Home to the Cowboy

“I had my first kiss on this swing.” Tess scratched the cat behind his ears while he purred contently. “Cole Langtry.” She whispered his name for fear if she said it aloud he would suddenly appear.

They were in the sixth grade and inseparable. One afternoon, when they were swinging, he’d grabbed and kissed her. Tess was so angry she hauled off and punched him. It was their first and last kiss until they were adults. They were close throughout junior and senior high school and even attended prom together when Travis Gardner stood Tess up at the last minute so he could compete in a rodeo. Scheduled for the same event, Cole chose to escort Tess instead, telling her he would do anything to stop her tears. They were crowned king and queen of the prom, and even though the night was magical, he didn’t try to kiss her again and they didn’t pursue anything more than friendship until a few years ago.

Tess stared at the empty glass she held. She didn’t remember drinking a single sip of the cool liquid. She jumped off the swing, causing it to bang the porch railing and launch her cat through the air. “Whoops! At least you landed on your feet.”

She scooped the angry tabby up in one arm and stormed into the house. Why couldn’t she get that blasted man out of her head? The screen door slammed behind her. One day her father would finally fix that broken spring. She picked up the phone to call the ranch and then hesitated, placing it on the kitchen counter.

Outside, Tess unloaded the rest of her belongings from the trunk of the rental and began carrying them into the house while she debated what to do next. Take a nice hot bath or unpack? The heels of her boots dug deep into the ground.

Come on, eat your crow and get it over with. Tess knew she owed Kay Langtry a personal apology for missing her husband’s funeral. Repeated excuses via her mother only went so far and the woman deserved more respect than that. Guilt weighed heavily on Tess’s mind and the sooner she made amends, the sooner her conscience would stop haunting her.

Gravel flew as she jammed the key into the ignition and stepped on the gas. Without warning, the car jolted when the rear tire drove over something hard.

“What the—” Tess opened the door to see half of her luggage wedged under the car. Preoccupied with thoughts of the Langtrys, she’d forgotten about the rest of her bags. She grabbed the suitcase handle and yanked hard. It broke off in her hand, hurling her backward onto the ground. Tess sat in disbelief, staring at her expensive designer luggage.

“The perfect way to end a perfect week!” Losing all self-control, she started to laugh and felt the stress begin to leave her body. It was either laugh or cry, and at this very moment, laughter did truly feel like the best medicine.

“Are you all right, dear?” Her parent’s neighbor, Janie Anderson, stood at the end of the driveway, her Yorkie pulling toward Tess on a retractable leash. The giant pink polka-dotted bow on the top of the dog’s head seemed to make the situation even more humorous.

“Hey, Mrs. Anderson! Good to see you again!” Tess waved hello, then collapsed into another fit of laughter. Janie shook her head and continued with her walk. Still lying in the driveway, she propped herself up on her elbows and looked at the suitcases. “Let’s try this again.”

Tess stood, dusting off her jeans, and proceeded to struggle, kick and swear until she managed to free her suitcases and set them in the house. Then she took a deep breath and headed out to the Langtry ranch to apologize.

* * *

COLE HAD KNOWN for a few weeks that Tess was flying into town today and had been psyching himself up to meet her fiancé. When Maggie informed him the wedding was off, he’d chastised himself for the slight elation he’d felt at the news Tess was single again.

No, he’d rather drive his pickup over one of his championship belt buckles than give that woman an ounce of his heart again.

Tess had always seen him as a trusting, reliable friend, but the feelings Cole had had for her in high school grew stronger each time they visited one another after graduation. Tired of wondering what might be, two years ago Cole grabbed the bull by the horns and told Tess how he really felt. He’d been relieved to hear she had the same feelings for him, but annoyed he’d wasted so much energy on women who had meant nothing to him. The two of them made things official and started dating, but the long distance was difficult.

Although they made the relationship work with frequent trips, it grew harder to say goodbye and Cole was set to show Tess how much she meant to him by proposing. Always one to take a ride on the wild side, he knew how much she loved spontaneity and adventure. The night was meticulously arranged with his brother Shane’s assistance. A private roller-coaster ride high above the Stratosphere, followed by a four-course chef’s tasting menu at the Top of the World restaurant, would lead to a proposal as they overlooked one of the world’s most exciting cities.

