The Army Ranger's Surprise (the Men of At-Ease Ranch) Read online

  Vince started on another row. “Still, I have to admit, I can’t wait for this house to be finished so Emma and I will have our own home on the ranch, like Brick and Beth.”

  It was then Leo realized that once Vince and Emma moved, he would be the only one left out of the original five still in the house with Stone and Jovy. An invisible weight hit his shoulders and added to the heaviness already there. He was going to feel like a third wheel.

  To hell with that.

  “I should think about moving out, too,” he said. “Is that apartment you own in town vacant?”

  It was almost two years ago that he’d helped renovate the one-bedroom apartment above what was now a small café. Paying his way would make him feel better. He harbored enough guilt to last two lifetimes over what he’d put his friends and his family through.

  “What?” Stone frowned. “No. I leased it out last month. Why do you want to move? You belong on this ranch. Aren’t you happy here?”

  “Yes. You know I am. That’s not the point.”

  “Stone’s right,” Vince said. “You’re as much a part of At-Ease as the rest of us.”

  “Damn straight. Once we’re done with this house, we can start on yours.”

  Leo scowled. “No way.”

  They helped him enough. Too much. He hated mooching. Room and board were part of his salary at Foxtrot Construction, but that did not include them wasting time and money on him by building a house.

  “Why the hell not?” A deep frown marred Stone’s brow. “Brick has one, and we’re working on Vince’s now, so why don’t you want a house on the ranch?”

  “Because I don’t deserve it.”

  “Bullshit.” A rare spark of anger flashed in Vince’s eyes. “Get thoughts like that out of your head right now.”

  Stone’s face darkened. “Yeah. You have as much a right to live on this ranch as the rest of us.”

  He muttered a curse. “That’s where you’re wrong. Don’t you see? You all have the right, but I don’t. I’m not part owner of this place. Just the reason for it. I just live and work here.”

  Vince and Stone stared at him with shock dropping their jaws. He was damn tired of being a burden. Hell, last year, he almost cost Stone his relationship with Jovy before he finally sought help. Having them build him a house wasn’t fair. Hell no. It didn’t sit well with him at all.

  “Look, Stone. Thanks.” He blew out a breath and held his friend’s gaze. “I really do appreciate the offer, but it’s not right. You’ve all sacrificed and invested so much in this ranch. Not me. I don’t want special treatment. So, again, thanks, but I’m going to pass.” He stood and motioned toward the graying sky. “Let’s worry about getting this roof on before it rains.”

  Pivoting, he walked over to grab another roll of roofing felt and started on the other side, putting distance between them and an end to the conversation.

  …

  Two days later, Kaydee waited while her last client of the day moved from sitting under the dryer to the chair at her workstation.

  “Work your magic, darling.” Mrs. Hamilton’s smiling gaze met hers in the mirror. “I have two barbecues this weekend.”

  “You got it.” She returned her grin, then initiated the accustomed small talk while she removed the rollers and started to tease each section. Mrs. Hamilton loved big hair. The bigger the better was the sixty-three-year-old’s motto. She was one of Kaydee’s regulars at Yellow Rose Salon.

  A twinge of guilt rippled through her chest. Both she and Fiona felt bad about the possibility of Fi taking clients away from their kind, elderly boss, but Rose would be the first to tell them it was a natural part of business. Business wasn’t slow, and yet over the past few months, Rose had changed the shop hours. Yellow Rose Salon was now closed on weekends and shut down earlier a few nights during the week. Because of this, everyone’s hours were cut. The change didn’t hurt Kaydee too much, but it had spurred Fiona to pursue her dream of owning her own salon.

  Silently contemplating the reason behind the altered hours, Kaydee worked on the last section of hair. She worried not only for Rose, but her boss’s husband, too. He’d just retired from the postal service. The kind couple deserved to enjoy his retirement without health issues.

  “You are a master,” Mrs. Hamilton gushed, admiring herself in the mirror when Kaydee finished. “Perfect! Now, just hair-spray the hell out of it so it doesn’t move an inch.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Smiling, Kaydee picked up the can and sprayed away. Not even wind would get through those locks.

