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Synopsis
New York Times bestselling author Kate Pearce is back with a delightful new romance about a gutsy cowboy who learns that he’ll gamble it all for the woman he loves . . .
Cowboy Max Romero is a married man—even if he hasn’t seen his bride since their impulsive Reno wedding. When the seriously sexy Brit Phoebe Creighton-Smith suddenly shows up in his life again, the last thing he expects is a request to play man-and-wife in front of her family. But it sounds like a challenge to the mischievous Max, who offers Phoebe one in return—give up proper English etiquette for riding the range like a real rancher’s woman.
Phoebe is willing to rope a stallion, if it means she can convince her grandmother to release the trust fund she’s entitled to after marriage. She’ll just have to pretend that her deliciously brawny “husband” isn’t tempting her to total abandon every minute of every day—and night. But just when the heat between them crackles into a blaze, Phoebe’s snobby clan forces Max to make a choice, he knows he’ll risk everything to convince her that with them, true love is a sure thing . . .
Release date: May 21, 2024
Publisher: Zebra Books
Print pages: 352
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Three Cowboys and a Bride
Kate Pearce
Max took a deep breath and went into the kitchen where Luke, his mom, Noah, and Jen were gathered around the table like a hostile jury. They all looked up at him and he had a weird flashback to the probationary courts he’d attended when he was a rebellious teen. He cleared his throat.
“I guess you all want to know where I’ve been.”
“That would be nice,” Luke, who ran the ranch, and who had been Max’s team leader in the Marines instinctively took charge. “You’ve been AWOL for a while.”
Luckily for Max, Luke had just made things work with Bernie, his longtime best friend, and soon-to-be Mrs. Nilsen if Max had anything to do with it. As Max had helped solve their problems by practically locking them in a room together, he was hoping his boss would give him a favorable hearing.
“When I first left, I wasn’t sure what the hell I was doing. I just bummed around a few towns, picked up a couple of shifts on ranches, you know how it goes,” Max shrugged. “Then I got a message that someone was looking for me in Reno and I went there.”
“Why did you leave in the first place?” Noah asked. He was always the most direct of the three of them.
“I needed to get away.”
“It left us short-handed just when we didn’t need it.”
“I know.” Max looked down at the table. “I didn’t think about that.”
Noah snorted. “Typical.”
“I owe you all an apology,” Max continued. “I just lost it.”
Now they were all staring at him like he’d gone nuts.
“You—panicked?” Luke asked. “Like, when have you ever done that? You’re the coolest Marine I ever served with.” He added. “Not like cool, cool, but under pressure cool, obviously.”
“We knew that already,” Noah murmured. His girlfriend Jen took his hand and squeezed it. “He took risks that only fools would follow through on.”
“And saved your ass on at least two occasions,” Max reminded Noah.
“Yeah, I know.” Noah held his gaze. “I appreciate that.”
Luke cleared his throat. “Can we get back on track here? Why did you have to go to Reno?”
“Because I got a message from . . . someone, that I needed to get there pronto.”
“You could’ve told us how you were feeling before you left,” Luke said. “You must have known we’d worry about you.”
Max surveyed the faces in front of him and was surprised when they all nodded. He’d never thought he was accountable to anyone except his team and the Marines. Even three years out of the service, the whole civilian thing didn’t sit well with him, and he didn’t know what to do with people caring about what he did or didn’t do.
“To be honest, I didn’t think about anything but getting to Reno to assess the problem.”
“What problem?” Noah asked.
“The one I’m trying to work out how to explain to you if you’d just stop interrupting me,” Max said.
“Like you aren’t procrastinating like hell and damn,” Noah said. “I—”
“Max?” Jen was staring over his shoulder at the door leading into the rest of the house. “Who is that?”
Max rose to his feet, turned to the door, and held out his hand. “Hey, why don’t you come and join us? Everyone say hi to Phoebe. We’re married.”
Luke was the first to recover. “That’s what you were doing in Reno?”
“We . . . agreed to meet there,” Max said carefully.
“We met four years ago.” Phoebe raised her chin. “It’s taken me this long to track him down.” She smiled. “Hello, I’m Phoebe Creighton-Smith. It’s lovely to meet you all.”
Max pulled out a chair and Phoebe sat down, her knees shaking. She’d thought finding Max would be the worst of her problems but dealing with the aftermath felt like wandering into a minefield.
The man sitting opposite her with the kind eyes and fair hair looked like he was in charge. He offered her his hand.
“Hi, I’m Luke. I served with Max in the Marines.”
Phoebe shook his hand. “Thank you for inviting me to your beautiful home.”
Luke’s eyebrows rose and he instinctively looked at Max before answering, which confirmed Phoebe’s suspicions that Max hadn’t prepared anyone for her arrival.
“You’re welcome. And belated congratulations on your nuptials,” Luke added. “This is my mom, Sally, who owns the ranch.”
“A pleasure.” Sally beamed at her with obvious warmth. “I can’t wait to get to know you, Phoebe.”
“Hello!” The brown-haired woman sitting next to the scowling bearded giant waved at her. “I’m Jen and this is Noah who also served with Max.”
Luke smiled at her. “That’s everyone except Sky. You’ll meet him tomorrow after he wakes up.”
