Ruth Dale - The Wrangler's Woman

“No, I mean the real pretty one, the one with that long black hair. She’s Niki.”

Jack looked at Niki more carefully, and somewhat belatedly realized what a knockout she was. Funny how he hadn’t noticed anything special about her at first glance. “And the others?”

“The one in the red jacket is Toni, so the one who just came in must be Dani—process of elimination,” Dylan concluded with a guffaw. “They called the old lady who looks like Mrs. Santa Claus ‘Grandma.”’

“Did you get identification on the horse?”

Dylan blinked. “What horse?”

“Let it go.” A formal introduction, Jack was thinking. That’s what he needed, seeing as Dani had seemed so leery of him. Hell, he was going to be neighbors with her—with all of them, he hastened to add. Might as well be friendly.

Joe Bob slid onto the stool on the other side of Jack’s. “Man, did you get a load of that?” He jerked his head toward the women.

Dylan nodded, but then his look of eager anticipation faded. “They’re still Keenes and that means they’re off-limits,” he said in a warning tone. “Damn shame, since they’re so blasted cute.”

“Yeah, a shame,” Joe Bob agreed. “But lookin’ won’t hurt us any.” And he banged Jack on the shoulder with a friendly fist, nearly knocking him off the stool.

A COWBOY WITH HANDS so big they dwarfed the coffeepot offered refills and bashful smiles all around.

Dani cocked her head and watched him slosh coffee over the rim of her chipped mug. “Don’t quit your day job,” she advised.

“Huh?” He seemed to be having trouble pulling his gaze away from Niki.

“Do you work here?”

“Naw.” He chortled at the very thought. “I just wanted to get a closer look at y’all.” Still laughing, he backed away.

“Wait a minute.”

“Ma’am?”

Dani wanted to groan. She knew she must sound like a drill sergeant, but he didn’t have to “ma’am” her. “Do you know where the office of an attorney named John Salazar is?”

“Yes, ma’am, I do.”

“Well, would you mind telling me where it is?” she asked, exasperated.

“Oh. Sure.” He pointed toward the front door. “Out there, turn right one block and left one block. It’s in the Snake-oil Building—sorry, I mean the Snaesull Building, but we all call it the Snake-oil Building.”

“Oh, lord.” She rolled her eyes, then added a belated, “Thank you very much.” To her family she said, “I’m going to walk on over so I can get the keys. Wait here and let the locals look you over. In fact, you probably should go ahead and eat.”

Toni frowned. “Don’t you want one of us to go with you?”

Dani shook her head. “If I need you, I’ll come get you.” She slid out of the booth. “I won’t be long.” She didn’t wait for their response, knowing they’d acquiesce. She was, after all, the oldest of the triplets; she’d been born seven minutes ahead of Toni, who was born thirteen minutes before Niki, the baby of the family. Besides, business was Dani’s forte, as being nice was Toni’s and being beautiful was Niki’s.

Dani just wished she was as good at her thing as they were at theirs.

DANI WALKED OUT the front door and Jack hopped off that stool and was after her like a shot. Wherever she was going, he’d just tag along in case she needed…anything, anything at all.

All in the interest of repaying a debt, of course. Nothing more.

By the time he got out the front door, she was standing at the curb, looking around with great interest. He trotted up to her with a smile.

“Looking for something?” he asked in his most winsome tone.

“Is that just another good guess?”

“Yep. Maybe I can help you.”

“I don’t need any help, thank you.” She made a sharp right turn and walked quickly away from him.

He took that “thank you” as a good sign and followed. In a few long strides, he was beside her. She gave him an annoyed glance.

“Are you following me?” she demanded.

“No, ma’am, I’m being hospitable is all.”

“Ohh!” She clenched slender hands into tight fists. “If one more person calls me ma’am—!”

“It’s not your age,” he explained. “It’s your attitude. You are a tiny bit…intimidating.”

She didn’t miss a step. After about half a block, she said, “You don’t know me well enough to make that judgment. In fact, you don’t even know my—”

“Dani Keene,” he interrupted.

Then she did miss a step. “How did you know that?”

“Everybody does. We’ve been waitin’ for the Keene brothers of Montana to roll into town and here you are. I’m Jack—”

“I don’t care who you are.” She crossed the street and he kept pace. “I don’t take up with strangers on the street. If this is the way Texas men treat women—”

“Now hold it right there! Texas men don’t take a back seat to any men in their treatment of women. I’m tryin’ to be nice and helpful here, is all.”

“What part of ‘leave me alone’ don’t you understand?” She stopped so suddenly that he took a couple of steps past her. She was obviously checking out the two-story buildings in front of them.

“That one.” Jack pointed.

She blinked. “That one, what?”

“You’re lookin’ for the Snake-oil Building—excuse me, the Snaesull Building, right?”

“Yes, but how did you know that?” She faced him with fists on her hips and suspicion in her eye.

“Because John Salazar is your attorney.”

She looked on the verge of an explosion. “How do you know John Salazar is my attorney?”

“Because he was your father’s attorney.”

She almost flinched at the mention of her father, and some of the fight went out of her. “What else do you know about m-my…” she swallowed hard, looking suddenly vulnerable “…my father?”

“Quite a lot, now that you bring it up.” He wondered why she’d had so much trouble with the word father. “I grew up here and I’ve watched the Bar K…go through a lot of changes. If there’s anything I can do to help you while you’re here—”

“You make it sound like I’m on a vacation,” she said. “I’m here to stay.”

He nodded, pleased to hear it. “That’s fine by me, but…things may not be exactly what you expect. All I’m saying is that if I can help, I’ll be glad to do it. Any questions?”

She looked almost panicky for a moment, but a shaky breath seemed to steady her. “This isn’t a good time. Look, Jack, I don’t mean to seem unfriendly but I don’t have the faintest idea who you are and I’m in no mood for company, anyway.”

She remembered his name. That was a good omen. “Jack Burke, of the XOX Ranch, at your service.” He put out his hand, hoping for a shake so he could touch her.

She ignored his outstretched hand. Her blank look said that the next time they met she probably wouldn’t even remember him. “Thanks for your interest, but I have business to attend to. If you’ll excuse me…”

What if he wouldn’t? She didn’t wait to find out, just wheeled and walked into the Snake-oil Building. For a long moment, Jack stood on the sidewalk looking after her, thinking she might be as prickly as her old man.

But a whole helluva lot easier on the eyes.

BACK IN THE CAFÉ AGAIN, Dani sat down hard on the booth seat and looked at her startled siblings and grandmother. “He wasn’t in,” she said.

“The lawyer?”

Dani nodded. “His secretary gave me a set of keys and wished me luck. I got the feeling she thought I’d need it.”

Toni picked up a french fry. “At least you didn’t waste the walk.”

“I needed the fresh air to clear my head.” Not that it had succeeded. “I…” She saw the tall cowboy—Jack something or other, he’d said—at the counter again and she quickly turned her gaze away. The café had only emptied out a little. “I’m getting a funny feeling about this.”