The Doctor Wore Boots
Debra Webb
Ty Cooper had never been anything more than a big brother to Leanne Watley. Until he returned from his business trip. One look and pow! Leanne's heart couldn't stop pounding. One kiss and swoon! she was floored with desire…. Who was this man who claimed to be Ty Cooper?Dex Montgomery hadn't planned to fall in love. Especially not with his twin brother's beautiful neighbor. The sweetest young woman in Montana was a breath of fresh air to the big-city doctor. But Leanne thought she was falling for the man she was expected to marry. Could Dex stop himself before he lost his heart forever?
“Just for tonight could we pretend that we’re not who we are?”
Confused, Dex tried to read her expression for some hint of what she was thinking. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Let’s pretend you’re not Ty Cooper, the rancher who loves nothing more than raising cattle. That I’m not Leanne Watley, struggling dude rancher. And that our parents haven’t tried to marry us off for years. Let’s just be two people who want to have a nice time together for one evening. Just one night,” she added softly.
“We can do that.” He stared directly into her eyes, hunger roaring inside him. At that moment he would have given anything to really have her for one night. “Just for tonight.”
He wondered if Miss Leanne Watley had any idea how close to the edge she’d pushed him. It would take nothing short of a miracle to keep him from crossing the line tonight.
The Doctor Wore Boots
Debra Webb
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debra Webb was born in Scottsboro, Alabama, to parents who taught her that anything is possible if you want it badly enough. She began writing at age nine. Eventually she met and married the man of her dreams and tried some other occupations, including selling vacuum cleaners and working in a factory, a day-care center, a hospital and a department store. When her husband joined the military, they moved to Berlin, Germany, and Debra became a secretary in the commanding general’s office. By 1985 they were back in the States, and finally moved to Tennessee, to a small town where everyone knows everyone else. With the support of her husband and two beautiful daughters, Debra took up writing again, looking to mystery and movies for inspiration. In 1998 her dream of writing for Harlequin came true. You can write to Debra with your comments at P.O. Box 64, Huntland, Tennessee 37345.
Dex Montgomery’s Cheat Sheet: How To Be Ty Cooper
1. Wear worn jeans and cowboy boots.
2. Figure out which brother is Chad and which is Court.
3. Stop staring at Leanne Watley.
4. Remember to wear your Stetson.
5. Learn how to ride a horse.
6. Use your left hand, not your right.
7. Stop your little niece Angelica from revealing the truth.
8. Try not to fantasize about the beautiful Leanne….
Contents
Pre-Prologue
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Epilogue
Pre-Prologue
Once upon a time there was a beautiful young girl and a handsome young boy who fell deeply in love. But, alas, their families were at odds. So, determined to keep the two apart, the young boy’s family took him and moved far, far away.
Many years later, when they were all grown up, the young man and the young woman found each other once more. Unwilling to risk separation again, they married swiftly before either of their families could object. As expected, many hurtful words were spoken, much damage was done, but love prevailed. Nothing could tear the loving couple apart.
To add to their happiness, less than one year later they were blessed with a perfect set of twin boys. The lovely young couple was so very happy at last. But that happiness was short-lived. Fate intervened in the form of a fatal car crash.
Both families were devastated. All that remained of their only children were the twin grandsons. A fierce custody battle ensued, widening the rift. Finally, a judge made the only fair decision he felt was possible; he gave each set of grandparents one of the twins. Due to the extreme hostility between the families, he ordered that all future contact be limited until they learned to get along. Taking the judge’s words too much to heart, the estranged families, with their respective namesakes in tow, went their separate ways and never looked back.
Until now.
Prologue
O’Hare Airport
Dex Montgomery allowed his briefcase to collapse to the floor next to the only empty table in the crowded bar. He jerked at his tie and dropped into a chair, completely disgusted.
Two hours. His flight was delayed for two hours. What was he supposed to do for two hours?
“Are you ready to order, sir?”
Dex heaved a sigh fraught with equal measures of impatience and frustration and looked up at the waitress watching him expectantly.
“Scotch,” he told her. “No water. And make it a double.”
She nodded and headed in the direction of the bar, weaving her way through the throngs of occupied tables and pausing occasionally to take another customer’s order.
Glancing at his watch, Dex considered whether or not to call in and inform his grandfather of the delay. He definitely wouldn’t make this afternoon’s meeting of the board. Dex frowned. Montgomery men had no tolerance for delays. There was little he could do about it, however. The old man would simply have to fend for himself. His frown relaxed a bit with that thought. Charles Dexter Montgomery, Senior, was getting a little soft anyway. Sparring with the sharks who made up the board of M3I would be good for him.
Considering the boring financial conference Dex had just endured, it was only fair. This was the third conference he’d attended in the last two months. He was sick of hearing how M3I could improve its profit margin. Dex clenched his jaw. Modern Medical Maintenance, Inc., affectionately known as M3I, maintained a very healthy profit margin. Dex and his grandfather saw to that. They’d started with a single facility in Atlanta and had built a medical empire. M3I now consisted of a chain of cutting-edge facilities throughout the Southeast. The business was focused on providing quality medical care and making a profit.
Not necessarily in that order.
“Anything else?” The waitress placed the drink in front of him and smiled. Not a thank-you-for-your-patronage kind of smile, but one that became a predatory gleam in her eyes. She was flirting.
“No, thank you.” He paid the lady and turned his attention to his drink. He didn’t need a flirtatious waitress and he damn sure didn’t need two hours in a bar.
He needed work.
Dex almost laughed out loud at that one. What he did wasn’t work, it was choreography. He led a well-rehearsed dance to the sound of money changing hands. The medical degree and license he held were mere icing on the cake of the distinguished position as chairman of the board. Dr. Dexter Montgomery. It had the right ring to it even if it wasn’t for practicing medicine. No doctor with the Montgomery name would dare sully his hands treating patients. Not when there was money to be made.
Dex stopped himself. He always got this way when he spent any length of time away from the office. That’s why he all but lived at the office. Work was his life. He knew nothing else, didn’t even have a hobby. And why should he? He had plans. Plans that didn’t include silly, sentimental musings.
“To profit margins,” he muttered and downed a hefty gulp of Scotch.
The hair on the back of his neck suddenly stood on end. Frowning again, he tilted his head left then right, stretching to relieve some of the tension. But that little niggling sensation of being watched just wouldn’t go away. He glanced around the room, then did a double-take. A couple of tables away a man, his cowboy hat on the table before him, sat, seemingly paralyzed, the glass in his hand halfway to his mouth.
Dex registered surprise first…then incredulity. The cowboy was dressed differently than he was, no Armani or Cardin, but he looked exactly the same. Same thick dark hair, cropped short. Maybe his was a fraction longer. Same dark eyes…same square jaw…same…everything.
Dex pushed to his feet, the legs of his chair scraping across the tiled floor. Before he had the good sense to stop himself and think about what he was doing he’d crossed to the man’s table, passed his drink to his left hand and extended his right. “Dex Montgomery,” he said numbly.
Apparently shocked himself, the cowboy stared first at Dex’s hand, then at him. “Ty Cooper,” he responded stiffly. His callused hand closed over Dex’s. The contact was brief but something passed between them. Some strange energy that felt alien but somehow oddly familiar.
Dex shook his head in question. “Who…? How…?” This was surreal. The man didn’t just resemble him—he looked exactly like him.
Apparently at a loss himself, Ty gestured to the empty chair on the opposite side of the small table. “Maybe you’d better have a seat.”
Dumbfounded, Dex complied. “This isn’t possible. I mean…” He shook his head again. “I’m a doctor and even I’m at a loss for an explanation.” This couldn’t be. It was like looking into a mirror. It was bizarre.
The other man scrubbed a hand over his chin. “You’re right, partner. It’s a little weird looking at your reflection in another man’s face. Maybe we’re related somehow?” He laughed nervously. “You know, distantly. Identical cousins or something.”
Dex lifted one shoulder, then let it fall. “That’s possible, I suppose.” A memory pinged him. “Did you say Cooper?” he asked, almost hesitantly.
Ty nodded. “Of Rolling Bend, Montana. We have a cattle ranch called the—”
“Rolling Bend, Montana?” A chunk of ice formed in Dex’s stomach.
“Yeah.” Ty swallowed hard. “You know the place?”
Dex’s gaze settled fully onto his. He couldn’t believe what he was about to say. “My mother’s name was Tara Cooper. She was born in Rolling Bend.”
Ty signaled the passing waitress. “Ma’am, we’re gonna need another round here,” he said, his voice hollow.
