Country Rain (Lib. ed.), page 1
Country Rain
King Creek Cowboys
Cheyenne McCray
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Excerpt: Branded for You
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Also by Cheyenne McCray
About Cheyenne
Chapter 1
Despite the chill in the late October air, perspiration rolled down the side of Marlee Fox’s face as she finished her morning jog. She slowed her pace then came to an easy walk when she reached the sidewalk leading into her neighborhood.
Usually, it didn’t start to get to this fairly low temperature for the area until November in King Creek, which was not too far from the metro Phoenix area. This year fall decided to bless them with cooler temperatures. Marlee didn’t mind one darn bit.
She drew a breath in and blew it out as her heart rate lowered. She loved the neighborhood she lived in on the outskirts of King Creek. Not quite country and not quite in town—the perfect space to breathe.
“Hey there.” Amy Baker waved from her porch.
Marlee came to a stop and smiled at her favorite neighbor. “We haven’t done lunch in a while.”
Amy’s footsteps thunked on the wooden porch steps as she made her way down to the path that led to the sidewalk. “I’m ready for some hole-in-the-wall tacos.”
Marlee rested her hands on the split rail fence. “Ricardo’s next Wednesday at one?”
“Perfect. I get off work from Heidi’s at twelve-thirty. Amy’s long brunette ponytail bounced as she nodded. “We haven’t had a good gab in what seems like forever.”
Marlee couldn’t help a grin. “Yeah, two weeks is an eternity.”
“Only two weeks?” Amy returned her smile. “Have you heard about the fund-raising event in November to help small businesses in King Creek?”
“I heard someone mention it at Mickey’s the other night.” Marlee tilted her head to the side. “But I was on my out the door with Ben and didn’t hear the details.”
Amy raised her brows. “You were out with Ben Campbell?”
“I just ran into him there and we left at the same time.” Marlee brushed away the incident with a wave of her hand. Last thing she wanted to get around town was a relationship between her and Ben. “Now tell me about the event.”
“With the economy sucking right now, Mayor Brown said he’d like to see something done to help our local businesses.” Amy swiped a strand of hair that whipped into her face as a breeze picked up. “I volunteered to help at the event, and I’m doing some recruiting. I know how you like to get involved in the community.”
“I’d love to give a hand.” The breeze caused Marlee to shiver as the perspiration dried on her skin. “Do you have the details?”
“I never had a doubt I could count on you.” Amy smiled. “We can go over deets Wednesday at lunch.”
“You’re on.” Marlee shoved her hands into the pockets of her sweat jacket. “So, where’s it being held?”
“The Bar M,” Amy said. “Colt volunteered his ranch.”
Marlee held back a groan as her enthusiasm deflated, and she tried not to show her sudden reluctance. Amy had no idea just how much she would prefer to not be around Colt McLeod. High school had been a long time ago, but she’d never forgotten days better left behind.
She usually managed to avoid Colt. Hard to do in a town full of McLeods, of which her cousin Rae could now be counted amongst.
The ringing of her phone saved Marlee from having to try to find a way to back out of her new commitment. She fished her phone out of the side pocket of her leggings. The screen showed Rae McLeod.
“It’s my cousin.” Marlee raised her phone. “I’d better get this.”
“I’ll see you Wednesday.” Amy gave her a little wave. “Tell Rae hello for me.”
“I will.” Marlee returned her wave then answered her phone as she walked away from Amy’s fence. “Hey, cuz.”
“Are you free for dinner tonight?” Rae sounded breathless with excitement.
“You bet.” Marlee’s calendar was filling up for the week. “What’s going on?”
“We can snag our booth at Gus’s and I’ll tell you over garbage pizza.”
Marlee laughed. “Since when did you like your pizza with everything on it?”
“Just hungry for it.” Marlee heard the shrug in Rae’s voice. “Seven good for you?”
“I’m single, I have no kids, and I live alone,” Marlee said. “What do you think?”
Rae laughed. “See you then.”
Marlee pocketed her phone and walked the rest of the way home. She frowned as a thought occurred to her. Did Rae’s plan for dinner have anything to do with the event at Colt’s? She mentally shook her head. Nah. Rae knew that Colt was not Marlee’s favorite person, so why would she think Marlee would get excited? Rae wouldn’t, so it had to be something else.
The wind picked up as Marlee reached her home and she shivered. She’d have to wear a jacket tonight.
Marlee pushed opened the gate of her white picket fence and jogged up the stairs to the front porch of her ninety-year-old home. The house creaked, wind howled through the windows, the wood floors squeaked, and she wouldn’t trade it for anything.
She’d put up Halloween decorations for the holiday and had a witch costume ready for trick-or-treaters who’d be stopping by on Saturday. She had a great neighborhood with lots of kids, so she always had a big plastic cauldron full of candy each year.
After she let herself in, she dropped the key into a dish on a small table and locked the door behind her. She never felt like she needed to secure her door in her small town, but that was only the naïve side of her that wanted to think she was surrounded by good people and didn’t have to worry about crime like their not-so-far Phoenix neighbors had. Sure, King Creek didn’t have much of a crime rate, but it always paid to be safe.
