It was a cliché, Julia knew, but she’d grown up and lived in her sister’s shadow long enough to understand the preconceived notions placed on twins. They’d both been stereotyped early on. Now, as a lawyer and a model, the two had gone on to fulfill those predetermined roles.

She read the invitation again. Could it have been meant for her? Whether it was or not, and no matter how tempting it sounded, she didn’t have time to drop everything and fly halfway across the country to enjoy a week of R & R with some secret admirer, especially with the high-profile case going before the judge next week. She crinkled the invitation into a ball and tossed it into the trash. If it was for Mari, she was away at some exotic locale shooting a magazine cover and wouldn’t be able to make it anyway. And if it was for her, well, she wasn’t about to give it another thought.

…

Chase Cooper hadn’t seen Mari Blair since high school, but it didn’t take a whole lot of investigative work for his buddy Jag to discover that she was living in a downtown Halifax condo. Since he found no sign of a husband or children, Coop went forward with his plan to see if he could get her to the ranch—to discover if they could have a future together.

But as he finished securing his gelding in the end stall, he couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious about their half-cocked plan. Nor could he help but question his logic as he casually strolled back toward the main lodge.

He took the stairs two at a time up to his private quarters at the far end of the lodge. Heading for the bathroom, he stripped off his sweat-dampened clothes, dropping them in a pile on the tiled floor. As he reached into the shower to turn on the water, his thoughts drifted to Julia Blair, but he shook his head to clear them. After inviting Mari to the ranch, the last person he should be thinking about was her quiet twin sister, the time he walked in on her naked, or how she informed Coop he wasn’t her type.

Coop stepped into the shower and grabbed the soap. As he lathered his body, he tried to keep his thoughts on Mari. He recalled the time his group of friends went to Hubbard’s Cove. Mari had stripped down that night and had invited Coop into the water with her. He could have gone for it, but never did. Contrary to what everyone thought, he and Mari had never dated, which went against high school protocol, considering he was the captain of the soccer team and she was head cheerleader. Still, they were pretty tight friends back in the day, climbing through each other’s bedroom window to hang out or taking in the midnight show when no one else was around.

So why had he never asked her out? Because back then it wasn’t Mari he was interested in. No, the truth was, he had it bad for her sister Julia. She ran in completely different circles and wouldn’t give him the time of day. In fact, she seemed to despise him after he’d found her in Mari’s closet naked. Even if she didn’t hate him, there was nothing he could do about his attraction to her. Back in the day, he’d been best friends with her sister, which meant Julia was completely off-limits.

Hell, since getting close to Julia had been off the table, he should have just asked Mari out—to discover sooner rather than later if there could be something more between them. Instead he waited ten long years to do it. He’d never found anyone he enjoyed hanging out with more, which was why he and his two pals, Jag and Mac, had put together an asinine plan to fly the girls from their youth—the ones they thought had gotten away—to the ranch, to see if they could have a future.

He ran the soap over his body, hurrying to get ready before the plane arrived. As he soaped, his cock thickened. Only problem was that as he stroked himself, it wasn’t Mari he was thinking about.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

He’d made a mistake asking Mari to come. He blasted the cold water, feeling less than comfortable about their upcoming reunion. He shouldn’t be trying to turn his friendship with Mari into something more. Then again, maybe he’d get lucky and she wouldn’t show.

Less than an hour later, all three guys stood beneath a towering maple tree. Ranch hands Tessa and Joel greeted the pilot of the small plane. When Joel opened the door for the passengers, the first to exit was Alix Harris—the girl Jag had invited.

Pacing beside Coop, Jag moaned as he took in Alix, the woman who’d plagued his dreams since high school. She shaded her inquisitive eyes from the blinding rays with her hand and glanced around, looking for someone she recognized.

The next to disembark was Jess Gray. Looking shy and somewhat timid, she hugged her bag tight to her chest and stepped up beside Alix. Her gaze flitted about uncomfortably, and she fidgeted with her hair, running the short chestnut strands around her index finger. Unable to control his enthusiasm, Mac stepped forward, and when Jess’s glance caught his, a mixture of surprise and delight spread across her pretty face.

Unable to sit still, Coop paced around the tree and fisted and unfisted his hands. Would the girl from his past show? He honestly hoped not, because he never should have asked her to come. Sure, he’d been feeling a little played out, a little tired of going to bed with a girl only to wake up alone, lonely. But setting this plan in motion had been a huge mistake, one he and his friends never should have conspired over a few too many beers. His stomach tightened as he ran a shaky hand through his hair.

Two more passengers exited the plane, and after a long moment, he was fairly certain she hadn’t come. A wave of relief rolled through him, and he drove his hands into his pockets. But when he spotted movement—long, slim legs descending the metal stairs—he swallowed hard, hoping that once he explained the situation to her, she’d simply laugh it off and they’d fall back into their easy friendship.

Thick dark hair cascaded over her slim shoulders as she stepped onto the tarmac and perused the unfamiliar surroundings. Coop’s gaze leisurely roamed over her before his glance traveled back to her face. He took in the soft curve of her jaw, her tanned skin, and her full, lush lips. When her glance met his and he drank in her come-hither whiskey eyes—sultry and sensual beneath the summer sun—his jaw dropped, hardly able to believe who he was staring at.

Well, holy shit…

Chapter Three

Holy shit…

Julia’s stomach plummeted as she stared at the very familiar man lounging beneath the towering oak tree to the left of the tarmac—a handsome man she knew all too well and couldn’t believe she was coming face-to-face with after all this time. At least this time she had her clothes on.

When his jaw dropped, understanding hit harder than a judge’s wooden gavel. Her legs weakened, and moisture pebbled on her forehead as she realized what a colossal mistake she’d made.

Embarrassed and feeling like a complete and utter fool, Julia locked her knees to keep herself upright. She took a tentative step back, wishing the ground would open up and swallow her whole.

Good God, what the hell am I doing here?

With her mind spinning a million miles an hour, she berated herself for actually getting on the plane. But when she found out her case was no longer going to court, only to go home to see the invitation glaring at her from her garbage can, taunting her to go and see what this vacation was all about—and discover who had sent it—she went ahead and did just that.

She’d found herself maneuvering her car down the highway, heading toward the airport. As she drove, she worked to convince herself the short journey was for information purposes only—to discover the sender’s true identity. Since impetuous behavior was completely out of character for her, she was pretty damn certain she wasn’t going to step foot on the jumbo jet that took them to Alberta, or the small Cessna that just delivered them to the ranch—which was why she hadn’t bothered with a suitcase.