“Thanks, Libby.” Nathan’s eyes grew big with pleasure. He took a huge bite and sighed blissfully. “This is better than anything Bess ever fixed.” High praise, indeed.
“I appreciate you saying that sweetie, but don’t tell Bess, you’d hurt her feelings. She loves you very much.” Libby sat down beside him and began the makings for a huge green salad.
Nathan studied her while she worked. “You sure are pretty, Libby.” Even though he was barely a teenager, the compliment made her blush. She was not used to flattery. In fact, no male had ever told her she was pretty before.
“I don’t know about that, but it’s nice of you to say so.” Libby grinned at him. “Kind words will not get you out of your homework, however.”
“Aw, Libby.” She was relieved that they seemed to be getting off on the right foot. Taking care of Nathan was one part of the job that she had been worried about. Cooking and cleaning would be a breeze. The only other concern she had was acting normal around Aron. It would be awful if he discovered that she fancied him.
“What time’s supper?” Nathan asked between bites. Typical boy, he couldn’t finish one meal before worrying about the next one.
Libby glanced at the clock on the wall. “It’s four o’clock. I’ll have it on the table by six. How does that sound?”
He nodded his approval of her timetable.
“Why don’t you do your homework in here with me? I’ll try and help you, if you need it.” She hoped that his lessons wouldn’t be over her head. Libby had missed a great deal of school between chemotherapy and blood marrow transplants. Still, she had managed to graduate from high school and had even taken a few courses at the Austin Community College, courtesy of The Rockwell Foundation. Libby’s earnings at the diner barely covered her rent. Her medical bills were either all government gratis or part of the hospital’s teaching program. The Rockwell Foundation specialized in giving a helping hand to people trying to build a life for themselves while they lived with cancer.
Nathan hung his head, all of a sudden he looked extremely uncomfortable. Libby didn‘t push, if he had something to tell her, he would. “I have trouble with my school work sometimes,” he confessed softly.
Sitting down beside him, she got her own brownie to munch on. “That sounds pretty normal, I’ve had trouble with some of my subjects, too.” And that was no lie. Just as soon as she would catch up, another flare-up of leukemia would set her back in her school work.
“Yeah, but I was born with something they call dyslexia. I can read pretty good - if I take my time and concentrate, but its writing papers that eats my lunch. I have a paper to write, and I dread it - because I have a hard time spelling and using words.” He looked so miserable that she gave him another brownie.
“I tell you what – I met this girl a few years ago that has the same condition you have. She’s a junior in college now, and writes papers all the time. I know she uses some type of special program on her computer that is made just for people with dyslexia. I’ll call her and check it out. How does that sound?”
“Okey-dokey.” Nathan smiled at her as he drained the last of the milk from his glass with a slurp. “I’ll take any help I can get.” Libby laughed, the youngest McCoy was going to be easy to love.
* * *
“Are you banned from the pool hall?” Joseph asked Isaac as he stepped up on the wide front porch.
Isaac was the bad-boy of the family. Each of them had dealt with their parent’s death in different ways. Joseph had turned into a daredevil and Isaac spent most of his time acting out. It seemed that he thought the more hell he raised, the less pain he would feel. He had spent two nights in jail just during the past three months. “Not yet, Shorty’s threatening me, though.”
“Why did you see the need to rearrange that stranger’s face?” Joseph eased down into the swing. None of them had wanted their mother’s outdoor furniture removed, but as the McCoy brothers had matured and filled out – the furniture got smaller and smaller.
“He was full of shit, that’s why.” Isaac was unrepentant. He lowered his voice, just in case Aron was nearby. Without a doubt, he was still in the doghouse over last night’s pool hall incident. “How was I to know that cocky little Yankee would be so sensitive? I didn’t really intend to insult the out-of-towner, but I didn’t believe for a minute that man had played in the finals at Vegas. I could have let that lie pass, but when the skinny little weasel claimed to have beat Minnesota Fats, I couldn’t keep my mouth shut.” Isaac laughed, remembering. “I told him that the only way he could have won that match would have been if Fats was blind drunk that night. The idiot popped me right upside the mouth. I guess I should have kept my trap shut, or lowered my voice. But, hell, I’m a McCoy; I don’t have the ability to whisper. One thing led to another, but the end result was the best damn bar fight I’ve had in at least – well, three weeks.”
