Chantilly’s Cowboy (7 page)

The low, gentle moos coming from the field, along with the sun falling beyond the horizon, cast the land in an ambiance of perfection. Chantilly inhaled deeply and soaked in the content feelings warming her insides. She could spend her whole life right here on the ranch working side by side with Jack. After evening chores, she’d gladly settle down and become the woman she’d discovered inside her when she was in Jack’s arms.

She sat on his porch and enjoyed the rare quiet time. Her dad had pushed her to take a day off, and she knew Jack was more than capable of doing the chores today. She leaned her head back against the chair. It was hard to admit, but she liked the change of pace.

She never dreamed of taking time from ranch work to start a relationship until Jack came to the ranch. Having this new interest took her by surprise. She always figured she’d be happy enough raising, growing and expanding the ranch. Chantilly closed her eyes.
Maybe there is room in my life for a man and the ranch.

Falling in love was the best feeling in the world. It exceeded anything she’d ever accomplished on her own. Her stomach tightened.
Love. Who knew?

Now she could see how wrong she’d been, and her priorities had shifted. She was no longer afraid of letting go of the ranch and losing her special spot in her dad’s heart for being the only girl who wanted to follow in his footsteps. Her dad had been right. Love changed everything and made your world a thousand times better.

“Hey, darlin’.” Jack stomped up the steps onto the porch. “You sneaking in some shut-eye?”

She shook her head and smiled. “Just dreaming.”

“’Bout?” He stood in front of her chair and used his legs to rock her back and forth.

“You.” Chantilly ran her hand on the outside of his thigh. “You seem to take up all my free thoughts these days.”

“I like hearing that, darlin’.” He removed his hat, ran his hand through his hair and stepped toward the door. “You ain’t gonna run off if I jump in the shower real fast, are you?”

“No.” She laughed.

He disappeared inside the house and the door clicked behind him. Chantilly sucked in her bottom lip and caught it between her teeth. He had no idea she still planned to make him dance with her.

She stood up and wandered off the porch. Kicking off her shoes, she hummed under her breath and strolled around the outside of the house, following the flowerbed that lacked the pretty annuals she always planted at the main house during the summertime. For a few minutes, she envisioned turning this house into their home.

Jack’s dog would lie on the porch during the day while Jack rode the fences, and she’d spend her days mixing bread dough together to set in the southern window to rise. She snorted. Where were these thoughts coming from?

She’d no sooner become Betty Crocker than Jack would move his whole life around to adjust to her life dream. Chantilly bent over and picked a dandelion out of the grass. She wasn’t sure how the future would take shape, but the last few days made one thing very clear—wherever Jack was, she wanted to be right beside him.

A ball of excitement welled up inside her stomach and spread into her chest. She threw the yellow weed up in the air and laughed. It’d taken her twenty-five years, but she’d finally bloomed. She’d experienced what her sisters had gone through before her, and she finally understood how they’d come to the decision to branch away from their family home. It was possible to love without giving up your dream; Jack showed her it was worth the effort. The same way her momma and daddy had done. This was
her
time. She could have it all.

“Chantilly?”

“Over here.” She skipped toward the porch. “Oh, Jack.” She lunged at him, wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into him.

“Whoa, darlin’.” He held her to his chest and picked her off the ground. “What’s got you so excited? Hm?” He kissed her cheek and worked his way to her lips. “This is all I could think ’bout in the shower…holding you in my arms, tasting you.”

His bare chest was warm from the shower, and he drew her closer. She ran her hands over his shoulders. So strong and dependable, he carried so many responsibilities.

Pulling her head back, she grinned. “It’s time.”

He licked his bottom lip and stared at her mouth. “Damn straight.” Without letting go, he turned toward the house. “I’ve wanted this all day.”

“Nuh-uh.” She pushed against his shoulders. Once on her feet, she grabbed both of his hands and dragged him out farther in the grass. “That’s not what it’s time for.” She winked. “That comes later.” She swayed back and forth. “Right now. Tonight. Out here, with no one watchin’…you, Mr. Grady, are gonna dance with me.”

He stepped back, but she refused to let go of his hands. His eyes grew big and he shook his head. She laughed. He didn’t stand a chance at winning this time.

