Country Frost (King Creek Cowboys #8)

Chapter 1

1

L eeann McLeod leaned back against the corral and rested her arms on the rail as she watched the truck coming up the drive to Carter’s home, a cloud of dust roiling behind it.

“That must be the farrier.” Leeann glanced at her brother. “Have you met him?”

“Nah.” Carter shook his head. “Tyson recommended the guy since old man Winters retired.”

Her gaze followed the black Ford as it pulled up to the barn and stopped. “If our brother-in-law recommended him, he’s got to be good.”

“Yep.” Carter headed toward the truck, which had a shell with double doors in the back instead of a tailgate. Lucy, his Border collie, followed at his heels.

Leeann pushed away from the corral and followed. Her brothers were all well over six feet tall and had long strides. She never had been able to keep up.

The driver’s side door opened, and a man stepped out. He reached inside, brought out a cream-colored Stetson, and settled it on his head before turning to meet Carter .

As her brother greeted the cowboy, Leeann came to a complete halt, her heart skipping a beat. Damn, what a man.

He was at least six-four and about the same age as Carter, but the man was much rougher and tougher looking. She’d always had a thing for bad boys, and he had that look about him—sinfully sexy.

She swallowed, straightened her posture, and started forward again, her gaze raking over him from head to toe. He had a trimmed beard and mustache—she loved men with beards. He was a big cowboy who looked like he’d be made of pure muscle, not an ounce of fat.

A jean jacket covered his broad shoulders, and he wore a faded pair of Wranglers that stretched across his powerful thighs. His belt was reddish-brown tooled leather with a big silver buckle. She wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d rodeoed when he was younger.

Dear Lord, he’s hot.

The cowboy greeted the Border collie as she walked toward them.

When she reached them, the man turned to her and touched the brim of his hat. “Howdy, ma’am.”

Her belly fluttered. “Hi.” She held out her hand. “I’m Leeann McLeod.”

“Porter Gann.” He clasped it, and the warmth of his callused hand heated her through. “A pleasure.” His gaze held hers for only a moment, and he gave her a brief smile before turning back to Carter.

His hazel-green eyes were gorgeous, and that little smile weakened her knees. Holy crap. She’d never had this reaction to a man.

She checked his left hand and was happy to see he wasn’t wearing a ring. That didn’t mean he was free, but it gave her hope. She’d never chased a man, but there was always a first time.

Carter inclined his head toward the barn. “Applejack’s in there.” He tossed Leeann a smile. “The gelding is my sister’s horse. She keeps him here since she lives in town.”

Porter glanced at Leeann before falling into step with Carter and heading toward the barn. Leeann trailed behind, enjoying the way Porter’s Wranglers hugged his great ass.

She stuffed her hands into her jacket pockets and followed them into the barn, where Applejack waited patiently. He was such a good horse—she’d had him for six years.

“Beautiful palomino.” Porter ran his hand over the gelding’s golden coat and greeted him. “You are one fine-looking boy.”

The horse whinnied and bobbed his head, and Leeann smiled.

After spending a few moments letting Applejack get to know him, he checked the horse’s hooves. He turned to Leeann. “All four hooves could use new shoes. Do you want the one replaced or all four?”

Her skin tingled as he focused on her. She loved that he wasn’t asking Carter since Applejack was her horse.

“All four, please.” If the horse needed it, then that’s what she should do. A side benefit was that the task would keep him here a while longer than if he was just replacing the shoe the palomino had thrown.

He gave a single nod. “I’ll be right back.”

She watched him go and fanned herself. “Now that is a man.”

Carter chuckled. “Do I need to screen him to make sure he won’t take advantage of my little sister?”

“Don’t you dare.” She playfully swatted at him. “I can do my own screening, thank you very much.”

“Uh-huh.” Carter made a disbelieving sound .

She eyed him. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

He raised his eyebrows. “Seems to me the last several men you dated we should have chased off.”

With a groan, Leeann looked at the rafters and shook her head. “Do you have any clue what it’s like to have five brothers? You McLeod boys haven’t liked anyone that Jill, Haylee, and I have dated.”

“Until Tyson and CJ.” Carter still looked amused. “Those girls finally got it right.”

“Mind your business.” Leeann sniffed and raised her chin, even though she was amused.

Porter returned. “I’ve got everything ready. Let’s bring him out.”

Leeann took Applejack by the bridle and led him out to Porter’s truck. The back doors had been opened. Inside was a workspace with a metal tool chest, a portable forge, and other tools of the trade.

“I’ll leave you to it.” Carter indicated the corral to the right of the barn door. “I need to get to work. Holler if you need anything.”

“Will do.” Porter nodded before turning to his truck.

Lucy trotted after Carter as Leeann called out to Porter, “I’ll be right back,” and she hurried to the barn for something to sit on.

