Born to Be a Cowboy Read online

  Mac looked over. Seeing Finn and Jessie, he crossed the room. “I hope your trip to Arvid brought some answers.”

  Finn shook his head. “Just more questions.”

  Mac dropped an arm around Jessie’s shoulders. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  Finn could read the surprise in her eyes before she leaned into Mac for a moment before she straightened and pulled away. “At least I got a chance to show Finn my home.”

  “It’s a nice place. You’d like it, Dad. Lots of hills covered with lots of cattle.”

  “With so many ranches failing these days, it always does my heart good to hear about one that’s prospering.”

  Through her pain Jessie felt a glow of pride. “My aunt is a good caretaker of her family’s treasure.”

  “That’s really nice to hear.”

  “So you’re Jessie.” Becca crossed the room to offer her hand. “You’ve already met my husband, Ben. I’m his wife, Becca.”

  “Hi, Becca.” Jessie nodded toward the wriggling dog. “Archie’s mama.”

  Becca laughed. “That’s me.”

  “He’s so sweet.”

  “We think so, too.”

  They turned when Penny announced that supper was ready. As they took their places around the table and joined hands while Mary Pat intoned a prayer, Jessie glanced at Finn beside her. He winked, and she felt a tiny curl of heat dance along her spine.

  All of this should be alien to her, and yet, for some strange reason, everything about this felt so right. Not just this large, noisy family, but this man. Maybe it was because he was the first to believe her. That meant so much more than she could say. Of course, it didn’t hurt that he was just about the best-looking cowboy she’d ever met. He was fun to be around, and sexy as hell, even though he didn’t seem to be trying to impress her. He was just being himself. Maybe, she thought, that’s what was so appealing.

  She shrugged aside her thoughts as they settled into their places and began passing platters of roast chicken, oven-roasted potatoes, tiny garden peas, salad, and rolls warm from the oven.

  Archie crawled between their feet and settled under the table, hoping for scraps.

  Everyone was talking at once, and blanketed by the blur of voices and laughter, Jessie sat a moment, taking it all in. Despite the nagging worry about her aunt’s safety, despite the fear that everything familiar in her life was being threatened, she felt a tiny flicker of hope. There was just something about this loud, strange bunch of odd characters that Finn called family that put her at ease.

  He leaned close to whisper, “You okay?”

  She smiled. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

  “Good.” Beneath the table he closed a hand over hers and again she didn’t pull away. Instead she let the warmth of his touch, the strength of it, fill her with a quiet sense of peace.

  Mary Pat was carving more chicken and passing it. “Will you be staying the night, Jessie?”

  Finn answered for her. “I’m hoping to persuade her to become a longtime guest.”

  “Oh, I hope you will, Jessie. The more the merrier.” Mary Pat looked across the table at Mac, who nodded in agreement.

  Jessie’s cheek dimpled. “Thank you so much for having me. I will, for now. I’ll take it a day at a time.”

  “Good.” Sam exchanged a grin with Ben. “And, as long as you’re staying on, it’s time you get initiated into the Monroe Doctrine.”

  “What’s that?” Jessie looked from one brother to the other.

  “Those who don’t cook get to do the kitchen cleanup.”

  Finn laughed. “Tonight that means just you and me.”

  She nodded. “I think that’s only fair.”

  “Woo boy.” Sam high-fived Ben. “You and I just found a willing kitchen cleaner to set us free.”

  “Not on your life.” Becca nudged her husband. “We didn’t get here until Penny had finished all the hard work. So we’ll be lending a hand in the cleanup duties, too.”

  Sam drew an arm around Penny’s shoulders. “Does this mean I get a pass because of your hard work?”

  “Wrong, cowboy.” She shared a laugh with Mary Pat. “Tonight we ladies will sit in the parlor drinking our coffee while you join the others in here.”

  Sam merely chuckled. “Your loss, Money. We’ll be the ones having all the fun in here.”

  Sam was right, Jessie thought as she and Becca joined Ben, Sam, and Finn in cleanup duties. She couldn’t remember having this much fun—and they were doing nothing more than clearing the table and washing dishes.

