Christmas With The Cowboy. Tina Radcliffe
five foot four, Emma had to look up over a foot to meet his gaze. When she reached out for an embrace, Zach stood stiffly, arms at his sides.
“Welcome back,” she murmured, pained at the rebuff.
“Good to see you,” he said. “You’re looking well.”
“Thank you.” She focused on his denim-clad legs. “You’re limping.”
“My knee. No big deal.” He shrugged it off.
She frowned. It certainly didn’t appear to be “no big deal.”
“You let Travis talk you into the saddle when you have a bum knee?”
“That was my idea. Once I get up there, I’m fine. Riding isn’t a problem.” Zach’s mouth formed a musing half smile. “You know, I don’t think I’ve been in the saddle since...” He paused and met her gaze.
Emma instinctively knew what he was thinking. The two of them used to ride together when Zach stayed at his father’s ranch. Steve had no interest in horses, but she and Zach shared the same passion for riding. Things were simpler in those days.
He looked away, his attention landing on the double stroller.
“Whoa! They’ve grown. Those last pictures you sent don’t do them justice.” Zach half crouched down next to his nieces, his hand bracing his extended left knee. “Who is who?”
“Elizabeth has a tiny birthmark on her right arm and Rachel doesn’t. Other than that, they’re identical.”
“They look exactly like you,” he murmured. Awe laced his deep voice.
“Yes,” she said. The girls had her dark hair and brown eyes. “Except for their noses.” As if on cue, Elizabeth wriggled her snub nose in sleep. “That’s the Norman nose.”
Zach nodded and offered a genuine smile. “So sweet.”
“Sweet in slumber, yes.” She couldn’t help but chuckle. “And when awake, they’re an Oklahoma twister doubled.”
“Like me and Steve when I stayed with my dad in the summer.” Another almost smile touched his lips as he stood slowly, favoring his left leg.
“When did you arrive?” she asked when he faced her again.
“Just got in this morning. Travis invited me for the wedding.”
“The wedding was two weeks ago.” Emma’s glance went to where her older brother stood with his arm looped around his bride and assistant foreman, AJ Rowe Maxwell.
He shrugged. “I got hung up in red tape.”
“Red tape?”
“That’s right. Though, I suppose some might say that I’m trying to live up to my reputation as an absentee relative,” he murmured.
Emma would not respond to the dig. It was a reminder of their harsh exchange of words via email regarding his lack of involvement in his nieces’ lives.
“So you’re here to visit?” she asked instead.
“You sure ask a lot of questions.”
“Can you blame me? I’ve been trying to get you to the ranch for three years.”
He shrugged and offered an annoyed sigh. “I made it.”
“When are you due back?”
“I thought you were glad to see me.” His eyes narrowed a fraction. “Now it sounds like you’re trying to get rid of Uncle Zach.”
“That wasn’t what I meant.” Emma’s skin warmed under his scrutiny. Zach always managed to knock her off-kilter. She collected her thoughts. “I’m shocked, that’s all. In truth, you were the last person I expected to see in that corral.”
“Glad I could keep you on your toes.” He offered a thoughtful nod with no hint of a smile to be found. “And for the record,” he said, “the United States Navy and I have officially parted ways.”
Confused and stunned at his admission, Emma stood staring for a few seconds. “Your knee. Is that why you quit?”
“Separation, not quitting. It was time” was his flat response.
Time for what?
Aloud she simply said, “Okay.” Though, in truth, it wasn’t okay at all.
While Zach’s face remained expressionless, Emma’s gut said that something wasn’t right, and it involved his obvious injury. After all, this was the guy who ate, drank and slept navy for twelve years.
“What are you going to do next?”
“I’m tossing around a few options,” he returned.
Her eyes widened as she latched on to his response. “You have RangePro. That’s an option.”
In an instant, he tensed. Then he glanced around. “Really, Emma? You want to do this here? Now?”
“We’re only talking.”
He rubbed the dark shadow of a beard on his jaw. “Talking, huh? Feels more like an interrogation.”
“Don’t exaggerate.” She began to turn away, taking the stroller with her, when Zach’s hand caught her arm.
“Emma, RangePro is Steve’s company. Not mine.”
She eased from his touch. “Legally, you’re a partner. Fifty-fifty.”
Zach met her gaze. “I haven’t cashed a single check you’ve sent me. What part of ‘buy me out’ don’t you get?”
“Did you look at any of the paperwork I mailed you?”
“I’ve been all over the globe the last few years. I don’t have the time or desire to shuffle through paperwork about a company I don’t want anything to do with.”
She took a deep breath. “The terms of the will state we own together or we sell together.”
“Great. We sell. I’m sure the money will come in handy for you and your girls.”
“It’s not about the money. I am not selling what Steve worked so hard to build.”
“RangePro was Steve’s dream, and Steve is gone,” he returned, his voice sober.
Emma bit her lip as she glanced down at her daughters, but she said nothing.
“Come on, Em. I’m not interested in RangePro and you’ve got to be way too busy with the ranch and the twins to run a livestock software company.”
“If you’d give me a chance to show you—”
“Emma, it’s a desk job. No way am I riding the range behind a laptop.”
“That’s not necessarily true.”
“Not interested.” Zach raised both hands. “And not staying long enough to care.”
His eyes became steely and the set of his chin obstinate. The discussion was over. For now.
Frustrated, Emma turned away.
Three years after his brother’s death and Zach was back. Though the thought of him being around permanently unsettled her, Emma would do whatever it took to save the legacy of her children’s father. She knew what it was like to have your parents’ memory swept away as though they never existed. No, she refused to be the one to auction off Steve’s life work to the highest bidder, as though it meant nothing.
* * *
Zach tugged his leather gloves into place and adjusted the reins on the chestnut gelding. He had completely underestimated Emma. And her effect on him.
She was as beautiful as ever with dark tumbling hair that framed an oval face. If