Porter was wearing leather chaps when she returned with a small, three-legged stool. Damn , but those chaps framed his assets nicely. He set to work, lifting Applejack’s front left hoof, which was currently shoeless. He settled the hoof onto a short stand he’d taken out of his truck.

She perched on the stool. “How long have you been a farrier?”

Porter kept his gaze focused on his work as he scraped and cleaned the foot. “Some sixteen years now. ”

“I’ve been around horses all my life.” Leeann watched him remove debris from inside the hoof. “I’ve always found it interesting to see farriers shoe them.”

He focused on his task, cutting out the excess hoof wall.

“You’re not from around here.” Leeann shifted on the stool. “Where did you come from?”

For a moment, he worked on the dead sole before answering. “Montana.”

This man wasn’t going to give up anything easily.

She rubbed her thighs through the tough fabric of her jeans. “So, you were a local farrier?”

After finishing with the sole, he picked up a pair of nippers and started trimming the hoof. “I worked the rodeo circuit.”

A light wind blew tendrils of loose hair around her face. “What made you decide to move to Arizona?”

He paused and blew out his breath before continuing. “You ask a lot of questions.”

She grinned and braced her forearms on her thighs. “I’m hoping to one day make a living at being curious.”

He paused again and looked at her. “And what do you want to do?”

Tingles ran over her skin as he focused on her. “I’m a writer, which involves a lot of curiosity and questioning.”

“Never thought of it that way.” He grabbed a rasp and worked to even out the bottom of the hoof.

“So, you didn’t answer my question.” She leaned forward. “How did you end up here?”

He sighed. “You’re not going to give up.”

She grinned. “Nope.”

“My folks passed away, and I took in my adopted sister.” He continued to rasp the hoof. “Ashley is sick, and we moved here to be close to her specialist.”

Leeann deflated. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pried. ”

He met her gaze again. “No worries, Leeann. It’s fine.”

The way he said her name made her feel gooey inside. “How old is she?”

“Twelve.” He adjusted the hoof on the stand. “Ash is a good kid.”

Leeann cocked her head to the side. “I imagine going from single and alone to having a young girl as your ward is challenging.”

This time, when he looked at her, a glint of amusement was in his eyes. “Who says I’m single and alone?”

Heat flushed through her, and she felt mortified. “I’m sorry. I just assumed since you were going around the circuit.”

The corner of his mouth quirked into a grin. “I am single, and I was alone, so you’re right, it’s a challenge.”

He focused on the hoof again and started rasping the outside.

Males. Leeann put the heel of her hand to her forehead. Heaven, help me.

But she was thrilled to know he was single. He hadn’t lived in the area long, so she was hopeful he hadn’t found anyone who interested him.

“Has Ashley started school?” Leeann asked. “What year is she in?”

“Sixth grade.” He released the horse's leg, and Applejack put his foot on the ground. “She’ll start back after the holidays.”

“The middle school is close to the hospital where I work.” She watched him set an anvil on a stand. “The schools here have great ratings.”

“You said you’re a writer.” Porter put on gloves and used long tongs to insert a horseshoe into the portable forge. “What do you do at the hospital?”

Wow, he’d asked her a question. Progress.

“I’ve worked there for eight years as an X-ray tech.” She pushed her ponytail over her shoulder. “I am so ready to leave my current career and write full time, but it’s like they say—don’t quit your day job until you know you can make a living as an author. My goal is two years.”

He pulled the red-hot glowing horseshoe out of the forge. “How many books have you published?”

“My first one comes out next month, the week after Christmas.” She watched as he pounded and shaped the horseshoe on the anvil. “I have a three-book contract with a New York publisher.”

He set the horseshoe into a metal container and carried the bucket to the horse. Applejack swished his long white tail. “You must be excited.”

“I am.” She lit up with excitement with what was to come, feeling giddy. “I can’t believe it’s finally coming out.”

“Congrats.” He gave her a sexy quirk of his lips before picking up Applejack’s leg and put the horse’s hoof back on the stand.

That little smile caused her belly to swoop. “Thank you.” She put her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands.

Porter pressed the still-hot horseshoe against the hoof. Steam billowed from the contact, and he blew on it before removing the shoe. He used a wire brush on the hoof and then the nippers to trim it.

Then he placed the hot shoe against the hoof again, more sizzling sounds and steam rising from the contact. He set the shoe aside and did a little more trimming before moving the horse’s leg so that Applejack could stand on it again.

While the horseshoe cooled, he started on the gelding’s other front hoof.

“You’re good at what you do.” Leeann smiled. “It’s clear you enjoy it.”

Unlike the first hoof, this one had a shoe. He tapped on the metal before prying out the horseshoe nails and dropping them into a bucket with a clank after each one. “I like working with horses.”

