Authors: Lori King
Lacy, however, lit his fuse like a firecracker, and he nearly exploded too quickly. As disappointed as he was to hear that she felt guilty over their hot make-out session, he wasn’t about to let her brush him off that easily. What happened between the two of them was nothing short of epic, and it deserved his full attention.
The moment they entered the dining room, the hair on the back of his neck rose, and he felt something primal stir in his chest. All of his brothers were already seated and the interest they focused on Lacy was more sexual than his inner caveman could tolerate.
“Well, hello.” Roman jumped to his feet and stepped closer to Lacy. Too close for Drannon’s comfort. When she accepted Roman’s offered hand, and he pressed his lips to her knuckles, Drannon very nearly growled out loud. “I’m Roman Freemont, but you can call me Romeo.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Lacy Denvers.” She giggled, and Drannon touched her waist to gently guide her away from his younger brother. Before he could put much distance between the two, Hawke was at his elbow brushing past him to reach Lacy. He offered his hand, but thankfully, refrained from putting his lips on her.
“I’m Hawke Kapshaw, and Lacy, you are absolutely beautiful.”
Leave it to Hawke to be blunt. Lacy gave the blonde man a brilliant smile, and pressed her hand to her upper chest. “Wow, thank you. Um, back at’cha handsome.”
Before Hawke could take advantage of the compliment, Vin reached over the table and offered up his hand, “And I’m Vin. I might not be as handsome, but I’ve got them all beat in size.” The wink Vin gave her put a clear exclamation mark on his double meaning, and Drannon rolled his eyes.
Lacy’s eyebrows rose, and she gave him a confused look. “I thought Marilyn said there were no other guests here right now?”
“Vin’s not a guest,” Drannon explained, “He, and the rest of this pack of wolves are my brothers, and co-owners of the ranch.”
“Oh, I—” she paused and then looked from one man to the next frowning. “Russo, Kapshaw, Freemont…you’re brothers?”
“Yes ma’am.” Roman said, snagging her hand once again, this time pulling her away from Drannon. He held her chair as she settled in and then swiped the seat right next to her, leaving Drannon to take the chair at the end of the table on her left. “We’re not blood, obviously, but Abe and Sera Crawley took us all in when we were kids and gave us a home. We more or less adopted each other.”
Lacy nodded, smiling, “That makes more sense. I was wondering why none of you looked alike.”
Drannon took a moment to really look at his brothers like he hadn’t in years. Hawke with his shoulder length blonde locks and blue eyes looked Scandinavian next to Vin with his olive complexion and dark blue eyes. Roman’s hair was sandy brown, and it fell in feminine waves to his shoulders. Women couldn’t seem to resist his hazel eyes, and charm, hence his nickname. Of the four, Drannon was the oldest, but he only had a year up on Vin, and considering what Vin had lived through, he figured they were more than equal in experience. Even with all of their physical differences they shared many personality traits born and bred in the foster system cycle and the rebelliousness of young boys. He respected them and took pride in the fact that they looked to him as the patriarch of their family now that Abe was gone.
“…always wanted to learn how to ride a horse, so I booked the trip never even considering what the weather would be like.” Lacy’s voice interrupted Drannon’s thoughts, and he turned back to catch the threads of conversation.
“Where are you from originally?” Hawke was asking, leaning forward to scoop food onto his plate as he listened with rapt attention.
“Chicago is where I’ve lived for the last two decades, but before that I lived wherever my dad’s job took us. I was born in Wichita, Kansas.”
Drannon couldn’t tear his eyes off Lacy. Her movements were graceful and sleek, and with her long neck and slender build, she reminded him of a gazelle. She’d be beautiful astride a horse with her crimson hair billowing behind her.
“Hey D! You still with us?” Vin snapped his fingers in front of Drannon’s face, and he startled, frowning.
“I’m right here, what do you want?” he snapped at his grinning brother.
“I’ve asked you three times to pass the potatoes, but you were making googly-eyes at Lacy here and must have missed it.” Vin said, winking at their guest again. For a moment, Drannon considered punching the smug look off of Vin’s face, but the pink blush on Lacy’s cheeks and the embarrassed way she fidgeted helped him restrain himself.
“Here,” he said, shoving the bowl of spuds in Vin’s direction, “I was going over monthly numbers in my head not making googly-eyes.”
The lie tasted bitter on his tongue, and the look Vin shot him proved it sounded just as sour, but the conversation resumed around him. As usual, Roman made the woman laugh, while Vin made her blush, and Hawke romanced her. Drannon was beginning to think perhaps she’d forgotten he was there, when she suddenly reached for his hand. It was clenched in a fist on the table, but the moment her soft skin brushed over his, he shivered.
