“Tell me about Cashen Outlaw, now that you’ve seen him in the flesh. Was he worth the crush you had on him years ago?”

  Brianna rolled her eyes. Only Miesha would remember that. Brianna had finished her first year of college, hurt and humiliated after Alan’s betrayal. In the summer she had returned home and she’d rarely left the ranch, wanting to retreat from a world filled with pain and self-pity. One day after volunteering to organize Ms. Ellen’s attic, she’d come across a private investigator’s report that had included a photograph of Cash. It was his graduation picture from college. She had gotten hooked by his huge smile, and on that day he had become her fantasy boyfriend. Daydreaming about Cash all that summer had helped her get over the pain Alan had caused.

  Brianna smiled. “Yes. I can sum up Cashen Outlaw in one word. Hot.”

  “Now you got my bones shivering in lust, girl. Was he really that hot?”

  “Yes. Everything about him. His features, his body, his clothes, the way he carried himself. Even the way he rode his horse. However, that picture I saw of him when he was in his early twenties is nothing like the thirtysomething hunk he’s aged into. Like I said, he is hot.”

  “Um...maybe I need to come pay you a visit.”

  Brianna chuckled. “Too late. He left this morning to return to Alaska and there is no reason for him to come back. In fact, I got the distinct impression that he won’t ever return.”

  “Didn’t you say Ms. Ellen left him the ranch?”

  “Yes, but he doesn’t want it. He’d made up his mind to sell it before even seeing it. After giving him a tour yesterday, I could tell he was impressed, but I doubt he was impressed enough to keep it.” She paused, then added, “He did say Hal Sutherland had already contacted him and made an offer.”

  “Hal Sutherland! Did you tell him what a douchebag that man is?”

  “No, and I don’t intend to. I will not influence Cash in any way...not that I think I could. Cash is a businessman. For him it will be all about business.”

  “I think you should tell him.”

  “I disagree. Can we change the subject?”

  “One more question. Did Cashen Outlaw say why he never reached out to his mom over the years? Why he never answered her letters?”

  “No, and I didn’t ask him. I did just what I promised Ms. Ellen I would do if our paths ever crossed and that was to not bring it up to him and not pass judgment on him because of it. The latter was hard.”

  “I’m sure it was.”

  “I want to believe, like Ms. Ellen did, that the letters never reached him. That his father made sure of it.”

  “That’s why you should mention the letters to him, Brie.”

  “I promised Ms. Ellen I wouldn’t.”

  “You and your promises.”

  “I know. I know. And speaking of promises, I have some news to share with you,” Brianna said, refilling her glass with lemonade.

  “What?”

  “Now that I know I have a roof over my head for keeps, I’m moving ahead with plans to have a baby. Dad sent me a reminder of that promise on Friday.”

  “Your dad?”

  “Yes.” Brianna told Miesha about the letter.

  “Wow, Brie. You don’t know who sent it?”

  “No, and really that doesn’t matter because it could be anyone. Dad had a lot of friends who would do whatever he asked. It’s good knowing he supports my decision. Now what I want to know is—since you had the procedure six years ago, are there any regrets?”

  There was a pause before Miesha said, “Darrett is my world and I won’t ever regret giving birth to him. But...”

  “But what?”

  “If I had to do it over again, I would go about it differently.”

  Brianna lifted a brow. “In what way?”

  “I wouldn’t use a sperm bank.”

  Brianna frowned. She recalled Miesha telling her how easy using a sperm bank had been. She’d filled out the questionnaire indicating the specific traits she wanted her child to have, even down to the eye color. Then they’d selected a donor based on her preference. “Why?”

  “Because Darrett is getting older, and now that he’s in the first grade and other kids have fathers, he wants to know about his. I wish I had a picture of a real person I could show him instead of a photo of a test tube.” Brianna heard the sorrow in her friend’s voice when she added, “If I had it to do all over again, Brianna, I would use a human being and go through the process of procreation the traditional way.”

