Disarming the Rancher Read online

  She looped her arms around his neck and tangled her fingers in his hair, urging him to deepen the kiss. She nipped at his bottom lip, scraping across it with her teeth. All he could say was, damn.

  Kissing her was right up there at the top of the best things in his life. It had nothing to do with her being a rising star. This was Raleigh from Lone Star Pass. A beautiful and intelligent woman who was sexy as all get out. A person who made him want things he probably shouldn’t as he dropped his hands so they could roam her incredible body.

  She pressed her body flush with his and a tidal wave of need welled up inside him.

  Before things got too out of hand, he pulled on all his willpower to break apart. He found her forehead with his and tried to catch his breath. He’d never gone from zero to a hundred and twenty before like he just had with her.

  The whole situation left his body aching for more.

  “Hardy’s still waiting,” she finally said.

  “Then, we should go,” was all he managed to say.

  Raleigh kissed Brax Firebrand, her childhood crush. Seriously? More than once today but that session in the loft just now was beyond hot. If only she could go back and tell her sixteen-year-old self this would happen…nah. Sixteen-year-old Raleigh would never believe it.

  Plus, she’d spent most of her time daydreaming about a singing career.

  Brax reached for her hand as they walked out of the barn, and then linked their fingers. There was something incredibly sexy about holding this man’s hand. Something that sent her stomach into a flipflop routine that would make any gymnast show a little respect.

  At the back door of the main house, he let go long enough to open the door for her.

  “I’ll return this to Corbin,” he said, holding up the guitar.

  “Think he’d mind if I borrowed it for the rest of the night?” Being in the loft with Brax gave her a whole lot of inspiration for new songs. “I’m not ready to turn in yet.”

  “You haven’t eaten dinner yet,” he pointed out.

  “True. When I get in a zone, I sometimes forget the basics. Food. Water.” She couldn’t remember the last time someone noticed whether or not she’d had a meal. Normally, she was making sure the band had a pizza. The past few hours had been freeing on so many levels she couldn’t begin to unpack them all. What she could say definitively was that Brax Firebrand was good for her music.

  “Why don’t we set up in the kitchen for a minute and I’ll heat a few plates,” he said.

  “How about you let me help this time?” she asked.

  “You’re a guest. No dice,” he teased.

  “I’m practically family. I grew up here,” she countered.

  “Fine. You get the drinks,” he said.

  “Are you hungry, Hardy?” She should have stopped at some point while in the loft and told him to go eat.

  “Mrs. Firebrand brought me a meatball sandwich,” he said. “I’m good to go.”

  Of course, she did. The woman was Raleigh’s role model and superhero wrapped up in one adorable Italian package.

  “Since we’re inside the house now and I have Brax here, why don’t you go power down in your room?” she asked.

  Hardy took in the layout. He studied Brax, looking like he was sizing him up.

  “How about this? I’ll lock the backdoor,” Brax said. He seemed to understand Hardy’s hesitation.

  Hardy nodded. “I’ll double-check windows and doors on the ground floor before heading to my quarters.”

  “I can show you to your room whenever you’re ready,” Brax said.

  Hardy nodded his appreciation. He didn’t get close to anyone on tour. And yet, she sensed that he liked Brax. Or the Firebrands at the very least.

  Brax locked the back door, as promised. Hardy saluted before making his way through the rooms, checking locks and securing windows. In the middle of June no one left windows open in Texas. It was too hot outside and most places had central air conditioning.

  “I know Hardy appreciates the gesture,” she said, motioning toward the door. “And so do I.”

  “He’s just trying to do his job. I see no reason to get in the way of that,” Brax said as he moved to the fridge. “Now, let’s see what kind of leftovers are in here.”

  “I could eat your mother’s meatballs three meals a day.” She put her hands up like she was swearing on a Bible. “It’s true.”

  “It’d be real hard to top that. But, let’s see what else I have up my sleeve.” He pulled out a container. “If memory serves, sour cream chicken enchiladas were your favorite.”

  “They barely edge out chicken fried steak, though,” she said.

  Road food was nothing in comparison to Mom Firebrand’s cooking. No contest there. Raleigh knew all the best truck stops along the highway but there was something special about home cooking that no roadside diner could top.

  Or maybe being home made everything better, including the food.

  “Who had access to the stage on the day of your last concert?” Brax’s question came after a long moment of silence while he prepared plates. He walked over and set them down on the table as she placed the water glasses down.

  “Everyone in the band, of course. The crew and any onsite workers. Each venue provides a skeleton crew for a price.” She sat down. “Oh, and my business manager, Wade.”

  “Have I met him?” he asked.

  “No. As a matter of fact, he’s supposed to be here. I called to check on him and he hasn’t called me back.” She fished her phone out of her back pocket and then checked the screen. “Still no word from him.”

  She opened her e-mail.

  “Nothing there either.” She glanced up in time to see the confusion on his face. “He’s supposed to send me my financials.”

  “Do you have your account logins and passwords?” he asked.

  “I probably have a few, not all though,” she admitted. “I could be better about learning the business end.”

