“Marry Me, Taylor.”

Those aren’t the three little words Taylor Waters longs to hear from her crush, Falcon Chacon Callahan. The whole town knows the soldier-turned-rancher just needs a bride in order to inherit the coveted spread north of Rancho Diablo. Taylor wants more—even if Falcon is the hottest cowboy this side of the New Mexico border, which he proves one crazy, passionate night!

Family has always come first for Falcon, so when he finds out Taylor is pregnant with his baby, he declares a brand-new mission: to stand and fight for what’s his. It will take maneuvering through some dangerous situations—and that legendary Callahan charm—to make Diablo’s best girl fall in love with him. But to have his ranch at stake is one thing…what about his heart?

“You’re officially reneging on your proposal?”

Falcon nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

“All right.” Taylor took a deep breath and stepped close to him. She poked a finger in his chest, and he’d never wanted to grab her and kiss her senseless as badly as he did at that moment. “Listen to me, you big chicken. I wouldn’t marry you if you were the last man on earth.”

Thankfully she hadn’t come to tell him she’d picked another bachelor and was ducking out of the so-called agreement. That had been his greatest fear when she’d pulled up in the Jeep. The relief was practically blinding.

“Okay,” he said, smelling her sweet perfume. “I accept that.”

“You will accept it, because I’m not giving you a choice.” Her eyes flashed at him. “I’m having a baby, and the last thing I’d ever do is to marry a chickenhearted weasel who’s scared to death of his own feelings.”

Falcon felt as if a boulder from the canyons had fallen on him, crushing him. He could barely breathe. “A baby? My baby?”

Dear Reader,

The Callahans love their family, their land and the Diablo mustangs that run free through the New Mexico canyons. In this newest chapter of the Callahan legend, Falcon Chacon Callahan has had his eye on Taylor Waters for a long time, but the independent brunette isn’t exactly the kind of woman who’s ready to make a run to the altar. Taylor likes the rangy, sexy cowboy, but everyone knows that Falcon—like all the Callahans—is wild at heart. Will their love unite them against the evil forces swirling around Rancho Diablo? Or are Taylor and Falcon destined to be the first who elude Aunt Fiona’s matchmaking magic?

As the first warmth of spring begins to tease us from our winter hibernation, I hope you will enjoy riding the range with Taylor and Falcon. The lore of the Diablo mustangs is a rich part of the tapestry of Rancho Diablo, and it’s my greatest wish that you enjoy discovering the mystical call of their spirits with these hard-loving cowboys.

Much love,

Tina

www.tinaleonard.com www.facebook.com/tinaleonardbooks

His Callahan Bride's Baby

Tina Leonard

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tina Leonard is a USA TODAY bestselling and award-winning author of more than fifty projects, including several popular miniseries for Harlequin American Romance. Known for bad-boy heroes and smart, adventurous heroines, her books have made the USA TODAY, Waldenbooks, Ingram and Nielsen BookScan bestseller lists. Born on a military base, Tina lived in many states before eventually marrying the boy who did her crayon printing for her in the first grade. You can visit her at www.tinaleonard.com, at www.facebook.com/tinaleonardbooks and www.twitter.com/tina_leonard.

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Best wishes to Kathleen Scheibling and Roberta Brown for believing in the Callahan series, and also to my children, Lisa and Dean, who are my own personal dream. Last though never least, my best wishes to the wonderful readers who have supported my writing and my dreams for so many years. Thank you to each and every one of you for being the most kind and dedicated readers on the planet.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Epilogue

Excerpt

Chapter One

“The thing about the Callahans is that if they call you friend, there’s nothing they won’t do for you. But woe if they call you enemy .”

—Bode Jenkins, talking to a reporter

Rumor had it that Taylor Waters was one of Diablo’s “best” girls. She had a reputation for being wild at heart. Untamable. Men threw their hearts at her feet.

She walked on those hearts with a sweet-natured smile, and guys ate it up with a spoon.

Falcon Chacon Callahan studied the well-built brunette in Banger’s Bait and Tackle. He’d talked the owner of the diner, Jillian, into selling him one last beer, even though the diner usually closed at the stroke of midnight on weekends. It was his Saturday night and he hadn’t wanted to do anything but relax and consider what he was going to do with his life once his job at Rancho Diablo was over.

Taylor was a more immediate interest. She smiled that cute pixie smile at him, and Falcon sipped his beer, deciding on a whim—some might call it a hunch—to toss his heart into the Taylor-tizzy. Intuition had been known to save his life on several occasions, so Falcon believed in living by his spontaneous side. “I need a wife,” he said, and she grinned.

“So I hear. So we all hear.” She came and sat on the bar stool next to him. “You’ll get it figured out eventually, Falcon.”

Taylor worked hard to support herself and to help out her sick mother. There was no Pop Waters anymore, just mother and daughter trying to manage things on their own. Falcon understood how tough it was to be without a parent. “Marry me, Taylor.”

“I’ve only served you three beers and a plate of fajitas. I know you’re not drunk enough to propose, Falcon. You’re just crazy, as everyone in Diablo already knows.” She smiled so adorably all the sting fled her words. In fact, she was so cute that Falcon felt his chest expand with admiration.

“I leave crazy to my brothers. My sister is the nutty one. Me, I’m somewhere on the other side of the spectrum.” He leaned over and kissed Taylor lightly on the lips, not caring anymore that he had spent much of his life avoiding the marriage trap. To win the land north of Rancho Diablo, across the deep, winding canyons, he had to have a wife and family. Taylor would do just fine. She packed a generous fanny, and he thought that boded well for childbearing. She also had a nice rack, and that boded well for him.

He grinned. “What’s your answer, cupcake?”

“You’re not serious.” Taylor shook her head. “I’ve known you for over a year. Of all the Callahans, you’re the one the town’s got odds on being last to the altar.” She got up, sashaying to the register. His eyes followed her movements hungrily. “A girl would be a fool to fall for you, Falcon Callahan.”

That did not sound like a yes.

“Aren’t women supposed to be happy to do all that wedding stuff? Trust me, my offer’s good as solid gold.”

She laughed. “Jillian, Falcon wants to marry me.”

Jillian barely glanced up. “Don’t do it, honey,” she said. “No need for you to marry down.”

“Wait a minute,” Falcon said, sitting up straighter. “Marrying down is just as honorable as marrying up. Don’t tell her to pass on a rascal on principle, Mrs. Banger.” He looked at Taylor. “Good advice isn’t something you want to take every time, sugar.”

“Oh, goodness.” Jillian finally gave up on the receipts she’d been studying. “Falcon, why in the world would Taylor want a wild man like you?”

He smiled. “I didn’t say it was a good deal for her. It would be a good deal for me.”

“That’s not the way marriage works.” Taylor lightly tossed a dish towel at him as he got up from the bar stool. “It’s supposed to be good for both parties.”

“Some things would be very good. You would not lack for the things ladies really like.” He noted Taylor’s blush with a satisfied smirk. “I could convince you to like me if you give me a chance, Taylor. Just think about it. I’m offering you a helluva good time.”

“How could I ever pass an offer like that up?”

He grinned at her freckle-sprinkled nose and sexy, full lips. “Modestly as I can say it, you shouldn’t.”

“Let me butt in,” Jillian said. “Here’s what I think, Falcon. This is August. If by Christmas you’re still interested, you can ask Taylor again—after you’ve got your act together. It’s only about three and a half months. The best things are worth waiting on.” She said it kindly, but very seriously, and Falcon knew that Taylor was taking Jillian’s words under advisement. The little brunette was studying her boss as if Jillian was some kind of oracle.

Or fairy godmother.

Interfering fairy godmothers could be a bad thing. He knew this from experience. His spry and determined aunt Fiona occasionally tried to play at good-natured manipulation of people’s lives, with mixed and sometimes disastrous results.

Falcon sighed. “I really didn’t want to have to work hard for a bride, Mrs. Banger. I wanted this to be an easy thing.”

Taylor raised a brow. “Whoever told you I was easy?”

He put up a soothing hand before female hackles rose. “I never said that. I said I wanted an easy marriage. Maybe even a quick baby. I leave that part up to you.”

“And then?” Taylor asked.

