down.”
Dane laughed. “Like hell you are.” His brother was only thirty and still had the call of the wild written all over him. Tough and sinewy, with glacial dark eyes and cheeks sculpted by demons—at least that’s what Pop had always said—Pete was no ladies’ man.
No man for a lady, and certainly not for a lady like Suzy.
“Feel like a gentle wager?” Pete asked.
Dane raised a brow. “As a former Texas Ranger, I should say no, but curiosity compels me to ask what you have in mind.”
“Suzy falls for me, and you owe me a night of babysitting her little angels so I can romance their mother.”
“That’s heinous,” Dane said, feeling a flicker of jealousy that shook him. “Betting on a woman’s feelings is ungentlemanly.”
Pete laughed. “Bro, you’re taking a leaf out of Gabriel’s book.”
“Meaning?”
“You’re already down for the count.”
Dane snorted and grabbed some neatsfoot oil to clean and shine the saddle. He completely ignored Pete and his dumb observation. The thing that Pete didn’t know was Dane was moving to Mexico where the palm trees waved and the sun shone hot, the tortillas were soft and the ladies were sweet. He hated Texas and nothing—and no one—was ever going to entice him to stay for long.
Unlike Pete, whose job chasing international baddies might be wearing thin. Maybe Pete’s wandering feet were beginning to cool off.
“Listen, Pete,” he said suddenly and abruptly, as if to underline his own mental game, “If you’re frustrated and lonely and looking for a good time, by all means, put on your best show for Suzy. And I might add she’s probably not the only single woman in town. Best part is, these days all roads lead to town pretty quickly, and you’ve got a shiny truck to get you there for all the womanizing you can stand during your break.”
Pete laughed and went looking for something in the barn. Dane put the whole incident out of his mind for a moment, then took a pocketknife out of his back pocket. With a careful stroke, he notched two lines on the wood rail beside the saddle.
Only three hundred sixty-three more days to go.
CRICKET JASPER HAD KNOWN Suzy Winterstone a long time, and if Suzy said she needed help, then Suzy needed help. So without hesitation Cricket packed her bags and headed out from Fort Wylie to spend a week with Suzy at an old house in the deep country.
Cricket wasn’t sure why Suzy wouldn’t come back to Fort Wylie. The Winterstones weren’t the most affectionate clan, but that they missed their only daughter, Cricket was certain. They were still mad about the unplanned pregnancy, but that was over two years past. Surely it was time to put all those hot emotions in the past.
Cricket could feel forgiveness since she was a deacon. And Suzy was like a sister to her—she wanted Suzy to be happy. Family matters weren’t important at the moment, Cricket decided, and parked her little Volkswagen beside the two big trucks in the Morgan ranch driveway, and the smaller, older car that Cricket recognized as Suzy’s.
Suzy came out on the porch, waiting with a big smile and her two little girls beside her. Cricket hadn’t seen the girls since they were born—just tiny babies—so she hurried to sweep them into her arms. “I’m so glad to see you, Suzy. And these two little dumplings!”
Suzy smiled, grateful her friend had arrived. “Thank you so much for coming out.”
“No problem,” Cricket told her with a hug. “The minute you said you needed help, I penciled in vacation time….” Her words trailed off as two large men walked toward the house from an outlying barn. “My goodness, they grow them big in the country, don’t they?”
Suzy frowned. “At least the Morgans seem to be larger than life. They’re the reason I need help.”
“They live here?” Cricket’s eyes were huge.
She nodded. “You’ll quickly understand why their father despairs of them.”
“Well, I—” Cricket glanced at the men again. “Do you have to live here with them?”
“I didn’t know they’d be here when I took the position. I’ve deposited my three months’ salary, and frankly, I need the money. Not to mention I was eager to find a position where I could stay home with my children while they’re so young.”
“Three months,” Cricket murmured.
“Oh, they’ll be here a year,” Suzy told her. “Dane was here first, then Pete showed up, suggesting I needed a chaperone.”
Cricket gasped. “The nerve!”
“I think it’s a good idea.” Suzy eyed the men as they approached the porch. “Something also tells me I need an objective opinion of my situation.”
“And you think my eyes are objective?” Cricket gave the men a thorough once-over. “Looks like you’re living in heaven on earth to me.”
“Hello,” Pete said to Cricket, a grin lighting his face, although Suzy had to admit that Dane’s expression was just as impressed. Tall and dark to Suzy’s more cheerful blond roundness, Cricket caught and held every man’s eye. She had a long, lean graceful body, a sweet smile and big brown eyes—a tall Audrey Hepburn with her own independent carriage.
Men found the combination alluring. But Cricket had never been interested in much outside her church duties.
“This is Cricket Jasper, my best friend and Nicole’s and Sandra’s godmother,” Suzy said, smiling at the men’s dumbstruck expressions. “She’s going to stay with me for a week. Stay with us,” she amended, not feeling the slightest bit guilty for putting such luscious bait in front of the two very large tomcats.
“Your chaperone, I presume?” Pete said, grinning at Suzy. “Nice. I mean, it’s nice to meet you, Cricket.”
But Dane shot Suzy a glare. “While it’s nice to meet you, Cricket, and you’re welcome at the Morgan ranch, please round out our happy foursome in a guest capacity. I personally do not require a chaperone—for any reason.”
Chapter Four
“Whew,” Pete said as Dane stomped into the house, “please pardon my brother’s boneheaded manners. Texas doesn’t agree with him, and some days he’s a wee bit moody.” Then he whispered to Cricket, “It passes by noon. On his better days.”
Suzy looked at Pete. “Did I mention Cricket is a deacon in her church?”
Pete blinked. “So she is a chaperone.”
“Yes,” Suzy said, dragging her friend away. “Come on, before you fall under the spell.”
Cricket followed willingly. “I don’t think it was a spell. I’m immune to those. I think it was shock. Not sure I’ve ever seen so much man in one pair of boots.”
“It’s okay,” Suzy said. “The feeling will pass
