Cowboy Outlaw Read online

  “Don’t worry, she wasn’t locked up here. She was a guest speaker at our vocational careers class a while back.” Eileen smiled. “Sweet lady, but tough as nails too. She sure didn’t put up with any sass from the loudmouths in the class.”

  “I do like her,” Chloe said. “And I’m excited about this job.”

  Eileen beamed. “Well, you can thank me for that. Hattie and I chatted a bit after class that day. I told her all about you and Gino, just like any other proud mama. So Hattie knew where to go lookin’ for good help.” She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “And she told the class that some of her employees even find love on the job. Maybe you’ll be one of them.”

  “I’ve heard that rumor,” Chloe said, shaking her head. “But I don’t believe in mixing business with romance.”

  “My sensible Chloe.” Eileen sighed. “I suppose you don’t believe in love, either.”

  “Actually, I do. But I’m taking a break from the dating cesspool. I just want to focus on building my design business.”

  Eileen clucked her tongue. “You’re on the wrong side of twenty-five, dear. It’s time to stop being so picky.”

  “I’m not picky,” Chloe countered. “As long as they pass the FBI background check.”

  Eileen laughed, but Chloe wasn’t joking. Growing up among the Galetti men had taught her exactly what she didn’t want in a man. They were all handsome and charming, but too reckless for their own good. They all had criminal records too. Except Gino, whom she’d managed to keep out of trouble. So far, anyway.

  To be fair, Chloe’s deceased father hadn’t had a criminal record, either. But only because the masterful jewel thief had never been caught.

  “Once I make parole, maybe I’ll apply for a job at Cowboy Confidential myself,” Eileen said playfully. “I still have a few marketable skills. And after spending the last five years in here, I could use some romance in my life.”

  “That’s a wonderful idea,” Chloe exclaimed, willing to show enthusiasm for anything that would keep her mother out of trouble. And out of prison. “As soon as you’re free, we’ll go shopping. We’ll buy you a whole new wardrobe.”

  “I need a new hairstyle, too,” Eileen said, fingering her faded brown hair. “And maybe a color touch-up.”

  “We’ll make a day of it,” she promised. Thanks to Cowboy Confidential, Chloe would have enough money to give her mother a fresh new start. Hattie Holden’s job offer couldn’t have come at a better time. Hattie hadn’t even asked her for any references. All she’d required of Chloe was to sign on the dotted line. And she’d even given her two bottles of her homemade blackberry cordial as an employee appreciation gift.

  ###

  Later that evening, Cade sat at his dining room table, knowing he had a decision to make. Kimberly sat opposite him, poised and perfect. Her perfection had actually begun to irritate him a little, but that could just be a side effect of his pain medication.

  “How was your dessert?” Kimberly asked after taking a sip of her white wine. She was dressed in a pale-blue silk suit and a pristine white blouse buttoned up to the neck. Her soft-green eyes were serene and focused only on him. Her long blond hair fell like a silk curtain over her shoulders. She was... perfect.

  “It’s fine,” he replied, putting down his spoon.

  She carefully folded her white linen napkin and set it on the table beside her plate. “Blancmange is one of my favorites.”

  Blancmange was a fancy name for vanilla pudding. That was the problem. Everything with Kimberly was just so... vanilla. Cade sat back in his chair, more irritated with himself than with her. She fit all his specifications, so what exactly was his problem?

  Kimberly checked off every item on his list for the perfect wife. Even the truth about his outlaw past hadn’t scared her off, yet he’d almost fallen asleep over the soup course. Maybe he was just tired. Calving season would start in a few weeks and he’d been rising before dawn to prepare for it. Then there was the incident with Gino. He flexed his right foot, which was propped up on a chair, and winced slightly at the movement.

  “Does it hurt?” she asked, staring down at the bulky gauze bandage on his big toe.

  “The numbness is starting to wear off,” Cade replied, trying to ignore the throbbing ache in his toe.

  She shook her head as she set her spoon down and pushed her empty bowl away. “I never realized ranch life could be so dangerous. You’re lucky you only needed four stitches.”