  “It’s important to know all aspects of your business,” he said.

  “I had an amazing business manager until she left the tour to have a family.” Raleigh had never wanted those things. The first time she really considered them came when Sharon broke the engagement news to Raleigh. As happy as she was for her best friend, a piece of her—the not-so-good-of-a-friend part—knew how much she would miss her partner-in-crime. “I never once had to question books or what was happening on the business end.”

  Would the bomb threat have happened on Sharon’s watch? For reasons Raleigh couldn’t explain, she doubted it.

  “Sharon was thorough in everything she did. She was the first person at a venue and the last person to leave,” she continued.

  Brax didn’t immediately speak. He seemed to take it all in and consider her words. If she had someone like him on tour and managing her business, she could focus on what she loved doing…

  “Let me know if you’re ever in the mood for a change of pace. I’d be beyond grateful to have a partner like you,” she said on impulse.

  11

  “Afraid being a cattle rancher is in my blood.” Brax appreciated the offer and he could immediately sense that she was only half joking based on the serious look in her eyes.

  “I figured as much,” she said with a wink. “It was worth a shot.”

  “I do know a thing or two about balancing books. And we have an accountant who takes a look at everything. I could have him review yours,” he offered.

  “Yes, please. I don’t want Wade to think that I don’t trust him but…” She flashed eyes at Brax. “I don’t trust him.”

  “Give me his information. I’ll have our person contact Wade directly. Might get a faster response that way.” Most people who weren’t qualified to do a job reacted poorly to a little outside pressure. Brax had a feeling Wade was probably dropping the ball and afraid to come clean about his mistakes at a minimum. It wouldn’t make sense for him to be the bomber because he’d be out of a job if anything happened to Raleigh.

  She took a screenshot, asked for his phone number, and sent over the requested information.

  Brax forwarded the shot to his accountant, Manny Ortega.

  He watched as Raleigh bit back several yawns in between bites of food.

  “It’s been a long, intense day. You must be tired,” Brax said. “Let’s get you upstairs and to bed.”

  He heard the way that sounded and couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Not exactly what I meant,” he clarified.

  “You can’t take it back now,” she teased as a male voice cleared his throat.

  They both turned to the hallway.

  “Kenny, what are you still doing up?” she asked, trying to come off as breezy. The atmosphere in the room changed and her shock at the interruption came across loud and clear.

  “Came down for a glass of water,” he said, looking none too thrilled to find Brax and Raleigh alone in the kitchen. His sour expression could be attributed to walking in during the tail end of their conversation.

  “Glasses are in the cabinet,” Brax motioned next to the sink. “Help yourself.”

  “I’d hate to interrupt whatever it is you got going on in here,” Kenny said. Brax had seen a similar expression in his teen years when the opposing high school lost the biggest football matchup of the season on their mistake.

  “We had a late dinner.” At least Raleigh held her ground. “I’m not sure if the two of you have been properly introduced. Brax is one of my dearest friends from back when I lived in Lone Star Pass and we were just reliving old times.”

  “Must not have been very great, seeing how you couldn’t wait to get out of here,” Kenny mumbled as he walked over to the cabinet.

  Brax had half a mind to call the guy out on his immatur
e behavior, but it wasn’t his place. He didn’t have any designs on Raleigh. She’d been clear on that point. And he didn’t figure she would appreciate him being rude to someone in her band.

  “There’s a big difference between running from and running toward,” he said by way of explanation.

  “She told me all about it when we dated.” Kenny’s tone set Brax’s blood to boiling.

  But this wasn’t high school and Brax could be the bigger person here. Besides, Raleigh would never go for someone who didn’t respect her. She might have made a mistake with this guy once when she was much younger. She was far too savvy now.

  In fact, he respected her even more for her mental toughness. She’d always known what she wanted and wasn’t one bit afraid to go for it. The trait was admirable.

  Kenny, on the other hand, sent up red flags.

  Would he tamper with the stage? What would he have to gain? Did he believe he could frighten Raleigh into a relationship? Be her shoulder to cry on while on tour? Weasel his way back into her life?

  It might be a stretch but was worth considering. Brax figured the FBI would cover that ground if they hadn’t already. There was probably no way to get an update from them. Meeting the other band members and crew one-on-one became his next priority. He also needed to ask if she had meet-and-greets with fans before shows.

  Would he be able to speak to the venue manager? Get a sense of what security protocols were in place. She’d been playing larger venues but that didn’t necessarily mean safer.

  Finally, he wanted to meet Wade. Brax could tell a lot about a person by looking them in the eye.

  Raleigh rinsed off the dishes as Brax fired off a few texts to see what he could get going on his end. The last name Firebrand was capable of moving mountains in Texas. Brax had never thrown the family weight around until now. He sent off a text to the family lawyer to get him riled up.

  Time to shake the cage and see what fell out. In the meantime, he planned to stick as close to Raleigh as she would allow.

  “You could make an attempt to be nice, Kenny. After all, this family is important to me,” Raleigh whispered. The exacerbation in her voice told him she was tired of going down this road with the man.

  “What did I do?” Kenny threw his arms up.

