” Kate jerked her hands back and ran her fingers through her hair. Her gut quivered as memories of her days spent in the bottom of the silo, injured, scared, alone, reverberated through her mind’s eye. “I lost that spirit a long time ago. I almost died once. I fell—” She swallowed hard. “I shouldn’t have been climbing on that roof, but...” She paused and took a deep breath to calm the jangle of nerves.

Dawn’s forehead was wrinkled with curiosity. “You almost died? When? What happened?”

Kate balled her hands into fists and told her coworker the whole story in digest version. She finished by saying, “That’s why this whole adventure trip scares me so much. I don’t think I can do it. I still have nightmares about being in that silo, about falling, about being lost.”

Dawn leaned back against the cushions of the couch and shook her head slowly. “Wow. That had to have sucked.”

“To put it mildly.”

“But...” Her friend arched one eyebrow, and her gaze glinted with challenge. “What better time to get past those fears, huh? Face ’em down. Conquer them!”

Kate was shaking her head before Dawn even finished.

“Come on, Kate! Zane and Josh know what they are doing. You heard them out there tonight.” Dawn waved a hand toward the door. “They’ve been doing this stuff for years. They’ve taken every safety precaution, had the equipment inspected. It’s all perfectly safe. Josh and Zane are pros at this, and they will not let you get hurt.”

Kate worried her bottom lip with her teeth. She’d told herself all of the same things a dozen times, but nothing could calm the drumbeat of dread deep in her soul. Instead of arguing points that she had no good defense for, she aimed a finger at Dawn and said, “That’s another thing.”

Dawn blinked. “What is?”

“Stop pushing me at Josh and vice versa. I don’t need a matchmaker.”

Her friend’s grin turned smug. “But he’s so good-looking and so into you.”

“I know he’s good-looking. I’d have to be blind not to notice that. But I’m not in the market for a vacation romance.”

“Oh, girl...why not? If I weren’t with Dean—”

“Because I’m...not! I have my reasons!” she said in a tone sharper than she intended.

Dawn drew back slightly, and her face reflected a degree of hurt and remorse.

Lowering her voice, Kate continued, “I’ve been down that path before and it was a disaster I don’t care to repeat. So...please drop it. No matchmaking.”

The front door of the guesthouse opened, and two of the other guests strolled in, holding hands and smiling warmly at each other. Both couples joining them on the adventure trip, Paige and Jake McCall and Brianna and Hunter Mansfield, hailed from Louisiana. They’d been invited because Brianna was a friend of Piper’s from college, and Jake McCall, a former navy SEAL, was Zane, Josh and Piper’s cousin.

“Beautiful evening for a walk,” Paige said. “The moon is almost full.”

“Oh, how romantic,” Dawn said.

“Exactly,” Jake replied with a wanton wink. “Well, good night.” He headed down the hall to their bedroom, towing his chuckling wife in his wake.

“That’s what I want,” Kate said, waving a hand toward the hall after the couple had closed their door.

“Sorry, he’s taken. Quite happily from the looks of it.” Dawn gave her a lopsided grin.

“I mean I want the happily-ever-after. I want to be taking romantic walks in the moonlight after years of marriage.”

Dawn lifted a shoulder. “Nothing says you can’t have that. But to find it, you have to be open to opportunities when they present themselves.”

“But it doesn’t mean I have to chase every wild goose that crosses my path.” She scooted to the edge of the couch, ready to head off to bed. “Especially if I know that a particular goose doesn’t offer any possibilities beyond a short vacation.”

“Gander.”

Kate gave Dawn a puzzled glance. “What?”

“A gander is a male goose. Josh would be a gander.”

Kate grunted, then rose to her feet. “My point is the same. Good night.”

“So...” Dawn said, following Kate down the hall, “no adventures and no fun on the path to Mr. Right?”

Kate stopped, bracing her hands on her hips as she faced Dawn. “That’s painting it in rather bleak tones. Just because I’ve learned to be cautious doesn’t mean I’m some kind of cowardly nun.”

Dawn wrapped her arms around Kate in a hug. “I know you’re not. That’s why this trip is the perfect chance to seize some of that passion you have just under the surface and let it out. Carpe diem, my friend. Starting tomorrow, I’m going to help you face those fears and grab life by the horns.” She kissed Kate’s cheek and gave her a finger wave as she disappeared into her bedroom.