  “Five,” he corrected her, shifting his foot slightly. “And I would have needed a lot more than that if I hadn’t been wearing my cowboy boots. It ruined one of them, of course, but saved my foot.”

  She smiled. “Well, you can always buy a new pair of boots.”

  Her wholesome smile was beginning to set his teeth on edge. Funny how it had never bothered him before. But then, he hadn’t considered the possibility of looking at the smile every day across the breakfast table for the next fifty years.

  Until now.

  “Although, you really should be more careful.” She meticulously brushed a few crumbs off the tablecloth and into her hand. “Thank goodness your grandmother was there to call for an ambulance.”

  “The ambulance wasn’t for me; it was for Gino. He had a panic attack after he dropped the saw on my foot, and then he started hyperventilating.”

  “Oh, dear,” she murmured.

  But Cade got the feeling she wasn’t really listening. Her total attention was now focused on scraping the dried pink wax off the crystal candleholder.

  So maybe she wasn’t all that exciting. He wasn’t looking for that in a wife. He wasn’t necessarily looking for love either, he reminded himself, since that had always proved elusive too. Maybe he just wasn’t built that way.

  Affection, compatibility, and hopefully passion were all he needed. Not love. At least not the heart-pounding, soul-searing love that had turned his older brothers’ lives inside out. He had a plan. That’s why he’d built this four-bedroom home on Elk Creek Ranch two years ago, located about half a mile west of Grandma Hattie’s house.

  Cade wanted order in his life. Stability. A family. He wanted... vanilla. Which meant he must want Kimberly. He’d probably get used to her smile. And the way her nose twitched when she chewed. All married couples had to make some adjustments, didn’t they? It was possible she might even find one or two things about him that irritated her.

  The wall clock chimed eight times. Just get it over with, Cade told himself, tired of these annoying second thoughts.

  “Kimberly,” he began.

  She looked up from the candleholder. “Yes, Cade?”

  The words stuck in his throat. He cleared it, then took a deep breath. “I’d like to talk about our future.”

  She leaned forward, daintily folding her hands together on the table. “Oh, I’m so glad. I’ve been wanting to talk about it for a while now, but I didn’t know how to bring it up.”

  That was another thing he’d noticed about Kimberly. She usually waited for him to take the initiative.

  “You go first,” he said graciously, wanting time to compose a proper marriage proposal.

  She gave him an affectionate smile. “I never realized what I wanted in my life until I met you. I know we only started dating a month ago, but now everything seems so clear.” She gazed wistfully into his eyes. “The first time we kissed, I knew for sure.”

  Cade wished he could say the same. Unfortunately, their first kiss had created more doubts in him than desire. “You did?”

  She nodded. “That’s when I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life in a convent.”

  He blinked. “What?”

  “I’m going to become a nun,” she said, her voice quivering with happiness.

  “A nun?” he choked out.

  She dabbed at her watery eyes with her napkin. “I’ve already applied to begin my novitiate at St. Mary’s. I just wanted one last chance to say goodbye, Cade, and to thank you.”

  Thank him?
He frowned down at his sore toe as her words echoed in his head. He’d kissed her and she’d decided to become a nun. Not exactly a glowing endorsement for his sexual prowess.

  “A nun,” he murmured, still rocked by her announcement.

  She smiled. “Are you surprised?”

  “You could say that.” He looked up at her. “How long have you been thinking about becoming a... nun?”

  “Since I was a little girl.” She steepled her fingers together and leaned toward him, looking more animated than he’d ever seen her. “But I didn’t want to rush into it, so I decided to have one last fling with a bad boy just to be sure.”

  One last fling?

  He’d been ready to propose to this woman, and she considered him a fling. Cade shook his head, wondering where he’d gone wrong. In all the time he’d spent sizing up Kimberly as potential marriage material, it had never occurred to him that she might be doing the same to him. And he’d fallen short.