“Hell, I don’t even know what’s going to happen tomorrow,” Falcon said honestly. “I guess if we could stand the sight of each other after nine months of baby-making, we’d still sit on the porch together.”

“You’re not serious.” Taylor laughed. “Why don’t you just order a bride? Or meet a woman on one of those internet sites?”

“Because,” Falcon said, considering her sweet lips and friendly face, “I might not like her the way I like you.”

“You don’t like me,” Taylor said. “You’ve been coming in here for months, and you’ve never asked me out. Never did more than sit here and eat fajitas and drink a beer or two.”

“A guy just doesn’t blurt out that he thinks a girl’s got a fine butt and a nice, uh, smile, the first time he comes into her diner. I was working up to it.”

He paid his tab, realized he hadn’t completely made his case. “So what happens in December, Mrs. Banger?”

“Oh, a lot happens before December,” Jillian said. “I’m going to fix Taylor up with every eligible man I know, and every bachelor the ladies of the Books’n’Bingo Society know, and I’m sure Taylor’s aunt, Nadine Waters, knows quite a few. And then if Taylor wants to marry you come December, then I guess I won’t be able to stop her.” She smiled. “They say nothing gets in the way of true love, Falcon.”

He put his hat on. “Yes, ma’am.” He went over and kissed her on her cheek, as he always did. “I’m going to live up to your expectations. You just wait and see.” He glanced at Taylor, who leaned up against the bar, her arms crossed, watching him. “You pick out your wedding gown. A Christmas wedding will work fine for me.”

“Good night, Falcon.”

That was all she said. It was enough. Jillian could fix Taylor up with all the men she liked, but in the end, Taylor was going to choose him.

He would see to that. Nobody had said romance and lovemaking were off the list—just no marriage proposal—and he did his best convincing in the sheets.

Those terms suited him just fine.

* * *

F ALCON ’ S BROTHERS, along with their sister, Ashlyn, were sitting in the upstairs library of Rancho Diablo when he walked in the next night. As he headed over to fix himself a whiskey before the weekly meeting, an explosion of colored confetti showered down on him. His siblings roared with laughter.

“What the heck’s going on?” Falcon demanded.

“We heard about your marriage proposal, brother dear,” Ash said. “We wanted to celebrate your effort, paltry though it was.”

“Thanks.” He flung himself onto a leather sofa. “How did you hear?”

“Word travels fast on Diablo’s grapevine.” His eldest brother, Galen, wore a grin on his pumpkin head that was positively gleeful.

The twins, Tighe and Dante, shook their heads. He had no comment for them. They’d been chasing two nannies—bodyguards in disguise—and that had gone nowhere fast for either of them. River and Ana seemed completely immune to what his brothers had to offer, and that was a great source of amusement to the Callahan clan. “Shut up,” Falcon said to Tighe and Dante, who snickered.

“We’re happy for you,” Ash said. “You made an effort. It’s progress. Even if you proposed in a diner. Couldn’t you have classed it up a little? We have a family reputation to uphold. We may be spontaneous, but we’re always classy.”

“Jeez.” Falcon examined his glass before he emptied it. “She didn’t say yes. Yet.”

“What made you decide to ask Taylor Waters to marry you?” Jace asked. “She’s a hot little thing, sure, but you’ll never get her, you know. She’s out of your league. Smarter than you. Nicer, too.”

It was no surprise to Falcon that Jace couldn’t understand. Jace was an earth lover, a man of his heritage, and he was young. He was the only one of the siblings who actually wanted to settle down. Jace dreamed of a wife and family.

Falcon had had to sneak up on the idea of marriage a bit more slowly. First, he hadn’t met that many women. He worked a lot, like everyone else in this room. They were soldiers, all of them, trained for covert ops and sniper fire, and everything else one faced in the Special Forces. The job wasn’t the best backdrop for casual dating. Anyway, the first time he’d laid eyes on Taylor, something had hit him in the gut. And it had hurt so good he’d known he was onto something with the spicy brunette.

“Sloan, you’re settled now, got kids,” he said. “What do you think about marriage?”

Sloan smiled. “I recommend it. Just maybe not with the first girl you lay eyes on. It’s all fine and good to try to win the ranch land, but maybe you don’t want to propose every day that ends in y until you finally pick off a female. Be patient. Eventually a woman will take pity on you.”

“Very funny.” Falcon grimaced. “It can’t be that hard. Marriage is just a contract between two people.”

Ash came over to sit next to him, leaned against his shoulder. “You really want that land, don’t you?”

“Look who’s talking—you’ve already named it,” he pointed out. “I’ve got a name chosen for when I win it, too.”

Galen sighed. “This is what Aunt Fiona and Running Bear want, all of us focused on the land and settling down at the drop of a hat. They did it to our Callahan cousins, and they’re going to be really happy to see all of us sink like rocks into the wedding swamp.”

“Swamp?” Dante laughed. “Even I wouldn’t have thought of Aunt Fiona’s wedding dare as a swamp. Maybe a soup.”

His twin, Tighe, shuddered. “Swamp works for me.”

Jace got up, went to look out a window. “I’m looking as hard as I can for a bride. It’s not happening.”

“They say a watched pot never boils,” Sloan said. “Maybe your fire’s not turned on.”

“My fire’s fine,” Jace snapped. “Let’s not worry about my fire, thanks.”

“I move we get on to the general business.” Falcon felt edgy, impatient. “Any news?”

“Fiona mentioned the chief dropped by.” Galen’s expression turned intense. “She said Running Bear wants to meet with us tonight in the stone circle.”

“Did our cagey aunt say what the topic is?” Falcon asked.

Ashlyn smiled, her once-short, light blond hair now grown just past her ears, making her look less soldier these days and a bit more delicate. “Apparently, Running Bear may have word about our parents.”

Falcon blinked. They hadn’t heard from their parents in years. At least twelve. He tried to remember. He was thirty-three now—he’d last seen their parents...on his twenty-first birthday.

Ash, the baby, had been thirteen, Dante and Tighe fifteen.

Falcon had been a man then—but it hadn’t felt like it. Galen had come home from his medical studies in the military to keep them in line. The siblings had tested Galen, giving him a bit of hell, but it hadn’t lasted long. Those who were of age followed him into the military. The rest Galen ramrodded into growing up good.

Good and tough.

He looked around at his siblings. “Well, that would be news. If it were true.”

They all gazed at him. He sighed.

“I’m sorry. I can’t get excited about it. It’s been too many years and too many dead ends in the maze.” He shrugged. “We all know how the story ends, anyway.”

They looked away. Falcon knew his words were perhaps harsh, but they were honest. He went to the windows and stared out at the vast horizon toward the canyons, feeling angry, hurt, somehow betrayed, even though he knew their parents had done exactly what he would have done—and would do, at this very moment if necessary, to protect his family.

He didn’t focus on the pain anymore. It didn’t do any good. He held his parents’ memories inside him, respecting them, knowing they were in his heart, where they could never be taken away from him.

Still, peace was elusive.

There was not going to be a happy reunion, and he knew it as well as the rest of his family did.

He brooded about that—until he saw shadows swirling in the evening light washing the distant mesas. “Look,” he told his brothers and sister, and they came to stand beside him. They watched as the mystical Diablos, a sure portent of things to come, thundered through the painted canyons.

Yes, he would make the very same decision his parents had made. It was all about protecting the family—and right now, his mission was guarding his parents, Callahan cousins, Rancho Diablo, and the Diablos from the danger stalking them.

* * *

J ILLIAN LOOKED AT T AYLOR as she finished tidying up the diner’s mahogany counter. “You don’t want him to know, do you?”

Taylor didn’t look at her old friend and employer. “Falcon isn’t serious about marrying me. He doesn’t need to know anything about my private life.”

“He sounded pretty serious to me.” Jillian cocked her red mop of hair, thinking. “Callahan men usually stick to that ‘strong, silent type’ way of thinking, but say what’s really on their mind.” She nodded. “Maybe you should tell him the truth.”

“Falcon doesn’t need to know that I received another marriage proposal. It’s none of his business.” At the moment, Taylor didn’t want anyone in Diablo to know more about her than necessary. She’d grown up here. People talked, and talked a lot. And she hadn’t quite accepted the astonishing proposal of Storm Cash. She’d said she’d think about it.

