Kitabı oxu: «A Callahan Outlaw's Twins»

Chapter Two

Kendall Phillips looked down at the sleeping man, unsure how to wake him. He slept like he was dead, which he probably should be, considering he’d spent the night on the ground at Rancho Diablo. In the not-quite-dawn light, she saw that the fire had gone out, perhaps hours ago.

The next thing Kendall knew, she was flat on her backside in the dust. “Ow!” Her fanny smarted—and now this guest of Jonas’s was on her very bad side. “Let go of me, you gorilla!”

“Who are you? What are you doing here?” he demanded.

She noted he didn’t release her, and she squelched the great desire to pull off one of her high-heeled Manolo Blahniks and pierce him with it. “I’m Kendall Phillips. I was sent with coffee and to bring you in to meet the family while it’s still dark. Let go of my ankle!”

She slapped his hand, but he didn’t seem to mind. He slowly released her, his fingers lingering against her skin—as if he wasn’t used to feeling anything soft.

Chills ran up her legs.

“Sorry,” he said. “Not used to a chuck wagon showing up to greet me, nor a female.”

Kendall stood, turning to look at her white Chanel skirt, which now bore a target-size dirt mark on it, very visible despite the dimness still covering the ranch. “Apology not accepted. I was trying to wake you gently, you...” She sized the man up as he stood. “You do look like a Callahan.”

“That’s because I am.” He glanced around. “Do me a favor. Don’t tell my brothers and sister you made it to the fire without me taking you out.”

“I beg your pardon,” Kendall said, “but I can assure you that you and I will never be going out.”

“It’s okay. We had a bead on her all along,” a female voice said. Five large men and one much smaller woman appeared out of the darkness. Kendall thought it was amazing how silently they could move.

“You sleep like a bear in winter,” the petite blonde said to her brother, who looked embarrassed at her comment. “If she can sneak up on us in those shoes, you’re going to stink as a lookout. That’s got to change.”

“This is all very nice, but not my issue,” Kendall said. “Do you want coffee or not?” She put full-force attitude into her voice, letting these people know that she might have gotten dumped on her butt, but it wouldn’t happen again.

“Sure,” the blonde said. “You’re kind of fancy for a rancher, aren’t you?”

Kendall was about to let her have it—she hadn’t driven a military jeep out to the corner of nowhere to put up with this—but just then her twin brother, Xav, rode up on his big stallion, and the little blonde’s eyes went huge in her face.

“Everything all right, Kendall?” Xav asked.

She nodded. “We’re getting to know each other, all of us,” she said, her gaze on the man who’d spilled her on the ground. “It may take a while. We have different methods of saying hello.”

Sloan shrugged. “Where’s the coffee, Barbie?”

Kendall sucked in a breath. “Did you just call me Barbie?”

The big man looked at her curiously. “Is that a problem?”

His brothers shifted, and as slight streaks of dawn began slowly lighting the sky, she realized that all these people looked very Callahan—and a little dangerous.

Darn Jonas for saddling me with this mission.

“My name is Kendall Phillips,” she said. “This is my twin, Xavier. We help out at the Callahan ranches.”

“Not dressed like that, you don’t,” Sloan said. “Unless you’re the party planner.”

“That’s right,” Kendall said. “That’s what I am, the party planner.” She glared at him, not caring that he was disgustingly handsome even after sleeping on the ground all night. “You’re going to miss the party if you don’t all introduce yourselves, because I’m going to drive off in the only mode of vehicular transportation that can make it out here, with your stupid pot of coffee. And you won’t eat the hot bacon and eggs Fiona Callahan has waiting on the stove. You don’t really know what you’ll be missing,” she added. “I’ve done my job. The party planner’s jeep leaves in five seconds.”

“Sloan, Tighe, Dante, Falcon, Galen, Jace and Ashlyn,” Sloan said. “Since we need cover of darkness, we’d better get a move on.”

