Romancing the Rancher

Chapter Two

She needed to seriously reconsider her definition of the word retired, Theresa thought, more shaken than she wanted to admit after the brief contact with the rugged cowboy.

Jarrett Deeks didn’t speak with a Texas twang, and she could not for the life of her imagine him spinning tales for guests while sitting in one of the rocking chairs, whiling away the time as the world passed by.

Judging by the few lines bracketing either side of his mouth—she still hadn’t gotten more than a shadowed look at his eyes thanks to the cowboy hat he wore—she figured him to be only a few years older than her own twenty-eight. He was young, virile, and exuded a barely restrained energy like a caged animal or maybe one of his horses, living for the chance to run free.

And she’d experienced a split second of that unleashed energy, hadn’t she, when he reached out and grabbed her. One moment he’d been by the porch steps, her bags in hand. In the next, he’d dropped her luggage, erased the distance between them and caught her in his arms.

And when he’d touched her—

She could still feel the heated imprint of his palms against her shoulders. Still feel that instant spark of attraction when hit with the awareness that Jarrett Deeks was not at all what she’d pictured.

She couldn’t help glancing at him out of the corner of her eye as he led the way toward her cabin. He wasn’t much taller than she was. His rugged profile, all masculine planes and angles from the nose that had clearly been broken more than once, to the sharp cheekbones and shadowed jaw, could have been carved from granite, and his leanly muscled body looked just as hard. Thick, chestnut-colored hair peeked out between the brim of his hat and denim collar, the only hint of softness about him.

She steeled herself against the warmth invading her body, threatening to melt even her uninjured muscles and bones. It was a weakness she couldn’t allow. An overreaction to the first man in months to touch her without treatment or therapy or rehab in mind.

It was embarrassing, but she’d survive.

She should have realized retired did not necessarily mean old. She admittedly knew nothing about rodeo, but she did know about sports. Or more specifically sports injuries. She’d seen high school and college players come into the ER with everything from concussions to torn MCLs and ACLs to even more serious spinal injuries. A bad-enough injury could end an athlete’s career at any age, and retired in the world of sports often meant anyone over thirty.

She should have realized— Heck, she should have asked Sophia! If she’d known he was someone her own age, maybe she would have been more prepared. Less caught off guard. Less...intrigued.

No, that wasn’t true. She was not intrigued. Merely surprised. Jarrett Deeks was unexpected, but that did not make him a mystery she needed to solve. She had her own problems to deal with and a reticent, old-fashioned—if not old—cowboy was not on her to-do list.

Especially not when it was all too easy to resent how effortlessly he’d picked up her luggage, one bag slung loosely over a broad shoulder and her large suitcase dangling from his hand.

Before the accident, she’d never been a woman who insisted on doing things her own way. Oh, sure, she’d been perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She could change a tire and check her own oil. She could manage a few home maintenance repairs in her small apartment. But she’d appreciated when a man was a gentleman. When one opened a car door for her or waited for her to enter a restaurant ahead of him.

Michael had been good about that. Always insisting on picking up the check, buying her flowers and carrying her bags for her. After growing up with three brothers who, when they were kids, thought smaller and weaker meant easier to pick on, it was nice to be treated like a princess. As though she was someone to cherish and care for.

But since the accident—since Michael—the need to fight for every speck of independence was like a living thing clawing its way out from inside her. She wanted to snap at Jarrett Deeks for hauling her bags around so easily. To yell at him for the way he’d purposely slowed his stride. But the bitter truth of it was, she didn’t have the energy or the breath to do any of those things.

Even with the solicitous crawl he’d established, she was already winded. The thought of carrying her own bags was a joke. She couldn’t even carry a conversation, not that the silent man at her side had given any indication he wanted her to.

But after a minute with the only sound the crunch of gravel beneath their feet and whisper of wind in the pines, even he seemed to realize the silence had gone on too long. It only made his attempt to break it that much more awkward, but she gave him credit for trying as he told her about the property.

