Her Holiday Rancher. Cathy Mcdavid

and placed them across from the desk. Cole chose the one on the right and, sitting, balanced his hat on his knee.

      “Will this take long?” he asked.

      “I’m not sure. Depends on a number of things.”

      “Like?” He couldn’t have a bigger chip on his shoulder if he tried.

      “The number of questions you all have. How quickly we get through reviewing the records. What shape they’re in.” Terrible, these past four months. “How cooperative you are.”

      He answered by slouching in the chair, crossing his boots at the ankles and his arms over his stomach.

      Reese wasn’t impressed or intimidated.

      Gabe entered the office next with Josh right behind him. If she didn’t know better, she’d think they arrived together. But that was impossible, right?

      “Hey, Reese.” Josh grinned affably before taking the middle chair. “It is okay if I call you Reese?”

      “Of course,” she replied, trying not to stare at Gabe like a love-struck teenager.

      He’d clearly come from the pastures or barn or wherever it was he’d been working. He smelled of the outdoors and looked ruggedly handsome with his tanned complexion and two-day growth of beard. With a nonchalance both unconscious and incredibly sexy, he sat, rolled down his shirtsleeves and rebuttoned them at the cuffs, but not before Reese caught sight of strong, prominently muscled arms with a light dusting of hair.

      She remembered those arms from when they’d held her the night of their senior prom. She’d thought then they were the kind of arms a woman could rely on to take care of her and keep her safe.

      “Are we ready to start?” Thankfully, her voice didn’t betray the riot of emotions warring inside her.