Kate stood in the hall, staring at Dawn’s closed door for several seconds, speechless. She’d always known Dawn was pushy and direct. Assertiveness was helpful in business. But Kate didn’t so much like being on the receiving end of her coworker’s brass. Still... Dawn’s characterization of her, and the suggestion she could be letting opportunity pass her by, rankled. Maybe the root of the disquiet in her gut was the restlessness she’d thrived on as a child battling to be expressed again. Could she do it? Could she embrace that side of her nature once again and finally silence the doubt demons that had plagued her for twenty years?

As she headed off to bed, her pulse scampering at the thought of facing her fears, the image that fixed itself in her mind’s eye was not of the old silo, nor was it of a high bluff to be rappelled on a Colorado mountain. No, what she saw as she closed her eyes in search of sleep that night was a pair of sky blue eyes, a well-fitting pair of jeans and Josh’s sultry grin.

Early the next morning, Kate was roused from a deep, contented sleep by the clang of a bell and a male voice shouting outside her window. “Breakfast time!”

“What the...?” she grumbled, groping for her phone on the nightstand.

The door to her room opened, and Dawn strolled in. She grabbed and shook Kate’s toes through the covers. “Come on, sleepyhead. We’re on ranch time now. The day starts early around here.”

“What time is it?”

“Oh-dark-thirty.” Dawn moved back to the door, turning on a lamp as she departed. “Get a wiggle on. We’re here to get the full ranching experience, and that includes the morning chores.”

Kate groaned and pulled the covers over her head.

“Oh, and don’t bother showering yet. Zane recommends saving that until after the chores and breakfast. Meet me at breakfast in five.” With that, Dawn closed the door, leaving Kate to struggle out of bed.

Seven minutes later, she staggered down the hall to find the dining table bustling as her fellow guests passed bowls of fluffy eggs, platters of bacon, pans of fried potatoes and pots of fresh coffee to each other.

“Saved you a seat,” Dawn called, motioning to the empty chair next to her.

Kate moved stiffly to the chair and gaped at all the food. “Good grief. There’s enough here to feed an army.”

Beside her, Dawn poured coffee in the mug at Kate’s plate. “The foreman, Mr. Summers, is supposed to be by in about twenty minutes to show us where we can help with the morning chores. Then we’ll clean up a bit before we saddle up and ride out in the fields to check on the herd, ride the fence—”

“Ride the fence?” Brianna Mansfield paused as she added pepper to her plate of eggs.

“Miles and miles of fences are part of this and every ranch. They get worn out and damaged regularly. We’ll be helping look for that damage and fix it.” Dawn smiled at their fellow guest. “Pretty routine stuff, but a great way to see the land and practice our horsemanship before we hit the adventure trail tomorrow.”

Brianna glanced at her husband. “When you said we were going to be helping with the ranch chores, you weren’t kidding.”

“It’ll be fun. Just stick with me, kid. You’ll do great.” Hunter gave his wife a peck on the cheek.

When Roy Summers arrived, Dawn, Kate and the two couples followed the foreman out to the stable. “You’ll each work one-on-one with one of the ranch staff, learning how to care for your assigned horse and prepping for the day ahead.”

The group assembled in the main alley of the stable, where the ranch crew was waiting for them. Kate spotted Josh immediately, leaning casually against the gate of the first stall. Her stomach swooped when he met her gaze and sent her a wink and a lopsided grin.

The other guests were paired up with the hands, Piper McCall and Brady Summers. Then Roy turned to Kate and Dawn.

“You two will work with these bozos.” He aimed a thumb over his shoulder to Zane and Josh. “That way you can discuss promotion biz while you learn the ranch.”

Dawn jerked a nod and stepped over to slip her arm through Zane’s. “Perfect.”

Which left Kate paired with Josh. She gave Dawn a withering glance, and her friend mouthed back, “Carpe diem.”

Josh sauntered over to her and waved a hand down the alley toward the back end of the stable. “After you.”