  Between the rowdy jokes, the teasing, and the occasional splash of sudsy water when she least expected it, she’d never laughed this much.

  Sam was a born tease, but Ben and Finn could hold their own against him. Becca had the look of a fragile doll, but when it came to interacting with Ben’s brothers, she took a backseat to nobody. The more raucous their antics, the bolder Jessie became, until by the end of the evening she was trading mock insults with Sam while judging a contest between Ben and Finn to see who could stack the most plates and set them in the cupboard without dropping a single one.

  Finn won, but only because Ben bobbled his stack and had to hurriedly set them down or risk dropping an entire armload.

  Seeing the expression on his face, Jessie laughed so hard she had to grab on to Finn’s arm.

  “Oh, Ben.” She took in a breath. “I wish you could have seen the fear in your eyes.”

  “I was wondering how I’d replace fifty-year-old dishes.”

  “And how you’d explain the mess to Dad,” Finn added.

  “Yeah. There’s that, too.” Ben wrapped an arm around Becca. “Okay, babe. Our work is done here. Time to get back to town.”

  They all trooped into the parlor to join the others, while Ben and Becca called their good nights before summoning Archie, who was calmly chewing a rawhide bone under the table.

  When they were gone, Mary Pat turned to Jessie. “Things sounded pretty noisy in the kitchen. How was your introduction to the Monroe cleanup crew?”

  “That was the most fun I’ve ever had washing dishes.”

  Sam tugged on a lock of Jessie’s hair. “Wait until morning when you get to have even more fun doing laundry.”

  While the others laughed, Finn said, “Now he’s really trying to test your limits.” He gave her a long, steady look. “But if you’re dying to do laundry…”

  More laughter before Mary Pat held up a hand. “Don’t push your luck. Jessie was a good sport, but there’s a limit.”

  “Spoil sport,” Sam muttered before winking at his wife.

  “Come on, Sam.” Penny set aside her empty coffee mug and caught her husband’s hand. “We’ve both put in a full day.”

  After calling good night, the two climbed the stairs together to Sam’s room.

  Otis and Roscoe had long ago left for the bunkhouse to continue their ongoing game of gin rummy.

  Zachariah yawned. “Good night, Jessica. Finnian.” With a courtly nod he made his way to his own room off the kitchen.

  In an aside, Jessie asked, “Is he always so formal?”

  “Yes. He can’t help himself. But you’ll get used to it.” Finn saw Jessie glance toward the stairway. “Tired?”

  She nodded.

  “Me, too. I’ll walk you upstairs.”

  “All right.” She turned to Mac and Mary Pat, seated side by side in front of the fire. “Thank you for your hospitality. It means the world to me.”

  “You’re welcome, Jessie. You’re welcome here as long as you’d like.” Mac smiled.

  Mary Pat lifted a hand. “Good night, you two.”

  When they reached the top, Jessie turned to Finn. “You don’t have to walk with me. I know the way.”

  “I know.” He continued walking alongside her as she moved down the hallway.

  At the guest room she paused. “Your family is amazing. I was feeling so sad, and then suddenly they had me laughing, and I forgot all my troubles.”

 
“Good. That’s the way they affect me, too. I can have the worst day, but once we get together, the bad things fall away and I forget why I was feeling so concerned.”

  “That’s a wonderful gift, Finn.”

  He nodded. “And don’t I know it.” He paused. “You going to be all right all alone in here?”

  “Finn, except for Aunt Nola, I’ve been alone most of my life.”

  “I know. It’s just…I want to…”

  She absorbed a lovely warm feeling along her spine. She could feel him staring at her mouth, before he abruptly turned away. “Good night, Jessie.”

  “Good night, Finn.”

  She opened the door and stepped inside before leaning against the closed door and taking a long, slow breath.

  She touched a hand to her chest and could feel her heart racing.

  Odd. She almost felt his mouth on hers as surely as if he’d actually kissed her. And then he’d turned away. Was that disappointment she’d felt?