“Are you okay Drannon?” she asked, concern tinting her question.
Warmth filled him, and he forced his grip to relax so that he could turn his hand and weave their fingers, pressing his palm against hers. “I’m great. So, you were explaining that you booked the trip months ago, but why didn’t you postpone your trip when you realized there was going to be snow?”
“Snow?” she asked looking down at her plate with a frown before she shrugged. “Honestly, I didn’t bother to check the weather when I packed my bag and headed for the airport. I lost my job right before the holidays, and I’ve been a bit out of sorts since then. I’m trying to build my own business, but it takes a lot of work and more capital than I have available. Right now, I’m waiting to hear back from a big client about a marketing campaign I presented to them. If it tanks…well…I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
“So, you’re in marketing?” Hawke’s attention was less romantic and more serious now. “Do you, like, plan advertising and tell businesses how to grow?”
“Sort of, yes. I’m in marketing, but I specialize in graphic design. Logos, advertisements, that kind of thing. It depends on what the business needs. This company needed a whole new branding of their product after a recall last year, so they were more willing to think outside the box. Most companies find a team and stick with them until they aren’t making money anymore. It’s hard to get in with big corporations.” Lacy explained.
“Do you know how to create a website?” Hawke asked, and Drannon immediately recognized where his brother was going with the conversation.
“Hawke, no. She’s a guest, that’s all,” he said firmly, shaking his head at his brother.
“But—”
Lacy was frowning at him now, “I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Do you need a website for something?” When Hawke hesitated, she prodded him further, “Because the answer is yes, I do know how to create one. Is this for the ranch, or for yourself?”
Hawke gave Drannon and apologetic smile, and then proceeded to explain their lack of business sense to the only woman who’d lit Drannon’s fires in years. Damn it, now she was going to think he was a stupid cowboy who couldn’t build a business.
Cursing his luck, Drannon pulled his hand away from Lacy, who barely seemed to notice as she spoke animatedly with Hawke, and now, Vin and Roman were in on the conversation. The four of them were excitedly coming up with ideas for some form of advertising campaign that would get the ranch noticed by adventure seekers as well as families.
“Whoa! Wait a second. We’re not your average vacation destination, guys...” Drannon cleared his throat and corrected himself. “...and Lacy. We’re offering therapeutic stays to veterans with PTSD as well as lodgings for foster children. We can’t just invite everyone in America to come spend a weekend in the midst of that.”
Lacy frowned, and nodded, “You’re right, that’s not the best environment for a B&B.”
“A B&B?” he asked.
“Bed and Breakfast. It’s the term used for a place that’s generally less sophisticated than a five star hotel, but offers a homier, more comfortable atmosphere and usually a great experience. I haven’t seen much of the ranch, but what I have seen has been fantastic. The ad that I saw when I booked my stay said that you guys were a dude ranch, but it feels more like a B&B now that I’m here. I think you have a great opportunity to build up the guest side of the ranch, but not if you’re more focused on the therapeutic side.”
“Why can’t it be both?” Vin asked shrugging. “I don’t understand why we can’t market it as a B&B for people who need space from the world to get their head on straight. Foster kids, convicts, vets with PTSD, vets who are homeless and trying to get back on their feet.”
“I’m sorry...convicts?” Lacy asked, looking wary all of a sudden. Drannon’s stomach tightened in a knot.
“Yeah, but not the seriously violent ones. Just the guys like us that have been through the ringer and need to regroup when they get out.” Vin answered casually.
Just like that the temperature in the room dropped by twenty degrees as Lacy stiffened in her chair. “Guys like you?” she whispered. For a moment she sat frozen in her seat, but when she stood it was clear by the expression on her face that she was going to run, and Drannon felt sick to his stomach.
“Lacy, wait, let me explain—” he was up and following her out of the dining room before she responded.
“No, that’s okay. Hearing that I’m vacationing in a house full of convicts is enough of an explanation or me. That really should have been on part of the information I was given when I booked the stay, you know? I was right the first time when I said this isn’t the best environment for a B&B.” She made it to the bottom of the stairs before he caught her arm and spun her to face him.
“Wait a damn minute. Listen, you don’t know my story, but suffice it to say I’m not a convicted felon. I was wrongly accused of a crime, but ultimately proven innocent. I did, however, have to spend a few months in jail while awaiting the evidence that set me free. Vin has been to jail, but it was for protecting a woman. Hawke was a distraught kid who made mistakes, and yes, he did some time. Romeo has always been able to charm his way out of trouble so he’s barely spent twelve hours in lock up, but I’m sorry if you feel like we hid something from you. It’s not the best way to advertise if we state on our fliers that we’ve all been arrested before.”