Kate rubbed her palms on her jeans and fell in step behind Josh, trying not to notice how his T-shirt hugged his broad back and biceps. She’d rather hoped that in the light of a new day she’d discover she’d exaggerated in her mind how handsome he was, how good he smelled, how affecting his lopsided grin could be. But if anything, she’d minimized him in her mind as she tried to dissuade herself from the attraction she couldn’t deny. Her pulse pounded out a staccato rhythm as she entered the stall with him, where a bay horse swished its black tail and nuzzled Josh with its white snout.

“Hey, girl,” Josh cooed to the animal, stroking her neck and nose. “How are you? Good girl.” The soothing, low rumble of his voice as he talked to the horse caused a fluttering in Kate’s core. The purring, intimate quality of his voice conjured images of rumpled sheets and late night pillow talk. Sweet nothings. Sexy whispers.

She put a hand low on her belly as if she could quash the tingle of lust coalesced there.

“This is Lucy. Come say hello,” Josh said, meeting Kate’s gaze.

She stepped deeper into the stall and reached a hand out to pat the mare’s neck. “Hello, Lucy. Nice to meet you.”

Josh ducked out of the stable for a moment and came back with a few slices of apple in a zip-sealed baggie. He gave her one. “Put this on your open palm and let her eat it off your hand. She’ll be your best friend forever after.”

Kate fed the treat to Lucy and grinned as the mare’s ears turned forward, showing her delight. “Good girl, Lucy.”

“She loves apple slices, but don’t give her too many.” Josh took a bit with a harness from a hook on the wall. “They are like candy for a kid. Just treats. Too many mess with her diet.”

“Right,” she said, still stroking Lucy’s nose. “I grew up on a farm. Remember?”

Josh paused from loosening the knot tied in the reins. “Oh, right. So you know horses? This lesson is moot?”

She raised a shoulder. “Refresh my memory. It has been quite a while since I saddled a horse.”

“You got it.” He handed her a currycomb. “Let’s see how much you recall.”

Zane walked up to the door of the stall. He smiled a greeting to Kate, but she sensed tension in him that tightened the edges of his mouth. “Josh, can I borrow you for a few minutes?”

“Um...” Josh glanced at her, and she gave a nod.

“I’m good. I’ll be grooming her until you get back.”

Josh touched the brim of his hat. “Good deal.”

Kate began brushing Lucy with long strokes, slipping the mare another apple slice almost as soon as Josh was out of sight. “Yeah, I take care of you, and you take care of me. That’s how it works. Right, girl? You’re gonna be good to me?”

The horse nickered softly and nuzzled Kate’s shoulder.

Outside, Kate could hear men’s voices joining Josh’s. Low at first, then growing louder and more angry. She stilled, then edged nearer the stall window, shamelessly eavesdropping. What was wrong? What could have made her dimpled cowboy so upset?

Chapter 3

Josh clenched his fists, seething. “I told you no good would come from doing business with that rat bastard.”

They hadn’t even officially opened McCall Adventure Ranch, and already the triplets’ high school rival—and, unfortunately, their loan officer—had found a way to screw them. Josh wanted to punch something. Preferably someone—Gill Carver. Dave had returned from an errand in town, where he’d learned troubling news and shared it with their foreman, Roy Summers, then with Zane, Josh and Brady.

“Look,” Zane said, his mouth set in a grim line, “I’m not happy about this either, but there’s no law against Gill opening or investing in his own adventure ranch. It’s called free enterprise, and competition is at the root of how the American economy works.”

“Not in the mood for a civics lesson, bro.” Josh snatched his hat off and thwacked it against his legs.

“Gill doesn’t own a ranch, not since his father’s went belly up, and he doesn’t know jack about adrenaline sports. Who’s running this new enterprise for him?” Brady asked.

“That’s the real kicker,” Roy said. “Dave said he’s hired Townsen.”

“Karl?” Josh gaped at their foreman.

“You know another Townsen?” Roy asked. “Dave said the Jacksons had defaulted on their loan, and Gill offered to assume the payments and pay the startup costs if they’d allow their ranch to be used as the home base for a new business idea he had.”

“A business idea he stole!” Josh growled. “Along with stealing our employees!”

