Kiss Me, Cowboy (Montana Born Rodeo Book 3) Read online

  Kiss Me, Cowboy

  A Montana Born Rodeo Novella

  Melissa McClone

  Kiss Me, Cowboy

  Copyright © 2014 Melissa McClone

  Kindle Edition

  The Tule Publishing Group, LLC

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  ISBN: 978-1-940296-89-0

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  The Copper Mountain Rodeo Series

  About the Author

  Dedication

  In memory of Sierra,

  a beautiful and beloved horse,

  who belonged to my friend Shalimar.

  Special thanks to Alissa Callen, Megan Crane, and Rachel Johns.

  Working on this series with them was so much fun!

  And extra thanks to Sinclair Sawhney for being an editor extraordinaire!

  Prologue

  ‡

  Davey.

  Gone.

  Crap.

  No more fart joke texts, or bathroom selfies, or a wish you were here postcard from some hellhole COP in Afghanistan.

  Zack Harris sat against a tree, his legs stretched out. The sound of the river, flowing three feet away, brought back memories of trainings and deployments. Brothers, not by birth, but by orders and circumstance.

  Non-hostile – helicopter crash.

  Twenty-nine was too young to die.

  Zack downed another beer then tossed the empty can next to the first one he’d drunk. He cradled his head in hands, torn between needing to forget and wanting to feel alive.

  Nothing had helped since he got the call this afternoon. Nothing would. He’d been through this before and knew the routine. Things would never be the same.

  Not fair, Davey. You deserved better.

  “Zack.”

  He looked up to see Charlie, the lone female wrangler at the Bar V5 dude ranch, who prided herself on being one of the boys. She was twenty-five, but looked younger with her hair pulled back in a single braid. The setting sun brought out the copper strands. She wore a short sleeved shirt, faded jeans, and boots. Pretty, if one liked the fresh-face, no make-up type, but off-limits, so what he liked didn’t matter.

  She rode horses better than any guy and used to compete in vaulting—gymnastics on horseback. A smile twitched at the corners of his mouth. Davey would have had a field day with that tidbit.

  Davey. Damn.

  “Not a good time.” Zack picked at a twig sticking out of the dirt. “Go away.”

  “Nope.”

  He didn’t look at her. Maybe she’d get the hint.

  “Think I’ll stay.” She sat next to him, in his personal space close, pissing him off worse than a fire ant colony that invaded a picnic. She placed a lantern on the ground. “Looks like you could use a friend.”

  He shrugged. “I’m…”

  Aw, hell. He couldn’t say he was fine. He wasn’t.

  She touched his arm, the skin-to-skin contact and caring gesture exactly what he needed.

  A lump burned in his throat. His eyes watered. He blinked.

  Her hand remained in place. “You don’t have to say anything, but I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”

  The warmth in her eyes and the sweet tone of her voice awakened a place in his heart he thought long dead. Words he’d bottled up poured out, one after another, stories about Davey and others lost, secrets he’d never told a soul.

  The sun disappeared beneath the horizon. Darkness surrounded them. Zack didn’t care. Charlie didn’t seem to either.

  A good thing. She was his lifeline, his way back to the civilian world, a place he felt disconnected from at the moment. He talked, and she held his hand. He cried, and she comforted him.

  She wiped away his tears with her fingertips.

  Embarrassed, he looked away.

  “It’s okay,” she whispered.

  No, it wasn’t, but if she could pretend, so could he.

  Charlie sighed. “I wish…”

  Her compassionate tone made Zack look up. The lantern glowed softly, giving off enough light so he could see her face.

  She leaned forward, toward him. The connection between them intensified. He came closer, driven by an urge he shouldn’t be feeling. Not with Charlie.

  Zack stared into blue eyes filled with empathy, wanted to know what she wished and was about to ask…

  She kissed him.

  A kiss so tender and sweet, Zack knew she’d been heaven-sent to get him through this night. He didn’t plan on kissing her back—that would be against his rule—but she wasn’t stopping. Why not kiss her? It was only one kiss…

  Chapter One

  ‡

  September, a year later…

  “Have you made your decision, Charlie?”

  Sweat dampened the back of Charlotte Randall’s neck. Too bad she couldn’t blame the perspiration on the warm September temperature and the trail ride back to the Bar V5 dude ranch, but the fault lay in a combo of nerves and procrastination. Two things she hoped to overcome in the next, oh, ten seconds, so she could figure out what to say to ranch foreman and co-owner Tyler Murphy, riding on her right.

  “No.” She looked at her boss, keeping a smile on her face and the reins loose in hands.

  Without shifting in the saddle, she pressed her boots harder against the stirrups. Two nudges on Sierra’s flank would send her horse cantering down the dusty path in the Gallatin Range foothills to the barn. But doing so might tip off the other wranglers that Charlie was upset. She didn’t want them to know, especially with three ranch guests on horseback behind her. Visitors came first, no matter what.

  “I haven’t,” she said. “But I’m getting closer.”

