Lipstick and Leather (Rough and Ready Book 7) Read online

  Joe stood at the stove with his back to her but looked over his shoulder as she walked in. He’d taken off his hat and she saw that his hair was black, a startling combination with the blue of his eyes.

  He gestured to a plate of fried bacon beside a cutting board with tomato slices and lettuce leaves on it. A bottle of mayo and a loaf of whole wheat bread were next to a couple of plates.

  She cleared her throat. “Thank you for rescuing me outside and helping me get settled.” She breathed in the warm smells. “And for this wonderful feast.”

  “Not a problem.” He turned a piece of bacon. “Beer, wine, iced tea, or water?” he asked. “Whatever you want is in the fridge.”

  “A beer sounds wonderful.” She opened the fridge, reached in and grabbed a Bud. “You?”

  “I’ll take one too.”

  She selected a second one then put both on a table in the kitchen nook before returning to him.

  He used a pair of tongs to take more bacon out of the pan to add to the rest, then turned off the heat and put the pan on a cool burner.

  When she reached him, he said, “Help yourself.”

  “Thanks.” She loaded up her BLT then took her sandwich to the table and waited for him to join her before she started eating her sandwich. “Wonderful,” she said after she swallowed. She took a drink of beer then added, “I needed this.”

  Joe’s lips curved into a smile. “You don’t strike me as the beer type.”

  His smile did funny things to her insides. She returned his smile. “Usually I prefer wine, but tonight a beer sounded better with a BLT.” She added dryly, “Goes better with mud, too.”

  He chuckled. “What made you decide to interrupt your city life and come out here to the middle of nowhere?” he asked in between bites. “Boston is a far cry from Sonoita.”

  His voice was low and sent vibrations through her belly. The big cowboy was so sexy she had a hard time concentrating on his words.

  “I needed a change.” She tried to get her mind off thoughts of seeing him naked and shrugged. “When my father passed away and left me the ranch I decided to take it over. So I sold my boutique and here I am.”

  “Here you are,” he repeated then was silent for a long moment. “I don’t suppose you know anything about ranching.”

  “No.” She shook her head. “But I’m a fast learner and I have a good head for business. My boutique was very successful.”

  “That’s nice,” he said but he didn’t sound convinced that she would make a good ranch boss.

  She knew what he was thinking. Running a boutique was a far cry from running a ranch. Well, she was bound and determined to show him and the rest of the hands that she could handle it. She frowned and started to say more but decided it wasn’t the time for business. “I’m calling a meeting for nine so please let everyone know.”

  “Tomorrow we’ll start branding the calves early and won’t be finished until later in the day,” he said.

  “Everyone can take a break.” She held his gaze, not about to back down. “This is more important.”

  “You’re the boss,” he said but his eyes had flashed with something she was sure was irritation. Now he seemed guarded and she had the feeling that he wasn’t too happy about a woman from Boston coming in to run the show.

  Well, he’d just have to get used to it. She was in charge now and it was time to make some changes around here.

  During their dinner of sandwiches and beer, Brianna’s gaze kept returning to him and she imagined what it would be like for him to take her into his arms because he wanted to, not because she fell against him like she had when she’d slipped in the mud. She had to admit that she had enjoyed their bodies pressed together no matter what her mood had been at the moment.

  When they were finished eating, they tossed the beer bottles and cleared the plates. There were no leftovers thanks to his appetite. She had stopped at one while he ate two BLT’s and he downed two beers.

  After cleaning up, he walked her to her room as if they were going home after a date. When he stopped at her door, she looked up at Joe and his gaze met and held hers. Suddenly nothing would come to mind except for the thought of kissing him. Without even thinking about it she swept her tongue along her lower lip.

  “I’ll go ahead and lock up.” He set his jaw and he looked like he was barely holding himself back. “Good night, boss.” His words seemed tight as he spoke and he seemed like he was barely roping himself in. And then he turned and walked away.

  For a moment she just stood there, feeling somehow lonely and rejected when he was out of sight.

  When Brianna was ready to sleep, she lay on her back in the strange bed, staring up at the ceiling. What had she been thinking? For all intents and purposes she had practically invited a strange cowboy into her bed.

  She had talked with Joe on the phone a few times, but never expected him to look like he did. He was so hot. She bit her lower lip as she thought about the tall, good-looking cowboy and the raw hungry look he’d given her.

  If she had the chance, she’d have that cowboy on his back as she climbed on top of him and slid herself down over his cock. She’d be on him like a cowboy would ride a bull. Except she was the one doing the riding. All that power and strength would be hers to master. She was always on top, always in control.

  If he’d taken her up on tonight, she would have established her place as boss in more ways than one. He would love how she mastered him in bed. Men she had dated were more than happy to have her in control.

  Yes, she could picture lassoing that cowboy.

  She smiled and rolled onto her side and slipped into a deep sleep.

  Chapter 8

  Brianna woke to bright sunlight spilling into her room. She felt relaxed and rested. She stretched her arms and yawned and casually looked at the clock on the nightstand. She bolted straight up in bed. A quarter to nine.

