Rocky Mountain Romance (Six Pack Ranch) (18 page)

Melody kissed him back when he lifted her chin with a finger, falling asleep between one breath and the next. Her eyes stayed closed, a smile on her lips, and then she was out, solid as a rock. Unmoving as he crawled off the bed and rearranged the covers over her.

He cleaned up quietly then headed home, leaving a note on the table for her to call him when she could. His cock might be aching, and his bed damn lonely, but it had been worth it.

Chapter Twelve

The week rushed past faster than Melody expected. After the hellish start, work turned around and offered her moments of pure joy. Melody savoured every one of them, from the contented look on an animal’s face after she’d helped ease their pain, to the grudging acknowledgment of a job well-done from a few of the old-timers who’d reluctantly called her out.

What she hadn’t managed was more time with Steve, which was par for the course with everything that had been going on, but still made her pause.

He’d gone out of his way to be there for her after her disastrous Monday, but she was too damn tired at the end of most days to get together.

Tonight she swore it would be different, or sooner if possible. One of the best parts of her job was her work often brought her in contact with her friends during the course of the day.

The next couple tasks on her list were on Coleman land. She slipped from her truck, grinning a welcome as Allison came out of the house to greet her, a loose T-shirt hanging over her jeans.

“You’re a couple months early if you’re looking for fresh mutton.”

“And here I thought I’d need to convince you they weren’t pets,” Melody teased. She glanced around the yard for a moment, admiring the changes. She had been here only a few days earlier, but then she’d been focused on the social gathering that evening, and on Steve, and not really paying attention to the land. “You guys are doing a great job.”

“We are,” Allison agreed before she shook a finger at Melody. “But don’t distract me. I’m mad at you. I know I can’t go out drinking right now, but I want to see more of you.”

“It’s been less than a week since the barbecue,” Melody protested.

“That’s no excuse.”

So instead of heading straight toward the barn where she saw Gabe, she changed direction and went and hugged her friend close. “I’m not avoiding you on purpose,” she said. “I’m just excited and overwhelmed at the same time, keeping up with everything while Mathis is gone.”

No need to explain in any more detail. Allison gestured to where Gabe was waiting. “Come on, I’ll walk up with you.”

All around them the land had turned the vivid green of summer, and there were contented-looking sheep scattered over the nearest hillside. “Looks as if your diversification plans are going well.”

“We’ve got cattle on the far fields, and while transitioning the herd is still moving slowly, the sheep are fully certified,” Allison reported. “This portion of the Coleman ranch is closer than ever to organic status.”

There were more healthy-looking sheep waiting behind the corral fencing as they approached, and Melody smiled as she extended a hand to Gabe. “Those animals don’t need a vet. You’re going to put me out of a job,” she protested.

“You know it.” He winked. “You want to head inside and check the new breeders we purchased? I’ll be in in a minute.”

It was cooler in the barn, and a lot darker, and for a moment she stopped, Allison at her side, as they blinked hard to get their eyes to adjust.

Soft masculine laughter drifted over. “You look like owls,” someone teased.

She twisted to the side and discovered Gabe’s younger brother standing with a rake in hand, blond hair tucked under a cap and a hesitant smile on his lips.

“
Whooooo
,” she said mischievously.

Rafe’s smile bloomed, and his face transformed. High cheekbones and square cut jaw revealed a shadow of the handsome man he’d be once he put on a few more years. Now he was good looking, with a few cuts and scrapes adding to his appeal.

All of them had that Coleman cast to their features. Melody smiled back as she considered the differences between the youngest in the clan and Steve.

“Good to see you again, Rafael.”

He offered a quick nod then turned away, striding toward the darker recesses of the barn. She bit back her amusement. There was something she’d never expected. A shy Coleman?

Allison stepped close enough to whisper, “I think he’s got a crush on you. He was watching you most of the barbeque when Steve wasn’t looking.”

Oh dear. “Well, that’s…sweet.”

No way she would let the boy know how hilarious she found this idea. Not because Rafael wasn’t attractive, but because she simply didn’t need any more trouble on her plate, and having more than one Coleman vying for her hand would be trouble with a capital T.

She went to work, Allison chatting for a short while before taking off to go help her siblings at the family restaurant they co-owned. That left Melody with the Angel Coleman boys, which was fine by her. They worked slowly but efficiently through the animals, taking a quick break at the house for lunch.

Melody got back to the barn before the boys did, headed into the pens to finish the last of her tasks.

She’d been working for about thirty minutes, enjoying the calm of the barn. The only noises the shuffling of the sheep’s feet and their low bleats. So when a gruff voice startled her from her intense concentration, she just about jumped out of her skin.

“What the hell are you doing in there?”

She gripped the sheep under her hands solidly to stop it from escaping after being spooked by his loud question. Melody glanced up to find Ben Coleman glaring at her.

“Afternoon. I’m here on a vet visit,” she reminded him. “Your son contacted me.”

If anything that made him glare harder. “Bullshit.”

Wow. She might have had issues the other day with Dalton, but this was beyond the typical response. Melody rose to her feet, brushing her hands on her jeans as she made her way cautiously toward the gate and left the pen. She extended a hand in the hopes of turning around his attitude. “We’ve met before. Last year I was out when Mathis was checking—”

“Where’s he?” Ben interrupted.

Melody fixed her smile in place, reciting the now familiar words. “Mathis is on vacation. I’m filling in for him, and—”

A stream of curses interrupted her, low and vehement, and far more in-her-face rude than any of the previous ranchers had been. Melody stumbled backwards as Ben crowded forward.

“Dad.”

Rafael stepped between them, the young man casually leaning the rake in his hand toward his father to halt his progress. Ben jerked to a stop. He blinked, then twirled on his heel and stomped from the barn.

