Relentless Passion (Ranchers of Madison County #2)

Chapter One

The store owner watched Cole walk up and down the aisles at the farm store, picking out the things he’d need for the next month.

Brownie knew Cole hated coming to town. Nothing pissed him off more than having to talk and be friendly with people he didn’t like.

He’d often told Brownie that most of them were dickheads or wouldn’t shut up.

But he didn’t want to take his men away from their jobs, so he dealt with a few hours of discomfort once a month.

“Hey, Brownie, where are the barbed staples?” Cole yelled from the back of the store.

“Next aisle over.” Brownie turned back to the young woman at the register. “I’m sorry, ma’am. What else will you be needing?”

The woman scanned the list that Tomas, her foreman, had given her.

“He wants...” she said, and her brows puckered together as she studied the paper in her hands. “Naxcel?”

Brownie, the store owner, laughed at the confused look on her face. She was the cutest little thing he’d seen in a long while. He loved how expressive her face was. Every emotion was plainly visible.

“It’s an antibiotic for large animals,” he explained.

Victoria released a sigh of weariness. “There’s a lot to learn, isn’t there?”

“Yes, ma’am, but I believe if you’re a hard worker, you can do anything you put your mind to.”

“I hope so, Brownie, because this is my only option.”

Brownie nodded. “I liked your uncle. He was a good man.”

“I think so, too. I only get to be here a few times a year. But I always loved it and never wanted to leave. It would take me weeks to get back into city life, and I miss him every day.”

“Living in a city was never for me.”

Victoria shook her head. “Me either, but I had to go where my mom took me. I’ve always been a country girl at heart.

The peace and quiet are exactly what I need.

” Victoria shrugged. “It’s weird, but I had more in common with my uncle than I ever did with my mother.

The country life is something I’ve dreamt about my whole life. ”

“I understand that. I know I couldn’t live anywhere else. I’ve lived here my whole life and wouldn’t change a thing.”

He tapped his finger on the counter as he turned away. “Let me get you that medicine.”

****

Cole stood behind the little girl, with an armful of things.

His aggravation rose when she didn’t notice him.

He also disliked parents who left their kids to fend for themselves.

Some of the drugs on the counter, he assumed she was buying, weren’t meant to be around kids.

Some of the medications could be dangerous, even deadly.

“Hey, kid, do you want to move to the side?” Cole looked around one more time. “Where the hell is your parent?”

Victoria spun around, looked up, and then up some more until she met the man’s eyes.

Cole looked down into the greenest eyes and blackish lashes he’d ever seen on anyone.

When he stood behind her, he assumed she was a child.

She was so small. The top of her head came up to his armpits.

She wore a little purple t-shirt, jeans, and tiny work boots that looked new.

Her hips and back were slim, and the thick braid swung down her back, almost reaching her hips, with a pink bow at the bottom that secured it.

“Jesus Christ, how old are you?” he asked tersely as he set his load of supplies on the counter next to hers before he turned to face her.

Her eyes widened at the rude question. “Excuse me?” Her eyes narrowed, and her voice chilled.

“I asked how old you are?”

“I heard you the first time. I can’t believe you would ask a woman that.”

Cole grunted. “I’m still not sure you’re a woman.”

Victoria gasped. She took a small step forward and poked her finger into the muscled chest under the blue flannel shirt. She tilted her head way back and glared at him.

“You need to learn some manners, Mister. Now stop asking me that.”

Cole stared down, shocked, and then impressed that this little person had the guts to lay into him when no one besides his mother and father had ever done so.

He bit back a smile and decided she was damn cute when she was pissed. He hadn’t enjoyed a good argument with anyone in years. Most people were afraid to fight with him. He knew he was being rude, but he was having fun and wanted to keep poking at her.

“I wouldn’t have to ask again if you’d just answer the damn question,” he barked.

Victoria growled low in her throat and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Well, that answers one of my questions,” he said, and his lips twisted into a smirk.

She frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“You have breasts, so you’re full-grown or close to it.”

An audible gasp escaped her mouth. She looked down and saw what he meant. Her arms had lifted her breasts, plumping them. She dropped her arms as a blush spread across her face.

“Of all the...” she hissed.

“Are you even out of high school yet?” Cole knew she was definitely a woman. He also knew he shouldn’t have enjoyed pissing her off so much, but she was so easily riled.

Victoria gritted her teeth and took a breath. “Well, Daddy,” she said snidely and put her hands on her hips. “Let’s just say you’re way older than I am and leave it at that. Shall we?”

His eyes narrowed on her, sending a shiver of awareness down her spine at the very male, very dominant look on his face. He gritted his teeth to help hold back a grin, tried to look stern, and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Daddy?” he asked with a lifted brow.

“Sure. Since I’m so young, that would make you really old.”

Brownie chuckled as he walked past them and behind the counter. “I see you two have met,” he interrupted.

They both said no and continued to glare at each other.

Brownie cleared his throat. “Well, let me introduce you. Cole Conley, this is your new next-door neighbor, Victoria Robertson. She’s Lester’s kin and—”

Cole dropped his arms and interrupted Brownie. “The person taking over Lester’s ranch is supposed to be a guy named Victor.”

The smirk on Victoria’s face grew. “It’s Victoria, not Victor.”

Cole’s brows came down in a frown. “There’s no way. Not only are you extremely young, but you’re also too damn small.”

Victoria’s brows went up, and her mouth twisted into a smile. “I’m not that young. I’m twenty-six. How about you?”

His hands went to his hips as his mind raced. “I’m thirty-two,” he said vaguely. His face brightened. This might be the best thing to happen. As young and beautiful as she was, she wouldn’t want to be stuck on a ranch in the middle of nowhere for long, and she would be more inclined to sell to him.

He tried to ease the anger, humor, and need coursing through his body. He cleared his throat and tried to fix the angst he’d caused between the two of them.

“I’m sorry, we got off on the wrong foot. My name is Cole Conley.”

Victoria looked at his hand like she would a snake before she reluctantly lifted her own hand.

“I’m Victoria Robertson.” She gasped at the spark that stung the palm of her hand and tried to jerk away from him.

Cole grinned after the first shock of attraction.

Holy shit. He’d heard about this kind of thing but never experienced it until that moment.

Now he guessed he’d be sad to see her go once he bought the ranch.

The sizzle between them was amazing. Maybe she would consider finding a job in town until he could get her out of his system.

He knew he sounded like an arrogant prick, but he’d gotten every woman he set out to get very easily. Getting into this one’s pants should be effortless. He was thrilled that she was visibly affected, too. She pulled her hand. He squeezed it one more time before he released.

Brownie finally cleared his throat.

“Here you go, little lady.” He added it to the sack on the counter. “I’ll just put it on your account.”

Victoria was jerked to awareness, took a step back, and reluctantly turned away from Cole. She cleared her throat.

“Thank you very much, Brownie.” She turned toward the rancher. “Well, Mr. Conley, it was nice to meet you, but I really need to get going. I have a lot of work to do.”

Cole watched her snatch up her sack and practically run out the door.

Brownie’s smile spread at the look on this young man’s face.

“Cole. Cole,” he yelled a little louder to get his attention. “Was this all you needed?”

Cole scowled at the smile Brownie was trying to hide and walked out without taking the things he’d come in for. He peeled out of the gravel parking lot as he thought about meeting the neighbor. He decided he was going to enjoy the time he had with her before she moved on.