Your Ranch Or Mine?

“It was always like that when we were together,” Anna said. “As if nothing else in the world existed.”

Mitch dragged the toe of his boot in the sand and when his swing came to a complete halt, he stood. “But you didn’t know what made me tick and I certainly never knew what drove you.”

“All these years we’ve been left to wonder what might have been,” she mused as her swing slowed to a stop. “Wondering if great sex would have led to a great relationship if given the chance.”

He grabbed her hand and tugged her to her feet. “That’s why we should date. By the time it ends there won’t be any more unanswered questions.”

“How long do you think it will take for us to get sick of each other?”

“I don’t know,” he said, unable to pull his gaze from her lips. “I guess that’s what we’re going to find out.”

Dear Reader,

Do you ever wonder what it would be like if you ran into an old boyfriend? For me the encounter would probably happen on a day that I looked my worst. One of those days when I decide to just pop over to the grocery store for some milk. One of those days when I tell myself there’s no need to dress up. No need to fool with makeup or hair. After all, who am I going to see at such an oddball time? I’ll tell you who I’ll see—people I haven’t seen in years. People who look their best making me look even worse. People who will forever have that horrible image of me in their mind’s eye.

Life doesn’t give too many do-overs. That’s what I like about Your Ranch or Mine. Mitch and Anna are given the opportunity to see if love they felt for each other all those years earlier is still there. And despite their fears, they put their hearts on the line.

Here’s hoping you get that elusive second chance in your own life!

Cindy Kirk

Your Ranch Or Mine?

Cindy Kirk

www.millsandboon.co.uk

CINDY KIRK

has loved to read for as long as she can remember. In first grade she received an award for reading one hundred books. Growing up, summers were her favorite time of the year. Nothing beat going to the library, then coming home and curling up in front of the window air-conditioning unit with a good book. Often the novels she read would spur ideas and she’d make up her own story (always with a happy ending). When she’d go to bed at night, instead of counting sheep, she’d make up more stories in her head. Since first selling to Harlequin in 1999, Cindy has been forced to juggle her love of reading with her passion for creating stories of her own…but she doesn’t mind. Writing for the Special Edition series is a dream come true. She only hopes you have as much fun reading her books as she has writing them!

Cindy invites you to visit her Web site at www.cindykirk.com.

To my wonderful friend, Susan Powers-Alexander.

We may not be related by blood, but in my heart

I’m proud to call you my sister.

Thank you for all the support and caring.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Epilogue

Chapter One

Thirty-year-old Anna Anderssen never considered herself a coward. Still, she backed out of the café in Sweet River, Montana, as fast as her legs could carry her.

Once outside she pressed her spine against the brick wall, taking in huge gulps of air. Her heart slammed against her ribs and her insides trembled.

Mitchell Donavan. Her first lover. The man she thought she’d never see again…had come home.

She’d been lucky. Although his back had been to her, at any moment he could have turned around. If he had, their eyes would have locked. Anna knew what would have happened then. The surprise in his vivid blue depths would have been replaced by anger. Perhaps even hatred. After all, what kind of woman—

Stop, she told herself, as she had so many times over the past years, you’re not that girl anymore. But was that true? Could a person really change their character? A frisson of doubt washed over her and it suddenly became hard to breathe. Anna closed her eyes and a mantra—or was it a prayer?—found its way to her lips. “Oh, God. Please. Oh, God—”

“Anna?”

Her lids flew open and Anna blinked against the bright sun. When the person who stood before her came into focus, she nearly groaned aloud. Having a meltdown on Main Street was bad enough. But having one in front of Loretta Barbee, the pastor’s wife, was disastrous.

“Are you all right, dear?” Clearly distressed, the woman’s hands fluttered in the air as she spoke. The short, quick movements reminded Anna of the wrens that frequented her backyard bird feeder. “You’re white as a sheet. Tell me what’s wrong. I’m sure I can help.”

Help? Anna swallowed a nervous giggle. There was no cure for what ailed her. And, as far as what was wrong, what could she say? That she’d seen Mitch Donavan talking to her brother and had run out of the café faster than a white-tailed jackrabbit?