  He shifted in his chair as he realized the full impact of her words. Her fling with him had convinced Kimberly to take a vow of chastity. And what if there were others? Before Kimberly, he’d dated a lot of women, but never for very long. He’d always let them down easy, but maybe they’d been relieved. Maybe St. Mary’s had a run of new nun applications.

  “Oh, Cade, you seem upset.” Sympathy shone in her green eyes. “Please know that it’s not you, it’s me.”

  It’s not you, it’s me? That was his line! He straightened in his chair and cleared his throat. This had gone far enough.

  “No, I understand,” he bit out. “I don’t think it ever would have worked between us.”

  “I’m so glad you see that too. It’s taken me a while to build up the nerve to tell you. Then when I walked in here tonight and saw this beautiful romantic table laid out. Candles. Flowers.” She shivered. “I almost feared the worst.”

  For an aspiring nun, she really knew how to twist the knife. “Think of it as a farewell dinner,” he said at last. “I doubt you’ll get this kind of spread at the nunnery.”

  “That’s true.” She smiled as she pushed back her chair. “Gluttony is a sin.”

  He looked up, surprised to see Kimberly standing now and donning her jacket. “You’re leaving?”

  “We nuns don’t like to keep late hours.” She headed toward the front door, then paused to blow him a kiss over her shoulder. “I had a wonderful time tonight, Cade. Thank you for making that delicious dinner.”

  “Thank you for bringing dessert,” he said blankly. Then he pushed out his chair.

  “No, don’t get up,” she said, holding one hand in the air. “I can see myself out. Besides, you and your toe need to rest.”

  He rose to his feet anyway. Grandpa Henry had taught Cade and his brothers the proper way to treat a lady. He could at least open the door and see her out. But Kimberly, probably fearing a goodnight kiss, gave him a quick wave and sailed out the front door before he could even reach her.

  A few moments later he heard the loud roar of a car engine and the sound of tires kicking up gravel. Sister Kimberly had a lead foot. He vaguely wondered if nuns got speeding tickets.

  He limped slowly back to the dining room and his gaze fell on the soiled plates neatly laid out on the table. Sitting down in his chair, Cade leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He couldn’t wash dishes in his condition. Maybe he should just throw them away. He’d never really liked that daisy pattern, anyway. He’d picked them up cheap at a local thrift store when money had been tight. Now he could afford more masculine dishes. Maybe something with trucks on it.

  While he pondered if he should buy glasses to match, the doorbell rang.

  “It’s open,” he called out, lifting his head and opening his eyes, but not bothering to get up. No reason to aggravate his toe any more than necessary. Maybe it was Kimberly, returning to tell him it was all a big joke.

  But he didn’t laugh when a sultry brunette strode into his dining room. She wore a stylish turquoise dress that outlined a luscious hourglass figure. The kind of body a man could sink his hands into. With a conscious effort, he lifted his gaze from her dress to look at her face. He noticed her big brown eyes first, fringed with thick, dark lashes, then her pert nose and full pink lips.

  This woman was no nun.

  So, who was she? And what was she doing in his ranch house? He swallowed hard as a curious mixture of apprehension and desire rose inside of him. But before he could ask her anything, she placed both hands on the table and leaned toward him, unwittingly displaying her generous cleavage. Then she spoke.

  “You’re just the man I’ve been looking for.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  Chloe silently counted to ten while Cade Holden stared at her. Cursed with genes that made all the Galetti women well-endowed, she was used to men paying avid attention to her physical assets and ignoring the fact that she was a savvy, intelligent woman. But this one was different. He obviously appreciated her assets but studied her in a way that seemed to probe into her very soul.

  She impatiently cleared her throat to get his attention. It worked. He looked up at her, his eyes slightly glazed. For the first time she noticed their unusual color—a deep, dark blue like polished sapphires. If she put any stock in physical appearance, she’d have to admit this cowboy was good-looking. All right, just plain gorgeous with that square jaw, aquiline nose, and close-cropped dark hair. She couldn’t help but notice how well the rest of him looked either, his rock-hard biceps and broad shoulders clearly defined through his black Western shirt.