Snorting out a nervous laugh, she shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest, “No, I’m sure it’s not.” They were both silent for several moments, and he was afraid she was going to make another escape. He wanted her to understand, but he wasn’t ready to spill all of the beans yet. If she took off without giving him time, well then, maybe she wasn’t the woman he’d hoped. Relief filled his chest when she finally met his gaze again, “I’m sorry. I jumped the gun and freaked out over nothing.”
“Yep you did, but I might be willing to forgive you.” He smiled down at her as he moved a step closer. He could see the pulse in her throat flutter faster, and she inhaled sharply as he drew close.
“Thank you, I think.” Her eyes were locked on his lips. He licked them, and nearly groaned when she imitated the move.
“Lacy…” That was all he managed to say before their lips connected and his brain stopped functioning. What was it about Lacy that short circuited his logic? Molding his body against hers he couldn’t have pinpointed who moved first; all he knew was that the two of them were equal partners in their coming together.
She parted her lips accepting his seeking tongue into the hot cavity of her mouth, and ran her fingers through his dark hair as he slid his hands up her spine to the back of her neck holding her tightly against him. He could feel her breasts against his chest, and her soft, sweetly feminine scent filled his nose, consuming his senses. Pressing her backwards against the railing, he broke their kiss off with a curse when she stumbled on the step.
The fire in her chocolate-brown eyes was roaring with need and called out to his inner caveman. How would she react if he threw her over his shoulder and carted her off to his bed? Before he had a chance to make his move, she darted under his arm and up the stairs leaving him standing at the bottom in stunned silence.
Well, hell.
Lacy spent the remainder of her first night on the ranch buried under blankets in the super soft bed, reading her book. She was able to avoid Drannon the next day because she slept late, and he apparently had to help do something to prepare the cattle for the coming snow. According to Marilyn, North Dakota had been having an unusually mild winter, but that was coming to an end. Although the weatherman had announced that the snow was coming in slower than expected, the first round of it was still going to be here at some point in the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours, and thus, in the midst of her trip. Lacy was disappointed that she would have to wait for the weather to turn before she would be able to learn to ride a horse, but no one had control over Mother Nature. It was more important that she have this personal quiet time to herself. Time to reflect and be sure about the direction her life was going.
There were only a couple ranch hands around the barn during the day, and she assumed the rest of the men were with Drannon in the fields. They all seemed to be exceptionally busy, so she just waved hello and moved on. She took a couple of carrots outside to Toto after telling Marilyn how much she enjoyed meeting the horse, and spent a good half hour chattering at him while he tried to ignore her.
She’d already set up her laptop in the study and spent way too much time checking her social media accounts and praying that an email from the dog food people would pop up. As much as she was enjoying the quiet, she was also finding herself bored and a little lonely. It surprised her how excited she was to see the guys when they came stomping into the ranch house as the sun was setting late in the afternoon.
“Going to have to light the fire tonight and veg out after all that.” Roman was saying as he peeled the layers of warm clothing off and hung each piece on a designated hook.
“Yeah, but we’ll all sleep easier knowing the herd is covered if we get three feet like they’re saying.” Drannon answered.
“Three feet?” Lacy asked, drawing their attention. “Of snow?”
“Well, I doubt he meant we were all being blessed with a third leg, but I suppose anything is possible.” Drannon’s playful answer did nothing to slow the building panic in Lacy’s gut.
“But, if we get three feet of snow, it will take weeks to melt.” She was already imagining being unable to get back to Chicago in time to accept the job she’d worked so hard to get. If she couldn’t meet with them in person like they’d specified would they still want her?
Drannon was nodding, and Roman and Vin were looking at her like she was nuts. Why didn’t they see the severity of this forecast?
“How am I supposed to learn to ride a horse if I can’t even walk to the barn to see one?” Her frustration seeped into her voice giving it a whiny tone that made her cringe. She didn’t mean to sound like a temperamental child, but she hadn’t taken a vacation in years, and of course, when she finally did, she screwed up and booked it in the midst of a blizzard.
“That’s why we rarely get guests between December and April. Some years we’ve been snowed in for weeks. We’ve gone days without power even,” Drannon answered with a shrug as though what he’d said was no big deal.
