Chapter One
Daisy-Mae
There are many benefitsto working on one of the largest cattle ranches in northern Texas: the fresh air, the scenery, the people, the fact that every day brings something new, and—did I mention the scenery?No.I’m not talking about pastures, the animals or the fields of wildflowers under endless blue skies.The kind of view I like to take in while working at the Winchester Ranch Bed and Breakfast, just walked right by my office window in a tight pair of Wranglers.
West Winchester.
He gets his own line ...and italics,because that’s exactly how he appears in my head.In fact, maybe I should have thought his name in bold, capital letters too.The eldest son of the Winchester siblings, West, has been breaking hearts in Red River Canyon since we were all old enough to drool.And drool we did, anytime he so much as looked in our direction.Sure, he may be a little on the gruff side, he barely says, “boo” to anyone these days, and he’s often as ornery as the devil in a church parking lot, but he sure is pretty to look at.There’s just something about those cool, blue eyes and that scruffy, sandy-blond hair that makes me melt.
This may be the pregnancy dreams talking, but I have visions of him holding my little baby in his big arms, rocking him or her in the swing on my front porch while I sit beside them sipping sweet tea.And before you go feeling sorry for my husband—whose baby I’m carrying— don’t.Dreaming about West Winchester isn’t blasphemy.I’m not planning on stepping out of my marriage, because my husband already did that for me, with his eighteen-year-old secretary.That’s how I came to work at the ranch in the first place.After Eddie Buchannan made me the laughingstock of Red River Canyon, and left me barefoot and pregnant, Mrs.Winchester was kind enough to offer me a job at the Bed and Breakfast so I could keep paying the mortgage and not lose the roof over my head ...like I lost my husband.
Which brings me right back to West.With the exception of my remarkably short marriage, I’ve been looking at West Winchester practically my whole life.But, other than to hand me a paycheck once a week, he doesn’t know I exist.Probably for the best, since single and pregnant was not how I saw this chapter of my life.But when your husband’s a cheating dirtbag who’s been screwing his secretary for a year, dreaming of West Winchester with his pants down around his ankles as he rails me in one of those swing thingies seems kind of ...harmless.What?It’s not like I could control these damn pregnancy hormones, even if I wanted to.
“Daisy, are you even listening to me?”Lemon asks, looking up from her baby magazine.As the only Winchester sibling with a uterus, Lemon and I have bonded over baby names and breast pumps because we’re both expecting.Technically, I’m closer in age to her older brother Wade, but it’s nice to have someone around to talk babies with, even if she is just in the very early stages of her pregnancy while I’m further along and decidedly more ...blimp-like.
“Huh?”
“Oh my god, I’ve literally been prattling on about this stroller for the last ten minutes.What is so riveting outside?”Lemon climbs off her seat and waddles to the window.Yes, we’re both at waddling stages, even though I have a good five months on her.She peeks through the lace curtains and narrows her gaze.“Ew.There’s only West out there.”
My whole face turns pinker than my refrigerator.“I was just daydreaming.You know pregnancy brain and all.”
“Uh-huh.”Lemon’s gaze is shrewd as she looks me over.“Do you have a crush on my brother?”
“Lemon please, the entire town has a crush on your brother.”I shrug.“He’s nice to look at.”
“I’ll take your word for it, but that don’t mean I have to agree with you.”She screws up her delicate features.I remember when my features were delicate.When I had a flat stomach and a nice ass firmer than a Georgia peach.Now, everything is baby weight, stretchmarks and hemorrhoids.“Also,” she says nervously.“I’m just going to apologize now for what’s about to happen.”
It’s my turn to narrow my eyes.“What do you mean?What’s about to happen?”
Before I can get an answer, West opens the door, wipes off his boots, and comes inside.He glances at me, and then at his younger sister, who’s still standing by the window looking horrified by her revelation.He tips his hat.“Daisy-Mae.Lemon.”
“West,” Lemon says, and there’s definitely an edge to the way she said his name.She’s being weird.I don’t do well with weird.I’m awkward enough for everyone.
“What are you doing here?”West asks Lemon.
“What areyoudoing here?”she asks him back, and I’m really not sure why she needed so much emphasis on the third word.As if he never ever comes into the Bed and Breakfast.
“Delivering Daisy’s paycheck.”
Lemon frowns.“Thought you’d be getting ready for that ...thing.”
“What thing?”
“The ...”Lemon clears her throat, darts her gaze toward me, and then quickly back to her brother.“Date.The date I set you up on.”
Oh.Now I understand her earlier comment about this getting awkward.As if I didn’t already bring the awkward enough and fumble my words whenever West Winchester was in the room.
West rolls his eyes and inhales slowly through his nose, as if it’s taking all his patience to deal with his little sister right now.That makes two of us.She uses the distraction to her advantage and mouths, “I’m sorry.”
I shake my head infinitesimally and give her a wide-eyed look that’s universal for, “quit ratting me out”.Thankfully, like everything when it comes to me, West is blissfully ignorant.
“I don’t know why you feel the need to butt into my sex life all of a sudden,” West complains.
“Sex life?”Lemon’s voice is all high pitched and weirder than before.The poster child of covert, she is not.“That would imply that you’re actually having sex with ...you know, real live people.”
“Lemon,” West warns.
“I’m sorry, but it’s true.”
