Winning Over the Cowboy Read online

  The water turned a faint, cloudy blue as she rinsed until it ran clear down the drain. She scanned the bathroom once more, pulled off her gloves and washed her hands. Satisfied, she gave the bedroom one last survey.

  The Rest a Spell Room had always lived up to its name. But the new soft suede bedspread with a scene in the middle of a cowboy kneeling at the cross, his horse behind him, added to the serenity. She could use some of that. She sucked in a big breath, then hurried out.

  And almost ran into Chase. She hit the brakes.

  “Whoa.” But terrycloth scattered as he made an abrupt halt, then stooped to retrieve his load.

  “Sorry.” Trying not to look at him, she squatted to help.

  “I saw a note the room needed fresh towels.” Mess retrieved, he offered a hand to help her up.

  She hesitated. Surely it wouldn’t cause sparks to take his offer. She set her hand in his. But it did cause sparks. Enough to light up all of Texas. She couldn’t afford to touch him, no matter how innocently. Not after last night on the dock.

  “I already brought a fresh set up.” She reached for the towels. “Let me have these. I’ll take them to the laundry.”

  “I’ve got them.” He turned toward the stairs, then waited until she descended first.

  Chase hurried to drop off his load as Landry stashed her cleaning supplies in the closet. Just as he came back, Savannah stepped inside with Paxton following.

  “Hey, y’all, glad you could make it.” Landry tried for perky to cover Chase’s unease.

  “I felt odd just walking in.” Savannah smiled. “But Paxton laughed at me when I started to knock.”

  “Fortunately, I stopped her.” Paxton put his arm around her waist.

  “This place is awesome.” Savannah spun in a circle in the foyer, looking up at the massive beams of the gabled ceiling. “We should get married here.”

  She stopped spinning, clamped a hand over her mouth.

  Chase’s jaw clenched.

  “It’s okay—they’re still in the kitchen.” Landry touched her elbow. The dude ranch was open for weddings now. But not necessarily Eden’s husband’s.

  “I’ve always loved this place.” Paxton shoved his hands in his pockets. “But I want our wedding to be somewhere that’s ours.”

  “Oh, right.” Savannah grimaced. “I forgot you and Eden got married here. Planned to live here. My brain-to-mouth filter doesn’t function when I’m nervous.”

  “No need to be nervous.” Chase’s voice cracked. “Have a seat.”

  Landry wanted to give him a hug. But that was no longer an option. A hug might lead to something else. Something neither of them could handle.

  Paxton settled on the couch with Savannah beside him. Landry sank into a cowhide wingback facing them. Chase chose the matching one on the other side of the massive fireplace.

  “So, are there guests here?” Savannah glanced toward the stairway.

  “At the moment we have only one room available.” Her hands probably still smelled like Ajax from cleaning. “Weekends are usually our busiest time.”

  “I’ve never known anyone who owned a dude ranch or a hotel or anything. I’m just curious how it all works.”

  “Usually on Saturday night, Janice, Elliot and I would be working the kitchen. But all of our guests decided to go out tonight.”

  “It’s like God arranged this evening for us.” Savannah squeezed Paxton’s hand.

  Landry glanced at Chase. Stoic and silent.

  Footfalls and voices in the foyer.

  “I think Mom and Dad are coming.” Chase cleared his throat, stood and hurried to greet them.

  “I hate putting them through this.” Savannah pursed her lips. “I know it’s hard on them.”

  “It is.” Landry shrugged. “But we all think the world of Paxton. And we’re glad he found you. That he’s happy again.”

  Whispers in the foyer, and several minutes passed.

  Janice stepped into the room with Elliot close behind. Her chin quivered, and she pressed her fingers to her lips. Elliot gripped her shoulders.

  Paxton stood with uncertain hesitation as Chase hovered in the doorway, while Landry tried not to cry and poor Savannah twisted the edge of her skirt into a knot.

