Bad Boy Rancher’s Baby by GiGi Reine
Chapter Six
Wade
at the ranch in Colorado, in hopes of securing the loan and partnership I needed to save my ranch. We had talked when I arrived, but I knew better than to think it was a done deal. I had much to negotiate over the next few days, but I didn’t want to overthink anything.
When I saw the text from Dee, I was excited and nervous. I hadn’t talked to her, and it was possible her uncle wasn’t happy about my disappearance. Hesitantly, I opened my phone, every nerve and muscle in my body responding to what I saw.
There was Dee, looking like a supermodel, standing outside the bar. She was stunning, gorgeous, and everything I wanted and needed at that moment, but she was so far away. I’m not stupid, and I knew she sent that on purpose, either to annoy me or tempt me, or both.
Since I wasn’t in a position to send anything back, I closed my phone and kept doing what I was doing. Her text had me fired up in a different way, but I wouldn’t address it at that moment, I had more important things to focus on, like my ranch.
“Devil woman!” No one was around, so I said it to the open air, uncaring of how loudly I spoke.
“All women are witches. They cast evil spells, tempt you, drive you mad, and then leave you hanging. You finally got yourself a woman?” Ranch hand Dean was standing in the open doorway, looking exhausted, but still ready to work.
I smiled. “Not technically, not sure I even want her. She’s feisty as ever and drives me nuts, but damn that woman is great in bed and well,” I laughed aloud with a smile, “she drives me nuts!”
Dean laughed. “Sounds like wife material to me.”
“Hell no! I am not going down that road. That’s the last thing I need is to be tied to a woman with a ball and chain.” I pulled out my phone. “Here, take a look.” I wasn’t thinking and regretted it immediately after handing Dean the phone.
“Hell, if you don’t want her, I’ll go down to Dumas and marry her up myself! That woman is hot. What’s her name?”
“Dee. It’s funny, actually, because I didn’t realize it at first, since she’s changed so much, but she’s my little sister’s childhood best friend. My sister and I don’t speak to each other anymore, and it’s been years, but I never thought she’d grow up to look like that.” I put the phone back in my pocket.
“Well, don’t show the boss. Investing in your ranch with a hot little number like that in Texas might make him take a trip out there and stay a while. You know he and Kimmy just broke up a few months back, and he hasn’t been the same since.”
I knew all about Steven’s problems, and he was the last person I wanted in Texas to meet Dee. He was your quintessential ladies’ man, who had ended up ruining his relationship with a woman who truly loved him because he had a roving eye.
“Hopefully he finally straightens himself out. Maybe then she’ll take him back, if he actually marries her this time.”
The man looked doubtful as he reached out to lend a hand with the work. “Doubt it, she ran off with some guy that rolled into town on a motorcycle. The last I heard, they ran off to Vegas for a quick wedding. That’s why Steven is so miserable.”
Exhausted, but determined to secure Steven’s help, I kept working. I was doing more than was required of me, but I felt a need to show my dedication and hard work to prove myself to Steven. “Well, all the more reason to keep him away from her.”
We worked for another hour, and from there, I cleaned up and joined Steven for dinner. We had yet to discuss a formal contract or deal, as I was letting Steven get comfortable before I laid into him the next day about what I was hoping to accomplish.
I could be pushy when I needed to be, but business was business, and sometimes when you did business with friends, you had to let yourself go with the flow so it all worked out.
“This is a fine meal, Steven. That housekeeper you hired is an amazing cook. I don’t think I’ve ever been so satisfied.” I tossed my napkin on the table and drank the remainder of my beer.
Steven finished the rest of his food, as well. “Yeah, I couldn’t be happier. If she wasn’t already married, I’d probably marry her for the food she cooks alone. I have to say, it’s good to see you up this way. Tomorrow, I need to take a ride out to the West Ridge, I’m hoping you’ll join me.”
“I’d love to, I got some things I’d like to talk to you about, anyway.”
