“Fine. I’m coming over when Emma does. Maybe she can talk me into a dog, too.”
“You?” Jane asked. “As fussy and as much of a perfectionist as you are? I can’t see you as a pet owner.”
Chelsea lifted her chin, her hair flawless and still perfect, despite the horrible lighting in the diner and after a long day at work. It was difficult for Emma to be around Chelsea because she was gorgeous, with her red hair and stunning blue-green eyes, and she was built like a centerfold. And to top it off, she had a funny, dry wit and an easygoing personality. She was quite possibly perfect. Emma had loved her from the moment Jane introduced them.
Someone like Chelsea probably went on a lot of dates. Maybe she would be the person to ask for advice about how to handle reintroducing herself back into the world of men. Not that she was looking to do that or anything, but eventually her self-imposed exile would have to end, and she hadn’t exactly dealt with Luke’s invitation all that well.
Then again, she wasn’t sure if that was her fault or his. “So, I sort of got asked on a date tonight. I think, though I’m not really sure.”
“Really? That’s exciting,” Jane said, grinning. “Who’s the guy?”
“Uh . . . Luke McCormack.”
“Real-l-l-ly,” Chelsea said. “Luke asked you out? That’s so interesting.”
“Well, he didn’t ask me out on a date. More as a friend?”
Chelsea frowned. “What do you mean?”
She told them about her exchange with Luke at the vet clinic.
Jane rolled her eyes. “Men can be so dumb sometimes. He thought he was doing you a favor by asking you out? What an idiot.”
“I’m with Jane. He’s an imbecile. I’d like to kick him in the nuts.”
Emma laughed. “Thank you. I thought I was being overly sensitive, or maybe I read the situation wrong.”
“No, you definitely didn’t read it wrong,” Chelsea said. “As if you need a mercy date. You’re hot, Emma. You could walk out this door, and ten guys would fight each other for a chance to go out with you. Luke’s a moron, and you should tell him to shove it. Never mind, I’ll tell him to shove it.”
She laid her hand on Chelsea’s arm. “Oh, please don’t say anything to him about this. You, either, Jane. I just wanted some advice, but I’d like this to stay among the three of us.”
“You’re no fun,” Chelsea said. “I love reading the riot act to Luke. We’ve been sparring for years now. I’m an only child, so I never had brothers and sisters to fight with. He’s like the brother I never had.”
Emma laughed. “Well, no fighting with Luke on my account, though I appreciate it. I think I made my thoughts on the matter clear enough.”
“Okay. Still, I think he’s a dipshit.”
“Me, too,” Jane said. “Why are men so obtuse when it comes to women?”
Emma wished she knew. If she’d understood what made men tick, she likely could have avoided a lot of heartbreak years ago.
But as it was, she had no more understanding about the male mind now than she had then.
Men were just a mystery to her.
Chapter 4
“I DO NOT understand women.”
Luke sat on the front porch of the family ranch house sharing a beer with his older brother, Logan.
Logan tipped up the brim of his cowboy hat and stared at him. “And you’re coming to me of all people with that statement? You know I don’t know shit about women. That’s why I live out here in the middle of bumfuck nowhere. All alone. Just the way I like it.”
“Yeah, yeah. I know. You’re the king of solitude. You’re way better at this than I could have ever been.”
“You’re still part owner of the ranch.”
“I told you I’d sell you my portion anytime you wanted it.” Logan looked out over the land. “It belongs to the family, and all that’s left of our ‘family’ is you, me, and Reid since Mom up and left.”
Logan always said that part about their mother so matter-of-factly, as if her remarrying less than a year after Dad died and leaving town—leaving them—was no big deal. It was as if he’d easily wiped her existence out of his life. Luke hadn’t been able to do that so effortlessly.
“You ever think about her?”
Logan frowned and looked at him. “Who?”
“Mom.”
“Nope. And I’m fine with you keeping your ownership of the ranch. Maybe someday one of your kids will want their share.”
Luke snorted. “I’m never getting married again.”
Logan looked over at him. “Is this about Becca? What’s she done now?”
“No, it’s not about Becca. Last I heard she was living in New York. Or maybe it was Miami. Hell if I can keep track. Some big city back east that’s bound to make her happier than life with me ever could.”
Logan tipped the bottle of beer to his lips and took a long swallow. “Wallowing in self-pity again, little brother?”
“Fuck you.”
Logan laughed, dragged his boots off the porch railing, and stood. “You need another beer.”
Logan went inside and Luke propped his feet up on the railing, looking out over the property. Boomer was lying under the shade of a giant blackjack oak, taking a nap next to Whip, one of Logan’s dogs. He spanned his gaze out over the land. They owned as far as he could see. Acre upon acre of grass, trees, and green hills where cattle grazed and wild horses ran free.
Though he couldn’t fathom spending the rest of his life working the ranch, he loved coming here. It gave him a sense of peace and perspective he couldn’t get in town. It was quiet, the only sounds the howling wind and the occasional wails from the cattle out in the pasture. This was home to him, where he’d been raised, where he used to fight with his brothers out in the dirt, where he learned to ride a horse, rope a steer, and shoot a gun.
This was the place he’d learned all about being a man—from his father.
Being out here made him miss his dad. He couldn’t stay after his father died, after his mother had decided she’d had enough of living on a ranch.
Just like Becca, his mother had been raised a city girl, and once his mom had gotten remarried to Clyde, that had been it for her. She’d been outta there faster than a sudden twister moving through.
Though had he been any better? Luke couldn’t take over the legacy of being a rancher. Their youngest brother, Reid, had gone off to college back east and had stayed there, had settled and started his career. And while Luke loved the L&M Ranch, running it, living it, wasn’t in his blood like it was in Logan’s.
Fortunately, Logan loved the ranch, loved the cattle business, and couldn’t dream of doing anything else with his life. Luke had wanted something different, and Logan had encouraged him to get out and live the life he’d dreamed of.
Logan pushed open the screen door, two bottles of beer in hand. He took a seat on one of the old wood chairs, propped his dusty booted feet up on the railing, and handed Luke a beer.
“Have you heard from Reid lately?” Logan asked.
Luke cracked a smile, thinking about their youngest brother. “Yeah. He called the other day while he was hopping a flight from Boston to New York. Said he was too busy to even get laid lately, and that he planned to call you later in the week to catch up when he got back to Boston.”
Logan screwed open the top of his beer and took a long pull. “Who knew being an architect would keep the kid running so much?”
“He’s excellent at what he does. Apparently his work is in demand.”
“Well, good for him.”
“You miss him?”
Logan let out a snort. “Hell, no. He’s a pain in the ass.”
“Yeah, I miss him, too.”
Logan cracked a rare smile and didn’t say a word.