Chapter Two
After glancing around, she got out. She stretched her arms over her head and bent back a little, trying to loosen the tight muscles in her back.
Emily pushed her shoulder-length brown hair from her face and sighed in disgust when she felt the frizziness of the strands through her fingers.
She could only imagine how untidy it looked.
She had thick hair that tended to have a gentle wave to it most of the time, but on many occasions, it liked to turn into a curly mess, and since she hadn’t brushed it since that morning and with the window down the last part of her trip, she knew it was probably a little wild-looking.
Emily looked around in fascination. Her gaze traveled over the many buildings and the animals and people present.
The main house was large and beautiful. The bottom story of the house was some kind of stone with darkly stained wood planks on the second floor.
There were eight small cabins in different colors off to the left, away from the house.
To the right were five large white barns.
Everything was in pristine condition. She could tell the owner loved this place and took great pride in it.
Where she stood, her attention was caught for a moment on the large area in the middle of everything that bustled with activity.
Emily sighed tiredly and bent, snatched up her purse, and walked toward the front door of the large ranch house. The last email instructed her to walk in, and someone would be there to greet her and get her situated in one of the small cabins.
Emily stepped through the door into a small room with three doorways leading to hallways. To the right were a few chairs and a small table in between. She smiled at a young, thin, attractive woman behind the counter off to the left.
The woman smiled back. “Welcome to Knight Ranch. You must be Mrs. Holmes?”
Emily held out her hand to the woman. “I’m Ms. now. Please call me Emily.”
“Okay, well then, Ms. Emily,” she laughed. “I’m Daisy. Welcome. If you could read this disclosure and sign here, I can get you your key and show you your cabin.”
Emily looked at the twin dimples on either side of Daisy’s mouth and the sweet open look in her beautiful sky-blue eyes and lightly tanned skin. This woman was absolutely adorable and reminded her of her daughters.
While Emily was reading the paper, Daisy kept up a cheerful conversation, talking about the ranch, being married to the foreman, their two kids, and other people that lived there, making Emily smile and laugh at some of the stories she told.
Emily tensed suddenly and gritted her teeth as a shiver, unlike any she’d ever felt, ran down her body.
She didn’t know what the cause was at first until she caught movement from the side and turned.
The breath stalled in her chest. The most masculine man she’d ever seen stood inside the doorway, staring raptly at her.
Tall, a couple of inches above six feet, and gorgeous.
His eyes were the prettiest color she’d ever seen.
Intense blue framed by long black lashes.
His hair was so black it had a blue sheen to it where the overhead light hit it.
That and the dark tanned color of his skin showed he might have some Native American blood.
The brilliant blue eyes were a stark contrast. She could only see him from the waist up when he moved to stand behind the counter.
His chest was tight with muscle, showing the contours through his long-sleeved button-down plaid shirt.
His shoulders were a yard wide and took up most of the space behind the counter.
His hands were large and rough-looking, with calluses and scars.
One sat on the stone counter, the other on Daisy’s shoulder, showing the close relationship between the two.
Mortification hit Emily. She was standing in front of a woman and staring at her husband like a love-sick teenager. Of all the rude things she’d ever done, this took the cake. Tearing her eyes from the man, she smiled shakily at Daisy.
“I’m so sorry. I guess I’m just more tired than I thought.”
Daisy frowned in confusion. “Sorry about what?”
Feeling a deeper, heated flush cross her face, she cleared her throat, trying to ignore the intense stare the man had on her.
“For staring at your husband...”
Daisy burst out laughing. “Oh, yuck. Holy cow. He’s not my husband. Gross. He’s my uncle and way too old for me.” Daisy squeaked out a giggle when the man swatted her bottom.
“Watch it, Half-pint. I’m not that old,” he said gruffly, never taking his eyes off of Emily. Daisy smiled up at the man.
“Emily, this is Cole. He’s half owner of the place and my very young uncle,” she said, laughing.
Cole ruffled her hair before turning back to Emily. Something hot and intense passed between them. He held a hand out.
“Emily. I hope I can call you that?”
Emily laid her small hand in his grip and barely held back the gasp that clawed at her throat from the sizzling heat of his grip. Her heart jumped into her throat when she tried to pull away, and he tightened his grip before releasing her hand.
At her small nod, he continued.
“Welcome to our home.” He reluctantly turned back to Daisy. “Do you have her key?”
Daisy handed it to him and bit the inside of her cheek as if to keep from laughing out loud.
“There you go, Cole. She’s all signed in.”
“Excellent. I’ll show you to your cab—”
“No,” Emily burst out.
Daisy and Cole both froze in curiosity.
“Excuse me?” Cole’s mouth twitched, but his voice stayed smooth and curious.
Emily swallowed several times, her fist clenched on top of the counter, and a blush spread across her cheeks.
“God, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say it that way.”
“Say no, you mean?” Cole asked quietly.
Emily tore her eyes away from his and stared at the papers on the counter.
“No ... I mean, yes. I mean, I can find my own way if you’ll just point me in the right direction. There’s no need to t-take you away from your w-work. If I could just have the key,” she stuttered and tentatively held out her hand, still not able to look at him.