Falcon’s proposal was the second she’d received in a month. “I’m in shock, to be honest.”

“I am, too.” Jillian walked over, took the dishrag from her. “Go home. Think about all this. Talk to your mom about everything. It’s not often a woman gets proposals from two men almost at the same time.”

“They’re enemies,” Taylor murmured.

“True enough.” Jillian nodded. “Falcon’s going to hear about it eventually.”

A chill teased at Taylor. “Do you think he knew that Storm proposed?”

“I feel certain that Falcon isn’t the kind of man to do things out of a sense of competition for a female. There’s too many pretty ladies around who would give anything to go out with him, or any of the Callahan boys.” She shrugged. “Tell me again why Mr. Cash offered to marry you?”

“He said he needed a wife,” Taylor said. “He said he’d heard that Mama was ill, and he didn’t want to take me away from her when he knew she needed help, so he would wait for me. But he also wanted to help Mama out. I told him we were fine, that we didn’t need his assistance. To be honest, I thought his proposal was more sincere than Falcon’s.”

“Never underestimate a Callahan. They don’t do anything half-baked. It just seems like they’re half-baked, all of them.” Jillian laughed. “They are wild men, for sure—both sides of the Callahan family tree. And Ash follows in her brothers’ and cousins’ footsteps. In fact, I do believe Ash taught those boys a thing or two about staying crazy and free, at least according to what Fiona has shared.” She smiled, enjoying telling the yarn. “No, Callahans are fully baked, like clay fired in a kiln. Falcon was serious.”

Taylor realized she’d completely dismissed Storm’s proposal, kind as it might have been. Yet her heart had leaped at Falcon’s words—first in surprise, then with what she could only identify as happiness, even as she knew he couldn’t truly love her. He was too wild.

How long had she carried a secret torch for the handsome, long-haired cowboy? Months. Maybe ever since he’d ridden into Diablo. She heard the tales of wildness surrounding him and his family, and every time he’d come into the diner and ordered a meal, his dark navy eyes staring into hers, her heart had sung.

“You better straighten it out, honey, if you’ve got a yen for that man.” Jillian turned the lights low and switched on the small neon closed sign in the window. “I can only warn you that if you have any feelings at all for Falcon, any idea at all that you might want to consider dating him, you want to turn down Storm Cash as quickly and quietly as possible. If Storm should tell anyone in Diablo that he offered to marry you, Falcon will run in the opposite direction. Those two are natural enemies, like an alpha wolf crossing into another alpha’s territory. You have to decide if you want either of those gentlemen, or neither, before they catch wind of each other. Some men compete over a girl, but I think Falcon’s got too much baggage and too many girls after him to expend the effort. He did say he was looking for an easy thing.” Jillian gently smiled. “I wish I was still young enough to have two sexy hunks vying for my hand in marriage.”

Taylor picked up her purse and followed Jillian from the diner. It was hot now in New Mexico. There were fires burning in different parts of the state, feeding on the parched land. Soon, hopefully, the heat would break, and more temperate conditions would settle over Diablo.

Christmas wasn’t that far away.

“You could get him if you play your cards right,” Jillian said cheerfully. “And if you want to know about playing man cards, you might consider asking his aunt for information. Goodness knows no one loves a wedding like Fiona Callahan.”

Once again, Taylor felt that leap in her heart.

And guarded herself against it.

Chapter Two

“Don’t know if you’ve heard,” Ash whispered in Falcon’s ear as they crouched around the white stone circle near the canyons that night, “your sweetie’s in town agitating.”

He couldn’t help a smile at the thought of Taylor “agitating.” She was a firecracker, and he was dying to light her on sexy fire. “What’s up?”

Ash seated herself cross-legged on the ground and grinned. “First, it seems she has a problem with the way one of her neighbors is treating his horses. Taylor’s been making noise about someone needing to take the animals from their owner. Then,” Ash continued, as if that wasn’t enough for one woman to tackle, “Taylor’s decided the town elders need to do something about the panty raid the high school kids had on Friday night. Some people thought it was harmless fun, but some people thought the kids ought to get suspended, since all the panties ended up on the lawn of Miss Lyda’s old folks home south of town.” His sister laughed, delighted.

Truthfully, he didn’t care much about the shenanigans of the high schoolers, and preferred to spend some time thinking about the type of panties Taylor might wear. “What’s Taylor agitating for?”

Ash grinned. “She thinks the high schoolers involved need to be commissioned for a sing-in on the porch of Miss Lyda’s, to entertain the live-in residents. And she wants them to spend an afternoon painting Miss Lyda’s fence and porch to freshen it up a bit. Miss Lydia does her best, but everybody’s wallets are a little thinner these days. She could use the help. Taylor believes the kids need to spend a little time around their elders, who could teach them a thing or two about life. Panty raids are fun, she told the town council, but life lessons are important, too.”

And that’s why Diablo loved her. Falcon grunted. “If she gets it arranged, I’ll put up the paint.”

“You will?” Ash stared at him.

“Yeah.” He shrugged. “The town’s wallet isn’t so full these days, either. And I’ll go check out the farmer whose horses Taylor thinks aren’t in great shape.”

“Why are you doing this?” Ash demanded. “I mean, I guess it’s obvious, but it’s not necessary, just because you lost your mind for a moment and proposed. You don’t have to convince her you’re a saint.”

“I’m no saint.” That was absolutely true. Falcon couldn’t care less if people thought he was saint or devil. “I need to get off my butt, anyway.”

“Yeah. Right.” Ash gave him a sidelong look. “We prefer to keep your goodness under wraps, you know. Your Boy Scout side is for family consumption only. You’re going to make Taylor fall in love with you.”

“That’s the plan.”

Ash shook her head. “I’m beginning to think you honestly mean that.”

Taylor was strong, strong enough to match him and stand up to him. She wouldn’t wither away under the stress of his lifestyle.

Their grandfather came to the circle and lit the small fire.

“You remember that you were brought here to protect Rancho Diablo, the Diablo spirit mustangs and your cousins,” Running Bear said. “The Callahan bond to earth and sky is strong.”

His brothers and Ash nodded. Falcon stayed still, his gaze on his grandfather’s weathered face.

“More importantly, you know that you protect your parents, Julia and Carlos, and the parents of your Callahan cousins, Jeremiah and Molly, from discovery. From attack. Dark forces have gathered on the land in the canyons and gorges. In the last year, three mercenaries have followed your every move, even kidnapping one of your women.”

Falcon glanced at his brother Sloan. Sloan’s wife, Kendall, had been briefly kidnapped by one of the mercenaries, who’d turned out to be a family relative—Uncle Wolf, brother to Jeremiah and Carlos, and determined to harm his own brothers. Wolf was the dark, fallen angel of the family.

“Now that the Diablo Callahans remain in Hell’s Colony, Texas, it should have become quiet here at Rancho Diablo.” Running Bear looked at the sky for a moment, thoughtful. “You will be stretched a little thin when Dante and Tighe leave.”

Falcon stared at his brothers. The twins looked a bit sheepish in the face of their family’s shock.

“What do you mean?” Ash demanded. “Where are you going?”

“We might try our hand at rodeo,” Dante said. “We’re not cut out for this detail. The constant waiting is making us crazy.”

“Yeah,” Tighe said. “It’s like we’re waiting for a war that never starts.”

“Finks,” Ash told her brothers. “How can you turn your backs on family? Jonas and Aunt Fiona and Uncle Burke wouldn’t turn their backs on you!”

Dante and Tighe looked crestfallen at their sister’s criticism.

“Let them go,” Running Bear said. “Dreams cannot be ignored. They must be lived.”

“Oh, bother.” Ash glared at her brothers. “Well, maybe I’ll go off on a toot myself. Maybe we’ll all just pack up and go off chasing rainbows and unicorns.”

“You can’t,” Dante said. “Who would watch over Fiona?”

“It’s all right,” Falcon said, opting to play the role of peacemaker. “The ranch will survive.”

Ash turned her head away from Dante and Tighe. Falcon thought his brothers seemed to shrink at her obvious censure of them.

