And she isn’t wearing a ring.

  He thought the same thing now that he had thought when he’d seen her yesterday. She was simply gorgeous. Everything about her was a heart-stopper. Whether it was the dark curly hair on her head that seemed to lie perfectly around her shoulders, or her striking features or her long, regal neck.

  As if she sensed him staring, she glanced over at him and their gazes met. She had a gorgeous pair of dark eyes, a delicately shaped nose and glossy lips, beautifully shaped, succulent and sexy. They were perfect for her face. Perfect for her ice cream. Perfect for his—

  “Okay, Cash and Brianna, I am ready to begin.”

  Mr. Cavanaugh’s words had him snatching his gaze from hers.

  “‘I, Ellen Cashen Embelin, hereby bequeath all my possessions to the following. To my son, Cashen Outlaw, I am leaving you the Blazing Frontier Dude Ranch and the acres it sits on. This will include the barns, detached cottages and contents. Cashen, I am also leaving you all the animals, inventory, merchandise and vehicles. Furthermore, I am leaving you all the proceeds from my insurance policies with Mission Care Mutual and one half of whatever funds I have in my checking and savings accounts, my stocks, bonds and investment portfolio. The other half goes to Brianna Banks.’”

  Mr. Cavanaugh paused a minute as he flipped over the sheet of paper. “‘To Brianna Banks. In addition to those things named earlier, I am leaving you the foreman house that your parents lived in, that you are now living in, all its contents and the fifty acres it sits upon. I am also leaving you the additional fifty acres that connect to the Blazing Frontier Dude Ranch and back into the Keystone River. I am asking that both you and Cashen, together, go through my personal things, including the boxes in the attic, and jointly decide how the items will be disposed of. This is not a stipulation but a request.’”

  Mr. Cavanaugh released a deep sigh and then said, “That’s the end of it and should cover everything. I am giving both of you copies of the will.” He handed them packets. “Also included is a land surveyor diagram of the one hundred acres that were a part of the Blazing Frontier properties that you now own, Brianna. Are there any questions?”

  Cash had one. He still did not know what relationship Brianna had with Ellen. While Cavanaugh had been reciting the will, Cash had seen the tears falling down her cheeks. Curiosity got the best of him.

  “Yes, I have one,” he said.

  “And what is your question, Cash?” Mr. Cavanaugh asked, looking at him intently while leaning back in his chair.

  “My question is for Brianna,” he said, switching his gaze from Mr. Cavanaugh to her. “What was your relationship to my mother?”

  * * *

  Brianna was so touched by what Ellen had left her in the will that she was too overwhelmed to speak. It took her a moment to pull herself together before she could answer Cash.

  “My parents worked at the Blazing Frontier Dude Ranch. My father worked as foreman even before it was a dude ranch, for over forty years, and my mother, close to thirty as ranch manager. As part of Dad’s employment, they got to live in the foreman’s house. That’s the house I was raised in, and the house Ms. Ellen just left for me in her will. Mom died five years ago while I was in college. After college I returned home and replaced her as ranch manager.”

  “What about your father? Is he still foreman?”

  “No. My father died last year.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “Thanks.”

  Brianna wondered if he’d asked her because he intended to contest the will. What Ellen had left her—half of her financial assets, the house and one hundred acres of land—had been way too generous.

  Cash then turned his attention back to Mr. Cavanaugh. “I have no other questions, but it would help if you could recommend a good real estate agent in the area.”

  The older man lifted a brow. “Real estate agent?”

  “Yes, I would like to put the ranch up for sale as soon as possible.”

  “But you haven’t seen it,” Brianna said, even though she didn’t have a right to question him.

  Cash evidently thought the same thing when he switched his gaze to her. The smile was no longer in his eyes. “I don’t need to see it, Brianna. I have no desire to own a dude ranch. Is it still even operational?”

  “Not at the moment,” Brianna said, trying to hide her disappointment, but knowing she should not be surprised he didn’t want the ranch. “It was closed down when Ellen’s health began failing. But it can be operational again. When it was open, we operated at full capacity and always had a waiting list.”

  She was certain Cash heard the excitement in her voice, but he merely nodded and said, “All of that is interesting, but I still plan to sell it.”

  “I hate to scurry you two off, but I have another appointment in a few minutes,” Henry Cavanaugh said, breaking into their conversation, as he glanced at his watch. “You are welcome to use one of my conference rooms if you’d like to continue the conversation.”

  Brianna could see Cash’s mind was made up. She was about to say there was no reason for them to continue their conversation when Cash spoke.

  “Continuing the conversation is a great idea, but I prefer not to use one of your conference rooms.” He then turned to Brianna Banks. “Would you join me for lunch?”

  * * *

  “Is there a place you suggest, Brianna?” Cash asked as they stepped out of Mr. Cavanaugh’s office.

  “There is a café if you like hamburgers. Monroe’s. And they have the best fries.”

  He smiled. “I love hamburgers and fries.”

  “We won’t have to move our cars since it’s in walking distance. Right on the corner.”

