to the living room area of the guesthouse. “Twice as nice! Two for the price of one...” She gave Kate a play-punch in the shoulder as she strolled past on her way to check out the bedrooms. “I do believe we need to get you into some double trouble.”
With a grunt of disagreement, Kate followed her friend toward the bedrooms. The last thing she wanted from this trip was trouble. Double or otherwise.
Josh McCall scrubbed his hands and fingernails with the small brush at the stable’s wash station, while the hot water sent billowing steam up in his face. His motions were mechanical, habit, which was good, because his thoughts were miles away. Or rather, a few dozen feet away in the guesthouse.
He was not sure what he’d expected from the two representatives from the Dallas PR firm Zane was working with, but the wheat-blonde beauty, even now unpacking in the old bunkhouse, had not been what he’d pictured. Kate Carrington, Zane had said her name was. Kate, with her heart-shaped face, full lips and nervous smile had left him awestruck. He wasn’t as sappy as to believe in love at first sight, but lust at first sight, or intrigue, or captivation—whatever you wanted to call it—he was pretty sure had just happened. His body was thrumming, and his brain was clicking, anxious for the chance to talk with her again, get to know her. And yes, possibly sample those pink lips that had trembled a little when she’d smiled at their introduction.
He’d stared. He knew he had, and maybe his rapt attention had unsettled her. Maybe she wasn’t used to guys openly, unabashedly admiring her. Maybe—his heart stuttered—crap, was she married? He hadn’t thought to look for a ring. Gorgeous as she was, beguiled as he was, he would put his attraction on ice before he messed with a married woman.
“I think you missed a spot,” Dave Giblan, one of the Double M’s ranch hands, said as he sidled up beside him to wash his hands.
“Huh?”
Dave chuckled. “Geez, where’s your head? You’ve been scrubbing away over here for like ten minutes. Your skin’s gonna be raw.”
“Oh.” Josh passed the scrubbing brush to Dave and stepped aside. “Just trying to be thorough.”
Dave grunted and gave his boss a skeptical side-eye. “Heard the first guests arrived. You meet them?”
“Yeah,” Josh said, drying his hands on a clean towel from the shelf above the industrial-sized sink. “Couple of ladies from the PR place that’s handling our advertising and marketing.” He put the towel on a hook near the sink where Dave could use it next and hitched his head toward the back stall. “How’s mama doing?”
Dave nodded. “Great. She’s tired, but she’s taking care of her baby like she’s supposed to. Calf weighed in right at seventy pounds. Vet says he looks good.”
“Excellent.” He slapped Dave on the shoulder. “I’ll leave them in your capable hands. Let me know if anything changes with mama’s or the little guy’s conditions.”
Dave shut off the water. “Will do, man.” Dave hesitated, then asked, “Say...what’s this adventure tour biz mean for me?”
Josh gave him a puzzled look. “For you?”
The hand jerked a nod. “I’m already busier than a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest since Karl left. And now you, Brady and Zane have your hands full with the adventure tours. Are there plans to hire a new hand? Get me some help?”
Josh grimaced and ran a hand through his shaggy hair. “Not that I know of. Sorry. We don’t plan to leave you hangin’. Brady’ll only be involved in the new business in small ways, and Zane and I’ll do our best to give you extra help when we’re around.”
Dave looked skeptical, but said nothing more about it.
Josh left the stable, pondering the truth that Dave had raised. The ranch did need more hands. But where would they find the money to hire more help? As he crossed the ranch yard, he heard the familiar squeak of the guesthouse’s screen door hinges. He glanced over to find Ms. Fetzer hurrying over to him.
Changing direction, he moved to intercept the woman, whose red-brown hair had been pulled into a single braid at her nape and whose ample curves jiggled as she trotted toward him.
“Hi. Josh, is it?” she said cheerfully, her dark brown eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
“Yes, ma’am. What can I do for you?”
“Well, you can call me Dawn instead of ma’am for starters. We are going to be working together, after all.”
Josh grinned and poked his hands in his front pockets. And, yes, they were a little raw from his distracted and extended scrubbing. “Dawn, then.”
She toyed with her braid—auburn, that’s the name of the color he’d heard Piper use for that shade of brownish-red hair—and she gave him a coy smile. “I’m really looking forward to trying all the adventures. Especially the rafting. That looks like so much fun!”
“It’s a blast,” he returned, nodding and giving her a schooled smile.
The guesthouse screened door screeched again, and when he glanced toward the small porch, his blood surged and heated. His smile grew as Kate walked toward them. She had a graceful stride, but even her poise didn’t mask the sexy sway of her hips. When she met his gaze, her cheek dimpled with a quick grin before her attention shifted to her friend. “Dean just called you. I answered it and told him I’d get you, but he said he was just checking that we arrived okay.”
Dawn pressed a hand to her full bosom. “What a sweetie. Did he want me to call back?”
Kate shrugged. “When you get a minute. The connection wasn’t good, so...”
“Yeah. Cell reception out here stinks. The landline in the guesthouse might be the better option for phone calls.” Josh got his first up-close look at Kate’s mossy green eyes, and something deep inside him kicked.
She tucked her blond hair behind her ear and moistened her lips with a quick swipe of her tongue. Josh’s mouth watered, and he clenched his hand inside his pocket.
Damn but he wanted to kiss those pink lips!
Instead, he motioned toward her, saying, “You’ll want to keep some lip balm close by. The air here is pretty dry, and it can be brutal to lips.”
She seemed a little startled by his non sequitur, and a wrinkle of confusion creased the bridge of her nose briefly before she nodded. “Okay. I will. Thanks.”
Her gaze went to his mouth before darting away.
“And sunscreen, especially when we’re on the adventure outing. It might only be May, but skin as fair as yours—” he caught himself and included Dawn with his gaze “—and yours, will burn easily, even this time of year.” He touched the brim of his black felt Tony Lama hat, adding, “A good wide-brimmed hat helps, too.” He winked at them. “And you thought we just wore these doozies because they look good.”
Both of the women laughed, and Dawn swatted his arm, clearly flirting. “That they do, cowboy!”
He stepped back from Dawn’s hand and doffed his hat as he eased away. “Until later, ladies. Duty calls.”
As he shuffled into the mudroom of the main house, he shook his head and chuckled. “Ironic.”
“What’s ironic?” his sister, Piper, said from a stool at the kitchen counter.
After shucking off his work boots, he strolled into the kitchen and snitched one of the potato chips on Piper’s plate. She batted at his hand.
“Hey, mooch, get your own!”
“Why? Yours are right here.” Man, he loved to tease her. Having her back at the ranch after seven years felt good. The McCall family was complete again. Having her part of this new business venture with Zane felt ordained.
“What’s ironic?” she repeated, sliding her plate out of