One stolen kiss with a cowboy

When Ana Slater’s father is taken ill, she knows she can’t look after The Lazy S Ranch alone. There is one man who can help. The cowboy she has found it impossible to forget—Vance Rivers.

With the words “Work hard and hands off my daughters!” etched into his memory, Vance knew from the very beginning that Ana was strictly off-limits—no matter what! All he could do was ensure he was the best cowboy in Montana.

But now, with Ana back on the ranch, the rules are set to change. And finally their chance at happiness might be just around the corner....

THE SLATER SISTERS OF MONTANA

Nestled in the Rocky Mountains, the idyllic Lazy S Ranch is about to welcome home the beautiful Slater sisters.

Don your Stetson and your cowboy boots and join us as these sisters experience first loves, second chances and their very own happy-ever-afters with the most delicious heroes in the West. No dream is too big in Montana!

Out first in September 2013

THE COWBOY SHE COULDN’T FORGET

followed by the second in this fabulous series in November 2013!

Dear Reader,

I’m so excited to begin this new series, Slater Sisters of Montana. My stories will be set in the beautiful state of Montana at the Lazy S Ranch.

Patriarch Colton Slater fell in love thirty years ago with Lucia Delgado and they had four lovely daughters: Analeigh, twins Josephina and Vittoria, and Marissa. Then, only a year after the last child was born, Lucia took off—leaving a bitter Colt to raise the young girls alone.

My first story begins when Colt has a stroke and Ana returns home to take care of her father. She quickly learns that the Lazy S is in financial trouble. She teams up with ranch foreman Vance Rivers to work on solutions for the problem.

Vance was the kid Colt took in as a teenager, and for nearly all that time he has been in love with Ana. Maybe she’ll finally notice him?

Ana’s concentration is on trying to get her sisters to come home and help out, but they’re busy with their own careers. That’s understandable, since Colt didn’t pay much attention to them as children. She’s glad she has Vance to lean on, and quickly discovers what a special man he is.

I hope you enjoy this trip to southern Montana with the Slater sisters.

Patricia Thayer

The Cowboy She Couldn’t Forget

Patricia Thayer

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Originally born and raised in Muncie, Indiana, PATRICIA THAYER is the second of eight children. She attended Ball State University, and soon afterwards headed West. Over the years she’s made frequent visits back to the Midwest, trying to keep up with her growing family.

Patricia has called Orange County, California, home for many years. She not only enjoys the warm climate, but also the company and support of other published authors in the local writers’ organisation. For the past eighteen years she has had the unwavering support and encouragement of her critique group. It’s a sisterhood like no other.

When she’s not working on a story, you might find her travelling the United States and Europe, taking in the scenery and doing story research while thoroughly enjoying herself, accompanied by Steve, her husband for over thirty-five years. Together, they have three grown sons and four grandsons. As she calls them: her own true-life heroes. On rare days off from writing you might catch her at Disneyland, spoiling those grandkids rotten! She also volunteers for the Grandparent Autism Network.

Patricia has written for over twenty years, and has authored more than forty-six books. She has been nominated for both a National Readers’ Choice Award and the prestigious RITA® Award. Her book Nothing Short of a Miracle won an RT Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice award.

A longtime member of Romance Writers of America, she has served as President and held many other board positions for her local chapter in Orange County. She’s a firm believer in giving back.

Check her website, www.patriciathayer.com, for upcoming books.

To my good friend and fellow writer Janet Cornelow. The plotting group will never be the same without you.

Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

EPILOGUE

EXCERPT

CHAPTER ONE

ANA GRIPPED A handful of the horse’s mane, lowered her head and gave the animal its lead as she flew over the dew-soaked meadow.

She felt the sting of the cool Montana air against her cheeks, but didn’t stop. If she did she was afraid she’d fall apart. And Analeigh Maria Slater was always composed and calm. She had to be. She was the oldest daughter, and since her mother’s desertion, the responsibility of her younger sisters had fallen on her shoulders.

Finally reaching her destination, she slowed her horse. The buckskin mare was reluctant to end the run, but obeyed by the time they reached the old, dilapidated cabin. The place Ana had come to as a kid when she needed to be alone, or needed to think. When she needed to cry.

She climbed off, and her legs nearly gave out as she hit the ground. It had been a while since she’d ridden, and she’d pushed it hard today. After tying the mare’s reins to the post, she climbed the single step onto the sagging porch. Using her shoulder, she nudged open the weathered door and walked inside.

The cabin was just as dismal as she remembered. The one room was small, but serviceable. A sink and a water pump, a shelf overhead that still held canned goods. There was a set of bunks attached to the opposite wall, with filthy mattresses. The building would have been torn down, but her great-great-grandfather had built it when he’d settled in this area.

She walked to the one window and looked out at the view she loved. The lush meadow was green with new spring grass and wildflowers. She shifted her gaze to the side to see the Rockies, then in the other direction toward Pioneer Mountain and the national forest. In between were miles and miles of Slater land. Colton Slater’s pride and joy, the Lazy S Ranch.

And at one time this ranch had been home to Ana and her three sisters. That had been a long time ago.

She brushed a tear from her cheek. But now with her father’s emergency... Another tear followed. What was going to happen? What if Colt didn’t survive?

She tensed at the sound of another horse approaching, then boots on the porch. She swung around, but didn’t feel any relief on seeing the ranch foreman, Vance Rivers, stepping through the doorway.

The man was tall, with wide shoulders. Over the years, she’d caught sight of him without a shirt when he’d been digging fence posts. He’d earned the muscular chest and arms. Her gaze moved down to his flat stomach and narrow waist.

A black Stetson hid most of his sandy hair and shaded those deep-set, coffee-brown eyes that seemed to pierce right through her. She hated that he made her feel nervous and edgy whenever he got near.

“I figured I’d find you here.”

“Now that you have, you don’t need to hang around,” she told him, and turned away. He had been the one who’d called her early this morning about her father’s stroke. He also had been the one she found in the hospital room. Of course that was who her father would want with him. “Shouldn’t you be at Colt’s bedside?”

Vance had always hated that Ana Slater could make his gut twist into knots. All that thick ebony hair and flawless olive skin showed off her Hispanic heritage, but her brilliant blue eyes let you know she was a Slater. All he knew was the combination made a perfect package.

He drew a calming breath.

Ana had never liked him much. Too bad he couldn’t feel the same about her. “It’s you who needs to be there when he wakes up.”

Vance watched as she straightened, her shoulders rigid.

“Look, Ana, you’re the only family here to make the decisions.”

He thought about the other Slater sisters, Josie, Tori and Marissa, scattered after college. Not Ana. She might have left the ranch, but only to move into town and take a counseling job at the high school. Close enough so she could come out and check on the old man. On occasion, she saddled a favorite mount and went riding.

Ana finally turned around to face him. He expected to see anger, but instead he saw sadness mixed with fear in her eyes. Again his body reacted. After all these years this woman still had an effect on him.

He thought back to the day Colt Slater had taken him in, twenty years ago. He’d been barely thirteen. The man gave him a place to live. Vance’s first home. Slater had only two rules: work hard and keep your hands off his daughters. No matter how difficult, Vance had kept those rules.

“Do you really think Colt Slater is going to listen to me?” Ana asked. “Besides, I’m not even sure if he can hear me.”

“That’s why you need to be there. Talk with the doctor and find out what you need to do. A stroke doesn’t always mean he can’t recover.” Hell, Vance had no idea what he was talking about.

She shook her head. “You should be there, Vance. Dad will want to see you.”

Although Colt was as close to a father as he’d ever had, he couldn’t overstep any more than he already had. Whether Colt knew it or not, he needed his daughters.

“No, he needs his family. You have to get your sisters back here and fast. It’s way past time.”

