Should've Been A Cowboy & Cowboy Up: Should've Been a Cowboy / Cowboy Up

“Hey, Tyler.” He managed what he hoped was a nonchalant smile. “How’re you doing?”

Tyler had been doing just fine until she’d walked into the Last Chance’s kitchen and found Alex leaning into the refrigerator, his tempting buns encased in well-worn jeans. She hadn’t expected him to be at the ranch, and she certainly hadn’t expected him to have transformed himself into a cowboy. Judging from his denim shirt, snug jeans and scuffed boots, that’s exactly what he’d done.

Ten months ago he’d been a hottie who’d tempted her into one night of wild sex. She’d tried to convince herself it had been about superficial pleasure, but there was nothing superficial about the feelings flooding through her now. She’d had casual affairs. This didn’t qualify.

And God, did he look good. Apparently Wyoming agreed with him. The cute city boy had been replaced with a ruggedly handsome man. The dark blond hair he’d worn short and preppy now touched his collar. His face was leaner, his gray eyes more piercing, his body more ripped than she remembered. In ten months he’d gone from hottie to hero.

And what they’d shared had definitely been more than just sex. This man had made wonderful love to her, and she wanted him to do it again. Her skin warmed and her heartbeat quickened at the memory of his caress, his kiss, his gentle words. The time they’d been apart shrank until she felt as if she’d lain naked with him only hours ago.

On that cool August morning she’d forced herself to leave without a backward glance, although she’d mentally glanced back more than she cared to admit. Now she had even more reason to avoid a relationship, but she wondered how on God’s green earth she’d be able to resist him.

“Tyler, you remember Alex.” Morgan seemed to think her sister’s silence meant she needed prompting. “He was the DJ at our wedding reception.”

“Right.” Tyler smiled at him. “I thought you looked familiar.”

He cleared his throat. “There was a lot going on that night.”

Especially in the hayloft. “It was a memorable evening.” Tyler forced her gaze away from his before someone figured out just how well she remembered the guy who’d played the music, the guy who had a really talented mouth, clever hands and a way of stealing a girl’s heart when she wasn’t looking.

“I adored my wedding.” Morgan seemed oblivious to the undercurrents swirling between Tyler and Alex.

“The ceremony on horseback was certainly unique.” Tyler focused all her attention on her hormonal and understandably self-centered sister, who looked as if she’d stuffed a basketball down the front of her green paisley dress. Morgan had a month to go before she delivered, which meant this would be a large baby, because she looked ready to give birth at any moment.

Anyone who saw dark-haired Tyler and redheaded Morgan and knew they were sisters would understand why their parents had decided to combine last names and create the O’Connelli surname to honor both the Irish and the Italian sides of the family. It had been a quirky solution from a certifiably quirky couple.

“And there was Jack’s incredible toast at the reception,” Sarah added. She’d managed to shove into the box whatever she’d been holding when they’d arrived. “I’ll never forget that toast.”

“Me neither.” Morgan sighed. “The whole event was so romantic and happy that I think it helped bring Jack and Josie back together. Was that when they decided to have a double wedding with Nick and Dominique?”

“I think the four of them did come to that conclusion sometime during the reception.” Sarah moved in front of the box sitting on the round oak table, as if wanting to block it from Morgan’s view. “We were lucky to get their ceremony planned and completed before the first snow.”

Tyler suspected the box was full of baby things. She had quite a few in her suitcase, too. She’d managed to finagle this short leave from work, knowing she’d be in the middle of the Mediterranean when the baby arrived.

She glanced at Sarah. “So how does it feel, having all three of your sons married?”

“Very empty nestish,” Sarah said. “I hope you can stick around for a while. We have plenty of room upstairs now and I’d love the company.”

“She might be happiest here,” Morgan said. “I’d love to have her sleep at our house, but with the construction still in progress, and only the master bedroom finished, it’s sort of—”

“Like camping out.” Sarah laughed. “Tyler, you’ll want to take one of the upstairs bedrooms and leave the newlyweds to their chaos. I told them all to wait and move when the houses were done, but all three couples insisted they wanted to rough it in their new digs. I’ve tried not to take it personally,” she added with a grin.

“I can sleep wherever,” Tyler said. Except the hayloft. “But if there’s a room available upstairs, that sounds wonderful.”

“Great.” Sarah beamed at her. “How long can you stay?”

“I have to fly back next Wednesday.”

