The Reluctant Rancher Read online

  “Are you sure? If any of the hands give you trouble, tell me or Hawk and they’ll be dealt with.”

  “Okay,” Mary smiled. “But I can handle the Johnsons of the world. By the way, I made an appointment for your grandfather with the doctor in the morning.”

  Luke nodded. “Fine, I’ll take you to town myself. What time?”

  “Ten o’clock.”

  “Good, I don’t like the looks of this weather.” Dark storm clouds gathered in the east, a sure sign of rain. “The forecasters are calling for the temperature to drop and, if we get any precipitation, I’m afraid it’ll turn to freezing rain or even snow. That should give us time to see what’s going to happen.”

  “Surely it doesn’t snow in May?”

  “Hell honey, I’ve seen it flurry in July. Believe me, I’m ready for spring too.” The long, harsh days of winter were filled with the tedious task of feeding cattle which left a man’s mind free to think of ways to pass the equally long, lonely nights. And since Mary had come to live at the Circle T, Luke’s mind had gone into overdrive, thinking of ways the two of them could spend the hours from dusk till dawn in the sweet, warm comfort of his bed.

  “Well, I guess I’d better going.”

  He heard the hesitation in her words and it knocked at the fortress surrounding his own lonely heart. This was the first conversation they’d had in days. He’d avoided her ever since the day in his bedroom when she’d fixed his cuts, grunting his way through supper and earning himself silent reprimands from his grandfather.

  Luke settled his hat further down on his head, but didn’t move away either. All at once he felt a deep, driving need to ease a little of both their pain. What would it hurt to spend some time with Mary?

  “What were you doing at the bunkhouse? Giving away more of my chocolate chip cookies?” Since discovering his sweet tooth, Mary made sure something was always around. He didn’t want to think about how she could satisfy his other carvings.

  She threw him a look that reminded him of his grandmother when she’d caught him raiding the cookie jar as a youngster. “Yes I did, but there’s a batch cooling in the kitchen just for you, Mr. Tanner.”

  “Just wanted to make sure you knew who signed your paycheck.” When her expression lost some of its shining luster, he cursed the slip of his tongue. The last thing he wanted was to remind her of their arrangement and why she was really here. “The boys appreciate your efforts, Mary. And so do I. Did your mother teach you how to cook?”

  “No.” Mary turned to face him. “My mother wouldn’t know a chocolate chip from a peanut.”

  “So where did you learn?”

  “Here and there. Every time dad got a new assignment, we got a new cook and housekeeper. One of the privileges of the rank and file. Most weren’t adverse to teaching a pesky girl how to cook.”

  “So your dad’s in the military?”

  “Not anymore. He retired a couple of years ago and moved Mom to Florida.”

  “I bet you miss them.” Luke studied her from beneath the brim of his hat.

  “I do miss them. But not the moving.”

  “I guess you’re not the traveling kind.”

  “No, I’m not.” She watched as two cowboys led the horses out of the barn and into the corral. “All I’ve ever wanted was a small piece of land and a big view. It’s hard not having a room of your own or even a swing set in the backyard. The way Daddy went from station to station, we didn’t know from one year to the next where we would be or what kind of house we would have. I’m glad I didn’t say no when Jennifer asked me to visit after she moved here. I love this place. She’s an army brat too, you know. That’s how we met.”

  “Yeah, Mark mentioned that a time or two. If I recall, it took some convincing on his part before she agreed to move to Fiddler Creek.” Luke refused to let the wistfulness of her tone get to him. Refused to think how it would be if he offered her a piece of his land, a piece of his soul, and all of his heart.

  Just then Hawk came out, leading two pregnant mares. “Oh, would you look at them. They’re so beautiful,” Mary exclaimed as she stepped on the first rung of the fence. The move pushed her breasts high, giving him a perfect view of her body and making his hands itch to grasp the firm flesh hidden behind a long western style shirt.

  “I wish I could ride.”