Melody stared at his retreating back, and the broad shoulders of the young man standing before her, and wondered what the heck had just happened.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

Rafe twisted on the spot, an unreadable expression on his face. “Of course.” He cleared his throat then motioned back toward the pen she’d left. “Are you done with them?”

So they were going to pretend nothing strange had happened. Fine. Melody knew the rules. “I’m done everything here, unless you have other animals I need to check somewhere else on the ranch.”

Rafael shook his head. “Just whatever Gabe contacted you about.”

They were silent as he walked her back to the truck, because there wasn’t really anything she could discuss with him.

All she knew for sure was walking off the Angel Coleman land and onto the Moonshine section was like moving from a very solemn event to a daycare.

Trevor and Lee greeted her with loud whoops as they waved from the backs of their horses, headed for the rails to dismount and tie up the animals. Dogs barked as they raced underfoot, and the herd of horses shuffled excitedly behind the railing as they were funneled toward the barn.

She raised a hand to wave back when a lariat dropped over her shoulders and tightened around her torso.

“Looks like I caught myself the nicest filly in the batch,” Steve teased as he pulled her toward him and planted a lusty kiss on her lips before setting her free.

“Bad boy,” Melody warned, glancing around to see if anyone had noticed his public display of affection.

Steve stepped in closer. He lifted her chin with his fingers. “Are you trying to hide?”

She hesitated. “Not really. I mean, I just want to be as professional as possible.”

His I’m-sexy-and-I-know-it grin was firmly back in place. “Who says it’s not professional to lay one on me?”

Trevor paced by and caught wind of their conversation. “Is Melody passing out kisses? Because, hell yeah, I’m in the lineup for that.”

Steve ducked past her and lunged at his brother, laughter rising from both of them as she rotated on the spot to watch their hijinks. Steve’s dog, Prince, sauntered over to greet her, and Melody bent to brush a hand over his ears.

“It doesn’t matter how old they get, I doubt they’ll ever grow up.” Kate Coleman stood beside her, her long hair pulled back into a serviceable braid as she smiled at Melody. “Good to see you again.”

This woman was one of the reasons Melody had been extra pissed off at Steve a year ago. Breaking up with him made it awkward to stay in touch with anyone in his family, and Kate made her long for all sorts of family-like things she tried not to dwell on. “It’s good to see you too.”

Kate watched her boys for a moment before shaking her head and motioning toward the yard. “Let them catch up with us. I’ll show you where we need to go.”

Melody searched the area as they walked side by side toward the horses. “Where’s Mr. Coleman?”

There was a beat before Kate answered. “He’s not feeling well, so he’s traded some chores with me.”

Made sense to Melody. “Then let’s get to it.”

With the three boys and Kate chipping in, her job was over in no time. When they were finished, Lee and Trevor took off on their horses, headed for another part of the ranch and the rest of their work.

Kate planted her hands on her hips and stared directly at Melody. “Now, you stop by again before we call you out to do your vet thing. You know you can join us anytime.”

The welcome made her feel warm inside, and Melody smiled. “Thank you.”

Kate headed back to the house, and Melody was ready to hit her truck when Steve caught her by the hand. “I need you to look at something for me.”

Melody glanced around, positive she had finished checking the herd. “Do you have more in another sector?”

Steve didn’t answer, just pulled her along. “Come on, I’ll show you.”

She went with him willingly, around the side of the barn to where his truck and a horse trailer waited. He helped her into the driver side and she slid into the middle seat, checking her watch to make sure she didn’t get too far behind schedule. No way did she want another repeat of her hellish Monday. “I’ve got thirty minutes tops, otherwise I need to phone the clinic and let them know I’ll be late.”

“You won’t be late,” he promised.

They rattled down a short side road but instead of turning toward the highway, Steve took them along a back trail that led through the trees into a clearing at the side of wide-open ranch land. Nothing lay before them but miles of low rolling hills. To the west, the Rocky Mountains rose above to the sky, the craggy peaks decorated with a tiny dusting of white in the highest cracks and crannies. The tree line broke off to expose granite greys and flashes of white quartz.

It was an amazing view, and she was glad it was something she got to see every day of her life.

She was still staring in admiration when Steve parked the truck and jerked open the door.

Melody followed him out, but couldn’t see any signs of an animal that needed attention. “Do you want me to be a veterinarian to the squirrels?” she teased.

He whirled, catching her under the hips and pulling her against his body so he could kiss her fiercely. Her back pressed against the cold metal of the horse trailer as his overheated body met hers.

“You’re driving me crazy,” he confessed when he finally let her breathe. “I’ve been aching to touch you since the weekend. I need to be inside you.”

Melody didn’t have the words to protest, especially not when he put his lips to her neck and sucked. A flash of heat went from his mouth through her entire system, and she clutched his shoulders.

She was in motion again, this time her feet on the ground as his hands scrambled at her belt buckle. “I want you right now,” he demanded.

The clock was ticking, but his hands were doing incredible things even as Melody tried to make the right decision. “Oh, God. Here? You’re not serious, Steve, right out in the open—?”

He shoved her jeans down to her ankles. He stripped off his shirt, dropping it on top of the wheel guard of the trailer while she stood, pants around her ankles, admiring the broad bands of muscles on his torso.

Then she was on top of his shirt, her knees spread wide as he pulled her forward to his eager mouth. Her ankles were trapped together by her pants, but Steve didn’t seem to care.

Melody shoved her hands into his hair to catch her balance, but there was no catching her breath as he ate greedily. His tongue danced over her clit until she was gasping, the sound loud in contrast to the wind in the trees behind them. Everything that had to be done that day vanished as her world closed on this time, this place.

This man—

The one sending her reeling toward an orgasm. Melody smiled and took the ride.