Danny (Downton Cowboys Book 1) Read online

  “Nah, it’s just us. You listen to me.” He forged a serious expression. “Not all them chicks want your Brad Pitts and Greek Gods.”

  “And I ain’t waitin’ for no chicks.”

  “You ain’t.” He winked. “They come to you. You just ain’t keen on givin’ ‘em what they want.”

  “Oh, yeah?” I tried to humor him. “And what’s that?”

  “A little bit o’ romancin’...cologne, shave that stubble, brush back that black hair o’ yours with some product.”

  Shaking my head in dismay, I smiled at the cup of tea in my hand. “Sometimes, Michael, I can’t even believe you’re from ‘round here.”

  “I grew up with three sisters; I know what I’m talkin’ about.”

  “Well then, thank the Lord I ain marryin’ one o’ your sisters. Am I right?”

  We both laughed, and that was that.

  I settled behind my large wooden desk and opened the first file, trying to concentrate on the words my eyes were reading.

  Was he right that afternoon, though?

  Was I doing it all wrong? Did women these days only want a sweet-talking, clean-shaven, slick-haired college graduate who sprayed himself with a half bottle of French cologne?

  Well, I didn’t want those women. Of course, I wanted someone who was beautiful, but not overly done. A woman who carried herself with competence and pride, who wasn’t looking for a shallow copy or a copy of whatever Hollywood painted as the perfect man.

  I was waiting for a capable woman who knew she could do everything on her own. Who didn’t want a man to flaunt, but to share life with? A man who could provide only because he wanted to, not because she demanded.

  The woman of my dreams hadn’t come along yet. And with the dozens of people knocking daily on my door, looking for produce or help, I did meet new folk every day.

  She just hadn’t showed up yet. But I was patient.

  I was patient because I knew I didn’t deserve less than what I wanted. I worked hard for what I had. I endured hardships nobody else would have withstood. I spent nights, weeks, months…years, building what I had today. And I wasn’t about to just settle for the most important decision of my life.

  She was out there, I was sure. The woman who was created for me. To love and to hold forever.

  She had to be on this planet.

  Somewhere.

  Chapter Two

  Gigi

  The moment Danny Downton opened the door, I forgot all about the panting from lugging my suitcase, the soreness in my heels, and the harsh heat of the afternoon sun that scorched my face.

  Taken aback by the sight of him, my heart skipped a beat, and my jaw dropped a little. I knew he felt it too because his eyes fixated on my parted lips, and he wordlessly blinked a few times before he could muster a word.

  “Hello?” he whispered questioningly, puzzled as his eyes descended to examine the luggage I had set beside me on the floor.

  “Hello.” My voice came out much softer than I had intended, and I immediately felt the blood rushing to my cheeks. “I’m here for supplies.”

  He tilted his head.

  “I—” I shook my head in a desperate attempt to formulate the words into comprehensible sentences. “I came into town to fetch some supplies for my family. I booked a room at the Mexborough hotel. By the time I arrived, I was told that they’re closed. The owners have some kind of family bereavement, I understand.” I spoke quickly for fear of losing my train of thought.

  “I see.” His eyes deliberately scanned me from head to toe, and I was suddenly reminded that my clothes must have been drenched in sweat from all the walking in the unbearable heat.

  The heat that gave that man’s skin an irresistible golden tan.

  I didn’t want to allow my eyes to rudely study him any longer. After all, his dark pupils were piercing right through me, and he was very aware of my gaze.

  “A kind man in town tried to help. He told me that your ranch could supply me with everything I need.” Pressing my lips into a thin line, I managed a slight smile. “I came a long way, and it would be a shame if I wasted this trip.”

  “Well, of course.” He shifted in place. “You’re also welcome to stay at my house if you’d like. I’ve got plenty of space.”

  His commanding voice sent a surge of trust through me. I had no idea where it came from. I had never met this man before in my life, but there I was, about to accept his tempting offer.

