The Rancher Next Door

Trevor squinted, grinned. “You talking about women in general or Susan Carrigan in particular?”

Teddy swung himself up into the saddle. “You ought to just go ahead and admit it, Ty. There’s never going to be another woman for you but Susan.”

Tyler guided his horse between Trevor’s and Teddy’s. “Susan and I don’t get along.”

“Sometimes you do.” Trevor winked, thinking how smugly content his veterinarian-brother could be when his relationship with Rebecca’s older sister, Susan happened to be humming along. And how miserable Ty was at times—like now—when it was “off.”

“The two of you should just quit all the drama and get hitched,” Teddy agreed, as they rode toward the pasture.

“You should talk,” Tyler grumbled, with a sharp look at Teddy. “Since you’ve never had eyes for anyone but Amy Carrigan.”

“Amy’s my friend,” Teddy muttered.

Trevor stopped at the pasture gate and dismounted to open it. “I don’t see you dating anyone else—at least not for long.”

Teddy turned his glance toward the cattle they were going to have to move. “That’s because I’ve been busy getting my horse-breeding operation up and running.”

Trevor knew how hard he’d worked. The Silverado was fast becoming known in Texas as the place to get quality, affordable quarter horses. “Now if you could only train a woman as well as you school a horse,” Tyler teased Teddy.

Trevor frowned, his thoughts jumping back to the problem that had brought them all together on such short notice. “I could sure use a few tips on how to handle Rebecca Carrigan,” he said, closing the pasture gate, before taking the reins once again.

“Burr under your saddle, huh?” Teddy replied.

Worse, Trevor felt responsible for protecting her, since it had been Trevor’s lively public exchange with Rebecca at the feed store that had brought her feisty presence to Vince Owen’s attention.

Rebecca didn’t know about the bet the conniving jerk had tried—and failed—to make about her that morning. If Trevor had his way, she never would. What worried him was the thought that Vince was going to be living—at least part of the time—on The Circle Y Ranch, on the other side of Rebecca. If Vince were true to form, he’d soon be using his proximity to Rebecca every which way but Sunday in order to get to Trevor.

Vince’s efforts to annoy, distract and otherwise make miserable were already working. Trevor’s mind was on anything but the business he was supposed to be running on the Wind Creek cattle ranch.

Instead, he kept waiting for Vince to start up the ugly cutthroat competition again, via Rebecca, as a way of punishing Trevor for succeeding academically, professionally, romantically, where Vince had not. Knowing Vince, he’d probably go after the financial success of The Primrose Ranch and the Wind Creek cattle ranch before he was finished, too.

Unfortunately, the only way Trevor would be able to protect Rebecca and her newly acquired property was by befriending her first, a task not made easy by the fact that she thought, erroneously—her parents actually wanted the two of them to start dating. And was, of course, absolutely opposed to having anything at all to do with him. Now or in the future….

Aware his brothers were waiting on Trevor’s response to his pretty new neighbor, he frowned and said, “You’re right about that much. Ms. Rebecca Carrigan is going to be one royal pain.”

As a kid she’d had a reputation for never listening to anyone in a position of authority. From what he could tell so far, that had not changed.

Tyler slowed his mount’s pace as they reached the opposite side of the Wind Creek pasture and the gate that separated it from the Primrose Ranch pasture, where alpacas would soon be grazing. “Not to worry about it, bro.”

Teddy winked and continued the ribbing, “If any man can handle her—”

And that was a mighty big if, Trevor thought grimly.

“—you can,” Tyler said.

“REBECCA, DEAR, I’ve already thought of at least half-a-dozen things I forgot to get from the house,” Miss Mim said.

“No problem, Miss Mim. I’ll get them for you.” Rebecca picked up the chalk from the tray on the message board in the kitchen. “Just tell me what they are and I’ll make a list.”

“My favorite vase, on the dining room table.”

“Check.”

Miss Mim rambled off four more items while Rebecca wrote. “And I was going to ask you for my binoculars on the hook by the back door, but I’ve changed my mind. I thought you might want to use those to keep an eye on your new neighbors.”