  She crossed the room and stood at the window, staring at the surrounding hills, dark with cattle. Such a familiar sight. And yet it all seemed new and fresh here in this place.

  She undressed and slid into bed, her mind still whirling.

  What was it about Finn’s home and family? All those terrible troubling feelings that plagued her on the long ride back had dissolved the moment she’d stepped inside this place today.

  These people, and this house filled with the most mismatched family she’d ever met, felt right somehow. The old cowboy, lacking teeth, with that wonderful smile. The sweet, courtly gardener, whose speech carried a hint of Chicago. The retired lawyer, who spoke as formally as though still in a courtroom. Ben, who adored his wife, Becca. Sam the tease and his wife, Penny, who cooked like a professional. Mary Pat, the wandering social worker beloved by everybody, according to Finn. And Mac, who had the kindest eyes she’d ever looked into. When he’d hugged her like a father, she’d wanted to melt into him.

  And finally, Finn, who believed her when nobody else had.

  Was that why she was so drawn to him? Or was there something else going on? Something she didn’t want to explore too deeply?

  It was the wrong time in her life to have these feelings. She needed to put all her energy into finding her aunt.

  Just below her calm surface there was a bubbling cauldron of absolute terror that something evil was at work in her aunt’s life and that if she didn’t act—and soon—it would all end in disaster.

  But for now, for tonight, she would just let go of all the fear and worry and tension and trust that here in this place she was safe, and that somehow tomorrow would be better.

  Oh, sweet heaven, she prayed it was so.

  It was her last thought before sleep took her.

  Chapter Seven

  Jessie descended the stairs. She’d heard Finn and Sam heading out to the barn earlier. Having grown up on a ranch, she knew chores started at dawn. From the kitchen came the wonderful aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the cheerful voices of Penny and Mary Pat as they started another round of cooking.

  As she was about to pass through the parlor, she caught sight of Mac alone at his desk. The entire desktop was littered with bills, receipts, and assorted scraps of paper.

  She paused. “End-of-the-month bookkeeping?”

  He looked up with a frown that turned into a smile when he caught sight of her. “I’m afraid so. This paperwork is the bane of my existence.”

  “But a necessary part of running a business.”

  He nodded and tucked the pencil behind his ear. “It seemed simpler when I was younger. Then I just kept all my receipts in an envelope, and at the end of the year I added them up, deducted them from the sale of cattle, and paid taxes on the profits. Now there are so many rules and regulations about what is and isn’t considered legal to claim on my taxes, the paperwork eats up half my time every month.”

  He stood, pressing a hand to the small of his back. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to complain or bore you with this stuff. Let’s go to the kitchen and grab some of that coffee I’ve been smelling for the past half hour. It’s making my mouth water.”

  Jessie held back. “I’m never bored talking about numbers. It’s how I earn my living. And more, it’s my passion.”

  He looked at her as though she’d just spoken a foreign language. “You like talking numbers?”

  “I’m an accountant. Actually a CPA with Ayers and Lanyer.”

  “I know of the company. I’ve heard they do a fine job for some of the mega-ranches owned by corporations.”

  “They do a fine job for anybody who hires them.” She smiled. “Including family-owned ranches.”

  Mac shrugged. “Sorry. I just meant they’re probably too rich for my blood.”

  “But I’m not. Would you like me to take a look at all this”—she swept her hand to include the paperwork spilling across his desk—“and see if I can ease your burden?”

  “I couldn’t…”

  “If you’re willing, it would also ease my conscience. I wouldn’t have to feel that I’m accepting your hospitality without paying it back.”

  He gave her a long, steady look. “Let me get this straight, Jessie. Are you saying you’d actually enjoy cleaning up this mess and making sense of it?”

  “I’d love it. It’s the perfect way to keep my mind off of everything else that’s happening. Trust me, Mac. I would be really happy to lose myself in work I’m comfortable doing.”

  His smile spread slowly, crinkling his eyes and putting a twinkle in them. He glanced at his desk before turning back to her. “It’s all yours. I certainly wouldn’t want to keep you from having fun. But first…” He put a hand under her elbow. “Let’s have some of that coffee.”

