Cassie was back.

Her cheeks were pink from the cold, and as Jake adjusted to the shock of finding her on his front steps, he finally noticed what she was holding.

A baby.

Wrapped toe to neck in some kind of zip-up covering, all Jake could see of the child were big blue eyes—just like his own.

A jolt of emotions shot through him so hard he gripped the doorknob tight to keep from falling over in shock.

“What the hell?”

“Jake,” Cassie said, “meet your son. Luke.”

“My son?” Silently, Jake congratulated himself on the control keeping his voice from raging with the fury erupting inside him.

He couldn’t believe this. For a year and a half, this woman had haunted him, waking and sleeping. Hell, he’d hardly known her and shouldn’t have given her another thought once she was gone. But he had.

He’d even fantasized a couple times about seeing her here again.

He just had never imagined her carrying his child along with her.

His child. He had a son.

* * *

The Cowboy’s Pride and Joy is part of the No.1 bestselling miniseries from Mills & Boon® Desire™—Billionaires & Babies: Powerful men … wrapped around their babies’ little fingers.

The Cowboy’s Pride and Joy

Maureen Child

www.millsandboon.co.uk

MAUREEN CHILD writes for the Mills & Boon® Desire™ line and can’t imagine a better job. Being able to indulge your love for romance, as well as being able to spin stories just the way you want them told, is—in a word—perfect.

A seven-time finalist for the prestigious Romance Writers of America RITA® Award, Maureen is the author of more than one hundred romance novels. Her books regularly appear on the bestseller lists and have won several awards, including a Prism, a National Readers’ Choice Award, a Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence and a Golden Quill.

One of her books, The Soul Collector, was made into a CBS TV movie starring Melissa Gilbert, Bruce Greenwood and Ossie Davis. If you look closely, in the last five minutes of the movie, you’ll spot Maureen, who was an extra in the last scene.

Maureen believes that laughter goes hand in hand with love, so her stories are always filled with humor. The many letters she receives assure her that her readers love to laugh as much as she does.

Maureen Child is a native Californian, but has recently moved to the mountains of Utah. She loves a new adventure, though the thought of having to deal with snow for the first time is a little intimidating.

This book is dedicated to my grand-dog, Bristow.

Funny, sweet, loyal, Bristow loves with his whole heart and we’re so glad to have him in our family.

Contents

Cover

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

One

“When Boston comes to Montana, it’s never a good thing.” Jake Hunter frowned into the distance.

“You always were too hard on your mother.”

Jake turned his head to look at the older man standing beside him. At seventy-five years old, Ben Hawkins didn’t stand as straight and tall as he once had. But he still had a full head of snow-white hair, piercing blue eyes, and a face weathered and tanned from years of working in the sun.

“And you were always too soft on her.”

Ben shrugged that away with a half smile. “She’s my daughter.”

“There is that.” Jake nodded. “Anyway, if it all goes as promised, this will be the last time Boston comes calling for anything but a family visit.”

“I’ve got to ask. Are you sure about this?” Ben pulled the collar of his coat up higher around his neck against the cold autumn wind. “I mean, what you’re planning can’t be changed. You’re signing away your rights to the business your family built.”

“Oh,” Jake assured him, “I’m sure. This has been a long time coming, Pop.” Jake shook his head. “Hunter Media has nothing I want. Never has.”

And he knew how much that fact irritated his mother. She had always planned on Jake taking over the day-to-day running of the company built by her husband’s family. The fact that Jake had never been interested really hadn’t bothered her any. Elise Hawkins Hunter was nothing if not determined.

Ben snorted a laugh. “You always were more stubborn than anything else.”

“Not stubborn.” Jake took a deep breath, relishing the sharp, cold sting that hit his lungs. “I just know what I want. Always have.”

Now he glanced around at the ranch he loved. The place that had been his solace and comfort when he’d come here during the summer as a kid—and when he’d returned here after leaving the military.

October in the mountains of Montana was spectacular. As though God was putting on a show just before the winter cold settled in. The trees were turning brilliant shades of gold, orange and red. Dark clouds scudded across a sky so wide and blue it almost hurt your eyes to look at it. From the corral and barn came the sounds of horses and the men working with them. And spilling out in front of and below the huge ranch house he’d built was Whitefish Lake, sapphire water surrounded by tall pines that dipped and swayed with the wind.

The view soothed the dark places inside him, just as it had from the first time he’d seen it as a kid. Jake had known even then that this was his place. Not Boston, where he was born and where his family created and ruled a dynasty. But here on the mountain where his grandfather had carved out a way of life that spoke to Jake’s soul in a way that nothing else ever had.

“No,” he murmured, gaze still locked on the lake below. “Boston has nothing to offer me that can compete with this place.”

“Have to say I agree,” Ben mused. “Though your mother never did feel the bone-deep connection to the land that you and I do.”

That simple statement made Jake smile. Maybe a love of the land skipped generations, he thought. This ranch had been in Ben’s family for more than a hundred years, always falling to the oldest child to maintain the legacy the Hawkinses had built since the first settler stumbled into Montana and staked a claim to the land. Until, Jake thought, his mother.

Elise Hawkins Hunter hadn’t felt the pull of the ranch. His mother had been born and raised here, and she had escaped as soon as she was able. Going to college in Boston, she’d met and married Jake’s father there and settled into the kind of life she’d dreamed of. No early mornings to take care of animals. No quiet stillness. No solitude when the ranch was snowed in.

She’d made plenty of trips to the ranch to visit her parents and sent Jake and his sister out here for a few weeks every summer, but Boston was her home as the ranch had never been.

Elise was still puzzled by her son’s decision to walk away from moneyed sophistication in favor of hard work and empty spaces. But Jake had his own money—a fortune he’d built through good investments and well-chosen risks. He didn’t need to enslave himself to a desk to get his share of Hunter Media.

His mother might not ever understand his decision, but she had at least, finally, accepted it.

“So when’s your mother’s assistant due to arrive?”

Jake glanced at his grandfather. “Sometime today, and with any luck, by tomorrow she’ll be on her way back to Boston.”

“Shame she had to fly all the way here to have you sign papers you could have faxed in.”

“You know Mom. A stickler for details.” Jake shook his head and hopped off the fence, his battered brown boots sinking into the soft dirt of the corral. “She wants the papers notarized and the assistant’s a notary.”

“Handy,” Ben said. “But then, your mom’s always been a thorough one.”

Thorough. And stubborn. There was a part of Jake that still didn’t believe his mother had given up on luring him back to Boston. But whether she had or not didn’t really matter, did it? He wasn’t going anywhere. Montana was his home. His sanctuary. Damned if he’d give it up.

