The Cowboy's Unexpected Love: Wade and Sierra (MacFarland Ranch Book 1) Read online

  “Damn, girl. So, you’re calling me on your wedding day? I’m honored. Wait … why are you in Montana? Shit. What’s going on, Sierra?”

  “You were right about Jared.”

  “What happened?”

  No way was she going to tell the whole sordid story. Not over the phone and not standing here by the side of the road with two big, handsome cowboys watching over her. “I’ll tell you about it when I see you. For now, let’s just say that I came to my senses just in time.”

  “What, and you called it off and decided to take a vacation instead?”

  Sierra couldn’t hold in a bitter laugh. “Not quite. When I said just in time, I mean literally just in time. I ran out of there, rented a car and started driving.”

  She should have known what to expect from Cassidy. She laughed. “Good for you! I’m proud of you. What happens now?”

  “Well, that’s the part I don’t have figured out. See, I got on I-15 and just drove for hours. Then I realized that I’d have to stop before I hit Canada. I don’t have my passport. Then I remembered that you live up here now. I was on my way to your house. I forgot about your conference. And then I managed to land my rental in a ditch.” She looked at the two cowboys. “Then I ran into some friends of yours and they said they’d call Shane, since I hadn’t been able to get hold of you.”

  “Damn, girl. I’m so sorry I’m not there. But you’re okay with Wade and Ford.”

  Sierra looked at the two men again. “Apparently.”

  Cassidy chuckled. “They’ll take good care of you.”

  “They offered to get my car out of the ditch.”

  “Yeah. And then they can take you back to their place.”

  “Cass!”

  Cassidy laughed. “Our place is all locked up. Those MacFarland boys have plenty of room. They have a guest ranch. They’ll be able to put you up. We’ll be back on Monday. I’d come right now if I could, but I have a meeting tomorrow that I can’t miss. Say you’ll stay till Monday?”

  “I …” Sierra looked at the two men – the MacFarland boys, apparently. Cassidy was out of her mind. She couldn’t just ask complete strangers if she could stay with them for the weekend.

  “Sierra?”

  “What?”

  “Give the phone back to Wade, and trust your Auntie Cassie to sort this out for you, would ya? You’ll have a place to stay and some time and space to get your head on straight. I’d come straight back for you if I could. But I’ll be there on Monday. They’re good guys. They own a guest ranch. It’s not like I’m suggesting that you should stay in their house or anything. Trust me?”

  Sierra looked at Wade and then at Ford. They were friends of a friend. Not strangers. And it wasn’t as though she had any other options.

  “Trust me, okay?” Cassidy said again. “I’ll talk to them, get you set up with a place to stay, and I’ll be there on Monday.”

  “Okay. Thanks. I’ll see you then, then.”

  “You will. Relax. You’ll be fine. You did the right thing, you know.”

  “That’s about the only thing I’m certain of right now.”

  “I’d say it’s the only thing you need to know. You’ll be fine. I promise. Let me talk to Wade and get you set up. I’ll turn my phone back on and you can call me any time you need, okay?”

  “Thanks, Cassidy.”

  “Hey, that’s what friends are for. Talk soon. You’re going to be okay. I promise.”

  Sierra handed the phone back to Wade. She was glad Cassidy sounded so confident. The way she felt, she wasn’t sure that she’d ever be okay again.

  Chapter Two

  Wade held the passenger door of the SUV open and smiled at Sierra. It hadn’t taken him and Ford long to get the vehicle out of the ditch and change the flat. But in that short time, it had gone dark, and the woman in the wedding dress – Sierra – seemed to be going downhill fast. She was shaking now.

  It wasn’t that cold. But then what did he know about how it felt to her? She looked kind of delicate. She probably wasn’t used to cold or heat. She looked like the kind of woman who lived a climate-controlled kind of life.

  Since she wasn’t getting into the SUV, he strode back to the truck and grabbed his jacket from the backseat. Ford followed him and raised an eyebrow. “Do you think she’s cold or in shock?

  “Probably a little bit of both.”