The way he made her feel was scaring her. She’d never felt such an overwhelming sense that she recognized this man, but knew she’d never met him before.
Her eyes slid to Daisy’s when no one said anything. Daisy still stood there frozen but with an unusual mix of shock, humor, and hopefulness in her eyes that didn’t make sense to Emily. Emily started to fidget and bite her lower lip, afraid she’d hurt his feelings.
Emily’s body jolted, and she took a hasty step back when he came around the counter and wrapped a large hand around her upper arm and nudged her toward the door.
“No worries. I insist,” Cole said.
It looked like he was trying not to laugh at the conflicted expressions chasing across her face and the deep red blush that spread across her cheeks.
Emily didn’t say anything, couldn’t say anything if she had tried.
The second he touched her, sparks raced through her veins, which made it hard for her to breathe and caused her body to shake uncontrollably.
She took a quick look up at him. Oh, god, what a fool I’m being.
This man could be in GQ magazine, and I’m standing here acting like a love-sick teenager. He must think I’m an idiot.
“Emily?”
A man like this wouldn’t look twice at a woman like me. Hell, if he didn’t have to talk to me now, he probably wouldn’t see me at all. I’ll just not make a fool of myself again and pretend this never hap—
“Emily!” Cole called a little louder.
Emily valiantly tried to bring her mind back to the present.
She looked up at him and wanted to sink into the ground.
She’d never been this embarrassed this many times in just a few minutes in her whole life.
They had been standing by her car for who knows how long, with him trying to get her attention.
She cleared her throat and refused to look at him again. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”
Cole chuckled. “I said, let’s get your bags out, and I’ll help...”
Emily tried without success to pull her arm from his hand. “No, really. Please. I can do this by myself. Please...”
“Emily.” The firm sound of his voice stopped her instantly. “I am going to help you, and you are going to let me. You look dead on your feet, and I want to make sure you’re in your cabin safely. Okay?”
Emily’s wide eyes flew to his. Her stomach flipped crazily at the thread of authority that roughened his voice. She nodded, unable to form a word at that moment even if she could find one. His scent and the heat from his body went to her head, causing a dizzy spell that shook her knees.
“Good.” He picked up all the bags, giving her a stern look when she exclaimed it was too much and tried to take one from him.
She followed him meekly across the gravel parking lot. She stopped and let him open the cabin and carry all the bags in, setting them down inside the door. Emily moved toward the fireplace and away from Cole.
“Come here. There’s one more thing.”
Emily tensed. “What is it?” But her feet carried her to him before she could make a conscious decision. She stood a few feet in front of him, mutely staring at his chest.
“Here are your keys,” he said, reaching out, lifting her hand, and putting them in her palm. “Dinner is in an hour at the big red barn with the white shutters.”
“No. Um, I think I’m going to call it a da—”
“I can come to get you myself, or I can just bring you a plate of food.”
His voice indicated, without words, she had two choices, and that was it. She could come on her own, or he would make sure she ate a different way, but she would eat, period.
Emily’s downcast eyes burned with embarrassment and shame. She cleared her throat. “Yes, of course. I’ll be there.” She jerked when a heavy hand landed on her slim shoulder.
“Easy. I’m sorry if I scared you. I’m not going to hurt you. Not ever,” Cole whispered as he stood looking down at the top of her head.
“I’ll see you soon?” he asked gruffly.
At her nod, he walked out and quietly closed the door behind him.
Emily took a few shaky steps toward the sofa and sank down, putting her head in her hands. God, what a fool I made of myself. He looks at me, and I melt, and he touches me, and my insides quiver uncontrollably. Her stomach tightened when she thought of his laughs and the mirth in his voice.
She shook her head. It was her own fault she acted in a way he found humorous. He must have women throwing themselves at him all the time. She would be the last woman he’d ever want to be with. She’d learned the hard way. She was not the type of woman that inspired lust in a man.
Her first inclination was to put her bags back in the car and take off.
She didn’t care at this point that she’d lose her three-month cabin rental.
Emily couldn’t imagine seeing him again, and she would.
Probably a lot. She just needed to find the resolve to ignore him as much as possible because she didn’t want to leave.
Being there, on that beautiful ranch that felt so much like home, was a dream that she’d had for so many years she couldn’t remember. Did she really want her foolish behavior to ruin this?
Emily wiped the tears from her cheeks and straightened her shoulders.
Damn, she was stronger than that. She could stay away from him.
She would be spending a lot of time in her cabin writing anyway.
She was also planning to make some of her meals in the cabin’s small kitchenette and had brought food for that purpose.
When she was out of the cabin, she would be riding or eating with the rest of the guests.
Heck, he’s the owner of this place. He had to be so busy running a place this size, maybe they would never see each other. She could do this, she thought.
Emily felt a warm trickle of tears fall again.
Besides, she guessed he probably had already forgotten her.
He wouldn’t have paid any attention to her if he hadn’t found her funny.
What was funny was that she forgot what her ex-husband had been telling her for years.
There was nothing special about her. Nothing exciting enough to keep a man’s attention.
Never again would she forget that lesson.