Expecting The Rancher's Baby?

“Nope. She was a city girl from Dallas. She lived in a downtown loft and unfortunately tennis was her sport.”

Her green eyes went wide. “Unfortunately? What’s wrong with tennis?”

Open mouth, insert boot. “I take it you play.”

“Yes, but not much since my boarding school days.”

That nearly shocked him speechless. His family had always been well off, but they’d never shipped him off. “Like a live-in school?”

Jill looked like she wished she could take it back. “Yes. All-girl college prep academy, thanks to my mother’s insistence. I concentrated on my studies, and not on boys.”

He’d begun to wonder if she’d never had any exposure to the opposite sex. Nah. Not possible with her looks and smarts. “Surely you had a boyfriend at some point in time.”

The way she lowered her eyes for a second told Houston he might already know the answer. “I’ve dated a little,” she finally said. “But with my bachelor’s degree, grad school, internships and a demanding job, my schedule hasn’t allowed for much of a social life for the past few years.”

He’d be glad to help her change that, but she probably wouldn’t be game. Then again, if it didn’t work out between them and she did go to work for the ranch, that could cause a lot of issues. “I imagine it would be pretty hard to have much of a social life with all the traveling, particularly in your line of work.”

“Most men don’t seem to have that problem.”

He couldn’t resist yanking her chain. “Isn’t that a little sexist?”

She rolled her eyes and smiled. “Oh, please. That’s the way it is. Men have an uncanny way of finding a woman in every port. Or in your case, arena.”

“You’re jaded.”

“I am not. I only tell it like it is.”

“Nope. You’ve been wronged by someone, most likely a cowboy.”

She raised her hand like she was taking an oath. “I swear I have never been involved with a cowboy. I have been a silent observer during my tenure as an athletic trainer and I’ve seen it all. Broken hearts. Heated arguments. I’ve even treated the casualties resulting from cat fights.”

He chuckled. “Gotta love those cowgirls.”

“Let me add that I’ve also examined more than a few jaws resulting from cowboy fights, even if that’s not in my job description.”

“But not with me.”

She grinned again. “No, not you. You’re more inclined to fall on your head when you fall off a bull and then argue with me when you don’t want to hear my advice.”

He studied her a moment and had a surprising revelation. “I’ve got to be honest with you, Jill. When I first met you, I didn’t like you much.”

She laid a hand above her breasts. “I’m stunned.”

“That’s sarcasm, right?”

“Yes. You didn’t like it when I ran you through concussion protocol.”

“True. And I didn’t particularly like that you seemed to treat other cowboys nicer.” Now he sounded like some jealous jerk.

“You don’t like anyone telling you what to do,” she began, “and most of my patients tend to be much more cooperative.”

Damn if she wasn’t right about that. “Fair enough. But you tend to make a big deal over a bump on the head, at least when it comes to me.”

She unbuckled her seat belt and scooted forward, her hands clasped together in her lap. “Look, Houston, I’m only tough because I care.”

“You do? Well, ma’am, I’m mighty honored to know that.”

“I care about every athlete I treat,” she added quickly.

“Even the annoying ones?”

Her smile traveled all the way to those great green eyes. “Yes, even the annoying ones.”

When Jill yawned, Houston realized he was being selfish by keeping her from sleeping. “Are you sure you don’t want to go to bed?”

“We don’t know each other that well.”

Finally, another glimpse of her sense of humor, although he didn’t find the stirring below his belt funny at all. His “bed” question might’ve been totally innocent, but the images hanging out in his head were pretty damn wicked. “You know what I mean. You’re about to fall asleep where you sit, which you can. Just press the button on the right side and the chair leans all the way back.”

She blinked twice. “I’m fine. Really.”

“You can barely keep your eyes open.” He stood, stepped to one side of her seat and depressed the control, reclining the back of the chair and raising the foot rest at the same time since she refused to do it herself. “There you go.”

He expected her to protest, but instead she muttered, “Thank you.”

For some reason, Houston’s feet remained glued to the floor as he continued to hover above Jill, leaving them in close proximity. She wet her lips and looked like she might want to say something, or do something, but she just sat very still, her gaze locked on his. He seriously wanted to kiss her, long and hard, but his mom’s words about honor kept him from acting on impulse. Jill had been right. They didn’t know each other that well, but if he had his way, that would change, if only to find out if his attraction to her was legitimate. He probably wouldn’t get his way, so he should just stop thinking about that now.

“Have a nice nap,” he said as he moved back to his seat.

“I will,” she answered before closing her eyes completely.