“Why would you live here if you know you could be buried under snow all winter?” She asked, noting that Vin’s face was taut, like he was holding back his laughter. Drannon didn’t seem flustered by her at all, and Roman was outright grinning at her.
“Can’t beat the view.” Was the only answer she got, as the men finished putting up their winter gear and moved farther inside the house leaving her to trail behind.
“Don’t worry Red, we’ve got four wheel drive trucks, so we’ll make sure you can get home on time. We can’t promise you’ll get to trail ride like you wanted to, but you’ll get to enjoy a real North Dakota blizzard.” Roman was trying to cheer her up, but it wasn’t going to work.
She felt like a brainless twit for booking her trip based on a 2 x 3 advertisement in a tiny travel magazine. It had seemed ideal last summer when she spotted the ad, but now it seemed like a nightmare. All of her reasons for wanting to spend a Valentine’s Day birthday by herself seemed insignificant now. She was well and truly screwed.
“Okay, so what do you guys do when you’re snowed in for days or weeks?” She followed them into the living room where Roman immediately gestured for her to sit next to him on the sofa, and Drannon went to the massive stone fireplace to build a fire. Vin flopped down in an oversized armchair and propped his socked feet up on an ottoman.
“Chess, checkers, backgammon and poker.” Roman answered with a wink, and she stared at him blankly.
“Seriously?”
He nodded, “Yep, most of the time the power goes out in a big blow like they’re predicting, so the generators have to take over. We try to conserve their power by turning on only the things necessary like lights and kitchen appliances. Until then we’ll be playing video games.”
“So, no TV? No internet?” She was trying hard to wrap her mind around the idea of being trapped in the house with four scorching hot cowboys and nothing to do. If the snow held out too long she’d never be able to resist Drannon, and she’d end up in his bed for sure.
Drannon finally rose from the fireplace and turned to her. “Lacy, it will be just fine. We’ll get some snow and have to stay in for a bit, but then everything will start to melt, and you’ll have a chance to get out there and see for yourself how the ranch works if you want to. Romeo is just trying to freak you out.”
“It’s working. I never thought I was claustrophobic before, but the idea of not being able to leave the house if I wanted to…”
Roman patted her leg, “Think of this as a spa vacation. We have a steam shower, a Jacuzzi tub, great food, a few good bottles of wine, and I can even hook you up with a deep massage if you’re interested.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her, and she felt her frown slipping as her tension eased.
Vin threw a pillow at Roman laughing, “It’s deep tissue massage, you jackass, and I’m sure Lacy has better taste than that.”
Drannon wasn’t exactly frowning, but he didn’t look pleased with Roman’s teasing, and she felt the need to up the ante just a bit at his expense.
“A spa, huh? Does that mean I get to lie around in my bathrobe all day long while someone pampers me?” she joked back, glancing up to find Drannon staring back at her with a look so hot she felt burned to the core. His jaw clenched, and she swallowed hard. He looked like he wanted to eat her up, and she was tempted to let him.
He shifted his stance and nodded. “Absolutely. Think of this as your home while you’re here, anything you want or need, just ask.”
The fire in her belly sizzled at the underlying desire in his tone. There was enough sexual tension crackling in the air that Lacy could almost taste it. Roman and Vin were both looking at her with wide smiles, but neither one had the heat that their brother’s gaze held. Turning back to Drannon, Lacy gave him a smile before accepting a glass of wine from Marilyn who’d just bustled in. “Then I will just have to make the best of this blizzard by forcing myself to take a long, hot bubble bath tonight I guess. Poor me.”
Her joke broke the tension, but Lacy noticed that Drannon’s eyes stayed on her as the conversation shifted to things that still needed to be taken care of before and during the storm.
She loved the camaraderie the brothers shared, and she stayed quiet listening to them all banter back and forth. Apparently, Roman was a regular Lothario in Wrangler’s and boots, which made his nickname Romeo all the more accurate. Vin seemed to be the tough guy of the group; there was a raw sadness behind his eyes that tugged at her heart. The way they spoke about him, Hawke was clearly the youngest member of the boy band, and he was extremely intelligent. He joined in the conversation easily when he came in from the cold, and she found herself deep in a conversation with him about the explosion of social media and its impact on the way businesses advertised when Marilyn called them for dinner.
As they took their seats tonight, Marilyn joined them, and Lacy took the opportunity to make her apologies to the guys for her behavior the evening before.
“No worries, Red.” Roman said waving his hand like he was wiping a slate. “We were all foster kids so we’re used to being judged by people. It rarely hurts anymore. Besides, you didn’t jump the first plane back to Chicago, so we figured Drannon must have set you straight.” He winked at his older brother.