  “Yes, but that way can get messy,” Brianna said. “Very few men would voluntarily get a woman pregnant, Miesha. They would envision eighteen years of child support.”

  “Yes, but I’d take my time and find a guy who would go along with my plan. There are guys out there who want to be fathers without the benefit of a wife, just like there are women who want to be mothers without the benefit of a husband. The key is to find the right man.”

  Miesha paused and then said, “And if you find a man who’s willing to meet you halfway, one who will sign papers agreeing that you won’t ever hit him up for child support or the like, then I’d consider going that route as well.” She chuckled and tacked on, “And if the sex is good, then that will be a bonus.”

  Later that night, as Brianna got ready for bed, she thought about what Miesha had told her. Her friend had definitely given her food for thought, although Brianna had completed the paperwork with the fertility clinic online last night. She had decided on the one in Jackson. The one in Laramie was too close for comfort since a lot of people living in Black Crow commuted to Laramie for work. The last thing she needed was anyone getting into her business.

  Brianna drew in a deep breath. She didn’t have long to make whatever decisions she was going to make. She would be twenty-eight in a few months and there was no guarantee she would get pregnant right away. Waiting too long would be pushing things too close to her thirtieth birthday for comfort.

  When Brianna settled in bed, she knew there was not anyone living in these parts that she would want to father her child. Most of the guys she’d dated over the past couple years she considered nothing more than friends. And she didn’t want to fall in love. One heartbreak was enough.

  As she drifted off to sleep, the vision of a particular man floated through her mind. Cash Outlaw. She hoped he’d made it back home safely.

  FIVE

  “You really inherited a dude ranch, Cash, and are honestly thinking about selling it?”

  Cash glanced over at his brother Maverick, but noticed Sloan and Garth seemed as interested in what his youngest brother had asked. They had just finished their weekly Monday midday meeting at Outlaw Freight Lines in one of the conference rooms.

  Usually, as soon as the meeting ended, they would quickly scatter to their own respective offices to continue to tackle whatever had been on their agenda for that day. However, it seemed his brothers were more interested in hearing what he had to say than doing their own work. Even Garth, who knew a little more about the situation than the others.

  Cash had spoken with Garth before he toured the ranch on Saturday, so Cash figured Garth was only wondering if his decision had changed since then.

  “Blazing Frontier is definitely a nice spread, and it’s even more enormous than I’d assumed. I admit that I’ve never seen so much beautiful land anywhere.”

  Sloan lifted a brow. “Even compared to Westmoreland Country?”

  “Yes, but in a different way. The Blazing Frontier is twice the size, so there is more open land, with the Rockies in the background. It’s wilderness and frontier.”

  “You inherited that much property?” Sloan asked in amazement.

  “Yes. However, Ellen did bequeath a house and the one hundred acres it sits on to a woman by the name of Brianna Banks. Her parents worked on the Blazing Frontier for years. Brianna even worked there after college while it was a dude ranch. Ellen had a close relationship with Brianna and her parents.”

  “Are her parents still alive?” Sloan asked.

  “No. They passed away.”

  “How old is this Brianna Banks?”

  Cash glanced over at Maverick. He wasn’t surprised this particular brother had asked. Maverick was a known womanizer. “She’s twenty-seven.”

  “Is she pretty?” Maverick also wanted to know.

  Cash held his brother’s gaze. “Why?”

  Maverick shrugged. “Just asking out of curiosity.”

  Cash didn’t say anything for a minute. “Yes, Brianna Banks is pretty. In fact, she is very pretty.”

  “Did you hit on her?”

  Cash rolled his eyes. “Not everybody is like you, Maverick.”

  A grin spread across Maverick’s face. “And that’s a good thing. Less competition means more women for me to enjoy.

  “So, tell me more about this woman,” Maverick said.

  Cash glared at his brother. “Don’t even think it, Maverick.”

