Claiming Her Cowboy. Tina Radcliffe

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      “Do you wear a helmet?”

      “It depends on the situation.” She met his gaze. “Oh, and by the way, other than me, only Travis and Lucy are aware you’re from the Brisbane Foundation. You are simply a summer volunteer, as far as everyone else is concerned.”

      “So I’m undercover? Why the big secret?”

      “I don’t want anyone to panic, and actually, Mr. Harris, it’s to your advantage.”

      “How’s that?”

      “If everyone believes you’re part of the team, they’ll be open and transparent while you’re here.”

      “If you say so,” he replied.

      “I do.” Lucy pulled out a key and opened the bunkhouse door before dropping it into his hand. “Welcome to your new home. This is bunkhouse number one. It has all the amenities you should need—coffeemaker, microwave. If you need something more, let us know. We’ll vote on it at the next budget meeting. Of course, that won’t be until after the foundation makes their funding decisions.”

      A smiling Travis greeted them at the door. “Hey, Jack. You’re bunking with us? Great.” He held open the screen. “Come on in.”

      Jack folded the papers from Lucy and put them in his back pocket as he moved into the living quarters. “You live here?”

      “Only during the summer,” Travis said. “It’s easier than driving home after a twelve-hour day, so I moved my stuff over today.” Travis tossed his black Stetson on a bunk and winked at Lucy. “Besides, it keeps the boss happy, because if the boss isn’t happy, nobody is happy.”

      “Keep it up, little brother,” Lucy muttered.

      “Who...” Jack waved a hand at the other bunk.

      “Tripp Walker,” Travis said. “The horse whisperer. Doesn’t talk much. If it involves horses, though, Tripp is your point of contact.”

      Jack nodded.

      Travis looked from Lucy to Jack. “Madame Director giving you a hard time?”

      “One might conclude that.”

      “Her bark is worse than her bite,” Travis returned, as though she wasn’t in the room.

      Lucy offered her brother a slow nod, obviously letting him know he could expect payback for his comments. Jack couldn’t help but smile at the affectionate sibling interaction. A part of him was envious at their bond. Would he and Daniel have been like Lucy and Travis? He brushed the thought away.

      Travis turned to Lucy. “I just got a call. Beau is loose. We’re on lockdown.”

      Lucy released a breath. “Of course he is. Any sightings?”

      “Not yet.”

      “Did you drive the Ute over, Trav?” Lucy asked.

      “Yeah. It’s parked behind out back, on the street.”

      “Mind if I borrow it to take Mr. Harris on a little tour?”

      “No problem.” He tossed her the keys.

      “Ute?” Jack asked as he followed Lucy out the back door and down a gravel walk.

      “Utility vehicle. Like if a Jeep and a golf cart had a child.”

      Jack smiled when he saw the black vehicle with the ranch logo emblazoned on the hood. “That’s a fitting description,” he said as he slid into the doorless passenger side.

      “What was Travis talking about? Beau?”

      “The boys’ ranch mascot. Beau is literally an old goat. He’s nearly blind, mostly hard of hearing, yet somehow, he manages to get out of his corral now and then.”

      “A goat?”

      She nodded. “You better fasten your seat belt, Mr. Harris. Around here you never can tell what might be waiting down the road.”

      He stretched the seat belt across himself and connected it with a click. “Couldn’t you call me Jack or Jackson? Mr. Harris seems a little formal.”

      Lucy shrugged. “That’s fine. However, our children will be calling you Mr. Jack. Those are the rules.”

      “What about you?” he asked.

      “What about me?” Lucy put a hand on the gearshift knob.

      “What do they call you?”

      “Miss Lucy works.” She paused. “I mean for the kids. You may call me Lucy.”

      “Thanks, Lucy.”

      She shot him a sidelong glance.

      “Can you tell me about the ranch?” he asked.

      Lucy turned in her seat. “I’m sure you had us investigated. Exactly what is it that was left out of your report?”

      “Your family’s qualifications for running this operation.”

      “I’m an orphan.” The words were a flat admission. “Obviously, my brother and sister, as well. We cycled through the foster care system until we were adopted out.” She shrugged and started the Ute. “More than you probably care to know.”

      Jack paused. He understood and cared far more than Lucy Maxwell would ever know. When his brother died, he too had been orphaned. His mother had taken off and his father had checked out.

      Aunt Meri had saved him. He needed to remember that. His aunt was the only reason he was giving Big Heart Ranch a second chance.

      She steered the Ute toward the main ranch road. “I have a master’s degree in business management from Spears College of Business Management. Travis majored in animal sciences and graduated from the Oklahoma State University College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences. Emma also attended OSU and is a licensed social worker with a master’s degree.”

      “How did three orphans manage that?”

      Lucy’s head jerked back at his question and she inhaled sharply. Slowing the Ute to a stop, she shifted into Neutral to look at him. “Excuse me?”

      He raised a palm. “Don’t read something into my words I didn’t intend. My questions are simply part of my due diligence.”

      Silence reigned for moments, as she stared straight out the windshield of the Ute. When she turned to him once again, her eyes were shuttered.

      “In addition to scholarships, we sold snake oil on Saturdays to fund our education.”

      Jack met her gaze. She didn’t give him time to respond.

      “As I stated, we were in the foster care system for several years. A cousin of our mother tracked us down and adopted all of us. I was ten, Travis СКАЧАТЬ