Chantilly’s Cowboy (11 page)

“Jack Grady, if you dare, I swear I’ll have Daddy fire your ass!” Chantilly’s back slammed against the outside wall of the barn in her retreat to get away from him.

Head to toe covered in mud, Jack advanced toward her with his arms spread wide. His white teeth were the only spot of clean on his body after Chantilly had tackled him in the mud and run away.

“He won’t fire me.”

She screamed and held her hands out to ward him off. “Then I’ll…I’ll…”

“You’ll do what?” He pushed her hands to the side and pressed his body against hers. He chuckled as she opened and closed her mouth without coming up with another threat. “I’ll be damned. I’ve finally curbed your wild tongue into silence.”

“I thought you loved what I can do with my tongue.” She caught her bottom lip between her teeth.

His lips hovered over her mouth. She leaned her head back. The pressure of his leg between her thighs did a number on her insides. Her body melted against him.

“Oh, I do, darlin’. I love everything ’bout you.” Keeping his lower body pressed against her, he leaned back enough to slip his hands over her wet, and now muddy, blouse. “I think you wear these tops with all their buttons just to drive me crazy.” His fingers fumbled over the tiny pearl beads. “I wanna see your naked body writhing under me.”

She turned her head. “My family—”

“Are all in the house out of sight.” He slid down and placed light kisses along her neck, her chest, between her breasts. “No one’s gonna bother us out here. We have the place to ourselves.”

She mewed and held on to his shoulders to keep from sagging against him. “Hurry, Jack.” She tugged at his shirt. She wanted to feel his heat against her bare skin.

He picked her up in his arms and carried her into the tack room without breaking the kiss on her neck. It wouldn’t surprise her a bit that he left another love bite marking her as his.

Laying her down on the stack of blankets, he stripped off all his sodden clothes. He looked hot, sexy and adorable all at the same time. Her chest rose and fell quickly. Pleasure spread through her womanly bits and she sighed.

He lay beside her, his hand wandering down her side, her stomach and centering at the top of her jeans. She wiggled. Her clothes had to go. Kicking her boots off, she lifted her hips. “Help me…please.”

Jack had the button and zipper undone and her jeans off in no time. His gaze traveled from her bare breasts, down the length of her body. His fingers landed on her heated sex and she moaned deep in her throat.

She captured his face in her hands and brought his lips to her mouth. Nibbling and caressing his full lower lip, she bucked under his attention. The pleasure she found with him filled parts of her body only he could touch.

Gasping as he moved away from her mouth, her disappointment turned into delight when he settled his body between her legs. She smiled up into his face, placed her feet on the backs of his calves and arched her back.

He slid into her wetness. “Chantilly—” he groaned, “—Lace.” His hips thrust back and forth. “This is where I wanna be.” Water trickled off his hat and landed on the shallow curve at the front of her neck. “Forever.”

She raised her arms above her head. “Always.”

Jack was everything she needed in a man. Strong, independent but with a quiet resolve coupled with gentleness. A genuine cowboy.

Pleasure rocketed through her body. His gentle caress built the heat up inside her. Her lower stomach throbbed. Her sex clenched rhythmically as the blood rushed through her veins, taking her over the edge.

“Sweet Jesus.” He plunged fully inside her. Holding himself still as the tremors racked his body. He lowered himself to his elbows putting more weight on her body. “You amaze me, darlin’.” His breath came in pants.

“I love you so much.” She let her legs fall to the sides and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Jack rolled off her and lay naked on his back. Chantilly turned to her side and propped her head on her hand. A satisfied smile curved her lips.

“I’ve been thinking.” He turned his head to the side. He worked his lips together the way he did when he had something heavy on his mind.

She propped herself up higher. “’Bout?”

“Well, you’ve got this place and it’s been in your family for years. I’ve got my own ranch, and even though it doesn’t compare in size to your daddy’s place, I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished. I’ve put a lot of work into expanding, and there’s potential to earn a living off the land…” He paused and pulled down his brows.

