Rebel Cowbear (Lone Star Cowbears Book 1) Read online

  “Come on inside,” Beth said. “I got something that will help numb the pain. Have a seat.”

  “I appreciate it.”

  Kim followed her into the kitchen. She took a seat at the island and instantly fell in love with the room. Antique hardwood cabinets hung over a long, Tuscany-style countertop. A shiny black-handled tea kettle sat on a shiny stainless steel gas range. Above the farmhouse sink, a garden window held several pots full of fragrant herbs. Sunlight streamed through the window to heat the leaves of rosemary, mint and lemon verbena plants. They gave off an uplifting scent that helped cheer her up.

  A combination of recessed lighting as well as old lantern-style lights decorated the ceiling. Exposed wood beams ran the length of the kitchen. Hardwood floors covered the entire downstairs level of the house. God, it must be so nice not to have to vacuum. But keeping the wood in good condition had to take a lot of work.

  Beth pulled a jar and a first-aid kit out of one of the upper cabinets. She sat on a barstool next to Kim. As she opened the lid, the scent of honey and lavender wafted into the air.

  “This homemade salve recipe has been in my family for generations,” Beth said.

  “That smells amazing. I almost want to eat it.”

  “The stuff will cure any wound. Burns, cuts, poison ivy—you name it—this will fix you right up,” Beth said.

  “It sounds like you’ve tried it on everything.”

  “When you have seven brothers, you learn to have this stuff on standby. I love them, but they can drive me nuts sometimes.”

  “Seven? You have a big family.”

  “And I’m the only girl,” Beth said. “I swear, they run me ragged. Let me see your hand.”

  Kim rested her arm on the counter.

  “This will be cold, but it should feel better instantly,” Beth said.

  She used a cotton swab to smooth the salve over the burnt skin. The moment the ointment touched her flesh, a cooling sensation stifled the pain. Kim sighed with relief.

  “It feels better already,” she said.

  “This stuff is magic,” Beth said. “I used it on Harley for a rope burn yesterday. Technically he’s in charge until our oldest brother Aaron gets back from our cousin’s wedding, but I swear I’m really the one holding this place together.”

  “It must be hard living with so many guys,” Kim said. “Dealing with Zack every day must be one hell of a chore.”

  “Has he been giving you trouble?” Beth asked.

  “He claims he’s helping me, but… I don’t know.”

  “What did he do?”

  As Kim reenacted the scene from the competition, complete with flailing arms and various exasperated expressions, Beth chuckled.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t laugh. But did he seriously flirt with a judge?” Beth asked.

  “Yeah, and she fell for it. It was ridiculous. It should be against the rules or something.”

  Beth raised a brow as she moved to re-bandage Kim’s hand.

  “What?” Kim asked.

  “Zack’s a shameless flirt,” Beth said. “He’s been that way since he was old enough to talk. Based on what I hear around town, he’s pretty good at wooing the ladies. He’s not a bad guy, just a little lost. I really don’t think he tried to sabotage you. He may be a jerk sometimes, but he has a good heart. Although recently he’d been on edge a lot more than usual. I don’t know what’s bothering him, but I wish I did so I could help him.”

  Kim remained silent as Beth finished wrapping her hand up. Even if he hadn’t done it intentionally, he’d still had a hand in causing her injury.

  “All set,” Beth declared.

  “Thank you so much. It feels so better already.”

  “It was no problem at all,” Beth said. “Actually, it was nice to be able to talk to another woman. If you have any free time this week and want to come in for tea, just head on over.”

  “That sounds—”

  Kim froze as Zack strolled into the kitchen.

  “Hey, Remy wants to know where the—” He stopped mid-stride and glanced at the new bandage on her hand. “Are you okay?”

  “Fine.” She ignored him and turned toward Beth. “Thanks again. I need to get going.”

  “If you need any more salve just let me know,” Beth said.

  “I will.”