* * *

Cassidy Moore’s hands hurt after an hour of gripping the steering wheel tightly enough to make her knuckles white. Driving up a mountain was more harrowing than she would have thought. Maybe if the narrow road had been straight rather than curved with the occasional sharp right-angle turn, it wouldn’t have been so bad. But those curves were there and so was the steep drop off the left side.

If she had known the kind of drive she was letting herself in for, she would have tried to rent a tank at the airport in Kalispell rather than the four-wheel-drive sedan she was currently driving.

“But then,” she told herself, “a tank never would have fit on this road.”

Seriously. The people who built the darn road couldn’t have made it a little wider? Every time another car came toward her, she winced in anticipation of a horrific crash. The only good thing about this drive was that it wasn’t the dead of winter. “Imagine dealing with this road in snow!”

Just the thought of that gave her cold chills. Ordinarily, she probably would have enjoyed this drive through the mountains, with the bright splashes of fall color on either side of her. But the threat of imminent death sort of took the fun out of it.

Cassidy was out of her element and she knew it. Born and raised in Boston, she had never been west of the Massachusetts border. She was used to busy highways, crowded streets and stoplights every block. In her world, tall buildings created shadowy canyons in the city and the sound of honking horns ensured there was never any quiet to be found. Still, she’d be fine. She was only here for the night, and tomorrow she’d be flying back to Boston with the signed paperwork her boss needed.

She pulled off the narrow road and followed a graveled drive up a sharp incline. When she came out from beneath the arch of trees, she simply stopped the car, turned off the engine and stared.

My son refuses to leave his little ranch, her boss had said. So you’ll have to go to him and get these papers signed.

Little ranch.

Shaking her head, Cassidy got out of the car, her heels shifting precariously on the gravel beneath her feet. She did a slow turn in place, letting her gaze sweep across her surroundings before finally coming back to land on the “little ranch.” There was nothing little about it. Granted, the only experience Cassidy had with ranches was what she’d seen on late-night movies. But this was no ordinary place. Jake Hunter’s home was a mountain palace.

Two stories tall, the main house was wood and glass, with floor-to-ceiling windows on each story that would provide a wide view of the lake below. Pine trees huddled close to the house, so that it looked as though it was actually a part of the landscape rather than an intrusion. There were other, smaller houses scattered across the property, no doubt for the employees who worked here. Lucky them, Cassidy thought, since she couldn’t imagine driving up and down that mountain every day for her commute. “Hello, young lady.”

Surprised at the deep voice coming from directly behind her, Cassidy spun around so quickly, one of her heels caught on the gravel and her balance went wobbly. The older man snapped one hand out to take her arm to steady her.

“Didn’t mean to startle you,” he said, giving her a slow smile.

He was in his seventies, but his eyes were sharp and clear and his skin was like old leather from years spent in the sun. His smile was warm and the chuckle beneath his words was kind.

“Sorry,” she said, holding one hand out. “I didn’t hear you come up. I’m Cassidy Moore.”

He took her hand in his and gave it a firm shake. “You’re Elise’s new assistant.” Nodding, he added, “I’m her father, Ben Hawkins.”

“She has your eyes.”

His smile got wider. “My eyes, but thankfully she got everything else from her mother, God rest her.” He took a step back and said, “You’re here to see my grandson.”

“Yes,” she said, grateful for the quick change of subject. “I’ve got some papers for him to look over and sign...”

“My daughter’s a fiend for paperwork,” he said, then waved one hand. “Come along with me, I’ll take you to Jake.”

She glanced at her car, thinking about her purse lying on the front seat, but then she realized that this wasn’t Boston and a purse snatcher wasn’t going to reach in and grab anything. So she followed Ben Hawkins, taking careful steps that didn’t come close to matching his long, even strides.

Cassidy had dressed to impress and now that it was too late, she was rethinking that. She wore black slacks, a white dress shirt and a cardinal-red waist-length jacket. Her black heels added an extra three inches to her measly five-foot-four frame, and in the city that gave her extra confidence. Here, walking on gravel, she could only wish for the sneakers tucked into the bottom of her bag.

But first impressions counted, and she’d wanted to come across as sleek and professional to her boss’s son. So she’d find a way to maneuver over tricky ground and make it look good while she was doing it.

“It’s a beautiful place,” she said.

“It is that,” the older man agreed, slowing his steps a bit. “I lived my whole life here, but in the few years Jake’s been in charge he’s made so many changes sometimes I look around and can’t believe what he’s done in so short a time.”

She looked at him. “You sound pleased by that.”

“Oh, I am.” He winked at her. “I know most old men don’t care much for change. But far as I’m concerned, if you’re not changing, you’re dead. So when Jake came to Montana for good, I turned over the ranch to him and said, ‘Do what you want.’” Chuckling again, he added, “He took me up on it.”

Smiling, she decided she liked Ben Hawkins.

“He started right out building the new ranch house,” Ben said, waving one hand at the spectacular building on their left. “Designed it himself and even did a lot of the construction on his own, too.”

“It’s beautiful,” she said, throwing another glance at the gorgeous house.

“It is,” he agreed. “Too much house for a man on his own, though.”

“On his own?” She frowned a little. “Don’t you live there, too?”

Ben laughed. “No, I live there.”

He pointed at one of the smaller buildings, and she noted that it did look older, somehow more settled, than the newer structures around it.

“It’s the original ranch house and for me, it’s home.”

They approached a corral and Ben took her elbow to steady her as she stepped off the gravel onto soft dirt. Her heels sank and she grimaced, but her gaze was caught on the cowboy riding a big black horse around the interior of the corral.

The cowboy looked as comfortable in the saddle as she was in a desk chair. Animal and man moved as one and Cassidy stepped closer to the rail fence, mesmerized as she watched their progress. There was a cold wind blowing, yet she hardly noticed the chill as she kept her gaze fixed on the man on the horse.

“That’s my grandson, Jake,” Ben told her. “I’ll let him know you’re here.”

Ben walked off but Cassidy didn’t see him go. Instead, she studied the cowboy even more closely. And she realized why it was that her boss hadn’t been able to convince her son to move to the city. A man that at home on a horse would never be happy in a city of concrete and cars. Even from a distance there was a wildness to him that intrigued her even as her mind whispered for caution. After all, she wasn’t here to admire her boss’s son. This visit was not only going to be brief, but strictly business as well. Which didn’t mean, she assured herself silently, that she couldn’t admire the view.

Ben whistled, sharp and short. Jake looked up, then looked to Cassidy when his grandfather pointed her out. She saw his features tighten and she told herself it didn’t matter. But as he rode closer to her, she took a single step back from the corral fence.

Were all horses that big?

