Cowboy Payback (2 page)

Brett nodded. “Thank you, sir.”

He knew better than to get involved with the women in his unit, or any woman for that matter. His childhood sweetheart had ditched him as soon as he’d joined the marines when the towers fell. Plus, he’d seen what Finn had gone through with his first fiancée, Heather. She’d walked away after an explosion had sent his brother home a former SEAL with a busted leg and broken spirit.

No. Thank. You.

A relationship was not worth the risk. His affairs were always casual and non-military related. Mutually agreed upon. Mutually satisfying. Always brief. No more than two dates. Ever. Royal Pines, his family owned dude ranch resort, was
his
wife. He had no room in his life for a mistress.

“William, Mary,” his mother greeted, having already met the corporal’s parents on two deployment sendoffs and one homecoming. “So good to see you again.”

“You, too, Rose,” Mrs. Jennings replied, returning his mother’s hug. “I can’t tell you how happy I was when Trisha told us she was engaged to your son.”

Brett eyed the unusually quiet redhead. Normally, you couldn’t get the corporal to shut up. That was why he’d put her in charge of morale in Iraq. She always had something nice and encouraging to say. Plus, the woman had a wicked sense of humor. Three positives every morale officer needed in their arsenal.

“It’s a good thing you grabbed her when you did, Captain. There’s a junior lawyer or two in our firm who have had their eyes on my daughter,” Mr. Jennings stated. Pride shone in his steady gaze as he rocked back on his heels. “If you hadn’t, I’m positive she would’ve been engaged to one of them before the summer was through.”

The corporal’s normally rosy complexion paled, and some of the light died from her eyes. Admiration shot through Brett.
Damn
. He never realized the marine was such a great actress. She nailed the
scared-shitless
expression like a pro.

Suddenly, he could not wait to call her bluff…but not quite yet.

Taking full advantage of his role, Brett squeezed her shoulder and drew her in tight against him.
Hello.
The swell of her full bust and rounded hip brushing against his side sent a wakeup call straight to his groin. It promptly twitched.
Damn
, the woman had curves. Great curves. Something else he’d never noticed before.

Maybe this practical joke wasn’t such a bad spot to be in after all. Yeah, he was definitely up to playing along.

He drew his
fiancée
even closer, forcing her to slide an arm around his waist and lean more of her supple body into his rapidly awakening one.

Yeah, that worked for him.

“Well,” he said, holding her father’s gaze. “You can tell them to look elsewhere, sir, because she’s taken.”

Stiffness left the corporal’s body, and her rigid form turned soft, practically melting into him. Heat skittered down his spine. There was definitely something wrong with how right it felt. But at the moment, he didn’t care. It worked to their advantage.

So, when he glanced down at her and found blue eyes bright with gratitude and an unrecognizable emotion sparkling in their depths, he shouldn’t have been surprised by his reaction. But he was. Something stirred inside him. Deep inside. The no-feel-zone. He blinked and really took in the woman plastered to his side. This was the first time he’d ever seen the officer out of uniform. Out of marine mode. Away from base, or anything to do with the Corps.

Auburn hair, the color of rich cinnamon, was pulled back in a ponytail, not a regulation bun, and the swish of silken magnificence fueled an insane need to see her hair down.

How would it look flowing freely?

He gave himself another mental shake and continued his assessment. She wore jeans and a form-fitting T-shirt, the same deep shade of blue as her eyes.

And those eyes.

Damn, they were so bright and clear they could stop a man mid-sentence.

Once again, he found himself asking the same question. Why hadn’t he ever noticed before?

Because it had been your job not to.

He wasn’t stupid. He was her superior. The United States was in a war. You get distracted by the women under your command, you get people killed. Not him. No way. No way in hell. So, he’d treated the females in his unit like one of the guys. This earned him their respect, and they earned his by doing their duty.

That was why it was such a shock to look down at Corporal Jennings and see mouth-watering cleavage peeking out of her V-neck top.

Ah hell
. She was hot…and looking very lickable at the moment. His body dutifully heated. Surely, any red-blooded man would have the same reaction with a woman as stacked as the corporal brushing up against him.