Rebecca rolled her eyes, even as she took the binoculars and looped them around her neck. “Very funny, Miss Mim.”

“I’m serious, Rebecca. Those two men are going to be vying for your hand in marriage in no time. Just don’t make my mistake and say no to romance, like I did. When you get to be my age, you’ll find you regret it.”

Rebecca knew that was true.

Although Miss Mim had been “family” to every parent and child who’d come through the Laramie Public Library, lately she’d been regretting the road not taken. Fortunately, Rebecca was saved having to respond by muffled voices on the other end of the connection.

“Dear?” Miss Mim was back. “The canasta game is about to start. I’ll phone you later.”

“When would you like me to bring the items by?”

“Two days from now—say around seven in the evening? I’m going to be busy prior to that.”

“No problem.”

Rebecca hung up the phone.

She walked around the house, gathering the requested items and slipping them into a cardboard box, all the while admiring her new home. It was hard to believe fifty acres of prime Texas acreage, never mind the pretty white stone ranch house with the rose-colored shutters and dark gray roof, was all hers now.

Miss Mim had inherited the seventy-five-year-old homestead from her parents and had taken loving care of it during the forty-two years she had resided there. Handsome dark pine floors shone beneath the delicate antique furniture. Upstairs, there were three bedrooms and a large old-fashioned bath with a claw-foot tub and pedestal sink. In the master bedroom there was an old-fashioned four-poster, matching wardrobe, chest of drawers and vanity. The second bedroom was a sewing room and the third, a study.

Downstairs, a formal parlor and dining room, suitable for entertaining, encompassed the front of the house. In the rear was a big kitchen, complete with trestle table and six Windsor chairs, fireplace and white stone hearth. Black marble countertops gleamed next to state-of-the-art stainless steel appliances and antique white cabinets. The combination laundry room and spacious food pantry were tucked behind panel doors.

Across the front of the house was a wide front porch. Instead of a patio or deck out back, there were steps down to the grass, and a flagstone path that led to a white stone gazebo, surrounded by primroses.

Beyond that was a big red barn and a good distance away from that, a white stone detached garage. Rebecca intended to park in the lane in front of the house and convert the garage into the official farm office, where ranch business would be done.

Figuring she should go down and take another look at the interior of the barn to see what if anything needed to be done before she brought animals onto the ranch, Rebecca headed out the back door.

She had just passed the gazebo when she saw three men on horseback cantering across Trevor McCabe’s land, and onto hers.

Wondering whom he’d gotten to help him move cattle on such short notice, Rebecca picked up the binoculars from around her neck and stepped back into the gazebo.

It took a little focusing—and a minute for her to get a vantage point that avoided the stands of cedar and live oak trees between her and them—to get a good view of what was going on out on her land.

Rebecca smiled, identifying Trevor and his two oldest brothers.

When Trevor, Tyler and Teddy were younger, everyone had trouble telling the McCabe triplets apart. These days, it was no problem, despite the fact they all dressed in typical cowboy garb of hat, jeans, boots and cotton shirts. Although they all had broad shoulders, slim hips and fit, muscular physiques, their appearances differed. Trevor’s thick reddish-brown hair was clipped so short it was barely visible beneath the brim of his hat. Tyler’s hair was on the long side and brushed his collar. Teddy’s hair was midway between the two and tended to kink up on the ends. Their differing personalities set them apart, as well. Trevor had a commanding air about him Rebecca found hard to ignore. Tyler was more aloof and had a gentle, assessing manner. Teddy exuded friendliness and a willingness to go the extra mile to help out a friend.

Hearing the phone ring, Rebecca went back inside. It turned out there was a problem with one of her alpacas. But at least she knew where help could be found. Assuming, of course, Rebecca thought as she picked up the binoculars and headed back to the gazebo, that Trevor and his two brothers hadn’t left yet.

To Rebecca’s relief she could easily make out Tyler and Teddy on horseback, moving the herd. Trevor McCabe, however, was nowhere in sight. Unless, Rebecca thought, getting down on one knee, he and his horse had disappeared behind that distant grove of trees….