Wild Ride Rancher

“Sure,” Chloe said when she could slide a word into her sister’s stream of consciousness. “I’ll be there.”

Liam gave silent thanks he wouldn’t be.

“Oh, good! And it’s black tie of course. I just love the way Brad looks in a tux! Okay then. Better run, have to get a new dress for the party and it’s got to be spectacular!” She waved and hurried off to her car, wobbling every step in those heels. Then she was back in her car and careening out of the yard as quickly as she’d come into it.

Silence, blessed silence, descended on them as Liam watched Chloe watching her sister leave. She looked as if she were in shock, and he could completely understand.

“Your sister, huh?” Liam finally said.

“Don’t even start,” Chloe muttered, and stalked back to the stable.

Eight

They didn’t really talk about Ellen’s brief but memorable visit. Chloe made it clear the topic was off-limits, and Liam let it go. Maybe her sister visiting had reminded her that she didn’t actually belong on a ranch. And if that were the case, then Liam wanted to give her the space and time to let those thoughts settle in.

God knew, Ellen’s visit had sent Liam’s personal radar screaming. He’d become so used to being with Chloe, to having her in his arms every night and spending every day with her, that he’d allowed himself to forget that this situation was necessarily temporary. Ellen’s selfish rant had driven home the truth to him, and he wouldn’t be forgetting it again.

By the next morning, Liam was set to drive into Houston. Money and hard donations of clothes, food and water, and paper goods were still pouring in for flood relief. Naturally, Sterling Perry had inserted himself into the middle of it all, because nothing said good publicity like helping out in an emergency. But what that meant was that Liam was in charge of distributing the supplies Sterling had had delivered to the ranch.

But he was looking forward to making the delivery. It would get him off the ranch and away from Chloe for a while—and he needed that space. Even more though, between the flood relief, Chloe and the ranch work here, he still hadn’t had a chance to go by his own place to check on it in person. So that was going to be his first stop today. Daily reports from his foreman were good, but Liam wasn’t going to relax until he saw the situation for himself.

Checking the load in the back of his truck, he didn’t even notice when Chloe and the days-old foal came strolling up. She stopped beside Liam, one hand on the foal’s head as the tiny horse leaned into her.

He couldn’t have said why the picture they made irritated him. But maybe it was just that she was so much at home on the ranch. She smiled, and he realized that smile was going to haunt him for years. Already, she invaded his dreams, and his thoughts when he should have been concentrating on work. That was worrying. Which was why he needed this break from her so badly.

Liam looked down at the animal before lifting his gaze to hers. “You do realize he’s not a poodle, right?”

Affronted, Chloe stroked her hand down the foal’s head. “Of course he’s not a poodle. He’s a big, brave, beautiful horse, isn’t he?” At the end, her voice went into baby speak as she cooed to the horse who snuggled even closer to her side.

“For God’s sake,” Liam muttered, shaking his head. “He’s not a pet.”

“He’s a sweetie and he likes me,” Chloe told him, and when he didn’t say anything, she asked, “This really bothers you, doesn’t it?”

Liam looked at her. Her hair was long and loose, in spite of the heat. She wore figure hugging jeans, and a red T-shirt with a scooped neckline that showed off just the hint of her breasts. And she looked so good, he wanted to strip her right there and lay her out across the hood of the truck just to admire the view.

Well, damn.

He squashed the bubble of frustration in the pit of his stomach, took a deep breath and let it out again. “Not really, no. But you won’t be here much longer, so you shouldn’t get attached.”

Chloe winced as a sharp pang stabbed at her heart then settled into the center of her chest where it throbbed in time with her pulse. Ridiculous and she knew it. But somehow, being here, working the ranch, living with Liam, a part of her had begun to pretend that it wasn’t temporary. That this was her life now.