“Sky’s my son,” Jen added.
Phoebe nodded, aware of Max’s silent presence at her shoulder. She hadn’t even realized she’d married a Marine until she received all kinds of correspondence from the US military because he’d named her as his next of kin. The fact that it had taken a while for the information to catch up with her in England wasn’t the military’s fault, but it had still taken her by surprise.
Noah cleared his throat. “Did you just imply that you got married four years ago in Reno?”
“That’s correct,” Phoebe said brightly.
Noah’s skeptical gaze refocused on Max. “Weird that you didn’t mention it at the time, bro.”
Max shrugged. “I promised Phoebe I’d keep it to myself.”
“Why?”
“Because it was a complicated situation,” Phoebe replied to Noah who was the most intimidating of the bunch.
“Still . . .” Noah moved restlessly in his chair. “We’re supposed to be your best buds, Max. Did you even tell the marines?”
Max glared at him. “I’m not here to give you an in-depth interview about the ins and outs of my marriage. Either accept it, and move on, or shut the hell up.”
Phoebe tensed, but Noah just raised his eyebrows.
“Okay, hot shot, cool your jets.”
Sally smiled at Phoebe. “I do hope you’ll be staying for a while.”
“I believe that’s the plan,” Phoebe glanced at Max who was still looking rather tight-lipped. “We have a lot to catch up on.”
“I’d say,” Luke murmured. “Have you ever been on a working ranch before, Phoebe?”
“Not quite.” She had a sense that mentioning the home farm and family estate back in England wouldn’t be appropriate at this point, “I do know how to ride, though.”
“English or western?” Luke asked.
Phoebe blinked at him. “I’d forgotten there were different ways.”
“I’m sure Max will sort you out with all that. He’s a whizz with horses,” Luke said before turning to his mom. “Shall we get supper? Then these two love birds can spend some time together.”
Max stood up and Phoebe instinctively joined him.
“May I help?” she asked.
Luke smiled. “That would be great. Can you set the table? Max can tell you where everything goes.”
It wasn’t long before they were all sitting down having vegetable soup with homemade crusty bread. Phoebe let the conversation about people and places she’d never heard about swirl over her head and only answered if someone addressed her directly. It gave her the chance to calm down and assess her new surroundings.
The ranch was charming. A sprawling, single-story structure built with wide-planked wooden floors and cream-colored walls covered in family pictures that just screamed “home.” The kitchen was heavy on the pine, but the appliances were all new, and the heating was working well enough to cut out the surprisingly cold winds coming off the distant mountain ranges. She’d never been this far north in California and found the immense forests and tiny towns breathtakingly beautiful.
To be fair, she hadn’t expected Max to turn up in Reno after her ultimatum, or that she’d have to follow him back to the ranch to negotiate their future together. But she needed this to work, and she was determined to sort things out before another four years elapsed. His ability to disappear had become clearer once she’d realized what he did for a living, but she wished he’d mentioned it at the time because not being able to locate him had been very trying.
She glanced up at him as he grinned at something Sally said and joked with Jen. He caught her looking, patted her thigh under the table and winked.
“You hanging in there, Feebs?”
“Just about.”
“I’ll take you down to the barn to meet the horses after supper and we can talk while I do my chores.”
“That would be lovely.”
“Never heard shoveling horse shit described as lovely before, but I can only hope.” He finished his soup and stood up. “I’ll get the coffee on.”
Phoebe raised her hand. “Do you have any tea?”
“Yup. Jen’s all into that herbal stuff,” Max said. “I’ll bring you her magic box of potions.”
Phoebe sipped her peppermint tea and briefly wished she could fall asleep right away. Jet lag was always awful, but if she went to bed too early, she’d be wide-awake and wandering the hallways at four. Something nudged her ankle, and she looked down to see a small, fluffy dog sniffing her shoe.
“That’s Winky,” Max said. She’d noticed he didn’t miss a thing. “His sister Blinky is currently stationed by Jen hoping for fallen treats.”
“I love dogs.” Phoebe bent down to pet the puppy. “We have a whole crowd at home.”
“Where exactly is home?” Sally asked as she added cream to her coffee.
“Suffolk.”
Noah frowned. “There’s a US Air Force base there, right?”
“Yes.” Phoebe smiled at him, but he didn’t return it. “At Lakenheath.”
“That’s correct. We went through there once.”
“Did we?” Luke asked.
“We were on our way back,” Noah said. “We weren’t really taking much in. It was night and it was raining. Our plane refueled and we left without deplaning.”
“Sounds about right,” Luke nodded. “Is your place near there, Phoebe?”
“It’s about twenty miles away so we do get planes and helicopters flying over occasionally.” Phoebe half-yawned and immediately covered her mouth with her hand. “Please excuse me. The jet lag’s catching up with me.”
“Then why don’t you and Max head out for the barn while we finish up here?” Luke suggested. “Then you can have an early night.”
Max stood, turned to Phoebe, and offered her his hand, which she took to bring herself to her feet.
“You’ll need your coat.”
“Then I’ll go and get it and meet you out there.”
