Country Frost (King Creek Cowboys #8)

Chapter 2

2

B right June sunlight nearly blinded Celine and she blinked, attempting to accustom herself to it and the heat as she climbed from the dim interior of the black Mercedes. She managed to get out with her Louis Vuitton handbag on one shoulder. In her opposite hand, she gripped the matching tote that held her laptop, along with the stack of papers from Monty.

She congratulated herself for staying on her feet after the harrowing ride. She shot a look at Charlie as he got out of the driver’s seat. He’d nearly killed them sixteen different times in sixteen different ways.

“I’m going to murder Monty,” she muttered under her breath. Bringing Charlie to something so important, something that would be launching her new line—Monty should be shot.

“Miss Celine.” Charlie jogged around the front of the car. “What time do you want me to take you to the hotel in Prescott?”

Never.

“I’ve already made arrangements.” She told him the lie while she held out her hand. “Keys.”

Charlie looked disappointed and handed the set to her .

She gestured toward the set. “I’m sure they can use you someplace over there. Ask Rod.”

Go brighten someone else’s day.

Now Charlie was Rod’s problem. Considering Rod was the one who sent Charlie to get her at the hotel in Scottsdale, fair was fair. She’d kill Monty and set Charlie on Rod—there, two vultures taken out with one stone.

How Charlie had gotten her to the Flying F Ranch alive, she had no idea. He was a walking disaster, not to mention a driving nightmare. She was amazed he was able to pilot his drone without crashing into something.

Celine glanced up at the clear blue sky then squinted as she looked at the chaos of the shoot, which should have been more organized. The day was already growing hot, but from what she understood, it was quite a bit cooler in Prescott Valley than the Phoenix metropolitan area.

She took a moment to scan the country around her. Monty was right. The ranch and the surroundings were spectacular. She’d been told the ranch was at the base of the Bradshaw Mountains and the country was even prettier than what she’d seen on the ride from the airport to North Scottsdale. She had to agree.

The mountains surged upward, behind the ranch. It was an awe-inspiring mountain range that looked as if the Almighty had placed it in the desert. She’d have to get someone to show her the entire property.

It was all far too much to process without some coffee. Good coffee. She’d forgotten to take the premium Panama blend with her to the hotel, where they’d had a mediocre ground brand.

Lucky for her, she had an entire bag of the whole bean stashed in Monty’s trailer. With her name on it.

“Thank the heavens.” A woman on a mission, she strode straight to the silver Airstream trailer Monty had insisted on but rarely used. Charlie, his nephew, used it more than he did.

She avoided eye contact with anyone—she didn’t want to risk being waylaid. As a New Yorker, it was second nature to ignore everything but her destination. She knocked on the Airstream’s door, gave it two seconds, and jerked the door open. She tossed her handbag and tote onto a couch. The tote looked like it would slide off, but she glared at it and the thing stayed put.

Yes, I am officially a witch.

It took her all of thirty seconds to discover her coffee wasn’t where she left it. The bag should have been in a far corner of the pantry, where she always kept extra for emergencies.

She began to plot murder.

Her plans grew more defined the longer she looked for it.

The door slammed open. She turned to face it and saw Charlie duck his head in.

If he had anything to do with it being gone ? —

Charlie got one look at her face and took a step back. “Didn’t mean to bother you, Miss Celine. I’ll just?—”

“Stop.” She held her hand up. “Do you know what happened to the Hacienda la Esmerelda coffee I had in here?” She pointed to the exact location. “The bag with my name on it?”

Charlie’s throat worked. “The guys ran out of coffee. I didn’t think you’d?—”

She was certain a blood vessel would pop in her head.

“Charlie.” She spoke in a slow, measured tone. “You had better get back to work right now.”

She’d never seen him move so fast. He didn’t even stop to close the door behind him.

Celine turned and put her fingertips to her forehead. Just coffee. Just coffee, she tried to tell herself .

Just one of the finest coffees in the world. Lifesaving coffee to everyone here.

A knock at door frame of the open trailer door. Charlie?

Celine turned and came to a hard stop. Words stuck in her throat.

One of the sexiest men she had seen in her life—and she’d seen a lot in her career—stood in the doorway. His eyes were shadowed by a western hat, but his firm lips and lightly stubbled jaw hinted at the man beneath. A T-shirt stretched from one amazing pectoral to the other, hugged shoulders to die for, and clung to tight abs and straight down to hips made to straddle. And those Wrangler jeans cowboys tended to wear out here in the Wild West.

Oh. My. God.