  Ford nodded. “If you’re okay with her, I’m going to head back to the ranch.”

  Wade laughed. “Coward!”

  Ford grinned back at him. “Hell yeah. And I don’t mind admitting it. Emotional women scare me – and that right there is one emotional woman.”

  “Ah, come on. You can hardly blame her.”

  “Nope. Not saying I blame her. Just saying that I’m not getting involved. You’re the one who wanted a bride. Now, you’ve got one.” He grinned. “Maybe dealing with this one will be enough to bring you to your senses.”

  Wade glanced back to where Sierra was still standing beside the vehicle, shivering. “It’s not like we could leave her out here.”

  “I know. I’m not saying I would. Just that I’m glad you’re here to play the good Samaritan so that I don’t have to.”

  “Yeah. I’m going to give her the jacket. I’ll see you back at the ranch once I get her settled at the lodge.”

  “Okay. You still up for a drink when we’re both done?”

  “Yup.” For some reason, Wade felt as though he was going to need one.

  Ford pulled away, and Wade went back to Sierra. He held out the jacket, but she just looked at it.

  “Are you cold? You’re shivering.”

  “Oh. Sorry.”

  He smiled. “There’s no need to apologize.” He moved closer, wrapping the jacket around her shoulders. Whoa. Not a wise move. She was an attractive woman, a fact he’d been trying to ignore since she was wearing a wedding dress and obviously traumatized. But standing this close to her, wrapping his jacket around her, it was impossible to ignore the way his body reacted to her. And didn’t that make him an asshole? What was supposed to be the best day of her life had gone horribly wrong somehow. She was stuck by the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. The last thing she needed was a horny cowboy getting ideas about her.

  Just as he tried to talk himself down, she looked up into his eyes and stole his breath. “Thank you.”

  He struggled for air before he could make himself speak. “You looked cold.” He pulled the lapels of the jacket together under her chin, partly because he didn’t want to move away from her, and partly to cover up the tantalizing yet tasteful display of cleavage that he was struggling to ignore.

  Her eyes were a beautiful gray color. At first, they seemed flat and dull but when they met his, they seemed to light from within, like there was lightning in the clouds. Damn.

  “I don’t mean for the jacket. Well, not just the jacket. I mean thank you for …” She looked around, taking in the fields and the river and the mountains under the now dark sky. “For everything. For finding me. For offering me a place. For … being so kind. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t shown up.”

  She looked small and lost and he wanted nothing more than to wrap her up in a hug. She looked like she could use one. Instead, he patted her shoulder awkwardly. “You’d have been fine. This might look like the back end of nowhere, but someone would have come along. Folks are neighborly out here. Anyone would have helped you out.”

  She was still shivering as she met his gaze again. “Really? I was starting to think I might be eaten by wolves or found by a serial killer.”

  He chuckled and tightened his hold on her shoulder. “Nah. Like I said, pretty much anyone out here would help you out.”

  Her tongue darted out and moistened her bottom lip. Yeesh. He should not be letting his mind go there. “I’m glad it was you.” Her voice was little more than a whisper, but it hit him full force.

  His breath got stuck somewhere in his chest again. He needed to stop
it. She was just being polite, thanking him. He didn’t need to get carried away, didn’t need to think about kissing those pink lips as he watched her roll them together. He needed to get her into her car and get her to a room in the lodge. He didn’t see any harm in telling the truth, though.

  “I’m glad it was me, too. Come on, let’s get going.” He helped her up into the passenger seat and pulled out the seatbelt, though he did manage to resist reaching across and fastening it for her. Instead, his fingers brushed against hers when he handed her the buckle. He froze. How could such a fleeting touch have such a profound effect on him?

  “Thank you.” She held his gaze for a long moment. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes wide. Was he some kind of idiot? There was no way she was reacting the same way he was. The poor little darlin’ was more likely freaking out, wondering what he was up to.

  He made himself give her a friendly smile, before closing the door and jogging around to the driver’s side.