Chantilly sat up and pulled one of the saddle blankets off the pile to wrap around her shoulders. This wasn’t the kind of talk she wanted to have naked. She’d need strength to hear what he had to say.

“Anyway, I’ve been thinking ’bout the way your dad set up this place for you and your sisters. That’s a helluva legacy to pass on.” He sat up. “Hang on.”

Chantilly stared at him with her mouth open. He’d gotten up and proceeded to drag on his mud-encrusted clothes. He groaned and frowned as he slapped the wet shirt on his back. She couldn’t focus or catch her breath.
Is he telling me he’s going back to his ranch and that he’s leaving the McDougal ranch?

“I never imagined doing this with you naked under the blanket and me covered in mud.” He removed his cowboy hat.

Her chest tightened. This wasn’t good. Jack never removed his hat unless he was sitting at the dinner table or sleeping.
No, Jack. Please, don’t break my heart.

Chantilly moved and sat up on her knees. She pulled the blanket tighter around her body in an attempt to keep the bad news away from her.

Patting his pocket, he chuckled and shook his head. “I had this all planned out, but seeing you here right now and the way you fill me with love…” He bent down on one knee and loosened her hand that clutched the blanket to her.

She let the blanket fall off her shoulders. His hand shook, and she glanced down. His thumb caressed the back of her hand. The contrast between his big, strong hand was apparent against her much smaller hand.

“Chantilly Lace?” The low timbre of his voice jarred her out of her daze.

She gazed up into his face.

“Will you marry me, darlin’?” He lifted the corner of his mouth. “It doesn’t matter if you want to live here on your daddy’s ranch. I can let Craig have my place when he’s through with college and wants to settle down to practice law.” He laughed. “I’m just damn sure I never want to leave your side. I love working beside you, sleeping with you every night and looking forward to what tomorrow will bring with you.”

He squeezed her hand. “I love you.”

She lunged off the floor and wrapped her arms around his neck, sending him tumbling to the ground. “Yes. Yes. Yes. I’ll marry you.”

The relaxed atmosphere out on the porch surrounded by her family gave Chantilly a warm, secure feeling. Nestled on Jack’s lap in one of the rockers, she half listened to Val explain to Bisette about her new plan to offer game night at the bar on Thursday nights to bring in customers.

Margot sat beside Daddy’s wheelchair and adjusted the blanket around his legs to guard him against the cool autumn air. Summer ended fast with the first heavy rainfall, and any day they’d wake up to snow on the ground. Luckily, Jack and she had the cattle situated for colder weather and were ahead in their preparations for winter. They worked well together, much better than she ever imagined she’d work with another person.

Stuart cleared his throat. “I’ve got…somethin’—” he coughed, “—to say.”

Conversations stopped and all heads turned to the boss of the McDougal ranch. He spoke less every day, and more often than not, he stuck to yes and no answers. It wore him out and frustrated him to be losing the ability to speak his mind.

No longer able to support his weight, he spent most of his time in a wheelchair. His hands still worked, but his strength and reflexes were diminishing. Chantilly sat up straighter and grabbed Jack’s hand.

“The ranch.” He pulled a packet from under the blanket on his lap. His chin dipped. “Chantilly…” His hand shook as he held out the envelope.

She stood up and stepped over to her dad’s side. Taking thick manila pouch, she stared down at her name on the front. “What is it?”

“The ranch.” Stuart reached for her hand. “It’s always…been yours.”

She swallowed. A lump formed in her throat and she knelt beside the wheelchair and placed her head in Stuart’s lap. He stroked her hair as she fought to keep sobs from erupting.

“The others…?” She couldn’t go on. Not once did she expect him to turn over the family home. She’d expected to keep it running and profitable, but not this. It was never suppose to happen this way. Not now when Stuart should have had another thirty years left in life.

