Romancing the rancher, p.1
Romancing the Rancher, page 1
KISSING THE RANCHER
“How’s your tattoo?” Josie asked.
Evan raised an eyebrow. “Wanna see it?”
“Yes, please.”
He grabbed hold of the hem of his Henley, yanked it over his head, and turned to one side. “I think it looks great.”
“Hmm . . .” Josie breathed.
“You’re not looking at it.”
“I’m just taking all of it in,” she said as she admired his flat stomach, lightly haired chest, and tight biceps. “The tattoo is merely the icing on the cake.”
“Yeah?” He stood up, came around to the other side of the table, and held out his hand. “May I kiss the winner?”
Josie hastily wiped her mouth on her napkin and jumped to her feet. “Sure!”
He drew her into his arms, and she raised her head to meet his steadfast gaze.
“Thanks for making me do this.”
“Right back at you.”
She slid her fingers into his damp hair and locked her mouth against his, her other hand on his bare shoulder. He groaned her name and kissed her back with a direct fierceness that surprised and intrigued her. She forgot everything except the taste and scent of him as she explored his body and leaned right into all that hard, warm flesh . . .
Books by Kate Pearce
The House of Pleasure Series
SIMPLY SEXUAL
SIMPLY SINFUL
SIMPLY SHAMELESS
SIMPLY WICKED
SIMPLY INSATIABLE
SIMPLY FORBIDDEN
SIMPLY CARNAL
SIMPLY VORACIOUS
SIMPLY SCANDALOUS
SIMPLY PLEASURE
(e-novella)
SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE
(e-novella)
The Sinners Club Series
THE SINNERS CLUB
TEMPTING A SINNER
MASTERING A SINNER
THE FIRST SINNERS
(e-novella)
Single Titles
RAW DESIRE
The Millers of Morgan Valley
THE SECOND CHANCE
RANCHER
THE RANCHER’S
REDEMPTION
THE REBELLIOUS
RANCHER
THE RANCHER MEETS
HIS MATCH
SWEET TALKING
RANCHER
ROMANCING THE
RANCHER
Anthologies
SOME LIKE IT ROUGH
LORDS OF PASSION
HAPPY IS THE BRIDE
A SEASON
TO CELEBRATE
MARRYING MY COWBOY
CHRISTMAS KISSES
WITH MY COWBOY
LONE WOLF
The Morgan Brothers Ranch
THE RELUCTANT COWBOY
THE MAVERICK COWBOY
THE LAST GOOD COWBOY
THE BAD BOY COWBOY
THE BILLIONAIRE BULL RIDER
THE RANCHER
Published by Kensington Publishing Corp.
Romancing the RANCHER
The Millers of Morgan Valley
KATE PEARCE
ZEBRA BOOKS
KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.
www.kensingtonbooks.com
All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.
Table of Contents
KISSING THE RANCHER
Also by
Title Page
Copyright Page
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
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
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Epilogue
RECIPE
ZEBRA BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2022 by Kate Pearce
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
To the extent that the image or images on the cover of this book depict a person or persons, such person or persons are merely models, and are not intended to portray any character or characters featured in the book.
If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the Publisher and neither the Author nor the Publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
Zebra and the Z logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.
ISBN: 978-1-4201-5259-3
ISBN-13: 978-1-4201-5260-9 (eBook)
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks to Sian Kaley and Jerri Drennan
for their always contrasting and interesting critiques.
Thanks also to the lovely ladies who offered me advice
about getting a tattoo, speaking Brazilian Portuguese
and how to cook traditional Brazilian dishes.
I apologize for the lack of names
but I’m in the middle of moving
and left most of my paperwork back in Hawaii.
This is the last of the Miller books.
I hope you have all enjoyed reading them as much as
I’ve enjoyed writing them.
Chapter One
Miller Ranch
Morgan Valley, California
Evan Miller kicked off his boots in the mudroom, washed up, and walked through into the large family kitchen where the smell of coffee and fried bacon still hung in the air. He scowled at his oldest brother, Adam, who was seated at the kitchen table chatting with their father.
“Where were you? I had to muck out all the stalls by myself.”
“It’s a nice change to see you working hard,” his father, Jeff, said and held up his phone. “We had some good news.”
“What would that be?” Evan helped himself to coffee, which at least warmed his hands. Even in summer it could still be cool in the mornings in the shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. His brother Kaiden emerged from the pantry with a fresh loaf of bread and grinned at him as they both sat down at the table.
“Danny went and did it.”
Seeing as Danny wasn’t talking to him right now, Evan had no idea what was going on, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to beg for info.
