Boots and the Bachelor

A cowboy takes a woman and her son under his wing…and teaches their hearts to fly.

Ugly Stick Saloon, Book 9

Angus McFarlan's mother can't be serious. Sell the ranch? Yet Mom has a point. Bringing the Rafter M out of bankruptcy has kept Angus and his brother too busy to date, let alone have children to inherit the legacy.

The last thing Angus wants is to get half-naked for the Ugly Stick Saloon's Annual Cowboy Auction, but it's a jump start into the dating scene. His buyer turns out to be a Dallas businesswoman, all legs and curves—a challenge to unwrap from that sexy, buttoned-down suit.

CEO Gwendolyn Graves has no time for a relationship. All she needs is a male role model for her young son, Dalton. She never thought her bachelor cowboy would impose conditions of his own. Like make her agree to spend time with him. Alone.

As Angus teaches Dalton what it means to be a man, he and Gwen discover a passion that ignites flames they thought they didn't have time to fan. And soon find themselves learning how to open their hearts and be a family. Just when they start thinking longer term, Dalton's father re-enters the picture—and trouble isn't far behind.

Warning: Quiet, sexy cowboy and woman in a tight suit get all unwrapped and tangled in the sheets in Texas.

Boots and the Bachelor

Myla Jackson

Dedication

This book is for all my wonderful Ugly Stick Saloon readers who just can't get enough of the Ugly Stick Saloon and the people who find love there. Thanks to all of you!

Chapter One

“You're going to do
what
?” Angus McFarlan slammed his palm on the dining table, too angry to finish the fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy his mother had prepared for their dinner.

Maggie, Angus's mother and the matriarch of the McFarlan family, sat at the head of the table where John McFarlan used to sit. She folded her arms. “You heard me. I'm selling the ranch.”

Her words hit him again like a sucker punch to the gut.

“Mom, you can't be serious!” Colin, the youngest of the McFarlan brothers, pushed back his chair so fast it fell with a loud crash. “You can't sell the Rafter M Ranch. It's been in the family for over one hundred and fifty years. It's our legacy. Dad would roll over in his grave.”

Their mother gave an unladylike snort and tilted her chin. “I don't see any of my sons giving enough of a damn to see that legacy passed down. And your father would not want me or any of you saddled with it until your dying day only for it to be auctioned off anyway.”

Angus sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm himself before he shouted. His mother's declaration had thrown him for a loop, but it didn't excuse him from disrespecting her. Taking the mature, calm tact, he said in a softer tone, “Don't I work my ass off on this ranch to make it pay? When cattle prices dropped, wasn't I able to redirect our ranching efforts to keep the ranch paying for itself?”

“Angus has put his heart and soul into this place.” Colin waved his hand. “He even put his climb up the corporate ladder on hold to take over when Dad died. If he hadn't ramped up the horse breeding and training, we'd have lost the ranch years ago.”

“You're only making me more determined. This ranch isn't just a legacy, it's an albatross.”

Angus stared at his mother, wondering where was the woman who'd always been optimistic, loving and as hard working as any of her sons? “I don't understand. The ranch is paying for itself and has been making a profit over the last three years. Why sell?”

She pointed a finger at Colin. “For the very reason you say we should keep it.”

Colin's eyes widened and then narrowed into a frown. “What reason? You're not making sense, Mom.”

“This ranch is a legacy. But what good is a legacy if you don't have anyone to pass it down to?” She folded her napkin and laid it beside her plate of uneaten chicken. “Angus, you and Colin work this ranch, and you work your other jobs as well. Which leaves you exactly how much time off to date, find a nice girl and settle down?” Planting her hands on the table, she stared from one to the other of her sons. “I'll tell you. No time, whatsoever. You can't get a life when you're too busy making a living on this ball and chain of a ranch.” She pushed away from the table and stood. “I'm selling the ranch.”

Angus stood when his mother did, his thoughts tumbling in his head. “You can't mean it, Mom. This ranch is the McFarlan home.”

“Ha!” His mother stamped her foot. “If it's the McFarlan home, why hasn't Brody been back in eight years?”

Colin's lips thinned. “Ask Brody.”

Angus shook his head. He wasn't sure why Brody left home eight years ago, but it had something to do with a fight he had with Colin. Colin had never owned up to what started it. “He came for your birthday last year,” Angus pointed out.

Again, his mother snorted. “For an entire day. That's it. He doesn't consider this home, and he never stays.”

“So? Brody doesn't consider this home, but Angus and I do,” Colin said.

