Christmas with the Mustang Man

Carefully avoiding his gaze, she said, “After we eat, I’ll call the hotel and let them know I won’t be showing up tonight. I had reservations at the old hotel in town—the one with the saloon downstairs below the rooms. I understand it’s a favorite with tourists and the locals.”

He handed the salad bowl to her. “That’s what I hear.”

When he didn’t elaborate, she could only assume that the establishment wasn’t a social spot he frequented. But then she’d already gotten the impression that Boone wasn’t the socializing sort.

Ladling a small amount of salad onto her plate, she said, “You were saying earlier that a cell phone won’t work out here. Do you mean just for the time being, or do cells never work here on the ranch?”

“I meant never,” he answered. “You might get a usable signal in town, depending on the service you use. But even that is iffy. You might be able to send a text message from here. I don’t know—I’m not up on that technical sort of stuff.”

She offered the bowl of salad to him. “I see. Well, it’s mostly like that on our ranch, too,” she told him. “We live between mountain ranges and the signal is blocked.” Smiling, she shrugged. “When city folks show up on the Diamond D they think they’ve stepped in the twilight zone. Some people just can’t manage life without their technical gadgets. I use them, but on the other hand I can happily exist without them. And sometimes simpler is better. Take my truck, for instance. If the engine wasn’t controlled by a computer system, I could probably adjust the carburetor with a screwdriver and be on my way.”

As soon as her words died away, she realized she’d been rattling and her cheeks blushed with embarrassment. She opened her mouth to apologize for all the chatter, but immediately pressed her lips back together. She wasn’t going to apologize for being herself. Besides, it didn’t matter if she was getting on Boone’s nerves. He’d already ripped hers to shreds.

For the next few moments they both busied themselves with filling their plates. As they began to eat, Dallas remained quiet and so did Boone.

Eventually, after she’d downed a whole slice of meaty pizza, he decided to speak. “Progress means changes and I don’t like changes. I suppose that’s why I like living here. It keeps me away from most of it.”

There was nothing wrong with being a bit old-fashioned; she was behind the times on some things herself. And if Boone chose to live that way, that was his business. After all, he was a grown man. But it was a different situation with Hayley. As a child, she probably had no say in the matter, and Dallas couldn’t help but wonder how the young girl felt about living in such a secluded way. Surely Hayley missed doing the typical things that tweens and teens enjoyed, like calling and texting friends or spending the evening at the mall or the cinema.

Even though Dallas had grown up in the country and understood what it was like to live without the lights and excitement of town, she’d not been nearly as isolated as Hayley. Getting from the Diamond D to civilization was easy compared to the trip between Pioche and White River Ranch. Plus, she’d had siblings and neighboring friends no more than three miles away. Clearly, the distance between Hayley and her friends had to be much greater.

“Carburetors haven’t been around for years,” he said after a moment. “You’re too young to know about such things.”

His remarks interrupted her thoughts about Hayley and she was glad. Questions about this man and his daughter were beginning to consume her and that couldn’t be good. Once she left Nevada their paths would most likely never cross again.

Smiling vaguely, she said, “I’m thirty-two—that’s not so young. And the mechanics—well, I’ve always been a bit of a tomboy and the man who repairs the old trucks and tractors on our ranch is like a granddad to me. When I was around Hayley’s age, I’d trail along with him just to hear him tell stories—not about machinery, but about horses. I guess I digested more about motors than I realized.”

He cast a thoughtful glance at her. “Is running the stables your only job?”

Was he actually curious about her, Dallas wondered, or simply trying to maintain a conversation? Either way, she was surprised he was bothering to ask questions.

She said, “My younger sister is a doctor and my older sister a nurse. I’ve been asked a jillion times why I didn’t follow them into a medical field. But that’s not me. Nothing outside the ranch is me, I guess. I have a degree in livestock-and land-management. But the one thing I’m truly good at is horses. Pitiful, isn’t it?”

For the first time since she’d met him, the corners of his mouth turned upward enough to constitute a genuine smile. The sight of it was like a ray of sunshine melting right through her. Oh, dear, the man was doing something to her and he wasn’t even trying, she thought desperately.