Zane shook his head. “He didn’t steal Townsen. After we let him go, Karl was free to go where he wanted.”

“I’m not surprised he took the opportunity to put the screws to us, considering how ticked he was over the theft accusations and his firing,” Josh said, grinding his back teeth.

“So what do we do?” Brady asked, veins standing out on his neck.

“Nothing we can do,” Zane said, far too calmly.

“Nothing?” Josh repeated, aghast. “You want us to roll over and play dead? Are you telling me this doesn’t piss you off in the first degree?”

Zane faced his twin, his nose flaring and his jaw tight. “Of course I’m pissed. But we have guests in there.” He aimed his thumb over his shoulder to the stable. “Guests whom it is more important than ever that we impress. And by nothing, I mean there’s nothing we can do about Gill opening a competing business. What we can do is offer a better product. We out-perform him. We bring our A game and kick his sorry ass. Our success is all the vengeance we need.”

Josh exchanged a glance with Brady, his lifelong friend, new business partner and future brother-in-law. If possible, Brady hated Gill more than the McCall siblings did. Josh could see the roil of disgust in Brady’s expression morph into sheer determination. Brady finally jerked a nod of agreement and raised a fist. “Yeah. Let’s kick some ass.”

Zane cracked a grim smile and bumped Brady’s fist with his own.

Sucking in a cleansing breath, Josh joined the fist bumps. “Let’s do it.”

As he turned to go back in the stable to check on Kate, Josh felt a weight settle on him. His family had already needed the adventure ranch he and Zane had dreamed up to be a success to save them from financial ruin. Now they needed to succeed as a matter of pride. A feat made more difficult thanks to the competing efforts of Gill Carver, slime bag extraordinaire.

The triplets’ history with Gill was as dicey as it was long. Gill had been a thorn in their side from the day in fourth grade when Zane had beaten Gill in the spelling bee, and Gill, ever the sore loser, had arranged a posse of his friends to waylay Zane on the playground. That was the first time of many that Gill learned that if he picked on one McCall triplet, he got all three and Brady to boot.

A bitter rivalry had been born and fed throughout high school. Salt had been added to the wounds when Gill’s father fell on hard times, like many of the ranchers in the area. The bank had foreclosed on the Carvers’ holdings and at the foreclosure auction, the triplets’ father had purchased not only a top breeding bull for the Double M, but had added a parcel of the Carvers’ land that abutted the McCalls’ property. Gill had turned his spite up to DEFCON 1, not just toward the McCalls and Brady, but most of the town. He’d made clear to the triplets that his career path, becoming a loan officer at the local bank, having the power to foreclose on homes, ranches and small businesses of the townspeople he’d grown up with, was part of his plan to seek revenge against the people of Boyd Valley.

Josh had just stepped back into the shaded stable alley when a figure moved out of one of the stalls and issued a quiet “Psst.” He blinked, his eyes adjusting to the dimmer light, and Dawn Fetzer came into focus, waving him over to her.

He shook off his bad mood, knowing he couldn’t let the dark cloud of bad news affect his dealings with their first customers. Pasting on a smile, he strode over to her and nodded a greeting. “What can I do for you, Dawn?”

“Listen,” she started in a hushed tone and drew him into one of the empty stalls. “I need a favor.”

“Okay...” he whispered back, matching her volume.

“Kate is—how should I put it?—trying to overcome some personal issues, some fears based on a childhood trauma.”

Josh arched an eyebrow, intrigued. What sort of childhood trauma? This insight to the woman he found himself so powerfully drawn to fueled his curiosity about her.

“She’s probably going to need a little cajoling and special encouragement to go the extra step on most of the adventures this week.” Dawn bit her bottom lip and glanced guiltily out of the stall as if afraid her collusion with him would be discovered. “She’d kill me if she knew I was telling you this. She only told me because I asked her flat out why she was acting so freaked out on this trip.”

“I see.” Josh poked his fingers in his front pockets and rocked back on the heels of his boots. “So, what is it exactly you want me to do?”

“Well...” Dawn fidgeted with one of her hoop earrings. “If it isn’t as obvious as I think it is...she’s into you. You’ve definitely turned her head, and I think you can use that to our advantage.”