For the second half of Tess’s surprise, Cole prebooked the Stratosphere wedding chapel for Valentine’s Day in hopes she’d love the idea of a destination wedding. But the chance to slip a ring on her finger never came.

When he and Tess walked out of the Thomas & Mack Center that evening after his victorious ride, he was blindsided by a couple of topless groupies. That in itself wouldn’t have been so bad, but when one of the women asked when they were going to spend another night together, Tess flew out of the parking lot before he had an opportunity to explain. The truth was he had been with each of them before, on more than one occasion but never at the same time, and he couldn’t blame Tess for assuming the worst of him. Before he was able to tell her he’d slept with them before he and Tess started dating, Tess had checked out of the hotel. He knew his ladies’ man reputation was bad, but after their past few months together, he’d thought she understood where his heart was, even though he hadn’t actually said the words.

Hopping mad, Cole took his anger out on the rodeo and overrode every event, making one careless mistake after another and destroying any chance he had of winning. He still blamed Tess for that loss, although she wouldn’t know it, considering he hadn’t heard from her again with the exception of a brief voice mail when his father died. When she didn’t show up for the funeral, he didn’t bother to return her call. Now she was in town for his brother Jesse’s wedding and there was no avoiding her, especially since both of their mothers were handling the reception.

The Bridle Dance Ranch, one of the state’s largest paint and quarter cutting horse ranches, left Cole with little time on his hands. The newly added sod farm division was still in its infancy and had probably been one of his father’s better concepts, but Cole and his brothers’ lack of knowledge in the field added to Cole’s daily stress. Refusing to give Tess a second thought, he had successfully blocked her out of his mind until his father’s death. Although he’d been surrounded by friends and family, she was the one person he wanted around, and she had kept her distance.

“I heard Tess is in town.” Jesse sat on the stool beside Cole at the Magpie counter. “How are you holding up?”

“How the hell did you hear that? I just saw her a few minutes ago myself.”

“Ferris was behind her and said she was parked in the middle of the street, looking around. Had to toot the horn to get her to move.”

“It’s been two years,” Cole growled. “Maybe she forgot what the place looked like.”

“Still a sore subject, even after seeing her, huh?” Jesse asked.

“I told her we need to talk, but who knows? I used to be able to predict how she’d react to any given situation, but not anymore. She seems different.”

“She got dumped and lost her job,” Jesse stated. “What do you expect?”

“It’s more than that.” Cole stood, placing his hat on his head. “The fire that always got her in so much trouble is gone.”

“She’ll come around.” Jesse motioned for his usual breakfast order. “Call me later so we can go over the plans for the ranch.”

Cole slapped his brother on the shoulder and headed out the door. He knew Jesse still carried guilt from not resolving the decade-and-a-half-long falling-out he’d had with their father. When the will was read, everyone was surprised to hear Jesse’s name included with his brothers as one of the ranch’s stockholders. Although Jesse in no way wanted anything to do with Bridle Dance, his father had respected him for working to create a legacy of his own training horses at the Double Trouble Ranch without any of the family’s financial resources.

Nonetheless, Bridle Dance was Jesse’s birthright and he wanted to memorialize their father, with Cole and their mother’s help, by fulfilling Joe’s dream of converting part of Bridle Dance into a hippotherapy center. Joe had visited a similar facility and had seen how a horse’s movements were used to treat people with injuries and physical disabilities. Cole was overjoyed when Jesse voted for opening their own facility and pledged his share of the profits from the rest of the ranch to the project.

Due to the size of the Langtrys’ business, Joe had the foresight to name Cole’s mother, Kay, and attorney Henry Dalton, Tess’s father, as coexecutors of the estate. Joe’s will bequeathed the house, the land and their small winery to Kay, and the business side of the ranch was to be split evenly between the four brothers. The land itself was leased back to the Bridle Dance Ranch Corporation, providing Kay with a lifetime income.

The corporate bylaws stated every major financial decision involving the ranch required a majority vote, and without a say in the business, Kay was at the mercy of her children where Dance of Hope, the hippotherapy facility, was concerned. And since each sibling held a twenty-five-percent stake in the company, the brothers were at a standoff.

