She loved Brandt Ranch. She truly did. But having the weight of it on her shoulders had come with a price.
Finally, she slowed and pulled off the dirt road, driving carefully down a path that was no more than two tire tracks through the grass. It opened up into a wide, grassy knoll that led to the water. As she climbed out of the truck, she could hear the comforting warble of the creek and the sound of the birds in the nearby trees and bushes.
She picked her way down the bank to the edge of the water and dipped her fingers in. “Brrr.” She shivered and pulled her hand back out. It was only May and the creek was higher than usual, fed by the runoff from the mountains. There’d be no swimming today.
But the sun was warm and there wasn’t a soul around for miles. She closed her eyes and rolled her shoulders, trying to ease the tension out of the tight muscles, but she could only see Rylan in her mind, his weight resting on one hip, looking calm and sexy and as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
It was her own stupid fault. She’d anticipated a no-strings night of fun when they’d hooked up a few months ago. She’d needed it after putting on an “I’m so over it” show for Colt Black. No one had known how serious their relationship had been, or how hurt she’d been when he’d rebounded so quickly and found another girl. Newly single and at the benefit for Quinn and Amber, Colt had danced with her and asked if they could be friends again.
And to demonstrate how very over him she was, she’d flirted with Rylan, danced with him, fallen under his spell despite herself. By the time she’d awakened in an empty bed the next morning, she’d fallen for him. Hard. And she’d seen Rylan Duggan for who he really was.
A heartless bastard.
Worse than that, she hated herself for her moment of weakness. Maybe Rylan had left her high and dry, but she’d put herself in that position all on her own. She’d rather just forget that whole night had ever happened.
Letting out a huge sigh, Kailey sank into the warm grass and lay back against the ground, letting it cushion her body as she turned her face up to the sun. The water was cold, but the sun’s rays were gloriously hot. She unbuttoned her plaid shirt, letting the fabric fall away from her chest and abdomen, exposing her skin to the sun. She let the rays soak in, restoring her calm and her confidence. It made her feel feminine, when so often she felt like one of the guys, smelling like the barn and sweat. She loved every second of it, but once in a while a woman liked to feel like a woman.
She’d definitely felt like a woman in Rylan Duggan’s arms. After he’d left her at the motel, she’d come to the conclusion that she not only didn’t need Rylan, but she didn’t need anyone at all. Maybe someday the right man would come along and sweep her off her feet, treat her the way she should be treated. Like an equal. With respect. Someone who wouldn’t mind that she already was tied down—to her ranch.
Kailey sighed heavily, a deep, cleansing breath. And if her Prince Charming never showed up, well, that was all right, too. She was fine just the way she was.
Except she sometimes wondered if that were true. First it had been Carrie, now Lacey. Both deliriously happy. And somehow Kailey felt as if she was missing out on something important.
One thing she knew for sure, she thought, as she stretched out in the sun. Rylan Duggan was not the thing she was missing out on. She’d learned her lesson there.
If she had her way, he’d be hitting the road for his next rodeo before any of them had time to catch their breath. In and out of her life as quickly as he had been the last time.
* * *
ON RYLAN’S FIRST night home, Lacey pulled out all the stops, just as Ry had known she would. Duke and Carrie came for dinner, and Quinn and Amber practically lived at the ranch, though the official move-in wasn’t until after the wedding in June. Lacey had made potato salad and Caesar salad, and Quinn was grilling rib-eyes for the prodigal celebration. It was nice but unnecessary. He didn’t want any fuss made.
Good luck with that.
They had asked all sorts of questions about Rylan’s latest rodeo conquests and were well into the meal when Duke brought up the subject of Rylan’s camper.
“I noticed you set up your RV,” Duke said as he cut into his steak. “That’s a great little rig. You must like it when you’re traveling.”
Rylan nodded. “It’s smaller than some, but there’s only one of me. Doesn’t take long to set up and suits me just fine.” Truthfully, he’d had something bigger but it had been a pain in the ass, heavier to haul, more space than he’d needed. He’d sold it in February and had bought the smaller set-up. On the heels of his latest win, he’d been flush with cash for a few weeks.
Including over Valentine’s Day.
“I made up the spare room with fresh sheets,” Lacey broke in, handing a basket of buns to Quinn. “Same one you slept in at Christmas.”
Rylan put down his fork. “Not necessary, sis.” He smiled. “I’m happy in the camper.”
“Rylan Joseph Duggan. You are not sleeping in a camper!”
He raised one eyebrow as all eyes turned to look at her. “Wow,” Quinn said. “You’ve got the mother voice down cold.”
“Can I sleep in your camper, Uncle Ry?” Amber speared a piece of steak that her father had cut for her. “I’s never been camping.”
“We’ll see, pumpkin.”
Lacey regarded him with disapproval. “Rylan, really. There’s no need to sleep in the yard when there’s a perfectly good room here with your name on it.”
Right. Just what he needed. To horn in on her relationship with Quinn. Maybe the manager hadn’t formally moved in yet, but it was clear as the nose on Rylan’s face that the three of them had a cozy little vibe going on. Besides, the wedding was in less than a month. The last thing he wanted was to be smack in the middle of their newlywed love nest.
“I like it,” he contradicted mildly. “I’ve got my own space. My own privacy. And I won’t be invading your privacy either.”
“There’s a much better mattress on the bed upstairs.” Lacey frowned. “You surely didn’t come all this way to sleep in that contraption.”
“I prefer it.”
“What if you have to go to the bathroom in the night?”
Rylan couldn’t help it. He burst out laughing and smiles bloomed on faces around the table. “Really? What am I, five?”
Amber lifted her chin. “You can’t be five, Uncle Ry. I’m gonna be five in two weeks.” She rolled her eyes.
“See?” He reached over and ruffled Amber’s hair. “Five, huh? Guess that means you start school in September.”
“Real school,” she replied importantly.
Amber’s insertion into the conversation had mollified Lacey a little bit. “You’re sure?” she asked. “There’s lots of room.”
“I’m sure. I also know how to do my own laundry. Make food.”
Quinn stepped in. “You’re going to want to take advantage of the food thing. Your sister’s a heck of a cook.” Rylan watched as Quinn turned a tender gaze on his fiancée. “Even when you don’t want it, she’s going to press food on you. You might as well accept it and enjoy.”
Lacey turned pleading eyes on him. “Yes, Rylan, please eat your meals here.”
“I can probably do that,” he conceded. The small concession would get her off his back, and he’d eat a lot better than if he cooked for himself.
Duke joined the conversation. “You’re always welcome at the bunkhouse, too, Ry. Carrie and I have room. At least until the baby comes.”
Which would be in a