  “Have you ever ridden?” Luke moved closer. So close that his breath stirred the fine tendrils of hair at the nape of her neck and his lungs filled with her soft lemon scent. Despite his suggestion, she’d pulled her hair in a ponytail once again. She looked cute and sassy. And desirable. Damned desirable. Like a bolt of lightening he realized he wanted to make love to this woman.

  Make love hell, Tanner, his libido shouted, you want to have sex. Hot, raw sex. And not just to prove you could. Making love required a commitment of emotion, something he shied away from giving. That brought him up short. Had his heart betrayed his body? Had he lost the ability to be a man through his unwillingness to admit to being human? To acknowledge the fact that he needed the warmth and closeness of someone other than himself?

  “No,” Mary answered, breaking into his thoughts. “I never learned to ride. My family never stayed in one place long enough to own a house, much less a horse.”

  “You should have gotten one of the boys to teach you last year at that camp,” he said. He knew she’d been there but hadn’t spoken to her. They few times he’d gone out to the site she’d been surrounded by children. And now that he gave it some thought, he realized that he had never seen Mary on a horse during the month and a half she’d been on the ranch.

  The look she threw him spoke volumes.

  “What?” he scowled darkly.

  “I didn’t want to find myself hanging at the end of a rope, strung up for being a horse thief,” she replied tongue-in-cheek.

  “Very funny,” he said, his brows drawing together even more. “I did not say that.”

  “Whatever you say, Mr. Tanner. Whatever you say.” Her smile lit up her face and Luke felt the kick all the way to his soul.

  “Well, since you didn’t take advantage of my kindness last summer, I’ll give you a lesson now. If you want,” he offered. He could picture Mary riding across the open range, her long hair whipping about her like a silver mane. The picture brought a rare smile to his rough features.

  “Oh, Luke, would you really?” With a squeal of delight, she grabbed his hand and pulled him inside the barn.

  Luke followed, savoring the unexpected feel of her hand in his. Once inside, he reluctantly let her go and headed to the nearest stall.

  “This is Lady Jane.” He rubbed the patch of white on the nose of a beautiful sorrel mare. “Come get acquainted.”

  “She’s beautiful. Aren’t you girl?” Mary cooed. The large wet nose nudged her hand and she laughed as she opened her hand to show the animal it was empty. “Not today. You had your treat yesterday.”

  “So you’re the one who’s been spoiling my prize ponies.” Luke’s voice held a teasing note as he handed her a chunk of carrot. He watched as she fed the mare her treat, feeling his gut tighten. She looked right at home in his barn. In his house. In his bed.

  “Guilty as charged. Joseph and I give them a treat on the mornings we walk. But I really want to feed him. You’re both always gone when we walk.” She started toward the black stallion housed apart from the others.

  Luke moved with surprising swiftness for a man his size to come between her and the horse. “Stay away from Lucifer,” he ordered, all traces of teasing erased from voice.

  He had been out early, sleep eluding him yet again. He’d come back to the house for more fencing supplies. The great stallion snorted and pawed the hard packed earth beneath at the sound of his owner’s sharp tone.

  “Take it easy, boy.” Luke soothed the anxious horse. He took the bridle in a firm grip and reached into his pocket. Withdrawing another large chunk of carrot, he hesitated before feeding the animal.

  “Well, don�
�t just stand there. He motioned her forward. Since you’ve already spoiled the others, you might as well learn how to feed him.”

  Mary eagerly held out her hand. “I thought you said to stay away from him?”

  “Only when you’re by yourself. And don’t get smart with me, lady.” He straightened out her fingers and placed the carrot in the flat of her palm. “Feed him like this. Otherwise you might end up missing a finger or two. Lucifer likes to bite.”

  He stroked the velvety muzzle as the horse picked the treat from her hand. “Did grandpa tell you about the accident?”

  Mary shook her head, giggling as the horse’s lips tickled her palm. Despite Luke’s warning, Lucifer ate with surprising delicacy.

  “He came out to feed this beast and got pinned against the stall. He’d fed him a hundred times before, but Lucifer is unpredictable at best.” He looked her straight in the eye and said again, “Stay away from him unless I’m with you.”

