Henderson took the hand Trey offered and shook it. “Thanks. We’ll be there.”
The couple spoke briefly to Meg, and then walked away, looking satisfied. And leaving Trey alone with the one woman he didn’t want to be left alone with. “Nice folks,” he said, filling the silence.
“Everyone I’ve met is very nice. And to echo Janet Henderson, it’s beautiful here.”
“I’d be a fool to disagree with that,” he replied with a grin.
Falling silent while they both finished their meal, Trey did his best to focus on the plate of food before him. But he couldn’t stop himself from glancing at his supper companion from time to time, trying to figure out what kind of woman she was. He divided women into two types. The first included the ones with dynamite curves, who were out for a good time. They were the women he felt most comfortable with, because the second kind was the settlin’down type. He enjoyed his freedom too much to get caught up with one of them. Not that he didn’t like them, but he had learned it always led to someone getting hurt. The first type understood him. The second type wanted to tie him down. Meg had him baffled as to where she fit. But it didn’t really matter. He didn’t have time for a woman right now. Either kind. And even if he did, he’d let his brother, Chace, be the one to enjoy married life. Trey liked his own footloose and fancy-free.
Rolling his napkin into a ball when his plate was empty, he prepared to leave, wondering what he should say to the woman across the table from him. The things he wanted to say—the things he normally said to a woman he was attracted to—were on the tip of his tongue. Lucky for him, that was pretty much still tied in a knot.
While he continued to watch her, Meg carefully placed her utensils on her plate and touched her napkin to her mouth. “When did the ranch open for business?”
He tore his gaze away from the simple movement and concentrated on her left earlobe, where he felt fairly safe. “Eight months ago, in December last year.”
“Is it cold here in the winter?”
“Pretty mild. It gets cool, but not downright cold. How about yours?” he asked, wondering where she hailed from.
“Cold,” she said with a wry smile. “Very cold.”
“You’re from back east?”
She shook her head. “More like up north, with lots of ice and snow. I wouldn’t know it was winter without it.”
When she looked at him again, their gazes locked, and she blushed. Staring into her eyes, even for a moment, left him breathless.
“Well,” she said, standing and gathering her supper things, “I guess I need to get unpacked. Thank you for keeping me company.”
He felt both relieved and bereft when she looked away. “Let me take care of that.” He stood and took the plate from her, adding his own. “Don’t forget the campfire, in about an hour,” he said, touching the brim of his hat and turning to leave.
As he walked away, he could feel her watching him. It wasn’t something he was unfamiliar with. Women usually liked him as much as he noticed them. But this time, it felt different somehow. Exactly how, he couldn’t say. Just…different.
He shook off the sensation and strode with purpose to dispose of the remnants of their supper, determined to end the day better than it had started. He’d had nothing but bad news since early that morning, when his two best ranch hands had gotten themselves run down by the new Brahma bull. The animal was now loose in the south pasture, along with the dozen and a half calves who’d managed to escape their pen. Because of that, he’d been doing double duty, welcoming guests to the Triple B Dude Ranch and covering for his injured men. And if all that wasn’t bad enough, the ranch’s secretary hadn’t shown up for work…again. It was understandable that he was exhausted. Maybe that explained his foggy-headed feeling.
There were more important things to be thinking about than a woman with a pair of devastating green eyes that seemed to see inside him, clear down to his soul. There was the Triple B. That’s where his heart was. It was the most important thing in his life. And it always would be.
Chapter Two
Meg chose one of the many bales of hay surrounding the campfire, making certain she had a clear view of everyone and everything, and settled onto it. Wincing, she shifted position, trying to find a spot where the sharp straw didn’t poke through the thin cotton of her skirt. She had packed a few pairs of jeans, just in case, but had hoped she wouldn’t have to wear them. They didn’t hide her figure—a figure she found a nuisance. But when it came to the riding lessons she had agreed to take, there wasn’t any way she could get away with wearing one of the hideous skirts she’d brought with her.
Eventually finding a comfortable spot, she greeted the woman sitting next to her. As they chatted about the ranch and how much they were enjoying it, a shadow blocked the light from the campfire.
Meg looked up to see Trey standing in front of her, the glow from the firelight behind him setting off his silhouette. With his thumbs hooked into his belt, and his cowboy hat tipped back on his head, Meg couldn’t help but be impressed by the figure he cut. Strong broad shoulders and a wide chest narrowed to hips and muscled thighs beneath denim. It was a sight that would take any woman’s breath away. It definitely took Meg’s.
“Havin’ a good time?” he asked.
Before Meg could find enough breath to answer, Carrie appeared and tugged at his shirt. “We’re going to have our riding lesson in the morning, aren’t we?”
His deep laughter sent warm shivers up and down Meg’s spine. He placed a hand on top of Carrie’s head. “First thing in the mornin’ after breakfast. I already have a horse picked out especially for you.”
“Really?”
He looked at Meg, the firelight dancing behind him. After what seemed like several minutes had gone by, he dragged his gaze away and reached down to tap the little girl’s nose with one finger. “Really.”
Carrie squealed with delight, but Meg couldn’t stop looking at the cowboy whose attention was now elsewhere.
He backed up a step and nodded, tugging his hat down and touching two fingers to the wide brim. “See you at breakfast,” he said without looking at Meg.
Carrie spun around to face her. “Do you think it’ll be a fast horse?”
Reluctantly pulling her attention from the fascinating sight of the retreating backside of the cowboy, Meg squelched a sigh before answering. Her heartbeat had picked up since he’d walked up to them and now raced in double-time.
“Not too fast,” she answered. But whether her answer was directed at Carrie or a command to her own galloping heart, she wasn’t sure.
Nodding, Carrie covered a yawn with her hand, and Meg stood. Taking the child by the hand, she gave her a friendly squeeze. “Let’s find your grandmother so she can get you into bed. You’ll need some sleep if you’re going to learn to ride a horse tomorrow.”
Carrie looked up at her. “But nobody else is going to bed.”
“I am,” Meg answered.
It didn’t take long for them to find Carrie’s grandmother. After a brief discussion of the plans for the next day, Meg bade them good-night and started for her cabin.
The air around her was pure and clean, so different from the city air where she lived. Breathing deeply, she tipped her head up and gazed at the canopy of stars above her. She couldn’t remember ever having seen anything quite so beautiful. Someday, she and her aunt would be able to enjoy the same kind of beauty. That’s why it was so important that she keep her mind on the reason she was here, not on a sexy ranch hand who she’d never see again after the week was over.
Movement