Chapter 1 Asked Out

CHAPTER 1: ASKED OUT

July

Bonnie Yates cast an anxious look into the back of her oldest brother's pickup truck. "If you drive any faster, my suitcases might end up in the next county." A hot, dry wind was swirling across the Texas panhandle, kicking up dust and rolling tumbleweeds across the two-lane highway leading to downtown Hereford.

"As if." Jackson snorted. "They weigh a ton. You don't know the meaning of traveling light, sis. I should know, since I'm the one who carried all fourteen of them to the truck."

You exaggerate, dork! She wrinkled her nose at him. "There's only four. You might need to get your eyes checked, old man." There. If he continued to treat her like she was twelve instead of twenty-one, she considered it fair game to treat him like he had one foot in the grave at thirty-one. The ten-year difference in their ages gave him no right to act like a second father.

He gave her one of his maddening older brother chuckles instead of answering.

Her temper simmered over her failure to get a rise out of him. Bickering was kind of their thing. "And you didn't have to carry squat. I could've driven myself to work." Correction. She would've gladly driven herself to work. She adored her white Honda Civic. It wasn't new, but it was paid for. Plus, she kept it so much cleaner than he kept his truck. Hers smelled like the strawberry air freshener dangling from her rear-view mirror, while his smelled like horses, hay, and dirt. With five older cowboy brothers, she was used to the stench, but still…

Jackson snorted again. "It's a bad idea to leave your car parked at work for an entire week, especially with all the vehicle break-ins around here lately."

It was annoyingly hard to argue with a guy who was usually right. She waved a hand airily. "What's up with that, anyway?" She'd heard about the break-ins but hadn't given them much thought until now.

"Not sure." He shook his head, sobering. "Could be a couple of bored rich kids stirring up trouble. Who knows? The sheriff says vandalism has been up ever since they built that row of posh townhouses on Rock Creek Avenue."

"Ooo," Bonnie cooed, tipping her head at him. "You're buddies with the sheriff now?"

He didn't answer, making her wonder all the harder where that friendship had sprung from. Her oldest brother was normally a recluse, taking on more and more ranch management responsibilities as their father skidded ever closer to retirement. As far as she knew, Jackson wasn't even dating anyone right now.

Neither am I. She blamed that on her brothers' collective show of overprotectiveness. All five of them pretty much chased off any guy who dared look her way. It had been like that for as long as she could remember. Thanks to them, she was probably doomed to a future without a husband or children. Yay me!

Jackson cruised slowly down Main Street. Though it was only seven-thirty in the morning, it was already crowded with vehicles, mostly pickup trucks since Hereford was right smack in the middle of cattle country. Most of their farmer and cowboy neighbors rose at the crack of dawn.

Somehow, Jackson managed to nose into a parking spot right in front of Underwood Realty, where she worked.

She gave him a sour look. "You lead a charmed life."

He winked at her as he mashed the emergency brake into place and turned off the motor. "For an old man? Yeah. Guess I do." His smirk told her he was enjoying throwing her earlier comment back in her face.

Scowling harder at him, she pushed the passenger door open. "Try not to miss me too much while I'm away. I know it'll be hard, but…" She left that parting shot hanging in the air between them as she hopped to the ground.

She was attending some sort of professional retreat with her boss, Alice Underwood. Alice had emailed her the itinerary a few days ago, but Bonnie hadn't bothered giving it more than a cursory scan. The biggest reason she'd agreed to go was to enjoy the room service. That, and for the much-needed break from her five hulking, overbearing brothers.

Why did I have to be the youngest kid in the family? Her brothers were so much taller, bigger, and meaner than her. Extra emphasis on the meaner part. It was as if they lived to play pranks on her, and she was way too outnumbered to dish it back the way she wanted to. Not having a single sister to help out was so unfair.

