Page 37 of Take Me Please, Cowboy (The Calhouns & Campbells of Cold Canyon Ranch #1)

The living room had been buzzing with conversation, but once they saw him all conversation ended, the deep voices falling silent.

Rye almost smiled. He’d been through so much in his life that facing five Campbells didn’t intimidate him.

He would have preferred they were all seated, and that there was a chair for him but no matter.

“We’ve never met,” Rye said, his gaze sweeping the room. “I’m Rye Calhoun. You’re Ansley’s brothers.”

There was a murmur of agreement and one of the brothers introduced each of them, pointing at them as he did so. “I’m Van, and that’s Knox, Lachlan, Duncan, and Finlay.”

Rye inclined his head. They were big guys, tall and broad shouldered, and nearly all fair like Ansley. “What brings you to Montana?”

“You do,” the man—could have been Lachlan—standing in front of the fireplace said. “Dad couldn’t be here so we thought we should meet the man who has captured Ansley’s heart.”

“I’d do the same,” Rye said. “I have two sisters.”

“Either of them married?” Fin, the youngest, asked.

Rye shook his head. “Hannah, she’s been seeing someone seriously, but I’m not okay with it. Not okay with him.”

Van crossed his arms over his chest. “Why?”

Rye shrugged. “He’s not good enough for her.”

“And what if we don’t think you’re good enough for Ansley?” the brother by the fireplace shot back.

“I’d say you’re probably right,” Rye answered easily, smiling. “But then, I don’t know if any man is good enough for her. Your sister is pretty much perfect.”

The guys laughed, some shaking their heads.

“Wait until you really get to know her,” the one Van had introduced as Knox said. “She’s tough. She knows what she wants and, apparently, she wants you.”

“Which is why we’re here,” Vander added. “We thought you’d appreciate the support.”

“Do I need support?” Rye returned.

“Everyone needs help,” one of the brothers sitting on the couch answered. “Especially if you’re organizing a big move.”

Rye’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not sure I follow.”

“I think we’re handling this badly,” Vander said. “I think we should have asked for his help first. He might not even be interested.”

“Interested in what?” Rye hated that he felt like he’d been dropped into the middle of a scene and he’d missed the key setup.

“We have a situation, and it crossed our mind that you could be the answer to our problems.”

“If you were a religious man, I’d say an answer to our prayer, but I don’t know where you stand up in terms of faith,” the one who was probably Duncan spoke.

“I talk to God,” Rye said flatly. “But not sure what He’s got to do with any of this.”

“Let’s cut to the chase then.” Van was comfortable taking charge.

He was obviously the oldest. “We have a big piece of land here in Montana. Even though my dad and uncle are estranged, Dad is still part-owner. Our grandparents left Cold Canyon Ranch equally to both of their sons. Uncle Clyde has run the ranch all these years, but he has no children, which leaves the ranch to us.”

“Our father wants nothing to do with it,” the brother on the couch said. “He’s happy in Texas and that’s where he calls home.”

“Most of us have made our homes in Texas,” Van added. “No one is ready to move to Paradise Valley, which is why Ansley is here.”

“I thought one of you was interested in this place,” Rye said.

“Possibly, but if you thought this could be a good home for you and Ansley, then that is what we’d do.”

Rye took a breath. “I’m not sure I’m following.”

“You’re a cowboy. You come from a family of cattlemen. You know what to do with Cold Canyon Ranch. You’d know how many head of cattle you can run on the property. You’d know which crops to plant. You’d know how to bring value back and stop the financial drain on my uncle,” Van said.

Lachlan nodded. “Uncle Clyde hasn’t made the necessary decisions to provide for his future. Short of selling the ranch, there’s nothing set aside for him. He has nothing liquid. In light of this, he is dependent on our family for care and financial support.”

This was a story Rye was all too familiar with. “I know, and I’m sorry your uncle is ailing. I’m sorry none of you can see yourself here in Montana. It can’t be easy making decisions for his care from Dallas or wherever you live.”

“We wouldn’t have to, if you were here,” Fin spoke up.

Rye suddenly saw where they were going with this. Ansley’s brothers wanted him to take on the ranch and for Ansley to care for Clyde, but that wasn’t what Rye wanted for either of them. “I don’t see that happening.”

