flashed a lopsided grin and held both hands up out of Dawn’s reach. “I’m gonna pass on the handshake for now. When you arrived, I was in the stable with one of our first-calf heifers, overseeing the latest birth for our herd. I’ve mostly washed up, but I’m still kinda grimy.”
“Aww,” Dawn cooed. “A baby?”
“Yes, ma’am. We’re a working ranch, and replenishing the herd is our livelihood.” Josh spared Kate a glance, and his boyish grin slipped a little before returning to full wattage. Holding her gaze, he added, “If you want to meet the new calf, I’d be happy to take you to see him once you get settled.”
Kate swallowed the flutter of disquiet that she could feel pulsing in the vein in her neck. “That sounds great.”
Dawn wagged a finger between Zane and Josh. “You two are...identical twins?”
Zane nodded. “We are. And we have a sister, who rounds out the set. Triplets.”
Kate blinked and goggled at Zane. “Triplets! Wow. Does your sister live here, too? Will we meet her?”
“She does now. Just moved back from Boston. You’ll meet her at the welcome dinner tonight. Which, I was saying when Josh stormed in, is at six p.m. Out in the side yard.” Zane directed them with a finger pointing out the window. “That way. Can’t miss it.” He clapped his hands together. “Well, we’ll get out of your hair, let you unpack. The refrigerator has soft drinks and bottled water. Help yourself. Can we do anything else to get you settled before we scoot outta here?”
“I’m good, thanks,” Kate told Zane, and when she glanced back at Josh, his piercing gaze was still riveted on her, the playful twitch of a grin tugging the corner of his mouth.
Her heart bumped, and her breath snagged in her throat. His stare was unnerving, both because of the intensity of his sky blue eyes and because of the mysterious smile he gave her. As if he knew a secret about her. As if he were undressing her with his eyes. As if he could read her fears and reluctance about being there and was privately mocking her.
She calmed her edginess with a deep inhale and slow exhale, the way her therapist had taught her after the trauma of being trapped in the silo. Center yourself by focusing on something near you, something real, something safe.
Kate tore her gaze away from Josh’s and concentrated on a whimsical rooster figurine above the kitchenette cabinets until the uneasy feeling passed. She could hear Dawn telling the brothers goodbye and thank you. Heard the screened door slap closed followed by the squeak of hinges as the main door closed.
“Wow,” Dawn said, returning to the living room area of the guesthouse. “Twice as nice! Two for the price of one...” She gave Kate a play-punch in the shoulder as she strolled past on her way to check out the bedrooms. “I do believe we need to get you into some double trouble.”
With a grunt of disagreement, Kate followed her friend toward the bedrooms. The last thing she wanted from this trip was trouble. Double or otherwise.
Josh McCall scrubbed his hands and fingernails with the small brush at the stable’s wash station, while the hot water sent billowing steam up in his face. His motions were mechanical, habit, which was good, because his thoughts were miles away. Or rather, a few dozen feet away in the guesthouse.
He was not sure what he’d expected from the two representatives from the Dallas PR firm Zane was working with, but the wheat-blonde beauty, even now unpacking in the old bunkhouse, had not been what he’d pictured. Kate Carrington, Zane had said her name was. Kate, with her heart-shaped face, full lips and nervous smile had left him awestruck. He wasn’t as sappy as to believe in love at first sight, but lust at first sight, or intrigue, or captivation—whatever you wanted to call it—he was pretty sure had just happened. His body was thrumming, and his brain was clicking, anxious for the chance to talk with her again, get to know her. And yes, possibly sample those pink lips that had trembled a little when she’d smiled at their introduction.
He’d stared. He knew he had, and maybe his rapt attention had unsettled her. Maybe she wasn’t used to guys openly, unabashedly admiring her. Maybe—his heart stuttered—crap, was she married? He hadn’t thought to look for a ring. Gorgeous as she was, beguiled as he was, he would put his attraction on ice before he messed with a married woman.
“I think you missed a spot,” Dave Giblan, one of the Double M’s ranch hands, said as he sidled up beside him to wash his hands.
“Huh?”
Dave chuckled. “Geez, where’s your head? You’ve been scrubbing away over here for like ten minutes. Your skin’s gonna be raw.”
“Oh.” Josh passed the scrubbing brush to Dave and stepped aside. “Just trying to be thorough.”
Dave grunted and gave his boss a skeptical side-eye. “Heard the first guests arrived. You meet them?”
“Yeah,” Josh said, drying his hands on a clean towel from the shelf above the industrial-sized sink. “Couple of ladies from the PR place that’s handling our advertising and marketing.” He put the towel on a hook near the sink where Dave could use it next and hitched his head toward the back stall. “How’s mama doing?”
Dave nodded. “Great. She’s tired, but she’s taking care of her baby like she’s supposed to. Calf weighed in right at seventy pounds. Vet says he looks good.”
“Excellent.” He slapped Dave on the shoulder. “I’ll leave them in your capable hands. Let me know if anything changes with mama’s or the little guy’s conditions.”
Dave shut off the water. “Will do, man.” Dave hesitated, then asked, “Say...what’s this adventure tour biz mean for me?”
Josh gave him a puzzled look. “For you?”
The hand jerked a nod. “I’m already busier than a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest since Karl left. And now you, Brady and Zane have your hands full with the adventure tours. Are there plans to hire a new hand? Get me some help?”
Josh grimaced and ran a hand through his shaggy hair. “Not that I know of. Sorry. We don’t plan to leave you hangin’. Brady’ll only be involved in the new business in small ways, and Zane and I’ll do our best to give you extra help when we’re around.”
Dave looked skeptical, but said nothing more about it.
Josh left the stable, pondering the truth that Dave had raised. The ranch did need more hands. But where would they find the money to hire more help? As he crossed the ranch yard, he heard the familiar squeak of the guesthouse’s screen door hinges. He glanced over to find Ms. Fetzer hurrying over to him.
Changing direction, he moved to intercept the woman, whose red-brown hair had been pulled into a single braid at her nape and whose ample curves jiggled as she trotted toward him.
“Hi. Josh, is it?” she said cheerfully, her dark brown eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
“Yes, ma’am. What can I do for you?”
“Well, you can call me Dawn instead of ma’am for starters. We are going to be working together, after all.”
Josh grinned and poked his hands in his front pockets. And, yes, they were a little raw from his distracted