* * *

It was an hour later when Ana and Vance got the horses back to the barn. Then he’d driven her into Dillon to the hospital, where her father had been airlifted just after dawn that morning.

Ana stood in the second-floor waiting area. She’d just left a voice message for her baby sister, Marissa. Tori and Josie at least took her call. The twins told her to keep them informed, but didn’t offer to fly in from California. Both had made excuses about their jobs. So that left any decisions about their father’s care up to her. She couldn’t blame them. How many times had Colt Slater overlooked, rebuffed and just plain ignored these girls?

“Miss Slater?”

Ana turned around and saw the neurologist, Dr. Mason, walking toward her. “Has something changed with my father’s condition?” she asked anxiously.

“No, he’s remained stable since he was brought in this morning, and the test results are encouraging. I’m not saying that the stroke didn’t cause damage to his right side and his speech, but it could have been much worse. He was lucky he got to the hospital so quickly.”

Ana was relieved and thankful to Vance, since he’d been with Colt. “Thank you, Doctor. That’s great news.”

“He’s not out of the woods yet. He’ll need extensive rehab to bring him back completely. We would like him to go to a rehab facility to help with improving his motor skills and his speech.”

“Good luck with that,” Ana said. “No one gets Colt Slater to do anything he doesn’t want to do.”

“Then you’d better start convincing him he needs this,” the doctor suggested.

Before Ana could say any more the elevator doors opened and Vance stepped off.

As much as she hated that he was around, she knew if her father would listen to anyone it would be Vance. Sadness washed over her as she recalled the times Vance had gotten the one-on-one attention she and her sisters had begged for.

He strolled toward them with confidence; add in a little arrogance and you’ve got Vance Rivers, Ana thought.

“Ana. Doctor.” He looked back at her. “Has something happened to Colt?”

“No, in fact it’s better than I’d hoped.” She went on to explain the doctor’s rehab plan. “You need to get him to agree to go.”

Vance just stared at her. “What makes you think I have any influence?”

“Well, he sure doesn’t listen to me.”

The doctor raised a hand. “When the time comes, whoever talks to Mr. Slater had better explain how important rehab is to his recovery.” He said goodbye and walked away.

Vance wasn’t sure why he was involved in this. He had enough to worry about taking care of the ranch. And he needed Colt’s input on so many things. For one, he didn’t know how to deal with the daughters.

“Look, Ana. You shouldn’t have to handle this on your own. When are your sisters getting here?”

She shook her head. “They aren’t coming back for a while.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just what I said—they can’t get home...right now. They want me to keep them informed.”

Vance knew deep down that Colt had never been close with his girls. He more or less let Kathleen handle anything that had to do with the females. The housekeeper and one-time nanny had been with the family for over twenty-five years.

“Then let’s go see Colt,” Vance said. “For the first time ever, I’m hoping he’s his usual cranky self.”

* * *

Colton Slater blinked and opened his eyes, trying to adjust to the brightness. He glanced around the unfamiliar room. He saw the railing on the bed, heard the monitor. A hospital? What happened? He closed his eyes and thought back to his last memory.

It had been dawn. He’d walked out to the barn to feed the livestock. His arm had been hurt like a son of a bitch since he’d gotten out of bed; then he’d started to feel dizzy and had to sit down on a straw bale. Vance was suddenly beside him, asking him if he was okay.

No, he wasn’t okay. Not when he woke up to find that he was in this bed with a needle in his arm, monitors taped to his chest. Worse, he couldn’t move. What the hell was going on?

He tried to speak and the only thing that came out was a groan.

“Mr. Slater? Mr. Slater?” He heard a woman’s voice. “You’re in the hospital, Mr. Slater. I’m your nurse, Elena Garcia. Are you in pain?”

Again he could only groan.

“I’ll give you something to help you.”

Colt blinked and focused on the raven-haired beauty, and his breath caught. Seeing her heart-shaped face, those almond eyes, he sucked in a breath and opened his mouth to speak. “Luisa...” he whispered, then there was nothing.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Ana walked into her father’s hospital room. She held her panic in check on seeing the monitor and the IV connected to the large man in the bed.

She made her way closer. Colt Slater had always been bigger than life to her. The one-time rodeo star was nearly six feet tall, and muscular. The years of ranch work had kept him in shape. His brown hair was now streaked with gray, but even with the tiny lines around his eyes, he was still a handsome man. And she loved him. Maybe in his own way he loved her and her sisters, too. She felt a tear on her cheek and brushed it away.

“Oh, Daddy.” She reached out and took his big hand, thrilled that it felt warm. She wanted another chance to get close to this man. Would he be around for that?

A nurse walked in and smiled. “Hello. It’s good to see Mr. Slater has a visitor.”

“How has he been?” Ana asked.

“He was awake not long ago.”

Ana felt hopeful. “Really? Did he say anything? I mean, was he able to speak?”

Again the nurse smiled. “He said the name Luisa. Is that you?”

Ana gasped at hearing her mother’s name. “No, it’s not.” She released her father’s hand and hurried out of the room. Oh, God. He still wanted her mother. Ana couldn’t stop the tears once she reached the visitors’ room and found it empty. She finally broke down and began to sob.

Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder, then heard the familiar voice. She wiped her eyes and slowly turned around to see Vance. His dark gaze locked on hers and she saw the compassion. He didn’t speak as he slowly drew her close. God help her, she went into his arms, letting his strength absorb the years of pain and hurt. She gripped his shirt and buried her face against his chest and sobbed.

Vance fought not to react to this woman. That was like saying not to take his next breath. Not to ache for something he’d wanted for so long and knew he couldn’t have. Now, sweet Analeigh was in his arms.

The top of her head barely reached his chin, and it seemed every curve was pressed against him, tormenting him. He moved his hands over her back, feeling her delicate frame. She might feel fragile but she was far from it. He’d watched for years how she’d corralled her siblings, broke up fights, helped with school projects and even stood up to Colt for them.

He’d never seen her so broken as right now. “Hey, bright eyes, what’s wrong? Is Colt worse?”

Vance reached in his back pocket, pulled out his handkerchief and handed it to her. She took it, but kept her head down. “C’mon, tell me,” he coaxed. “Is it Colt?”

She shook her head.

“What’s breaking your heart, Ana?”

She finally looked up at him. Her eyes welled with tears, her face was blotchy, but she looked beautiful. “He said her name.”

Vance frowned. “Whose name?”

“My mother’s. He said Luisa.”

Vance wasn’t shocked. “He’s had a stroke, Ana. The man might be confused with the place and time.”

She nodded, and as if she realized their closeness, she took a step back. “You’re probably right. Sorry. It’s just he hasn’t said anything about our mother in years. I thought he’d gotten over her.” She pointed to Vance’s wet shirt. “I’ll wash it for you.”

Vance wondered if it was possible to wash her out of his head, his heart.

* * *

It had been a long day by the time Vance brought Ana back to the ranch. He drove up the circular drive and let her out of the truck. Then he took off toward the barn to check on the stock and the ranch hands.

Ana stood there and looked up at the large ranch house. It had been months since she’d been inside, but when the housekeeper, Kathleen, insisted she stay over tonight, she didn’t have a choice.

She walked up the steps to the wraparound porch. Colt had built this house for his new bride, Luisa Delgado. It was well known about her parents’ whirlwind romance, also about Luisa’s disappearance twenty-four years ago.

Ana had been five years old at the time. She made herself remember the loving woman who’d hugged and kissed her little girls endless times. The woman who told those made-up bedtime stories, sat with her daughters when they were sick.

Not the woman who’d one day up and abandoned her family. All of them had been scared, including Colt. So much so, he couldn’t even stand to be their father anymore. And today, Ana had realized he still wanted his ex-wife.

