The Right Ranger (The Men of at Ease Ranch) Read online

  “You hiring the people who did the new buildings?”

  Her laughter echoed between them, sounding hollow even to her ears. It was laughable how he thought she had money. Not that she blamed him. She was a war widow, so of course, he’d naturally assume she was beneficiary to her husband’s death benefits.

  She was not.

  Not solely, anyway.

  And she was certainly not going to talk to him about it. So, she answered as truthful as possible. “No. It’s just you and me. But I do have people scheduled to build the outdoor arena once we get the fences up.”

  He finished the remainder of his drink in one gulp then set his glass down on the table with a thud. “I can stay ’til August if you need me. Why don’t we go outside so you can walk me through your plans?”

  Good idea. Sitting here, making normal conversation, was having an adverse effect on her body and mind, causing her to consider he was almost human.

  Living under the same roof was bad enough when they were barely civil, but if they were actually friendly?

  That was way too dangerous a concept.

  Chapter Two

  The following morning, Cord was replacing the head gasket on the tractor, having discovered that was the reason it sat useless in a lawn of weeds, when his phone rang.

  He wiped his hands on a rag then set it on the tractor before answering his phone.

  “Hey, Cord,” Brick greeted. “Sorry I missed your call last night. I was…uh…otherwise occupied.”

  Christ, for eight damn hours? His stomach rolled, knowing what his buddy had been doing and to whom. Cord’s sister.

  “So, you two haven’t killed each other yet?” Amusement dripped from the guy’s tone.

  “Yeah, she killed me with sarcasm. You’re talking to my ghost.”

  Jackass.

  “Ha-ha. Well, I did get your texts this morning and filled the others in on your shack up…I mean stay.”

  Cord clenched his jaw. He didn’t need this crap. “You getting to a point soon?”

  “Yeah, just wanted to bust your hump and tell you not to worry about your crew. Leo will take over.”

  He nodded as if his buddy could see him. Leo had made huge strides over the past few months. “Sounds good.”

  “Yep. So…”

  Cord heard whispering on the other end.

  “Your sister wants to know if the chemistry is still there.”

  He answered by hitting end and shoving the phone back in his pocket. Last thing he was about to do was talk to anyone about any chemistry he may or may not have with Haley. Especially since, yeah, they definitely still had chemistry.

  “I thought that was you, Cord.” Old Pete hobbled toward him on crutches while trying to carry a bottle of water. “Good to see you again. Got time to take a break?” The man halted to wave the bottle.

  “Sure do.” He stepped forward to take the water in one hand and shake the ranch manager’s hand with other. “How’s the leg?”

  Pete snorted. “Hurts like the dickens.” The older man had come with the property, and from what Cord could remember, the guy had worked for Haley’s uncle for decades. The seasoned manager knew everything about the ranch and ranching, so she’d kept him on.

  “Hang on, I’ll grab a folding chair from inside the barn,” he said.

  “No, don’t bother. Thanks.” Pete shook his head as he carefully leaned back against the tractor and sighed. “I need to stand. Been sitting for the past week now. Can’t feel my ass.”

  Cord chuckled, twisting the cap off the bottle, then stilled. “Did you say week?”

  Pete nodded. “Yeah. It’ll be a week tomorrow.”

  “And Haley didn’t call me until yesterday?” He muttered a curse, then washed the rest down with the remainder of the water.

  Damn stubborn woman.

  The old timer chuckled. “Yeah, because I told her I wasn’t going to go with my sister if she didn’t call you and the others.”

  An invisible weight hit Cord’s chest. Jesus, what if Pete hadn’t pushed her into calling? Was she seriously going to try to tackle all this on her own?

  “Yep,” the guy replied as if reading Cord’s mind. “She’s stubborn, that one. Thinks she’s invincible, too. But she needs to slow down. Been burning the candle at both ends for over three years now. Working her ass off to make a go of it when she first inherited the place. And was succeeding, too, until her husband messed things up.”

