For the Rancher's Baby
Autor
Stella Bagwell
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13
Chapter One
Cordell Hollister never shied away from a party. Especially when the merrymaking included dancing, drinking and pretty girls. But tonight’s event was more than a get-together of neighboring ranchers in need of a break before a hard Utah winter arrived. This was a wedding reception for his brother and sister-in-law, Jack and Vanessa. And anything to do with a wedding made Cordell uncomfortable.
For damned good reason. Being reminded of a time four years ago when he’d come close to getting married sent a cold chill down his spine. He’d shocked his fiancé, Lacey, and everyone in Beaver County, including his family, when he’d called off the whole shebang. But Cordell had only felt immense relief.
Now as he stood at the edge of the crowd, watching his friends and relatives dancing and laughing and sipping champagne, he was happy for Jack and his new wife. And even happier that he was still free and single.
Draining the last of his beer, he tossed the bottle in a nearby trash bin and was making his way through the crowd, when he felt a light tap on his back.
“Excuse me, Cord. I want you to say hello to someone.”
His new sister-in-law Vanessa’s voice managed to break through the music and he turned to see the beautiful bride with a young woman he’d not yet spotted among the reception guests.
“This is Maggie Malone,” Vanessa introduced. “She’s traveled all the way from Wickenburg to attend the reception.”
“So this is the friend you’re always talking about,” Cordell said, while trying not to stare at Vanessa’s friend.
The petite woman had a cloud of vivid red-gold hair that waved from the crown of her head all the way to her waist, while green eyes, the color of rich emeralds, were sliding over his face in a surreptitious way.
“Right. And she only arrived an hour ago,” Vanessa explained. “So far she’s met your parents and Jack, but not the rest of the family. I thought I’d start with you.”
“Nice of you to put me at the head of introductions, Van,” he said with a playful grin. “Or was it a case of getting the worst over first?”
Vanessa laughed. “Don’t be silly. Everyone in Jack’s family is the best.”
“Van, you’re a perfect diplomat.” He offered his hand to the red-haired beauty. “Hello, Maggie. Nice to meet you.”
“Cord is foreman of Stone Creek Ranch,” Vanessa informed her. “And the middle child of the family, which makes him younger than Jack.”
Cordell leveled a playful smile at Maggie. “Five years younger to be exact. I’m also better looking and smarter than Jack, too. But if you stick around for a while, you’ll figure that out for yourself.”
Vanessa winked at Maggie. “Never mind Cord. When you get past his nonsense you’ll find he’s actually a nice guy.”
Maggie stepped slightly forward and placed her small hand in his. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hollister.”
Cordell quickly corrected her. “Sorry, it might get confusing if you called me Mr. Hollister. Counting Dad, there are six Mr. Hollisters here on the ranch. Better make it Cord.”
She untangled her hand from his and while her gaze continued to sweep over his face, Cordell was amazed to feel a dull blush creeping up his neck. Women never made him self-conscious. But something about the little patronizing curve to her lips made him feel like an idiot.
“Cord it will be,” she said.
“Maggie is an RN,” Vanessa informed him. “She works the ER unit in a Wickenburg hospital. She’s also single. But don’t ask me how she hangs on to that status. I can’t decide if she’s stubborn or picky.”
Maggie let out a good-natured groan. “Van, please—would you stop it! I—”
She was about to say more on the subject, but just then his mother walked up.
“Sorry for butting in, Van,” Claire said. “But I have some old family friends over here who can’t wait to meet you. Would you mind coming with me for a few minutes?”
“I’d love to, Claire.” She looked at Maggie and Cordell. “Cord, would you mind introducing Maggie to the rest of the family?”
“I can’t think of anything I’d rather do.”
Cordell watched Vanessa and his mother disappear into the crowd, then glanced over at Maggie. Judging by the dubious look on her face, she wasn’t exactly pleased to have him as her temporary host.