She glanced at Dex, then started visibly when her gaze landed back on Ty. “Doubles for doubles,” she said with a giggle. “Are you guys twins or something?”
Dex glared at her and she scurried away. Ty leaned forward as if what he had to say was too unbelievable to utter out loud. “Tara Cooper was my mother.”
A choked sound, not quite a laugh, burst from Dex. “But my mother died when I was three months old.”
“My birth date is May 21, 1970,” Ty countered. “My mother died in an accident with my father when I was three months old.”
“Oh yeah? Well, so did mine. But I don’t have any siblings,” Dex argued, unable to comprehend what he could see with his own eyes.
“Neither do I—well, except for my adopted brothers.”
Dex gestured vaguely. “Maybe there were two Tara Coopers in Rolling Bend?”
Ty moved his head slowly from side to side. “We’re the only Cooper clan in that neck of the woods.”
“I’m certain there’s some reasonable explanation,” Dex suggested. Adrenaline pulsed through his veins making his heart pound. This man couldn’t be his brother. That was impossible.
“There’s an explanation all right,” Ty said flatly. “We’ve been had.”
THREE HOURS and too many drinks to remember later, Dex had concluded the only reasonable explanation. Ty Cooper was not only his brother, but his identical twin. They had both missed their scheduled flights home, but neither cared.
The stories of their parents’ whirlwind courtship, marriage and tragic deaths matched down to the dates. Ty had been told, as had Dex, that he had no other family. Dex could just imagine the reaction of his grandfather when his only son had married a rancher’s daughter. Dex had only been told his mother’s name, little else.
“What I want to know,” Ty said, his speech a little slower, thicker, “is how the hell did they decide who would take who?”
For one long moment the two just looked at each other. Dex wondered briefly what his life would have been like if he’d been chosen by the other set of grandparents, but he couldn’t begin to imagine. Considering his grandfather Montgomery’s penchant for absolute control, Dex couldn’t help thinking how the old man would react when he found out that Dex had learned the truth. He had no doubt that his grandfather was the mastermind behind this whole scheme.
“We should show up together and stage a confrontation,” Dex commented dryly before draining his glass.
Ty grinned. “You may have something there.” Those unnervingly familiar dark eyes twinkled with mischief now. “I say we give ’em a taste of their own medicine.”
A flash of concern found its way through the warm, Scotch-induced haze now cloaking Dex. “What do you have in mind?”
Ty motioned to the waitress and then pointed to their empty glasses once more. “I’m talking about trading places, brother. For just a little while,” he added quickly. “Just long enough to teach our families a lesson.”
Dex hesitated at first, then a smile slid across his face. “Oh, that’s good. All we have to do is bring each other up to speed on how to act and what to do.” He flared his hands and inclined his head in a gesture of nonchalance. “It’s simple on my end. You leave the business decisions to the old man. I have a secretary and a financial advisor who take care of things at the office. They’ll keep you straight on the day-to-day schedule.” He paused, considering. “If a problem does come up and you need to make a financial decision on your own, use your own discretion. You are a Montgomery.”
“Same here,” Ty assured him. “I have two adopted brothers. Between them and the ranch hands, they can handle things at the Circle C. It’ll be good for both of us. We can get to know the rest of our family.”
Dex nodded, though he was more concerned at the moment with teaching his grandfather a lesson than anything else. He noted the time. “All right, then,” he said. “We have ninety minutes before our flights leave for our respective destinations. Let’s do it.”
Ty folded his arms over his chest. “You go first. I have a feeling your folks are a lot more complicated than mine.”
Dex didn’t bother to tell him that complicated was not the word he was looking for, instead he told Ty Cooper everything he would need to know in order to play Dexter Montgomery for just a little while.
Chapter One
What the devil had he done?
Reality crashed down around Dex Montgomery as he stood in the designated pick-up area at Gallatin Field Airport in Bozeman, Montana. Ty had told him where to wait for his ride, and someone from the Cooper clan would pick him up.
Dex swallowed hard, his head aching from one Scotch too many. It was the first time in his entire life he could recall having too much to drink and a hangover all in the same afternoon. But now, as the grim reality of his actions settled around him, he knew today was not like any other he’d experienced in his thirty-two years. He doubted his life would ever be the same again.
The Gucci briefcase, Louis Vuitton garment bag, and state-of-the-art cellular phone he’d left home with just four days ago were now in the possession of a virtual stranger. A stranger who was his twin brother, who, in another hour or so, would be climbing into his limo and riding to his home to meet his family.
What the hell was he doing here?
Dex dropped the army-style duffel bag belonging to Ty Cooper to the ground. He tugged at the collar of the unstarched shirt he now wore and attempted to straighten the off-the-rack jacket. It was very obvious to Dex that his brother had absolutely no taste in clothing. The jeans were criminally worn and far too tight for comfort. The boots—Dex shook his head—had definitely seen better days. Though he doubted that even in mint condition he would have cared for the unnaturally high-arched footwear. He tried not to think about the cowboy hat perched atop his head. The urge to remove it was almost more than he could restrain.
Didn’t cowboys keep their hats on at all times?
What had possessed him to change clothes with another man, brother or not, in an airport rest room?
Temporary insanity. It was the only possible explanation. Stress had finally taken its toll. George, his valet, friend and confidant, had warned him that he was pushing too hard, working far too many hours. But Dex had refused to listen. He had to prove his worth, couldn’t risk disappointing his grandfather. He was thirty-two, for Pete’s sake. He had mountains to climb and oceans to cross. His mark to make.
He had lost his mind. Here he stood, in the middle of nowhere, when he should be dictating correspondence, crunching numbers, planning takeovers. His grandfather counted on him, trusted him unconditionally.
He couldn’t do this.
One telephone call would end this ruse here and now.
Dex grabbed the bag he’d abandoned on the ground and pivoted toward the airport entrance. This was a bad idea. Surely there would be another flight out of here sometime tonight. At the moment he really didn’t care where it was going, as long as it took him back to a more recognizable form of civilization.
“Ty!”
A vehicle screeched to a halt behind him.
“Ty! Over here!” a feminine voice shouted.
Dex froze. Ty. His transportation had arrived. Dex swore under his breath. He should just keep walking without looking back. But then he’d never know…
Slowly, his head throbbing with frustration and the lingering effects of alcohol, he turned and faced step two of his self-created nightmare.
A young woman waved from behind the wheel of an old pickup truck. “Sorry you had to wait!” she called. She leaned across the seat and opened the passenger-side door. “I didn’t know until an hour ago that I would be coming to pick you up.”
Blond hair, blue eyes—she was very young, twenty-two or three maybe. Dex frowned, searching his memory banks for the name that went with the face. Leanne. Leanne Watley. Neighbor. Family friend. The kid-sister type, Ty had said.
“I got here as fast as I could,” she hastened to add when he continued to simply stare at her. “Come on. Gran’s holding supper until I get you home. They’ve got a big celebration planned for your return.”
Somehow his feet moved. Dex wasn’t exactly sure how he managed the monumental task considering his brain felt paralyzed with uncertainty, but he took the necessary steps just the same.
He slid onto the ragged bench seat and awkwardly settled the big duffel onto his lap. He couldn’t imagine what possessed people to drive vehicles like this. There was no place to put anything. And the seat was most uncomfortable.
Leanne laughed. “You can put that in the back. It’s not raining.”
The back. “Of course.” His face heated. He wasn’t usually so inept. As he climbed out of the vehicle, Dex hoped she couldn’t see the level of disorientation afflicting him. His movements felt jerky, his ability to think nonexistent. He placed the worn bag into the bed of the truck and settled back into the passenger seat. He closed the door and offered her a strained smile. “Thank you.”
She frowned, just the slightest creasing of her smooth brow. “I guess you’re really tired. I’m sorry you had to wait for a ride.”
“Your delayed arrival was completely understandable,” he assured her. “Considering the unexpected change in my return itinerary, your reaction time was quite acceptable.”
Her eyes widened with something that looked very much like worry. “Are you all right, Ty? You sound a little…strange.”
Dex realized his mistake immediately. He was Ty Cooper now. Looking like him wasn’t enough, he had to speak and act like him as well.
“Jet lag,” he offered as much to his surprise as to hers. Could one actually acquire jet lag on a short jaunt that only crossed one time zone?
She nodded. “Oh.”
