Counting Cowboys, page 1
Counting Cowboys
by
Lacey Wolfe
Counting Cowboys
Copyright © 2014, Lacey Wolfe
ISBN: 9781940744483
Publisher: Beachwalk Press, Inc.
Electronic Publication: November 2014
Editor: Leigh Lamb
Cover: Fantasia Frog Designs
eBooks are not transferable. No part of this book may be used or reproduced without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations in articles and reviews.
This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.
Back Cover Copy
Can a hot cowboy convince Lauren to stay in Texas and take another chance on love?
Tucker Carver likes to have fun and has no intention of settling down anytime soon. He handles the business side of Carver Ranch for his family, and on the day he’s scheduled to meet with their accountant, he instead meets a beautiful woman who changes everything.
Lauren Ford packed up and moved to Texas to start over after her fiancé had an affair with her best friend. Her father’s retiring and has offered to let her take over his accounting firm. When she meets Tucker she’s immediately taken with him, despite his reputation as a ladies’ man. Knowing she isn’t looking for love, or even if she wants to stay in Texas, she decides to have fun with Tucker and keep her feelings at bay.
After one taste of Lauren, Tucker has other plans. Lauren is the woman he wants, but for some reason she’s resisting. And it doesn’t help when her ex-fiancé shows up in town wanting her to go back to Georgia with him. Can Tucker convince her that his feelings are true, or will he lose her forever?
Content Warning: contains adult language and explicit sexual scenes
Acknowledgements
I’d like to thank Ella Jade, Tamaria Soana, and Sidda Lee Tate for beta reading this story after I wrote. And Sidda for her knowledge on how to climb on to a horse.
Pamela Tyner and Leigh Lamb, for enjoying my story and helping me bring this one to readers. I’m so proud to be a part of Beachwalk Press.
To The Wolfe Pack, my awesome readers’ group—you guys keep me encouraged and sane when I need it.
To my readers—well, you make it worth it! I love hearing from you. This has been an amazing journey, and each and every one of you make it worthwhile.
Chapter 1
Tucker Carver grabbed the hem of his shirt, lifted it, and wiped away the beaded sweat from his forehead. Damn. It was hot already today. He tugged it off and ran the faded material through his damp hair. He needed to get his chores done so he could shower before Mr. Ford arrived to go over the accounting stuff for the family ranch. Although he supposed there was no need to hurry. The old man had been working with Carver Ranch for years, and he was anything but punctual.
Tucker tossed his shirt down on a haystack and went in search of his brother, Nathan, who he found sitting on a bucket, milking a cow.
“Can you or Braden get some lumber? When I was out riding last night, I discovered the fence by Toll Road needs some replacing.” Tucker leaned against a wooden railing.
Nathan looked up. “Yeah, I can go. What time is Mr. Ford coming?”
Tucker glanced at his watch. “In thirty minutes, so I need to go grab a shower. Can you handle what’s left?”
“Like the old man’s going to be here on time.” Nathan sat straight and wiped his hands across his dark, denim jeans.
Tucker shrugged. “One of these days he’s going to surprise us.” A bull grunted loudly. “That bull is being a real pain in the ass today. I’m guessing he can smell one of the females in heat.”
Nathan chuckled. “Can’t blame him, can ya?”
No, Tucker couldn’t. It had been quite some time since he’d been with a female himself; seeing a willing and ready woman would make him stomp his feet too.
Tucker patted his brother on the shoulder. “See ya, man.”
On the way out of the barn, he picked up his shirt and laid it over his shoulders. The sun bore down, heating his chest. He’d have to remember to start putting sunscreen on. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky today. After Mr. Ford left, he’d need to ride around and check the water troughs to make sure they stayed full.
Tucker tossed a leg over the seat of his four-wheeler and started it up. It jerked slightly, then he road toward his home. He lived the closest to his parents’ place. Each of his brothers had their own place on the property, but his sister, Melissa, still lived with their folks. She wanted to be in her own place as well, but their parents were old-fashioned and didn’t want her on her own until she was married.
Melissa let them have their wish while she was in college, but he had a feeling when she graduated, she was going to spread her wings and fly—hopefully not far from the ranch.
He parked his four-wheeler next to his truck then cut the engine. Taking a seat on his porch steps, he pulled his muddy boots off. He noticed a puff of smoke coming down the dirt road and he stood, placing a hand over his eyes. A small, silver sedan headed his way. Fuck, had Mr. Ford gotten a new car and come early?
Tucker walked toward the vehicle as it parked next to his truck. An attractive woman was behind the wheel. She yakked away on her cellphone, but not before flashing him a smile with her pearly whites.
Tucker really didn’t have time to entertain someone, but he supposed for that pretty brunette, he could spare a few moments. Finally, she ended the call and opened her car door. The first thing he noticed was a spiked heel meeting the gravel. After she was out of the car and standing before him, his gaze drifted from those shoes, up to the tight, black skirt she wore, to the blue blouse that held her round breasts, and finally to her green eyes that stared at him.
“Hi, I’m Lauren Ford.” She held a hand out, her red nails catching his eye.
