by Janet Dailey
“Did you happen to notice whether the new shoes worked for Tesoro?” Her voice was chilly.
“Actually, I did. His gait looked fine. So did Ranger’s.”
“And you have plenty of work for the rest of the day?”
“I do. If I finish early, I’ll have one of the men bring me a few more horses. You won’t have to worry about me, boss.”
He hadn’t meant the last word to sound sarcastic, but the sharp rise of her eyebrows told him that was how she’d taken it. Fine. Let her walk away mad. That would be safer for them both. Here, in the dark, intimate space of the barn it was hard not to imagine taking her in his arms and devouring that sweet, plum-ripe mouth of hers. That, and more—more than enough to get him in serious trouble.
Walk away, girl. Walk away while I still have a hold on myself.
Luke didn’t say the words. He could only hope she was intuitive enough to understand.
She turned to go, then paused and turned back. “Oh—one more thing.” She reached into the hip pocket of her jeans and took out a brass key on a leather thong. “The duplex is ready for you. You can still eat at the bunkhouse, but you won’t have to sleep there anymore.”
“Thanks. And thanks for clearing the place out. I owe you.”
He held out his hand. She dropped the key into it. The metal still held the warmth of her body. He closed his fist around it, then dropped it into his shirt pocket.
Erin hadn’t moved. Her deep blue eyes seemed to hold him suspended, as if he could lose his grip and spiral into their depths. If she didn’t leave now . . .
Without a word, she reached with her right hand and caught the back of his neck. Stretching on tiptoe, she brought her lips up to his.
* * *
Erin felt his resistance, unyielding as stone. Would he thrust her angrily away from him? But no—a groan of surrender rose in his throat. His mouth molded to her kiss, deepening the intimate contact, taking possession. Erin’s pulse exploded. The spark she’d felt earlier, when he’d lifted her into the saddle, became wildfire, racing through her veins to pool its heat in the depths of her body. She reveled in glorious new sensations. Her senses feasted on the warm, salty taste of his mouth, the velvety scrape of his stubble against her face, and the heady aroma of his skin, a blend of sun, sage, and horses.
Erin had experienced the usual necking with high school boys and with Kyle. But the burning need she felt now was unlike anything she’d ever known. She ached for more—to be touched by him, held by him; but his arms remained at his sides, as if some part of him were still determined to resist her. She could almost feel his inner struggle. Where she stood against him, his body was as rigid as steel—warm steel with a pounding heart beneath its surface.
He ended the kiss and pushed her away, not angrily but firmly. He was breathing hard, his lips still moist from their kiss, but his expression had frozen over like winter ice.
“This never happened, Erin.” His voice was a low rasp. “And it mustn’t ever happen again. Do you understand?”
She willed herself to ignore the sting of his words. Luke’s reaction was exactly what she should have expected—and probably what she deserved. But she wasn’t sorry.
Her own voice emerged as a whisper. “I understand. It won’t happen again. But if you’re waiting for an apology, you’re going to have to wait for a long time.”
With that, she lifted her head, squared her shoulders, and strode out of the barn.
* * *
Compared to the noisy, crowded bunkhouse, the duplex was a four-star hotel. There was a kitchenette with stove and fridge, a coffeemaker, and a small microwave. An old but working TV faced a worn, overstuffed chair with a side table. There was even an efficiency-sized washer-dryer combo off the bathroom.
At the end of the day, Luke had moved his things into the new quarters, taken a quick shower, put on clean clothes, and gone back to the bunkhouse dining room for meat loaf and fried potatoes. He’d finished supper in time to return to the duplex, take a cold beer out of the fridge, and settle himself in the lawn chair on the front porch to watch the sun set over the Caprock Escarpment.
The weight of the key in his pocket reminded him of the extra effort that Erin had put into making the place comfortable—the fresh towels, the beer, the well-made bed, and the supplies for the coffeemaker.
