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  She trailed off, shaking her head.

  “The farm’s in trouble, then?” he asked.

  Remy pinned him with her gaze.

  “It’s not for you to worry about,” she said slowly. “If there was a time for us, Sawyer, it’s long past. If you want to make me happy, just back off. And stop snooping around in my business. I promise you, it won’t end well for either of us.”

  The sound of a twig snapping drew their attention toward the path. The young redhead that Sawyer’d met at the bar the other night approached, this time wearing low-slung jeans and a pink wife-beater.

  “Oh, hey,” she said to Sawyer. “Just thought I’d come say hi.”

  Sawyer could feel the anger in Remy’s gaze. “It’s not what you think.”

  “Doesn’t matter.”

  “Remy, don’t—”

  “Get out of of my damned way, Sawyer, or I swear I’m going to push you into the creek,” Remy snarled.

  Sawyer stared at Remy for several long seconds, listening to his heart thrum in his chest. He’d pushed her too far somehow, that much was certain.

  He bowed his head and stepped back, making room for her to pass. After a moment, Remy brushed past him, stalking up the hill.

  Leaving him standing there at the bottom, squinting against the sunlight at her retreating back.

  * * *

  Monday morning, after another fitful night of sleep, Sawyer rose early and waited for his brothers in the kitchen. He had coffee and bacon and biscuits going when Walker and Colt came in, both of his brothers instantly giving him suspicious looks.

  “What’s all this?” Colt asked.

  “Call it… a declaration of intent,” Sawyer said, nodding to the empty seats at the kitchen bar.

  “It’s too early for this,” Walker groused, though he seemed less grumpy once Sawyer poured coffee for all three of them.

  Colt and Walker sipped in silence for a few moments, as was their collective habit. Finally, Colt pushed his coffee mug back.

  “Do I smell bacon?” he asked.

  “Yup,” Sawyer said.

  He laid out a plate of bacon, with biscuits and butter and honey. He stayed standing as they dug in, Colt making an appreciative sound on his first bite of honeyed biscuit.

  “What’s the intent?” Walker asked after a moment.

  “I want to stay,” Sawyer said. “But not like this. I want to bring back Mom’s business.”

  Colt and Walker stared at him, Colt scratching his chin and leaving a trail of biscuit crumbs in his wake.

  “You want to run the dude ranch again?” Walker asked.

  “Do you have any idea how much work that would be?” Colt said, right on his heels.

  “I remember Mom and The Colonel just about pulling their hair out over it, at the beginning,” Sawyer said, cocking his head. “But think about it. Profits are at an all-time low right now. We could still provide livestock to surrounding farms and run a tourist business. Start small, get a staff in here to help, build up from there.”

  “The land rights are totally different now than they were back then,” Walker said, shaking his head.

  “Yeah, The Colonel sold off a third of the outlying field after…” Colt said, then stopped mid-sentence.

  After Mom died, he meant, but the Roman brothers didn’t exactly talk about that.

  “I know,” Sawyer said. “Which is why I think we need to renegotiate land rights with the Rivers.”

  Colt and Walker’s brows shot up at the same time, reminding Sawyer just how identical he and his brothers looked.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Walker said. “You’re making this into a play for Remy?”

  “No,” Sawyer said, pressing a palm against the tabletop. “No. I know the River farm is failing. I already wanted to start the dude ranch up again, but this just makes it even easier. We’d hire less outside help, keep on the guys we have and maybe get the River siblings over here to help, too. Then we’d profit share, give the horses and cattle run of the unplanted fields every season.”

  Colt scowled, but Walker merely tilted his head and squinted, thinking.

  “It makes a kind of sense,” Walker said after a moment.

  “It’s charity,” Colt said. “The Colonel will have a heart attack.”

  “It’s not charity,” Sawyer said, trying to keep the heat from his tone. “It’s what Mom would have done. They need money, we need help and more space. It’s simple and smart.”

  Colt heaved a sigh. “I can’t argue against that part, but you have to admit that you’re doing at least some of this for Remy.”

