More than anything, Cole Sullivan wanted some dinner. It had been a long day of juggling his two jobs—running the Sullivan Cattle Co., his family’s longhorn ranch, and investigating the disappearance of Jason Phillips, which had recently become a murder case. There were not enough hours in the day to be good at one thing, so Cole felt as though he was half-assing everything, and that was not the way he liked to operate.
But before food, he needed a shower. Hours out on a horse had his back in knots, and just as much time on the phone and the computer doing investigative work had his shoulders feeling even worse. He left behind his filthy ranch clothes and walked across the cool Carrara marble floor in his luxurious master bath. This was one of his favorite places to unwind and enjoy the finer things in life. With a turn of the gleaming chrome handle, a dozen showerheads sprang to life in the generous glass enclosure. He ducked into the hot spray, adjusting a few nozzles to hit his back and shoulders in just the right spots. Drawing in a deep breath, he willed his muscles to do the unthinkable and relax. The stress he was under was not good for him. His doctors would be deeply disappointed to learn how much strain he was putting his body through every day. He was practically tempting death. But it didn’t matter. Worry about his physical state wasn’t going to keep the multimillion dollar family business running, and it wouldn’t avenge the death of an innocent man who’d left behind a seven-year-old daughter.
“Cole? You in there?” Cole’s younger brother, Sam, was yelling out in the hall. This was one of the downsides of having his two brothers living on the family ranch. Separate houses for both Sam and Kane, and even at opposite corners of the sprawling property, but still, very little privacy.
Cole shut off the water and grabbed a thick white towel from the heated chrome bar, another luxury he appreciated greatly on days like today. “Yeah. I’m in here. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just meant to talk to you about something today, but we haven’t had a spare minute.”
And this was my spare minute. “Let me throw some clothes on. Grab a beer or something and I’ll join you in a few.”
“Got it.”
Cole ruffled his hair with the towel, then wrapped it around his waist. Padding into his walk-in closet, he grabbed clean jeans and a plaid shirt, and joined his brother. Sam was out in the kitchen, sitting on one of the eight hand-tooled leather stools at the bar overlooking the center island topped with black Ashford marble. Much like the bathroom, no expense had been spared in the kitchen, with state-of-the-art stainless appliances and—something Cole considered a necessity for his coffee habit—a commercial grade espresso machine.
“What’s up?” Cole headed straight for the subzero refrigerator and pulled out the steak he’d been looking forward to all day. He set it on the counter to let it come to room temperature.
“Dani’s back in town.”
Cole froze for a moment, letting those words sink in. He turned around. “What did you say?”
“Danica? Your ex-girlfriend? She’s back in town. I thought you’d want to know.” Sam threaded his fingers through his thick brown hair, a shade or two darker than Cole’s. His blue eyes were plaintive, as if he expected Cole to accept the truth, regardless of the implications. Five years younger, Sam had a way of just coming out with things. There wasn’t much diplomacy.
“Of course I know who you mean.” Cole strode over to his brother and folded his arms across his chest. “Back or just visiting?” He hadn’t seen Dani in nearly six years. That time had helped dull some of the sting of their breakup, but he lived with the reason for it every day. It was sitting inside his brain, just waiting to kill him.
Sam took a quick swig of his beer. It was the last bottle of Cole’s favorite IPA. He never should’ve been so generous as to offer his brother a drink. “From what I heard, she’s back. She’s working as head chef at the Glass House over at the Bellamy.”
“Not surprising.” By all accounts, Dani had been wildly successful in New York. So much so that Cole was shocked she’d ever return. What job could be so enticing as to make her step off a big stage onto the decidedly smaller one in Royal?
“I just thought you would want to know. In case you want to look her up. Or something.” Sam shrugged. “I don’t know if she’s still single, but you are. And I know one thing for sure—you were a hell of a lot more fun when you were with Dani.”
“Hey. That’s not fair.”
“It’s the truth.”
Cole didn’t bother disguising his grumble. “I know better than to go barking up that particular tree. Dani would rather choke me than talk to me.”
“Can you blame her? You broke her heart, Cole.”