Almost before her boots hit the ground, Jackson had exited the vehicle and zoomed around to her side of it. He stayed right in her path while he leaned around her to reach for the handle of her nearest suitcase.

"Oh, for pity's sake! Move!" She gave him an unladylike shove.

Instead of obeying, he slung an arm around her shoulders and hugged her. "Stay safe." His voice was so gruff with emotion that it tugged at her heartstrings.

"Like you give me any other choice," she grumbled. He was always hovering. For reasons she would probably never understand, he still blamed himself for her kidnapping six years earlier from the parking lot at Mack's General Store on the outskirts of Dallas. She'd been fifteen at the time. From what she'd been told, she'd been missing for three full days before she'd returned barefoot down the gravel road leading toward home. Her family had moved several hundred miles north shortly afterward, supposedly to give her a fresh start.

To this day, she had no memory of where she'd been or what had happened to her while she was away. However, Jackson was the one who'd driven her to the store, then left her inside his truck while he ran inside to grab a soda. He'd never gotten over it.

He hugged her a little tighter before letting her go. "If you're hoping for an apology, you're gonna be waiting a while. Last time I checked, you're the only sister I have to look after."

"Lucky me," she trilled in a bored voice.

"That you are." He winked at her as he hauled her bright pink suitcases, two in each hand, to the front entrance of the realty building.

"Show off," she hissed as she followed him, trying not to think about the fact that she would've labeled him as hot if he hadn't been her brother. He seriously checked all the boxes — good looking in a Clark Gable sort of way (the dustier version in jeans and boots), well built from a lifetime of heavy lifting on the ranch, had a solid job, and owned a ridiculously tricked-out brown truck with oversized tires. Oh, and he was single. Very, very single. That part still puzzled her. The local single ladies flirted with him all the time. Or tried to. He hardly seemed to notice.

Though Bonnie attempted to reach around him and push the door open for him, he wouldn't even let her do something as simple as that. He hurriedly set down two of her suitcases and did the honors. It was the way he always treated her —like she was made of glass or something even more breakable.

Lifting her chin, she sailed past him, more determined than ever to prove him wrong. She was stronger than she looked. Someone who could take care of herself. And she had every intention of proving it to him just as soon as she decided what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. Though her boss was making noises about bringing her on board as a junior partner, a big part of Bonnie felt like it was on hold. Restless. Waiting. For what, she had no idea. Her therapist claimed the feeling might have something to do with her lack of closure from her kidnapping — closure she was never going to get if she couldn't remember a single blasted thing about it.

They'd tried everything to jog her memories. Endless counseling. No less than three field trips to the parking lot at Mack's General Store — an all-day ordeal each time since it was an eleven-hour round trip. They'd even put her through a bit of hypnosis therapy. So far, none of it had worked. Three whole days of her memories remained a blank slate inside her head.

Bonnie coped with the missing pieces of her memories by thinking about them as little as possible. She refused to talk about them to anyone outside her family, whom she'd long since sworn to secrecy on the topic. Folks in Hereford didn't know about her damaged past, and she intended to keep it that way.

She'd enjoyed her final three years of regular old public high school, and now she had a perfectly normal job serving as the administrative assistant to a woman who was as much a friend as an employer. Other than the constant sense of restlessness that dogged Bonnie's heels, life was good. Her only real complaint was her brothers.

She gave Jackson a pointed look. "You can put my suitcases down now." She wasn't sure what he was waiting for. He'd safely delivered her to work, where security cameras covered every nook and cranny of the main office area. Her desk rested front and center in the crosshairs of the main camera.

Alice must've heard the jingle of the front door, because she came sailing out of her office around the corner. "There you are!" Her slender arms were outstretched as she moved in Bonnie's direction. She looked like a million bucks in a flaming orange blazer, white pencil skirt, and orange stilettos. Her blonde hair was piled high on her head, probably to give her another inch or two of height. She hated the fact that she'd been born short.