  “I won’t deny it,” Sawyer said. “But that doesn’t mean I’m not doing it out of loyalty to our neighbors, or because it’s common damned sense.”

  “She doesn’t want you,” Colt told him, leaning back in his chair and giving Sawyer a hard look.

  “That doesn’t mean I don’t owe her something,” Sawyer said.

  Colt and Walker slid each other a look.

  “This is your moment,” Sawyer said. “This is the moment you tell me what’s going on. You know that, right?”

  Colt cleared his throat, while Walker just looked away. Neither responded to Sawyer.

  “Fine,” Sawyer said. “Keep blackballing me, until whatever this is blows way out of proportion. But if one of you can’t give me a good reason why we shouldn’t follow this plan, or if you refuse to consider it because of some ridiculous secret, I’m leaving. First plane out tomorrow, and you can do whatever you want with the ranch.”

  Sawyer stood, picking up his coffee mug and plate. He turned toward the sink, intending to start the dishes and then spend the day alone. His brothers, however, interpreted his move as a dramatic threat to leave.

  “Wait,” Colt said. “Don’t be like that.”

  Sawyer turned. Colt and Walker both wore the same grim expression, and damn if Sawyer didn’t wish he knew what it meant.

  “Well?” Sawyer asked.

  After one last glance at Colt, Walker stood. “We’ll do it.”

  Sawyer couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his face.

  “Just like that? We’re in business?” he asked.

  “We’re in business,” Colt said, standing and coming over to clap Sawyer and Walker on the back. “Now there’s just the tiny matter of convincing the Rivers…”

  Sawyer nodded, knowing that it was much easier said than done.

  11

  When Sawyer knocked on Remy’s front door, he braced himself for another go-around with Remy’s father Braxton. The door swung open to reveal Remy instead, and he released a breath.

  “It’s you,” he said.

  “What are you doing here?” Remy asked, staring at him like he’d grown a second head. “Are you crazy?”

  Remy was in jeans and a tight white t-shirt, hair thrown up in a messy bun, and looking way better than she had any real right to. Sawyer ripped his gaze from her body and gave her a tentative smile.

  “I’m here to talk about saving your farm,” he announced.

  Remy’s gaze narrowed on him. “Keep your voice down!”

  Sawyer glanced around behind him, then gave Remy a skeptical glance.

  “Who am I hiding from?” he asked.

  Remy opened the door all the way and shooed him back a step, then closed the door behind herself.

  “Look, my dad and I are the only ones who know about… what I told you the other day. So if you don’t mind, I’d rather you didn’t go around announcing it.”

  Sawyer crossed his arms over his chest, not missing the way that Remy’s eyes drifted down to check him out.

  Damn, she does still have the hots for you… somewhere under all that anger, he thought to himself.

  “No problem,” he said easily, unable to keep the smirk off his face. When she glanced up and realized she’d been busted, she colored.

  “You need to leave.”

  “Or you’ll kiss me again?”

  Her mouth
opened, a shocked sound escaping as she worked to control herself.

  “You kissed me,” she hissed, lowering her voice.

  “Sure.”

  Remy reached out and smacked him on the arm, looking offended.

  “Will you leave?” she said, her face red.

  Sawyer repressed the grin that threatened to burst free, knowing he needed to get serious before she slammed the door in his face again.

  “I came here to talk to your father about a joint venture between the Romans and the Rivers.”

  “Work together, you mean?” she asked, the fine line between her brows knitting together.

  “Yeah. I have a plan that I think could be really lucrative for both of our families,” Sawyer said.

  “So you’re not doing this to ingratiate yourself with me?” Remy asked.

  “Well… maybe a little,” he said, giving her a teasing grin.

  “Sawyer, I don’t even know what to tell you right now,” she said, looking annoyed.

  “Look, Remy,” he said, reaching out and catching her hand. To his surprise, she didn’t yank her fingers from his grasp. “I’m serious about this business proposal. You have to know I’m serious, since your brother threatened to kick my ass for talking to you, and your father told me he’d shoot me if I came back here. Give me a little credit, will you?”