  “Do I detect a little possessiveness in your tone?” Maverick asked, trying to get a rise out of Cash.

  “No.”

  “Sounds like it.”

  Garth, who was known to bring peace whenever there was friction between the brothers, spoke up. “Have you decided if you’re going to keep the property, Cash?”

  Before Cash could answer, Sloan said, “Of course he’s going to keep it.”

  Cash glanced over at his brother. “I am?”

  Sloan countered with, “Why wouldn’t you?”

  Cash shrugged. “Although I can tell it was a nice dude ranch at one time, it’s been shut down a little over a year. I noticed a number of repairs that need to be made to bring it back up to par. Not sure I want to put any money into doing all that needs to be done.”

  Maverick nodded. “Even if you decide not to reopen the dude ranch, just think of other things you can do with it. The Westmoreland cousins are always looking for more land for their horses. You can turn it into a horse ranch.”

  Cash knew this was true and had even given it some thought on his flight back home on Sunday. Several of his Westmoreland cousins had partnered to operate a horse training and breeding company, and it was doing great financially. A number of the horses they’d trained had won several derbies over the years.

  “I agree with Maverick. If I were you, I’d talk to the cousins,” Sloan suggested. “And why limit yourself? With that much land it can be a dude ranch again, too. Heck, I’d even consider coming on as an investor.”

  Cash was surprised. “You would?”

  “In a heartbeat.”

  “So would I,” Maverick said, leaning back in his chair. “I spent time with a woman at a dude ranch in Texas a few years ago and really enjoyed the experience. Both in and out of the bedroom. You wouldn’t believe how many Wild West enthusiasts there are. I think it would be a good investment.”

  “You could count me in as well,” Garth said. “I’m sure something like that would interest Jess, too.”

  Cash was silent as he stared at his brothers. Some people found it amazing that the six Outlaw siblings were as close as they were, considering each one of them had a different mother. But that’s the way it had always been, even when, collectively, they’d had to take on Bart. It had taken the six of them to convince Bart to retire as CEO of Outlaw Freight Lines after the board had threatened to oust him.

  “You guys are serious, aren’t you?” Cash asked his brothers.

  “Yes,” Garth said, nodding. “Granted, we haven’t seen the place. We’re going by what you’re telling us. You might be sitting on a gold mine and not know it, Cash. I agree with Sloan. If you want to turn it into a horse ranch, you’ll have the Westmoreland cousins who will probably be interested. And if you decide to turn it back into a dude ranch, you’ll have your brothers as investors.”

  “I want to see this place, Cash,” Sloan said, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

  “I think we all should,” Garth added. “What about this weekend, Cash? I can call Jess to join us if he doesn’t have any plans.”

  “This weekend will be great,” Cash said. “We can all stay at the ranch house,” he suggested, thrilled at the idea of going back to the ranch when he thought of a certain woman he would love seeing again...

  “There’s plenty of room. I’ll call Brianna and have her hire someone to come in to make sure the place is ready for us. And I’ll call the Westmoreland cousins to see if they’d like to join us. Then they can give me their expert opinions,” Cash added.

  Moments later they all left the conference room to head back to their respective offices. Cash was glad he had gotten Brianna’s telephone number from her before they parted ways on Saturday. He would go so far as admitting that he had been thinking about her more than he wanted to, and had tried blocking any thoughts of her from his mind since returning to Alaska. So far nothing had worked.

  Sitting down at his desk, he knew there had to be a reason for his acute attraction to her. An attraction that had him looking forward to this weekend. An attraction that had his fingers itching just to dial the phone so he could hear her voice.

  When it came to women, he’d never considered anything remotely close to a serious relationship. It hadn’t surprised Cash when Garth had settled down and married. Being the oldest, Garth had wanted to marry. As far as Cash was concerned, his oldest brother had hit the jackpot when he’d realized he loved Regan and took the initiative to do something about it. Now Garth was a happy man.