Angus changed tactics and tried a little reverse psychology. “Mom, this ranch is yours. Dad left it to you, and you have the right to sell it, if that's what you want.”

Colin gasped. “What the hell are you saying, Angus?”

Angus held up his hand. “Dad left the ranch to Mom. It's hers, not ours.”

“You and I both have put our blood and sweat into making this place sustainable,” Colin said. “Doesn't that count for anything?”

“Not when the deed is in my name.” Their mother stood with her chin tipped upward, her eyes narrowed. “Look, I appreciate that you both came home after your father died and stayed through my surgery and chemotherapy when I had breast cancer, but now it's time for you two to get a life and quit worrying about me or the ranch.”

“Mom,” Angus said. “We would have left, if we had wanted to, but we don't. We love this place as much as Dad did.”

“It's not enough.” She raised her hands. “I want my boys married, with kids of their own. As I see it, this ranch is standing in the way of that ever happening. Therefore, I'm selling the ranch.”

“So you're serious about the legacy thing?” Angus laughed. “Has Mrs. Reinhardt been bragging about her grandbabies again?”

“No, it's not that.” She stopped, chewed on her bottom lip and tilted her head. “Well, a little. Seeing pictures of Jean's grandchildren only brought it home to me that my boys aren't moving on with their lives.”

“We're happy with the way we are, Mom.” Angus took his mother's hands in his. “Can't you be happy for us?”

She pulled her hands free of his and planted them on her hips. “Angus McFarlan, you're not happy and you don't even know it.”

Colin stared up at the ceiling and then back at his mother. “Look at the statistics. Less than fifty percent of marriages last these days.”

“Colin has a point,” Angus agreed. “Why bother getting married when numbers are against you?”

“Ha!” His mother stamped her foot. “When everyone told you that you couldn't make money training horses, you didn't let that stop you, did you, Angus? I did the research and the
numbers
were against you. But you did it anyway and you made it work. And how did you do that?”

“You know I love horses, and I worked my butt off to make it work.”

“Exactly,” she said. “And relationships are the same. If you love someone, you have to work hard to make the marriage work. Your father and I fought, didn't we?”

Colin chuckled. “You both gave as good as you got.”

“And we never went to bed mad at each other. It took a lot of compromise and work to make our relationship last. Just like with anything worthwhile in life.” She nodded toward Colin. “When you started your construction business, you hardly had two nickels to rub together. You worked on building relationships with your subcontractors and with the community. That wasn't easy, was it?”

“No, but that's different.”

“No, it's not.” Maggie McFarlan shook her head. “You have to feed and nurture a relationship, whether it's business or personal. They don't just happen.”

Angus hadn't met a woman worth all the fuss. “Frankly, Mom, I prefer talking to horses than to women. They don't talk back, and they aren't a lot of drama.”

His mother's brows shot up. “Dexter, your quarter horse stud, doesn't cause a lot of drama?”

Angus's lips curled upward. “Dexter is special.”

His mother rolled her eyes. “And you put up with his tantrums, the many times he breaks through fences or terrorizes the geldings and everything else, because he's
special
?” Her chest rose and fell on a long breath. “A woman can be special too, and worth the effort.”

“Dexter generates a lot of money through his stud services,” Angus said, hating that he sounded defensive.

Maggie stamped her foot. “Damn it, Angus, there's more to life than money.”

“Mom, mom, mom.” Colin, ever the charmer, slipped his arm around their mother's shoulders. “You're just upset. Mrs. Reinhardt brags about everything. It's not worth getting your shorts in a twist.”

Angus stepped back as the color rose in his mother's cheeks and fire blazed in her eyes. He knew better than to patronize his mother. Colin's usual soothing tactics weren't going to work on her this time. In fact, they appeared to be about to backfire.

Bracing himself, Angus waited for his sweet, kind, rarely angry mother to erupt like a volcano.

She lifted Colin's arm and stepped out from beneath it. “My decision stands. I'm selling the ranch, unless you three McFarlan boys prove to me this ranch is a legacy that
will
have someone to pass on to.”

Angus's back straightened, his body stiff. “Smells like an ultimatum to me.”

“I don't care if it smells like cow paddies.” Angus's mother's fist clenched. “You three boys better get it together and find wives, settle down and have some kids, or this place is gone.”

“Three?” Colin frowned. “Brody doesn't even live here.”

“Then you better find a way to get him back. I won't go through the rest of my days with one son running away from home for the rest of his life.” She spun and marched out of the kitchen.