  Their eyes held for long seconds until she nodded in agreement. “Which horse can I ride?”

  Taking a blanket from the wall, Luke saddled the red sorrel. “We’ll go with Lady Jane for now. If you’re a very good girl, I might take you out on Lucifer someday.”

  “Oh, goody, goody. The master has spoken,” she muttered under her breath.

  “What?” Luke asked, having heard every word.

  “Nothing,” she said, smiling sweetly.

  He threw her a knowing look and positioned the left stirrup. “Put one foot here and swing yourself over her back.” He gave her a boost. His hand lingered a bit longer than necessary on the soft curve of her derriere.

  “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.” Once seated, Mary clutched the saddle horn with both hands and he saw a small glimmer of fear appear in her gray eyes. He paid no attention to her protest and led the horse slowly from the barn.

  “Relax, sweetheart. Feel the movement of the horse.” He watched as she accustomed herself to Lady Jane’s gait. They took several turns around the corral before Luke let out the rope, spurring Lady Jane into a faster rhythm.

  Before long, the rain which had threatened all morning came with a vengeance. Luke reined in Lady Jane and helped Mary dismount. His fingers gripped her waist and her loose shirt bunched beneath his hands. He frowned as he realized she used her clothing as a shield to hide herself from the world. And from him. Instantly he imagined her draped in something clingy and silky. Revealing.

  “Come on.” He pulled her into the dryness of the barn. Within minutes he had Lady Jane unsaddled, rubbed down and back in her stall. He leaned against the rail as he removed his hat. A quick shake of his head dispelled the drops of rain that had gathered. Outside, the rain fell in sheets, hitting the metal roof of the barn. The hay in the loft muffled the sound, cocooning them in a world all their own.

  He watched for several minutes as she rubbed her arms against the chill in the air. Finally he tugged her into the V of his splayed legs and moved her hands out of the way. His body tightened as he noted the contrast of the color of their skin and the compatibility of their sizes. He had always felt uncomfortable around Debbie and most of the other women he dated. As if at any moment he might break them in two if he held them too hard. He had never once allowed his passion to become uncontrollable for fear he would hurt them. With sudden insight, he knew those feelings had contributed to his performance – or lack thereof – on his wedding night.

  But with Mary he could see himself completely losing control. His instincts told him she would be the perfect lover in so many ways.

  “You’re going to freeze to death,” he muttered as he briskly rubbed his hands up and down her arms.

  “Oh, why did it have to rain?” Mary’s voice held a breathless quality which he hoped resulted more from his touch than the short ride.

  “It’s just as well,” he answered, his own voice a husky drawl. “If you’d ridden for much longer, you’d have been too sore to move in the morning.”

  Instantly they both became aware of the double entendre and his fingers tightened on her waist.

  “Don’t look at me like that,” he demanded.

  “Like what?”

  He stared at her until bright red color flooded her face, his eyebrow arched. “You don’t know much about men, do you?” Luke muttered as he tugged at the clip that bound her hair, freeing it to his touch. The long, blonde strands fell in waves about her shoulders. He wanted to bury his face in the silky softness. Instead he trailed his fingers through it and relished the shudder that run through her frame. “I think I deserve a thank you for teaching you how to ride, don’t you?”

  “I don’t think that would be such a good idea,” she said, trying to draw away.

  “That’s the second time you’ve said that. Don’t you know what you want?” Luke’s big hand wrapped around the nape of her neck, holding her still as he lowered his head. His warm breath caressed her cheek. “I know what I want. I want you.”

  He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to take her satin soft mouth just as he had a thousand times in his dreams. He knew she’d taste as tart and tangy as the juice from sun sweetened cherries.

  She gnawed on her lower lip.

  “Don’t do that,” he commanded.

  She looked at him, still worrying the tender flesh.

  “God, Mary,” he groaned. “A man can only take so much. I’ve got to taste you, baby. Open your mouth for me.”

  “I don’t think I should.”

