by Janet Dailey
Go play with your dolls! The words were different, but the meaning was the same and stung just as deeply. She might be his boss’s daughter, but to Luke, she was nothing but a bothersome teenager.
“Fine. Maybe it’s time you got back to work. And I don’t need a babysitter or a nanny. I don’t need anybody looking out for me, especially you!”
She spun away from him and stalked toward the rectangle of sunlight at the far end of the barn. This man had opened her to a world of new sensations and emotions. But Luke Maddox was more than just exciting. He was also responsible, caring, and gentle, a man who could calm a frightened horse with a word and a touch. He was a man she could even love.
But he’d made it clear that he didn’t want her around. And why should he? As far as Luke was concerned, she was nothing but a privileged brat, no different from other ranchers’ daughters he’d met and brushed off.
She bit back a whimper as she stumbled over an uneven spot in the floor. A dart of pain shot into her ankle. Chin up, she kept moving toward the door.
“Erin.”
The hunger in his voice stopped her as surely as if he had reached out and seized her arm. She turned to see him standing where she’d left him, his hands at his sides, open in a gesture of surrender.
“Come here.”
Nothing, not even common sense, could have stopped her. She ran to him and flung herself into his arms. He caught her hard against him, lifting her off her feet as his lips found hers. His kiss ignited heat waves that spread through her body, as if every part of her had been touched with glowing flame.
His bare skin was cool and damp from the water. Her hands ranged like wild things over his body—the muscular planes of his shoulders, the crisp mat of hair that trailed down his chest to narrow and vanish under his jeans. As he deepened the kiss, she arched against him, aching to feel the full length of his body touching hers.
Her damp shirt clung to her breasts. She gasped as his hand brushed a sensitive nipple through the thin fabric. The light contact triggered shimmers of need in the depths of her body. She moaned, reveling in the new sensations. Never in her young years had she felt more alive.
Drunk on her own daring, she let her roaming hand move downward to the hard ridge that rose beneath his jeans. As she pressed it, he groaned, then suddenly thrust her away from him.
“My God, Erin, are you trying to get yourself raped?”
Shocked into silence, she stared up at him.
He sighed and gathered her close, holding her with a gentleness that no woman could misunderstand.
“A man has his limits, girl,” he murmured against her hair. “I wouldn’t harm you for the world. But you have the power to drive me crazy and consign my soul to hell. Do you understand?”
She nodded, feeling his stubbled jaw against the skin of her forehead.
“I’ve wanted you from the first time I saw you,” he said. “And after I got to know you—your courage, your passion—I wanted you even more. I thought I had it all under control, but when you walked away, I knew I couldn’t let you go.”
She wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight. “You make me feel things I couldn’t have imagined until now,” she whispered. “If this happens again—and I want it to happen—”
“Will it happen again? Is this what you really want? Hiding out in the barn like a couple of fool kids, probably getting caught? I like this as much as you do. But you deserve better than a roll in the hay, Erin. I want to treat you right—without having anything to hide.”
“What about my father?” She looked up at him.
“I don’t expect he’ll approve. He wants to see you with a proper boyfriend, like the one you just dumped.”
“I wouldn’t go back to Kyle for a million dollars,” Erin said.
“And I won’t stand for making you a girl who sneaks around with the hired help. I’ve got my pride, Erin. And part of that pride is seeing myself as an honorable man. Either I speak to your father about spending time with you, or—”
“Fine, but you don’t know my father. Let me bring it up to him first.”
“All right.” He brushed a kiss along her damp hairline. “But I meant what I said. If we have feelings for each other, I want to know where those feelings will take us. But not this way.”
They broke apart at the sound of voices outside. Two of the cowboys were passing the barn. “We can’t let them see us together. You go. I’ll stay here,” Luke said. “Will you talk to your father?”
“I will. Tonight if I can.” Erin walked out of the barn, trying to look casual to anyone who might be watching. The sooner she spoke to Will the better. She could only hope to catch him in a good mood, but there wasn’t much chance of that. Not these days.