Steven’s housekeeper, Gillian, cleared our plates and served a chocolate cake for dessert as we made small talk.
After dinner, I retired for the night. Steven was headed out somewhere and didn’t seem interested in inviting me. I knew what that meant, and couldn’t blame the man. He was lonely and feeling lost.
I wasn’t personally the kind of man to have one-night stands, not until Dee showed up anyway. After thinking through my plans for tomorrow and checking with my right-hand man, Tyler, I got comfortable.
I was tempted to text Dee back. I wanted to know why she’d been at the bar, and for how long. I knew it was none of my business, but I was curious and interested. Every time I looked at her gorgeous picture, it made me hard.
Feeling reckless and a bit out of my element, I took off my shirt and looked at myself in the mirror, flexing a few muscles for good measure. After a few minutes of fussing with my hair and making sure my beard was trimmed, I made a few poses for some selfies.
Two could play that game. The little hellfire was going to get a dose of her own medicine soon enough. I picked the best two and sent them to her phone a few minutes later, laughing at myself at how stupid I felt.
I knew technology well, but I have never been the sort of vain man that would take pictures and send them to girls. If they wanted to see my muscles, I would accommodate them in person, where they could touch me, and more importantly, I could see and touch the girl too.
When I didn’t hear anything back right away, I was disappointed, but happy after a day of hard work and a good dinner, so I settled in for watching TV to lull me to sleep. My feisty little princess was either going to ignore me to stare at the pictures I sent her all night, or she was still at the bar.
I thought about calling the bar since I was friends with the owner, and it would be nothing to ask if Dee was still there. An hour later, when I still heard nothing, I did exactly that and was shocked to learn she was still there, hanging out with my sister, flirting shamelessly with a bunch of out-of-town guys.
Furious, but unable to do anything about it, my temper snapped, and I needed something to keep my mind occupied. Ten minutes later, I was up grabbing a beer at the local watering hole, which was nearly empty. A lonely redhead sat at the far end of the bar, drinking her wine.
I had to get Dee out of my head so I wouldn’t go mad. I tossed back my beer and walked over to her. “Hey pretty lady, can I buy you another round?”
She gulped the rest of her wine and smiled at me. “Sure, I’d like that, handsome stranger.”
For the next hour, we talked, but not much else happened. I couldn’t get Dee out of my head, and wound up talking about her too much. The woman sitting beside me, Rita, was a local, and more than happy to pass the time sharing drinks and talking. I showed her Dee’s picture more than once.
“I think she’s pretty, and that outfit is nothing different than what I’d wear. Same for some of my friends. I’m dressed like this tonight because I worked today, but otherwise, I’d be dressed up like that too. Do you love her?”
“Love her? That’s not even possible, we only just met a few days ago. I mean, we’ve known each other since childhood, but that was a long time ago. I haven’t seen her in years. My sister and I don’t talk.”
Rita gulped down one more glass and passed on another with a smile. “I think it’s possible, I fall in love pretty easily. It can happen in one night for me, but then again, I suppose that’s why I’m still alone. I love them easily and they never get there.”
I pitied her. “I’m sure that one day, your cowboy will find you. Maybe he’s in Montana right now.”
She was nibbling on the peanuts and pretzels on the bar top. “Yeah, well, he’d better get here soon because I’m growing old and tired. I want to get married and have a baby. I’m almost 30, and it’s looking pretty bleak.”
The music turned smooth and soft. I felt inspired to help myself and Rita feel better. “Hey, do you want to dance with me?”
She laughed. “Sure, we can take a selfie, so you can send it to her and get her all fired up. But, don’t blame me if she calls you and starts yelling at you.”
We danced and talked, but there wasn’t a love connection. I wasn’t her type, and she wasn’t mine, but it was nice to be friendly and chase the loneliness away for a time. I snapped a few photos during our dance and then spun her around the dance floor as the music turned fast.
