Send Me a Cowboy by Joann Baker Page B

with
a contractor tomorrow. Marcia said John would be on the phone for
quite some time.”
    She blushed. Did they know he’d be coming to
her after his business was concluded? “Why not?”
    “Thanks, Katie. I really want to get this
project up and running. As soon as you get the figures to John,
he’ll be on board. As long as it makes him money, he’s for it.” She
wondered again why James wasn’t using his own money. This time she
just asked.
    “Most of it is tied up in trust. I get an
allowance every month, all my expenses are paid, but I don’t have
enough liquid capital to start the guest ranch.”
    “And John does?”
    James smiled. “Oh yeah. Grandfather only left
me the original homestead and a couple of hundred acres surrounding
it. John got the rest.”
    She bit her lip, wondering if she should ask
her next question. “You didn’t mind?”
    James smiled. “Heck no. There’s more in the
trust than I’ll be able to use in this lifetime. And John deserves
what he has and more. Not only did he keep me from foster care, he
saved the ranch too. Almost as soon as we moved in with
grandfather, John took over the running of the ranch. At eighteen.
The man is a wiz at closing a deal. The Triple K made a profit for
my grandfather before we came, but nothing on the scale it does
now. John sacrificed so much for me. He didn’t go to college, hell,
he didn’t have a life.” He leaned closer as if sharing a closely
guarded secret. “In my opinion, he doesn’t have much of one right
now. All he does is work.” He threw her a telling look. “He needs a
good woman.”
    “It sounds like he’s a good man.”
    “He is Katie. You might want to remember
that. Now, let me get you some more ice. Do you need anything?”
    She wanted to ask for her t-shirt, but she
didn’t. “Could I have some more aspirin?”
    “Sure, thing.”
    *****
    John didn’t know what emotion he should be
feeling when he discovered his brother leaving Katie’s room. Anger,
betrayal? He’d cut his conference call short so he could get back
to Katie as quickly as possible. Hell, he wasn’t sure he hadn’t
cost himself the deal by being so abrupt. But this time he didn’t
care. He’d wanted to get back into Katie’s arms as fast as he
could.
    There was no denying the evidence of his own
eyes. His brother’s hair was mussed and his shirt unbuttoned almost
to the waist as if he’d thrown it on in a hurry. He’d heard their
voices, the low moans of pleasure.
    His hands clenched at his sides. He felt he’d
sacrificed his whole life to ensure James’ future and this was how
his brother repaid him?
    He opened the bedroom door and stepped
inside. Katie sat up in bed the comforter pulled up to just below
her waist. She looked small in the big bed. She’d pulled on her
t-shirt and her beautiful thighs were hidden from view by the
cover. She had the most delicious body. There hadn’t been enough
time in the last few hours to explore even a fraction of her silky
skin.
    She smiled as soon as she saw him. “Hi.”
    His smile wasn’t quite so pleasant. “So you
go from my arms to my brother’s?” The words sprang from snarled
lips. “Was I too demanding, Katie? Did you think James would be a
more considerate lover?”
    “What are you talking about?”
    “I heard you—crying out his name. The
same way you said mine so many times last night.” He came closer
bending over her, his face an angry mask. Not a hint of humanity
was shining through. “If I’d known you were so easy, honey, I
wouldn’t have waited so long.”
    “What…what are you talking about?”
    “James.”
    As the meaning of his words sank in, she lost
some of her trepidation. “You think…you think I was having sex with him ?” Her voice broke on the last word.
    “Yeah, just like you had sex with me.”
    “I was no–”
    John held up a hand. “I don’t want to hear
anything more from you. You’re not the woman I thought you were.
Get your things and James