Bonnie hugged her. "Why are you so dressed up?" She took a step back and frowned down at her own pink eyelet sundress and boots. Maybe she should've read that itinerary a little more closely. She'd just assumed they'd be dressing casual for the week.

"Because the retreat is kicking off with a meet and mingle session for brokers. My attendance isn't optional. Yours is." Alice gave Bonnie a knowing look. "This time around, anyway."

Bonnie blinked at her boss's not-so-subtle reminder about her interest in making Bonnie a junior partner. "Are you seriously thinking of sending me on another retreat already?" Before my first one even begins?

"As a matter of fact," Alice arched her well-manicured eyebrows, "this is an annual event that starts the first Monday after every 4 th of July." She snapped her fingers. "Like clockwork."

"Then why am I just now hearing about it?" Since Bonnie managed Alice's appointment calendar, she was pretty sure Alice hadn't attended the retreat last year. Or the year before that.

"Because," Alice spread her hands, "I spent the last two years trying to stay two steps ahead of a group of fraudulent real estate investors." They were in jail now, but not before swindling two elderly couples out of their local homesteads and life savings. "That tells me I need to up my marketing game in town and in the surrounding areas. And by me, I mean we." She waved a finger between the two of them. "We're a team, Bon Bon, no matter how much you balk at the idea of studying for your broker's license."

A snicker from Jackson made Bonnie round on him. "What are you still doing here?"

Grinning, he gestured at the four suitcases he'd set down just inside the door. "Waiting for my tip. Pretty sure the going rate is five bucks a bag."

"No kidding?" She swallowed a laugh, trying to scrape up the usual sarcasm she employed on him. "Hate to break it to you, but your payment was getting to enjoy my amazing presence on the drive here, mister."

"Sold." He snaked out a hand and tweaked one of her dark braids before she could dodge him. "I expect a daily proof of life pic. You miss even one, and I'll be beating down the doors at Anderson Ranch B but trust me, she's dynamite when it comes to convincing folks to sign contracts. Absolute dynamite!"

"I have to be dynamite to survive at Yates Ranch." Bonnie grimaced as she moved toward her desk. "Five brothers, remember?" She didn't need to keep up with the crime statistics in their small town, because she had them watchdogging over her day and night.

"Who adore you to pieces." Holt swaggered closer. "If they didn't, they wouldn't keep such close tabs on you."

Whatever. "They smother me," she sighed, taking a seat to boot up her computer. "Insufferable monsters, every last one of them." Yes, she loved them, but she would give anything for a little emotional space from them sometimes. She'd been toying with the idea of getting her own place. It would probably be best not to inform her family about her plan until after she signed the contract, though…and probably after she moved away from home. No doubt she'd have brothers trying to blockade her bedroom door if she so much as breathed a word to them about it in advance.

"Which is why I've agreed to be your pen pal this week." Holt lowered his voice as he leaned his tall frame across the front of her desk. "And maybe finally explore a few…other things." His voice was suggestive.

Hoh, boy! Time to change the subject. Flushing, Bonnie glanced up from her screen. "Don't forget to keep your eyes and ears peeled for whatever's had your spidey senses tingling lately." He'd been abducted and held for leverage during the recent roundup of that gang of fraudulent real estate investors. He was fortunate to be alive. Her heart twisted at the thought.

"I won't." He rapped his knuckles on her desk, straightening.

"I want to hear about anything that makes you go hmm." She understood what he was going through more than he realized. Unlike her, though, he remembered every ugly, lousy detail about his abduction. That had to be tough!

He cocked his head at her. "You're going to be getting some long letters, then."

"Email." She waved at her computer screen. "That way, we won't have to wait for snail mail to run." In which case, she might not receive his first letter until after she returned home, where one of her brothers could easily intercept it. Not good.

"Good idea," Holt agreed. "Or we can text. Pretty sure I gave you my number a while back." He bent over her desk again to look her straight in the eye. "Not that you've ever used it."