  Remy softened a little, then flapped a hand. “Go around the side of the house to the picnic table. I’ll get my dad.”

  She was gone before he could say another word, the front door closing firmly in his face. Sawyer headed around the side of the house, taking a seat on the picnic table to wait for Remy and her father.

  They were hard to miss, because Sawyer could hear them arguing as they approached.

  “I told that son of a bitch—” Braxton grumbled.

  “Daddy, just listen,” Remy said as they came around the corner.

  “Mr. River,” Sawyer said, inclining his head. “Thank you for seeing me.”

  Braxton just huffed. “Get on with it before I get my shotgun out of the truck.”

  It only took Sawyer a minute to run through his plan, since there was only a brief sketch so far. The Rivers would temporarily cede unplanted acres for trail rides and grazing, and help with whatever positions the dude ranch demanded. In exchange, the Romans would give them a 50 percent stake in the new business.

  When Sawyer finished, there was silence as Braxton considered his words. Remy didn’t say anything, just sat and avoided Sawyer’s gaze.

  “I won’t let you do this,” Braxton River said, shaking his head slowly. “You Romans, thinking you can come over here and flash your money and have whatever you want. You can’t buy my daughter’s affections, Sawyer Roman.”

  “Daddy!” Remy said, turning red. “That’s not what he’s doing.”

  “No? You think I’m too old to see what’s going on here?” her father grumbled.

  “Daddy,” Remy said, placing a hand on her father’s arm. “Let’s be honest, here. The farm is going to fail in less than a year without some kind of financial relief. This deal… it’s the break you’ve been praying for.”

  “A deal with the Devil is no deal at all!” Braxton declared. “We’ll figure something out, honey.”

  “No, Daddy. We won’t,” Remy said softly. She sighed. “This is like… manna from heaven. Me and Shelby and Larkin can go over and help at the ranch, while you and Micah run things here…”

  “You think I’m letting all my daughters run around with the Roman boys?” her father scoffed. “Absolutely not.”

  “We’re not little girls,” Remy said, giving her father a look. “Besides, it’s either this or you have to tell Mama that the farm is failing. Not just Mama, the whole family. Here’s your Hail Mary, Daddy.”

  Braxton shot his daughter a glare, then shook his head.

  “You always were stubborn as a mule,” he muttered.

  “Which is why you’re going to shake Sawyer’s hand, right?” Remy asked, giving her father a hopeful smile.

  Braxton turned a baleful look onto Sawyer, but then he stuck out his hand. Sawyer shook it, a little shocked that Remy had just helped seal the deal. Without her, there would be no way Braxton would’ve agreed.

  “We can get into the specifics later this week,” Sawyer said, looking between them.

  Braxton waved a dismissive hand, the same gesture Remy had used on the porch earlier. It made Sawyer smile, seeing the echo of the father in his daughter.

  “I’m going inside,” Remy’s father groused. “Don’t be long out here.”

  With one final warning glance at Sawyer, Braxton went back around from whence he came.

  “I’ll walk you to your car,” Remy said with a soft smirk. “Make sure you don’t get drawn and quartered on your way.”

  “That’s kind of you,” Sawyer said, glancing around the yard as they walked slowly toward the driveway.

  Remy didn’t say anything as they went, clearly turning something over in her mind. When they reached Sawyer’s Range Rover, he stopped and gave her a look.

  “What?” he asked.

  “Hmm?” Remy said, avoiding his gaze.

  “You want to say something,” Sawyer told her. “You never were any good at hiding your emotions; it’s all written right there on your face.”

  Remy’s cheeks colored. “I don’t want to seem ungrateful.”

  Sawyer’s brows rose. “No?”

  Remy fidgeted, crossing her arms.

  “I don’t want you to think that this means anything,” Remy said apologetically. “You know I’m just doing this to save my farm, right?”

  Sawyer watched her squirm, almost feeling a little bad about it.