She walked through the front door. Everything was the same, including the large table in the entry, adorned with fresh cut flowers from Kathleen’s garden. Ana glanced up at the open staircase with the decorative wooden banister, winding up to the second floor. She walked farther into the house, passing the living room. Two overstuffed leather sofas faced the river-rock fireplace. This was definitely a man’s room. Her dad’s office was next, then came the huge dining room with its high-back chairs and a table that could seat twenty. She moved on to her favorite room, the kitchen.

She smiled and glanced around to see the rows of white cabinets, which had been painted many times over the years to keep their high sheen. The countertops were also white, and the same with the appliances. The room was clean and generic. Long gone were any Spanish influences.

Kathleen walked in from the laundry room. The housekeeper was fifty-five and had a ready smile and kind hazel eyes. Her hair had been dark brown, but over the years had turned gray. She had never married, so Ana and her sisters were like the children she’d never had.

“Oh, Ana, I’m glad you’re here. I’m hoping you’ll be staying long enough for me to fatten you up. Child, you’re too thin.”

“I weigh the same as I always did, no more, no less.”

Ana wasn’t sure staying at the house was a good idea. There were so many memories she wanted to forget. But she’d be closer to the hospital. And since school was out for the summer, she was off work.

“Well, you still need to put on ten pounds.”

Before Ana could protest, there was a knock on the back door. Kathleen went and answered it. “Oh, hello, Mr. Dickson.”

Ana watched as the older man stepped into the kitchen. The distinguished-looking Wade Dickson was dressed in his usual business suit. He was not only Colt’s lawyer, but his longtime friend. They’d gone to school together. And Uncle Wade had given the Slater girls more affection than their own father had.

He smiled when he saw her. “Hello, Ana.”

She was still raw from today, and exhausted. “Hi, Uncle Wade.”

He came closer and hugged her. “I’m sorry about your daddy. I was out of town when I got the news. But don’t worry, old Colt is made of strong stuff.”

She was touched. “I appreciate you saying that.”

He released a long breath and guided her into the dining room, where they sat down at the table.

“I hate to do this, Ana girl, but we need to discuss what to do while your daddy is recovering.”

She hated that term. “Vance is foreman. Can’t he handle the ranch?”

There was another long pause. She could tell Wade was holding something back. “That’s a temporary fix. I’ve been by the hospital, and right now your father isn’t in any shape to make decisions. You girls will have to decide what to do for now.”

“Dad will be okay,” Ana insisted. “The doctor said... Well, he’s going to need some rehab.”

“I know, and I hope that will happen, too, but as his lawyer, I have to carry out his wishes. To protect his property and his family. And as of right now, Colton Slater is incompetent to run his business.”

Ana felt her heart skip a beat. “So what do I need to do? Sign some payroll checks?”

“Well, first of all,” Wade began, “Colt has a will, so he didn’t put this all on your shoulders. You have a co-executor to help.”

“Who?”

She heard someone talking with Kathleen, then a few heartbeats later, Vance walked into the room. He nodded to Wade. “Have you told her?”

The lawyer turned back to her. He didn’t have to speak; she already knew that her father had picked Vance over his own flesh and blood.

“So you’ve finally got what you wanted,” she said. “Now all you have to do is change your name to Slater.”

CHAPTER TWO

VANCE WORKED HARD not to react. He’d had plenty of practice over the years masking his feelings, especially around Ana.

“I’ll let that pass, since I know you’re upset. Colt named me because I’ve been foreman of the ranch for the past five years. This has nothing to do with me taking over.”

Wade Dickson jumped in. “He’s right, Ana. It wouldn’t be any different if your father had appointed me to oversee things. And believe me, I’m grateful he didn’t. Running a large operation like the Lazy S is a big undertaking, and I don’t think you want to handle that. Do you?”

She didn’t back down. “I’ve never gotten the chance to.” Her angry gaze danced back and forth between the two men. “Dad didn’t have any problem putting his daughters to work. Of course, he made sure we were limited to mucking out stalls or currying horses. And if we were really good at our jobs, we got to help with some of the roundups and branding. Yet once he thought we became a nuisance, he sent us off to the house.”

Vance glanced away. He’d seen over the years how Colt ignored his daughters. The man had never been demonstrative, but he’d given Vance a chance at a life. Hell, the girls had been lucky. When their father noticed his daughters were getting tired, he’d made them stop.

Colt had never been that generous with him. The man was never abusive, but had sometimes worked Vance twelve- to fourteen-hour days when it came to roundup time.

“Colt didn’t want you to get hurt,” Dickson stated. “Ranching isn’t an easy life.”

Ana shook her head. “We both know the truth. Colton Slater just wanted sons. And he sure didn’t want his daughters involved with his precious ranch.” She shot a hard look at Vance. “What about you? Do you have a problem working with a woman?”

He frowned. “What exactly do you mean by working?”

She moved around the table. “I’ve waited twenty-plus years to be able to feel a part of this place. I have the chance and the time, since I’m not going back to work at the school until the fall, and I plan to use it. You can either help me or get out of my way.”

Vance wasn’t sure he liked Ana’s idea. “What are you talking about?”

“You aren’t going to have all the say-so around here. Dad gave me at least half control of this place.”

Why was she acting as if this was war? “Up till now, the only person who had any control was Colt,” Vance argued, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. “He’s the boss. I still plan to carry out his wishes, because his situation is temporary. But if you want to work fourteen-hour days and smell like sweat and manure, feel free.” He started for the door, but stopped. “Just don’t plan for me to babysit you or your sisters, because the Lazy S is depending on this roundup.” He turned and walked out.

Ana realized she might have overreacted a little. But Vance Rivers had always been the thorn in her side. There was no doubt that Colt had favored him over his own daughters. Well, not anymore.

She stood a little straighter. “It seems I’m going to be working this summer.”

Wade Dickson shook his head. “I think you’d better get on that cowboy’s good side, or it’s going to make life difficult for the both of you.”

That was the last thing she wanted. She hadn’t forgotten the teenage Vance, with his bad attitude and swagger. He was good-looking and knew it. That day in the barn when he’d got her alone in the stall and kissed her until she couldn’t remember her own name wasn’t going to happen again. Nor was she going to run away like a scared rabbit.

Ana blinked, bringing her back to the present. “Dad’s stroke is more than making things difficult. But I don’t plan on ignoring my responsibilities to him or the ranch.”

Wade shook his head. “I hope Colt appreciates your loyalty, but don’t be too stubborn to think you can do this on your own. So you might want to find a way to get along with Vance. That’s the only way this is going to work.” The older man sighed. “Also, it might be a good idea to stop by my office tomorrow. There are some more details to go over.”

“What details?” she asked.

“It can wait until tomorrow, but not much longer. Bring Vance with you.”

Ana didn’t like the sound of that.

“What about your sisters?” Wade asked. “When are they coming home?”

Ana had no idea. “Not right away. So this is on me for now.” She tried to sound confident, but in reality she didn’t know even where to start.

* * *

An hour later in the barn, Vance worked the brush along the flank of his chestnut stallion, Rusty. He was angry, more at himself than with anyone else. He’d let her get to him...again. How many times had he told himself to forget about Ana? The woman wanted nothing to do with him. He couldn’t say he blamed her, not when their dad had ignored his girls all those years, while giving Vance the attention they should have gotten.

Many times he’d wanted to let Colt know how he felt about that, but the man had taken Vance in when he had nowhere else to go but into foster care.

Vance already had the stigma of having a father who’d been labeled no good for years. Calvin Rivers was well known as a man who couldn’t hold down a job, and drank away his paycheck when he found someone willing to hire him. Vance’s mother had gotten fed up and took off.

