Summer Nights

“Not every single one on the planet.”

He groaned. “Now you sound like my mother.”

He was going to say more, but before he could speak, he felt a heat flare in his body. Were he out in the wild, he would assume he was being stalked by an animal. Here, in this crowd, there was only one danger. And it, or she, was getting closer.

He turned and spotted Annabelle talking to a firefighter. It took him a second to tear his gaze away from the stunning redhead long enough to recognize Charlie Dixon, the woman who owned Mason and boarded him at the ranch.

Annabelle looked up and saw him and Heidi. She waved, said something to Charlie and the two women approached. He braced himself for impact.

Today Annabelle had dressed to cause mayhem wherever she went. The swingy little sundress was pale green, with skinny straps. Her hair was a mass of wavy curls and tumbled down her back. Shane had to hang on to every fiber of self-control to keep from pulling her under the nearest bush and taking advantage of her in every way possible.

“Hi,” Annabelle said as she approached. “Shane, do you know Charlie?”

The firefighter, tall and muscular with big blue eyes and an appealingly sarcastic eye roll, sighed. “I keep my horse on his family’s ranch. Of course I know Shane.”

“Right.” Annabelle grinned. “She’s crabby. Charlie hates the Fourth of July.”

“I don’t hate the holiday,” Charlie muttered. “I hate people being stupid and today is one day they’re experts at it. Do you know how many calls we’re going to get because idiots who can’t read simple instructions will catch somebody’s roof on fire with fireworks? It’s pyrotechnics, people. Know what you’re doing or leave it to the professionals.”

Annabelle patted her arm. “Deep cleansing breaths.”

“I’ll be calm tomorrow.” Charlie drew her eyebrows together. “What about the animals at the Castle Ranch? Can they hear the fireworks?”

Heidi shook her head. “We’re too far out of town. Don’t worry, though. Shane’s heading back early and will be taking care of them.”

“Thanks. I’m concerned about Mason,” Charlie admitted.

“You’re a good horse mom,” Annabelle told her. “And Mason is really nice. He was very calm with me. Although I think he’s mocking me when I flop around on him.”

“He is,” Charlie told her cheerfully. “But he’s a good guy. Imagine what a horse with attitude would be thinking.”

“Like Khatar,” Heidi murmured. “He scares me.”

“Khatar?” Annabelle shook her head. “Why would he scare you? He’s so sweet.”

Shane had used the distraction of the women’s conversation to talk himself off the sexual ledge. Now he managed to clear his throat and actually speak.

“Khatar got out while Annabelle was over a couple of days ago. He seems to like her.”

“For lunch?” Charlie asked.

Annabelle grinned. “Even I know horses are vegetarians.”

“If one was going to make an exception, it would be him. You be careful.”

“I’m fine. He was practically snuggling. He’s not what you think.”

Heidi looked as doubtful as Charlie. “Keep your distance, Annabelle. He’s nothing like Mason or Shane’s other horses.”

“I’ll keep her safe,” Shane said.

One of Charlie’s eyebrows rose, but she didn’t say anything.

“At least Khatar won’t be in the way much longer,” Heidi said.

“Where’s he going?” Annabelle asked Shane. “You didn’t sell him, did you?”

“No. I bought about two hundred acres next to the Castle Ranch. I’m having stables built, along with a house.”

Annabelle grinned. “What? You don’t want to live with your mother and her boyfriend forever?”

He groaned. “Not to mention my brother and his fiancée? No.”

“Speaking of your brother, I’d better go find him,” Heidi said.

“I’ll walk you,” Charlie told her. “I have to get back to the station.”

Shane expected Annabelle to go with them, but she stayed with him and seconds later, despite the hundreds of people milling around them, he found himself alone with her.

“Come on,” she said. “I’ll show you the town. You can tell me how it’s different from when you were a kid here.”

There was no polite way to tell her no and, in truth, he liked the idea of spending time with her. Assuming he could figure out a way to keep his hands to himself and think about something other than the way her mouth would feel against his.

His grand plan fizzled to dust when she linked arms with him and leaned close. “As you know,” she began. “Fool’s Gold is the festival capital of the country. Maybe the world.” She glanced up at him and smiled.

Her mouth was moving, so he knew she was still talking, but he couldn’t hear anything but a buzzing sound. Heat hit him with the subtlety of a bull rider slamming into the group. There was something about her face—the perfect shape, the dark green of her eyes, the thick lashes, the flash of white teeth when she smiled up at him.

Even in the middle of the crowd, with food stands all around, he could breathe in the soft scent of her perfume. Or maybe it was just her. A combination of vanilla and invitation.

“Shane?”

He promised himself when he got back to the ranch he would bang his head against the closest wall until he knocked some sense into himself.

“Sorry,” he murmured.

“It’s okay. Now, what do you remember about being a kid here?”

He focused on the question. It was a whole lot safer than focusing on her. “That I loved the ranch. There was always so much to do. I had my brothers, my friends. When Mom told us we had to move, I threatened to run away. We were all sad to leave—except for Rafe.”

“Heidi mentioned he didn’t want to come back.” She laughed. “He’s stuck now. Falling in love will do that to a guy.” She turned her head and her long hair brushed against his forearm. “Was it always your plan to move back here?”

“No. I knew I wanted my own ranch, and I’ve been planning for that, but I hadn’t settled on a location until Rafe and my mom told me that they’d bought the Castle Ranch. I came out to visit, saw the land next door and bought it.”

“Impressive. And here I am excited that I just paid off my car.” She frowned. “There’s no house, right? You’re having that built.”

He drew in a breath. “Yes, but it’s slow going. The stables are easy. I know what I want and don’t want. But the house is a pain in the ass. Every time I turn around, the contractor has more questions. Lights, sinks, countertops, appliances.”

“Not a big shopper?” she asked, her green eyes bright with amusement.