By the time they left Bozeman behind, the sick feeling in the pit of Dex’s stomach had escalated to a near-intolerable level. He shifted restlessly, peering out the window. How long before they would reach the ranch? How could he possibly fool Ty’s grandparents? This would never work. He should just demand that she turn around right now and take him back to the airport. Instead, he reviewed over and over again the information Ty had relayed to him regarding his family and the layout of the ranch. He reminded himself again to use his left hand as much as possible. Ty was a lefty.
“How’d the meeting with those investors go?” she asked, breaking the long, awkward silence.
Dex jerked back to attention. “Excuse me?”
“Are you sure you’re feeling all right?” She looked at him with that genuine concern again.
“Yes, yes,” he assured her. “I’m fine. The meeting went…was okay…I guess.” He’d forgotten to ask Ty why he was in Chicago. She’d said investors. “I won’t know anything for a few days,” he added for good measure. That was typical. Investors made lots of promises, but the real story was revealed much more slowly. If Ty had begun some sort of deal, only time would tell if it was a good one or not.
Leanne sighed. “That’s too bad. I know you were hoping to have news when you got back.”
“Yes.” He cleared his throat. “Yeah. I was.”
He glanced at the young woman behind the wheel. What was she thinking? Had she seen through him already? Worry twisted inside him. If he couldn’t get through a few simple questions from a neighbor without making her suspicious, how on earth would he fool the Coopers?
“I know how much this deal means to you, Ty,” she went on, worry weighting her voice. “But maybe it’s like your pa said. Maybe you’ll just have to be happy with things the way they are. It’s not like you don’t have enough buyers to keep your ranch going. The Circle C has provided high-quality beef to its customers for three generations now.”
The cattle market. So that was the kind of investors Ty had gone to the city to meet. Dex was somewhat familiar with the distressed American market. Foreign beef had made a big comeback in the United States recently, a huge surge from the past couple of years when disease had wrought such devastation for European countries. Was Ty trying to increase the reach of his own ranch’s production? That sounded reasonable to Dex. He’d have to ask Ty about that or risk making a wrong step.
“I’d like to go to Chicago sometime,” Leanne said wistfully, drawing Dex’s attention in her direction. She huffed, her gaze steady on the endless ribbon of blacktop that lay before them. “I’ve never even been out of the state. I don’t know why I’m fretting over Chicago. I doubt I’ll ever be going there.”
Dex looked at her then, really looked at her. She was quite attractive. She wore no makeup as far as he could tell, but she didn’t need any. She looked vibrant, healthy. That notion sent the corners of his mouth tilting upward for some reason he couldn’t understand. She was nothing like the women he knew. Oh, and young. He almost asked her age, but caught himself just in time. Ty would know how old she was. Young, that was certain. Too damned young.
“You should go sometime,” he suggested. “Life is short, make the most of it.”
“I don’t see that happening,” she said regretfully. Her gaze locked onto his as she slowed to make a right turn onto a gravel road. In that infinitesimal moment something electric passed between them. Startled, she looked away.
Startled himself, Dex gave his head a little shake. What the hell was that? He was disoriented, that’s all. He’d be fine as soon as he—
As soon as he what? There was no way he was going to be fine. He was in the middle of nowhere with strangers. Worst of all he was pretending to be someone he’d only just met.
This whole idea had sounded much more doable before he’d sobered up.
Miles of nothing stretched before him as well as behind him. In the time since they’d left the city of Bozeman, they had encountered highway and mountains, nothing more.
A blue sky, fading slowly into dusk, looked almost low enough to touch. Dex couldn’t recall ever feeling this close to the heavens before. He scrubbed a hand over his face. The disorientation was clearly turning to delusions. This was bad. Very bad.
She turned right again, this time onto a long winding dirt road. The sun barely hovered above the mountaintops in the distance. Acres and acres of fenced pasture yawned on either side of the rough road. Cattle grazed serenely on the lush carpet of green grass.
Around the next bend in the road, a sight that Dex would not soon forget appeared before him. A two-story sprawling ranch house stood against the breathtaking backdrop of majestic mountain ranges. A barn right off the pages of a New England calendar lay in the distance, as did other not-readily-identifiable structures. A corral he recognized from its circular design encompassed a large area near the barn. His gaze shifted back to the house. It was the house that held the place of honor among nature’s and man’s embellishments. With the authenticity of a perfect reproduction from the set of an old black-and-white Western movie, the house looked homey, inviting.
“Home sweet home,” he murmured as his heart rate increased, sending adrenaline surging through his veins.
“Yessiree Bob,” Leanne agreed.
She smiled, a gesture that sent a spear of heat straight through him. Were all the women out here so innocent-looking and apparently sweet?
“Come on, they’ll be waiting.”
She got out, skirted the hood and reached in back for his bag before he had the presence of mind to react.
Dex wrenched the door open and all but fell out of the truck. “I’ll get that,” he insisted, grappling for his equilibrium and at the same time reaching for the heavy duffel. She was certainly stronger than she looked.
“Gran fixed your favorite for supper,” she told him with another of those wide, sincere smiles.
He nodded, but hoped to God he could bow out of dinner, er, supper. He wasn’t ready to play Ty Cooper to a larger audience just yet. And he didn’t have a clue what Ty’s favorite meal was supposed to be. Surely the Coopers would understand that he was exhausted after his trip and required an early retirement this evening.
Dex followed Leanne up the steps to the wooden porch that spanned the front of the house. A low growl froze him in his tracks. His eyes widened when his gaze sought and found the source of the sound. A dog. A large, rather fierce-looking animal that appeared poised to lunge at him. Dex had no experience with dogs to call upon. Grandmother Montgomery had allergies. Pets had never been allowed in the Montgomery residence.
“Lady,” Leanne scolded. “Why would you growl at Ty? Just because he took a trip without you?” she said in that child-like tone adults took when speaking affectionately to children or animals. “He’s only been gone a week. Now you be a good girl. You know better than to misbehave.” She scratched the big animal, which Dex now recognized as a golden retriever, behind the ears.
“You should recognize me, Lady,” he put in when Leanne looked up at him as if she expected some sort of reaction. He certainly wasn’t about to reach down and touch the animal.
Leanne gave Lady’s head one final pat. The dog lumbered away, then dropped onto the porch as if too tired or disgusted to pursue the situation further.
“Looks like you’re not the only one feeling out of sorts this evening.”
Dex feigned a laugh. “Jet lag,” he repeated.
Leanne stared at him for one long moment. “Yeah. Maybe I don’t want to go to Chicago if flying is that tough on you.” She opened the front door and entered the house as if she lived there.
No locked door. No knock first. Dex would have been appalled at the Coopers’ lack of security measures had his heart not been pounding like a drum in his chest. He had to find a way out of this. He would never fool these people.
“We’re here!” Leanne shouted as she wandered down the hall.
“Welcome home!”
Dex jerked to an abrupt stop in the middle of the hall. The duffel thunked to the hardwood floor. What looked like a dozen people, of varying sizes and ages, all beaming smiles, and heading for him, crowded into the entry hall. A big banner reading Welcome Home! draped from one wall to the other. One would think that Ty had been gone for months.
An older woman, her gray hair in a tight bun, her hazel eyes shining with emotion, threw her arms around him first. “It’s good to have you back home, son.”
His Grandmother Cooper.
Dex opened his mouth to speak but no words formed. He felt suddenly overwhelmed with unfamiliar emotions as those slim, frail arms tightened around him.
A strong hand clapped him on the back even before the older woman released him. “Take that hat off, young man.”
Dex turned to greet the man who’d spoken. Tall, slim, thinning gray hair, brown eyes. Dex dragged the hat from his head and dropped it on a nearby table. “Pa,” he offered, the single-syllable word steeped in too many emotions to sort. This was his mother’s father.
The older man slung an arm around his shoulder and started down the hall, Dex in tow. “Come on, boy, supper’s waiting.” He paused and beamed a proud smile in Dex’s direction. “We’re glad you’re home, son.”
Everyone started talking at once then. Dex lost track of the number of times his journey was halted so that he could be hugged and welcomed home. His Grandmother Cooper insisted that Leanne stay for supper. For some reason he couldn’t begin to understand, he was glad she agreed to stay. He’d analyze that bit of irony later.
Right now it took all his powers of concentration to watch his step. Especially since three small children all but clung to his legs as he followed the crowd into the dining room. He felt certain his back would be bruised considering all the hearty poundings he’d taken from the male Coopers. For these people, outward displays of affection were apparently a way of life.
The dining table was long, like the one in his home back in Atlanta, only this one was a rustic country style, the tabletop scarred from years of everyday use. The heavy stoneware dishes bore the same worn appearance and spoke of both hard times and good times, neither of which were forgotten or taken for granted.
