Cowboy's Bride (6 page)

"Mind if I use your phone while you fix it?"
he asked, amusement dancing in his dark eyes.

"No." She knew she was overreacting, but she
was so mad she could spit.
All she wanted to do was come out here
and enjoy her ranch.
Now she had a hot-blooded cowboy disturbing
her beyond belief.
One that didn't even like her and was constantly
pointing out her shortcomings as far as ranching was concerned.
All
he wanted was her ranch, and she was catering to all his needs.
First breakfast, now lunch.
Did he expect dinner, too?

For a moment she was distracted.
Dinner.
Quiet, with candles and maybe even a fire in the fireplace.
It got
cool here in the mountains at night.
Even in May.
After a nice
meal, veal perhaps, or beef, they'd sip their wine, talk quietly.
He'd kiss her again.
Run his hands over her—

"Ow!" She'd sliced her finger.
No more
daydreaming.
Or if she did any, it had to be about the ranch, not
some sexy cowboy.

She set their places as Trace came back.

"Your daughter okay?" she asked.

"Fine."

"And your ranch doesn't need you while you're
here?" she asked as she began eating the luncheon-meat sandwich.
She wished she'd had some real ham or roast beef.
She needed to get
to the store.

Trace looked up, hesitated a moment.
"I've
got a good foreman."

"Maybe you should run your own place and send
him over here."

"I prefer this setup."

"I bet.
Anytime you see me doing anything
wrong, you can jump in with another offer to buy me out."

"Maybe." He ate the light lunch, pleased with
the hearty helpings she'd dished up.

“
You sure are talkative
when you want to tell me what I can't do and everything I don't
know.
But trying to get you to tell me anything about yourself
dries you up faster than an antihistamine."

He blinked at her analogy and smiled.
"What
do you want to know, Kalli?
I've told you the important stuff.
I'm
not married so an affair between us will hurt no one.
I don't think
you can make it on the ranch.
Now, before you get all puffed up and
addled, let me say it won't be for lack of trying.
But it's just
too much unless you've been born and bred to it.
Philip was having
a tough time, and he'd been doing it for years."

"A lot of ranchers are very successful," she
protested.

"Yeah, and a lot go broke.
Stay for a few
days and learn all you can, but then look at it long and hard.
I
think you should accept my offer."

He flicked her a glance, wondering when she
would order him off the property.
As soon as she could get a
competent manager, he guessed.
He had to make sure no one tried for
the job.
He had a vested interest in seeing the place managed
properly.
He didn't want the thing falling apart before he took
over.
It might take a little while to get rid of her, but she
wouldn't stay.
He knew all about city girls enamored with thoughts
of ranches and cowboys, but the reality was too stark.
Too far from
parties and shops and good times, they had to leave.
He could wait
her out.

Kalli nibbled on her sandwich as thoughts
spun and tumbled around in her mind.
She was extremely conscious of
Trace sitting a few feet from her.
Wondering.
how long she could
maintain this heightened sense of awareness, she remembered his
words earlier.
I want you.

"—computers?" he asked.

She blinked and stared at him.
"What?"

"I said, do you know much about computers?"
He looked at her.
What had she been thinking about?

"A little.
At the hospital we did all our
records on than.
Why?"

"All the ranch records are on a computer.
Philip put one in about four years ago.
We can review the programs
and you can get started in bringing your records up to date this
afternoon.
I'll get you started, then I really do have to head for
home."

She nodded, torn between wanting him to stay
and the relief she knew she'd feel when he was gone.
She needed
time to get herself back on track.
Decide exactly what she was
going to do about him.
She couldn't believe she was reacting so
strongly, just because he was the sexiest thing she'd ever
seen.

"Let's get started.
I don't want to hold you
up from leaving," she said, jumping up and walking quickly from the
room to the office she'd remembered from her summer visits.

He was right behind her, and when she sank
down in the chair behind the desk, he sat on the arm, his hip
pressing against her, his body leaning over hers as he reached
across to flick on the machine.

