Tyler chose a seat at the opposite side of the table from where Alex stood. She couldn’t help sneaking glances at him, and every time she did, he was looking back. Not the usual behavior of a man who had a girlfriend.
He could still be unattached, and if so, she’d have to be very careful. As if her memories of his lovemaking weren’t enough to make her heart race, he’d turned into every woman’s fantasy—a broad-shouldered, lean-hipped, yummy cowboy. She wondered if he’d bought himself a Stetson.
In no time Mary Lou and Sarah had the impromptu party organized with drinks all around. Bowls of chips and several kinds of dip sat on the table along with a stack of napkins.
Sarah took a chair and raised her beer bottle. “Here’s to your world cruise, Tyler, and the important promotion I’m sure will follow.”
“Thank you.” Tyler began to understand why Morgan loved being a part of this stable, loving family. Morgan, Tyler and their six siblings had lived a vagabond lifestyle, traveling the country in a psychedelic van with their New Age parents.
They’d spent a few months in Shoshone back when Morgan and Tyler were teenagers. For Tyler, it had just been one stop in their constant travels, but Morgan had loved it and had vowed to come back. Although Tyler had inherited her parents’ wanderlust, Morgan had yearned for roots, and now she had them. Her baby would represent the fourth generation of Chances living on this ranch.
“I guess that means you can’t be here when the baby’s born,” Mary Lou said.
“Exactly, which is why I came now. When that little tyke arrives, I’ll be somewhere in the Mediterranean. On the way here from the airport I tried to talk Morgan into setting up Skype in the delivery room, but she wasn’t buying it.”
Morgan made a face. “Sorry, but I have this image of the entire crew of the Sea Goddess gathered around your computer watching me give birth. I’m even thinking of having the baby at the ranch, to keep the moment more private and special.”
“You thought I’d invite people to see the birth on my laptop?”
“Well, maybe not, but—”
“Shoot, I’d put it up on the big screen in the movie theater!” As Morgan’s eyes widened, Tyler nudged her in the ribs. “Gotcha.”
“No, you didn’t. I knew you were kidding.”
“Did not. You should have seen your face. Are you really thinking of having a home birth?”
Morgan glanced at Sarah. “I’d like to.”
“And Gabe and I are trying to talk her out of it,” Sarah said. “Maybe if we were five minutes from the hospital, I wouldn’t worry, but if something goes wrong, it’s a long trek into Jackson.”
“Nothing will go wrong,” Morgan said. “My mom had all of us in the back of the family van.”
“Yes, but dad said he always parked it next to the hospital.” Tyler was inclined to agree with Gabe and Sarah on this one. She looked across the table to where Alex sat peeling the label off his beer bottle. Maybe he wasn’t all that comfy discussing the birthing process.
Giving birth wasn’t her top priority, either, but she found herself longing to hear him talk. During the reception last summer his voice had seduced her long before she’d suggested they share a bottle of champagne in the hayloft. “Ever seen a baby being born, Alex?”
He stopped peeling the label and looked at her with his intense gray eyes. “Can’t say that I have. How about you?”
That voice, honed by years of radio work, gave her goose bumps. “Yes, and it’s an awesome experience, so I was hoping for a Skype’s-eye view of my big sister’s event.” She was still curious about why he was at the ranch this afternoon. He seemed completely at home, as if he lived here, and yet she was sure he’d planned to rent a place in Jackson once he started his job there.
“So how are things at the radio station?” she asked.
“Oh, he left that job, Tyler,” Morgan said. “He’s the marketing director for the Last Chance now, and he lives out here.”
Tyler could have used that information earlier, before she’d walked into the kitchen and been struck dumb by the incredible backside of Alex Keller. But Morgan would have no reason to tell her. Morgan didn’t know about the night in the hayloft.
Alex leaned forward. “And speaking of my job, I’ve run into a couple of snags for tomorrow’s event.”
“What event?” Tyler had a feeling that Morgan had neglected to mention several important items during the drive from the Jackson airport. Tyler couldn’t blame her, though. Morgan had spent the drive talking about her plans for the baby’s room, assuming it was completed in time for Morgan to add the decorating touches she had in mind.
“I’ve set up an open house,” Alex said. “I’ve had to operate under some tight time constraints, but I wanted to catch people at the beginning of the summer with the idea that if it goes well, we can do it again in August.”
“It will go well,” Sarah said. “We’ve invited everybody who might be a candidate for buying one of the Last Chance paints, and we should have a good turn-out because June is when the summer tourist season gets rolling. We’ll have tours of the barn, cutting-horse demonstrations, plenty of food—”
“Sounds great,” Tyler said. “I’m not a prospective buyer, but I’m sure I’ll enjoy all that, if I’m invited, that is.”