Isaac was so busy telling his story that he didn’t see Aron standing right behind him. “I guess you’ll be working off the damages.”
Shit! “Where did you come from?”
“I walked up right behind you, Bad-ass.” Aron stepped around his brother. “Wash up, supper should be on the table.” He stepped into the Tebow ranch house. It would always be his mama’s home. Looking around, he appreciated the workmanship on the massive log structure. His daddy had built it with his own two hands, with his and Jacob’s help. The interior had been lovingly designed and decorated by the most gracious lady that ever walked the hills of central Texas. Aron would always miss his mother. Sabrina sure hadn’t made any effort to put her stamp on the place. All she had wanted to do was spend McCoy money like it was going out of style – and flirt with his brother Jacob. To give the gentle giant credit, Jacob had been oblivious to most of it. And the morning that he had caught them in bed together, Jacob had slept through most of the whipping he had tried to give him. Aron had drug him out of the bed before he realized that Jacob had not even known Sabrina had crawled under his covers. She was just trying to start some shit, and she had succeeded. Aron had moved her off Tebow land that very afternoon.
The divorce had taken three months to finalize. Sabrina still carried a grudge. For some unknown reason she had expected a hefty divorce settlement. After all, the McCoys were well-off. But, Aron’s lawyers had seen to it that she walked away with almost nothing. That had been four years ago. Four years without a woman. Four years without sex – unless you counted him yanking his own dick. Sometimes he missed pussy so bad he ached, but he certainly didn’t miss Sabrina. Now, he was determined not to bed a woman unless it was on his own terms – no rings, no strings, and no promises. It was hard to find a woman that would agree with his terms – especially in this neck of the woods.
Everybody knew the McCoys, and they knew what the family had. Women tended to want a secure future, and Aron McCoy had security written all over him. But, he was determined to stay foot-loose and fancy free. Hell, before it was over, he’d probably have to use that damn pocket-pussy Isaac had bought him for a joke. Shit, no! The day he poked his hungry dick inside of that cold, unfeeling plastic was the day he would know it was time to hang up his hoe.
* * *
He would be walking into the dining room at any moment. Steady. Steady. Libby cautioned herself to remain calm. The meal had turned out better than she had anticipated. She had decided to prepare one of her specialties: rich lasagna made with Italian sausage, flavorful buffalo mozzarella and a homemade marinara sauce that would knock your socks off. It tasted as good as it smelled, she had sampled a little corner of the finished, gargantuan casserole. Libby loved to cook, but feeding six large males would be a challenge. She would have to tweak all of her recipes to make sure that she would have enough for everybody to have seconds, as well as leftovers for midnight snacks.
As each brother came in, she had met him with a smile and a huge glass of iced sweet
tea, the elixir of choice in the south. Of course, she knew Jacob. He had been President of the Junior Service Club as a teenager and he had single-handedly taken on her cause. Several times, he had headed up fundraisers and benefits to raise money for her treatments and untold medical bills. That was Jacob, a gorgeous hunk with a heart of gold. He was always involved in the community. Libby knew he coached a little league team and served on the disaster relief committee at the community center.
The rest of the boys she knew by sight only – none of them had ever been formally introduced to her. Jacob did the honors. They didn’t have any memory of her at all. Libby wasn’t surprised, for most of her life she had felt invisible. There had been no dates, no proms, no slumber parties or gossip sessions.
Cancer tended to make you an island. The only attention she had been used to receiving had either been from making the uncomfortable appearances at the charitable events held in her honor, or enduring the poking and prodding of a bevy of medical students in the teaching hospital. When you didn’t have adequate insurance, the teaching hospital was where they usually sent you. Putting those sad thoughts out of her head, she focused on the rest of the McCoy family.