“There are six cabins total, but they’re pretty spread out, and even if they weren’t, you’re the only guest right now. I figure your family will set you up with a pair of wheels if you want to run into town, but you can always borrow the ranch truck if you’d like. I’ve made a deal with the sporting goods store in town. You’ll get a discount for any rental equipment you might need for hunting or fishing.”

He couldn’t have been much plainer about stating she didn’t belong, but for some reason, his noncommittal statement made her smile. Hunting and fishing. Yeah, she’d get right on that.

But Jarrett’s next offer wiped the grin right off her face.

“You’re welcome to the stables, too—”

“I don’t ride.”

His steps slowed even more, bringing them almost to a halt, as he looked over at her. “The rides are based on ability—from advanced to greenhorn. I could show you—”

“Not interested. Sorry.” Her abrupt words didn’t let on just how sorry she was. She wasn’t a greenhorn, as Jarrett had supposed, and had once taken a great deal of pleasure spending time in the saddle, even if her riding had mostly been limited to an indoor jumping arena.

She’d fallen in love with horses as a kid when her parents sent her to a summer camp that offered riding lessons. One trip around a ring on an old gray mare that to her young, impressionable mind was as impressive as Black Beauty, the Black Stallion and Seabiscuit all rolled into one, and she was hooked. Her fascination with horses far outlived the two-week camp, and she’d pestered her parents until they found a riding stable just outside the city. Looking back, she was sure they thought her interest would fade once the summer ended and school started. Instead, the lessons had only been the beginning as Theresa progressed from learning to ride for fun as a kid to jumping in competitions during her high school years.

Now, though, riding was like too many other previous pleasures in her life—a reminder of all she could no longer do. No way could her left leg support her own weight to mount up from the proper side. She didn’t need to try to know she didn’t have the strength for that or the muscle tone needed to grip the saddle with her knees and thighs to keep her balance in the seat. And forget trying to hold on to the reins. One sudden move, and she’d be flat-faced in the dirt.

Oh, sure, Jarrett could probably saddle up some old, sweet-tempered mare whose gait would be as smooth as riding on a child’s merry-go-round. But it wouldn’t be the same. Wouldn’t be the challenge, the thrill, the rush she’d experienced in the past.

And she’d rather do without than settle for so much less.

Fortunately, Jarrett didn’t seem the least bit offended by her blunt refusal. If anything, Theresa thought the tension in his shoulders eased ever so slightly. He’d forced himself to make the offer and was relieved she hadn’t accepted. Why? Because he honestly didn’t think she could keep her seat on a horse and was worried about his first paying guest suing him? Or was it something more? Something to do with the air of reserve that fit him as well as the faded denim jacket stretched across his broad shoulders?

Didn’t matter. He’d made the offer; she’d refused. End of story.

She ignored the slight shift in the wind, a change from the surrounding pine and distant hint of ocean air back to the hay and horses she’d smelled earlier. Both when sitting by herself on the porch and while caught in Jarrett’s arms. His clothes held the earthy scent along with a masculine musk that had tempted her to burrow closer, to breathe deeper.

The thought of riding by his side, showing the former rodeo cowboy what a city girl could do, tortured her. She wasn’t that girl anymore, and indulging in fantasy only made reality that much harder to accept.

Reality being a leg held together by pins and screws, a surgically repaired knee and nerve damage in her arm that left her full recovery—as well as her whole future—in doubt.

“Here’s the cabin,” Jarrett said as they rounded a bend in the narrow road and came across the small cabin. The rustic and rough-hewn logs blended in perfectly with the surrounding wilderness.

Jarrett fished a large key chain fashioned in a crooked R out of his pocket. A metal key was attached. He shouldered the door open, but then paused and waited for her to enter first. Despite her assurances to Sophia that she’d be fine, she breathed a small sigh of relief as she stepped inside.

“It isn’t exactly a luxury suite,” Jarrett said as he lowered her luggage and waved a hand around the small space. The kitchen was little more than a single row of cabinets, a stove, microwave and refrigerator, everything in basic white. A round table marked the dining room before giving way to the living area. A green love seat and matching chair sat in front of a flat-screen television with only a fireplace on the far wall to offer a little bit of coziness to the otherwise stark space.