He would have thanked her, but after storming out of the barn, with that soul-searing kiss still burning on his lips, she’d kept her distance. Given the way they’d parted, he wouldn’t be surprised if she never spoke to him again. But that was just as well. He wanted her. And if she showed up again, he would have a struggle keeping his hands off her.
Erin’s kiss had caught him by surprise. But when those soft young lips had pressed his, no amount of self-control could have kept him from responding. Even then, he’d held himself back. He’d known that if he let his hands roam free, he’d be in danger of going too far.
He would never have asked Erin if she was a virgin. But he’d sensed her innocence in the tender way she’d kissed him. This girl had grown up on a ranch. She would have seen countless animals perform the act of mating. But she was still exploring her own sensuality. To spoil that slow-flowering discovery would be the cruelest thing he could do to her.
Now twilight was falling over the Rimrock. With the sun gone and the heat fading, the growing darkness came alive with the chirps, flutters, and scurrying sounds of small creatures.
The lights were on in the big house. The pickup that had taken the old man’s casket to the Hill Country had returned a couple of hours ago. Sky Fletcher had taken his blue truck and gone home to his family. Will would probably be with Erin. Luke couldn’t help wondering how much she’d told her father about the day’s events.
“May I join you?” Rose, the petite, silver-haired woman Luke had met earlier, stepped out onto the porch that spanned both sides of the duplex. She was wearing a navy blue track suit, her hair braided in pigtails like a little girl’s.
Luke lowered his boots from the porch rail, meaning to stand up and get her a chair, but she stopped him with the brush of a hand on his shoulder. “No, don’t get up. There’s a chair by my door. I’ll just pull it over, next to you.”
“I can get you a beer,” Luke offered as she took her seat beside him.
“No need.” She gazed across the ranch yard to where the dark outline of the escarpment jutted against the sky. “Forgive the intrusion. It’s such a beautiful evening. I’d hoped it might be a good time to get acquainted with my neighbor.”
“You’re not intruding at all,” Luke said. “As my grandmother used to say, there’s no bad time for good company.”
Rose chuckled. “I’ll have to remember that one. So how are you finding the Rimrock so far?”
“Fine. Everybody’s been friendly and easy to work with. When you see Erin, could you thank her for me? She did a great job of cleaning out this place and getting it ready.”
Rose studied him a moment. “Why not thank her yourself?”
Had he revealed too much to this perceptive woman? Luke shrugged. “Let’s just say that she might not be too happy with me now.”
“I see.” Rose’s dark eyes narrowed. “I’ve only known Erin a short time, but if she’s anything like the rest of the Tylers, I’m guessing she’s extremely strong-willed.”
“That sounds about right,” Luke said.
“You should know a few things about her,” Rose said. “Erin is Will’s only child. If he can hold on to the Rimrock in these hard times, it’ll be all hers someday. To do that, she’ll need to be extremely tough. A few months ago, she lost her mother. Now she’s lost a man she depended on for wisdom and support. To add to that, her father is so grief-stricken that she’s had to shoulder extra burdens for him. So if she’s a little short-tempered with you—”
“I understand. It’s making more sense now,” Luke said. Rose hadn’t quite hit the target but she’d come close enough. He was about to say more when the head
lights of a familiar black SUV swung into the yard. The duplex was set back from the main house but it was angled enough that it was possible from where Luke sat to get a side view of the front porch. The long-legged figure climbing out of the vehicle and mounting the porch was unmistakably Erin’s boyfriend, Kyle Cardwell.
Luke tried to ignore the gnawing in his gut. He had no right to be jealous. Erin wasn’t his and never would be. But when Cardwell came out a minute later, holding her hand and leading her to his vehicle, the gnawing chewed deeper. If Rose hadn’t been with him, he would have cursed and gone inside to drink another beer and watch some mind-numbing show on TV until he felt sleepy enough to go to bed.
As the SUV’s red taillights disappeared down the lane, Luke turned to find Rose watching him, a knowing expression on her face. Those sharp eyes of hers didn’t seem to miss a thing.
