Rafe: (Contemporary Western Romance) (New Horizon Ranch: Mule Hollow Book 2) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Description

  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

  Dear Reader

  New Horizon Ranch: Mule Hollow series

  Excerpt from HER MULE HOLLOW COWBOY

  Excerpt from CHASE

  More Books by Debra Clopton

  About the Author

  Copyright

  RAFE

  New Horizon Ranch: Mule Hollow Book 2

  DEBRA CLOPTON

  Follow Debra on Twitter

  Chat with Debra on Facebook

  www.debraclopton.com

  [email protected]

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  Rafe:

  When runaway bride, Sadie Archer’s car breaks down on the outskirts of Mule Hollow, Texas, she’s not exactly dressed to fix the blown tire. Then again, she hadn’t planned on this road trip or her life falling apart a week before her wedding. But now that she’s hit the road, destination unknown, Sadie’s decided it’s time to disappear for a while and find out exactly what it is she wants out of life. But first she needs to change her flat tire and that is easier said than done when one is wearing…

  A bunny suit!

  Ex-cowboy star Rafe Masterson thinks he’s seeing things at first but yes—that is definitely a female head sticking out of the furry white bunny suit, tangling with a spare tire. A cowboy who guards his heart carefully, he’s still always willing to help someone in need…even one wearing white fur from top to bottom. Completely captivated by the unusual woman, Rafe senses she’s in trouble in more ways than the flat tire. He’s part owner of the New Horizon Ranch and offers her a job as cook—even though they don’t need a cook.

  Sadie accepts even though she can’t really cook but this is the perfect answer to her needs right now…and how hard can it be anyway?

  These two might be down-on-love but love hasn’t given up on them and the Matchmaking Posse of Mule Hollow has just gotten them in their sights...

  Chapter One

  A human sized, fluffy, pink-tailed bunny on the side of the road was the last thing Rafe Masterson expected to see on his way to his brother’s engagement party.

  He squinted through the sun’s rays, “Surely not—,” he said, driving closer. But, yup, that was definitely the furry, white rump of a bunny bent over the backend of the trunk of the broke down sports car…the critter had a flat tire.

  Rafe pressed the brake as the cotton tail wiggled then the bunny popped to a standing position—no bunny head attached. Instead, sun-kissed red hair splayed down the furry back almost touching the cotton tail. Rafe stomped harder on the brake just as bunny-woman propped one oversized rabbit’s foot on the bumper of the car and yanked hard on the spare tire—instantly it popped free sending bunny-woman and the tire she was clutching stumbling backwards like a drunk on Saturday night.

  She tripped over her feet and fell forward on top of the tire, her bunny tail flopping in the breeze just as Rafe barreled from his truck and raced to help. All the while thinking his brother Cliff and his ranch partner’s weren’t going to believe his reason for being late to Cliff’s engagement party dinner.

  He skidded to a halt just as the redhead rolled off the tire onto her back, bunny feet pointing to the sky by a good eighteen inches. They were huge.

  “Are you okay?” He gaped at the massive feet and then the gigantic white belly that sloped to the prettiest—maddest bunny he’d ever seen.

  “Oh sure,” she grunted, magnificent green eyes flashing brilliant as a neon sign. “I’m just peachy wonderful.” She struggled to sit up, a scowling.

  Rafe dropped to one knee and grabbed hold of her fuzzy arm assisting her in her effort. “I hate to break it to you, but you don’t look too peachy wonderful to me. You look, hotter than a firecracker and a good bit uncomfortable.” “I’ll fix your tire-”

  “Thanks, but no thanks,” she snapped. “Contrary to what it looks like I can fix my own tire. I thank you for stopping but I don’t need a man to fix my flat,” she said and added under her breath, “or anything else.”

  “Shew, you are miffed about something.” He tugged her to her feet without asking if she needed his help.

  “Thanks,” she said then stalked away.

  He watched her walk away, her feet—thick and long made splatting sounds on the pavement as she clomped toward her car. “Hey, hold up,” he called, striding to catch her.

  She didn’t answer instead she started digging around inside the trunk, that pink bunny tail flopping sassily with every movement.

  Whew, she was mad at someone and he’d put money on that someone being a man. “I really don’t mind.” He gave her his best grin and placed one hand on the rim of the trunk. “It would be a pity for you to get your fur all messed up,” he drawled and shot her a smile. “And I hate to mention it, but those feet are probably going to get in your way.”

  A funny expression on her face, she looked down at her feet—almost as if she’d forgotten about them. Which was understandable since her belly was so big she couldn’t actually see her feet. How had she driven the car this far?

  She bent forward to see more than her toes. “They roll up—”

  “Hand it over, Flossy. In Texas when we see a lady or a bunny in distress we stop and help.” Rafe reached for the tire tool and her eyes flashed as his hand wrapped around it. She tugged and held on. He gave her a stern look. “I’m not gonna stand here and watch you pass out changing that tire-or attempting to change it. From the looks of your cheeks you won’t last long.”

