I Only Have Eyes For You: BWWM Cowboy/Western Romance (Westbury Ranch Book 3) (2 page)

“I hope so.” He glanced at her, and an emotion swirled in his eyes.

She couldn’t tell what it was. The emotion was gone before she could decipher it.

“Would you like to go out with me tonight for dinner?”

She opened her mouth and then closed it. “I—it’s a flattering that you would ask me but I just got back home, and I need to be myself for a while.”

His grin took her by surprise. “We Spanish
hombre
s love a challenge. I’ll wait until you’re ready for some company.”

Shit! That wasn’t what she meant, but Paige knew an argument was useless. It would only encourage him. Instead, she smiled and then leaned forward. Understanding her silent command, Lightning picked up speed. She rode away and for a while, Lando kept pace with her, and then he waved and veered off. Paige was glad he understood her need to spend some time on her own. Lando was here to stay, and so was she, and it was quite likely they would keep running into each other. No, Siree. There was no way today would be the last she would see of him.

Paige was game to see what might happen, but for now, she was ready to enjoy her solitude. It was all she asked for at the moment. Soon, she would be too busy to enjoy the beauty of Westbury Ranch. Today was hers, and that was all she needed.

Chapter Two

L
ando did his work with all the passion he could muster. He loved working with horses, and he relished his time on the farm. Meeting Paige and the unexpected punch of lust that carved a way to his heart was an unexpected bonus. Even though he was quite a ladies’ man, he’d never been like this with another woman. The moment his gaze met Paige’s, he felt the pull of attraction that took him by surprise. She was gorgeous, of course, but more than that, he was also charmed by her ambition and her knowledge. She was a woman after his own heart, and he had the distinct feeling she would make him work for her attention.

Lando was ready for it.

As he rubbed down the horse, he hummed softly to keep the animal quiet and peaceful. He had an easy, natural way with horses, and it was a talent Cullen appreciated. She hired him right when he walked in and in turn, he found a place he could call home. Lando didn’t know how long he would stay, but now that he’d met Paige, he was thinking his original plan of staying for one year might extend even longer. American women appreciated a bold man, or so he’d heard. Lando thought he might ask her out again, after a few days. Surely, she wouldn’t say no again. It was obvious she was also attracted to him, and they were both mature, consenting adults.

“Heard you ran into Max’s men,” Graeme said as he came along.

He not only liked Graeme but also respected and trusted him. “Yes. They ran off when they realized we had spotted them.” He continued to rub down the horse. “Did you fix the fence? I could not find you yesterday, so I told Blade about it.”

“Yes, he has. This is getting to be a nuisance.”

“Maybe we can go and have a talk with this Max, man to man.”

Graeme’s grin was appreciative. “I love the idea, but I don’t think Cullen would go for it.”

“Keep the women out of it,” he advised. Lando had already been sucked into the wedding preparations that were going on for Graeme and Cullen. Everyone who worked on the ranch was invited and so were fifty other people who lived nearby.

“If I do that, they’ll all gang up and peel off my skin inch by inch.”

Lando rubbed a hand along his jaw as he contemplated those words. A wise man never picked a fight which he wasn’t destined to win. He had complete respect for Cullen, Shayne, Paige, and Jackie who were all competent and efficient. “In that case, we need to keep a closer eye on this situation. You can file a complaint with the police. I’m a witness to their illegal activity and would be happy to recount it.”

“Max is a devious man. If we do that, he’ll put the blame on his minions and get off scot free.” Graeme shook his head. “No. In order to deal with him, we need a foolproof plan. In the meantime, let him continue his underhanded activities. We’re more than a match for him. Our cattle are never unsupervised and they won’t wander onto his land, no matter how many fences he manages to break.”

Lando sighed. He would have preferred an outright confrontation. An enemy shouldn’t be allowed to devise their plans in peace, but this wasn’t his decision, and perhaps he was too new to understand the dynamics of this strange relationship the Westbury’s shared with their neighbor. “I better go now. Got a new horse to train.”

“How do you like it here?”

“So far so good, man,” Lando replied. “It’s been…interesting.”

“Glad to hear it.” Graeme waved and walked away.