The elder Coopers occupied the head positions at the table. Leanne sat across from Dex next to Angelica, the five-year-old daughter of Ty’s adopted brother Chad. Chad and his wife also sat on that side. Next to Dex was Chad’s older brother Court, his wife, and their four-year-old twin boys. At least he hoped he had the right name with the right brother.
Ty had explained that Court and Chad were the sons of Grandmother Cooper’s younger sister who had died years ago, leaving the boys alone in the world since their father had already passed away. The Coopers had gladly taken in the boys, adopting them and rearing them as Ty’s brothers. Dex suddenly wanted to know what that sort of love was like. That kind of family bond. Though he knew his grandparents in Atlanta loved him, it wasn’t the same.
“So, did you have a pleasant trip?” Grandmother Cooper asked as she offered a platter of steaks to Dex.
Dex stared at the enormous platter as he accepted it. Big, thick, juicy cuts of beef. He selected the smallest portion then passed the platter to Court. “It was…” How the hell was it? he wondered. “…as well as can be expected, I suppose,” he said noncommittally.
Grandfather Cooper snorted. “I told you not to get your hopes up, son. You’re just like your mother, always dreaming big dreams. But sometimes you just have to be satisfied with the way things are.”
Dex stared at the older man. Just like his mother. His mother’d had big dreams? What kind of dreams? He suddenly wanted to know.
“Enough of that,” Grandmother Cooper scolded when Dex was relatively sure his grandfather would have gone on. “Ty’s just gotten home. He can tell us about the business part of his trip tomorrow.”
She smiled at Dex and he had the abrupt, overwhelming feeling that it was exactly like seeing his mother smile. Before he could dwell further on the gesture a bowl of green beans was thrust under his chin. Dex peered down at the clearly overcooked vegetable. The whole meal was a ticket to an early grave. Green beans, cooked with what appeared to be a hunk of meat consisting totally of fat, steak, potatoes brimming with golden butter, and a slab of cornbread that looked as though it could keep them all fed for a week. The kind of meal the Montgomerys avoided at all costs.
Not a single lettuce leaf was in sight.
Dex surveyed the large group gathered around the table. Hadn’t any of them heard about eating healthy? Without warning, something hit him square in the chest. A green bean lay on the table, a greasy spot just above the fourth button soiled the tan-colored shirt he wore.
Across the wide expanse of worn, but well-polished oak Angelica smiled innocently at him. Dex peered at her in confusion for a moment, then at the bean once more. Had she thrown it at him? He lifted his gaze back to her just in time to see her use her spoon to launch another one in his direction. This one hit high on his right shoulder.
Dex frowned, uncertain of what course of action he should take, if any. He hadn’t spent any time around children. He only knew that they were messy and cried a lot. This one appeared intent on the former. He scanned the other adult faces. All were engrossed in eating or some discussion about the ranch he probably wouldn’t have understood even if he’d been listening.
Just when Angelica, an evil grin plastered across her pretty little face, prepared to fire at him once more, her father’s hand closed over hers. “Stop that, young lady,” he said firmly.
Relieved, Dex relaxed. “She’s a pretty good shot, Court,” he offered conversationally.
Everyone stopped talking and stared at him. What had he done? The sound of blood roaring through his ears made the silence deafening. Had he made a mistake already?
And then he knew.
“Chad,” Dex amended, then shook his head. He’d called the man by the wrong name. Dex shrugged. “Jet lag,” he offered in explanation.
All nodded, some even laughed and seemed to be satisfied with that excuse. All but Leanne, who studied him inquisitively. Flashing her a strained smile, Dex focused on the food on his plate. He’d have to be more careful. His head was throbbing, his heart pounding. But he was here now. He might as well give this trading places thing a shot. There was no reason he couldn’t do it. He glanced at the child sitting across the table. She gave him one of those I’m-not-through-with-you-yet looks. Then again, maybe he couldn’t do it.
Had he lost his mind entirely? Dex slowly studied the people seated around the table. Uncertainty undermined his newly found determination. How in the world was he supposed to fool all of them? When his gaze settled on his Grandmother Cooper again she chose that precise moment to turn toward him. Another of those heartwarming smiles spread across her lovely face. This was why he was here. This was his opportunity to learn what kind of person his mother had been. To see pictures…to learn about her past.
And maybe to somehow understand how a family as seemingly loving and generous as this one could take one child and turn their back on the other.
Chapter Two
Dex felt like a character from an episode of a reality TV show.
He was mentally and physically drained, but his first meal with the Coopers was nearing an end at last. The moment anyone seated around the large table made a move signaling the event was officially over, he intended to excuse himself for the evening. His senses were on overload. Too much conversation, too many different voices and personalities. He’d definitely taken for granted the experience of quiet dining. He doubted he would do that again anytime soon. This level of stimuli during a meal couldn’t possibly bode well for the digestive system.
Not to mention he’d ingested more saturated fats in one sitting than he had in a lifetime of eating his usual cuisine. He had to admit, however, that the steak had been more than palatable…tasty even. If what he’d been served tonight was indicative of Cooper beef, then the quality was premium.
He could see now why Ty felt compelled to pursue larger markets. The product was certainly worth the extra effort.
“We’ll clear, ladies,” Chad, or at least Dex thought it was Chad, said as he pushed back his chair and stood.
At this point Dex wasn’t sure of anything except that he had to be alone.
“Why, thank you, honey,” Chad’s wife—Jenny, if Dex remembered correctly—crooned with a wide smile.
Following the example of the other men, Dex stood as well. He knew a moment of panic as he considered what he should do next. He’d never had to clear a table before. How difficult could it be? Drawing on years of experience of eating at restaurants, he reached for his plate and glass like the waiters who’d served him in the past.
“No way, brother,” Court said from beside him. “You’ve got the night off.” Court winked. “Besides, you have company to see to.”
Dex blinked, uncertain what the man meant. What company?
“Oh, don’t be silly, Court,” Leanne chided. She pushed to her feet. “I can see myself out. It’s past time I got home.” She leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to Grandmother Cooper’s cheek. “Thank you for having me to supper.”
“Anytime, dear,” she returned. “Anytime. You tell your mama I said hello.”
“I sure will.” Leanne glanced at Dex. “Well, I guess I’ll be going.”
Court elbowed him. “I’ll…ah…see you to the door,” Dex offered, suddenly remembering his manners, and realizing, just as abruptly, that the rest of the family clearly considered Leanne his company.
Still trying to figure that one out, Dex followed her into the front hall. “Thank you again for picking me up at the airport,” he offered for lack of anything else to say.
“I didn’t mind,” she said, turning back to him when she stopped at the door. “I hope something good comes of your trip, Ty. I do know how much it means to you.”
The sincerity in her eyes was so genuine that it moved Dex. Or maybe it was just those big blue eyes that affected him. And all that silky blond hair. For the first time since he’d met Leanne, Dex took a moment to really look at her. She was of medium height, her figure curvy, voluptuous. Nothing like the waif-thin women he usually preferred. The well-worn jeans and button-up blouse were accessorized with scuffed boots and a leather belt that cinched her tiny waist. The smallness of her waist accentuated her womanly hips and particularly full breasts. Dex drew in a tight breath. She certainly had a nice set of…
“Are you sure you’re all right, Ty?”
Her question jolted him to attention. He blinked and dragged his gaze back to hers. Though she looked concerned, he could well imagine what she must think at the moment. He’d blatantly stared at her breasts. Thoroughly measured her body with his eyes. He had no doubt he’d lost his mind. The chances of a speedy recovery looked dim at best.
“I’m fine…really,” he insisted. “Fine.”
She nodded, the doubt clear in her eyes. “Well, I’ll see you around then.”
He felt his head bob up and down though he couldn’t recall issuing the necessary command. “Sure,” he managed to choke out.
She hesitated when she would have opened the door, adding a new layer of tension to his already unbearable state. “I almost forgot.” She stared up at him. “Are we still on for the dance Friday night?”
Dance? Ty hadn’t mentioned any dance. Worry tightened around his throat like a noose. “Dance?” he echoed his bewildered thought.
“The annual barbecue and dance to raise money for the volunteer fire department. You haven’t forgotten, have you?”
Faced with her expression of disappointment and maybe even a little hurt he heard himself say, “No, no. I haven’t forgotten. I’m just too tired to think, that’s all.” He shrugged. “Sure, we’re still on,” he added, using her words.
Her face brightened. The smile with which she gifted him shifted something in his chest. How could a mere smile have such a mesmerizing effect?