Joseph was a doll, Libby noticed. He was very comfortable in his own skin, exuding a confidence that is rarely seen in a man so young. “Miss Libby, it’s a pleasure.” She felt her cheeks warm as he kissed her hand. Jacob had told her that his brother was an extreme sports nut – a very successful one. He rock-climbed, raced dirt bikes, rode bulls and busted broncs. Libby knew that whatever Joseph did, it suited him well. His body was in tip-top condition.
Isaac had walked in and picked her up, swung her around and then introduced himself. She had dissolved in a bout of giggles at his: “Finally! A woman in the kitchen that I can intimidate.” He had set her down and formally shook her hand. “Libby, don’t believe half of what you hear about me. I’m not as bad as they say I am.”
“He’s worse,” Noah interjected as he accepted his icy beverage. “Isaac is our resident bad-ass.” He had held Libby’s hand and turned her around slowly, as if she was standing on a lazy-susan. “Goodness, you are a little doll. If I wasn’t already in love with a tall willowy blonde…” he ended wistfully.
“Harper Summers doesn’t know you’re alive.” Isaac quipped. Something that could have been hurt passed over Noah’s features. Jacob had told her that Noah was the practical one of the family. He had a good financial head on his shoulders, Tebow Properties had flourished under his care. While Aron managed the trust fund that their parents had left, Noah managed the day-to-day finances for the ranch. He was a heady combination, a Greek God physique, a handsome face and a beautiful mind. Libby decided she was in beefcake heaven.
Nathan had helped her set the table. She was going to fall for Nathan, hard. He was thirteen, and although she was too young to be his mother, he rattled every maternal bone in her body. Libby knew that the likelihood of her ever having children was slim to none. So the chance to spoil this young man was going to be pure pleasure.
The McCoy brothers surrounded her, teasing and playing, making her laugh at their jokes and smile at their antics. They were doing their dead level best to make her feel at home. From out of nowhere – a chill ran up her spine and her toes began to tingle. What in the world?
Then she felt the heat.
Aron. It had to be.
Refusing to look around, lest she betray her fascination - Libby pretended immense interest in what Jacob was saying, even though she wasn’t comprehending a word.
Aron McCoy walked into the dining room and his cock went stiff as a board.
Lord Have Mercy!
Aron almost forgot where he was. He had been lured by the incredible smell of Italian food and the warm, enticing scent of garlic bread. His stomach was doing cartwheels, begging to be introduced to the dishes that were wafting those delicious aromas. When he stepped into the dining room, however, all thoughts of food went sailing out the window.
Lord Have Mercy!
She was breathtaking.
He didn’t know where to look first, or where to look longest. Tight jeans encased a sweet, heart-shaped little butt that made him want to bare his teeth. Her legs were long and all he could think about was what they would feel like clasped around his hips. A form-fitting, red T-shirt proclaimed that she was “Raw Honey – Sweet as Sugar, Twice as Addictive”. The implications of those words practically had him bowing at her feet. He bet her cream would taste like raw, wild honey. His fingers itched to see if he could make them meet around that trim little waist. When his eyes roved northward, tears almost came to his eyes. She bounced a little bounce in response to something funny that Jacob had said, and when she did, he wanted to step forward and catch those sweet little tits before she hurt herself. Maybe, he ought to change his job description – he could go from being a simple cowpoke to a full-time, full-service breast support man. By their jiggle and wave, there was no doubt in his mind that those tits were real and in dire need of about an hour of attention from his hands and tongue.
Realizing he was about to embarrass himself, he took off his Stetson and held it below his belt buckle, effectively hiding her unexpected and tremendous impact on his libido. His smooth move did not go unnoticed by Noah, who smirked from across the room. Casually, Aron shot him the finger. Ass-hole. He couldn’t remember the last time a woman had affected him this way, if ever. Watching his brothers surround the tempting little morsel, Aron opted to utilize a tactic that had come in handy when the McCoy’s would be out carousing pre-Sabrina. They had tried to avoid stepping on one another’s toes, romantically speaking. Whenever one would see a little filly that caught his eye, he would look at her and simply say one word that would alert the others that she had been claimed and was strictly off-limits to the rest of the McCoys. Stepping closer to the table, he loudly proclaimed, “Tag!”
