Staking His Claim (Ranchers of Chatum County 1)

“Hell, yeah. Now we’re throwing a goddamn New Year’s Eve party.”

“Shit. Do I have to be there?”

“Better believe it, pard. I gotta be there, you gotta be there.”

&nb

sp; “Goddamn, Canton. You better learn how to rein her in—”

He was interrupted by Brian’s laugh. “Right. Not in this lifetime. This is the last one. Holidays will be over for a year. We’ll let you rest after this one. Hey. You got somewhere you gotta be on Christmas Eve? Janie wants to have twilight drinks.”

“Twilight fuckin’ what?”

“Twilight drinks,” Brian said on a laugh. “No worries. Nobody gonna be here but us. We’re gonna light a fire and grill steaks. Dude, come on. Don’t leave me alone with both these women. They’ve been ganging the shit up on me and I can’t keep up. Six o’clock. Beer and steaks. Dude. Please.”

“Yeah, all right. What can I bring?”

“Just yourself. Janie’s already stocked your brand.”

****

Raul pulled his truck in front of the Canton’s house three nights later. He didn’t care to acknowledge to himself how much he’d looked forward to this night. Already, four days without seeing her was too damn long.

The weather was mild. If Janie had her heart set on a fire, they were going to have to turn the air conditioner on. He rang the bell, twelve-pack under his arm.

Janie answered the door, a smile on her face, a cold beer for him in her hand.

Raul grinned at her and took the offering. “My kind of woman. Too bad Canton found ‘ya first.” He threw a nod at Brian who was standing behind his wife.

Janie grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. “Right. That would have been like me robbing the cradle, don’t you think?”

Raul continued to tease Janie, feeling free to do so with her husband leaning against the wall, drinking a beer, listening in. “What are you Janie, thirty-three, thirty-four? No much of a cradle robber there, sweetheart.”

“Well aren’t you sweet, darlin’.” She turned to her husband. “I knew there was a reason I liked your friend.”

She never gave up her age, and Raul got a kick out of it. Maybe she was closer to forty. Who the hell knew? She looked good was all he knew. Brian had done well. Except for her annoying inclination to throw parties for every damn reason, Janie seemed the perfect woman. Brian deserved her. Ten or so years older than himself, Brian Canton was a good man, a good friend, and he deserved happiness just like the next guy.

Raul tossed the twelve-pack at Brian’s chest as Janie pulled his arm and brought him into the room, coming to a stop next to the couch where Elaina relaxed, propped up with pillows. “Come say hi to my baby.”

Raul looked down and felt a vicious kick to his solar plexus. Completely annihilated by the transformation in front of him, he stood zombie-like, having to force out his voice, and all he could do was mimic Janie’s words. “Hi, baby.”

Elaina heard the surprised heat in his voice and her stomach clenched with excitement. His eyes were running over her and his body was held immobile, as if in shock.

Four days without seeing him had left her anxious, unsatisfied.

She had known he was coming and prepared well in advance. She let Janie assume it was for Christmas Eve, but Elaina knew in her heart she was dressing up for him. She had conflicted emotions—she didn’t particularly want him to find out her age, but at the same time, she wanted him to see her as an adult. It made no sense.

She was still on crutches, and her knees were seriously scabbed over. She couldn’t wear jeans, so she had put on a little black dress that was the epitome of the phrase, and she had done her hair and make-up. He stood staring down at her, and on the inside she was laughing and shouting at the gobsmacked look on his face. So there!

Raul knew he was staring, but he really didn’t give a shit. He was seriously debating whether eighteen was too young for him. What the hell? She was an adult. She was old enough to vote. She was legal. Not jailbait. As he watched her, his brain analyzed the ramifications of making such a move.

Janie interrupted his thoughts when she swirled back into the room and handed Elaina a can of Diet Coke.

Janie was drinking a glass of wine, he and Brain were drinking beer. It was a vicious kick to his stomach to see her take a delicate sip of the soft drink. It was the kick he needed to get his head out of his ass. She’s too fucking young, Vega. Understand it, man.

How long would he have to wait? He’d have to let her go back to school, grow up some. Twenty-one. No. Fuck that shit. Twenty. Just not a teenager. He didn’t want seducing a teenager on his conscience.

He was deep in an internal conflict when Janie and Brian went outside to check the grill. The back door slammed, leaving him alone with Elaina.