“Um...” Josh shifted his weight, uneasy with the track of the conversation. While it pleased him to know his attraction to Kate was mutual, he was wholly uncomfortable with any ploy to trick her based on that attraction.

When he hesitated, Dawn rushed on to say, “Nothing untoward. But...I think she’d find it harder to tell you no. She’s not going to participate in the riskier activities, I fear, without a great deal of motivation and encouragement all around.”

“I’d be happy to encourage her and help ease her anxieties any way I can.”

“Good!”

“I just...” He paused and glanced away for a moment, trying to put into words the tickle of uneasiness in his belly. “I don’t like the idea of manipulating her or using her interest in me against her.”

“It wouldn’t be using it against her!” Dawn grabbed his wrist. “Helping her face her fears is in her best interests. Don’t you think?”

“Well...” Knowing that Kate had a childhood trauma to blame for her fears made Dawn’s suggestion feel even more intrusive. As much as he wanted to help Kate, he didn’t want to use illicit tactics to sway her feelings. But to satisfy Dawn, he said, “I’ll do what I can.”

The first day on the ranch passed pleasantly, with horseback riding out into the pastures, roundup and knot-tying demonstrations, a roping contest (which Jake the former SEAL with his athletic talent predictably won), and another cookout with bountiful food and good company. That evening each guest prepared a backpack with spare clothes for the three-day camping and hiking excursion, and the ranch staff added basic camping, hiking and safety supplies to each pack and saw to it that the packs were delivered to the base camp for the next night.

Despite the fun first day, Kate knew the challenges that lay ahead, and she had a kink of apprehension in her gut as she piled into bed that evening. She stared at the ceiling much of the night, then had no appetite for the pancake and sausage breakfast the others feasted on before dawn the next morning. Her coffee gnawed her stomach as she faked enthusiasm at the breakfast table with the couples who’d be traveling with them.

At the appointed time, Brady met their party at the door of the guesthouse. He showed them to the SUV that would drive them to the starting point of the horseback ride into the mountainous terrain where the adventures would begin. Zane and Roy had transported the horses by trailer to the start point a half hour earlier.

The married couples, Piper and Dawn loaded into the SUV first, leaving Kate to squeeze into the middle seat between Jake and Josh.

From the front seat, Dawn sent a sly grin to Kate over her shoulder, chirping, “Look at you, Katie! In the middle of a hunk sandwich.”

Kate returned a raised-eyebrow glare that told her friend she knew exactly what Dawn was up to. Then, throughout the two-hour ride, as they wound along twisting back roads, Kate tried not to think about Josh’s muscled thigh brushing hers or his sexy, freshly showered scent filling her nose. Forget the fact that the equally handsome Jake was squashed against her other side. Her brain only registered her cowboy host. She could feel Josh’s chest vibrate each time he laughed, thanks to her side being snuggled against him. He’d stretched his arm along the back of the seat behind her shoulders, and his body heat enveloped her like a hug.

When they reached the starting point for their horseback ride farther into the mountains, she’d never been so glad, and simultaneously disappointed, to arrive at a destination. And though the sexual tension coiled inside her loosened its grip, a different pressure built in her chest as they mounted up for the ride. The excursion would take place on property left to the McCalls by their grandfather and a string of ancestors before him. Piper kissed her fiancé and waved goodbye to the group as she left to drive the SUV back to the ranch.

“Move ’em out!” Zane called to the group.

“Next stop, the zip line!” Josh added.

The rest of the group whooped, but Kate’s heart swooped. She tried to brace herself for the slide down a cable, strung over a deep valley, with only a few straps and carabiner clips for support.

They rode higher and higher into the rugged terrain, chatting and tossing bantering jokes up and down the line of horses. Zane took the lead with Roy and Brady bringing up the rear. Josh took his position between Dawn’s horse and Kate’s and pointed out interesting views for Kate to snap photos of as they made their way along the horse trail.

Kate cast an encompassing glance across the scenic view. The towering peaks, beautiful trees, rocks and wildflowers were awe-inspiring. Until she saw the steel cable stretching across the ravine. Her stomach clenched as she looked down, deep into the crevasse that lay below. The drop-off was sheer rock, straight down. The gulf that the cable spanned was hundreds of feet wide and almost as far to the bottom.