Lando strolled over to the riding pen. He was scheduled to work with a new horse and train the animal. The Liberty training, as it was called, would get the horse accustomed to brief commands. As he waited for the stable hand to bring out the horse, he turned to watch Paige who was working with a client in another pen. The sight of her almost made him salivate. She was beautiful. Her short, black-berry colored hair was covered by a hat, but he could see the glow of her skin, which was the color of Honduran mahogany, and it made his heart pound. Although she had turned down his invitation, he wasn’t about to give up so soon. Lando walked over to see her as she guided the horse that carried a boy, who looked to be about ten.

“Relax, Avery. This mare isn’t going to run away with you.”

“What if she breaks free and jumps over the fence?” the child asked while his eyes bulged and his lips trembled. “I don’t want to get hurt.”

“You won’t get hurt on my watch,” she assured him as she walked the horse back and forth by holding its reins. “All the horses are scared of me.”

“You’re only saying that to make me feel better,” he grumbled.

“No, no.” Her gaze met Lando’s. “Why don't you ask Lando? He trains our horses, and he knows quite well how obedient this mare is.”

The boy looked at Lando. “Is it true?”

Yes, he’d been listening to the conversation shamelessly “Yes, young master.”

Avery giggled. “You speak in a funny accent.”

“That’s because Lando is from Spain. He’s been training horses for years and years and has now come to help us do that.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” Paige reached out and patted the boy’s shoulder, and then helped him to dismount.

Avery’s gaze followed the stable hand as he guided the new horse. The animal was skittish. Lando walked over and took the reins in his hand. He led the horse inside the pen while he talked soothingly to the animal. Taking an apple from his pocket, he offered it to the horse. Much to his delight, Paige and her pupil came over to watch.

Now that the child wasn’t on a horse, he looked much braver. “What are you going to do with that horse?” Avery asked.

“This
caballo
, Ranger, is going to be trained for competition. When he’s fully trained, we may sell him to someone who’s interested or perhaps we may keep him.”

“How do you train a horse?”

Lando was aware that Paige was hanging on to his every word. He was glad for this opportunity to show off his skills in front of her, but more than that, he was interested to help the boy to overcome his fear and perhaps, even learn to love horses. “I begin by establishing a relationship with the horse. So first, I bribe it with an apple or sugar cubes. I talk to it, and I even sing at times.”

“You sing to the horse?” Avery wrinkled his nose.

Lando nodded. “
Si
. Each horse is different, just like each human being is special. So, I need to work on a strategy for this horse, but first I need to get to know it, and the horse needs to become used to me.”

“How long does it take to train a horse?”

“Depends on the horse, but this one here…he’s
muy inteligente
. See how he’s already sniffing my pockets because he knows I have hidden treats in there? With this one, no more than eight months, I think, maybe a year.”

Avery climbed the fence as Lando walked the animal to and fro. Paige stood with him.

“First, I’ll teach him how to obey simple commands such as stop and go, and then we’ll get him used to a saddle.”

As the training continued, Paige remained there with the boy. Avery appeared more excited by this than he’d been with his riding lesson.

Lando talked to the horse as he walked in the pen with the animal. Training a new horse was always fascinating, because he had to get used to the animal’s personality. It was only after they became
amigos
, as he liked to think of it, would the animal actually begin to respond to his commands. He enjoyed this process. It was a lot like courting a woman, but of course, in this case, the woman he’d set his sights on was a lot more skittish than the horse.

About forty-five minutes later, Avery’s dad came to pick him up and Lando saw Paige smile at him. The lance of jealousy that pricked at his heart was unexpected.

When Avery left, she remained in the same spot, and he silently thanked her for her company even though he was busy with the horse. He could tell she was interested in horse training. It was good that they shared a love for horses.

“You’re good with kids,” she said when he was finished. 

“They’re easy to mold, and I love helping them to develop a love and appreciation for animals. I think if children received more love as they grow, they would become compassionate and caring adults.”

“That’s true.” She walked with him as he led the horse inside.