  Not the total truth, but not a strike-her-down lie. Still Charlie glanced at the clear, blue, big Montana sky overhead to see if God was sending a lightning bolt her way.

  Nope. Good for now.

  Which wasn’t saying much.

  “Colorado your only other choice?” Ty asked.

  She nodded, not trusting her voice.

  “The same place you worked last winter?”

  “Yes,” she forced the word from her dry throat. “The horse ranch.”

  “I know horses are your first love. There are plenty of them here. All over Montana for that matter.”

  “I know.”

  For the past two months, a trifecta of uncertainty, longing and reluctance over whether to remain at the dude ranch or accept a seasonal position again in Colorado had kept her awake at night. She was no closer to deciding than on that hot July day when she’d discovered the Bar V5 would be welcoming guests year-round instead of closing to visitors from mid-September through early May.

  Normally, a skeleton crew worked all year to care for the livestock and do ranch maintenance. Until this past winter, that group had included her. But with the new schedule coming into effect, the ranch wanted to hire more year-round staff
and fewer seasonal employees.

  If she could get over her infatuation with fellow wrangler Zack Harris, once and for all, having to decide what to do would be a moot point. She could stay on the ranch, close to her friends in Marietta and not too far away from her mother, who had relocated to Billings with her newest boyfriend. But not for a lack of trying, Charlie had had zero luck getting Zack out of her system, let alone her heart.

  She blew out an exasperated breath. A case of unrequited love shouldn’t affect her life like this. She was twenty-six, not thirteen. But then again, Charlie had been waiting for Mr. Right to show up for years. She didn’t want to end up like her mother, who chose one wrong guy after another and was heading toward marriage number five with a much younger man.

  Ty wiped his arm across his face. He was attractive in a too-bad-he’s-the-boss kind of way, but at thirty-five, he seemed older. Not his looks. His actions.

  Maybe because he’d raised his sister, Rachel, and was used to playing the father figure to those around him. As foreman, he handled the daily operations of the ranch. He also took good care of the wranglers, cattle, barn cats, and Dusty, their loyal Australian cattle dog. If she’d had a big brother, she would have wanted him to be like Ty Murphy.

  “You can’t put off making a decision much longer,” he said. “The rodeo is this weekend.”

  “I know.”

  The welcome fundraising dinner was two days away on Friday night. The ranch staff and guests would attend the dinner, then the wranglers would rotate chaperoning and playing tour guide to guests over the next two days. Except Charlie. The rodeo was her baby and she would be there all three days, but another wrangler, Dustin, would be in charge Friday night.

  “I’ve been redoing the itinerary since they moved the dance to Saturday night to accommodate Jake Kohl’s schedule,” she continued. “He’s supposed to perform his newest country and western hit.”

  The 76th Annual Copper Mountain Rodeo used to mark the end of the Bar V5’s tourist season. But since Nate Vaughn, the ranch’s other co-owner and Ty’s new brother-in-law, decided to stay open, only the seasonal employees would be leaving.

  Would that include her? She wished she knew the answer.

  Winter guests would bring a new vibe to the Bar V5, Nate had told her. More like a new pain in the neck. Charlie needed to spend this winter away from the ranch again for the sake of her sanity and, most importantly, her heart. Unless she could figure out a way to get over Zack without quitting the job she loved and moving out of state. If only she knew how to do that.

  “I’m not meaning to hold you up or be difficult.” She patted Sierra’s neck—her horse loved rubs—not wanting to meet Ty’s watchful gaze. “But I want to be sure.”

  “Understood. It’s a big decision. You’re Montana born. You’ve been working at the Bar V5 since you were in high school. I see the appeal of spending time someplace else, but I don’t want to lose a hard worker like you.” Ty didn’t give out compliments lightly, and she straightened in her saddle. “I have others interested in your position. Like I told you before, if business is good, we may have to hire seasonal employees early. If you’re not back from Colorado, I might not be able to hold a fulltime spot for you.”

  Working part-time wasn’t an option, nor was leaving the other job early. If she chose Colorado, she would be saying goodbye to the Bar V5 for good.

  Darn Nate Vaughn. She liked and respected the guy. He’d quit his venture capital job to turn his dad’s near bankrupt cattle ranch into a thriving, working dude ranch, but the changes he was making to the ranch’s schedule were messing up her life by taking away her options.

  Sierra arced to the left to miss a three-inch divot in the trail. The horse would never be called petite. For such a large girl, who looked strong and fearless and never got spooked, she went out of her way to avoid holes or divots, no matter how small, unless the trail was too narrow to go around, then she’d cross as if no big deal.

  So brave and affectionate with a wild mane and tail that could never be tamed. But that didn’t lessen the horse’s beauty. Gorgeous was the only way to describe her. Charlie gave the mare another pat.

  Sierra was the best horse ever. Wherever Charlie ended up, staying here or moving to Colorado, her horse would be going, too, even if the ranch had been their home for years.

  “I’ll let you know after the rodeo,” she said. “On Monday.”

  “Great.”