“Don’t worry, Maggie. I don’t bite. At least, not hard enough to hurt,” he added with a wide grin.
“Thank you for that bit of information,” she said. “You’ve put me completely at ease.”
Her prim tone wasn’t softened by a smile and he decided she must have already sized him up as someone she’d rather avoid. But that was hardly enough to stop him from taking a long, leisurely survey of her oval face.
“That was my sole intention, Maggie.” He gestured to the crowd of dancers moving over the worn wood floor. “What do you think of Jack and Van’s reception?”
“Everyone appears to be having a good time.”
Everyone except her, Cordell thought. She wasn’t smiling or tapping her toe to the beat of the lively music. She wasn’t even trying to make polite conversation. Had the grim situations she encountered in the ER taken the joy out of her? No. He doubted that was the woman’s problem. His older sister, Grace, was an MD and she’d seen plenty of trauma, but it hadn’t soured her.
“Mom and Dad suggested having the belated wedding party at the civic center building in town, but Jack nixed that idea. He wanted the shindig here on the ranch and Van agreed. We spent more than a week cleaning out this hay barn to get it ready. Looks pretty good, don’t you think? Or is it too rustic for a city girl like you?”
Cutting a glance up to his face, she quickly corrected, “I’m not a city girl. Wickenburg population is only in the four digits.”
“Oh. Well, Stone Creek Ranch is miles away from everything,” he explained. “Anything with more than two stoplights is like a city to me.”
To his utter frustration, her expression remained stoic.
After a moment, she said, “You must not get out much.”
Cordell couldn’t help but burst out laughing and she reacted with a faint frown.
“You find that amusing?” she asked.
“Well, to hear my brothers tell it, I’m always going out. But usually Beaver or Cedar City is the extent of my travels. Guess you saw those towns on your way here.”
She nodded. “Barely. Thunderstorms delayed my flight into Cedar City and then I had to wait for my rental car. I’m sure I broke the speed limit driving through Beaver, but I thought I was going to miss Jack and Van’s reception entirely.”
He smiled, while thinking her complexion was the perfect definition of peaches and cream with a dusting of golden freckles across the bridge of her nose. He figured her skin would feel smooth against his tongue, while her dark red lips would no doubt taste sweeter than a comb of wild honey. But he’d never get close enough to this stern little nurse to find out, he thought.
He said, “That would’ve been a shame. This is a nice party. Especially the music. The guys with the guitars and violins are all neighbors and the one on the keyboard plays piano at our church in Beaver.”
She looked over to where the little band was currently whipping out a popular country tune. “Neighbors? I drove for miles and miles out here without spotting a single house.”
His smile was indulgent. “We consider anyone within a thirty-mile radius to be a neighbor. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have any.”
“Vanessa warned me that Stone Creek Ranch was even more isolated than the Hollisters’ Three Rivers Ranch down in Arizona. I found that hard to believe. Until I started driving out here.” She slanted a curious glance at him. “Were you surprised about Jack and Van eloping?”
Trying to steer his thoughts away from the tempting curve of her lips, he said, “Not really. Everyone in the family could see they were smitten with each other. Were you surprised that Van suddenly married?”
“In a way. But I was happy. She deserves the best and your brother obviously adores her.”
“That’s an understatement.” He gestured toward a long table laden with an assortment of drinks and a massive tiered wedding cake. “Have you had cake and champagne yet?”
“Not yet.”
While she focused on the milling crowd, Cordell allowed his gaze to drop to her dress. The midnight blue garment was fashioned with a turtleneck and long tight sleeves and though it didn’t reveal any skin, the shimmery fabric clung to her slender curves like a glove. Normally, he was attracted to women with more flesh to their figures, so why was he feeling the urge to wrap his hands around her tiny waist?
Clearing his throat, he said, “Let’s go over and get a glass of champagne. Afterward, we’ll weave our way through the crowd and I’ll introduce you to my brothers and sisters.”