  Abandoning all caution, I nodded. “That would be great, actually. Not sure I can find a ride back home today.”

  Without saying a word, he took a step forward and leaned over, picking up my luggage. The sleeves of his blue plaid shirt were rolled halfway, and his shapely arms proved to be a lot stronger than they looked. He lifted the weight I had been struggling with like it was a feather.

  I stifled a smile.

  “Please, come on in.” He didn’t look back as he took my belongings inside.

  I followed him in, unable to look around at the massive house. All I could focus on was his impressive physique in those faded blue jeans and camel boots.

  Real cowboys weren’t extinct after all.

  The thought sent a pleasant shiver down my spine, and I took a deep breath.

  “You must be parched.” He turned around. “What would you like to drink?”

  Now that the sunlight wasn’t wildly bouncing around me, I could see his face clearly. His deep eyes were lined with long, dark eyelashes and crowned with a pair of thick, black eyebrows.

  His pitch-black hair was in disarray, random locks flirting with his forehead. One of them was long enough to just touch his left eyebrow.

  My heart started to race. “Um, just water would be fine.”

  “Ice tea.” He shook his head. “You need some sugar.”

  And just like that, I nodded.

  Sitting down on his couch, I let myself watch as he moved gracefully around his kitchen. It was spacious and equipped with state-of-the-art appliances, and he seemed to know his way around every corner and nook of it.

  Did he live alone?

  It was almost surreal for me to witness a true cowboy in such a setting. Rinsing cups, opening the fridge, pulling out a large jug of ice tea that got all dewy the minute he sat it down on the counter.

  As he dried the two large glasses with a checkered kitchen towel, I couldn’t help but admire his strong, rough hands. I was told that he was the owner of the vast estate. But did he work on the ranch himself?

  Those weren’t the hands of a rich, spoiled heir.

  Rugged as he was, he still kept impeccably clean nails that were clearly well taken care of.

  At that moment, Danny Downton was a puzzle I would have loved to solve.

  He approached with a tray that carried the beverage, and I held my breath. As he put it down on the table and sat down in the armchair next to the couch, I subtly inhaled and caught a whiff of his scent.

  He didn’t smell like cologne or deodorant. He smelled…of nature. Of fresh peppermint and rosemary blossoms. As I breathed in deeper, I could recognize a hint of sage that infused the air around us.

  He was like no man I had ever met.

  Why did he have this effect on me?

  “Here you go.” He handed me a glass full of cool tea and ice cubes, pulling me back to the moment where I had to act civilized.

  After all, I had no idea what his situation was, and I wasn’t about to embarrass myself in front of a complete stranger.

  A beautiful but tough stranger.

  “I didn’t get your name,” he remarked.

  “Oh my gosh, I’m sorry.” I shook my head, once again feeling the heat crawl up my cheeks. “Gigi. Gigi Mans.”

  “And what do you do, Gigi Mans?” He took a sip of his drink, examining me from under those wild eyebrows.

  “I’m an author.” I smiled, trying to keep it short for fear of saying something ridiculous.

  “Sounds fancy.” He immediately mirrored my express
ion.

  And I’d be damned with that smile…

  “Not really.” I took a sip. He sure made some tasty ice tea. “I actually hated school. But I’ve always been a bookworm. I practically educated myself by reading every single book I could get my hands on.”

  “That’s nice.” He looked downward, fixing his eyes on the glass.

  “Are you a reader?”

  He let out a brief titter. “Not that I have the time, but I’ve picked up a couple of novels along the way.”

  “It’s never too late. Impossible to imagine that you do everything around here yourself.”

  “Absolutely not.” He quickly shook his head. “I have an army that helps.”

  But those hands weren’t made for writing cheques, I was sure.

  “Do any of them live here?” My eyes wandered around the immeasurable space.

  “No.” His expression turned serious. “Everyone here’s from town.”

  “You live here alone?”