Cole and Jesse were determined to honor their father and bring the nonprofit to fruition, but Shane and Chase didn’t share that vision. They went along with it when Joe was alive because they didn’t have any other choice. They wanted to build an over-the-top, world-class rodeo school instead.

Cole had to find a way to change his brothers’ minds and he’d stop at nothing to see the project through. He needed to focus his attention on the ranch, not Tess, yet somehow, she kept popping into his head. Memories of her scent, the touch of her hand in his, even her tousled hair were singeing the outer shell of his heart.

But that book was closed and he refused to reopen it.

Chapter Two

The words Bridle Dance balanced between two rearing bronze horses located on either side of the dirt road. Despite the Langtrys’ wealth, Tess loved that they’d never paved the entrance, preserving the ranch’s historic appeal. Rows of pecan trees heavy with fruit formed thick canopies above her. She hoped they’d be harvested while she was in town.

Through the fretwork of tree branches, she could see the sprawling three-story main house. If there was such a thing as a log manor, this was it. A porch produced from the same golden timbers spanned the front of the home, welcoming family and friends to relax and enjoy the sprawling landscape.

She caught a glimpse of Cole in the distance, mounted on a sleek black horse. He removed his Stetson and ran his hand through his thick brown hair before turning to eye her warily.

Gripping the steering wheel, she revved the car hard. With a wave of his hat, Cole signaled his horse into a full gallop. Tess floored the gas pedal, her tires spinning. Clouds of dirt encircled the car before it shot forward.

Machine versus beast took them back in time to when they were teenagers. Tess would try to best one of Cole’s prized quarter horses with a ranch rig. The horse always won.

History repeated, Cole reined his mount beside the front porch. Tess jerked the wheel to the left, braked hard and fishtailed to a stop on the other side.

Cole nudged his gelding to the driver’s side door. Before Tess placed one booted foot out of the vehicle, he was off his mount and blocking her path.

“Pretty impressive for a rental, but I win again.” He placed both hands on the door frame to prevent her escape, motioning with his head to the horse behind him. “But Blackjack here is the real winner. Although I’m afraid I might have to spend the next month unlearning this race toward home trick we just taught him. Remember how Captain Chaos threw riders when he charged the stables after he came off the trails?”

“Do I ever.” Tess ducked under his arms. “Your dad was furious with us for racing.”

Cole grabbed her by the waist before she had a chance to flee.

“What’s your rush?” He guided her back toward the car. “We have a lot of talking to do.”

She inhaled the scent of sweat, dirt and horse. Home. This is what home smells like. This was also what one hundred percent man felt like. At that sudden realization, she pulled away from him.

A rough, callused hand lifted her chin. “What’s the matter, sweetheart?” he challenged. “Have you forgotten what a real man is?”

Tess tried to squirm past Cole but only succeeded in wedging herself tighter between car and cowboy. The length of him pressed against her made Tess all too aware of the danger that lurked behind his mischievous grin. She’d wind up in a whole mess of trouble if she remained in this position much longer.

“Is my mother here?” Struggling to avoid his eyes, she stared instead at his chest. The corded muscles were unmistakably visible through his taut fawn-colored thermal shirt. She felt the urge to run her hands underneath it and trace each ripple with her fingers.

“In the house, but I didn’t tell her you were here. Figured you’d like to do the honors.”

He ran his hands leisurely down her sides and tightly gripped her waist.

Shock registered the moment Tess realized what he was about to do.

“Cole, please don’t.” She grabbed at his hands, trying in vain to pry them away. “Not that!”

Cole’s powerful fingers dug into her sides, tickling her. She twisted in his arms, her knees buckling.

“Okay, okay—you win!” she said in between shallow breaths. “We’ll talk, but later, all right? Let me go see my mom.”

Tess looked up at Cole. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed. When had life become so serious and complicated?

The noonday sun upon his face contrasted the shadow of the previous night’s beard. Tess reached out to stroke his cheek but withdrew before making contact. She refused to fall into that trap again. She hated to admit it, but being here with him felt good, although she knew Cole probably would never forgive her for missing his dad’s funeral. The most she could hope for was to put the past to rest and start over again.

