Champagne & Chaps (9 page)

Butterflies tumbled around Sabrina’s belly as Wyatt drove to his brother’s house, which had been their family home. He’d invited her to his sister’s birthday barbeque, so she was going to meet the rest of his family today. She wasn’t sure she was ready, but as nice as Zane and Jessie had been to her, she would probably like everyone else just as much.

She glanced at Wyatt. He looked so damned good in his Wranglers, white shirt, and boots. His cowboy hat was resting on the back seat of the king cab. The tall, muscular cowboy was enough to make a woman’s mouth water. And at least for now, he was all hers. When he’d picked her up this morning, it had been all she could do not to jump out, run up to him, and wrap herself around him.

A part of her still felt hesitant, like she might get hurt emotionally if she wasn’t careful. She’d known him almost two weeks and that hesitancy was fading like her bruises were.

He glanced at her. “How are you feeling?”

“A little sore,” she said. “I’m more nervous about meeting your family than I am sore, though.”

“Nervous is the last thing you should be.” He rested his hand on her thigh. “My family is going to love you. Zane and Jessie already do. And I’m pretty sure you’ll like rest of them.”

She smiled. “I’m sure I will.”

“Good girl.” He put his hand back on the steering wheel.

She’d told him that she was perfectly fine driving the car that she’d rented while she waited for the insurance company to settle. But he’d insisted that it had only been a week since the accident and he didn’t think she should be making the fairly long drive.

It was fun spending time with Wyatt on the trip. It was always fun with him. He had an amazing sense of humor and she liked how he teased her and told her stories about his family and asked her about her own family and things going on in her life. He made her feel good in so many ways. And he made her feel loved.

Loved.
She mentally shook her head. She’d only known him for a couple of weeks, but she was falling for him. Hard.

Hell, she had already fallen for him. Period.

He drove down a long dirt road to a gate with a sign high over the wide cattle guard. The sign had Bar C Ranch on it along with the brand.

“This is the place where we all grew up.” Wyatt smiled. “Danica still lives here, but she’s aching to move out now that Zane is married.”

“It’s beautiful.” Sabrina’s gaze took in the huge sycamore trees, oaks, and mesquites around the house and the beds of brightly colored flowers out front. An enclosed porch ran the length of the home and a windmill rose up from behind it. A barn with corrals to the left of it was on the far end of the huge driveway.

Her belly tightened as they pulled up beside six other vehicles.

“Looks like the whole family is here.” Wyatt got out, leaned over the seat and grabbed his hat and put it on, then closed the driver’s side door and went around to open Sabrina’s door. He caught her by the waist and swung her down, then shut the door and took her by her hand.

Laughter and voices came from behind the house. They walked beside a tree with an old-fashioned dinner bell hanging from it and an old wagon wheel up against the trunk. They passed a small waterfall that trickled merrily over rocks into a little pond with fish in it that looked like koi. Through the screen on the enclosed porch she saw a wealth of houseplants and cozy-looking outdoor furniture.

Her nervousness ratcheted up notch as they passed under sycamores and rounded a corner where six people were laughing and talking, most relaxing in lawn chairs.

“Look who’s finally here.” Jessie was the first one to spot them. The redhead hurried over from where she’d been standing beside a barbeque grill and hugged Sabrina. “How are you doing?”

“Great.” Sabrina smiled. “Thank you again for your help last week.”

“We’re just glad you’re all right.” Jessie gave Wyatt a kiss on his cheek and turned to the others. “This is Sabrina, who you’ve all heard about.”

Everyone got up from their chairs. Jessie turned to Sabrina and introduced each person.

“This is Wayne and his wife, Kaitlyn.” Jessie gestured toward a tall cowboy next to a pretty blonde with a friendly smile. They came up to Sabrina and each one of them greeted her then hugged her like she was family.

“Heard a lot about you,” Wayne said.

Kaitlyn added, “I hope you’re feeling better.”

“I’m doing great,” Sabrina said. “Thank you.”

“That’s Dillon.” Jessie indicated a cowboy with the same blue eyes as his brothers’ but he was fairer than they were.

Dillon gave Sabrina a hug. “Good to meet you, Sabrina,” he said in a low drawl.

“Same here.” She returned his hug before stepping back.