  Her gaze flew to Ty’s. He’d never seemed impatient before, but the clock was winding down. Of course he needed the position filled. Nothing personal, right?

  Her chest tightened, making breathing difficult. She cleared her throat. “You said you had people interested in my job. Do you have someone waiting for my decision?”

  “Yes.”

  His flat tone brought tears to her eyes. Frustration was natural. He and Nate had been more than patient waiting for her decision all season. Why couldn’t she make up her mind?

  She blinked away the unfamiliar stinging. Cowboys didn’t cry. If she hadn’t cried when her third stepfather had sold the ranch after his and her mother’s divorce, she didn’t need to cry now. Not over her job at the Bar V5 and not over Zack Harris.

  Anger at herself heated her skin. The situation should have never come to this.

  Charlie fanned her face, as if shooing flies. The airflow helped the tears vanish. The other wranglers had never seen her being “girly,” and she wasn’t about to start. The only thing she’d ever wanted was to fit in. Something she’d struggled with, due to her mother dragging her from one town in Montana to another with each new relationship. Charlie had learned to adapt, changing like a chameleon with each new place and school.

  She’d worked hard from the time she’d stepped foot on the Bar V5 so the guys would accept her and not treat her differently—one of the boys—but keeping her feminine side hidden was getting harder the older she got. Painting her toenails fun colors and wearing lacy underwear only went so far. No one knew when she was PMSing, or ate ice cream from the container when sad, or that she was ready to start a family of her own. And they wouldn’t know, unless she let them peek underneath the mask. She always won at poker. No one could read her game face.

  The one time she’d let down her guard had been with Zack down by the river. She’d kissed him to make him feel better, an act of empathy after the death of his army friend. Even before that night, she’d found him attractive, heroic, and kind. But the situation had blown up in her face and, a year later, continued wreaking havoc in her heart. Her life.

  Ty’s watchful gaze made her squirm. She tightened her hold Sierra’s reins.

  The beautiful mare—a mixture of mustang, draft, and quarter horse—turned her head and gave Charlie a what-are-you-doing look.

  That was the problem. She had no idea what she was doing. Each time she’d decided to go to Colorado, something made her reconsider. Well, someone. Zack. The reason she’d left Montana this past winter.

  Her brain wanted to tell the army vet turned cowboy and shooting instructor good riddance. But her heart wasn’t ready to give up on them being a couple, even if Zack had told her they could only be coworkers, nothing more. She hated that he hadn’t called them friends.

  Zack rode up on her left side atop his horse Blackbeard, as if on cue. The sky provided the perfect backdrop for the dark handsome horse and his gorgeous rider.

  Stubble covered Zack’s chin and brown hair stuck out from his hat. His features weren’t model-perfect, but his rugged good looks and slightly crooked nose gave him character. His lips made her think of hot kisses shared on the riverbank.

  Forget about that night.

  The last thing she needed was to swoon with an audience. Particularly this one. Not that she would, but she’d come close in the past. Twice.

  “Admit it,” Zack joked. “You’re dragging this out so we’ll beg you to stay. A woman wants a man on his knees saying he can’t live without her.”

  “Not all
women.” Charlie didn’t allow hope the chance to bloom. The next words out of his mouth would likely be about the hot chick he met at Grey’s Saloon last Saturday night. Flirt should be Zack’s middle name. Of course, he never flirted with Charlie, making her feel… asexual. Undesirable. Unattractive. “I’ll bet you can live without me just fine.”

  That was the problem. Dating someone he worked with was against the rules. Not the Bar V5’s, but Zack’s. Nothing would convince him otherwise, or so he claimed.

  Time to get out of here. Charlie clicked her tongue.

  Sierra increased her gait, moving in front of the others slightly. Not enough distance to warrant questions, but enough to give Charlie space from Zack. Something she’d wanted this entire summer.

  Pathetic.

  Her, not him.

  A year after kissing him she was still crushing on him like a lovelorn teenager. She’d tried moving past her attraction and the memories of the night spent talking and kissing until the sun rose, but so far no luck. She’d fallen cowboy hat over spurs, fallen hard like a hoof to the chest. No Cupid’s arrow needed.

  L-O-V-E.

  She’d gone all-in that night, as if she’d held a royal flush instead of a pair of threes. She’d made the first move by kissing him, driven by empathy that quickly changed to desire. One touch of her lips against his had sealed the fuzzy warmth of affection growing that night as she learned more about him, wrapping around her heart and making her see a future with Zack.

  Not just any future. The one she’d been dreaming about for… years.

  Questions such as what boots would look best with a wedding dress had popped into her mind. She’d picked what old ranch cabin they could renovate and live in as husband and wife. She’d pictured mini-Zack-lookalikes running around the Bar V5 with child-size cowboy hats on their heads and Dusty nipping at their heels to keep track of them as a herding dog would.

  Lovely fantasies.

  Her problem? Zack didn’t feel the same.

  Following their hot and heavy goodbye, she’d expected him to ask her out on an official date. He’d apologized instead, asking forgiveness for kissing her back and explaining how dating coworkers was against his rules.