Steel Toes & Stilettos (Sweet & Rugged in Montana Book 2) Read online

  He shrugged. “I’ve never met any.”

  “But you’re not impressed?”

  He looked over then and his dark eyes were filled with a mischievous twinkle that stole her breath away. “No, ma’am.”

  She opened her mouth to protest but clamped it shut again, afraid she might laugh if she tried to argue that point. “So who have your clients been?”

  He gave another small shrug. “Some of Claire’s acquaintances from the city.”

  The city, she knew, meant New York. That’s where Hannah was from and where she’d met Claire.

  It was also where Katy had been born and raised. Her protective instincts kicked in. No one messed with a New Yorker, whether she knew them or not. “And I take it you don’t like city people.”

  Something in her tone must have alerted him to her change in demeanor and she saw he shift slightly before hedging, “I haven’t met many.”

  She scowled at him with pursed lips. “Nice evasion, mister.”

  If he could call her ma’am then she could sure as heck call him mister. Served him right.

  His smirk grew until it threatened to be a smile. Heavens, that almost-smile suited him. Even in this lighting she could see the creases around his mouth, dangerously close to dimples but not quite. His five o’clock shadow wouldn’t allow it.

  She rolled her eyes at her silliness. She was officially losing it due to exhaustion. The sooner she got home…er, to his home…and got into bed, the better.

  “How long until we reach Twilight?” she asked.

  “Another ten minutes or so. Feel free to close your eyes, ma’am.”

  He was teasing her now and she knew it so her scowl wasn’t quite as fierce as it might have been.

  He laughed when he saw it. “I’m just trying to be polite.”

  “Mmhmm.” She pinched her lips shut to keep from laughing. What was it with this man? One minute she wanted to stomp on his toes and hail a cab to get away from him and the next she was laughing and teasing with him like they were lifelong friends.

  She shook her head. Nothing could be further from the truth and she’d do well to remember it. She and Dax Deckland came from different worlds. More importantly, they currently inhabited different universes.

  That thought helped her stifle the laughter and her earlier prissy tone was back. “Don’t be polite on my account, all that chivalrous sweetness will make my teeth rot.”

  He grinned but his gaze remained on the road. “I guess you’re not used to manners where you come from.”

  She shook her head in amused exasperation. “There’s manners and then there’s chivalry…” The former she appreciated, the latter made her want to throw a punch.

  “I’m just being a gentleman.” He flashed her another wicked grin. “Let me guess, you don’t like gentlemen?”

  It was a struggle to keep her lips from turning up in an answering smile. His words earlier came back to her. “I haven’t met many.”

  He caught the repetition because he gave her an appreciative smile, his voice low and intimate. “Nice evasion, ma’am.”

  Chapter Four

  When Katy blinked her eyes open to the sight of sun peeking through her shades, it took her a full minute to figure out where she was. All she knew at first was that this was not her lovely villa apartment in Los Angeles.

  She sat up quickly, her eyes wildly taking in the quaint cottage surroundings for a moment before it all came back to her.

  Falling back on her pillow, she let out a loud groan, shoving a pillow over her head as if that could block out the sad truth. “I’m in Montana.”

  Land of cows, horses, and irritating cowboys. None of which she was familiar with and all of which made her distinctly uneasy. She pulled the pillow away as the events of the previous night came back to her. A pair of warm brown eyes filled with laughter as she’d shooed him out of her temporary home.

  He’d insisted on carrying her luggage and showing her where the light switches were, how to adjust the heat…He’d been so darn considerate.

  Not a bad trait, she supposed, but she wasn’t familiar with it and it put her at a disadvantage. The nicer he was, the more keenly aware she was of just how distinctly not gracious she’d been from the moment they’d met.

  But today was a new day, she told herself as she pushed off the pretty patchwork quilt and sat up in bed.

  She took in her surroundings with fresh eyes and in the bright light of day. It was still cozy, but in the daylight it was cheerful. Homey, even. The bed had been comfortable—not Egyptian cotton sheets, but she’d slept like the dead, so that had to count for something.