  “I know that, Remy.”

  She didn’t look relieved at his words, though.

  “I mean it, Sawyer. I might have to come over to work with you on the ranch, or meet to work out the details of this deal, but that’s it. You’re about as close as I want you to get.”

  Sawyer blew out a breath. He’d expected a flare of temper from her, maybe, but this logical and cold-hearted statement… this was a tough thing to ignore.

  “Also,” Remy said, pushing on. “I don’t want you driving out here unless you call ahead. If we need to meet, you can call and I’ll come over to the ranch, or we can meet in town.”

  “Uh huh…” Sawyer said, distracted. Behind Remy, the front door to the house swung open. Mrs. River stepped out for just a second, holding a dark-haired child in her arms.

  She stared out at Sawyer and Remy, then stepped back inside. She was there and gone again in less than half a minute, which struck Sawyer as odd.

  “Whose kid is that?” Sawyer asked.

  Remy tossed a look over her shoulder, then shrugged. “Cousin. You know we have a big family.”

  Sawyer’d never seen a dark-haired child in the whole River family, but he shrugged it off. “All right. I’ll call you later this week, we can make a date to go to the diner in town.”

  “Not a date,” Remy said, looking uncomfortable.

  “Oh, really,” Sawyer said, unable to resist teasing her. “You wouldn’t go on a date with me?”

  Remy shot him a glare. “No. I think I’ve made that clear.”

  “So you’re not interested in me at all,” Sawyer said, reaching out and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Her soft shiver was all the answer he needed, no matter what she said.

  “Not interested,” she said, her voice a little breathy.

  “Mmmhm. So if I touched you, say like this…” he said, dropping his hand to her waist. He gave her a gentle squeeze, something he used to do when they were teenagers, guaranteed to make her blush. “That wouldn’t get you all hot and bothered?”

  “N-no,” Remy said, biting her lush lower lip.

  “No? What if I kissed you? You wouldn’t feel anything at all?” he asked.

  He pulled her a little closer, a little closer, until they were almost touching. Remy stared up at him
with those big blue eyes, a helplessness in her expression.

  “No,” she whispered, even as her eyes closed.

  Sawyer kissed her, hard and demanding. He spun her around and pressed her back against his SUV, dominating her space and enjoying the feel of her soft curves against his hard body.

  Remy made a soft sound that drove Sawyer onward, using a hand to lift her up and pin her against the car. Her arms went around his neck, fingers digging into his hair, one leg coming up to wrap around his waist.

  He broke the kiss to brush his lips against the line of her jaw, nip at her neck. He shaped and squeezed her breast, grinding against her as he pinched her nipple. Remy went wild beneath him, her nails scoring his shoulders over his shirt, her hips rocking against him, her teeth nipping his ear.

  After a moment, he slid a hand down between them, cupping her heat. He was shocked at the fact that Remy not only let him, she cried out at his touch, her eyes drifting shut.

  “Remy, Remy,” he husked in her ear. “So hungry. I think you’ve been waiting for me.”

  Remy stilled, then pushed at him. “You are such an asshole. Get off me.”

  “You sure?” he asked, sliding his hand back up to tease her nipple again.

  She shuddered, but still pushed at him. “Sawyer, get off.”

  “I wish,” he said, but he lowered her to the ground and moved back the barest inch.

  Remy looked up at him, her eyes glinting like twin sapphires.

  “Sawyer, this has to stop,” she said, each word slow and purposeful.

  “You don’t want that.” He stared right back down at her, the fine hairs on his arms and neck raising at the intensity of her gaze. “Come home with me.”

  “I can’t do this,” she whispered, closing her eyes. “I can’t.”

  “Remy…”

  “Later this week,” she said, sidestepping away from him. “The diner. And we won’t talk about… this.”

  With a final glance, she turned and headed back up the hill toward her house, giving him the twin senses of disappointment and satisfaction as he watched her go, ass swaying in those tight jeans.

  “Fuck,” he muttered to himself, climbing in his car.