  She passed Zack without acknowledging him. The less she had to interact with him, the better. She returned to the cottage and lay back on the bed. As she replayed her conversation with Beth through her mind, she wondered if she’d been too hard on Zack. Based on his sister’s assessment, he didn’t seem like the type of guy who would engage in sabotage.

  After tossing and turning for ten minutes, she sighed. Every time she closed her eyes, his face appeared. He still managed to torment her even when he wasn’t around. She didn’t know why she was letting him get to her. Whether his intentions were good or bad didn’t really matter. She had to stop thinking about his hot, naked, ripped—ugh!

  * * *

  Zack plopped onto the still warm stool that Kim had just vacated. She’d all but run the minute he’d walked into the room. What was her problem? He couldn’t believe she still thought he’d tried to sabotage her. He’d only been trying to help.

  “Sometimes I wonder if you boys were dropped on your heads as babies.” Beth crossed her arms over her chest. Great, apparently Kim had already told her about the competition. Now he was in for it.

  “What’d I do this time?” He mirrored her position before adding a scowl for good measure.

  “What’s going on between you and Kim?”

  “Nothing,” he said.

  “It doesn’t seem like nothing.”

  “What, did she come crying to you about the competition?” he asked. “If today was too challenging for her, then she should drop out.”

  “You should be a little nicer to her.”

  “Are you kidding me?” He stood. “I’m not here to hold her hand. Either she’s good enough to complete, or not.”

  “Just because you’re in a contest doesn’t mean that you have to be a ruthless asshole,” Beth snapped as she turned to put the salve into the cupboard.

  “How hurt is she?” he asked.

  “She’ll be fine in a few days,” Beth said. “You should find a way to mend your relationship.”

  “We’re not in a relationship,” he said.

  “Maybe not. But when two people bitch about each other like an old, married couple, something’s going on.”

  “Nothing’s happening,” he insisted. “She’s my competition. That’s all.”

  “Well I still think you need to be nice to her.”

  “Fine.” He grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl on the counter and took a crunchy bite. “I’ll fix her car.”

  “What happened to her car?” Beth asked.

  “Flat tire.”

  “That should be easy enough and it’s a nice gesture. I don’t want unhappy guests on the ranch.”

  “Okay.”

  As he headed toward the door, he stuffed his hands into his pockets. His sister had a point. They couldn’t afford to get any bad reviews on any of the rental sites. They needed the income from the cottages to supplement their cattle sales.

  After digging around in the garage for a few minutes, he located a tire that would fit Kim’s car. His brother Harley had offered to tow the car to the ranch earlier. When he pulled up, Zack went out to meet him.

  “Thanks for the tow,” Zack said.

  “No problem. Do you need any help with the tire?” Harley asked.

  “Nah, this shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes.”

  “All right. I’m heading in. See you later.”

  “See ya.”

  As Zack fiddled with the nuts and bolts, he couldn’t help but think back to Beth’s comment. Was he fighting with Kim like an old, married guy? His bear growled in acknowledgement. Oh, boy. Maybe they were arguing like they’d been together for thirty years. He’d ha
ve to put an end to that before she got any ideas.

  After tightening the last lug nut, he cleaned up at the sink in the garage. He took a deep breath before heading over to her cabin. He stood at the door with his hand poised to knock. What if she slammed the door in his face again? Oh well, there was only one way to find out…

  He knocked on the door and waited.

  “Who is it?” she asked.

  “Zack. Can I talk to you for a minute?”

  “I’m kind of tired. Can it wait?”

  “I won’t be long. I promise.”

  She cracked open the door and poked her head out. The fire in her eyes made her even more beautiful that he’d remembered. For a split second, he considered pushing the door wide open so he could scoop her into his arms and kiss her into submission. But the way she was glaring at him obliterated that fantasy.

  “I changed the tire for you,” he said.

  “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “I know I didn’t have to, but I wanted to,” he said. “I’m sorry about today. Tomorrow, I’ll stay on my side of the station.”

  She nodded but didn’t respond.

