Hope Ignites

  She looked down at her dark blue short-sleeve button-down shirt, shorts, and boots. "Not too casual?"

  "No. It's cute."

  She leaned into him. "And you look hot." Then again, he always did, even in jeans and a button-down shirt.

  "What do you think about the boots? Too city-boy-trying-to-look-country?"

  "Not at all. Your boots are scuffed, and you're not a city boy."

  "Tell that to my house in the city."

  She laughed. "Let's go. I'm seriously craving some home cooking."

  They made the drive over to the main ranch house. Des stared out the window at all the land. Stuck in L.A. all the time, where space was at a premium, she gaped at the free expanse of land here, couldn't fathom what it must be like to look out your front door and know the land as far as you could see was yours.

  She rented a condo and she could hear her neighbors argue. She made good money, but she invested it. One of these days she'd like to have property somewhere remote, where she could be alone . . . like this. Someplace to call her own, where she could establish roots and never have to pick up and move again.

  "You're quiet."

  She turned to Colt and smiled at him. "I'm enjoying the view. Isn't it magnificent here?"

  "It's pretty damned awesome."

  He pulled into the driveway and parked. Dogs suddenly appeared and started barking, their tails wagging furiously back and forth. And, oh my, there were a lot of dogs.

  "Oh, my God, they have dogs," Des said with a wide grin. She opened the door and slid out of the SUV, suddenly surrounded by yips and wagging tails as the dogs greeted her. She crouched down to pet them, all various breeds and shapes and sizes.

  "Hi there, cuties."

  "I see you've met the dogs."

  Logan's voice was deep and entered her senses right away. There was just something about him that got to her. She lifted her head and smiled up at him. "I have. What are their names?"

  He stepped down off the porch and gave a low whistle. In an instant, the dogs ran to him.

  "Sit."

  It was like magic. They all sat at his feet, clearly knowing who their master was.

  She stood and followed while he pointed down the row.

  "This is Whip, Duke, Maisie, Sally, Cinder, and Punk. We have a couple of cats around, too, but they're harder to spot. They like women, though, so they might come out today to see you."

  Des crouched down to pet them again, shoving her face in their fur. "They're gorgeous."

  In the meantime, Colt went over to shake Logan's hand. "Thanks for letting us come over today."

  "You can thank Martha for that. She'd have invited the whole crew if I'd let her."

  Des looked up at him. "I take it she likes to entertain."

  "She thinks everyone needs a home-cooked meal."

  Speaking of Martha, she opened the screen door. "Oh, you're here. Welcome. What are you doing in the dirt? Dogs, shoo."

  They must listen to Martha, too, because the dogs all took off. Logan held his hand out for Des. She slipped her hand in his and he hauled her to her feet.

  "You'll get dirty down there on the ground," he said.

  She met his gaze and her stomach fluttered. "I don't mind getting dirty."

  His gaze held hers, and it was like something she'd never felt before--an instant connection, something hot and primal that she'd just love to explore with him--in the dark, just the two of them, alone. But just as quickly as it was there, Logan looked away.

  "Come on inside. It's hot out here."

  The house was magnificent. Old, but in great shape, with its two-story charm, and, oh, rocking chairs on the front porch to enjoy that amazing view. She loved all the flowers pouring from pots on the porch. The added color was a burst of sunshine, as well as the gardens growing off to the west side of the house. She wanted to investigate . . . everything.

  Inside was just as charming as out, with polished dark-wood floors and a pretty damned amazing kitchen, with high-end appliances, everything so modern in contrast to the old-country charm of the home.

  "It smells so good in here," Colt said. "If it tastes as good as it smells, I might never go back to the set again."

  Martha's cheeks blushed pink. "I can guarantee it's better than takeout."

  "I'm sure it is," Des said. "Thank you again for inviting us."

  "I'm thrilled you're here. Logan, show them the house. Provided you'd like to see it."

  "I'd love to see it." Des looked to Logan.

  "I'll let Martha show me around later," Colt said, pulling up a chair at the island. "I'm going to sit here and filch some of these corn bread muffins from her. I'm starving."