  “You’re staring,” Cade announced.

  “Me?” Chloe swallowed, her throat dry. “You were the one who was staring.”

  “I always stare at beautiful women. Especially when they suddenly appear out of nowhere.” Then his eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Why were you looking for me?”

  She motioned toward the empty chair in front of her. “Aren’t you going to ask me to sit down?”

  “I’d rather you answer my question first. Or maybe I can answer it for you. My grandmother, Hattie Holden, sent you here, didn’t she?”

  “She gave me your address, but...”

  “I knew it,” he interjected, shaking his head in disgust. “I knew it was too good to be true.”

  Chloe pulled out the chair and sat down next to him. “It?”

  “I mean you,” he muttered, then heaved a long sigh. “Look, we both know why you’re here. Let’s just skip the preliminaries and get right down to it.” He leaned forward, closing the distance between them. “Kiss me.”

  Her mouth dropped open. She quickly closed it again before he took it as a sign of encouragement. “Are you crazy?”

  “No, just efficient. Once you kiss me, we’ll both know if there’s any future for our relationship. Although I should warn you that the last woman who kissed me decided to never let another man touch her lips again.”

  Cade Holden was not only a lunatic, but an incredible egomaniac. She smiled sweetly at him. “Thanks, but I’ll pass. I make it a habit not to kiss a man within the first five minutes of meeting him. Just one of my little idiosyncrasies.”

  “Suit yourself.” He leaned back in his chair. “So, tell me, Miss...”

  “You can call me Chloe.”

  “Chloe. Do you make it a habit of going door-to-door looking for romance?”

  She blinked. “I think you’re confused again, Mr. Holden...”

  “Call me Cade.” He smiled at her, but there was nothing sweet about it. His expression reminded her of a lion contemplating its next meal. “Maybe I am confused. In fact, you’re probably just a delightful figment of my imagination. The pain medication is making me a little woozy.”

  “Pain medication?” she asked, wondering why she was surprised. There had to be some logical explanation for his odd behavior.

  He winced as he lifted his bare foot up in the air. That’s when she noticed he’d had it propped up on a padded chair on the opposite side of the table. His big toe
was swathed in white gauze so thick it looked like a lightbulb. Before she could stop herself, she emitted a snort of laughter.

  His jaw tightened. “Is something funny?”

  “I’m sorry,” she said, dissolving into uncontrollable, not to mention undignified, giggles. She took a deep breath and struggled to contain her amusement. “Did you hurt yourself?”

  He drew himself up in his chair, obviously offended by her reaction. “My toe was almost amputated by a power saw today. The injury required several stitches.”

  Chloe stared at his foot in disbelief. “You mean that was the horrendous accident Gino was so upset about? You cut your toe?”

  He narrowed his eyes. “You know Gino?”

  She didn’t like his tone. “Better than anyone. He happens to be my little brother.”

  Cade closed his eyes. “That explains it.”

  “Explains what?”

  “You’re a Galetti. That explains why I’ve felt uneasy ever since you walked through my front door. I’ve heard that wherever Galettis go, disaster soon follows.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Don’t you think that’s a bit of an exaggeration? Not all Galettis are troublemakers.” Most of them, she admitted to herself, but not all.

  “Tell that to my toe.”

  “Let me see it,” she said, standing up and walking over to the chair that held his injured foot. She reached out one hand to unwrap the gauze.

  “Don’t touch it!”

  “I just want to take a look,” she replied, ignoring his protest. “Don’t be so sensitive. I won’t hurt you; I promise.”

  He gently grabbed her wrist. “Are you a doctor?”

  “No, I’m an interior designer. And in my professional opinion, white gauze doesn’t go at all with the color of this seat cushion. Didn’t the pharmacy have anything in lavender?”

  “Very funny,” he growled.

  “They say laughter is the best medicine.”

  “I prefer Percocet. Unfortunately, it’s wearing off, so I’m not the best company right now. Maybe you could come back tomorrow, Ms. Galetti. Or even better, next year.”