“I, uh, think I should wait. Van might be back any minute.”
Her reluctant attitude mystified him. “I doubt she’ll show up anytime soon. She’s the queen of this ball, so to speak, her attention is going to be divided. And she did tell me to keep you company.”
She glanced away from him. “That was just a figure of speech.”
Cordell was beginning to get annoyed with her, but did his best not to show it. He didn’t want to hurt Vanessa by insulting her friend.
“Okay. We’ll skip the champagne. Let’s go find my siblings. Hopefully you’ll like them a bit better than you like me.”
Surprise widened her eyes. “We just met. And you’ve already decided that I don’t like you?”
“Forget I said that.” He reached for her arm and was relieved when she didn’t pull away from him. “I see Hunter helping himself to a piece of cake. Have you met him yet?”
“No. Is he a Hollister?” she asked, as he ushered her toward the refreshment table.
“The firstborn of us kids. In case Van hasn’t told you, he owns and operates the Flying H Rodeo company.”
“Sounds interesting. He must lead an exciting life,” she replied.
“Compared to the rest of us, I suppose he does. But the grueling travel would get to me.”
As they walked the short distance to where Hunter was standing, Cordell noticed a portion of her creamy thigh was exposed by a slit on the side of her dress and the scent drifting from her skin was wild and tangy, like the smell of the desert on a hot, dark night.
Yeah, she was sexy, all right, Cordell thought. But she also had hands-off written all over her. Which was probably a good thing. He didn’t need to get mixed up with a woman right now. Hardly a month had passed since he’d gotten himself out of a messy entanglement with a brunette down in Parowan. He needed to steer clear of women for a while.
When Hunter spotted the two of them angling toward him, the rugged cowboy with rusty brown hair and a set of wide shoulders placed his plate of cake on the table and stepped out to meet them.
“Meet Van’s friend from Wickenburg,” Cord said to his brother. “This is Maggie Malone. She’s a nurse. And don’t suddenly develop a fever. She’s here to enjoy the party.”
Hunter reached out to shake Maggie’s hand. “My pleasure, Ms. Malone. Welcome to Stone Creek Ranch.”
Maggie shook Hunter’s hand and Cordell couldn’t help but notice she gave him a wide, warm smile. Hell, what did Hunter have that he didn’t? Maybe she went for older men. At thirty-nine, Hunter wasn’t exactly old, but Cordell figured he was at least twelve or thirteen years older than Maggie.
“Thank you,” she said. “I’m looking forward to seeing the place in the daylight hours.”
“Do you plan to stay on the ranch for a while?” Hunter asked. “We always enjoy having company for Thanksgiving.”
“How would you know?” Cordell shot the question at his brother. “You’re rarely ever around for the holidays.”
Hunter leveled a shrewd smile at him. “I didn’t realize you missed me so much, Cord.”
Cordell looked over to see Maggie’s gaze vacillating between him and Hunter. Their subtle jabs at each other probably had had her wondering about their relationship. Cordell could’ve told her that he was tightly bonded to Hunter and all his brothers. They might argue at times, but the love between was enduring.
She said to Hunter, “Unfortunately, I can only stay a few days. I have to return to work before Thanksgiving.”
“That’s a shame. But it’s good you and Van will have a bit of time to together,” Hunter replied. “I imagine she’s excited to show you the house she and Jack are having built.”
Maggie said, “She’s looking forward to having her own place. Not that she doesn’t enjoy living in the big ranch house with everyone. But—”
“Newlyweds need privacy,” Hunter finished for her.
Feeling the need to make his presence known, Cordell said, “Maggie has the notion you lead an exciting life, Hunter. She’d probably enjoy a few of your rodeo stories.”
Hunter grimaced and Cordell figured this evening had to be a strain for his older brother. Being reminded of his failed marriage had to be rough. Especially when Hunter had never gotten over his wife’s leaving. Which made no sense to Cordell. In his opinion, Hunter’s wife didn’t deserve to be remembered.
