Page 4 of Ranch Rules

But her car was the one extravagance she’d allowed herself, the gift she had bought to celebrate being made junior partner. It was a silver Spider, the newest model, with all the latest features. The seats were a butter-soft upholstery, and one of her favorite things to do when she had a rare hour or two off work was to go for a drive with the sunroof open, the wind whipping through her black hair.

Unfortunately, even that option was out on this road trip. She had known that the minute asphalt had given way to red clay dirt. No way was she going to let that stuff kick up and fly into the car, staining her seats. It would cost a fortune to get out.

As she made another right turn onto yet another narrow dirt road, she couldn’t help but feel confused. Where was she? Signs of civilization had given way to thickets of trees and long stretches of fenced-in farms long ago, without her seeing so much as a gas station. She had seen a few cows, however.

“What kind of vacation is this?” she muttered. When her boss had mentioned ‘ranch’ being in the name she’d assumed it was supposed to be cute and whimsical, but she was beginning to have her doubts. Natalie snatched up the phone from the passenger side, her finger already on speed dial for Briggs & Spric when she saw her phone still had only a single bar. “Great. Just great.”

She thought about turning back, but a quick glance at the gas tank showed that she would end up stranded on the road before she ever reached the city limits. Freaking fantastic. There was nothing to do but plow ahead and see what delights were in store for her at the... what did the paperwork say? Oh, yeah. Discipline Ranch. It wasn’t exactly catchy, was it?

Just as the thought crossed her mind, she saw a sign come into view bearing that very name. She slowed down as she eyed it. The wooden sign dangled from a post by links, making it look very old-fashioned. Maybe old man Dawson was a secret fan of Westerns who celebrated a big win with a trip to the Discipline Ranch. The thought made her smirk as she pulled into the parking lot, which was surprisingly full in spite of the empty roads she’d encountered on her drive in.

Here goes nothing. Natalie took a deep breath to fortify herself before she swung the car door open. She’d only brought a single duffle bag for her trip, which made for a quicker exit than she would have wished. If it was up to her, her gas tank would magically fill and she would drive off into the figural sunset. She’d go to a spa—which this obviously was not—and return to the law firm refreshed and rejuvenated. She could use the break to catch up on the growing stack of mystery novels she had on her nightstand and she’d have a full seven days to come up with some stories about how much she’d enjoyed her time at the ranch. Hell, she’d even buy a pair of cowboy boots to really sell the story.

“Why didn’t I think of that earlier?” she asked herself as she shut the door behind her and clicked her fob to lock the car.

“‘Scuse me?”

Natalie whirled around at the sound of the voice. It was deep and gravelly, and the owner of the voice was tall and muscular with a dazzling smile and dreamy eyes. And those shoulders. A girl could pile all her problems on them without any doubt that she could sleep easy, that he had it covered. For the first time since she’d been ordered to take a vacation, Natalie realized how desperately in need of rest she was.

“Did you say somethin’?”

His prompting made her realize that she had been staring. Natalie averted her eyes and tried to stave off a blush. “Sorry. I was talking to myself, that’s all.”

“Is that somethin’ you do a lot of?”

There was amusement in his voice, but warmth too, which kept her from feeling embarrassed. “I’m not a people person. I prefer my own company.” She smiled to show that she was kidding, and allowed herself another look. Natalie was used to seeing men in crisp, pressed business suits and ties. That was the standard and never in her wildest dreams would she have thought that an outfit of worn jeans, a white undershirt, and an open flannel shirt would be more attractive. Of course, it might have a little something to do with the abs displayed than the shirt itself.

“Hmm, they didn’t mention that when they called to tell us you’d be comin’.”

Her smile widened. “So, you’ve been expecting me?” She batted her eyelashes, then immediately felt like an idiot. It had been at least a good decade since she’d attempted to flirt, and she had a feeling she was doing it wrong.

Not that you’d know it from the warm smile he gave her. “I have at that. Miss Natalie, isn’t it?”

Hearing him say her name did something funny to her insides. She felt squirmy for some reason and was sure she would soon lose the battle not to blush. “Yes. That’s right.”

“Good. Let me take your bag. Is that all you have, or is there more in the trunk?”

She shook her head. “That’s it.”

“You pack light, huh? I like that.” He reached for her bag.

“That’s okay, it’s not heavy. I’ve got it.”

But he surprised her by taking it by the strap and lifting it from her shoulder anyway. “We’re a full-service place here,” he explained. “And I insist.” He flashed her a knee-weakening smile, but Natalie was smart—too smart not to see that there was something more behind those pearly whites.

Her cowboy escort held back, gesturing with an arm swept wide that she should go ahead of him. She hesitated for a moment. For some reason she couldn’t name, Natalie felt like it would be a mistake to go in.

“You comin’?”

I have to do this, she reminded herself. They sent me here to relax. That doesn’t sound so bad, now does it? Besides, I don’t have enough gas to go anywhere else.

But in the end it was wondering what was behind his smile that convinced her to step inside.

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