Jessie pointed toward a beautiful brunette with eyes that matched her brothers’. “And that’s our birthday girl, Danica.”

Danica smiled and said, “Welcome, Sabrina,” then hugged her.

Jessie went to her husband and he put his arm around her shoulders. “And of course you’ve met Zane.”

“Where’s Aunt Grace?” Wyatt asked.

“She said she’s feeling a little under the weather,” Danica said.

Everyone settled into their chairs again except for Zane who was turning meat on the grill with long tongs. A long picnic table was covered with stacks of paper plates, plastic cups, and plastic ware. Also on the table was a bowl of potato salad, pasta salad, and other things, all covered with plastic wrap.

An open chest of sodas tucked in ice was close to the chairs and Dillon offered them each a soda. Sabrina remembered that the family didn’t drink around Wayne and she admired them for that.

“What’s happening with the investigation into the accident?” Zane asked once Sabrina had opened her soda.

“Nothing really.” Sabrina crossed her legs at her knees. “They haven’t found a truck with paint the same color as what had been scraped onto my SUV, or with a damaged taillight. I still don’t remember anything that might help.”

Wyatt leaned back in his chair. “The sheriff’s department has talked with Harper and he denies that the missing package had money in it like I overheard him tell Sabrina and Carly. They haven’t been able to track down the guy that Sabrina delivered the package to. The trailer was abandoned when the deputies checked it out and the owner actually died a month ago.”

“Has Harper come back around to bother you and your friend?” Dillon asked Sabrina. “Was he arrested?”

Sabrina shook her head. “He wasn’t charged with assault because he didn’t actually hurt one of us.” She looked at Wyatt whose expression had darkened at the subject. “It was thanks to Wyatt that we weren’t physically assaulted,” she added.

Danica pushed her long dark hair over her shoulder. “Hopefully they find whoever was responsible for running you off the road.”

“So no sign of the mysterious package,” Jessie said.

“Nope.” Sabrina linked her fingers around her crossed knee. “The wreckage was thoroughly checked as was the area surrounding the accident.”

With a hard look on his face, Wyatt continued. “Harper probably had Sabrina deliver drugs and the missing money was payment.”

“He was probably given the drugs by someone in the area who came across the line,” Dillon said.

Wayne nodded. “Probably figured that Border Patrol wouldn’t think twice about letting her through the checkpoint without searching her vehicle.”

The thought that she’d probably been used to deliver drugs still made Sabrina’s stomach clench. Not only could she have been caught and arrested but also she had been used for something so vile it made her sick.

“Sounds like someone was watching her,” Dillon said. “They knew she had the money and tried to steal it at the truck stop. When that didn’t work they followed her until they could get her alone out in the middle of nowhere.”

“Probably the same dope pushers who gave her the cash,” Wayne said.

“Harper put Sabrina in a real bad situation.” Wyatt looked like he was grinding his teeth. “Bastard could have gotten her killed.”

With an equally grim look, Dillon said, “She’s lucky to be alive.”

“They have nothing they can really pin on Harper,” Wyatt said. “But he’s been a troublemaker all around. Worked for his brother Jeb and stole some equipment from him.”

Dillon rested his soda can on his knee. “Yeah. Derrick was using Jeb’s trailer and saying he was working in other areas of the ranch when he was nowhere close.”

“Jeb got into a fight with Derrick,” Wyatt said. “Kicked him off the ranch.”

Sabrina rubbed her palms on her jeans. “Derrick is a real mess.”

“Yep.” Dillon nodded. “But that’s not the half of it. He married a woman from these parts some time ago and was arrested for domestic abuse. She divorced him and he moved away for a long time.”

“Not long enough,” Wyatt growled.

“When Derrick came back, he convinced Jeb that he’d changed, so Jeb gave him another shot,” Wayne said. “Up ’til now Derrick’s been working for Jeb.”

“Derrick is an alcoholic and a gambler.” Dillon gripped his soda can. “Probably ran some drugs with small time guys to pay for his debts.”

“Something tells me he’s in some serious trouble with whoever was supposed to get that money,” Wayne said.

Dillon shook his head in agreement. “Pretty dumb guy to rely on her to deliver the money. If he’s afraid that the people he works for might hurt him, well, he deserves it.”

