Sons Of Chance: Ambushed! Part 9

Jack leaned over the open door of Doozie's stall talking to someone, probably Nick, who was no doubt crouched down working on the mare's hoof. Doozie herself stood patiently, her coat gleaming in the light from the overhead bulb.

Gabe walked down the aisle between the stalls, pausing to stroke the muzzles of the horses poking their heads out to see who was there. Calamity Jane, the paint mare who had foaled last month and who was his favorite horse in the barn, clearly expected a treat. Gabe would have to bring her one later.

Jack glanced up. "Here comes lover boy looking like he just rolled out of bed. Have a good time?"

"That's none of your d.a.m.ned business."

His brother nodded. "I'll take that as an affirmative. A talkative guy is usually making up stuff. A silent man got what he went after."

Gabe's jaw tightened. "I don't think you and I should talk about Morgan, not after the way you treated her."

Jack's dark eyes gave nothing away. "You're probably right about that." He tugged on the brim of his black Stetson and gestured toward the stall. "Your horse is not improving on schedule, little brother. That means she may or may not recover, and in the meantime, she's costing the ranch a bundle."

"Since when are you all about the bottom line, Jack?"

"Since Dad's will put me in charge of it. I intend to keep this place solvent, and I can't do it if we start leaking money for no good reason."

Gabe decided not to waste his breath arguing the point. There was a time when Jack would have thought saving a good horse was reason enough, even if that horse never made a dime for the Last Chance. His heart used to contain a large soft spot for animals in trouble.

The new Jack had become a Grinch, and Gabe was still trying to decide what to do about that. In the meantime, he needed to see about his horse. He walked into the stall.

Nick was in the midst of refitting the special shoe that allowed Doozie to stand on her injured leg without quite so much pain. "I'm doing what I can." His gaze flicked up to meet Gabe's. "But she's not responding the way I'd hoped."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Gabe held the mare's halter and stroked the perfect white blaze that ran from her forelock to her nose, like a racing stripe. "Hey, girl. You gotta fight, okay? Nick can only do so much, but part of this process is you wanting to get better."

Jack blew out a breath. "Jesus. Are we into woo-woo healing, now?"

"Why not, if it works," Nick said as he finished adjusting the shoe and stood. "She has an air of resignation about her, as if she's given up. I hate to say this, but she doesn't seem happy here."

Jack threw up his hands. "Obviously we need to improve her accommodations, then! Let's turn the barn into a horsey day spa. Hey, we can pipe in music and maybe hire a shrink to a.n.a.lyze her inner feelings."

Gabe glanced at him. "Bite me, Jack."

"Oh, grow up, Gabe."

"Hey, you're the one who's regressing into some kind of a.n.a.l p.r.i.c.k!"

Jack rolled his eyes. "Regressing, am I? Okay, maybe we need to import several shrinks, one for the horse, and one for each of us, so we can all get in touch with our feelings."

Nick packed up his supplies. "Might not be a bad idea."

"G.o.d, don't you start, too!" Jack glared at both of them. "Look, you gave her a chance, Gabe. You brought her to the best vet in Wyoming, probably the best vet in the western states. If she can't recover here, she's not meant to recover. We should all cut our losses and-"

"She needs a goat." Gabe mentally slapped himself on the forehead. "Why didn't I think of that before? She's used to having one in her stall! I should've bought the goat when I bought her, and I didn't even think of it. Let me make some phone calls and see if it's still available."

Jack stared at him as if he'd lost his mind. "Hel-lo. Is this goat going to be free?"

"Of course not. I'll have to buy it from Bennington, a.s.suming he kept it."

"If you get as good a deal on the goat as you did on the horse, I might as well file for bankruptcy now and save a little time."

"Dammit, Jack, it's just a goat!"

"And I'm not going to approve the purchase of said goat! We're already into this horse for more money than I care to think about."

Gabe took off his Stetson and ran his fingers along the brim as he fought to keep his temper. "So you're not going to approve the purchase of the goat," he said quietly.

Nick picked up his medical kit and stood. "Never mind. I'll buy the goat."

"No, you won't," Gabe said. "I appreciate the peace-keeping move on your part, but I'll buy the goat. I'll be getting entry-fee refunds that should cover it." But even as he said that, he was aware it was all ranch money. At this point, Jack was in total control of their finances.

When their dad had been alive, each son had drawn a salary for work done around the ranch. Jack had always made more because he handled more responsibility, or he had until hooking up with Josie last summer.

Gabe hadn't been home to hear the fights between his dad and Jack, but Nick had reported they were loud and angry, with their dad threatening to cut Jack's pay and Jack threatening to leave the ranch. The issue had remained unresolved and simmering as summer became fall. And then Jonathan Chance was killed.