She sniffed instead of answering. She'd wanted to text him, but there was no point in getting anything started between them. Why bother when her brothers were sure to put a stop to it?

I need to move into my own apartment, and soon! She was twenty-one, for crying out loud. She wasn't sure why she'd put off moving out for so long. It made sense for her unmarried brothers to continue living at home, because they were all employed at the ranch.

Not me, though.

Holt lowered his voice another notch. "Hope you've been thinking long and hard about our first kiss while you've been so busy not texting me."

"Holt," she hissed. Her lashes fluttered against her cheeks. His sister was in her office right around the corner. She could walk out and join them at any moment.

He smirked at her expression. "I've sure been thinking about it."

"But we haven't…actually kissed," Bonnie spluttered, fighting to keep her voice down despite her indignation.

"Yet." His voice was silky. "There are vibes between us. Don't try to deny it."

"Maybe. Okay, yes." She drew a deep breath. "But I've already made it clear my brothers will never allow?—"

"This isn't about them," Holt cut in, fisting a hand on top of her desk. "This is about us."

She gave him a helpless look. "There is no us , Holt." Why couldn't he see that? Yes, there was some chemistry between them, but she'd done nothing to encourage it. Zilch.

"I beg to differ." His lazy grin returned. "And I'd be glad to prove it to you when we share our first ki—" He broke off the rest of what he was going to say as Alice re-entered the room.

Her heels click-clacked against the tile as she moved their way with a suitcase in each hand. "You two look awfully cozy." Her briefcase was strapped across one slender shoulder.

Holt hurried her way to collect her suitcases. "Just filling Bonnie in on all the car thefts that neither of you are gonna have to worry about this week." He glanced over his shoulder to wink at Bonnie from an angle his sister couldn't see.

Though her brothers were forever winking at her, the way Holt did it was much better. Sweeter. Swoonier. It felt like a promise that the kiss he kept teasing her about was drifting ever closer.

She hardly knew what to think about it. Most guys would've been too intimidated by her brothers to continue flirting with her. Holt, however, didn't seem the least bit deterred by the thought of facing all five of them at once. He was either out of his mind, or…

He's into me, too. Her breathing grew shallow.

Alice stopped by Bonnie's desk, smiling knowingly. "So are you two finally…" She waved at her brother's retreating shoulders as he headed toward the rear exit. He'd parked out back in the employee parking lot.

"Like I've told you a bazillion times, we're just friends," Bonnie assured in the most nonchalant voice she could scrape up. It was all she could do not to wave her hands at her face. It felt like her cheeks were on fire.

"Uh-huh." Alice didn't sound convinced. "You keep telling yourself that." She moved to the front entrance and turned the Open sign to Closed. She'd taped an extra sheet of paper at the bottom of the sign, informing any would-be visitors how to contact her and Bonnie while they were out of the office.

Bonnie checked her email and saw nothing urgent. Then a thought struck her, making her smile. She quickly typed her first short pen pal message to Holt.

Yes, I've been thinking about our first kiss…that might not ever happen. Just for the record, it probably shouldn't ever happen. You're a really nice guy. You'll find a really nice girl to date who's not packing my kind of troubles.

—Bonnie

It was the kindest way she could think of saying no — wrap it in a few compliments and hope he'd take it the right way. Reading what she'd written and mentally proofing it for typos, she pressed the send button.

So much for our pen pal relationship! The sense that she'd just killed something precious made her heart ache. She could only hope that Holt wouldn't be too hurt when he read her message.

She nibbled her lower lip as she started shutting down her computer. The ping of an incoming email sounded before she could finish closing all the tabs she'd opened.

Her eyes widened at the realization that it was from Holt. She hesitated, not sure she was ready to open it. Then she inwardly chastised herself for being a coward and started reading.

Dear Miss Trouble:

Already met a really nice girl, and I have every intention of talking her into a date.

