Convincing the Rancher. Claire McEwen

in her choice, and it showed. The old plank floors were polished and the walls were a clean white. The tall windows and high ceilings let sunlight flood the rooms. It was soothing. There was a front bedroom that had been turned into an office, and Tess appreciated the old scarred pine table that served as a desk—there was a lot of space to spread out and work.

      The shabby-chic decor was the exact opposite of the sleek modern pieces Tess had chosen at home, but she had to admit that it perfectly suited this place. There was a cozy kitchen with a giant gas stove and a comfortable living room with overstuffed armchairs in front of a fireplace. The tiny bedroom was dominated by a scrolled iron bed frame. Tess noted with relief that two extra duvets were stacked on top. She would need them for the cold fall weather out here.

      “Tea?” Samantha walked down the tiny hallway toward the kitchen.

      After her meeting with the mayor, Tess would have preferred a brandy. “Sure,” she answered, and hauled her suitcases into the bedroom. She sat on the edge of the bed for a moment, pulling the pins from her hair, letting it fall around her face. She took a deep breath and exhaled. Her heart hadn’t slowed down since she left the mayor’s office and her mind was whirling, asking the same question over and over. How was it possible that she’d slept with the mayor of Benson?

      She heaved herself up and walked into the kitchen on leaden legs, gratefully accepting the steaming tea Samantha handed her. Its warmth was somewhat comforting. There was a small table by the back window of the kitchen, and Samantha lowered herself carefully onto one of the chairs. Tess sat down opposite her because that was what was expected. And if she just did what was expected, then she wouldn’t do what she really wanted, which was to call Ed and threaten to quit if he didn’t let her go home.

      She looked out the window. On this side of the house, they had a view of the rear garden with its small flagstone patio. There was a fire pit in the center of it surrounded by a few old, wooden Adirondack chairs painted in festive colors. It was a cheery scene until she looked beyond the picket fence, where there was only high desert. The dry ground was speckled with scrubby bushes until the hills got high enough to be speckled in granite. Then they sloped abruptly and turned into mountains.

      “This is a great spot!” Samantha enthused.

      “It’s beautiful.” Beautiful in a rugged, formidable way that made Tess want to jump in her car and race home. “I appreciate all of your help. The house is perfect.”

      “You’ll be able to sit here and see all kinds of animals—jackrabbits, deer. And that fire pit will be a lovely place to sit at night and watch the stars.”

      The enthusiasm in Samantha’s tone left Tess bewildered. Lonely contemplation had to be one of her least favorite activities. She looked at her friend instead of the window—there was way too much open space out there, too much quiet. “I’m not much of a stargazer.”

      “Maybe you’ll become one now. Just wait until it gets dark. You’ll be amazed at how clear the sky is here in the fall.”

      Tess made a mental note to stay inside and close the curtains at dusk. Time to change the subject. “How are you feeling anyway?” she asked Samantha, knowing she should.

      “Hungry. And sleepy. I just want to nap, then sleep, then nap some more.”

      “Of course.” Tess remembered her pregnancy, how her body had craved sleep so badly there were days she couldn’t keep her eyes open. Her uneasiness morphed into full-blown anxiety. The long drive today, with so much wilderness all around, had cracked open the closed doors of her mind, the ones that usually kept memories like this at bay.

      “So what did you think of our mayor?” Samantha asked.

      Her meeting with Slaid was another life event she’d like to shove behind a closed door. “He seems nice enough.” She tried her best to sound disinterested. “But I couldn’t really tell—we only met for a few minutes. What’s he like?”

      “Well, handsome, for one thing. But you’re probably already aware of that.”

      Oh, boy, was she ever. She could instantly picture what he’d looked like in that hotel room in Phoenix, skin bronzed over the toned muscles of his abs, his thick erection pressing against her thigh as he leaned on one elbow, trailing a hand across her breasts.

      “Tess!” Samantha’s laugh brought her out of her reverie. “Where did you go? He must have made quite an impression!”

      Her face got hot.

      “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you blush! What’s going on?” Samantha’s extraordinary green eyes were wide and full of confusion.

      Tess couldn’t look at her friend and confess at the same time, so she looked out at the intimidating view instead. “I slept with the mayor.” It was a relief to just say it.

      “What?” Samantha gasped. “Today?”

      “Not today! I’m not that crazy.” She looked back at her friend and had to laugh at the arched brows. “Okay, maybe I am that crazy sometimes. But it was about two years ago. On a business trip to Phoenix.”

      “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

      “Unfortunately not,” Tess said weakly.

      “And let me guess. You did the Tess Cole tiptoe of shame.”

      Tess laughed at her friend’s skewering look. “Yes, of course. But it’s not shame—it’s practicality. I don’t want to get involved, and neither do they, so it’s best just to get out of there before anyone has to make any awkward, meaningless, morning-after conversation.”

      Samantha sighed. “And how did it go, then, when the mayor discovered who you were?”

      “Not well,” Tess admitted. “It didn’t help that it took me a while to recognize him. He seemed kind of upset.”

      “Yes.” Samantha nodded, and Tess glanced over. Her friend was staring out the window now, with a slightly sad expression on her face. “I imagine he was.”

      “What is it?”

      Samantha looked at her, biting her lower lip as if considering how to answer.

      “Please tell me, Sam. I’m in a mess here.”

      “Slaid’s a great guy. A really good mayor and very well liked around here.” Samantha paused.

      “But?” Tess prompted.

      “He’s sort of a model citizen. His father was mayor, and his grandfather...and he was a big high school football star. He goes to church every Sunday. And even though he keeps really busy with his own ranch and running our town, he always seems to have time for whoever needs him...” Her voice trailed off.

      “So you’re saying...”

      “I don’t see him as the one-night-stand kind of guy.”

      “Yeah, I kind of got that impression today.” Tess sighed.

      “There’s more,” Samantha said. “Personally, he’s had a rough time of it. A couple years ago, his wife left him and their son. She moved away and hasn’t been back. It was hard on Slaid, and his son has had a tough time, too. Lately it seems as if they’ve both been doing a lot better. As if they’re healing.”

      Tess looked back at the view over the desolate plains and the mountains beyond, putting the pieces of Slaid’s history together. She’d met him two years ago. Obviously, Mr. Perfect had had a bad moment after his wife left him and slept with a strange woman in Phoenix. That would be her. Tess. Who had then walked out on him and made him feel even worse. “I don’t know how I’m going to work with him,” she confessed.

      “So the meeting really didn’t go well,” Samantha clarified.

      “No.”

      “Tess,” Samantha said quietly, and put a soft hand on her arm. “I hate to suggest it, or even think about