Chapter One
“I’m home!” Tripp Montgomery called out to the quiet ranch house. He hustled inside, only to get smacked in the face by the screen door. “God damn it,” he muttered under his breath and adjusted his Stetson.
Added to his endless to do list: fix screen door so it doesn’t bounce back in my face every time I try to walk through the damn thing.
“Daddy!” Gracie’s little voice echoed from deep in the house, followed by the patter of tiny footsteps running from her bedroom, through the kitchen, and into the open area of the family room where Tripp was kicking dust off his boots in the doorway.
It never ceased to amaze him how the sound brought an instant joy to his heart because he knew she was running his way.
A head of bouncing blond curls and open arms came into view. He scooped up his six-year-old daughter and kissed her cheek. “Sorry I’m running a bit behind, baby girl,” he said. Story of his life as the cow rancher–slash–single dad.
“It’s okay. Uncle Cash played Twister with me. I won.” Gracie grinned and whispered, “Uncle Cash isn’t very good at bending.”
“Got that right,” Tripp said with a smile.
“I heard that,” Cash said, walking into the room. His blond hair was messed up and his jeans were wrinkled like he really had been losing at Twister.
“And I’m not rigid, I’m responsible,” he said.
“Uh-huh.” Cash was one of the two friends who lived with Tripp, helping run the ranch and raising his daughter. He was the best friend a guy could have, but the man was more “responsibly rigid” than Tripp—and that was saying something. But the man had a past and a reckless twin brother that made him the way he was. Just like Tripp’s past and the woman who left him and their baby girl with no word made Tripp the man he was.
Neither scenario was discussed.
Tripp turned his attention to Gracie in his arms. “Sorry, the cows were stubborn today. Are you ready for your troop meeting?”
Gracie nodded enthusiastically. She was head-to-toe dressed in her Girl Scout uniform, except for a pair of girlie sandals she’d insisted he buy her.
“Go take your sandals off and get those shiny, strappy shoes on,” Tripp said and put her down.
She hustled out toward her room.
The sound of the fridge, then the pantry cupboard, opening and shutting came from the kitchen. Followed by heavy footsteps.
“You’re about out of cookies,” Bo said, coming to lean against the doorframe that separated the kitchen from living room. He bit into an apple and grimaced at Tripp. “And you smell like the back forty pasture.”
“I’m also about to kick your ass,” Tripp said to his other best friend and ranch hand. “I smell because I was out there moving cattle all day. Which was where you should have been. You said you had the west forty covered.”
“I did. Then I came back to watch Gracie while Cash ran the horses.”
“What happened to the sitter?” Tripp asked. Because even with the three of them juggling, the nice babysitter he’d found was a lifesaver in summer. No way could they make it through their busiest season without her.
“The sitter had to take off,” Bo said, looking anywhere but at Tripp and running his free hand through his black hair.
Fuck.
Tripp pinched his nose. “Please tell me you didn’t run off another babysitter. You keep sleeping with them and I swear to God I’ll kick your ass.”
Bo gave that smile that he’d given since they were all in high school. The “I may have” smile that the town playboy was notorious for. But he was also a good guy, and the three of them had been best friends since birth.
Didn’t mean Tripp didn’t want to kill Bo sometimes.
“Yeah, the woman was all huffy when I showed up,” Cash said. “Poor thing running out the door talking about Bo never calling.”
“You’re such a snitch,” Bo grumbled and took a bite of his apple.
“Just telling it like it is,” Cash said.
“Look, women run out all the time, doesn’t mean—” Bo cut his words short, and Cash gave him a nasty glare.
Tripp just stood there. After Shania took off and left him with Gracie, it was like some switch was flipped, because they never, ever talked about women leaving. Why, he didn’t know. He was fine. Totally fine.
“You’re right, women do run out all the time,” Tripp said. “But you run off another babysitter and you’ll be sleeping in the barn.”
Bo held up his hands, one still with his apple. “I get it. But why do we even need a sitter? I’m the best around and I love my little niece.”
“You eat cookies and watch Frozen with her all day,” Cash said.
“Hey.” Bo dug an Oreo out of his jeans pocket and looked between it and the apple, then tossed the cookie in his mouth. “Cookies are fantastic and the ice queen is hot. There are a lot worse ways to spend the days.”
“Yeah, like herding cattle,” Tripp said.
“Don’t get your panties in a bunch. I’ll cover the south forty.” Bo looked Tripp over. “You heading to her Girl Scout meeting?”
Tripp lifted his Stetson to run a hand through his hair and put it back on. “Yeah. Going to drop her off and head into town for about an hour.”
“You may want to change,” Bo said, returning to his apple.
Cash nodded in agreement.
“For fuck’s sake…” Tripp grumbled and headed toward his master bedroom. Bo and Cash followed, shooting the shit as if he weren’t right there getting ready. Still grumbling, he gr
abbed a clean T-shirt, washed his face, and dusted off his jeans. Good enough.
“Between the Girl Scout troop and cows, your social life is getting pretty sad,” Bo said.
He gave his friend an incredulous look. “You might have noticed I have a few things going on this summer. Like running cows and raising a daughter.”
“Really? Because I thought you were just afraid of women.”
“Your balls must be feeling pretty damn big today for you to say that shit to me.”
Bo adjusted himself and grinned. Dramatic prick.
“You do everything you can to avoid women,” his friend pushed. “Looks like fear to me.”
“I’m trying to raise a woman. I’m not afraid of them.”