—Not Easily Scared Away

She caught her breath. Oh, wow! Holt was more serious about snagging that first kiss from her than she'd realized. She finished shutting down her computer and stood, stretching her back a little. It was time to haul her suitcases to his truck and face him again.

As she moved around her desk, she grew still at the sight of her pen pal striding up the hallway in her direction. Though he didn't say anything, he lightly brushed his fingers against hers as he walked past her. Grabbing her suitcases, two in each hand like her brother had, he headed back toward the rear exit.

"I'll get the door for you." She jogged ahead of him to hold it open. Unlike her brother, he let her.

She waited until they were outside in the parking lot before speaking again. "We can't date, Holt." She hated the way her breath sounded all clogged in her throat.

"Why not?" He effortlessly swung all four suitcases into the back of his gun metal gray pickup truck.

"For one thing, I work for your sister."

"So?" He swung back in her direction, looking blissfully unconcerned about the prospect of dating his sister's administrative assistant.

And potential business partner. She frowned, wondering where that thought had come from, since she wasn't seriously considering it.

"Wouldn't it be awkward for us?" Her voice rose to an uncertain pitch.

He stepped closer to tangle the fingers of one hand with hers. "Not unless you keep turning me down."

"Technically, I haven't turned you down," she reminded breathlessly. She was too accustomed to bickering with her brothers not to point out that fact. "You haven't officially asked me out."

"I can fix that." He threaded his fingers more snuggly through hers. "Will you go out with me, Bonnie Yates?"

"I—" She yanked her hand away from his as the back door to the building swung open. Alice stepped outside, glancing their way curiously before turning her back on them to lock up.

Grinning unabashedly, Holt opened the driver's door and held out his hand to her. "In you go, Miss Yates."

Her eyes widened. Did he truly expect her to sit in the middle of the seat between him and his sister?

His expression told her that it was exactly what he was expecting.

"You're crazy," she whispered, stepping onto the running board without his assistance.

"Crazy about you," he whispered, giving her elbow a gentle boost to help her finish climbing in.

As he hurried around the hood of the truck to assist his sister through the passenger door, Bonnie gazed after him, stunned. Did you mean that? For reals? She was accustomed to guys flirting with her when her brothers weren't around, but she wasn't accustomed to having any of them genuinely pursue her.

She honestly hadn't seen this coming. What am I going to do about you, Holt Winchester? Her insides were so tangled up over the question that it took her a few tries to clasp her seatbelt.

Alice glanced curiously at her. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes. Everything's peachy." Bonnie jammed her seatbelt clasp home at last. Third time's a charm.

Holt climbed behind the wheel and joined the two women in the cab. His right knee lightly bumped Bonnie's left one as he got settled in. Instead of moving over to give her more room, he allowed his knee to continue resting against hers.

Then again, he was a tall, broad-shouldered guy. Maybe he didn't have any room to move over. Bonnie glanced to her right, but Alice had already placed her briefcase in the few inches of space between the two of them.

She intercepted Bonnie's distressed look and returned it with one of supreme innocence.

Oh, my goodness! You totally know what's going on here! The discovery made Bonnie want to sink through the floorboard.

Holt started the motor, flipped on a country music station, and rolled down his window a couple of inches.

Knowing why he'd done it, she experienced a sudden longing to reach for his hand. Ever since his abduction, he'd been having trouble breathing in small, enclosed spaces —places like his own stinking truck. That was tough.

While Bonnie debated whether to follow through with the urge to reach for his hand, he stretched his arm behind her on the seat as he swiveled around to back out of the parking spot. The pads of his fingers momentarily curled around her shoulder, pressing warmly against her bare skin.

She felt the caress all the way to her soul. She sucked in a breath, unable to remember when a simple touch had ever affected her so strongly. Since she was on her way to a business retreat with her boss, it was probably best not to dwell on just how much trouble her heart was in.