  Cord’s heart dropped to his boots, and he eyed the man closely, trying to gauge if he’d meant when Drew died, or had his buddy screwed something up here beforehand? “What do you mean?”

  Pete blinked, and a look of disgust soured his face. “Oh hell, Cord. Don’t pay me no mind. I don’t mean to be talking ill of the dead. That pain med they have me on is making me goofy.”

  Fuck. Drew did do something to screw with the place, and left Haley to deal with it.

  “Tell her I love her. And I’m sorry. She deserved so much better…”

  His buddy’s final words rushed through his head.

  “And besides, Haley’s got things going in a good direction again. I’m just glad you’ll be around to lend her a hand before she drops from exhaustion. She’s too hard on herself. Between the sacrifices and the workload, she’s close to pushing it too far.”

  He nodded, unsure what to say, so he remained quiet. Whenever the Rangers were between missions, Drew and Haley were always jet setting off to one exotic locale after another, trying out new equipment or checking out new destinations for her job as a travel blogger for an outdoor magazine. His buddy told him that was how the two had met. On a rafting adventure. She’d joined the group in order to write an article about the adventure, and Drew had been there for the adrenaline rush.

  “At least I know you won’t be afraid to put your foot down and make her pace herself.” Fondness softened the man’s weathered face when his gaze shifted to the house. Haley was inside, meeting with people from the local 4-H club to discuss activities for the youth, and the possibility of hiring a few to help out.

  A brilliant idea that sent a surge of pride through his chest in a warm rush.

  “She’s eager to get the venture going, not just to get money coming in again, but to have horses on the ranch again, too. I know she misses Gypsy.”

  Cord stilled, as it dawned on him that all the barns were empty. He glanced at Pete. “What happened to her horse?” On past visits, he’d seen the woman’s tough shell disappear around the prized mustang she’d adopted from a rescue auction a few years back.

  “She had to sell her, too.” Pete’s voice turned wispy. “I swear, Cord. It just about killed her. But she had bills to pay and payroll to meet at the time, so she did what she’s always done. Put others’ needs before her own.”

  He could relate, and because of that his insides hollowed at the thought of her sacrificing the horse she’d bonded with after her uncle’s death. It confused the hell out of him.

  Why was she hurting that bad for money?

  It wasn’t something he and the guys used to like to think about, but they knew if they’d been killed in action, their loved ones would’ve been taken care of financially. They’d be comfortable, and depending on their debt at the time, possibly pretty well off.

  So why wasn’t Haley?

  She had to sell her damn horse. What the hell?

  Before he could ask, the door opened, and Haley and the 4-H people stepped onto the porch, smiling and shaking hands.

  “Looks like that went well,” Pete noted.

  As soon as they got in their cars and drove off in a cloud of dust, Haley squealed and dashed over to where he and Pete stood. The smile on her lips was one of her rare, brilliant, genuine smiles. The kind capable of reaching into his soul with a warm, bright light.

  “Did that just happen?” she asked, disbelief mixing with hope in the gaze she flicked between them.

  Pete grinned. “You bet. You get the 4-H behind your idea to hire out s
ome of the kids?”

  She practically bounced on the balls of her feet. “They’ll present it at their meeting in two weeks, but I think they’ll go for it.”

  Pete patted her shoulder. “You’re going to make a lot of kids very happy. It’s a great opportunity you’re giving them.”

  “I would’ve loved it at their age.” A shadow fell across her expression. “Of course, I was never in one place long enough to join. But I’m excited for them, and me.”

  Her smile was back, but Cord’s mind snagged on her words. They implied she’d had upheaval in her childhood. Something he could relate to, and it strengthened their bond.

  Damn.

  That was the last thing he needed, especially with Pete about to leave them completely alone. Last night, she took supper over to the man at his cabin and stayed there to eat with him. Cord had declined her invitation to join them, opting to eat alone in the house. Not that he didn’t like Pete, he just didn’t want to socialize with Haley any more than necessary.