As she headed back to Max’s bedroom, Phoebe glanced out of the window where the sun was already disappearing behind a mountainside covered in pine trees. There was still snow on the upper slopes even though it was almost summer, and the forest looked dark and impenetrable. She grabbed her coat from the bed and went back through the kitchen. Everyone waved brightly at her except Noah, but she knew they were just waiting for her to close the outside door before they started talking about her.
Really, she couldn’t blame them. The fact that Max hadn’t even mentioned their marriage to the people closest to him had come as something of a surprise, but why should it? She hardly knew the man.
She hurriedly zipped up her coat and stuck her hands in her pockets as she walked along the path to the barn, which was visible from the house. The wind had a sharp edge to it that slapped at her face and made her want to hurry. Inside was refreshingly warm and well-lit. She heard Max before she saw him, as he was whistling.
“Hello?” she called out as she stepped into the welcome shelter of the old wooden structure. There were stalls on either side and a new concrete floor and drainage channel down the middle.
He stuck his head out of a door farther down and gestured toward what she assumed was the tack room.
“Would you like to help?” Max asked.
“Yes, please.”
“You can refill the water buckets. Faucet’s in there.”
“Okay.”
Phoebe had always loved helping at the family stables, so lugging gallons of water about wasn’t new to her. She was also used to being around horses and knew not to startle them because they were basically big, scaredy chickens. By the time she’d finished, Max had worked his way down one side of the barn and was on the other.
She paused to admire his efficiency. He’d stripped off his jacket and hat and was shoveling straw and manure into a wheelbarrow with alarming speed. He looked up to see her watching and wiped the sweat off his brow.
“Don’t let me stop you helping out here, princess.”
“I was just going to ask what you wanted me to do next.” Phoebe kept her reply polite. “I noted some of the feed and hay might need replenishing.”
“Feel free to go ahead and do that. Feed and hay are in the tack and feed room along with each horse’s schedule.” Max returned to his task. “I’m almost done here.”
She did as he asked and washed her hands while he took the last barrowload of manure and straw out of the barn. He joined her in the small space where he cleaned himself up. She considered herself tall, standing five foot ten, but he was at least three inches taller. He was also more muscular, and in close quarters, had the coiled energy of a big cat.
Phoebe looked over at the door, but she couldn’t get out until he finished his ablutions. He glanced briefly at her as he toweled off his face.
“Thanks for helping.” He set the towel on the rack. “Now, how the hell did you find me again?”
She folded her arms over her chest. “Perhaps one should rather be asking why you made it so difficult for me to find you in the first place? You basically disappeared on me.”
He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck and looked charmingly rueful. “Yeah.”
“That wasn’t helpful.”
“I get that.”
She waited to hear what else he had to say, but he just stared at her.
“I think I deserve an explanation, Max,” Phoebe said quietly. “You left me in a terrible pickle.”
His lips twitched. “Pickle?”
She fixed him with a calm stare. “You know what I mean. I woke up to find you’d left without giving me any way to communicate with you.”
His brow creased. “I thought that’s what you wanted.”
“How did you expect me to initiate divorce proceedings if I didn’t know where you were?” she asked. “I only worked it out because the Marines sent me all that official paperwork about being your next of kin, although I didn’t get a forwarding address until I received notification of your discharge.”
He leaned one shoulder against the doorframe. “And it took you three years to get out here after that? Did you travel the old-fashioned way by steamship or canoe?”
“There were . . . reasons why I couldn’t leave right away.” She had no intention of sharing them until she reached some consensus with her soon-to-be ex. “But I’m here now.”
“You look good,” Max said. “Did you do something new with your hair?”
“I added highlights, but what’s that got to do with—”
“Nice.” He leaned in and tucked a strand behind her ear. “You haven’t aged a bit. Must be all that rain.”
“It’s certainly supposed to be good for the complexion,” she agreed. “But I didn’t come all this way to talk about my hair—”
“I know,” he interrupted her. “You came to talk about getting a divorce.”
“That’s definitely part of it.” She met his gaze. “I’m just sorry it’s dragged on for so long.”
His dimples appeared. “Hardly your fault when I disappeared on you.”
“Were you overseas?”
His expression cooled. “Yeah, but don’t ask me for details because I’m not sharing anything about that shit show.”
Phoebe instinctively reached out to pat his arm. “I understand. My younger brother, Arthur, is in the British Army.”
“What’s his specialty?”
“He’s in the Household Cavalry.”
“Then I guess he knows how to ride a horse.” Max took her hand and led her toward the barn exit.
“Only on ceremonial occasions these days,” Phoebe said as she tried to conceal a huge yawn. “He has a lovely dress unform.”
“I bet.” Max stopped walking and looked down at her. “Can we continue this conversation tomorrow when you’re more awake? I wouldn’t want you to miss anything important.”
She nodded and his smile widened. “You’re a smart woman, Feebs.”
“Obviously not that clever because it’s taken me four years to track you down,” Phoebe said.
“I’m impressed you bothered to find me at all.” Max held her gaze. “I mean, can’t you divorce someone over the internet these days?”
“I can’t say I looked into that option,” Phoebe said. “I thought it polite to conclude our arrangement in person. You did me a huge favor and I’ll always be grateful for that.”
“How grateful?”
She rolled her eyes and started for the house. “You’re a terrible flirt, Max Romero.”
