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“No, Miss Ally. No change here. New bank owner though. Long sordid story there, but he’s nice enough, decent looking, and single.”
Obviously, everyone thought it important for her to have a man in her life, and from the sounds of it, Roberto was no different.
“Thanks, Roberto, but I’m not staying in Rock Creek forever. I’m visiting Daddy for a little while.”
“Whatever you say, miss,” he said with a bit too much sarcasm to his tone.
Behind him, the woman she’d known for her entire life bounded down the front steps, waving her arms in excitement. She smiled at Maribella’s typical exuberance, so full of life. Roberto laughed as well.
“Hold on to your hat, miss. My wife is happy to see you.”
Ally ran into the woman’s warm, welcome embrace. Her heart burst with so much love in that moment, a tear ran down her cheek.
“Miss Ally, I’m so happy you are here. Roberto, get her bags and come in.” Maribella turned them both toward the house, never taking her motherly arm from around Ally’s waist.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Roberto do this. Roberto do that. Always orders. Nothing ever pleasing the woman. Go fetch her bags and carry them inside. Never a please. Only a demand. Good thing Ally is family, or you could do it yourself, Maribella.” He continued to grumble while he lifted the bags from the back of the rented pickup. The loving housekeeper ignored her husband—as usual—and Ally grinned, happy the couple’s banter had remained just like she remembered. “I have your old room set up. Clean sheets and towels.”
But before they could take their first steps onto the porch stairs, a wonderfully familiar bellow came from behind her. “Well looky there. Damn if it ain’t my angel-girl.”
Ally turned around to see the old man slip off his horse, leaving it with another of the cowhands, and make his way toward her from the barn.
“Daddy!” She sprinted across the ground separating them and leapt into his arms. God, she’d been away from home for too long.
Her dad spun her around before setting her back on her feet. His gaze shifted over her shoulder. “Gentry, meet my baby girl.”
Ally turned to see to whom he’d spoken.
The hottie in question simply tipped his hat her way. “Ma’am.” Then turned to the men behind him when someone called him away.
Shock jolted through her.Oh my God. I know that voice.
Chapter Three
“Damn.” Having returned from the roundup, Matt Gentry hadn’t had the chance to dismount his tall, dark gelding. He cursed softly to himself and shook his head. He stared dumbfounded as the group of four climbed the porch steps and entered the house. “That’s Ally Kincaid?” Her tiny frame sat atop some long legs but she wasn’t much shorter than he was, maybe half a head or so, with brown marbled tresses flowing over her shoulders.
“What’s the matter, Gentry? The boss’s daughter scare ya?” His right-hand man came to a stop next to him trying to hide a smile. “Pretty little thing, ain’t she? Sweet, too—and the apple of her daddy’s eye. You oughtta go in and meet her.”
“Jesse introduced us already so I’ll pass, Tommy, but thanks. I have more important things to do.”
“Gentry, get your ass in here,” a demanding order barked from the direction of the house. “Now!”
Tommy smirked. “Guess those ‘more important things’ are gonna have to wait, huh?”
“Shut up.” Disgust rolled through him as he dismounted, guided his gelding into the barn, and handed him off, so he could go play nice with the princess of New York.
Entering the house, he shut the front door behind him. A ruckus erupted from the family room. Jesse’s deep baritone voice was hard to miss on any occasion, but tonight the laughter he mixed with it was a welcome sound, and not one that came from him very often. He was clearly happy to see his daughter.
He removed his Stetson, smoothed back his disheveled hair, and proceeded forward.
“’Bout damn time you came in, Gentry. I want you to meet my girl. Ally-cat, get your little butt back in here.”
A tall brunette with bright green eyes bounded into the room, reminding him of a child on Christmas morning.
“Ally-cat, I’d like you to get to know my foreman, Matt Gentry.”
“Very nice to have you join us,ma’am,” he said and extended his hand.
She blanched, the smile fading from her eyes and her lips. She turned a glare on her father. “Foreman? Of this ranch?”