  “Oh, Paxton.” Janice hurried to him and cupped his face in her hands as tears traced down her cheeks. “It’s so good to see you.”

  “I’m glad.” He bit his lip. “I wasn’t sure how...”

  “Of course we want to see you.” Janice hugged him. “You made our little girl’s last years—last days—the happiest of her life. I told myself I wouldn’t cry.”

  Landry swiped a tear and glanced at Savannah. She was sitting alone on the couch, looking completely lost, yet she managed a tremulous smile.

  Finally Janice let go of Paxton, and Elliot took her place. “Good seeing you, son.”

  As the hugging ended, Paxton reclaimed his seat next to Savannah. “I’d like you to meet my fiancée, Savannah.”

  “Sorry about all the tears.” Janice dabbed her eyes, perched next to Savannah, patted the younger woman’s arm. “We’re very pleased to meet you.”

  “It’s okay.” Savannah’s smile turned more confident. “I’m glad to see how much y’all love Paxton.”

  “Like Janice said, he loved our little girl.” Elliot frowned. “Sorry.”

  “It’s fine.” Savannah wiped a tear. “I’m glad Eden was loved. She was a wonderful person from everything I’ve heard.”

  “Oh, dear, you’re such a sweetheart.” Janice handed her a tissue.

  A buzzer went off.

  “That’s the oven.” Landry jumped up, grateful for the excuse to escape the swirling emotion, and bolted for the kitchen.

  Janice and Savannah came to help. Within minutes, they trooped to the table, each holding a dish and Landry settled beside Chase.

  “It’s like a family gathering.” Janice took her seat at the end of the table. “With a few new members.”

  * * *

  Silence filled the office. Mom and Dad’s ease with Paxton last night was such a relief. But Chase’s heart wouldn’t settle with Landry so near. He could separate his life into two categories—before the real kiss and after real the kiss.

  They’d attended services together this morning. There was nothing like worshipping God with the woman you loved. If only she loved him back.

  “Can you put the website password in for me?” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “With our engaged couple coming to see the ranch house tomorrow, I want to add how many we can accommodate for out-of-town wedding parties.”

  He stood, took a step. But he didn’t want to get any closer. And besides, he knew her now.

  “Better yet, I’ll give it to you.” He rattled off the code.

  “Thanks.” Her gaze latched on to his. A hand went to her heart. “It means a lot that you trust me with it.”

  Her cell phone buzzed, vibrating across the desk where she’d set it down.

  She grabbed it, then frowned. “It’s Kyle.”

  His breathing stopped. He’d expected it. But it had been over a week since news of his breakup, with no contact from him. He’d started to hope Kyle would stay out of the picture.

  The phone buzzed in her hand. She just stared at it.

  “You don’t have to answer.”

  She met his gaze, as if she’d forgotten he was there. “It won’t hurt to see what he wants.” She pressed a finger to the screen. “Hello?”

  Stomach churning, he wouldn’t stand here and listen while Kyle spun her back into his web. He couldn’t. He made his escape as fast as his wobbly legs would carry him. Needing a break, he headed straight for his cabin.

  But as he stepped out on the front porch, he noticed a figure
on the porch swing. “Hey, Dad.”

  “What’s got you down in the mouth?”

  He leaned a hand against a log column, stared at the wooden floor of the porch. “She’s on the phone with Kyle.”

  “Have you told her you love her yet?” Dad gestured to the seat beside him.

  Chase settled in, propped his elbows on his knees, dropped his face in his hands. “Who said I did?” At the moment, he wished he didn’t.

  “So you’re all tied in knots for the fun of it?”

  “I can’t stand to sit by and watch him hurt her again. That’s all.”

  “Because you love her. You miss her when you’re not with her. You worry about her. You love talking to her, spending time with her—even more than fishing, hunting or riding horses.”

  “It doesn’t matter.” He sat up, gripped the chain, the links pressing into his palm. “She’s in love with someone else.”

