burned and Porter hooted. “She wouldn’t give you her number, would she?”
“No.”
“There are hundreds of women who’d fall all over themselves to date a musician,” Conway said. “Why are you preoccupied with a one-night stand?”
Mack opened his mouth then thought twice about telling his brothers the truth—they’d laugh him out of the bunkhouse. “Never mind.” He grabbed the duffel bag he’d filled with clean clothes. “I’d better get going.”
“Isi’s put a roast in the oven,” Conway said. “Stay for supper. The twins would love to throw the football with you.”
That was another thing that bugged Mack—his sister-in-law had taken the last single Cash brothers under her wing after Buck had married Destiny and moved to Lizard Gulch. When Mack had learned that Isi had lost her brothers at a young age, he’d grudgingly accepted her hovering. Meddling women aside, the dude ranch was an hour’s drive from the farm, and there was nothing between here and there but a dilapidated ice house that sold year-old beer and stale snacks. “I guess I could eat before I take off.”
“Good.” Conway headed for the door. “Porter, you’re washing the dishes tonight.”
“What are you going to do?” Porter trailed Conway outside.
“Work on the tractor.”
“You’re always tinkering with the tractor.” Porter’s voice filtered through the open windows. “I don’t think there’s a damn thing wrong with the engine. You just don’t like doing household chores.”
“You ever try to help a woman who’s eight months pregnant?” Conway’s voice began to fade. “It’s like facing a charging bull...”
Once his brothers were out of earshot, Mack closed his eyes and envisioned his body entwined with Beth’s. He’d had a one-night stand with a woman named Just Beth at the El Rancho Motel.
There was no doubt in his mind that he’d pleased Beth, but there had been something off about her behavior—almost as if going to a motel with a man had been a first for her. When she’d snuggled against his side after they’d made love, he’d wondered if maybe he was ready to settle down.
Except Beth wasn’t what he was looking for in a wife—he wanted a girl-next-door type. She was a woman who went to a motel with a man she’d met only hours earlier. Before he’d fallen asleep, he’d asked for her number but she’d refused to give it to him—a first for him. Her rejection had left him with an uncomfortable feeling in his gut.
Why the heck did it bother him that Beth didn’t want to see him again? Was he losing his touch with the ladies? Mack popped off the bed, took his duffel and left the bunkhouse.
“Uncle Mack!” Conway’s son Javier raced toward him, his brother, Miguel, hot on his heels.
Mack set the bag in the truck bed. “Where’s Bandit?” Mack scanned the yard but the dog was nowhere in sight.
“He’s in the house.” Javier squeezed Mack’s thigh. “How come you’re never here anymore?”
He ruffled the dark mop of hair. “’Cause my job is far away.” He broke free, walked over to the porch steps and picked up the Nerf football. “Who wants the first pass?” Before he had his arm cocked to throw, Miguel took off. He tossed the ball, but the kid missed.
“Javi’s up next, Mig.”
“Don’t throw it too hard, Uncle Mack.” The boy ran with his head down—an athlete he was not.
“Here it comes, Javi!” The ball smacked him in the chest, knocking him to the ground. Mack hurried across the yard, worried he’d hurt his nephew. “You okay, Javi?”
“I think so.”
“Hey, Javi—” Miguel sat next to his brother “—you almost caught that.”
“I know.” Javi got to his feet and the brothers exchanged a silent message.
Mack glanced between the boys. “What’s going on?”
Mig nodded to Javi then both boys tackled Mack to the ground. A scuffle ensued and they rolled in the dirt, laughing. Mack made a big show of accepting defeat, and the boys straddled his chest and pumped their fists in the air.
The porch door opened, and Conway hollered for them to come eat. The twins scampered away, leaving Mack staring at the blue sky. He and his siblings had grown up without fathers—their grandfather had been their only male role model. Mack had been surprised when his brothers had begun having babies of their own, but after watching Johnny, Conway and Will interact with their kids, Mack had decided just because his father had wanted nothing to do with him didn’t mean he couldn’t be a good father himself.
He crawled off the ground and brushed at his clothes. Time to quit moping over Just Beth. January had ushered in a New Year and a new resolution to refocus his efforts on finding a woman he could build a life with.
* * *
“I HOPE THESE accommodations work for you, Beth.” Dave Paxton, the owner of the Black Jack Mountain Dude Ranch twirled his cowboy hat on his finger and tapped the toe of his boot against the tile floor Monday afternoon.
“This will do fine, Mr. Paxton. I appreciate you letting me stay here until I figure out what to do.” The ranch owner and Beth’s father had been former college roommates at Sacramento State.
“Call me Dave.” He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry to hear about your divorce. I doubt your father’s too pleased with Brad.”
“Actually, Mr.... I mean, Dave...” She dropped her gaze, hating herself for feeling embarrassed when she had nothing to be ashamed of—she hadn’t done the cheating. “I haven’t told my parents yet.”
“Why not?”
Beth didn’t know if her father had told Dave about her mother’s breast cancer scare, so she didn’t go into detail. “Mom’s been having a few health issues lately and I’m waiting for the right time to tell her.”
“I hope she’s okay.”
“She’s doing fine now.” Beth’s mother had two biopsies and had finished radiation treatment right after Thanksgiving. With her mom still weak from treatment, Beth had wanted to wait until she was stronger before spilling the beans about her failed marriage.
“Your parents have no idea you’re staying at the ranch.” It was a statement, not a question.
“Once I figure things out, I’ll make a trip home and talk to them.” It was the second week of January and she hoped to decide on a game plan for her future by the end of the month. “I’m more than happy to pay for the use of my cabin.”
“I don’t want your money, but there is a favor you can do for me while you’re here.”
“Sure, anything.”
“I’d like you to take a look at my retirement portfolio. It hasn’t made as much money as I’d hoped the past few years, and I’m wondering