  After a satisfied Mrs. Hamilton left, Kaydee was still writing the woman’s next appointment in the book when Fiona arrived a little early for her shift. Most days, they shared one, but today her friend needed the closing shift in order to take her visiting mother to the airport that morning.

  It was the month for visiting mothers. Leo’s mom was visiting her daughter, too. Which brought the handsome man into her neighborhood a little more often than normal. A fact she had no complaints about.

  “Yay. You’re still here,” Fiona said, placing goodies on the counter.

  It was funny how her friend was so in tune with Kaydee’s stomach.

  “Bless you.” She grinned, snagging her iced coffee and chocolate chip muffin. “How’d you know I needed a pick-me-up?”

  The much-needed fuel was perfect for tackling the next chore on Kaydee’s list of repairs. Between her side of the house and her grandfather’s side, the list seemed never-ending. And this was after her grandfather had already tackled their first list. Granted, that list had been shorter and less labor-intensive. Now the second list needed attention. If she undertook one repair a day, she’d eventually cross them all off.

  “What’s on your agenda today?” Fiona asked, flipping her auburn mane over her shoulder before biting into her muffin.

  “The rail that separates our steps out front,” she replied, heading back to clean her station. “It’s very shaky, and I’m worried someone might get hurt.”

  “Like your grandfather?”

  “No. Me.” She chuckled, setting her drink down, but not her muffin. She had plans for that delicious thing. “You know how sure-footed I am.”

  Fiona snickered. “Yes, ‘graceful’ is so not your middle name.”

  She laughed. “No, that would be ‘klutz’ or ‘gimp,’ depending on if it’s before or after I trip over my own feet.”

  “Is there a reason you waited until today to tackle that particular repair?” Fiona asked, twisting around to lean her butt against Kaydee’s counter. “A certain blue-eyed, long-haired, sexy former Army Ranger, perhaps?”

  Fiona had met Leo on several occasions at Ava’s house and was always quick to point out their crazy chemistry. Popping the rest of her muffin into her mouth, Kaydee gave Fiona her best innocent look.

  Her friend’s green gaze twinkled. “Leo is coming up to check on Ava today, right? So…repairing the porch should ensure you won’t miss your hot-guy sighting.”

  Since that had been her plan all week, Kaydee didn’t bother to deny it. Mostly because heat rushed into her face and gave her away. “Can’t blame me.”

  “Hell no.” Fiona chuckled, then pointed at her with her muffin. “But I do blame you for not making a move on that delicious man months ago.”

  She grabbed a broom and began to sweep the floor around her station. “Wrong timing.”

  Her life had been just this side of out-of-control when they first met. Between finding a place for her and her grandfather to live, giving up the lease on her condo, and moving her grandfather from his one-bedroom apartment, she was beyond taxed. And settling in those first few months was an adjustment, too. It was a miracle if she remembered to brush her teeth in the morning. So, yeah, dating had been out of the question.

  But now… An image of Leo flashed through Kaydee’s mind, with his startling blue eyes, amazing smile, and that mop of dark hair she longed to grip while kissing the breath from his gorgeous, mouthwatering bod
y.

  Yearning quivered through her.

  Fiona chuckled. “Uh-huh. How’s that timing now?”

  A smile tugged her lips. “Better.”

  “So does that mean you’re finally going to go after him?”

  She finished cleaning up, then put the broom against the wall. “Maybe.” She shrugged, her mind drifting back to her childhood. “You know I’m not all that good at making the first move.”

  Fiona snickered. “Honey, trust me, all you have to do is bat your eyelashes at that man and he’s yours.”

  “Exaggerate much?” She laughed, grabbing her drink and purse from her station.

  “Nope. True story.”

  If only. She shook her head. “Doesn’t matter, since I’d have to get up the courage to do that, and I’d probably end up looking like I got something in my eye.”

  “Also a true story.”

  “Yep.” She nodded toward the front of the shop, ready to change the subject. “Looks like your two o’clock is here, and I should get going. See you tomorrow.”

  For the better part of her half-hour commute home, Kaydee’s thoughts remained on Leo, and her friend’s words.