He had a nice voice. A little rough and gravelly, maybe, but she thought he’d be appealing if he relaxed.

He didn’t look as if he relaxed much. “Can’t they speak for themselves?” Kendall demanded.

“Kendall,” Xav said, laughing, still astride his horse, “cut them a break. They’re not aware of the game rules.”

“Yes, we are,” Ashlyn said to Xav. “We make the rules.”

“Great,” Kendall said. “Nothing but fun times ahead, I can tell.”

Sloan looked at her. “We appreciate you coming out here. We just weren’t expecting company.”

She nodded, backing off just a bit. “Let’s get you that coffee.”

He smiled, and the effect was devastatingly, hauntingly beautiful. As if he didn’t smile often, so when he did, the smile came from deep in his soul. Kendall caught her breath—and then remembered that when he’d held her ankle in his strong hand, capturing her, she was pretty certain his fingers had stroked her skin as he’d finally released her.

It had felt nice.

“Sorry about your skirt,” he told her. “I’d brush it off, but I think the dirt—”

“Don’t you dare,” Kendall said. The thought of him brushing her fanny with his big, rough hand alarmed her. It didn’t ring a long-forgotten bell of sexual desire at all. “I mean, thank you, it will be fine. Nothing the dry cleaners can’t handle.”

His dark eyes squinted at the corners, as if he might be trying to smile again but the action was just too rusty for the muscles to obey. He ran a hand through his messy dark hair, waiting for her to lead the way.

Kendall marched the procession to the jeep and the coffee, more than ready to hand the big man and his rowdy band off to Jonas.

Party planner, my foot. Barbie?

What an arrogant devil. Cute, though, I suppose.

If one likes their men rough and tough—and I don’t.

* * *

THEY FILED SILENTLY into their cousin’s house, somewhat awed by their surroundings. Their grandfather had said Rancho Diablo was five thousand acres, but it felt bigger. A couple of small oil derricks worked in the distance. The house was Tudor, almost British in style, supposedly Jeremiah Callahan’s dream house. Sloan couldn’t think of his family as having anything in common with these Callahans. He was pretty certain none of his family had ever been in anything like this joint. There were seven chimneys, for Pete’s sake. It was like a ghostly castle rising up off the New Mexico landscape, banked by dark spools of canyons.

A small, gray-haired woman stood at the door to greet them. She wore green rubber boots appropriate for walking in mud or to the barns and a pink apron with red hearts fashioned into the fabric. The apron looked as if it might have been made by small hands in a school project. Sloan thought it had probably been made by one of the many children he’d been warned were here, a veritable army all their own.

But on this cold early morning the ranch was silent except for workers he could see in the distance.

“Come in,” the woman said. “I’m your aunt Fiona. Welcome to Rancho Diablo.”

Sloan and his siblings went into a grand foyer in which a massive iron chandelier hung overhead. He glanced at the others, who shrugged at him.

“It’s not home,” Ashlyn said, “but it’s not bad, either.”

“Follow me,” Fiona said cheerfully. “I’m sure you’re cold and hungry. The chief says I can only keep you here an hour before you must depart.” They trailed after her into a large kitchen where the fragrance of eggs and coffee and toast permeated the room. Sloan’s stomach rumbled to get at the food.

He glanced at Kendall. Now that they were in a well-lit room, he realized the dirt mark on her skirt was huge. That spot was never coming out without professional assistance. Of course, the spot only made him realize what a really nice fanny she was packing.

“I have to admit that the chief pulled a shocker on me. Still, we’re always delighted to have family about. Rancho Diablo is a family place.” Fiona looked around the room with a smile. “In the future, Kendall will be your liaison. Anything you need, you let her know. Grab a plate and tell me your name as you fill up,” the older woman said. “This is dine and dash, I’m afraid. We’re just lucky it’s the darkest part of the year. It gives you a little more time.”

