Skylar's Outlaw. Linda Warren

in the doorway, buttoning his jeans. And that was all he had on. His blond hair was wet from the shower and tousled across his forehead. Tiny beads of water glistened on his shoulders. A wide span of chest was covered in golden hairs that disappeared into his jeans. Her heart rate kicked into overdrive at the sight of him.

      She must have been without a man too long. She wasn’t attracted to Cooper Yates. Was she?

      He yanked a T-shirt from a chair and jerked it over his head. The muscles in his arms bulged from the movement. Oh, yeah. That helped to ease the tension. Not.

      Focus.

      For a split second Sky was caught by the simplicity of the bunkhouse. Years ago the sisters’ teenage curiosity had gotten the best of them, and they’d sneaked in to get a peek at where the cowboys lived. Of course, they were caught, and their father was not pleased. After a stern lecture, they promised never, ever to be so bold or so foolish again. Maddie was the only one who’d paid attention.

      The bunkhouse was the same as it had been back then. Hardwood flooring worn by years of cowboys boot-scooting across it. Dark paneled walls. A large living area—kitchen combo highlighted with a huge stone fireplace charred by use. The hallway led to two oversize bedrooms that slept eight cowboys each. A bath separated the rooms.

      “Nothing fancy—just a place to live.” Her father had said that many times.

      What surprised Sky was the computer sitting on a small desk. And the TV in front of a recliner. All the comforts of home—Cooper’s home.

      The warm plate in her hand reminded her she was standing there staring like that teenage girl of long ago. She walked over and set the plate on the homemade wooden table.

      “I brought your supper, and for the record, this will be the last time anyone brings you food unless you’re sick. Even if you don’t care about anyone else, please respect my grandmother’s wishes and eat at the house.”

      He just stared at her and then said, “You got the oil out of your hair.”

      “What? Oh. Yes.” Her hand went to the freshly washed curls around her face. “It boggles my mind the tricks Etta knows to remove stains. I’ve never had my hair washed with Lava soap.”

      He just kept staring.

      “In case you’re wondering, running away didn’t help a thing. Rufus and I changed the oil and filters in every tractor.”

      “No kidding.”

      “No kidding,” she shot back.

      Silence intruded and she thought it was time for her to leave. She’d said what she’d needed to. But being a true Belle, she could never leave well enough alone. “Are we clear on the meals thing?”

      “Yes, ma’am.”

      She wanted to smack those words back at him, but instead, she turned to walk out the door. Since throwing caution to the wind seemed to be her trademark, she pivoted and said, “I’m not leaving this room until you tell me why you don’t like me.”

      He took a step toward her, the green of his eyes overshadowed by some dark emotions. “You don’t remember, do you?”

      “Remember? Have I met you before?” She couldn’t have. She wouldn’t have forgotten someone like him.

      “Yes. Several times.”

      Shocked, she gaped at him. “Where? When?”

      “The name Everett Coleman ring a bell?”

      A sliver of alarm slithered up her spine. “Of course, he was my mother’s fifth husband.”

      “Four years ago I was his foreman at the Rocking C Thoroughbred Farms.”

      “What?” Suddenly she couldn’t breathe.

      “Everett Coleman was the man who framed me.”

      CHAPTER FOUR

      “WHAT?”

      “While your mother lived at the Rocking C, you came many times to visit, usually with a couple of friends in tow.”

      “Yes, but I don’t remember seeing you.” Her voice came out hoarse, and she curled her hands into fists.

      “The cowboys and I were hired hands, and beneath you and your friends. You mostly made fun of us and called us names.”

      She swallowed a wad of guilt that haunted her from those years—years of rebellion, years of living life on the edge. How did she explain that to him? How did she admit she had been a pampered, spoiled bitch?

      Her throat worked but no words came out.

      “You and your friends spent the afternoons around the pool in skimpy bikinis, leaving the privacy gate open so the cowboys could see. At night y’all hit the clubs in Fort Worth. One night y’all came in around 3:00 a.m. I was checking a mare that was about to foal. You were trying to put a saddle on Juniper Rose, and I told you no way were you going to ride that horse. You were drunk out of your mind. You gave me a tongue-lashing I won’t soon forget, but I refused to let you ride the horse. You told me to pack my things because I wouldn’t have a job in the morning.”

      Sky felt color stain her cheeks. She remembered. Oh, God! She hated going to the Rocking C, but her mother had whined and whined until she’d given in. Sky had always taken friends with her to get through the weekend. And they did what rich girls did best—they partied.

      “The next morning Everett said you were leaving that afternoon, and to make myself invisible until then. Ol’ Everett had a plan and nothing was getting in the way of it, including you.” Coop’s eyes bored into her. “I spent six months in a Huntsville prison because of him.”

      “I’m sorry. I really am, but I had nothing to do with that.”

      “I know,” he admitted, to her surprise. “But women like you and your mother, who drive men to do the unspeakable, rub me the wrong way.”

      She licked her suddenly dry lips. “I’m not my mother and I’m not the same woman you met on that ranch.”

      His eyes swept over her and a chill ran through her. “You look the same.”

      “Really?” She lifted an eyebrow. “My hair is frizzed out. I’m not wearing makeup, and I have oil on my boots and on my jeans. Not to mention I’m broke. I’m hardly that self-centered, tongue-lashing bitch you met.”

      “Maybe.” He folded his arms across his chest. “It’s hard for me to believe you’re Dane’s daughter. Cait and Maddie are so loving and caring. As a boy, I wanted to run away many times, but I stayed and finished high school because of Cait. She never gave up on me. And Maddie…well, she’s the nicest person I’ve ever met.”

      “And I’m the bitch.”

      His eyes met hers. “If you say so.”

      “I don’t.” She straightened her backbone, determined to tell her side. “Motherhood has changed me. Back then I hated all the glitz and glamour of the Rocking C, and I especially disliked my mother’s husband. I suppose I felt if I rebelled enough, Mom would stop insisting that I visit. My life wasn’t as much fun as you might think, but I’m not going to stand here and try to explain my past behavior. I’m sorry for what was done to you by Everett. He’s a scumbag. But hating me is not going to help our situation here at High Five. That’s my concern now.”

      Coop unfolded his arms, his eyes still holding hers with that sizzling glare. “You think you can work with an ex-con?”

      “Yes.” Her eyes didn’t waver from the challenge in his. She took a step closer. “Cait says this ranch can’t survive without you. We can either see if that’s true or we can make High Five a prosperous operation once again.”

      He didn’t move or speak, but the muscles in his arms worked from clenching his hands.

      “Cait’s