“What can I do for you?” Her voice came out harsher than it should have.

The man pushed up the brim of his hat with one finger and she got a good look at his ice blue eyes. She’d seen eyes like that on a male model once, and she’d thought she’d never seen a more beautiful man. She wouldn’t call this man beautiful. She’d call him a chili-hot cowboy stud.

She almost put her hand to her heart that thudded too hard and way too fast.

He didn’t show any emotion as he appraised her. And that was exactly what he was doing—appraising her. “Did I catch you at a bad time, Ms. Northland?” His smooth voice would have stolen her breath if she hadn’t already lost it.

No doubt, a cowboy here to find out what she needed for the shoot.

She straightened her stance. “Rod is handling anything to do with the set. I’m sure he can help you.” Although I wish I could.

“He sent me to see you.” The man stepped into the trailer without invitation. “I understand you run the show. ”

Wow, wasn’t often a man towered over her. With her height, she wasn’t used to being around a man she had to look up to just to meet his eyes. With her two-inch heeled sandals, today she was six feet and he topped her by at least four inches.

Now, here was a man to snuggle up to.

She had to work to keep her composure. “Depends on what you need, Mr.?”

“Jayson McBride.” He took off his hat and held out his hand, even as he continued to eye her steadily. “Call me Jayson.”

So much for wizened old tough-as-nails cowboys.

Celine knew she should soften her stance and her tone, but she felt caught off guard, as if in a compromising situation.

She took his hand and shivered inwardly as a bolt of something shot through her. What the hell was that all about?

“How can I help you, Jayson?” She drew her hand from his. She’d intended to lighten her tone, but it came out as hard as concrete.

“You could help me a lot by packing up and leaving.” His tone was even, yet had an edge to it. “But since that is likely out of the question, I’d like you to choose a different part of the ranch.”

“The contract you signed gives us free rein. My staff determined this as the best place to start the shoot.” She shrugged. “We’ve got a lot invested in this.” She moved past him and out the door. “We’ll only be a week,” she said as she headed down the trailer steps, and came to a full stop.

A chestnut mare stood nearby, fully saddled, complete with a shotgun in a leather scabbard hanging on the side of the saddle. The mare had a spirited look in her intelligent gaze.

Celine hurried to turn around so that she wouldn’t have to look at the horse. Jayson had followed. A Border Collie now stood at his side, head cocked, looking at her with warm, intelligent eyes .

“Frankly, I don’t want you here at all,” Jayson said and her gaze shot to his. “The least your people can do is respect my property.”

Her jaw tightened. “If it wasn’t for your gambling habit, we wouldn’t be here.”

A shiver rolled through her as Jayson’s eyes turned hard and storm-dark. “I play poker with friends,” he said in a cutting tone. “Doesn’t mean I have a gambling problem. What I do have a problem with is how your people have taken over and how they’re doing it.”

She pushed her long hair over her shoulder and placed her hands on her hips.

He continued, “They’re in the way and have made everything a mess. They’ve toppled a corral, moved things around that I want to stay put, and are generally getting into things they shouldn’t be. They leave gates open. Only stupid people leave gates open on a ranch.”

A shadow passed over them and they looked up. Charlie’s drone circled the trailers. Charlie leaned up against the rail of a corral as he used a controller to dictate the drone’s movements.

She looked back at Jayson. His features had tightened even more. “That drone spooked my cattle and they trampled a fence. My men and I had to round them up and repair the fence line.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Get that drone down,” he said. “Or next time I see it I’ll shoot it down and have the taxidermist mount it and put it on the wall next to Big Jimmy.”

Heat prickled her skin. “You hunt?”

“I aim to start if I see that drone again.” He set his jaw. “The damn thing spooked my cattle and upset my horses. I won’t put up with that. I have a mare ready to foal who’s getting real nervous.”

The moment he’d said “horses,” her skin chilled and she went still .

“I’ll fix that for you.” Celine broke through the icy shell that had temporarily immobilized her. She moved to the mare and rested her palm on the shotgun’s stock. “May I?”

Jayson appeared to be taken aback. “All right.”

“Loaded?” she asked.

“Uh-huh,” he said slowly.

A quick few seconds and she held the shotgun, barrel pointed up. “Are your horses used to guns, especially her?” She nodded in the direction of the chestnut.

“They’re all gun-trained,” he said in his low cowboy drawl. “Including Starlight.”

“Good.” Celine turned and looked in the direction of the drone. She raised the recoil pad to her shoulder and sighted the drone. She waited until the thing was clear of humans and animals alike, then squeezed the trigger.