“I had my reasons. You know that better than anyone.”
“And six years later, you’re still alive while the woman you used to be madly in love with has just moved back to town. Maybe I’m nudging you in the right direction.”
Cole shook his head. “I don’t need nudging, but thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“That’s it?” Sam got up from his bar stool and knocked back the rest of his beer, tossing the bottle in the recycling bin.
“The Dani chapter of my life is closed. She moved on and so have I.” That wasn’t entirely true. He still thought about her, more than he would ever admit out loud. Sometimes he even had dreams about their immediate and sizzling connection. Visions of Dani beckoning him to bed, her silky dark hair cascading over his crisp white sheets, still haunted him. Memories of making love with her were unforgettable—her luscious curves fit too perfectly in his hands to ever erase them from his mind. But she wasn’t meant for him, and there was nothing he could do about that.
“You moved on to more work than is reasonable for one person to do.”
“I gotta stay busy, Sam. It’s the only way I know.” Cole didn’t need the money he earned from having two careers. Not by a long shot. But he did need to stay occupied. It was the only thing that kept him sane.
“You don’t think Dani will come looking for you?”
“Are you kidding me? The woman packed up every one of her worldly belongings and moved halfway across the country three days after I broke it off. That’s how far she’s willing to go to get away from me.” Cole’s stomach rumbled. He stalked to the far side of the kitchen and pulled out a cast-iron pan for his steak. “My guess is that Dani will avoid me like the plague while she’s here.”
“You think you know her that well?”
“I do.”
“And you don’t want to reach out to her and tell her what happened?”
“No. I don’t.”
Sam shot Cole that look of pity that he absolutely hated. If he didn’t love his brother so much, he might be tempted to knock that look right off his face. “You are a sad case, Cole Sullivan.”
“That’s life. The sooner you get used to it, the better.”
* * *
Whether she liked it or not—and she didn’t like it at all—Danica Moore could not live in Royal, Texas, and avoid Cole Sullivan forever. She was going to run into him and his handsome face at some point, and it would be ridiculously hard not to slap him. Just imagining the sting of her palm when it struck his chiseled jaw brought a bit of satisfaction, but not enough to undo the pain Cole had caused her. A lifetime of face slaps could not erase that.
Running into Cole’s parents or one of his two brothers, Sam and Kane, was just as likely. The superwealthy Sullivans were as ubiquitous in this town as the sun was fierce in July. Dani was eager to avoid any surprise run-ins—too much dredging up of painful memories. His elitist parents’ persistent disapproval of her. The accident. Nursing Cole back to health. And a rejection that not only knocked her back on her heels, it left her gasping for what had felt like her last breath.
But she was back in Texas, a state that was in her blood, and there was nothing anyone was entitled to say about that. She wanted her twin sons to know the open sky and fresh air she’d lived off as a child. She wanted them to know the only living family she loved, her aunt Dot and her longtime best friend, Megan Phillips. When Megan told her that the executive chef job at the Glass House at Maverick County’s crown jewel, the Bellamy, was available, Dani took her chance to return to Royal. She could keep her career as top-notch chef on track and give her boys a connection to a place she loved deeply. Couldn’t do both of those things in New York. Hence, hello, Texas. Again.
But for as many problems as Royal solved, it left her with one—Cole. He was the ultimate loose end. She was already living on borrowed time. She’d been back in Royal for a few weeks. She’d have to see him eventually, so she decided she would see him on her terms. Tonight. His place. He would get no warning. He didn’t deserve it.
Dani turned in the mirror, sucking in a breath so deep it was as if she believed the air was made of confidence. Her long black hair was perfect—glossy and full. Touchable. Her makeup was on point, as well. The dress was the cherry on top. Cherry red, to be exact, cut to show off her assets and hugging every curve she’d been blessed with.
She’d worked hard to get back her prepregnancy body, and she intended to let Cole get an eyeful before she informed him that she’d returned to Royal for good and he was cordially invited to leave her the hell alone. Break a woman’s heart and you get the cold shoulder. Or in Cole’s case, trample a woman’s heart, destroy her illusions about love and leave her knocked up with twins, and you got a four-alarm fire set on showing you what’s what.