“So what?” Evan sipped his coffee.
Kaiden sat back. “Jeez, I suppose you already knew, seeing as you and Danny are so close. Kudos for not blabbing, which isn’t like you.”
“I suppose this has to do with Faith?” Evan hazarded a guess.
“Yeah.” It was Jeff’s turn to chip in. “Somehow they ended up in Vegas yesterday and got hitched!”
Evan sucked in his gut like someone had punched him, and covered up his shock with a nonchalant shrug. “Not exactly a surprise.”
“I’m guessing either Silver or Mom helped them with the planning.” Kaiden shook his head and whistled. “I never thought Danny had it in him to move so fast.”
“He saw a good thing and he went for it,” their father said.
“And you’re okay with this, Dad?” Kaiden raised an eyebrow. “I thought you’d be pissed.”
“Why? I told him not to let her get away.”
“Faith’s not a wayward steer,” Adam said. “She’s perfect for Danny. We could all see he was still in love with her.”
All three of them nodded. Evan shot to his feet again.
“What’s up?” Adam asked.
“I left my phone in the tack room.” Evan was already halfway out the door. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
He stepped into his muddy boots, grabbed his heavy jacket, and set off for the barn, his phone already securely in his pocket. He bypassed his supposed destination and went to stare out over the pastureland and foothills that comprised the majority of the Miller property. His breath condensed in the fresh, morning air as he propped his arms on the top of the gate, his brain barely registering the amazing view.
Danny hadn’t told him.
His closest brother in age, his best friend, and the person who always set him straight, hadn’t bothered to share that he was getting married. The worst thing was that Evan knew exactly why. The last time they’d been together Danny had gotten mad at him for revealing some personal information about him and Faith over the family dinner table. He’d only been trying to protect his favorite brother, but Danny hadn’t seen it that way and had gone off on him.
“Hey.”
Evan didn’t turn his head as Adam came to join him at the fence. At least he didn’t have to deal with wisecracking Kaiden. It took a while for Adam to actually say anything, which was just like him. He wasn’t a man who wasted words.
“I guess Danny didn’t tell you?”
“Or he simply had to make a quick decision and only had time to ask for help from someone who had the means to get him there and get things done fast.”
“Like someone with money or power, you mean.” Evan snorted. “Neither of which I have or will ever have.”
“Danny probably wanted to keep it quiet as well.”
Evan finally glanced over at Adam’s calm face. “Thanks.”
“You aren’t known for your ability to keep a secret, Bro.”
“So, two strikes already against me,” Evan said bitterly. “I can’t keep a secret, I don’t have any money, and let’s not forget that Danny currently hates my guts.”
“I bet he’s not even thinking about you right now,” Adam suggested mildly. “And you know what? That’s okay. Maybe he needed to put himself and Faith first for once.”
“I get that.” Evan grimaced. “I also get that I screwed up, and that despite everything that went down, he wanted to fall in love with her again and didn’t need me getting involved.”
“Sometimes love doesn’t give you a choice.” Adam smiled. “Look at me and Lizzie.”
“Yeah, when are you two going to get married anyway?” Evan asked, eager to change the subject.
“As soon as Lizzie’s okay with it and we’ve worked out how to balance our lives together.”
“That could take a while.”
“Yeah, but that’s okay.” Adam glanced over at Evan again, his expression serious. “Maybe it’s time for you to start thinking about what you’re going to do with your own life, rather than worrying about everyone else’s.”
Evan turned to face his big brother. “Like, seriously? You’re going to lay that on me right now?”
“Why not?” Adam shrugged. “Danny was right. You’re not a kid anymore. You can’t just drift along, never committing to anything or anybody.”
“I do my work.” Evan pushed away from the fence to confront his much-taller brother.
“Now you do.”
Evan winced. “Wow, did Dad send you out to get at me, or is this all on you? I suppose technically you are my boss now since Dad’s supposed to have stepped back. Are you firing me?”
Adam shook his head. “See? This is just like you, turning a genuine attempt to help you into some kind of dramatic ultimatum. You’ve got a job here until you die, Evan. You know that. But is that what you really want?”
“I’m done talking.” Evan turned around and headed to the barn. “I’ve got fences to mend.”
“Okay, fine,” Adam called after him. “If you’re determined to leave, do me a favor and check in with Ines at Rio’s place? I was going to go myself, but it looks like I’m stuck here for a while doing Danny’s chores.”
Evan briefly raised a hand to acknowledge his brother’s words and kept going. When Adam didn’t attempt to call him back or apologize, Evan’s indignation continued to rise, fueling his escape. He saddled his horse, Joker, grabbed his fencing supplies, and rode out toward the far boundary of the ranch.