Jake Hunter swung down and leaned his forearm on the top rail of the fence even as he rested the toe of one battered boot on the bottom rung. Cassidy swallowed hard. Close up, he was even more intriguing.

Black hair, mostly hidden beneath his hat, curled over the collar of his brown leather jacket. His eyes were so blue and so hard, they looked like chips of ice. Black beard stubble covered his jaws and his mouth was thinned into a straight line. His jeans were faded and worn, and over them, he wore a pair of soft, light brown chaps that seemed to hug what looked like very long, muscular legs.

A swirl of something warm and intimate rushed through her and Cassidy took a deep, deliberate breath of the cold mountain air, hoping it would help. It really didn’t.

“You’re not what I was expecting,” he said and his voice was a low rumble.

She could have said, yeah, same to you. But she didn’t. This was ridiculous. She was here to do a job. This was her boss’s son for heaven’s sake, and standing there ogling him like an idiot was so not the kind of impression she had planned to make.

“Well, I’m pleased to meet you anyway,” she finally said and held out one hand.

He glanced at her outstretched palm for a long second or two, then reached through the fence and took her hand in his. An instant zing of electricity shot up her arm to settle in her chest and send her heartbeat into a wild, hard gallop. Oh my. Only here for ten minutes and I am using horse metaphors.

Releasing her, Jake took off his hat and speared his fingers through his hair. Which only made things a little worse for Cassidy because really, did he have to have such beautiful, thick, shiny hair?

“Mike!” His shout jolted her out of her thoughts, thank heaven. When another man answered, Jake called out, “Take care of Midnight, will you? I’ve got some business to see to.”

“Sure thing, boss,” the man said.

“Midnight’s your horse?”

“That’s right,” Jake told her just before he climbed over the corral fence to jump to the ground right beside her.

There went that little warm bubble of something dangerous, she thought and tried to get a grip. She was not the kind of woman to idly daydream about a gorgeous man. Usually. Jake Hunter seemed to be an exception. He was so tall, she felt dwarfed as he loomed over her, even counting her heels, which were now slipping farther and farther into the dirt.

Frowning, he looked down, then met her eyes and asked, “You wore high heels? To a ranch?”

“Is that a problem?”

“Not for me.” A ghost of a smile curved his mouth so briefly, she couldn’t be sure it had actually been there at all. Then he turned and headed to the house.

She watched him go, those long legs of his striding purposefully across the graveled drive. He never looked back. Didn’t bother to help her as his grandfather had. She opened her mouth to shout after him, but snapped it shut before she could. Fuming silently, Cassidy drew first one heel then the other out of the dirt and started clumsily to the ranch house. Her first impression had gone fabulously badly. Now he thought she was an idiot for not dressing appropriately.

Well, that was fine, because she thought he was a troll for walking off and leaving her when he knew darn well that walking across that gravel in heels was practically a competitive sport. So much for those warm, intimate thoughts, she told herself. For a woman to have a decent fantasy going, the hero of said fantasy had to at least be civil.

Which seemed like too much to expect from Jake Hunter.

* * *

Jake headed straight for the great room and the wet bar. Usually it would be too early to have a drink, but today was different. Today, he had looked into a pair of cool fog-gray eyes and felt a stirring of something he hadn’t even thought about in more than two years. Hell, if he’d had his way he never would have felt that deep-down heated tickle of anticipation again.

The only other time he’d ever experienced anything like it had led to a marriage made in hell.

“Good times,” he muttered, and tossed his hat to the nearest chair. He shot a quick look out the wide front windows to the sprawl of gravel and grass beyond the glass. Damn woman was still coming, heading to the house with short, wobbly steps that almost made him feel guilty for leaving her to manage on her own.

Almost. Yeah, he could’ve helped her across the uneven ground, but he would have had to touch her and that buzz of something hot and complicated was still fresh enough in his mind that he didn’t want to risk repeating it.

“I didn’t ask her to come here,” he whispered and poured a shot of Irish whiskey into a crystal tumbler. Lifting the glass, he drank that shot down in one gulp and let the fire in its wake burn away whatever he might have felt if he were any other man.

His gaze fixed on her through the window. Behind her, the wide sky was filling with heavy gray clouds that could bring rain or snow. You just never knew in Montana. Wind lifted her dark blond hair off her shoulders and threw it into a wild halo around her head. Her short red jacket clung to impressive breasts and stopped right at her narrow waist. Her black slacks whipped in the wind, outlining her legs—short but definitely curvy—and those stupid high heels wobbled with every step.

A city girl. Just like the last woman he’d allowed into his life. And even as his body felt interest surge, his mind shrieked for some semblance of sanity. Why in the hell would he let himself be interested in the same kind of woman who had carved out a chunk of his soul not so long ago?

He thought about pouring another drink, then decided against it as his mother’s gofer finally made her way onto the porch steps and followed him into the house.

“Mr. Hunter?”

“In here.” He heard those heels first, tapping against the bamboo flooring, and as those relentless taps came closer, he stepped out from behind the oak bar to meet her.

She paused in the open, arched doorway and he watched as her gaze swept the room. He saw the pleasure and the approval in her eyes and felt a quick jolt of pride. When he moved to the ranch permanently, he’d wanted to build a new, bigger ranch house. Something that would house the whole family when they came to visit. Something that would mark the land as his. He wanted this place stamped as his, and Jake’s grandfather had given him free rein.

He’d done a good job on this house. He’d designed it himself, working with an architect to build just the right place—something that would look as though it had always been standing here, in the forest. He had wanted to bring the outdoors in and he had been pleased with the results.

The support beams had been built to look like tree trunks. The windows between those beams showcased the lake below them and the miles of open country, forest and sky that made Montana the best place in the world to live. Dark brown leather couches and chairs were arranged around the huge open space, and a river-stone fireplace stood on the far wall, flames inside the hearth dancing and snapping as a sharp wind chased across the top of the chimney.

“Wow,” she said, stepping slowly into the room. “Just...wow.”

“Thanks.” He smiled in spite of everything, enjoying her reaction to the home he loved. “Pretty great, I admit.”

“Oh,” she said, shaking her head as she turned in place, taking in everything, “it’s better than great. It’s so gorgeous I’m even going to forgive you for being a jerk and leaving me out there to make it into the house on my own.”

Surprised, he snorted a laugh. “Jerk? Is that the way to talk to your boss’s son?”

Cool gray eyes slid over him. “I have a feeling she wouldn’t blame me.”

He thought about it, imagining his mother’s reaction to how he’d left her assistant standing in the yard, and had to wince. “No. Probably not.”

“Is there some reason in particular that you’re not happy to see me?” she asked. “Or is it women in general you disapprove of?”