  Their father had not set a good example when it came to love, marriage and happiness. Cash was glad Garth had not let that influence him. However, that didn’t mean what worked for Garth would work for Cash, Jess, Sloan, Maverick or even Charm. They would have to find their own way when it came to settling down and having a future with someone or remaining single.

  No matter how intense his attraction to Brianna, Cash didn’t have the time or inclination to get involved in a serious relationship. But then, how serious could it get when she lived in Wyoming and he lived in Alaska?

  Satisfied this attraction to Brianna Banks would eventually fizzle out, he reached for the phone to give her a call.

  * * *

  Brianna ended the call with Cash. She had been surprised to hear from him and even more surprised to hear that he would be returning to Black Crow this weekend with his brothers and cousins. He said there would be as many as fifteen of them in all. Did that mean he might be thinking about keeping the place?

  He didn’t say and she hadn’t asked. The only thing he’d done was request that she hire someone to prepare the ranch house for their visit. He’d also asked that Ted have additional horses available. She would call Hattie, who’d been over housekeeping at the ranch for years.

  Cash had said he would be arriving early Friday and the others would arrive sometime Friday evening. Everyone would be staying until Sunday. That meant it would be an all-weekend affair. Fifteen men could consume a lot of food. She would call Dano, who’d been the ranch’s chef, to make sure the refrigerators were stocked. Should she suggest that Dano be available to cook meals, too?

  No, she had to slow down. Otherwise, she would be calling the entire Blazing Frontier staff. It wouldn’t be fair to give them false hope when she had no idea of Cash’s intentions. He might merely have planned a weekend with his brothers and cousins as a guys’ getaway before he officially sold it.

  However, what if he was still deciding? The more impressed he was, the better, and when it came to good cooking, Dano definitely knew how to impress.

  A few hours later, all the calls had been made. Long ago, with her parents’ help, Brianna had understood the meaning of teamwork when it came to the Blazing Frontier. She’d also come to understand the meaning of dedication and loyalty. That’s why everyone she’d called had been eager to come back and do what they could to make Cash Outlaw’s weekend at the ranch one he wouldn’t forget.

  Standing, she grabbed the pail to pick some fresh apples when her phone rang. The number wasn’t one she recognized, but she answered anyway.

  “Hello?”

  “May I speak with Brianna Banks, please?” the feminine voice said on the other end.

  “This is Brianna. Banks.”

  “Ms. Banks, this is Sally Harper at the fertility clinic in Jackson. We got your paperwork and are in the process of reviewing it now.”

  Brianna smiled. “Yes, Ms. Harper. Is there anything else I need to do?”

  “No. We will start looking through our database to see if there’s a donor who fits the profile you’ve requested.”

  She told Ms. Harper she wanted to move quickly, and the woman suggested they set up an appointment for Brianna’s physical for next Thursday. Less than ten minutes later, she ended her call with Sally Harper, telling herself that although she’d taken into account everything Miesha had said, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know the identity of her baby’s father.

  Picking up the pail on the table, she headed outside. Today had certainly been a day for good news. Her application for a sperm donor was being processed and she had talked to Cash again. Of course the only reason she was excited about the latter was that there was a chance he might keep the ranch.

  But still, she couldn’t ignore the feeling of excitement coursing through her at the thought of seeing him again.

  SIX

  Cash kept telling himself the reason he was excited to be returning to Black Crow had nothing to do with Brianna Banks, and that showing up on Thursday evening instead of Friday morning had nothing to do with the pang of longing he felt whenever he thought about her.

  The longing to sample those full, moist lips that had captured him from the first. Or wishing to touch her face, to feel the softness of her skin beneath his fingers. Or wanting the chance to bury his face at the center of her chest to breathe in her scent. He tightened his hands on the steering wheel of the rental car when he saw the marker proclaiming Black Crow’s city limits were only ten miles away.