The Reluctant Rancher (3 page)

“
I am so sorry,
”
she apologized
. Her
hand fle
xed against the hard plane of his chest. The other had a death
grip on her briefcase.
“
I wasn’t watching where I was going.
”

Lu
ke grunted in response and removed his
hands. He could feel the hea
vy fullness of her breasts
through the thick layer of her coat. Damn, but she was all woman.
“
No harm done. I’ll introduce you to my grandfather later. Since the accident, he usually takes a nap this time of day. I wake him right before dinner.
”

“
What accident?
”

“
He and my stallion, Lucifer, had a little disagreement. Grandpa broke his arm. That’s why we need a nurse.
”
Luke watched with narrowed eyes as she placed her briefcase on the counter and removed her
parka. The dark blue garment had effectively hidd
en the color of her hair and her
ample figure from h
is sight, but he’d known
instantly who she was. He’d seen her occasionally with
the Talbots and on his ranch last summer at the camp for delinquent kids.
He indicated she should hang her parka by the door.

She w
al
ked across the floor to hang
her coat
on the hooks
, the movement of her hips as flui
d and graceful as any runway model.
Luke could tell Mary appreciated her own body. It showed in the way that she carried herself. And damned if he didn’t appreciate her as well. Even though a little on the heavy side, her curves suited Luke just fine. It sickened him to look at women on television and in magazines who appeared little more than flesh over bones. To maintain their appearance he knew they survived on nothing more substantial than carrot sticks and water. Hadn’t Debbie?

Hellfire, he cursed silently. Why did thoughts of his ex-wife haunt him so much today? The woman had been five foot of nothing. No meat to sustain her waif-like figure and no substance on the inside either.

He took a well-worn apron from its hook by the sink and forced his thoughts b
ack to preparing dinner. A lot of men
would
feel awkward or
silly
performing such a feminine task, but not
Luke. Thanks to his grandmother, he was as at home in the kitchen as he was rounding up cattle.

“
How serious
was your grandfather’s injury
?
”
Mary took a seat on the barst
ool, the movement causing her full, silvery blonde hair to
sway.

Luke turned away, ignoring the enticing citrus scent emanating from his guest. An unexpected flare of awareness blossomed in his
loins but he
firmly
squelched it
. He had lea
rned his lesson well with his ex-wife
and he didn’t need any remedial training. Luke Tanner and women did
n’t mix, plain and simple. T
his woman appeared to be no different. She was here because she needed something. Another demanding female he could do without.

Not for the first time, he wondered if being such a success was worth it. He had to believe his great-grandfather had found more happiness in his two-room shack th
a
n Luke did in the five-bedroom house that stood in its place. At least his ancestor had
had
a wife and f
amily to keep him company. T
hat first Tanner had known his fa
mily loved him for himself,
not because his bank account had more zeros then the Circle T had cattle.

H
e peeled
and chopped potatoes
, welding the long, sharp knife with
the ease and finesse of a sou
s
chef. If he used a little more force than was absolutely necessary, he didn’t admit it to himself.

“
According to Doc Logan, Grandfather’s break is a simple fracture and will heal just fine. But he did suggest we get someone to help out
around here for a while
. Grandpa
i
s no longer able to cook and clean and I don’t have time to play house frau.
”

“
And I suppose I do, Mr. Tanner?
”
A blonde eyebrow quirked in inquiry.

“
Doing a few dishes and cooking a few meals above your calling, Ms. Carter?
”
Luke watched as the beautiful face before him took on an outraged expression and her whole body quivered with an effort not to explode. It had been a long time since someone besides his grandfather had stood up to him.

The woman had spunk, he had to give her that. Maybe she was just what the doctor ordered to lift his grandfather out of the blue fun
k he’d fallen into lately. I
f the
truth be told, they could use more than a little help. Even before the accident, he’d been thinking of getting someone in more frequently to clean.
Eyeing the intriguing woman before him, he tho
ught this
might prove to be an interesting arrangement. A very interesting arrangement indeed.

As the silence stretched, he watched her become even more flustered. She parted her full lips and a small pink tongue came out to wet them, sending that same long forgotten shiver of awareness down his spine. He could tell she wanted nothing more than to march out the front door and to tell him to take his job offer and shove it w
here the sun didn’t shine. She held
her temper. Just barely.

“
Would you like
for
me to cook dinner tonight?
”
She sounded as if she’d rather run naked through a cactus patch and he grinned to himself as she clenched her fists against the granite countertop.