  Of course, the fact that it was deathly silent outside was a negative. She’d lain in bed for a solid ten minutes listening to the sound of her heartbeat as her mind replayed Dax’s goodnight like some sort of infatuated teen.

  It wasn’t like he’d kissed her goodnight, he’d just stopped in the doorway, holding his hat in his hands like some old-fashioned cowboy from the past. Like Gary Cooper in High Noon or something. He’d given her a long, searching look and for a minute she’d thought he’d say something meaningful, maybe try to apologize again for so obviously not wanting her here.

  She’d said a fervent prayer that he would do no such thing. Her tired self couldn’t have handled another blow to her pride or the subtle art of deflection.

  In the end all he’d said was, “Goodnight, Katy,” in that rich, low baritone of his that made her shiver even all these hours later.

  She’d heard that voice as she’d lay in bed, staring at the ceiling and wondering how on earth anyone could sleep without the gentle cacophony of city noise to lull her into slumber. City traffic with the occasional siren…it always put her at ease.

  Of course, she’d managed just fine once she’d turned on the white noise app on her phone. As soon as the white noise kicked on, she’d conked out and this morning she was refreshed. Ready to take on the world.

  Or, at the very least, grab some breakfast.

  She padded into the little home’s walk-in kitchen and opened the pantry and the fridge, frowning at the meager contents. Then she groaned and let her head drop to her chest as it came back to her, one of the many fun facts Dax had passed along as he’d gotten her settled in.

  Alice had gotten groceries to stock her fridge...in the city. So those lovely groceries, which she’d bought based on the list Katy had sent her of her preferences, were now being held hostage by whatever cruel trick of fate had kept Alice stranded in Bozeman.

  Ugh. Would nothing about this trip go, right?

  Three days, she reminded herself. She would be in and out, long enough to give Hannah a full report on why a wedding at this hillbilly, wannabe-high-end retreat in the middle of nowhere was a terrible idea.

  Her stomach’s growl of displeasure interrupted her pep talk. She couldn’t go without food for three days, or even three more minutes. She hadn’t eaten since her layover in Seattle and she was starving, which meant she was either doomed to wither away in agony in this cozy den of hominess or she could take Dax up on his offer of breakfast. He’d said he’d leave something out for her.

  She paused at the thought. Could she really face Dax Deckland again this morning? They may have made nice for the remainder of that interminably long ride to the ranch, but everything about him put her on edge.

  Except his voice. That was soothing, actually. And his eyes. They were rather lovely. And his smile when he wasn’t laughing at her. And—

  Enough already!

  That right there—that ridiculous trip down swoony lane. That was why she couldn’t face him this morning and that was what put her on edge. He affected her. For some reason, he got to her when no other guy had been able to pierce the wall she’d been living behind since she’d left her ex and moved to California. Why him? Why Dax? What was it about him that got through to her when no one else had?

  She had no idea. It wasn’t like she liked him-liked him. Heck, she wasn’t even s
ure she liked him, period. They were obviously not compatible. But try telling that to the butterflies in her stomach.

  No, she definitely did not want to face him right now.

  Her stomach grumbled again.

  But did she really have a choice?

  Besides, he was a cowboy. Didn’t they rise at the crack of dawn? He’d probably be long gone by the time she showed up.

  She threw open her luggage and tossed on a pair of skinny jeans and a fitted T-shirt. Tossing her bedhead hair up into a ponytail that made her look half her age she called it good. She hesitated over the shoes, finally opting for slingback sandals with only a kitten heel.

  There. She studied her reflection critically. Not the prettiest she’d ever been, but she looked the part. She eyed the shoes again. Sort of.

  Whatever, it was good enough.

  She headed toward the door as her empty stomach urged her on. The moment she stepped foot on the path outside her house, she stopped. Then she blinked. As she gasped for air, she nearly lost her footing, and it had nothing to do with the kitten heels.

  The view…the view was incredible! She’d missed it last night because it was dark when they’d arrived. All she’d been aware of was the dirt path at her feet, which was just barely visible in the moonlight.