“I sure will, son,” her father was saying, slapping his shoulder, effectively drawing Brett’s gaze from his daughter’s chest. “There will be a few sorry Sams around the firm.”

“Their loss is our gain,” his mother proclaimed before turning to introduce the silent, older man grinning next to her. “This is Terry Hawkins, our foreman at the ranch.”

Brett watched as Terry shook Mr. and Mrs. Jennings’ hands, surprised the most by his part in the prank. The older cowboy usually remained neutral where he and Finn were concerned.

And
where Brett’s mother was concerned. Until recently. Thank God.

He and his brother were quite tired of the affectionate looks the two had shared but never did anything about over the past few years. It had been obvious his mother and Terry liked each other, yet some misguided loyalty to his late father no doubt prevented them from acting on their attraction. Bill Brennan and Terry Hawkins had been best friends since high school. Not only was Terry an exceptional foreman, he was also like a surrogate father to him and Finn ever since their dad had died in the Gulf War more than twenty years ago. It was damn good to see both Terry and his mother so happy. They deserved it.

“It’s a pleasure to meet Brett’s future in-laws.” His foreman grinned broadly and released the man’s hand before he dropped an arm back around his mother’s shoulders and tugged her close.

Kind of mimicking how Brett now stood with the corporal.

“Why thank you, sir.” Mr. Jennings nodded. “We’re looking forward to coming up for a visit in a couple weeks. Maybe you could show me around.”

“Absolutely,” Terry replied.

A visit?
Nice touch
, Brett thought, then noticed Gus behind the bar, his lips twitching into a grin under a handlebar mustache.

Bloody bartender was in on it, too? Finn and Cammie sure went through a lot of trouble. He held back his own grin. Far be it for him to keep the older cohort out of the limelight.

Pointing to the merry man, Brett nodded. “Mr. and Mrs. Jennings, this here is Gus Rankin, the owner of this establishment.”

Gus stopped wiping the bar and turned his attention to the couple. “Welcome to the Lonesome Steer. Can I offer you some fresh beef barley Cammie made this morning?”

“Oh, that sounds wonderful,” his mother exclaimed.

Mrs. Jennings nodded, glancing toward the kitchen. “Is Cammie still here? It would be so nice to see her again.”

“No. I’m sorry, ma’am.” Gus shook his head, gaze apologetic. “You just missed her.”

Yeah, right
. Brett barely contained a snort. She was no doubt laughing her ass off in the kitchen with his
dead-meat
brother.

“Make it soups all around. My treat,” Terry offered, placing two extra chairs around one of the tables.

Apparently, the prank involved lunch.

Good, he was hungry and didn’t have anything pressing to attend. He drew a chair back for the corporal and waited until she was seated before he took the one on her left. Sundays were free days at Royal Pines. Tuesday, a fresh round of guests would arrive and he’d jump, boots first, into running the ranch again.

Something he’d looked forward to for several long months.

“So, tell me, Brett,” the former D.A. began as everyone settled into their seats. “What are your plans now that you’re back?”

Ah, the
What are your future plans, and how are you going to take care of my little girl?
interrogation. Boy, they were really taking the prank to the limit. He cocked his head, completely up for the challenge.

“Well, sir, I’m going to do what I’ve always done.” He reached next to him for his
fiancée’s
hand, surprised to find her fingers so cold. “I’m going to run the ranch,” he stated, while rubbing the woman’s fingers until warmth returned.

Mr. Jennings raised a brow. “I thought Finn ran things.”

Brett laughed. Given a choice, his brother would rather run his former SEAL team.

Unlike him, Finn had always planned to be career military. War, or no war, that had been his brother’s goal. Not Brett. He loved the ranch and everything it entailed. Grooming the horses, leading groups on a two-day hike up the mountain, rappelling off Parson’s Gorge. The ranch, the land—Royal Pines was in his blood.

But he was also a patriot. So, when the towers fell, he didn’t hesitate to enlist and follow in his father’s footsteps by joining the marines.

Brett loved his country and the Corps. He really did. But he’d served four tours. The war was over. Troop strength was being downsized. It was time to come home, and stay home.

And it was time to answer her father’s question.

“No, well, yes. Finn did run things, sir,” he replied. “But that was only while I was gone. We’ll both be running Royal Pines now.”