“Please, cowboy.” She dropped her hold on him and stepped back. “I know big, tough saddle riders like you don’t like to move fast on your feet.” She slowly started unbuttoning the front of her blouse. “But what you don’t know—” her blouse slipped off her shoulders, down her arms, and floated to the grass at her feet, “—is dancing is a lot like riding a horse.”

She reached behind her, unclipped her bra and let it fall to join her shirt on the ground. Jack’s eyes dropped to her breasts. Her nipples peaked under his gaze with the breeze caressing her skin.

“You know how to move atop a horse at each pace, right?” She unsnapped her denim shorts and wiggled them past her hips. “You just hafta pay attention to my body the same way.” Lifting her foot, she stepped out of the rest of her clothes. “When I move, you move. You hafta stay close and focused.”

Chantilly trailed her fingers over her hips, her waist, and raised her arms in the air. “Like this, Jack.” She swayed her hips in a loose circle. “Now imagine your body pressed…tight against mine.” She reached out, hooked her fingers between his belt and bare skin and pulled him closer. “Belly to belly.”

Jack placed his hands on her hips and ground into her. “Shit, Chantilly.”

“See.” She tangled her fingers in his hair. “Mm…just like that.”

Jack never moved his feet, but his body picked up its own rhythm. His hands explored the curve of her lower back and slid over her ass. She leaned her shoulders back, thrusting her hips tight against him.

“You’re dancing, cowboy.” She was surprised that her words came out breathless.

He grunted and moved his hips against her. She mewed. The temptation to close her eyes and let the friction building between their bodies consume her grew.

“Sorry, darlin’, but the dancing is over.” He scooped her up in his arms so fast she screamed. “The only kind of swaying I’m gonna do tonight is on top of you with your legs wrapped around me, and those pouty lips of yours screaming my name.”

She laid her head on his shoulder and nibbled the side of his neck. His pulse throbbed under her lips, and she suctioned her mouth on his skin. She’d brand him with her love bite, marking him as taken.

He kicked open the front door, stepped into the room and tossed her in the middle of his bed. She leaned up on her hands. Jack undid his buckle faster than a rookie at the rodeo rides the bull. Not taking the time to remove his boots, he pushed down his jeans and boxers to his knees.

“I do love a man who knows what he wants.” She pursed her lips as he pushed her legs apart and hovered over her. “Show me how you dance, cowboy.”

He captured her mouth at the same time as he plunged between her legs. She moaned. The minty familiar taste of his lips, his tongue, became a heady aphrodisiac, setting her body on fire. Her hips thrust back and forth, picking up the rhythm of music only she and Jack heard.

A dance so raw and filled with emotions, she couldn’t imagine sharing it with anybody but Jack. She gasped and clawed her fingers into his back, urging him for more.

“Jack!” She held her breath, her back arching off the bed. “Oh, sweet Lord.” Her breath whooshed out only to be sucked back in. “God, Jack.”

“Dance with me, baby.” He lowered himself to his elbows and used his hands to hold her head still. “Open your eyes, darlin’.”

Her lashes fluttered until she locked her gaze on him. The tenderness and love shining in his eyes sent her womb into a spasm and spread pleasure throughout her insides.

Jack groaned, thrust one more time and shuddered as her body quivered around him. She cupped her hands on each side of his face. Her feelings were too enormous to put into any other words than the simplest way she knew possible.

“I love you.”

He kissed her tenderly and leaned his forehead against hers. “I love you too, darlin’.”

Sitting at the kitchen table with Stuart, Jack watched the five McDougal women maneuver around the large farm kitchen. Jack linked his ankles under the table, leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms. It fascinated him how Chantilly and her sisters took up specific roles in the kitchen.

Margot appeared to be in charge of cooking the food, Val cut up vegetables at the sink, Florentine loaded the dishwasher and Chantilly ran around between them wiping the counter down with a wet dish towel. He’d never seen Chantilly in a domestic situation where she wore a frilly-laced apron and seemed right at home inside the kitchen, and it intrigued him.

He was used to seeing her rope steers and train horses. He inhaled. She had so many different sides to her that he’d be lucky to have her as a wife.

Jack sat up straighter, glanced at Stuart and caught the man gazing at him. Jack rubbed his jaw, the whiskers rough against his hand.