  But now…she couldn’t budge as her eyes devoured the scenery, trying to make sense of it. It was like she’d just been thrust into a scene from Sound of Music. Everywhere she looked there were rolling green hills and in the distance there were snow-capped mountains that looked too perfectly peaked to be real.

  This was a soundstage. She’d knocked her head in her LA apartment and had woken on the set of a movie, complete with a terribly realistic green screen.

  That made more sense in her mind that the fact that this was real. She turned around slowly, noting distantly that she was, in fact, reenacting a very Maria moment by twirling on the mountainside. But really, she had to try and take it all in, the epic gloriousness of it all.

  She felt lightheaded, but not due to hunger. Well, maybe partially due to hunger, and maybe a little oxygen deprivation too. But no, this lightheadedness wasn’t just in her head, it was in her whole body. She felt…light. Free.

  Happy.

  It was ridiculous that a nice setting could have such a visceral effect, but there it was. She was deliriously happy…giddy even. When on earth had she been giddy last, if ever?

  So this was the appeal. Huh. Now she got it…sort of. This was what Hannah was going on about, the kind of magical experience she wanted for her guests.

  Some of her happiness deflated slightly as she realized what this meant.

  She was starting to come around to this ridiculous plan of hosting the wedding here. At a ranch.

  She sighed. Well, this was an unexpected turn of events.

  Turning once more, she now faced the path leading to the main house. The little cottage she was in seemed to be part of a little village, of sorts, nestled in the valley of two tree-covered hills with the rest of the ranch sprawled out below them. One main dirt path connected the houses and some other barn-like structures, and at the bottom of the path was a sprawling, clapboard home that was very clearly the main residence.

  She followed the path and when it came around a slight bend she saw that in the opposite direction were some more stables and sheds, or whatever. She wasn’t exactly an expert on these things. All she knew for certain was that they seemed to be animal-related judging by the whiffs of manure and hay coming from that direction.

  The back door to the house was open and she let herself in, ignoring the brief surge of nerves and reminding herself once again that Dax was likely already out at work, whatever that entailed.

  She nearly ran into a man wearing a cowboy hat who’d turned the corner into the little mud room just inside the door. His eyes widened at the sight of her before tipping his hat—yes, that’s right he tipped his hat. “Morning, ma’am.”

  Oh boy. While he was no Dax, this guy was handsome in a classic movie star way, all sharp features and piercing blue eyes. She found herself blinking rapidly in shocked admiration. She murmured something in reply that she sincerely hoped made sense, but honestly she was too stricken to know. She may not have spoken English at all. As he walked past her out the door, she turned the corner where he’d just come from.

  Did hot cowboys grow on trees around here? Also, why did everyone insist on calling her ma’am?

  Dax’s voice stopped her in the doorway. His back was to her and he clearly wasn’t speaking to her as he flipped some eggs on the stove. “Oh, and James, don’t forget to check the fence on the eastern border today.”

  She dropped her voice low. “I won’t forget.”

  He whirled around so quickly she started to laugh, and then her laughter grew exponentially at the sight before her.

  Dax Deckland, Mr. Manly Man himself, was wearing an apron and wielding a spatula like a sword. He lowered his weapon at the sight of her and his lips hitched up in a rueful grin. He looked down at his getup and then back at her with an arched brow. “Like it?”

  Her breath caught in her throat for the second time that morning and her laughter tapered off. Did she like what she saw? Yes. Yes, she did. Sure, his outfit was ridiculous, but that mischievous twinkle in his eyes was devastatingly sexy. And the fact that he could laugh at himself made him that much more likeable.

  Dang. He wasn’t supposed to be likeable, he was an alpha male, the kind she avoided like the plague. It was bad enough he was so appealing to her senses, she absolutely did not need to be developing any warm and fuzzy feelings around him.

  He gestured to the table. “Breakfast?”

  Her gasp sounded funny even to her. Breakfast should not be so surprising, but still… “You did this?”