  Honey, trust me, all you have to do is bat your eyelashes at that man and he’s yours.

  Leo had seemed a little friendlier last Friday. Could her friend be right?

  Invisible butterflies swarmed her belly. Maybe. But she refused to stress over it. The afternoon’s to-do list required her full attention, starting with making sure her grandfather ate something good. By the time she parked in her driveway, she had her head screwed back on straight, a meal planned for dinner, and a determination to fix the railing.

  After checking on her grandfather, she changed into jeans and a T-shirt, pulled her hair into a ponytail, then threw a load of clothes in the wash. One of her least favorite chores, but like the others, it was a necessity.

  On her way to the door, she grabbed her toolbox and pink tool belt from the closet, secured the tool belt around her hips, then headed outside.

  Maybe this once, her chore would go off without a hitch.

  Sending a fervent wish that the repair gods were in a good mood today, Kaydee set the toolbox on the porch and inhaled slowly. She had a better chance of hitting the lotto. Exhaling, she tugged the railing that extended from the half wall that separated the sides of the porch down to the bottom step. It wobbled back and forth while she examined it from top to bottom, and end to end. Not too bad. She needed to nail the top and bottom rails more securely to the end posts.

  Easy peasy. She hoped.

  Grabbing a long nail from one of the front pouches and her hammer from a ring, Kaydee’s mind drifted to Leo. Would he show up today? It was possible he got tied up at the ranch or stuck in traffic. Not that it mattered. It wasn’t like she was going to take Fiona’s advice and make a move or anything.

  She lined up the nail, drew her hammer back, and swung.

  “Hey, Kaydee.”

  Leo’s low timbre hit her ears a second before her hammer missed the nail completely and struck her thumb.

  Son of a BB gun.

  Dropping the hammer, she shook her hand, hoping to alleviate the throbbing in her thumb. “Hey, Leo,” she said, turning around.

  “Sorry.” Brow creased in concern, he took the steps two at a time and stopped at her side. “I thought you heard me coming.”

  Hell, she hadn’t even heard his truck pull in across the street. Because her mind was too preoccupied…with thoughts of him.

  Her thumb throbbed like nobody’s business until Leo grasped her hand and kissed it.

  And just like that the universe stopped, or maybe just the space around them, because the world faded away, leaving her in a warm bubble with her fantasy man. The feel of his lips brushing her skin was as unexpected as it was amazing. In the next instant, her thumping pain eased, and her heartbeats quickened. Kaydee lifted her gaze from Leo’s mouth to stare into his fathomless blue eyes that darkened to a sexy cobalt hue. Unable to move, and barely able to breath, she watched his gaze drop to her lips.

  Holy…

  Anticipation rushed through her body, and her still-thudding heart rocked in her chest.

  He was going to kiss her.

  Chapter Three

  “Hey, Leo.” Her grandfather stepped out of his house and broke the spell. “How was your drive up?”

  Leo blinked, and the heat immediately disappeared from his gaze. “Good,” he replied, releasing her hand before turning his attention to her grandfather. “I must’ve just beat the rush.”

  Her grandfather chuckled. “That’s like hitting the lotto.”

  “I know,” Leo said with a grin.

  Needing a moment to regain her composure, Kaydee bent down to retrieve her hammer. For her, hitting the lotto would’ve been that kiss she just missed out on.

  “Would you like a beer?” her grandfather asked, settling into his favorite porch chair.

  Leo nodded. “Sure.”

  She straightened and frowned at her grandfather. “You don’t have any.”

  “I know. But you do.” The conniver smirked. “So when you fetch Leo a beer, would you bring me one, too?”

  She snickered. “You’re incorrigible.”

  “But you love me anyway.”

  Smiling, she provided the long-standing response she’d given the wonderful man since her childhood. “Only times infinity. But just so you know, I’m only doing this because I need to go inside to flip my laundry.”

  With the smile still lingering, she headed to her door, and her joy increased as the wonderful sound of Leo’s laughter followed her inside. He didn’t laugh nearly enough. Oh, the guy chuckled and grinned for sure, but an honest-to-goodness laugh? That was rare. And a gift. Leo needed to loosen up more and laugh often.