Once Nick had his veterinary license, he'd had a way to earn money other than ranch work. He had a few other clients in the area, so if the ranch disappeared tomorrow, he would be okay financially.

As for Gabe, he'd never thought much about money. He'd had enough for his simple needs, and the Last Chance had paid for his compet.i.tion every summer and the upkeep on his horses. He'd donated any prize money back to the ranch. The system had suited him fine. Until now.

Maybe Jack was right. Maybe he needed to grow up. For ten years he'd concentrated all his energy on training cutting horses and winning compet.i.tions. Without the support of the Last Chance, he couldn't have done that and couldn't continue to do it. Maybe he needed to get a fix on where his life was going and exactly who was in the saddle making the decisions.

But he also realized something else. He'd listened to the reading of the will, and it had clearly specified that the ranch belonged to all of them, not just Jack. If a dispute arose, each of them, including his mom, had an interest in the ranch.

If anyone wanted to sell, the other three had to buy out the fourth person, which would undoubtedly require taking out a loan or selling off some acreage. Gabe figured his dad hadn't expected this to happen, but he'd put the contingency in the will so that n.o.body would be forced to stay here. Gabe wanted to stay, at least part of the time, but Jack was making that option less and less palatable.

"Oh, for Christ's sake." Jack blew out a breath. "Get the effing goat. But that better work."

"Or what, Jack?" Gabe walked out of the stall and faced his older brother. "Let's put all our cards on the table. I brought Doozie here to give her sanctuary. You seem to be putting a dollar limit on how much sanctuary she deserves."

"Somebody has to!"

"Do they?" Gabe held Jack's gaze. "Is the Last Chance in such bad financial shape?"

"Not at the moment, but that doesn't mean we can afford to throw money away. Besides keeping us housed and fed, this ranch provides a living for a bunch of cowboys, plus Mary Lou. I have a responsibility to keep us in the black so we can continue the way we have in the past."

"Nice speech." Gabe put on his hat and tugged the brim down. "But if I remember my history right, Archie and Nelsie dedicated this place to giving both people and animals a last chance at happiness. You can't put a dollar value on that." He turned to leave, but swung back as he thought of something else.

"About Morgan," he said.

Nick groaned. "I don't think now's the time to discuss-"

"No, let him say his piece." Jack crossed his arms over his chest. "What about this real estate agent, Gabe?"

"I've decided to invite her out here this afternoon. If she can make it, we'll saddle a couple of horses and go for a ride around the ranch."

His brother's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Because she's a friend of mine and she'd love seeing it."

Jack's derisive snort said it all.

"So help me, Jack, if you do anything to make her feel uncomfortable while she's here, I'll clean your clock."

"You can try."

"Don't give me a reason." Gabe almost wished Jack would provoke him into a fight. Years ago Gabe hadn't been able to hold his own against Jack, but he sure as h.e.l.l could now, and he was itching to prove it.

AT THREE that afternoon, against her better judgment, Morgan drove back down the long dirt road to the ranch house. Gabe had promised her a tour of the house before they took their horseback ride. Eagerness to see the inside of the house and the surrounding acreage vied with her dread of running into either Jack or Sarah.

Gabe had promised to make sure she wasn't treated like a smear of dung on the bottom of somebody's boot. Morgan wasn't convinced, but she couldn't resist getting a peek inside the house and then spending the rest of the afternoon riding the range with cowboy Gabe. As she'd observed during the parade, he looked mighty fine astride a horse.

He was sitting in one of the porch rockers when she pulled up, his hat tilted back, his booted feet out in front of him, and a grin on his face that made her heart lurch with joy. She was alarmingly glad to see him. On a gladness scale of one to ten, she'd rate this moment a fifty.

Unfolding himself from the rocker, he picked up a straw Western hat from the chair beside him and ambled down the porch steps. She'd be willing to bet he'd brought that hat for her to keep her from getting burned during the ride. The thoughtful gesture touched her.

As she climbed out of her SUV, she fought the urge to run around it and fling herself into his arms. They were, after all, right in front of the house with its many windows. If Morgan were Gabe's mother, she'd station herself at one of them to observe the interloper's arrival.

A disapproving mother was a new experience for Morgan. She made friends easily, and mothers of the guys she'd dated had always liked her. She still kept in touch with a couple of them, even though their sons had married other women.

But in those cases, the mothers had been pleased that Morgan wasn't ready to get married right away. They'd wanted their sons to finish their degrees or achieve career goals before settling down. Apparently Sarah held the opposite view. She thought Gabe was serious about Morgan, which meant Morgan should be serious about Gabe.

