laughed at Ashlyn’s perplexed expression. “Fiona wants to put meat on everyone’s bones.”
“Okay,” Ashlyn said. “If you think you can, I won’t say no.”
“I won’t, either.” One of the Callahans who hadn’t gotten an introduction yet reached across the table to shake Kendall’s hand. “I’m Jace. Sorry about my brother’s rudeness. He’s pretty much the lone wolf in the family.”
Kendall sneaked a peek into the den at the lone wolf. As wolves went, Sloan wasn’t all that feral. In fact, he was darn handsome, even better than she’d originally realized, now that she could see him in good light. “Hi, Jace. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Jace is our earth soul,” Ashlyn said. “He’s about to hit the big three-o, so he spends a fair amount of time with the ladies.”
“Ash,” Jace said, “it’s all friendly. Although, if you have a sister, Kendall...”
Everyone laughed at Jace’s obvious hint to Kendall. She felt herself blush a bit.
“No sister. Sorry. It’s just me and three brothers. You’ll meet them soon enough.”
“Your twin, Xavier, came out to our campsite with you this morning,” Ashlyn said.
Kendall nodded. “And then there’s Gage and Shaman. They’re around here somewhere, probably out feeding the horses at this hour.”
“Don’t mind Sloan.” Another Callahan reached over to offer his hand. “He’s a little harder to get to know than the rest of us. I’m Tighe, by the way, and Dante here is my twin.”
Hot as the dickens, both of them. Kendall shook their hands, ignoring the words about not minding Sloan. Why should she? She didn’t know any of them. Getting bent out of shape about Sloan’s obvious prickliness would be unprofessional.
“Wild at heart,” Ashlyn said, pointing her fork at Tighe, “will never settle down. A shame, because he’d make a great husband for some lucky woman, and that’s not just a sister’s pride talking.”
Kendall smiled at Tighe. “Be warned that men seem to drop like flies around here, if you’re really determined to hang on to your bachelor status. Fiona has a major matchmaking streak going.”
Tighe went a little pale. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“And Dante,” Ashlyn said, “let’s just say that he’s the head of mischief in our family. Great to have at your side in a fight, but isn’t above letting you sweat it out, either. And if you don’t like snakes or other creepy-crawlies, don’t tell him. He’ll put them in your bed just to give you a little fright.”
Kendall leveled round eyes on Dante. “Remember I hold the key to the breakfasts, Dante.”
He laughed. “You’re safe.”
Sloan slid back into the seat next to her.
“Get it all worked out?” Kendall asked.
He looked at her. “Jonas has pointed out a few things I was overlooking.”
Kendall smiled. “So you’re stuck with me.”
His lips twisted. “It appears that way.”
“I won’t wear any more white skirts around you.” Kendall sipped her coffee, her expression innocent.
“You’ll stay in good enough condition as long as you don’t sneak up on me,” Sloan said.
“I’ll wear a bell around my neck,” Kendall said, and Ashlyn said, “That won’t be necessary. Now that you’ve caught Sloan napping, you’ll never get within a hundred feet of him again without him knowing.”
Annoyance crossed Sloan’s face. “I wasn’t expecting a woman to sneak into camp.”
His brothers stared at him. Sloan looked a bit edgy. Kendall went back to picking at her food, not certain why Sloan didn’t seem to like her. But he didn’t, that was clear as day. Jonas glanced her way, shrugging.
There was nothing that could be done about it. They were all going to have to get along, one big happy family, until whatever reason these new Callahans had been sent here no longer existed.
“It’s so nice to meet all of you,” Kendall said politely. “Welcome to Rancho Diablo.” She went to help Fiona clean the kitchen. This was just a job, and if she was a pain in Sloan’s hiney for some reason, then the feeling was certainly mutual.
Chapter Three
Two days later, Kendall stood at the far end of Rancho Diablo, snapping photos of the location where Jonas wanted his new bunkhouse. It was to be a big one, with almost twenty rooms. Two stories high. It would be built well away from the main house, to give everyone a bit more space. With five thousand acres, Jonas had the land to spread out, but this project was big, even by Callahan standards. It was almost an apartment complex, and Kendall looked forward to helping decorate the abode.
Gazing to the west, she noticed something strange—seven stones placed in a circle near the same location where the bunkhouse was planned. She checked her notes again, making certain she had the correct aerial photographs and surveyor’s map, before realizing that this was exactly where Sloan had been sleeping. The large gray-white rocks were about fifty yards away.
A shadow crossed her, briefly blocking the sun on the already cold November day. A tingle touched her skin. She put the camera back up to her face to snap another photo, feeling suddenly nervous about being this far from the main house. She knew the Callahan cousins might be around here somewhere. Still, something made her feel...uncomfortable.
She heard a noise that sounded much like a rock dropping behind her. But the area where she stood was dotted with little more than the odd cactus. Possibly a bird had landed and then flown away.
No. The shadow had been too large to be a cloud or even a bird. Goose pimples rose on her arms, and she began to walk quickly toward the jeep. Something jumped out of nowhere, ramming the jeep as she got in. It slashed at her calf and Kendall shrieked, tossing her camera into the passenger seat and jamming her keys into the ignition. Gunning the engine, she shot away from the stone ring, spraying sand and dirt in her retreat, her only thought to get back to the ranch.
“Whoa!” Sloan shouted. She’d nearly run him over as he was leaving the main house. Kendall jammed the jeep into Park and jumped out into his arms.
“Uh, Barbie,” Sloan said. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Kendall shivered, laying her head against his chest for just a second as she caught her breath. “I don’t know.”
“Good,” Sloan said. He rubbed her back. “Nice to know you’re not just trying to run me down.”
She pulled away, his joke fortifying her. “If you ever call me Barbie again, I will stab you with the nearest sharp object. And you won’t like it.”
“I know.” He laughed, setting her away from him. “I’ve got to go, beautiful. Are you going to be all right?”