“I wouldn’t call you…pitiful.”

Her mouth like cotton, she reached for her water glass. The crystal clear liquid had a faint metallic taste, as though it had come from deep within the ground. And she supposed it had. During the twenty-mile trip out here, she’d not spotted any creeks or rivers. Only windmills. It was a harsh land toiled by an even tougher man, she decided.

“Well,” she said, “blame my lack of outside interest on my father. By the time I was old enough to walk he had me down at the barns and exercise track. For years, I didn’t know life beyond the four-legged creatures existed. And by the time I was old enough to realize there were other things in the world, I wasn’t interested in pursuing any of them.”

His head bent over his plate, but not before she saw the corners of his mouth turn downward. “You told Hayley that you didn’t have a husband or kids. Is that true?”

Two years, or even a year ago, his question would have filled her with pain and an utter sense of loss. Now she was stronger. Now she could think of Allen and thank God that she’d not made the horrible mistake of marrying him.

“It’s hard for a tall girl to get a date,” she joked, then when he didn’t appear to be amused, she added in a more sober tone, “Seriously, the right man just hasn’t come along. I came close to marrying once but he… Well, that didn’t work out. And since then most of the men I’ve dated always ended up trying to pull me away from the ranch and what I do. And I end up pulling back. A tug-of-war tears people and marriages apart. I’m smart enough to know that.”

Lifting his gaze to hers, he said softly, “Yes. I believe you are just that—smart.”

Even though his face was impossible to read, she could tell from his voice that he’d meant the comment as a compliment. Though she didn’t know why, the idea was ridiculously pleasing to her.

As Boone watched Dallas fork a morsel of food to her mouth, he couldn’t help thinking how the day had turned out to be a strange one. First thing this morning, he’d found a mama-to-be cat in the barn. Since he had no cats and his nearest neighbor was at least ten miles away, he didn’t know where she’d come from or how she’d gotten to the ranch. In any case, she’d made herself at home and trotted along behind him as though she was certain he was going to be more than happy to be her master. And then his old ranch horse, the gelding he’d had for more than fifteen years—the one who was so ill-natured he kicked or bit any four-legged creature that happened to come near his end of the feed trough—had eaten his breakfast snuggled up to a mustang mare, as though he’d found himself a little angel. Now here Boone was sitting at the supper table with a woman.

What were the chances of a new truck going on the blink? he asked himself. Damn little to none, that’s how many. And if someone had told him a woman with pretty red hair and a soft smile would be warming up his kitchen tonight, he’d have declared the person crazy. Yeah, the day had been unusual, he decided. And the night was just starting.

“How long have you lived on this ranch?” she asked.

For a moment his gaze was caught on her lips and the way the plush curves moved as they formed words. The gentle tilt at the corners of her mouth implied she was constantly smiling and he tried to imagine what it might be like to live with a woman like her, a woman who wasn’t staring at him with vacant eyes and an expression of utter detachment.

She’s not Joan. But she could still cause you a ton of trouble. Especially if you don’t get your eyes off her lips and your mind back to business.

Boone shifted in his seat. “Ever since I was born—thirty-nine years ago.”

“That’s a long time,” she replied, then laughed contritely. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to imply that you’re old. I just meant that thirty-nine years is a long time for anyone to be in one spot.”

“You’ve stayed in the same spot all your life. Or so you said,” he pointed out, while thinking it had been ages and ages since he’d had a conversation like this with a woman.

There were occasional times, when his father was sober enough to have Hayley visit, or when she stayed overnight with friends, that Boone would go into town for a beer and a willing woman. But those instances were not just rare, they were different. This woman was different.

“That’s true. I have lived my whole life on the Diamond D,” she admitted. “And I don’t plan to leave it, either.”

The last statement she said with conviction and Boone tended to believe what she said. After all, she was thirty-two and still living on the ranch. Obviously no man had been able to pull her away. He liked that about her and the fact that she had an independent streak. Even more, she seemed confident about the things she wanted. Too bad Joan hadn’t been that strong and decisive. His ex-wife had never known what, if anything, could make her happy. At one time, she’d believed her happiness lay solely in Boone. But she’d been confused about him and this life he’d chosen to lead; just as she’d been confused about her own life and where she fit in this world.