Although he could have given the task over to one of the stable hands, Lando preferred to do it himself. It was one of the ways to develop a good relationship with the animal. He rubbed the horse down and then gave him water. He hauled a bag of corn over and poured some for the horse. When he was satisfied that the animal was settled in, he patted him on the flank and got out.

Once more, Paige fell into step beside him. “Can you teach me how to train a horse?”

He couldn’t be more delighted with her interest. It gave him more opportunity to get to know her. Maybe she was interested in him, but didn’t know how to say it. “Sure. Maybe we can discuss the plan over dinner.”

She stopped walking. Tilting her head to the side, she stared at him.

He felt as if her searing gaze could pierce right down to his heart and see his intentions.

“Okay, sure.”

He was taken aback by her change of heart. Yesterday she’d said no. “Really?”

She laughed. “It’s just two ranch workers hanging out, right? Nothing big. I’m not looking for a relationship right now. It’s nothing personal, but I just don’t want the hassle of a commitment.”

Lando didn’t know how to respond to her words. That used to be his line. He was the one who dated women and then left them, with care and compassion. He never broke a woman’s heart but also he never won any. Lando was the original loner, and now it seemed he’d met his match. But it was a good opportunity for him to get to know her, and at the moment, he wasn’t looking for anything beyond that. He lifted her hand and kissed it. “Just two people hanging out, then. Tomorrow at six? I will pick you from the farmhouse.”

When she walked off, he took a moment to admire her form. She really did have a lovely figure, athletic, yet curvy. He wouldn’t mind getting his hands on her. She glanced back, and he could tell she knew exactly what he was thinking. Lando raised a hand in acknowledgement and strode off. It was a good beginning, and he was game to see where it ended.

Chapter Three

P
aige was surprised she’d agreed to a date so soon when she’d been so sure she didn’t want to go out with him. One date wouldn’t make a big difference. She just wouldn’t see him again. Paige wanted a friendship with him. He was a man who could teach her a lot. She had every intention of becoming a good rider and trainer. Her dream to open the equestrian arts school still had a long way to go, but it didn’t hurt to prepare for it.

“Hi,” Cullen greeted her as she strode into the kitchen. “How was your first day?”

Paige picked up the remote control and switched on the small TV their mother recently installed in the kitchen. She changed the channels and settled on CCN. “Amazing. I gave my first riding lesson today, and I was super impressed with all the changes you guys have made.”

Shayne waltzed in.

Paige couldn’t ever understand how their sister could walk around in those heels. Didn’t she find them a killer on her feet? Apparently not.

Although her two sisters didn’t live in the main house now, they often dropped in before dinner and sometimes even managed to stay. She didn’t blame them. Their mother’s cooking was legendary.

Cullen poured a glass of water and drank it. “So you like it?”

“Oh yes, I love it.”

“How about we go out tomorrow to celebrate that all of us are back on the ranch? Just like the good old days,” Shayne suggested.

Her gaze flickered to the TV, but it didn’t interest her. “Can’t. I have to go somewhere else.”

“Where?” Cullen asked.

As the youngest, she’d always hated enquires into her private life, and wasn’t surprised to note that nothing had changed regarding that. “Hmmm…just somewhere.”

Shayne’s eyes narrowed. She exchanged a glance with Cullen. Both sisters stared at her.

Paige gave up. They would pry it out of her anyway. “Okay, fine. It’s a date—well, kind of like—two friends just hanging out.” Paige squirmed in her seat when she saw Shayne lift her well-sculpted eyebrow. “Okay dammit…if you must know, Lando is picking me up for dinner.”

Shayne took a seat, looking intrigued. “Lando? Our hunky, yummy horse trainer? The Spaniard?”

“He has dreamy eyes,” Cullen said.

Paige glared at them. The light lance of jealousy surprised her. “You both are happily settled, remember?”

“Hey, we’re in love; we’re not dead.” Shayne winked. “So tell all. Have you kissed him yet?”

Paige rolled her eyes. She stood. “I’m not a girl to kiss and tell.”

Cullen laughed. “She hasn’t kissed him yet.”

“I bet she hasn’t.” Shayne plucked the remote control from Paige’s hand and increased the volume. “Look at that; every single news story is depressing. They still haven’t figured out what happened to the people who were on that plane that disappeared, and there’s a war going on, and closer to home, a mental patient escaped from the hospital. Every time I watch the news, it’s something scary.”