The strokes of his brush got more intense and Rusty expressed his irritation by dancing sideways in the stall. “Sorry, fella.” Vance smoothed a hand over his withers and put the brush away. “I didn’t mean to take out it out on you.”

He walked out of the stall and headed down the center aisle of the large barn, passing the dozen horses stabled here. He stopped and talked to two of the ranch hands, Jake and Hank, giving them instructions for tomorrow’s workday.

He said good-night and went through the wide door into the cool May evening. This had always been his favorite time of day. Work was done. The sun had gone down and the animals were all settled in for the night.

He knew his days on the Lazy S could be numbered. It was past time he left here, especially now that he had his own section of land. He’d already planned to leave in the fall after the alfalfa harvest. Now with Colt’s stroke...

He headed along the path toward his place. A hundred yards away was the foreman’s cottage. About four years ago, Colt had given him the three-bedroom house when he made Vance ranch foreman, after Chet Anders retired. Vance had been twenty-six and had just finished his college courses for his degree. That had been important to Colt. He was grateful, too.

Vance slowed his pace as he reached the house, seeing a shadow on the porch. He paused, then realized it was Ana sitting on the glider swing. Funny, for years he’d dreamed of her coming to visit him. He doubted this time was for the same reason he’d had in mind.

“You want another strip of my hide?” he asked, then kept walking into the house and flipped on the wall switch to light the compact living room.

He was surprised to see that Ana had jumped up and followed him, but stopped at the threshold. “No, I just want to talk to you about something. If you’ll give me a few minutes.”

Vance turned around to see the worried look on her face. He’d caught a glimpse of her vulnerability at the hospital today, but she also could have a cutting tongue. But he couldn’t seem to take heed to the warning his brain sent as he glanced over her slender body, her rounded hips and long legs incased in worn jeans. He bit back a groan. She had just enough curves to twist a man’s gut, making him want what he had no business wanting. Somehow Vance had to stop it if he planned to work with her.

Why couldn’t he have these feelings for any other woman but her? Why hadn’t he been able to move on? Forget the girl who hadn’t cared about him years ago. By the looks of it, her feelings hadn’t changed. Ana Slater didn’t want him.

He was frustrated as he said, “Whatever I do or say, you attack my character. Even I have limits.”

Ana knew her anger had gone too far. It wasn’t Vance who caused the problem between her and her father. “I apologize. I let old feelings get in the way of what we need to do. And that’s run this ranch.”

When he stepped aside, she released a breath and made her way past the overstuffed sofa to look out the window that faced the barn and corral. It was easier than looking at Vance. He made her feel things whenever she got near him. It was strange because it had been years since the man had come close to her. Of course, she hadn’t given him a chance.

“So you want to call a truce?” he asked.

She looked over her shoulder and nodded. “Wade pointed out we need to work together.” She rushed on. “For the good of the ranch, and to help ease Colt’s mind so he can concentrate on his recovery.”

“We can’t expect miracles.”

Ana couldn’t help but smile. “I’ll settle for getting him to do what he needs to do to get back here.” She released a long sigh. “I know you think that I don’t care about my father, but I do.”

“I never said that. In fact, I know how many times you’ve come out here and checked on him.” Vance raised a hand when she started to deny it. “And no, Kathleen didn’t rat you out. I’ve seen your car up at the house, and when you come by to go horseback riding. Why didn’t you ever stay and talk with Colt?”

Tears formed behind her eyes. “That’s a little difficult when Dad hasn’t exactly welcomed me with open arms.”

“Okay, his disposition has always been a little gruff, but maybe you can change that now.”

Ana thought back to when life here on the Lazy S, with her mom and dad and younger sisters, had seemed about perfect. That had all changed overnight when Luisa Slater just walked out of their lives. It had been as if all the love was sucked away. The twins, Tori and Josie, were only three years old then. Marissa was barely a toddler.

If they hadn’t found the note, they might have believed Luisa had been kidnapped. But no, there was no doubt that the woman wanted out of her marriage and to have no part of her children. That same day, Colt had changed, too. He’d closed up and shut his family out.

“He had four daughters who begged for his love. It’s as if he blamed us for our mother’s disappearance.” Ana glared at Vance. “Were we responsible?”

He shook his head. “I can’t answer that, Ana. I never met your mother. I’ve only dealt with mine. And April Rivers had no trouble packing up and leaving, too.”

Ana gasped, realizing how closely their lives paralleled. “I’m sorry, Vance. I forgot.”

“That’s what I want people to do. Forget about my past.” His dark gaze met hers. “It’s the only way to move on.”

Vance didn’t want to rehash his past, because Ana and her sisters had the life of fairy princesses compared to his childhood. “Look, running the Lazy S isn’t an easy job.” He was aware of the toll it had been taking on Colt the past year. “We have the roundup soon. If you and your sisters want to help out, I’m not going to stop you.”

“Like I said, I doubt my sisters will come home, but I plan to be around. In fact, I decided to move back to the house, at least over the summer or until Dad gets better.”

Lord help him, Vance wanted Ana to stay around. The downside was she’d be here every day, reminding him of what he could never have.

“Okay, the day starts at 5:00 a.m.”

She looked surprised. “I want to go see Dad by ten o’clock. And Wade Dickson wants us to meet him tomorrow afternoon in his office.”

“Why?”

“I’m not sure. He said there are things we need to go over.”

Vance nodded. “Then I guess you’d better get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day.”

She nodded. “I’ll see you in the morning.” She headed to the door.

Vance fisted his hands, wanting to call her back. And for what? To tell her he’d always care about her. That he’d wished those visits to the ranch had been to see him. No. To her, he was only the poor kid Colt had given a place to sleep. Even now, with his success, would she see him any differently?

Maybe over the summer she’d notice he was more than just another ranch hand.

* * *

The next morning, Colt felt the warmth of the sunlight on his face. Damn. Had he overslept? He blinked, opened his eyes and tried to focus. That wasn’t the worst of his problems. He couldn’t move. He groaned as he tried to lift his arm, and felt the touch of a hand, then a voice as someone said his name.

He turned his gaze and stared into her pretty face. He nearly gasped. Then he blinked and realized it was Analeigh. Oh, God, she looked so much like...her mother. No. He didn’t want to think about Luisa now. But he knew that wishing wouldn’t make it so. He’d given up on ever completely forgetting his wife. Correction, ex-wife.

Colt tried to pull away, but he didn’t have the strength. What the hell was happening to him? He tried to speak, but all he managed was another groan.

“It’s okay, Dad. We’re here with you. You need to be still.”

He groaned again.

“Please, Dad. You’re in the hospital. You had a stroke, but you’re going to be all right.”

Colt could only look at her, then he relaxed when someone appeared next to her. Vance.

“Hey, Colt. Glad to see you’re awake. The doctors have a handle on this. You’ll be home before you know it. Trust me, everything will be all right at the ranch. I’ll make sure of it. You just rest for now and get your strength back.”

Strength. He was weak as a kitten. He closed his eyes as all the fight left him.

* * *

Just before noon, Ana sat in Vance’s truck as they headed back to town to see the lawyer. She still couldn’t get the picture of her father lying in the hospital bed out of her mind. Her chest was tight with emotion. This had to be hard for a man like Colt. He had always been physical, hardworking. Now, that had all changed. Would he be stuck in a wheelchair the rest of his life?

She thought about when she’d sat by the bed, praying he would open his eyes. Even his angry scowl was better than that blank look. No. She had to think positively. Her dad survived the stroke and he was going to recover.

He still hadn’t spoken to anyone, except to say Luisa’s name. At least he’d said something.

Ana felt Vance’s presence, turned sideways and saw him sipping the coffee he’d gotten from the hospital.