One corner of Jake’s mouth quirked. “Let’s answer that with another question. Are you always this forthright?”

“Usually,” she said, nodding. “But I probably shouldn’t be. So maybe we should consider ourselves on even ground and start over. Deal?”

He looked at her for a long moment and tried not to notice that her eyes were the very color of the fog that lifted off the surface of the lake. Or that her hair looked soft and tumbled, as if she’d just rolled out of bed. Damn, it really had been too long since he’d had a woman.

“All right,” he agreed, to end his train of thought before it went even more astray of the subject at hand. “Deal. Now, you’ve got some papers for me to look over and sign, correct?”

“Yes. They’re in my bag in the car.”

She actually turned as if to go lurching out across the gravel again to retrieve her bags. Jake stopped her by saying, “One of the guys will bring your stuff in. You’re probably beat from the flying and the drive up the mountain...”

“Actually,” she admitted, “I would love a shower and change of clothes.”

Oh, he wasn’t going to think about her in the shower. He’d been prepared for her to spend the night, though. It was a two-hour drive from the airport, and by the time he finished going over the papers before signing them it would be too dark for her to safely drive down the mountain. So she’d be here overnight and gone in the morning. The earlier the better.

“My housekeeper has your room ready for you,” he said abruptly. Leading her across the room, he pointed to the staircase directly opposite the front door. “At the top of the stairs, turn right. Third door on your left.”

“Okay,” she said, already heading for the stairs. “And thanks.”

“Dinner’s at seven,” he told her. “So come down whenever you’re ready.”

She laid one hand on the heavily carved banister and turned her head to spear him with one long look. “I’ll see you in an hour. We can go over the paperwork before dinner.”

“Fine.” Good idea. Remember that this was all business. His mother hadn’t sent him a woman to warm his bed. She’d sent her assistant here to finally give Jake what he’d wanted for years. Freedom from the Hunter family conglomerate.

Freedom to live his life the way he wanted.

The fact that his mother’s messenger was more than he’d expected...well, that wouldn’t matter once she was gone.

Two

A few minutes later, Cassidy was trying to relax in a bedroom fit for a queen. She was tired, and she wanted a shower and something to eat. But first, she grabbed her cell phone and checked for coverage. Not surprising to find that she was good to go. Heck, Jake Hunter probably built his own cell tower on the mountain.

Shaking her head, she hit speed dial and listened to the phone ring until her sister answered. “Hey, Claudia,” Cassidy said, smiling. “Just wanted to let you know I got here safely.”

Her younger sister laughed. “Yeah, Montana’s not on the far side of the moon, so I figured you were okay when I didn’t hear any news about a plane crash.”

“Ouch.” Cassidy plopped onto the edge of the bed and let her gaze wander around the bedroom she’d been given for the night.

As spectacular as the rest of the house, the room was as large as her entire studio apartment back in Boston. And furnished better, she added silently. Again, there were floor-to-ceiling windows offering that tremendous view of water surrounded by pines bending and twisting in the wind. There were colorful rugs strewn across the gleaming wood floor, a fire burning cheerfully in the hearth and two overstuffed chairs pulled up in front of it, looking cozy enough to be on a Christmas card. On a narrow table against the wall sat a crystal decanter of what was probably brandy, considering the two bulbous glasses beside it. But there were also two bottles of wine. Red and white and accompanying glasses—which she would so take advantage of as soon as she was off the phone.

The bed she sat on was huge and covered in a silky quilt in varying shades of green that made her think of the forest beyond the house. The mattress was so soft and welcoming, it practically begged to be napped on.

“So how did your test go this morning?”

“Aced it,” Claudia retorted quickly and then laughed with glee. “I’m going to be the best damn doctor in the country by the time I’m done!”

“You will. And so humble, too,” Cassidy said, smiling at her sister’s enthusiasm. Since she was a child, Claudia had wanted to be a doctor, and now that she was taking premed at college, she was just unstoppable. Thanks to scholarships and the hefty salary Elise Hunter paid Cassidy, they wouldn’t have to worry about college expenses and Claudia could pursue her longtime dream.

“So what’s it like in the Wild West?”

Cassidy chuckled. “No stagecoach holdup if that’s what you mean. It really is gorgeous even though Elise’s son is kind of...” Hmm. How to explain that rush of attraction combined with the troll attitude?

“Ooh,” her sister said, “I sense intrigue. Cass is interested in an actual living, breathing male.”

“I’m not interested.” Okay, that was a lie, but she wouldn’t admit to it. Besides, interest and attraction were two different things, right? Interest would imply that she was looking at Jake Hunter as more than simply a great-looking man with a crappy attitude. Attraction was an involuntary biological imperative for the survival of the species and—oh for heaven’s sake, she sounded like one of Claudia’s professors.

To her sister, she said, “I’m just here to get him to sign some papers and then first thing tomorrow I’m on a plane home again.”

“Uh-huh. First thing tomorrow means you’ve still got all night tonight.”

Yes, she did. Funny, but the thought of spending the night at the ranch hadn’t bothered her at all until she’d gotten her first look at Jake. Now, it was different. That buzz of sensation she’d felt just shaking his hand left her feeling oddly off-balance and she didn’t really enjoy that at all. Not that she would tell Claudia any of this, of course.

“Is there some reason my baby sister is trying to shove me at a man she’s never even met?” Cassidy scooted off the edge of the bed and walked across the room to the window.

“Because my big sister has been living like a nun for way too long,” Claudia countered. “You haven’t been on a date in like forever. Do you even remember what fun is?”

Stung, Cassidy dropped onto the window seat, leaned against the cold glass and said, “I have fun all the time.”

“Doing what?”

“I like my job—”

“Work is not fun.”

“Fine. Well, I went to the movies just...” She had to think about that, and when she realized how long ago it had actually been, her scowl deepened. “Fun is overrated.”

“Uh-huh.” An all-too-familiar sigh of exaggerated patience sifted through the phone. “I’m all grown up now, Cass. You can stop throwing yourself on the altar of substitute motherhood.”

Her gaze locked on that amazing view, Cassidy let her sister’s words rocket around her mind for a second or two before she said, “Claud, I never thought of it like that.”

“Oh sweetie, I know.” Claudia sighed again. “Cass, you’ve been great. You’ve always been there for me but I’m grown now—”

“Yes,” Cassidy interrupted wryly, “nineteen is practically aged.”

“—and I’m in college,” Claudia went on as if her sister hadn’t said a word, “and you should really start concentrating on your own life.”

“I have a life, thanks.”

“You have work,” Claudia corrected. “And you have me. And Dave. But our brother’s married with kids of his own now.”