Hunter focused on the crowd of dancing couples. “I wouldn’t dream of boring Maggie with that stuff.”
“Not all women find rodeos boring,” Cordell felt compelled to say.
Hunter leveled a meaningful look at him. “Thanks for the reminder, Cord. Now if both of you will excuse me, I see someone I need to go say hello to.”
As Hunter walked away, he noticed Maggie staring after him.
She said, “I get the feeling you ruffled his feathers—on purpose. Do you enjoy goading your brother?”
Cordell grimaced. “Not really. I did it for a good reason. You have to trust me on that.”
Her short laugh caused him to stare at her in wonder. “You find that funny?”
For the first time this evening, she smiled at him. “The idea of trusting you is very funny.”
He playfully slapped a hand over his heart. “Van described you as a sweetheart. She didn’t mention you had claws.”
She gave him another dimpled smile that caused something to quiver deep in his gut.
“Van is too nice to say bad things about anyone,” she said, then surprised him once again by curving her arm lightly through his. “Shall we go find your other siblings? I can’t wait to see if any of them are like you.”
He very much wanted to place his hand over the one she had resting on his forearm, but decided not to press his luck. “I’ll save you the disappointment and tell you that none of my siblings are like me.”
“I’m sure your parents are relieved about that.”
He chuckled and as he guided her across the wide expanse of barn floor to where his younger brother Flint was standing, he forgot the party was a wedding reception. He even forgot about his plan to avoid women for a while. Cordell had always been a man to live for the pleasure of the moment and he didn’t see any good reason to break the habit tonight.
Why couldn’t she quit staring at Cordell Hollister?
The question continued to nag at Maggie as she sat on a hay bale covered with a bright serape and sipped champagne from a stemmed glass. Vanessa’s twin sisters-in-law, Bonnie and Beatrice, were seated on either side of her, but Maggie was digesting only half of the young women’s chatter. Her thoughts were consumed with the good-looking ranch foreman, who was currently waltzing a pretty brunette around the dance floor.
Before Vanessa had introduced her to Cordell, she’d warned Maggie that he was a bit of a flirt. But she’d failed to mention anything about him having striking looks or that he oozed masculinity from every pore.
The moment he’d turned around and she’d found herself looking into his sky-blue eyes, she’d felt a jolt all the way to her feet. Which had been a ridiculous reaction, considering she was accustomed to seeing plenty of rugged and sexy cowboys. After all, Wickenburg was known as a cowboy town. But she’d never met one who looked exactly like Cordell.
He was six feet of hard, lean muscle with long legs and broad shoulders. Beneath his black Stetson, thick, sandy blond hair waved around his ears and down onto his neck. As for his face, it was made up of unyielding angles and a set of lips that looked just as hard as his squared chin.
Darn it! More than an hour had passed since Cordell had escorted her around the big barn and introduced her to his relatives. And when the two of them had eventually run onto Jack and Vanessa in the crowd, he’d excused himself and left her in their company.
At the time, she’d told herself she was relieved he’d parted ways with her. It had been a constant fight with herself to keep from staring at him and pretending he wasn’t creating an earthquake inside of her. Now, after watching him dance with one woman after another, without so much as a glance in her direction, she was actually feeling disappointed. Which was a totally stupid reaction. She’d seen his kind before. He was as sexy as hell and he knew it. He used his charm to wrap women around his finger and then toss them away without the slightest prick to his conscience.
No. She didn’t need the company of a man like him. She needed a man who was steady and true, a guy who wanted a family rather than a few romps in bed. So why did she keep looking at him and wondering how it would feel to dance in his arms?
“Maggie, do you ever visit Three Rivers Ranch?”
Glad that Beatrice’s question had interrupted her wandering thoughts, she looked over at the blonde twin. Except for being slightly shorter and smaller in stature, her features were almost identical to Bonnie’s.