He nodded to the one he’d brought for her. “Have some coffee. You look like you need it.”

“Thanks.” She reached for the cup in the console and took a sip. “This is good.”

He smiled as he concentrated on the road. “Got it from the nurses’ station. It’s their own private brew.”

She could just see Vance Rivers flirting with the nurses to get what he wanted. “Thank you.”

“Let’s talk,” he stated, then went on to say, “It’s only been forty-eight hours since Colt’s stroke and he’s still heavily medicated. You need to trust that he’s going to get better.”

She glanced out the windshield, watching the open ranch land, mountains for a backdrop. “He looks so helpless.”

“Give it time, Ana. You need to be patient and not get your dad riled up.”

“Riled up?” That hurt. “I don’t plan to upset my father. How can you say that?”

Vance raised a hand from the steering wheel. “I only meant that you’re too easy to read. Your emotions show on your face.”

“I can’t help that.”

Vance nodded, knowing Ana had always had trouble hiding her feelings. She had a big heart and that was why it was breaking right now. She wanted so much to help. She’d tried so hard to keep the family together, but in the end her sisters all left anyway.

“You have to try, because Colt needs our help with his recovery.”

Vance slowed the truck as they approached the small town of Royerton. Population was about five thousand in the ranching and farming community. He drove along Main Street, passing the small grocery, Quick Mart and the U.S. Post Office.

“And I plan to do exactly that.”

“Good. Maybe we should keep the topic on the ranch. But not include that you’ll be working with the other ranch hands.”

“Like he’d care.”

Vance pulled into a parking space outside the brick, two-story professional building. “Are you kidding?” He threw the gearshift into Park. “There were two rules that Colt enforced. One, work hard, and the other, stay away from his daughters.”

Seeing Ana’s surprised look, Vance retrieved his keys and got out of the vehicle. He wasn’t about to tell her how difficult it had been to keep that promise, but he had because of the respect he felt for her dad. He’d been crazy about this woman for years. Could there be a second chance for him?

“I didn’t know,” she said when he opened the passenger-side door.

“There’s a lot about Colt you don’t know.”

She took Vance’s offered hand and stepped down onto the sidewalk. “That’s not my fault.”

“I didn’t say it was.” He opened the door to the lawyer’s office and let her walk inside first. “I just wanted you to be aware of it.”

“What about you? Did that rule apply to you?”

He nodded, wondering if she remembered that one time in the barn.

“Since you’re still around, I guess you never told him that you accosted one of his daughters in the barn.” She turned her back on him and walked into the reception area.

“Whoa. I wasn’t alone that day, or the only one responsible for what happened. If I remember right, there was a certain young girl who’d been sniffing around a young teenage boy. Not a good idea. You know, raging hormones and all.”

“I didn’t have raging hormones,” she retorted.

“Not yours. Mine.” He studied the blush on her cheeks. He, too, was remembering the day she’d let him lead her into a stall and kiss her. If one of the other ranch hands hadn’t come back early, he wondered how far he could have gone. He started to speak when Wade Dickson came out of his office and greeted them.

“Hello, Ana and Vance.” He smiled. “Please come inside.”

They went ahead of the lawyer into the adjoining room. Nothing too fancy, but there were nice comfortable chairs and a large desk. Wade had his law degree from the University of Montana hanging on the wall.

“Have a seat.” He walked around the desk and sat across from them. He opened a folder and glanced over the contents, then looked at Ana. “Are you sure your sisters can’t come home?”

“Not right away. Why?”

“I didn’t tell you everything last night. There’s a slight problem with the ranch.”

Ana slid to the edge of her chair. “What is it?”

“As you know, the Lazy S is a sizable spread.” He quoted the section amount. “Your father owns that land outright. But there’s a lot of grazing acreage that is leased from the state. And the payment is past due.”

“How is that possible?”

“Only Colt knows the answer to that.” Wade paused. “I managed to get an extension from the state, but it’s only bought us a few months to come up with the money. And if you don’t pay it, someone else gets a chance to bid on the property.”

Ana glanced at Vance. “Then we need to pay it.”

Wade looked worried. “There aren’t enough funds available.”

CHAPTER THREE

ANA’S EYES WIDENED. “What do you mean, there aren’t enough funds?”

Wade leaned back in his chair. “It means the Lazy S has had a rough few years. I just recently learned this because I’ve been notified by the State Land Leasing Board.”

Ana turned to Vance. “Why didn’t you say something?”

He was as shocked as she was. “First of all, I didn’t know anything about the lease coming due. I knew beef prices were down and that we lost several head in that big storm last winter, but...” He’d never dreamed it had been this bad.

“What do you mean, you didn’t know? You’re Dad’s foreman.”

“I may physically run the operation, but Colt funds the business account. I use that money for payroll and for the feed and supplies. Colt kept the ranch finances.”

He thought about the land that Colt had given to him a few years back. He’d planted an alfalfa crop on the acreage. It should be ready to harvest in about six weeks. That gave them the time, but would the profit be enough?

Wade broke into his thoughts. “Ana, I’ve been trying for years to get your father to diversify. He lost a lot of his savings when the market tanked a few years ago. In the past, that money had always been his cushion through the bad years.”

Ana looked pale. “What do we do now?”

Vance wished he could offer a miracle, but he wasn’t sure there was one. “Like Mr. Dickson said, we have nearly six months.” His gaze met hers. “You can’t do this on your own. I think you need to get your sisters together.”

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Vance escorted Ana out of the Dickson law office.

“You look ready to drop,” he told her.

“Gee, thanks. What every woman wants to hear.”

He ignored her comment. “When was the last time you ate?”

“I had some toast this morning. I’m just not hungry.”

“It’s after one o’clock. You have a lot to deal with, so you need to eat.” He placed his hand on the small of her back and immediately felt the warmth of her skin, but resisted the urge to draw her any closer.

She sighed. “You’re right, but I should go home and figure out what to do about this mess.”

Nixing her request, he guided her a short distance down the sidewalk to a small family-owned restaurant, the Big Sky Grill.

“First, you’re going to eat.” He held open the door. When she didn’t move, he said, “I can keep this up all day.”

She glared at him with those big blue eyes, then finally relented. “Okay. A quick lunch.”

Once inside, they were greeted by the owners, Burt and Cindy Logan. Burt escorted them across the tile floor to a booth next to the picture window that looked out onto Main Street. Several patrons stopped Ana en route and wished her father well. When she finally got away, she slid into one of the bench seats while Vance sat down across from her and placed his hat on the space beside him. He pulled out a menu from between the salt-and-pepper shakers and went over the choices.

Cindy showed up with two glasses of water. “How’s your daddy doin’?” she asked.

“A lot better. He’s stable for now, but they’re still running more tests.”

The middle-aged woman placed her hand on Ana’s. “Tell Colt that we’re all praying for him.”

“He’ll appreciate that, Cindy. Thank you.”

They gave her their order and she left them alone.

Ana shook her head. “I can’t believe how many people care. Funny, isn’t it? He seems to have gotten along with everyone except his own daughters.”

Vance shrugged. “Why does that surprise you? The Slater family helped settle Royerton. Colt is well respected around here.”

Vance knew how Colt had treated his girls. It wasn’t that he was mean, he just pretty much ignored them. Over the years, Kathleen had always been the surrogate parent. “Okay, the man wasn’t the perfect father.” Vance leaned back in the seat. “So why did you stay, and not take off like your sisters?”

Ana stared at him with eyes that were the mirror image of Colt’s. “I stayed for my sisters, then I got the job at the high school.” She shrugged. “I’m not even sure it matters anymore.”

Vance leaned forward. “Look, Ana, I don’t know why Colt did a lot of things. There’s no doubt he isn’t a happy man. I’ve heard stories about how he was when he was younger, before your mother left.”