  Now that buffer was about to leave.

  A car pulled up the drive, and the older man straightened from his perch. “That’d be my sister.”

  Haley leaned in to kiss his cheek. “You take it easy,” she ordered, drawing back. “I need you healed up.”

  Pete grinned. “Yes, ma’am. And I need you to listen to Cord. Don’t overdo it. Let him help.”

  “I will.”

  Pete narrowed his gaze. “Promise me, Haley.”

  He noted the guy had a bit of stubbornness, too. Which he probably needed in order to deal with Haley on a day-to-day basis.

  “I promise,” she insisted. “That’s why I called him.”

  The old man turned to him and held out his hand. “I feel better knowing you’re here. Thanks for coming.”

  “Of course.” He set his hand on the guy’s back and nodded. “Everything will be fine. Including Haley. You worry about yourself.”

  Relief was evident on the man’s face as he got in the car. Cord wondered if it was relief to be leaving, or because someone was there to keep an eye on Haley and the ranch. He stood contemplating the answer as he watched the car disappear down the drive.

  Haley turned to him and nodded toward the tractor. “How’s it coming?”

  “Good,” he replied. “I just finished replacing the head gasket with one I picked up in town this morning.” He hadn’t wanted to wake her and ask about accounts or money, so he happily paid for it out of his pocket. It was better than the alternative—waking her up and seeing her in her pajamas. He wouldn’t put it past the woman to sleep in the nude. Christ. He couldn’t handle that. Not when he’d want to literally handle her.

  Her gaze fell to his chin and she grinned. “You have grease smeared on you.” She stepped close, and before he knew it, she grabbed the rag off the tractor and proceeded to wipe his face.

  His whole body went on red alert. She was so close he could see the caramel flecks in her chocolate brown eyes. So close, they shared a breath, which suddenly stopped when her gaze lifted to his.

  “Sorry, I…” she whispered, her voice disappearing on a hitched breath.

  Cord fought like hell to keep his gaze from her mouth, but he lost the battle early on and stared at the full lips he’d wanted to kiss for years. Even though the temperature was already a hundred degrees and hot as hell, the air around them heated further with an electric intensity he’d never experienced. It was insane. And dangerous. And he needed her to move. Reaching out to grasp her upper arms, he intended to push her away, but the wires in his messed up brain got crossed and he started to pull her closer instead. Blood whooshed through his veins on its journey south, and his mouth hovered above hers, anticipation stirring fires he hadn’t wanted to start.

  Then her palms brushed his shoulders, and that little show of acceptance did him in.

  He moved in to take her lips—

  The phone in his pocket rang, startling him back to reality and halting his stupidity.

  What the hell was he doing?

  Uttering a curse, he released her stiffening body and stepped back, noting a measure of relief entering her gaze. “Yeah,” he muttered into his phone without checking caller ID, grateful to whomever it was for helping him dodge a bullet.

  It was one of his partners, and as Stone updated him on the construction job he left in order to help Haley, Cord watched her nod before heading for the barn. An unwanted flash of disappointment swept through him.

  He was an ass. That was way too close a call. It was going to take all his training to resist their damn attraction.

  …

  That evening, Haley was still mad at herself for being weak. She’d almost kissed Cord. What was she thinking?

  She wasn’t. That was the problem. Whenever she got near the man, her brain shut down and her body took over. Stupid body. Damn traitor. Cord was off limits. He was one of Drew’s military brothers. The Ranger Rifle Team had been tight. They’d fought and bled together. Protected one another. Respected one another. She refused to take that away from them by falling under Cord’s spell and losing the brain capacity to keep the truth about Drew to herself.

  So why the hell did she keep thinking about that single, brief moment in time with his callus-roughened hands on her bare arms and his delectable mouth practically brushing hers?

  Because she was an idiot, that’s why. And he was hot as hell and haunted her deepest secret fantasies for the past two years.