She gripped her reins tightly, searching her brain for a way to get out of the feat while still saving face with her client...and without having a complete, humiliating breakdown. Her heart thundered in her chest, and the rush of adrenaline and dread left her shaking to her core.

“All right, ladies and gentlemen,” Zane called to the group, “we are at our first challenge.”

Another hoot of excitement rose from the other guests, Dawn’s cheer loudest of all.

“Remember to dismount your horse to the left and hand off your reins to Roy or Brady. They’ll be leading your horses back to the trailer.”

“We won’t be on our horses anymore?” Brianna asked, sounding disappointed.

“We will. But the horses can’t use the zip line to get across the gorge like we can,” Zane explained, and the group chuckled. “They’ll meet us tomorrow at the trailhead to ride up to the launch point for our white-water excursion.”

Around her, her fellow adventurers were dismounting and chatting excitedly with each other. Kate’s mouth dried, and her legs trembled as she stood in her stirrups to swing down from Lucy’s back. Just as she felt her knees buckle, sure she was going to flop onto her backside in an ignominious tumble, strong hands spanned her waist, lifting her securely to the ground.

Startled by the unexpected help, she spun around to find her nose inches from Josh’s chest.

“Uh, thanks,” she muttered, tipping her head back to meet his gaze. The sun shone brightly just behind his head, and she had to squint against the blinding light. Then he took a small step to the side, giving her breathing room, and his wide-brimmed hat blocked the sun.

“No problem.” The smile he flashed her and the sparkle in his breathtaking blue eyes were every bit as luminous as the sunshine. Her already unsteady legs wobbled again, and she grabbed the strap of Lucy’s saddle to steady herself.

“I’ll take those.” He reached for the reins she’d left dangling from the horn of her saddle, and his arm grazed her ear as he stretched past her. “If you’ll wait over there with Zane, we’re about to go through the zip-line procedure and safety rules.”

She drew a shuddering breath and released the death grip she had on Lucy’s straps. “Right.” As she turned to join the rest of the group gathering around Zane, Josh wrapped his hand around her forearm, stopping her.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

She worked to give him a confident smile. “Sure. Just...a little nervous.”

He tightened his grip and held her gaze with a piercing stare. “It’s perfectly safe. I promise. You’ve got this.”

His words, the gentleness of his tone and reassurance behind his smile flowed through her like a balm. She inhaled a steadier breath, and twitching the corner of her mouth in a quick grin, she nodded to him. “Thanks. I’m going to hold you to that promise.” She fumbled for her camera, which hung by a strap around her neck. “I’ll join the others in a second. I just want to snap a few pictures of the zip line for the brochure first.”

“Good deal.”

Josh led Lucy and another horse away and passed the reins to Roy. The two men exchanged a few words, Roy giving Josh a serious look. She heard the foreman say, “Be careful,” before Josh chuckled a response and walked away.

Kate eased to the edge of the steep drop-off and peered down into the forested and sheer rock ravine below. A chill rippled through her, and she purposefully shoved down the clamoring nerves and raised her camera to click off a few shots. Turning toward the group, she took a picture of Zane helping Brianna don a harness and one of Hunter snapping on a helmet. Turning, she took a picture of Roy with the horses. She caught Josh laughing over something with Jake with the zip-line platform and spectacular view behind him. She shielded her eyes from the sun so she could see the small screen on her camera. The shot of Josh and Jake was a winner. Definitely good for the brochure.

“Look at this one,” she told Dawn, angling her camera to show her coworker the shot. “Perfect for the brochure, don’t you think?”

Dawn squinted at the screen. “Oh, most excellent! Good job! Now...” Her friend caught her arm and dragged her over to the harnesses and carabiners piled in front of Zane. “No more stalling. Buckle up!”

Zane had one of the harnesses in his hand and shouted to the group. “Okay, listen up! You’ll each get one of these nifty getups, which I will now demonstrate how to hook on.”

