Claimed!

“I can handle it.” What else was he supposed to say? He wasn’t going to lay his troubles at her feet like some jerk looking for sympathy.

“I’m sure you can.” She glanced at him. “Take care of yourself, Jack.”

He recognized a kiss-off remark when he heard it. She was done with him. He shouldn’t be surprised. After ten months of silence he’d shown up slightly drunk, with no advance warning, and he’d laid into her brother.

Good thing he hadn’t counted on her welcoming him back. This had been an experiment, and it had failed spectacularly. With practiced ease, he closed off his heart.

“See you around.” It was a phrase he used a lot, but in this case it was inappropriate. He wouldn’t be seeing her around, not if he could help it. Not if she could help it, either, he was sure. He got out of the truck and walked toward the darkened house.

Behind him gravel crunched as she drove away. Well, that was over with. Completely over.

As she headed back to Shoshone, Josie refused to let herself cry again. She’d already shed way too many tears over Jack Chance. But she couldn’t seem to do anything about the ache in her chest. She’d reopened a wound that had finally started to heal, and now she remembered what that pain had felt like.

When she’d imagined him coming back, and she’d done that far too often for her own good, she’d expected him to make some grand gesture, something worthy of a Chance man. Instead their reunion had been an afterthought, the by-product of whatever had happened with Morgan and Gabe. Man, that hurt.

She reached Shoshone in record time. Fortunately no cops were around to see her put the pedal to the metal and hurtle down that two-lane road away from the Last Chance Ranch, away from Jack Chance and his half-assed apologies. It would be a cold day in hell before she ever gave that guy room in her heart.

This time she’d tamp down any remaining sparks of hope that they could rekindle the flame between them. Jack was a lost cause. She should have realized that a long time ago, but she did now. Whether his issues arose from his mother leaving him when he was a toddler or his father dying in a rollover that Jack felt he could have prevented, the guy obviously wasn’t ready to deal with his demons.

She parked next to the Spirits and Spurs and climbed the stairs to her apartment. Although she loved her brother to distraction, she wanted to be alone right now. But she had to let him know she was home or he’d worry about her.

When she walked in, Alex was sitting on the couch reading the same news magazine he’d had earlier. He glanced up immediately. “Well?”

“It’s over for good this time.” She ignored the way her chest tightened when she said that.

“You don’t look happy, but it’s probably for the best. In the long run, I mean.”

“It is.” She took a shaky breath. “I thought he’d put some thought into coming over here. I even told myself he’d been drinking to bolster his courage to face me. But he only dropped by because his brother stranded him in town. He had nowhere else to go.”

“Aw, sis.” Alex stood and came toward her, as if he wanted to give her a hug.

She held up a hand. “Don’t be too sympathetic or I might lose it, and I’m determined not to do that. The bastard doesn’t deserve my tears.”

“No, he doesn’t. But he deserves some grief from me. If you’ll point me in the direction of this ranch of his, I’d like to—”

“Thanks, but no thanks, Alex. I appreciate the sentiment. I really do. But you ending up in a physical confrontation with Jack isn’t going to help anything. Besides, he’s … He’s in really good shape.”

She’d tried to avoid thinking about that hard body of his the entire time they’d been cooped inside the Bronco together. She’d failed. The minute she’d breathed in his scent, a combination of leather, spice and virile male, she’d experienced total recall of what that body could accomplish with a willing woman.

Had he touched her, she might have forgiven him everything. She was lucky he hadn’t tried.

“I’m in good shape, too,” Alex said quietly. “And it would give me great satisfaction to cause him some pain after what he’s put you through.”

She shook her head. “That would only stir the pot. The best way to handle Jack Chance is to ignore him completely. I intend to, and I’d like you to do the same.”

“But—”

“Please, Alex.”

“Okay.” He shrugged. “It’s your town.”

“Not really. If it’s anybody’s town, it belongs to the Chance family. They’re the reigning royalty around here.”

Alex crossed his arms and studied her. “I’ll bet there’s a quaint little bar for sale somewhere in downtown Chicago.”

“I wouldn’t give Jack the satisfaction of running me out. I love it here, and the bar’s doing very well. At this rate I’ll have the building paid for in five years. I’m staying.” She lifted her chin. “And Jack Chance can kiss my ass.”

3

“YOU’RE GETTING MARRIED already?” At mid-morning Jack had walked into the large ranch kitchen in search of coffee, only to find Jack’s stepmother, Sarah, and his brother Gabe knee-deep in wedding plans. Mary Lou Simms, the ranch cook, was in the thick of it, too, offering comments in between tending a huge pot of chili on the stove.

Gabe’s truck hadn’t been in the driveway earlier, but he was home now, looking scruffy and quite pleased with himself. Jack wasn’t used to seeing his youngest brother unshaven, his dark blond hair sticking in twenty different directions. With luck Gabe was so besotted with his lady love that he’d forget to ask how Jack’s evening had turned out.

“Morgan and I see no point in waiting.” Gabe sat at the kitchen island drinking coffee with Sarah.

“And I’m glad for that.” Sarah seemed giddy at the prospect. She’d always looked youthful, even though she’d let her hair go naturally white, but this morning she seemed almost girlish. “Your idea of having the ceremony on horseback means we don’t have to decorate for the wedding, just for the reception.”

“Horseback, huh?” Jack walked over to the hat rack in the corner of the kitchen.

“Morgan’s game,” Gabe said, “so I decided what the heck. Might as well take advantage of the famous Jackson Hole scenery.”

“Now I can see the reason for rushing things.” Jack hung his hat next to Gabe’s. “An outdoor ceremony wouldn’t work so well in the snow.”

“Exactly,” Sarah said. “Besides, it’ll be a fun challenge to pull it together in … wow, less than two weeks.”

“I’m glad you think so.” Jack was happy that Gabe and Morgan were getting married. He was also pleased to see Sarah so excited about the wedding. But his own misery moved in like a dark cloud to cover any potential joy. He needed to snap out of this foul mood and get into the spirit of things.

Mary Lou left her chili to simmer, poured a mug of coffee and handed it to Jack. “I figure this is what you wandered in for.”

“I did. Thanks.” Maybe caffeine would help.

Mary Lou gestured with the carafe. “Gabe? Sarah?”

“Load me up.” Gabe held out his mug. “Didn’t get much sleep last night.” He winked at Jack. “You don’t look like you did, either.”

“Not much.” Actually, none.

“You boys.” Mary Lou clucked in disapproval. “I thought you’d both passed the stage of staying out ‘til all hours. Sarah? Coffee?”

“Nothing for me, thanks. I’m wired as it is with all this good news.” Her blue eyes shone as she flashed Jack a smile. “Did you see Josie last night?”

Jack glared at Gabe. Some people couldn’t keep their traps shut.

Gabe shrugged. “She wanted the whole story. You know how moms are.”

“Right.” Jack really didn’t know how moms were. Sometimes they were great, like his stepmother, Sarah, but other times they left. For years Sarah had asked Jack to call her Mom, but he liked calling her Sarah to distance her from the other mother he’d known, the one who’d deserted him.

“So did you see Josie?” Gabe asked.