Hidden Treasure(24)
Yes, she still wanted to get away from Montana, but before now, she’d wanted to get away at any cost. Now, it was more important for her to walk away with her head held high.
If she made the place a success and then sold it, her father would be proud, and she’d show her brothers that she wasn’t some stupid little girl — that she was just as capable as, or even more capable than, any of them. It’s not as if any of those boys had been prizes in the past.
So she needed to figure out how to get the men to listen to her. Once she had their attention, she could work on the respect part. A smile split her face when she figured it out. They were men, after all!
Got it! First get them to see her, and then she could make them listen!
* * *
Colt had no idea why he was working like a flipping ranch hand on Brielle’s property when he had his own land to deal with, but here he was speaking with Tony after helping the men mend fences for the last two hours. It was insane. For her to think he worked for her was one thing, but now he found himself actually working for her, and for nothing.
What in the world was wrong with him? His eyes wandered toward the house for the hundredth time in the past ten minutes. He hadn’t seen her since she’d stomped off after their ride, and for the first day afterward he was glad of it — or he’d told himself he was.
She’d acted like an overprivileged twit, but that was just the thing — it was an act. He knew that. She had been feeling vulnerable, she’d been tired, sore, and hurting. So instead of admitting this, she’d stormed off, making them think the worst of her. What he wanted to know was why?
Still, with her obvious dislike for the land and her obvious incompetence, he’d sworn to himself that first day after their ride that he was going to try to convince her that ranching wasn’t the life for her. That shouldn’t be too hard. She hated Montana and hated everything to do with the land she now owned. If he could just find the right buttons to push, he’d be all set at getting her to run far, far away.
And yet the thought of her leaving didn’t make him ecstatic; instead, it brought him an ache he couldn’t quite explain. There was no chance he was falling for this woman. Impossible. Not after a few encounters, a couple of hot kisses, and one “meaningful” conversation.
But he had a sinking feeling about this whole mess — he was certainly falling in lust with the little princess. And that was almost as bad in his book. She was beginning to fill his dreams, and then she was the first thought on his mind when he awoke. He had to get her out of his mind, and he’d already established the only way to do it — have sex with her.
He had to do it! For the sake of his sanity. Who could get hurt when it all — or the two of them — came down to it?
A few minutes later, his eyes were rooted to her house when the front door opened. Without realizing it, he was holding his breath. Two and a half days had been too long. That should have stopped him cold, but when she emerged, all thoughts and feelings he had went straight to his lower regions, and he knew he was in deep manure.
The men on lunch break instantly became tongue-tied. Not that he noticed. All his attention was focused on Brielle and what she was wearing — or, more accurately, what she wasn’t wearing.
Standing there on the porch and holding a pitcher that looked to be full of lemonade, she had on cutoff jeans — those Wranglers she’d killed on the trail? — that were so damn tiny that the pockets were sticking out of the front. He couldn’t imagine what would be showing in the back. And the only thing covering her breasts was about the tiniest bikini top he’d ever seen. What in the hell was she trying to do to him? As he looked around, he revised his question. What was she trying to do to all of them?
“What’s going on here?” This came from Tony, who was at his side, and who seemed just as entranced by the show as the rest of the men.
“I don’t know, but I’m about to find out,” Colt growled.
“Hold on. I want to see what’s on her mind,” Tony said with a scowl wrinkling his forehead.
“Why? She should know better than to dress like that in front of all these young pups,” Colt snapped.
“They’ve seen less in the way of clothing,” Tony said with a chuckle. It was amazing. Even though what sounded like a laugh escaped his mouth, his lips still didn’t turn up. Colt would someday have to ask him how he managed that.
Against his better judgment, Colt listened to Tony and decided to see how this was going to play out. When she stepped off the porch and walked to the back of her truck, setting a tray down that held lemonade, what appeared to be cookies, and a lot of paper cups, he began to figure it out.