She had no intention of telling him that ever since she’d met him, he’d figured prominently in her most erotic dreams and fantasies and that maybe she’d just wanted to check in on him one last time and see if reality held up to her memories.
“Hey, I’m a married man.” He caught up with her. “I don’t flirt.”
“Hmph.”
“And, even if I was flirting, that would be okay since we’re married.”
“Incorrigible,” Phoebe muttered as she went up the steps to the porch that surrounded the house.
He reached over her head to open the screen door. “After you.”
“Thank you.”
There was no one in the kitchen or family room and the house was quiet. Phoebe assumed they’d all retreated to their rooms to give her and Max some privacy. Max followed her down the hall toward his bedroom.
“Where is everyone?” Phoebe asked.
“Probably having an early night. They were all up at the ass-crack of dawn helping with the local humane society puppy auction at Bernie’s place.”
“Bernie is Luke’s girlfriend, correct?”
Max gave her a smile of approval as they went into the bedroom. “You pick things up fast.”
“I had to in my family.”
For the first time, Phoebe looked at the queen-size bed where she’d left her suitcase.
“We share the bathroom down the hall with Noah and Jen, but they are building their own place, so it won’t be like that for long.” Max closed the drapes and put her suitcase on the floor. “There’s plenty of space in the closet if you want to unpack.”
Phoebe cleared her throat. “Is there . . . somewhere else I could sleep where I won’t be inconveniencing you?”
He shrugged as he hung his jacket on the back of the door. “It’s a big bed. You’re not bothering me.”
“But . . .” Phoebe stared at the back of his head. “I snore.”
“Yeah? So do I. Maybe we’ll drown each other out.” He took off his fleece. “I’ll go and use the bathroom while you get yourself sorted, okay?”
He left the room and her gaze traveled to the bed that looked smaller every time she looked at it. They’d shared a bed on their wedding night but as she’d immediately fallen asleep, she had no real memory of Max. She did remember waking up the next morning and finding him gone. He’d left a note on the bedside table wishing her all the best and that he’d paid for the room and extended the departure time. It had taken her several dazed minutes to realize he hadn’t left his phone number or forwarding address, although she’d given him hers.
She’d then spent several fruitless minutes searching the room in case he’d been joking, but all his possessions had gone. The only evidence he’d even existed was the wedding certificate, the recently used shower, and the fact that the toilet seat was up.
Phoebe groaned and unzipped her backpack. She had her nightie, a spare pair of knickers, and her washbag to cover the essentials of traveling. She’d unpack her suitcase tomorrow. She smoothed a hand over the intricate patchwork quilt that covered the bed and wondered who had made it, and more importantly, which side of the bed Max slept on.
The door opened and Max came in wearing a towel slung low on his hips bringing a cloud of steam and the hint of pine along with him.
“All yours, Feebs. The lock works. Jen wasn’t keen on me wandering in on her.”
“I wonder why,” Phoebe murmured as she tried not to look at his spectacular body.
Max grinned. “Towels are on the rack behind the door. Help yourself and take your time.”
“Thank you.” Phoebe edged past, trying not to allow any part of her body to touch his warm, wet, muscular flesh. “Please go ahead and turn the lights off. I don’t want to keep you up.”
“There are so many things I could say about that, Feebs, but I’m going to try and remember I’m a gentleman,” Max said as she scurried away like a frightened rabbit. “As I said, take your time.”
She reached the safety of the bathroom and locked the door, her breathing ragged. He was the most beautiful man she’d ever seen outside of an art gallery or museum, and he was her husband. If only temporarily.
She briefly closed her eyes, but it didn’t help. She’d forgotten how hard it was to look away from his bright blue gaze and how compelling he was in person. That’s why she’d picked him to talk to in Reno. There had been something reassuring about him, but she’d still taken a terrible risk.
She eyed the shower, which, unlike the ones in Creighton Hall, was modern and easy to operate. The longer she delayed going back to Max’s bedroom, the more likely it was he would be asleep. But if she loitered in the shower, she might fall asleep, too, and what if someone had to break down the door to get in and she’d be naked and snoring, and . . . ?
“Phoebe Margaret Elizabeth Creighton-Smith.” She glared at herself in the mirror. “Get a grip.”
She’d tracked him down, and that was an achievement. She tried not to think about all the time she’d spent waiting for him in Reno only for him to turn up and abruptly announce he had to leave and that if she wanted to continue their discussions, she’d have to come with him. Of course, she’d agreed. The chances of him ratting out on her again had been too high to ignore.
She stepped into the shower and closed her eyes. Despite his pretty face and gregarious manner, he’d struck her as something of a loner when they’d first met. She hadn’t expected him to live in such a remote and beautiful place surrounded by people who obviously cared about him. She was glad he had that support and wished she could say the same. Despite being smothered in family, she’d always felt like the odd one out.
After reluctantly exiting the shower, she unzipped her toiletries bag, cleansed and moisturized her face, and brushed her teeth. Her nightie was crumpled from being at the bottom of her backpack, but it would have to do. She shivered as she put it on over her knickers. The air was far cooler out here than in Reno, reminding her of the big draughty nursery she’d shared growing up with her siblings in Creighton Hall. The huge sash windows had looked beautiful but were icy to the touch and prone to rattle in the slightest wind.