Biting back a sigh of regret, he said, “My grandparents purchased this stretch of range when my father was a young teenager—just a bit older than Hayley. Before then, Granddad worked in the silver mines. But he’d come from a ranching family down in Arizona and that way of life was in his blood. He took what money he’d managed to save over the years and sank it into this place. And for the past decade I’ve leased four hundred thousand acres of public land to go with it for extra grazing.”

Boone stabbed his fork into the pizza on his plate and wondered what the hell had prompted him to say all those things. Normally he never talked about his past or his family. And he especially didn’t share such personal things with horse buyers. But for some reason Dallas felt like more than a visiting horse buyer. Maybe that was because she was continuing to study him with genuine interest. Or had it been so long since he’d spent time with a woman that he was reading Dallas all wrong?

“What about your father?” she asked. “He’s not a rancher?”

The thought of Newt Barnett was enough to cause Boone to clench his teeth. The man had always been a sponger, and for the most part had ignored his responsibilities as a father, a husband and even as a son. He’d squandered and drank and whined through most of his life. And yet Newt expected Boone to forgive his mistakes and show him the love and respect of a father. Boone had never wanted to think of himself as a hard-hearted person, but Newt was yet to give him one good reason to love and respect him.

“Ranching is hard work,” Boone said flatly. “Newt has always wanted things the easy way.”

Dallas’s hand fluttered up to her throat and Boone could see his statement had disturbed her. He probably shouldn’t have been so blunt. But Boone never was one to sugarcoat anything and he sure as hell wasn’t going to try to pretend his father was a respectable, productive citizen of Lincoln County. Not even to impress this lady.

“You sound—” her gaze dropped awkwardly to her plate “—as though the two of you don’t get along very well.”

“We never have,” he admitted. “But that’s a whole other story.”

Several awkward moments passed in silence and then she said, “My grandparents emigrated from Ireland and first settled in Kentucky. But by the 1960s, Grandfather Arthur got the urge to travel west and acquire more land. He fell in love with New Mexico and decided it was the perfect place to raise his Thoroughbreds. Out of two daughters and a son, Dad was the only child who stayed in the business and kept the ranch going.” She cast a wry glance at him, as though she wasn’t sure she should ask her next question. “Where are your grandparents now?”

His dark brown eyes flickered with raw emotions and Dallas realized he wasn’t the indifferent cowboy she’d first believed him to be.

“Dead,” he said bluntly. “They’d gone on a hunting trip and the small aircraft they were traveling in hit an ice storm over the Montana plains and crashed. They were only in their fifties at the time. I was just fifteen and it… Well, it took me a long time to accept that the both of them were really gone. When you’re young you think you’ll have your loved ones around forever.”

Somewhere in his husky voice Dallas could hear his loss and the idea of Boone going through such a tragedy thickened her throat and tangled her usually ready words. “You must have been…utterly crushed.”

He looked away from her. “Yeah, crushed was right. You see, from the time I was a little toddler, they’d basically been my parents.” Shrugging, he brought his gaze back to hers. “But things happen and life goes on.”

She wanted to ask more. Like why had his grandparents been raising him and what had happened after their death, but the temptation to question him further was suddenly interrupted as he rose to his feet and walked over to the cabinet.

“Hayley made cookies yesterday,” he said from across the room. “I guess they’ll have to do for dessert. I’ll make fresh coffee to go with them.”

Since he appeared to be finished with his meal, Dallas downed her last bite and gathered up their dirty plates. As she placed them on the cabinet counter, her gaze swept over the varnished pine cabinets and white appliances. Even though there was a bit of clutter here and there, everything was very clean. Did Hayley help him with the kitchen cleaning chores? Or maybe he had a cleaning woman come in at different times during the week.

Quit pretending, Dallas. You’re not wondering about a cleaning woman. You’re wondering about Boone having a woman in his life.