Sloan’s gaze went to Kendall’s. She raised a shoulder as if to say, “You blew your shot with me, dude. Don’t look my way.”

His brothers and sister wasted no time taking their plates and introducing themselves to Fiona and her husband, Burke, as they went by in the line. Sloan went over to talk to Kendall, hoping to make amends.

“Let me pay for cleaning the skirt.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Stubborn.”

“You should talk.” She gestured toward the food. “One thing you’ll learn about being around this branch of the Callahan family tree—if you’re hungry, you’d best get to the front of the line. The men in this group eat. Last one in line gets a short stack.”

He grinned. “I’m not used to eating a lot.”

Her gaze floated down his body. “You’re thin,” she agreed. “All the same, this is the only food you’ll get for a while.”

“It’s fine. There’s always something to eat.”

“Not unless you like snake.” She grabbed a plate, handing it to him. “I don’t eat snake, so I’m going to eat your share if you don’t get a move on.”

He didn’t have to be told twice. He let Fiona fill his plate, murmured his thanks and seated himself at the long table with everyone else.

“This is very nice of you,” Ashlyn said. “Thank you, Fiona.”

“I don’t understand,” she replied, “why you can’t just stay on this ranch.” She studied the group. “Jonas! Why can’t they stay here? Why is the chief complicating things? If we need protection, shouldn’t they be here? We certainly have the room,” Fiona muttered. “It’s twenty-nine degrees outside, for heaven’s sake, well below freezing.”

Jonas pulled up a chair near his aunt, shrugged at his cousins. “If I had a dime for every time someone tried to figure out the chief, I’d be a wealthy man.”

Fiona sniffed. “You are a wealthy man, don’t be an ass. Now,” she said, staring straight at Sloan, “wouldn’t you rather stay here than out in the cold?”

He gulped his coffee. “Ma’am, I’m just following orders.”

Fiona frowned. “Good soldier.”

Kendall met his gaze, blinking. A good soldier probably wouldn’t keep staring at the pretty ranch employee.

“It’s okay,” Ashlyn said hurriedly. “We’re used to surviving in remote locations. We wouldn’t feel right staying here. It’s not our assignment.”

“Assignment!” Fiona glanced around the table. “You’re family! Burke’s never going to rest knowing you’re all out there sleeping on the hard ground. He’s going to think he needs to join you.”

With an under-her-breath murmur, Fiona cracked more eggs into a bowl. Sloan tried not to shovel food into his mouth. He was hungrier than he wanted to let on, and this was the best food he’d had in a long time.

Kendall brought a basket of muffins to the table, sliding in next to him.

“Chocolate chip or blueberry? Fresh-baked, so take your pick. Then pass the basket.”

He did exactly as she told him, although with Kendall sitting next to him, his attention was on her instead of the muffins.

Okay, so she was hot. He’d seen hot before. The worst thing he could do was mess up a mission by thinking the woman next to him was hotter than the muffin he’d just deposited on his plate. He passed the basket, gulped some orange juice. “Thanks.”

“Don’t thank me, thank Fiona. She was suffering last night, worrying about your family out there in the cold.” Kendall didn’t look at him. “We baked muffins this morning to take her mind off things. It was the only way I could calm her down. Anyway, we had no idea you were coming here until the chief showed up, so please feel free to share any details you’d like to.”

Fiona stopped stirring to listen. Jonas glanced over with curiosity. Sam, Rafe, Creed, Pete and Judah had draped themselves over different spots in the kitchen, surreptitiously eyeing their new cousins. Sloan felt the men looking at them, trying not to stare, but the tension was thick as canyon dust.

“Sure,” Ashlyn said. “I’m the youngest. I’d like to say it was hard being the youngest, and the only girl in a family of men, but I’m harder on them than they are on me.” She smiled. “I’ll do the other introductions, because my big brothers are modest and you won’t get much out of them.”

