The Forbidden Texan

In that moment, Emily realized she could not possibly turn down this job. Her gaze met Jake’s. She was going to live under the same roof with the handsome rancher facing her. A charmer, a man who loved beautiful women, parties and no ties. Could she live in the same house with him, work with him every day for the coming month or however long it took, and keep from falling in love with him? Could she work with him and avoid a broken heart? Could she do this and avoid seduction?

Two

Jake had watched her read the check and when all color drained from her face, he had known Thane would get part of what he wanted. She would take the job. Jake was poised to catch her because for a moment she looked on the verge of fainting, which surprised him since she was well-fixed in her own right. Not only did she have her own successful appraisal company, but her family had old money. They had Kincaid Energy, an oil company, and her dad was still CEO, her brother Doug was COO and her brother Will was an executive, too. Lucas had a ranch, but was on the board and was in Dallas nearly every week.

“This job is a life changer and will make me a millionaire all on my own without family money,” she said, looking up with her wide light brown eyes. “You know I can’t turn down this job now,” she said.

“I think that was Thane’s intention.” Jake noticed she didn’t have the look that his usual dates possessed. Except now that he was paying close attention, she did have thickly lashed, big light brown eyes, very smooth skin and full rosy lips. She wore no jewelry or makeup. His gaze flicked over her loose-fitting black cotton shirt and black slacks. The shirt hung to her hips, hiding her waist. So why was there some chemistry between them that kept the air around them electric? He was certain she felt it as much as he did.

“I can’t believe this. Why would he give me a check this size? Why would he do this at all? There are others in this business who are successful.”

“Thane was wealthy. He didn’t want to leave loose ends and that meant hiring us. To pay that much, he obviously thought you’re the best person for the job. Either that or he was hell-bent to try to put an end to the feud and having a Ralston and a Kincaid stay together on a ranch and work together is a start.”

“Oh, yes, it is. This is like a dream,” she said, looking down at the check again as if she still couldn’t believe it. “I wasn’t going to take this job. I didn’t think there would be any way you could persuade me to accept your offer. There is a way and Thane found it. There are too many good things I can do with this money, plus help my own career along. I have to tell you, yes, I’ll take the job.”

Sitting back in his chair, he smiled at her, wondering how well they would work together. “Good. I want to do as much as I can to keep my promises to him. You get a million. I get another ranch, a chunk of West Texas—all to take care of an old house, private belongings that he didn’t want to fall into the wrong hands and, at the same time, we’ll at least be the first blow against the feud. Hopefully, when others see us work together and live under the same roof, they will lighten up about the feud.”

“I hope my brothers don’t cause any problems. They aren’t going to like this. And neither will a lot of my relatives.”

“This is a working ranch and from what Thane told me in the past, he has plenty of security, plus the cowboys and staff who live there. You can warn your brothers.” He sat back and crossed his legs again. “Thane took very good care of things, but he hadn’t gotten around to dealing with the house and its contents when he went into the service. I want to get out there as soon as possible and get the job done. I plan to go look at the house this week. Do you want to come along?”

“Yes. I’d like to see what we’re talking about.”

“Today is Wednesday. I have appointments tomorrow. Friday morning I’m going to see Thane’s parents. That’ll be tough, but I practically grew up in his house. Mr. Warner spent hours with Thane and me. He taught me how to fly-fish, how to use a knife so I wouldn’t cut off my fingers, how to rope a calf. He came to our ball games. I need to go see him.”

“That’s fine.”

“So how about Friday afternoon to go to Thane’s ranch? Then we can fly back to Dallas and I’ll take you to dinner that evening.” While she was not his type, he wanted to show his appreciation for her taking the job and allowing him to keep his promise to Thane. “I’ll pick you up here and we’ll fly to the ranch. We’ll look the house over and decide when we can start.”

“If you want, I can get the cleaning crew started early because I have someone I work with often and they’re reliable. I also know a couple of painters who can get the house painted inside and outside if you’d like.”

“I’d like that. In addition to appraising the contents, you can get the house in livable condition again. I’d rather not deal with the day-to-day restoration. I have a good contractor you can use, but feel free to use your own painters and decorators. Do as much as you can and bill me.”

