Marry Me for Real, Cowboy - Valerie Comer Page 0,6
guard and wound between rolling hills dotted with yellowed shrubs. The gravel road curved down along a creek lined with conifers then began to climb. Taller mountains peeked from the distance several times.
Riley had forgotten how blue Montana’s big sky could be after a rain. How expansive the landscape, even late in the fall when wildflowers and green grass were but a vague memory.
“This is beautiful.”
Adam shot her a look across the cab, his hands flexing on the wheel. “All Rockstead land.”
His stepdad’s holdings. “Where’s the other ranch?”
He thumbed toward the east. “Next property over.”
“Maybe sometime you can show me.”
“Maybe.” His jaw tightened, and he slowed for another cattle guard.
Twenty minutes later he rounded two final tight curves and the truck emerged into a tree-lined valley. Whoa. That was a massive log-and-rock house on the right, tucked against a copse of trees, while a huge red barn loomed in front of them. Half a dozen horses grazed behind white rail fences, and several pickup trucks dotted the gravel parking area.
But Riley’s gaze swung back to that immense, pristine house. It sure looked big enough to house a family of eight kids with room to spare. But Adam wasn’t exactly a kid anymore.
He followed the gravel drive past the house and barn, past a long, low stable, and around another curve. A row of small log cabins appeared nestled against the trees. Finally, Adam pulled a tight right, then expertly backed the horse trailer to a gate.
Riley hadn’t given Jupiter a second thought. She assumed Adam had cared for his horse last night and this morning, but her thoughts had been consumed by the man... and the situation she’d agreed to.
Now she hopped down from the cab and watched as Adam entered the trailer.
He spoke softly — Riley strained to hear his words — and then the huge, brown horse backed down the ramp, Adam by its head. “Here you go, Jupiter. We’re back in Montana. Lots of room to run.” He slid his hands over the horse’s back and legs.
Jupiter leaned against Adam’s shoulder, and the cowboy wrapped his arms around the horse’s neck for a long moment.
Okay, whatever Riley was getting into way out here in the middle of nowhere, Adam himself wasn’t a danger to her. Not if he were this gentle with his mount.
He might be a danger to her heart, but she’d be strong. Three months, tops. Possibly even less, if his stepdad wasn’t as iron-fisted as Adam feared. Then Riley would take her money and make her escape.
She straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin as he released the horse into the pasture. She could do this.
“Yo, Adam!”
Riley braced herself as another cowboy came up beside Adam. The two guys slammed fists with a force that should have broken knuckles then gave each other a brief, fierce hug.
“Nathaniel! Lookin’ good, bro.”
The newcomer looked Adam up and down and nodded. “Ditto.” Then he turned to Riley, and a slow smile creased his face. “And you must be Riley.”
She nodded then offered a warm smile and an outstretched hand.
Nathaniel elbowed Adam. “You’ve been holding out.” Instead of shaking Riley’s right hand, he grabbed her left, taking a good look at the massive diamond before letting go. He whistled. “I thought you were kidding me, Adam.”
Adam slid his arm around Riley’s waist and tugged her close. “Nope.” He pressed a kiss into Riley’s hair.
She leaned against him, watching his brother. If they couldn’t fool the first one they met, their scheme was done for.
“Well, I never. Where’d you two meet? Never mind. There’ll be time for that story later. More to the point, does the stepfather know?”
Adam’s grip on her waist spasmed slightly. “Not yet, but I’m sure he saw us driving through. He’ll be here any minute.”
Nathaniel snorted. “You can bet your bottom dollar.”
Sounded like Adam wasn’t the only one with a healthy respect for his stepdad. Or maybe unhealthy. And Nathaniel was Adam’s full brother, one of the twins, right? It was going to take some doing keeping this strange family straight.
“Where’s Riley gonna stay? With you?” Nathaniel thumbed toward the row of cabins across the drive.
“You know better, Nat.”
The younger guy shrugged. Perhaps his cheeks flushed just a little. Riley’s certainly had.
“Is there an empty cabin right now?”
“Yeah, number three. Noah spends so much time on the road that he just bunks with me when he’s at Rockstead.”
Interesting. He didn’t call the ranch home.
“I’ll talk to Declan about that, then.”
“And if he says no?”
Adam’s fingers