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CHAPTER
SIX
Bull brushed the dust off his jeans with a swat of his Stetson, a habit he’d picked up years ago and one that wreaked havoc with his headwear. Somewhere along the way, his gloves had fallen out of his back pocket and he’d spent the morning working barehanded. He didn’t care how long a man had been cowboying, your hands never built up skin tough enough to resist the sharp edges of a piece of barb wire. Stopping at a watering trough, he dunked his hands in and scrubbed the dirt and grime away from the little nicks he’d gotten this morning.
“Damn it all,” he quipped when he pulled his hands out and realized he had nothing to dry them with. If he had a wife, maybe she’d help him keep a bandana or something in his pocket for such an occasion. He wondered if Carmen would be the type to take care of those little things for him or would she be like Carol and make him do his own laundry? Somehow, he couldn’t see Carol and Carmen having anything in common.
Wiping his hands on his thighs, Bull saw a smear of blood spread out on the side of his pants. “Goddamn it. I just got these.” He was notoriously hard on his wardrobe, always had been. Concern over his clothes just wasn’t a high priority for him. Unlike his ex-wife, whose appearance was far more important to her than he ever was. She always made sure she had the newest Guess purse on her arm and the newest Gucci shoes on her feet, even if Bull was the one who had to work for it and stress over the money. Instead of trying to get blood off his clothes, no matter how small the stain, Carol would’ve much rather tossed them and bought another pair, cost was never an object to her.
He wiped the rest of the water from his hands on his shirt, hopefully the red plaid would hide the stain. Looking out toward the entrance to the ranch, he saw a shiny black car coming his way. Someone from Terra Dura would be delivering his breeding stock today, but he had no idea who this visitor could be.
The black sedan, with its heavily tinted windows, pulled up to the front of his cabin and a driver exited the vehicle. Moving to the rear door, he opened it and Bull saw a modest white shoe appear a moment before a long, tanned leg stretched out to find the ground.
“Oh, crap,” he muttered. Bull would know that sexy leg anywhere.
Isabella’s firm, smooth thigh appeared slowly and Bull swallowed hard. He watched as she took the hand of the driver, then stepped out wearing a billowy blue and white striped dress that molded every curve to perfection. Bull had to physically push his jaw closed. He was standing near the barn under a big tree and chances were, she hadn’t seen him yet. He was glad for it, because the girl looked as sexy as sin itself and he was enjoying the view.
As soon as he had the thought, Bull felt guilty.
“Damn, damn, damn.”
What in the hell was she doing here? Wouldn’t it be just his luck for Carmen to arrive while Isabella was here?
The beautiful Miss Cortez stood at the back of the car while the driver retrieved her bag from the trunk. “Oh, Christ, she’s packed for a visit.”
There was no doubt in his mind, this young woman was a force to be reckoned with. Not only was she an astute cattlewoman, her beauty was heart-stopping. He wondered how she’d talked her uncle into letting her be the one to take his place. Bull couldn’t ask her to leave outright, not after the gracious gesture of his plane ticket home. He’d added the fee to his check for the cattle, but repaying her in kind didn’t negate the need for civility. Insulting her needlessly would only offend Don Luis. No, there was no winning this one. Bull knew what she was up to, he just didn’t understand why. Either way, he had no intention of playing her game.
Bull watched her stop the driver when he started to carry her bag towards the steps. “Is the princess going to carry her own luggage?” Bull pondered aloud. Isabella paid the driver with money from her purse, but the man wasn’t in a hurry to leave. He put a hand on the roof of his car and tried to engage her in conversation. Bull couldn’t blame him, the girl looked damn fine. Snorting, he chuckled. “Good luck, fella. She looks damn hot all right, but it’s all for me.”
Jesus. Had he just admitted that out loud? Fuck!
As he witnessed the young driver’s familiar attitude, Bull felt jealousy flare within him. This wasn’t good, it wasn’t good at all.
“I don’t think anyone’s home,” Bull called from his spot by the trough. He’d had enough of the driver trying to chat his visitor up. As he replaced his Stetson and strolled toward the car, Isabella and the driver both turned in his direction.
A smile came on Isabella’s face bright enough to rival the sun. She lifted a small hand in greeting. “Buenas tardes, Mr. Redford.”
Bull nodded a greeting, tipped his hat, and moved close enough to size up the driver. He was just a kid, probably no more than twenty-five. Bull couldn’t blame the guy for taking a run at Isabella, she was Prime Grade A. Sorry fella, he smirked to himself, you’re a little too young for her. She prefers a man, not a boy.
Again, he caught himself in a moment of jealousy that he didn’t feel comfortable with at all.
Carmen. Carmen. Don’t forget Carmen.
“Could you excuse us a minute?” he asked the driver, taking Isabella’s arm to move her to one side so they could talk.
“Chatty fella,” Bull commented as he and his unexpected guest stood in the driveway. “What are you doing here, exactly?” It was best if she didn’t realize exactly how glad he was to see her.
Isabella recoiled a bit at the gruff question. “I see the custom of greeting a guest is different here in America.”
“And I see the custom of phoning ahead to announce one’s arrival is different in Mexico.”
Already they were butting heads.
While they stared daggers at one another, a truck and trailer came rumbling up the road. “Ah, there they are,” she said, pointing to the approaching rig. Isabella was surprised, yet relieved by their fortuitous arrival. She’d expected Juan to beat her to the ranch due to her side trip to Veracruz. Perhaps he’d been delayed in customs longer than expected. “Perfect timing.” Seeing the frown on Bull’s face, she attempted to quell his displeasure. “I told you someone would accompany the delivery. These animals must be handled with great care. They were sedated for the airline trip and I wanted to be here to insure their good health.”
The one-ton truck pulling a gooseneck trailer backed up to the barn and Dax ran out to meet them. Bull was glad, because he had his hands full with Miss Cortez. “I appreciate that, Isabella, I just had no idea you’d be the rep.”
“Don Luis was otherwise occupied and I’ve always wanted to see Texas. You may treat me just as you would my uncle.” She didn’t bother to tell him about the argument they’d had over her coming, this was not the time.
