So Tough To Tame

“Rayleen has been complaining about the Stud Farm being invaded by a swarm of women.”

“I’d hardly call Merry a swarm.”

“Yeah, well, she’s still pissed that Grace moved out and talked Rayleen into letting Merry stay. She was hoping to pack the place with nothing but big hotties again this winter.” She nudged his elbow. “As usual.”

He gave her another grin. Old Rayleen owned the apartment building next to the saloon. She had a long history of only renting to young men, and since the house had once been the Studd homestead before it’d been broken up into apartments and modernized, the town had started calling it the Stud Farm.

Last year, Rayleen had reluctantly broken with her lecherous tradition and let her great-niece move in. Then her niece’s best friend.

“What does this have to do with Charlie?” Walker asked.

“Um...I was hoping you might talk Rayleen into renting to your old friend Charlie. You know, just another cowboy looking for a place to crash for the winter.”

“Another— Oh, no. No way. Rayleen likes me.”

“Rayleen loves you!” Jenny interrupted. “That’s why she’ll let Charlie move in without even seeing her. And by the time she’s moved in, even Rayleen wouldn’t be mean enough to evict her. Not to mention it’d be illegal to blatantly kick out a tenant for being female.”

“What about kicking out a tenant for lying about a new renter?” he grouched.

“She’ll forgive you. You’re too big and handsome and sexy for her to hold a grudge.” She fluttered her eyelashes again.

“I like it a lot better when you don’t have an ulterior motive for calling me sexy.”

“But that’s the only time I call you sexy, so catch-22.”

He grinned. “You sure about that, Jenny?”

Jenny rolled her eyes. “Save your magic for Rayleen, cowboy.”

“Hey, I’ve got an idea. Why don’t you trick her into renting a place to Charlie and leave me out of it?”

“No way. Rayleen’s my boss. She can fire me. She can’t fire you.” Jenny nudged his half-empty beer. “That beer’s on the house if you do it.”

“One beer? I haven’t been out of work that long. I’m not desperate.”

“One beer and the gratitude of Deputy Nate Hendricks. That could come in handy. A cop on your side. And think of your old friend Charlie!”

Yeah. Cute little Charlie. She needed a place to stay. And the Stud Farm was one of the few cheap, nice options in this tourist town. “Shit,” he muttered.

“Yea!” Jenny cried, confident she’d won him over.

Walker shook his head and scrubbed a hand through his hair. It was too long and starting to curl over his collar. He’d meant to shave his beard and get a cut weeks ago, but now it was turning cold and he couldn’t bring himself to shear any of it. Still, it would’ve given Nicole less of a hold if he’d gotten rid of it.

He downed the rest of his beer. “I’m not going to lie to an old lady. But I’ll do what I can, all right?”

“All right. Thanks. You’re the best, Walker.”

“That’s what they say.”

“You’re also incorrigible. Good thing, because here comes Rayleen.”

He grimaced and nudged his glass toward Jenny. “Free refill?”

“I thought you weren’t desperate.”

“I’m not. I’m scared.”

“All right,” she laughed. “Free refill. After you pull it off.”

Walker took a deep breath and turned with a grin to meet the harmless-looking white-haired woman. “Well, if it isn’t my favorite landlord. Hey there, Miss Rayleen.”

“Turn back around, Walker,” she snapped. “I wasn’t finished looking at your ass.”

“I’d think you’d have it all mapped out by now. You look often enough.”

“There’s no such thing as enough when it comes to a fine piece of tush, fool.”

“Why, thank you, ma’am.” His smile came more easily now. He really did love this menace of a woman. “I was just asking Jenny here where you were hiding.”

Rayleen raised a silver eyebrow and settled into her normal seat at a table at the corner of the bar. “You finally decided to up your cougar game? Ten-year age difference no longer a challenge?”

Walker felt his cheeks heat a little at that. Was she talking about Nicole? Did everyone know? But he shook it off. She was kidding, and if he didn’t want to own up to his actions, then he’d do better to behave well in the first place. “Nope. I wanted to ask about the apartment across from mine. Is it still vacant?”

Her eyes narrowed. “Maybe. Why?”

“My old friend Charlie is looking for a place.”

“Hmph. Just how old a friend is Charlie? Some dried-up cowhand?”

“Nope. My age, give or take.”

Her eyes sparked with more interest now. “Yeah? Is he a cowboy?”

“No. More of a security expert, I believe. Works at a resort.”

She stuck a cigarette between her lips and let it dangle there. He’d never actually seen her smoke one. She just liked having them on hand, apparently. Her gaze darted down his body and then back up. “How tall is he?” The cigarette bobbed.

Walker cleared his throat and shifted. “Aw, hell, Rayleen. I don’t know. Shorter than I am.”

“Hm.”

Everyone knew Rayleen liked a lot of eye candy hanging around. Walker didn’t care. He was just happy for the chance to get a decent place at a decent price. And he could use her fondness for his ass to his advantage now. “I have heard the word ‘cute’ bandied about on occasion.”

“Oh, yeah? Well, then.” She shuffled a pack of cards with a flourish and started dealing out her first solitaire game of the day. “That snowboarding instructor I’d hoped to rent to broke his damn leg or something. Won’t be here this season. A shame. He was almost as big as you. Not sure about this whole cute thing.”

Walker shot Jenny a look and she made a hurry-up motion with her hands.

“Well,” he tried again. “I’ve known Charlie a long time. Since high school.”