“Now that you’re not on the circuit, do you do something else when you’re not being a farrier?”

“I bought a ranch on the other side of King Creek.” He tossed the old shoe in with the nails, and it hit with a loud clatter. “I have a small herd and the horses I brought with us. I’ll build up the herd in the spring.”

“Four of my brothers, Carter, Justin, Brady, and Colt, are ranchers, and one, Bear, is the town vet. Bear also has a small ranch with a menagerie of pets.”

Porter remained focused on cleaning out the second hoof. “So, I’ve heard.”

She found herself fascinated by what he was doing—it was so satisfying to see the hoof transform. “What did you do last week for Thanksgiving?”

He looked amused by all her questions. “We had a quiet holiday.” He picked up the nippers.

Her holiday had been filled with her huge family and good times. She felt bad that Porter and his sister had been alone. “Did you have a big meal? Do you like to cook?”

“Enough for the two of us.” He shrugged one shoulder. “Ashley likes to prepare dinner. I only do what’s necessary.”

“I like to cook.” Leeann shifted on the stool. “I find it relaxing.”

Porter’s lips twitched as if he found that amusing. “I’d rather get a nail driven through my boot with my foot still in it.”

“Ouch.” Leeann winced. “That bad, huh?”

“That bad.”

Leeann followed his movements as he trimmed the hoof. “What does Ashley like to cook? ”

“Any kind of pasta is her favorite.” He set aside the nippers and picked up the rasp. “She likes to bake cookies.”

Porter seemed to have warmed up to her. Score one for Leeann .

She watched the play of muscles in his forearms. “Ashley must be a lot younger than you.”

He rasped the bottom of the hoof. “Are you trying to find out how old I am?”

“I figure you must be in your thirties.” She twisted on the stool. “All of us are, except Haylee, who’s in her late twenties.” She scrunched her nose. “Strike that, Carter’s in his early forties now.”

He adjusted the angle of the rasp. “If you insist, I’m thirty-seven.”

That wasn’t such a difference in their ages. She grinned. “I turned thirty less than a year ago.” She thought about it. “So that makes you twenty-five years older than your sister.”

“Yep.”

Leeann tilted her head to the side. “What made your parents adopt a child who’s so much younger than you?”

Porter blew out his breath. “You like to talk.”

“I’ve been known to be chatty.” She grinned.

He met her gaze. “I haven’t.”

She put one heel on the stool and linked her hands around her knee. “Now’s your opportunity.”

“God help me.” He shook his head.

Leeann couldn’t help but laugh. “Come on, it’s not that hard.”

He changed his position and rasped the front of the hoof. “Mom was close friends with Ashley’s mother, Tammy, who was dying of cancer.” He didn’t look at her as he continued to work. “Tammy convinced my parents to adopt her daughter so that she wouldn’t end up in the foster system.” He shrugged. “My mom said Ashley kept them young. ”

Porter had just said more at one time than he had during their mostly one-sided conversation.

“What happened to your parents?” Leeann asked softly.

“My dad was a rancher, but he was also a pilot with a small Cessna.” Porter set the rasp aside, got up, and went to the forge. “One day, the engine went out, and the plane went down, killing my parents and another couple who were with them. They were all on their way to Las Vegas for the weekend.”

“I’m sorry.” Leeann’s heart broke for Porter and his young sister. “When did that happen?”

“Several months ago.” He inserted a horseshoe into the forge.

Leeann frowned. “Am I asking too many questions?”

A glint of amusement was in his eyes when he looked at her. “And if I said yes?”

She couldn’t help but laugh. “It probably wouldn’t stop me.”

“That’s what I thought.” He brought out the horseshoe, glowing fiery red, and set it in the metal container he’d used earlier.

Before she could ask another question, his cell rang. He pulled it out of its holster, touched the screen, then brought the phone to his ear. “What’s up, Ash?”

A crease formed between his eyes as the girl spoke. “You spilled red fruit juice on your white hoodie?” he asked then listened a moment. “Did you try the stain-removing spray?” He waited before saying, “How about one of those stain sticks in the laundry room cabinet?” After a moment, he blew out his breath. “Honey, I don’t know what else to tell you to do.”

Leeann spoke up. “I might be able to help, Porter.”

“Just a sec, Ash.” He lowered the phone. “I’m listening.”

She nodded toward her champagne silver Nissan Rogue, parked next to Carter’s truck. “This morning, I bought a cleaner that gets out red stains. I’d be happy to send it home with you. ”

Porter nodded. “I appreciate that.” He brought the phone back to his ear. “A lady at the ranch I’m at now said she can send home something that will help. Why don’t you put your hoodie on top of the washing machine, and we’ll take care of it tonight.” He listened. “See you in about an hour and a half.”