Annoyed with herself and the tacky voice chiming from somewhere inside of her, she walked back over to the table and began to gather up the remainder of the meal.

This was not the way her trip was supposed to be going, she thought with a bit of desperation. She’d come here with plans to buy horses. Not to be trapped on a ranch with a man who was quickly and surely starting to consume her every thought.

She had to get a grip and remember that the only stud she was looking for was the four-legged kind. But each time her gaze rested on Boone she had difficulty remembering anything—except that she was a woman and he was one very unforgettable man.

And the night had only begun.

Chapter Three

“Don’t bother with that,” Boone said as she carried an armful of dishes across the room. “Hayley will deal with it later.”

“I don’t mind,” she insisted. “It’s the least I can do for you so graciously putting me up tonight.”

While the coffee brewed, Dallas scraped the dishes and stacked them to one side of the porcelain sink. Just to her right, Boone pulled a lid from a plastic container and placed several cookies on a paper plate.

For some reason, standing near him like this, doing domestic chores together, felt even more intimate than when he was showing her the bedroom. Although she tried to ignore it, her heart was going at a fast clip and she feared her cheeks were flushed with color.

“If you’d like, we can take this in the family room,” he suggested. “You can use the phone in there.”

Clearing her throat, she was quick to agree. “Sounds good to me.”

After he placed the coffee and the cookies on a plastic tray, she followed him out of the kitchen and down to the family room. As she took in the simply furnished area, she noticed a huge fireplace took up the major part of one wall. A warm welcoming fire would have gone a long way in brightening the room, but presently the hearth was cold and dark.

As if he could read her thoughts, he said, “I’ve cleared away most of the underbrush on the ranch and there’s not much left to burn. To have a fire every evening, I’d have to drive up to Ely and buy firewood, so I’ve been rationing until my next trip.”

“And I’m sure it’s expensive,” she stated.

“Very.”

He gestured to a long green sofa and matching armchair. “Have a seat anywhere you’d like. The phone is there at the end of the sofa.”

“Thanks.” She sank down on the sofa, then reached for the phone and directory resting beneath it.

After a quick explanation to the hotel clerk, Dallas placed the receiver back on its hook, then helped herself to the coffee and cookies that Boone had left on the table in front of her.

“If you need to call your family—or anyone—to let them know you arrived safely, please do.”

Dallas looked over to see he’d settled comfortably back in the chair and crossed his ankles out in front of him. The jeans covering his long, muscled legs were faded nearly white, the hems slightly frayed. His snub-toed cowboy boots had once been brown roughout leather, but were now smooth and dark from countless hours of wear. Dallas doubted he’d ever seen the inside of a department store or mall and if he had, he’d gone there reluctantly. Still, he was the perfect image for a jeans commercial. An idea he’d no doubt laugh at, she thought.

“I called my family when I first arrived at Pioche. So they know I’ve made the trip safely. Right now I don’t want to worry Liam needlessly about the truck. At least, not until I can give him an exact problem.”

Boone said, “I hope he wasn’t planning on using the truck anytime soon.”

Dallas darted him a sharp glance. He made it sound like getting her vehicle running again was going to take days instead of hours. Oh, God, that couldn’t happen. She couldn’t spend days with this man. It would wreck her!

Trying not to think the worst, she replied, “Most of the tracks on the West Coast won’t be having any major races to speak of until after the New Year. So my brother won’t be doing much traveling. That’s one of the reasons why I planned the trip for this month. Plus with Christmas coming up, many of my kids won’t be visiting the stables. They’re involved with family holiday things right now.”

From the moment she’d arrived on the ranch, Dallas had noticed there were no holiday decorations to be seen in or out of the Barnett house. Maybe they practiced some sort of religion that didn’t celebrate Christmas, she thought, as she munched on an oatmeal-and-raisin cookie. But she seriously doubted that was the reason for the lack of festiveness. She was more inclined to think that Boone had forgotten how to celebrate anything.

“Are your stables closed while you’re away?” he asked.

“No. My sister-in-law, Lass, is my assistant and she’s keeping the place running for the few children who do show up.”

