Chapter 2
He stood up and took one last look at Jack. In addition to the urge to offer comfort, Cole’s blood was quickening with a heady dose of arousal. Jack was damned fine-looking. But, Cole reminded himself, the man was off-limits. When starting the dude ranch, he’d decreed that fraternizing with the guests was forbidden to both him and his employees—no exceptions.
Giving himself a mental kick in the pants for even thinking of breaking his own rule, he turned to the group and said, “Now, let’s get you all settled in your rooms. Dinner won’t be until six, but if you can’t wait, Greta, our ace-high cook, has set out some snacks for you in the dining room. And if you get a hankering for something in the middle of the night,” Cole couldn’t resist glancing at Jack, “there’s an icebox in the pantry just for the guests. Greta keeps it well-stocked, so help yourselves to anything in there.”
He headed up the steps and held the front door open. “Come along now. When you’re done unpacking, pull on your riding boots, and mosey on down to the corral. I’ll be checking your skills and matching you with horses. Tomorrow we’ll be riding out on a tour of the ranch.”
As Jack passed him in the doorway, Cole couldn’t stop himself from leaning over and breathing deep, trying to catch the scent of the man. There was just something earthy about Jack that called to him, rules or no rules. If this kept up, it was going to be a long week.
Cole caught himself staring at Jack’s nicely-shaped ass as the man climbed the stairs behind Alex on the way to their room. Sighing, he headed for the back door.
Oh yeah, a very long week, indeed. 2
Cole walked toward the back of the house, giving himself a stern lecture about Jack. My God, he’d actually scented the man like a buck in rut. This had to stop right away—it was just too dangerous. Even if he weren’t a guest, Jack wasn’t in any shape to deal with being pursued. In fact, the man looked like something was scaring the hell out of him, and he was fighting not to cut and run.
And what about the boy, Alex? That kid had enough grief to handle without a total stranger trying to steal his dad’s attention. No, Alex’s needs had to come first. Cole couldn’t live with himself if his own selfish desires added to a child’s suffering.
When he entered the kitchen, his brother was already there loading a couple coolers with jugs of iced tea and some bottled water. Lee grinned and said, “So, how long do you think it will take for you and Jack to get together?”
Cole’s stomach lurched. Was his attraction that obvious? What if Jack had noticed? Or the other guests? Fear made his voice harsh. “You know the rule about fraternizing with the guests. It applies to me just like everybody else.”
At the hard tone of voice, a look of surprise flashed across Lee’s face. “Maybe. But I haven’t noticed you ‘fraternizing’ with anybody at all in a long, long time.”
Watching Lee scoop ice over the beverages, Cole tried to remember the last time he’d even had a date. Coming up empty, he had to admit, Lee was right. Running the ranch and working his tail off chasing every detail to make it a success had consumed his life for years.
But even if he had the time, where was he supposed to meet men? No question the ranch hands were off limits. He’d dodged one trumped-up sexual harassment lawsuit when they’d first started out. All because Cole had tried to be kind to a young man with emotional problems. From then on, he’d kept relations with his employees strictly business.
Looking for companionship in the small town a few miles north wasn’t a workable option either. Everybody knew everybody else’s business there, and Cole wasn’t comfortable sharing his intimate relations with a whole town. His last resort was to drive a couple hours further to the city, but just how would he find someone who wanted more than a one-night stand? A bar pick-up? Not likely. So he’d put his love life on hold until the ranch was doing well enough that Lee’s tuition was a sure thing. Trying to lighten the mood, he said, “Well, you know me—never satisfied.”
“I know you could be more than satisfied with someone like Jack. And I know just how much you like fixing things. That boy, Alex, sure looks like he could use some fixing. You’d be good for both of them.”
“You trying to marry me off now?” Cole kept his tone joking.