Yeah, right. Saying that to this concerned soul would be the height of foolishness. Although Mrs. Barbee was a genuinely nice person, she was also one of Sweet River’s biggest gossips.

Since a direct answer was clearly out, Anna was forced to try a different tactic. She fanned her face with exaggerated movements of one hand. “I’m fine. Just overheated.”

“Perhaps I should get Seth.” Mrs. Barbee’s gaze darted to the front door of the café as if expecting Anna’s brother to instantly appear. “He could take you home.”

“No.” The word burst like a bullet from Anna’s lips.

Mrs. Barbee took a step back and brought a hand to her chest as if she’d felt the impact. But instead of pain, her eyes gleamed with curiosity.

The screen door of The Coffee Pot swung open and Anna jumped. Two cowboys she recognized as acquaintances of Seth’s strode out of the café. When they shot a curious glance her way, Anna realized that unless she wanted her reunion with Mitch to occur under Mrs. Barbee’s watchful eyes, it was time to get moving. She looped her arm through Mrs. Barbee’s and propelled the woman around the corner.

“I’m so happy I ran into you,” Anna chattered, before the minister’s wife had a chance to speak. “I promised Stacie I’d ask Pastor Barbee if he could mention something in his community announcements this Sunday about the Young Professionals group having their first meeting Tuesday night.”

Anna almost ran out of breath before she got it all out. But the string of nonstop words had the desired effect. The suspicious glitter in Mrs. Barbee’s eyes dimmed.

“Lloyd should be at the church.” A thoughtful look crossed the matron’s finely lined face. “I’m headed there now. Would you like to come with me and ask him yourself?”

“What a good suggestion.” Even as she spoke, Anna started down the sidewalk. The way she saw it, each step toward the church was one more step away from the café. “I stopped by The Coffee Pot this morning hoping business would be slow so Stacie and I could have a cup of coffee. But when I saw all the customers, I knew she was too busy to talk.”

“Once your roommate decided to settle here, she certainly embraced our little community.” Mrs. Barbee slanted a sideways glance at Anna. “Buying the café. Resurrecting the Young Professionals group.”

“Stacie likes to keep busy.” Anna kept her response simple, knowing whatever she said would be analyzed and repeated.

“Yes, well.” Mrs. Barbee’s lips pursed together. “Hopefully you can convince her to use some of that boundless energy for projects that benefit the Lord, as well.”

“I’m sure she will, once the wedding is out of the way.” The wedding, or rather the bachelorette party, had been the main reason for Anna’s trip to the café this morning.

A smile lifted her lips at the realization that in only four short weeks, Stacie would marry local rancher Josh Collins. When she’d brought her two friends to Sweet River for a brief stay, she’d never expected one of them to fall in love, buy a diner and decide to make this small town in southern Montana her permanent home.

Of course, Anna had never expected to see Mitch, either. Still feeling the shock, Anna let her gaze linger on the active senior next to her, arms churning as she power-walked her way toward the church. Everyone knew this petite dynamo had her finger on the pulse of the small community. Anna experienced an overwhelming urge to ask her what she knew. Why was Mitch back in Sweet River? Was he here to stay? Or just visiting?

Thankfully she came to her senses before the questions made their way past her lips. Satisfying her curiosity wouldn’t be worth the price she’d pay for the information. One simple question and by nightfall, it would be all over town that Anna Anderssen had been asking after Mitch Donavan.

So, instead of treading on dangerous ground, Anna kept the conversation light. By the time she concluded her business at the church, she’d had a chance to recover from her shock and plot a course of action.

The next time she saw Mitch Donavan she wouldn’t run. She’d walk over and very politely say hello. After all, she wasn’t a spineless wuss. She was a mature, confident woman. It was time she started acting like one.

Anna stared at the picture and wondered if Mercury was in retrograde.

When she’d gotten home from her visit with Pastor Barbee, her roommate, Lauren Van Meveren, had been waiting. The psychologist had announced she had a surprise, then asked Anna to meet her on the porch for some lemonade. Anna had barely sat down when Lauren had pressed a photo of Mitch into her hand.

