A Rancher's Redemption

Dani laughed. “Sure you got enough?”

Her smile was contagious, and Nick grinned. “For now. Let’s go watch a movie.”

They headed for the living room. “What DVDs did you bring?” Dani asked.

“Only the first two James Bond movies ever made—Dr. No and From Russia with Love.”

“James Bond?” She stuck out her lower lip. “Come on, Nick, my heart is broken. You know that when I’m sad my preference is for three-hanky love stories.” She brightened. “I haven’t watched The Holiday since last Christmas. I could put it on.”

Nick had seen the chick flick with her so many times he’d memorized most of the lines. He made a face. “After every one of your breakups, we watch movies that make you cry. You’ve cried too much over Jeter.”

Within weeks after they’d started dating, Jeter had hurt her by sticking her with their dinner tab at a restaurant and taking off with his friends. Nick had wanted to deck the loser and teach him some manners, but that would have infuriated Dani. Instead, he’d encouraged her to quit trying to make the bum happy when he wasn’t doing a thing to make her happy. He’d also suggested she break off with him. But she’d already been in love and Nick’s words had fallen on deaf ears. It was a relief to know that next time she’d choose a different kind of man.

“Why don’t we mix it up and try a spy film. How about it?” He tugged on a lock of her pretty brown hair, which she wore straight and almost to her shoulders, then picked up the two DVDs. “Trust me, either of these classic Bond flicks will take your mind completely off your broken heart and your bad day. But hey, if you’d rather cry instead and waste another box of tissues...”

“You’re right.” She squared her shoulders. “Okay, I’ll give Dr. No a try. But if I can’t get into it, we switch to The Holiday. Deal?”

“Fair enough.”

Dessert in hand, they shoved the four colorful throw pillows—Dani was big into bright colors—to one end of the couch and then sat down.

Looking hopefully at Dani’s bowl, the ridiculously named Fluff jumped up between her and Nick. “No,” she said in a stern voice. “The vet put you on a diet, remember? Besides, this stuff is bad for you.” She shooed the cat away.

Undaunted, he jumped onto the floor and then butted Nick’s shin, his yellow eyes pleading. Nick was unmoved. “You heard the lady. This sundae is all mine.”

Tail high, the offended tom stalked off.

Nick slid Dr. No into the DVD player, then dug into his sundae. With any luck the combination of the sugar jolt and the action would keep him awake for a few hours.

Within moments Dani was totally engrossed in the film to the point that her ice cream melted. It was obvious she wasn’t thinking about Jeter or the restaurant now.

Mission accomplished. Nick smiled to himself.

He watched the film for a while, but not long after he finished his sundae, his eyelids grew too heavy to stay open. He set the bowl on the coffee table. It was the last thing he remembered.

Chapter Two (#ulink_a248671f-f2ee-5a3a-8758-1385a244a4aa)

Dani opened her eyes. As entertaining and exciting as Dr. No was—and it was so dated that it was both—she’d fallen asleep in the middle of the action. Now she was snuggled against Nick’s side, with her head on his chest. His arms were wrapped around her, holding her close.

When had that happened?

By the steady rise and fall of his rib cage, he’d also fallen asleep. Poor guy was exhausted, and yet he’d come over tonight so that they could cheer each other up. Although he’d done most of the cheerleading.

Tenderness flooded her. She loved him dearly, but cuddling with him stretched the bonds of their platonic relationship.

Doing her best not to disturb him, she gently began to untangle herself from his grasp. Not so easy, as he was holding on tight. Without meaning to, she woke him. His sleepy, sexy smile stole her breath. She was marveling at the power of that smile when he lowered his head and kissed her. On the mouth. He’d never done that before.

As startled as Dani was, she liked the solid feel of his arms anchoring her close. Liked his lips brushing warmly over hers. Dear God in heaven, he could kiss. Without knowing how it happened, she melted into his hard body and kissed him back.

He tasted of chocolate and ice cream and something subtle that she recognized as uniquely him. His big palms slid up her sides, dangerously close to her suddenly tingling breasts.

