Barbara Dunlop: A Cowboy Comes Home

His gaze strayed to the staircase at the opposite end of the living room. His old bedroom was up there. Where, apparently, Mandy had been sleeping. Of course, she could have been lying about that, simply amusing herself by messing with his head.

Then again, even if she had slept in his bed, why should he care? He didn’t. The woman could sleep wherever she wanted.

Her footfalls sounded on the kitchen tiles. Seconds later, she strode through the archway between the kitchen and the living room, tucking her phone into the front pocket of her jeans. “Seth’s going to send a couple of hands.”

“Send them where?”

She did a double take. “Here, of course.”

“Why?”

“To help you out.”

“I didn’t ask for help.” Caleb didn’t mean to sound ungrateful, but he didn’t need Mandy waltzing in and making decisions for him. He didn’t know what happened next, but he knew he’d be the guy calling the shots.

She blinked. “I know. I did it as a favor.”

“Next time, please ask permission.”

“You want me to ask for permission to do a favor?”

“I want you to ask permission to meddle in my business.”

“Meddling? You call lending you two highly qualified hands to take care of your ranch while we look for your brother meddling? ”

Caleb took in the determined tilt of her chin, the squared shoulders that said she was ready for a scrap and the animated flash in her jewel-bright eyes. He decided it wasn’t the right time for a fight.

“Next time,” he told her more softly, “please ask first.”

“I wouldn’t worry about there being a next time.”

Fine. No problem. He’d dealt with everything else in his life without help.

He’d find his brother. He’d find him fast and get his life back to normal.

He couldn’t help thinking about how his financial lawyer, Danielle Marin, was going to react to him being stuck in Colorado.

Active Equipment was at a critical point in setting up a new division in South America. Danielle was wading her way through Brazil’s complicated banking and accounting regulations.

Mandy moved in closer. “What are you going to do now?”

“Find Reed.” And drag him home.

“And in the meantime? The ranch? The animals?”

“I’ll deal with it.”

A mocking lilt came into Mandy’s voice. “Sure would be nice if you had a little help.”

“Sure would be nice if you minded your own business.”

“I’m only doing my duty as a neighbor.”

“Are you going for the good-neighbor merit badge?”

She perked up. “There’s a badge?”

“Were you always this much of a smart-ass?”

“You don’t remember what I was like?”

“You were four grades behind me. I barely noticed you.”

“I thought you were hot.”

Caleb went still.

“Schoolgirl fantasy,” Mandy finished smoothly. “I didn’t know your true character back then.”

“You don’t know my true character now,” he retorted.

But her words triggered some kind of hormonal reaction deep inside him. He thought she was hot, right here, right now, right this very minute. And that was a complication this situation definitely didn’t need.

“You married?” he asked her hopefully. “Engaged?”

She wiggled her bare left hand in front of his face.

“Seeing someone?” he pressed, praying for the yes that would make him honor bound to quit thinking of her naked in his arms.

“Why do you want to know?”

“I wondered who I should pity.”

Despite the insult, their gazes locked. They flared, and then smoldered. He couldn’t seem to tamp down his unspoken desire.

“No,” she told him flatly.

“I didn’t ask you anything.” He didn’t want to kiss her. He wouldn’t want to kiss her.

She tipped her head to a challenging angle, her rich, dark hair flowing like a curtain. “I’m helping you find your brother. Don’t get any ideas.”

“I didn’t ask for your help.” What he really wanted was for her to go away and stay away so he could keep him emotions on an even keel.

“You’re getting it, anyway, neighbor.”

“There isn’t actually a badge, you know.”

“I want him back, too.”

It wasn’t that Caleb had an interest in ferrying Reed back to Lyndon Valley. He had an interest in the Terrell ranch no longer being his problem. And there was more than one way to accomplish that.

“I could sell the place,” he pointed out.

She stiffened, drawing back in obvious astonishment. “You wouldn’t.”

“I could.”

“I won’t let you.”

The threat was laughable. “How’re you going to stop me?”

She lifted her chin. “I’ll appeal to your honor and principles.”

“Fresh out,” he told her honestly, his desire for her starting a slow burn in his body. There was certainly no honor in lusting after his brother’s neighbor.

She shook her head in denial, the tip of her tongue touching her bottom lip. “You’re here, aren’t you? You came all the way out here to give the ranch back to Reed. You can’t undo all those good intentions because you’ve been slowed down by a day or so.”

Caleb hesitated. The faster the better as far as he was concerned. “You think we can find him in a day or so?”

“Sure,” she said with breezy conviction. “How hard can it be?”

Caleb wasn’t touching that one.

But the flash in her eyes told him she’d heard the double-entendre as clearly as he did. She held up a warning finger. “I told you not to get any ideas.”

“You have a vivid imagination.”

“And you have a transparent expression. Don’t ever play poker.”

“Well, not with you.”

“So, you admit I’m right?” Her expression held a hint of triumph.

“I can control myself if you can.”

“There’s nothing for me to control.”

“You think I’m hot,” he reminded her.

“When I was thirteen and underage.”

“You’re not underage now.”

She pointed to him and then back to herself. “You and me, Caleb.”

Sensual anticipation shot through his chest.

But she wasn’t finished speaking. “Are going to find your brother, give him back his ranch and then go our respective ways.”

Caleb squelched his ridiculous disappointment. What had he expected her to say?

Having escaped to the Terrell’s front porch and perched herself on the railing, Mandy tried not to think about the sensual awareness that flared inside her every time Caleb spoke.

And when he’d hugged her.

Hoo boy. She fanned herself with her white Stetson, remembering the tingling sensation that flowed across her skin and the glow that had warmed the pit of her stomach as he’d pressed his body against hers. Though the brothers were twins, she’d never felt anything remotely like that in a hug from Reed.

She heard the sound she’d been waiting for and saw a Jacobs ranch pickup truck careen up the driveway. She stuffed the hat back on her head as the truck caught air on the last pothole before spraying gravel while it spun in the turnaround and rocked to a halt. Two Jacobs ranch hands exited the passenger side, giving her a wave as they headed for the barn, while her brother Travis emerged from the driver’s, anchoring his worn hat on his head and striding toward her.

“And?” Travis demanded as he approached, brows going up.

Mandy jabbed her thumb toward the front doorway just as Caleb filled the frame.

At six-two, with long legs, all lanky muscle, Travis easily took the stairs two at a time.

“Came to see for myself,” he told Caleb, looking him up and down before offering his hand.