Houston downed the rest of his now-warm beer and continued to watch Jill. He knew by the rise and fall of her chest, her slack features, she was out. She was also a pretty sleeper. Angelic. Sexy. So much for not thinking of her in that way.

He rested his head back against the seat and allowed his imagination free rein, at his own detriment. Every detailed fantasy made him more uncomfortable. Every questionable thought about what he wanted to do with her made him shift on the seat. And every time he tried to stop thinking about it, he met mental resistance head-on.

If he didn’t get hold of his control, by the time they made it to the ranch, he’d have to ride in the pickup bed.

Bed.

Damn. Asking Jill Amherst on this trip was definitely asking for trouble.

Three

“Buckle up, folks. We’re about to land.”

At the sound of the booming voice, Jill came awake with a start. She looked around to try to regain her bearings, and came in visual contact with a pair of golden-brown eyes. Now she remembered. Private jet. Persistent cowboy. Possible new employment.

She stretched her arms above her head and made sure her seat belt was secure as they started to descend. “How long have I been asleep?”

“Less than an hour,” Houston said. “It’s a fairly short flight.”

As she braced for landing, Jill glanced out the window to see the roofs of several houses with pools and huge barns, and on the horizon, a huge multistory building surrounded by a massive amount of acreage. “Where are we landing?”

“The ranch. We have our own airstrip.”

Of course. “It looks like suburbia in the middle of nowhere.”

“We’ve all built our own houses, so I guess it would look that way. People in these parts like to refer to the D Bar C as the Cowboy Commune.”

She brought her attention back to Houston. “Clever. I look forward to seeing the commune up close and personal.”

The tires bumped and the plane screeched to a halt, followed by a resounding “Yee haw” coming from the vicinity of the cockpit.

“Who in the world was that?” she asked.

“That’s Frank, the wannabe cowboy pilot,” Houston said. “I forgot to warn you about him.”

She wondered what other surprises awaited her. “I appreciate his enthusiasm.” And she was happy that she hadn’t been bucked out of the airplane.

After releasing her seat belt, Jill grabbed her bag and stood. Houston followed suit, but before she could take a step toward the exit, he said, “Just so you know, my family’s kind of unconventional.”

She would save that conversation for later. “Not a problem. You should meet mine.”

Without waiting for a response, Jill headed out the now open door and sprinted down the stairs into the very warm Texas evening, Houston following behind her. She spotted a huge, black double-cab truck parked across the airstrip, a red Texas Extreme logo emblazoned across the side. And leaning against that truck, a guy with ham-hock biceps and sun-streaked hair. He wore a lemon yellow T and jeans and aside from the worn cowboy boots, he looked a bit out of place against the rustic backdrop.

The minute they made eye contact, he looked somewhat surprised to see her. Not as surprised as she was to see the likes of him on a ranch—a surfer dude. Definitely not the typical rodeo guy, which led her to believe he must be either a friend or employee of the Calloway boys.

“Hey, brother,” the stranger said as he pushed off the truck.

Brother? Seriously? A brother with a serious air of confidence, Jill decided when he strode toward them, all the while keeping his gaze trained on her.

“Hey,” Houston replied as he took the bags from the rowdy pilot with the handlebar mustache, who looked more like a gunslinger than an aviator. “Jill, this is Worth, the youngest of the crew.”

“I’m a minute older than Fort,” Worth said with a frown. “That makes me second to the youngest, and it’s nice to meet you, Jill.”

She’d known about Dallas, Austin and Tyler, but Fort and Worth had never entered any conversation she’d had about the Calloways. “Nice to meet you, too.”

Worth sent her a slow grin. “I didn’t know you were bringing a girl home, Houston.”

Houston shoved a black canvas bag at Worth. “She’s not with me, and she’s not a girl.”

“Okay, she’s a woman and I saw her get off the plane with you.”

“Yeah, but she’s here to see Dallas about a job.”

Worth turned his smile on Jill. “How long are you going to be here?”

She sensed the man was an incorrigible flirt. “Only one night.”

“Would you like to go with me to—”

“No, she wouldn’t, Worthless,” Houston snapped. “Take our bags to my house. And tell Mom to set an extra plate for dinner.”

Worth looked as confused as Jill felt. “I’ll drive you to your place.”

After handing over a set of keys to his brother, Houston picked up Jill’s luggage and started toward the truck. “We’ll walk,” he said as he put the bags in the bed.

Worth saluted. “Aye, aye, captain. I live to serve.”

After Worth climbed back into the truck and drove away in a fog of dust, Houston turned to Jill. “I want to apologize for his behavior. He only has two things on his mind—women and chasing women.”