Earlier today, when Dallas had called home, her mother had given her breaking family news that amounted to a double whammy. At breakfast this morning Lass and Brady had revealed they were expecting a second child and before they’d hardly gotten the words out of their mouths, Bridget and Johnny had announced their first child was on its way. In a few months two babies would be arriving in the Donovan family at the same time. Dallas was thrilled for her brother and her sister, yet somehow the news had left her feeling a bit melancholy. She was already thirty-two. Would there ever come a day, she wondered, when she would become a mother? It didn’t seem likely. Not when the idea of giving her heart to another man made her want to turn tail and run.

Not wanting to dwell on that miserable thought, she turned her gaze back on Boone to see he was studying her with those dark, brooding eyes. Did he ever think about having a baby with another woman? The notion bothered her in more ways than she wanted to admit.

Swallowing to ease the tightness in her throat, she asked, “Do you have hired help on your ranch? Or do you do it all yourself?”

“I have a man who comes in three or four days a week to help with the ranch work. Depending on what’s going on.”

On the opposite side of the room, directly across from the couch, there was a small television. Presently the screen was black, a status that didn’t surprise Dallas. In fact, she couldn’t imagine this rugged cowboy sitting down to watch a drama or sitcom. Maybe the news. But nothing for the sole purpose of entertainment.

She was still speculating as to what he’d consider entertainment when the telephone beside her suddenly rang. The unexpected sound caused her to flinch and her head jerked toward the jangling instrument.

Making no move to answer it, he said, “Hayley will pick it up. It’s usually for her, anyway. You know how it is with kids.”

There was that subject again. Kids, children, babies. Normally she didn’t dwell on her single status. But something about Boone and his daughter, coupled with the news of Lass’s and Bridget’s pregnancies, had gotten to her, making her want to weep and scream at the same time.

Biting back a sigh, she gave him a wan smile. “I imagine you—”

Her comment was cut short as Hayley suddenly yelled from somewhere in the hallway. “Dad! It’s for you! Can you pick up the phone?”

“Who’s calling?”

The girl came trotting into the room, carrying a portable phone with her hand clamped tightly over the receiver. She started toward Boone, then stopped short when she spotted Dallas on the couch.

Her face a mixture of perplexed pleasure, she said, “Oh! Dallas! I thought you’d left.”

Dallas smiled at her. “I thought I was leaving, too. But my truck decided to call it quits.”

“Hayley, the phone. Who is it?”

Boone’s question jerked the girl’s attention back to her father. “It’s Billy Hopper. Something about welding on the hay loader.”

“Excuse me, Dallas,” he said, then quickly rose to his feet, took the phone from Hayley and exited the room.

Once her father was out of sight, Hayley walked over to the sofa and sank onto the edge of the cushion next to Dallas.

“What are you gonna do now?” she asked curiously. “Is Dad gonna drive you to Pioche tonight?”

Dallas shook her head. “No. I’m going to stay here for the night. I hope you don’t mind,” she added. “Your father assured me that you sometimes have guests on the ranch.”

Hayley’s features suddenly perked with interest. “Uh—we’ve had a few, but they’ve all been old men. But…well…gosh, it’ll be nice to have you stay!”

Dallas smiled with relief. “I’m glad you feel that way.”

Her eyes sparkling, Hayley scooted closer to Dallas. “Earlier, when you said goodbye I was wishing you could stay longer. I’ve never seen anybody as pretty as you. And I wanted to ask you what it’s like where you live and things like that. Would you care to tell me?”

She’d never expected such an endearing reaction from Hayley. In fact, she’d thought the girl would probably resent the intrusion of having a guest in the house.

“Thank you for the compliment, Hayley, but I’m just average-looking. I have two sisters who are much prettier than I am.”

“Wow, you have two sisters?” she asked, then like a switch had been flipped, her expression turned glum. “I wish I had a sister or even a brother. But I guess all I’ll ever have is just me.”

Dallas let out a silent groan. Babies. She just couldn’t get away from the subject tonight.

“Your father is still young,” Dallas said with as much encouragement as she could muster. “He might marry again and have more children.”