True. It had been the three of them for so long, it was hard to realize that her younger brother and sister were grown and didn’t need her hovering all the time as they used to. Especially Claudia. She had been only ten years old when their mother decided to follow her current “soul mate” into the sunset. So at nineteen, Cassidy had taken over. She’d been both mother and father—since their illustrious sperm donor parent had disappeared shortly after Claudia’s birth—and if she had to say so herself, Cassidy had done a great job of parenting. Maybe that was why it was so hard to stop.

“Fine,” she said. “I promise I’ll find a life. Once I get home.”

“Why wait? No time like the present to get started,” Claudia argued. “You’re on a ranch with a cowboy, for heaven’s sake. That’s a classic fantasy. Is he cute?”

Cute? No. Jake Hunter was way too manly to be classified as merely “cute.” He was gorgeous. Or rugged. Or strong, masculine, gruff and all sorts of other really good words, but cute wasn’t one of them.

“I didn’t notice,” she lied.

“Sure.” Her sister laughed. “Anyway, my point is, relax a little. Enjoy yourself. Flirt. Consider it practice for when you get back home and I badger you into doing this for real.”

Flirt? With Jake Hunter? Oh, Cassidy didn’t think so. First of all, he was her boss’s son. No way would she risk a great-paying job for a short-term fling—even if he were interested, which he probably wasn’t, considering the way he’d talked to her so far. But more than that, Cass wasn’t a one-night-stand kind of girl. She’d be uncomfortable and feeling all slutty so she wouldn’t even enjoy herself anyway, so what would be the point?

God. Had Jake actually called her forthright? Her mind was spinning like an out-of-control carnival ride. And suddenly, she was done thinking about this.

“Don’t you have another test this afternoon?”

“See?” Claudia laughed. “You’re way too focused on my life. Time to find your own, Cass! Love you!”

When her little sister hung up, Cassidy just stared down at her phone and thought about that brief yet involved conversation. Yes, maybe Claudia had a point, but in her own defense, Cass hadn’t exactly been shown the most shining examples of relationships in her life.

Cass’s father had abandoned the family when Claudia was born, saying only that three kids were just too many. Her mother had moved from man to man always looking for her “prince.” But there were no princes, only frogs she continued to kiss in the hopes there would be a miraculous change.

So instead of following in her mother’s footsteps, Cassidy worked, put herself through city college and made sure her siblings stayed in school. Eventually it had all paid off, of course. Dave was now a successful contractor with a wife and six-month-old twin boys. And Claudia was going to be the doctor she should be.

But, Cass thought as she shifted her gaze back to the view outside her window, maybe she had allowed work and worry to completely envelop her. And maybe Claudia was right that it was time Cass found out if there really was more to life than work.

Not that she would find that out now, she assured herself. “Good times do not start with a crabby cowboy no matter how gorgeous he is,” she said out loud for emphasis. “Besides, as you told yourself earlier, he’s your boss’s son.”

Well, that should be enough to tamp down whatever lingering flickers of attraction were still burning inside her. She couldn’t afford to risk her job by giving in to a momentary flash of heat that might or might not mean she was really attracted to the grumpy man downstairs. Not that her boss, Elise, had ever been that much of a tyrant or anything, but why take chances?

“Now that that’s settled,” she murmured, tossing her phone onto the deep green velvet window seat, “time to take a quick shower and maybe a little nap before I go downstairs and tend to business.”

She walked to the bed, unzipped her suitcase and got out the things she’d need before stepping through a connecting door and coming to a dead stop. This house kept staggering her.

The bathroom was huge and opulent. Again, green was the main color here, but every possible shade of that color was represented in the tiles on the floor, the backsplash, the acre or so of granite countertops, the walk-in shower with six showerheads, and most spectacularly of all, in the gigantic Jacuzzi tub that was tucked beneath a bay window continuing the view of the lake and the wide sweep of sky outside.

There were lovely bottles and jars of soaps, lotions, shampoos and even, she thought with an inward sigh, bubble bath. Cassie had always loved lounging in a hot bath, but normally, who had the time? She glanced at that shower, then looked again at the tub that seemed to be calling to her. No reason her new acceptance of “fun” in her life couldn’t start here.

“Okay,” she whispered, picking up one of the thick white towels to lay on the wide ledge of the tub, “no shower for you, girl. Bath it is.”

* * *

Jake tugged the collar of his jacket higher on his neck and tossed a wary glance at the darkening sky above him. A cold wind pushed at him, but he ignored that and strode toward the barn. Best thing to do was go about his business. Put Cassidy Moore out of his mind and focus on what was real. What was important.

And a woman who would be here on the ranch for less than twenty-four hours was not important.

The combined scents of hay and horses greeted him as he walked into the cavernous building. It was lined with stalls on either side, and some of the horses had their heads stuck out the doors, watching the cowboys at work, hoping for treats. Instantly, his mind shifted from thoughts of a very temporary woman to focus on the life he’d built for himself.

An hour of hard work, setting out feed and water and clearing stalls, made him feel better. Sure, he didn’t have to do the dirty work himself, but concentrating on a task had always been the best way to soothe his mind. Of course, once the work was done his brain had too much free time.

“That’s a pretty girl.”

Rolling his eyes, Jake snorted. He didn’t bother to turn and look at his grandfather. “She’s not a girl, Pop. She’s a woman.”

“So you did notice.”

You could say that. Slanting the older man a hard look, he said, “Yeah. Hard not to, what with her stumbling around on those high heels of hers.”

“If that’s all you noticed,” Ben said, “then I worry about you, boy.”

Jamming his hat down onto his head, Jake headed outside. “No need to worry then. I’m not blind.” He glanced back over his shoulder. “I’m also not interested.”

All right, that wasn’t entirely true. His body was more than interested. It was just his mind that was keeping things rational here. He’d been down this road before. Letting his desire for a pretty woman blind him to reality. And even as he thought that, he realized there was no point. The woman in question would be leaving in the morning and with any luck, he wouldn’t see her again.

“Let it go, Pop.” Jake kept walking, sure without looking that his grandfather was right behind him. “She works for Mom and she’s not staying. Two very good reasons for you to keep your imagination in check.”

“Pretty woman shows up on your mountain and you want to ignore her.” A snort of derision followed that statement. “Youth really is wasted on the young.”

At that, Jake stopped and looked back at the older man. “I’m not that young.”

He didn’t feel young, anyway. At thirty-four, he’d done too much, seen too much. After two tours of service in the Marines and surviving a marriage that never should have happened, hell, sometimes he felt as old as time.