“Drannon cleared my misconceptions, yes, but that doesn’t mean I don’t owe you all an apology. We all have pasts, and you’ve clearly worked hard to put yours behind you. I respect that.” She said, looking at each man in turn. Vin flushed a bit, and Romeo preened, but Hawke wouldn’t meet her eyes. In fact, he seemed downright uncomfortable with the conversation.
“Now that you’ve soothed your guilty conscience, can we eat?” Drannon asked gruffly. She bit back a retort, and gave a sharp nod instead. There was something about this rugged cowboy that both intrigued her, and riled her up all at once. She couldn’t decide if she wanted to jump his bones, or punch him. Where had the deliciously seductive man from yesterday gone? Why was he being so short with her today? Perhaps her rejection had actually hurt him more than she’d thought.
Dinner conversation was occupied with questions from Marilyn about her life back in Chicago, but she carefully avoided questions about her family. These guys had had it way tougher as kids than she had, and it wouldn’t be right to whine about her motherless childhood.
When the chatter came back around to her plans for the future, Hawke seemed determined to convince her to come to work for the ranch. No one else jumped on the bandwagon, so she figured it was a pipe dream for the younger guy. It didn’t matter much, she couldn’t accept any kind of position with the dog food account hanging in limbo right now. That kind of money and the opportunity were too much to walk away from.
Even with a steady stream of tension between her and Drannon, Lacy had to admit she was enjoying herself with this bunch of people. The guys were genuinely friendly, if not flirty, and Marilyn was a true gem. It had to be wonderful living in a place like this full-time and be surrounded by family.
Her thoughts strayed to her own awkward family dynamic, and a heavy sadness filled her chest. She’d never had the close bond with anyone that these four men shared, and yet she and her father were blood relatives.
A warm hand on hers stirred her from her wallowing, and she looked up to see Drannon watching her with concern. His thumb stroked the skin on the back of her hand soothingly, but thankfully, he didn’t ask questions. She wasn’t ready to spill her heart out to virtual strangers, even if they were the most welcoming people she’d ever met.
~ ~ ~ ~
“So am I supposed to shoot that guy or just stun him?”
Drannon sat in the corner of the family room with a farm equipment catalogue on his lap, mindlessly turning the pages as he paid more attention to Lacy and his brothers than what he needed to be doing. After dinner, Hawke and Roman had convinced her to give the Xbox a try, and she’d been nestled between the two men for the last two hours. Jealousy stirred in his chest at the easy way she’d accepted their gentle touches while they helped instruct her on the game. It wasn’t as though they were being inappropriate, but then again, Roman Freemont wouldn’t know appropriate if it bit him in the ass.
“If you just stun him, he’ll shoot you in the back when you walk away,” Hawke was saying, just a hint of frustration in his tone.
“What if I stun him and then shoot him?”
“That wouldn’t be very sportsmanlike,” Hawke argued.
Lacy giggled, “Since when is war about sportsmanship? I thought I was supposed to be killing the bastards?”
“Bloodthirsty wench. I like it!” Roman threw his arm around her shoulders and tugged her into his body. The fact that he did it didn’t bother Drannon as much as the fact that Lacy let him, and didn’t pull away. Enough was enough. If he wanted a chance to seduce her, he was going to have to get her away from the dynamic duo.
“Hey Lacy, I’m going to walk out to the barn to check on Dorothy, do you want to walk with me?” He spoke loudly and dropped the catalogue in the chair as he rose.
She tossed a frown his way before turning back to the TV. “Who’s Dorothy?”
“She’s one of our pregnant mares,” Hawke offered, never tearing his gaze from the guerilla hunters darting about the screen amidst gunfire.
Lacy began to giggle again, “You have a Toto, and a Dorothy? Good grief, someone has a
Wizard of Oz
fetish.”
Roman winked at her as he took her controller. “Not quite a fetish, but it is Drannon’s favorite movie from childhood. Did he introduce you to Munchkin yet?”
She shook her head, and Drannon could feel his cheeks heat when she looked his way.
“Munchkin is a milking cow,” Vin explained, entering the room with a big bowl of popcorn and dropping down onto the floor next to the sofa where the other two were sitting. “Although she doesn’t produce much milk these days.”
“Drannon’s had her for more than a decade,” Roman said, clearly intent on obliterating Drannon’s manhood in Lacy’s eyes.
“Aw, that’s so cute! I’d love to meet Dorothy and Munchkin, but isn’t it going to snow?” Lacy moved around the couch in his direction.