Cowgirl Fever (Novak Springs Book 1) (3 page)

“I don’t think that’s even possible.” Her voice was tinged with disbelief. “What could be better than a god?”

A knowing smile formed on Ginnifer’s face. “A sexy cowboy.”

With that, Tori grinned at Ginnifer as if it occurred to her there would be men on a ranch and the things she was capable of doing with them. Tori loved to flirt; it was by far her favorite hobby. “That’s a good point, don’t know if they’re better, though. I’ll have to play with a few to find out.”

“So are you gonna go?”

“Yeah count me in. I’ll cancel our other vacation plans. Where’s this ranch, anyway?” Tori asked as she grabbed her purse and started to rifle through it. She located her phone, opened her calendar, and updated the vacation plans to show a ranch in September. “I need to input it in my calendar.”

“Washington state, not too far from Seattle. I’ve seen some pictures on their website. It’s breathtaking. I can’t wait to see it in person.”

Tori rolled her eyes. “Only you’d be excited to visit a ranch.”

“You know how I feel about cowboys.” Ginnifer shrugged. “Maybe you’ll get lucky and find a long-haired blond cowboy.”

“Unlikely. Don’t they like their hair more manageable? As in too short for my tastes?” Tori winked at her. “You don’t mind that as long as they’re wearing a hat and some cowboy boots, but would you know what to do with one if you found him?”

Ginnifer laughed so hard tears started to come out of her green eyes. Trust Tori to get right to the heart of the matter. With her, the point was always how do I get this one to fall in love with me the fastest.

“Oh I hope I’d know what to do with the right one,” she told her best friend.

“Well no worries. I’ll be there to help you out if you need to sexify yourself.” Tori wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at Ginnifer.

“Thanks, Tori. You truly are the bestest.”

“Don’t I know it. Washington state? Maybe I can mix with a little business and pleasure on this trip too. I am sure Colt Lewis, quarterback extraordinaire, will continue to need my help after training camp and preseason are over with. I believe the first game is at home the beginning of September too, I’ll have to double check the schedule. He has to be a little shell-shocked at all of this. His first NFL season, and he gets a scandal at the top of it. This is going to be an eventful summer.”

Reaching for her desk calendar, Ginnifer asked, “When do you want to set the interview up?”

“Let me get back to you on that. I’ll need to clarify his schedule with him. I’ll call you sometime tomorrow so we can compare schedules. It’ll be easier to find something that works when I know more. And with that, I’m off.”

Tori blew a kiss at Ginnifer as she walked out of her office in much the same fashion as she entered it, with flair only she could pull off. Her purse was swinging on her shoulder and both stilettos once again on her feet, clicking as she sashayed down the hall.

Well at least that was settled. Tori and she were definitely visiting a ranch for some yoga. The only thing left to do was to make a phone call to Emmaline Novak and tell her to expect both of them in September. Maybe they would be lucky and each find a sexy cowboy on the ranch. It had been a long time since she had met a man she wanted to spend time with, let alone get naked with. She was on one hell of a dry spell lately. Maybe a vacation at a ranch was something she needed to get back in the saddle again, so to speak.

Mrs. Henly left moments ago, leaving directions sitting on the counter next to the lasagna she fixed. The instructions were included so it would be baked correctly. Mrs. Henly learned the hard way that none of the Novak siblings knew a damned thing about cooking when they burned the first casserole she left. So every time she made them something to heat later, directions were neatly written and placed on the counter. She also left some fresh bread cooling on top of the oven. The scents were tantalizing and a minor distraction to Dallas’s productivity. He was sitting at the kitchen table working on the financial reports and going over what they needed for the livestock in the fall months. The sun was streaming through the kitchen window with rays so bright they bounced off of Dallas’s iced tea and created a rainbow of colors across the alabaster walls. They were appealing, but frustrating to his concentration. Perhaps he needed to take a break. The warm sunshine made him want to go to the barn and take one of the horses out for a ride. He hated paperwork, but it was a necessary evil.

Dallas had been working on the damned reports all weekend, making sure every aspect was completed. He believed he had managed to think of every possible detail that could arise. He had even considered Emma’s Cowgirl Yoga plan. He knew she had a lot cooking in that brain of hers. He wanted her to succeed, but he also knew a lot of business ventures failed. He would have to do what he could to help her plan be a success. It weighed on his mind that she could end up being upset if her idea failed. She already hurt too damn much in her short life.

Emma had told him she managed to nail down every last detail she could think of in planning for her program, including contacting Ginnifer Zeiss to attend her opening. He understood it would be beneficial to have her come but didn’t understand why they had to give her a free stay. Plus Emma had discounted her friend’s reservation to entice them both to come. He hoped they proved to be worth it.