By the time I left, we exchanged numbers. I invited her to Steven’s ranch the next evening for dinner on a hunch. Steven liked redheads, and they were close in age. Rita said she’d never met him, so it was a good time to do it. I wasn’t sure how I was going to convince Steven of it yet, but I would simply tell him I met her at the bar and come up with the rest as I went.
I got back to the ranch and got comfortable again. Smiling to myself, I sent a photo of Rita and myself to Dee. The accompanying text read: Hope you're having a good night because I sure am!
I left it at that, closed my eyes, and fell asleep still wearing my boots. Sometime during the night, my phone buzzed, I blinked my eyes open, and sure as hell there she stood, her arm wrapped around some guy beside the pool table.
Furious, I shoved the phone into the drawer and fell back to sleep. The next time I opened my eyes, it was to the sound of my alarm. It was morning, and I had to get ready to get to work quickly. Steven moved quickly in the morning all the other times I had visited, and Gillian had breakfast on the table by the time I was done showering.
“Morning Steven, how was your night?”
The man looked frustrated. “Not so good. I got this little lady I visit from time to time since me and Kim are over. I don’t have much luck with women. I suppose I should just give up. Misty found a boyfriend, and suddenly her time with me isn’t important. Of course, she waited until the end of the night to tell me. Damn women. Seems like I’m losing my touch with them. I couldn't even woo her into bed with sweet words and gifts.”
I could sympathize. “Well, I met a woman last night when I went out to the bar. I invited her over as a guest for dinner tonight, if that’s all right?” I was treading into dangerous territory.
Steven eyed me, clearly unhappy. “Now what in the hell did you do that for?”
“She’s lonely, not much luck in love either. There is no connection there between us, but I thought, at the very least, she could have some good company sharing dinner with us, since she told me that most of the time, she sits home alone and eats by herself. “
I knew I sounded stupid, and cursed myself for doing it, because I could ruin the plans I had yet to discuss with Steven. Steven sighed and looked at the plate of food in front of him. “I guess that would be all right. Is she good looking?”
I moved quickly, showing him the pictures on my phone. “She’s beautiful. Not my type, but good conversation, nice smile, and she’s smart too.”
Steven said nothing, but I saw the immediate attraction in his eyes. She was definitely his type, and I wondered how they had never met, living in the same area, right under each other’s noses.
Steven cleared his throat and busied himself eating his breakfast. “We gotta get moving. What’s her name anyway? She’s beautiful, maybe I’ll get lucky.” He smiled then, hopeful.
I finished my food fast. “Her name is Rita. I didn’t want to say anything because I know you're still upset about Kimberly, but that was my idea.”
Steven laughed. “One day, I’m going to return the favor, you can count on it.”
I kept my mouth shut, not wanting to open that can of worms. Before long, we were out on the range headed for the West Ridge. It felt good to be riding. If Texas wasn’t my home, Colorado would have been.
Two hours later, we worked and talked, and Steven was more than happy to form a partnership with me.
“I can fund you with the money you need after I see the ranch. I want to fly out with you in a few days. If I like what I see, we can get it done, so those pesky money sharks stop bothering you.”
I worried about this, since there was no way I was letting Steven meet Dee, but I didn’t let that show. “Sounds good, I appreciate it.”
We shook hands and continued on with business. I worked hard all day beside the boss, feeling a sense of relief that I wasn’t going to lose the ranch just yet.
I knew nothing was finalized, but I sent a text to my right-hand man to make sure everything was in tip-top shape when we arrived. Still no word or message from Dee. I couldn’t get her out of my mind once the deal was struck, and we were preparing to head back to Texas in a few days.
Now that one weight had been lifted off my shoulders, I thought about her constantly as we worked for the remainder of the day. I wondered what she was doing, who she was with, and what she was wearing. I wanted to see her, talk to her, and hear all that sassiness roll off her tongue. Most importantly, I wanted to caress her skin and make love to her again. I couldn’t get it out of my mind.