“
No, thanks, I’ve got everything under control,
”
he answered.
He finished the potatoes and put them on to boil.
Pulling the makings for a salad from the fridge, he gestured toward the living
room
.
“
Why don’t you go wait in there?
”

“
Yes, sir, anything you say sir,
”
Mary mumbled under her breath as the arrogant man waved her away. Taking deep, calming breaths, she made her way into the spacious room that had captured her fancy just moments before.

S
he picked up a faded black and white photograph
from the mantel. A man and woman
stood, arms entwined, looking not at the camera but at each other with so much emotion it made Mary’s chest ache. The man was tall and rugged and the woman, Mary note
d with great satisfaction, had
a well-rounded figure. She sighed
, thinking she had been born in the wrong century
. Apparently, the early mountain men of
Wyoming
liked their women with a little meat on their bone
s. As she studied the two
blurred images, so
ft footsteps sounded behind her.

In walked
a man who bore an uncanny resemblanc
e to the one in the picture.
All three of the Tanner men looked strikingly similar.
Joseph Tanner
was the
handsome
st
of the three, Lu
ke apparently having taken
after his
great-grandfather with his raw-
boned look. Joseph still
cut a striking figure
for a man in his seventies. Specks of white
sprinkled his once jet-black hair and the proud set of his shoulders barely drooped.

Before she could introduce herself, he spoke.
“
That’s a picture of my mother and father, Adam and Rachel Tanner. She had hair the color of copper and he stood
as
high as the mountains.
”

The reverent tone of his voice reflected the
obvious
love
and pride
he felt for his parents. Taking the picture from her hands
, he studied it
briefly
before gently replacing it on the mantel.
“
She came here as a mail order bride and some say before that she worked in a brothel in
St. Louis
. But that didn’t bother my dad. He said he loved her from the day she stepped off the train.
”

“
We all have a past,
”
Mary
said
, wanting to assure the elder gentleman
that
she had nothing against him because of his heritage. Having endured so much herself,
she tried
never
to stand
in judgment
of anyone else
.

“
So we do, so we do.
”
The man agreed. He gave her a
measuring look.
“
But sometimes that past interferes with the present and the future.
”

Mary saw the look
he threw her
and returned it in full. She had bee
n tested many times by her
elderly
patients. Their generation judged a person on self-worth and not material possessions. But the look in Joseph’s eyes seemed to reflect something el
se entirely. A warning perhaps?

“
Dinner’s ready.
”
Luke’s voice boomed from the kitchen, startling her.

“
Is he always so curt?
”
she asked irritably.

Joseph chuckled a
nd placed his hand on her elbow to guide
her from the room.
“
He’s always been an impatient sort. Even as a child. Seemed to learn to ride before he could walk. Drove my Emma crazy.
”

They arrived at the table in time to see Luke placing large pieces of stake on a platter
.
Bowls of creamy mashed potatoes, fresh green beans, the garden salad Mary had watched him
fix
sat on the end of the serving bar. Without a word they each helped themselve
s to the delicious smelling side dishes
.

“
This tastes heavenly, but I wish you had allowed me to help.
”
She still smarted over his comment about menial labor being beneath her. He had a lot to learn about the nursing profession if he thought hard physical labor didn’t play a part.

She cut into her steak gingerly.
Looking up, she caught Luke’s eye and smiled sheepishly.
She hated meat that wasn’t well
done
.
“
This is perfect. Thank you.
”

“
Most women like their steak burnt to a crisp.
”

Mary’s eyes narrowed.
“
I’m not mo
st women. And I don’t
care for people who label others. But you are correct, I don’t like my meat to moo when I try to eat it.
”
She gestured
to his almost raw piece of steak, the smile that curved her lips sugary sweet, if not downright condescending.

Joseph laughed
at Luke’s steely expression
,
making Mary realize that very few people
ever talked back to the man
. She stabbed a green bean with a vengeance. Well, Mr. Tanner, she thought savagely, don’t look now, but I’m about to rock your world.

After she took a few more bites, she turned her attention to Joseph, deci
ding to
ignore the big man by her side. With the looks he kept casting her way, she’d be lucky if she didn’t get indigestion.
“
Exactly what kind of ranch is this, Joseph?
”

Luke answered before his grandfather could speak.
“
What kind of ranch do you think it is, city girl?
”
His disdain for her laced his voice.
“
An ostrich ranch?
”

Mary threw him a frosty glare, determined not to let him intimidate her.
“
For all I know it might very well be. I believe they do quite well in
Australia
.
”

Luke muttered a colorful word under his breath, earning himself a warning glare from his grandfather.

“
We raise cattle,
”
Joseph said.
“
And Luke also has a fine string of purebred stallions. His stud service is quite impressive.
”