“So, do you think those two will get married?” Luke forced himself to ask.
Rose sighed. “Will seems in favor of it. But having met the young man . . .” She sighed again. “I remember how things were with Tanner, my husband. Heavens, we were on fire! We would have died for each other—in fact, we almost did. He was my world, and I was his. I don’t sense that with Erin, or with Kyle. I worry about her missing out on what real love can be.”
“It sounds like you must’ve had a wonderful marriage.”
“Oh, I did. I miss him terribly now that he’s gone. But it helps to know I had the very best there was.” She gave Luke a wistful smile. “You remind me of him—the same kind of quiet strength. You even look a little like him. He was tall and dark, like you.”
“If that’s a compliment, I’ll take it.” Unaccustomed to praise, Luke changed the subject. “What’s your connection to the Tyler family, Rose? I get the impression that it goes way back.”
“Oh, indeed it does! It’s a long story, some of it so fantastic that you’d think I was making it up. If you’re not in a hurry to go inside, I’d enjoy telling it to you.”
“I’d enjoy hearing it, and I’m not going anywhere.” Luke was grateful for the needed distraction.
“Very well.” Rose slid her chair forward and propped her sneakers on the rail next to Luke’s boots. “It all started when I was fourteen years old, and Bull Tyler saved my life. . . .”
* * *
The SUV rumbled along the graveled lane, headed for the junction with the paved road to town. Erin had rolled down the side window. The night breeze fluttered her hair and cooled her face.
Kyle had phoned her after dinner. Tomorrow’s date night in the city would have to be canceled because his father had insisted on taking him to a cattle auction in Lubbock, and they’d be staying for dinner that evening. Erin hadn’t minded. She’d been ambivalent about their plans, dreading another proposal that she would turn down.
With her emotions in turmoil after that burning kiss with Luke, this was hardly a good time for a romantic evening. But when Kyle had asked to see her tonight, just long enough for a drive, she’d seen no reason to refuse.
“Thanks again for coming with me tonight,” he said. “And thanks for not being mad about canceling our big date.”
“We can go another time,” Erin said. “I know your dad wants you to learn the business.”
“I wish I had the nerve to tell him that I don’t give a shit about the business,” he said. “Why should I want to be like him, working for wages on a ranch he doesn’t own—not even the house—and making everybody miserable in the process? He’s a nobody. He knows it and he hates it. Maybe if I had a ranch of my own, and I was building something for the future, to pass on to my children and to their children . . .” He gave Erin a meaningful glance.
There was no way she could have missed his intent. This wasn’t a proposal in so many words. But Kyle had laid his cards on the table. At least he was being honest. Maybe there was nothing wrong with that. Any man she married would be tied to the Rimrock. And the way he’d expressed it, building something for the future, to pass on to my children—wasn’t that what she wanted to hear?
A flying insect smashed against the windshield, its body splattering on the glass. Erin tore her gaze away from the mess. Steeling her resolve, she touched Kyle’s arm. “Pull over,” she said.
He pulled off the road, the engine still idling. Crickets chirped and rustled in the long, dry grass. “What is it, Erin?” he asked. “Is something wrong?”
She turned toward him in the seat. “Kiss me, Kyle,” she said. “I mean really kiss me!”
For an instant, he looked startled. Then his smile gleamed in the lights of the dashboard. He switched off the ignition and reached for her. She went to him willingly, his embrace pulling her awkwardly over the console. She shut her eyes as his soft, moist mouth closed on hers, pressing harder, deepening the kiss. His tongue, tasting of spearmint, invaded her mouth. She responded with enthusiasm, returning the playful thrusts, wanting to feel the magic, that hot racing of her blood that had happened when she’d kissed Luke. If it happened, that would simplify everything.
But she felt next to nothing.
She tried harder, arms twining his neck, fingers raking his hair. Even when his hand closed on her breast, she didn’t push him away as she had the last time he’d done it. He squeezed her through her blouse. She bit back a whimper of pain, allowing him to fondle her until he began to fumble with her buttons. Only then did she pull away.