She put her socks on to traverse the short hallway back to Max’s room. There was no light visible under the door. She breathed a silent prayer as she went in and then stopped, confronted with the pitch black of the unfiltered night. Still holding her backpack, she tried to remember where the bed was and inched slowly to her left.
“Ouch!” Her knee connected with something solid.
The bedside light went on and Phoebe stared at Max who was now sitting up. His chest was bare, and she wondered whether he was naked under the blankets.
“Sorry!” She set her backpack down on the chair and edged around to the left side of the bed. “I was trying to be quiet.”
“It’s not a problem. . .
“I guess you all want to know where I’ve been.”
“That would be nice,” Luke, who ran the ranch, and who had been Max’s team leader in the Marines instinctively took charge. “You’ve been AWOL for a while.”
Luckily for Max, Luke had just made things work with Bernie, his longtime best friend, and soon-to-be Mrs. Nilsen if Max had anything to do with it. As Max had helped solve their problems by practically locking them in a room together, he was hoping his boss would give him a favorable hearing.
“When I first left, I wasn’t sure what the hell I was doing. I just bummed around a few towns, picked up a couple of shifts on ranches, you know how it goes,” Max shrugged. “Then I got a message that someone was looking for me in Reno and I went there.”
“Why did you leave in the first place?” Noah asked. He was always the most direct of the three of them.
“I needed to get away.”
“It left us short-handed just when we didn’t need it.”
“I know.” Max looked down at the table. “I didn’t think about that.”
Noah snorted. “Typical.”
“I owe you all an apology,” Max continued. “I just lost it.”
Now they were all staring at him like he’d gone nuts.
“You—panicked?” Luke asked. “Like, when have you ever done that? You’re the coolest Marine I ever served with.” He added. “Not like cool, cool, but under pressure cool, obviously.”
“We knew that already,” Noah murmured. His girlfriend Jen took his hand and squeezed it. “He took risks that only fools would follow through on.”
“And saved your ass on at least two occasions,” Max reminded Noah.
“Yeah, I know.” Noah held his gaze. “I appreciate that.”
Luke cleared his throat. “Can we get back on track here? Why did you have to go to Reno?”
“Because I got a message from . . . someone, that I needed to get there pronto.”
“You could’ve told us how you were feeling before you left,” Luke said. “You must have known we’d worry about you.”
Max surveyed the faces in front of him and was surprised when they all nodded. He’d never thought he was accountable to anyone except his team and the Marines. Even three years out of the service, the whole civilian thing didn’t sit well with him, and he didn’t know what to do with people caring about what he did or didn’t do.
“To be honest, I didn’t think about anything but getting to Reno to assess the problem.”
“What problem?” Noah asked.
“The one I’m trying to work out how to explain to you if you’d just stop interrupting me,” Max said.
“Like you aren’t procrastinating like hell and damn,” Noah said. “I—”
“Max?” Jen was staring over his shoulder at the door leading into the rest of the house. “Who is that?”
Max rose to his feet, turned to the door, and held out his hand. “Hey, why don’t you come and join us? Everyone say hi to Phoebe. We’re married.”
Luke was the first to recover. “That’s what you were doing in Reno?”
“We . . . agreed to meet there,” Max said carefully.
“We met four years ago.” Phoebe raised her chin. “It’s taken me this long to track him down.” She smiled. “Hello, I’m Phoebe Creighton-Smith. It’s lovely to meet you all.”
Max pulled out a chair and Phoebe sat down, her knees shaking. She’d thought finding Max would be the worst of her problems but dealing with the aftermath felt like wandering into a minefield.
The man sitting opposite her with the kind eyes and fair hair looked like he was in charge. He offered her his hand.
“Hi, I’m Luke. I served with Max in the Marines.”
Phoebe shook his hand. “Thank you for inviting me to your beautiful home.”
Luke’s eyebrows rose and he instinctively looked at Max before answering, which confirmed Phoebe’s suspicions that Max hadn’t prepared anyone for her arrival.
“You’re welcome. And belated congratulations on your nuptials,” Luke added. “This is my mom, Sally, who owns the ranch.”
“A pleasure.” Sally beamed at her with obvious warmth. “I can’t wait to get to know you, Phoebe.”
“Hello!” The brown-haired woman sitting next to the scowling bearded giant waved at her. “I’m Jen and this is Noah who also served with Max.”
Luke smiled at her. “That’s everyone except Sky. You’ll meet him tomorrow after he wakes up.”
“Sky’s my son,” Jen added.
Phoebe nodded, aware of Max’s silent presence at her shoulder. She hadn’t even realized she’d married a Marine until she received all kinds of correspondence from the US military because he’d named her as his next of kin. The fact that it had taken a while for the information to catch up with her in England wasn’t the military’s fault, but it had still taken her by surprise.
Noah cleared his throat. “Did you just imply that you got married four years ago in Reno?”
“That’s correct,” Phoebe said brightly.
Noah’s skeptical gaze refocused on Max. “Weird that you didn’t mention it at the time, bro.”
Max shrugged. “I promised Phoebe I’d keep it to myself.”
“Why?”