Boom.

The shot echoed throughout the foothills .

The drone exploded. What was left plummeted and slammed into the dirt.

Everything and everyone fell silent. She’d had it with Charlie and that damned thing.

“That was a $5,000 drone,” Charlie wailed and started to come closer.

She narrowed her gaze.

Charlie stepped back.

Celine turned to Jayson. “What else can I do for you?”

He watched her as if for sudden movement. “You can get them to leave my things alone and to close the damn gates.”

She turned to the staff that gaped at her. “Next one to leave a gate open, or get into Mr. McBride’s belongings without permission, will get an ass full of buckshot. You’ll be picking it out for the next week.” She glared at all of them. “Have I made myself clear? ”

Rapid nods from everyone.

“Then get back to work.” Celine turned back to Jayson. “Can you get a list to me of approved locations my people can use?”

His eyes seemed to say, Who are you and what have you done with the woman I just met? “I’ll do that.”

“Thank you.” She rubbed her temples again, pressing against them with her thumb and forefinger. She handed the shotgun to him. “I’m sorry. I’ve had a rough couple of days.” She shook her head. “And I am coffee deprived. It’s dangerous to be around me until I have a few cups.”

A moment of additional appraising, then the corner of Jayson’s mouth quirked as he took the shotgun. “I’ve been known to cut off a few heads before a pot of good ol’ cowboy coffee.”

“Let’s start over.” She held out her hand. “Celine Northland. I’m the fashion designer for Celine Originals, and you know the rest.”

He shifted the shotgun to his left. “I’m Jayson McBride. I own this hunk of Arizona.” He took her hand and a charge went through her that caused her to catch her breath. “I’m certain I don’t know the rest. But after that shooting demonstration, I’m sure there’s a lot more to the story.”

It took a moment for his remark to sink in. “It’s nothing special.” She smiled. “I imagine you have a few stories to tell.” She tried to withdraw her hand, but he held it just a little bit longer.

“Why don’t you come on in for cinnamon rolls and coffee?” He nodded in the direction of the place she’d barely acknowledged when she arrived. “That is, if you can handle sludge that’ll grow hair on your chest.”

She breathed a sigh of relief when he finally released her hand. “Sludge?”

He flashed her a grin that would make a lesser woman’s knees weaken. “Just sayin’ I put more than twice the amount in the coffee pot than is called for. My sister, Bailey, says you can stand a spoon in it.”

Celine grimaced. “Sounds…like it would probably get me through this before anyone gets decapitated.” She glanced at the people scurrying around them. “No, decapitation is still a possibility.

Jayson grinned and shook his head as he slid the shotgun back into its scabbard. “Come on over.”

She pushed her hair over her shoulder. “Give me about fifteen minutes to take care of a couple of things and get my Xena sword.”

Jayson took the horse’s reins and gave Celine a questioning look.

She shook her head. “Never mind. I have to get coffee before my Hyde side returns.”

He gestured in front of them. “Ladies first.”

She walked past. “I always heard cowboys are notorious for being gentlemanly.”

“Notorious, huh?” He and the Border Collie fell into step with her as he led the chestnut mare. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“Right now, it’s a good thing.” She glanced at him and found it refreshing to not be eye-to-eye to a man or looking down. She’d always liked a tall man, and Jayson qualified.

Not to mention he qualified for a whole lot more.

She almost groaned aloud. She’d better stop thinking this way or she’d need to have her head checked when she got back to New York.

Rod stood on the path in front of them as they walked around the trailer.

“She let you live?” Rod said to Jayson. “When Charlie told me about the coffee, I thought you were a goner for sure. And then when she got out that shotgun…”

“You’re half the reason I need so much coffee.” Celine narrowed her gaze at Rod. “Send Charlie to pick me up again, and they’ll be scraping you up off the ground.”

Rod made a poor attempt at looking concerned. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“You’d better.” She turned to Jayson. “You’ve met Rod.”

“Yep.” Jayson gave a nod.

Celine said, “I’ll take care of the issue we spoke about and a couple of other things, and then meet you at the house.”

“I need to turn out Starlight, but that won’t take long,” Jayson said. “When you get to the house, come in through the back door. Everyone does, considering that’s where the coffee is.”

“Believe me, I’ll be there in no time.”

“I’ll have a mug waiting.” He turned and headed toward the barn, leading his mare beside him, the Border Collie at his heels.

Celine pivoted and glared at Rod. “We have to get the operation away from Mr. McBride’s horses. Do it now.”