“I prefer to concentrate on the news at hand,” Cullen said dryly as she pointed towards Paige. “We’ll catch up with you after the date.”

Rather than reply, Paige chose to flounce out of the room. Not that it would matter to her sisters; they would hound her until they got all the details. It was great to be the youngest, the most pampered sibling, but the drawback was the utter lack of privacy. When she came back down for dinner, Paige was glad they weren’t around. She wasn’t ready to disclose the confusion she felt whenever she thought about Lando.

The next day, she worked as usual. A couple of times she saw Lando and he waved. She waved back, but that was the extent of their interaction. That night, she took a shower and changed into a denim jumper, with its pointed collar, button front and drawstring waist. Paige wasn’t much for wearing dresses.

When she came back down, Lando was in the foyer talking animatedly with her mother. He held a bouquet of white roses in his hands.

“You must come for dinner tomorrow,” Jackie said. “I’m sorry I’ve been busy. Usually, I invite the new arrivals as soon as I can, but now with the extra work load and the expansion, I wasn’t able to,”

“I’ve heard great things about your cooking.”

“Good. I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

He glanced at Paige as she strode towards them. “
Eres bonita
. You look beautiful,” he said looking awe struck.

She could see the sincerity of that statement in his eyes. It’d been far too long since she went out with a sophisticated man who knew how to treat a woman. Her previous dates were with boys at college who only had one thing on their minds; and that was to get her into bed. Lando probably wanted the same thing, but at least he used more finesse about it. She imagined his hands on her skin and shivered with delight as images popped into her head—his fingers caressing her, his lips on her, and his tongue doing unspeakable things to her body. “Thank you,” she managed to say.

Fortunately, Jackie took the hint and left.

Lando gave her the flowers and she was charmed by the pure white petals. “You didn’t have to do this.”

“A man doesn’t take a woman out unless he has wooed her first.”

Her heart hammered against her chest. “You don’t have to woo me. We’re only hanging out.”

“Ah!
Mi querida
! You have no idea about romance, do you?”

Taken aback by his words, she could only stare into his sable colored eyes. There was a hint of amusement there, but also something more. Lust? Desire? It had to be that. She couldn’t make a mistake about that particular emotion because it matched what burned bright in her heart. Romance? What a quaint idea? And a scary one. She didn’t want romance. All she wanted was a simple, uncomplicated date and then they would be done. But it was obvious he had far more on his mind.

Paige opened her mouth but she didn’t know how to respond to his question. “I’ll go put these in the vase. It will just take a minute. Would you like to come with me?”

He followed her into the kitchen.

Paige took out the vase and filled it with water. She bent her head and savored the scent of the roses. 

Jackie was kneading some dough. “How do you like it here so far, Lando?” she asked.

“I like it just fine.”

Although she kept her gaze off him, Paige had the distinct feeling he was talking about her and not his work. The man had some nerve. She put the flowers in the vase. Although Paige wasn’t one to set store on such gestures, nonetheless she was charmed by it. It was sweet of him to pay her so much attention. Not that she didn’t have her share of romance before. Lando was insane if he thought she didn’t have a clue about the art of seduction. She turned to face him. “Ready?” When he nodded, Paige walked over to her mother and planted a kiss on her cheek. “Bye, mom.”

Lando followed her out.

Since he didn’t have a car, she was taking hers. Much to her surprise, he didn’t make a comment when she drove. Some men she knew didn’t like women driving and always tried to take the wheel, but he seemed content to let her do the honors. “Where are we going?”

He smiled. “I saw this place…a bar. It’s called Blaze, I think. I was told the food is good.”

“Yeah, they do serve some mean steaks.”

“Mean steaks?”

“I meant, they’re good.”

“Some of the things people say are hard for me to follow. American slang isn’t easy to understand,” he said.

“But your English is good.”

“I try to speak it. You know how they say, in Rome do as the Romans do.”

