Falling For The Rebel Cowboy. Allison Collins B.
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He took his time, making sure to clean off every streak of dirt.
Was it for her sake?
Or his?
“I th-think you’ve got it all now,” she said.
Too bad. He wouldn’t mind washing a few other parts of her body. He stood up and glanced at her cherry-red cheeks. “Cold?”
“A little,” she said, not looking at him, and rinsed her muddy hands off under the hose.
“Francine, what is going on out here?” a man shouted behind him.
Wyatt turned to see a man in a perfectly pressed gray suit storming down the path from the lodge.
“Dammit,” she whispered next to Wyatt.
Instinct had him stepping in between her and the big, angry man.
“Dad, I can explain,” she said, stepping around Wyatt.
“Are you all right? Why are you all muddy?” Frankie’s father whirled to face Wyatt. “What did you do to her?”
“It’s nothing—” Frankie started to say.
“What’s your name? I’m going to report you to the owner.” Mr. Suit pulled a phone out of his pocket.
“Dad, I just tripped in the mud, and this nice man—”
“Wyatt Sullivan,” he said, holding a hand out to her father, knowing damn good and well he wouldn’t take it. “Part owner of Sullivan Guest Ranch.”
Father and daughter glanced at him. “You are?” they asked at the same time.
He tipped his cowboy hat at her. “Yep.”
“Anyway, Mr. Sullivan was helping me so I wouldn’t track mud all over the lodge.”
“Thank you for helping my daughter.” The older man looked calmer but still had a suspicious look on his face. “You don’t look like a luxury-ranch owner. Besides, I met the owner, Angus,” her father said.
“That’s my dad.” This man didn’t need to know Wyatt’s share wasn’t final yet. He would get it when he could prove to his dad he was home to stay.
Wentworth ignored him. “Francine, why don’t you get cleaned up. We need you back in the meeting.”
He looked down at his grandson. “And make sure John Allen doesn’t get dirty, too.” He dialed a number on his cell phone and went back the way he’d come.
“I’m really sorry, Mr. Sullivan,” she said.
“Wyatt,” he said, trying to keep his cool as long-forgotten rage bubbled up from his past.
“Wyatt, I apologize for my father. He can be a bit...” She bit her lip.
“Bossy?”
“He is my boss.”
“Sorry,” he said. “So, here for work, not vacation?”
“Well, it’s a working retreat for us. Since we’ll be here a couple of weeks, we decided to let everyone bring their families. We try to keep everyone happy.”
“Where are y’all from?”
“New York City.”
He blinked. “Long way to come for meetings.”
“We have our reasons. Besides...” She gestured at the scenery. “It’s nice to see mountains instead of skyscrapers for a change.” She lifted her wrist and checked her watch. At least that wasn’t ruined. “I need to get cleaned up and back to the conference room. Thanks for your help.”
“You need any help getting back?”
“I think we’re fine. Thank you.” She took hold of her son’s hand. “Come on, sweetie.”
“See ya round, Johnny.”
The kid beamed, his grin a mile wide. “See ya!”
Wyatt shook his head. At least the kid wasn’t like Frankie’s old man. Yet.
“See ya, Frankie,” he called and snickered when she froze, her back going even more rigid than it had been. What was it about this woman that made him want to razz her? Was it that she seemed to take herself just a bit too seriously? He wanted to make her smile. Johnny said something to her as the two continued up the path, and she laughed, then they disappeared through the front door of the lodge.
He looked around at the buildings glowing in the late-afternoon sun. His dad and Kade had expanded the lodge while he’d been away, and the main building was at least five times bigger now. Even not knowing anything about architecture, he could tell Kade had designed it specifically for rich people. Like Ms. Francine Wentworth and her bossy father.
It wasn’t exactly home anymore, with all the new guest cabins, outbuildings and bigger barns, but at least each structure was designed to blend in with the natural beauty of Montana. But he still missed the old days when it had been a small dude ranch and they had regular people come out for vacation, to learn the old ways of ranching.
Yeah, they still did cattle ranching now, and trail rides, chuck wagon dinners out in the meadows, but now instead of just families, big groups would come out for working retreats. Kade and Pop had been talking about adding spa services. This was Montana. People should come here to enjoy the land, the wildlife, the wide-open spaces.
Not for fancy treatments and crap.
Which made him think of Frankie and her hot-pink-polished toes and those long legs, a forbidden temptation.
No sense thinking about her. She’d drop him faster than a bronc busts a greenhorn once she found out about his past.
Wyatt strode to the equipment barn, heels pounding like a hammer setting stakes in the ground. His dog trotted next to him and woofed. He slowed down so Sadie wasn’t exerting herself in her pregnant condition.
It was a pretty day, with the sun shining, birds singing, a crisp autumn breeze lifting the hair off his neck. Yet he was too pissed to enjoy it. His lesson that morning hadn’t gone well. He was finally doing something about getting his diploma, but how could he succeed when he had trouble comprehending what his tutor was teaching him?
He felt stupid.
He hated feeling stupid.
Damn learning problems.
And after that, the long email his dad had sent listing chores, talking about Wyatt’s place on the ranch, had made him so mad the letters got all jumbled up when he’d tried to read it. He knew he had to wait till he calmed down to revisit it.
He huffed out a breath. After nine months of hard work, his dad still didn’t trust him. He’d never get the foreman job he was hoping for.
Maybe if he was more like Kade. His second-oldest brother got along with their dad best—he was ranch manager and damn good at it. Luke, a year younger than Wyatt, did his part as the ranch veterinarian. Then there was Hunter, his youngest brother. Charmer, jokester and the glue that held everyone together. He’d missed them all while he was gone, was still trying to find his place now that he was back. He’d hoped the foreman job opening up would be it. He genuinely wanted it, and it’d prove to his family he was here to stay.
But his dad wasn’t giving him a fair chance—he looked at Wyatt and saw a screwup. Acting out as a teen was one thing, but Wyatt hated thinking about his time in Texas. What had happened down there had been out of his control—his family knew it—but it didn’t erase the mark that dark period had left on him, or the way his dad looked at him now. “Why’d I bother to come back here?” he muttered.
“’Cause it’s your home,” Nash said.