  His expression was filled with amusement at her disbelief. “Believe it or not, I know my way around a kitchen.”

  She eyed the array of bacon, eggs, pancakes, and muffins. “I believe it.”

  He pulled out a chair for her and she was so excited to delve into breakfast she forgot to be annoyed by his old-fashioned ways.

  “You must have been working all morning,” she said, already digging in. She looked up to see him shrug as he headed back to the stove.

  “I always get up early for chores, and I figured you’d be hungry this morning because you didn’t take me up on my offer of a late-night meal last night.”

  She grinned at her fully loaded plate. “You were right, I was starving. I was hungry last night, too, but I needed sleep more than anything.”

  “It was a long day, I’d imagine.” His voice held more to it and she wondered what he was thinking. Before she could ask, he was all business, putting down his utensils and wiping his hands off on his apron as he turned to face her. “So, Alice called to say that she’s still stuck in Bozeman—”

  She stopped herself before she could groan. He was going to such lengths to be a gracious host, the least she could do was be gracious in return.

  “She asked that I send along her apologies and, uh…” He looked so uncomfortable she arched her brows in question as she shoveled more food in her mouth.

  “She asked that I act as your tour guide for the day.”

  She almost choked on her pancake but managed to swallow it. “That’s not necessary, I can find my own way and—”

  “No offense, Katy, but this ranch is bigger than all of Manhattan and it’s grizzly season. I’m guessing you may not want to be wandering the range on your own.”

  She opened her mouth to protest out of habit. Her father and her ex had instilled a sense of the ornery in her. The need to rebel whenever anyone of the masculine persuasion tried to tell her what was best.

  It’s for your protection. She could practically hear Rick’s voice in her head and it made her cringe.

  But then, Rick had been talking about investing her money in a mutual fund of his choosing, not protecting her from bears.

  She clamped
her mouth shut. Financial decisions she would make on her own, but going up against bears? She supposed she could accept a little protection just this once. So instead of protesting she gave a short nod. “All right then. What did you have in mind?”

  He poured a hot mug of coffee, the smell of which made her salivate as he set it in front of her. “I thought we’d start in the immediate vicinity—I could show you all the guest houses where the wedding party would be staying, and then after that we could pack a lunch and I’ll show you some of the spots Alice had in mind for the actual wedding. What do you say?”

  She stared at him, sipping at her coffee to hide the fact that she was temporarily speechless. What did she say? Picnicking at wedding venues, one would assume the most romantic locations on this romantic property.

  She swallowed and sputtered a bit at the piping hot liquid scalded her throat.

  “Sounds…” Romantic. “Perfect.”

  Once she was done with her meal she made an attempt to clear her plate and load it in the dishwasher, but Dax gripped her by her shoulders, took the plate from her hands, and ordered her back out the way she’d come in.

  She was about to protest further, but he cut her off by frowning down at her shoes. “You don’t have anything slightly more practical in that luggage of yours, do you?”

  She pursed her lips. “Of course I do.”

  He nodded toward the door. “I’ll clean up here and pick you up at your place in a minute.”

  She was waiting outside with a brand-new, not-at-all-comfortable pair of hiking boots on her feet. They felt bulky and clumsy compared to the dainty heels she loved so much, but she supposed she could bear it if it meant not having to worry about snake bites or insects touching her bare skin.

  Dax greeted her with a smile that made her warm despite the steady breeze. Man, he had a beautiful smile. Beautiful wasn’t a word she’d use for Dax—that cowboy she’d run into earlier, maybe, but not Dax. He was too manly, too rugged. But his smile? It was a thing of beauty.

  They started with the guest homes, as he’d suggested, and Katy pestered him with questions, her focus entirely on the logistics of what Hannah’s wedding party would need. Hannah and her fiancé, another Hollywood star who everyone on the planet had heard of except for Dax, were planning on keeping the wedding small. Very small, in fact. But, despite that, neither she nor her fiancé came from humble beginnings. She was from a finance family and he came from a family of directors, producers, and actors.