Most Eligible Cowboy, page 3
Colter reached the fence a moment later, where Beau had already latched the lead rope to the horse’s halter and called over a farmhand. “Give her a good walk out before hosing her off,” he said, handing off the horse.
The farmhand led the horse away, and Beau took off his cowboy hat, wiping at the sweat on his forehead, and approaching the fence. “Beer?” he asked Colter.
“That’ll do.”
Beau’s gaze fell to his son. “Go help Lee with Pumpkin. Listen to what he tells you.”
“Okaaaaay,” Austin wheezed, taking off running after the farmhand, who then reprimanded the boy for running up behind the mare.
Colter raised his eyebrows. “Pumpkin?”
“Austin named her,” Beau explained, heading toward the house.
Colter fell into stride next to his brother, smiling at his nephew, who now walked slowly and carefully. He couldn’t think of a better place to raise a son. It sure beat the big city.
When they reached the porch, Colter took a seat in the closest cedar chair, while Beau headed inside.
He returned a moment later, offering him a cold beer. Beau placed a third beer on the top of the porch steps before sitting next to Colter. “What’s up?”
A Friday-night beer had been a long-standing tradition of the Ward men after an exhausting workweek. “You’ll never believe who I ran into at the Black Horse just now.”
“A woman lusting over you.” Beau grinned.
“Hilarious.” Colter snorted, stretching out his legs. “No, your old babysitter, Adeline Harlow.”
“Adeline,” Beau said, mulling over her name. Until awareness filled his eyes. “Pigtails. Overalls. That Adeline?”
Colter nodded. “That’s the one. She works for that gossip blog that ran the story about me.”
Beau gave a low whistle. “I bet that conversation went well.”
“It went terrible. Until I realized we could both get what we wanted. I get a fake girlfriend to appear taken and get these women out of town. She gets the story about me to earn a promotion she’s after.”
Beau raised his eyebrows. “Care to explain all that in greater detail, since not a lick of it made any sense?”
Colter recapped what had happened since he’d looked up and found himself trapped in Adeline’s pretty eyes.
Beau finished his sip of beer and then asked, “Should I be worried about you?”
Colter chuckled against the rim of his beer. “Not that I know of. Why?”
“You’re single. You’re not dead yet. Why are you so against the idea of women wanting to date you that you’re arranging a fake relationship—which, by the way, is insane?” His brother leaned back in his chair, crossing his ankles. “Why not have a little fun? You deserve that.”
Colter hung his head, guilt weighing him heavily down into his seat. Had he not focused so much on his own pain with his failing marriage, he would have come home sooner. Maybe his father wouldn’t have become so frail so fast if he hadn’t had to work so hard. “I’ve got the ranch on my shoulders. I don’t have the time or energy for a woman.” And he’d already failed at one marriage.
“Now, that’s just a damn shame,” Beau muttered. He took another long draw of his beer before he continued, “You said Adeline’s pretty now?”
Colter nodded. “Gorgeous.”
“Hot in a big-city way?”
Colter pondered the question, remembering just how she’d looked in her high heels, but then shrugged. “Fancy, yeah, but there’s some small town there, too.” He paused, following his brother’s gaze as Austin now climbed on a round bale. “But we both know a pretty face can hide a whole lot of ugly.”
“Ain’t that the truth, brother,” Beau agreed, then gestured out to the driveway. “Might want to tell Mom and Dad about this arrangement before news hits the gossip train.”
Colter caught sight of the white wheelchair-accessible van stirring up dust on its drive toward the house. They’d purchased the vehicle for his parents a few months ago when his father was struggling to get around and needed to use a wheelchair. Not long after that, they’d hired a full-time nurse to help his mother at home. As each day passed, things became harder for Dad. He couldn’t use the bathroom, shower or eat without help now. That’s when they knew he had to move to the nursing home for full-time care.