Ben walked up to him and slapped one work-worn hand onto Jake’s shoulder. “I know you’ve been through some rough times. But that’s past, boy, and you’ve got to move on. The problem is, you’re just too much inside your own head, Jake. Always have been. Spend a little less time thinking and a little more looking at pretty girls, might improve your attitude.”

Jake laughed shortly. “My attitude’s fine, Pop.”

“Whatever you say, boy.” Ben gave his shoulder another friendly slap then headed off toward his place. “All I’m telling you is that if I was you, I wouldn’t be spending my time in the stable taking care of horses when I could be talking to that pretty girl.”

Shifting his gaze to the main house, Jake thought briefly about the woman waiting inside for him. He was probably making more of this than there was. A buzz of sensation when he shook her hand didn’t mean a damn thing. A flash of heat could dissipate as easily as it fired. This was simply a momentary blip. He’d reacted to her so strongly because he hadn’t been down off the mountain in months. Enforced celibacy could make a man edgy. Hell, all he really needed was a woman. Any woman. That’s why his mother’s assistant had hit him as hard as she had.

Once she was gone, he’d head into town, find a woman and take care of his “distraction” problem.

Two hours later he was in his study when he heard Cassidy Moore heading downstairs. About time, he told himself and half wondered if she was always late for an appointment or if she wasn’t looking forward to this meeting any more than he was. He could leave her to wander the house looking for him, he supposed. But then that felt a little too cowardly. So he stood up, walked to the doorway and looked down the hall.

One glance at her was all it took to reignite the buzz of interest his body seemed to be focusing on. She had changed clothes after her shower. Gone were the slick black slacks and killer red jacket. Instead, she wore jeans that looked faded and comfortable along with a dark blue button-down shirt and a pair of tennis shoes. Her dark blond hair was soft and loose, hanging over her shoulders in thick waves. He watched her as she let her gaze slide across her surroundings and he smiled to himself at the appreciative gleam in those fog-gray eyes of hers.

“No more high heels?” he asked and his deep voice seemed to reverberate in the empty stillness.

She snapped her head around, her gaze locking onto his. “You startled me.”

“Sorry.” Though he wasn’t. He’d enjoyed having a good long look at her without her being aware of his presence.

“It’s okay.” She brushed his apology aside with the wave of one hand. Glancing down at her outfit, she shrugged and added, “As for the heels, I just couldn’t put them back on. First impression is over anyway, so I went for comfort.”

“First impressions are that important?”

“Of course.” She started walking toward him. “I represent your mother and Hunter Media, and even though you’re her son, I have to be professional.”

“I didn’t realize my mother was such a tyrant,” he said, amused.

“Oh, she’s not,” Cassidy said quickly. “That’s not what I meant at all. I just take my job seriously and—”

“Relax.” He interrupted her because he could see from the frantic gleam in her eye that she was probably worried about what he might say to his mother about her. “I was kidding.”

“Oh.” She took a breath and blew it out. “Okay. That’s good. I really like my job.”

“I’m sure. So. You have papers for me to sign?”

“I do.” She held up one hand to show him the manila envelope she’d brought downstairs with her. “Sorry I’m later than I thought I would be. But I lay down on that wonderful bed and fell asleep. Guess I was more tired than I thought. But I’ve got everything right here. Your mother said that she’d sent a copy to your lawyer to have him look them over.”

“Yeah.” Not that he was worried about his mother trying to cheat him. Although he wouldn’t have put it past her to work in a clause somewhere that he would now have to visit Boston five or six times a year. “Everything’s set so might as well get it done.”

He walked back into his study and heard her footsteps on the floor as she followed.

Jake took a seat behind his desk and waited for her to sit down opposite him. When she did, she handed over the envelope and as he opened it to take the sheaf of papers out, she looked around the room, her gaze finally settling on the window behind him and the view so beautifully displayed.

“How do you get any work done?” she wondered absently. “If it were me, I’d be staring out that window all the time.”

“One reason why it’s behind me,” he said as he flipped through the pages. Deliberately, he avoided looking at either the view or her.

“Sure, but you still know it’s there.”

He knew she was there, too, and that knowledge was far more distracting than even the sweeping view of the mountains that he loved. Jake picked up a pen and held on to it with a grip that should have been tight enough to shatter the steel barrel. What was it about this woman that was getting to him so completely and so quickly?

She stood up to move around the room, and Jake lifted his gaze just enough to see her. He zeroed in on her as she paused to examine the paintings hanging on the walls, the books in the bookcases and even the photographs on the mantel over the hearth where a fire burned against the chill of the day.

When she turned back to face him, his gaze dropped to the papers on his desk.

“This house is really amazing,” she said. “You’ve got those same braces in here—the beams or whatever, that are made to look like tree trunks.”

That had him smiling. Those support beams were a favorite of his. It had felt like bringing the forest inside the house, though the builder hadn’t been thrilled with the extra work it had required.

Giving up on the illusion of examining the papers, he looked up at her and watched as she continued her inspection of his study. It was a big room, with plenty of heavy, dark brown leather furniture, and rugs in muted colors dotted the wood floors. Jake spent a lot of his time in here, so he’d wanted it to be comfortable.

“It’s a big house for one man,” she said softly.

“I like a lot of space.”

“I can see that. But it would be a little creepy for me to have this big a house and be all by myself.”

“Creepy how?” Intrigued in spite of himself, he leaned back in his chair and watched her.

She threw him a smile over her shoulder as she bent lower to inspect the books on the bookshelf. His gaze settled on the curve of her behind in that faded, worn, soft denim and a flash of heat shot through him with the swiftness of a lightning bolt.

“I’d always be expecting someone to break in,” she said.

Frowning, he tore his gaze from her butt. “This isn’t Boston.”

“Oh, it’s really not.” She straightened, walked the perimeter of the room slowly and finally sat down opposite him again in one of two matching leather chairs. Resting her elbows on the arms of the chair, she folded her hands across her middle, tipped her head to one side and said, “Your mother really wants you back in Boston, you know.”

“Yeah,” he said, a reluctant smile curving his mouth. “She really hasn’t kept that a big secret.”

“She talks about you a lot. I think she misses you.”

A ping of guilt stabbed at him, but he fought it down. Guilt didn’t fix anything. Didn’t change anything. Frowning now, Jake asked, “You’re her personal assistant, right?”

“That’s right. Why?”

“Aren’t assistants supposed to be sworn to secrecy and discretion?”

She shrugged. “You’re her son, and it’s not like you don’t already know everything I’m saying.”

True. But he didn’t enjoy having someone remind him that his mother missed him. He knew she did. But he saw her and his sister, Beth, and her family whenever they visited the ranch. That was enough. Jake wouldn’t go back to the city again if he could help it. The closest he wanted to come to a city was downtown Kalispell, and that was only when he couldn’t avoid it.