Would Kay Langtry accept her apology? Tess didn’t know where to begin without sounding selfish. The problem was her reasons were selfish. She’d wanted to avoid Cole, even though she had seriously considered flying home. She’d also wanted to avoid a major blowup with Tim. He didn’t want her going back home without him and he wouldn’t miss work to attend the funeral of someone he’d never met. Tim wasn’t interested in seeing where she came from, no matter how hard Tess tried to convince him. How could she love a man like that? The signs were there, but she’d been oblivious to them day after day.

“It’ll work itself out.” Years might have passed, but Cole could still read her emotions.

“I hate it when you do that. I was never able to put anything past you.” Tess faced her old friend. “I truly am sorry.”

Cole turned her toward the porch stairs, placing his hands on her shoulders, and gave her a push.

“It’s not me you have to apologize to.”

Tess sighed and hesitantly clambered up the porch stairs and entered the house. Rustic log walls reached up toward a bevy of skylights in the Langtrys’ great room. Hand-hewn wood beams led to a large open loft. Intricate beaded artwork from the Native American Kickapoo tribe decorated the far wall leading to the kitchen. Plush, cognac leather sofas formed a horseshoe before a monumental, floor-to-ceiling river-rock fireplace.

The house was indulgent, yet it swathed you in warmth and comfort the moment you stepped within its depths. Tess headed for the dining room, stopping when she overheard her mother and Kay’s voices.

“I’m so glad Tess is still coming to the wedding,” Kay, her mother’s best friend, said from beyond the kitchen wall. “It hurts me to think of her staying in New York by herself.”

“It hasn’t been easy for her” came Maggie’s reply. “She still has her roommate, but I think that relationship’s a little strained since Tess was laid off.”

“This vacation will do her some good,” Kay said. “Maybe she’ll move home. You can set those in the other room to cool. I’m afraid we’ve run out of counter space in here.”

Maggie placed a tray of honey-drizzled croissants on the dining table a few yards away from Tess, who flattened herself against a large sideboard, almost gouging her ribs on a deer antler lamp in the process. Her mother would tan her hide if she caught her eavesdropping. A ravenous belly grumble almost betrayed her location. Maggie turned and walked into the kitchen as Tess let out a sigh of relief.

“Shh,” Tess whispered. She placed a hand to her abdomen and tried to concentrate on the conversation, not the sweet aroma that beckoned her.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when the screen door creaked behind her. Cole stood in the doorway, the light behind him shadowing his face.

“Lose your way?” Cole placed his hat on the hat rack beside the door.

Tess crept closer to the kitchen to hear more, motioning to him to keep quiet.

“Tess, it’s so wonderful to see you!” Cole bellowed. A wide grin spread across his face when he sauntered into the room and grabbed a croissant from the table. Admiring the flaky crust, he broke off a piece and motioned for her to taste it. “These are amazing. Try this before it cools off much more.”

Tess shot him a look that would have killed most men on the spot. How dare he give her away! Even worse, he was distracting her with food. Unable to resist a moment longer, she reached for one of her own.

“Here.” Cole offered her the other half.

Tess opened her mouth and took the piece from him, almost nipping his fingers.

“Holy hot!” She danced around the dining room, Cole chortling at her pain. “You set me up, you idiot!”

“I thought you were going to take it from me.” Cole laughed. “Not bite it right out of my hand.”

Maggie and Kay emerged from the kitchen in time to see Tess fanning her face. Caught with her hand in the proverbial cookie jar, Tess fumbled for an excuse to explain her silent entrance into the house.

“Look who’s calling who an idiot.” Cole jumped up and down flailing his arms, mocking Tess.

“Colburn Joseph Langtry!” Kay threatened. “Put a cork in your pistol.”

“Oh—” Tess giggled. “You’re in trouble.”

“Tessa May Dalton,” Maggie howled. “How old are you? Two?”

“Ha-ha!” Cole shouted.

Kay snapped a towel at him, hitting his elbow with a resounding thwack. He held his arm like a wounded child while Tess did her best not to burst out laughing. Nope, life in Ramblewood hadn’t changed. At least Cole’s antics eased the tension in a potentially strained greeting.

