3. Distracted
THREE
Distracted
ASH
“Montana is a pretty place. Nothing like home in upstate New York.” Colt broke the silence, fidgeting in the seat like a guy trying to get comfortable in boots a size too small.
I grunted. Wedged between Willow and me, Ro tried to inch further away from me.
“We don’t have to do small talk.” Willow offered Colt a soft smile.
“Right. Just the tension in here is thick enough to cut,” Colt muttered, tugging at the collar of his I Hiked the Pacific Trail shirt.
“Ash and I are no strangers to tension,” she said on a breathy chuckle. Fuck, what was that scent she wore? Honeysuckle? It bowled me over.
She sat like a vision I never thought I’d see again.
Pale hair wild around her shoulders, reminding me of the way it used to fly when she’d ride her bike over to study with Scott after school.
Perfect for my hands to run through if I would let them.
And too much temptation considering how the woman used to exist only in my deeply forbidden thoughts.
Colt gave her a sideways glance. “I take it you and Ash know each other well?”
“You could say that. He was my brother-in-law . My husband passed away.” She answered matter-of-factly, while inside I cringed. “I haven’t seen or heard from Ash in years, despite my attempts to reach out.”
I grunted again. “You’re not going to let that go, are you?” I grumbled.
“Hm. When somebody does someone wrong, they usually apologize. So, no. Not letting it go yet.” Willow crossed her arms.
Damn. Same spitfire, same pouty mouth I’d like to kiss.
I sighed through my nose and tried to shake it off. “How’d you get that injury, anyway?”
Her eyes flicked down to Ro, the two of them exchanging glances.
“The same night I got laid off, I slipped off a curb carrying groceries into our apartment. Just a severe ankle sprain. Seemed like the last straw in a long line of things not going our way.”
My mouth twitched. “Still clumsy, huh?”
Her head snapped toward me. “Excuse me?”
“You don’t remember slipping in the cafeteria and dumping your lunch tray on the cheer captain—on spaghetti day? And what about the time you fell asleep in church and knocked over a full rack of hymnals during your father’s sermon?”
“You did that in Grandpa’s church? You never told me,” Ro gasped and glanced between us like she wasn’t sure who to believe.
She couldn’t be more like the spitting image of my brother if she tried. That might even be Scott’s old 49ers’ ball cap she wore, barely hiding dirty blond strands of stringy hair.
Willow narrowed her eyes to slits. “Well, now that you’ll be spending time with your uncle, who apparently is a walking archive of my most embarrassing teenage moments, he can fill you in.”
Ro perked up. “You know a lot about my mom?”
“Some people you never forget,” I admitted.
The cab went still as if the air itself was holding its breath, and I caught Willow’s eyes. As if no time had passed, the attraction between us unmistakably brewed beneath the surface .
“Almost there.” I blinked and broke the moment, reverting my attention to the road.
This shouldn’t be happening. She was my sister-in-law. The love of my brother’s brief life. From the day he was born, I was his protector from Dad, and from the world. Then we met Willow.
It became clear Scott had wanted her from the start. So I avoided her and eventually left home and never looked back just so he would have her to himself without me getting in the way. She was too good for me, and perfect for him. I never expected to see her again.
Finally, the trees opened up ahead, and the dirt road crested over a small hill. The ranch came into view ahead of us, wild and beautiful.
Lush prairies flanked either side of a rambling river, the banks dotted with pockets of pines. Tall grasses swayed in the breeze, and horses and cattle grazed lazily among them. A frosted mountain range framed it all, the tops fringed with fall snow.
“Look at all the horses,” Ro cried and pointed excitedly at one of the front fields bordered by a white fence. Every color and type dotted the herd from large to small.
“Welcome to the Off-Duty Rescue Ranch,” I announced, and sat straighter with pride at the view of the place I now called home.
I sent Colt off to find Knox. He’d get the new guy squared away in the bunkhouse. Meanwhile, I watched Willow and Ro take over my cabin.
They toured the interior. The light-blonde logs and huge windows filled the space with a bright ambiance. The furnishings were simple, minimal, but nice and new, in shades of blue and brown.For a guy like me, I think I did alright at filling this place with all the comforts of a home.