“Good night,” she murmured.
“Good night.” Despite everything, he just couldn’t help himself. He felt his lips curl upward as he stared deeply into those wide, blue eyes.
Before he could fathom her intent, she tiptoed and placed a chaste kiss on his jaw then rushed out the door.
Dex stared after her as she hurried away. He didn’t close the door until the tail lights of her truck had disappeared around the bend. He touched his jaw where she’d kissed him and he felt weak with something he couldn’t name. What was it about this woman—this place—that made him feel so strange? He couldn’t recall ever having felt so flustered, so uncertain of who he was.
“Dex Montgomery,” he murmured. “You’re Dex Montgomery.” He had to remember that.
“Ty.”
Dex turned to find Grandmother Cooper waiting near the bottom of the stairs. He smiled automatically, which was not his custom. He couldn’t say for sure whether he intended the gesture or if he’d simply done it so she would smile back at him. There was something about her smile.
“I know you’re worn out, son,” she said kindly. “Why don’t you call it a night? You can tell us all about your trip in your own time.” She winked covertly. “I left a present for you in your room.”
Dex felt weightless as he watched her walk away. His grandmother had gotten him a gift. Why that should give him such pleasure, he had no clue. But it waited for him in his room.
Dex stilled. No. It was waiting for him in Ty’s room.
Where the hell was Ty’s room?
HOW COULD SHE have kissed him?
Leanne slammed on her brakes and skidded to a frustrated halt a few feet from her own front porch. She shut off the lights and engine and heaved a disgusted sigh.
She’d kissed Ty. At least it had been only on the cheek, but she’d kissed him nonetheless.
She had undoubtedly lost her everloving mind. Why else would she have behaved so irrationally? Been so forward? There was no telling what he thought.
Depressed now more than disgusted, she laid her forehead against the steering wheel and considered how she would ever face him again.
Warmth spread through her as the brief meeting of her lips and his stubbled jaw played through her mind once more. Though always clean-shaven, Ty’s dark features left him with a five o’clock shadow every evening. She’d always imagined that beneath that darkly handsome exterior beat the heart of a truly sinful lover. A man who could please a woman. The details of his muscular chest ran through her mind. Never had the idea of Ty’s virility or masculinity intrigued her so.
Leanne straightened, frowning. She’d seen Ty shirtless hundreds of times. He was a strong, well-built man. She felt certain he would make some woman very happy some day. But not her. She loved him like a brother. Not once in her entire life had she felt even remotely sexually attracted to him.
Not once.
Until today.
The moment their gazes had locked at the airport she’d felt something…something different. She shook her head and climbed out of her old truck. The Coopers as well as her own mother had been trying to push the two of them together for as long as she could remember. She knew they meant well, wanted their children to be happy. But Leanne had other plans. She wanted to fall head over heels in love with a man who would sweep her off her feet. And she wanted to be financially independent.
“Yeah, right,” she grumbled as she trudged up the steps to her house. Just how was she supposed to meet Mr. Right and be financially independent when she was barely keeping her head above water in more ways than one?
She unlocked the front door and went inside. Being careful not to make any more noise than necessary she closed and locked the door behind her. The stairs to the second floor proved a bit trickier when it came to her efforts to be soundless. But Leanne knew all the spots to avoid. She didn’t want to wake her mother. Lord knew, sleep was the only peace she found.
Joanna Watley suffered with debilitating weakness and often a great deal of pain. Dr. Baker had done everything he could for her, to no avail. She needed further testing and a specialist or maybe even a team of specialists. But there was no money for such extravagances that would likely do no good, her mother insisted. Without medical insurance the burden of cost fell squarely on Leanne and her mother’s shoulders. A burden Leanne was ready to accept if her mother would only allow it.
Leanne paused outside her mother’s bedroom door. She slept soundly. Leanne eased into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed to watch her sleep. She was a truly beautiful woman. Long blond hair, peppered with a little gray, and blue eyes. The same blue eyes Leanne had inherited. Leanne’s father used to say that she and her mother looked more like sisters than mother and daughter. He’d always known how to bring a smile to her mother’s lips. It just didn’t seem fair that he’d died four years ago, and then last year her mother’s debilitating illness had struck. Leanne blinked back her tears. She loved her mother dearly and she would do whatever she could to help her.
Joanna Watley had a stubborn streak a mile wide, though. Leanne had begged her to sell the ranch and use the money for whatever medical treatment she needed. Joanna refused. She insisted that they hang on to the ranch no matter what. She’d be all right in time, she always said.
But that time never came. She only got worse. Leanne felt a burst of desperation in her chest. How would she ever convince her mother to listen to her? She probably couldn’t, which left Leanne with only one choice. She had to make the money herself. She couldn’t leave her mother alone all day to get a job in town. And anyway, Leanne had no real skills. With her father’s ill health, then his death, and now her mother’s illness, she’d been taking care of the ranch since she’d graduated high school. There’d been no time or money for college.
Instead, she spent every spare moment attempting to complete what her father had begun—turning their ranch into a dude ranch. Dude ranches were wildly popular, and this area of Montana was particularly attractive to tourists. No one else in the vicinity had one. It would be a gold mine, if only Leanne could finish the job.
The guest cabins had been constructed. The pool was pretty much complete. If Leanne worked hard enough, saved every cent possible, she could get it up and running. With the dozen horses they had kept and the guest cabins and pool ready, she could prepare to open this fall. She might not make much in the beginning, but her reputation would build. Then she would have the money to send her mother wherever she needed to go without selling the ranch.
But that seemed a lifetime away. Though Dr. Baker didn’t feel her mother’s symptoms were life-threatening, it was definitely debilitating, leaving her with a miserable existence.
Leanne blinked back a fresh wave of tears. She didn’t want her mother to suffer like this. But she was an adult, Leanne couldn’t make her go to a specialist.
“You home already?”
Leanne produced a smile at the weak sound of her mother’s voice. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“I’m glad you came in to say goodnight.” Her mother frowned. “But you shouldn’t have hurried home.”
“I didn’t want to stay out too late. You feeling all right?”
Her mother dredged up a smile from a source of strength Leanne could only imagine possessing. “I’m just fine. How did Ty’s trip go?”
“He won’t know for a while.” Leanne looked away. She didn’t want to get into a discussion of Ty with her mother. Not tonight.
“Is something wrong, Leanne?”
Her mother read her too well. “Oh no,” she assured her. “Everything’s fine.” But it wasn’t, she thought, remembering the way he’d looked at her in the truck on the way home and then at the door when they’d said goodnight. Something was definitely different.
Her mama’s hand closed over hers. “I wish I could make you see, child, what a good husband Ty would make. I don’t know why you don’t trust your mama’s instincts.”
Here they went again. Leanne sighed. “I know he’d make a fine husband, Mama, that’s not the problem.”
Joanna shook her head. “You’ve read too many of those paperbacks. You keep expecting some knight in shining armor to come take you away. Well, that ain’t the way it works. You know Ty and his family. They’re good folks. Marrying Ty is the right thing to do.” She squeezed her daughter’s hand. “It’s the only way you’ll ever save this ranch.”
There it was, the bottom line. The weight of saving the family ranch fell squarely on Leanne’s shoulders. “I know all that,” she said. “It’s just that I don’t feel that way toward Ty.” At least she hadn’t until today. Maybe that was just a fluke.
Her mother sighed wearily. “You’ll see, Leanne. Everything will be fine. You’ll learn to love Ty that way. He’s a good man. It’s what we all want.”
Leanne arched a skeptical brow. “You might be counting your chickens before they hatch considering he hasn’t asked yet. Maybe he won’t.”
Joanna smiled. “Oh, he will. The Coopers have wanted to combine this land with their own for two generations.” Her mother patted her hand. “He’ll ask. It’s just a matter of time.”
Opting not to argue the issue further, Leanne kissed her mother’s forehead. “Goodnight, Mama.”
Leanne left her mother’s room and headed toward her own. According to what her mother had told her eons ago, the Coopers had been disappointed when their only daughter, Tara, hadn’t married the only Watley son, Leanne’s father. Instead, she’d married the son of the Cooper family’s archrivals, a Montgomery. Tara and her husband had died in a tragic accident just one year later, leaving their infant sons, one of which had died shortly thereafter.
Now, the sole Cooper heir and the Watley heiress were once more being groomed for merging the two properties.
But that wasn’t the kind of merger Leanne was looking for.
After dragging off her boots, she stripped off her clothes and slipped into a warm flannel gown. It was May, not quite summer yet, and nights were still a bit chilly. She crawled beneath the covers and tried without success to block Ty Cooper’s image from her mind.
