The Cowboy's Lullaby. Judy Duarte

away my things first.”

      “Suit yourself.”

      “I always do.”

      She nodded, a full-on smile busting free, as she returned to her quest for coffee.

      Jake Braddock would be fun and easy to taunt, but he probably wouldn’t be a good sport about it, which meant he was her favorite type of male challenge.

      And he’d just thrown down the gauntlet.

      Later that morning, after taking a walk out to the barn and talking to the ranch foreman, Jake returned to the house and headed into his father’s office, only to find Chloe seated at the desk, an open phonebook in front of her.

      She’d showered and changed. Her hair, once wild and free, had been swept into a twist. And she’d applied makeup, which some women needed but she didn’t. That’s the conclusion he’d easily come to this morning, when he’d seen her fresh out of bed.

      She had a wholesome beauty about her. Too bad she didn’t realize a cosmetic company couldn’t bottle and sell what she’d been blessed with.

      Her dark pink lipstick had been applied carefully—and thick. She wore it in a way that would definitely smear when a man kissed her. And for a moment he wondered if she did that on purpose. To keep men at bay.

      Come here, big boy. But keep your distance.

      He leaned against the doorjamb, studying her until curiosity got the better of him. “What are you doing?”

      She glanced up. “Checking on something and getting an address. As soon as Brianna finishes her breakfast, I’m going to take her into town.”

      “You mean the city?” he asked. Dallas was more than an hour away.

      “No. Into Granger. How far is it from here?”

      “About ten miles.”

      She didn’t seem to be the small-town type. And even though he didn’t like people prying into his life, his plans, he couldn’t help himself from wondering what she was up to. But, hey, that’s only because she wanted to take Brianna with her. “What are you going to do in Granger?”

      Her green eyes glimmered like those of a child who’d just been told the bus was heading to Seven Flags Over Texas for the day, rather than school. “I’m going to do some window shopping.”

      Okay, so she wasn’t the open and talkative sort. “For what?”

      “I’m not sure yet. Let’s just say it’s a surprise.”

      Oh, yeah? Jake didn’t like surprises. And it made him suspicious, something else he didn’t like.

      Maybe she planned a shopping spree for herself, rather than Brianna.

      Well, if that was the case, he’d put a stop to that pretty damn quick, especially if she planned to use money from the trust. Braddock Enterprises wasn’t going to support Chloe and her spending whims.

      She closed the phonebook and put it back in the drawer. Then she stood, a pair of black jeans fitting like a sleek leather glove. “Don’t worry. We’ll be back in an hour.”

      Well, he was worried.

      But then again, he didn’t need to be. Not if he followed her into town.

      “Suit yourself,” he said.

      “I always do.” She tossed his own line back at him along with a playful grin, then swept out of the office, her denim-clad hips swaying as she headed for the kitchen.

      Six friggin’ weeks. She’d drive him nuts by then—if he let her.

      Twenty minutes later Jake had followed Chloe and Brianna into town and now waited in front of the Granger Animal Shelter.

      He had no idea what in the world they were doing inside, but he had a suspicion. She’d said she was merely window shopping, and he hoped that was her game plan. She’d better not be getting a pet, not if Jake was the one who’d be taking full custody of Brianna.

      Curiosity got the better of him, and just as he reached for the door handle to let himself out of his vehicle, Chloe and Brianna walked out the front door.

      Chloe carried a cardboard box with holes.

      Oh, for Pete’s sake. He climbed out of the Navigator and made his way toward them.

      “Jake!” Brianna said. “Guess what we have!”

      Instead of guessing, he focused on Chloe, on the sunglasses that hid her eyes, on the dimples her grin created.

      “What a surprise,” she said. “We didn’t expect you to follow us.”

      “No, I’m sure you didn’t.” He nodded toward the box. “I suppose that’s the surprise.”

      Brianna grinned from ear to ear. “Want to see him?”

      The fact that the critter, whatever it was, had placed the bright-eyed smile on his sister’s face was reason enough to make him back down. And even though something like a pet adoption should have been discussed with him first, it was a relief to know their purchase was small enough to fit in that box.

      “His name is Sweetie Pie,” Brianna said. “And he’s the bestest dog in the whole, wide world.”

      Jake didn’t have the heart to tell her no.

      Chloe unhooked the edge of the box, allowing it to open, and a mangy, wire-haired, tri-color dog poked its head out, whimpering and squirming, its tail beating against the cardboard container.

      “Oops,” Chloe said, juggling the box. “Settle down, Sweetie Pie. You’ll make me drop you.”

      “We have to keep him in the box until we get back to the ranch,” Brianna said. “That’s the rules. But once he’s at home, he gets to run around all he wants.”

      As Chloe struggled to tuck the scraggly dog back into the cardboard carrier, Jake opened the back door of the car for his sister. She climbed into her seat, and he secured her. Then Chloe put the box on the rear floorboard.

      Once the door was shut, his redheaded nemesis crossed her arms and arched an auburn brow. “So, you couldn’t help but follow us, huh?”

      “I don’t like secrets.”

      “Too bad. You’ve probably had some boring birthdays, then.”

      “They were just fine.” Truth be told, he’d never had a surprise party, if that’s what she was getting at. And she made it sound as though he’d missed something. “So what’s the deal with the dog?”

      “All kids need a pet.”

      “Oh, yeah? Don’t you think they should be old enough and responsible enough to take care of them? Of course, if you’re planning to transport that dog back to California with you in six weeks, I’ll keep quiet.”

      “Sweetie Pie will go wherever Brianna goes.”

      “Then I’ll have to kiss up to Mrs. Davies, since she’ll be the one looking after the dog for me.”

      “That’s left to be seen.”

      They were heading for a face-off, which wasn’t appropriate here and now. A glance into the backseat told him Brianna was happy with her pet, so he decided not to make an issue out of it…yet.

      “By the way,” Jake said, as Chloe turned to open the driver’s door of her car. “That’s the ugliest mutt I’ve ever seen. If you’re going to turn the ranch into a zoo, why not choose a better-looking critter?”

      Her motions slowed, and she turned to face him again, her stance softening this time. Their gazes locked, and her eyes glistened. If he didn’t know better, he’d suspect she was tearing up. Hell, maybe she was.

      The breeze sent a strand of her hair across her cheek