  “Okay.”

  When they were leaving, Lois smiled at them before saying, “I hope the two of you have a good day.”

  “You as well, Lois,” Brianna said when Cash opened the door for her. She had a feeling news about Cash would be all over town by evening.

  “Is it always this windy here?” he asked, tightening his jacket as they walked.

  Brianna tightened hers as well. “Yes, and the wind today is rather mild. There is a scientific reason for all the wind.”

  He glanced over at her. “Is there?”

  “Yes. The town is located right between the mountains. Instead of blocking the wind, the mountains make it move faster. Then the high air pressure across the Great Basin and lower pressure in the Plains make it stronger. This is mild. The worst of it is during the winter. Can you imagine all that wind combined with snow?”

  He chuckled. “I can but I’d rather not. Alaska has its own weather issues.”

  “Yet you like living there?”

  “I love it. It’s home for me, and I’m used to the harsh weather. I can’t imagine living anywhere else. Though I did live in Massachusetts while getting my master’s degree from Harvard.”

  “In what field?” she asked him.

  “Engineering.” He looked over at her. “What college did you attend and what was your field of study?”

  “I have a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Clark Atlanta University,” she said when they reached the corner. They paused for the traffic light to change before crossing the street.

  “How did you like living in Atlanta?”

  “It was quite an experience. I had never been anywhere other than Wyoming. I even thought of staying and getting a job there. But then Mom died in my senior year and it seemed to take me forever to fly back home for Dad. After her funeral, I returned to school just long enough to graduate. Then I returned to Black Crow and haven’t left since.”

  They reached the café. “We’re here.”

  He positioned his body next to her to block the wind and opened the door. She would admit the warmth from the huge fireplace felt inviting today. “We can grab that table over there, Cash,” she said and led him toward it.

  Brianna didn’t miss the interest they were generating as they crossed the room. Most of the people knew her, but they didn’t know him. Not yet anyway. Lois would make sure they did before nightfall.

  “Nice view,” he said, glancing out the window. “This town sure has a lot of lakes.”

  She smiled. “Yes, we do. There are six in all, not counting the ones on the outskirts of town where most of the ranching is. Then there is the Keystone River. Most people who come here for the first time say Black Crow is definitely one of Wyoming’s best-kept secrets.”

  After their waitress brought their drinks and took their order, Brianna glanced up from sipping her tea to find Cash staring at her. The dark eyes holding hers were mysterious and breathtaking—hypnotic. She broke eye contact with him to get her bearings.

  “So,” he said, returning to their previous conversation, “you’ve never felt adventurous? Wanted to go other places? Visit other states? See the world?”

  She shrugged.

  There was no need to tell him there had been a time when she thought she would get that opportunity. That’s when she and Alan Dawkins had been together. They had dated all through high school and he had graduated the year before her. Their goal had been for him to join the army after high school and then return to Black Crow when she graduated the following year. They would marry and she would be an army wife, the mother of his children, and travel the world with him.

  Things didn’t quite work out that way. While stationed in Germany, Alan met someone. He had returned home the year she had graduated like he had promised, but he’d brought his German wife with him. At least he’d had the decency to write to tell her beforehand. Everyone in town had pitied her and had considered Alan’s betrayal unforgiveable. That’s why her parents had encouraged her to put as much distance between her and Black Crow as she could for college. They figured Atlanta, Georgia, would be far enough.

  “Maybe at one time I did,” she finally answered, “but I got over it.”

  It was then that the waitress delivered their lunch.

  THREE

  Cash enjoyed the delicious hamburger and fries, but found he was enjoying Brianna’s company even more. He loved the sound of her voice and definitely liked looking at her. And if he thought her mouth was incredible, then her eyes followed closely. Whenever she looked at him, they exuded a sensuality that she probably didn’t even know she had. If she did, she wouldn’t look at him the way he’d caught her doing.

  It had gotten quiet between them but now that their meal was almost over, he got down to the real reason he had invited her to lunch. He wanted to know more about her.

  But before he could ask her a question, she said, “I guess you want me to tell you all about Ms. Ellen.”

  He took a sip of his water. He could certainly see how she assumed that, but she was wrong. There was nothing he wanted to know about the woman who had deserted him thirty-four years ago. He’d rather she told him more about herself, but he had time, so he would let her tell him about Ellen first.

  “What do you want to tell me? It’s been thirty-four years since I last saw her.”

  “Not since you were a baby, right?”

  He lifted a brow, wondering how much she knew. “You’ve known Ellen for your whole life, for twenty-three years, right?”

  “Close to twenty-eight. I have a birthday coming up this summer.”

  She was twenty-seven? She definitely looked a lot younger. Her copper-colored skin was smooth, soft, ageless and flawless.

  “How long were she and Van Embelin married?”

  “Ten years before he died. Mr. Van was older than Ms. Ellen by seventeen years, but they were very dedicated to each other. My parents said she made him feel young again. Restored his vitality. Made him smile.”

  Cash lifted a brow. “He had stopped smiling?”