  She had told Joe to assemble everyone at nine and she wasn’t even up yet. She scrambled out of bed, almost tripping over a rug.

  Her suitcases were where Joe had left them. Usually she liked everything neat and orderly, but she would just have to deal with things being a mess. She unzipped the largest of the bags and grabbed a skirt and blouse along with a pair of panties and a bra.

  She yanked on her clothing and looked at herself in the vanity mirror and almost groaned at the site of her hair sticking up and her face with no makeup. She hurried to go through her overnight bag and dug out a brush before she yanked it through her hair.

  This time she picked out flats instead of heels. They were attractive and went with her favorite business blouse and skirt. She rushed to put on foundation, blusher, eye shadow, liner and mascara.

  She was five minutes late when she practically flew to the front door. It wasn’t good to be late her first day. When she reached the door she realized she had forgotten her notebook.

  Two more minutes passed before she made it outside and she saw Joe and the nine ranch hands who worked on the ranch. And worked for her now.

  The men had gathered at the gate to a corral. Some of them had their backs up against the wood bars of the corral while others stood around. They were already dirty at this early hour of nine in the morning.

  The porch screen door slapped shut behind her and she walked down the porch stairs with a smile fixed on her face. The desert was already starting to dry out from last night’s rain but she still felt wet earth cling to her shoes.

  The breeze smelled clean at first but the odor of something not so fresh reached her, coming from the corral. Old memories came to her of that smell that had once been familiar. She had been so young she was surprised she remembered.

  She tried to read the ranch hands’ faces as she headed toward the men. Joe was particularly hard to read. The others’ expressions looked anywhere from blank to calm to irritated.

  One of the men spit and she grimaced as she saw brown goo splatter the ground. Chewing tobacco.

  “Hi.” She smile
d at the tough-looking men when she reached them. “I’m Brianna Wilson, Bill Wilson’s daughter.”

  A couple of men touched the brims of their cowboy hats in what she thought was greeting while others gave her a nod and others stood with their arms crossed.

  Through the wooden bars she saw little cows that looked like they were crying. “Do those little cows want their mothers?” she asked as she tried to break the silence.

  Some of the men appeared to be struggling to hold back laughter while others looked like they would have rolled their eyes if they weren’t a bunch of tough cowboys.

  Joe cleared his throat and kept a straight face. “Yes, ma’am. The calves are bawling for their mothers.”

  “Oh.” Calves. Great. She could vaguely remember her daddy teaching her that twenty-nine years ago.

  She should have studied up more on the basics of ranch life in addition to going over the books and overall operations. Now she probably looked like a real novice. Well, she was a fast learner like she had told Joe.

  She held her notebook to her chest. “I’ve been going over the books and the ranch is in the red.” She kept her voice calm but serious. “Thus, there are going to be some changes around here.”

  Her words were met with silence.

  She took a deep breath. “We’re going to have to cut wages.” Expressions shifted from cautious to pissed. She’d expected that. “It’s one of the actions that needs to be taken to keep the ranch from going under.”

  “Guess you’ll be looking for a new set of hands,” one cowboy said, “because I sure as hell ain’t gonna hang around with shit for pay.”

  There were mutters of agreement as Joe raised his hand in a movement that said “hold on.”

  “I’d like to talk with you in private, ma’am.” His voice was hard as he spoke to her.

  She raised her notebook. “I have more to discuss.”

  Joe started toward the barn then paused and looked over his shoulder, waiting for her to follow.

  Anger stirred within her as she followed him into the barn. She didn’t know why she did what he wanted her to. He was the one who should be listening to her. Another thing she was going to have to talk with him about.

  The moment she entered the shadowed building, smells assaulted her and she sneezed. Again memories came to her, this time of her daddy holding her on a horse in front of him in the saddle.

  When she faced Joe, she was once again struck by how handsome he was and completely sexy. His shirtsleeves were rolled up and his western shirt was dirty. He looked like he had been working hard before he had stopped work to attend the meeting.

  “I have a couple of things to talk with you about.” She straightened. “I had intended to do so later but now is as good as any time.”

  Words stuck in her throat as he stood closer, towering over her by about a foot. She straightened her backbone. She would not be intimidated by this man.

  “With all due respect, ma’am, you don’t get it. You need to talk with me about things before just laying that out to the men. We won’t have a ranch hand left with your approach. We’re down to bare bones as it is.” His voice lowered. “Those men are already working below going wages and that’s because they respected Bill, and they respect me. The only reason why they haven't already walked off the job is because I asked them to hold on while you and I talk.”

  He continued before she could say anything. “I have offers from all across the county.” Anger simmered in his words. “Hell, the only reason why I’ve stayed on is because I promised your daddy that I would see this through.”

  “Fine. I’ll hire new ranch hands and a new foreman.” She raised her chin. “In this economy there should be plenty of men willing to work for what I believe to be fair wages.”

  His hard edges were showing and it made her feel hot beneath her skin. “If it wasn’t for your daddy, I’d be gone by now. But I don’t want to see the ranch go down.”

  “I don’t have a choice.” She clenched her notebook until her knuckles ached. “The ranch is going under.”