“On occasion. I’m friends with Camille. She’s the youngest of the family.”
“Oh. I was just wondering,” Beatrice replied. “Jack said they have dozens of nice cowboys working on the place.”
“And Bea wants to meet them all,” Bonnie spoke with a roll of her eyes. “Just like they’re better than the guys up here. I’ve tried to tell her a man is a man no matter where he is.”
“And how would you know?” Beatrice fired the question back at her sister. “The only men you’ve ever dated are milksops and those have been few and far between.”
“Is it a crime to like sensitive men?” Bonnie asked in a deceptively sweet voice.
“No. It’s a bore,” Beatrice answered between sips of champagne. “But you don’t mind being bored. All that concerns you is feeling safe.”
Bonnie gave her sister a hard look and Maggie was beginning to fear the two were going to end up in a heated argument, but before the conversation could go any further, a young man wearing a dark Western suit walked up and asked Beatrice for a dance.
As the two of them walked away, Maggie couldn’t help saying, “I guess you and your twin don’t always see eye to eye.”
To her surprise, Bonnie smiled and shrugged. “Mom says Bea and I argued with each other before we could walk. We look alike but we’re totally unalike in personalities. But we have a fierce love for each other. It’s hard to explain. Other than we have a twin thing. Do you have sisters or brothers, Maggie?”
Shaking her head, she said, “Unfortunately, no. My mother passed away when I was five. And I was her only child.”
“Oh, that’s sad.”
“Yes, but I had a wonderful mother for a while,” Maggie said gently. “That’s better than having a bad one for years and years. As for my father, I never knew him.”
Bonnie looked at her with regret. “I’m sorry to hear that. I’ve been blessed with great parents, so I try to never take their presence for granted.”
Maggie nodded while thinking Bonnie had hit the nail squarely on the head when she’d said her and Beatrice had totally different personalities. The twins were only twenty-four, two years younger than Maggie, yet Bonnie talked like an old soul, whereas Beatrice seemed much younger—and eager to spread her wings.
“I hate to interrupt such a deep conversation, but I’ve not had a dance with you, Maggie. Would you like to take a whirl?”
She glanced around to see Cordell standing directly in front of her chair and her heart instantly reacted with a hard lurch.
“I’m not really much of a dancer,” she told him.
He brushed aside her flimsy excuse. “I saw you dancing earlier with Hunter and he wasn’t limping off the floor when the song ended.”
Surprised that he’d even noticed, she said, “I think Hunter is wearing steel-toed boots.”
He laughed and Bonnie chuckled softly.
“Hunter has never owned a pair of steel-toed boots in his life.” He reached his hand down to her. “Come on. This is a slow song. You won’t have to do much.”
No, she thought, she’d only have to stand in his arms and pretend she was as cool as the north wind blowing outside the barn, when she’d actually be melting like an icicle on a hot June day.
Seeing no polite way to avoid him, she placed her champagne glass on the empty spot next to her, then taking his hand, rose from the chair.
“Excuse me, Bonnie.”
“Sure,” the young woman replied.
As Cordell led her among the dancing couples, Maggie said, “If you were worried I was feeling like a wallflower you shouldn’t have bothered with the dance invitation. I was thoroughly enjoying your sisters.”
“You, a wallflower?” He followed the question with a laugh. “You know, Maggie, you’re terribly funny. I’ll bet you keep all your patients laughing.”
“The ones who are fortunate enough to be breathing.”
He laughed again, but the smile on his face sobered as he drew her into his arms. “Sorry. I didn’t mean that to sound like your job is funny. I’m sure it’s very stressful and emotional.”
It was difficult for Maggie to digest his serious comment when the contact of his hard body was causing her mind to buzz like a high voltage wire.
“It’s both. But thankfully every situation isn’t serious.”
“Do you like your job?” he asked.
“Love it.”