  Martha laughed and grabbed a plate, setting it in front of Colt. "All right. Logan, show Des around."

  Des figured Logan was about as excited at giving her a tour as he would be at having makeup put on for a scene. But he nodded and led her out of the kitchen and into a very expansive living area. He stood in the doorway. "This is the family room."

  She walked in and perused the furniture, some modern, such as the flat-screen television, but there was a sprinkling of antique furniture, too, no doubt handed down by generations of family. She went and got a closer look at an old cabinet. She loved that it was scarred, wondering about the history of the piece.

  "I love old furniture," she said.

  "It's been there as long as I've been alive. I think it was my great grandmother's."

  She nodded, sliding her hand across the old wood, then moved her way to the fireplace, admiring the stonework. She studied the photos sitting on top of the mantel--three young boys posed in an older photo. She picked it up, then turned to Logan.

  "One of these boys is you."

  "Yeah. And my brothers."

  She tapped the child on the left. "That's you?"

  "Yes. The one in the middle is Luke, who's the second oldest, and the youngest is Reid."

  "So just you three boys?"

  "Yeah."

  "Do they all live here on the ranch?"

  "No. Only me."

  She rolled her eyes. Getting information out of Logan was like digging out an impacted tooth. "Where do they live?"

  "Luke lives in town. Reid lives in Boston."

  "They're not ranchers like you, then?"

  "No."

  She sighed. "And what do they do?"

  "Luke's a cop. Reid's an architect."

  She moved out of the room and joined him in the hall. "Why didn't they want to be ranchers?"

  He moved down the hall. "Not in their blood."

  "Like it's in yours?"

  "I guess. There's a mudroom this way that leads out to the other entrance, and the laundry room, and a bathroom. Not much to see here. And just bedrooms upstairs. And a couple bathrooms."

  When she didn't start back to the kitchen, he said, "I suppose you want to see those."

  "That'd be nice. Unless you didn't make your bed and you don't want me to see it."

  He gave her an exasperated look. "Come on."

  They went up the stairs. There was a long hallway, with doors on either side. She stopped at the landing. "Does Martha live up here?"

  He shook his head. "No. She and Ben, her husband, have their own house a little ways down the road."

  "You live here all alone?"

  "Yeah."

  "Big house for just one person."

  "It suits me fine."

  She peeked her head into the first couple of rooms, all neatly maintained, then continued down the hall. "Which one's your room?"

  "The master at the end of the hall."

  "The biggest room, then."

  "Yeah. It used to be my parents' bedroom."

  "And where are your parents now?"

  "My dad died a while back. My mom's . . . gone."

  She stopped. "Gone?"

  "She took off after my dad died. Remarried a short while after. Decided ranch life wasn't for her."

  He said it so matter-of-factl
y, but Des knew it must have hit him hard. It probably still hurt. "That must have sucked."

  "It did. We survived it."

  "Obviously you did since you seem to be doing well for yourself. I'm sorry about your dad."

  "Thanks." He opened the door to his bedroom. "See. Just a plain room. Nothing special."

  And he didn't want her in his bedroom. Which made her curious, so she stepped in.

  Typical guy's room. Huge bed, dresser, and a chair. Big window. "Oh, there's a deck." She turned to him. "Do you mind?"

  He looked like he minded, but he said, "Go ahead."

  She opened the French doors and walked out. "Holy shit, Logan. What a view."

  Land as far as she could see. Rolling hills, trees, cattle wandering the hillside, it was the most amazing thing she'd ever seen. Two chairs sat on the deck, too. She could already imagine herself popping open a beer at night or having a glass of wine and settling in to watch the moon and the stars. "This far outside the city, the stars must be amazing at night."

  He'd stepped outside next to her. "I wouldn't know. I don't sit out here."

  She turned to him. "Are you serious? Why not?"

  He shrugged. "I don't know. When I come upstairs, I go to bed. Not much time to sit out here and watch the stars."

  "Dude. You're living all wrong. You have to take the time to enjoy life's beautiful moments."

  He finally cracked a half smile. "Is that a line from a movie?"