Being Ty’s wife wouldn’t be such a chore, she admitted. He was handsome, broad-shouldered and a gentleman in the truest sense of the word. She remembered well her first day in kindergarten. The school bully had made fun of her on the playground. Ty had come to her rescue. Though nine years her senior, he seemed always to be there, taking care of her.
She heaved a weary breath and flopped over on her side. But she didn’t love him, and she doubted he loved her. The Coopers already leased part of her grazing land. In fact, that lease money was all that stood between the Watleys and the poorhouse. Two or three times in the last year, they’d skated far too close to foreclosure for comfort.
No matter, Leanne didn’t want to get married because it made financial sense. The lease appeared to be working for both families without a marriage to seal the deal. Why didn’t they just leave it at that? Even if she somehow managed to bring life to her father’s dream, it wouldn’t prevent the Coopers from continuing to run cattle on her land. On the contrary, the cattle would add Western ambiance to her dude ranch. But her mother wouldn’t hear of it. She intended Leanne to marry Ty.
Maybe Leanne could work up the nerve to talk it over with Ty. She couldn’t imagine that he liked this matchmaking business any better than she did. Surely he would see reason. Then they would both be free to look for their own true loves.
That warm sensation that had bloomed in her middle when she’d kissed Ty suddenly swirled inside her once more. She remembered the searing heat in his eyes when he’d looked at her, as if for the first time, before she’d said goodnight. She shook her head and hugged her pillow. It was ridiculous. He wouldn’t be able to make her feel that way again. She was sure of it.
Spending time with him at the dance on Friday night would prove it.
The dance.
Leanne sat straight up. She had absolutely nothing to wear to the dance.
She mentally ticked off every dress in her closet. It didn’t take long, she only owned three. She couldn’t wear any of those old flour sacks. She chewed her lower lip. But she sure hated to spend the money to buy something new. Though she supposed that it was time she bought a new church dress. The whole congregation was likely tired of looking at the same old three over and over.
Funny, she mused with growing self-deprecation, she hadn’t worried about anything new to wear to the dance until tonight. What was it about Ty this evening that made her suddenly feel so strangely attracted to him? What made this day any different from the thousands of others they’d shared in the past twenty years?
Leanne dropped back onto her pillows. She couldn’t answer that question. She would just have to wait and see if that zing of desire happened again.
Probably not, she decided. Lightning never struck the same place twice.
Did it?
DEX HAD FOUND Ty’s room with only a couple of false starts. Fortunately no one had been around to see those blunders. The whole Cooper clan had gathered in the family room to watch television after he’d excused himself.
Dex felt immensely grateful for the reprieve. His feet were relieved as well. He simply couldn’t imagine what made cowboys believe that boots were comfortable. Apparently their feet had been molded for the footwear since birth.
How would he endure the ill-fitting get-up he was supposed to wear for the duration of this ruse? He wondered then how Ty was faring in Atlanta. The notion that Grandfather Montgomery was probably completely fooled pleased Dex entirely too much. He knew he should feel some regret, but he didn’t. Not in the proper sense anyway. He regretted wearing the boots. He didn’t look forward to pretending to be someone he wasn’t. Yet, he savored the idea of the discoveries he would make. He would learn about his mother and the people who’d turned their backs on him as a mere infant.
And he intended to teach the Montgomerys a little lesson as well. He and Ty were the victims here. No one could call any part of this entire sham fair. Their whole lives were based on one huge, bogus negotiation strategy.
Was Ty lying in Dex’s bed in Atlanta and wondering how the Montgomerys could have chosen Dex over him?
It wasn’t a good feeling. Dex knew first-hand.
He thought of his Grandmother Cooper and the way her smile did strange things to his heart. He glanced at the unopened gift waiting on the bureau. A part of him wanted desperately to open it, but it wasn’t really for him. It was for Ty. Dex looked away. It was all for Ty. Even the smiles that made Dex feel as if he was looking into an expression his mother would have freely offered.
The bottom line was, he wanted to know more…to somehow understand. Besides, the elder Coopers intrigued him. He wanted to know what made them tick. What had precipitated the choices they’d made all those years ago? And before he returned to Atlanta, Dex would have the answers. He was very good at getting to the bottom of things.
Surviving in the shark-infested waters of HMOs and high finance had taught him a good many things. Not the least of which was survival of the fittest.
But nothing he’d ever learned or experienced had prepared him for the attraction brewing between Leanne Watley and him. Dex mentally reviewed every moment of the time they’d spent together. He decided it was her innocence, her naïveté that drew him. He’d never known a woman quite like her. She also intrigued him. Ty had likened her to a sister. But the vibes Dex had gotten from her were in no way sisterly.
He scowled as he considered the dance he was supposed to escort her to on Friday night. Had he imagined it or had she seemed excited at the prospect? Then again, it could have been him who was excited.
Dex closed his eyes and banished thoughts of Leanne.
He was a stranger in a strange place. He didn’t know what he was feeling. If there was something between Leanne and Ty, Dex had no place in it. He’d have to ask Ty about her when they spoke. And he’d have to find a way to avoid her for the next few days. The last thing he needed was a case of lust for his brother’s woman.
Brother. The word still felt alien, but it was an undeniable fact. He had a brother. He had another family. The question was, what on earth would he do with them when he had the answers he wanted?
Better yet, what would the Coopers do when they discovered he’d pulled the wool over their eyes?
He pounded his pillow with a fist and tried to get comfortable. Getting comfortable was as impossible as finding any kind of resolution to this quandary.
It was a lose-lose situation.
There would be no winner when he and Ty revealed their true identities and returned to their respective homes.
Maybe trading places hadn’t been such a clever idea after all.
Chapter Three
It wasn’t a dream.
Dex sat up in bed just as the rising sun spilled its warm glow across the aged hardwood floor. Morning had arrived with a good deal more pomp and circumstance than Dex was accustomed to. The crowing of a rooster and the clanging of pots were sounds he could have gone the rest of his life without hearing at the crack of dawn.
His valet George always greeted him promptly at 6:00 a.m. with a tray of steaming coffee and an array of newspapers. The day’s wardrobe awaited him in the dressing room when he completed his morning workout and shower. By 9:00 a.m. he was at the office ready to work.
But not today.
Sometime during the night as he tossed and turned he had made his decision. He would consider this a mini-vacation at a rather rustic resort. There was no reason not to relax and enjoy. He would have a much-needed, whether he chose to admit the need or not, break from the pressure of running a major medical corporation, and he would learn about the Coopers.
When he and Ty were ready they would go public. But not yet.
Dex threw the covers back and climbed out of bed. The wood floor felt cool beneath his feet, a definite contrast to the plush carpeting of his own bedroom. He strode over to a large armoire, which he had ascertained last night was in lieu of a closet. Scowling, he rifled through it. The shirts were all alike in design, the colors varied slightly.
Disgusted by the lack of selection, he dragged a shirt from its hanger and went to the bureau in search of pants. He found several pairs of scruffy-looking jeans and selected the least offensive pair. In another drawer he found white tube socks. For the boots, he supposed with a grimace.
From the duffel bag he retrieved a pair of his own underwear. He drew the line at wearing another man’s shorts.
Since he found no robe, he tugged on the jeans and slipped into the hall, scanning warily for any of the Cooper clan. Silence ruled on the second floor. Everyone appeared to have gone downstairs already.
Good.
Dex padded down the hall to the communal bathroom. Though large and well stocked with linens and bath accessories, it was singular nonetheless. He lowered the toilet lid and placed his attire for the day there. He tried locking the door but, after several frustrated failures, gave up. The latch wouldn’t work. Everyone was downstairs anyway, why sweat it? He grabbed a towel from the linen closet and slung it over the shower curtain rod. After peeling off the jeans, he adjusted the water to an inviting temperature and then stepped beneath the hot spray.
His eyes closed in appreciation. Dex relaxed for the first time since this adventure had begun.
Despite his best intentions not to think about her again, the image of Leanne Watley filled his mind. Those big blue eyes and that silky blond hair. His gut clenched at the thought of threading his fingers in those lovely tresses. The feel of her lips against his jaw sent a stab of desire straight to his loins. His body reacted instantly and his mind conjured up Leanne’s even more enticing assets.
He wasn’t supposed to be thinking about her that way. Forcing his eyes open, he banished the image. If anything, she was Ty’s girlfriend. He wasn’t Ty. He couldn’t allow this thing to progress.
“Fool,” he muttered.