“Fine. I also have a landscape crew if we need it.”

“That’s perfect. Let me know about anything or anyone else you need. When Thane inherited the ranch, it was actually a working ranch. Thane hired a guy to run it and get it in shape. Thane told me there’s a bunkhouse, a kitchen and a dining area for the cowboys, a cook and an office near the bunkhouse. There are cattle, but not as many as there will be. And of course, there’s the main house, which is a three-story frame house. Thane intended to come home and go through the house to decide what to do with things. When he was home before going to Afghanistan, neither he nor Vivian ever got around to it. As I understand it, the caretaker lives in a guesthouse close to the main house. I hope to keep everyone Thane hired. You oversee everything you can and put it on my bill. I’ll deal with the men, the cattle and the horses, and my contractor.”

She nodded.

“Emily, this is a job that neither of us wants to do, but it’s worth our while to do it. You get to become a millionaire and I get a ranch. For that we can put up with some things we hadn’t wanted to.” He looked into her big brown eyes and was struck by a question out of the blue. What would it be like to kiss her?

The question startled him. What was it about her that made him wonder about kisses? She wasn’t his type. She was practical, business-minded. But each time he looked at her, there was that wild undercurrent of awareness that he couldn’t figure out. Each time it happened, she looked as startled as he felt, and he was certain it was not something that she wanted to have happen and not something that happened often to her. It didn’t with him—not to this extent. Especially when it wasn’t some gorgeous woman who flirted and wanted to stir up a reaction from him.

If they were going to live in the same house, he didn’t want to have any kind of sizzling reaction to Emily.

So why couldn’t he stop imagining that thick long blond hair, which was now tied behind her head with a yellow scarf, untied and falling over her shoulders? Or splayed against his naked chest? The minute those visions played out in his mind’s eye, he tried to think of something else. Unsuccessfully.

When she stood, he came to his feet at once, his gaze flicking over her swiftly. “I suppose we’re through now,” she said.

“We are for today.” He held out his hand, half doing it to be polite because they would be working closely together and living in the same house for a while. But the minute her hand touched his, he felt the same startling awareness of the contact and saw her blink and stare at him.

“I’ll pick you up Friday afternoon,” he said after clearing his throat hoarsely. “I’ll call first.” He looked her over again. “It’s been...interesting. This is the longest I’ve ever had a polite conversation with a Kincaid.”

She smiled slightly. “You’re long overdue then. We really don’t bite and are quite harmless.”

“Your brothers aren’t. Maybe that was back in high school.” He followed her out of her office and down the hall to the front door. She didn’t look the type for perfume, but there was some faint enticing scent that he didn’t recognize. She was taller than most women he went out with, but still at least seven or eight inches shorter than he was. He opened the door and glanced back at her. “See you Friday.”

“I’m still in a daze. I’m going to call Vivian. You’re certain she knows about the check?”

“Absolutely.”

When the door closed behind him, he let out his breath in a gush. Keep your distance. And keep your hands off. She was a Kincaid, and he expected some flak from at least one of her brothers. Some of the Kincaids and some of the Ralstons took this feud seriously and had a big dislike for the other family. Emily and he needed to move on this task and get through it. Yes, that’s what he needed to do. Get the job done and forget her.

Dreading talking to Mr. and Mrs. Warner, Jake drove up to the familiar mansion spread over four acres of well-kept grounds with tall oaks. He’d spent hours here from the days when his mother dropped him off to play with Thane and on through high school when he and Thane would drive there after school at least three or four times a week. Thane had had a cook and there were snacks and a game room, a poolroom, an enclosed pool, a basketball court—Jake’s family had had all of those at their house, as well, but Thane had had a tennis court at his and Jake hadn’t. Sometimes a bunch of friends went with them, sometimes just Jake and Thane. Thane’s dad was friendly and had always been interested in Jake and what he was doing at school.

Memories assailing him, Jake walked up the wide front steps to the porch with tall columns. A huge brass chandelier hung from the porch ceiling. He rang the chimes and a butler opened the door, smiling at Jake.

“Mr. Jake, welcome home.”

“Thank you, Clyde.”