Information she’d already gathered herself. “He seemed nice enough.”

“He’s a twenty-seven-year-old teenager.”

“A year older than me,” she said without much thought.

“Maybe chronologically, but not on a maturity level.”

“Does he work here on the ranch?”

“Yeah, but he owns a yacht-chartering company on the gulf coast.”

That explained the surfer look. “And apparently he has a twin.”

“Yep. Fort, but he doesn’t have anything to do with any of us.”

Interesting. “Why is that?”

“It’s a long story.”

One she might never know. She did have an important question involving the rest of the family. “When you asked Worth to tell your mother to set an extra plate, it made me wonder if anyone knows I’m here.”

He looked a little sheepish. “Only Dallas, but the rest will real soon, now that Worth knows.”

“I don’t want to inconvenience anyone.”

“It’s not a big deal,” he said. “We have guests dropping by all the time.

Now follow me and I’ll show you around.”

“I’m looking forward to it.” She wasn’t exactly sure how she felt about being the surprise for the evening, or staying in Houston’s house, but then again, it shouldn’t matter. She was here on business, and she’d established that from the beginning. She didn’t believe that Houston was the kind of guy who had to be reminded of that. Besides, he’d never held her in high esteem, although he had thought enough of her to present what could be a great opportunity. Provided she got past the initial first impressions. She had a feeling this could be an interview by committee.

They continued down a narrow paved road while Houston pointed out various landmarks, including the massive lodge in the distance, the new rodeo arena, complete with indoor and outdoor space. Then he pointed at the rock and cedar building adjacent to those facilities. “That’s the medical clinic. I’ll take you on a tour after dinner.”

Clinic? She’d been expecting a glorified tent. “I’m pleasantly surprised. It looks top-grade.”

“Right now it’s empty,” he said. “That’s where you come in.”

“If Dallas thinks I’m the right fit.”

“He will.”

Confident much? “If I decide it’s something I want to undertake.”

He grinned. “You will.”

She’d learned from experience that debating with Houston Calloway would do no good, so Jill concentrated on meeting him stride for stride as they took a left turn at a bend in the road. The first of the residences came into view, a white rock and cedar single-story rambling ranch house set back from the road on their right. From the looks of the place, she guessed this place belonged to a matriarch, until Houston said, “This one’s mine,” shattering all her assumptions.

“Wow,” she said as they headed up the driveway toward the three-car garage. She took note of the silver crew-cab truck, the typical rodeo cowboy’s mode of transportation. Admittedly she was a little stunned to see the champagne-colored Mercedes parked next to it.

“Great,” Houston muttered. “We have a guest.”

“Old girlfriend?”

“Nope. New stepmom. That’s her car.”

“Worth’s mother?”

“Yeah. Jenny. I’ve got to warn you, she’s one of a kind.”

“In a good way?”

“Most of the time.”

Jill wasn’t sure how to take that until the door opened to a woman with teased blond hair and a sunny smile. She wore a red polka-dot dress, covered by a white frilly apron that looked like a throwback from fifty years ago.

“Come in,” she said with a sweeping gesture. “We’re so glad to finally meet one of Houston’s special friends.”

“She’s not a special friend,” Houston corrected as they stepped inside the entry. “She’s a prospective employee.”

“Whatever you say.” She turned her attention to Jill. “I’m Jenny, Houston’s stepmama. And you are?”

Jill shook her offered hand. “I’m Jillian Amherst, but most people call me Jill.”

“What a lovely name,” Jen said. “For a lovely girl.”

“No offense, Jen,” Houston began, “but what are you doing here?”

“No offense taken, sugar. When Worth told me you’d brought home a guest, we decided to bring dinner home to you. Dallas, Paris and the baby are on their way. Now Austin and Georgie might be along a little later because Chance just took a tumble off the fence.”

Jill immediately launched into medical mode. “Is he all right?”

Jen waved a dismissive hand. “Oh, certainly, sweetie. This is a daily occurrence with that seven-year-old. He’s a walking accident waiting to happen.”

Houston finally closed the door behind him. “How long until dinner?”

“That depends on how long it takes you to fire up the grill,” Jen said.

Houston’s expression turned stony. “We’re having a barbecue?”

Jen looked at him as if he’d grown a second eye. “Of course. It’s Labor Day weekend, sugar. I brought the burgers and all the fixins’ plus a few hot dogs. I even have one of those fake patties for Paris. Your mama will be here in a bit with the apple pie.”