“Daddy’s already talked to us all, Chantilly.” Margot rubbed her back. “The ranch belongs to you. You’ve sweated, cried and bled for everything here. Daddy always planned to hand over the reins to you.”

She sat up. Holding her dad’s face in her hands, she mouthed,
thank you
.

He nodded. “Love you.” Moisture formed in his eyes. “Jack. You. Happy. Here.”

Chantilly smiled through her tears. “Yes.”

Jack wrapped his arms around her from behind. She leaned back against his chest, clutched his arms to the front of her and inhaled deeply through her nose before exhaling through her mouth in one burst.

“I think this would be a good time to share our good news, darlin’,” he whispered in her ear. “Although, I suspect Stuart already knows what it is…”

She raised her brows and gazed down at her dad.

He winked. “Jack…talked to me.”

Chantilly turned in Jack’s arms and buried her face in his chest. “You did?”

His chest rose and fell under her cheek. “Damn right. I wouldn’t have asked without his permission.”

“What’s going on?” Bisette moved closer.

Florentine snorted. “Don’t act all innocent, Bisette. It was you who bet ten dollars that they’d be hitched before Christmas. We all knew it would end up this way. No two people have ever been so perfect together…well, ’cept Mom and Daddy.”

Chantilly laughed. “I’m gonna marry Jack.”

Her sisters jumped up and formed a circle around her and Jack. The good news gave everyone an excuse to shed some tears, hug one another and celebrate for a change.

She kissed Margot’s cheek. “What ’bout the guy you were seein’? When are we gonna meet him and put him through the McDougal girls’ test?”

“I’m not sure. We’re taking it slow. I need to concentrate on a few things…” She glanced at her dad. “You’ll like him, Daddy.”

Stuart nodded. “Good.” He coughed. “My girls.” He laid his hand on his chest. “Want you happy.”

Jack wandered off the porch and left Chantilly and her sisters to share a private moment with their dad. The news of their engagement was something he knew made Stuart happy. He understood the boss’s need to see his daughters content and settled in life.

He strolled out toward section A and leaned against the fence. His world sure turned upside down the moment he answered the ad in the Farmer’s Ag newspaper for a foreman’s job. If he’d known he would fall in love with the boss’s daughter, be adopted into the McDougal family and rearrange his life to settle down on another man’s ranch, he would have thought he’d sipped too much Jack from the bottle.

He chuckled. Today he felt like the richest man on earth.
She’s gonna be my wife.

“Hey, cowboy.”

Jack turned. “Hey yourself, darlin’.”

He opened his arms and gathered her to him. Her eyes were swollen and red, but she wore the smile that made him want to give her everything possible.

“Didja get your dad settled in the house?”

“Yeah.” She placed her palm on his chest. “He’s fading so fast. It ain’t fair.”

“That it ain’t.” He stroked her back. “He was sure happy when I asked for your hand in marriage.”

“I can’t believe you never mentioned that to me.” She stretched on her tiptoes and gave him a kiss. “Thank you. I know my dad appreciated you doing that and involving him. I do too.”

Jack sighed. “Getting cold out. Wouldn’t be surprised if we got some frost overnight.”

“Mm.” She leaned her head back. “I’m looking forward to keeping warm with you this winter, Jack Grady.” Her nose wrinkled and a smile broke out over her face. “In fact, seeing as how I own the ranch now, I might be looking for a foreman to help around the place. You know anybody interested in working long hours beside a headstrong woman who likes to call the shots?”

He tilted his head back and laughed. She punched his arm. Chuckling, he picked her up and twirled her in the air. “Oh, I’m interested all right. Forever and always.”

***

Watch for more installments of the Sisters of
McDougal Ranch series, coming soon!

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As someone who has watched relatives fight, suffer and deal with the devastating outcome of ALS, my hopes and prayers are that someday scientists will find a cure.

For more information on ALS, visit www.alsa.org