“Bedroom and bath are down that hall. Again, nothing fancy.”

“Try not to oversell the place,” Theresa said wryly.

He shrugged. “Just being honest.”

The three words almost sounded like an accusation...or a challenge. Almost as if he knew how hard she’d tried to dismiss that moment on the porch as nothing. But that was ridiculous because it had been nothing, and it wasn’t as if the man could read her mind anyway!

“It’s fine,” she insisted shortly. “I’m not looking for fancy.” She sensed rather than saw the way his gaze focused on her as she looked around the cabin, almost as if he was questioning what she was looking for. “Just a spot to relax and the chance to enjoy some peace and quiet.”

He made a small sound that might have been a laugh. “Peace and quiet, huh? This is a funny place to come for that considering you’re related to half the town.”

“I can count on my family to respect my privacy.”

Theresa turned and met his shadowed gaze. For a crazy moment, thoughts of what the two of them could do with that privacy filled her head. The not-fancy bedroom was just down the hall, and even though she had yet to see inside, she could count on there being a bed.

Her whole life, she’d played things safe. She’d known early on what she wanted from life—to become a nurse and work in an ER—and had followed through with the plan she’d set to accomplish that goal. She’d studied hard and worked hard, and she never let distractions get in her way. If she were totally honest, even her relationship with Michael had been a step toward a personal goal—one to get married and start a family.

And yet for all her careful planning, for all the steps she’d taken in the right direction, she’d still ended up here. Miles away from Michael, from her work, from her life, knowing all too well how unlikely it was she would ever get any of them back.

Here. In this cabin with an all-too-sexy cowboy.

She could still feel the imprint of his hands against her shoulders, the warmth and strength that had seeped through in that simple, straightforward touch. Her heart skipped a beat, and her pulse pounded in her ears, and for the first time in longer than she could remember, it wasn’t because she’d pushed too hard in therapy or because she’d taken an awkward step only to catch herself before falling. And it wasn’t from the panic attacks that had woken her more than once as she faced an empty, aimless future.

No, this—this was something else.

This was attraction...desire.

And while that cowboy hat of his might have shielded his expression, it hadn’t been enough to hide what he’d been thinking in that split second when he held her in his arms. He’d wanted to kiss her. She’d seen it in his eyes as he’d lowered his gaze. Felt it in the tightening of the muscles that played beneath the palms of her hands. Wanted it more than she’d wanted anything in a long time.

But she’d seen something else, too, hadn’t she?

Because Jarrett Deeks hadn’t simply pulled her into his arms. No, she’d practically fallen at his feet, and the idea that she might have mistaken pity for something more doused her heated thoughts faster than an ice bath.

Her voice was sharper than she intended when she said, “My family will give me the privacy I’m looking for. I trust that I can expect you to do the same.”

A small smile quirked his lips, and the lines around his mouth deepened though the expression was more sardonic than sincere. He tipped the hat Theresa found herself wishing he’d taken off. She wanted to know what color his eyes were. Brown to match the richness of his hair? Blue for the open skies above or green for the surrounding pines?

She didn’t have the chance to find out. Backing out of the door, he said, “Peace and quiet are just what these cabins offer. I’ll be sure to let you enjoy yours.”

He was gone before she knew it, leaving her alone as she’d requested, and she was an idiot for feeling disappointed at just how quickly he’d walked away.

* * *

As it turned out, Jarrett Deeks knew her family a little better than she did.

Theresa was still wiping sleep from her eyes and contemplating the apparent lack of a coffee machine—never mind actual coffee—when she heard the knock on her door. Her foolish, utterly feminine heart jumped before her far more practical brain reminded her that Jarrett Deeks had better things to do than offer her room service.

Or breakfast in bed, she thought, surprised when her thoughts actually went there with images of Jarrett Deeks still wearing that darned hat and little else.

She was pathetic. There was no other word for it. For her body, an instrument that had caused her nothing but pain and misery for months, to suddenly come alive thanks to a man who was so wrong for her seemed almost as big a betrayal as her current weakness did.

Shoving the thoughts aside, Theresa opened the front door.