Yet that wasn't how Morgan understood the situation at all. Gabe had flat-out said he wasn't looking to make a commitment. Maybe he needed to tell his mother that. Morgan felt misjudged, and that wasn't the least bit pleasant.

Because of Gabe's mother, she had dressed conservatively, playing down her considerable a.s.sets by choosing a vertically-striped blouse that she left hanging out instead of tucked into her jeans.

Gabe met her before she made it to the rear b.u.mper. Setting both her hat and his on the top of the SUV, he blocked her way. "I just need one kiss."

"Gabe, we shouldn't-" That was as much of a protest as she managed before he swept her into his arms and covered her mouth with his.

Instead of pushing him away as she'd planned, she curled her fingers into the soft cotton of his freshly laundered shirt. Obviously he'd shaved and showered not long ago. He smelled great and tasted even better. When she cupped the back of his head, his hair was still damp.

"Mmm." He coaxed her lips apart and gave her a very s.e.xy thrust of his tongue.

By the time he finally let her go, she staggered a little, no longer steady on her feet.

He caught her by the shoulders. "Okay?"

She looked into his laughing blue eyes and couldn't help smiling back at him. "You're a devil. I drive in here all cool and collected, ready to take a sedate tour of the house and surrounding grounds, and you-"

"Who said it would be sedate?"

"Gabe. I'm trying to make a good impression here."

He surveyed her. "And you look terrific. The turquoise stripes in that blouse match your eyes. Great choice. Personally, I'd prefer to see that blouse tucked in, but that's just me."

"Precisely why I didn't tuck it in. I'm not here to please you."

"We'll see about that." He gave her a slow smile.

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind. Here's your hat. Let's go check out the house." He took his Stetson by the brim and settled it on his head.

She caught his arm before he rounded the back of the SUV. "Gabe Chance, what are you up to?"

He gave her an innocent look. "Who, me?"

"Listen, we are not going to make out in that house. I don't care how big it is or how st.u.r.dy the locks are on the doors. It's still your mother's house, and besides, it's the middle of the day."

"Okay, we won't make out in the house. How about in the barn? Could we do it there?"

"No! If this is what you have in mind, I'll get right back in the SUV. I know that at least two of your family members are worried about me being here, and I'm not going to make it worse by having s.e.x with you right under their noses."

He nodded, looking like a contrite little boy. He all but kicked the dirt with his toe. "You're absolutely right. I don't know what I was thinking."

She didn't trust that mock-serious tone of his for a minute. She didn't trust herself all that much, either. Once he got hold of her, she turned to putty in his hands.

She needed to set the ground rules before they proceeded on this tour. "Here's the deal, Gabe. I want you to promise me that you don't have seduction on your mind."

He gazed down at her, his lips twitching as if he wanted to laugh. "Morgan, whenever I lay eyes on you, I have seduction on my mind. That's the way it is."

"Then I'll just go back to town and we'll forget all about this tour."

"Hey." He ma.s.saged her upper arms. "I was teasing you a minute ago. I wouldn't take a chance on embarra.s.sing you by trying to have s.e.x in the house or in the barn."

"Good. I'm glad to know you have some sense after all."

His grin finally broke through. "Yeah, the house and the barn would be a stupid place to have s.e.x. But out in the woods...now, that's a whole other situation."

9.

INITIALLY GABE had had pure intentions for this invitation. He'd meant to show Morgan around and wait until tonight, after their dinner at Spirits and Spurs, to get down with the luscious Morgan O'Connelli. But after she'd agreed to drive out here, he'd started thinking about taking that long horseback ride, and how nice and remote parts of the ranch could be. Possibilities began to form in his hormone-soaked brain.

Still, he wouldn't rush her through the tour of the house and the barn. He hadn't asked her why she'd ended up in real estate, but it didn't take a genius to figure it out. Her family had never owned a home, and Morgan obviously had longed for one. By going into real estate, she could immerse herself in the joy of finding homes for others.

Whatever else the Last Chance represented, it was most certainly a home. As he ushered Morgan through the front door and she gave a little sigh of delight, he paused and took another look, trying to see the living area as she was seeing it.

After all these years, he took the comfortable setting for granted, but she wouldn't. She might picture herself tucked into one of the overstuffed armchairs grouped in front of the ma.s.sive stone fireplace. Or maybe she'd imagine the two of them on the love seat sipping cocoa as the flames crackled. He liked that idea.

"What a spectacular room." She glanced up at the wagon-wheel chandelier with antique oil lamps that had been wired for electricity. "That's very cool."

"My grandfather made it." Gabe felt an unexpected rush of pride and discovered he was eager to give her details. "He and his brother-in-law Seth built this center section pretty much by themselves with a little help from my grandmother."