What a Man Needs. Patricia Thayer

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СКАЧАТЬ you. It was tough at first,” Nora explained, “but Jane, Karen and I had Patrick. He was the one who kept the family together, who worked around the clock to save our home. He’d just turned twenty-one when Dad died, and had been handling the ranch long before that.”

      Nora managed a shaky smile. “Will you listen to me go on. I’m sure you’re not interested in our family history.”

      “Not so. I know what it’s like to be without a parent. Kelly’s and my father left us when I was ten.” Of course it had been better than the nonstop fights, Cynthia remembered sadly.

      Just then the back door opened and Patrick walked in carrying her two suitcases. Kelly followed behind him with a small duffel bag. His wary gaze was directed at her. He didn’t say anything, but the meaning was clear. He wasn’t happy she was here.

      “I’m putting these in Janie’s old room.”

      Kelly handed Cynthia the duffel. “Better go with Patrick and see your accommodations.”

      Cynthia reluctantly crossed the room to the wide oak staircase. On the second floor, there was no sign of Patrick Tanner so she continued down the hall, glancing into several of the bedrooms. Each one of them was neat and tidy, adorned with subtle homey touches. So unlike her modern hillside house in LA. Finally she found her host in a soft yellow room with an ivory chenille bedspread covering a canopy bed. Cynthia smiled. She would have given anything to have had a room like this growing up.

      At the row of windows across the room Patrick pulled back the floral curtains, then raised the windows, letting in the sweet-smelling country breeze.

      Patrick turned around, but he refused to look at Cyndi. What had he done to deserve this? He never brought women to the ranch—to his home. Not since Gwen. Damn. He hated thinking about how stupid he’d been back then. How much it had nearly cost him.

      “The bathroom is across the hall,” he instructed her. “Towels are in the cupboard. I don’t have a full-time housekeeper, so you’ll have to make your own bed and clean up after yourself.”

      “I can manage that.”

      Patrick stole another look and his breath caught in his chest. She was beautiful. Her face, her flawless skin, those expressive eyes. Memories of last night came flooding back. Cyndi’s passion, her eagerness in their lovemaking…then her disappearance. It had never crossed his mind that she was the movie star Cynthia Reynolds.

      “Good,” he said, “because no one here has time to wait on you.”

      “Patrick, have I made you angry?”

      Hell, yes. “No, I’m just busy. I have a mare in season.”

      “Please, don’t let me keep you,” she told him without any sarcasm in her tone. “I said I didn’t want any special treatment, and I meant it.”

      Cynthia wondered if she would ever again see the Patrick she’d met at Morgan’s. The man who had been so attentive, so loving. She realized she wanted to see that sexy smile of his again.

      He gave her a sharp nod. “Sounds good to me,” he said, but remained standing there with his hands on his hips. Those narrow hips attached to those long muscular legs. She let her gaze move upward over his flat stomach, to his broad chest and shoulders, unable to erase the memory of every alluring naked inch of this man.

      Her pulse shot off, racing. Staying here for the next ten days was going to be torture. If this movie role wasn’t so important, she wouldn’t be here.

      She picked up one of her suitcases and tossed it on the bed just as Nora and Kelly came in, nearly running into Patrick as he tried to get out the door.

      Nora called to him, “Patrick, I’m cooking a tri-tip roast for dinner so be on time.”

      He mumbled something impossible to understand, then all they heard were footsteps on the stairs.

      “Oh, Cyndi, I had another room picked out for you,” Nora said as she glanced around. “I don’t know why my brother put you here. We can move you.”

      “No, this is fine. I think we’ve disturbed Patrick enough for one day. I’m going to try and do exactly what he wants.” She glanced at her sister. “And you, I’m not finished with you. You didn’t even give me a chance to decide what I wanted to do. I’m not sure I can handle this.”

      Kelly didn’t seem fazed as she helped unpack the clothes, putting things inside the dresser drawers. “If I’d waited, the movie role would have been gone before you decided to get near a horse again.”

      Cynthia took out her cosmetic bag along with her bottle of NoWait oil. She glanced at Nora. “Is she like this at the office? If so, I feel sorry for you.”

      Nora smiled. “I thought my sisters and I were the only ones who argued like this. I’m the baby so I have no sympathy for older sisters. I got bossed around by everyone.”

      “Yeah, but I bet you were spoiled, too,” Cynthia said, glaring at Kelly. “Just remember all the mistakes are made on the oldest child.”

      “And I got all your hand-me-downs,” Kelly tossed back.

      Cynthia knew that Kelly wasn’t just talking about clothes. During their teenage years they’d shared a few boyfriends, too. She surprised herself by saying, “Not anymore.”

      Kelly grinned. “I guess there are some things we need to put off-limits.”

      Cynthia wondered what had gotten into her. Had she gotten territorial over Patrick? She shook away the thought, knowing she needed to concentrate on her challenge of learning to ride.

      But which one was going to give her the most trouble—the horse or the man?

      After dinner, Patrick stood out on the back porch watching a light rain wash over the mountains. Billowy clouds clung to the peak, hiding the last of the day’s sun. He loved this time. The end of a busy day, when his body felt a satisfied tiredness, which meant he’d accomplished a lot. And he had. If everything went as planned, the mare Black Knight had covered today would soon test pregnant.

      Later that afternoon, he and Forest had ridden out to check fences and the herd. The cows and the new calves were doing fine. Then they went on to the west section to check the ten acres of rootstock vines they’d planted last spring. And finally he’d made it home in time to have a great dinner.

      He liked having his sister home and he loved her cooking. With Nora working in Portland she hadn’t been able to get out to the ranch much. That meant he was usually all alone. Not that he got lonely. He had plenty to keep him busy. And that was the way he liked it.

      Old memories rushed into his head. Aside from his sisters it had been years since he’d shared his life with anyone. Not since Gwen had ripped out his heart and nearly bankrupted him. He’d wanted a wife, a second mother for the girls, especially someone to love. But she had played him for a fool.

      Since then, Patrick had decided that he didn’t need the hassle or heartache. After striking out with Gwen, he realized he wasn’t cut out for relationships. So he kept any associations with women short, nothing serious, nothing permanent. And he’d let them know the score by the second date. But waking up this morning in the hotel room alone СКАЧАТЬ