He watched Ana stiffen.

He wasn’t going to be put off. “Do you remember her?”

With a nod, she glanced away. “I was pretty young. But, yes, I can remember how beautiful she was. Her voice, her touch.” She turned back and he saw the tears in her eyes. “I wanted to hate her, but for years I just kept praying she’d come back and be our mom again.”

He reached across the table and touched her hand. “That’s understandable.”

She looked down at his hand and slowly pulled hers away. “Is it? Do you wish your mother would come back?”

“Sure. Every kid does, especially when your dad isn’t around to feed you and you’re hungry.” Vance blew out a breath. “And you can’t go to school because you don’t have shoes. Kids make fun of you for things like that. But sometimes you’re just too hungry to care, when you know you’ll get that free meal at lunch.”

He caught the look on her face and realized how much he’d disclosed.

This time Ana took his hand. “Oh, Vance. I had...had no idea.”

He shrugged it off. “No one did. At fourteen, I finally had enough and was trying to get away. I was big for my age and hoped I could go somewhere and get a job.

“I hid out in the back of a pickup truck in the parking lot so I could get out of town. I didn’t know it belonged to Colt until I found myself at the Lazy S. I decided to sleep in the barn before starting my journey in the morning. Of course he found me.”

Ana didn’t want to feel sympathy for the kid who had a rotten life. “And you became the son Dad always wanted.”

“As I told you before, I only wanted to survive,” Vance stressed. “Colt was my only way out of a bad childhood. I’m sorry if you thought you had to compete against me for your father’s attention.”

She shrugged. It all seemed so juvenile now. “It doesn’t matter anymore. Colt made his choices a long time ago and that’s why I can’t get my sisters to come back here.”

“Maybe if they know about the state of the ranch... I mean, it’s part of their heritage, too. Their inheritance. Wouldn’t they want to preserve it?”

Ana shrugged. “So far they haven’t seemed too interested in anything to do with Colt or the ranch.” She raised her gaze to meet his. “The trick is, how do I convince Josie, Tori and Marissa to come home?”

“Tell them the truth. Colt needs them and you can’t do it all. At the least, you need help with his care.” He paused, then asked, “Aren’t they all living in California? You could go see them.”

“Go there?”

He nodded. “If you show up on their doorstep they have to listen to you. They should help you with medical decisions about your father.”

She frowned. “You don’t know my sisters.” This could backfire in her face. “So I think you should go with me.”

* * *

The nurse raised Colt’s bed so he could finally sit up. What he really wanted was to get the hell out of this place. Not an easy task, since he was still weak as a newborn calf and he couldn’t move his right arm.

“Is that better, Mr. Slater?” the nurse, whose name was Erin, asked.

He grunted.

She smiled again as she put the call button next to his good hand. “Press this if you need me. Your daughter will be here, too. Plus, they should be coming to talk to you about your therapy soon.”

He grunted again. What good was that going to do?

“It’s going to take some work to get back in shape, Mr. Slater, but you’ve got a good chance for a full recovery. But you’ll need to work hard.”

As if he hadn’t worked hard all his life.

The nurse turned on the television to a game show, then walked out of the room, leaving him alone.

Most of the time he liked being alone. What choice did he have? Ranch work had filled in a lot of lonely hours. He released a breath and closed his eyes. What was he going to do when he didn’t have the Lazy S anymore? Sit in a nursing home somewhere until he died?

Sadness overtook him as he closed his eyes and thought back over his life. His chest tightened when he thought of Luisa.

He could still picture her as vividly as if it were yesterday. Small and delicate, Luisa Delgado was beautiful with all that thick, black hair and large eyes. Her olive skin was flawless. When he first saw her, at a rodeo, he’d thought she was an angel. When she walked up and talked to him, he figured he’d died and gone to heaven.

After they’d married, weeks later, he’d thanked God every day, and especially when they were blessed with the babies, every one of them a beauty like their mother.

The tightness in Colt’s chest worsened as he recalled the evening he’d come in from the range, so anxious to see his girls. Luisa had been moody and distant of late, with caring for the children. He’d offered to get her someone to help, but she said she wanted to be their mother full-time. Later that night he’d found her crying, and had asked her what was wrong.

She’d only said, “Just make love to me so all the bad things will go away.”

Colt released another sigh, recalling how intense their loving had been that night. When he’d walked into the house the next afternoon, there was a babysitter and his wife was gone. All that he had was a short note, telling him she no longer wanted a life with him and their daughters.

He’d searched for her, wanting to beg her to come home, but he never found her. Then he got the divorce papers. That day his life as he knew it had ended.

* * *

Two days later, Vance sat next to Ana as the plane landed at LAX. He had no idea how he’d gotten roped into going to California.

For one thing, he hated large cities and the crowds. Secondly, if there had been any animosity between him and Ana, it had been worse with the younger sisters. He had to just keep remembering he was doing this for Colt, and for Ana.

The plane taxied to the terminal. “I’m not sure this visit will change anything,” Ana said, feeling a little nervous. Maybe it had something to do with the close quarters. Vance was a big man, and that didn’t leave her much room. “What if Tori and Josie refuse to help?”

“Then we go back to Montana and figure it out on our own.” His hand rested against his jean-covered thigh. She was suddenly intrigued by his long, tapered fingers.

He went on to say, “And we will figure out something. I promise.”

She glanced at his face and saw his sexy smile. Her heart went zing and she had to look away. No! She wasn’t going to even think about this man like that. Okay, so maybe it was normal, since she hadn’t been in a romantic relationship in a while. That was still no excuse to think about Vance Rivers that way. She was no longer that dreamy-eyed teenage girl who wanted his attention. No way was she getting involved with him.

When the plane stopped at the gate, she unfastened her seat belt as Vance stood and reached up into the overhead compartment. He took down her carry-on and his duffel, along with his cowboy hat. He stepped back to let her out into the aisle. The small space made it impossible not to brush up against him. She inhaled his scent and could feel his hard body. Again the zings. Okay, so that hadn’t changed over the years; he still appealed to her, a lot.

Since they had their only luggage with them, they went straight to the car rental booth. Vance got a midsize sedan and started to climb into the driver’s seat.

Ana looked at him. “Can you drive the L.A. freeways?”

He took off his hat and tossed it in back. “We’ll soon find out.”

“Here’s the address for Josie’s business.”

Vance took the paper and entered the address in the GPS, then headed for the 5 Freeway. They ended up in the older section of Los Angeles not far from Griffith Park. It was a two-story stucco building with a Spanish design.

They got out of the car and walked up to the directory on the wall. It didn’t take long to find the right office. The sign on the glass door read Slater Style.

“Catchy name,” Vance said.

“That’s what Josie’s all about.” Ana released a breath. “Okay, let’s get this over with.”

Vance nodded, opened the door and allowed her to step in ahead of him. The small reception area consisted of a desk and chairs that lined the opposite walls. But there wasn’t a soul in sight.

Vance checked his watch. “I guess everyone’s at lunch. Did you tell Josie you were coming?”

“No. I didn’t want her to find an excuse to keep me away.”

Suddenly the door opened and a familiar woman, carrying a take-out food sack, walked in. However, it wasn’t the twin they expected to see here.

Vittoria Slater had dark hair, the same pretty smile as her older sister. “Ana? What are you doing here?”

“Tori?” Ana rushed to her and they hugged tightly. “I think you know my reason for coming to L.A. But what are you doing at Josie’s office?”

“Well, as of a few months ago, it’s my office, too. I quit my job and decided it was time I went out on my own.” She nodded. “Josie offered me office space here. I decided to give my own web-design company a chance.”