  ~ ~ ~

  Sierra looked up at the wooden arch across the entry to the driveway. The name MacFarland Ranch was carved into it. White post and rail fence lined the long driveway. Even in the dark, the place was impressive. She could make out the shape of horses in the field to the right, and cows to the left.

  “Is it a working ranch?”

  “It is. It’s been a cattle ranch for fifty years. We only opened the lodge last year.” Wade glanced across at her. “Don’t worry. It’s nice.” He looked hesitant for a moment before he added. “The lodge, I mean. It’s high end.”

  She smiled at him. She couldn’t help it. He’d been so good to her already and here he was reassuring her that his home – his guest ranch – was somewhere that she’d feel comfortable.

  He brought the SUV to a stop when the driveway split. He pointed to the left. “The house is over there.” Then he turned to the right. “The lodge is this way and beyond it are the stables.”

  “Do you have a lot of horses?” It felt strange to be making small talk, but what else could she do? She could hardly pour her heart out to him. No matter how kind he was, he was still a stranger. He didn’t need to hear her sorry tale or to see her break down, and she knew that as soon as she was alone, she was going to do just that.

  He glanced over at her again. “We do. There’s the stud … we run a breeding operation,” he explained. “And we have a bunch of trail horses that the guests ride. And then there are the cow horses.” He smiled and explained again, “The horses that the hands ride to work the cattle.”

  Either he was really good at knowing what would need to be explained to someone who knew next to nothing about horses and cows and ranches, or her face gave away her cluelessness. Either way, she was grateful.

  He stopped in front of a beautiful, big log-built lodge. It was much larger than she’d expected. A porch ran along the front of the building. It was lined with rockers, and planters filled with flowers hung on the railing. It looked like the perfect place to sit and relax. Though, she wondered if she’d ever relax again. She shuddered at the memory of what she’d heard Jared say this afternoon. She’d be safe here, for the weekend, until Cassidy came. But she was going to have to pull herself together and figure out what to do. Could she call the police? Should she? Was what Jared had planned for her a crime if he’d only planned it and didn’t get the chance to see it through?

  Wade turned in his seat, looking concerned. “Are you still cold? Do you want to wait here while I go in? Anita’s on the desk tonight. I’ll ask her what we have available. I think one of the cabins is vacant. If it is, I can get the key and take you over there without you having to go inside the lodge.”

  She frowned, wondering why he wouldn’t want her to go inside. Then she remembered. She was still wearing her freaking wedding dress. The skirt was streaked with dust and dirt, and the rest of her didn’t look much better.

  He smiled. “If you want to come in, you’re welcome. I was only thinking about how you might feel.”

  She nodded and had to swallow around the lump in her throat. How could a man she’d known for an hour at most be more considerate of her feelings than the man she’d been about to marry? Only last Sunday morning, Jared had invited his golf buddies into the kitchen to wait for him while he finished getting ready, even though she’d been sitting there bleary-eyed in her pajamas. “Thanks. I’d rather wait here.”

  She watched Wade run up the steps. Phew. He was one heck of a cowboy. And didn’t that just show how traumatized she must be? How could she be ogling another man’s butt right now? Even if it was encased in tight blue jeans.

  He stopped and looked back at her before he pushed the door open. His smile settled her insides. What was it about him that made her believe what he’d said – that everything was going to be okay? Her whole world was about as far away from okay as it had ever been, but Wade’s smile made it not seem so bad after all.

  His smile was noticeably absent when he came back down the steps. He didn’t look happy at all. He opened the door and got in, then turned to face her before he spoke.

  “What’s wrong?”

  He smiled, but it wasn’t as comforting as before. “I’m afraid the lodge is full. Anita took a last-minute booking from a couple traveling down the valley to the park and gave them the last cabin, too.”

  “Oh.” She hated that her voice wavered, but she had no idea what she was going to do now. But it was hardly his problem. Maybe there’d be a room available in one of the motels in the little town she’d seen when she left the highway. She could drive up there, she’d have to. She reached for the door handle. He’d been so good to drive her here, but he was home now, and she needed …

  “Hey,” he reached across and rested his hand on her arm, “slow down. Where are you going?”