Having an ally in her corner might make things easier. And she knew just the person to ask.
* * *
The cattle auction in Lubbock had taken most of a very long day. Kyle had endured the boredom, swatting away flies as his father watched the animals trot around the ring to the blaring patter of the auctioneer’s voice. In the end, Hunter had bought nothing, claiming that he’d only wanted to see what was available and get a feel for the prices before he put his own stock up for sale.
Kyle suspected his father had other motives for bringing him along—like maybe showing him more of the cattle business, or, more likely, keeping him in suspense, waiting for the ax to fall. Between the wreck and Kyle’s failure to put a ring on Erin’s finger, his father had plenty of cause to be angry. So far Hunter had held his volcanic temper in check. But for Kyle, who knew the explosion was coming, the slow torment of waiting was its own kind of hell.
As they walked out to the truck, after a tension-filled dinner in a noisy, crowded steak house, Kyle braced himself for what was to come. The hour-long drive home was the only time left for Hunter to vent his temper.
It started as they drove out of the restaurant—beginning on a low key, as Hunter’s tirades usually did. “Well, Kyle,” he said in a conversational tone with a slight edge. “What do you have to say for yourself?”
“Not much, I guess,” Kyle said. “I know you’re mad about the car.”
“Cars can be fixed,” Hunter said. “But a million dollars won’t fix stupidity. And that’s what wrecked the car—your damned stupidity. So the girl says she isn’t ready to marry you, and you react by punching the gas and almost getting both of you killed. Hell, that cow in the road had more brains than you. No wonder the girl doesn’t want you. Sometimes I wonder if your mother was fooling around before you were born. You sure as hell don’t act like any son of mine.”
Kyle slumped in his seat, taking the abuse. He’d heard most of it before, including the part about his mother. But that was just thrown in for meanness. His mother was too naive to fool around, and he looked too much like Hunter to be anybody else’s offspring.
“So what’ve you got to say for yourself now?” Hunter demanded.
“I don’t suppose sorry would cut it,” Kyle said.
Hunter lit a cigarette and rolled down the window, driving one-handed while he smoked. “Listen to me, you little shithead. Wrecking the car’s bad enough. But if you let that Tyler girl get away, your whole future—and your family’s—is in the dumper. If she doesn’t want you now, you’re going to have to change your tactics. Whatever you have to do to get her back, you do it. Hear?”
“I hear. But have you got any ideas? Erin is so mad she won’t even talk to me. I can’t exactly break down her door and drag her home by the hair, can I?”
Hunter swore and flipped his cigarette out the window. “You do whatever the hell it takes. For starters, since I knew you wouldn’t think of it, I ordered flowers delivered to her, in your name, with a note. That should at least buy you an opening. But this has got to be up to you. If you’re too dense to figure things out . . .” The words trailed off, diminishing to a growl. “If you can get the right kind of woman into bed, you can get her to the altar. But I don’t think y
ou have a clue.”
“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Kyle asked.
“Do I have to spell it out for you? Seduce her. Knock her up if you have to—that is, if you know how to do more than get it off looking at those damn porn sites.”
“What the hell—”
“I’ve been in your room. I’ve seen what’s on your computer.”
“You’ve got no business going into my room!”
“In my house I can go where I want to. So tell me—have you ever done it for real?”
Kyle stared down at his knees. “I fooled around some in junior college.” And he had, though none of the girls had let him go all the way. He’d never understood why. Maybe he’d said the wrong things or come on too strong. Maybe he’d scared them.
Hunter snorted with disgust. “That’s what I thought. That’s why I’ve arranged to do you a big favor.”
Kyle hadn’t paid much attention to where his father was driving. Now he realized they were in a part of town he’d never seen before. The streets were lined with bars and cheap hotels. Neon lights flickered on and off. In their glow, scantily clad women strolled the sidewalks. Hunter parked the pickup, climbed out, and slipped a bill to a man who stepped up—evidently to keep the vehicle from being stolen.