He stepped forward and shook her soft hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Tucker Carver. What can I do for you, darlin’?”
She twirled a brown lock with her fingers and sucked in her bottom lip. She couldn’t be nervous, could she? Oh, right, his shirt was off. From the way she was dressed, she probably didn’t run in to too many shirtless men.
“My dad, Mr. Ford, is retiring, and I’m taking over his business.”
This was Mr. Ford’s daughter? Holy fuck, Tucker had no idea that man could’ve made something so perfect. The woman could be a model with her slender hips. “You’re early.”
“Yeah, I know. Sorry, I thought it would take longer to get here. I’m new to the area.” Her gaze drifted to his bare chest.
He smirked. Hopefully she liked what she saw, because he sure as hell liked the woman before him. “It’s okay. I was about to shower so I’d be clean and presentable.”
She nodded and tugged at the sleeve of her shirt. “Uh, I can wait in my car while you do that.”
“Nonsense. Come on inside. I can give you the paperwork I have, and you can get started while I shower.”
“That works for me.”
He led her up the porch steps, then opened his front door, holding it so she could go in first. As she brushed past him, his gaze took in the way the skirt clung to her thighs and ass. His jeans tightened in the crotch area. Now he felt like his bull, except he had no idea if Lauren was single or interested.
* * * *
Lauren stared at the papers in front of her, but none of it registered. All she could focus on was the half naked man. The hot, sweaty, tanned man who was now naked in his shower only feet away from her.
She shook her head and rubbed her thighs. Enough. It wasn’t like Tucker was the first sexy man she’d seen. She wasn’t blind or innocent, but something about him got her panties moist quick. Hopefully, she could make it through this accounting meeting without ripping her own clothes off and offering herself up to him. She had no doubt he would be an awesome lover. The man worked with his hands all day; surely he knew a thing or two that could please her.
Seriously, enough.
Lauren straightened her back and stared at the stack of papers he’d given her. There were receipts, printouts, and such. Tucker seemed to keep good records, so that would make things easier. She removed her computer from her bag and turned it on. After she pulled up the file for Carver Ranch, she studied it once more to familiarize herself with it.
This was a profitable ranch. Last year had been one of their roughest years, but so far, this year was already better. She was sure once she started to fill in the stuff he’d supplied her with, she’d see they’d come back strong from the previous year.
“Everything there?”
Lauren jumped in her seat.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”
Tucker, now dressed, came over and sat next to her. Whatever soap he’d used attacked her senses in a good way. How did someone get out of the shower, yet still smell like fresh cut pines?
She shouldn’t do it, but she did anyway. She let her gaze wander over his body. The black t-shirt he wore hugged his wide chest, letting her get the full view of his muscles.
Lauren looked away quickly. “Yeah, I think this is it.” She flipped through the stack. “You’re free to do whatever while I do this. I know you’ve got a lot to do.”
“Can I get you something to drink?” He stood, and her focus went straight to his crotch.
Oh God. She glanced up quick to see him smirking. The man knew he was sex on a stick with
“Sweet?”
“Uh, yeah.”
He winked. “I’ll be back.”
“Take your time.” The farther away he was, the more she could concentrate on her work. She wasn’t sure what had come over her, but the sooner she got done with this job, the better. Then she wouldn’t have to see him again until next quarter.
She typed into her spreadsheet. When he returned, he set the glass down before sitting next to her again. Apparently, he wasn’t going to go away.
“So, what’s your dad doing since he retired?”
Small talk. She could do this. “He’s been fishing a lot.”
“Good. He always said he wanted to get a boat and spend his days out on the water.”
“That’s what he’s been doing.” She grabbed the glass and took a sip of her beverage.
“You said you’re new to town? Where are you from?” His big hand rested on his knee, just mere inches from her.
“I grew up with my mom in Georgia, but she recently remarried and moved to Florida with her husband. I decided to come out here to Texas to get to know my dad better since he was retiring.” That was the simple version.
“You didn’t see him much, I take it.”
She shook her head, not really wanting to talk about it. “Are your parents together?”
“Yup. My whole family lives on this ranch. It’s me, my two brothers, baby sister, and my parents. My grandparents lived here as well, but they’ve passed. My sister really wants to move into their place, but…” He paused. “I’m sure you don’t care about all of this.”
“It’s fine. Interesting. I like to hear about close families.” She hoped one day she’d have a large and close family like the Carvers.
He stood and leaned against the armrest. “Since I’m paying you by the hour, darlin’, I should probably let you get back to work.”
Darlin’. It was the second time he’d called her that. Something about the way he said it sent a shiver through her. “I’ll let you know when I’m done.”
“Sounds good.”
He left the room, leaving her alone again with her thoughts. It was time to get this work done and be gone. After all, he wasn’t paying her to sit there and fantasize about running her fingers along the hard muscles in his arms. Nope, and he certainly wasn’t paying her to wonder if he was single either. As she glanced around the place, she saw no touch of a woman anywhere. He wasn’t married, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have a girlfriend.