After taking off her saddle and blanket, Jayson had turned Starlight loose in the corral since he intended to ride her later. He strode from the barn to his home.

He held back a grin and glanced down at Thor. “I’ve always had a weakness for strong women,” he said to the dog.

Celine Northland qualified. He didn’t think she was a witch, like Monty had said, but he could be wrong. He wouldn’t tolerate anyone who was abusive, whether man or woman.

When he’d knocked on the doorframe and she’d spun to face him, he thought her glare would singe his body. He could almost smell the scent of burnt hair .

He’d also thought he’d been in for a battle to get rid of that damned drone and get their operation away from his horses.

But the moment he’d said “horses,” she had turned on a dime. He wondered where she’d gotten that concern from.

And holy shit. He hadn’t known what to think when she’d asked to use his shotgun. But when she’d shot that drone out of the sky he’d been afraid he’d bust a gut laughing at the looks on her employees’ faces. It’d been all he could do to keep a straight face.

He stood back as Thor trotted in. Jayson let the screen bang shut behind him and left the kitchen door open. He hung his Stetson on the hat tree and breathed in the scents of coffee and cinnamon rolls. Couldn’t get much better than that.

When he was in the mood for cowboy coffee, he kept the coffee warm on the burner, which gave it an even stronger flavor. The cook had left a pan of homemade cinnamon rolls on the counter, covered in foil. His cousin’s wife, Tess, had hired a fantastic cook for Jayson and his staff. Tess knew food and the way to a dozen men’s stomachs, and she’d used her expertise to get him a great cook. Almost as good as Tess, which was saying a lot.

After he made sure Thor had water and dog food, Jayson looked in a cabinet and grabbed two of his biggest mugs and two plates. He loaded each plate with an Arizona-sized cinnamon roll and filled each mug with coffee. He had no doubt Celine would be in the kitchen before her coffee could cool.

The moment he set the mugs on the table, Celine opened the screen door and entered the kitchen. Thor sat on his haunches and watched her come in.

“Phew.” Celine wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. “I am not used to this heat.”

“Welcome to Arizona.” Jayson studied the dark-haired woman. “If a newcomer makes it through his or her first summer, then they stand a good chance of coming back.”

“Right now, the only thing I care about are those smells.” She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Her stomach growled loud enough for him to hear. “Coffee and cinnamon rolls,” Celine said. “I have died and gone to heaven.”

Jayson grinned. “Have a seat.”

She opened her eyes. Before she could move to the table, Thor plopped his butt right in front of her path. She paused and looked down at him. Thor thumped his tail on the tile.

Jayson watched Thor, wondering what the dog was up to. He’d never behaved this way, and he’d never been overly friendly with anyone.

Celine hesitated. “Hi, boy.” She glanced at Jayson. “May I pet him?”

He nodded.

She crouched to Thor’s level. The dog ducked his head, allowing her to touch him. She slid her fingers through the Border Collie’s silky black and white hair. “You’re so soft.” She didn’t look up as she stroked him. “What’s his name?”

Thor never invited anyone to pet him. Jayson wondered if the dog was getting soft. “Thor.”

“What a nice boy.” She scratched behind his ears. “And friendly.”

“Not usually.” Jayson had a hard time reconciling the normally cautious dog with the one now becoming buddy-buddy with the fashion designer. “Coffee is getting cold.”

She stood then moved to the table in the alcove. She slipped onto a bench in front of a full mug and a filled plate.

Jayson grabbed paper napkins and joined her, mentally shaking his head at the dog now settled at Celine’s feet. What did the dog know that he didn’t?

Celine took a long drink of coffee and choked. “Jeez. You weren’t kidding this is strong. I can already feel hair growing on my chest.” She shook her head. “Thanks for the warning.”

“My pleasure.” He watched her take sip after sip of the coffee.

Celine was beautiful as hell with long almost black hair and eyes a dark seashell-brown. It was an unusual color, but on her it was fantastic.

He drank from his own mug, mostly in gulps as opposed to sips. He got up and grabbed the pot and set it on a trivet at the center of the table, along with the pan of cinnamon rolls. One wasn’t going to be enough, despite their size.

“Bless you.” She sighed and pushed her mug forward. “I feel Mrs. Hyde going back into that little box inside. As long as I get my coffee, no one will get hurt.”

“Noted.” He poured another cup of his sister Bailey’s idea of sludge. “I will keep it in mind in the future.”

She smiled and it was like the sun breaking through clouds and shining on him.

