Montana Country Legacy--How to Resist a Rancher by Cindy Kirk

Author:Cindy Kirk
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2020-02-13T18:29:20+00:00

Chapter 3

It was a spectacular night.

At about nine o’clock, after cleaning up the pots and pans she’d used to cook dinner, Kate sat on the wooden bench on the small front porch of her little cabin. The inky-black Montana sky glittered with stars, a sight that took her breath away. The absence of Los Angeles nuisance light revealed the beauty a person couldn’t see in the big city.

Being away from L.A. was having unexpected effects on her. She hadn’t been this relaxed in a very long time. Dinner with the Dixon men had been partly responsible for that. Fried chicken, mac and cheese and beer were probably the world’s most comforting foods. But the best part was that no one wanted anything from her. She’d had to make a federal case to get her boss’s permission to cook.

Cabot Dixon was a brooder, which only added to his appeal. He didn’t have a poker face, either. That was for sure. When he’d talked about missed career opportunities, she’d seen resentment and resignation in his expression. But when she’d gone into Blackwater Lake to shop for food and toiletries, everyone she’d talked to had said he had made the Dixon ranch more successful than his father or grandfather had. So it might not be his first choice for making a living, but he was darn good at what he did.

The scrape of boots coming down the dirt path startled her in the still night. Adrenaline kicked up her heart rate; she was all alone out here. As a tall form moved closer, lights mounted on the cabins revealed that it was Cabot.

“Evening,” he said, not slowing his stride.

He was going to walk right on by. If he’d said nothing, a case could be made that he hadn’t seen her, but he clearly had and didn’t want to talk to her.

Kate knew she should let him go, but for some reason his remoteness kicked up her contrary streak. She didn’t like being ignored. On top of that, she was curious about why he was out here. Surely he didn’t exercise. He was lean and muscular, walking proof that his job kept him fit without having to add a workout routine.

“Hey, wait up.” She stood and hurried after him.

“What?” he asked over his shoulder.

Kate caught up to him, but it wasn’t easy. His long-legged stride made it a challenge. “That’s what I’d like to know. Why are you out here? Is something wrong?”

“Nope. Habit. I do a nightly inspection of all the ranch buildings.”

“Where’s Ty?”

“In bed.” Cabot glanced down at her. “He’s old enough to be left by himself for a few minutes.”

“I wasn’t judging,” she protested.

“Maybe not out loud, but I could hear you thinking about it.”

Just a little. Possibly.

When he got to the grassy area by the lake, he turned right on the dirt path and headed for the barn and corral. He wasn’t saying anything, and she felt the need to fill the conversational void.

“It’s a beautiful night.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you ever get used to it? Take all this for granted?”

“Probably.

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