They’d parked next to a bar with a naked lightbulb over the door. “Come on.” Hunter beckoned to Kyle. “Don’t drag your feet and make a fool of yourself.”
Kyle followed his father inside. The lights were low, but he could make out tables and a bar with stools in front and shelves behind. The few male customers, playing cards or drinking at the bar, paid them no attention.
Maybe they were going to have drinks, Kyle thought. But that notion faded as a young woman greeted them from the foot of a stairway. She wasn’t bad looking, Kyle thought. But she would have been prettier without the heavy makeup and garishly bleached blond hair. Never mind—she looked like what she was, and Kyle knew enough to realize why his father had brought him here. He made an effort to look cool, but his pulse was galloping and his mouth had gone dry. He could smell the nervous sweat that soaked his armpits.
“Kyle, this is Destiny,” Hunter said. “I’m going to have a drink in the bar while she gives you a few lessons in being a man. Take your time, and don’t worry about money, it’s all taken care of.”
Hunter sauntered over to the bar while Destiny took Kyle’s hand and led him up the stairs. Only as he was coming down again, forty minutes later, infinitely wiser, did he pause to ask himself why his father seemed to know this place so well.
* * *
After a long day of cutting cattle in the high pasture, Will was tired, saddle sore, and as cranky as a bear with mange. He’d weighed the idea of showering before dinner. But he was too hungry to take the time. He would fill his belly first, then wash the dust and sweat from his body and fall into bed. And Lord help anybody who got in his way.
He parked the pickup, slapped the worst of the dust off his clothes, and splashed his hands and face at the outdoor tap, then dragged himself up the porch steps. Above the escarpment, the last streaks of sunset were fading to the deeper hues of evening. A pair of ravens flapped off the roof of the barn, and Will stood on the porch, watching until they became black specs against the barren sky. Hellfire, what he wouldn’t give for rain. This drought was sucking the life out of everything but the ravens and vultures and flies.
Stomping the dust off his boots, he opened the front door. The aromas of beef stew and fresh bread wafted out to greet him. His belly growled in response as he crossed to the dining room. There, a new sight struck his eyes.
“What the hell?” he muttered. “Did somebody die?”
A lavish bouquet of pink carnations, daisies, ferns, and baby’s breath stood in a vase on the dining room table. Will stared at it, shaking his head.
Carmen stood in the open doorway to the kitchen. “A van delivered those flowers a couple of hours ago,” she said. “The envelope has Erin’s name on it. Of course I didn’t peek inside. You’d better not peek either, if you know what’s good for you.”
“But there’s not even a florist in Blanco Springs. Where would they come from?” Will sank onto a chair.
“The van had the name and address of a florist in Lubbock,” Carmen said. “That’s a long way to deliver flowers.”
“Has Erin seen these?”
“She told me she’d be training a colt all afternoon. But she should be coming in soon. Do you want to eat now or wait for her?”
“I’d wait, but I’m starved. Go ahead and dish me up some food. Keep the rest warm. Where’s Rose?”
As if in answer to his question, he heard the back door open and close. Rose walked in through the kitchen. “Oh, my goodness,” she said, gazing at the flowers. “Aren’t they lovely? What’s the occasion?”
“Don’t ask me,” Will grumbled. “They’re for Erin.”
“Oh?” Rose took a seat at the place that had been set for her. “Do you know who sent them?”
“I guess that’s for Erin to find out.” Will looked up with a nod of thanks as Carmen set a bowl and some bread in front of him. The savory stew and warm, buttered bread smelled like heaven, but he paused long enough to ask Rose whether she wanted to be served now.
She shook her head. “Go ahead and eat. I’ll keep you company while I wait for Erin.”
Will forked a steaming morsel of stew and blew on it before taking a bite. It tasted as good as it smelled, and he was ravenous. When he glanced up, Rose was watching him. She had the look of a woman with something on her mind.