“Why not?” Duncan asked. “This is a big piece of land and could be prosperous again. It would take hard work but eventually—”

“No.” Rye gritted his teeth. There was no way.

It didn’t work. He wanted his mom close to town, near people, and he didn’t want Ansley having to take care of her uncle.

They could hire a nurse and Ansley could visit, but he wasn’t going to turn her into a caregiver.

She had dreams, and he would protect her dreams even if it meant that it inconvenienced her family.

“That was an awfully quick no,” Lachlan said. “Ansley could still paint. There are a number of bedrooms here. It’s not a long drive to town and your brother would get exceptional care at Marietta Medical.”

Rye shook his head, temper rising. “You have it all figured out. I’m supposed to move my family here, take over the ranch, ask my family to squeeze into this farmhouse so you don’t have to worry about your uncle or your nest egg.”

For a moment there was only silence, then Fin smiled crookedly. “It doesn’t sound very appealing like that, but it’s an option. I don’t know about you, but I like having options. Options aren’t decisions. They’re just another opportunity, something to think about when you can’t sleep at night.”

“We don’t expect you to make a decision today,” Van added. “If it were me, I couldn’t make a decision without talking with my family.”

Rye wasn’t happy. This wasn’t the conversation he’d anticipated them having. He thought he was coming to the house to meet Ansley’s family, not have her brothers try to take charge of his life. No wonder Ansley wanted to get away from them.

The front door opened and suddenly Ansley was there looking at the room full of brothers. She glanced at them and then at Rye, a question in her eyes. It was obvious something was wrong from the tension humming in the room.

She looked at her brothers, and then back to Rye. “What’s going on?”

“We’re talking about some options with Rye.”

“Oh?” Her voice rose to match the lift of her elegant brow. “What options?”

“It crossed our mind that Rye could be the answer to the problem of Cold Canyon Ranch, and we’ve been running our ideas past him.”

Ansley’s jaw tightened. She didn’t appear reassured. “I’m in the dark here,” she said. “Someone, please fill me in.”

For being such big guys, they suddenly looked unsure, and no one rushed to speak. She looked at each of the five before focusing on Rye. “It looks like they’re being cowardly. Want to tell me what’s going on?”

Rye hesitated, not wanting to come between family, but he and Ansley had agreed no secrets. They had to talk. It was essential to communicate. “Your brothers think I should live here with you, and you could take care of your uncle while I run the ranch.”

“That wasn’t the suggestion,” Vander interjected.

“We wouldn’t want Ansley to become Uncle Clyde’s nurse.

Mom’s arranging for a professional caregiver to live in, but yes to running the ranch.

He’s experienced and we thought he might enjoy working close to the Wyatts since he knows them from the circuit. ”

Ansley’s eyes narrowed, her furious gaze sweeping the living room.

“How dare you go behind my back and make plans for my life? Just because you don’t want to live here doesn’t mean I should have to live here.

Mom knows I recommended selling the place after Uncle Clyde passes, and then you guys could divvy it up however you want. I don’t need it. I don’t want it.”

“But it’s a family property,” Knox said. “It’s been in the family for nearly a hundred years.”

“But if no one in the family is willing to come here and manage it, then let it go and stop trying to make decisions for me. Rye and I want our own path, and our own life, and it blows my mind that you thought it was okay to dangle this place in front of Rye as if he’s going to be grateful for the opportunity.

This is not his place, and the Campbells aren’t his family—”

“Now hold on,” Duncan said. “You led us to believe that you wanted to marry him. You talked about the future, and if you get married Rye becomes a Campbell. He becomes one of us.”

“No!” Ansley practically shouted. “No, Duncan, that’s not how it works. He’s a Calhoun. If we marry, I become a Calhoun. Rye and I don’t do what’s best for the Campbells. We do what’s best for the Calhouns.”

Silence followed her speech. The brother by the fireplace shuffled his feet. The one on the couch stretched his legs out.

Temper still blazing, Ansley marched into the center of the room.

“You disrespected me, and you disrespected Rye, and I’m ashamed of you.

You should have come to me first. You should have asked me what I thought, and if I thought there was potential, I could have run it past Rye in private.

Truthfully, I wouldn’t have run this idea past Rye as it’s insulting to even think he’d want to be here on this ranch, in this house.

This isn’t his home. And it isn’t mine.”