The Rancher--A snowbound Western romance by Joanne Rock

Author:Joanne Rock
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2020-10-07T20:15:25+00:00

* * *

Miles recognized the couple waiting in front of Chiara’s villa as he parked the vehicle. The tall, athletic-looking brunette was Chiara’s assistant, and the burly dude dressed all in black had been Chiara’s bodyguard the night of the party at Mesa Falls Ranch. The two held hands, wearing matching tense expressions. They broke apart when Miles halted the vehicle but still approached the passenger door as a team.

“They must have seen photos from the police department parking lot online.” Chiara sighed in frustration as she unbuckled her seat belt and clutched her handbag. “I’ll just need a minute to bring them up to speed.”

“Of course.” Miles nodded at the muscle-bound man who opened Chiara’s door for her. “Take your time. I’ll check out your lake view to give you some privacy.”

“That’s not necessary,” she protested, allowing her bodyguard to help her down from the vehicle.

Opening his own door, Miles discovered the tall assistant was waiting on his side of the Land Rover. Meeting her brown eyes, he remembered her name from the party at Mesa Falls.

“Hi, Jules,” he greeted the woman, who had to be six feet tall even in her flat-soled running shoes. She wore a sweater and track pants, seemingly unconcerned with the cold. “Nice to see you again.”

“You, too.” She gave him a quick smile, but it was plain she had other things on her mind. A furrow between her brows deepened before she lowered her voice to speak to him quietly. “I wanted to warn you that while you were out with Chiara today, you attracted the interest of some of her fans.”

“Should I be concerned?” He stepped down to the pavement beside her while, near the rear of the SUV, Chiara related the story of what happened at the police department to her security guard.

“Not necessarily.” Jules hugged her arms around her waist, breathing a white cloud into the cold air. “But since Chiara’s fan base can be vocal and occasionally unpredictable, you should probably alert your PR team to keep an eye on the situation.”

“I’m a rancher,” he clarified, amused. He stuffed his hands in his pockets to ward off the chill of the day. “I don’t have a PR team.”

“Mesa Falls has a dedicated staffer,” she reminded him, switching on the tablet she was holding. A gust of wind caught her long ponytail and blew it all around her. “I remember because I dealt with her directly about the party at your place. Would you like me to contact her about this instead?”

Puzzled, Miles watched the woman swipe through several screens before pausing on an avatar of the Montana ranch.

“Just what do you think could happen?” he asked her, curious about the potential risks of dating someone famous.

If, in fact, what they were doing together could even be called dating. His gaze slanted over to Chiara, who was heading toward the front door of the villa, flashes of her long legs visible from the opening of her coat. He realized he wanted more with her.

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