  “I do.” He nodded. A ghost of solemnness momentarily appeared in his eyes.

  So, he wasn’t married. But what about a girlfriend?

  I didn’t want to be too forward.

  “Well, I guess the grass is always greener on the other side.” A reserved giggle escaped my lips as I shifted in my seat. “I currently live with my parents.”

  “Currently?”

  “Yes. I just moved back after ending a long-term relationship.”

  “Ex-husband?”

  “Boyfriend.”

  “I’m sorry.” He seemed genuine.

  “I’m not.” My titter came out nervous. I was happy to let him know that I was single and unattached, but talking about an old relationship was never a good way to start a new one.

  I shot him a sweet gaze—an attempt to lighten the mood.

  I did like him.

  “May I ask what happened?” He tilted his head.

  Why was he interested in that? Was he as attracted to me as I was to him? And what was I to do? Tell the truth at the risk of sounding shallow or incapable of commitment?

  Well, if that was the reality about me, then so be it. I would much rather tell it as it was than pretend to be someone I wasn’t.

  “He wasn’t a bad person,” I shrugged. “I just couldn’t imagine spending the rest of my life with him.”

  “Why not?”

  Man, was he really invested.

  “Promise not to judge?”

  “I’m in no position to judge anyone,” he said it matter-of-factly.

  “There wasn’t any…fun in our affair.” The last phrase came out with a lower voice. It was as though I were too embarrassed to admit it. “If I had committed to him any longer, I was setting myself up for a life of boredom and drudgery.”

  His penetrating gaze fixed me in place. He had the power to keep me where he wanted me to be until he truly understood what I was trying to say. Without uttering a word, he propelled me to really talk.

  My right hand let go of the glass I was cradling, softly gesturing in the air. “Did you ever feel like you were…destined for more?”

  The shadow of a smile struggled to pull up the corners of his lips, and he visibly held it back.

  “I don’t know.” I quickly followed. As if shaking the rest of the statement out of my mind, I vigorously shook my head, returning my attention to my drink. “Anyway, we weren’t meant to be. I had to get away from the whole relationship, no matter what.”

  After a moment of quiet, he finally spoke. “So, you moved back with your folks.”

  “It was either that or perpetual misery. At least the situation with my parents is temporary.”

  “Until?”

  “Until I save up enough money for a down payment on my own apartment.”

  Jesus, why was I telling him all that?

  “Well, I can’t claim to truly understand what you’re going through.” His tone was serious as he clearly tried to be empathetic. “But I, too, had to part from people that I once thought the world of. It’s not easy, I gotta give you that.”

  “When it causes you pain, you must move on.”

  “True. But where do you go from there, that’s the real test of character.”

  I could sense a hint of pride in his voice. He was evidently fulfilled. Whatever decisions he had to make in his life seemed to have turned out well for him.

  Keeping eye contact, I waited for him to elaborate, but he didn’t.

  “Do you think that being a woman would make things harder for me?”

  “Oh, absolutely.” He shook his head in approval as he sat back, resting in his seat. “I wouldn’t dare try to tell you that things will be easy for you. I’m a man, I’m strong, and I have a way with people.”

  Oh, I could definitely see that.

  “But,” he continued, “you’re a beautiful young woman, and clearly smarter than most. I got a feeling you’ll be just fine.”

  He thought I was beautiful. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach.

  Calm yourself down, Gigi. I mentally urged myself to get it together.

  The way he carried himself was so relaxed and carefree. One would think he didn’t need or want anything or anyone. He seemed completely whole, grounded, and perfectly in balance.

  “Thank you.” That was all I could muster at the moment.

  “It’s not a compliment. In my business, I meet a lot of people. It gave me a sort of sense. I’m a great judge of character.”

  I wondered if that were true, but his confidence swayed my mind toward believing him.

  “So, what’s it like living on a ranch and taking care of all this?” I gestured around with my hand.