When the van came to a stop near the porch, Colter fought his instinct to go and help the driver, along with the nurse, assist his father out of the van. His father, Grant Ward, did not like the help, so Colter left it up to the nurse, who knew how to deal with headstrong men.
As the nurse wheeled Dad up to the house, Mom’s clear blue eyes met Colter’s, her shiny gray curls bouncing with her steps. His mother, Beverly, was a beautiful woman, with a smile that could brighten the coldest of days. He rose and trotted down the porch steps, meeting her halfway. He kissed her cheek. “Hi, Mom.”
“Hi, boys.” She leaned in for Beau’s kiss, and then she reached into her purse, taking out a tall cup with a straw.
She cracked the beer and poured it into the cup as Austin came running over. “Grammy,” he exclaimed, launching himself at her.
She awkwardly caught him with a laugh. “Hello, my baby. I’m happy to see you, too.” In a classic mom move, she kissed the top of his head. “Come on, let’s go in and we can watch a movie. I brought cookies.”
Austin charged forward up the steps, and his mother handed Colter the cup with the beer inside and followed Austin into the house.
Colter took a seat on the top porch step, with Beau taking the spot on the bottom. No matter how long it took his mother, the driver and the nurse to get Dad here for their Friday-night beer, he always came. Colter was grateful for that. For these little moments he knew would eventually come to an end.
With shaky arms, Dad held out his hand and took the cup. The nurse gave a smile before returning to the driver, giving them privacy.
“Hey, old man,” Colter said.
“Who are you calling old?” Dad joked, the straw rattling in the cup as he managed to get it to his lips.
Colter fought against helping, forcing himself to be still.
Loud music erupted from the living room inside from whatever movie his mother had put on as Dad finished his sip. “Update me on the ranch,” he said once he released the straw.
“Nothing much to report on my end,” Beau replied. “It’s been a good, quiet week—lots of great training. We’ve got a couple of fancy fillies coming up.”
Dad gave a firm nod, slowly placing his cup on the side table attached to his wheelchair. His gaze shifted to Colter. “You?”
He nearly told his father about his arrangement with Adeline, intended to quiet his life that had become a circus, until he looked at the haunting darkness in his father’s eyes. His father had his own weight to carry now. Nothing mattered above that. Everything else could wait. “Nothing new here, either,” he said, as Beau lifted his brows.
“Cattle’s all good, then?” Dad asked.
Colter cupped his father’s shoulder, and for the first time in his life, he lied to his father. “Yeah, Dad. I’m all good, and so is the cattle.”
Three
The next morning, Adeline woke up early and hit the ground sprinting. She’d done her best not to think of Colter or her father, who probably wouldn’t even know she was his daughter if he saw her on the street. Instead, she left the inn for the cozy local coffee shop a block away that roasted its beans in-house. They also had a killer caramelized brown sugar and dulce de leche latte. And one of the best cinnamon rolls Adeline had ever tasted.
Sitting in a corner booth, with her earbuds playing soft rock, she’d spent her morning and early afternoon catching up on emails and scouring the internet for what she could find on Colter. Turned out, it wasn’t much. He’d received an award from the city of Seattle for an emergency landing he’d done after the helicopter he was flying lost power. He had saved the life of the governor of Washington, who’d been on board. It didn’t come as much of a surprise that Colter had become a pilot of some kind. She recalled he’d taken flying lessons for as long as she’d known the Ward family.
By the time she finished her lunch of chicken, quinoa and Tuscan kale salad, she’d learned all she could without talking to the source directly to fill in the pieces. Determined to write a strong piece—not only for the promotion, but to do the Ward family justice, as she’d always been fond of them—she texted Colter, using the phone number on his business card. Hi. It’s Adeline. Can I interview you today?
His response came a few minutes later. Dinner tonight at 6, Longhorn Grill?
She’d never heard of the restaurant and guessed it was new. She responded, I’ll be there. See you tonight!
Looking forward to it, New York.