  Joe looked like he was trying to maintain his cool. “I know times are tough but things are changing.”

  “I’m not seeing changes.” She wasn’t finding it easy to keep calm at all. “All I’m finding are things sliding.”

  “Cattle futures have skyrocketed,” he said. “We can’t stop now. It changes everything. We also just started subdividing land we don’t need and selling it off. That money will help the operation of this ranch to see us through this temporary slowdown.”

  “I’ve told you what we are going to do.” She put her hands on her hips. “If you don’t like it you should look into one of those job offers. Your salary isn’t exactly low.”

  “With due respect, ma’am,” he said again. “I have been doing this for fifteen years. You are wrong. Wages right now are close to where they were before I started because the guys were loyal and were promised bonuses when the ranch turned around. Your daddy promised that and he always did whatever he said he would.”

  She clenched her fists at her sides. “I am not used to subordinates who don’t understand authority and argue. What I say goes. I have run a successful business for years.”

  “That didn’t turn out so well for you, did it?” The anger in his words was clear. “I heard that business failed. We are all seeing tough times.”

  “You’re fired.” Fury had her grinding her teeth. “Get off my property.”

  “It’s obvious your daddy didn’t spank you enough.” He stared her down as her jaw dropped. “What you need is a good spanking. You’re lucky I don’t turn you over my knee and take care of it right now.”

  He turned and walked out of the barn.

  How dare he talk to her the way he had? Brianna stared after Joe. Strange thoughts went through her mind…of Joe spanking her.

  She shook her head. Crazy. She forced her thoughts away from that and instead on her new problem.

  Looked like she needed to find a new foreman. How did this spiral out of control so fast?

  “That was a mistake.”

  A woman’s voice startled Brianna and she turned to face the woman who had come up behind her leading a black and white horse. The sixty-something woman with silver hair had a face that was neither soft nor hard, but pleasant enough.

  Brianna frowned. “You were listening to a private conversation.”

  “I was brushing down Checkers.” She held the reins in one hand as she patted the horse’s neck with her other. The horse whickered softly. “Couldn’t help but overhear.” She extended her hand. “Grace McAvoy.”

  Brianna took her hand. Grace had a grip that was neither limp nor firm, but comfortable. She was likely a diplomatic woman who rode the fence on some subjects, but the passion in the woman’s eyes told Brianna she was strong beneath the surface like an undercurrent stirring beneath still water.

  She tried for a smile. “Brianna Wilson.”

  Grace lightly stroked Checkers’ mane as she looked at Brianna. “I own a ranch right up against Bill’s—yours now.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Brianna looked from the woman to the horse. “And Checkers, too.” She moved her gaze back to Grace. “What brings you here?”

  “One of the hands was riding the fence with me until he had to return for your meeting,” Grace said. “He said you were back so I thought I would come say hello.”

  Brianna wanted to ask more but she didn’t get a chance.

  “I knew your mother,” Grace said. “Beautiful woman.”

  Brianna wasn’t surprised that Grace knew her mother “Did you know her well?”

  “Never had much of a chance,” Grace said. “She kept to herself mostly and left when you were pretty young.”

  Brianna felt a familiar ache. “Mother died three years ago.”

  Grace tilted her head like she was thinking about what she wanted to tell Brianna. “Your daddy took Tamara’s death hard. I think he believed that as long as she
lived there would somehow be a chance at a reunion. Your daddy missed her like hell. She may have moved across the US, but Bill never got over her.”

  Old feelings surfaced of how much she had wanted her father but he wasn’t there growing up. “I never really knew him.”

  Grace echoed what Joe had said yesterday. “Bill was so proud of you from the moment you were born. Even when your mother took off with you and when she didn’t let him have any contact, he never stopped looking in on you and finding out everything he could. He watched you from afar.”

  Regret welled up inside of Brianna. “He made an attempt after I moved away from home and he came to Boston to see me a couple of years ago. I had intended to visit him but there was always something going on.”

  The horse snorted and bobbed its head. “I remember when he went to see you,” Grace said. “He was so proud of what you had made of yourself.”

  Grace seemed to know a lot of personal information. “Why would he confide in you?” Brianna added.

  “Your father and I tried our hand at a relationship but he couldn’t get over Tamara,” Grace said. “We stayed friends. Good friends.”

  With a smile, Grace went on. “Did you ever wonder how the ranch got its name?”

  Brianna shrugged. “It’s an old brand that goes back generations.”

  “Yes and no.” Grace gave a soft smile. “Bill took the Diamond Bar brand and put a B in the middle to make the Diamond B. The B is for Brianna,” she said. “He always intended for the ranch to go to you,” Grace said.

  Brianna didn’t know what to say. Thoughts of her father were always accompanied by feelings of abandonment during her childhood years and regret as an adult. She didn’t know until just before he died that her mom had intercepted his letters and cards he sent over the years. It made her sad to think about.

  Grace gestured to the barn entrance. “Why don’t we get back to the mistake you just made?”

  Brianna bristled again, her skin tightening. “Go ahead.”