“Because it was a complicated situation,” Phoebe replied to Noah who was the most intimidating of the bunch.
“Still . . .” Noah moved restlessly in his chair. “We’re supposed to be your best buds, Max. Did you even tell the marines?”
Max glared at him. “I’m not here to give you an in-depth interview about the ins and outs of my marriage. Either accept it, and move on, or shut the hell up.”
Phoebe tensed, but Noah just raised his eyebrows.
“Okay, hot shot, cool your jets.”
Sally smiled at Phoebe. “I do hope you’ll be staying for a while.”
“I believe that’s the plan,” Phoebe glanced at Max who was still looking rather tight-lipped. “We have a lot to catch up on.”
“I’d say,” Luke murmured. “Have you ever been on a working ranch before, Phoebe?”
“Not quite.” She had a sense that mentioning the home farm and family estate back in England wouldn’t be appropriate at this point, “I do know how to ride, though.”
“English or western?” Luke asked.
Phoebe blinked at him. “I’d forgotten there were different ways.”
“I’m sure Max will sort you out with all that. He’s a whizz with horses,” Luke said before turning to his mom. “Shall we get supper? Then these two love birds can spend some time together.”
Max stood up and Phoebe instinctively joined him.
“May I help?” she asked.
Luke smiled. “That would be great. Can you set the table? Max can tell you where everything goes.”
It wasn’t long before they were all sitting down having vegetable soup with homemade crusty bread. Phoebe let the conversation about people and places she’d never heard about swirl over her head and only answered if someone addressed her directly. It gave her the chance to calm down and assess her new surroundings.
The ranch was charming. A sprawling, single-story structure built with wide-planked wooden floors and cream-colored walls covered in family pictures that just screamed “home.” The kitchen was heavy on the pine, but the appliances were all new, and the heating was working well enough to cut out the surprisingly cold winds coming off the distant mountain ranges. She’d never been this far north in California and found the immense forests and tiny towns breathtakingly beautiful.
To be fair, she hadn’t expected Max to turn up in Reno after her ultimatum, or that she’d have to follow him back to the ranch to negotiate their future together. But she needed this to work, and she was determined to sort things out before another four years elapsed. His ability to disappear had become clearer once she’d realized what he did for a living, but she wished he’d mentioned it at the time because not being able to locate him had been very trying.
She glanced up at him as he grinned at something Sally said and joked with Jen. He caught her looking, patted her thigh under the table and winked.
“You hanging in there, Feebs?”
“Just about.”
“I’ll take you down to the barn to meet the horses after supper and we can talk while I do my chores.”
“That would be lovely.”
“Never heard shoveling horse shit described as lovely before, but I can only hope.” He finished his soup and stood up. “I’ll get the coffee on.”
Phoebe raised her hand. “Do you have any tea?”
“Yup. Jen’s all into that herbal stuff,” Max said. “I’ll bring you her magic box of potions.”
Phoebe sipped her peppermint tea and briefly wished she could fall asleep right away. Jet lag was always awful, but if she went to bed too early, she’d be wide-awake and wandering the hallways at four. Something nudged her ankle, and she looked down to see a small, fluffy dog sniffing her shoe.
“That’s Winky,” Max said. She’d noticed he didn’t miss a thing. “His sister Blinky is currently stationed by Jen hoping for fallen treats.”
“I love dogs.” Phoebe bent down to pet the puppy. “We have a whole crowd at home.”
“Where exactly is home?” Sally asked as she added cream to her coffee.
“Suffolk.”
Noah frowned. “There’s a US Air Force base there, right?”
“Yes.” Phoebe smiled at him, but he didn’t return it. “At Lakenheath.”
“That’s correct. We went through there once.”
“Did we?” Luke asked.
“We were on our way back,” Noah said. “We weren’t really taking much in. It was night and it was raining. Our plane refueled and we left without deplaning.”
“Sounds about right,” Luke nodded. “Is your place near there, Phoebe?”
“It’s about twenty miles away so we do get planes and helicopters flying over occasionally.” Phoebe half-yawned and immediately covered her mouth with her hand. “Please excuse me. The jet lag’s catching up with me.”
“Then why don’t you and Max head out for the barn while we finish up here?” Luke suggested. “Then you can have an early night.”
Max stood, turned to Phoebe, and offered her his hand, which she took to bring herself to her feet.
“You’ll need your coat.”
“Then I’ll go and get it and meet you out there.”
As she headed back to Max’s bedroom, Phoebe glanced out of the window where the sun was already disappearing behind a mountainside covered in pine trees. There was still snow on the upper slopes even though it was almost summer, and the forest looked dark and impenetrable. She grabbed her coat from the bed and went back through the kitchen. Everyone waved brightly at her except Noah, but she knew they were just waiting for her to close the outside door before they started talking about her.
Really, she couldn’t blame them. The fact that Max hadn’t even mentioned their marriage to the people closest to him had come as something of a surprise, but why should it? She hardly knew the man.
She hurriedly zipped up her coat and stuck her hands in her pockets as she walked along the path to the barn, which was visible from the house. The wind had a sharp edge to it that slapped at her face and made her want to hurry. Inside was refreshingly warm and well-lit. She heard Max before she saw him, as he was whistling.
