LITMIR.BIZ

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a male voice shouting outside her window. “Breakfast time!”

      “What the...?” she grumbled, groping for her phone on the nightstand.

      The door to her room opened, and Dawn strolled in. She grabbed and shook Kate’s toes through the covers. “Come on, sleepyhead. We’re on ranch time now. The day starts early around here.”

      “What time is it?”

      “Oh-dark-thirty.” Dawn moved back to the door, turning on a lamp as she departed. “Get a wiggle on. We’re here to get the full ranching experience, and that includes the morning chores.”

      Kate groaned and pulled the covers over her head.

      “Oh, and don’t bother showering yet. Zane recommends saving that until after the chores and breakfast. Meet me at breakfast in five.” With that, Dawn closed the door, leaving Kate to struggle out of bed.

      Seven minutes later, she staggered down the hall to find the dining table bustling as her fellow guests passed bowls of fluffy eggs, platters of bacon, pans of fried potatoes and pots of fresh coffee to each other.

      “Saved you a seat,” Dawn called, motioning to the empty chair next to her.

      Kate moved stiffly to the chair and gaped at all the food. “Good grief. There’s enough here to feed an army.”

      Beside her, Dawn poured coffee in the mug at Kate’s plate. “The foreman, Mr. Summers, is supposed to be by in about twenty minutes to show us where we can help with the morning chores. Then we’ll clean up a bit before we saddle up and ride out in the fields to check on the herd, ride the fence—”

      “Ride the fence?” Brianna Mansfield paused as she added pepper to her plate of eggs.

      “Miles and miles of fences are part of this and every ranch. They get worn out and damaged regularly. We’ll be helping look for that damage and fix it.” Dawn smiled at their fellow guest. “Pretty routine stuff, but a great way to see the land and practice our horsemanship before we hit the adventure trail tomorrow.”

      Brianna glanced at her husband. “When you said we were going to be helping with the ranch chores, you weren’t kidding.”

      “It’ll be fun. Just stick with me, kid. You’ll do great.” Hunter gave his wife a peck on the cheek.

      When Roy Summers arrived, Dawn, Kate and the two couples followed the foreman out to the stable. “You’ll each work one-on-one with one of the ranch staff, learning how to care for your assigned horse and prepping for the day ahead.”

      The group assembled in the main alley of the stable, where the ranch crew was waiting for them. Kate spotted Josh immediately, leaning casually against the gate of the first stall. Her stomach swooped when he met her gaze and sent her a wink and a lopsided grin.

      The other guests were paired up with the hands, Piper McCall and Brady Summers. Then Roy turned to Kate and Dawn.

      “You two will work with these bozos.” He aimed a thumb over his shoulder to Zane and Josh. “That way you can discuss promotion biz while you learn the ranch.”

      Dawn jerked a nod and stepped over to slip her arm through Zane’s. “Perfect.”

      Which left Kate paired with Josh. She gave Dawn a withering glance, and her friend mouthed back, “Carpe diem.”

      Josh sauntered over to her and waved a hand down the alley toward the back end of the stable. “After you.”

      Kate rubbed her palms on her jeans and fell in step behind Josh, trying not to notice how his T-shirt hugged his broad back and biceps. She’d rather hoped that in the light of a new day she’d discover she’d exaggerated in her mind how handsome he was, how good he smelled, how affecting his lopsided grin could be. But if anything, she’d minimized him in her mind as she tried to dissuade herself from the attraction she couldn’t deny. Her pulse pounded out a staccato rhythm as she entered the stall with him, where a bay horse swished its black tail and nuzzled Josh with its white snout.

      “Hey, girl,” Josh cooed to the animal, stroking her neck and nose. “How are you? Good girl.” The soothing, low rumble of his voice as he talked to the horse caused a fluttering in Kate’s core. The purring, intimate quality of his voice conjured images of rumpled sheets and late night pillow talk. Sweet nothings. Sexy whispers.

      She put a hand low on her belly as if she could quash the tingle of lust coalesced there.

      “This is Lucy. Come say hello,” Josh said, meeting Kate’s gaze.

      She stepped deeper into the stall and reached a hand out to pat the mare’s neck. “Hello, Lucy. Nice to meet you.”

      Josh ducked out of the stable for a moment and came back with a few slices of apple in a zip-sealed baggie. He gave her one. “Put this on your open palm and let her eat it off your hand. She’ll be your best friend forever after.”

      Kate fed the treat to Lucy and grinned as the mare’s ears turned forward, showing her delight. “Good girl, Lucy.”

      “She loves apple slices, but don’t give her too many.” Josh took a bit with a harness from a hook on the wall. “They are like candy for a kid. Just treats. Too many mess with her diet.”

      “Right,” she said, still stroking Lucy’s nose. “I grew up on a farm. Remember?”

      Josh paused from loosening the knot tied in the reins. “Oh, right. So you know horses? This lesson is moot?”

      She raised a shoulder. “Refresh my memory. It has been quite a while since I saddled a horse.”

      “You got it.” He handed her a currycomb. “Let’s see how much you recall.”

      Zane walked up to the door of the stall. He smiled a greeting to Kate, but she sensed tension in him that tightened the edges of his mouth. “Josh, can I borrow you for a few minutes?”

      “Um...” Josh glanced at her, and she gave a nod.

      “I’m good. I’ll be grooming her until you get back.”

      Josh touched the brim of his hat. “Good deal.”

      Kate began brushing Lucy with long strokes, slipping the mare another apple slice almost as soon as Josh was out of sight. “Yeah, I take care of you, and you take care of me. That’s how it works. Right, girl? You’re gonna be good to me?”

      The horse nickered softly and nuzzled Kate’s shoulder.

      Outside, Kate could hear men’s voices joining Josh’s. Low at first, then growing louder and more angry. She stilled, then edged nearer the stall window, shamelessly eavesdropping. What was wrong? What could have made her dimpled cowboy so upset?

       Chapter 3

      Josh clenched his fists, seething. “I told you no good would come from doing business with that rat bastard.”

      They hadn’t even officially opened McCall Adventure Ranch, and already the triplets’ high school rival—and, unfortunately, their loan officer—had found a way to screw them. Josh wanted to punch something. Preferably someone—Gill Carver. Dave had returned from an errand in town, where he’d learned troubling news and shared it with their foreman, Roy Summers, then with Zane, Josh and Brady.

      “Look,” Zane said, his mouth set in a grim line, “I’m not happy about this either, but there’s no law against Gill opening or investing in his own adventure ranch. It’s called free enterprise, and competition is at the root of how the American economy works.”

      “Not in the mood for a civics lesson, bro.” Josh snatched his hat off and thwacked it against his legs.

      “Gill doesn’t own a ranch, not since his father’s went belly up, and he doesn’t know jack about adrenaline sports. Who’s running this new enterprise for

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