  “You sure about that? I think she’s done with him. And even if she’s not, he left her at the altar and moved on to someone else.”

  “He’s not engaged anymore. Why do you think he called her?” His voice cracked. “But even if she’s not interested in him, I don’t want her on the rebound. I want her to love me.” Not to need me or offer me what’s left of her heart after Kyle trampled it. “She’s not ready.”

  “Or maybe you’re just scared.”

  “Of what?” Of her not feeling the same way. Of it not working out, but owning a business together. Of Kyle trying to come between them.

  “Son, sometimes you have to take a chance. And sometimes taking chances hurts. But if you don’t, you’ll always regret it. Wonder what if. What might have been. Is that any way to live?”

  “But what if she doesn’t feel the same way?” His biggest fear. “Or she does, but we crash and burn?”

  “Then you’ll have to decide if you can go back to being her friend. Maybe the two of you are supposed to be just friends. Or maybe you’re meant to be more. But you’ll never know unless you tell her how you feel.”

  “I never wanted this.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I never wanted to own the dude ranch. I only want to handle the recreation stuff.” He’d been content with that. Until Landry changed everything.

  “She got in your heart. And everything changed.” Dad twisted his wedding ring round and round. “That’s what happened when I met your mom. I never wanted to own a restaurant. That was her dream.”

  “But you seem happy. I always thought it was your dream, too.”

  “As long as your mom’s by my side, it is my dream. She handles the books. I get to cook. We’re a great team.” Dad leaned forward, patted his knee. “The right woman changes everything.”

  Was Landry the right woman? His heart sure insisted she was.

  He just had to show her he was the right man for her. How could he convince her to give him a chance?

  * * *

  Landry held her breath as her sister, in wedding planner mode, showed her engaged couple around. The bride-to-be caught her fiancé’s gaze and smiled.

  That had to be good. Even though there were only four days until their wedding and the dude ranch was probably their only choice, she still wanted the couple to like what they saw.

  “So, we could have the wedding here in the great room?”

  “Your guest list is relatively small. We’ll have plenty of room,” Devree said. “We’ll move all the furniture out. Imagine coming down that staircase, then saying your I do’s in front of the fireplace.”

  “What do you think, honey?” The groom, eager to please.

  “I really like it.”

  “Me, too.” Relief tinged his tone. Over the rustic setting or that a decision had been made?

  Landry squelched a sigh. There was no way the groom could feel half as relieved as she did. She needed her idea for hosting weddings to be successful. To prove her worth to Chase? Like it would make any difference.

  “Having the wedding and reception in one place makes it easier on everyone involved.” Devree cinched the deal. “And more people will stay for the reception if they don’t have to change locations.”

  “If more people stay, will we have enough food?” The bride’s hand went to her heart.

  “Landry is a chef, the restaurant here caters and there’s a second chef on staff. For an extra fee, they’ll handle overflow.”

  “But it’s already Monday. The wedding is Friday evening.”

  “Not a problem.” Landry handed the jittery bride a brochure of the restaurant’s catering services.

  “Oh, Devree, what would I do without you?” The bride flipped through the glossy package descriptions and didn’t even blink at the prices. “You think of everything.” Her hand stilled. “Where will I get ready for the ceremony?”

  “There are a variety of rooms with ample space upstairs,” Landry said. “We’ll provide one.” All this info was in the new dude ranch brochures Chase had gone to pick up from the printer.

  “We’ll have to call the florist, the bakery, the guests and who knows who else to tell them about the change.”

  “Relax.” Devree put a comforting hand on the bride’s shoulder. “I’ll take care of the vendors. And if you’ll compile a contact list, I’ll get in touch with your guests, also.”

  The door opened, and when Landry saw Chase walk in, she stopped breathing for a moment.

  “Oh, good, here’s Chase with more brochures.” Devree met him at the door. “Now we can make some final decisions.”