Funny, Jill hadn’t given much thought to the holiday. In fact, she hadn’t remembered the date when it came right down to it. “That sounds great. I’m on the road so much, I can’t remember the last time I celebrated a holiday.”

“Well, that ends today.” Jenny waved Jill toward the lengthy hallway to the right. “I’ll show you to your room while Houston gets after that grill. Otherwise, we won’t be eating until midnight.”

As the enthusiastic stepmother began leading her away, Jill shot a glance over her shoulder at Houston. He sent her a sympathetic look before disappearing from the foyer.

So much for being rescued, Jill thought as she followed Jenny down the corridor, which seemed to run the length of the house.

Jenny paused at the end of the hall and opened a door. “Here we are. Your accommodations for the evening.”

Jill walked into the tastefully appointed room to find her bags waiting at the foot of the queen-size bed covered in a rich purple satin comforter. She didn’t peg Houston as a purple kind of guy, but then she doubted he had anything to do with the decor.

“I decorated this room,” Jenny said, upholding Jill’s conjecture. “In fact, I decorated all the boys’ places, otherwise they’d be covered in cowhide and wood.”

“You did a great job.”

“Just wait till you see the bathroom,” Jenny said as she practically skipped across the room to open another closed door.

Jill came up beside her and peered inside to see a white Cararra marble tile shower with matching countertops on the vanity. As impressive as it was, she had to admit it looked a lot like other bathrooms she’d known in her lifetime.

Determined not to disappoint Jenny, Jill turned and smiled. “It’s very beautiful. I’m extremely impressed by your eye for decorating.”

“Oh, thank you, sugar. Now before we go back out into the crowd, we need to have a little chat.”

She could only imagine what that might entail. “Go ahead.”

“First of all, you need to know you’re going to be immersed in testosterone tonight. The Calloway men are a virile bunch. They can hang their jeans on the bedpost and get a woman pregnant.”

That created quite a visual in Jill’s mind. “Believe me, I deal with that every day in my job. Not the jeans thing, but the testosterone.”

“Well, just so you’re forewarned.” Jenny grinned. “I can’t wait for you to meet Paris and Dallas. You know, Paris worked for Dallas in exchange for marrying him.”

Jill would swear she’d read that scandalous novel before, and although she wished she had more details, she decided not to prod. “Interesting.”

Jenny sighed. “Oh, sweetie, it was. But then they fell in love, married and had a precious little boy eight months ago.”

“What a wonderful story.”

“And when it comes to Austin and Georgie, that was a love story decades in the making. They were high school sweethearts torn apart by family feuding and unavoidable circumstances.”

“Obviously it all worked out.”

“Yes, but not before they reunited for one magical night and conceived Chance. Of course, Austin didn’t know about him for a good six years.”

She’d read that book, too. “That must have been quite the bombshell.”

“It almost tore them apart for good. Thankfully we banded together and talked some sense into the boy. And now they’re living in wedded bliss as Romeo and Juliet, without the poison and dagger.”

Jill was suffering from serious information overload. “I can’t wait to meet them all, too.”

Jenny hooked her arm through Jill’s. “Then let’s get to it.”

Jill pondered what she’d gotten herself into. Correction. What she might be getting into if they came to an employment agreement. Right now she only worried about getting through the introductions.

They made their way through the masculine great room, complete with black leather sofas and, unsurprisingly, cowhide chairs as well as a large stacked-stone fireplace grounding the room. The kitchen was all Jill expected—high-end appliances, concrete countertops and a butcher-block island the size of Rhode Island. She wouldn’t be a bit surprised to see a butler. Oh, wait. That would be her family home.

“Just go on out back, sugar,” Jenny said as she opened the huge stainless refrigerator. “I’m going to season the burgers and I’ll join you in a few with some of my special drinks.”

“Sounds great.”

After walking through a set of French doors, Jill entered a backyard that could best be described as resort-like, right down to the pergola and the pool. She found Houston lighting the grill built into a second kitchen built out of stone, a barbecue master’s dream.

When Houston glanced at her over one shoulder, he smiled slightly. “Did Jen give you the grand tour?”

She pulled back a cushioned wicker chair from the round glass table nearby. “Yes, she did. She also gave me a recap of your brothers’ love stories.”

He lowered the lid on the grill and faced her. “I can only imagine what she said.”

“Let’s just say it was enlightening.”

“No surprise there. Where is she now?”

“She’s getting the burgers ready and making some kind of special drink.”

Houston raked back the chair across from her and sat. “I have to warn you about that. Drink it slow and don’t have more than one.”

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