“Meet Mr. Right.” Lauren flashed a bright smile. “Survey says…the two of you are perfect for each other.”

A distant clap of thunder punctuated the comment. Anna dropped the picture to the table like a hot potato. “Is this a joke?”

Lauren looked up from the lemonade she was pouring and chuckled. “I know. You are so lucky. The guy is superhot.”

There wasn’t a woman alive who’d argue with that. From the time Mitch had been a small boy in Sweet River, Montana, the black-haired child with brilliant blue eyes had turned female heads. His rugged good looks coupled with a standoffish attitude had certainly caught her eye. And with the confidence of a seventeen-year-old beauty queen used to getting her way, Anna had been determined to make him hers. There had been several months of exciting secret trysts before the fun had come to an abrupt end.

Lauren’s blond brows pulled together when Anna didn’t comment. “Do you know him?”

“I do.” Anna kept her voice offhand, but when she picked up the crystal tumbler filled with lemonade, her hand trembled. If Mitch had been any other ex-boyfriend, Lauren would have already known all about him. But Anna had kept secret her long-ago relationship with Mitch. From the community. From her family. From even her closest friends.

Staring into the pale yellow liquid in the glass, Anna marveled at the change a few hours could make. When she’d hopped out of bed this morning, her life had been sunny-side up. Now the yolk had busted.

“Is something wrong with him?” Lauren pressed. “Should I drop him from the study?”

Anna heard the concern in her friend’s voice and realized her silence was giving Lauren a skewed picture of her former lover.

“Mitch’s family didn’t have the best reputation but he’s a good guy.” A gust of wind off the Crazy Mountains ruffled the napkins on the table but, consumed by her own storm of emotions, Anna barely noticed. “He and Seth were best friends in high school.”

Anna let the words hang in the air, knowing the fact that Mitch was Seth’s friend would go far to soothe Lauren’s concerns.

“I hope you’re not hesitating because you think your brother had something to do with the match,” Lauren said finally. “I’d never compromise my research data…not even for Seth.”

Though Lauren’s words were matter-of-fact, Anna could hear the underlying hurt. She leaned across the table and gave her friend’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “I know you wouldn’t.”

Lauren was the most ethical person Anna knew, not only personally but professionally. It was Lauren’s research for her dissertation that had brought the three Denver roommates to Montana.

In order to gather the necessary data, Lauren needed immediate access to lots of single males. Anna’s hometown fit the bill. From the moment they’d arrived in Sweet River four months ago, the research project had been the talk of the town. Though what Lauren regarded as pure science, the locals saw as plain old matchmaking.

“Even without your participation, I should have an adequate sampling.” Lauren’s lips curved in satisfaction. “Thanks to Seth.”

Anna nodded in agreement. Her brother had “encouraged” every single male within a one-hundred-mile radius to participate in Lauren’s survey. That meant he must have asked Mitch. Why else would Mitch do it? The guy could have any woman he wanted….

She stole another glance at his photo. Her heart fluttered in her throat at the thick dark hair and penetrating blue eyes she remembered so well. There was a maturity to his face that hadn’t been there at twenty. The fine lines which now fanned the corners of his eyes only added to his masculine appeal. His lips were—

“I can tell you’re interested.” Lauren’s tone turned teasing. “You need to give your brother’s friend a chance.”

Anna shook her head. “He’s not my type.”

And even if she was interested, Anna had no doubt she was the last person he’d want to date. She couldn’t help but remember the hurtful accusations they’d flung at each other after the town’s centennial celebration all those years ago.

“Okay.” Lauren shrugged and took a sip of lemonade. “I’ll throw you both back into the mix.”

“You can put him in but leave me out.” Anna could have cheered when her voice came out casual and offhand, just as she’d intended. “Between Stacie’s wedding and my work at the law office, I don’t have much free time.”

The excuse sounded convincing. And it was true. She was busy. Several months ago, she’d taken a position helping out local attorney Alexander Darst. The job was supposed to be only part-time, but lately she’d been at the office more than she’d been home.