  In an attempt to win her over, he flashed a charming smile. “I guess… I’ll see you tomorrow morning?”

  “Yep.” She stepped back and closed the door.

  As he stood in the doorway, his bear rumbled and growled. If changing her tire hadn’t been enough to get her to stop being so mad, what would it take? Was she the kind of woman who could hold onto a grudge until the end of time?

  He frowned. Usually woman fell at his feet, but she wasn’t falling for his charm at all. In fact, she seemed repulsed by it. He’d never encountered anyone like her before, and her bristly attitude intrigued him far more than it should. In fact, it made him want to find a way to get past her defenses.

  With new determination, he sauntered back toward his house. He’d find a way to win her over. She wouldn’t be able to resist his arsenal of seductive moves for long. By the time he was done tempting her, she’d be begging him to tear her wet panties off with his teeth.

  Chapter 5

  Kim greeted the sunrise with a smile. She loved the promise of a new day. As she cooked oatmeal and a few slices of turkey bacon for breakfast, she vowed to put her problems with Zack behind her. She’d probably never let down her guard completely, but he’d offered her an olive branch last night by fixing her car, so she could at least be civil to him today.

  An hour later, she pulled into the parking lot at the fairgrounds. As she parked next to his motorcycle, she sighed. Hopefully they wouldn’t be at each other’s throats again today. Yesterday, she’d been surprised by the level of frustration she’d felt around him. Typically she avoided conflict at all costs, but when they came together, it was worse than trying to mix oil and water.

  After locking her car, she headed toward the scoreboard. The remaining contestants had been ranked yesterday, but the judges hadn’t posted the results until this morning.

  When she saw her name in first place, she bit back a shriek of excitement. Maybe Bobby, the spiteful judge, had actually enjoyed her food. The smug bastard was probably too conceited to admit that her healthy option tasted great. Jerk.

  She found Zack at their station.

  “Good morning,” he said. “Congratulations on claiming the first place spot. You might give me a run for my money after all.”

  “I could beat you with one arm tied behind my back,” she said.

  “How’s your hand?”

  “It’s a lot better. That salve your sister put on it worked magic overnight. It hardly hurts at all today,” she said.

  “About yesterday—”

  “Wait.” She held up her good hand. “Can we just forget yesterday and move on?”

  “Sure.”

  When he flashed a smile hotter than a twelve-alarm fire, she swallowed and looked away. Maybe she was playing with fire by being nice to him, but she couldn’t stay angry over something that really wasn’t his fault.

  “Don’t get too comfortable.” He pulled a smoking rack out from under their station. “Today’s protein is chicken. You do cook real meat, don’t you?”

  “Yes,” she laughed. “Chicken breasts are a great, lean source of protein.”

  “I prefer thighs myself.” His gaze swept down her body then back up.

  Heat flooded her cheeks. She’d worn a pair of beige shorts and an olive green tank top. According to the weather report, it was supposed to hit the upper 90’s today, so she’d wanted to be prepared. Now she wished she’d covered up a bit more. Although, maybe she could have a little fun with him.

  “I hope you took a good look,” she said. When he blanched, she added, “at the leaderboard. I’m going to kick your ass every day until I win.”

  “Is that right?”

  “Yep,” she said. “I have a chicken recipe that will literally knock your socks off, cowboy.”

  “Really?” He said in an amused tone. “If you’re so confident, then maybe we should make a small wager.”

  “I don’t gamble.”

  “It’s not a gamble, at least not for me.” He grinned.

  “Wow, you are cocky,” she said. “What did you have in mind?”

  “I can think of a few things I’d be willing to wager.” He winked.

  “I can too. Your ego… your self-respect…”

  He laughed hard enough to turn a few heads. When he calmed down enough to speak, he said, “In your dreams. How about this: Whoever loses today has cook dinner for the winner.”

  “I suppose if I lose, you’ll cook a slab of steak drenched in salt and dipped in sugar. Am I close?”

  “Dead on.”

