Rachel woke up early. She rubbed her eyes and looked around at the unfamiliar dark wood and masculine hunting lodge style furnishings, unable for a moment to remember where she was. When her night finally drifted back to her, she smiled and chuckled a little under her breath. She came looking for her family. And boy did she get one. More family than she knew what to do with. Of course none of them would hear of her driving her and Dakota back into Bozeman in the dark. And certainly not to the rat trap motel she and Dakota were staying at. Rachel had another whole week off before she needed to be back at the bakery to start up the spring wedding season orders. And it looked like she and Dakota were going to be spending it here at the ranch.
Thinking back on the quiet and subdued household she grew up in, this family seemed loud and chaotic by comparison. Rachel was an only child and neither of her parents had any siblings. Dinners at her house were uneventful. Nothing like the one she attended the night before. But she really didn't mind. Even if they were the most wretched people she'd ever met, she probably still would have stayed just for a chance to get to know her brother better. But staying in a beautiful house full of interesting people would make that process more enjoyable for her. And Rachel found she was looking forward to spending more time with her new sister-in-law.
Rachel gently shook her daughter awake, telling Dakota that she was driving back to the motel to get their things and check out. The girl was half asleep so Rachel wasn't sure if she would remember talking to her. She pulled out her phone and sent the girl a text just in case.
The house was slowly starting to awaken. Rachel stopped in the kitchen and had a quiet early morning cup of coffee with Rip and Gator. Rip offered to drive her back into town later to get her things but Rachel waved him off. She could tell he had work to do and she didn't want to disrupt his routine or his life any more than she already had. She tipped her mug, drinking down the last few swallows of coffee before she headed out to her car.
Only other mothers could really understand that being in the car alone was always like being on a mini vacation. Rachel turned her music up, singing along with it as she sucked down a cigarette and tossed the butt out her window. There wasn't much traffic. And she reached the motel in slightly less time than it took Rip to drive her the day before. It wasn't until she went to slide her little plastic key card through the door lock that she noticed something was wrong. The motel room door pushed open. And for a moment she thought she must have just got distracted and left it that way when she picked up Dakota the day before. But when Rachel peeked inside the small dingy room, she gasped. Her clothes and things were scattered all over. One of the beds was flipped over, the mattress leaning haphazardly against the wall. And the place reeked of cigarette smoke more strongly than when she checked in.
Rachel stepped out of the room, reaching into her purse for her car keys and the little pink canister of pepper spray that was dangling from the key ring. Getting a firm grip on it, she flipped up the safety latch and rested her finger on the button. Then she stepped back into the motel room. She poked around first, checking behind the mattress and in the bathroom to make sure that whoever made the mess was gone. Once she knew she was alone in the room, she shut and latched the door securely from the inside using the chain. Then she grabbed her empty bag and began packing up her clothes. Dakota's bag was still sitting on her bed untouched. There were a few things spilling out of it, but Rachel knew her daughter left it that way. And it sent a shiver up her spine when she realized that only her things had been trashed and thrown around, while Dakota's weren't even touched.
At first, Rachel assumed that one of the other less savory patrons of the hotel was responsible for the destruction. But when she found a pair of her lace underpants ripped to shreds, she began to worry that the attack was more personal. And she shuddered to think what might have happened if the Duttons hadn't insisted she stay the night after dinner. She didn't want to think about how much worse it would have been if she and Dakota were here when the person broke in. Rachel hurried to pack up the rest of her things, wishing she had taken her brother up on his offer to drive out here with her. The small bottle of expensive perfume she had in her makeup bag had been smashed against the bathroom wall, along with a few of her other more personal hygiene products.
Rachel stuffed everything that was still intact into her small toiletry bag and exited the bathroom. She jammed it into her duffle, checking around the place to make sure she wasn't leaving any of her things behind. That's when she noticed the coffee cup next to the television. There was a bit of liquid left in the bottom. But it was hard to see with all the cigarette butts jammed into the small cup. Rachel pulled one of the butts out, checking the brand marking on the filter even though she already knew what type of cigarette it was. Her hand was trembling as she shoved the cigarette butt back where she found it. Rachel felt her body flood with fear. There was only one person she knew that chain-smoked Soje hemp cigarettes. Her ex-husband. Daniel! That asshole! How did he even know we were here? Rachel knew she was closer to the reservation than she liked to get. But how her ex managed to track her down at this hotel was still a mystery to her. And not something she wanted to waste time considering. At the moment, her only concern was getting the hell out of the place before that crazy asshole showed back up.