“Come in. Mr. and Mrs. Warner are expecting you. They’re in the great room. We’re so happy to see you.”

“I’m glad to be here. It’s good to see you. I wish Thane could be here with me,” he said as they walked through a wide entryway where an elegant cherrywood table held a massive vase filled with white-and-purple orchids.

“So sad. They miss him. We all do, because he was a fine man.” Clyde knocked on an open door and as they entered, he announced, “Mr. Jake is here.”

Jake crossed the room to Celeste Warner, Thane’s mother, who looked older and frailer than when he’d left. She was short and he leaned over to hug her lightly. As tears filled her eyes, she hugged him in return.

“I’m sorry he didn’t make it home. We did what we could. It just wasn’t enough,” Jake said with a knot in his throat. Thane should have been here with him now.

Thane’s father, Ben Warner, walked up, holding out his hand. Jake was surprised at how much Thane’s dad had changed. His hair was whiter, he had more lines on his face than Jake remembered and he was thinner.

When they shook hands, Thane’s dad slipped his arm around Jake and hugged him. “Thank God you made it home. It was bad losing Thane. I’m glad I didn’t lose both of you,” Ben said, and Jake hurt even more because this brought back painful memories. He hurt for Thane’s parents, who had lost their oldest son, a son who had been unique and a super guy.

“Come sit and talk to us,” Ben said, turning to sit in a leather recliner.

“Are you getting settled in now that you’re back?” Celeste asked.

“Yes,” Jake said. “I’m just glad to be home.”

“We’re glad you’re here. What are your plans—a ranch or back to the family investment firm?” Thane’s dad asked.

“Before I was in the army, I lived in Dallas and went to the investment office every day. Now I want to be a rancher. I’m ready for some open space and the challenges of ranch life. I’m still on the investment firm board and a couple of other boards, so I’ll be in Dallas often. I’ll be around.” He settled back in the chair to talk to them. “I hear you are grandparents.” Thane’s sister, Camilla, had a seventeen-month-old.

“Yes, here’s Ethan’s picture. He’s the image of his daddy,” Ben said, handing a framed picture to Jake.

Jake looked at the little boy with his mop of black curls. “He does look like his dad.” Jake knew his dad well. Noah Grant was one of the rangers he’d served with, and one of the buddies who had made promises to Thane. Noah had been charged with bringing important packages to Thane’s sister and his nephew, and in the process he reignited his romance with Camilla and came face-to-face with the son he never knew he had.

Ben’s eyes softened as he took back the photo. “Camilla and Noah seem so happy and so is their little Ethan. We see them often.”

“Where are Logan and Mason?” he asked about Thane’s younger brothers.

“Logan is president of our drilling company. Mason has taken over for me at the bank. They don’t live far from us and you’ll probably see them when you’re in Dallas. Both are single.”

After about twenty minutes Jake stood and said he had an appointment and needed to go. It took another ten minutes to tell Thane’s mother goodbye and Thane’s dad left with him, strolling back through the mansion, across the stone floor of the entryway and out to the front porch.

Jake turned to shake his hand. To his surprise, Ben hugged him again and stepped away. “I’m so relieved you made it home.”

“Thank you, sir. I’m sorry Thane didn’t. We all did what we could for him.”

“I know you did,” Ben said and wiped his eyes. He placed his hand on Jake’s shoulder. “Come see us sometimes. Please keep in touch. You’re family to us. You’re another son, Jake. You always have been.”

“Thank you, sir. That means a lot to me. You’re the one who’s been a real dad to me. I’m sorry for your loss and I’ll keep in touch,” he said, thinking of Thane. “We all miss him.”

When he closed his car door and drove down the long drive, he let out his breath. He was glad the visit was over. Most of the time he could cope with the loss of his friend, but every once in a while he was overwhelmed with that pain he had felt when Thane died. He was surprised how Thane’s dad had hugged him and wanted him to come back, but then he’d always been surprised by Ben’s interest in him.

He made a mental note to try to see the Warners at least once a month for the next few months. Time would ease their pain, but for now he’d try to visit often. They had Noah and Camilla, the new grandchild, plus their other two sons, and they would help, but he knew the Warners would always miss Thane.