“I agree with Falcon,” Galen said. “We’re all following our own dreams. We have to live our lives to some extent. This commission is going to take years. Besides, Falcon’s proposed to a woman in town. Sloan’s married. Life goes on.”

“We just don’t feel like we’re doing anything,” Tighe said. “The mercenaries haven’t been around in months. For all we know, they’re gone.”

They all looked at Running Bear. He shrugged. “Tonight, you must focus on deciding to stay here or to go. This ring of stone and fire is your home, for as long as you want it to be.”

“We’re never going back to the tribe, are we?” Jace asked.

Running Bear shook his head. “That path would lead the enemy to your parents’ door. I remind you that one of you is the hunted one. You must guard against any division that may reside inside you. There will come a time when you have a split second to make a decision, a moment when you stand at a fork in the road. You will not recognize the danger, but the choice you make will live with you, and all of us, forever. Until then, here you stay, until you walk away.”

His grandfather’s ominous words were chosen carefully, a warning. Falcon had only one choice, and that was to stand and fight. “I’m staying. Rancho Diablo’s good as anyplace else to live, and besides, I really like Aunt Fiona and Burke.” For that matter, he liked the town of Diablo. He felt his soul take flight on the rare occasion when the Diablos were spotted in the dusty canyons that were the ancient, stunning backdrop to the ranch. “Family’s first with me. I’m a soldier, and then I’m a family man. Can’t walk away from a good fight, especially since it involves family.” He tossed a handful of dirt into the fire, where it briefly dimmed the flames.

“I’m staying,” Ash said. “I’m hard core.” She flung dirt into the fire and walked to kiss her grandfather on the cheek, then mounted her horse. “I’ve got land to win,” she told her brothers. “The only way to win is to hang tough.”

“And lure Xav Phillips to fall for you,” Dante said.

“Good luck with that,” Tighe said.

“Just because you two got dumped on your heads by the nanny bodyguards is no reason to doubt Ash,” Falcon said. “She’s smarter than all of us. Good luck with the rodeo. Let us know where you’re riding sometime. We might come around.”

He left the stone circle, following his sister off on horseback. He knew who would stay and who would go; there was no need to linger.

Every man had to do what he had to do.

Falcon was called to serve.

* * *

F ALCON KEPT FOLLOWING Ash the second he realized his sister wasn’t heading toward the Tudor-style Rancho Diablo mansion with the seven chimneys, but toward the canyons. He knew Xav practically lived in the canyons, rarely returning to the ranch for supplies, but Ash wasn’t heading in the right direction. It looked as if she was skirting the deep crevasses of the mesas, heading to the opposite side of where Xav kept his camp.

Falcon tried to envision what life would be like if he didn’t have a headstrong sister, and realized it would be dull as dirt. Probably one reason he was attracted to Taylor was that she was a spitfire, cut from a mold similar to Ash and Aunt Fiona, and his own mother, Julia. No wallflowers among the women he knew.

Taylor was more right for him than she knew.

Suddenly, Ash halted her big horse, wheeling around to glare at him. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“What do you think you’re doing?” Falcon asked. “Have you heard that there are mercs in the canyons who are known to kidnap Callahan women for sport?”

“I can take care of myself.”

This was true. “Let me go with you. I’m feeling a need to ride and clear my head.”

“And babysit me,” Ash said disapprovingly.

“It’s my sense of adventure. If I don’t hang out with you, I’ll probably end up following in Tighe and Dante’s footsteps.”

“Traitors. Both of them.”

“No.” Falcon shook his head. “All of us have a destiny to follow.”

“Whatever. Destiny is just a pansy word for shiftless. Lazy. Spineless. Maybe it was my destiny to get up this morning and eat chocolate chip cookies and drink beer for breakfast, but I didn’t. I told Destiny to get the heck away from me.”

“And ate rocks instead,” Falcon said. “You have to forgive people who aren’t as strong as you.”

“Whatever,” Ash said. “Tighe and Dante are strong. They just want to chase buckle bunnies. Their pride’s a bit stung because they got smacked down by River and Ana. And right they were to turn my brothers down, since they’re spineless weenies.” She turned her horse and took off like the wind, riding across the flat land as if demons were after her.

Falcon checked his gun, made sure it was locked, and tucked it into his jeans. Then he followed his sister at a leisurely pace, his mind turning to Taylor again. Seemed as if he thought about her a thousand times a day. Maybe more.

It felt great.

* * *

T WENTY MINUTES LATER, Ash finally stopped her horse, slid off and tied it to a wizened tree where it could get a bit of shade and cool off in the late evening air. Falcon stopped next to his sister, knowing exactly what she was up to now.

“Looking at this land isn’t going to do anything but make you hungrier for it,” he said, dismounting.

“I like being hungry.” Ash stared at the wide expanse of empty land. In the distance a small traditional adobe stood, marking the emptiness. “You’re hungry, too, or you wouldn’t have proposed to that town girl. You barely know her.”

“I don’t have to know Taylor. I like the way she looks.” He watched as his sister pulled out small binocs and peered toward the farmhouse.

“It’s going to be mine,” Ash said. “You can propose to fifty girls, but this is going to be Sister Wind Ranch.”

“Nice. But I have a different name in mind. Thanks.”

She glared at him. “You don’t have a name for it.”

“I do.”

“What is it?”

Okay, so he didn’t have a name. He hadn’t thought about it much. He just knew he hadn’t wanted to get beat by his siblings in the race for the ranch. “It’s on the tip of my tongue.”

“And there it will stay. Fibber.” Ash put away the binocs. “Come on. Let’s walk to the farmhouse.”

“Why?” He followed behind her. “This is private property.”

“Yeah, it’s private. Fiona owns it.”

“Do we know that for sure?”

“She said the Callahan estate bought it.”

He wasn’t sure this was a good idea, but Ash had a determined tilt to her posture, so he went along for the adventure.

A man came out from the house and walked to meet them. “What brings you out here, folks?”

Ash glanced around. “I didn’t know anybody still lived here.”

“Of course I live here. This is my ranch.” The white-haired farmer shrugged. “Been in my family for years.”

“Oh.” Ash looked concerned. “You didn’t sell this property?”

“Thought about it. Had a couple offers. One from a little old woman who lives across the canyons, and a bigger one from an older gentleman who rode in here one day and told me whatever the old lady paid, he’d pay more.”

“Was his name Wolf?” Falcon demanded.

“It was.” The farmer nodded. “In the end, I decided I didn’t want to leave my place. It’s been in my family for years,” he reminded them.

“I see,” Ash said. “We’re sorry to have bothered you.”

“No bother at all.” The rancher went off, his stooped body heading back toward the coolness of the adobe.

“Fiona told a whopper,” Ash stated. “It’s just like she did to our cousins. Got them married off, made sure there were lots of babies, then pow! So happily married they never battled for Rancho Diablo.”

He laughed. “Let’s not tell our brothers.”

“Why not?” Ash looked at him as they walked back to their horses.

“It’ll be fun to watch them work hard for something they’re not going to get.”

Ash mounted, waited for him. “I like the way you think. And now you can tell Taylor you don’t need her anymore. You’re a free man. There’s no ranch to win. No ranch, no wedding.”

He wasn’t about to do anything of the sort. “So you’re going to quit chasing Xav?”

“I don’t chase him,” Ash said. “And no, I’m not. Pretty sure he needs the exercise. But Taylor might just let you catch her. And you wouldn’t like that, Falcon. You know you aren’t the committing sort.”

They rode along in silence after that. Falcon tucked his hat down low on his brow, letting his horse follow Ash’s. It was true. He wasn’t the committing sort, and there was no prize. Fiona had set them up.

But Ash was wrong about one thing. He was certain he’d like Taylor letting him catch her. “I can keep a secret if you can.”

“I’m not telling a soul. I’m going to watch Tighe and Dante run away from their destiny, and watch our other brothers get hitched and have families. Watching Fiona spin her web is fun, now that I’m onto her.”

Falcon wasn’t sure they weren’t all caught in Fiona’s web already. He was. But he didn’t tell Ash, because Ash didn’t believe in destiny.

He did. He wanted a date with destiny.

Chapter Three

Falcon waited on Taylor as she got off work, his game plan in hand. “Hi, beautiful.”