Staring at the monitor as if it was a
talisman, Kalli refused to give in to the urge to lean against him,
to tilt her head back for a kiss and forget records and computers
and the ranch.
Instead, she listened as attentively as she could as
he explained how to boot up and get into the program and how to
select the different options for input and report generation.

"I've got it," she said impatiently when he
reviewed it all a second time.
"How much information has to be put
into it before it's up to date?"

"Several months worth.
I tried to keep up
with it, but with my own ranch to run, it was just too much.
Here
are the receipts, payroll records, calving notes and bills yet to
be paid.
You can make a start.
When you have everything in, let me
know and we'll run some quick reports to make sure it's in right,
then run a full set of records."

"I can manage," she said, counting the
minutes until he left.
Until she could breathe normally, regain her
customary heart rate and relax her tight control.

"Yeah, I bet.
See you tomorrow, then, Kalli."
He rose and started across the room.

"Trace?"

"Yeah?" He paused in the doorway and looked
back.

"If I need to get you before you come over
tomorrow, how do I call you?"

"I'll give you my phone number.
You can reach
me there if I'm not here, or leave a message." He walked to the
desk and scrawled his phone number on a piece of paper.

"I won't call unless it's important, of
course.
I wouldn't want you to think I can't make it here," she
said, tucking the paper safely into the top drawer.

He smiled, "Yeah, right." He traced a knuckle
down her cheek and nodded, leaving the room with the same graceful,
liquid prowl she'd seen yesterday.
God, he was sexy!

3

Determined to prove to Trace that she was
capable of running a ranch, that she was not some innocent city
woman who had come to be pampered, Kalli set her alarm for five the
next morning.
She'd be up, dressed and have breakfast ready when he
arrived at six.
She wasn't afraid of hard work.
Nursing was often
hard.
The frantic pace of the emergency room left little time for
taking things easy.
If he thought she was used to just sitting
around, she'd prove to him she could pull her own weight.

All good intentions aside, she hadn't figured
on being so sore and stiff!
With a groan she rolled over and
slammed her hand down on the alarm knob.
Every inch of her body
ached.
She hurt in muscles she hadn't even known about, despite the
anatomy courses in college.
Sleep had been elusive during the night
as she had tossed and turned and tried to get comfortable after her
warm bath.
Nothing worked.

And it wasn't only her aching body that had
kept sleep at bay.
Her thoughts had revolved around Trace.
How
adamant he was about her not being able to stay.
How he had looked
sitting on a horse.
How exciting his body had felt against hers
when he'd kissed her by the corral.
The last led to fantasies about
future kisses, and that in turn led to erotic dreams of more than
kissing when she did manage to sleep fitfully.
All in all, a
restless and uncomfortable night.

Now it was five o'clock and he would be here
in an hour and she wanted nothing so much as to roll over and sleep
for another ten hours.

Slowly she dragged herself out of bed.
A
quick shower revived her enough to get dressed.
Knowing how hot the
day would be, she braided her hair for coolness.
Maybe she should
get it cut, but its warmth would be welcomed in the cold winter
months of Wyoming.
And she rather liked it long.

She'd think on it.

Slowly she made her way to the kitchen.
The
first faint traces of dawn glimmered.
The sky was lighter in the
east, the faint outlines of the mountains barely discernible in the
west.
She measured coffee, started the machine and turned to get
some eggs.
She had to go shopping today.
The few things she'd
picked up on her way here had only been to tide her over, to give
her a chance to scope out what the ranch held and make a list of
all she needed.
The light shopping she'd done certainly hadn't been
enough to provide for Trace's hearty appetite as well.

She should have made her list yesterday, or
last night.
But she had stayed at the computer until she was
bleary- eyed and much too tired to think, much less plan meals and
make a list of groceries.
She'd have to make time today.
Both to
make the list and purchase the food.