Dani ducked her head into the bedroom her five-year-old twin boys, Cameron and Colin, shared. She adored this room, with its powder blue walls, the bunk beds the boys had always wanted, and plenty of floor space to play with cars and trains. It was everything they couldn’t have in a New York apartment. “Everybody ready for bed?”
Elena, Dani’s faithful nanny, looked up from the book she was reading to the boys. “You look amazing,” Elena said. “You’re going to knock Cole Sullivan dead.”
Dani raised a finger to her lips and shook her head so quickly she nearly rattled her own brain. She wasn’t ready for Cameron and Colin to know Cole’s name. Not yet. They were still so little, so innocent. It wasn’t their fault their daddy couldn’t be counted on.
“Oh, right. Sorry.” Elena’s facial expression said more than her words—she understood how important it was to keep the boys a secret from Cole and vice versa. “Boys, hold on one minute. I need to talk to Mommy.” Elena got up from the floor and tiptoed over to Dani. “You sure you’re not going to tell him?” She didn’t need to add the part about the boys. Dani knew exactly what Elena was asking.
“No way. Not today.” Dani wouldn’t tell Cole anything unless she was completely certain that he wouldn’t reject the boys the way he’d rejected her.
“What are you going to say to him when you run into him later and he sees the boys?”
Dani patted Elena on the shoulder. “That’s the least of my worries. Cole is so self-absorbed, I doubt he’ll bat an eye.”
Elena smiled, even though she appeared unconvinced. “I’m sure you know what you’re doing.” She returned to her spot on the floor to resume story time.
“You boys be good for Elena, okay?” Dani reminded them.
“Where are you going, Mommy?” Cameron asked, ever the chatty and curious one. He looked most like Dani, with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. Colin, her quiet observer, more closely resembled Cole. Lighter hair. Soulful blue eyes.
“I have an old friend I need to go see.”
“Why can’t we go with you?”
“Because this is going to be boring grown-up talk and I know you’ll have much more fun with Elena. Plus, it’s nearly your bedtime. Growing boys need their sleep.” She knelt down onto the carpet and collected her hugs and kisses. “I love you both very much. See you in the morning.”
“Good luck,” Elena mouthed.
Dani marched down the hall, snapped up her car keys and slipped through the kitchen to her three-car garage. She’d had nearly six years to stress and worry about the first time she would see Cole again. If she stopped to think about it for too long, she’d put it off, and she didn’t want to do that. She knew the exact message she wanted to send tonight, which meant leaving the minivan parked right where it was and choosing to climb into her latest purchase, a treat for herself, a silver Porsche convertible.
Dani had always loved cars. She got it from her dad, who had been a police officer. Ten years gone and Dani still missed him like crazy, but zipping around in this little sports car made her feel closer to his memory. He’d taught her to drive stick. He’d taught her to be a great driver. All those years in New York had meant too many taxis and subway rides. Dani liked to think that her new car was a perfect metaphor for her new life. She was in control now. Completely.
She pulled out of the circular flagstone driveway, the engine purring. The Texas ash and bur oak trees dotting the perimeter of her two-acre property were lit up by the landscape lighting below. The night air was warm, but she could tell that fall was on the way. The days were getting shorter and the mornings a tiny bit cooler. As she drove away from her house, Dani still couldn’t believe it was hers—six bedrooms and a nanny suite, tall leaded-glass windows and yellow jessamine vines climbing the trellises next to the arched front door. There was a big pool for the boys out back, and she was having a play structure put in next week. It was perfect, and she’d earned it all on her own.
As she pulled past the guard gate at the entrance to her neighborhood, she couldn’t quite believe that, either. Pine Valley was an ultra-upscale gated golf community, the exact opposite of the neighborhood she’d grown up in. Having had a dad in law enforcement and a mother who struggled to keep a job, Dani grew up modestly. They weren’t poor, but they weren’t well-off by any stretch. Dani still naturally gravitated toward the clearance section in a department store if that was any indication. Even now, when she had money.