Friday afternoon, when a sleek black sports car stopped at Emily’s store and office, she hurried out. She had dressed in practical sneakers, jeans and a white sweatshirt. Her clothes hid her figure and her hair was in one long braid down her back. She wanted to keep things businesslike with Jake. She hadn’t understood the chemistry that smoldered between them when they’d met, but she hoped it was gone. While he was to-die-for handsome, she didn’t want any kind of attraction. She had to do this job and work for him. He was her boss now, but she didn’t want it to go beyond a boss-employee relationship.

That sentiment fizzled the moment he stepped out of the car. In jeans, boots, a white dress shirt open at the throat and a black Western hat, he was breathtakingly sexy. As she walked out to meet him, Jake didn’t offer to shake her hand as he had the day they met, and she wondered what that implied.

“Ready and eager to go?” he asked, smiling, making her pulse jump with the irresistible curve of his lips.

“Yes. I like old things, antiques, so I’m curious what we’ll find.”

“I can’t even guess. It may be a house filled with trash. We’ll see.”

As they drove away from her Dallas office, he watched traffic. “Did you tell your family what you’re doing?”

“Not yet,” she replied cheerfully. “That will be like dropping a bomb. I’m waiting for Sunday dinner when we all get together at my parents’ house. I think you’ll know when I’ve told them.”

“Will I need a bodyguard?” he asked, smiling again, another dazzling grin that changed her heart rate.

“You better not need one.” She thought for a second, then told him, “Doug will be the worst. I’ll have a private talk with him. He’s calmed down a little since he got married.”

“I know your brothers and I’m not worried. Your oldest brother and I didn’t have the best relationship in school. He isn’t going to be happy to know you’re working for me.”

“No, Doug won’t, but Thane’s gift to me is going to go a long ways toward smoothing things over. That’s a lot of money. Besides, I’ll make it clear that you and I will be together because of business. I’ll be working for you, and my brothers know they better leave me alone to run my business the way I see fit.”

“As I said, I think that’s what Thane intended.”

Jake drove to the airport, where his private plane waited. It was a quick flight to a landing strip at Flat Hill, Texas, a small Texas town with a wide main street, a grocery, a hardware store, a bank, a café and a bar. Jake had a new pickup waiting and he held the door for her.

As she stepped past him, she caught a whiff of his aftershave, so slight, but it heightened his appeal.

She slid into the passenger seat and he closed the door. When he circled the pickup, her gaze ran over his broad shoulders and his narrow waist. She hoped they didn’t work too closely together. Life would be easier if they didn’t, because no matter what she did she couldn’t shake her awareness of him. On the plane, she’d occasionally looked up and caught him staring at her, desire blatant in his dark eyes. When their gazes met, it was as if they had made physical contact. She couldn’t understand the chemistry between them, but it was still going strong.

She had to remember Jake was a playboy. He didn’t want to marry anytime soon—maybe ever. He didn’t want a family. He had women in his life but he didn’t keep them around long. He was all the things she wouldn’t want in a man in her life. And he wasn’t anything like the men in her family.

So why was she aware of his very presence from the second he slid into the driver’s seat and closed his door?

It was three o’clock when they turned beneath a metal arch that read Long L.

“Do you know who the Long L was named after?” she asked and Jake shook his head.

“No, one of the early day Warners, I suppose.” As he drove along a narrow dirt trail that almost disappeared in weeds, high grass and cacti, her curiosity grew. In minutes, she could see a large three-story weathered house on a rise. Tall oaks were on either side of the house, ancient trees that had long spreading limbs.

“That’s not what I’d expected,” she said, gazing at the house.

“It’s impressive,” Jake said. “According to Thane, it was built in 1890.”

“If it’s lasted well over a century, it must be well-built.” The house looked Victorian, with one large turret on the second floor, a dormer on the third floor and three balconies on the second floor, all with fancy balustrades like the porch. “I think I’m going to love working on this old house.”

“I’ll remember to avoid taking you to my condo with a very contemporary kitchen.”

She smiled at him. “I like contemporary, too. Antiques are my first love, though.”