“The Romans fought a lot of battles and killed a lot of people. They’re not a good example to follow.” She grinned. “But you speak very well, and with practice you will get even better. Is there anything else you’re having trouble with?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Nothing much. I’m thinking of getting my own car soon, so that is the next step forward.”

“Maybe you can drive on the way back home,” she suggested. “The way is simple enough and if you take a wrong turn, I’ll guide you.” When they reached the bar, she parked the car. Even though it was a weeknight, the bar was hopping. She raised her hand in greeting to a couple of men who were lounging outside on a bench. “Hey, Mark. Hi, Ethan.”

“Paige, it’s good to see you.” They strolled over. Handsome, tall men, they were both well known to her, as they were seniors when she was a sophomore in high school. “We heard you were back.”

“Oh, yes, I am,” Paige replied with a smile. “Guys, this is Lando. He’s from Spain.”

The men shook hands and exchanged polite greetings.

“See you around,” Paige said.

Paige and Lando walked inside the bar. She waved to a couple of people. “The advantage of working and living where you’re born is that I pretty much know everyone. A lot of these people went to the same school. See the waitress over there?” Paige pointed to a voluptuous redhead who was behind the counter talking with the bartender. “She was one of my classmates.” Paige rested her hands on the counter and leaned over slightly. “Hey, Mandy, can we get a table?”

“Sure.” Mandy pointed to a table in the far corner. “Take that one over there.”

Lando assisted Paige to her seat, before he took his.

It felt good to be back among people she knew well. This was home. Of course, for Lando everything and everyone was new. Yet, he seemed quite at ease.

As promised, Mandy came to take their order. “It’s good to see you, Paige. My brother is working on your ranch now.”

“Oh yes. I met John. He has toughened up. I still remembered him as that thin guy who used to follow you around in school.”

Mandy chuckled. “Yeah, well, we’ve all grown up.” She adjusted her apron. “I’ll come around to take your order in a minute.”

After they told her what they wanted, she wandered off but not before giving Lando a come-hither look.

Paige was amused. It seemed much hadn’t changed. Mandy still had a roving eye even though she flaunted an engagement ring on her finger.

Lando sent a dimpled smile Paige’s way, seemingly oblivious to the waitress’ admiration. “So tell me, what are your hobbies?”

“Apart from horse riding, it’s horse riding, and horse riding,” she admitted. “I’ve always been a farm girl. Given a chance, I would rather be outdoors doing one of the chores. I don’t like to watch TV and I don’t read much, a habit my mother tried her best to instill with me.”

“I don’t watch much TV, either,” he admitted. “But I do like to shoot.”

“Shoot?”

He held up his hands and mimicked shooting. “You know, with a gun. Back in Spain, I used to go to a shooting range. Do you have something like this over here?”

She thought hard about it. “I’ll have to check around. There wasn’t before, but a lot changed in the past four years, and I can see there are many new places.”

“You never wanted to live in the city?”

Paige shook her head. “Never even gave it a thought. My father used to say that Cullen and I were rooted in the soil. Our heart is here. Shayne was the one who wanted to try life in the city, and she did a fine job of it too. But now she’s back, and it’s good for all of us to be together.”

“I never had siblings, but there were plenty of kids I could play with, so it wasn’t a problem.”

Mandy came back with their beers. “Anything else?”

“Thanks, we’re good.” Paige turned towards Lando. “Mandy, this is Lando. He’s working on the ranch.”

Mandy beamed and shook hands with him. “Do you like it here?”

“Very much.”

It looked as if Mandy wanted to stick around, but she merely ran her fingers through her hair. “I’ve got to go. It was nice to meet you, Lando.”

Lando smiled. “Same here.” As soon as Mandy walked away, he focused his attention back to Paige. “Do you have any old friends here?”

“Some,” she admitted. “But most of them went away to college and they didn’t come back. They got jobs in the city and settled down. I’m sure some of them will drift this way when holidays come around, and maybe some of them will even think about settling down here, but I’m not sure how many of them will actually manage to do so.”

“I grew up in many places,” he said. “When I was a baby, my parents moved from farm to farm, and they even skipped over to other countries. I’ve lived in Italy, France, and Austria but they eventually went back to Spain and started their own business.”