“I know you said you wanted some time alone,” Sophia said by way of apology, “but I’m here with a special delivery.”

“So I see,” Theresa said with a smile. How could she be angry when her cousin was holding her adorable baby boy in her arms?

Sophia laughed. “Actually, I wasn’t talking about this guy, but he is pretty special if I do say so myself.” She lifted the blanketed baby a little higher, and Theresa got a glimpse of a sweet round face, sleepy blue eyes and a tuft of dark hair. Kyle scrunched his face up in protest as the cool air touched his chubby cheeks, and she didn’t think she’d ever seen a more adorable sight.

“Oh, he’s awake.” He’d been sleeping the day before, and Theresa had only had a peek of him slumbering away in his crib.

“He just about fell asleep on the way over here, and I promise we won’t stay. But I was talking with my mother, and she was worried about you being up here without any food—you know how she thinks food cures everything. Anyway, she wanted to race over and cook enough meals to last your whole trip, but I convinced her I could bring out some leftovers and groceries to tide you over until you felt like running into town.”

“Thanks. I woke up this morning realizing I hadn’t really thought that part of this trip through.” And having to seek out Jarrett Deeks after her bitchy stand about wanting her privacy...well, she’d rather go without breakfast than have to eat crow.

“Oh, you’re welcome. Now, if you’ll just hold Kyle for a second while I run to the car and get everything...”

“No, Sophia. I—I can’t!” Theresa took an immediate step back as her cousin held out her son. A tiny, helpless infant.

A part of her longed to cradle the baby to her chest, to breathe in the newborn’s scent of milk and baby powder. But the idea of holding that life in her hands, of being responsible if something should go wrong— Unconsciously, she drew her left arm closer to her body. “It’s not a good idea.”

Sympathy and understanding filled her cousin’s gaze. “I trust you, Theresa. You know that, don’t you?”

It had taken Michael months before he’d trusted Theresa with his daughter, and that had been a horrible mistake. The car accident hadn’t been her fault, but his blame and Theresa’s own overwhelming sense of guilt weighed her down as heavily as if she’d been the one to run the red light.

“I’ll get the groceries,” she insisted and escaped from the small cabin before Sophia could protest. Broken eggs she could handle much more easily than broken bones and broken lives.

* * *

“This is nice,” Sophia said as she glanced around the cabin once they’d settled in at the small kitchen table for a cup of coffee and a shared strawberry Danish from Debbie’s bakery. She held her son so easily, so naturally in one arm, and true to his mother’s earlier words, little Kyle had fallen into an innocent, trusting sleep. “I knew with Drew being involved in the construction that the workmanship on the cabins would be to his usual high standard, but Jarrett did a lot of the finish work himself.”

“Really?” Theresa asked, only to immediately wish she hadn’t sounded so interested. “I mean, I wouldn’t have thought a former bull rider turned ranch owner would be all that handy when it came to construction.”

The spark in her cousin’s eyes only deepened, and Theresa snapped her mouth shut so fast, her teeth clicked together. Way to overexplain. The last thing she wanted was for Sophia to pick up on her unwanted attraction to Jarrett Deeks.

Recalling her shock at her first glimpse of the man in question, Theresa said, “You could have warned me, you know. From what I’d heard about Jarrett, I was expecting this old guy and not someone—”

“Someone so gorgeous?” her cousin filled in.

“Someone so young, that’s all. I was just surprised.”

“You’ve got to watch him at work, Theresa. I had to stop by the stables to ask which cabin was yours and saw him with one of his horses. It’s...breathtaking.”

“So says the happily married woman.”

“Yes, to her gorgeous and single cousin.”

Theresa rolled her eyes. “Yeah, well, don’t pin your matchmaking hopes on me and Jarrett Deeks.”

Or on me and anyone else.

Her heart was still reeling from her breakup with Michael. The car crash had shattered nearly everything in her life—personally, professionally...and emotionally. When she first woke in the hospital, her first thoughts had been of Michael—and of his daughter, Natalie. She’d loved them both and wanted to be there for them in any way that she could. Just as she’d needed Michael to be there for her. She’d counted on him being there. Instead, he’d walked away.