As soon as the word had left Aron’s mouth, the younger men looked up at him in surprise. Isaac bit back a snort, and Jacob simply said, “Thank God.” Their brother had finally decided to come out of hiding.
Libby wondered at the word that Aron shouted. Was this some type of fire drill or a weird game they played? She could feel him looking at her, ‘God give me strength’, she prayed.
Libby, as of yet, had not turned to face him fully. And he had to see her – now. “Turn around, baby. Let me see your face.” Confused, Libby did as he requested. Slowly. Uncertainty made her hesitate, but when she had made a complete 180, she heard him catch his breath and she raised her eyes.
Aron.
There was no way she was going to hide the joy that she felt, so she didn’t try.
Her smile lit up his world. His body began to instantly heat as if it had been graced by the warmth of the rising sun. Aron tried to move forward, but he was frozen, immobilized, entranced. Muscles that he hadn’t used in a while began to loosen, and before he knew it – Aron McCoy was smiling. My Lord, the woman had the cutest, sweetest face he had ever laid eyes on. All he could focus on was pink, kissable lips. They were trembling ever so slightly. Aron felt the world tilt just a fraction, he wanted to follow that irresistible pull and enjoy the silky softness of that delectable mouth. He heard her let out a soft, sweet sigh.
Memorizing her features, he let his eyes slide over the smooth curve of her cheek, the endearing turned up nose and cheekbones that begged to be traced with his tongue. When he met her gaze, Aron was surprised by the beautiful color of her eyes. They were huge, a deep dark violet - surrounded by smudgy dark lashes that made them look like amethysts nestled in velvet.
Knowing she expected him to say something, he tried to get his brain to engage with his mouth. All he could manage was “Where did you come from?” As if his words released the brakes on his feet, he found himself walking up to her as bold as could be, there was no way he could hold himself back. He had to be as close to her as p
ossible. She stood her ground, bless her heart.
Time slowed down, and she lost herself in the wonder of his nearness. For years, she had dreamed of the day when she would be this close to Aron. He was a big man. Shoulders as wide as a John Deere tractor were encased in a crisp, white western shirt – the kind with the silver snaps. As she looked at him, she couldn’t help but think how it would feel to reach right up, grab that shirt right under the collar, and just jerk it open. Those snaps would come in handy if one wanted to get him naked in a hurry. She bet his chest was magnificent, ripped and sculpted. He would look just the way that those heroes were described in the romance novels she loved to read. Would his skin be smooth or would he be sexily furred? Damn, it would be fun to find out. ‘Look up, Libby, look up’ she thought to herself. She knew that her eyes were hung up just north of his belt buckle. Gravity and lust were pulling them south. With a jerk, she looked up and when their eyes clashed, she felt it clear down to clit. God, he was potent.
If she didn’t touch him, she would die. She took a deep breath … ‘All right,’ she thought, ‘let’s go for casually friendly.’ “Aron, it’s good to meet you. Thanks for letting me fill in for Bess. I promise to work hard, and I will take good care of you, I promise.” Geez, how lame could you get. Oh, well. She offered him her hand.
She would take care of him, no doubt about that. He would lay awake tonight imagining the ways that she could take care of him. Aron forgot about the five pairs of eyes that were watching them in rapt attention. He just had to touch. A handshake was much too mundane to satisfy this particular need. His hand met hers. First touching the tips of her fingers with his own, he slid the palm of his hand up hers, before finding the pulse at her wrist with his forefinger. When he could feel the beat of life that flowed through her veins, he caressed that spot, memorizing the rhythm. A sweet little gasp escaped her lips and she shivered. Fuck! Her whole body trembled, as if in the first throes of orgasm. Aron closed his eyes, realizing that this woman was capable of turning him inside out.
Hell Yeah! Box Set With Bonus Cookbook Page 2