He hoped.

Besides Cammie, Brett was the only one who knew Finn had a physical scheduled at the Coronado Naval Base in California this week. The idiot had asked him to keep it quiet because Finn wasn’t sure what he was going to do should he pass.

Dumbass
.

Brett sure as hell hoped his brother got a clue before that happened. Finn was now officially engaged to the best damn thing ever to come his way. Cammie would support his brother no matter what, even though she’d once loved then lost a Navy SEAL. The last thing Brett wanted was to put his friend in that position again. Had he known his brother’s intent, he never would’ve gotten the two of them together. Probably.

“Ah, I see,” Mr. Jennings told him, but his frown said otherwise.

Gus arrived with their soup and left with their drink orders, but the interruption did little to deter the former D.A.’s questioning.

“So, tell me, Captain,” the man continued. “Are you okay with being away from my daughter while she goes to law school?”

Law school?

He glanced at the redhead next to him. Her cheeks were turning the prettiest shade of pink, deepening the blue of her eyes, until they resembled a Colorado summer sky. He gave himself another mental shake.
Cripes
. Since when had he turned into
Mr. Sentiment
?

“I wasn’t aware she was going to law school,” he replied.

It was true. Not once had the corporal mentioned her future plans to him or anyone else in the unit. He knew she had a criminal justice degree, but never heard her talk about furthering her education. She had a knack with the village children overseas. Teaching seemed more fitting than becoming a lawyer.

Slim fingers tightened around his hand before she lifted her chin and held her father’s stare. “I’m not.”

The lines in Mr. Jennings forehead deepened as his eyebrows slammed together. “What? But you’ve been accepted at Stanford for the fall.”

Stanford?

Brett’s gaze returned to the corporal.
Wow
.
Beautiful and smart
.

Unless, this conversation was as bogus as their engagement…

“I’ve been accepted at several colleges, Dad. I’m still not sure which one I’ll choose,” she said before dropping her father’s disapproving gaze to concentrate on her soup.

Okay, now they were taking the acting thing a little too far. He could do without the family drama.

Which…was most likely what they were counting on.

Well, it wasn’t going to work. He held back a snicker. Fine. He could play the hand dealt to him.

Placing his spoon down, he squared his shoulders and sent Mr. Jennings a direct look. “I’ll support whatever decision your daughter makes.”

Intent on showing he meant business, he grabbed her hand again and waited until she glanced at him before bringing her fingers to his lips. Those mesmerizing, damn eyes of hers rounded on her indrawn breath, and he took pleasure in knowing he’d managed to turn his usually chatty corporal speechless.

“I just want to make her happy,” he declared, about to go in for the kill. “Maybe Trisha will help me out on the ranch, and we can get started right away on having a family.”

That was the first time he’d called the corporal by her first name. It felt…odd, but in a good way. She turned that pretty shade of pink again, and
son of a bitch
if he wasn’t drawn in, watching her gaze darken as he continued to brush his lips across her knuckles. Heat smoldered in her eyes, and something inside his chest tightened. She was good. Damn good. He almost believed her desire was real.

“Oh, that would be wonderful, wouldn’t it, Rose?” Mrs. Jennings asked, regaining his attention as she touched his mother’s shoulder, her face alight with joy.

“I…ah…yes,” his mother stammered, sending him a happy smile. “I can’t wait for grandkids.”

Well, they sure as hell weren’t going to come from him, at least, not in this decade. But he was more than happy to lay it on thick to usurp their prank.

He smiled broadly at the women and glanced at the men, surprised to see them both smiling. Funny. He’d thought there would’ve been a few protests. Oh well. Whatever. He released the corporal and went back to concentrating on his lunch, letting his mother and Mrs. Jennings turn the conversation to recipes.

Soon, he grew tired of the game. It had gone on long enough. He glanced around the table. Surely, they’d call it quits soon.

“Well,” Mr. Jennings began, setting his spoon down. “We’d better head out if we’re going to make my brother’s by nightfall.”

Finally.

The man’s words awoke Brett’s adrenaline. He rose to his feet with the rest of the table, eager to see how this would all end. He was impressed. They even had an escape planned.