Josh joined his brother, demonstrating the technique by stepping into the harness, clasping hooks, tightening straps and choosing a well-fitting helmet. She tried to listen, but an odd buzzing filled her ears, and her thoughts kept straying back to the old silo in Missouri. The loud cracking sound just before she plummeted. The pain that streaked through her on impact and plagued her for days as she awaited rescue. Her breathing grew ragged and shallow. How could she possibly do this? She cast a side glance to the deep ravine, and the earth seemed to spin.

“Josh will now demonstrate, and he will be waiting at the other end of the line to help you unhook your gear after your ride. Any questions?” Zane called.

“You sure that little wire up there will hold?” Hunter shouted, grinning.

A nervous laugh rumbled around her, telling her she wasn’t the only one with jitters.

“It’s solid steel cable. Professionally installed and tested several times. It’ll hold,” Josh returned. “See you on the other side!”

She rubbed the sudden chill bumps on her arms as she watched Josh hook onto the pulley system with the grooved wheel that would carry him down the sloped cable. He moved to the edge of the platform to launch his descent and found her gaze. He sent her a cocky grin and a wink, then pushed off. Kate held her breath as he whizzed away, and Dawn squealed her delight.

“All right. Who wants to be first?” Zane asked, scanning the group.

“Kate does!” Dawn shouted.

Josh savored the dramatic view of the ravine, relished the warm air whipping through his hair and inhaled the clean air. He loved the adrenaline rush, loved these mountains, loved that he could turn his passion into a profitable business to help his family. Finally he felt like he was an integral part of the Double M, someone more than the reckless and irresponsible brother. He could finally—

An odd jerk and sudden drop yanked him from his musing. He continued his descent but...something was different. Something was wrong.

The cable shuddered again, and a growing sense of foreboding swelled in Josh’s gut. He could see the landing platform ahead and prepared to stop. Another strange jerk slowed his progress, and he could see the slack in the line overhead. What the—?

The first fingers of real trepidation clawed at him. They’d tested the zip line many times, had it inspected, cleared by all the proper authorities. But he didn’t need a professional to tell him something was off.

He slid closer to the landing platform, perched a good fifty feet above the ground, but the final few yards of the ride were even more jerky and unstable than before. When his feet touched the landing, and he knew he was safely across, he exhaled a breath he hadn’t known he was holding.

Relief washed through him, but on the heels of that released tension came another hit. As he unhooked himself from the pulley system, he discovered the source of his bumpy ride.

A chill washed through him, along with panic.

The tree trunk had been cut, both above and below the metal plate where the bolts holding the main pulley for the cable system were attached. Saw dust littered the platform, and the steel bands that should have been providing additional support for the main cable had been cut away. Deep wedges had been removed surrounding the bolted metal plate such that the wood was splintering as the weight of the cable pulled at the weakened trunk. The gouged section of the trunk, and therefore the steel transverse cable, was in serious danger of failing.

With his heartbeat roaring in his ears, Josh abandoned his attempts to unfasten his harness and scrambled for the two-way radio. He had to warn Zane before anyone else tried to cross—and died.

“Come on, Kate,” Dawn said. “You go first!”

Kate snapped her head toward her coworker so fast she could have given herself whiplash. “What? No!”

Dawn leaned closer, whispering, “The longer you stand here and watch, the more nervous you’ll get. Just bite the bullet and jump in.”

“I don’t know. I—”

“Kate! Kate! Kate!” Dawn started chanting.

“No!” Kate tried to back away from the platform but bumped into Jake’s wide chest.

“Kate! Kate! Kate!” the others in the group joined in the chant.

Dawn seized Kate’s arm and tugged her forward. “You can do this! It’ll be fun!”

Kate didn’t reply. She had to concentrate on breathing, on swallowing the surge of bile that rushed up in her throat. Brady held out the tangle of straps and clasps, and with Dawn’s help, she found the contraption being slid over her head, buckled across her chest and secured between her legs.

She had to do this, she realized. To back out now would mean more than humiliating herself in front of the PR firm’s client. If she refused, she would be letting her fear win. She might as well still be trapped in the bottom of that silo. Dawn was right. She needed to face her fears. She just wished she could take baby steps, could wade into the kiddie pool before jumping in the deep end from the high dive.

Brady adjusted the last of her straps and positioned her hands. “Hold on here. When you get to the platform, keep your feet up, and be prepared to catch your balance. Josh will be waiting to help you.” He patted the top of her helmet. “Ready?”