“This ranch house looks more elaborate than I’d expected,” he said, peering at it through the windshield.

“And more charming, because I can imagine how it will look with a new coat of paint and all fixed up,” she said.

“I’ve never been on this ranch before,” Jake said. “Thane’s grandmother died first and his family didn’t like their grandfather, so we didn’t spend any time out here. No telling what we’ll find. Thane said his great-great-grandfather was a horse thief and a bank robber and did plenty the family didn’t talk about.”

As Jake spoke of the ranch’s history, Emily couldn’t help but feel eager to get to work. She hadn’t wanted this job, but she had gotten into the antiques-and-appraisal business because she loved old things, and as she looked at the large ranch home that was over a hundred years old, she couldn’t keep from being curious and excited about what they would find in it. The prospect of living in it, working constantly with Jake, added to the excitement bubbling inside her.

“We’re not going to find any bodies, are we?”

Jake laughed as he shook his head. “Nope. At least, I hope not. As far as I know, Thane’s grandfather was only a gambler. He must have been good at it to hang on to this ranch. That’s an imposing-looking house. I figured we’d find something that should be leveled. That’s what Thane suggested and I think what he intended to do. We’ll have to see what it’s like inside, but if it’s solid, I’m not tearing it down.”

“Tearing it down would be a real loss,” she agreed. “I can’t believe I’m going to live in that for the next few weeks.”

“Count on weeks. I’m guessing the inside is filled with stuff, from what Thane indicated. Years of stuff. If so, it’ll take time to go through it.” They drove over rocks and through a stream that was only a trickle.

“Someone is there. See that pickup by the oak?” she asked, pointing ahead.

“That’s the caretaker, who’s also in charge of security. Rum McCloud. I don’t know whether Rum is a nickname or his real name. I notified him that we were coming.”

Standing in the shade, a lanky man in a plaid long-sleeve Western shirt, jeans, boots and a broad-brimmed hat waited with his hands on his hips. They parked and Jake went around to open the door for Emily, but she stepped out quickly.

Jake walked up to Rum and held out his hand. “I’m Jake Ralston and this is Emily Kincaid.”

“Howdy, folks. Rum McCloud. Welcome to the Long L. Here’s two house keys and my card with my phone number and email address. Anything I can do for you, just let me know. You can call or text.” Rum aso handed Jake three key rings, which he assumed were for locks inside the house.

“Thanks. We’ll go look at it. We plan to stay in the house to get stuff sorted and out of it. I’ll let you know, Rum, what we end up doing.”

“Fine. We can send dinner up from the big kitchen for you. My crew will still be around 24/7. We watch this place.”

He looked over his shoulder at the house. “The place needs repairs, but it’s time and weather that’s taken a toll. We keep vandals, kids and drifters away from here. After his grandfather died, Mr. Warner came and looked at the place, locked it up and left and never came back. Inside that house is just like his grandfather left it. I’m sorry about Thane. He was a fine man.”

“Yes, he was. We became friends too far back to remember. I told you on the phone—I intend to keep this ranch, raise cattle and keep you and the other men who are here now. You can pass the word on that.”

“Glad to hear that. I’ll pass it along. Everyone is wondering about the future. Now I can tell them they still have a job.”

“Yes, you can. The only quick changes will be to this house. We’re not staying tonight. We’re only here to take a look inside the house. I’ll let you know when we’ll be back and when we’ll stay to go through stuff. Hopefully, we’ll start next week,” he said, glancing at Emily, and she nodded.

“I can do that,” she said, mentally going through her business calendar. Next week would fit her schedule nicely, and she was looking forward to getting her hands on the antiques.

There was only one thing she was still fretting over. Living out here with Jake Ralston.

Emily said goodbye to Rum and was aware of Jake beside her as they walked to the front steps.

“This was a grand old house in its day,” Jake said. He paused at the foot of the steps to look up at the house.

“I think it’s still a wonderful house,” she said and he looked down at her and smiled.

“Why do I think that you are a definite optimist?”

She shrugged. “I like the house and I see the good side of keeping it. Cleaned up and freshly painted, it could be charming. I’ve already sent a text to my assistant and she’s getting a cleaning crew lined up for tomorrow.”