  “Don’t think, honey, just feel.”

  She was feeling alright. Her lips parted with a moan and Luke began his sensuous assault in earnest, licking the fullness of her lips before covering her mouth with his. He deepened the kiss, feeling her body jerk at the intimate brush of his tongue against hers.

  “Easy, baby,” He soothed her much as he had Lucifer earlier. She reminded him of a high strung filly. New and untried. Eager and excitable. He growled as heat exploded inside of him, starting at his heart and racing outward. Never had he felt like this before from a simple kiss. He stroked the tip of his tongue over her small, even, white teeth and the roof of her mouth, urging her to open more fully to his touch. He devoured her mouth when she complied with a soft groan.

  His touch grew rough and Mary whimpered, the sound as soft and low as that of a newborn kitten. Even at the sound of her distress, he refused to break the intimate contact with her sweet lips. But he drew back to nibble gently at the sweet curve of her mouth. Several moments passed before he ended the kiss. When she would have moved out of his embrace, his arms closed hard around her refusing to let her go.

  He could feel her body quivering and the surprising trembling in his own limbs. Not that his quaking could be seen with the naked eye. No, this rumble started somewhere deep inside his soul. He felt the layers of ice that surrounded his heart break away, replaced by light and warmth.

  He smoothed the hair from her face, hooking the stray strands behind her ears. ”I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I forget what an innocent you are.”

  “I’m not an innocent,” she protested

  Nudging her chin up, he asked. “You are a virgin, aren’t you?”

  To know no man had ever touched her warm skin in the most private act known between a man and woman sent the blood surging throughout his body.

  Green eyes met gray. She jerked free. “I have nothing to be ashamed of, Luke Tanner. There are hundreds, no thousands of thirty-two year old virgins around.”

  “Let’s not get carried away, little girl,” he grinned, drawing her close once again despite her token protest. “I’m glad, Mary. Really glad.” He nuzzled the side of her neck, his teeth lightly nicking the slender column of her throat as he whispered against her skin. ”Do you know what the thought of your innocence does to me?”

  She let her hands flatten against his chest, her fingers found the thick matt of hair edging from beneath his shirt. With one hand he reached up and pulled the snaps apart. He pressed her hand to his naked skin a
nd shuddered as she explored the newly exposed territory. “That’s it, sweetheart. Touch me.”

  He pressed another string of biting kisses along the curve of her jaw before turning his attention to the shell of her ear. He traced its delicate outer rim with his tongue. Fierce waves of desire washed over him as she rose to her tiptoes and shyly echoed his caress. He knew she would be just as eager to learn how to please him in other ways. The thought fanned the fire already burning in his belly.

  He pressed the hardness of his body against her softness, letting her feel the strength of his desire. He needed this woman to know just how badly he wanted her. How badly he wanted to lay her down in the hay and sate his body with hers. This time his kiss held equal parts desire and pent-up denial. Luke bruised the rosy softness of her lips as he took her with his mouth. Recognizing that he needed to ease his fierce possession her lips, to pull back on his desire before he scared her, he forced himself to retreat, suckling the pretty, pouty flesh of her bruised lips gently with his own. The action drew sounds of pleasure from deep within her throat.

  Luke struggled with his conscience as his desire threatened to escalate out of control, almost pushing him past the point of no return. The feel of her small hands on his chest played havoc with his senses. Mary had gotten under his skin and burrowed her way into his heart.

  He broke off the bone melting kiss and buried his head in the soft, smooth skin of her neck, knowing he couldn’t continue. Not and keep his sanity.

  He cupped her face in the palm of his hands. Her lips were swollen and glistened with moisture. Moisture from his mouth. He silently groaned and almost said to hell with his good intentions. She felt so alive in his arms, so vibrant. And he felt so alive in hers.

  Fighting the desire that threatened to overwhelm him, he drew back. He was always in control. Always. He moved away before his animal instincts overcame him.

  “You were right. That wasn’t such a good idea after all.” He grabbed Lucifer's reins and walked into the pouring rain.