“Now that I’m coffee-fied, I’m ready for a sugar rush.” She pulled off a sticky piece of her roll. “I haven’t had homemade cinnamon rolls since Cook Nancy.” Celine’s features seemed to relax more.

“Cook Nancy?” he asked.

She nodded. “One of many cooks who passed through my parents’ kitchen. She was my favorite and lasted the longest. She somehow managed to put up with Mother and Father.” Celine sighed. “But everyone has a breaking point.”

He ate another bite of cinnamon roll then licked frosting from his fingers. “You like horses,” he stated.

Celine went very still, like when he’d first mentioned his. A light rose tinged her cheeks.

She picked at her cinnamon roll and didn’t look at him. “Who doesn’t? ”

Something was there. An old pain, an old regret. Now was not the time to push the topic. One day he would learn exactly why she reacted the way she did when he mentioned horses. He would pick at the ice she’d coated herself with until he broke through.

He mentally shook his head. Why would he think she’d be around long enough for him to get that far?

“So, what’s this all about?” he asked. “Why are you here? Not because I lost a damned bet. What are you doing, and why do you need a ranch to begin with?”

Celine’s shoulders visibly relaxed. “As you know, I’m a fashion designer.” She waved her hand in the direction of the chaos outside. “We’re going all out with my new line. It’s pretty much do or die.”

Jayson nodded, letting her fill the gaps with her story.

“The last two lines were considered successful,” she said, but it clearly wasn’t enough. “They paid the bills and the reviews were fine, but not raving.”

She leaned forward, her cinnamon roll forgotten. “I need raving. I need phenomenal.”

“You think this will do it?” he asked.

“I feel good about it.” Celine’s expression grew more intent. “We used crowd funding to get people involved, so they would be invested in the line. The plan is to use that funding and support to blast out of the gates.”

She looked even more intense as she went on. “I have the financial backing from an investor, in addition to the crowd funding. We are going to tear the fashion world apart and insert ourselves big time.”

He nodded, enjoying the passion and fire in her eyes.

“Once we’re all wrapped up here,” she said, “we’ll be pushing our campaign in print, on TV, and using social media. YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, blogs—you name it, we’ll do it.”

“Admirable,” Jayson said and meant it. “I try to stay away from social media, but I have an employee who makes sure to keep us visible. I hear it’s a good way to get the word out.”

“Yes.” She laughed. “If we could, we’d even get into the video game market. Can you imagine a fashion game?”

He grinned. “Not even close.”

Her gaze drifted away, like she was seeing inside herself instead of the room she was physically in.

She returned her attention to Jayson. “We’re going to make this happen, and Celine Originals is going to be big.”

“I believe you.” He found himself caught up in her dream and her enthusiasm. “I have a feeling you can do anything you set your sights on.”

Celine smiled. “We use cutting edge digital tech and fantastic handcrafted traditional textiles. This line is going to blow everyone out of the water.”

“I’d like to see what you’re doing on my land.” He looked at her intently. “I’m interested in your venture.”

She studied him and nodded. “Sure, I’ll show you anything you’re interested in. But first you and Thor need to take me on a tour of your property.”

“Done,” he said. “When’s good for you?”

She looked out the kitchen window, sighed, and shook her head. “I need to find out what the hell is going on out there and make sure everything is under control.”

“Why don’t you have dinner here, and bring some photos and show me your designs?” He drew her attention back to him. “Tonight, if you don’t have anything going on.”

“No plans.” She smiled. “I’d enjoy having dinner with you. Will Monty join us? ”

Jayson scowled. “He’s lucky to be alive. It’d be safer for him if he stayed away.”

“Make that double.” Celine grinned “I was ready to do him in after I made it through the ride with Charlie.” She went on, “I have an iPad and all of my designs are on it. I’ll bring that to dinner with me.”

“Sounds great,” Jason said. “Need any more coffee?”

Celine paused and tilted her coffee mug to peer inside. “Empty, but my indicator is on full again.” She glanced at her plate that had only a few crumbs left before meeting Jayson’s gaze again. “The rolls were amazing. Thank you for both.”

Jayson gathered the plates and mug as he stood. “Let me know when you’re ready to take that tour.”

“I’ll find you this afternoon and we can plan it.”

Thor came up beside Jayson and they watched her rise and leave the kitchen. Damn but she had a fantastic backside. Not to mention front side.

Jayson put the dishes in the sink before he grabbed his Stetson off the hat tree and headed out to get some work done, Thor at his heels. There was always something to do on the ranch.