“They’re a sight to see, aren’t they, son?” Stuart leaned over. “Shannon, my wife, taught Margot everything she knows, and she in return made sure her sisters knew how to run a household.” He chuckled. “Of course it wasn’t all smooth sailing.” He motioned with his head. “Florentine can’t cook worth beans, but she keeps things cleaner than a rich man’s tack room. Bisette, the one who’s missing today, would forget she was cooking something in the oven and burn the food every time it was her turn to make the meal.”

“And Chantilly?” Jack turned his head in Chantilly’s direction. “Was it easy for her to learn how to do all this?”

“She’s the responsible one in the family.” Stuart frowned. “If someone complained ’bout doing chores, she’d do it for them. If the other girls slacked off, she didn’t come to me complaining. She’d double up on her household tasks to make sure the job got done. That girl can do anything she sets her mind to and more.”

“Yeah, I can see her doing that.” Jack never took his gaze off Chantilly.

Stuart cleared his throat. “Tell you the truth, Jack. Her falling head over heels for you is the best thing that could happen to her. She’s more relaxed and the ranch…I think she can finally see how it won’t fall apart if she enjoys life for a change.” He sat forward and leaned his elbows on the table. “I want her to be happy and let someone else take care of her for a change.”

Jack swallowed. He understood what Stuart was saying. He wanted nothing more than to make Chantilly happy for the rest of his life, but he sat in a precarious position. His loyalty to the man who’d confided in him and his love for the man’s daughter didn’t sit well inside his stomach anymore.

“Stuart, I really think—”

“All right, men, outside. It’s time to get this shindig going. I’m starving.” Val shooed them away from the table. “Go out and do your jawing while we bring the food out.” She snapped her dad with the dish towel. “Get going.”

Stuart raised his arms above his head. “Damn, woman, you shoulda stayed on the ranch the way you like to round things up and herd them away.”

Val snorted. “That’s Chantilly’s dream.”

“And what is your dream, Valenciennes?” Stuart stopped at the back door. “What do you want, sweetie?”

Val stood up on her tiptoes, kissed her dad’s cheek and whispered, “I want someone to love me as much as my daddy does.” She gave him one more kiss before pushing him out the door. “Now take Jack outside and get ready to eat your weight in food.”

Stuart chuckled and clapped his hand on Jack’s shoulder. He shortened his stride. Stuart wasn’t showing him a sign of companionship, but leaning heavily on him.

“You okay, boss?” Jack kept his gaze forward. A proud man never wanted to admit to weakness, especially to another man.

Stuart squeezed his shoulders. “I’m gonna need you to distract Chantilly Tuesday. I’ve got another session with the physical therapist and it’ll be a tough one…or so they say.” He sniffed and inhaled deeply. “I swear, Jack, this is worse than getting kicked by the meanest son-of-a-bitch bull you’ll ever meet.”

Jack pulled out one of the chairs around the outside table. “Stuart—”

“Grub’s ready. Let’s start the Fourth of July off right and dig in.” Chantilly led all of her sisters out the door. “It won’t be long and the whole town will be here to celebrate McDougal-style.”

He sat down beside Stuart. Taking off his hat, he stretched his neck. The muscles running up the backs of his shoulders to his head were tighter than a lead line. It didn’t feel right keeping Stuart’s personal information to himself when he was in love with Stuart’s daughter. He’d talk to the boss tomorrow. This had to end.
Dammit, Chantilly has a right to know. Hell, the whole family would rally around Stuart and make this so much easier. Stuart needs to realize he isn’t protecting them, but denying them their right.

Trucks of all sizes packed the gravel driveway leading up to the ranch. Chantilly stood on her tiptoes and leaned against the railing, scanning the crowd gathered on the front lawn for Jack. He’d disappeared fifteen minutes ago, and she couldn’t find him anywhere.

She stepped off the porch. He wouldn’t have gone back to his cabin. He’d promised to help light the fireworks for all their friends and other families.

Jack strolled around the corner of the house, carrying a large box. He winked when he caught sight of her. She reached his side, gave him a quick kiss and peered into the package.

“I think Daddy buys more fireworks every year.” She laughed. “I always thought this was a bigger holiday than Christmas when I was growing up.”

“Wanna know a secret?” He grinned. “I’ve never shot off a firework in my life.”

“Seriously?” She grabbed a package of sparklers and handed them off to one of the kids who’d jumped up to follow the man with the goodies. “Pass these out to the parents, okay, sweetie?” She grabbed the back of the boy’s shirt. “Jimmy…you wouldn’t be thinking of not listening, would you?”