Dex grabbed the bar of soap and began soaping his body. He didn’t need any complications during his stay here. He had to keep this simple.
For all parties concerned.
Rinsing his well-lathered body he frowned when his gaze halted at his feet. He cocked his head away from the spray and stared at the water swirling around his feet and then down the drain. He looked at the soap in his hand, it was blue. Then why was the water going down the drain tinted green?
An explosion of giggles launched him into action. Dex jerked the shower curtain open. Court’s sons, the four-year-old twins, stood next to the tub, an empty mouthwash bottle in their hands.
“What are you doing?” Dex demanded.
The two dark-haired boys looked first at each other, then at Dex. They dropped the plastic container and ran for their lives in a flash of Scooby-Doo pajamas, leaving the door wide open and shouting, “Mornin’, Uncle Ty!”
Swearing under his breath, Dex stamped over to the door, leaving a trail of water on the tile floor, and slammed it shut. He whipped back around and almost fell in his haste. Catching himself, he retraced, much more slowly this time, his path. As soon as he’d washed his hair and rinsed the soap from his skin, he dried himself and the floor.
He thought about the bean-throwing incident and then the mouthwash. Didn’t anyone discipline these children?
As a child he was never allowed to behave in such a manner. His grandparents had ensured his proper training from the age of four. Though he’d never had a nanny, at least not that he could recall. He remembered clearly the first day George, his valet, began his employment as Dex’s teacher and mentor to the finer points of etiquette.
Dex stared at his reflection in the mirror and wondered what George would think of him now. Pretending to be someone else and wearing this getup. Give him Armani any day. George would likely shake his regal head and make that annoying tsking sound. Since he wasn’t here, Dex didn’t have to worry about that.
Back in Ty’s room, Dex tugged on the cursed boots. His feet ached even before he stood. The gift on the bureau snagged his attention again.
Would it be perceived as odd if he didn’t open the present right away? Would his seeming indifference to the act of generosity hurt his grandmother’s feelings? He sighed. He had no choice but to open it.
Dex placed his hands on either side of the box and hesitated still. His heart thundered in his chest. This was ridiculous. It was just a present. It wasn’t even for him. Not really. The gesture meant nothing to him personally. He removed the lid, the scent of leather filling his nostrils, and studied the gift beneath. Leather chaps. The perfect gift for a cowboy, he supposed ruefully. He picked up the note from inside the box and read it.
Ty, I knew you needed a new set of chaps but wouldn’t buy any for yourself. Your old ones out in the tack room are being recycled. A welcome-home present seemed like a good enough reason to buy new ones for you.
Love, Gran.
Dex closed his eyes and struggled with the emotions suddenly churning inside him. The Montgomerys never did little things like this for each other. He stared at the note once more. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d received a personal note from his grandparents. If either of them wanted to tell him anything they sent a message with a member of the household staff or his personal secretary. They didn’t bother with personal notes.
But then, the Montgomerys had other assets. Just because he was angry with them at the moment didn’t mean he failed to recognize how much they loved him. Gifts such as this were never necessary. Dex always had everything he wanted given to him well before he needed it.
The Coopers had nothing on the Montgomerys on that score. Of course, he wasn’t actually keeping score. Was he?
Twenty minutes and a half dozen false starts later, Dex made his grand entrance into the dining room. Donning the chaps hadn’t been easy, but he was fully garbed now. From the hat to the boots.
“Good morning,” he said cheerily to the rest of the group assembled around the table.
Grandfather Cooper choked on his coffee. Grandmother Cooper’s eyes widened in a look of disbelief. The rest of the family burst into laughter. Dex frowned. What was so funny? He looked down at himself and then back at them. He looked exactly like the cowboys he’d seen in the movies.
What was the problem?
Maybe they’d all heard about the mouthwash episode. He narrowed his gaze in the direction of the twins.
“Planning on roping and branding cattle this morning, bro?” Chad suggested, barely restraining a new wave of laughter.
Dex didn’t get the joke.
“Sorry to be the one to tell you,” Court added between chuckles. “But today we’re cleaning out the barn and surveying the pastures. You won’t need your chaps today.”
He was overdressed, he realized then. He opened his mouth to explain, but then thought better of it. What could he say? That he was ignorant to the ways of cowboys?
Grandmother Cooper gestured to the vacant chair next to her. “Take your hat off, son, and have a seat. Your breakfast is getting cold.”
Before taking his seat, Dex, determined to save face, leaned down and kissed his grandmother’s lilac-scented cheek. “Thank you for the chaps, Gran. I wanted you to get the full effect,” he told her as if he’d known exactly what he was doing when he put them on.
Court and Chad still looked amused. Grandfather Cooper had regained his composure with only a hint of a smile lingering about his expression.
Grandmother Cooper smiled kindly. “Well, you accomplished your mission, son.” She patted his hand. “You look very handsome.”
The telephone rang before Dex had a chance to sit down.
“Ty, would you get that since you’re still up?” Grandfather Cooper asked.
“Then we can get the going effect as well,” Chad teased, sending the younger Coopers into another fit of laughter.
Dex clenched his jaw long enough to restrain his temper. “Be happy to oblige,” he drawled, doing his best imitation of John Wayne.
He straightened slowly, allowing the phone to ring once more in order to give him the general direction in which to look. The hall. He sauntered from the room, knowing full well Court and Chad were grinning behind his back. Judging by the way they were dressed, he definitely looked like the circus clown leaving center ring.
Annoyed more with himself than anyone else, he scooped up the receiver and barked a hello.
“Dex?”
“Ty?”
“Yeah, it’s me.”
Thank God.
Dex stretched the cord and got as far away from the dining-room door as possible. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me about the investors and the chaps? And Leanne,” he muttered hotly.
“Me? Why didn’t you tell me about that piranha you’ve got working for you! And I think George is suspicious.”
“What?” Dex was confused. What piranha?
“Bridget whatever-her-name-is,” Ty snapped. “She won’t leave me alone.”
“Oh.” Dex stroked his chin thoughtfully. Bridget could be relentless and territorial. Their physical relationship had always been convenient, nothing else. Not that she hadn’t tried to make it more. “Tell her you want the monthly status reports early. That should keep her busy for a while. My best advice would be to avoid her if you can.”
“What about George?” Ty demanded. “How do I handle him?”
“Tell him you’re not in the mood to talk if he starts prying. That usually does the trick.” It sounded as if Ty had the same problems Dex did. “What about your investment meeting?” he prodded.
“There’s nothing to tell,” Ty related what Dex already knew. “I’m trying to expand the Circle C’s market and improve profit.”
“I thought as much.”
“You’ll get an official response in a few days,” Ty went on. “Let me know the moment you receive it. I’m anxious to know which way the wind is going to blow on my proposal.”
Dex cocked an eyebrow. “All right. And you let me know how it goes there.”
“Will do. Anything else? I don’t know how much longer I can hide in this bathroom. George may be spying on me as we speak.”
Dex chuckled. Yes, Ty was feeling the pressure too. “One more thing. About Leanne.”
“What about her?”
“I thought you told me you were just friends.”
“We are,” Ty said flatly. “I guess I forgot to mention that our families would like it otherwise.”
“I guess you did,” Dex retorted dryly. “And this dance?”
“The one on Friday night? It’s just a fund-raiser. I take Leanne every year just to keep the peace between the two families. A little bit of square dancing, foot stomping.”
To keep the peace? Dex didn’t even want to know what that meant. “Okay, I guess I can take her.”
“You’d better be nice to Leanne and behave around her,” Ty warned. “She’s young and innocent and I don’t want her hurt in all this.”
“Neither do I,” Dex said, surprised that his brother felt it necessary to warn him.
“Good. Now, how’s my family?”
Dex heard the wistfulness in his voice. Ty missed his family. Could Dex say the same? Maybe, he wasn’t sure…yet. “The Coopers are fine. I have to go. They’re waiting for me.”
When Ty didn’t respond, Dex added, “Ty, I have to go.”
“Okay, but one more thing. What’s between you and this Dr. Stovall?”
“Dr. Stovall?” Dex paused, searching his brain for recognition. “Nothing. She’s a pediatrician, I believe, at the hospital. Sort of a do-gooder—”
“There’s nothing wrong with that,” Ty interjected sharply.
Dex sighed. This did not sound good. “Listen, Ty, watch your step. I have to come back there, remember?”
“Don’t worry. Everything’s under control.”
“Good. I’ll talk to you when I can. Gotta go.”
Dex hung up the receiver. It took him three long beats to prepare himself to reenter the dining room.