“What is it, Rose?” he asked. “Have I done something wrong?”
“Nothing like that,” Rose said. “I was just thinking what a shame it is that you haven’t spent time with our new farrier. We got to know each other last night. He’s a remarkable man. So intelligent and responsible.”
“So? If I’d thought he was stupid and careless, I wouldn’t have hired him.” Will broke off a piece of bread and dipped it in the stew.
“Oh, I understand that,” Rose said. “But maybe you should keep him around permanently. A man who’s that good with horses could be a real asset to the ranch.”
“An expensive asset. I can’t afford to keep him on past the roundup. Sky and Erin are plenty good with horses. And this ranch is a cattle operation. The horses have always been a sideline. Unless we want to start shoeing the damned cows, I can’t justify—”
“Oh, no, what’s this?” Erin had come in from the kitchen. She was staring at the flowers.
“We were wondering the same thing,” Will said. “Maybe you’ve got a secret admirer. Why don’t you open the envelope and find out.”
Erin pulled the envelope from the plastic clip that held it in place. Her pretty face fell as she opened it and read the message on the card inside. She groaned and shook her head. “Wouldn’t you know? It’s from Kyle.”
“Well, what does it say?” Will demanded.
“Read it yourself.” Erin tossed the card on the table, within Will’s reach, before she sat down.
Will picked up the card. Mostly for Rose’s benefit, he read the message aloud. “I am so sorry. Please give me another chance. I love you too much to let you go.” He looked up at his daughter. “Well?”
“Well, what, Dad? You already know what happened. I told Kyle I wouldn’t marry him and he was so upset that he wrecked the SUV. We could have been killed.” Erin dished up some stew from the tureen Carmen had set on the table. She handed a bowl to Rose and filled another for herself.
“I remember your story,” Will said. “But you never told me why you didn’t want to marry the boy. It looks to me like he’s really trying to redeem himself.”
Erin and Rose exchanged glances. Will sensed a conspiracy. But he was the head of this family. Whatever was going on, he wasn’t about to be manipulated.
“Dad, why are you so set on my being with Kyle?” Erin asked in a civil tone.
Will sighed. He
was tired to the bone, and this wasn’t going well. “Because I know who Kyle is,” he said. “He’s polite and well-spoken. He’s from a good family—a family in the ranching business. If you were to marry him, you’d be close by—not running off to some other part of the country like Beau did. Kyle is safe, and he seems to care for you. How many men would send you flowers like these? Does that answer your question?”
“But what if I don’t love him? What if I want to spend time with other people?”
“Other people?” Suddenly this was beginning to make sense. “Do you have somebody in mind?”
Erin’s expression reminded Will of the way she’d looked as a little girl, about to jump off the high dive at the pool.
“I’ve been working with Luke Maddox,” she said. “We enjoy each other’s company, and we want to spend more time together. But he insists on being open about it. He doesn’t want me seeing him behind your back.”
“And would you see him behind my back?” He cast her a stern look across the table.
“I’m not a child,” Erin said.
Will shook his head, feeling as if he’d been gut punched. “Erin, this is wrong in so many ways. You’re not even twenty-one yet. Maddox, I’m guessing, is at least ten years older than you are. Apart from his being good at his job, we don’t know anything about him. He could be a criminal. He could have a wife and family somewhere. Or maybe he’s a fortune hunter, with his eye on the heiress to a ranch.”
Erin seemed to flinch as each point of his argument hit home. Everything he’d said was true, and she had to know it. But he could tell that he hadn’t convinced her.
“Luke is a good man,” she said. “Even Rose knows it.”
“Leave Rose out of this!” Will snapped, his temper rising. “You’ve always had a good head on your shoulders, Erin. I’ve never had to forbid you anything. But I’m forbidding you now. Aside from work, in the open with other people around, you’re not to spend any time with this man. I know I can’t control you every minute. But if I find out you’ve been sneaking around behind my back, so help me, I’ll fire him on the spot. Do you understand?”