He was sick of his family telling him what to do. When Kaiden had taken on the Garcia Ranch project, Evan had stepped up and done more than his fair share of his brother’s chores without a single word of thanks from anyone. So, what if he was content to remain a ranch hand for the rest of his life? He would’ve thought that a man like Adam, who was always complaining about the scarcity of available labor, would be begging him to stick around.
Evan rammed his Stetson down on his head and picked up the pace. If there was any way he could give them all the finger and ride off into the sunset right now, he’d absolutely, one hundred percent, do it. He gathered Joker and set him toward the boundary fence. If he took a couple of shortcuts across the other ranches, he’d be at the Martinez Ranch in no time at all.
What was wrong with loving the place he’d grown up in anyway? Why did he have to think beyond that? Evan slowed Joker to a walk as Adam’s words continued to repeat in his brain.
A job here until you die . . .
He stared down at the Martinez spread—the old ranch house with the new outbuildings Rio had added since taking over from Adam’s old in-laws and saving the place from housing developers. Evan wasn’t sure if Rio was home. Between his interests in his father’s billion-dollar company, Howatch International, and his gig as a commentator for the Professional Bull Riders TV show, he was a busy man.
The ranch had originally been intended for Adam and his now-deceased wife, Louisa. But after his father-in-law’s recent death, Adam had given up that claim and secured Ines’s financial future at the ranch where she lived with Rio and his fiancée, Yvonne, who ran the café and bakery in Morgantown. Ines loved having the company and that Rio could speak Portuguese with her now that Carlos had gone.
Despite his father’s hatred of all things rodeo, Evan had taken to sneaking off to the Martinez place where Rio not only trained aspiring bull riders but had also set up a bull breeding program for the PBR. For the first time in his life, he was glad he hadn’t been built like his two linebacker brothers and was the shortest and lightest male in the family. It made riding any horse or bull competitively so much easier.
He clicked to Joker, leaned slightly back in the saddle to compensate for the slope, and made his way down the hill toward the new barn, his gaze scanning the fenced pastures for a sight of the new bulls and any activity. The place was disappointingly quiet. He reminded himself he wasn’t here to mess around but to check in on Ines.
He dismounted in front of the barn and led Joker toward the shade to tie him up. A shrill whistle drew his attention to the enclosed paddock at the other end of the building. After making sure Joker was double-tied, because he had a tendency to get free, Evan walked through the shadowed barn and back out into the glaring brightness of a typical blue-sky California day.
Someone was practicing on one of the smaller bulls. Evan leaned up against the high railing and watched as the diminutive rider struggled to stay on board the relentlessly kicking bull. He slowly counted down the eight precious seconds it took for a ride to be scored and was impressed when the rider managed to hang on long enough.
He stuck his fingers in his mouth and whistled his appreciation as the rider rolled clear and came up on his knees, his hat falling to the ground.
“Nice job.”
One of the hands persuaded the bull back into its pen and the rider came toward Evan, dusting off the Stetson on his chaps.
“Who are you?”
Evan recoiled. “You’re a girl.”
“So what?” Her eyebrows rose over her dark brown eyes. “Girls can ride bulls.”
“Not that I’ve noticed.”
She pointed back into the paddock. “What was that? A mirage?”
“Maybe.” Evan considered her. She had a slight accent, which gave her voice a huskiness he found ridiculously attractive. “Does Rio know you’re riding his bulls?”
“No, I just sneak in here when he’s not around. Next question?”
“I kind of admire that.” Evan nodded. “Won’t he be mad if you get hurt, though?”
For the first time, she smiled. “Probably. Doesn’t mean I’m going to stop.”
“It’s a dangerous sport.”
“Duh. I know that.”
For a moment they just stared at each other and then Evan grinned and offered her his hand.
“I’m Evan.”
“Josie.” She shook his hand, her grip firm.
“I came to see Ines.”
“Oh! She’s expecting you—just go on through the mudroom to the kitchen. I’ll join you after I’ve washed up.”
“You live here?”
Josie came through the railings and looped the chain back over the post. “I do at the moment.”
“You’re one of the hands?” Evan started toward the house.
“Not quite, but I help out when I can.” She pointed at the rear door. “Go through there. It’s not locked.”
Evan resisted the impulse to tell her he knew the way. The fact that she seemed to have no idea who he was in a place where everyone knew his entire family history for four generations was refreshing. He guessed Adam had let Ines know he’d be coming at some point, which was kind of annoying. He didn’t need his big brother checking up on him.