Marlee’s shoes squeaked on the ceramic tiled floor as she made her way to her small kitchen with its whimsically painted table and mismatched yet matching chairs. She’d fallen in love with the set when she spotted in King Creek Treasures, the local consignment store. She’d been delighted to learn a local artist had painted it.
She grabbed a water bottle from the fridge that was covered in magnets from places she’d visited and holding down postcards that friends and family had sent. She twisted off the cap and took long swallows of water before staring at the fridge. One day she wanted to have children and have her refrigerator covered with their pictures and their drawings.
First, she needed a hell of a man for a father. She tilted her head to the side. She couldn’t imagine Ben Campbell as someone she’d want a long-term relationship with, much less seeing him as dad material.
For some darn reason, Colt McLeod came to mind, and she ground her teeth. No way on earth would she have anything to do with him any farther than she could throw him—which would be about one inch if she could even budge that tall, muscular body.
Marlee groaned and tilted her head to look up at her ceiling. She’d had it raised and added crown moldings. She rather liked how it made her small kitchen look bigger and more open.
She lowered her head and blew out her breath. There, did she manage to vanquish thoughts of Colt from her mind? Must be the fact that Amy had told her about the event at Colt’s ranch. Time to get that man out of her mind. She pictured him falling flat on his ass in a huge mud puddle in a pig pen.
Marlee couldn’t help a laugh. He so deserved that.
Maybe she should get a puppy. She scrunched her nose as she gave the thought serious consideration. Bear McLeod, also known as Doc McLeod, was the local vet and her cousin’s husband. She didn’t hold it against Bear that Colt was his brother. Bear would know what shelters she should look into, or he might even know of a dog that needed a good home.
She downed the rest of her water bottle and tossed the plastic into the recycle bin. She continued to think about bringing a dog into her home as she headed up the squeaking wood steps to the second floor. She’d put off getting a pet for years, but really, why wait any longer? She worked from home as an editor, so the dog wouldn’t be alone unless she went out for a while and couldn’t take it with her. She had time to train a pet and even take it on her daily jog.
“I’ll talk with Rae about it tonight.” Marlee tugged off her athletic wear and tossed it all into the clothes hamper.
Enthusiasm buoyed her steps as she headed for the shower. Kids weren’t in her near future, but she’d decided a fur-baby was.
* * *
Marlee leaned back in her recliner, rubbed the bridge of her nose, and squeezed her eyes shut. She’d been going through the slush pile, looking for a gem of a memoir that would jump and say, “Ta-da! I’m the manuscript you’ve always dreamed of receiving!”
Ha. Not even close.
Finding a manuscript that completely excited her hadn’t happened in a while. Most submissions for memoirs were boring as hell—no one wanted to read about the average person’s life. She lowered her hand, opened her eyes, and sighed.
Tomorrow she’d look at her other submissions. She accepted non-fiction queries for parenting, health, biographies, cooking, writing, humor, history, and sports. And thanks to her senior editor, Molly Shoemaker, she now accepted memoirs, currently the bane of Marlee’s life.
“Time to pack it up.” She rubbed the head of the polished ironwood duck on her end table, the only pet she’d had since she was a kid. “Did I ever tell you I really hate memoirs?”
The duck didn’t answer.
Marlee intended to go out and have fun with Rae. She needed tonight—red wine and pizza. And she’d even get to eat garbage pizza instead of pepperoni for a change.
She dressed in jeans, a lightweight V-necked black sweater, and athletic shoes, and pulled her blonde hair up into a high ponytail. A touch of makeup and she was ready to go. Who knew if she’d meet the father of her 2.4 children?
Colt once again popped into her brain.
She thumped her skull with the flat of her hand. She’d gotten the man out of her system way back when. So why was he intruding now?
Nope. She was having none of it.
The walk to Gus’s Pizza took all of fifteen minutes. The evening was clear and cool, but she wore her purple Phoenix Suns jacket, which warded off the chill.
Warm air flowed over her face as she walked into Gus’s. The stained-glass lights over dark-wood booths with red vinyl-covered bench seats gave off a warm glow. The juke box played a country tune by the Phoenix-born son Dierks Bentley.
She looked in the direction of the booth she usually shared with Rae, and her cousin waved her over. Marlee smiled at Rae as she headed across the tiled floor to the booth. Rae looked flushed and happy as she grinned in return.
Marlee slid into the booth and shrugged out of her jacket. “You look fantastic, even more than usual.”
“You’re good for my ego.” Rae laughed. “Best cousin ever.” She pointed to the two red plastic tumblers on the table, a straw sticking out of each one. “I got root beer.”
“Great.” Marlee set her jacket on the bench seat and grabbed a menu from behind the jars of red pepper flakes and parmesan cheese on the table. She flipped the menu open to the pizza section. “I am so hungry.”
“Good.” Rae tugged the menu down. “I already ordered a large garbage pizza.”
“Awesome.” Marlee slid the menu back into the holder. “How long ago?”
Rae pointed toward the kitchen. “Long enough that it’s almost to our table now.”