Rachel peeked out the dirty glass of the motel room window before she stepped outside. Carrying both her and Dakota's bags at once, she hurried awkwardly to her car, shoving them into the backseat before climbing behind the wheel. She locked the car door and let out a long breath that she didn't realize she was holding in. Slamming the car in reverse, Rachel backed out of the parking space and steered herself over towards the small office where the motel staff worked. She checked out of the place as quickly as she could, more grateful than before that Rip's family had invited her and Dakota to stay with them. Daniel might be crazy. But he wasn't crazy enough to start trouble at a ranch owned by the governor of Montana. If he got arrested doing some nonsense like that, even his sister wouldn't be able to make it disappear.
Rachel didn't really allow herself to breathe a sigh of relief until she was about halfway back to the ranch. And her ability to relax only lasted a minute. Just as she was grabbing for her crumpled cigarette pack, her car began to make a strange knocking sound. Rachel pulled over to the side of the road. She stepped out, using her hands to keep the dress Beth loaned her from flying up. She was slightly taller than the other woman, making the dress fall a little shorter on her than she would like.
Rachel's eyes widened as she immediately spotted what the problem was. There was an ornate handled pocket knife sticking out of her back passenger side tire. Rachel darted back into her car, grabbing her keys and glancing around. There was nothing but fields and cows around her. She knew Daniel stuck the knife in her tire. But leaving it embedded there must have caused the air to leak out more slowly than he planned. There was no way he planned for her to make it this far out of town. But she was still afraid that he might be following her. Rachel popped her trunk, Her heart was beating hard in her chest as she shuffled around some of the junk inside it so she could flip the lining back and pull out her spare. Rachel squeezed at the small tire, cursing a few times under her breath. Being that it was even flatter than the slashed tire on her car, the stupid donut tire wasn't going to do her any good. She shoved it forcefully back into the trunk, going for her phone instead. Rachel didn't have everyone's numbers in it yet. But she could call Dakota. And Dakota could send someone out to help her. Rachel was sure that there would be at least one spare cowboy around that ranch that could pump up a tire for her.
"Of-fuckin'-course," she cursed. "No service. Great."
Jamie knew he could get away with driving at least sixty five out on these country roads without danger of being ticketed. But as he was in absolutely no hurry to get out to his family's ranch, he was cruising along at about fifty, using the time to once again think over the conversation he meant to have with his father. Or with John Dutton. He wasn't even sure anymore who he was to the man, other than a disappointment. Which, being that he'd never done anything but exactly what John told him to do, he was finding the man's callous behavior and abject disapproval to be a hard pill to swallow.
Jamie slowed down when he saw a car on the side of the road up ahead. He was looking at first to see if the stranded motorist was someone he knew. Unless they were associated with the ranch, there was really no reason for anyone to be out here. But that didn't stop looky-loos and idiot tourists from finding their way where they didn't belong. Jamie slowed his car to a crawl, but he didn't apply the brakes until the wind picked up, lifting the hem of the red dress the woman was wearing and giving him a peek at the lacy black panties underneath it. Applying hard pressure on the brakes, he forced his suv to a stop and quickly switched it into reverse, backing up and parking behind the woman and her rusty little Ford.
After hurling her phone down onto the passenger seat of her car, Rachel began pawing through the filthy mess in her trunk, hoping to find something that might be of use to her. She didn't even hear the other vehicle approaching until the driver hit the brakes and pulled up along the side of the road behind her car. The car was a black dodge durango suv. Not the car Daniel was driving the last time she saw him. But she still felt her stomach tighten in fear when the driver's side door swung open.
Rachel wasn't sure what to say about the man that stepped from the vehicle. All that was coming to mind was ohmygod holy crap and that is definitely not Daniel. She fought the urge to lift her hands and literally fan her face. Because he was really that hot. Instead she adjusted her grip on the pepper spray in her hand and watched as the tall dark haired man in the custom tailored suit approached her.
"Car trouble?," he asked. It wasn't until the corner of his mouth twitched up into a grin that Rachel realized she was staring at him with her mouth open like a catfish and not answering his question.
"Uh, yeah," she stammered. "I think I ran over a nail." Jamie cast a pointed glance at the very visible knife that was sticking out of her tire before he looked back at her. Rachel could tell he was trying not to laugh. And he was giving her a look like he was trying to decide if she was real crazy or just real dumb. Rachel sucked in a hard breath when he took a step towards her. But he was only moving closer to the car. Grasping the knife, Jamie pulled it from her tire and flipped it closed before he handed it over to her.
"That's one hell of a nail," he teased. Rachel sighed, turning the knife over in her hands before she tossed it into the trunk with the rest of her trash. She usually wasn't bothered by her own messiness. But knowing this man was getting a good look at the chaos inside her car embarrassed her a little. Why don't I ever clean my car? Dakota is always telling me to clean it. Looking in the trunk made Rachel remember the rest of her plight.
"...and my spare tire is flat," she told the man. "You don't have one of those tire pumper thingies do you?"
