The Rebellious Rancher. Kate Pearce

the time he reached the door, it was already open, and Blue “BB” Morgan, retired Marine and all around badass, was waiting for him. He wasn’t the kind of guy who would let anyone creep up on him unawares.

      “Hey, thanks for coming over.” BB patted Ben’s shoulder. “Have you eaten? Jenna made some vegetarian patties if you like that kind of thing. Me and Maria are going with the beef.”

      “I’m good, thanks.” Ben ignored the low growl of his stomach. Working outside meant that he had quite an appetite and burned through a ton of calories without putting on weight.

      “Well, sit down and keep me company, anyway,” BB said as they came into the open-plan kitchen and dining area. “Jenna’s got a thing about us all eating dinner together.”

      “Hey again, Jenna,” Ben called out as he spotted the veterinarian. “Sorry to barge in on your dinner.”

      “It’s all good.” Jenna patted the seat next to hers. “Come and sit by me. How are the calves?”

      “All doing okay the last I saw of them.” Ben took the seat and nodded at Maria who was sitting opposite him. “Hi.”

      “Hi.” She blushed and hid behind her long dark hair.

      “How’s school?” Ben asked.

      “Good.”

      “Any idea what you plan to do when you graduate?”

      “Not yet.”

      Jenna winked at him. “She’s thinking about ranch management.”

      “Awesome.” Ben’s stomach growled again.

      “Here.” BB pushed the plate over. “Help yourself.”

      “If you’re sure...” Ben looked longingly at the big, juicy burger. He should’ve listened to Adam and eaten at home before he came out.

      “Plenty more where that came from,” BB joked. “Benefit of living on a cattle ranch.”

      “Dad, that’s so lame.” Maria rolled her eyes.

      “Apparently, nothing I say is funny anymore,” BB commented as he reached for the ketchup. “Teens, eh?”

      Maria looked over at Jenna. “Can I leave the table, please? I’ve got a math test tomorrow, and I need to study.”

      “Sure.” Jenna waved her away.

      “Bye, Maria,” Ben called out to her retreating figure. “Nice to see you again.”

      She stomped up the stairs and slammed her door so hard that everyone at the table winced.

      “Was it something I said?” Ben asked cautiously. “She used to get along great with me.”

      BB grinned at his wife. “Well, Jenna’s got a theory about that. She thinks Maria’s got a bit of a crush on you.”

      Ben almost choked on his burger.

      “It’s okay,” Jenna hastened to reassure him. “And it’s all good. I can’t think of a better man for her to have a crush on than you. You’re a great role model.”

      Ben wasn’t so sure about that, so he concentrated on his burger. Jenna excused herself to go and finish some paperwork, leaving him and BB with the coffeepot between them and time to talk.

      “I got this kind of weird request for a trail ride experience,” BB said. “At first I ignored it because I thought it was some kind of windup, but the guy kept calling and eventually I sat down and listened to what he had to say. I told him I had just the right man for the job, but that I’d have to square it with you first.”

      “What kind of job?” Ben sipped his coffee.

      “He wants someone to take his daughter out on an all-singing, all-dancing, trail riding experience as close to nature as we can manage.”

      “Like on foot?”

      BB grinned. “Not quite that bad. Just horses and no motorized support. Apparently, she needs to experience what it would be like for a film role.”

      “You’re kidding, right?” Ben stared at his friend.

      “Nope.” BB shrugged. “It’s not unheard of for actors to want to immerse themselves completely in a role, and that’s apparently what she wants to do.”

      “Okay, for how long?”

      “At least a week, maybe ten days.”

      “With just the two of us and a couple of horses?”

      “That’s about it.”

      While Ben considered the idea, BB sat back to drink his coffee and didn’t rush him.

      “Why can’t you or Jackson do it?” Ben finally asked.

      “Because the guy wants to get it done as soon as possible, and I can’t be away for that long at this time of year. Neither can Jackson.”

      Yeah, that was all Ben needed—a reminder that he wasn’t as vital to the operation of his family ranch as everyone else....

      “What about your military buddies?”

      For the first time, BB hesitated. “It has to be someone I trust one hundred percent. The father wants the whole thing kept under the radar so she doesn’t have to worry about the press or any of that crap.”

      “He thinks they’d follow her here to Morgan Valley?” It was Ben’s turn to smile. “Who is it? Meryl Streep?”

      “There’s more to it than that, but I need to see if you’re on board before I tell you the rest.” BB set his mug down on the table. “He’s offering four times the normal rate if we can guarantee her privacy.”

      “Four times?” Ben whistled. Even after the Morgan Ranch took its cut, he’d be rolling in dough, and he needed something different to do to sort his head out. “Okay, I’m in. What’s the catch?”

      BB’s grin was wicked. “Well . . .”

      * * *

      When Ben got home, his head was still buzzing with all the stuff BB had dropped on him—stuff that he couldn’t tell anyone without losing the contract. He went into the now-quiet dark kitchen and helped himself to a cup of coffee from the metal pot on the stove his father still preferred while everyone else used the one-cup machine.

      “You okay?”

      He spun around to see Adam sitting at the table in the dark.

      “Jeez, you stalking me or something?” Ben inquired as he got his breath back.

      “I just wanted to make sure that you don’t want me to talk to Dad.”

      Ben walked over and took the seat opposite his older brother. “Can you just drop it?”

      Adam stared at him, his gaze measuring. “You’re the one who seems to be struggling to let it go.”

      “I need to decide what I want to do with the rest of my life.” Ben paused. “Do you still want me working here?”

      “Of course I do. What a stupid thing to ask!” Adam said. “You’re my goddam rock.”

      “But you’re the boss now. You have the power to hire and fire anyone.”

      “Like Dad’s going to roll over and let that happen?” Adam raised an eyebrow. “He might have decided to leave me the place, but he’s not going to stop trying to run it just the way he wants.”

      Ben took a long slug of coffee. “Maybe he’ll move to New York to be near Mom.”

      “Are you kidding, Ben? Dad in New York? He’d hate every second of it.” Adam set his cup down on the table. “I figure it’s more likely that Leanne will move back here, don’t you?”

      Ben