  "No. Consider it a life lesson. How could you not want to sit out here? Bring a woman up to your bedroom and seduce the hell out of her with a bottle of wine and this view?"

  He stared at her, and she stared back.

  "Is that a request?" he asked.

  "I don't know. Are you inviting me to your bedroom?"

  "No."

  And that was a quick response. "Too bad. I'd like to sit out here by moonlight. And I'm damn good in bed, too, so your loss."

  She walked away and out of his room.

  Let Mr. Silent and Moody suck on that one for a while.

  LOGAN STAYED ON the deck and pondered what the hell had just happened.

  Had Des propositioned him?

  And had he really turned her down?

  Well . . . yeah. Hell, yes, he'd turned her down. First, she was way too young for him. Second, she was an actress and out of his league. And Colt was likely her boyfriend. And again, she was too young for him.

  And gorgeous. And sexy as hell in her short-shorts and boots and, God, those legs. Tanned and long, and he could already imagine them wrapped around him.

  And she was trouble. Capital T, capital R, and all the rest of the letters thrown in, too.

  Bring a woman up here and seduce her in the moonlight. What the hell kind of woman said shit like that?

  He stared out the doorway and into his bedroom, already imagining a tangle of sheets and legs and Des, sprawled naked on his bed, her long dark hair spread across his pillow.

  His dick went hard.

  Shit. He dragged his fingers through his hair and tried to think about something else besides Des naked.

  He liked his sex uncomplicated, and he knew plenty of women who could give him that. Des was going to be spending time on his property. He'd have to see her again and again, and to him, that was a whole lot of complicated.

  He walked off the deck and looked for Des, but didn't see her, so he went downstairs. He found her in the kitchen, bent over the counter while she chatted with Martha and Colt. He tried not to stare at her ass and legs as he walked in.

  "Oh, there you are, Logan. Desiree and Colt were telling me about the scenes they'll be filming while they're here at the ranch. Apparently, much of the movie takes place on the planet, so they're going to be here two months."

  Logan reached into the refrigerator for a beer. "Isn't that great."

  "It is. And I told them they could come over for dinner whenever they'd like."

  Logan popped the top on his can of beer, then perused Martha's gleeful expression. "I know you'll enjoy that." He looked over at Des and Colt. "And so will the two of you. Once you taste Martha's cooking, you'll never want takeout or whatever the catering truck makes you again."

  "That's what I'm afraid of," Des said.

  They moved into the dining room to eat. Ben came in and Martha made the introductions.

  "Sorry to be so late," Ben said. "I was working on the truck." He looked over at Logan. "I thought it was the starter, but looks like it needs a new alternator. You want me to run into town tomorrow?"

  Logan shook his head. "No. We need to work the calves over on forty-two, and we have two extra hands coming in for that. You can handle them. I'll head into town and pick up a new alternator."

  "Okay," Ben said.

  "Actually, Colt has scenes all day tomorrow. I have an early scene in the morning, then I'm done for the day," Des said. "If it doesn't conflict with your schedule, would you mind if I went into town with you?"

  Logan looked at her, then shrugged. "That'd be fine. Is there something in particular you want to do?"

  "Not really, but I'd like to see Hope, and since I don't know the town, maybe you can give me a tour."

  "We need more of that medication Emma put Maisie on. Her rash has mostly cleared up, but she's still scratching," Martha said. "If you're going to town, maybe you could also stop by the vet clinic."

  Logan sighed. "I can do that. Make me a list of what else we need for the dogs."

  "Glad you're going to town and not me," Ben said with a grin.

  Yeah, Logan figured Ben would say that. Ben hated making a lot of stops. Logan didn't get into Hope all that often, so it wasn't that big of a deal for him to run errands while he was there.

  "You should see what Luke's up to while you're there, too," Martha said. "Maybe you can have lunch."

  "Luke's likely working and won't have time."

  Martha gave him a look. "He's gotta eat, same as you."

  Since arguing with Martha was pointless, he nodded. "I'll text him."