"An air compressor?," the man asked, flashing her another grin. Rachel nodded, trying not to think about how he was even more handsome when he smiled. "No. I don't have one. But I could give you a ride. Where are you headed?" Just answer his question, Rachel told herself. Don't think about how long it's been since you had sex. That's not the kind of ride he's talking about. And there's no way he's single anyway.
"The Dutton place," Rachel said. "I mean Yellowstone. That really big ranch that's a ways further down this road." At the mention of her destination, Rachel noticed the man's face turned dark and broody.
"What's your business with the Duttons?," he asked, regarding her with a suspicious glance.
"What business is it of yours?," Rachel countered. This guy might be hot. But that didn't mean he could just poke his nose into her business. And she didn't care for his tone either.
"I'm Jamie Dutton," he announced. "So I guess that makes it my business." Rachel's eyes widened. Her mouth dropped open.
"Ohmygosh," she gushed, "I'm so sorry!" Rachel stuck her hand out, beaming her prettiest smile at him. "I'm Rachel. I'm just visiting my brother. He works there."
Jamie took her hand, feeling the tension ease out of his body when Rachel said she was just visiting her brother, who he assumed must be one of the ranch hands. From the dilapidated car she was driving, Jamie felt it was unlikely that she was some sort of corporate spy. But after Tate's kidnapping and the attempts on his father's and Beth's lives, there was no such thing anymore as being too careful. He tried to ignore the way his skin tingled where it was touching hers as he reluctantly slid his hand away.
"Well hop in," Jamie said, "...I'm heading out there anyway."
Rachel smiled at him. And Jamie felt the pull down deep in the bottom of his stomach. He wasn't sure if it was her blue eyes or her long tan legs or the way her bottom lip was fuller than her top, but this girl was definitely doing a number on him. She wasn't brutally scary hot like that corporate lawyer he nailed in the bathroom of the country club. Sarah was all fake tan and surgically enhanced everything. The kind of woman he would look at in a magazine or on tv and know he never really had a shot with. This one reminded him more of the girls he had crushes on back in high school. More of a girl next door sexy. When she smiled at him, it felt like home. But that didn't stop Jamie from silently praying for another gust of wind when Rachel leaned down into her car to retrieve her purse.
Jamie took her bags, lifting them like they weighed next to nothing and tossing them into his backseat. He moved to get the passenger door for her, but Rachel already had it opened. But she couldn't get in. Because the seat was full of his paperwork and notebooks and who knows what else he's tossed over there. Probably a few Starbucks cups and some fast food wrappers. She giggled while Jamie hurried to clear the seat for her.
"It's okay," she assured him. "My car is way worse." Jamie smiled as he gathered his things and tossed them into the backseat. From what little he saw, she wasn't just trying to make him feel better. Her car really was messier than his. He waited for Rachel to climb into his freshly cleared passenger seat before snapping the door shut behind her. She smiled at him when he slid behind the wheel.
As he started the car, Rachel felt his gaze drift down to her exposed thighs. And she tugged on the hem of her dress self-consciously, trying to pull it down lower than it really went. She could feel the tension between them growing thick, like static electricity slowly building.
With Jamie's attention focused on steering his car back onto the road, Rachel was able to get a better look at him without feeling like she was awkwardly staring. His features were hard and distinctly masculine. And he had the gray hairs mixed in with the dark around his hairline that boys got when they stopped being boys and started being men. Something that she found more and more attractive the older she got herself. Rachel desperately wanted to know if he was going to be staying at the ranch while she was there but she wasn't sure how to word her question so that it wouldn't sound like she was making a pass at him. After rewording the question a few times in her mind, she finally decided to keep her mouth shut and watch the hills roll by outside her window instead of continuing to devour him with her eyes.
Jamie stole a few sideways glances at the woman next to him as he drove. Normally, he would have already talked himself out even trying to make a play for her. She was just visiting her brother. And probably had no interest in him other than a ride to her destination. But his little tryst with Sarah Atwood has his confidence at an all time high. He knew she was from Market Equities and had most likely had some sort of hidden agenda. But that didn't diminish the fact that she was hot and he nailed her not just once at the bar but again at his office.
While Jamie was quick witted and unmatched in the courtroom, that was a skill set that he was never able to apply to his love life. He glanced at Rachel, trying to think of some way to break the ice between them. Even small talk would be better than the awkward silence that was filling his vehicle. There was only a short ride back to the ranch. Which meant the pressure was on. Because if he didn't stake his claim before she exited his car at the ranch, the cowboys there would be on her before she even got her bag out of his backseat.
Jamie took a deep breath, deciding that maybe being direct was his best option. Rachel was twirling a stand of her long dark hair around her fingers, staring out the passenger window. He reached over, placing his hand on her leg just above her knee. Her skin was warm to the touch and softer than he expected. He could already feel his dick starting to strain against his zipper.