Her belly somersaulted at his obvious nickname for her now. Dear Lord, it was like a man had never called her something other than her name before. Didn’t help that she could hear the drawl in Colter’s low voice, setting off shivers that desperately wanted to become trembles and moans.
Putting a stop to that nonsense, she slammed her laptop shut and headed back to the inn to finish her work for the day. She curled her hair and added some makeup before swapping out her comfortable clothing for a flowy white frock with a ruffled trim and strappy heels more suitable for dinner.
Once she was back on the town, when dinner was still an hour away, she realized the restaurant was across town near the local newspaper’s office and decided to make a quick stop before meeting Colter.
The nineteenth-century building housing the Devil’s Bluffs Chronicle had received a makeover since Adeline had been there last, with fresh paint and new windows. Though, when she opened the door and it creaked in greeting, the sound was wonderfully familiar. Even the dusty smell hadn’t changed. Waylon sat behind his desk, deeper wrinkles on his face than she’d remembered, his hair all silver now.
“Oh my goodness, is that Adeline?” His bright blue eyes were just as Adeline remembered—kind.
“Hi, Waylon,” she said, shutting the door behind her. “It’s so good to see you.”
He rose, moving around his desk with a limp that hadn’t been there years ago, to wrap Adeline in his warm embrace. She sank into him, holding tight. Waylon was the reason she didn’t hate men altogether. He’d showed her what a good man truly was.
When he leaned away, he asked, “Please tell me you’ve moved back.”
“Sorry, but no,” she said before releasing him. “I’m only here for a couple weeks.”
Waylon cocked his head. “On a job? I follow your articles all the time.”
Of course he did. No one had supported her love of writing more than Waylon. She’d done her high school co-op at the newspaper, and she’d loved every minute of her time there. Leaving Waylon had been the hardest part about moving to the big city, but they’d stayed in contact over email throughout the years.
“I’m actually here to interview Colter Ward,” she explained. Waylon’s posture perked up, and Adeline smiled, knowing she’d come to the right place. Waylon was a great researcher as well as editor. He gathered secrets like he gathered stories—bountifully. “I wondered if you could tell me a bit about what Colter’s been doing since I’ve left town.”
“Not much to tell,” Waylon said, limping back to his seat. “He married his high school sweetheart, Julia. Left for Seattle, but, like everyone from Devil’s Bluffs, he came back.” A pause. “Wasn’t quite the same guy, though.”
Adeline leaned against the desk. “How was he different?”
Waylon paused to consider, tapping a finger against the armrest. “He’s quieter now. Like the city broke him. But if you ask me, it was Julia that had a hand in that.”
Adeline studied Waylon’s pinched expression. Her mentor loved everyone. “You didn’t like his ex-wife?” she asked, surprised.
“Not that I didn’t like her, but they were different...not meant to be, I’d say.” Then his expression shifted, bringing warmth back into his features. “But the big city looks good on you. It didn’t break you at all. Look how grown-up you are. You sparkle, Adeline.”
“Thanks,” she managed. She didn’t feel good inside. After the breakup with Brock, she’d felt crushed, confused and, if she were being honest with herself, lost. On top of that, she didn’t feel like she belonged in the big city anymore, as much as she didn’t feel like she belonged in Devil’s Bluffs.
Just as the room began to close in on her, she hastily shoved thoughts of her life away, staying focused on Colter. “You haven’t heard anything more about him from any of the gossip in town?” Small towns, even wealthy towns, always had a long line of gossipers. “Nothing that I might use in my story?”
“Colter is good stuff. Both those Ward boys are. They do a lot for the town and take good care of their parents. If you write anything, write about that.”
Adeline took some mental notes, but she knew Colter being a good man wouldn’t give her the enticing piece she needed to earn her the promotion. She needed to dig deep, find Colter’s truth, his weaknesses, his successes—which would only make him more attractive to the blog’s readers.