Maggie rushed over and gave her daughter a body-engulfing hug, then held Tess at arm’s length to get a better look. Pleased, she drew her in for another clinch.

“We weren’t expecting you until tonight,” Maggie squealed. “You should have called.”

“I took the chance of waiting on standby and got an earlier flight,” Tess said. “I hate flying later in the day. It’s a waste of valuable hours.”

She turned to Cole’s mother, who was standing next to her son. “Hello, Kay. How are you?”

Maggie released her daughter as Kay enveloped Tess in a warm embrace.

“Were your ears burning?” Kay asked. “We were talking about you this very minute. My, it sure has been a long time.”

Tess knew a subtle reprimand when she heard one. “I’m so sorry for your loss and I sincerely apologize for not being here.”

“I’m sure you had your reasons, dear.” Kay was polite, but the underlying criticism was clear. “When you’re settled, I need your expertise.”

“Mom,” Cole warned. “What are you up to?”

“Go make yourself useful and check the humidistat in the wine cellar,” Kay said. “It felt too damp down there this morning.”

Cole’s booted feet stomped loudly out of the room. What was his issue? Tess wondered. Maggie wet her fingertip and tried to smooth Tess’s hair from her face.

“Eww, Mom, stop! I’m aware it looks bad.” Before the day was through, Tess needed to do something with her hair. Once her mom started in with the spit styling, she knew she was long overdue for a trim.

“It’s nice to see you and Cole made some progress with this mysterious rift between you two,” Kay said, once Cole was out of earshot.

“Rift? There’s no rift.” Tess wasn’t surprised to hear Kay didn’t know why she and Cole were no longer together. How did a son explain to his mother that his libido had ruined a relationship? “What do you need my expertise on?”

“I don’t even know where to begin when it comes to marketing a hippotherapy facility. Since you’re here, I’d like to hire you to get us headed in the right direction and really showcase Dance of Hope.”

“But I thought that was on hold. Mom told me Shane and Chase are blocking the project from going further.”

“Eh!” Kay dismissed the thought. “They’ll come to their senses soon enough. I don’t want to waste any more time.”

“I’m not sure I can help.” Working so close to Cole would completely negate the peace and relaxation she’d anticipated for this trip. “I’ll be here for a few short weeks, and then I’m heading home.”

“Tess, outside.” Annoyance registered on Maggie’s face.

“Uh, okay, I—”

“Tessa May!”

Use of her full name twice in one day meant her mom was serious even though Tess wasn’t sure what she’d done wrong.

“Kay is offering you a paying job and you’re second-guessing her?” Maggie chastised her daughter on the porch. “After the crap you pulled this summer, you owe this to her.”

“What?” Tess didn’t believe her ears. “I have other things going on, Mom.”

“And what are they, Miss Big Shot? You don’t even have a job.”

Tess spun around, “Yes, and thanks for bringing that to all of Ramblewood’s attention. I also hear everyone knows Tim ditched me.”

“Oh, dear.” Maggie furrowed her brow. “I told people the truth. What’s the big deal?”

“Mom, it’s none of their business.” Tess wouldn’t allow her mother to twist the situation. Truth or not, no one needed the details of what was going on in her life. “Second, I can get a job in New York in a heartbeat. What’s the harm in my taking a little break to regroup?”

Maggie reached for her daughter’s hand and held it in her own. Tess noticed the deep laugh lines in her mother’s face, but there was no laughter there now. She watched her mother anxiously push a strand of chestnut hair out of her eyes as she attempted a smile, looking thinner than she had in recent memory.

“Kay is putting aside whatever this...this thing is between you and Cole and offering you an olive branch for not making it to Joe’s funeral. The least you can do is take it. You’ve put a major strain on your father and my relationship with the Langtrys and you need to set things right.”

If anyone knew how to shame Tess into doing something, it was Maggie. Tess couldn’t blame her mother for being upset when Tess hadn’t exactly been the greatest friend to the family that had treated her like one of their own all her life.

* * *

“YOU DID WHAT?” Cole was blown away by his mother’s revelation after Tess and Maggie left. “How could you hire Tess without consulting with me?”