“Noted.” He nodded and kissed her nose. “I think I could fall in love with you.”
“Really?” She raised her eyes to meet his. “That’s amazing.”
“Beth . . .” In this new landscape, he struggled to find the right words, but he didn’t need them as she carried on talking.
“I love your strength and the way you offered me your support without question. I love the way you get along with Mikey and Wes and what you’ll teach them and me about how to be a good man.”
His conscience stirred. “I’m not—”
“Yes, you are.” She refused to let him look away from her. “Okay, you’re also grumpy, stubborn, and inclined not to listen to good advice, but I can live with that because according to my sons I can be that way, too.”
Conner shook his head. “Can’t say I’ve noticed.”
She beamed at him. “Which is obviously why I like you.” She glanced at the exit. “Shall we head out before Wes decides to come back and look for us?”
“It’s just the kind of thing he’d do, isn’t it?” Conner commented as Beth set off down the track leading to the county road.
“Wes likes to be in the center of the action and he really does look out for those he considers family.” She looked both ways before easing out on the main road. “When do you start your job up at Morgan Ranch?”
“Whenever I want. BB had someone quit unexpectedly, so the sooner the better.”
“You’d better wait until your leg is healed.” She gave him a hard stare.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Conner sat back with a contented sigh. He’d found a woman who cared about him and wouldn’t take any shit, a place to settle down, and an occupation he enjoyed. What more could any man ask for? Everything in his past life had brought him to this place and to this woman, and he was no fool. When it felt this right, it was time to reach out, grab hold of his chance of happiness with both hands and hold on tight for the rest of his life.
RESCUE: COWBOY STYLE
REBECCA ZANETTI
This one’s for my family, Tony, Gabe, and Karlina. The pandemic has been tough, but being able to spend more time with you has been a blessing.
CHAPTER ONE
There was nothing Trent Logan liked better than getting a city girl out of her clothes.
The dark-haired beauty at the doorway wore a silk shirt with still-creased pants—definitely city. Considering this one was sopping wet and shivering, the night was about to go a lot better than he’d hoped. Even across the clubhouse, dancing bodies, and loud noise, he clocked her before anybody else did. “Finish pouring these.” He handed the tequila bottle off to another cowboy, nodding at the empty shot glasses on the bar.
Then he wound through the crowd, evaded the grasping hands of a couple of buckle bunnies, and reached the still-open doorway. “You parked too far away, darlin’,” he noted, motioning her inside before shutting out the desperate wind and devastating rain that was starting to turn into sleet. He hadn’t seen her before—was she someone’s date? As far as he was concerned, if her date had left her to navigate the storm by herself, the woman was fair game. Friends or not. Brothers or not. Then she looked up, and the sight of her deep blue eyes nearly knocked him back a step.
She gulped.
His gaze narrowed.
“Um.” She looked around at the crowded, noisy party. “I followed a dog here.”
Oh. He opened the door again, and Harley sat, looking at him but not coming closer. Trent paused and studied the animal. “He’s a wolf, darlin’. One who usually watches from afar.” Interesting.
She blinked, her eyes widening. “I followed a wolf?”
Apparently so. Harley rarely let anybody get that close. Maybe he just liked women and not the men in the lodge. “Yep. His name is Harley, and best we can figure, somebody raised him from a pup and let him go. Or maybe his owner died. Either way, he’s welcome here and we make sure he’s fed. If for no other reason than it keeps him from eating our cattle.” Trent took the time to actually look at her. No coat, no purse, wet clothes. The bottom half of her was muddy. “What happened?” That quickly, he switched from party mode to protection mode.
She wiped rain off her face, and her dark hair tumbled out of whatever clip had tried to hold it. The mass started