The Wrangler. Lindsay McKenna

      “Yep, I am,” the man said, ringing up her items at a cash register.

      “But, you said he’s only been here a couple of months.”

      “I know you’ve been gone a long time, Miss Val, but surely you know Slade McPherson? Owner of the Tetons Ranch?”

      “Yes, of course. Everyone thinks well of him.”

      “Griff is Slade’s younger fraternal twin brother. Now, you recall that at six years old these two boys lost their parents?”

      Scrunching her brow, Val tried to remember. “I was young at the time, Andy. Humor me?”

      “That you were. And you’re still young and beautiful, Miss Val,” he said with a wink. “Slade and Griff’s parents were killed in an auto accident. Red Downing, who owned the ranch next to them, was drunk when he struck them. All three of them died in that tragic event. The two boys were split up. Slade stayed with a local uncle and Griff got shipped out to New York City to the other uncle who owned a financial services firm. Griff went on to get an MBA from Harvard and became a banker at his uncle’s company. That is, until the Wall Street crash. Griff came home hoping that his older brother would hire him, but he couldn’t.”

      “I see,” Val said. “He’s a city slicker, then, Andy.”

      “Ah, well…sort of…but he’s a darned hard worker, Miss Val. He isn’t lazy. He likes what he’s doing, and he’s good at it.”

      Val found that hard to believe. “My mother was really poor at picking good wranglers. I don’t want to follow in her footsteps, Andy.”

      Andy gave her a sad look. “Your mom was really hurting, Miss Val. I tried to tell her the men she was hiring were lazy and no good, but she didn’t listen.”

      “Did she come in here to ask for a referral?”

      With a heavy shake of his head, Andy said, “You know Buck hated me and my store. He was always bad-mouthing me. It’s no wonder your mom, after his death, didn’t come in here for my help. I would gladly have offered it.”

      Reaching out, Val touched the man’s arm. “I’m so sorry, Andy. I really am.”

      “Hey,” he said, brightening, “it’s not your fault. You’re not your father’s daughter, thank goodness. Give yourself credit—you came to me and asked for a good wrangler. Griff won’t let you down. Now, he’s green, that’s true, but he’s eager to learn and he makes things right.”

      “I don’t know. When has a city slicker ever turned into a wrangler?”

      Chuckling a little, Andy leaned his hands on the counter. “I know what you’re saying, Miss Val. But Griff is changing my mind about that old saying, too. I didn’t think he could reinvent himself. But he has.”

      “Work is hard to find,” Val agreed. “I’m just worried that he has too high-powered a résumé to want to stick it out as a wrangler. As soon as this economy turns around, he’ll be gone. We really need someone long-term who will work with us to get the Bar H back on its feet.”

      “I know,” Andy said in a soothing voice. “I hear you, Miss Val. I can’t stand here and say Griff won’t leave at some point. I really don’t know. What I do know is he’s been invaluable to us here at the Emporium. It’ll be a shame to lose him but I know he’ll do a great job for you. He’s a good mechanic, fixing engines and other ranch equipment, and that’s what you need.”

      McPherson sounded like the right man, but her gut warned her against getting her hopes up. She looked toward the back door where Val knew he would be coming in any minute now. “Can you give me fifteen minutes to talk with him? To see if he’s really what we’re looking for, Andy?”

      “Sure.” He pointed to the coffee station at the rear of the store. “You two help yourselves to coffee and then go out back to talk. You’ll have privacy out there.”

      Val saw the door open. She wasn’t prepared for her reaction to the person who entered the shop.

      Griff McPherson was tall, about six feet three inches, a hundred and eighty pounds of lean, cougar muscle. When he took off his tan Stetson hat, she got a good look at his face. His short black hair was plastered against his skull with sweat. His face was square with a broad brow, clean-looking nose and a stubborn-looking jaw. It was his startling spring-colored green eyes, large and filled with intelligence, that snagged her beating heart. He was ruggedly handsome, Val thought.

      In fact, he could easily pose as a model for a marketing ad. She saw him remove his stained leather gloves and tuck them into the belt of his Levi’s. The dusty white shirt he wore clung to his upper body, outlining his broad shoulders and well-sprung chest. And when he lifted his head, his gaze settling on hers, Val quickly lowered her eyes. She felt shaky. And excited. And scared. What were all these crazy-quilt emotions about? Confused and taken off guard, she didn’t have time to process them.

      “Miss Val, meet Griff McPherson,” Andy said, and gestured for the wrangler to come over and shake

      her hand.

      “Miss Val, nice to meet you.” Griff held his hat in his left hand and extended his right one toward Val Hunter as he took her in. She was beautiful. He searched his mind trying to remember her. Was she new to the area? Unsure, he managed a slight smile as she lifted her head and looked up at him. Val wasn’t short. In fact, she was only about four inches shy of his height. And she was fit, her body long and reminding him of a supple young tree. It was her dark blue eyes that looked like deep pools of water from a nearby lake, that grabbed at his heart. Instantly, Griff felt heat move through him as their hands met and clasped. Val’s face was oval, cheekbones high, eyes wide spaced and filled with intelligence. As his gaze dropped to her bow-shaped lips, he felt his entire lower body tighten with desire. Shocked at his response to her, he quickly released her hand.

      “Andy said you were looking for a full-time wrangler?” he said.

      Clearing her throat, her hand pleasantly tingling, Val said, “Yes, I’m here to interview candidates.” She didn’t want this eye candy of a cowboy to think this was a done deal.

      “Of course,” Griff said.

      “Andy invited us to get a cup of coffee and go outside to talk.” Val gestured toward the coffee station.

      Griff gave his a boss a quick look. “My break time?”

      “Yep,” Andy said with a grin.

      Val couldn’t get her heart to settle down. The man walked a respectful distance behind her. She strained to pour the hot coffee into an awaiting paper cup without spilling it. Mouth dry, she felt tongue-tied in front of this iconic-looking cowboy. She had to repeatedly warn herself he was a city slicker in disguise.

      “I’ll meet you outside.” Val hastily opened the door. She saw him nod as he reached to pour himself a cup of coffee.

      On the back porch, Val took a long, calming breath. The wrangler had rattled her. Her reaction wasn’t something she’d expected. Val tried to steady her heart and breathing. How could a stranger take away her breath? She knew she’d been too long without a relationship. The last man she had been with, Dan Bradley, was a Marine major who had gone to Afghanistan and been killed two years ago. He’d stolen her heart, infused her dreams and she had been looking forward to marrying him once his tour was over. She had yet to fully recover from the loss. The next year, her mother had died. Most recently, she’d had to walk away from her career to save the Bar H. Pressing a hand to her chest, Val tried not to dwell on all the loss and sadness she carried within her. Funny enough, Griff made her forget all of the baggage and scars life had given her. It was an amazing and shocking moment. Val had no answer as to why he could have affected her so.

      “Miss Val?” Griff murmured, meeting her out on the platform. He settled his hat on his head as he approached her. He noticed she looked distracted and nervous and he wondered why. Griff remained a respectful distance from the woman.