Tori had their mother’s coloring, the olive skin, midnight-dark eyes and ebony hair. Her hair was shorter now, cut just below her chin.

Ana was excited for her sister, knowing how unhappy she’d been with her previous company. But Ana was a little sad that she hadn’t shared this with her.

“That’s great. So how is business?”

“Good. Several of my old clients came with me, and I like being my own boss.” Tori finally noticed Vance across the room and she blinked in surprise. “Vance, good to see you.” Her smile faded. “Wait a minute, has something more happened to Colt?”

“No, your dad is still the same,” Vance told her. “I’ll let your sister explain the rest.”

“We need to talk about what to do,” Ana stated. “Dad isn’t going to get better right away, so we’ve got to discuss...some things. The ranch, mainly.”

The anger was evident in Tori’s eyes. “It can dry up and blow away for all I care. I hate that place.”

Ana wasn’t surprised by her sister’s reaction. “Tori, you can’t mean that. It’s our home.”

The younger twin shook her head. “It was just a big, old house to me. Dad was happier when we finally all left.”

Ana wasn’t surprised by the animosity toward their father. “I understand your feelings, but right now, Colt can’t speak, or make decisions for the Lazy S. I’m going to remind you that the ranch has been in our family for three generations.”

Tori began to speak when the office door opened and another sister walked in.

“Hey, Tori, it’s about time—” Josefina Slater stopped and stared. “Ana! What are you doing here?”

“Is there an echo in here?” Ana hugged the other twin. Josie had fair skin with long, golden-brown hair and the Slater blue eyes. Except for the shape of their faces and their smiles, the two twins couldn’t look less alike.

“To answer your question, since you didn’t come home, I thought I’d come here.”

Josie’s gaze went to Vance as he nodded in greeting. “And you felt the need to bring reinforcements? Hi, Vance. It’s been a long time.”

He smiled. “Good to see you again, Josie.”

Ana turned back to her sisters. “Vance is here to help convince you both of the seriousness of the situation.” She wasn’t foolish enough to think this would be easy.

Josie’s frown told her that she wasn’t going to be easily swayed. “Like I told you when you called last week, I have a big event coming up. I can’t leave right now.”

Ana was sad that they wouldn’t come back home for their father. “I understand that, being an event planner, you need to be here, but I’m talking about our father. We’re a family.”

Josie shared a glance with her twin, then said, “It seems you and Vance have it under control. You two seem to make a pretty good team. We’ll give you permission to make any decisions. So there’s no reason you had to come here and try and rope us into going back home.”

And it wasn’t getting any easier, Ana thought. “We came here because we need to make some decisions about Dad.”

“Has something else happened?” Josie asked.

Ana saw the flash of concern and was encouraged. “No, he’s the same, and he’ll start physical therapy soon.”

“That’s good, isn’t it?” Tori asked.

Good, there was more concern. “The reason we’re here isn’t so much about Dad as it is about the ranch.”

“What do you mean?” Josie asked. “Can’t Vance handle things while Colt recovers?”

He gave a nod, but didn’t say anything.

“It’s more than running the ranch.” Ana started to explain, then said, “I wish Marissa was here, too. She should be in on this.”

“Maybe I can make it happen,” Tori said, and motioned them into her office. Vance, Ana noticed, sat down in the reception area.

Her sister went behind the desk and opened the laptop. “If she’s not out on a location, Marissa should be home.” After several keystrokes on the computer, a picture came up, then the real thing.

“Hey, Tori.”

“Hi, Marissa.”

“What’s going on?”

“Quite a bit, actually. Got someone here who wants to talk you.”

Ana stepped in front of the monitor. She felt tears burning her eyes as her baby sister appeared on the screen, sitting at a desk. “Hi, Marissa.”

“Oh, Ana,” she sighed. “You’re in California?”

She nodded. “I only wish I could see you in person, too. How about I come down to San Diego? If you’ll be around.”

She saw the panic in her youngest sister’s eyes. “Well...maybe, but it’s not a good idea right now. I’m going to be out on a shoot all this week. How long are you planning to be here?”

“I need to get back soon to take care of Dad.”

Marissa hesitated, then asked, “How is he?”

Ana glanced across the office at Vance, happy for his support. “He’s holding his own. That’s why I’m here. Uncle Wade came to see me a few days ago. Since Dad is temporarily incapacitated, there needs to be an executor to take over.”

“So Uncle Wade is the boss now?”

“No, he isn’t. Dad named Vance and me.”

The twins shot a look across the office at him. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?” Josie said. “He’s always treated Vance like family.”

Vance didn’t say a word for a moment. It was true, Colt had always treated him fairly. Although he wasn’t happy about the man’s treatment of his daughters.

“Seems I’m the only one who knows about running a ranch,” he said eventually.

“That’s not our fault,” Tori retorted, then all the girls began to argue. That was when Vance put his fingers in his mouth and let go with a loud whistle. It got their attention.

“I didn’t ask for the job,” he told them. “But since I have it, I’m going to do everything possible to keep the ranch.”

Josie looked at Ana. “What does he mean?”

“It means the ranch is in financial trouble. Big trouble.” Ana told them about the amount of money owed for the lease, and their six-month extension. “So we need to come up with some ideas.”

“Dad doesn’t have the money?” Marissa asked.

Ana shook her head, knowing this wasn’t going as well as she’d hoped.

“Well, we don’t, either,” Tori stated. “Everything we have is tied up in the business here.”

“It’s not only money we want,” Vance said. “We need some ideas to add income to the ranch so this doesn’t happen again. So tell me, is the Lazy S important enough to you sisters to help save it? Can we count on your support?” After giving them his two cents’ worth, Vance turned and walked out of the office.

Tori sighed. “I have to say that cowboy of yours sure knows how to get a woman’s attention.”

“He’s not my cowboy or anything else.”

Josie looked at her twin and they both grinned. Then their baby sister’s voice said via the computer, “If you say so, sis.”

Ana was frustrated, having to defend herself. “I do say so. Vance and I have to work together.”

Tori shook her head. “Too bad. You’ve had that guy tied into knots since you grew breasts.”

What? Ana opened her mouth to deny it, but refused to add fuel to the fire. They had other problems. “We need to direct our attention to the ranch.”

There was silence and Ana saw the confused looks on her sisters’s faces. Of course they were torn. Colt never appreciated anything his daughters had ever done. Tori and Josie had been top students all during school. They’d even won academic scholarships. Marissa had been a star athlete, but over the years their dad had said little in the form of praise or encouragement to any of them. So why should they go back to Montana now?

Ana couldn’t make them, but didn’t want them to have any regrets, either.

“Okay, sisters,” she began. “If you won’t do it for our dad, I have another idea.” She glanced at the twins, then at Marissa on the computer screen. “Let’s do it for ourselves. Let’s show Colt Slater how his girls can run the ranch.”

CHAPTER FOUR

THREE HOURS LATER, Ana kissed her sisters goodbye and she and Vance left the Slater Style office. She regretted that she hadn’t been able to convince them to come home.

She sat in the passenger seat as Vance drove them to the airport hotel. “Go ahead and tell me how badly I handled things.”

“No, I’m not saying a thing. Your sisters will have to decide on their own if they want to come home.” He stopped at a traffic light, and his dark gaze locked with hers. “I understand how they feel. I’ve watched for years how Colt treated you girls.”

Ana froze. “But you never did anything.”

“I can’t say I liked it, but I was a kid, too. I liked having a roof over my head, food in my stomach.”

Ana remembered the night when Vance had showed up at the supper table, a skinny teenager with a lot of attitude. At first, she felt sorry for him, knowing he had been beaten by his drunken father. Their dad had never laid a hand on them, but it was almost worse when he directed all his positive attention to Vance. It should have come to his daughters.