  “I can’t complain. I got my land, my flowers, my herd, and my employees who depend on me. Even the folks in town benefit from this place. It all becomes worth it when you realize that your work doesn’t only affect you.”

  “Trying to sound selfless, are we?” I giggled.

  “Why would I do that?” He slightly furrowed his eyebrows.

  Did I offend him?

  I quickly shook my head. “Oh, nothing, I was just joking.”

  “I reckon with your stay here, you’ll get to understand more about this place.”

  I locked eyes with him. “And you?”

  “I’m an open book, Miss Mans.” He politely smiled. “What you see is what you get.”

  A true cowboy indeed. How did men like him still exist in our world?

  I couldn’t help but admit to myself that I was truly infatuated by him. This had never happened to me before. No man had ever made me experience such a powerful pull upon a first encounter. I would usually need to go on a date or two to decide if I even liked the guy. Yet, here I was, sitting in his home, on his couch, sipping ice tea that he had made, and wishing he were mine for the day.

  Mine?

  Now that was a strong mental statement.

  “You alright?” His expression turned serious.

  “Uh, yes.” I blinked a few times.

  Damn your mind, Gigi.

  “You seemed to drift off a bit. I don’t know how long you had to walk out in the scorching heat. You should really finish that.” He pointed at my half-full glass.

  I automatically took a sip.

  “Right. You must think I’m some spoiled city girl,” I joked.

  “You really should listen to me more, Gigi.” He leaned forward. “I meant it when I said that I didn’t think I’m in any position to judge anyone.”

  I could feel my eyebrows shoot up a little as a reaction to his earnestness.

  “I wasn’t always a rancher,” he explained. “I'm not even originally from around here.”

  His gaze was so severe I couldn’t help but stare straight into his intense eyes. It was as though they had a grip on mine, fixing them with no escape.

  “I don’t judge people on where they came from or what they did,” he insisted. “And I wouldn’t have let you into my house and offered for you to stay if I didn’t know you
were a good person.”

  Wow. That whole thing seemed too good to be true.

  Was I falling into some kind of a trap? He couldn’t possibly be that gorgeous and wise all at once.

  “You must be exhausted.” He put his glass down on the coffee table and got up. “Finish your drink, and let me give you a tour before you settle into the guest room.”

  “Oh.” Without breaking eye contact, I gulped down what was left of my ice tea and set the glass down.

  In the instant I stood up, he was already grabbing my luggage and leading me toward the staircase at the corner of the huge reception area. Following in his steps, I looked around the space with greater focus.

  From the outside, the place looked like your regular ranch house. On the inside, however, it was a combination of traditional and modern.

  The antique oak wall paneling was clean and shiny, clearly recently polished. On All four sides were framed photographs of natural scenery in black and white, with no sign of family pictures anywhere in sight.

  The furniture, on the other hand, was all made of lighter wood in ultra-modern designs and earthy colors. Greys, olive greens, and shades of beige covered the area with a homey sense of warmth and familiarity. Although in sharp lines and clean edges.

  He sure had great taste.

  As we climbed up the stairs, he seemed to deliberately slow down for me to examine my surroundings. Posters of old western newspaper ads were craftily framed in minimalistic glass and hung up in an ascending row. Commercials of beer, classic jeans, hats, and milk cartons adorned the wall, proudly documenting the long, rich history of the place.

  Gradually transforming the atmosphere, the stairs led us to the second floor, where everything had taken a lighter hue of wood. The walls and floors were covered in beige wood panels that went beautifully with the bright sunlight that beamed in through the massive windows across the hall.

  “This is where the bedrooms are.” He turned back briefly to glance at me. “Each room has its own bathroom.”

  We continued walking past the first door to the right.

  “That was my bedroom.”

  Three more doors appeared down the corridor. Two on the left, and one of the right.

  “I’m not hosting any other guests these days, so these rooms are closed.” He put down my luggage in front of the door to our right. He turned the knob and pushed the door open. “This will be your room.”