Morgan touched her arm. “Of course you’re invited! You’re family!”
“Thanks.” Tyler was surprised by how pleased she was to hear that. She loved her carefree life and didn’t mind that home was a sparsely furnished efficiency apartment in L.A. with no live plants and a refrigerator that was usually empty. But she wouldn’t mind borrowing the nurturing environment of the Last Chance for the next few days, providing she could control her urge to snuggle up with Alex.
Her fantasy man leaned back in his chair. “The thing is, I’d hoped to establish the mood with live music, but the country band I’d hired just canceled a half hour ago.”
“What about Watkins?” Mary Lou set down her beer. “That cowhand plays a decent guitar if you could talk him into doing it.”
“It’s a thought, but that’s not the only issue. I also ordered three event canopies because we’re supposed to have some rain, but only one showed up. I’m a little worried that—”
“Say no more.” Tyler leaped into the breach automatically, a learned response from handling this kind of crisis all the time on cruises. “It’ll be fine. I’ll help you figure out some alternatives.” Belatedly she realized that her offer would throw her into direct contact with the man she’d decided to avoid for the duration of her visit.
Alex sat forward, hope in his eyes. “You will? That would be great.” Then he seemed to catch himself. “Wait a minute. You’re on vacation. You shouldn’t have to—”
“Don’t kid yourself,” Morgan said. “She loves this kind of thing. It’s her job to coordinate all the onboard entertainment, so parties are her deal. I had to hold her back or she would have planned my entire wedding from her stateroom on the Sea Goddess.”
“Then I accept.” Alex blew out a breath. “I don’t know what kind of magic you can work, but whatever it is, I’ll take it.”
Magic. That was the exact word she would use to describe the night they’d spent together in the hayloft. She was realistic enough to know how much she’d be tempted to make love with him again, but that was a really bad idea. Considering the emotional tug she felt every time he looked at her, they could end up in a no-win situation that would break both their hearts.
Chapter 2
LOOKING INTO TYLER’S dark eyes, Alex imagined he could read her mind. She already regretted her decision to help him, but he wasn’t about to let her off the hook. He needed her expertise.
If that meant they’d have to work together and deal with the heat that still simmered between them, so be it. He wasn’t about to interfere with her world cruise and probable promotion. He’d tell her so once they were alone.
In fact, having a private moment to clear the air was a very good idea. “I don’t want to rush you, but we don’t have a lot of time to cook up those alternate plans. If you’d be willing to take a look at the outdoor setup before dinner, that would be great.”
“Sure.” She pushed back her chair. “Give me ten minutes to take my suitcase upstairs and change clothes.”
Morgan stood and pressed a hand to the small of her back. “I’ll go with you and help you get settled in.”
“That’s okay.” Standing, too, Tyler wrapped an arm around Morgan’s shoulders and gave her a quick hug. “No point in lugging baby whosit up those stairs.”
Sarah’s eyebrows arched. “So she hasn’t told you whether it’s a boy or girl, either? I thought she might have let it slip to her little sis, and then we could pry it out of you before you leave.”
“I haven’t told anybody.” Morgan sat down again. “Gabe and I are the only ones who know, and it’ll stay that way until July when the little kid makes an appearance.”
“How about a name?” Mary Lou asked. “Have you picked one?”
Morgan nodded. “Yes, and I promise that you’ll know immediately from the baby’s name whether I had a boy or a girl.”
Tyler sighed with obvious relief. “Thank God. As you noticed when some of us were here last summer, our parents conspired to give all of us unisex names.”
“And I have to admit I had trouble keeping everyone straight during the wedding last year,” Sarah said. “I’m sure I called you by your twin brother Regan’s name at least twice.”
“Don’t feel bad about it. Regan and I had our names switched so many times in school it wasn’t funny.”
“I agree it was a nightmare while we were growing up,” Morgan said. “But now, as a real-estate agent, my name works because it’s easily recognizable. Still, I’m not doing that to my child.”
“I’m glad.” Tyler picked up her empty beer bottle and the napkin she’d used for her chips. “Anyway, let me scoot upstairs and get changed.”
Mary Lou made a flapping motion with her hand. “Leave the bottle and napkin, sweetie. I’ll take care of it.”
“And I’ll carry your suitcase upstairs.” Alex pushed back his chair and stood.
“I can manage,” Tyler said.
Alex gave her a smile. “It’s the gentlemanly thing to do, and I’m the gentleman who’s available.” Hell, he probably shouldn’t have said that. He’d blame all those years of being a glib DJ.
“Thank you, but it’s a small suitcase, and I really can—”
“You don’t know which room.” He was determined to grab this chance to talk with her. “Where should I put her, Sarah?”