Kathie DeNosky - His Marriage Pact

Jenny slid a plate piled high with the cakes onto the table in front of Paris. “You’d have a hard time living here, honey. Beef is a mainstay with almost every meal.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Sounds like a cholesterol catastrophe to me.”

After claiming the chair across from her, Jenny smiled. “You’d be surprised how good old hard work keeps that in check. I tell you, Dallas is in prime shape and in perfect health.”

From what she’d seen, Paris wouldn’t debate the prime shape part. She grabbed the pitcher of warm syrup and poured only a small amount, ignoring the pats of butter to her right. “Is Dallas not joining us for breakfast?”

Jenny laid a hand on her throat. “Oh, sugar, he gets up with the chickens. He ate at five a.m.”

Paris couldn’t imagine dragging out of bed at that hour, much less eating a full breakfast. “What exactly does he do at that time of the morning?”

“He tends to the ranch,” came from behind Paris. “He’s a rancher and that’s what they do.”

She didn’t have to turn around to recognize the voice, but she did glance over her shoulder to see Maria Calloway pouring a cup of coffee from the carafe on the counter. “I guess that makes sense,” Paris said. “I’m surprised it requires working sunup to sundown.”

Maria took the chair next to Jenny and leveled her stare on Paris. “Have you ever lived on a large parcel of land?”

Paris swallowed the bite she’d just taken and rested her fork on the plate. “No, I’ve never lived on a farm or a ranch.”

“She’s never really had a home, Maria,” Jenny said sympathetically. “Isn’t that just so sad?”

Maria appeared unaffected by the revelation. “Then you’re not accustomed to working with your hands?”

She didn’t understand the reasons behind the obvious interrogation. After all, she’d be leaving in hopefully less than an hour. Then again, Dallas had mentioned a business talk, so she could be coming back to the ranch, if luck prevailed. “Any work I do with my hands involves sketching designs and using a computer keyboard.”

Maria took a long drink of coffee before speaking again. “It’s a hard life on a ranch. Not for the weak of spirit or faint of heart.”

“It’s not that bad, Maria,” Jenny said. “I’ve adjusted just fine, but then I did spend several years on a horse farm.”

Maria turned her frown on the other mother. “You spent those years throwing garden parties, so your opinion doesn’t count. And since you’ve been here, I don’t recall you even picking up a garden rake, much less muck a stall.”

“Don’t listen to her, Paris,” Jenny said. “I planted the roses in the hedges.”

“Bully for you,” Maria muttered.

Feeling the need to play peacemaker, Paris decided to change the subject. “Where exactly is Dallas now?”

“In the barn, of course,” Maria said. “He told me to send you there as soon as you’re done eating.”

Wearing a pair of sandals in a barn didn’t seem wise, but anything beat dueling stepmoms. After consuming only half her food, Paris dabbed at her mouth, put the napkin aside, pushed away from the table and stood. “Ladies, it’s been a pleasure meeting both of you, and thanks so much for your hospitality. Now if you’ll direct me to the barn, I’ll be on my way.”

Maria pointed behind her. “It’s that way. Big building with a big door. Can’t miss it.”

Jenny rose and took Paris’s hand. “Sugar, I am so glad you showed up here. I know Dallas is, too.”

Paris only wished she could be sure of that. “Thanks, Jenny, and if we don’t see each other again, I’ll always remember our meeting fondly.”

“Oh, you’ll be seeing her again,” Maria said from her perch at the table. “Me, too. A lot.”

She wanted to jump for joy. “Then he’s decided to hire me?”

Jenny and Maria exchanged a strange look before Jenny regarded her again. “You could say that in a manner of speaking. Now run along, sugar. Dallas doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

If a chance existed that Dallas Calloway would soon be her boss, she would run all the way to the barn.

* * *

When he noticed Paris picking her way carefully down the rock path, Dallas propped the shovel against the rough-hewn wall and smiled. His amusement was short-lived when he realized what he was about to do, and what was at stake—his future as the head of the D Bar C Ranch and his project, Texas Extreme.

If he went through with his plan, some might consider him pretty mercenary. Or insane. Or both. But at the moment, he only cared about the opinion of the good-looking woman entering the barn.

“Maria said you wanted to see me,” Paris said as she balanced on one foot and shook the sawdust out of her sandal.

“Yeah,” he told her, although he was seeing a little more than he should, namely a nice glimpse of the curve of her breast when she leaned over and removed the other shoe.

After she straightened and tugged at the hem on the sundress, her attention turned to some focal point behind him. “What a beautiful horse.”

Dallas glanced over his shoulder to find the black gelding poking his head through the opening in the stall. “That’s Raven. Even though he lost his stud status years ago, he still knows a beautiful woman when he sees one.”

A slight blush colored her cheeks. “He must not get out much.”

Dallas still couldn’t get why she didn’t realize her worth. He’d be happy to take a turn at trying to convince her. But not now. Not yet. He had something more pressing that required her consideration. “How was breakfast?”

She leaned back against the opposite wall. “Wonderful. Maria said you wanted to speak with me.”

“Yeah. I thought I could show you around.”

“Around where?”

“The barn.” Although the bedroom would be better, a thought that luckily hadn’t jumped out of his mouth.

She folded her arms beneath her breasts. “You’re not going to ask me to be one of your ranch hands, are you?”

He couldn’t stop a laugh. “Not hardly. Just trying to be hospitable.”

“Oh. You said earlier you wanted to talk to me about business, so I assumed maybe that’s why I’m here.”

Obviously she wanted to get right down to it. Normally that would suit him fine, but this proposition would take some time easing into it. “We’ll cover that in a minute. First, I want you to officially meet Raven.”

She looked almost alarmed. “Is that necessary? I mean, he is rather big.”

He crossed the aisle and took her hand. “He’s big all right. A big baby. He won’t hurt you.”

“Are you sure?” she asked, a good dose of wariness in her voice.

“Positive.”

He guided her to the gelding’s stall, stood behind her and told her, “Just pet him on his muzzle.”

“Huh?”

“His nose. Or rub him right between his eyes on that white part, which is known as a blaze. He’ll follow you anywhere if you do that.”

She glanced back at him and frowned. “I’m not sure I want him following me.”

“Give it a try, darlin’. You’ll see he’s a gentle giant. Besides, if you’re serious about going on that cattle drive, you better get used to being around a horse before you climb on his back.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Paris reached out and touched Raven carefully, then slowly began to stroke him. The gelding didn’t move an inch, as predicted, and soon began to close his eyes like he’d been hypnotized. Dallas, on the other hand, began to twitch as he followed her movements and imagined her hands on him...

He had a dirty mind full of devilish thoughts that could land him in trouble, or on his ass if he acted on them. To make matters worse, Paris suddenly turned and ended up way too close for his comfort.