Resisting the Rancher

He’s a flirt who won’t commit. She’s a broken-down country singer.

Caleb Black dances and flirts to his heart’s content—that’s all he’s capable of since his high-school sweetheart went off to chase her dreams. He’s made quite a name for himself and the horses at Black Rock Ranch, but watching his older brother fall in love shows him what a hole there is in his life.

Singing and writing music was all Jo Manning ever wanted. But when she breaks down under the relentless schedule and the pressure to produce—and when her manager runs off with all her money—the only place to heal is her family’s small ranch in the Colorado Rockies. Her parents need help, her son needs a place to call home, and Jo? She does *not* need help from the man she left behind.

Each Black Rock Ranch romance is a stand-alone story with its own HEA, but the family saga is best enjoyed in order:

1. Cherished by the Rancher (Adam & Maddy
2. Resisting the Rancher (Caleb & Jo)
2.5 Romancing the Rancher (Jesse & Sam)
3. Falling for the Rancher (Micah & Cassie)
4. Rescuing the Rancher (Seth & Riley)

The Manning ranch was only a mile-and-a-half down the road from Black Rock Ranch. Caleb grabbed a pair of work gloves on the way to his truck, figuring they’d have any other tools he’d need. Five minutes later, he was pulling into the once-familiar driveway and tamping down old emotions.

Their house had never been pristine, but it was looking pretty sad now. The faded blue paint was peeling, the porch sagged, and when Caleb placed a boot on the first step, it wobbled. He didn’t know what the rest of the ranch looked like, but it was obvious that Jo, big country music star that she’d become, hadn’t been helping the family out.

Don’t go there. Jo had made her decisions, and he’d made his. Water under the bridge and all that. What was important now was the situation in front of him.

He knocked, noticing the loose screws in the flapping screen door as he waited.

The door opened, but with the screen and the dim indoor light, he couldn’t make out the person who answered.

The door closed again.

Huh?

He nudged the screen door open far enough to knock again. Waited long moments. Was finally rewarded with the door opening again and…

“Jo?” Dumbfounded, Caleb could hardly get her name out.

She looked as good as ever: t-shirt and cut-off shorts showing off her slender curves, her glorious hair pulled into a messy ponytail. But her face carried a frown and her shoulders were hunched in.

“Caleb.” She gave him a slow, short nod. “I’m sorry. I…I didn’t expect to see you.”

“Uh…” Words hid from him. Even thoughts came slowly.
“I, uh, when did you get back?”

“Yesterday.” She gripped the edge of the door like a lifeline.

He kneaded the gloves in his hands. “Heard about your dad’s heart attack. Dad sent me to see what needed doing.”

Jo’s mouth turned down. “Nothing,” she said. “We don’t need any help. I can handle it.”

Caleb looked pointedly at the peeling paint and the loose screen door. “Dad won’t like it if I come home without doing anything.” Growing up, his parents had always said he could use them as an excuse anytime he needed to. He might be almost thirty now, but it still worked. “Can I at least fix the screen door? If you’ve got a screwdriver?”

Jo exhaled forcefully, her face relaxing just a bit. “Hang on.” She disappeared, and Caleb stepped back to peek around the side of the house.

The grass needed mowing, but it wasn’t totally neglected. The pasture fences, on the other hand… There was a lot of work to be done. And from where he stood, he couldn’t even see what the barns were like.

Jo returned with a few tools and screws. It took less than five minutes for Caleb to reattach the metal arm and tighten the frame around the screen itself.

“Thanks,” Jo said cautiously. “Tell your father we’re doing fine.”

That wouldn’t do. And what was with her, anyway? She seemed subdued and hesitant—not the Jo he used to know. “Mind if I come say hi to your folks? Haven’t seen them in a bit.”

She stared at him, her cornflower blue eyes muted to a hazy denim. Finally, she spoke. “Come on in.”

She stepped quickly back as if he were a cootie-carrying schoolboy, and he entered the living room where he’d felt so welcome a decade ago.

“Caleb!” Mrs. Manning came out of the kitchen, drying her hands on a dishtowel. “Haven’t seen you in a coon’s age. How’ve you been keeping?”

“Well enough, ma’am.” He took his cowboy hat off and gave her a peck on her plump cheek. “I heard your husband had a heart attack.”

She nodded. “Had us worried for a few days, but he’s home now. Go on back and say hi.”

Caleb gave her a smile, put his hat back on, and headed down the hallway. In the master bedroom, Mr. Manning was sitting up in bed, a Louis L’Amour book in his hands. “Caleb Black, you’re a sight for sore eyes.”

“You’re looking good, Mr. Manning. Thought you might be really sick.”

The older man waved a hand. “Doctors, what do they know? I’ll be up and out working in no time.”

“I’m sure you will. Dad says he’ll come by as soon as he can. But I’m here, and I’ve got the day to help. Anything you need done that’s worrying at you?”

Mr. Manning frowned. “Jo just got here, says she’ll fix a lot I haven’t been able to. But she’s…well, things aren’t good for her right now. And I don’t know that she can tackle big projects.”

Caleb leaned against the doorway. Jo was a rising country star, busy with her own career. Was she just on a break or had something gone wrong?

“I’ve got two brothers and a father that can help with big projects, sir. Well,” he corrected himself, “Adam’s pretty busy, but Micah, Dad and I could get a load done for you. Just say what.”

The older man shook his head. “I’m worn out just thinking about it. I’ll take a nap now, and you come back tomorrow.”

Caleb tipped his hat and backed out. Mr. Manning’s eyes were closed before he was gone.

Mrs. Manning called him into the kitchen where she was kneading some sort of dough. “I’m glad you stopped by, Caleb. Henry frets but then falls asleep.”

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll be back tomorrow—he said he’d tell me what he was working on and asked me to check the rest of the ranch.”

She leaned into the dough, pushing it forward with the heel of her hand, pulling it back and turning it, over and over. Caleb watched, mesmerized.

She stepped back after a few minutes. “I’m sorry. I seem to bake when I’m stressed.” She put the dough in a bowl and covered it with a dishtowel. “I’m keeping up with the basic chores, but they take all my time and I can’t get to anything else. Don’t know why we thought we could run this ranch without any help. And now Henry…”

Helpless, Caleb watched her lean on the counter. Finally, she straightened. “I’m glad you’re coming tomorrow. You and Jo can take the Gator around the ranch. You do a good inspection now—we need to know what we’re up against. Just…” She looked him hard in the eyes. “Be gentle with Jo for a while, okay?”

Caleb twisted the gloves again. “Of course. But…she doesn’t seem herself. Or at least not like I remember. Isn’t she supposed to be out on tour or something?”

Mrs. Manning pressed her lips together. “You’ll have to hear that from her. When she’s ready.”