  “I don’t need you,” she said.

  “Yes, you do.” Rafe was known for getting a job done, and he was in serious fault of getting lost in her green eyes and forgetting about everything. “If it helps calm your nerves or anything I’m Rafe Masterson. I’m part owner of New Horizon Ranch and I’m well known in Mule Hollow and the surrounding county. You can trust me.”

  “O-kay,” she sighed, looking weary with her pink cheeks and damp skin. “I concede to the cowboy.” She let go of the jack. “And thank you.”

  He grinned. He couldn’t help it as he tipped his hat. “A very smart move. And may I ask your name?”

  “Sadie. Sadie Archer”

  “Nice to meet you, Sadie.” He turned and set to work not wanting her to grab hold of the jack again. His mind was racing with questions about Sadie the bunny but he focused on getting the car jacked up. She moved over to the tire and rolled it his direction. The fact that she was a large white bunny was still making him want to chuckle but his curiosity had blown all out of proportion about why in the world she was in the funny getup.

  “Are you sure you have time to do this?” she asked, rolling it to a stop. “You look like you’re all dressed up for a date or something?”

  Wondering about her he’d completely forgotten about Maggie and Cliffs’ engagement party. “I’m heading to my brother’s engagement party. But it’ll be fine. I’ll call him and let him know I’m running a little late.”

  She bit her lip and pushed her crimson bangs off her moist forehead.

  The sun sizzled here in the middle of Texas at four even on a mid-September after
noon and he didn’t know how long she’d been out in it before he arrived.

  “That suit has to be smothering you. Can’t you take it off?”

  “Um, no. I can’t.” She plucked at a piece of lifeless white belly fur. “Believe me, if I could I would. But I’m fine.”

  “You don’t look fine. You look like you’re going to fall over any moment from overheating.” He was already damp and he was only wearing a starched western dress shirt and jeans, no fur. Her cheeks were rapidly turning hot pink.

  “I said I was fine.”

  “Yeah, right.” He could look at her and tell that wasn’t so. Working fast he had the flat tire off and the spare in place within a few minutes. The last thing he needed was for her to pass out on him from heat exhaustion. “Done.” He let the jack down. “Now, jump inside the car and get some air going, cool those pretty cheeks off.”

  Looking less perky than she had when he first arrived she didn’t bother to protest. Instead, she trudged over and sank into her seat, that hairy suit had to be getting heavier by the minute in this heat. In a moment he heard the AC blowing full blast. He should have had her sitting in there the whole time he realized or in his truck. But then as stubborn as she seemed he knew she probably wouldn’t have gotten out of the heat while a complete stranger did work for her.

  He dusted off his hands, his job was done and he had a party to get to but he didn’t feel comfortable leaving her yet. He rested an arm on the top of the door and stared down at her. “Do you need help?”

  “You already helped enou-”

  “No, I mean are you in trouble?” he asked, gently. “Something doesn’t seem right about this situation.” And he wasn’t one to beat around the bush. He’d been through a lot in his life and …something about her reminded him of the way his mother used to look. Back when he was a kid and home life was hell. Literally. With a no-count father she’d protected over and over again, he and his twin brother, Cliff, had been forced to endure a home-life that still haunted him in many ways.

  He did not take a woman in trouble lightly.

  Sadie rubbed her hand on her furry thigh then raised hesitant eyes to his. “I’m fine. Do you know if anyone is hiring in Mule Hollow? I could use a job.”

  Rafe’s stomach dipped—his palms dampened looking into those eyes. “Me. I mean our ranch is looking for help.”

  She studied him, sparks flashing in her eyes. “Seriously, or are you just saying that?”

  “No, I’m not,” he said too quickly, suddenly for some unexplainable reason wanting her to accept his help. “To be honest we don’t have any need for a five-foot-four-inch bunny, but we could sure use a…a cook. Can you cook?”

  Her gaze turned probing-or was that skeptical. “It’s not my strong point but I can manage.”

  Rafe figured she could have told him she burned toast and scorched eggs and he’d have been fine with that. The fact that she was being honest about her ability was a plus.

  “Then you’re hired.”

  Sadie couldn’t believe what she was considering. Where had the needing a job bit come from in the first place? Probably because the bunny suit was frying her from the inside out and the sun was baking her brain.

  That and the fact that she still hadn’t gotten over the fact that she’d found her fiancé kissing one of her best friends four hours ago.

  She closed her eyes and tried to settle the turmoil crashing around inside of her. This had been the worst day of her life and she’d just complicated it more by mentioning she needed a job. But that was the weird part-she didn’t need a job…did she? She just needed time. Time to figure out how she’d made such a mess of her life.

  She was a strong, independent woman…so how could she have let her relationship with Andrew go this far in the first place?

  Because you were tired of waiting while everyone around you got married and had babies.

  She sighed, knowing the voice in her heart spoke the truth.

