Ann Roth - A Rancher's Honor

“By then you’ll be an old man, and probably too frail to pull my hair.”

Sly scowled, but Dani thought that was real funny. “I’ll take solid, you take the stripes,” she said.

While she eyeballed the table, aimed her cue and broke the balls, Sly thought about how far they’d come since he was eleven and their mother had died. Two years later their father had followed her, leaving them orphans. Sly had wanted to take care of his siblings, but he’d been too young.

Their only family had been an uncle Sly and his siblings had never met, a man who lived in Iowa. Uncle George had grudgingly taken in Sly and his younger brother, Seth, who was ten at the time, but he hadn’t wanted Dani.

She’d entered the foster-care system in Prosperity. Sly had worried about her constantly and vowed that someday he would reunite their little family.

But it turned out that he and Seth had gotten the raw end of that stick. Their uncle had disliked kids and had mostly ignored him and Seth, which was better than the alternative. His idea of attention had been to yell and raise his hand. Sly and his brother had quickly learned to steer clear of him.

Sly had become his brother’s caretaker and parent of sorts, raising Seth as best he could. His best hadn’t been so great, though. A kid with an independent streak, Seth had fought him on everything. By the time Uncle George had died just before Sly’s eighteenth birthday, his relationship with his brother had deteriorated badly. Hoping that returning home and reuniting with Dani would help mend the damages, Sly had brought his brother back to Prosperity. Unfortunately, nothing had changed. After several minor scrapes with the law, Seth had dropped out of high school and left town. A few months later, Sly and Dani had received a postcard letting them know he’d settled in California. He’d failed to provide the name of the city, and the postal stamp had been impossible to decipher. Seth hadn’t spoken to or contacted them since.

Dani had ended up with a much better deal. Big Mama, her foster mom, had loved her from the start and eventually had adopted her.

Dani hit the ball into a side pocket. Another ball slid into a different pocket. She did a little dance. “Dang, I’m good.”

“Cocky, too,” Sly teased. “Wait until it’s my turn.”

She missed the next shot. Sly chalked his cue. “Watch and learn, little sister.” He took aim and dropped a striped ball into the corner pocket. He put away four more, then missed.

Before Dani took aim, she angled her head at him. “I’m glad to hear you met someone, big brother. How and where did it happen?”

“Remember that dinner meeting with my lawyer a couple weeks ago at the Bitter & Sweet? She was there with a girlfriend. We ended up dancing the whole night.”

“The whole night?”

Sly wasn’t about to answer that. “Are you ever going to move that cue?”

Dani ignored him. “Her girlfriend must’ve been bored silly.”

“Yeah. She went home.” Sly nudged her aside. “I’ll shoot for you.”

“No way.” She gave him a friendly poke in the ribs. “Does this woman have a name?”

“Lana Carpenter.” The words rolled off Sly’s tongue and left a sweet taste in his mouth.

“That sounds familiar. Where have I heard of Lana Carpenter?” Dani wondered, tapping the cue with her finger. “I don’t think she’s one of my regulars.”

Dani worked at Big Mama’s Café, a popular place open for breakfast and lunch that Big Mama had started some thirty years earlier. Someday when Big Mama retired, the restaurant would be Dani’s.

His sister finally took her shot, pocketed one and missed the next shot. “Shoot,” she grumbled. “You’re up. Is Lana related to Tim Carpenter?”

Sly sure as hell hoped not. “Haven’t asked her.”

“She doesn’t know you’re thinking about suing a man who could be related to her?”

“I’m definitely suing.” Sly was still unhappy about having to take legal action. He missed his shot, too. “He should have gotten the papers yesterday.”

“I’m sorry it had to come to that.” Dani made a face. “Have you heard anything back?”

“It’s all going through my lawyer. When he hears, he’ll call.”

She nodded. “Where does Lana Carpenter work?”

“She owns a business called Tender Loving Daycare.”

“Now I remember where I’ve heard her name. Her day care was profiled as small business of the month in the paper. Customers have been talking about it a lot. Her picture was in the paper. She’s pretty.” Dani gave him a speculative look. “So where are you taking her this weekend?”

Sly almost told her about stopping by the day care to see Lana, but he didn’t want to stir up his sister’s curiosity any more than it already was. “We’re not dating,” he said.

“Why the heck not?”

Because something told Sly that Lana was the one woman who could cut right past his defenses. He wasn’t about to let anyone do that.

“Let me get this straight,” his sister said when he didn’t answer. “The weekend before last you danced the night away with Lana Carpenter. Now you mentioned her to me, but you haven’t asked her out. You must like her a lot.”

Sly snorted and shook his head, but Dani had a point. He did like Lana. No, he lusted after her. It was easy to confuse the two, but he knew the difference. “I’m getting awful hungry,” he said. “Let’s finish this game and then grab a couple of burgers. The winner treats.”

“You’re on.” Dani lined up her cue and shot. The ball sailed neatly into a pocket. She missed the next one. “Why haven’t you asked her out?”

Darn, his sister could be a pit bull about some things. He should have figured she wasn’t through with the subject of Lana Carpenter just yet. “I don’t have her number,” Sly said.

“That’s what phone books and the internet are for.”

“Things are pretty busy at the ranch.”

“Excuses, excuses.”

Sly took his shot and missed. He swore softly. “I missed that because I’m half starved to death.”

“As soon as I sink the eight ball, I’ll let you buy me that burger.” The remaining solid balls disappeared into the pockets. Dani eyeballed the table. “Eight ball, corner pocket.” After lining up the cue, she executed the shot perfectly. Her fists shot into the air. “Hot damn—I won!”

“I’ll beat you next time,” Sly said. “I keep meaning to ask—how’s that guy you’re dating?”

“You mean Cal?” Her smile faded. “We broke up on Sunday.”

“Can’t say I’m sorry.” His sister seemed to gravitate toward guys who treated her poorly. “You want me to punch him for you?” He was kidding, but if she wanted him to, he’d do it.

“Absolutely not.” She made a face. “I’m a big girl, Sly. I can take care of myself. I just wish that I could meet a guy and have something that lasted more than a couple of months.”

Sly hoped she found what she wanted. So far, she hadn’t had much luck. “You and I are alike that way—both of us suck at relationships.”

“Sad but true.” She gave him a somber look. “The difference between us is that I want to find someone, get married and have kids. You don’t.”

Sly shrugged. “I’m happy the way I am.”

“Well, I’m tired of going home to my apartment and cooking for one. It gets lonely.”

Another voice cut in—a lowlife named Paul. “Hey, Dani. Sly.”

He gave Dani a blatantly sexual look that made Sly see red. He managed a terse nod.

His sister perked up. “Down, big brother,” she murmured for his ears only. “Remember, I can take care of myself. Besides, I happen to have a little crush on that cowboy.” She tossed Paul a flirty smile. “Hi. What are you up to?”