“We’ll be heading back to Colorado soon, anyway,” Anna added.

“Don’t remind me.” Lauren glanced around and for a second her expression turned wistful. “I’m really going to miss this town. And this house.”

Anna had to agree. When she’d returned to Sweet River, she’d been unsure of the reception she’d receive. To her surprise, she’d been welcomed back into the fold as if she’d never left. After living in a large, impersonal city for thirteen years, it had been…nice. She found herself invited to christenings, to barn dances and to coffee at the café.

“By the way, how did the estimates come out?” Lauren asked.

The question pulled Anna from her reverie.

“Shocking. Horrible.” When Anna had inherited the home from her grandmother, she’d known it needed some work. But she could barely get the estimate for the new roof past her lips.

Lauren gasped. “No way.”

“Way.” Anna sighed. “The contractor said the cost is high because the roof is steep and has all those angles.”

While it might make shingling more difficult, the peaks and valleys were part of the house’s charm. Just like the leaded glass above the large picture window that overlooked the porch. And the high ceilings with the ornate crown molding.

Thunder rumbled overhead and Anna glanced at the sky. The way her day was going it seemed fitting that bright blue had given way to a muddy gray.

“What are you going to do?” Lauren asked, as if Anna had more than one option.

“Have it fixed,” Anna said glumly. She couldn’t believe the money she’d worked so hard to save for the past five years would now go to pay for shingles, nails and black paper. Her dream of owning a clothing boutique had never seemed further away.

Lauren took another sip of lemonade and absently crumbled the last bit of sugar cookie on her plate. “You could sell. Let the buyer pay for the roof.”

“I thought about that.” Anna felt guilty even admitting she’d considered the possibility. Parting with the house would be like selling a member of the family.

Every time she opened the closet door beneath the stairs, the lingering scent of mothballs brought memories from her childhood flooding back. The darkened area behind the coats had been her favorite place to hide from her brother. And the bedroom she now used with the antique medallion-and-leaves wallpaper was where she’d slept whenever she spent the night with her grandmother. Though it might sound crazy, sometimes when she was drifting off to sleep, she swore she felt her grandmother’s lips brush her cheek.

“Grandma Borghild gave me her home to love.” Anna blinked back unexpected tears. “I can’t sell it to a stranger.”

“I understand this is difficult.” Lauren’s gaze lingered on Anna’s stylish geometric print dress and the chunky bracelets encircling her wrist. “But you’re no longer a small-town girl. The place needs constant attention and it’s not like you’re ever going to live here again. In fact, after you leave, who knows when you’ll be back in Sweet River?”

While Anna acknowledged the logic in Lauren’s argument, heaviness filled her heart. Her beloved grandmother had passed on. Her parents now lived in Florida. All she had was her brother, her niece…and this house. “You think I should sell.”

The words came out in a controlled tone, but inside Anna trembled with pent-up emotion.

“Only when you’re ready,” Lauren said softly. “Not before.”

“Montana is such a beautiful place. I wish I could be content here.” Anna glanced at the patch of prairie coneflowers to the left of the porch. They’d been her grandmother’s favorite flower. She’d called them “Mexican Hats” because of their sombrero-shaped flower heads and drooping petals. “Sweet River has just never been enough for me.”

She saw no need to mention that it had been enough once. But she’d been young back then. Naive. In love with someone she’d ultimately let down.

“You and I are a lot alike,” Lauren said. “We know what we want out of life and we’re willing to work hard to make our dreams a reality.”

Lauren didn’t give compliments easily and for Anna, the support was a much-needed confidence booster. The way Lauren talked, the yolk hadn’t broken. The world was still hers for the taking.

“Be careful,” Anna warned, feeling her spirits rise. “Or I might think you’re telling me I can have it all—a new roof, the boutique I’ve always dreamed of and eventually a family of my own.”

“I wouldn’t bet against you.” Lauren shot her a wink. “A determined woman always finds a way to get what she wants.”

Chapter Two

Mitchell Donavan smiled as his golf ball sailed down the fairway of the Big Timber course before veering to the right.