Taylor stopped, turned to look at him. He leaned against his truck, giving her his best devil-may-care-and-be-damned smile. She studied him for a second, then walked over to him.

“What are you doing, Falcon? You look pleased with yourself, and I’m not sure that’s a good thing.”

He laughed. “Ride with me.”

She raised a brow. “Why? And where?”

“Ride with me because I’m trying to bend Jillian’s rules. Where—that’s a surprise. A guy has to have some secrets. Then he’s in touch with his feminine side, right?”

Taylor shook her head, clearly considering the wisdom of taking off with him. Falcon gave her plenty of time to talk herself out of it. He knew she wouldn’t.

She might be taking Jillian’s advice, but this little lady liked him. He could feel it.

“Didn’t you agree not to date me?”

He smiled. “I said I wouldn’t ask you to marry me. Dating’s optional.”

“I see.” She considered that. “Where are you taking me?”

He reeled her in slowly. Taylor wasn’t the average girl who’d be satisfied with a regular evening of food and awkward chat. “Ghost-busting.”

She blinked. Hesitated.

He had her.

“Okay,” she said. “But I can’t be gone long. Maybe just an hour or two. I’m pretty sure we’re not operating in the spirit of Jillian’s challenge. You might be cheating.”

He opened the truck door for her. “Might be. We’ll see.”

“It doesn’t surprise me you’d bend the rules, to be honest, Falcon.”

“Good guys finish last, they say.” Sometimes that was true. Most times it wasn’t. He was a good guy who intended to finish first, just as he always had. He drove for about twenty minutes, then turned down a deserted, dark road toward the canyons.

Taylor peered out the window. “So what are we really doing? Ghost-busting doesn’t sound like your thing.”

He smiled. “One thing you should know about me is that I never lie. We truly are looking for ghosts.”

“There are no such things.”

“Oh, Taylor. We’re going to have to work on your appreciation for spirits.”

She sighed. “I hope I don’t regret doing this.”

“What’s life without a few regrets?” He stopped the truck several feet back from a narrow gorge he knew well. “Helps you appreciate life when you get it right.”

“Whatever, cowboy. Let’s go find this apparition of yours. It’s dark enough for one to appear.” She hopped out of the truck. “Not that I think you’re doing anything but dragging me out here because you didn’t want to go alone.”

“Is there anything wrong with wanting a woman’s touch on a ghost hunt? I heard paranormal phenomena are much more sensitive to a female presence. Or it could be that females just have better imaginations.” He laughed at the eye-roll she performed for his benefit.

“All that time you sat at the bar watching me I never would have dreamed you have the soul of a romantic. Or something. So what game are you really up to?”

He took her arm. “Walking my romantic soul. Giving it a chance to breathe.” Taking her in his arms, he kissed her on the lips, intending for it to be a quick one. But he found himself caught into lingering at the softness he encountered.

Kissing Taylor was so much more amazing than how he’d imagined it might feel that he didn’t want to stop.

He pulled himself away with effort as Taylor stepped back.

“Is your soul done breathing?” she asked.

“For the moment.” Falcon grinned, switched on a flashlight and pointed it on the ground. “Watch your step.”

“I don’t know how much longer I can stand the suspense,” Taylor said. “It’s well known in Diablo that you and your brothers and your sister, and all the Callahans, are pretty much one step from... Did you hear that?”

Falcon stopped beside her, swinging the flashlight toward the slight scuffling noise. “Probably just an owl.”

“Owls don’t land on the ground near people,” Taylor said. “It’s not really their desired activity.”

“Okay, Nancy Drew. I was just trying to keep you from being scared.”

“I’m not scared. I think you dragged me out here just to kiss me.”

“Are you complaining?”

“Stating a fact.”

“Fact noted.” Beneath the banter, Falcon’s radar was up. Taylor fell silent beside him, and he put a hand out to keep her near. He was packing a semi in his waistband so was prepared for anything, but the sound had been almost too deliberate to ignore.

It was like something was out there, following them. Years in the military had taught him caution, and he knew with sudden prescience that things weren’t right.

“Where are we going, anyway?”

“I was going to show you the top of a cliff,” Falcon said. “It’s a full moon, and on a night like this you can see sky for miles from atop that cliff. You can see—”

His words broke off. “Falcon?” Taylor didn’t move, her body suddenly tense. “Falcon?”

He’d been at her side a second ago, almost annoyingly overprotective. Now she couldn’t feel him. It was as if he’d disappeared. There was no sound except the slight soughing of wind through the canyons. The flashlight was on the ground, pointing its beam toward black nothingness. Taylor picked it up and switched it off. She stayed completely still, listening.

There were three obvious scenarios here. Taylor considered her options. One, Falcon had brought her out here on a lark to give her a good scare, so she’d jump into his arms when he “rescued” her.

Fat chance. She wasn’t falling for that.

Two, he’d stepped into a crevasse of some kind, which had happened around here. Caves abounded in this area, and it was possible he’d simply disappeared into some hole—or they were nearer a canyon than he’d realized. But she’d have heard noise if he’d rolled down a gorge.

She discarded that notion. If he’d fallen into something, they were both in trouble because he had his truck keys. And she had no idea where she was, so walking back was out of the question. No one knew where they were, so this could turn into a tricky situation.

Next scenario: someone or something had grabbed him. Again, entirely unlikely, as Taylor felt certain she’d have heard signs of a struggle. A man as big as Falcon couldn’t be easily dragged off in utter silence, and there would certainly be tracks.

Still, no matter what, she was in a less than desirable situation.

She could walk back to his truck and hope he hadn’t locked it. There’d been a rifle on the rack, and likely he had bullets close by. She was a proficient shot, so she’d at least be safe.

Taylor swung the flashlight around her one last time, peering at the ground, making certain she didn’t step into Falcon’s possible Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole—and that’s when she heard the definite sounds of all-out war.

She ran to the truck, grabbed the rifle, saw a box of ammo she gratefully snatched several bullets out of, and took off toward the ruckus. She tripped over something—probably an innocent rock—and forced herself to gather her wits enough to load ammo into the weapon. She crept forward, amazed when she spied Falcon fighting with an enormous man at the mouth of a cave, with two women acting as lookouts and one other male waiting to take a swing at Falcon.

Taylor took aim at the second man’s foot, squeezed off a shot. He screamed and clutched his foot, and the two women pulled guns, crouching. When the big man’s attention was caught by his friend’s distress, he hesitated, and Falcon smashed him into a wall. The man slumped to the ground.

She liked these odds better. Taylor came out of hiding and walked into the cave, pointing the rifle at the two women. “Falcon’s going to take your guns, ladies. I’m an excellent markswoman, so my best advice is for you to go sit back there, and take your bleeding friend with you.”

“I thought you’d never come,” Falcon said.

Taylor kept the rifle leveled at the two women, who headed off as she’d demanded. “You said we were ghost hunting. You didn’t say you were looking for trouble in the flesh.”

The big man on the ground began to revive, which seemed to encourage the man who’d removed his boot to stare at his bleeding foot. “You shot off my big toe,” he told Taylor. “You’ll be sorry.”

She shrugged. “You’ve got one big toe left for balance. Keep talking, and I’ll fix that.”

“She’s a tough one,” Falcon told the four glaring at them. “I could have told you that. At any rate, we’ll be going now. Would like to say it’s been a pleasure, Uncle Wolf, but as always, it really hasn’t.”

He dragged Taylor from the cave.

“They’re going to follow us,” she said, gasping as they ran.

“It’s okay. I’ve got some discouragement.” He fired a few rounds from a gun she hadn’t realized he was carrying, so Taylor concentrated on getting to the truck.

“Give me your keys,” Taylor said. “I’m driving.”

“I like a take-charge woman.” Falcon tossed her his keys and they jumped into the vehicle. Taylor shoved the key into the ignition, roared the engine to life and took off, praying no shots hit their tires or windows.

“This date didn’t turn out the way I’d planned,” Falcon said. “It’s usually a little more exciting.”

“I’m taking you to the hospital.”

“Take me to the ranch,” Falcon said. “My family will fix me right up.”

She hit the main road, barreling toward Rancho Diablo. “Whatever you say.”