  But as soon has his phone rang, it not only snapped her back to reality, it snapped him back, too. The censure in his green eyes told her he didn’t want the attraction, either.

  That should’ve made her feel better. It was an extra safeguard should her control slip again. Except, if that phone call hadn’t happened, Haley knew with utmost certainty they would’ve kissed. Their desire to resist the attraction would’ve turned into just plain desire.

  Dammit.

  That wasn’t a comforting thought. There was still a good two weeks or more worth of work to do in order to meet her August deadline. She needed Cord. Sending him away wasn’t an option. And he said he’d stay the whole time. Resisting him was her only recourse, so she was just going to have to keep her distance and treat him like a worker.

  Which would not be easy tonight, considering they were about to sit down to supper in her kitchen. Alone.

  Her mind raced to find the answer to her strange behavior. For years now, she was steadfast and certain. Strong in her convictions. Not frivolous. Work was important, whether it was running a cattle ranch or building a horse boarding ranch. All her attention stayed in work mode.

  After Drew’s betrayal, she hadn’t had sex, let alone thought about it, other than her secret Cord fantasies. But fantasizing about the man and actually engaging in the act were two very different things.

  Her stomach hollowed out. If her husband had gone looking elsewhere, she had to be lacking in that department. Cord was way out of her league. Just because a few sparks had flown between them didn’t mean she’d hold his interest in bed.

  She heard the shower shut off and her attention quickly shifted to thoughts of toweling off the wet, naked muscles of one lean, green-eyed, gorgeous man in her bathroom. Damn. What happened to her strong, steadfast convictions? Or the unease of her inadequacies?

  They were too busy making room for the desire flooding her body.

  With a muffled oath, she quickly stepped to the sink to peel a cucumber so she wouldn’t be tempted to glance down the hall when he emerged to head to his room.

  Her pulse hiccupped at the thought. She did not need to see any part of that man without clothes. When she heard his door shut, she set the cucumber on the counter and marched to the central air controls to see if it was on. It was suddenly very hot. Or maybe it was just her. Yeah, probably just her.

  She drew in a deep breath then expelled it slowly, regaining her calm as she finished the salad and checked on the chicken roasting in the oven. Almost done. Like her. Sh
e was almost ready to face the evening.

  For most of the day, they managed to avoid each other. Cord spent the morning on the tractor, cutting the acreage until it got too hot, then he switched to working on stalls in the old barn. She stayed in the new one, setting up the tack room.

  One thing was certain, there was plenty to do to keep them occupied and out of each other’s orbit. Two days down, nineteen to go.

  She was placing the bowl of salad on the table next to the mashed potatoes when he entered the kitchen and stopped dead.

  “I hope you didn’t cook anything for me,” he said, concern darkening his gaze. “I have to run into town to grab a few things for tomorrow, and then head to my mom’s. She heard I was only an hour away and insisted I have dinner with her and my grandmother tonight.”

  Disappointment and relief raced through Haley’s body at the same time. She straightened up and faced him. “No worries. I can turn the leftovers into chicken salad for our lunch tomorrow. Go visit with your mom.” She’d give anything to have dinner with her mom, but a fatal car accident took away that possibility ten years ago.

  He hesitated, glancing from the table to her. “You sure? I can call—”

  “I’m sure,” she cut him off and smiled. “Go ahead. Enjoy your visit.”

  Of course, it would’ve been nice to know before she’d made them dinner. Typical male. They thought women were mind readers. At least now she didn’t have to worry about eating while tense.

  “Sorry. I didn’t think to tell you,” he said. “I’m an ass.”

  She waved a hand at him. “You didn’t need to tell me. I already knew you were an ass.”

  He was smiling as he walked out the door.

  She was smiling, too. The man had the best grin. Shaking her head to clear out the Cord stupor, she removed the chicken from the oven and set it on the table for one. Now, maybe she’d at least be able to taste the food without that attraction in the air to mess with her mind.

  Was this what she had to look forward to?