Waylon’s watch beeped, drawing his gaze. “And that’s a day.” He rose, powered off his computer and gently escorted Adeline out before locking up. She’d always respected Waylon’s balance between home and family life. He made time for his wife of forty years and his children. Always.
“It really is so great to see you,” Adeline said. “Say hi to Marjorie for me.”
“I sure will.”
Adeline hugged him once more and said her goodbyes with the promise to come back soon. Though she was getting tidbits of Colter’s story, she knew all the good details would come from dinner tonight.
The Longhorn Grill was only a two-minute walk down the moderately busy street, and when she arrived at the chic, modern restaurant with bright white walls and warm wooden accents, a hostess seated her quickly.
Then the front door opened, and Colter entered, speaking to the hostess. Adeline swallowed. Deeply. I am in way over my head.
Yesterday, Colter had looked rough, like a cowboy who’d spent his day working hard on the ranch. He’d smelled of sweat, of man and of things that shouldn’t arouse a woman, but somehow had only made him more masculine. She exhaled against the quickening of her breath at his crisp black button-up tucked into light jeans that hugged his thick thighs. She’d never felt jealous of clothes before, but she’d give her last year’s salary to mold herself to Colter the way the fabric did. Warmth flooded her when his stare caught hers and held as he began walking to the table, the side of his mouth curving. Dear Lord, that man was far too handsome for his own good, oozing testosterone and charm, nearly melting her into a puddle on the hardwood floors.
Two women had followed him into the restaurant, but as they saw him headed Adeline’s way, they frowned and turned their attention to the two cowboys sitting at the bar. Gosh, the women really were relentless.
When Colter reached the table, he leaned near, and her nerve endings stirred as his lips met hers. The kiss was polite, a show for their audience in the restaurant. Her body forgot that memo, and as he pulled away, she moved with him, reaching for more. Light-headed, she inhaled his spicy, woodsy scent and wanted to forget that she’d just broken off her engagement and her heart was still raw and bleeding.
Before she crawled up his strong body, she yanked herself back and relaxed her posture, like his kiss didn’t send her body into overdrive. “Hi,” she said in a voice that sounded too controlled even to her ears. “I see the ladies are still following you?”
“Hey.” He took a seat across from her, removing his cowboy hat and placing it on the chair next to him. “Not as many as there have been, so I’d say our arrangement is working. Have a good day?”
She pretended not to notice the way his arm bulged when he carved a hand through his hair. She failed miserably. Godness, he was hot. “Quiet day,” she told him. “I spent most of it at the coffee shop researching you.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Find out anything interesting?”
“Not really.”
“Good. I’d much rather you hear about me from the source.”
You and me both. She smiled instead of saying that aloud and was glad for the interruption when the waitress arrived at their table. Once she took their orders, she returned quickly with Colter’s beer in a tall, frosty glass and Adeline’s glass of pinot grigio.
“All right,” Adeline said after taking a long sip of her wine. She savored the dry, crisp taste before taking her journal from her purse. “About that interview—”
“Nah, not just yet.”
She blinked. “Not just yet?”
“We’ve got time to interview me later,” he said, returning his glass to the table. “Tell me about you.”
“Why?” she asked, baffled.
“I’d like to know about the girl who left Devil’s Bluffs—” his heated gaze roamed over her “—and the woman who came back.”
She shifted against her chair, wishing the restaurant had turned the air-conditioning on higher, but at his dancing eyes, she straightened. Women must drop to their knees for this man, and it was embarrassing how all that charm and killer smile made her want to do the same. “It’s really not that interesting. We moved to New York City when my mom decided she’d had enough of small-town living.”
“Your dad didn’t care that you left?”
She swallowed the sudden emotion clenching her throat with another long sip of wine before answering him. “I’ve never met my dad.”
“Ever?”
She shook her head. “After I was born, he didn’t want to be involved, and my mother respected his choice.”
“Brave woman.”
