The Bridle Dance Ranch, one of the state’s largest paint and quarter cutting horse ranches, left Cole with little time on his hands. The newly added sod farm division was still in its infancy and had probably been one of his father’s better concepts, but Cole and his brothers’ lack of knowledge in the field added to Cole’s daily stress. Refusing to give Tess a second thought, he had successfully blocked her out of his mind until his father’s death. Although he’d been surrounded by friends and family, she was the one person he wanted around, and she had kept her distance.

“I heard Tess is in town.” Jesse sat on the stool beside Cole at the Magpie counter. “How are you holding up?”

“How the hell did you hear that? I just saw her a few minutes ago myself.”

“Ferris was behind her and said she was parked in the middle of the street, looking around. Had to toot the horn to get her to move.”

“It’s been two years,” Cole growled. “Maybe she forgot what the place looked like.”

“Still a sore subject, even after seeing her, huh?” Jesse asked.

“I told her we need to talk, but who knows? I used to be able to predict how she’d react to any given situation, but not anymore. She seems different.”

“She got dumped and lost her job,” Jesse stated. “What do you expect?”

“It’s more than that.” Cole stood, placing his hat on his head. “The fire that always got her in so much trouble is gone.”

“She’ll come around.” Jesse motioned for his usual breakfast order. “Call me later so we can go over the plans for the ranch.”

Cole slapped his brother on the shoulder and headed out the door. He knew Jesse still carried guilt from not resolving the decade-and-a-half-long falling-out he’d had with their father. When the will was read, everyone was surprised to hear Jesse’s name included with his brothers as one of the ranch’s stockholders. Although Jesse in no way wanted anything to do with Bridle Dance, his father had respected him for working to create a legacy of his own training horses at the Double Trouble Ranch without any of the family’s financial resources.

Nonetheless, Bridle Dance was Jesse’s birthright and he wanted to memorialize their father, with Cole and their mother’s help, by fulfilling Joe’s dream of converting part of Bridle Dance into a hippotherapy center. Joe had visited a similar facility and had seen how a horse’s movements were used to treat people with injuries and physical disabilities. Cole was overjoyed when Jesse voted for opening their own facility and pledged his share of the profits from the rest of the ranch to the project.

Due to the size of the Langtrys’ business, Joe had the foresight to name Cole’s mother, Kay, and attorney Henry Dalton, Tess’s father, as coexecutors of the estate. Joe’s will bequeathed the house, the land and their small winery to Kay, and the business side of the ranch was to be split evenly between the four brothers. The land itself was leased back to the Bridle Dance Ranch Corporation, providing Kay with a lifetime income.

The corporate bylaws stated every major financial decision involving the ranch required a majority vote, and without a say in the business, Kay was at the mercy of her children where Dance of Hope, the hippotherapy facility, was concerned. And since each sibling held a twenty-five-percent stake in the company, the brothers were at a standoff.

Cole and Jesse were determined to honor their father and bring the nonprofit to fruition, but Shane and Chase didn’t share that vision. They went along with it when Joe was alive because they didn’t have any other choice. They wanted to build an over-the-top, world-class rodeo school instead.

Cole had to find a way to change his brothers’ minds and he’d stop at nothing to see the project through. He needed to focus his attention on the ranch, not Tess, yet somehow, she kept popping into his head. Memories of her scent, the touch of her hand in his, even her tousled hair were singeing the outer shell of his heart.

But that book was closed and he refused to reopen it.

Chapter Two

The words Bridle Dance balanced between two rearing bronze horses located on either side of the dirt road. Despite the Langtrys’ wealth, Tess loved that they’d never paved the entrance, preserving the ranch’s historic appeal. Rows of pecan trees heavy with fruit formed thick canopies above her. She hoped they’d be harvested while she was in town.

Through the fretwork of tree branches, she could see the sprawling three-story main house. If there was such a thing as a log manor, this was it. A porch produced from the same golden timbers spanned the front of the home, welcoming family and friends to relax and enjoy the sprawling landscape.

She caught a glimpse of Cole in the distance, mounted on a sleek black horse. He removed his Stetson and ran his hand through his thick brown hair before turning to eye her warily.

Gripping the steering wheel, she revved the car hard. With a wave of his hat, Cole signaled his horse into a full gallop. Tess floored the gas pedal, her tires spinning. Clouds of dirt encircled the car before it shot forward.

Machine versus beast took them back in time to when they were teenagers. Tess would try to best one of Cole’s prized quarter horses with a ranch rig. The horse always won.

History repeated, Cole reined his mount beside the front porch. Tess jerked the wheel to the left, braked hard and fishtailed to a stop on the other side.

Cole nudged his gelding to the driver’s side door. Before Tess placed one booted foot out of the vehicle, he was off his mount and blocking her path.

“Pretty impressive for a rental, but I win again.” He placed both hands on the door frame to prevent her escape, motioning with his head to the horse behind him. “But Blackjack here is the real winner. Although I’m afraid I might have to spend the next month unlearning this race toward home trick we just taught him. Remember how Captain Chaos threw riders when he charged the stables after he came off the trails?”

“Do I ever.” Tess ducked under his arms. “Your dad was furious with us for racing.”

Cole grabbed her by the waist before she had a chance to flee.

“What’s your rush?” He guided her back toward the car. “We have a lot of talking to do.”

She inhaled the scent of sweat, dirt and horse. Home. This is what home smells like. This was also what one hundred percent man felt like. At that sudden realization, she pulled away from him.

A rough, callused hand lifted her chin. “What’s the matter, sweetheart?” he challenged. “Have you forgotten what a real man is?”

Tess tried to squirm past Cole but only succeeded in wedging herself tighter between car and cowboy. The length of him pressed against her made Tess all too aware of the danger that lurked behind his mischievous grin. She’d wind up in a whole mess of trouble if she remained in this position much longer.

“Is my mother here?” Struggling to avoid his eyes, she stared instead at his chest. The corded muscles were unmistakably visible through his taut fawn-colored thermal shirt. She felt the urge to run her hands underneath it and trace each ripple with her fingers.

“In the house, but I didn’t tell her you were here. Figured you’d like to do the honors.”

He ran his hands leisurely down her sides and tightly gripped her waist.

Shock registered the moment Tess realized what he was about to do.

“Cole, please don’t.” She grabbed at his hands, trying in vain to pry them away. “Not that!”

Cole’s powerful fingers dug into her sides, tickling her. She twisted in his arms, her knees buckling.

“Okay, okay—you win!” she said in between shallow breaths. “We’ll talk, but later, all right? Let me go see my mom.”

Tess looked up at Cole. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed. When had life become so serious and complicated?