The drive out to Cole’s ranch gave Dani the perfect opportunity to rehearse her speech, but every time she started it, she tripped over her words. The trouble was imagining what it was going to be like to finally face him. If he cracked his heartbreaker smile, or looked too closely at her with his piercing blue eyes, she could easily be a goner. If he touched her with his strong hands, she’d melt into a puddle. The love and passion she shared with Cole had once run so deep. Ignoring that would not be easy. Which meant she needed to give him the news in as direct a fashion as possible. “Cole, I’m here to tell you I’m back. And I don’t care if you don’t like it. If you leave me alone, I’ll promise to do the same for you.” That could work. Now she hoped that she could deliver it as smoothly as that.
Dani flipped on her blinker and turned on to the road out to the Sullivan family ranch. Just being on the outer edges of their massive property, miles and miles of some of the most gorgeous ranch land in this part of Texas, made her nervous. It was a big reminder of the deepest divide between her and Cole before he’d dumped her—his family was royalty here, with enough money to never think about it twice.
She came from next to nothing, and Cole’s parents quite frankly had never seen the appeal of Dani. His mother had even once told her that she didn’t think she was good enough for her son. Dani had kept that tidbit to herself, deciding at the time that love would conquer all and she would eventually win them over. That day never came. Cole broke up with her a mere six months later, and the memory of that interlude with his mom became fuel for Dani’s quick exodus from Royal. She knew when she wasn’t wanted and always acted accordingly.
Dani passed the opulent main gates to the Sullivan Cattle Co. property and instead drove around to the smaller access point used by the ranch hands and delivery people. She would’ve preferred to make a grander entrance, but she remembered the code for the side gate, not for the others. That was how far she’d been pulled into Cole’s life, and just how far she’d been flung out. Still, her heart was pounding when she pulled up to the keypad and pressed the square silver buttons. Knowing her luck, Cole had changed the code.
Wouldn’t you know, the iron gate creaked and rolled across the driveway. Dani decided to take this as a final sign. Today was the day she was meant to do this. The sun was still setting as she approached the house, leaving behind gorgeous wisps of red and orange set against that vast black Texas sky. Dani had always loved this house, even if it was a bit over-the-top. There were nearly a dozen peaks in the roofline, too many windows to count, and a wide porch suitable for your fifty closest friends to pull up a rocking chair and sit a spell. It wasn’t even the best view on the property, either. The vista out behind the house was even better—with a sprawling flagstone patio and pool and the perfect sight lines to enjoy the gorgeous pastoral scene.
Dani pulled up in front of the main house and parked. She checked her hair and lipstick, then flipped up the visor. She’d better get going before she chickened out. She marched straight up the porch steps and on to the front door. As nervous as she’d been to punch in the code at the gate, ringing the doorbell felt one hundred times more harrowing. The chime was so loud, she could hear it clearly right through the door. She turned away and stepped to the edge of the porch, surveying the crushed-stone drive that carved its way through the grass for a mile down to the main road. Up here on this hill, tucked away from the rest of the world, she couldn’t deny she was happy to be back in Royal. Even with everything waiting for her on the other side of that front door.
She turned back and took another try at getting someone to answer, this time jabbing the doorbell twice. She stood up on her tiptoes and looked through the glass at the top of the heavy wood door. In that instant, her eyes met Cole’s as he strode through the front hall.
Shoot.
She dropped down to her heels. Her heart was hammering like she’d just run to the house instead of driving. She pressed her hand to her heaving chest and backed up to the middle of the porch to give herself some space. Short and sweet. Keep it simple and get the heck out of Dodge.
She forced a smile as he opened the door but quickly realized just how pointless her preparations in the car had been. She was in no way ready to be in the company of tempting and towering Cole Sullivan. Not his muscular shoulders or broad chest. Not his haywire brown hair, so thick it had no choice but to stand nearly straight. And good God, it was damp. Had he just taken a shower? She was not ready for those ice-blue eyes or his tanned skin or the way his lips were slack and questioning right now. She was not yet ready to handle the way he was blinking at her, in utter shock. How could anyone make confusion so sexy?