“It was one of the people I met in Chicago,” he announced to the expectant faces still gathered around the table. “I should have word in a few days.”
Nods and sounds of acknowledgment echoed around the room. Grandfather Cooper maintained a solemn, clearly skeptical expression.
Dex pulled his chair out and sat down. He looked at his plate, laden with eggs, bacon and biscuits, just in time to see a Cheerio land in the middle of the two sunny-side up eggs. His gaze met the wicked one belonging to his five-year-old niece, who was sitting on the opposite side of the table eating dry cereal from a bowl.
“Morning, Uncle Ty. You’re a sleepyhead this mornin’,” she accused.
Before Dex could think of an appropriate response, the rest of the men stood.
“The day’s a wastin’. We’d better get going,” Court suggested.
Another Cheerio plopped into Dex’s plate. “I’ll just eat something later,” he said as he pushed up from his chair.
Grandmother Cooper frowned. “Don’t rush out without your breakfast. You can catch up with your brothers later.”
“Really,” Dex assured her. “I’m good.”
He left the room amid a chorus of “Uncle Tys!” resounding behind him. The twins had joined his niece, whom Dex now mentally dubbed the princess, in her farewell dramatics. Dex was pretty sure he’d never faced an opponent in the boardroom as formidable as those three kids.
Considering he was staying for the next few days under the same roof with them, he couldn’t see how things could get any worse.
Once in the yard, Court said, “Chad, you want to oversee the barn work while Ty and I check out the fencing?”
“Will do.”
Check out the fencing? He could do that, Dex decided. He followed Court to the barn. He paused in front of two stalls where a couple of massive horses resided.
“Saddle up, bro.” Court clapped Dex on the back. “We’ve got a long day ahead of us.”
Dex stared at the horse eyeing him suspiciously. Things had just gotten worse.
WHEN COURT finally called it a day, Dex had a complete understanding of the phrase “too long in the saddle.” Every part of his lower body ached.
Sliding off the horse proved almost as difficult as mounting the huge beast had. By the time Dex had gotten into the saddle, Court was convinced the whole routine was an act to make him laugh. He’d laughed so hard he’d nearly cried when he’d had to tighten the cinch. Dex had tried to emulate Court as he saddled his own horse, but obviously he hadn’t gotten it exactly right.
Taking small careful steps now, Dex headed toward the house. He needed a long, hot soak in the tub. He needed food and drink. No. Strike that. What he really needed was a half dozen or so protein shakes and then a double Scotch to finish it off.
He winced with each step. How could anyone like this lifestyle?
“Ty!”
Dex looked in the direction of the driveway and the unexpected but welcome sound of Leanne’s voice. Already he knew it by heart. He was far too exhausted to consider why.
“Leanne,” he acknowledged. “How are you today?”
She frowned, the gesture deepening the worry already clouding her expression. “We need to talk.”
Something was wrong. Dex could see it in her eyes. He had the sudden urge to put his arm around her slender shoulders and assure her that everything would be fine. He gave himself a mental shake. Slow down, he warned. This was a mistake he did not intend to make. He recalled Ty’s warning, but the urge to reassure her still nagged at him.
“Okay,” he said instead, tucking his hands into his back pockets as a precaution.
She glanced around. “Not here.” Her too-serious gaze landed on his once more. “Do you mind taking a ride to my place?”
The thought of sitting down in anything other than hot water almost made him say no, but the need to put that smile back on her pretty face prevailed.
“Why not?” He offered his arm. “I’d be pleased to.”
Looking even more worried, she placed her arm in his and walked with him to her old truck. He opened the door for her then hustled around to the passenger door as quickly as he dared. But lowering himself into the seat proved the most difficult task.
“Are you sure you’re feeling all right, Ty?” she asked, her fingers poised on the key in the ignition.
“Fabulous,” Dex returned. “Just fabulous.”
Shaking her head she started the engine.
This young lady seemed to know Ty better than anyone else. At least, she appeared to be the only one suspicious of Dex. He studied her lovely profile as she drove away from the Circle C. His muscles tightened just looking at her, in spite of his numerous aches.
He definitely had to watch his step around her.
LEANNE STOOD NEXT to Ty on her back porch and surveyed the dream her father had started five years ago. Her mother was resting in her room. She wouldn’t like it if she knew what Leanne was about to do. But she had to tell him before she lost her nerve. She had to be honest, especially in light of recent events. She’d thought about it all night.
“I know you remember my father dreamed of turning this place into a dude ranch.” She looked up at Ty. He looked at a loss for a moment, then nodded. Leanne peered back out over the nearly finished guest cabins and the waiting pool. “I want to make it happen, Ty,” she said quietly, bracing herself for his response.
A full minute ticked by in silence.
“It’s not what either of our families wants,” she hastened to add. “I know that. But it wouldn’t affect the grazing land. The Circle C could continue to lease the grazing land, all of it if they want. That wouldn’t be a problem.”
He looked at her then. She couldn’t read what he was thinking or feeling. Please, she prayed, let him understand.
“This is what you want?” he asked, his tone carefully measured.
She nodded. “Very much.”
He took off his hat and threaded his fingers through his hair, then replaced the hat as if he weren’t used to having to bother. Her frown deepened. What was it that made him seem so different since he’d come back from Chicago? Even the way he talked was wrong somehow.
He took the four steps down from the porch then turned back to her. “Do you mind if we walk?”
She shook her head and hurried down the steps after him.
“Is the wiring and plumbing for the guest cottages complete?” he asked as they crossed the yard.
“Yes,” she answered, afraid to hope. “I still have some painting and clean-up work to do. I’ll have to buy furniture and pool chemicals. But I can be ready in a few months if I work on it every chance I get.”
He paused near the pool and stared at her. “You’re doing this alone?”
She sighed. “I didn’t want to tell you.” She hung her head. “I know what our families have always wanted.” As difficult as it was, she met his gaze. “But this is what I want.” How did she tell the man that she didn’t want to spend the rest of her life as just his wife? She didn’t want to hurt him. She cared about him. Deeply. She just wasn’t in love with him. And she desperately wanted to see her father’s wish come true.
“You could hire a contractor to finish up,” he suggested, while studying the dark, mossy-green color of the pool water. It would take lots of chemicals to clear up that mess.
“That takes more money than I can afford to spend,” she told him. It annoyed her because he of all people should know her circumstances. Well, at least, to a degree. She and her mother were too proud to tell the whole story. “I’d rather do the work myself anyway. That’s what my father would have done.”
He nodded. “Well, I think it’s a great idea. Dude ranches are usually a big hit when operated properly. Are there—” He cut himself off abruptly. “Have you researched the probability of success?”
“If you’re asking if I’ve done my homework, the answer is yes. There isn’t one anywhere near here,” she said, hardly believing he’d even asked. “Tourists love this part of the state, as you well know. I think it would be a tremendous success.”
“All right, then.” He braced his hands on his lean hips and studied the guest cabins that circled the pool. “I’ll help you.”
Leanne felt a ripple of shock. “What did you say?”
He shrugged awkwardly. “I’ll help you. Court and Chad have things at the Circle C under control. There’s no reason I can’t pitch in here.” His gaze locked with hers, and heat roared straight through her. “Isn’t it the neighborly thing to do?”
Leanne couldn’t argue with that reasoning.
Truth be told, she didn’t want to. Another little shock wave shook her.
“Well, then.” He smiled, sending her heart into a wild tattoo. “Let’s do it.”
Before she could stop herself she’d thrown her arms around him. “Thank you for understanding, Ty,” she murmured against his neck.
“It’s nothing,” he argued, his posture rigid.
Darn it. She didn’t want to cry. But the tears came anyway. She held onto him with all her might and cried into his shirt. “I’m sorry,” she muttered.
“It’s all right.” His arms closed around her waist sending a new shard of heat slicing through her. “I—” He let go a heavy breath. His arms tightened around her, drawing her nearer. “It’s okay,” he said softly, his breath whispering against her cheek.
And she knew it would be.
Because Ty had told her so. He’d never let her down before.
Chapter Four
For a long time after Leanne dropped Dex back at the Cooper ranch he just stood watching as the dust that had billowed from beneath her old truck settled. He thought about the day he’d spent on horseback with Court, touring the grazing pastures, surveying the fencing. The Cooper ranch was pretty spectacular. Dex couldn’t recall spending that much time in such a wide-open space ever before. He couldn’t think about that without remembering the ribbing he’d taken from Chad when it took him three tries to mount Ty’s horse. None of it seemed quite real.
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