  “Hot off the presses.” He set a box on the reservation counter, slit it open with a letter opener.

  “Perfect timing.” Landry sorted through them, then handed the bride one of each. “Chase, this is Missy and Victor. They’ve decided to have their wedding and reception here Friday night.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Chase shook hands with the groom.

  “We appreciate you accommodating us on such short notice.” Missy giggled, the typical giddy bride. “Not just any man would put up with an instant wedding.” She grinned at Landry. “You must have a very special husband.”

  “We’re not married.” Landry’s words blended with Chase’s.

  The bride’s mouth formed a small O.

  “We’re business partners. Chase lives in a cabin on the property.” Landry didn’t want anyone thinking there was impropriety going on.

  “I’ll let y’all get back to wedding planning.” His mouth seemed to have tipped down after her explanation. “I’ve got lots of work to do.” He hurried out of the room.

  He’d been odd since the kiss. Worse since Kyle had called about possibly booking his client a hog hunt. She probably should have explained, but she didn’t want to get his hopes up for nothing.

  Maybe he was just eager to get busy with the fencing for the hog hunts. Exhausting work and now he’d spend part of his upcoming days moving furniture and getting ready for the wedding. He hadn’t signed up for either. His plan had been to lead trail rides and host camping and fishing trips. None of which was work to him.

  Was he tired of the dude ranch? It had never been his dream. It had been Eden’s. He’d only signed on to help after Granny’s death. But now that she couldn’t imagine her life without him, was Chase wanting out?

  Chapter Thirteen

  The sturdy field fencing dug into Chases’ gloved hands as he stapled it onto the post. Wedding planning had kept Landry busy yesterday, but this morning he couldn’t shake her.

  “Even though the boars will be fenced in, don’t we need to hire a guide?” She pushed the roll along the barren ground, uncoiling enough length to reach the next post. “Maybe wait and hire one if we get a hunt booked?”

  “I worked as a guide on a ranch back when I was traveling. And you’ll never guess what Ron’s
job was before they moved here. A hunting guide at an exotic ranch in San Angelo.”

  “No way. It’s like God orchestrated the whole thing for us.”

  “He did.” If only God would help him make Landry fall in love with him.

  “Is it really hunting if the boars are fenced in and we feed them corn?”

  Chase chuckled. “It’s the only way to guarantee hunters will see action. Trust me, this is how all the hunting ranches do it. We’re trying to appeal to business executives with limited time. They don’t want to spend days tracking and trailing. They’re out to make memories and end up with meat in their freezers.”

  He clamped the fence stretching tool on the woven fencing, and she helped him tug it tight to the next post.

  “So they really can jump any fence shorter than this?”

  “According to the ranch where I worked and my research, up to three feet. This one is four.”

  Her phone rang. She tugged off her work glove and dug the phone from her pocket. Her eyes widened. He’d seen that look before.

  “Him again?”

  She nodded.

  “Don’t answer it.” Chase gritted his teeth.

  “I have to.” She swiped her finger across the screen. “Hello.”

  He could hear a male voice but couldn’t make out what Kyle was saying.

  Chase tried to concentrate on the fence. But he couldn’t get past the fact that the woman he loved was on the phone with the man she loved. The man she’d almost married. Would have married if left up to her.

  “That’s awesome. I can’t tell you how grateful we are. Yes, text me the number.”

  Now he was texting her?

  He missed the nail and nicked his thumb instead. “Ouch.” He gritted his teeth against the throbbing.

  He saw Landry wince on his behalf. “Thank you so much,” she said into the phone, then listened for several minutes as her gaze met his. “Yes. I’ll call him ASAP. Thanks.” She ended the call. “Are you hurt?”

  “It’s fine.” His thumb was still throbbing.

  “Let me see.” She grabbed his hand, tugged his glove off, inspected his thumb. Her tender caring lighting him up like a starry sky on a clear Texas night.