“She's just pulling our chain, right?” Colin rubbed his chin, staring at the empty doorway.

Angus cringed. Colin had spoken all too soon. Their mother had excellent hearing from clear across the house. Three…two…one…

Their mother reappeared in the doorway. “Here's pulling your chain: I have a real estate broker coming tomorrow to discuss breaking up and selling this ranch, however it has to be done. I'll give you boys one month to fix what's broke between Colin and Brody, get Brody back and get married. If you can't do that in one month, I'm listing this place and entertaining all offers.”

“One month!” Angus thundered. “How can you expect us to meet and marry a woman in one month? It's insane.”

“Okay, I'll give you two. But no more. And it's all or none. This deal includes your brother Brody.”

“But—” Colin started.

Their mother held up her hand. “It's not up for negotiation.” She spun, took one step and spun back. “Oh, and just to make it clear, I'm done cooking, cleaning and running your errands. If you want clean laundry or a cooked meal, do it yourself. I've made it far too easy on you boys. It's time you grew up, and, for that matter, it's time I got a life of my own.”

Angus crossed his arms. “And where are we supposed to meet these women you want us to marry? Most of the ones I know are married or taken.”

His mother smiled. “You boys are in luck. It's ladies' night at the Ugly Stick Saloon. There will be a whole herd of women. It's a good start and a good way to prove you're taking me seriously. I suggest you both shower, put on your best boots and get over there.”

“You can't threaten us to get married,” Colin grumbled.

Their mother's eyes narrowed. “No, but I can sell the ranch. And I will.”

“I haven't been to the Ugly Stick Saloon in seven years.” Gwendolyn Graves glanced around the bar's interior crammed full of women. “I guarantee I've never seen it this packed.”

Mona Daley laughed. “This is the Annual Cowboy Auction. The event brings in women from all over the state, and even Oklahoma and Arkansas. The money raised is always for a good cause and we have a ball. You remember Bunny Leigh, don't you?”

“I do.” Gwen smiled. “She loved arranging flowers. How is she doing? If I remember correctly, she was just getting married.”

Mona's lips curved upward. “The good news is that she owns her own flower shop now.” She frowned. “The bad news is that marriage didn't last. But then it's good news.” Mona waved her hand. “Sounds confusing, but she ditched the cheating bastard, bought herself two handsome cowboys at one of these cowboy auctions, and is now living happily with both of them.”

Gwendolyn blinked. “My goodness. I don't know whether to offer her my condolences or congratulations.”

“Congratulations. She's never been more sexually satisfied.”

Nodding, Gwen said, “Wow. Two cowboys?”

“Two of the hottest cowboys in the tricounty area. And she's over-the-moon happy.”

“Are
they
happy?” Gwen's core tightened at the thought of having two men to satisfy her every sexual desire. Hell, she'd be happy to have just one.

“The guys have always been really close. Sharing Bunny came natural. What about you?” Mona waved her mug of beer at Gwendolyn. “Have you finally started dating? We have to do a better job of keeping in touch. It's not like you're halfway around the world. You're only in Dallas. Once a year get-togethers aren't nearly enough.”

“I know.” Gwen tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “You knew I took over as CEO of the small cosmetics company I worked for, didn't you?”

“Honey, you didn't just take over as CEO, you bought the damned company.” Mona leaned over and hugged her. “I read about it in the newspaper. Congratulations.”

Her cheeks warmed. “Thank you. But owning your own company is very time-consuming. Especially when you're trying to expand and grow it as much as I have. I haven't had time to breathe for the past year. I've gone from ten employees to over forty.”

Mona whistled. “I don't know how you do it. I can barely manage my shop and I'm the only one working there.”

Gwen laid a hand on her friend's arm. “Honey, small can be so much easier. I don't have time for anything but work.”

“What about your love life?”

With a snort, Gwen shook her head. “No time.” And, sadly, no desire.

“That summer you came home from college, I thought for sure you and Angus McFarlan were a thing.” Mona tilted her head. “What happened with that?”

“I went back to college.” Gwen shrugged. “He never contacted me.”

“That's too bad. You two seemed perfect together.”

She'd thought so too. On their last date, he'd taken her to the top of a hill on the Rafter M Ranch in his pickup. They'd stretched out a blanket on the grass, made love beneath a star-studded Texas sky and fallen asleep in each other's arms. In the middle of the night, she'd woken beside him, so filled with love and longing. The last thing she wanted to do was return to College Station to finish her degree.