The Cowboy's Pride and Joy. Maureen Child

times,” he muttered, and tossed his hat to the nearest chair. He shot a quick look out the wide front windows to the sprawl of gravel and grass beyond the glass. Damn woman was still coming, heading to the house with short, wobbly steps that almost made him feel guilty for leaving her to manage on her own.

      Almost. Yeah, he could’ve helped her across the uneven ground, but he would have had to touch her and that buzz of something hot and complicated was still fresh enough in his mind that he didn’t want to risk repeating it.

      “I didn’t ask her to come here,” he whispered and poured a shot of Irish whiskey into a crystal tumbler. Lifting the glass, he drank that shot down in one gulp and let the fire in its wake burn away whatever he might have felt if he were any other man.

      His gaze fixed on her through the window. Behind her, the wide sky was filling with heavy gray clouds that could bring rain or snow. You just never knew in Montana. Wind lifted her dark blond hair off her shoulders and threw it into a wild halo around her head. Her short red jacket clung to impressive breasts and stopped right at her narrow waist. Her black slacks whipped in the wind, outlining her legs—short but definitely curvy—and those stupid high heels wobbled with every step.

      A city girl. Just like the last woman he’d allowed into his life. And even as his body felt interest surge, his mind shrieked for some semblance of sanity. Why in the hell would he let himself be interested in the same kind of woman who had carved out a chunk of his soul not so long ago?

      He thought about pouring another drink, then decided against it as his mother’s gofer finally made her way onto the porch steps and followed him into the house.

      “Mr. Hunter?”

      “In here.” He heard those heels first, tapping against the bamboo flooring, and as those relentless taps came closer, he stepped out from behind the oak bar to meet her.

      She paused in the open, arched doorway and he watched as her gaze swept the room. He saw the pleasure and the approval in her eyes and felt a quick jolt of pride. When he moved to the ranch permanently, he’d wanted to build a new, bigger ranch house. Something that would house the whole family when they came to visit. Something that would mark the land as his. He wanted this place stamped as his, and Jake’s grandfather had given him free rein.

      He’d done a good job on this house. He’d designed it himself, working with an architect to build just the right place—something that would look as though it had always been standing here, in the forest. He had wanted to bring the outdoors in and he had been pleased with the results.

      The support beams had been built to look like tree trunks. The windows between those beams showcased the lake below them and the miles of open country, forest and sky that made Montana the best place in the world to live. Dark brown leather couches and chairs were arranged around the huge open space, and a river-stone fireplace stood on the far wall, flames inside the hearth dancing and snapping as a sharp wind chased across the top of the chimney.

      “Wow,” she said, stepping slowly into the room. “Just...wow.”

      “Thanks.” He smiled in spite of everything, enjoying her reaction to the home he loved. “Pretty great, I admit.”

      “Oh,” she said, shaking her head as she turned in place, taking in everything, “it’s better than great. It’s so gorgeous I’m even going to forgive you for being a jerk and leaving me out there to make it into the house on my own.”

      Surprised, he snorted a laugh. “Jerk? Is that the way to talk to your boss’s son?”

      Cool gray eyes slid over him. “I have a feeling she wouldn’t blame me.”

      He thought about it, imagining his mother’s reaction to how he’d left her assistant standing in the yard, and had to wince. “No. Probably not.”

      “Is there some reason in particular that you’re not happy to see me?” she asked. “Or is it women in general you disapprove of?”

      One corner of Jake’s mouth quirked. “Let’s answer that with another question. Are you always this forthright?”

      “Usually,” she said, nodding. “But I probably shouldn’t be. So maybe we should consider ourselves on even ground and start over. Deal?”

      He looked at her for a long moment and tried not to notice that her eyes were the very color of the fog that lifted off the surface of the lake. Or that her hair looked soft and tumbled, as if she’d just rolled out of bed. Damn, it really had been too long since he’d had a woman.

      “All right,” he agreed, to end his train of thought before it went even more astray of the subject at hand. “Deal. Now, you’ve got some papers for me to look over and sign, correct?”

      “Yes. They’re in my bag in the car.”

      She actually turned as if to go lurching out across the gravel again to retrieve her bags. Jake stopped her by saying, “One of the guys will bring your stuff in. You’re probably beat from the flying and the drive up the mountain...”

      “Actually,” she admitted, “I would love a shower and change of clothes.”

      Oh, he wasn’t going to think about her in the shower. He’d been prepared for her to spend the night, though. It was a two-hour drive from the airport, and by the time he finished going over the papers before signing them it would be too dark for her to safely drive down the mountain. So she’d be here overnight and gone in the morning. The earlier the better.

      “My housekeeper has your room ready for you,” he said abruptly. Leading her across the room, he pointed to the staircase directly opposite the front door. “At the top of the stairs, turn right. Third door on your left.”

      “Okay,” she said, already heading for the stairs. “And thanks.”

      “Dinner’s at seven,” he told her. “So come down whenever you’re ready.”

      She laid one hand on the heavily carved banister and turned her head to spear him with one long look. “I’ll see you in an hour. We can go over the paperwork before dinner.”

      “Fine.” Good idea. Remember that this was all business. His mother hadn’t sent him a woman to warm his bed. She’d sent her assistant here to finally give Jake what he’d wanted for years. Freedom from the Hunter family conglomerate.

      Freedom to live his life the way he wanted.

      The fact that his mother’s messenger was more than he’d expected...well, that wouldn’t matter once she was gone.

       Two

      A few minutes later, Cassidy was trying to relax in a bedroom fit for a queen. She was tired, and she wanted a shower and something to eat. But first, she grabbed her cell phone and checked for coverage. Not surprising to find that she was good to go. Heck, Jake Hunter probably built his own cell tower on the mountain.

      Shaking her head, she hit speed dial and listened to the phone ring until her sister answered. “Hey, Claudia,” Cassidy said, smiling. “Just wanted to let you know I got here safely.”

      Her younger sister laughed. “Yeah, Montana’s not on the far side of the moon, so I figured you were okay when I didn’t hear any news about a plane crash.”

      “Ouch.” Cassidy plopped onto the edge of the bed and let her gaze wander around the bedroom she’d been given for the night.

      As spectacular as the rest of the house, the room was as large as her entire studio apartment back in Boston. And furnished better, she added silently. Again, there were floor-to-ceiling windows offering that tremendous view of water surrounded by pines bending and twisting in the wind. There were colorful rugs strewn across the gleaming wood floor, a fire burning cheerfully in the hearth and two overstuffed chairs pulled up in front of it, looking cozy enough to be on a Christmas card. On a narrow table