Chapter One
Riley Fletcher mindedhis own business.Almost always, anyway.
Marietta, Montana, was a small town, but it was home to a lot of farms and ranches.Which was why he couldn’t figure out why Lane’s Feed and Supply was the only feed store in town.Seems like there was plenty of room for another one.He ran into a friend of his—fellow rancher Dylan Gallagher—and after shooting the breeze for a few minutes, they wound up at Grey’s, waiting for Dylan’s wife, Samantha, to meet him after she got off work at the hospital.Dylan went to get them both a beer and Riley sat down in an empty booth.He saw a number of people he knew but since it was early on a Tuesday night, the place wasn’t crowded yet.
“Saw Liam McFarland’s new hand over at the bar,” Dylan said, setting a beer in front of Riley.“From what I overheard he’s putting the moves on Letty North.”
“Letty?She’s not generally big on cowboys.”He knew, although Dylan likely didn’t, that Letty had a bad experience with a cowboy when she was younger and since then tended to stick with other guys when she dated.As far as he knew, that cowboy was the closest she’d come to being serious about someone.Letty was a librarian and good friends with Riley’s younger sister, Val, so he heard things others might not.
Sure enough, Letty sat at the bar talking animatedly to a dark-haired man in his mid to late twenties.They looked pretty cozy, which annoyed the hell out of him.Now Riley had absolutely no business interfering with who Letty flirted, dated, or slept with.Even though Letty had lived with his family for a year or so after her parents died, she wasn’t in any way related to him.But he couldn’t help noticing that something was definitely off about Letty tonight.She wastoohappy.It wasn’t like he’d never seen Letty with a man, but he didn’t think he’d ever seen her being quite so exuberant.Reckless even.Or maybe he was overreacting.
“Earth to Riley,” Dylan said.
“What?”he answered, but didn’t take his eyes off of Letty.
“You look like you’re about to go into big brother mode.I’ve met the guy, and he seems okay.”
“I’m not her brother,” he snarled.“And he doesn’t look okay to me.He’s got his damn hand on her knee.”
Dylan burst out laughing.“Oh my God.He should be drawn and quartered!”
“Very funny.I think Letty’s been drinking.”
“That’s what happens when you go to a bar.”
“She doesn’t usually drink much.”
“Maybe she likes him and is having a good time.”
“I don’t like it.”
“You’re not required to.Letty’s a pretty woman.Who looks damn good in a pair of tight jeans.Obviously Bud Davis thinks so too.Why is that a problem?”
“You’re married.You have no business looking at her…jeans.”
He admitted he was overreacting, but damn it, the sight of that dude pawing at Letty just flipped his switches.“What?”he demanded, realizing his friend was staring at him with his mouth open.
“Damn, Riley, I didn’t realize you had an interest there.You and Letty?Wait until I tell Sam.”
“There’s nothing to tell.I’m simply concerned about her.Letty’s naive sometimes.”
“Letty?Naive?Since when?”
He couldn’t think of an answer so he said, “Shut it.”He stood, picked up his beer, and said, “See you later,” before walking over to the bar where Letty and her new friend sat.
Letty wasn’t naive.She wasn’t shy and retiring despite that being a stereotype for librarians.Letty was a smart, capable, woman who, other than a brief time with the Fletchers, had been on her own since her parents died her senior year of high school.
Riley hadn’t stopped thinking about her, and not platonically, for quite a while.Then a few months ago Letty had come out to the ranch to give his mom a birthday present.He’d been walking up from the barn when he saw a woman at the back door.At first, he didn’t realize who it was, only that she wore tight jeans and had curves like a racetrack.His mom opened the door just as he reached her and said, “Why Letty, you’re so sweet.You didn’t need to bring me a present.”
Letty?Riley hadn’t been able to get her off his mind since.He even dreamed about her.Hot, sexy dreams that woke him up aching.He’d dreamed about her in the past and felt guilty every damn time.Damn it, she’d lived with them.She’d practically been a sister.Except she wasn’t.Thank God.
“Hi, Letty.What’s going on?”
She turned around and looked at him with surprise.“Oh, Riley.Hi.What are you doing here?”She looked hot tonight with her red sweater that followed the swell of her breasts and her tight jeans that followed her other curves even closer.
“Having a drink.Looks like you are too.”Margaritas.More than one, he figured, since she looked a bit flushed and bright-eyed.Not drunk, but not completely sober.“Who’s your friend?”
“Oh.I figured you two knew each other.This is Bud Davis.He works on the McFarland ranch.Bud, this is Riley Fletcher, his ranch is—”