“Hello?” she called out as she stepped into the welcome shelter of the old wooden structure. There were stalls on either side and a new concrete floor and drainage channel down the middle.
He stuck his head out of a door farther down and gestured toward what she assumed was the tack room.
“Would you like to help?” Max asked.
“Yes, please.”
“You can refill the water buckets. Faucet’s in there.”
“Okay.”
Phoebe had always loved helping at the family stables, so lugging gallons of water about wasn’t new to her. She was also used to being around horses and knew not to startle them because they were basically big, scaredy chickens. By the time she’d finished, Max had worked his way down one side of the barn and was on the other.
She paused to admire his efficiency. He’d stripped off his jacket and hat and was shoveling straw and manure into a wheelbarrow with alarming speed. He looked up to see her watching and wiped the sweat off his brow.
“Don’t let me stop you helping out here, princess.”
“I was just going to ask what you wanted me to do next.” Phoebe kept her reply polite. “I noted some of the feed and hay might need replenishing.”
“Feel free to go ahead and do that. Feed and hay are in the tack and feed room along with each horse’s schedule.” Max returned to his task. “I’m almost done here.”
She did as he asked and washed her hands while he took the last barrowload of manure and straw out of the barn. He joined her in the small space where he cleaned himself up. She considered herself tall, standing five foot ten, but he was at least three inches taller. He was also more muscular, and in close quarters, had the coiled energy of a big cat.
Phoebe looked over at the door, but she couldn’t get out until he finished his ablutions. He glanced briefly at her as he toweled off his face.
“Thanks for helping.” He set the towel on the rack. “Now, how the hell did you find me again?”
She folded her arms over her chest. “Perhaps one should rather be asking why you made it so difficult for me to find you in the first place? You basically disappeared on me.”
He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck and looked charmingly rueful. “Yeah.”
“That wasn’t helpful.”
“I get that.”
She waited to hear what else he had to say, but he just stared at her.
“I think I deserve an explanation, Max,” Phoebe said quietly. “You left me in a terrible pickle.”
His lips twitched. “Pickle?”
She fixed him with a calm stare. “You know what I mean. I woke up to find you’d left without giving me any way to communicate with you.”
His brow creased. “I thought that’s what you wanted.”
“How did you expect me to initiate divorce proceedings if I didn’t know where you were?” she asked. “I only worked it out because the Marines sent me all that official paperwork about being your next of kin, although I didn’t get a forwarding address until I received notification of your discharge.”
He leaned one shoulder against the doorframe. “And it took you three years to get out here after that? Did you travel the old-fashioned way by steamship or canoe?”
“There were . . . reasons why I couldn’t leave right away.” She had no intention of sharing them until she reached some consensus with her soon-to-be ex. “But I’m here now.”
“You look good,” Max said. “Did you do something new with your hair?”
“I added highlights, but what’s that got to do with—”
“Nice.” He leaned in and tucked a strand behind her ear. “You haven’t aged a bit. Must be all that rain.”
“It’s certainly supposed to be good for the complexion,” she agreed. “But I didn’t come all this way to talk about my hair—”
“I know,” he interrupted her. “You came to talk about getting a divorce.”
“That’s definitely part of it.” She met his gaze. “I’m just sorry it’s dragged on for so long.”
His dimples appeared. “Hardly your fault when I disappeared on you.”
“Were you overseas?”
His expression cooled. “Yeah, but don’t ask me for details because I’m not sharing anything about that shit show.”
Phoebe instinctively reached out to pat his arm. “I understand. My younger brother, Arthur, is in the British Army.”
“What’s his specialty?”
“He’s in the Household Cavalry.”
“Then I guess he knows how to ride a horse.” Max took her hand and led her toward the barn exit.
“Only on ceremonial occasions these days,” Phoebe said as she tried to conceal a huge yawn. “He has a lovely dress unform.”
“I bet.” Max stopped walking and looked down at her. “Can we continue this conversation tomorrow when you’re more awake? I wouldn’t want you to miss anything important.”
She nodded and his smile widened. “You’re a smart woman, Feebs.”
“Obviously not that clever because it’s taken me four years to track you down,” Phoebe said.
“I’m impressed you bothered to find me at all.” Max held her gaze. “I mean, can’t you divorce someone over the internet these days?”
“I can’t say I looked into that option,” Phoebe said. “I thought it polite to conclude our arrangement in person. You did me a huge favor and I’ll always be grateful for that.”
“How grateful?”
She rolled her eyes and started for the house. “You’re a terrible flirt, Max Romero.”
She had no intention of telling him that ever since she’d met him, he’d figured prominently in her most erotic dreams and fantasies and that maybe she’d just wanted to check in on him one last time and see if reality held up to her memories.
“Hey, I’m a married man.” He caught up with her. “I don’t flirt.”
“Hmph.”
“And, even if I was flirting, that would be okay since we’re married.”
“Incorrigible,” Phoebe muttered as she went up the steps to the porch that surrounded the house.
He reached over her head to open the screen door. “After you.”
“Thank you.”
There was no one in the kitchen or family room and the house was quiet. Phoebe assumed they’d all retreated to their rooms to give her and Max some privacy. Max followed her down the hall toward his bedroom.