Ugh, she needed to stop. She’d just left Georgia a few weeks ago—and her ex-fiancé. Phillip hadn’t wanted to come to Texas with her, and frankly, she was thankful. Asking him to come with her had been a big mistake.
She should have been more hurt, but she wasn’t. Phillip was happy when she left. He’d been looking for a way out as well, especially since he was sleeping with Lauren’s best friend.
Chapter 2
“Tucker,” the sweet woman called from his living room.
Raking his hands through his hair, Tucker took a deep breath. For the past few hours, he’d paced his kitchen or wandered around his yard, pulling weeds and picking up dead branches. He wasn’t sure what had taken her so long. Usually, her father had it done in no time, they went over the numbers, and that was it until the next quarter.
He picked up his glass of lemonade and went into the living room. Lauren had kicked off her shoes, her long hair was now tied up in a bun, and she chewed her nails.
“All done?”
She placed her hand in her lap and nodded. “Yeah. Come have a seat.”
He plopped down next to her on the couch, making sure to keep a few inches between them. If he touched her, he was sure he’d have to explore. She took several deep breaths and he watched as her chest rose. If only that top button was undone, he might get a peek at her breasts.
“So things are okay, but not as good as I expected they would be.” She scrolled through the spreadsheet on her screen.
They had it tough last year with the drought and were finally recovering, but the look on Lauren’s face told him not as fast as they’d hoped. “What’s going on?”
She pointed at a number. “You’re still not seeing the profit you were a few years ago, and that’s expected. I’m a little concerned though. I don’t know much about a ranch, but how do you think the profit is doing?”
He strummed his fingers on the armrest. “It seems okay to me. We’ve been debating for a while about bringing in chickens to help with lasts year’s problems.”
She raised an eyebrow, her green eyes shining in the sunlight. “Chickens?”
“They make eggs.”
She nodded. “Yes, but you’re going to have to spend money. Build the coops and fill them with the chickens. Not to mention you have to feed them too. I don’t think that’s a good idea.” She rolled the mouse a little and stopped. “You guys used to offer classes to kids it looks like, but you stopped. Why?” She stared at him, her eyes curious.
He cleared his throat. This wasn’t his territory. “Uh, we just decided to stop.”
“Okay, but why? It brought in a good chunk of money. Can you start it up again?”
Tucker honestly wasn’t sure. He didn’t deal much with that aspect of the ranch. That had been Nathan, and he wasn’t about to tell Lauren Nathan’s business. “I’ll talk to my brother that did it. So no chickens?”
She giggled; her face brightened. “No, no chickens for now.” She straightened the stack of papers. “I’ll email this over to you, if that’s okay. Carver Ranch is doing fine. You’re coming back slowly from last year. If you can think of something to bring in money that isn’t going to cost much to start up, that would be great. If not, I expect next quarter you’ll still be seeing good growth.”
“Awesome.” Fuck, had he just said that? It felt so 1980’s. “I appreciate it.”
She packed up her things then stood and slipped her heels on. “It was nice meeting you. I’ll be in touch soon.”
“Deer Crossing is a small town. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around.” He hoped he did.
She placed her bag over her shoulder and smiled awkwardly. “Have a great day. I’ll see myself out.”
Oh, his parents would never allow that. He followed in her trail, making sure to open the door, then proceeded to walk her to her car.
She put her bag on the trunk and glanced at him. “Again, I’ll see you.”
Tucker didn’t want her to go. Something in him wanted to know more about her. “It’s Friday. Any plans tonight?”
She opened the back door and placed her bag inside gently. After shutting the door, she turned back to him. “I’m supposed to have dinner with my dad.”
“Maybe after, you can come out to Long Necks.” It was a long shot, but he was a fool not to ask.
“What is that?”
“The best bar in town…the only bar. I’ll be there playing pool. I’d like it if you came. And it would give you a chance to meet the locals.”
She shrugged and brushed a fallen strand of hair from in front of her eyes. “I don’t know. We’ll see.” The cellphone in her hand beeped, and she glanced at it. “I gotta go. I’ve got an hour until my next appointment.”
“All right, darlin’. I hope to see you tonight.”
She opened her car door and climbed in. A moment later, smoke filled his driveway again as she drove away. Maybe she’d show up at Long Necks tonight. He’d be sure to get her on the dance floor, with her body molded against his.
His phone rang in his back pocket. Removing it, he saw Nathan was calling.
“Hey.”
“Your wood’s down on Toll Road. I covered it with a tarp. Some dark clouds are rolling in, and according to the weatherman, we’ve got some nasty storms on the way. Can you come help me get the cattle in?”
“Yup, be there in ten.”
This year the rain just kept coming. Hopefully, the storm wasn’t too bad. Last week there had been a tornado a little too close to their ranch.
* * * *
Lauren tapped her fingers across the dark wood kitchen table as she stared at her dad reading the paper. Currently, she lived with him, but she’d been looking for a place of her own so once she was stable, she’d have an idea where she wanted to live—if she stayed in Deer Crossing. Growing up, she didn’t see him a whole lot. He came to Georgia to see her during the summer and sometimes on a holiday. Her mom disliked sharing, and her dad didn’t like controversy.