Though his hadn’t gone as far or as straight as Alexander Darst’s, it had been a respectable hit off the tee. He’d been playing for nearly ten years, ever since he realized that as much business was conducted on the golf course as in the office. If you didn’t play, you could be left out of the game.

Mitch had spent enough of his boyhood on the outside looking in. He didn’t care to repeat the experience as an adult. He hoisted the strap of his bag over his shoulder and started down the fairway.

When he reached his ball, he paused and stared into the distance. The vertical peaks and sawtooth ridges of the Crazy Mountains made him feel at home in a way the ramshackle house of his childhood never had….

“When I went off to college, I always planned to come back here,” Mitch reminisced. In the years since he’d graduated, Mitch had seen his share of the country. But his heart had remained firmly planted in Montana where the land was beautiful, the people genuine and the pace to his liking. “I just never thought the return trip would take this long.”

“What was the holdup?” Alex’s gaze remained focused on his ball as it joined Mitch’s at the edge of the green.

“Wasn’t ready,” Mitch said simply, knowing his reluctance had been more complicated than that. “I had to experience the world outside of Yellowstone County before I came back to settle down.”

“Settle down?”

The gleam in Alex’s eyes made Mitch wish he hadn’t spoken so freely.

“I have someone in my office who’d be perfect for you,” Alex continued.

Mitch pulled a pitching wedge from his bag and moved to set up his next shot. “What’s her name?”

“Anna Anderssen,” Alex said.

A roaring filled Mitch’s ears and he hit the ball harder than he’d intended. It sailed across the green and landed in the sand trap on the other side.

“Ease back on your follow-through,” Alex instructed.

Mitch blinked as if his eyes were exposed to the blazing sun rather than shaded by tinted glasses. “What did you say?”

“You need to pull back—”

“Not that,” Mitch said impatiently. “Before.”

“You mean about Anna?” The gleam was back. “Want me to set you up?”

“Nope.” Mitch’s fingers tightened around the strap of his bag, remembering the blond-haired, blue-eyed charmer who’d once held his heart in the palm of her hand. “I just didn’t realize Seth’s sister was back in town.”

Alex pulled the putter from his bag. “She and a couple friends are living in a big old house on Main.”

“Why did she bother coming back?” Mitch muttered as he stepped into the bunker, sand wedge in hand. He forced himself to concentrate and chipped the ball onto the green. He felt a surge of satisfaction as it kept rolling, circled the cup and dropped into the hole.

“Something to do with her friend Lauren.” Alex’s ball quickly followed Mitch’s into the cup. “She’s the psychologist who’s working on her dissertation research. Didn’t Seth make you complete a questionnaire for her?”

“He made me, all right. Went on and on about her.” Mitch reached down and snagged the balls from the cup and tossed Alex’s to him. “But he didn’t say a word about her being Anna’s friend.”

The name felt odd on his tongue after all these years. Last Mitch knew Anna was living in Denver. And he’d learned that from another high school buddy.

Seth rarely mentioned his sister. Mitch wasn’t sure if his reluctance to discuss Anna was because he didn’t think Mitch would care, or because he suspected something had happened between them that long-ago summer.

None of it mattered, anyway. Anna was the past and Mitch’s eyes were firmly focused on the future. He was no longer the loser from the wrong side of town but a successful architect with his own company. He didn’t need to prove himself to Anna Anderssen anymore.

When he ran into her, he’d be polite but distant. He’d learned his lesson. Never again would he be fooled by a pretty face and laughing blue eyes.

Anna paused in the doorway of the Sweet River Civic Center. She glanced down at her dress and wondered if she had time to go home and change. When Alex’s last appointment of the day had turned out to be more time intensive than he’d anticipated, he’d asked her to represent him at the first meeting of the area’s Young Professionals group.

With the event starting at five-thirty, she had no choice but to come straight from work. In Denver she’d have felt appropriately attired in the stylish burnt-orange sheath she’d worn to work. Especially when coupled with the translucent multicolored bead necklace and designer heels.