“So why are you so anti-Boston?” she asked quietly.

His gaze narrowed on her. “I know my mom didn’t put you up to that question.”

“No, that’s just me. Being curious.”

“Polite word for nosy.”

“Guilty. You don’t have to answer.”

“Yeah,” he said. “I know.”

“But you will,” she countered with an easy smile as she sat back more comfortably in the chair.

“What makes you think so?”

“Because you’ll want to defend your position.”

“Ah,” he said, leaning back in his own chair. “But why would I care what you think of me?”

“Oh, you don’t,” she said. “But you can defend yourself to you, by explaining it to me.”

Irritation warred with intrigue inside him. He’d known her only a few hours and she was already playing him. Were women born knowing how to maneuver a man into doing exactly what they wanted him to do?

“It’s none of your business,” he finally ground out.

“Ah.” She nodded sagely. “The best defense is a good offense.”

Surprised, he laughed. “You know football?”

She shrugged. “My younger brother played in high school and college. I went to a lot of games. And you changed the subject. Well done.”

Shaking his head, Jake studied her for a long minute and found her gray gaze steady and filled with interest. “Okay. I grew up in the city. But this ranch always felt like home to me.”

“And...”

“And, after college and the Corps, I couldn’t settle in the city. Too much noise. Too many people. Too many things crowding in on me.” He stood up, unable to stay behind the desk. Walking to the fire, he picked up a poker and stabbed at the smoldering logs until flames hissed and jumped to life again.

Funny, he hadn’t thought about any of this for a long time, and remembering coming home from his last tour of duty and being surrounded by the crazed noises and crowds of the city brought it all back. That itchy, unsettled feeling that resulted in a cold, deep chill that had skimmed over his heart and soul, making him feel as if he were slowly freezing to death.

Grinding his teeth together, he swallowed hard, reminded himself that he’d left that old life behind and said, “I didn’t belong there anymore. I needed space. Room to breathe. Couldn’t find that in the city.”

She was watching him. He didn’t have to see it to feel her gaze on him. He knew she was wondering what the hell he was talking about. Considering him nuts for turning his back on Hunter Media and all that entailed. But he didn’t face her; instead he simply stared into the flames and let himself be mesmerized.

Until she spoke and shattered the quiet.

“Really, I sympathize with your mother, but I can’t see you living in Boston at all.”

He lifted his head and shifted a look at her. He didn’t see sympathy or concern or amusement on her features, and for that he was grateful. “Is that right? Why?”

She laughed a little and the sound was soft. “Well, first off, I do understand everything you just said. Sometimes the crowds downtown make me feel like I can’t draw a breath.”

He nodded.

“But secondly... Please. You wear boots and jeans and a hat that you can pull down deliberately low enough to keep people from seeing your eyes.”

A frown tugged at the corners of his mouth. Observant, wasn’t she?

“I just can’t see you sitting in on board meetings wearing a three-piece suit and sipping espresso.”

He snorted at the idea. “Yeah, that was never going to happen.”

“I think your mom gets that now,” Cassidy said. “She’s still disappointed, but she’s accepted that you’re never moving back to the city.”

“Good. Took long enough,” he mused. His mother had clung to the idea of Jake returning to the city to take his rightful place as the head of Hunter Media for far too long. It had been a bone of contention between them for years, even though he’d pointed out repeatedly that his younger sister Beth was right there, more than capable and eager for the job.

“But I’m curious.”

His thoughts came to a dead stop as he looked at her. “More curiosity?”

“You never find out anything if you don’t ask.”

“Ask what?”

“Why the lonely cowboy on top of a mountain?” Her gray gaze locked on his, she watched him as if she could read his answer on his features. “You walked away from a dynasty in the city to come here. Why here? This mountain? This place?”

“Forthright again,” he muttered.

“Not really. Nosy again.”

He laughed shortly at the admission. “At least you’re honest.”

“I try to be.”

Jake had once thought his ex was an honest woman, too. Turned out she was like most people. Honest only until it served her not to be. But what the hell, he’d give her an answer.

“When we were kids, Beth and I used to come here every summer to see our grandparents.” His mind turned back, flipping through memories like a cardsharp about to deal a hand filled with images. “It was so different here. Bigger, of course. But more than that. Pop used to take me fishing and out with him when he was working the cattle. In Boston, I was a kid, told to watch out for cars, not to talk to strangers, and wasn’t allowed to ride the damn T without an escort.”

“Really? You couldn’t ride public transit alone?”

He shrugged at that memory. “My parents were cautious. Always said that rich kids might get kidnapped. So Beth and I were watched constantly.” Shaking his head, he continued. “Here, we were free. We ran wild all over the ranch with no one to hold us back. Went swimming in the lake, hiked all over the forest. It was a different world for both of us. But for me, it was the world I wanted.” Grudgingly, he added, “When I got out of the Marines, I came straight here. I needed this place after that and—”

He stopped talking suddenly, surprised as hell that he’d told her all of that. Hell, he hadn’t talked about his past in—well, ever. He didn’t like looking back. He didn’t believe in looking into the future, either. For Jake, the present was all that mattered. The here and now was all he could control, so that’s where he put his focus.

“I can understand that,” she said softly.

Jake straightened, set the poker in its stand and walked back to sit behind the desk. Gathering up the papers, he began to read, skimming his gaze through the lawyer-speak with ease. He was a Hunter, after all, and he’d grown up knowing the ins and outs of deal making. “I didn’t ask for your understanding,” he muttered.

“Too bad,” she told him. “You have it anyway.”

He shot her a frown that she completely ignored.

“Just because you’re a recluse doesn’t mean you have to be crabby, too.”

She made it sound like he was a damn hermit. He wasn’t. He went into town. Just not lately. “Who says I’m a recluse?”

“Your sister.”

Jake rolled his eyes. “Beth thinks five minutes of silence is some sort of torture.”

Cassidy laughed and he found he liked the sound of it. “With her kids, I’m guessing she doesn’t have to worry about silence most of the time.”

He looked at her. “You sure seem to know a lot about my family.”

“That’s part of my job,” she said with a shrug. “As your mother’s assistant, I try to make her life easier—work and family. Luckily, I really enjoy your sister. And your mother is a brilliant woman. I’m learning a lot from her.”

She jumped to her feet, came around the desk and leaned over his shoulder to point at something on the front page of the papers. “I almost forgot. Talking about your mother reminded me. She said you should be sure to read this clause especially well. Once you sign, it’s irrevocable.”

Jake tried to focus on what she was pointing to. Instead, though, the scent of her wrapped itself around him. Something cool and clean, like the forest after a rain. She smelled like springtime, and drawing it into his lungs made his brain fuzz out even as his body tightened. Damn, this wasn’t going to work.