“Chow’s ready.” Zane started loading hamburgers and steaks onto a platter.

Jessie started toward the back door. “I need to grab the baked beans from the crockpot.”

Kaitlyn stood and followed Jessie. “I’ll get the fruit salad out of the fridge.”

“I’ve got the deviled eggs and salad.” Danica had already reached the door and was going in.

“Anything I can help with?” Sabrina pushed herself up from her chair.

Jessie paused at the door and smiled. “I could use some help with the olive tray.”

“You’ve got it.” Sabrina smiled at Wyatt. “Be right back.”

The other three women were already in the kitchen by the time Sabrina got there. They were talking and laughing and drew Sabrina right in with them. Jessie handed her the olive tray that had an assortment of olives, along with carrot and celery sticks. Sabrina also took the ranch and bleu cheese dressings with her.

In moments everything was on the picnic table and everyone had gathered around. Sabrina was between Dillon and Wyatt and she felt right at home with the chatter and laughter that reminded her of her own family. Except this family was full of hot cowboys.

Sabrina learned that Jessie was supposed to have been Zane’s wedding photographer, but he called off the wedding. The pair had ended up together sometime after that.

Kaitlyn and Wayne had dated years ago, but Kaitlyn had left for a while. A long while, according to Wayne. During that time, Wayne had been Special Forces in the Army and had come back a war hero. It was clear that it embarrassed him when that subject was brought up. He was humble when it came down to it.

All five of the Cameron siblings had inherited property from their parents and the guys had all stayed in the family business and ranched.

“Danica just graduated with her bachelor’s degree from the College of Agriculture at the University of Arizona,” Zane said.

“That’s great.” Sabrina smiled. “What do you plan to do with your degree?”

“Well…” Danica looked around the table at her brothers. “I’m thinking about taking a job in San Diego.”

Everyone stopped eating and looked at Danica.

“Man, I’d hate to see you leave, Sis,” Dillon said.

Zane put his fork down. “Why so far away?”

“It’s a really good job.” Danica smiled. “It’s for a research associate at the University of California at San Diego. I’d be working in a department that does breeding maintenance, genotyping, cloning, and things like that. I find all of that fascinating.”

“Have you already been offered the position?” Wayne asked.

“It starts in the fall when the position is officially open,” she replied. “I just received the offer yesterday. I haven’t accepted yet.”

“Congratulations.” Wyatt smiled at his sister. “You never said anything about interviewing out of state. If you take it we’ll miss you like hell but will be proud of you.”

“We’re proud of you no matter what,” Zane said and the brothers all nodded. “Would like to see you closer, I have to admit.”

“There are positions I’ve been offered here, too.” Danica picked up her fork. “But that’s one I’m seriously considering.”

“Lots of guys trying to pin this girl down.” Wayne looked at Sabrina as he nodded toward his sister. “She won’t have anything to do with them.”

“She’s a tough one,” Wyatt said. “Boys follow her around like puppy dogs and she just shoos them away.”

“Ha.” Danica rolled her eyes. “When I do find a guy I like, you four find a way to chase him off.”

Wayne grinned. “What are big brothers for?”

“If she heads off to California, who’s going to be there to vet her boyfriends?” Dillon said.

“There’s another plus for taking that job,” Danica said but was smiling.

After they finished eating, Jessie and Zane went to the kitchen and brought out a large birthday cake covered with real red roses and white icing. Everyone started singing happy birthday.

“Please tell me it’s my favorite,” Danica said when the candles were all out.

“Always,” Zane said. “Aunt Grace made it yesterday.”

“Yay.” She picked up the serving spatula and knife. “Just wish she was here.”

She cut into the cake. It was blood red, obviously a red velvet cake. As she served slices, she said to Sabrina, “Aunt Grace has been making this cake for twenty-three years for my birthday from an old recipe that was handed down through the family, and she always puts red roses on it. I adore red roses. She also promised me the recipe this year.”

“Speaking of Aunt Grace, she sent this.” Zane produced an envelope and handed it to Danica as she sat down.

“I got what I wanted for my birthday.” Danica laughed after she opened the card. “It’s the recipe.”

Her brothers and sister-in-laws gave Danica presents that included a gold watch, a pendent, and a slim laptop.