Lady Jane and the Cowboy

Copyright 2012 by L.C.
Zingera

No part of this book may be
reproduced without

the
written
consent of the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction.

Any resemblance to persons living
or dead

is
purely coincidental

Chapter One

“I can’t believe I let
you talk me into this!” Red fumed, glaring at his cousin.

Honey
smirked,
she couldn’t believe she’d managed to talk him into
it either! They’d grown up together like brother and sister. He’d taken care of
her, now she wanted to take care of him. He’d thought of nothing but work in
ages, and while she knew he dated from time to time, it was never anything
serious and never went beyond a couple of casual dates. The ranch house felt
empty, it was filled with dusty old antique furniture and no longer felt like
the warm home it had once been. Worse still, Red was getting more and more
distant, he ate with the ranch hands, was rarely ever in the house, and since
Honey was getting married in less than a month, soon he’d be completely alone.
It wouldn’t surprise her if he actually moved into the bunk house with the
other ranch hands. It was a classic case of all work and no play. What he needed
was a woman’s touch, and she’d found him the perfect one. She just knew it.

“You
listening to me, Honey?”

“Why should I? You’re
only repeating yourself,” she said, and laughed tossing back her honey colored
mane and glancing at him sideways, her green eyes twinkling with mischief.
While she had earned her name for her honey colored hair, Red had earned his
solely because his first name was Redstone, his hair was as honey-wheat colored
as hers. Their mothers had been sisters, they’d both inherited their coloring,
except whereas her eyes were green, his were blue. They looked more like
siblings than cousins.

He groaned as they
pulled into the crowded airport parking lot.

“I can’t do this.”

“Too late, we’re
already here.”

The keys were still in
the ignition. She caught his surreptitious glance, and snatched them away
before he could even think of making his escape.

“Time to grow up, Red,
your potential fiancée awaits!”

“Potential
fiancée?”
Red grumbled under his breath.

“Trust me,
Red,
you’re going to love her!” Honey grinned.

He just snorted like an
angry stallion and shot her his most ferocious scowl. Honey merely rolled her
eyes.

The English computer
dating agency she’d found on the internet had proved to be both legitimate and
very helpful. They had an agreement with immigration. The English girls came
over here on a new kind of visa, a combination of working and fiancée visa, a
chance to get to know their potential husbands for one year. At the end of
which, they had to go through the usual immigration interviews, marry or return
home.

Honey handed him the
large bunch of flowers they had picked up on their way into town as they got
out of the truck together. He dragged his big feet like he was going to the
guillotine, Honey barely hid her chuckles.

The flight was delayed,
and rather than allow him to pace any longer. Honey took Red to the coffee bar.
He kept running a hand through his hair and eyeing the ticket counter.

“No,” Honey said,
glaring at him.

“No,
what?”

“No, you can’t just run
over there, buy her a ticket and send her back home.”

“How did you know that
was what I was thinking?”

“You’ve always been
obvious to me, Red,” she grinned. Then her heart went out to him as she saw his
hand shake very slightly as he lifted the cup to his lips while darting another
glance past her to the arrivals lounge. The man had been alone for far too
long. He was either nervous or he’d had way too much caffeine. Just to be sure,
she removed the cup from his hand.

“Hey! I need that!”

“She’ll be here any
minute, take this.” She handed him a breath mint, hooked her arm through his
and almost dragged him off the stool. “Minty fresh is always best!” she
chirped. “She might want to kiss you, you know.”

“Oh
hell!”
Red ran a hand through his hair again, and his gaze
connected with hers, then suddenly as if the absolute hilarity of this odd
situation hit him, he threw back his head and began to laugh.

Honey just stared at
him like he was losing his mind which only seemed to be making him laugh
harder, “Knock it off, Red!” she ordered, and elbowed him in the ribs just to give
him something else to think about. Something she’d often done when he’d annoyed
her as kids. She had unusually pointy elbows too, he’d frequently assured her.

With a grunt, he took
her arm, tucked it in his and they paced, watching each flight empty out into
the arrivals lounge until the distinct vibrant red suits of the flight
attendants of her airline caught their attention.

“The passengers must
still be in immigration,” Honey suggested.

“Maybe I’ll get lucky
and she’ll be turned back,” he said with a grin, looking a little more relaxed
now he’d let some of his tension out.

Honey’s hand landed
suddenly on his shoulder, he turned quickly following her gaze—and there she
was. Jane Sinclair. A petite blonde with soft curly hair and big blue eyes,
wearing a prim skirt, a delicate buttoned up blouse, high-heeled shoes, and
pantyhose…pulling a pale blue suitcase on wheels.

“Perfect!” breathed
Honey.

“Oh
hell!”
Red said again.

Honey, practically dragged
him over to meet her. Jane’s big baby blue eyes focused on him, and then she
took his hand, raised herself up on her toes and dropped a feather-light kiss
on his lips.

“It’s nice to meet you,
Red,” she said, her blue eyes soft, warm and welcoming.

Honey watched in
disbelief as instead of handing Jane the flowers, Red drew her closer and
kissed her fully and deeply. Encompassing her small frame in his large embrace,
and Jane though momentarily startled, was responding
,
she didn’t seem to mind one little bit.

“Holy
Smokes!
I knew it!” Honey gasped.