  "Though Fourth of July is coming up. He and Emma will be coming over for that, and we'll all get to see them then." Martha turned to Des and Colt. "Will you two be heading back to L.A. for the holiday?"

  Colt shook his head. "No. Since it falls in the middle of the week, we'll just hang out here."

  "We have a big spread on the Fourth. Tons of food, and family and friends come visit. If you don't mind the ogling of the locals, we'd love to have you. Logan buys the biggest and best fireworks and we have a blowout."

  "Sounds fun," Des said, eyeing Logan.

  "You're both welcome to come," Logan said. "It's definitely a party."

  "We'd love to," Colt said. "Thanks."

  "And invite whoever you'd like to, if you have people nearby," Martha said.

  Colt gave Des a look. She smiled back at him. Logan had no idea what that meant.

  After they finished eating, they carried their dishes to the sink and Martha tried to shoo them out of the kitchen, despite both Des and Colt's protests that they wanted to help clean up.

  "You might as well give up. She never lets guests help wash the dishes," Logan said.

  Des, however, refused to budge. She made herself at home and started scrounging through the cabinets looking for containers for the leftovers. Logan leaned back and watched with amusement as Martha sputtered that a movie star should not be crating leftovers in her kitchen.

  "First, I'm hardly a movie star. Being an actress is just my job. Second, my mother and father both would kick my butt if I just walked out on someone who had fixed a meal for me without helping to clean up. So you can forget it. I'm not leaving."

  Colt pitched in, too, nudging Martha aside to scrub the roasting pan for her while she dried some of the pots and put them away.

  "It's not like we have servants doing our dishes at home," Colt said.

  Martha dried her hands on the towel. "You don't?"

  Des laughed. "Not quite. I live in a two-bedroom con
do. No room for anyone but me in my small kitchen."

  "I would have thought you'd have some big house in the hills or maybe on the beach."

  "They ask ridiculous prices for homes out in California. And a house on the beach?" She laughed. "There's no way I'm shelling out good money just for a beach view. I'm still renting. I'm on the road half the time making movies, anyway, so why buy a big house I can't enjoy? Eventually I'll buy a place, but right now I'm saving my money."

  "Smart girl," Martha said.

  "I have a house, but it's a small one in Sherman Oaks," Colt said.

  Des smiled. "It's a charming older house with two bedrooms."

  "Big enough for my needs. I just got sick of condo living. I wanted a yard. Not quite as big as your backyard, Logan, but in L.A. terms, it'll do."

  "You make do with what you have," Logan said.

  Colt nodded. "Exactly. And speaking of your wide-open spaces, how about a ride on your horses?"

  "You up for that?" Logan asked Des.

  Des shook her head. "No, thanks. I'm too full to go bouncing around on the back of a horse. But I'd love a look around. Unless that's too much trouble."

  "I can take Colt out for a ride on the horses," Ben said. "I need to check on a few things anyway. He can come with me."

  "Great," Colt said. "I'm excited to get back on a horse again."

  Logan was hoping to tell Des no, but it looked like he was out of options. "Fine. Let's go, Des."

  "Martha, do you want to come along with us?" Des asked.

  "Oh, thanks, but no. I'm in the middle of a really good book, so I'm going to put my feet up and relax for a while. You and Logan go ahead."

  Logan gave Martha a look, and she smiled sweetly at him.

  Martha was up to a bit of matchmaking, which wasn't going to work.

  For a lot of different reasons.

  DES PICKED UP her pace alongside Logan's long stride, excited about seeing the land. She was certain Logan wasn't thrilled about being anywhere near her or taking her anywhere.

  Which made her want to annoy him even more.

  Who knew this location shoot was going to be so much fun?

  "Where would you like to go?" he asked.

  "How about we just start with a walk? I'm stuffed after all that food, and I need to walk off a few hundred calories. You can show me what you do around here."

  "All right."

  While she hadn't always lived in a big city, it had been a long time since she'd seen so much land. The smell of dirt and cattle, while not exactly pleasant, wasn't a turnoff for her. It smelled of hard living and muscle, the kind of work that had nothing to do with makeup and looking pretty for a camera. There was no acting involved in that kind of work.