He smelled like the wind that had touched her face the moment she’d stood outside the car in front of the ranch house. The scent was a unique mixture of sage and juniper and some sort of grass. It was a wild, rugged smell that underscored the fact that he was all man.
“Is nursing something you decided on after you became an adult?” he asked curiously. “Or was it always a goal to be an RN?”
“My mother was very ill for a long while before she passed on. I was five years old at the time and the nurses who cared for her were the people who reassured me and saw that my needs were met. I decided then that I wanted to grow up and help people feel better.”
“I wish I could say I had an admirable motive to do what I do. But I can’t. Being the foreman of Stone Creek Ranch is something I do for a purely selfish reason. I love the work and I want this place to be around whenever my brothers and I get older.”
Maybe it was her imagination, but the music seemed to be getting slower. Since he’d circled his arm around the back of her waist and pulled her close against, she doubted they’d traveled more than three feet.
“Working for a united family effort is admirable, too,” she told him.
His blue gaze dropped to her face and Maggie had the strangest urge to moisten her lips with the tip of her tongue.
“You think so?” He shrugged one shoulder. “Sometimes I feel guilty because the ranch is something that’s always been here. Our father and grandfather are the ones who really toiled and sweated to make the land what it is today.”
“But you help keep the ranch going,” she pointed out.
“I try. And Jack is great at helping Dad manage everything.”
“How did you end up with the foreman job?”
He grinned and she found herself gazing in fascination at his white teeth and the little crinkles at the corners of his eyes. Did he have any idea what kind of effect he had on women? She suspected he might, based on Van’s warning.
“I just naturally like giving orders,” he said.
She looked away and reminded herself to breathe. Otherwise she was going to embarrass herself by wilting into a heap at his feet.
“I imagine there’s more to your job than giving orders,” she replied.
“Dad believes I know more about caring for livestock. And that’s a never-ending job around here.”
The song came to an end and Maggie was trying to decide whether she was disappointed or relieved, when he said, “Let’s dance this next one.”
Her senses were already a wreck. Five more minutes in his arms and she’d probably start babbling nonsense. “I really should—”
“You really should dance with me, Maggie,” a male voice behind her said. “No need in Cord having all the fun.”
Maggie caught sight of Cordell’s frown as she turned to see the voice belonged to Quint, the youngest brother of the Hollister clan. Earlier, Cord had introduced them.
“You always have to be a pest, baby brother,” Cordell said with a good-natured groan, then added, “Thanks for the dance, Maggie. It was a pleasure.”
Maggie watched him disappear into the crowd of dancers, while standing at her side, Quint said, “You shouldn’t give Cord a second glance, Maggie. He’s no good.”
Dismayed, she looked at the young cowboy. “That’s a harsh thing to say about your brother.”
“I’d better rephrase it. Cord is a good guy. He’s just no good where ladies like you are concerned. He considers breaking hearts a form of entertainment.”
She’d already concluded that Cordell was a playboy. But to hear Quint say it made her wonder if there was a streak of jealousy involved.
“Thanks for the warning, Quint, but I’m only going to be here on the ranch for a few days.”
Quint’s short laugh was full of sarcasm. “One day is more than enough time for Cord to do damage.”
Before Maggie could assure him that she had no intentions of letting Cordell near her heart or any other part of her anatomy, the music suddenly started and Quint led her off into a quick two-step.
The young cowboy was smooth on his feet and Maggie had to focus to keep up with him and the beat of the music, yet even as she danced, her thoughts strayed to Cordell and the strong reaction she’d felt when his arm had pulled her close and his eyes had glinted with sinful promises.
And as she automatically twirled beneath Quint’s arm, she realized that Cordell didn’t need one day to cast a spell over a woman. He’d managed to captivate her in one short evening.
But tomorrow would be different, Maggie promised herself. Tomorrow she’d have her senses back in good working order and she was going to make darned sure she kept a safe distance from the foreman of Stone Creek Ranch.