Marlee glanced over her shoulder and saw Gus himself carrying a large pizza pan in one hand.
“Gus’s best for you.” The man’s thick Greek accent sometimes made it hard to understand him, especially when the place was noisy like tonight. “With everything.”
“Anchovies?” Marlee glanced at the pizza then to Rae. “Really?”
Rae shrugged. “I had a craving for them.”
Marlee shook her head and smiled at the owner as he slid the pizza pan onto their table. “Thanks, Gus.”
The eighty-one-year-old man gave a nod, his craggy face reminding her of an ancient sea captain’s. “Eat.” He walked away in an old man’s slow gate.
Marlee glanced at Rae to see that she already had a big slice. Marlee took one and slid it onto her plate.
Rae took a big bite and gave a happy sigh. “Gus makes the best pizza.”
Marlee shook her head. “I must be in the Twilight Zone. You never eat garbage pizza, much less anchovies.”
Rae grinned as Marlee bit into her own pizza. “That’s because I’m pregnant.”
Marlee nearly choked on her mouthful. She hurried to chew then swallow. “That’s wonderful, Rae. Congrats to both you and Bear.”
“We suspected it for the past two weeks.” Rae practically bounced in her seat. “We just found out for sure from Dr. Martin today. Apparently, that’s why I’ve been having mood swings and want to eat all the time and hungry for weird things. No morning sickness so far. Thank God.” She bit into an anchovy on her pizza again.
Marlee felt a bright warmth in her chest at the news. “I’m so excited for you. Have you told your sister?”
Rae shook her head. “I’ll tell Carrie when Bear and I visit her and the kids next weekend. I wanted to share the news with her in person.”
Marlee sipped her root beer before setting down the red tumbler. “The twins will be beyond excited.”
Rae nodded enthusiastically. “The girls will probably think they have a new doll to play with when the baby is born.” Rae laughed. “Even though neither of them is into dolls.”
“Maybe they’ll teach the baby to kick a soccer ball when she or he is bigger.” Marlee leaned forward. “Are you going to find out if it’s a girl or boy when they can tell?”
“We haven’t decided.” Rae looked thoughtful. “There’s something to say about knowing and being prepared, or just finding out after the birth.”
“I’d want to know.” Marlee eased back and picked up her slice. “I’d be planning every last moment of it.”
Rae laughed. “You would. You always have had to know everything you can about everything that interests you or comes up in your life.”
“That’s me.” Marlee dug into her pizza again.
“Bear and I would like you to be our baby’s godmother,” Rae said when Marlee set down her pizza.
Marlee wiped her mouth with a napkin and smiled. “Thank you, Rae. I would love to.” Marlee laughed. “You know, godmother sounds much too close to grandmother.”
Rae grinned. “Grandmotherhood is a long way off for both of us.”
“Thank God,” Marlee said. “I’m not even ready to be a mom, whenever that might be.”
For a few moments they munched on their dinner. When Marlee reached for a second slice, Rae folded her arms on the table. “Have you heard about the small business fundraising event?”
Marlee groaned and looked up at the stained-glass lamp over their table. “I practically committed to Amy Baker this morning that I’d help, before she told me it would be held at Colt’s ranch.”
“He’s really not a bad guy,” Rae said tentatively. “Maybe it’s time to bury the hatchet.”
Marlee sighed and let the thought roll around in her mind. “Maybe.”
Rae nodded in the direction of the front door. “Well, here comes your chance.”
Marlee wanted to slide down in her seat to hide. She refused to look over her shoulder. “Hell, no.”
Rae laughed. “Come on, Marlee. Give it a go.”
Two male voices approached from behind Marlee—sounded like Bear and Colt. “You planned this,” Marlee hissed.
Rae shook her head. “I knew Bear was stopping by, that’s it.” Rae straightened and she beamed, positively glowing. “You made it,” she said to Bear as he reached the table then slid onto the bench beside her.”
Bear kissed her. “Of course.”
Marlee felt more than saw the tall, muscular presence beside her. She didn’t want to look up, but she made herself do it.
Colt McLeod grinned down at her. “Hey, Marlee.”
Marlee sighed and forced a smile. “You might as well have a seat and join us.”
“Don’t mind if I do.” He gave a nod toward the bench seat. “Scoot on over.”
Marlee held back another groan. Colt couldn’t very well ask Bear to move and sit by his brother. Not to mention each bench only fit two.
She moved as far away as possible, but that was only a few inches. Colt eased in beside her and his big body pressed firmly along her side. Yep, not enough room at this table for the two of them.
Her senses ignited, now on overdrive from his nearness. He smelled so good, of soap and a comforting masculine scent. His body felt warm and hard against hers, and she wondered, not for the first time, what it would be like to be in his arms now that he was a man, as opposed to the lean but muscular teen he had been.
Colt had a larger, more muscular build than his brothers. His biceps bulged beneath his black T-shirt that clung to his perfect torso. His body felt so hard against her as he shifted in his seat. How she longed to see what was under the T-shirt and the denim that molded to his athletic thighs. The man was a work of art.