Dallas also noted the social media sites had all been set up and were a huge hit. They already had several followers and a large interest in what Cowgirl Yoga had to offer. His little sister had even managed to catch the interest of a few bloggers. With the hype she was able to garner in a short time, she managed to completely book the entire two weeks at the beginning of September. There were several people that were only going to be there for one of the weeks, but that didn’t matter as long as both weeks were booked solid. He was in the process of looking over the final details when his brother Wesley walked into the kitchen.

“What’s up?”

“What? Nothing,” he said in a distracted voice.

Dallas continued to work on his lists, ignoring his brother’s presence. It wasn’t anything he did, but more that he was that wrapped into what he was trying to do. “Hello, Earth to Dallas. I asked you a question.”

Dallas looked up at Wes as if seeing him for the first time. He had gotten himself his own glass of iced tea and took a seat at the kitchen table next to him. His aquamarine eyes were glued on him, watching and waiting for him to reply to his question. Wes’s face was red and dripping with sweat. The white T-shirt he was wearing was glued to him and drenched down the front, outlining his lean muscular frame. His long buttery-blond hair was pulled into a short stubby ponytail at the nape of his neck. It was clear to Dallas that he had just come in from working hard around Novak Springs.

With a shrug Dallas said, “I’m sorry. I’m trying to iron out some last minute paperwork. Emma’s retreat is happening sooner than I realized. Everyone will be here in a week. I can’t believe how fast time has flown by.”

Wes took a drink of his tea before saying, “That happens. What can I do to help? I have a free afternoon if you need me. I’m finished working for the day. I was going to drive up to Seattle, but I can change my plans if you need me.”

“I don’t think there’s anything that you can do to help. Emma should be here shortly, though. She said she has something to discuss with me. You should stick around to find out what it is she wanted. Maybe it’s something you can help with as well.”

Wes looked at him with a small amount of fear in his eyes. “Why does that scare me?”

“Probably because our baby sister has a way of making us do things we don’t particularly like to do.”

“You’re not building a solid case here. Tell me something that might make me want to stick around,” Wes said.

“Don’t be an ass. You know you want to help.”

“You’re right,” he said with a sigh. “I will wait for her to turn up, then.”

Just as he said the words, Emma breezed into the kitchen carrying a couple of folders. “Oh good, you are both here. I can use both of your help. Now I know you’re going to try to find a way out of it, but I’m not going to take no for an answer.”

“What is it?” Wes asked.

Emma walked over to the table and set everything down. Walking over to one of the kitchen cupboards, she opened it and pulled out a tall clear glass. Next, she strolled over to the refrigerator and placed it under the ice cube dispenser and filled it. Picking up the pitcher of tea already located on the counter, she filled the glass to the brim and set it down on the table next to her various folders. She stood next to the table and gave Wes and Dallas her full attention.

“I have this idea for one of the weekends, and you two are essential to making it happen. It’s important that I keep them occupied as much as possible. I want them to have a full ranch experience and not have an opportunity to get bored.”

“Quit stalling and tell me what it is,” Dallas demanded.

“A scavenger hunt.”

“Okay I’m confused. Why would you need our help with a scavenger hunt?” Wes asked.

“I can’t let them all go around the ranch alone. I need someone that knows every inch of it with them to supervise, and well, we’re the only ones that truly do.”

Wes put both hands on his forehead, his fingers running up into his golden locks, pulling some of them loose from his ponytail, and looked down at the table. He shook his head from side to side without saying a word for several minutes.

“So let me see if I understand this. You want me and Dallas to escort a bunch of women around this ranch looking for certain items on a scavenger hunt?”

“Um, yes?” she said. “But I’ll have a group too.”

Wes shook his head. “Not a good idea, Em.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s a lot of women. Most of them don’t know a lick about anything to do with a ranch. They also tend to do whatever the hell they please. They only care about themselves, not how their actions will impact those around them,” Dallas said. He hated women. Okay, maybe hate was too strong of a word. He liked them fine enough for certain activities. He didn’t tolerate them all that much for anything other than extracurricular activities. The only woman he liked was his sister. He learned the hard way they were not to be trusted. He didn’t want any hands-on duty while they were traipsing around the ranch. He thought he had made that perfectly clear to Emma in an earlier discussion.

Crinkles developed around Emma’s eyes as her lips formed her favorite pout. “I need this. You have to help. I know that you have your reasons for not wanting to help, Dallas. But it’s dumb. It’s not my fault some stupid woman broke your heart. You won’t even tell me her name so I can hate her properly. The point is, though, you need to let it go and help me make this work. Not all women are your ex-fiancée.”

Wes raised his hands up in frustration. “All right, I can help. I don’t like it, but I’m more likely to get along with the women than Dallas, anyway.”

“Bullshit. I’m capable of charming a woman if I feel like it. I don’t want to. You know why I’d be so adamantly against doing this.”

“I thought you were on board to help with whatever’s necessary to get this project of hers going. What am I missing?” Wes asked.