He grinned, leaning back in the seat. “Was that a yes, Erin?”
“Not yet.” Erin wiped a hand across her mouth. “Just drive, okay?”
“Sometimes I can’t figure you out. But I’m not complaining.” He started the engine and swung the SUV back onto the road. “Kiss me like that, and I’ll have a hard time waiting much longer to marry you.”
Erin didn’t reply. She leaned toward the open window to let the night breeze cool her face. What was wrong with her? She certainly didn’t love Luke. She barely knew him. But the ecstatic rush she’d felt with that single kiss was something she craved to feel again. And she wasn’t feeling it with Kyle.
Marrying Kyle would please her father. Kyle was decent and responsible, and he clearly wanted a life with her. But could a lifetime love, the kind of passionate love she’d seen between her parents, grow and flourish without that vital spark?
Now that she knew what she was missing, there could only be one answer to that question.
Not that the answer was Luke. He’d made it clear he didn’t want her. She could only hope that later on she would find the magic with someone else—maybe someone she had yet to meet.
“We could go into town and get ice cream at the Burger Shack,” Kyle said. “I’ve got time, if you have.”
Erin almost said no. But she needed to unwind before she went home. If she walked through the door in her present emotional state, her father would ask her what was wrong, and she wouldn’t know what to tell him. The Burger Shack was usually crowded at this hour. They might even meet some friends. It would be a good place for them both to cool down. Maybe that was the reason Kyle had suggested it. He wasn’t a bad person, Erin reminded herself. He could be sweet and thoughtful. Maybe that was why it was going to hurt when she gave him her final answer.
Inside the Burger Shack, they found a birthday party for a middle schooler going on. Surrounded by noise, they ordered root beer floats and drank them at the bar. Kyle leaned close to Erin’s ear. “When you have your twenty-first birthday, we’re going to celebrate with Coronas at the Blue Coyote. No more damned kid parties.”
Erin smiled and nodded, wondering where she’d really be and with whom when she turned twenty-one. She wasn’t looking forward to the ride home. It would be all too easy to put Kyle off, but in the end, it would only be cruel.
The distance from Blanco Springs to the Rimrock was a little less than twenty miles. The ride home wouldn’t be a long one. As Kyle drove out of the parking lot, onto Main Street, Erin steeled herself and cleared her throat.
“I have my answer t
o your proposal,” she said.
He glanced at her with an expectant grin. “After that kiss, it had better be yes,” he said.
“I’m afraid it isn’t. Kyle, I’m still growing up. Right now, I don’t even know who I am. I’m not ready to get engaged, let alone get married. And I don’t want you to wait for me. My final answer is no.”
Kyle didn’t reply, but the stomp of his foot on the gas pedal spoke for him. The SUV shot down Main Street, breaking speed limits and running a red light. Luckily, the evening traffic was sparse, and the local sheriff was busy elsewhere.
Kyle didn’t speak until they’d turned onto the highway. “I thought you loved me,” he said. “That kiss—”
“That kiss was a test, to make sure. And now I know. I’m fond of you, Kyle. You’re a good man. But I’m not in love with you.”
“So I take it you didn’t hear bells or see shooting stars. Is that so important? We’re good together. We want the same things. That’s what matters.”
When Erin didn’t answer, he gripped the wheel tighter and pressed down on the gas. The speedometer needle swung up to seventy miles an hour, a dangerous speed on the narrow, two-lane highway where farm rigs and wandering animals could appear out of nowhere.
Erin touched his arm. “Slow down. You’re scaring me.”
Kyle ignored her plea. “Is there somebody else, Erin?” he demanded. “Is that what’s changed your mind?”
“Of course not. I just realized I wasn’t ready.”
“What about that hired man you were with when I came over the other day? I saw the way he was looking at you. If that bastard has laid a hand on you—”
“Don’t be ridiculous. He’s not even—Look out!”