“Ashley said to tell you thank you.” He slid his phone back into its holster. “I’m surely grateful for your help. It’s a white Hello Kitty hoodie that she just got for her birthday, and she was upset about the stain.”

“You’re welcome. We country folk watch out for each other.” Leeann pushed strands of hair from her face. “I’ll give it to you before you leave.”

Porter went back to work on shoeing Applejack while Leeann stuck around. When he started on his rear left hoof, she noticed the bottom of a tattoo on Porter’s left biceps that she hadn’t seen when he’d been turned the other way.

“What kind of tattoo is that?” she asked.

He positioned the horse’s leg so that his hoof was on the short stand. “Roadrunner.”

She leaned closer. “Can I see it?”

He glanced at her, then paused to push up his sleeve, exposing his rock-hard muscular arm. It was an attractive tattoo with a roadrunner and cacti encircled by a lasso.

“I like it.” She studied it before meeting his gaze. “You’re from a state that doesn’t have that bird or vegetation. How did you end up with that tattoo?”

“Lost a bet.” He pulled his sleeve down before going back to work.

She rolled her eyes. “Isn’t that the standard don’t-ask response?”

A smile was in his eyes when he flicked his gaze back to her. “Could be.”

Getting anything out of the man was like pulling a stubborn mule’s rope, where the creature had his heels dug in and could barely be budged. But what little she did coax out of Porter was a small triumph that made her grin.

Leeann continued to pry information out of him while he finished each hoof. When he finally got back to the first one, he took the cooled horseshoe and nailed it to the hoof. Like the good horse he was, Applejack remained patient during the whole process.

When Porter got back to the rear left hoof, she saw the bottom of his roadrunner again. “Do you have any other tattoos?”

He started nailing in the horseshoe. “None that I can show in polite company.”

She gave him an impish look. “What about impolite company?”

His lips twitched as he met her gaze. “No, honey, you don’t qualify.”

Ooooh, he’d called her honey. She gave him her wickedest grin. “Try me.”

He just shook his head and went back to nailing the horseshoe.

By the time he’d finished, she’d managed to drag out of him, in short sentences, that he’d grown up on a ranch, had gone to a trade school to learn to be a farrier, and had rodeoed in his younger days. But she hadn’t been able to get any real details.

Well, they had to have things to talk about the next time they met.

When he’d finished with Applejack, she took the gelding to the corral and turned him loose. She would put him in his stall in a bit—she didn’t want Porter leaving before she had a chance to ask the man out.

He’d closed the doors on the camper shell as she returned. Carter strode toward them, and Leeann muttered a curse word under her breath. She couldn’t very well hit on Porter while her brother was there.

Carter slid his wallet out of his pocket, pulled out some bills, and handed them to Porter.

“Wait.” Leeann held up her hand. “Applejack is my horse. I’ll pay.”

Carter shrugged. “You can settle with me later, sis.”

“All right.” She turned to Porter. “Let me grab that cleaner out of my SUV.”

She strode toward her Rogue, not in a hurry, hoping Carter would leave before she got back.

Leeann reached inside and grabbed the grocery bag off her back seat. She had picked it up to remove a red stain on a T-shirt at home. Tomorrow, she would run to the store to pick up another bottle.

She grabbed the cleaner and tossed the bag onto the seat. She shut the door, whirled around, and smacked into a muscular chest.

Startled, she cried out and dropped the bottle. Her gaze met Porter’s as he grasped her upper arms and steadied her. The heat of his hands traveled through her jacket, warming her through.

For the first time that morning, she was speechless, her breath catching in her throat.

He released her and bent to retrieve the bottle of cleaner. When he stood, he looked at the bottle before meeting her gaze. “Thank you, Leeann. This might be a lifesaver.”

She finally found her tongue. “No problem. Just follow the directions, and I’m sure it will work.”

“I’ll drop off the bottle tomorrow.” He held out his hand. “I’ll give you my number, and you can text me your address.”

If she hadn’t been thrilled to get his number and to have him drop by, she would have told him to keep it. She slid her phone out of her pocket, opened her text app and a new message, and handed the phone to him.

He used his thumbs to type in his number, and she took the phone from him. She put her address in the message bar and hit send.

A moment later, his phone dinged, and he checked it. “Got it.” He slid the phone back into his holster. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Leeann.”

Oh, my God. The way he said her name made thrills go through her belly.

“Tomorrow’s Sunday,” she said, “so I’ll be home. Any time will be fine.”

“It’ll be early afternoon if that’s fine with you.”

She nodded. “Perfect.”

He touched the brim of his hat in a farewell gesture before striding back to his truck.

Leeann found herself breathless as she watched him climb in. She gave him a little wave as he drove past before going to the barn to brush down and feed Applejack.

A broad grin spread across her face. Porter Gann had given her his phone number and was coming by her home tomorrow. Just maybe it was for more than returning a bottle of stain remover.