  She looked back at him. “To get back in the driver’s seat.” She made a face as she said it. She needed to do that both literally and metaphorically. It’d been nice to let the sexy cowboy take the wheel for a while, but she had a life to figure out, starting with finding a place to spend the night – and that was hardly his responsibility. He’d already done more than could be expected of him.

  Her mind stopped its chattering and slowed down when he squeezed her arm. “It’s okay. I still have a place for you.”

  “You do?”

  He looked at little uncomfortable, but he nodded. “I hoped that you’d be able to go straight into a room that was ready for you. But since that’s not an option, there is a cabin you can have.”

  “But didn’t you say they’re all booked?”

  He gave her a sheepish smile. “Not all of them. I’ve been staying in one, but I can clear my things out and you can have it.”

  She stared at him. “You can’t do that. Where will you sleep?”

  “It’s okay. I can go back up to the house.”

  “But …” Her eyes filled with tears. She didn’t want to be a weak and weepy woman, but it had been one heck of a day. She was tired, and all of a sudden hungry, and this kind, sexy wonderful man was now offering her his bed. She hiccupped out a half laugh half sob, at that thought. Not like that. He wasn’t offering to share his bed with her. She looked up into his kind green eyes; the lines around them were etched with concern. She had to admit that if he were offering, she’d be tempted to take him up on it.

  “Come on. I’ll drive you over there. You must be exhausted.”

  She simply nodded. That must be it. Exhaustion must be the reason she was having thoughts no woman in her situation should be having – no matter how hot the cowboy who’d rescued her might be.

  ~ ~ ~

  Wade held the cabin door open and gestured for Sierra to go inside. He’d been using this cabin while he fixed it up. It was one of the original buildings on the ranch and he hadn’t planned to use it to accommodate guests. But between the fact that he needed all the beds he could get and the way so many guests had commented on how quaint it was, he’d decided to renovate it. Fortunately, the work was almo
st finished. There was no way he would have brought Sierra here even a few weeks ago.

  He went inside after her and found her turning in a circle, taking it all in. “This place is lovely. I can see why you’d want to stay here. Are you sure you don’t mind, though?”

  “Of course not.” He looked around, glad that he’d taken the time to straighten the place up before he went out this morning. His laptop sat on the coffee table in front of the sofa. His mug was still on the counter in the kitchen, but at least none of his clothes were strewn around.

  “Can I get you anything? Are you hungry? Do you want a drink?”

  Her pained expression made him wonder what she was about to say. “The first thing I need is to use the bathroom.”

  “Ah. Of course.” He pointed to the hallway that led off the living area. “Second door on the left.”

  “Thank you.” Her dress rustled as she walked. Her cheeks were pink when she stopped and looked back over her shoulder at him. “It may take me a while. Don’t think I’ve fallen in or anything.”

  He cocked an eyebrow, not sure what to say to that.

  She gave an embarrassed little laugh. “I’m going to have to do battle with the dress.”

  “Ah!” Shit. He should have thought. “Do you have a bag in your car – something to change into?”

  “No. I …” She drew in a big shaky breath, making him want to go to her and wrap her in a hug – he needed to stop thinking about that. “I left in too much of a hurry.”

  He nodded, and she turned and rustled down the hall until he heard the bathroom door close behind her. He’d seen enough movies where the bride had a bridesmaid go to the bathroom with her to help do battle with the dress as she put it, but he could hardly offer to do that.

  He took off his hat and hung it on the hook by the door. He could find her something to change into. She had to be a good six inches shorter than him, maybe more, but he could offer her a shirt, maybe some sweatpants.

  He went into the bedroom and started digging through the drawers. After leaving a few choices on the bed for her, he went to the kitchen. There was beer – if a woman like her drank the stuff – and there was a frozen pizza, if she needed food. He could maybe call Tyler and ask him to rustle something up for her at the lodge, but no, he decided against it. Sierra didn’t need to have to deal with people tonight. That was the only reason. It wasn’t that he wanted to keep her here to himself or anything – that would be crazy.