  Her stomach churned looking up at Rafe Masterson. Why had she mentioned this to him, a total stranger? She should just drive on. “Does, being the cook on a ranch come with room and board?” Being a cook on this cowboy’s ranch would give her the time she needed to get her thoughts together and figure out what her next move should be.

  No one would look for her on a ranch, would they?

  She was a city girl, born and bred. And everyone who knew her understood this.

  No, they'd look for her anywhere but on a cattle ranch.

  “Sure it does." The amazingly handsome cowboy stared down at her, his smoldering gaze dug into her like the tabs on a lie detector machine-and oddly enough Sadie was tempted to spill her very bad and personal day to the man on the spot.

  “Then I’ll take the job.” She held out her hand to shake on the deal and he took hers in his larger one, his calloused palm sent a jolt of awareness through her. But in its shocking wake there was also a sense of reassuring strength in his touch. It resonated from his amazing eyes.

  "Good,” he said, continuing to hold her hand for a moment. “If you want to follow me to the ranch I'll show you where you'll be working and I’ll introduce you to my other four partners and my brother."

  "Sure, that sounds good." What was she doing? The man was chivalrous, good-looking and thoughtful but still, was she really about to accept a job from a total stranger because her life was in the dumps?

  Chapter Two

  Evidently she was, Sadie marveled a few minutes later as she followed Rafe through a huge, gorgeous entrance gate. It was made from thick logs and iron work that for some reason relieved and reassured her that he was on the up and up. The drive toward the interior of the ranch was flanked by what seemed like miles of iron pipe fencing separating the driveway from the pretty, rolling pastures that were dotted with black cattle and large oak trees.

  When the house came into view her breath caught. Talk about impressive-it was huge. Gold and tan limestone rock with thick rusty red logs were combined to make a substantial home that fit in the setting.

  And then she saw the cars. They were everywhere.

  Parked in between the large home and the red barns and buildings that set several hundred yards from the house. The cars filled the space and spilled out along the sides of the driveway next to the house. And then, there were the people.

  They stood in groups enjoying the afternoon on the grounds and the huge patio at the back of the house. Obviously a party was going on. She parked beside Rafe and when he jogged around the end of his truck and opened her car door she was still gripping her steering wheel as she glared up at him.

  “You brought me to a party? I’m wearing a bunny suit.” This day had been humiliating on so many levels that had nothing to do with her wearing the bunny suit, but in the aftermath the suit had made everything else worse. She just wanted out of it.

  Rafe hadn’t thought about the fact that she was in the bunny suit bothering her. After all, she’d been wearing it on her cross-country drive. Now, looking into her startled eyes he wasn’t sure what she was feeling.

  His gut continued to tell him that Sadie was in some kind of trouble and that was all he’d been thinking about. Now, as he glanced from her to the full parking area between the big house and the barns and stables and the people flowing all across the back of the house it hit him that he should have given her advance warning.

  “I know I mentioned that I was going to an engagement party that three of my partners are throwing for our female partner, Maddie, and my brother. I should have added that it was here on the ranch.”

  “There are people everywhere,” she stated as if he hadn’t by some chance realized this fact.

  “Yeah, there are. But, it’ll be okay. You can change clothes and I’ll introduce you to the good folks of Mule Hollow.”

  Her expression slid into a perplexed stance. “I don’t have any clothes with me.”

  “Excuse me?”

  She shook her head. “When I said I didn’t have any c
lothes on under this thing I also meant I didn’t have any at all. Packed away or anything.”

  A heatwave rolled over Rafe like drought season in flames. He swallowed. “None?”

  She grimaced and shook her head.

  “Well,” his voice cracked, and he tugged on the starched collar of his shirt. “I mean, how in tarnation did that happen?”

  She looked away and he noticed the vein at the base of her neck was pulsing in overdrive-kind of the way his was pounding at the moment.

  “I had to leave town a little unexpectedly.” She didn’t look at him but instead her gaze spanned the top of her car back over toward the house and the crowd mingling happily there. She pulled her shoulders back but offered nothing else.

  Rafe thought back to the day he and Cliff had struck out from their home. They were twins, though they really just looked like brothers, they’d been seventeen and barely took time to fill plastic bags with a few clothes. He knew what had driven them to leave so quickly, he couldn’t help but wonder what had sent Sadie off without anything but the-fur on her back.

  Funny, but not funny.

  “Someday, I’m gonna have to know the story of how you got stranded inside that confounded bunny suit without…” he paused…“Without a change of clothes. But right now, we’ll figure something out.” He glanced toward the yard of people between them and the house. “Tell you what, it might be easier if we went in from the front door instead of the back.” He opened the door to his truck. “Slide in here and I’ll drive you closer to the front of the house.”

  She didn’t look at all thrilled by the idea of getting into his truck.

  “You can trust me, Sadie. I was hoping you’d figured that out by now. You might not mind if all my friends see you in your suit. I mean, I might be assuming more than I should when I thought you didn’t like the idea.”