“Well, well. If it isn’t Dani Moore. I heard you were back in town.” His voice was all swagger and ego, and that just made her mad. Of course he already knew she was back. How could she have been so stupid to have thought any less of him? Cole stepped over the threshold, leaving him a single stride away.
Instinctively, she took another step back. She could feel exactly how drawn she was to him. Her body wanted nothing more than to press against the hard planes of his body and kiss him. Her brain was well aware of how foolish that idea was, and it was prepared to do anything to protect her. “Yes. I’m back.”
“Six years and you just show up on my front porch?” He shook his head and laughed mockingly.
Dani failed to see what was so damn funny. “Hell, yes, six years and I just show up on your front porch. I was afraid that if I called, you’d lock up the whole ranch so tight no one would ever get in.” She sucked in a deep breath to quiet her thumping heart. She could do this. Even if seeing him had her ready to abandon common sense and fling herself into his arms. No wonder she’d been so hung up on him for years. Seeing Cole Sullivan was like coming home.
“So this is a permanent change?” His thick eyebrows drew together, making it hard to answer in a timely fashion.
“I’m the new executive chef at the Glass House.”
“That’s a pretty fancy gig.” Cole leaned against the door frame, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “Of course it’d have to be to pry you away from the glamour of New York.”
She pursed her lips. How dare he take that tone? “It wasn’t about the glamour. Going to New York was about putting myself on the map in the culinary world. And it was about getting as far away from you as possible.”
He smiled wide, and damn if it didn’t make the desire to kiss him that much stronger. “Gotta love that trademark honesty of yours. It’s refreshing.”
“I’m not here to entertain you. I don’t want things to be awkward or uncomfortable if we run into each other, and you know how this town is. We’ll definitely cross paths. I just don’t want any trouble.”
“If you don’t want things to be awkward, come and have a drink.” He gave a nod inside.
“This isn’t social hour, Cole. This was supposed to be a quick visit.”
He cocked an arrogant eyebrow at her. “If it’s not social, why are you wearing a dress designed for stopping traffic?” He looked her up and down, his determined gaze making it feel as though she was wearing nothing at all. “Not that I’m complaining. I’ve always loved this particular view, and I have to say, it’s improved with time.”
Heat bloomed in her chest and ran the length of her body. Damn the more girlish parts of her. Why did they have to be so thrilled by the revelation that he thought she looked good? Oh, right, because that had been part of her plan. She’d wanted to mow him over with her assets. Well, good. She’d accomplished that much. “This old thing? I’m still unpacking, and it was the first thing hanging in my closet.”
The skepticism was all over his face. “Uh-huh. Well, it seems a shame to put that old thing to waste. Come in and have a glass of scotch”
“No, thank you.”
“I have a bottle of twelve-year Johnnie Walker Black from the ’70s. My dad had it in his cellar. I know you love your scotch.”
Shoot. She did love scotch, and being around Cole had her needing to soothe her ragged nerves. Plus that bottle of water she drank in the car on the way over? It had been a bad idea. She needed to use the ladies’ room, pronto. Even so, it didn’t matter. This was Cole Sullivan. He hadn’t just trampled her heart, he’d driven over it with his big old pickup. She would never forgive him for that.
Anger rose in her like floodwaters. “I told you, no. Don’t think that you can just sweet-talk me and I’ll be nice to you.” She whipped around so fast her skirt twirled. That hadn’t been her aim, but it did make for good drama. “See ya around, Cole.” She waved, not looking at him, thundering down the stairs.
“Dani. Come back. Stop being ridiculous.”
She stopped dead in her tracks. “Ridiculous? What exactly about this is ridiculous? You treated me like crap, Cole. I nursed you back to health after your accident and how did you reward my undying devotion? You broke up with me.” With every word out of her mouth, she was only getting more and more infuriated. She planted a finger dead in the center of his chest. “You are a jerk. And I don’t have drinks with jerks. End of story.”
She reached for her car door handle, but the next thing she knew, Cole had his hand on her arm. His touch was tentative, but it was enough to make her shudder. Her heart fluttered. White hot desire coursed through her veins. He sent a tidal wave of recognition through her, something for which she’d been wholly unprepared.