“Yeah. I see it. Thanks.” He turned his head to look at her and found her mouth only a breath away from his. She met his gaze and looked away briefly before meeting his eyes again. Then she licked her lips nervously and the tightening inside Jake went into overdrive.

Blinking frantically, Cassidy moved back slightly and kept her voice brisk as she said, “Once you sign this, you’re giving up any chance to come back and run Hunter Media. Basically, your signature is agreeing to accept Beth as the heir to the throne, so to speak.”

“It’s what I’ve wanted for years,” he told her, grateful that she’d stepped far enough back that he could draw a breath without drowning in her scent.

“But it’s permanent, so your mother wanted to make sure that you understood this can’t be undone. She doesn’t want Hunter Media’s board to be unsettled.”

“Permanent. Good.” Jake nodded, and let his gaze drop to the sheaf of papers again. Much safer than staring into foggy eyes that held shadows and light and...damn it. He needed to keep his mind on business, but he wouldn’t be able to do that right now. Not with her so close. “I’ll sign these after dinner. Why don’t we go see what my housekeeper left for us?”

Getting out of the study was a good idea. The kitchen was good. A huge room. Brightly lit. No cozy corners or any reason at all for Cassidy Moore to lean into him.

“Okay, I’m starved.”

So was he.

But whatever they might find to eat, Jake didn’t think it would ease the kind of hunger he was feeling.

Three

Dinner was good, if tense.

Just like the rest of the house, the kitchen was a room pulled right off the pages of some glossy magazine. Acres of pale wood cabinets, a heavy round pedestal table at one end of the long room, plum-colored walls and miles of black granite so shiny it glinted in the overhead lights. The appliances were stainless steel and the effect of it all was cozy and intimate in spite of its size.

The two of them sat at the table silently eating a hearty stew and crusty homemade bread left for them by Jake’s housekeeper, Anna. Cass would have enjoyed the meal except for the fact that her host had pulled into himself and completely shut her out.

Amazing that only a few minutes ago they’d been chatting easily, and now, he’d become the recluse his sister called him. She had to wonder what had changed. What had suddenly made him close off to the point of ignoring that she was even in the room? Naturally, Cass couldn’t take the silence for long.

“You really don’t like having company, do you?” she asked.

His head came up and his eyes locked on hers. Cass felt the slam of that gaze punch into her with a kind of electric awareness that set off tiny ripples of anticipation over every square inch of her skin. Maybe she shouldn’t have said anything. Maybe it would have been better to leave things as they were, with the silence humming between them. But it was too late now.

“What makes you say that?”

Cass shook her head and waved her spoon at him. “Please. You’re sitting there like a statue—except for the glare you’re shooting at me right now. You haven’t said a word since we sat down to eat, and if body language is a real thing, at the moment, yours is saying don’t talk to me.”

He frowned at her.

“See? My point exactly.”

“Fine,” he muttered, reaching for the glass of red wine in front of him. “I don’t get a lot of company here.”

“Not surprising since you’re at the top of a mountain and the road to get here is a death-defying thrill ride,” she noted with a little shudder as she remembered her drive.

That frown flickered across his face again. “There’s nothing wrong with the road—”

“—that a few more feet on either side couldn’t cure,” she interrupted. “Anyway, now that you do have company, however short-lived, you could try to be...nice.”

“Nice.” He said the word as if he was speaking a foreign language.

Cass gave him a slow smile. “Would you like me to define that for you?”

“Thanks, I think I’ve got it.” Though his tone was sarcastic, a twitch of his lips told her he might even be amused.

“Excellent.” She took a sip of her wine. “So, let’s try conversation. I’ll start. This dinner is wonderful. Your housekeeper’s a great cook.”

“She is,” he agreed.

“Two words. Not much, but it’s a start,” she said, enjoying the flash of irritation that shot across his eyes. “I know I keep saying this, but your house is just amazing. Every room I see makes it more so. But this kitchen, it’s so big and there’s only you to cook for. Seems a shame, somehow.”

“Not to me.” He pulled off a piece of bread from the slice in front of him and popped it into his mouth. “Besides, whatever Anna cooks here, she takes most of it back to her house for her and her husband. And then when there’s something big going on, she cooks for the whole ranch.”

Cass took a bite of her bread. “Something big?”

He shrugged. “Anything that keeps the ranch hands from getting back to their cabins to do for themselves. Could be a storm, or a fire on the mountain that we’re helping to put out. Or even just a horse auction when we’ve got potential customers gathered. Cowboys have to eat and if you feed them well, they work harder.”

Cass watched him as he spoke. For a recluse, he could really get going when he wanted to. Of course, all it took was to ask him questions about the ranch he so obviously loved. Then his features were animated, there was a gleam in his eyes, and every word he spoke was flavored with enthusiasm.

She felt an inner sigh that she was grateful he couldn’t hear or sense. Jake Hunter really was gorgeous. It wasn’t fair that she could be so attracted to a man who should remain untouchable. Boss’s son. Recluse. Geographically undesirable.

And yet...as she watched him, she felt a swirl of something hot begin to unfold deep inside her. His smile kicked her heart into an odd little lurch and the pit of her stomach felt as if there were a million or so butterflies lodged there. Not to mention the tingles of expectation that were settling in a little lower.

It had been a long time since she’d felt an instant attraction for a man, and she’d never felt one this strong.

And why did she keep hearing Claudia’s voice whispering, Go for it! Flirt! Live! She couldn’t do that, could she?

No. Absolutely not. Just thinking about doing what she was thinking about after knowing the man for only a few pitiful hours probably qualified her for Skank of the Century.

“Oh, God...”

“Are you okay?” He was looking at her.

“Yes, why? Did I say that out loud?” she asked.

“Yeah. So what’s wrong? You feeling all right?”

“Fine, fine.” Astonishing how much easier she was finding it to lie. Maybe she should be worried about that. “I was, um, thinking about the paperwork and making a mental note not to forget to get you to sign it.”

Oh, that didn’t sound pathetic at all.

“Okay, let’s go get that done right now then,” he said and carried his dirty dishes to the sink. He rinsed them out, then took hers and rinsed those as well.

“I like a man who cleans up after himself.”

“Yeah, well, we didn’t have a lot of maids in the Marines,” he said wryly.

He turned off the kitchen light and darkness swallowed the room as they left it behind. Cass hadn’t even been aware of how much time had passed, but apparently, it got dark early up in the mountains. She shivered a little as they walked down the hall and the world beyond the window glass looked black as pitch. There were no outside lights on, so it was impossible to see anything but their reflections in the glass as they walked.

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