Right at six she heard the truck pull in and
the engine cut off.
Satisfied, she dished up the eggs and sausages
and stacked the toast on another plate.

"Good morning!" she said brightly as he
walked in, pleased as punch at the look of disbelief on his face.
It made all the painful effort worthwhile.

"Morning.
You been up all night?" he asked as
he tossed his hat on the rack and sat on the chair he'd used
yesterday.

"No, just got up a little while ago.
Dig in.
We've lots to do today." She eased herself down in the chair and
prayed the day's activities didn't include riding.
Even the seat of
the chair was uncomfortable.

She watched him as he served himself from the
platter, amazed at the strong pull of attraction she felt so early
in the morning.
Every inch ached, and all she could think was that
one of his kisses would make everything better.

Oh, great.
She groaned internally.
Was today
to be a repeat of yesterday?
Was she going to have to watch her
every thought to make sure she didn't just throw herself against
him and ask him to make love to her?

"How far did you get with the records?" he
asked.

"Part way through February.
There's a lot of
stuff." Thank God he didn't suspect the wayward tendencies of her
thoughts.
She had to concentrate on ranch business.

"Yeah.
Philip was sick for a long time before
I realized how bad things were.
A lot of things slid.
Then at the
end, he couldn't do anything.
He was behind when I stepped in and I
never caught up."

"Well, a few more marathon sessions like
yesterday and I'll be caught up," she said with quiet confidence.
Once she got the hang of everything, the organization had gone
fast.
But there was a lot of information still to input into the
computer.
And she didn't have a clue what she was going to do with
all the information once she was finished.
Maybe Trace would
explain what she was to look for.

"I thought today we'd ride out with Jose and
Josh.
You can get to know them, see how they work.
We can check the
fences and water holes at the same time.
Give you a better feel for
your land," Trace said easily.
He glanced up in time to catch the
grimace that crossed her face.

"Problem with that?" he asked silkily.
Was
she still wanting to give orders?
Was she going to fight his every
suggestion?

"No.
No problem with that." She swallowed
hard and thought about the aspirin and Motrin she'd need to take
before they left.
At least she'd be numb for part of the day.
What
would they say if she asked for a pillow for her saddle?
She could
just imagine.

"I'll let the men know.
We'll leave in
fifteen minutes.
Can you be ready by then?"

"Of course."

He smiled sardonically, knowing she'd never
admit to any kind of weakness.
He'd seen the careful way she was
walking, sitting.
She was feisty, his Kalli.

His Kalli?

Hell.

He snatched his hat and stormed from the
kitchen.
She wasn't his.
And he didn't want her, except maybe for a
roll in the hay.
She would be leaving soon, he'd make damn sure of
that.

Kalli scraped the dishes and soaked than in a
sink full of water.
She took the aspirin and grabbed her hat.
Slowly walking to the barn, she tried to loosen her muscles.
Maybe
a longer soak in the tub last night would have helped.
She'd been
so smug about her riding yesterday.
But it was obvious now that a
couple of hours a week of riding in Boston had not prepared her for
endless hours each day on a horse in Wyoming.

She took a deep breath.
She would not let
these men know how much she hated riding with them today.
She'd
keep up with them if it was the last thing she did!
There was no
way she'd give Trace an opening to comment on her unsuitability,
much as he might enjoy it.

Jose and Josh had their horses saddled and
Trace was just finishing with hers.
She smiled at the men, struck
by the odd atmosphere.
The two cowboys appeared almost awkward.
They tipped their hats and greeted her quietly, sending a sidelong
glance to Trace.
He ignored them, tightening the cinch and flipping
the stirrup down.

"Need a hand?" he asked as Kalli stepped up
beside the sorrel gelding.

The first thing she was going to do when she
was more comfortable with being in charge was get a mounting block.
Trace wouldn't be here every time she wanted to ride.
She had to be
self-sufficient.
Though she wondered how she'd ever manage to toss
the heavy saddle on a horse as high as this one.