“No, ma’am. I’m paying attention.” He giggled and ran off into the cluster of families gathered on blankets in the yard.

“Sorry it took me so long. I stopped inside the barn where it was quiet and called Craig to wish him a happy Fourth of July.” Jack set the box down on the ground away from the crowd. “He’s going out with a bunch of buddies to watch fireworks over some lake near campus. He got a kick out of what your family does to celebrate every year.”

“Oh, I’m glad you called him.” She rubbed his back. “I bet you miss him at times like this when families get together…”

He nodded and tipped his hat down farther. “Yup. He’s all the family I’ve got. I almost wish I would have bought fireworks a few years ago and gave him something I didn’t have growing up.” He gazed around at the people. “I guess I never knew this was how normal people celebrated holidays.”

“You’ve done a great job of raising Craig, Jack.” She wrapped her arms around his waist. “You gave him love and that’s all a person really needs in life. Maybe next year you can invite him to the ranch…if you’re still working here, I mean.”

He cleared his throat. “I’d really like that, darlin’. In fact, he mentioned coming home, back to my place, for a month this summer before school starts. I’m gonna talk to your dad and see if he wouldn’t mind if Craig came here instead. He’s a good kid, wouldn’t cause any trouble.”

“Of course he can come. You don’t hafta worry. Dad would love having him here.” She smiled. “I can’t wait to meet him.”

“Good.” He inhaled and blew out a breath. “Good.”

“It’s almost dark enough, ’bout fifteen more minutes and we can get this show started.” Chantilly gave him an extra squeeze and stepped back. “I’m gonna round up Dad and tell him it’s time to thank everyone for coming. I’ll be right back.”

She’d moved half a dozen steps and Judy Swanson, a childhood friend, grabbed her arm and pulled her over to the side of the house. Chantilly joked, “Hey, Judy, we don’t hafta sneak any beer, there’s a whole big tub of ice sitting up on the porch for the adults.”

“You know that’s not what I want.” Judy peered over her shoulder and lowered her voice. “I want information…who’s the man?”

Chantilly pursed her lips and tried not to grin. “What man would that be? The ranch is full of them.”

Judy scoffed. “You know exactly which one I’m talking ’bout. Where did he come from? How serious are you?” She stopped to take a breath. “Where can I find one?”

“Oh…” Chantilly smiled and rolled her eyes. “
That
guy. His name is Jack Grady. He comes from Helena. He’s working here on the ranch as our foreman, and you are out of luck. He’s mine and there is no one else like him.”

Judy stuck out her lip and crossed her arms. “Dammit. Just when Pike gets a new man, you scoop him up before any of us girls stand a chance.”

Chantilly hugged her friend. “I don’t believe a word you’ve said. I know you love Scott.” She stepped back. “Hey, when are we gonna get together and have a girl’s night out soon? I missed the last one.”

“Soon, I hope. Georgia Ann had her baby last week—”

“Get outta here! I hadn’t heard.” She shook her head. “Boy? Girl? How are they doin’?”

“A little boy. Cute as a puppy dog, he is too.” Judy leaned in closer. “Of course, Georgia looks like she’d never been pregnant a day. I swear that girl’s got all the luck.”

“Tell her I’ll try to get over and see her. I can’t believe she has a baby. It seems like Georgia just got married a couple months ago.” She rubbed her bare arms. “Well, I better go find my dad and grab a sweatshirt before Jack starts lighting the fireworks. It was good to see you, Judy. I’ve missed you.”

“I’ll give you a call soon to catch up.” Judy wiggled her brows. “I wanna know everything.”

“Gotcha.” Chantilly hurried up on the porch, opened the door and took the stairs two at a time. She’d grab some blankets too in case anyone else got too chilled in the night air.

The house sat quiet. The voices from outside muffled. She opened her bedroom door, grabbed a sweatshirt and headed back down the hallway for the blankets stored in the linen closet.

Once she had her arms full, she stepped toward the stairs and suddenly stopped.
That’s weird.
Turning around she squinted inside the doorway of her dad’s room. Not able to see the strange shape on the floor in the darkened room, she leaned over and hit the light switch with her elbow.

She screamed and dropped the blankets. Scrambling over the mess piled at her feet, she knelt beside her dad, who was sprawled out on the floor. He wasn’t moving.