Delores Fossen - No Getting Over A Cowboy

“Sophie has her office in the guesthouse,” Garrett quickly pointed out. As CEO of Granger Western, she had an office in Austin, a huge one, but since getting engaged to Clay, she spent far more time at the ranch than she did in the city.

“Sophie’s not using the bedroom in the guesthouse since she’s sleeping at Clay’s. So, there’s your solution. Sorry that I can’t fix the delay on the ranch improvements, but it’s my guess that Clay’s not going to let you bring in digging equipment until he’s processed the scene.”

Roman was right about that. Nothing anyone could do about it. That still didn’t soothe Garrett any. There were only a few things he could control in his life, and the ranch was one of them. At least he had been able to control it until today.

“My advice?” Roman went on. “Since Nicky’s there, burn off some of your orneriness by having sex with her.”

That brought on more cursing. “How’d you even know Nicky was here?”

“Mom and Sophie told me. Plus, I ran into Nicky a few months ago at a rodeo in San Antonio, and she asked about Z.T.’s place.”

Garrett couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “A few months ago? You’ve known about it all this time?”

“If you were an engine, I’d say you were about to blow a gasket. No, I didn’t know she wanted to lease the house, but she did ask about it. Apparently, she’s always had a soft spot for the place.”

Hell. He hoped that wasn’t because she’d lost her virginity there. But what else could it be? He didn’t like the answer that came to mind.

“Did you take Nicky to Z.T.’s?” Garrett asked, and even though he didn’t add it, Roman knew what he was implying.

“No.” Roman stretched that out a few syllables. “You have a dirty mind, you know that? I liked Nicky, and I always felt a little sorry for her.”

“Because of what happened between me and her?” Garrett didn’t let him answer. “I’m tired of explaining myself when it comes to that. I met Meredith and fell in love with her. What was I supposed to do—stay with Nicky just because we’d had sex?”

“Again, you’re in dirty-mind territory. I didn’t feel sorry for Nicky because of what happened with you two. It’s because she always had this sad look in her eyes. Even before you, she had it. It reminded me of a wounded bird.”

Garrett tried to think back to those days, and yes, Nicky hadn’t always been the happiest of people. He always figured that was because she had seemed so anxious to get the heck out of town. His classmates had fallen into two categories—those who were planted in Wrangler’s Creek and those who thought it was a smelly Texas armpit. Nicky had fallen into the latter category. At least he thought she had until today.

“By the way, Mom’s matchmaking with Nicky and you,” Roman went on. “If you want to ease your suffering and rile Mom at the same time, then just start seeing one of the women in town. Sophie said half the eligible women in Wrangler’s Creek want to have sex with you. Half of the ineligible ones, too.”

Good grief. His sister and Mom were regular chatterboxes today. “No, those women want marriage and commitment. You’re the one they want to have sex with.” Roman couldn’t argue with that, and Garrett gave it one more try. “Will you call Mom?”

“I will if and when you break your sexual dry spell with Nicky.” And with that, Roman hung up.

Garrett stood there, staring at the phone, and he considered all the bad things he would like to do to his brother. He didn’t want any word of what Roman had said to sink in, but Roman was right about one thing. He was ornery and had been since this whole mess with Meredith. A shrink would probably tell him that he was depressed about failing.

The shrink would be right.

The shrink would probably also say that he was overcompensating for that failure by throwing his heart and soul into the ranch.

The shrink would be right about that, too.

At least there was no need for therapy now since he’d diagnosed his own problems. Too bad, though, that there wasn’t an immediate fix for this shit storm.

Garrett shoved his phone back in his pocket and started gathering up his things from his desk to take to the guesthouse. There wasn’t a box, but the trashcan was empty so he used that. He also grabbed his spare jeans and shirt from the closet, and he draped those over his arm. He kept a clean set there just in case someone dropped in for a meeting. Of course, he’d have to eventually go to his room and pack some toiletries and other clothes, but that could wait.

“I’m busy,” he snarled when there was a knock at the door.

But it opened anyway, and Sophie came in. “Are you okay?” she asked.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” He didn’t bother hiding the sarcasm.

“Failed marriage. The six widows in the house. The dead body. You had to put your extension plans for the ranch on hold.” By answering that seriously, Sophie was adding her own sarcasm. “You haven’t had sex in months.”

“I’m not talking sex with you. Just had a little chat with Roman about that very subject.”

She flexed her eyebrows. “I would have thought you already knew about the birds and the bees.”

He was so not in the mood for her attempts to cheer him up. Garrett intended to wallow in it while he came up with a fix for this. “Don’t you have some other place to be right now?”

Sophie gave a smile that only a kid sister could have managed. “Nope.”

“Well, I do. I’m moving to the guesthouse. That means you’ll be inconvenienced until those women leave.”

She shrugged, started to help him gather up his things. “FYI. Mom’s trying to hook you up with Nicky.”

Apparently everyone in the known universe was aware of that. Well, maybe everyone but Nicky. Maybe if he mentioned it to her, she’d go running. It was worth a try anyway.

“Mom thinks you and Nicky have this permanent spiritual bond since the two of you had sex,” Sophie continued. “I told her if that were true, then Roman would have spiritual bonds with half the county. She didn’t like that.”

“I’ll bet. How the heck did she find out about Nicky and me anyway?”

“Gossip. She has selective acceptance when it comes to the things she hears, though. If it’s about me having sex, then it’s a vile rumor. If it’s about you, then it’s true. She believes you’ve had sex with the other half of the women in the county that Roman missed.”

“Not even close,” Garrett grumbled. He tossed his laptop charger and some files onto the stash, then added his laptop on top of the pile.

“It was pretty sucky, though, what you did to Nicky,” Sophie added.

Garrett lifted his head, looked at her. Or rather glared at her. “How do you know what I did to Nicky?”

“Please. I’ve got ears, and I might be four years younger than you, but I still heard the gossip.”

Yeah, and he was betting none of that gossip had painted him in a good light. Not that it should. But there were things about that whole encounter that the gossips hadn’t known.

Well, one thing anyway.

But Garrett didn’t intend to share that with Sophie.

Grabbing the filled trash can, Garrett headed out. Part of him felt like a riled kid who hadn’t gotten his way and was now running away from home. But it was more than that. He wanted his privacy, didn’t want to have to face anyone new who would give him “poor pitiful Garrett” looks.

Sophie picked up some of the books on his desk and followed him out. Maybe to resume a chat he in no way wanted to resume. In fact, right now he needed to focus on work, and that meant contacting the work crew and rescheduling. Contacting Clay, as well, to find out if he had a timeline for this investigation. Also calling the cattle broker to postpone delivery of the Angus he’d bought.