  “Disgusting.”

  “Right, like you’re not going to try to stuff tofu down my throat if I lose,” he said.

  “I thought you couldn’t possibly lose,” she said sarcastically.

  “If we had impartial judges, then I couldn’t lose.”

  “What are you talking about?” she asked.

  “Sebastian Barclay hasn’t stopped ogling you since you got here,” he said.

  “What?” She turned to find the judge staring at her. When he waved, she nodded in acknowledgement before turning back to face Zack. “I’m sure he’s just admiring me because I won yesterday’s round.”

  “Nope. He’s checking out your ass.”

  “What?” She whipped back around and caught Sebastian before he could move his gaze up from her butt. “Ugh. Why do you guys always have to be such pigs?”

  “Woah.” Zack held up a hand. “I’m not one of those guys.”

  “I’ve seen you staring too.”

  “Personally, I’m a breast man.”

  “Oh good God.”

  “That’s why I’m going to win today. I love breasts.” He smirked. “Now, are we on for that bet or not?”

  She eyed his extended hand with suspicion. It felt a bit like making a deal with the devil when she finally shook it.

  “Deal.”

  He took her hand, but he didn’t shake it. Instead, he used his thumb to rub the sensitive skin in the palm of her hand. The soft, intimate look in his eyes mesmerized her.

  “May the best cook win,” he murmured.

  The deep, sensual tone in his voice sent chills of longing throughout her body. His amber eyes sparkled as if lit by an inner fire. Flames of desire licked across the tips of her breasts as her nipples hardened. A small voice inside her screamed that she needed to release his hand, but she couldn’t break the spell.

  “May the best cook win,” she whispered.

  As a slow, sensual smile spread across his face, she knew he’d heard the tremble in her voice. What was he really after? She was sure he had women lined up, ready to cook him dinner at a moment’s notice. So why her?

  “Everyone, please take you stations,” Sebastian called.

  She pulled her hand away from Zack’s and turned her attention to the task at hand. She couldn’t let their b
et distract her. If she won, she’d simply tell him she didn’t need him to cook her dinner. She could do it herself. Alone.

  “Today’s challenge is barbecue chicken,” Sebastian said. “You’ll have three hours to prep and cook your meat using any of the available ovens, grills, or smokers. Your time starts now.”

  Kim scrambled around the front of their station and beat Zack to the rack of spices. She grabbed oregano, rosemary, a garlic blub, an orange, and a lemon before racing back to her station. She rolled the whole lemon around the cutting board using the palm of her hand. When she cut into the lemon, juice squirted out and landed on her cheek. A refreshing burst of lemon scent filled the air.

  After quickly repeating the process with the orange, she squeezed both fruits into a white, ceramic bowl. She stripped the oregano of its leaves then tossed several sprigs of rosemary into the mixture. A quick stir later, she slid a raw chicken breast into the marinade. Five more followed. She chopped up the garlic and added it, along with a pinch of salt, before sealing the top with a strip of saran wrap.

  Fortunately she had plenty of time to let the herbs and spices do their work. While she waited, she mixed pepper, paprika, and another small pinch of salt into a rub.

  She glanced over to find Zack working frantically to peel the garlic. Amateur. If he smashed the clove first, the garlic would pop right out. For a second, she considered sharing her technique with him, but that would be aiding the enemy. Nope. It was so much more fun to watch him flounder.

  * * *

  Zack fired up the grill on his half of the station. While he waited for it to heat up, he gave his bowl of marinating chicken a quick toss. Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and coffee swirled around in the dark sauce. As he eyed the concoction, he considered adding more cayenne, but if he used too much heat, he could piss off the judges. He decided not to take any chances. If they didn’t love his sauce, then there was something seriously wrong with them.

  Two hours later, he surveyed the judge’s plates. He’d sprinkled thinly sliced scallions over the top to give the chicken an extra spark of freshness. The presentation was elegant, yet not too hoity-toity, after all, this was a barbecue competition, not fine dining.