To Tempt a Cowgirl

“I don’t think I’ll be dealing with him once he brings that tractor back.” Which he’d grudgingly promised to do the next day.

Dani sat down next to Allie, bunching the T-shirt she held into a loose ball. “I don’t want to sell.”

“Dad died here.”

“And sometimes I feel like he’s here with me,” Dani said as she started stuffing clothing into the bag.

Allie simply pressed her lips together and shook her head. “You don’t remember the bad times like I do.”

“Yeah. I do. But they affected me differently. I see them as something we got through.”

“And then I started them all over again by bringing my husband here.”

“You know...we all liked Kyle. A lot.” Allie glared at her. “In the beginning,” Dani amended. “What I’m trying to say is that we were all taken in by him.”

“Yeah.” Allie popped the lid onto the box. “But you didn’t spend as much time with him as I did. I dated him for two years and still didn’t see the real guy. I believed in him. Made excuses for him while he ran this place into the ground.”

“Would selling it honestly make you feel better? Or just make it so that you never had to come back here and be reminded of the past.”

“Does it really matter which?”

“I wish the place didn’t make you so unhappy.”

“I made a mistake moving back here. We should have gotten our own place. Then we could have sold, I could have paid the bastard off and he’d have left us all alone.” Allie gave Dani a weary look as they walked downstairs together, Allie carrying the box and Dani dragging the heavy bag. “I won’t make noise about selling the Lightning Creek as long as you and Jolie are happy here, but the instant things start to go sour, I say we slap this place on the market.”

“Jolie and I are in total agreement. We just want a chance to make a go of it.”

“And I don’t begrudge you that.” Allie opened the back hatch of the Subaru Forester and shoved her box in before turning to reach for the bag.

“I can take it to the donation box if you want,” Dani offered.

“No. I want the satisfaction of kissing my old life goodbye.” She hefted the bag and shoved it into the crowded cargo space, jamming it on top of the boxes.

“Have at it.”

Allie hugged her with one arm before heading to the driver’s side of the car. “Who knows,” she called over her shoulder, “maybe the ranch will treat you better than it treated me.”

“Mel did okay here.”

“She was only here for a short time.”

“Don’t make me feel guilty about loving the place,” Dani said with a hint of frustration. She hated having this wedge between them.

Allie raised a hand. “You’re absolved from guilt. I’m off to make a new life in Idaho. But—” her voice became stern as she said “—if you suspect Kyle is doing anything, anything at all—”

“I’ll call the authorities.”

“Promise.”

“Scout’s honor.” Although she was pretty certain that this wasn’t a promise she’d have to keep.

A few moments later, Dani watched her sister drive away. Maybe after a semester of college, Allie would start to feel more in control of her life and better about the ranch. Maybe Kyle would back off.

Regardless, Dani would not allow herself to feel guilty about insisting that they keep the Lightning Creek. In a way, she felt as if she was helping Allie dodge a bullet. Cash was good. But land was forever.

* * *

THE CALL FROM the garage came sooner than Gabe expected, just after noon, when he was thinking about taking a run to work off some of his nervous energy. The car was fine with the exception of the cracked headlight, now fixed. If he wanted, they could send someone out to pick him up.

“No. I have a ride.”

Gabe hung up and proceeded to call his ride, who answered her phone almost instantly. Gabe found himself smiling at her husky hello. Damn, but he was beginning to love this woman’s voice. It resonated, stirring something deep inside of him. Something that made him halfway wish he could get to know her for real—and how long had it been since he’d felt like that?

Too long, probably.

“I’ve just gotten a call from the garage.”

“And?” He could hear instant stress in her voice.

“No problems.”

“Not one?” she asked suspiciously.

“Cracked headlight, but it was cracked before the accident.” A white lie wouldn’t hurt. “They offered me a ride, but I wanted to take you up on your lunch offer. If you’d rather not, I’ll call them back.”

“No. I owe you lunch.”

“And I’m taking you up on it.” When she didn’t say anything, he added, “It’s not easy being the new kid on the block.”

“And not working while on vacation?”

“Uh...yes. Exactly,” he said, surprised.

“I’ll be right over.”

“No hurry.”

“Now is good,” she said in a tone that made him think she wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. That wasn’t exactly the way he’d hoped she’d approach lunch together, but he’d work with it, see what kind of foundation he could lay.

He dragged off the comfy long-sleeved T-shirt over his head and pulled an ironed shirt out of the closet before changing into his clean jeans. There’d once been a time when all he’d owned were T-shirts and ratty jeans and he’d been okay with that—until he figured out that people judged you by what you wore and treated you accordingly.

Dani showed up fifteen minutes later and he was glad to see she was driving the newer truck she’d had hitched to the horse trailer at the sale, rather than the one that threatened dust poisoning.

“Do you want to eat first, before we pick up my car?” he asked as he got into the passenger seat.

“That’d probably be easiest,” Dani agreed without looking at him.

Gabe settled back into his seat, telling himself that all things took time. He couldn’t risk pushing matters.