Rosie ran around, checking it all out, from the great room to the loft upstairs.
“I've got dibs on this space up here,” she called down from the railing above.
“It has a couch up there that I bought off someone in town. Cleaned it up good. Big enough for a little girl to sleep upon, I guess. And the main bedroom and a bathroom are here for you.” I pointed to the door behind me on the main level. “Think you two will be comfortable? ”
Judging by the smile on Willow’s face she approved. It meant the world to me, even though it shouldn’t have mattered.
“Yes, thank you. It’s cozy enough for two,” she said.
I choked, and cleared my throat. “Right. Cozy. There’s a stocked fridge, but let me know if you need anything else. Oh—can you cook on crutches?”
“We’ll manage,” she assured.
“I should leave you to it then,” I blurted, but at the same time she started to say, “We should talk.” We both chuckled.
“Where do you live?” She asked.
I ran a hand through my hair. “I’ll be in the bunkhouse with the guys. Do you have a phone? Let me give you my new number in case you need anything or if you spot a bear or something.”
“Bears? Cool!” Rosie ran down the stairs to join us.
“No. Not cool at all. Give me your phone,” Willow demanded, taking it from me and putting her number into it immediately.
“It’s no big deal, city girls. I’ll protect you.” I wanted to reach out and lightly ruffle Ro’s hair, same as I used to do to Scott when we were younger.But I held back..
“Why do you call us city girls?” She giggled, her dimples appearing, definitely from the Rhodes’ side of the family.
“Because you come from California, land of too many people and palm trees,” I pointed out. “Here in the country, a lot can happen.”
“I’m glad we have a man like you to keep us safe.
” Willow fluttered her lashes and, damn, wearing a prim and proper floral sundress like it was her Sunday best made me wish I could find out what womanly body she had underneath.
This woman was entirely too tempting. “You didn’t have to put us up like this, but I’m grateful to you, Ash. ”
“I figure if there’s a cosmic force keeping tabs, I sure as hell at least owe you a place to stay for a while. I’m sure Scott would have wanted that.”
She seemed to bristle at this, her eyes suddenly shooting at me. “We don’t want to be a burden to you. We’ll be out of your hair as soon as I can manage.”
Still stubborn as hell? “You’ll stay here as long as you need. Now, let me show you how to work the furnace. The autumn nights can get cold up here, so keep an eye on it. I’ll put some logs on the back porch if you want a fire in the fireplace.”
As I explained the thermostat dials, she stood way too close and observed, her scent so sweet, I could eat her up right now.
She’d be the closest I had let a female get to me since I moved out here. I took on the challenge of building this ranch for Chris and didn’t let complications like relationships deter me from my mission. As a result, work had me wound up tight for months.
When I finished messing with the dials, I peered down into her lovely face and got lost. An unexpected distraction.
“Well, it’s getting late.” I backed away, remembering who she was—not mine. Scott’s.
“Yes, I’m sure we’ve taken up too much of your time for a Friday night.”
“But I want to see the horses,” Ro whined.
“No, honey. We’ll see them tomorrow,” Willow countered.
“Yeah, I should head out. Got some more work to do.” I stuffed my hands into my pockets like I didn’t know what to do with them. Do I hug her or not? What about Ro? What would an uncle do—or at least one she had never met? Talk about overwhelming.
“No date tonight?” Willow cocked her brow.
“No. Nope. Absolutely not. I mean, there’s always something to do around here. Ro, you can come up to the barn tomorrow and I’ll introduce you around. We probably have a pony you could ride.”
“Really? Yes! I love Montana already.” Her eyes wide, she trotted off to the kitchen.
“Well, at least one of us is getting what she wanted,” Willow muttered under her breath as I walked out the door, but I caught it. What did she mean? “See you tomorrow, Ash?”
“Sure. Tomorrow.” I nodded and hurried away and drove to the bunkhouse. I didn’t relish having to put up with the guys again or explaining why my new cabin was suddenly unavailable.
She was really here. Willow Rhodes—invading my mountain, for better or for worse. Definitely a distraction.