tried to ignore the satisfying warmth that traveled through her at his words. A man like Cisco wasn’t for her, she reminded herself. This wasn’t his real life. He didn’t belong in Horseback Hollow even if he’d shown up this morning looking the part. His boots might be sturdy, but they were brand-new.
* * *
By midday his boots were already broken in, along with the rest of him. When Cisco had told Delaney to put him through the paces, he hadn’t realized what he was asking. As he loaded a final bale of hay onto a truck in one of the far pastures at the ranch, every part of his body ached. This was definitely different from a five-mile run around South Beach and an hour at the gym. The sun shone high in the western sky, spreading patterns of golden light through the clouds.
They’d been working steadily since the morning. Delaney had saddled up a couple of horses first thing, and they’d started their day checking the fencing on the north end of the ranch. Cisco could hold his own on a horse, but Delaney rode as though she’d been born in a saddle. As he closed up the truck’s gate, the ranch hand behind the wheel gave a short wave and the truck slowly made its way back toward the barn.
He lifted his hat off his head and wiped one sleeve across his brow. It felt as if the temperature had risen several degrees just in the past hour.
“How are you holding up?” Delaney asked as she hoisted herself on the large horse she road. She looked more amused than concerned.
Cisco swung his leg into the saddle. “I’ll survive,” he said with a smile. “I knew running a ranching operation was a lot of work, but I didn’t appreciate how much until today.” He brought his horse to the side of hers. “The men have a lot of respect for you, Delaney.”
It was true. Deke Jones had greeted them on their way to the barn earlier this morning, but Delaney’s father had been heading to Lubbock to check out some new equipment. He hadn’t officially put Delaney in charge in his absence, but it had been clear the ranch workers looked to her for guidance.
She was a mighty force wrapped up in an adorably tiny package.
“My dad keeps this place running like clockwork. The men know what they’re supposed to do without much input from me. My brothers used to help out quite a bit but they’ve all got their own lives and families now. Well, Galen doesn’t have a family, but he’s busy.”
“Don’t downplay your role on the ranch.”
For the first time, she looked really flustered. “I’m not, but I think you’re giving me more credit than I deserve.”
“Or maybe, cielo, you give yourself less.”
Her eyes tracked to his for a moment and he saw a rare flash of uncertainty there. He realized Delaney Fortune Jones might not be as sure of herself as she led people to believe.
She looked up to the blue sky then, holding her straw cowboy hat to her head. “Let’s race back. Mom wants us to eat lunch with her and she’ll have it ready by now.”
“Did you just tell the time by looking at the sun?”
A hint of color crept up her cheeks. “It’s a habit. I don’t wear a watch when I’m out on the property.” She adjusted the horse’s reins in her hands. “Ready?”
He nodded and gave his horse a short kick with his boot heels, but Delaney was already off and running. Cisco didn’t bother to try to catch her. Instead he enjoyed the view of her moving across the pasture, the rhythm of her body perfectly matched to the animal beneath her.
When he’d first arrived in Horseback Hollow, he’d missed the BMW coupe he drove in Miami and the sports car’s power at his fingertips. Now he realized he’d underestimated the adrenaline rush of horseback riding. There was something about moving in sync with another living being that beat the excitement of even the fastest engine.
He’d totally forgotten about bringing up the idea of the Cowboy Country condos in casual conversation with Delaney. His plan going into this deal was to drop enough hints about the planned luxury community so she’d be amenable to supporting them when the time came. Instead he’d been so busy keeping up with her he hadn’t been able to think of anything else.
That was a mistake he couldn’t afford to continue. Cisco had a lot riding on this deal with Moore Entertainment. As delightful as he found Delaney, she wasn’t his reason for staying in Horseback Hollow. He had to stick to the plan, make this deal happen and move on to bigger things. He might enjoy women, but Cisco had never let himself get sidetracked by one before. He wasn’t going to start now.
* * *
Delaney couldn’t imagine why she’d ever thought to insist Cisco spend time on the ranch with her. She could barely keep straight in her mind her jobs for the day when he was at her side. That was part of the reason she’d pushed him so hard most of the morning. It helped distract her from her constant reaction to him.
But not enough. Every time he looked at her or gave her that half smile, Delaney got a little weak in the knees. When he was so close she could smell the mix of spice and soap she’d now always associate with Cisco, she couldn’t remember her own name, let alone what she was supposed to be doing.
She finished brushing down Flapjack and looked over to the next stall, where Cisco had groomed the bay she’d given him. Big mistake. His long fingers scratched behind the horse’s ears as he bent close to her head, whispering words Delaney couldn’t hear. She got an immediate mental image of what it would be like for him to touch her so gently and her body thrummed to life in a way she’d never experienced.
Delaney hadn’t exactly set out to “save herself” for the right man, but it seemed to be working out that way. She’d never had a truly serious boyfriend and all of the guys in town were too afraid of her overprotective brothers to look at her as casual fun. Eventually, she’d come to realize she didn’t want to be with a man until it felt truly right. She’d always thought her heart would guide her, but watching Cisco made her body want to take the lead.
He looked up at her then and color rushed to her face, although he couldn’t possibly read her thoughts. Still, it felt as though his dark eyes saw her in a way no one else had before. Delaney loved how he focused on her even as she reminded herself that this was how Cisco Mendoza operated. He was a lady-killer, and Delaney was sure he could charm any woman with his sexy grin and smoldering eyes. Delaney wasn’t special to him, no matter how he made her feel.
“Are you okay?” he asked, as if he could sense her jumbled emotions.
“Fine,” she answered quickly, striding out of the stall. “Just hungry. We can wash up at the house and see if Mom needs any help.”
He looked as if he wanted to question her further but simply followed her across the driveway and up the steps to the kitchen.
“You two were busy this morning,” Jeanne Marie commented as she came into the kitchen.
“Just a normal day,” Delaney said, throwing her mother a pointed look as Cisco turned on the water at the kitchen sink to wash his hands.
“If you say so, sweetie.” Her mother must have realized how hard Delaney had been pushing Cisco this morning, but she didn’t mention it outright. “I’m sure you’ve both worked up an appetite.”
“Thank you for having me to lunch, Mrs. Fortune Jones.” Cisco dried his hands on a towel and gave her mother that killer smile.
Delaney watched as her mother fluttered her fingers near her throat. Clearly no woman was immune to that smile. “Call me Jeanne Marie. I’m happy to have you here. The house is quiet now that Delaney’s the only one left at the ranch. I miss having a big crowd around all the time.”
Delaney finished washing her hands and walked over to give her mom a hug. Today Jeanne Marie wore a pale yellow shirt, long faded denim skirt and her favorite turquoise necklace around her throat. “Be careful what you wish for, Mama. You’ll have them dropping off the grandkids all the time.”