Once a Rancher Read Online Free PDF

disaster.
    Okay, so she didn’t know Slater well enough to write him off as a player, but she’d learned to be wary of his brand of charisma.
    If he saw her as a conquest—she’d run into that attitude before and after Hank—he was riding for a fall that would bruise his masculine ego big-time.
    Count me out.
    She looked past her computer monitor, took in her surroundings. It was an old trick, a way of grounding herself in the real world when her mind wandered.
    Grace loved her spacious second-floor office, overlooking the pool and the gardens. There was a small balcony, complete with a couple of ornate deck chairs and a small, glass-topped table.
    Not that she had time to sit out there and enjoy it all.
    This morning, though, she had the balcony doors open, and a cool, soft breeze wafted in, scented with a tinge of pine and the lush flowers crowding the gardens.
    The resort was a terrific place to work, her salary was generous and so far, she’d gotten along beautifully with the guests as well as the staff. In short, she’d finally gotten her life unstuck, and no complications would be tolerated.
    Specifically, the tall, dark-haired, good-looking cowboy sort of complication.
    â€œDid you see that booking I forwarded?”
    The question came from her assistant, Meg, who was standing in the doorway, smiling broadly. Meg was young, energetic and fresh out of hotel management school, but inexperienced. The resort owner, George Landers, was an old friend of Grace’s father’s. He had reliable instincts when it came to hiring key people. In time, Meg would develop the necessary air of confident authority required to run one of his resorts, but for now, she was still “wet behind the ears,” to quote George.
    Grace herself had a degree in the hospitality field—which she’d obtained part-time while she was still a cop—but no real experience, and she wasn’t positive that confidence was her strongest suit, either, given some of the choices she’d made in the past. She was skilled at handling difficult situations, however, and the boss knew that because he knew her . She’d been trained to function under intense pressure, but in reality, she didn’t actually run the resort as much as she supervised the staff who ran it.
    The exact instructions she’d received: Just make sure everybody’s doing what they’re supposed to do. I trust you to take care of whatever comes up.
    Thank God somebody believed in her abilities.
    Or maybe she’d just gotten lucky.
    George Landers had gone to college with her father, and the two men had played golf together ever since, every Wednesday afternoon. When George learned that Grace might be looking for a change of scene, he’d punched her number into his cell phone, invited her to his office and offered her the job on the spot.
    She’d jumped at the chance. No, she hadn’t realized Ryder was going to jump with her, but she could cope with that. After all, she was crazy about the kid.
    â€œI was actually just looking at it,” she answered belatedly, smiling at Meg. “Very nice.”
    â€œThe Carson name carries considerable weight around here.” Meg, wearing the fitted jacket and skirt the company required, crossed the threshold and laid a set of invoices on the desk. “They’ve also recently opened a winery. That Ranch Hand Red on our wine list in the dining room is one of our best sellers.”
    This was valuable information. “The Carsons own Mountain Vineyards? Hmm.” Grace tapped a few keys and their website popped up. The winery building itself was picturesque, a restored barn or bunkhouse, perhaps, rustic but sturdy, attractively weathered, with a shingle roof and tall windows. The mountains provided a staggering backdrop.
    Oh, yes. The place was the epitome of Western charm. “I wonder if they’d consider doing tours and a few wine-tasting events for our