  They were both smiling as they walked into the kitchen.

  Breakfast was the usual noisy affair, with Roscoe and Otis joining Sam and Finn in the mudroom, shedding boots and washing up at the sink before heading to the kitchen. Zachariah, always a slow starter in the morning, ambled out of his room and was handed a mug of coffee before he spoke a single word.

  He drank. Sighed. Then smiled and called out a greeting to all of them as they trudged into the kitchen.

  Penny and Mary Pat had prepared eggs scrambled with onions and red and yellow peppers and served with enough hot sauce to bring a smile to all their faces. There were thick slabs of fried ham, oven-roasted potatoes, and a stack of pancakes with maple syrup.

  Having cleaned his plate twice, Sam leaned back and turned to Penny. “That was just what I needed, Money. Now I think I could go a round or two with those ornery cows up in the north pasture.”

  “If you’re heading into the hills, I’ll pack you a lunch.”

  He chuckled. “Right about now the last thing I’m thinking about is food.”

  “You’ll thank me a few hours from now.” She kissed his cheek and walked to the stove to retrieve the coffeepot.

  Mac turned to Mary Pat. “What are your plans for the day?”

  “Penny and I are going to drive to town with a list of supplies. We thought we’d see if Becca can join us for lunch.” She turned to Jessie. “Want to join us?”

  Jessie nodded. “I’d love to.” She glanced down at her borrowed clothes. “I feel guilty wearing all your things, Penny.”

  Penny shook her head. “They’re yours for as long as you need them.”

  “I know. And I’m so grateful. But it’s time I bought some of my own.”

  “Great.” Penny turned toward the sink. “Let’s plan on leaving in an hour.”

  “That gives me time to take care of a little chore.” Jessie shared a smile with Mac.

  Penny shot them both a suspicious look. “Sounds like you two are planning some sort of conspiracy.”

  When neither of them said a word, Penny shrugged. “All right. I love little secrets.” With a sly grin she circled the table, topping off their coffee.

  Mac turned to Roscoe and Otis. “This looks like a good day to d
rive the equipment to the east meadow and start clearing the land.”

  “I thought you were planning on spending the day in the parlor with bookwork.”

  “That’s all taken care of.”

  “Good.” Roscoe smiled. “Then let’s deal with the meadow. Best to get it done before the rains come.”

  The others nodded in agreement.

  Finn excused himself and headed up the stairs to shower and dress for a day at the office.

  A short time later he descended the stairs of the now-silent house and was surprised to find Jessie seated at his dad’s desk, her fingers moving with lightning speed over a calculator.

  He stopped dead in his tracks. “What are you doing?”

  “Your father’s dreaded paperwork.”

  “Yeah. I can see that. But why?”

  “I offered, after seeing him working on it this morning. When I explained that I love this kind of thing, he was happy to turn me loose on what he calls ‘the bane of his existence.’”

  “I know how much he hates it.” Finn leaned close to glance over her shoulder. “So that’s the little secret you two shared. How bad of a mess is it?”

  “It’s fine. I’ve seen much worse. Your dad keeps really good records. Like so many ranchers, he’s simply annoyed by the time all these little details take him away from ranch chores.”

  Finn looked at her much the way his father had earlier. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

  “Finn, it makes me happy. And, as I told your father, it eases my guilt at accepting all the wonderful hospitality your family is showing me. A room of my own, not to mention my own bathroom. And these amazing meals. This will make me feel like I’m contributing in my small way.”

  “Believe me, this isn’t small. I know how much Dad hates doing this bookwork.”

  “Well, I’m in my glory.”

  He shook his head. “It takes all kinds.”

  She was grinning. “Yes, it does. And look at you.” She looked him up and down. “An hour ago you were a grubby ranch hand, mucking stalls. Now you’re a slick lawyer.”

  “Maybe not so slick.”

  She shook her head. “Don’t try to deny it, Counselor. Who wouldn’t be dazzled by this handsome face?”