Okay, this was getting out of hand. Dani stiffened and pushed him away. “Don’t, Nick.”

“Jeezus.” He released her as if she’d burned him. “What are we doing?”

She touched her lips with her fingers, noting that his gaze followed and settled on her mouth.

“I’m not sure,” she said. “All I know is that sometime during the movie we both fell asleep. And then—”

“We were making out. Wow.” Nick scrubbed his hand over his face. “Sorry about that.”

Dani should be, too. Only she wasn’t.

No wonder the women Nick dated went nuts over him. Not only was he sexy and funny with good manners, he also knew how to kiss. Fan-yourself-go-soft-inside kisses that emptied the mind of all common sense.

Dani sensed that he could also do a lot of other equally wonderful things with his mouth. Blushing furiously, she leaned forward and stacked their bowls.

She almost wished...

But no. Nick was exactly the kind of guy she’d just sworn off of, a man who moved from woman to woman and kept his heart under close guard. Besides, he was her best friend. His friendship was important to her, and she wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize it.

Nick lifted the dishes right out of her hands, then stood. “It’s late, and tomorrow will be a long day for both of us. I should go,” he said, taking the words straight from her kiss-addled brain.

Dani wanted him to leave so that she could recover from a colossal mistake. She also rose. While Nick deposited the bowls in the kitchen, she fluffed the throw pillows and repositioned them along the couch.

When he returned, he shrugged into his jacket, which only accentuated his flat belly and broad shoulders.

“I’ll, uh, talk to you later.” He grabbed hold of the doorknob as if he couldn’t get out of her apartment fast enough.

Normally when they parted he kissed her on the cheek. Now that she was tingly and hot everywhere, even the most chaste kiss would be dangerous.

Fluff came running. Why couldn’t he have fallen asleep between them and prevented what had happened? Dani scooped him up and held him to her chest like a shield, poor cat. She opened the door and stood well out of reach until Nick moved through it and strode rapidly down the hall, away from her. After shutting the door, she let Fluff down. She didn’t draw in a normal breath until she heard the elevator close behind Nick.

* * *

NICK WAS UP at the crack of dawn Monday morning, relishing the busy day ahead. After a hearty breakfast he pulled on wool socks and entered the mudroom, where he tugged on boots and donned a heavy jacket. He stepped onto the back porch, his breath puffing from his lips like smoke. It was a cloudy March morning and chilly, but not quite cold enough to snow. Instead, heavy rain was predicted. Not the best working conditions for installing an irrigation system.

As always, the sight of the rolling fields filled him with pride and made him think of his father, a man who had died way too soon. Nick Senior had taught Nick that land was the most important thing a man could own, but his actions had jeopardized everything.

Kelly Ranch had belonged to the family for generations, until Nick’s parents had fallen on hard times—thanks partly to the vagaries of Montana weather, but mostly because of his father’s lavish spending habits. Nick remembered the jewelry, fancy appliances and high-end new car his father had bought his mother. He’d been so wrapped up in keeping her in luxury that he’d neglected the ranch. Neglect that had cost them all in the worst way possible.

Before long, unable to keep up with the mortgage and credit card debt, the family had been forced to sell. Nick’s parents had moved with him and his older sister, Jamie, to the east side of Prosperity. The poor side of town.

Both his parents had soon found jobs that paid regularly and provided a much-needed steady income that helped stave off the bill collectors. But no one had liked living in the city. Nick’s parents had fought constantly, and his mother started working late. She’d taken up with a man at work, someone else’s husband. The affair had ended, but not before it destroyed both marriages and broke up two families.

Breathing in the crisp air, Nick started down the back steps. He’d always wondered what his life would have been like if his parents had managed their debt better and had held on to the ranch. Would they have stayed together? If they had, his life would have been totally different.

But playing the what-if game was an endless circle of unanswerables. Nick didn’t want to remember that time, or the bitterness that had clung to his father like a shroud afterward and until the day he’d died.