“It requires more hands-on activities than I planned on helping with,” Dallas shot back.

“Bullshit. What is the real reason you don’t wanna help?” Wes turned toward Emma and said, “I’m sorry he’s being a jerk, but you can count me in.”

“It is nothing really, Dallas, just a game. Surely you can take time out of your day to help with it,” Emma pleaded.

Wes looked at Dallas with an evil gleam in his eye. “It’s a wittle, wittle game, Dallas, can you come out and play with us?”

Dallas shook his head as he said, “No, I didn’t agree to any of this. I don’t want any hands-on duties with your Cowgirl Yoga program. Count me out.”

“There’s that. The big question really is, why are you afraid of a little game? Is losing money worth a little bit of your time to help your baby sister out?”

“That’s enough,” Emma told her two brothers. “If you’re not willing to help me out, I’ll plan something else. I don’t need you two if you’re going to whine about participating in a freaking game.”

The two brothers looked at their sister with guilt shining from their eyes. Dallas began to shuffle his feet from side to side, opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water. He hadn’t meant to disappoint her, but she didn’t understand why he felt the way he did. That was his fault. He could explain what had happened with Melody. It had been a really hard time for him, and he didn’t like to discuss it.

Wes sat quietly at the table, his hands folded in front of him, waiting for his older brother to find the words he was searching for. No doubt, Dallas thought, if they were not her only family, she would never speak to them again. Emma stood up and began to gather her papers to leave the room. Her frustration showed as her mouth pursed up in displeasure, and she shut each folder harder than necessary. She gathered her paperwork into her arms and started to storm out of the kitchen.

“Emma wait,” Dallas pleaded.

Emma turned around and looked at her brother. Her anger was palpable, face flushed red and her breaths coming out in heavy pants. “You wanna know what pisses me off the most? That you didn’t even bother to ask why it was so important to me. Oh no, the great Dallas help? Pfft, as if. What the hell is wrong with you? Can’t get off that high horse long enough to join the rest of us minions? Don’t worry, I will find someone else to help me. I don’t need you.”

Dallas wasn’t able to get another word out as she breezed out of the room faster than he could blink. Apparently Emma believed the conversation was over. Nothing else needed to be discussed. He knew he was acting like an asshole, but sometimes he couldn’t help himself. It was his go-to attitude.

“Fuck,” Dallas said under his breath.

Wesley slowly clapped his hands as he watched his brother stalk toward the kitchen door after their sister. Dallas turned around and gave him a look that would have withered a lesser man, but Wes was used to dealing with his brother’s ornery side and laughed at his attempts of putting him in his place. “Nice try, but I think you’ve bigger things to worry about now.”

Dallas was stunned. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked.

“You pissed Emma off. Now what are you going to to do to fix it?”

“What the fuck do you mean, what am I going to do to fix it? Seems to me you were clearly a part of that discussion. You’ve an equal part in fixing it.”

“Oh no, that’s totally about you. You forget I told her I’d help.” He looked Dallas directly in the eyes. “I didn’t think you would give in and help, though. You proved me right. If she means anything to you, then yes, you will make this right. If I find what you do to make it better agreeable, I might still go along with what you decide.”

Dallas ran his hands through his short chestnut hair and rumpled the strands out of their normally well-groomed existence. He sighed in frustration and rambled aimlessly around the kitchen lost in thought. When an idea came to him, he stopped and turned toward his brother and then slowly walked over and pulled out a chair to sit down at the kitchen table. The iced tea that Emma had abandoned was still sitting on the table directly in front of him. He watched as tiny droplets of water trailed down the side of the glass from the condensation. With each drop of water, he felt his insides turn to mush at the idea that he had hurt his baby sister in any way. She was the only woman that mattered to him, and he did something that made her feel like he didn’t care about her.

Resigned to helping her out, Dallas said, “Okay, I will help. I need more information. Do you have any idea what this scavenger hunt involves? I know I didn’t give her much of a chance to explain it, but maybe you saw it when you were helping her out.”

“Well I don’t have the complete details. She didn’t get past the fact that she needed both of us to help with it.”

“Okay what does she need help with?” Dallas asked.

“She needs us each to lead a team. From what I gather, there’ll be three groups total, and she doesn’t want her guests to wander aimlessly around the ranch. She said we knew the ranch best, so she wanted each of us to head a set of players.”

“I still can’t believe she wants me to take time away from the ranch to lead a fucking bunch of women around for a damn scavenger hunt. Has she lost her mind?” Dallas didn’t want Emma to be upset, but the more he thought about it, the more he hated this idea of hers. She knew how busy he was around the ranch. Did she really think taking time away from his many duties was such a good idea?

“That is the problem right there. You’re just seeing how much this is going to be a nuisance for you. Why don’t you look at this from Emma’s point of view? She needs us to help with this venture so that she is successful, or have you forgotten why we thought this idea of hers was good for her?”