“You know you want to go out with me again.”

He was incorrigible. “Did I hear you call that man ‘uncle’?”

“Yeah. Uncle Wolf is the black sheep of the family. Don’t concern yourself with him. We don’t have to invite him to the wedding.”

She tried not to laugh out loud. Falcon was just so ridiculous. “I’m not marrying a man whose uncle tries to kill him.”

“Why not? We make a great team. Has it occurred to you that maybe you’re meant to be my guardian angel?”

Taylor pulled into the Callahan ranch, stopped the truck and looked at him. “You’re bleeding a bit more than your aunt Fiona is used to seeing, I’m sure. Have a towel in the truck?”

“It’s all right. Fiona’s used to a few bumps and bruises. She doesn’t panic.”

Taylor could believe that. Between the six Callahans, and now their cousins, Fiona had probably seen her fair share of scuffed-up men. Taylor followed him into the house. “I guess that’s good.”

“Stick with me,” he told her. “Life is an adventure.”

“You don’t say.” She stared at Falcon, who was bruised and bleeding, but still the most handsome rascal she’d ever laid eyes on. “How could I ever refuse that offer?”

She wouldn’t—and he knew it.

* * *

S O AS FIRST DATES WENT, it was a bit of a bust. Falcon readily admitted that. Still, Taylor had surprised him, even though she was known to be a capable, spirited woman.

He didn’t think he’d made a great impression tonight. Of course he hadn’t. And when Taylor told her mother and Jillian what had happened, he wasn’t exactly going to come off as knight-in-shining-armor material.

“That’s enough henpecking,” he told his brother Galen, who was stitching the split skin above his right eye, where Wolf apparently had delivered a decent shot. “It’s just a little knick.”

Taylor leaned close. “Maybe more than a knick. Better sit still. Your brother’s doing a pretty good job.”

He smirked sourly, but minded the advice. He liked Taylor standing near him, and maybe if he sat still, she’d stay close.

“What did Uncle Wolf want?” Ash handed him a glass of whiskey he didn’t really want, but when Taylor accepted a goblet of wine, he decided to be a good sport, too. Couldn’t hurt to appear social; this was supposed to be a date, after all.

“He shared some dissatisfaction about the treatment he received from Sloan.” He glanced over at his brother, who shrugged. Sloan was uncharacteristically mellow, despite the reference to Wolf kidnapping Kendall months ago.

Kendall smiled at Taylor. “Did Wolf have his dynamic duo with him? Two women who are generally unpleasant and have a thing for stealing great footwear?”

“Two women and another man. They didn’t inquire about my boots, but honestly, plain brown Ropers might not be their thing.”

Taylor leaned in to look at Galen’s handiwork again, and Falcon caught a whiff of a sweet floral fragrance. He batted his brother away so only Taylor was close to him. “Let’s go for a drive.”

She looked at him, and he felt a tingling sensation way down in his soul.

“Again?” she asked. “Haven’t you had enough adventure for one night?”

“I still want to count some stars with you.” He didn’t have much to offer her, but he was throwing a lasso around hope, anyway.

She smiled. “I need to get home to Mom.”

He hadn’t expected her to say yes, not after what had happened. “You’re brave, you know.”

“I know. Come on, drive me home.”

His brothers shot him sympathetic glances, knowing he was batting zero. Falcon got up, resigned to the fact that she was never going out with him again, and trying to keep his disappointment off his face, which was sore enough at the moment without adding the persona of Droopy Dog to it.

Fiona sailed into the room, full of her customary good cheer. “Hello, everyone!” She enjoyed the chorus of hellos from her family, then glanced at Falcon.

“Rough night?” she asked.

“Perhaps a bit,” he admitted.

“Well, we have those around here,” his aunt said cheerfully. “Good to see you, Taylor. I talked to Jillian today.”

Falcon glanced at Taylor, who was smiling at Fiona. He loved her smile. Just seeing Taylor looking happy made his face feel better.

“I understand you have a big date tomorrow night,” Fiona said, “courtesy of Jillian.”

Falcon’s heart just about stopped. Taylor nodded.

“Not really a date,” she said. “More like a cattle drive.”

“With a state senator’s son,” Fiona said. “That’s big game in these parts.”

The whole room went silent. Falcon could feel his heart jump with a painful, stuttering beat. As if it was dying.

“It was great to see everybody again,” Taylor said. “Falcon, can you drive?”

Of course he could—to the ends of the earth if she wanted. He grabbed his keys, trying not to look at the expressions of sympathy on his family’s faces.

“Good night, everyone,” Taylor said.

“Thanks for rescuing our brother,” Tighe said.

“Yeah,” his twin, Dante, said. “Falcon usually needs bodyguarding from the ladies. He wasn’t expecting to get jumped by family.”

This was all just great, Falcon thought with disgust. His own clan, helping his case not at all. He waved a hand to hush them, and he and Taylor left.

“You shouldn’t have told them I shot your uncle’s friend’s toe off,” Taylor told him as she got into his truck. “You exaggerated. I barely nicked him. Saying I got his whole toe makes me sound kind of mean.”

“It makes you sound like a helluva woman,” Falcon said.

“It was no big deal.” She looked out the window, but Falcon knew it had been a big deal. Taylor had been honest when she’d said his gnarly family tree precluded serious consideration of marriage.

He really couldn’t compete with the level of eligible bachelors Jillian was going to throw at his sharpshooting gal. He knew his wily aunt too well—she was in on it, too.

Everybody loved Taylor.

“I don’t understand what they wanted with you.”

Falcon wasn’t certain, either. There was a possibility that Taylor could have been the target—like Kendall had been—but he doubted it. Wolf didn’t usually make mistakes. “Wolf will do anything to get the ranch. If he could pick one of us off, or someone we care about, maybe we’ll get scared and give up.”

“You won’t.”

He shook his head. “It’s not in our nature to give up. We’re all stubborn that way.” Pulling into her driveway, he switched off the engine. “I’ll walk you to the door.”

She opened her door and got out, turning to look at him only briefly. “That won’t be necessary. I hope you heal fast, Falcon. Good night.”

Taylor shut the door and took off into her house. She didn’t even look back. Stunned, Falcon sat, amazed by how fast his evening had just ended.

But he got it. The whole evening had been awkward. No doubt weird, from Taylor’s point of view. Of course it was weird. How many girls had to rescue their date? He glanced at the rifle she’d left in the rack, just as it had been before, as if it had never been fired—but it had.

There was no changing what had happened. And tomorrow night Taylor had a date with Mr. Right.

Falcon pondered that for a moment, then realized what his next move had to be.

Chapter Four

“The thing is,” Taylor told Jillian the next night, “I really think I could like Falcon except for all the obvious reasons not to. None of which my heart is paying attention to, of course, which is a very bad sign. This only happened to me once before, when I fell for a completely inappropriate man. Luckily, the insanity eventually passed.”

Jillian put some glasses away behind the bar. “Callahans have been known to devastate the females of the population. I vote you gird your heart and go home and paint your toenails a pretty pink for your date.” Jillian smiled at her. “You should know the phone’s been ringing off the hook with men wanting to take you out.”

“Why?” Taylor sank onto a bar stool. She really didn’t want to go out with anyone besides Falcon. Then again, she wasn’t sure she wanted to go out with him again, considering last evening. Jillian was right: dating a Callahan was fraught with complications. “Why do men want to take me out?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but I did hear a rumor that Fiona Callahan and her friends—conspirators, some call them—at the Books’n’Bingo Society decided this was the perfect opportunity to showcase Diablo’s most eligible bachelorette. I think they rented a barn roof near the highway to advertise that we had a Diablo princess. Any eligible bachelor was invited to call a number for vetting. Fiona said they’ve had a hundred calls, and only found three worthy of the princess. I think she designated the process Pick-a-Prince. I’d call her tone pleased.”

“The thing is,” Taylor said, ignoring the thought of three unfortunate princes Fiona might foist on her, “when I saw Falcon fighting, so big and strong, I’m pretty sure my heart sat up and noticed. He was like John Wayne, but dark and somehow calling to all my forbidden desires. My heart definitely sat up, Jillian.”