“Where is everyone?” Phoebe asked.
“Probably having an early night. They were all up at the ass-crack of dawn helping with the local humane society puppy auction at Bernie’s place.”
“Bernie is Luke’s girlfriend, correct?”
Max gave her a smile of approval as they went into the bedroom. “You pick things up fast.”
“I had to in my family.”
For the first time, Phoebe looked at the queen-size bed where she’d left her suitcase.
“We share the bathroom down the hall with Noah and Jen, but they are building their own place, so it won’t be like that for long.” Max closed the drapes and put her suitcase on the floor. “There’s plenty of space in the closet if you want to unpack.”
Phoebe cleared her throat. “Is there . . . somewhere else I could sleep where I won’t be inconveniencing you?”
He shrugged as he hung his jacket on the back of the door. “It’s a big bed. You’re not bothering me.”
“But . . .” Phoebe stared at the back of his head. “I snore.”
“Yeah? So do I. Maybe we’ll drown each other out.” He took off his fleece. “I’ll go and use the bathroom while you get yourself sorted, okay?”
He left the room and her gaze traveled to the bed that looked smaller every time she looked at it. They’d shared a bed on their wedding night but as she’d immediately fallen asleep, she had no real memory of Max. She did remember waking up the next morning and finding him gone. He’d left a note on the bedside table wishing her all the best and that he’d paid for the room and extended the departure time. It had taken her several dazed minutes to realize he hadn’t left his phone number or forwarding address, although she’d given him hers.
She’d then spent several fruitless minutes searching the room in case he’d been joking, but all his possessions had gone. The only evidence he’d even existed was the wedding certificate, the recently used shower, and the fact that the toilet seat was up.
Phoebe groaned and unzipped her backpack. She had her nightie, a spare pair of knickers, and her washbag to cover the essentials of traveling. She’d unpack her suitcase tomorrow. She smoothed a hand over the intricate patchwork quilt that covered the bed and wondered who had made it, and more importantly, which side of the bed Max slept on.
The door opened and Max came in wearing a towel slung low on his hips bringing a cloud of steam and the hint of pine along with him.
“All yours, Feebs. The lock works. Jen wasn’t keen on me wandering in on her.”
“I wonder why,” Phoebe murmured as she tried not to look at his spectacular body.
Max grinned. “Towels are on the rack behind the door. Help yourself and take your time.”
“Thank you.” Phoebe edged past, trying not to allow any part of her body to touch his warm, wet, muscular flesh. “Please go ahead and turn the lights off. I don’t want to keep you up.”
“There are so many things I could say about that, Feebs, but I’m going to try and remember I’m a gentleman,” Max said as she scurried away like a frightened rabbit. “As I said, take your time.”
She reached the safety of the bathroom and locked the door, her breathing ragged. He was the most beautiful man she’d ever seen outside of an art gallery or museum, and he was her husband. If only temporarily.
She briefly closed her eyes, but it didn’t help. She’d forgotten how hard it was to look away from his bright blue gaze and how compelling he was in person. That’s why she’d picked him to talk to in Reno. There had been something reassuring about him, but she’d still taken a terrible risk.
She eyed the shower, which, unlike the ones in Creighton Hall, was modern and easy to operate. The longer she delayed going back to Max’s bedroom, the more likely it was he would be asleep. But if she loitered in the shower, she might fall asleep, too, and what if someone had to break down the door to get in and she’d be naked and snoring, and . . . ?
“Phoebe Margaret Elizabeth Creighton-Smith.” She glared at herself in the mirror. “Get a grip.”
She’d tracked him down, and that was an achievement. She tried not to think about all the time she’d spent waiting for him in Reno only for him to turn up and abruptly announce he had to leave and that if she wanted to continue their discussions, she’d have to come with him. Of course, she’d agreed. The chances of him ratting out on her again had been too high to ignore.
She stepped into the shower and closed her eyes. Despite his pretty face and gregarious manner, he’d struck her as something of a loner when they’d first met. She hadn’t expected him to live in such a remote and beautiful place surrounded by people who obviously cared about him. She was glad he had that support and wished she could say the same. Despite being smothered in family, she’d always felt like the odd one out.
After reluctantly exiting the shower, she unzipped her toiletries bag, cleansed and moisturized her face, and brushed her teeth. Her nightie was crumpled from being at the bottom of her backpack, but it would have to do. She shivered as she put it on over her knickers. The air was far cooler out here than in Reno, reminding her of the big draughty nursery she’d shared growing up with her siblings in Creighton Hall. The huge sash windows had looked beautiful but were icy to the touch and prone to rattle in the slightest wind.
She put her socks on to traverse the short hallway back to Max’s room. There was no light visible under the door. She breathed a silent prayer as she went in and then stopped, confronted with the pitch black of the unfiltered night. Still holding her backpack, she tried to remember where the bed was and inched slowly to her left.
“Ouch!” Her knee connected with something solid.
The bedside light went on and Phoebe stared at Max who was now sitting up. His chest was bare, and she wondered whether he was naked under the blankets.
“Sorry!” She set her backpack down on the chair and edged around to the left side of the bed. “I was trying to be quiet.”
“It’s not a problem. . .
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Three Cowboys and a Bride
Kate Pearce
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