“We both can agree that Colt never had a sweet disposition,” Vance went on. “Truth be known, he doesn’t deserve your and your sisters’ loyalty. But if I know you girls, you inherited a fair amount of stubbornness and determination from that man. You four aren’t about to let the Lazy S fail.”

Before Ana could disagree, he pulled up in the circular drive of the large chain hotel. The valet came up to the car and opened her door. “Good evening, ma’am.”

She got out and thanked him, while Vance popped the trunk and another attendant helped with the bags.

They arrived at the front desk. A pretty blonde with Jessica printed on her name tag smiled at Vance. Why wouldn’t she? He was a handsome man. Dressed in a pair of cowboy boots and creased jeans, he would turn any woman’s head. Ana glanced away, hating that she wasn’t immune, either.

He placed his hat on the counter. “Hello, ma’am. We need a couple of rooms for tonight.”

“Do you have a reservation?”

“I’m sorry, we don’t. This was an unexpected trip.”

The woman frowned and began to search the computer screen. “We’re pretty full tonight.”

His dark gaze never wavered as he moved closer. “I’m sure you can find something.”

Jessica sighed and went back to her search. “Oh, good. I do have a one-bedroom suite available.”

Before Ana could refuse to spend the extra money and the night with this man, Vance said, “We’ll take it.” He pulled out his credit card, and before Ana recovered, they were riding up in the elevator.

Vance held his breath as they stepped out onto their floor. He was surprised that Ana hadn’t fussed about sharing a room. Of course, he hadn’t given her much choice. He found their suite and slid the key card into the slot, then pushed open the door and allowed Ana to step in. His body immediately responded to her closeness. He caught her scent as she brushed by him. He sucked in a breath and gave himself a quick talking to, then followed her inside.

The room was fairly spacious. There was a sofa, which was no doubt going to be his bed. He went into the next room to find an inviting king-size bed. Don’t even go there. He turned and walked away from the temptation.

“You take the bed. I’ll sleep out here.”

Ana shook her head. “You’re too tall for the sofa. You take the bed.”

He didn’t want to fight about this. “Do you really think you’re going to win this argument?”

He could tell she was thinking about it. “Fine. Sleep wherever you want.”

What he wanted was not an option. He went to the phone and pressed the button for room service. “What do you want to eat?”

“I don’t care.” She rolled her suitcase into the bedroom and closed the door.

“It’s going to be a long night,” he breathed, then said into the phone, “I’d like to order two steaks, medium rare, with baked potatoes and green salad.”

They told him thirty minutes. Restless, he went to the mini bar and opened it to find beverages. He bypassed the bottles of beer for a soda. Opening it, he went to the window and drew back the curtains to reveal the millions of lights of Los Angeles. He suddenly missed the isolation of the ranch. Not many lights out there, just millions of stars in the sky.

He turned and found Ana standing across the room. She was still wearing her dark slacks and print blouse, but she was barefoot. “I called the hospital. Dad is resting comfortably. That’s a good thing, since he starts therapy tomorrow. I’d like to be there.”

“Not sure Colt will be happy about that. I doubt he wants anyone to see him weak.”

“Well, he’s going to have to get used to it, because he doesn’t have a choice.”

Vance couldn’t help but smile. Ana was definitely her father’s daughter.

“I also want to apologize to you.”

He liked her being feisty; it helped him keep a safe distance from her. “For what?”

“For arguing about the room. We’re both too tired to go looking for another hotel. We’re adults and can handle sharing a space for one night.”

He nodded, but wasn’t so sure. He hadn’t been able to spend much time with Ana in the last few years. He’d hoped that would dim his feelings for her. No such luck. He ran his fingers through his hair. “Seems we’ve been thrown together in an awkward situation. It’s been years since we’ve spent any time together. I can see where you’d feel we’re strangers.”

She fought a grin. “Yeah, you’re the brother I never wanted.”

He’d never felt brotherly about her. “Was that why you pretty much hated my guts?”

She frowned. “Hate is a strong word. Angry, maybe, because of the attention you got from Dad.”

“I wish I could have helped that situation.”

Ana shook her head. “No one crossed Colt Slater.”

Not true. Vance had one time, when he’d broken that promise to stay away from Colt’s daughters. Ana had been the only one who tempted him, that day in the barn when he’d kissed her.

He shook away the memory. “I wish I could have helped, anyway.”

A knock sounded on the door. “That’s fast.” He answered it, expecting supper, but found a bellman with an ice bucket holding a bottle of wine and two glasses.

“Mr. Rivers. Compliments of the management,” he said, and waited as Vance stepped aside for him to enter the room. The man set the wine next to the table and began to uncork the bottle. He poured a small amount in a glass and held it out to Vance, who took a taste and nodded. “Very good.”

“Thank you, sir. It’s from a local winery just north of Los Angeles.”

As he filled both glasses, Vance took out some bills and handed them to the waiter, who then left.

“Seems you made an impression on a certain desk clerk,” Ana said.

Vance picked up one glass and handed it to her. “Jessica is the assistant manager.”

Ana hesitated, but accepted it. “I’m not much of a drinker.”

“Nor am I, but I think tonight one glass wouldn’t hurt.” He raised his glass to her in a toast, then took another drink. “Come see the L.A. stars.”

Ana wasn’t sure if drinking alcohol was a good idea, but she didn’t have to go anywhere. She walked to the big window. “Where?”

He pointed downward. “They’re down there. See all the lights.”

She smiled, aware of the big man standing very near to her. “Oh, my. That’s a lot of houses.”

“It looks crowded, too. How do they stand being so close together?”

Ana took another sip, enjoying the taste as the liquid slid down easily. She sipped again and her body began to relax. “And the noise? How do they stand all the noise and traffic?”

He shrugged. “I have no idea. I feel I was pretty lucky to end up at the Lazy S.”

“I know.” She faced him, feeling overwhelmed by everything that had happened the past week. “I don’t want to lose the ranch, Vance. I can’t.”

He looked down at her. “I promise, Ana. I won’t let that happen.”

“So you’ll help me?”

She realized that his gaze dropped to her mouth. And she suddenly remembered another time when he looked at her that same way. Right before he kissed her. “You don’t even have to ask, bright eyes.”

His deep, husky voice caused a warm shiver to rush down her spine. She took another sip and suddenly felt light-headed, not knowing if it was the wine or the man. She reached out and touched his forearm to steady herself. Big mistake, looking into his dark eyes. “I like when you call me that.” Did she really say that out loud?

Vance frowned. “I think you need to eat something.” He took their wineglasses and set them on the table. “Come to think about it, you didn’t finish much of your lunch.”

Reality came back full force. “Arguing with my sisters always causes me to lose my appetite.” She felt the tears welling up. “They are so angry with Dad, but I can’t blame them.”

He gripped her upper arms. “Look, Ana, you need to give them some time. I have a feeling they’ll find their way back home.”

She hesitated, so aware of his touch. “Will you leave the ranch if Colt doesn’t get better?”

“Do you want me to leave?”

Ana couldn’t imagine the Lazy S without him. She shook her head. “No. You have to stay. I mean, you know the operation, the cattle and the crops.”

Vance knew that Ana was exhausted. The last few days were beginning to take a toll. Mix in wine and that could mean trouble. What he did like was how agreeable she was with him, and so close. It would be easy to lean down and kiss that tempting mouth of hers.

Whoa. He quickly shook away the thought and stepped back. “Then let’s come up with a way to make money.”

She picked up her wineglass and took another sip. “What about the roundup?”

“With low cattle prices and our smaller herd, it’s not enough. Besides, there’s something you girls need to know....” He paused as Ana looked at him with her deep blue eyes. The last thing he wanted to do was give her any more bad news.

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