  The man was no threat to Brax. Whoa there. Where did that come from?

  Brax ignored it and moved on. Kenny had burned Raleigh once. She had a long memory and a short fuse when it came to putting up with someone’s antics. Break trust with her and it was game over. He’d seen it at school, and he was guessing that it was the same now.

  He waited patiently as she finished up and then turned on the dishwasher.

  “Don’t leave your glass lying around for someone else to pick up, Kenny,” she said. “This isn’t the tour bus and there are other people living here.”

  “Fine. Maybe we should go back to your place or the tour bus,” he quipped with a side glance toward Brax. “Who says this place is safer anyway?”

  “I do, for one. Hardy agrees,” Raleigh said. “But look, no one can keep you here. If you think you’d be better off on your own, take off. Wade can text you once it’s safe to get back on tour and you can join us on the road. The feds did a great job of taking down everyone’s contact information after the interviews. They know how to find you if they have more questions.” She crossed her arms over her chest and turned toward Kenny like she was daring him to go.

  “Nice, Raleigh. So…what? Now, you just don’t care what happens to anyone else?” Kenny asked, sounding like a broken-hearted teenager.

  “Interpret it however you want,” she fired back. “You will anyway.”

  “Why don’t you spell it out for me,” he taunted. “Do you want me here or not?”

  “Are you part of the band?” She turned the tables.

  “You know I am.” He shot another one of those sideways glances toward Brax. Was he checking to see if Brax intended to interfere?

  If Kenny stayed in his lane there’d be no reason for Brax to stick his nose in band business. Not to mention the fact Raleigh was proving more than capable of handling herself. Unless she signaled for help, Brax was fine being an observer. It was more fun than it should be to watch the guy strike out.

  Brax pulled up the venue on his cell phone, and then studied the layout.

  “Then why would I want you to go anywhere?” she asked. “But I’m not here to make anyone else uncomfortable either. If you don’t like staying at the Firebrands’ place you can go back to the bus.”

  “What about us?” he demanded.

  “We’re bandmates, Kenny,” she shot back.

  “Is that all I am to you?” His frustration was evident in his intensity.

  “Everyone in the band is like family to me,” she defended, softening her tone.

  Kenny stormed off without another word. Something bigger had to be brewing with the guy. Any normal person would take the hint. Or their ego would kick in at some point. Rejection stung. This guy didn’t seem ready to accept what was plain as the nose on his face.

  “What’s his problem?” Brax asked Raleigh when she joined him across the room.

  “Sour grapes, I guess. He doesn’t seem to like the two of us spending time together,” she surmised.

  “How about you? Do you like being with me?” he asked, and then immediately wished he hadn’t.

  “I’m right where I want to be, Brax.” Her answer was the equivalent of a bonfire being lit in his chest, warming him from the inside out. And just like a campfire, it would burn out.

  Raleigh stared at Brax. Her heart pounded her chest as she waited for a response.

  “Too bad you have no plans to stick around,” he said.

  “I’m here now,” she insisted, not backing down an inch.

  “And you’re sending mixed signals.” He reached for her hand. “So, let me show you to your room.”

  “Is this about Kenny?” She was getting tired of him. Her bandmate’s pressure, his constant need to argue…his insistence on the two of them being meant for each other.

  “This is about me and you,” Brax said.

  Well, damn. She couldn’t argue his point. One minute they were lip-locked and practically on fire and the next reality set in and one of them saw reason. To say the situation was complicated was a lot like saying Texas summers were hot.

  “Just because we want different things doesn’t mean we can’t spend time together now,” she said.

  “Doesn’t it?” His eyebrow shot up as he led her up the stairs.

  It was infuriating how right he was.

  “We already agreed no more kissing. Again,” she said on a sigh. All the reasons they couldn’t figure out a way to date flew out the window when his thick lips pressed to hers. He had the perfect mouth and when he broke into a wide smile, there was a show of perfectly straight, white teeth.

  “Probably for the best,” he stated with no conviction.

  It shouldn’t make her smile that he seemed just as affected by the decision. It did anyway.

  At the top of the stairs, he walked her down a long hallway. Most of the doors were closed. There were two open at the end, side by side, with one across the hallway.

  “How many bedrooms are there in this place?” Raleigh asked, not bothering to hide her shock.

  “Too many for one man, I promise you that,” Brax said. “Yours is here.”

  “Are you staying next door?” she asked. Hers was the very last one.

  “That’s the plan,” he said.

  She stood in front of the door, unable to force her legs to move. They should probably say goodnight, but she didn’t want this night to end.

  “So,” they both started at the same time.

  Both laughed.

  “Ladies first,” Brax said, faking a tip of an imaginary hat.

  “You’re probably tired. So, feel free to say no. It’s just, I won’t be here for long and I didn’t realize how much I missed Lone Star Pass until I came back.” The words practically tumbled out of her mouth. She stopped long enough to take a breath and try to slow her racing pulse. “I miss it here. The law will figure this out and we’ll be gone on a moment’s notice. I was just thinking if you’re not too tired yet…well…I’m really enjoying your company.”