  Once she finished flipping the laundry, she opened her fridge and grabbed three beers.

  She needed one, too. Big-time. For some reason, her mouth was dry.

  After she opened the bottles, she stepped out onto her porch to find Leo fixing the railing. “You don’t need to do that.”

  “I know.” He glanced up at her from the bottom of the steps and smiled. “I want to. And it’s no big deal. It’s what I do.”

  “Yeah, at your day job,” she said. “You shouldn’t have to do it during your downtime.”

  His smile widened. “I don’t mind. I enjoy it.” He lifted his hand, and that’s when she noticed he held a drill, and a large toolbox sat near his feet.

  He must’ve fetched them from his truck when she was inside.

  “Thanks for the beer. Can you put it on the porch? I’ll have it in a few minutes.”

  “Of course.” She handed her grandfather his beer, then pointed at his drill. “So…nails weren’t the best choice to fix the rail?”

  He shook his head. “No. Too much give. Screws are more secure and provide a better anchor.”

  Kaydee made a mental note of it…and of the way his T-shirt stretched across broad shoulders and muscles rippled across his back. Maybe she’d hit the lottery, after all. Someone was fixing the rail for her and looked great doing it. Settling down on the top step, she sipped her beer and enjoyed the view for several glorious minutes.

  But all too soon, he was straightening up and putting away his tools.

  “Thanks, Leo,” her grandfather said. “You coming back this weekend?”

  Kaydee found herself holding her breath, although she was pretty certain he was driving up.

  “Yeah. Why?”

  “Toolbox coming with you?”

  Leo chuckled. “Yes, sir. Is there something else you need me to work on?”

  “A few things could use fixing,” her grandfather replied. “Kaydee’s done a fine job, but the stuff that’s left requires someone with more expertise.”

  “Make a list, and I’d be happy to help.”

  Kaydee’s heart cracked open, and a wave of warmth flooded her chest. She was touched by his eagerness to help, bu
t she didn’t want him to work on his time off. “Thanks, Leo,” she said, placing her beer down before rising to her feet. “But we can’t monopolize your free time or take you away from visiting your grandmother.”

  “It’s fine,” he said. “I’m still keeping my promise to my mom, but you know my grandmother. Do you think she wants me hovering over her every minute?”

  A smile tugged her lips. “No.” Ava was too independent for that.

  Her grandfather chuckled. “More like a capital Hell No.”

  “Exactly.” Leo laughed as his gaze met hers. “So you see? Helping you with repairs will give me something to do while I’m still close enough to keep my word to my mom.”

  He’s also going to be close by me, her mind noted. A thrill shot down her spine.

  “It’s settled, then.” Her grandfather grinned. “Thanks, Leo. I’ll have my list ready by the weekend.”

  Nodding, Leo shifted his attention to her. “What about you? Is there anything I can help you with?”

  Kaydee blinked and tried her hardest to keep from saying me. Not only was it inappropriate, it was improbable. And as much as she’d love to let him take over her to-do list, she still didn’t feel right about making him work on his time off. “Thanks, but I’ll manage.”

  “Nonsense,” her grandfather muttered. “Let Leo fix the place. I’ll spring for the material, and you can make him dinner or give him a years’ worth of free haircuts or something. How’s that sound to you, Leo?”

  He smiled. “Great.”

  Her grandfather smiled. “Excellent. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to wash up before we head over to Ava’s. I hope you don’t mind, but she’s invited us over for dinner, too.”

  Leo’s grin widened. “Nope. That’s fine.”

  She bit her lip to keep from smirking. It was so cute how eager her grandfather was to spend time with their neighbor.

  After the smitten senior disappeared into his house, Leo turned to her. “You don’t need to cook for me or cut my hair, Kaydee. I’m happy to help out.”

  More of that warmth funneled through her chest. “Thanks. That’s sweet, but I can’t let you work without getting paid. So, this railing.” She grasped it and tugged. No wobbling. It didn’t budge. “Just tell me what you want for fixing it.”