Looking dazed and
thoroughly kissed, Jane held the flowers in her arms as Honey waved away Red’s
attempt to take Jane’s luggage and indicated he should walk with her instead.
Honey had no trouble with the small wheeled suitcase and wanted to walk behind
to give the two a moment to get acquainted. But so far, it didn’t look like it
was going to be a problem!

It had started out as
something of a joke, looking for a computer date for Red, but when she’d found
the English site, something about it had clicked. A different kind of woman,
someone unlike the types Red had previously dated, might just be the solution.
Hoping opposites might attract and all that, she figured if they didn’t have a
lot in common, at least they might have a little fun getting to know one
another. Even if this didn’t end in marriage for the two of them, it would pull
Red out of the blue funk he’d fallen into lately.

Jane was a delicate
looking little thing. Maybe she’d bring out Red’s protective side. But being
from two different worlds, might at least give them both something to talk
about. Jane had agreed to come here as housekeeper for a year while she got to
know Red. Though looking at her now, Honey couldn’t help but wonder exactly how
much work this petite and classy looking woman was actually used to doing.

Chapter Two

Lady Jane Sinclair took
a giant calming breath as she closed the door to her room. Her legs were
shaking! She couldn’t believe she was here. She hurried to the window, looking
out she saw the movement of the ranch hands at work below, horses in the
surrounding fields, mountains in the distance, and what appeared to be a corral
where a cowboy was training a young horse.
Young horse?
There was probably a proper name for that. She had a lot to learn. But Red had
kissed her! Nothing else seemed to matter. She’d dropped a light friendly kiss
on his lips when she’d first seen him to break the ice, then she’d been
completely stunned when he’d gathered her close in a giant bear hug and kissed
her deeply, as though they’d known each other forever, and she was just
returning home. This
could be
her
home. And Red was gorgeous. She hugged herself at the thought. It was beautiful
here, the house was huge, almost as big as Sinclair Manor and yet different in
every possible way. This was wide open, bright and spacious, but Sinclair
Manor, though beautiful and historic, had smaller rooms and not enough light
coming in through the leaded windows. Some of the portraits of her ancestors were
so grim looking she often wanted to go draw a mustache and spectacles on one or
two of them just to
liven
them up. Nevertheless, it
had been her home and she would miss it. But this was a new beginning. She was
so lucky. She intended to make the very most of this opportunity.

***

“Don’t look at me like
that!” Red groused at Honey, who was smirking at him over her coffee cup at the
kitchen table. She’d made him drink decaf.

“You like her, don’t
you?”

“Honey, what the hell
am I supposed to do with her?”

“You have to ask? You
didn’t seem to have any trouble figuring it out at the airport and trust me,
she didn’t seem to mind one little bit!”

“That’s not what I
meant and you know it! She a petite, fragile…
aristocratic
looking little thing! This is a working horse ranch.
It’s like dropping a porcelain doll into a cow patty!”

“Wow, interesting
analogy, Red!” Unfortunately, she knew he was right, but that didn’t mean
things couldn’t work out, one way or another, surely? Besides, if he found out
the absolute truth about the aristocratic part, he’d probably have
Lady
Jane on the next plane out. Honey
had simply suggested to Jane when they spoke that she not mention it right away
for fear of coloring the situation with preconceived ideas. Jane had readily
agreed. Besides, Lady Jane Sinclair was losing her ancestral home to the
English equivalent of the IRS. She needed a new home, a new career, a new
direction. Honey was going to make sure she got all three. And despite Red’s
reservations, there was immediate chemistry between the two. A definite case of
opposites attract for sure.

Honey made dinner while
Jane unpacked and showered after her journey, and Red went out to attend the
last chores of the day with his crew. When Jane tentatively made her way
downstairs and into the kitchen, Honey welcomed her with a warm smile and a
gentle hug.

Over dinner, Honey
dropped her bombshell. “Oh, by the way, Red, I’m moving in with Tony tonight,
it’ll give you and Jane a little time to get acquainted. I have some decorating
to do on the new house, but I’ll be by here every day to see how things are
going.”

Red shot daggers in her
direction. “I thought you were staying to help get Jane settled in?” he
accused.

“I’ll be fine,” Jane
answered quickly.

Honey just flashed him
a satisfied grin.

Jane and Honey cleared
up after dinner together. “My number is by the phone, Jane, if you need
anything day or night, just call, okay?”

“Thanks, Honey, I
will.”

***

Red stared at Jane, his
‘potential fiancée’, they were alone in his home, and this was just the
beginning of what was going to be a difficult year, he just knew it. He blew
out a long breath that lifted the hair off his forehead, sighed, and crossed
his arms over his massive chest. As though his mind had snapped a perfect
picture that was indelibly imprinted on his brain, he recalled her walking
toward them in the airport in her delicate heels and prim outfit. She was
everything fragile a woman could be, and the very last thing they needed at the
ranch. What had possessed him to suddenly kiss her like that he didn’t know.
Maybe he’d been trying to scare her. But no, he knew that wasn’t it. She
was
cute,
he’d
caught a whiff of her delicate floral fragrance when she leaned in to kiss him
lightly on the lips. He’d gone on impulse alone taking it further, savoring the
softness and moist heat of her mouth, his hungry body leaping to attention.
He’d enjoyed the feel of her in his arms. He thought he’d heard something along
the lines of “Holy Smokes! I knew it!” from Honey, who’d been standing behind
him, but it could have been simply another passenger or his fevered stressed
out brain playing tricks on him. Yep.
Had to be the latter.
This was going to be a year-long blind date. And he was royally screwed.