“Wow.” Sarah blinked. “That’s hardly enough time to unpack.”

“But at least she’s here, which is totally awesome.” Morgan’s happy gaze met Tyler’s.

“I had to see the new mommy-to-be.” And her sister’s enthusiasm made the effort so worthwhile. Alex’s presence was a small complication she’d work through.

“Tyler about gave me a heart attack,” Morgan said. “I didn’t know she was coming until she called me from the L.A. airport and said she was on her way.”

“I wasn’t sure I could get off until the last minute, and I had to sign in blood that I’d be back on Wednesday.”

Morgan regarded her sister with obvious pride. “That’s because Tyler’s the activities director for a world cruise that sails from L.A. a week from today. If she gets a good evaluation at the end of it, she’s been promised a promotion to cruise director, which means she’ll be the head honcho next time out. How cool is that?”

“Very cool.” Sarah gazed at Tyler with obvious respect.

“Good for you, Tyler,” Mary Lou added.

“Thanks. If I get this promotion, I’ll be the youngest cruise director in the history of the company.” Tyler found herself basking in Sarah’s and Mary Lou’s approval. Her parents, who claimed to care nothing for status or worldly goods, hadn’t been particularly impressed by her rapid rise in the business. She hadn’t thought she cared whether they were impressed or not, but maybe she did.

“That’s terrific.” Alex lifted his unopened beer bottle. “Can I get drinks for anyone? We should toast Tyler’s success.”

“Well, I don’t have the promotion yet.” But maybe it was good that the subject was on the table, so that Alex knew that she was still fully immersed in her career and excited about the next big step.

Or maybe he wouldn’t care. Maybe he was over his ex and had hooked up with somebody from around here. All her worries about resisting him might be for nothing if he was otherwise occupied.

“I’d love a beer,” Mary Lou said. “Move aside, Alex, and I’ll see that we all get something cold to drink and happy-hour munchies. Sarah, I know you’ll join me in a Friday-afternoon beer. Tyler, what will you have?”

“The same, thanks.” Maybe a cold beer would settle her nerves. She’d expected she might see Alex while she was here, considering that he was Josie’s brother and part of the extended Chance family. But she hadn’t planned on running into him first thing out of the gate and immediately having to deal with her emotional reaction.

“Root beer for me, please,” Morgan said.

“I know, honey,” Mary Lou said. “I have it right here.” She opened the refrigerator and began passing out bottles.

Sarah quietly removed the box from the table and tucked it out of sight before swinging into hostess mode. “Everybody have a seat. I’ll get us some chips and dip. The rest of the gang will probably show up pretty soon, and if I know my boys, they’ll be ready to toast the beginning of the weekend with a cold one.”

Tyler chose a seat at the opposite side of the table from where Alex stood. She couldn’t help sneaking glances at him, and every time she did, he was looking back. Not the usual behavior of a man who had a girlfriend.

He could still be unattached, and if so, she’d have to be very careful. As if her memories of his lovemaking weren’t enough to make her heart race, he’d turned into every woman’s fantasy—a broad-shouldered, lean-hipped, yummy cowboy. She wondered if he’d bought himself a Stetson.

In no time Mary Lou and Sarah had the impromptu party organized with drinks all around. Bowls of chips and several kinds of dip sat on the table along with a stack of napkins.

Sarah took a chair and raised her beer bottle. “Here’s to your world cruise, Tyler, and the important promotion I’m sure will follow.”

“Thank you.” Tyler began to understand why Morgan loved being a part of this stable, loving family. Morgan, Tyler and their six siblings had lived a vagabond lifestyle, traveling the country in a psychedelic van with their New Age parents.

They’d spent a few months in Shoshone back when Morgan and Tyler were teenagers. For Tyler, it had just been one stop in their constant travels, but Morgan had loved it and had vowed to come back. Although Tyler had inherited her parents’ wanderlust, Morgan had yearned for roots, and now she had them. Her baby would represent the fourth generation of Chances living on this ranch.

“I guess that means you can’t be here when the baby’s born,” Mary Lou said.

“Exactly, which is why I came now. When that little tyke arrives, I’ll be somewhere in the Mediterranean. On the way here from the airport I tried to talk Morgan into setting up Skype in the delivery room, but she wasn’t buying it.”

Morgan made a face. “Sorry, but I have this image of the entire crew of the Sea Goddess gathered around your computer watching me give birth. I’m even thinking of having the baby at the ranch, to keep the moment more private and special.”