Rachel jumped at the unexpected contact. She whipped her head towards him, her hair falling forward over her shoulder. For a moment, she wasn't sure how to react to his uninvited touch. And for a moment, he thought she might be receptive to his clumsy advances. But then her lips tightened.
"You've got about a second to move that hand," she warned, looking down at his offending touch. Jamie flashed her his most handsome smile. And then instead of removing his hand, which he was sure was what she meant, he moved it further up her thigh instead, slipping his hand under the hem of her red dress. The worst he expected was for her to slap his hand away. He didn't see her fist flying at his face until it was too late. Rachel socked him right in the mouth, smashing his lip into his teeth and splitting it. He slammed on the brakes, trying to keep control over his car after the hit caused him to jerk hard on the steering wheel.
"You mighta been smart enough to take your ring off before you got out of your car," Rachel huffed. "But I saw the carseat in the back. I don't mess around with married men!"
"Fuck," Jamie cursed as he skirted the car to a stop. He flipped up the center console, grabbing out a handful of the fast food napkins he stuffed inside and holding them to his lip to stop the bleeding. "I'm not fuckin' married," he grumbled. "I got my campaign manager pregnant. We're not together." He turned towards Rachel to gauge her reaction to his honest declaration. She was scowling at him with her arms crossed. Which he assumed was not a good sign.
"Still doesn't give you the right to just grab me like that," she hissed. Jamie cringed when he noticed that she had her car keys out of her purse, gripping on a little pink canister of pepper spray that was attached to the key ring tightly in her fist. From how hard she socked him, Jamie guessed she wouldn't hesitate to hose him down if he made any further move to touch her.
"I'm sorry," he huffed. "Okay?" Flipping down the visor, he opened the mirror to assess the damage that had been done to his face. She knocked him a good one. But he'd had worse. She didn't hit half as hard as Beth. "Hell of a right hook," he teased, glancing at Rachel again and trying not to let his eyes linger on her ample cleavage. "Whose sister did you say you were?"
"Rip Wheeler's," Rachel said, loosening her grip slightly on her pepper spray.
"WHAT?," Jamie squawked. He composed himself quickly. But not quick enough. Rachel saw the sheer terror that flashed in his eyes when she mentioned her brother's name. "Rip doesn't have a sister!"
"So I've been told," Rachel quipped. "But here I am." Jamie weighed out the possibility that she was lying. He supposed it was possible that she was, though he saw no reason why anyone would make up a lie like that. He made his living off calling people's bluffs. And Rachel did not look like she was bluffing. Jamie quickly decided that true or not, he better err on the side of caution and take Rachel at her word.
"You won't tell your brother about this, will you?," he asked. Jamie was not interested in taking a ride to the train station anytime soon. A place he would certainly land if Rip found out he'd touched his sister without her consent.
Rachel's face lit up into a devilish grin. She threw her pepper spray back into her purse, pulling her phone out instead.
"I don't know," she said, "Maybe I better call Rip right now and have him come pick me up. I don't know if I wanna ride with someone that can't keep his hands to himself."
Rachel squealed as Jamie lunged across the seat, trying to snatch her phone from her hand. She jerked it out of his reach. He ended up flopped across the center console at an awkward angle, his top half hanging over and nearly on top of her. He smelled amazing, like soap and some sort of woodsy cologne. And in that moment, Rachel could have punched herself for telling him to get his hand off her leg a few moments before. Jamie snatched the phone from her hands and Rachel shoved him back into his own seat, discreetly coping a feel on his arm through the material of his expensive suit. Just because he was an asshole, didn't mean he wasn't attractive.
"Gimme my phone back," Rachel said, holding her empty hand out. She was trying to demand her device back, but it came out sounding more like a request. 'I don't even have RIp's number. There's missed messages from my daughter on the screen."
Jamie sighed and placed the phone into her outstretched hand. He cringed a little when she unlocked her screen. But true to her word, Rachel pulled down the notification bar and clicked on the message from her daughter. Loud obnoxious pop music began blaring from the speakers on her phone. Her eyes widened a little as she stared at the image on the screen. Then Rachel started to laugh. She laughed so hard that she couldn't even form words to explain what was so funny. She just shoved her phone back at Jamie and clamped her hand over her mouth to try and stop her uncontrollable giggles.
Jamie took the phone. The first thing he saw was a girl with blue hair doing some silly synchronized tik tok dance. Since she resembled Rachel, he assumed the girl was her daughter. But he saw nothing on the screen that would cause such wild laughter. Not until he noticed someone a little more familiar in the background, doing the same silly dance the blue haired girl was doing.
"Ohmygod," Jamie said, barking out a laugh himself. "Is that my dad?"