"Please."

Trace watched her reach up for the saddle
horn and took her foot when she stepped into his laced hands.
Her
hand burned into his shoulder as she steadied herself, holding on
as if for dear life.
For a long moment, time was suspended as she
hovered between earth and horse, between today and yesterday.
He
found himself staring into her dark eyes.
When his gaze dropped to
her mouth, he remembered the sweet taste.
He saw her draw a deep
breath and hesitate.
Flicking a quick glance to the others, he was
relieved to see they were talking and not watching Kalli mount.

"Get on the horse, Kalli," he said in a low,
hoarse whisper.

She scrambled for her seat, the heat that
flooded her erasing the aches and pains of her sore muscles.
She
settled her hat in an effort to cover up the embarrassment she felt
at Trace's knowing look.
A quick glance at Jose and Josh assured
her they had noticed nothing.
Mounted and ready to ride, they sat
easily in their saddles, talking quietly.

The quartet moved out of the barn and to the
east, picking up the pace as soon as they cleared the yard.
Kalli
clenched her teeth to keep back the groan she longed to give voice
to.
She could only hope that exercise would be the way to loosen
the muscles and ease the pain.

No one spoke as the horses loped across the
early morning dew.
The grass was green and lush, the sky a clear,
deep blue, and behind them the granite spires of the Tetons shone
like sparkling diamonds in the sun's rays.

Kalli looked around her in delight.
It was a
perfect day and she was on her own ranch.
Did life get any
better?

By late morning they had ridden the perimeter
of two large sections, surveying all the fencing, getting a rough
count of the cattle grazing, checking the watering holes, the ponds
and the Snake River, which touched the property in a couple of
places.
These sources gave unlimited water to her cattle.
The banks
were checked for winter damage, but found to be sound.

Kalli rode for a while with Jose and found
out that, despite his Spanish name, he was third-generation
Wyomingite and never had any desire to see the rest of the
world.

Mid-morning she traded places with Trace and
partnered Josh.
He was from California, had grown up on cattle
ranches and then followed the rodeo circuit.
When she found that
out, she questioned him excitedly.
He answered her questions with a
laugh, amused by her avid interest, drawing the conversation to a
close saying, "Well, ma'am, almost every cowboy does a rodeo or
two.
Only the really good ones make any money at it.
Like
Trace."

"Trace did rodeos?" She looked ahead where he
and Jose discussed a section of fencing that needed repair.
She
could envision him riding some wild horse or bull.

"Rode, ma'am.
Trace rode the rodeos.
And did
damn well at it.
He made big money before he quit.
That's how he—"
Tim closed his mouth and looked at Trace.

"How he what?"

He urged his horse faster, catching up with
the two other men.

"How he what?" Kalli repeated as she drew
even with than, her eyes involuntarily going to Trace, even though
she was still waiting for Josh's reply.

"Trace, I was telling Kalli how you used to
ride the rodeos," Tim said, almost desperately.

Trace nodded, his eyes studying Kalli.

"You didn't tell me," she said, holding his
gaze.

"Never came up."

"Josh wouldn't tell me the rest," she said,
her curiosity rampant.

“
That's how I made my
living when I was younger.
But it's a sport for the young.
These
old bones wouldn't stand for it now."

She grinned.
"Why, Trace, you don't look a
day over forty." That ought to pay him back some for saying she
wasn't up to ranching.

"Forty!
Hell, woman, I'm only
thirty-four!"

She laughed.
"Excuse me.
I thought you said
you were old."

"Too old for rodeoing.
Are you here to learn
about ranching or to insult me?"

She caught her lower lip between her teeth,
laughter still shimmering in her eyes.
"Learn, oh wise elder." She
giggled softly, daring him to ignore the humor.

The soft lights in his eyes gave him away.
But he turned to Jose and began laying out plans for replacing the
section of fencing that leaned so far over it looked like it’d
touch ground soon.