Now that she’d gotten back on her own two feet physically, Theresa wasn’t about to start leaning on another man. Wasn’t about to trust one again. And no matter what crazy emotions Jarrett might have inspired in her the day before, without trust, those heated thoughts would stay in fantasyland, where they belonged. At least until she could find a way to get the man off her mind altogether.

“I was not matchmaking,” Sophia insisted. “Merely commenting that you and Jarrett have something in common. I know how much you like to ride.”

“Liked,” Theresa stressed. “Past tense.” When her cousin would have argued, she continued, “Besides, Jarrett and I didn’t exactly get off on the right foot, so I think we’ll both just keep our distance.”

Sophia frowned. “That doesn’t sound like Jarrett. I mean, he doesn’t talk much, but I’ve never known him to say something inappropriate—”

“No, it wasn’t anything like that.” Theresa wished she’d kept her mouth shut, but now that she’d stuck her foot in it, she was going to have to explain. She couldn’t let Sophia think Jarrett had done something wrong when he hadn’t. “He was just being polite in offering to show me around the stables, but I’m not interested. I told him I want to be left alone, and it came out a little sharper than I intended.”

“So you’ll go down and apologize and ask him to give you the grand tour.”

“Sophia—”

“Look, I meant what I said about Jarrett being a good guy, but he’s not exactly the type to make an offer like that simply to be polite.”

“No, he did it because the stables are one of the perks of staying here.” She was a guest and nothing more. Theresa didn’t want to think that his offer may have been a personal one.

“If you say so,” Sophia answered in a singsong voice.

“I do.” And whatever it took, she was going to force herself to believe it.

Chapter Three

“Um, no.”

Make that hell no, Jarrett thought as Nick Pirelli dogged his heels as he walked down the narrow aisle of the stables. The local veterinarian had offered his services as soon as Jarrett started the rescue operation, and a part of him had been waiting for this moment. Well, not exactly for this moment, he thought, still feeling the jolt of surprise at the request, but for the moment when the other man would call in his chips.

Oh, sure, Nick had told him pro bono work was something he did on a regular basis. That he respected the rehabilitation Jarrett did with the rescue horses and wanted to be a part of it. But Jarrett had learned long ago that nothing in life was free, and once you owed another person, they owned you.

So he insisted on paying for the vet’s services, though he suspected the bills were greatly deflated from what Nick would normally charge, and the year before he’d taken on an abandoned horse as a favor to the other man. Not that he would have turned the horse away under any circumstances, but it’d been a way to try to even the score.

His muscles were tight, his movements jerky as he stripped off his scarred leather work gloves while he waited for Nick to turn his request into a demand. He was the only large-animal vet in the area, and they both damn well knew it. Jarrett couldn’t run the rescue or the ranch without Nick’s services, and that dependency—that need—to rely on another person twisted his gut. How many times had life slapped him down with the lesson that the only person he could count on was himself?

“Look, Jarrett,” Nick began, and Jarrett braced himself for the ultimatum he knew was coming. Do this or the horses suffer. “I know it’s a big favor to ask, but I’d really appreciate it.”

Stuffing the gloves into his back pocket, Jarrett met the other man’s gaze and waited. Then waited some more. That was it? Just the simple request? No blunt demand...no subtle insinuation of what might happen if Jarrett didn’t fall in line?

The realization had him slowly lowering his guard. Truth was, he admired the work Nick did. Their love of animals gave them a common ground and was enough for Jarrett to think he might be able to call the other man friend. And friends did do favors for each other.

But not this. Pretty much anything but what Nick had asked.

“I know Theresa seems like she’s doing okay.”

Jarrett sighed. “That’s what she wants you to think. Truth is she’s far from okay.”

He’d seen the pain in her expression when she thought he wasn’t watching. Seen how hard she’d pushed herself just to make the easy walk to the cabin. Pride kept her from showing how weak she truly was, but he recognized the signs. Hell, he’d seen them more often than not whenever he looked in the mirror. If that was all that was going on with Theresa, then maybe he’d think about what Nick was asking of him.