“Tell it to sit back down,” she advised. “You don’t need a fighter. You need a lover.”

Taylor would bet Falcon could do both. Through the Diablo grapevine, she’d heard that he had taken those horses she’d been worried about to Rancho Diablo, and had a vet and farrier brought out to care for them. If that didn’t warm a girl’s heart, nothing would. She dusted off the counter and began wiping down booths. “He told me we were going ghost hunting, and then he disappeared, and my first thought was that he was rude for trying to scare me to death. You warned me he was a rascal.” She sighed. “I think the evening might have scared up some of my own ghosts.”

Jillian smiled. “Fear of commitment, fear of love, fear of falling for a big, handsome Callahan. You can’t say I didn’t warn you to try to avoid temptation. There’s only one solution.”

“I know. Paint my toenails pink for tonight.”

“I’ll even let you off early so you can get started. The way to get your mind off one rascal is to get your mind on a different one.”

Blind dates were the pits. Nothing good could come of it, especially when she had a yen for a dark-eyed rebel—a different kind of prince entirely.

* * *

“N OW HERE ’ S THE DEAL,” Fiona told her nephew, “I’m on your side. But you’re going to have to be more forthcoming about some things. Right now it feels like we’re at cross purposes.”

Falcon put the saddle he was carrying onto one of the many split-rail fences that lined Rancho Diablo. “You’re running the prince pick-a-thon for Taylor. How are you on my side?”

“Don’t you worry about that.” Fiona gazed up at her nephew. He stood a good foot above her, but Fiona always gave the impression that she was the more powerful force. Her white hair was pulled back in a no-nonsense knot from which a strand rarely came loose. She wore her customary rubber boots, which gave her traction, she said, for the ups and downs of a busy life. “I expect you to have plenty of gumption where Taylor is concerned. You won’t disappoint me, I’m sure.”

He leaned against a wood rail, recognizing his aunt had something on her mind. “Forthcoming about what?”

“What Wolf wants.”

“I don’t know.”

She shook her head. “He didn’t try to drag you off for a chat because he’s the world’s most caring uncle.” Fiona touched Falcon’s cheek lightly over the bruise. “I’m sorry this happened. But you’re going to have to be straightforward with me.”

“Says the aunt who’s trying to fix up the woman I like with a string of bachelors.” He grimaced. “My guess is Wolf is trying to scare us. This is his second attack. Since he tried to take Kendall before, he either thinks he can get information from us, or he believes we’ll get spooked. Spooked people make mistakes.”

“Maybe.” Fiona sat next to him on the rail. “I want you to take me to Wolf’s hideout.”

Falcon shook his head. “I can’t do it. It’s too dangerous.”

“As your beloved aunt, I insist.”

He sighed. “I know you do. It won’t do any good. There’s nothing there. My brothers and sister already paid the cave a visit.”

“Find anything?”

“Not a thing. They were gone.”

“Good.” She hopped off the rail. “Then if nothing’s there, you won’t be worried about taking your aunt out for a small look-see.”

“I’m not going to do it,” Falcon said, “no matter how much I love you.”

“I love you, too, but don’t try to sweet-talk me, because this time it won’t work. Let’s go.”

Falcon wondered if there was another family on earth whose aunt ruled the roost with such vigor. “I could be persuaded to compromise.”

“You want me to end the search for Taylor’s prince.”

“Perhaps not be quite so enthusiastic about it.”

She smiled, her eyes twinkling. “You’re not afraid of a little competition, are you?”

He took a deep breath. “Look. I promised Jillian—well, I didn’t really promise Jillian, she posed a challenge I thought was aggravating but respectable—that I wouldn’t crowd Taylor. It’s sort of a may-the-best-man-win thing. I have no doubt of my best-man status where Taylor is concerned. But it’d be nice if my aunt wasn’t stacking the deck against me.”

“I understand and can probably agree to your terms,” Fiona said. “Partially, anyway. I have to take into consideration what’s best for both of you, you know. Still, I’ve been known to parlay on occasion.”

“You really want to see that cave, don’t you?”

She nodded. “About as much as you want your girl.”

Falcon wasn’t really surprised. There was very little that didn’t interest the redoubtable aunt. “Come on,” he said. “Don’t tell my brothers, and definitely not Ash, that I gave in to your gentle persuasion.”

Fiona grinned. “I believe I have something of a reputation for being able to keep a secret.”

Didn’t he know it.

* * *

A SH MADE SURE HER POST was covered, then sneaked off to the canyons to hunt for her elusive crush. Xav Phillips was hiding from her and had been for months, though he wouldn’t admit it. He’d taken over the outer perimeter of the ranch as his own personal post, though any of her brothers would be willing to take turns living in the canyons. Xav had exiled himself, and Ash had a strong suspicion it was because of her.

It didn’t help that both his brothers, Shaman and Gage, and recently his sister, Kendall, had succumbed to the allure of marriage. Xav was determined to break the Phillips curse.

It wasn’t just the Phillips curse. The Callahans had a real reason to wed. Fiona had thrown down a gauntlet, letting the seven Callahan siblings know that a great deal of land north of the canyons was up for grabs, a lottery to be won by the luckiest Callahan. You had to be married and have a family to quality for Fiona’s raffle.

Everybody knew what Fiona had done to their six Callahan cousins—every last one of them hotfooting it to the altar for a stake at Rancho Diablo.

Ash wanted the land for Sister Wind Ranch, and Xav Phillips was her man.

But then she’d discovered that her aunt was cheating, trying to encourage them to get competitive and marry, though there was no “prize.”

Still, Xav Phillips was her man. Even without the excuse of a holy grail, she wanted him more than ever.

She intended to do something about that.

Her brothers would be furious if they knew she was in the canyons without protection, especially after what had happened to Falcon. Ash didn’t want to think about that.

She had to see Xav. It had been a solid month since she had. Never had she known a man who could go without creature comforts as long as he could, just to avoid falling in love.

She caught sight of Xav’s horse, Omega, a big black gelding that complemented his owner. Xav wasn’t in the saddle, which seemed a bit odd. He had to be close, so Ash cantered forward.

Xav’s horse whickered at her when she rode alongside him. The horse eyed her almost thankfully. Glancing around, she looked for Xav. She didn’t dare call out to him, and cell service would be dead here. “Where’s your dad?” she asked the horse, but he seemed too tired to even shake his mane or move much. This wasn’t like Xav’s powerful horse at all.

Something was wrong.

The first thing she had to do was get this horse out of the searing heat and to water. Glancing around for an outcropping or any sort of shelter, Ash headed over to the nearest narrow carve-out she could find. Xav’s horse followed, more like Eeyore than Trigger, and Ash’s unease grew.

She saw Xav under the outcropping, lying faceup, eyes closed. He was so still she feared he might be dead. He shifted at the sound of horse hooves on the dirt-packed canyon floor, but didn’t open his eyes.

“Xav?” Dismounting, Ash ran over to him. “What’s wrong?”

He barely moved—but at least he lowered his arm and opened his eyes, turning toward her.

“Hey, Ashlyn.”

“What happened?” She knelt beside him, glancing over his body. Everything looked fine—until she saw the blood leaking from his leg. “Did you fall?”

“Someone took a shot at me.”

She had to get him help. “Can you walk?”

He didn’t reply. She felt his forehead—fever, of course—swiftly thinking through her options. She could ride back for Galen and her brothers, but that would take time. Whoever shot Xav knew he’d gotten a good hit, and might be looking for him. There was no way she’d be able to lift him into the saddle, even if she could help him walk to his horse. By the amount of blood on his jeans, she guessed he’d been lying here awhile.

“I don’t suppose you can walk.”

He tried to lever himself up from the rock ledge, but although Ash pulled at his back, she couldn’t support him, and he was too weak. “Okay, listen, Xav. I’m going to ride for—”

“Is something wrong?”

Ash gasped at the unexpected voice booming near her as Storm Cash walked up to the outcropping. The Callahans hadn’t yet decided if he was friend or foe, though the vote was leaning toward the latter. Storm was certainly a handsome, rugged man, and he seemed nice enough to Ash—she hadn’t picked up any hints otherwise—but someone had put a bullet in Xav. She looked at Storm, a bit of fear inside her.