  “Yes. When his wife died of cancer, he became a recluse for close to five years. Ms. Ellen brought him out of it.”

  Cash paused and then asked, “Did Ellen tell you how long it’d been since she’d seen me?” He convinced himself that he was only asking out of curiosity.

  “I understand she took your father to court for custody of you and lost.”

  “Yes, that’s true.” Cash decided not to go into how Bart managed to do that during a time when most courts sympathized with the mother. Cash and his brothers were well aware that in Bart’s world, their father had had the money and the means to do whatever the hell he wanted to do and usually did. However, that did not excuse Ellen not reaching out to him at some point over the past thirty-four years. She had known where he was. Someone definitely knew how to contact Bart when she passed away.

  “Was the Blazing Frontier always a dude ranch?” he asked, to take the subject off him.

  Brianna’s smile brightened. “No. Turning it into a dude ranch was Ellen’s idea. At first the town balked at the idea, knowing that meant a lot of tourists in town, and they weren’t sure they would like it. But Ellen somehow convinced them it would be good for the economy and to give it a try for a year. After that time, if the dude ranch had a negative effect on the town, then they would go back to regular ranching.”

  Cash took a sip of his lemonade. “I take it things went well.”

  “Better than anyone expected. Even the naysayers had to concede having the dude ranch on the outskirts of town was a great idea. It attracted people who appreciated the Old West and wanted to recapture those times. Those tourists often came into town and spent money. Lots of it.” She paused. “The economy took a hit when the ranch shut down. The people of Black Crow would love for it to reopen.”

  Cash knew what Brianna was hinting at. Evidently, he hadn’t made himself clear in Henry Cavanaugh’s office. Hopefully he would this time. “Then I’m hoping whoever buys it will make it back into a dude ranch. Let’s just hope there is an interested buyer.”

  Brianna frowned. “Oh, trust me, there will definitely be an interested buyer.”

  Under other circumstances he would be glad to hear that, but from her tone he had a feeling the person Brianna suspected would want to buy it was someone she’d rather not own it. Cash didn’t say anything, refusing to get involved in small-town drama. It didn’t matter to him who bought the ranch as long as the sale was quick.

  When the waitress returned to remove their plates, he said, “Mr. Cavanaugh never did mention the name of a real estate agent. Possibly you can.”

  Her frown deepened. “Are you really going to sell the Blazing Frontier without even taking the time to look at it? It’s a beautiful place.”

  “I’m sure it is, but I have no need of a ranch, dude or otherwise.”

  “I think you’re making a mistake, Cash.”

  Cash lifted a brow. Normally, he didn’t care what any person, man or woman, thought about any decision he made, but for some reason what she thought mattered.

  It shouldn’t.

  What he should do was thank her for joining him for lunch, and tell her not to walk back to Cavanaugh’s office with him, although he knew both their cars were parked there. In other words, he should put as much distance between them as possible.

  I can’t.

  Maybe it was the way her luscious mouth tightened when she was not happy about something. He’d picked up on it twice now. Lord help him but he didn’t want to see it a third time. He’d rather see her smile, lick an ice-cream cone or...lick him.

  He quickly forced the last image from his mind but not before a hum of lust shot through his veins. There had to be a reason he was so attracted to her. Maybe he could blame it on the Biggins deal Garth had closed just months before he’d gotten engaged to Regan. That had taken working endless days and nights, and for the past year Cash’s social life had been practically nonexistent.

  On the other hand, even without the Biggins deal as an excuse, there was strong sexual chemistry radiating between them. He felt it, but honestly wasn’t sure that even at twenty-seven she recognized it for what it was.

  That was intriguing, to the point that he was tempted to hang around Black Crow another day. Besides, he was a businessman, and no businessman would sell or buy anything without checking it out first. He was letting his personal emotions around Brianna cloud what was usually a very sound business mind.

  “You are right, Brianna. I would be making a mistake if I didn’t at least see the ranch before selling it. Is now a good time?”

  The huge smile that spread across her face was priceless...and mesmerizing. When was the last time a woman, any woman, had this kind of effect on him? When he felt spellbound? He concluded that never had a woman captivated him like Brianna Banks was doing.

  “Not sure if today would be okay with you dressed as you are now. Unless you brought a pair of jeans with you.”

  He chuckled, knowing she had a point. “I didn’t, but I’m sure there’s a store in town where I can purchase more clothes.”

  “Of course. Roy’s Circle O is only two doors down and has a good selection of items.”

  Cash nodded. When he returned to Alaska, he would have no reason to ever return here. No reason to ever see her again. So, the way he saw it, he could definitely wait another couple days to leave. “How about if we get together tomorrow morning around ten? Will you be available to show me around the ranch then?”

  If he had thought her smile could not get any more enchanting, he’d been wrong. With that kind of smile, he would give her practically anything just to see it on those sensuous lips.

  “Yes, I’ll be available, and it’s best to see it by horseback. Can you ride a horse?”

  He could not help but return her smile. “Yes, I can ride and I look forward to seeing you again in the morning, Brianna.”