Polite laughter from the other Callahans met his

sister’s words. Sloan was just glad for the chance to eat, if Ashlyn was going to do the chatting. Kendall picked at a biscuit and sipped some water, and Sloan thought she seemed anxious about something. Then again, maybe she was one of those women who didn’t eat much and ran on nervous energy. He gazed at her, trying to define her aura. She glanced at him, and he realized she’d thought he was staring at her. Which he was, but not because he was attracted to her or anything. Definitely not.

Although she was quite beautiful, in a polished, cosmopolitan sort of way. Silver water to his family’s rough stone darkness.

“That’s Galen over there,” Ashlyn said. “He’s the oldest, thirty-five. He’s a hard-ass and a daredevil at times, but he’s a great guy to have at your back.”

“Easy, sis,” Galen said. “They don’t want a bio on us.”

“It’s not name, rank and serial number,” Ashlyn retorted. “This is long-lost family.”

Silence met Ashlyn’s comment. Sloan cleared his throat.

“Jonas is eldest at Rancho Diablo,” Kendall said. “He’s my direct boss, and something of a nerd. He has a darling wife named Sabrina, whom he worked very hard to win.”

Sloan examined the eldest Callahan, a little surprised when Jonas laughed easily at Kendall’s words. The tension in the room evaporated just a bit.

“I don’t know if I’ve won Sabrina yet,” Jonas said, “but I’m trying.”

Sloan thought that was an amazing sentiment. He hadn’t had a serious relationship in so many years that he felt a little pang at the difference in their circumstances. What must it be like to live in this mansion, on this enormous ranch, with a wife and kids you adored?

“Falcon’s thirty-three,” Ashlyn continued. The brother in question inclined his head to Kendall, then looked around at his new cousins. “Falcon’s a bit wacky. He’s smart as hell. Can wear you out with minutia. Loves puzzles. Will go off for days when he’s thinking about something.” She grinned at him. “Isn’t that right, Falcon?”

Falcon grunted at his sister, who was delighted with her teasing. Sloan squirmed a bit, knowing he was up next on the roll call. No one could ever be certain what Ashlyn was going to say.

“Sloan’s my hero,” Ashlyn told Kendall. “He’s third in the family tree, thirty-one years of loner tough guy. Can go for months without talking, can’t you, Sloan?” she asked, winking at him.

“Not months,” Sloan said.

“Okay, he’ll allot himself a word a day.” Ashlyn shot him a gleeful look. “He’s picked up a few decorations, is a really good shot with just about any gun on the planet—”

“That’s enough,” Sloan said. “They don’t want to hear everything about me.”

Beside him, he could feel Kendall’s eyes on him. “I don’t know,” she said. “It can’t hurt to know more about the family I’m in charge of. Every detail helps.”

He looked at her. “In charge of?”

Kendall nodded. “Jonas has assigned me to seeing to your family’s comfort. ‘Liaison’ really means ‘take care of.’”

“Here’s the thing,” Sloan said, addressing his remarks to Jonas, but looking at Kendall, since he just couldn’t seem to help himself. “We don’t need anyone assigned to us for our comfort. No offense, Kendall.”

“None taken,” Kendall said. “I’m just following orders.”

He recognized his own words coming back to him. “We can survive no matter the terrain, and you wouldn’t see us for six months.”

“That’s kind of creepy, though a great talent,” Kendall said. “Jonas, this is your call.”

Sloan wasn’t certain how he felt about the tiny doll calling him creepy. He glanced around at his brothers and sister, puzzled.

“It is creepy,” Falcon said. “I mean, when you think about it, on the surface.”

Ashlyn laughed. “Actually, it’s not creepy to Sloan. He likes roughing it. When we were kids—”

Sloan put down his napkin and pushed back his chair. “Fiona, thank you kindly for breakfast. It was delicious.”

His brothers nodded in agreement.

“Jonas, can I talk to you? Privately?” Sloan asked.