“Xav fell off his horse,” she said, not certain how much to share, and Storm glanced at Xav, concern etched on his chiseled face. No hint that he was the shooter coming to find his prey.

“Fell off?” He glanced at the blood crusted on Xav’s jeans and pooled beneath him. “That’s not like him.” He knelt close to Ash, looking down at Xav. “If I help you to my horse, can you at least hang over the saddle?”

Xav gave a slight nod.

“I’ll help you,” Ash said, her heart racing. “We’ll just put him on his horse. That way you won’t have to follow us back—”

He looked at her. “His horse seems to be about done in. That’s what I really came to check on.”

She didn’t mention that he was trespassing on Callahan land. This wasn’t the time. Friend or foe, she needed Storm’s assistance.

The mention of his horse being in trouble seemed to give Xav a vital boost of energy. He tried to raise himself to his elbows, and Storm helped him up from there. Though Xav was taller than Storm by a few inches and probably outweighed him by an athletic twenty pounds, Storm managed to get him to his horse. He helped Xav get his foot into the stirrup, then slump across the saddle.

“That’s all we needed, buddy. We can take it from here.” Storm turned to Ash. “Maybe we should get him to a hospital.”

“I’m taking him to the ranch.” Ash stood ready to defend this plan. “My family will decide what’s best for him then.”

“There’s no telling how much blood he’s lost. Maybe we take him to my ranch. I’ve got a—”

“Mr. Cash,” Ash said, “Xav is going to our ranch. Thank you for the use of your horse, but if you have a problem with being on Callahan land, I’ll take him myself and return your horse to you later.”

“It’s fine,” Storm said. “Whatever you want.”

He mounted his horse with Xav across the back and began walking. Ash watched Storm suspiciously, then mounted her own horse. To her relief, Xav’s horse followed, even though it was a shadow of its normally vigorous self. Watching the terrain for any signs of danger, Ash stayed close to Xav, occasionally glancing at Storm.

How had he managed to coincidentally show up after Xav was wounded? She was so suspicious of him and so worried about Xav that her body felt flooded with adrenaline. Her brothers were going to kill her for being in the canyons. And they weren’t going to be happy about her dragging Storm Cash to the house.

Her brothers didn’t understand how she felt about Xav.

Storm waited for her to catch up to him. “I wasn’t entirely honest about my reason for being back there.”

A tickle of unease hit Ash. Worried, she glanced toward Xav. He wasn’t moving much. Was almost too still.

“Oh?” She didn’t look at Storm.

“I’m afraid I followed you.”

Her gaze jumped to him then. “Why?”

Storm shrugged. “Wanted to talk to you.”

Maybe there was a logical reason behind the man’s frequent presence at the ranch—beyond the overly friendly neighbor visits. “Something on your mind, Storm?”

“This may not be the best time to mention it, but you’re pretty hard to get hold of, Miss Callahan.” He glanced her way. “I was hoping you might accompany me to the Diablo Ball in December.”

She blinked. Awkward. “I heard you’d proposed to Taylor Waters.”

He nodded. “I did. She turned down my suit. So then I thought maybe my neighbor gal might want to accompany me. Sounds like it’s going to be a real nice evening.”

Xav looked as if he was trying to rise to a sitting position, though he wasn’t going to make it. He muttered something, a string of incoherent words, and Ash looked at him with concern. “The less you move, the faster we can get you home, Xav. Your weight is too much on the horse,” she told him. “Try to stay still.”

After a few more twitches, he settled.

She looked back at the other man. “I don’t know what to say, Storm. I wasn’t planning to attend the charity ball.” Of course she was—but she’d been planning to go solo, if she could talk Galen into letting her off post that night.

Xav made more noise, sounding like a pheasant startled from a forest. Of course, he was feverish, so that probably had a lot to do with his sudden flailing. No telling how long he’d been lying out there, bleeding.

He’d do anything to avoid her.

“Let me think about it, although I warn you my brothers will not be happy. But I did want to go, so thank you for the offer,” she told Storm, and Xav fell silent at last.

* * *

“I THOUGHT I’ D COME BY to talk to you,” Taylor said to Falcon as she hopped out of her truck. “Unless you were about to leave?”

Fiona and Falcon did look as if they were about to take off somewhere. Taylor knew she should have called first. The thing about Rancho Diablo was that people felt comfortable dropping by whenever and often, and she’d decided to ambush her own nerves and just make herself go face Falcon. Spur of the moment. No phone call to make things more uncomfortable than they already were.

Now Taylor wondered if she’d been a bit too impulsive.

“We were about to leave,” Falcon said, and his aunt nodded enthusiastically. “But you’re welcome to ride with us.”

Fiona turned and stared up at Falcon as if he’d lost his mind.

“You said you’d help me out,” he told her.

“I didn’t say we’d give away the family secrets,” Fiona shot back.

“Maybe another time,” Taylor said, and Falcon and Fiona both said, “No!”

“By all means, come with us,” Fiona said. “We’re just going to take a small joyride on the ranch.”

“More ghost-busting?” Taylor asked brightly. “Falcon’s big on ghosts.” She got into the backseat of the military jeep.

Fiona sent her nephew a droll look. “Our whole family enjoys a good paranormal goose-pimpler.”

The Callahans were legendary for their love of ghost stories and spiritual juju, according to her aunt Nadine. They even let a local woman give ghost-hunting tours on the ranch in the fall. Taylor smiled as they drove, listening to Fiona and Falcon banter. Fiona seemed very fond of her nephew, and just couldn’t help ribbing him. Taylor’s gaze focused on some horses making their slow way in the distance. Ash’s platinum hair caught her eye, but she didn’t recognize the man riding beside her. A third horse followed disconsolately behind the riders. “Who’s that?” she asked, touching Falcon’s shoulder. Through the black T-shirt she could feel muscles, strength—solidness so comforting.

“It’s Ash,” Fiona said. “And Storm.”

“Never a good combination. Let’s go throw a burr into whatever he’s up to. Hope you don’t mind, Taylor.”

“Fine by me.”

They pulled up alongside Ash and Storm, who came to a halt. Falcon cursed and jumped from the jeep. Fiona wasn’t far behind her nephew, and Taylor followed, too, as they hurried to help Xav.

“What happened?” Falcon demanded.

“I found him pretty much unconscious,” Ash said. “He’d dragged himself under a ledge. His horse was standing in the open, or I’d never have spotted him. Xav’s been shot.”

“What were you doing in the canyons?” Falcon demanded, examining Xav. “Help me get him into the jeep,” he told Storm. “You can explain to me later why you always seem to be around when something’s going wrong, Cash.”

The two men lifted Xav from the saddle, gently carrying him to the jeep. “I’m going to run him to the hospital,” Falcon said. “Fiona, I hate to abandon you—”

“I can take care of myself,” she said. “So can Taylor. Hurry!”

Falcon left with Xav strapped in the passenger seat, quiet and pale. Taylor didn’t know what to think about anything that had just happened. It was clear from Ash’s face that she was shaken by Xav’s condition.

“Come on, Fiona,” Storm said. “I’ll give you a lift.”

“Thank you.” Fiona sniffed, then allowed herself to be helped into the saddle behind Storm. “I think my nephew has a very salient point about you being around whenever there’s trouble.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Storm said, and the two of them went off like bristling porcupines.

“Come on,” Ash said to Taylor. “Let’s get back to the ranch before my brothers come yelling at me.”

Taylor took a hand up from Ash into the saddle. “Xav will be all right, Ash.”

“I know.”

Her voice was tight. Taylor could tell Ash was really worried. Xav hadn’t looked all that good, sort of pale and obviously in pain.

“So what’s going on with you and my brother?” Ash asked suddenly. “I thought the two of you were supposed to avoid one another until December.”

“Falcon seems pretty good at bending the rules just enough to stay this side of honest.”

Ash snorted. “Living outside the rules is pretty much a Callahan family trait. Serves us very well at times. The thing is, I don’t know if my big brother’s what you need in your life, Taylor.”

Ash took off for the house, letting her horse run, soon galloping past Fiona and Storm. Taylor hung on, not sure what Ashlyn’s words had meant—and not sure if they were friendly or not.

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