She squeezed her eyes closed, and her stomach flip-flopped. She wasn’t sure she’d ever be ready.

“Okay,” she rasped.

“Kate’s ready to go at your signal,” Brady called to Zane.

“Ready here. Waiting on your ‘go,’ Josh,” Zane said into his two-way radio.

The group continued chanting. “Kate! Kate!”

Dawn sidled closer to Kate and squeezed her shoulder. “You got this!”

Zane was plugging one ear and holding the two-way radio close to his other. “Did you say ‘no’ or ‘go’?”

Dawn’s face brightened. “Josh says go!”

Brady nodded and gave Kate a gentle push. The straps tugged as they grabbed to support her weight. Her feet dangled free as she began her descent, and she heard a muted cheer behind her.

Then, as she gathered a little speed, Josh’s faint static-laced response from the radio. “Zane, no! Hold up!”

“Zane? Did you hear me?” Josh said, his heart thundering and his gut twisted in knots of dread.

“Too late, man. Kate just launched. What’s up?” Zane answered through the radio.

Josh bit out a curse. Already the cables were jiggling and rattling as Kate made her way down the zip line. “Hold everyone else! We have a problem down here!”

He tossed the radio down, ignoring Zane’s demands for further explanation. He needed to give his attention now to Kate and the very real danger she was in. He spared a moment to study the tree trunk where the terminus equipment was attached. He saw no way to shore up the trunk, no way to stop the inevitable collapse of the line. The gouged section of trunk would continue to give way as more of the tree cracked, shifting more tension to smaller amounts of wood, until at last it broke free completely. Even now, the wood slowly splintered, each time making the line jerk. But how long would the last part of the trunk hold before the entire cable fell?

Nausea swirled in his gut. He had no way of preventing disaster if Kate didn’t reach the platform before the cracking trunk gave way. Leather gloves or not, one man couldn’t possibly hold the half-ton cable, the passenger’s weight and the other steel parts of the zip-line equipment.

His heart thrashed against his ribs. He had to do something. And fast.

His line was still attached to the main zip cable. Think, McCall. Think!

Even if he couldn’t hold the line, maybe he could redirect it. If the steel plate that the cable was attached to were to snag on something that would hold it, even temporarily...

Unhooking his harness, Josh cast a frantic glance around for something, anything he could attach his line to. His riser was only long enough to reach a nearby tree branch. It wasn’t much, but it would have to do. Looping the cord around the low branch, he wrapped it twice and tucked it through the end, then quickly hooked the end to an opening in the turnbuckle on the main cable.

Muttering a prayer under his breath, he turned his attention to the woman whose life hung in the balance.

The ride down the cable was faster than she’d expected. And jerkier. Kate had thought the descent would be a smooth, brisk glide, but in reality she sped along at a breakneck pace, her stomach swooping as if she were on a roller coaster. And the bumps and twitches in the line were jarring to her. Every buck and sway sent fresh waves of anxiety through her. Kate determinedly kept her eyes ahead and refused to look down. Remembering the snatches of instruction Zane had given moments ago, she applied her hand brake, hoping to ease the bumps and slow her decent.

She could see the platform ahead, getting closer, and she focused on reaching the deck where Josh stood. If she could just reach that landing platform...

He shouted something to her, and even from her distance she could tell something had him upset. Was she coming in too fast? She braked again, and he shook his head.

“Don’t brake! Faster!”

Faster? She scoffed mentally. She was already going far faster than she wanted. Yet his obvious distress buzzed through her like a thousand stinging bees. If Josh was worried—

The line jerked hard again, and she heard him curse.

No! No, no, no! Please God, no! she thought, squeezing her eyes closed, her denials as much prayer as panic.

The line jolted again...and sagged, slowing her approach markedly. Startled, she opened her eyes. She was mere feet from the platform. Josh had his hand extended toward her.

“Kate! Grab my hand!”

She hesitated, confused, for a fraction of a second before releasing her grip on the straps of her harness. Almost as soon as she let go, stretching her arm toward Josh, mere feet from the landing deck, the cord gave another tremendous jerk—and she dropped straight down.

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