by Lauren Canan
Alec tilted his head. “But you were willing to share it with us.”
Shea held his gaze, neither speaking nor nodding, and for a few brief seconds in time, the rest of the world ceased to exist. She had placed her trust in him, shared one of the special places in her life and some happy memories she treasured. She’d given Scotty a day of fun and Alec a small measure of relief from the guilt of not spending enough time with his son. He felt a kinship with the rich earth, with the cool water as it splashed against the huge boulders on its way downstream, the towering trees providing shade, their tallest branches catching and swaying in the gentle breeze. In spite of the animosity between them and her fierce determination to keep this ranch, Shea had shared something special with a virtual stranger who would take it all away.
Alec swallowed hard and closed his eyes. He wasn’t used to her world and accepting acts of kindness wasn’t in the game plan. Her small benevolences knocked him completely off balance. Other than Scotty, his mother and brother, he wasn’t used to trusting people. But in that moment, he knew he could trust Shea with anything, including his son. And a shadow of guilt for what he was attempting to do with regard to the ranch seemed to put a dark cloud over the day.
“Daddy! It’s gone! The fishies got it!”
Quickly getting to his feet, Alec hurried over to assist his son with the pole. In a matter of seconds, Scotty had landed his first fish. When he held it up, the fish still thrashed about on the end of the line and the boy wasn’t certain exactly what to do with it. They should have brought a camera...
“Alec, do you have your cell phone?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Does it take pictures?”
Alec grinned. Of course. Why hadn’t he thought of it? “It most certainly does.”
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the small black phone, changed the settings and handed it to Shea.
She snapped away as father and son posed for a “first fish” picture, then continued to take shots as Alec patiently removed the hook and held the prize catch for Scott to touch.
“How about we let it go today?” Alec suggested. “Then you can come back and catch it again sometime when we want to have fish for supper.”
Without a word, Scotty vigorously nodded his head, clearly still amazed at the entire process.
They lingered next to the small river until the sun dropped low in the sky. It was as though they’d formed a truce and had silently declared this a place of neutrality where legal contracts and land development had no admittance. While Scotty waited for his next fish to grab the hook, Shea and Alec exchanged stories of their youth. The more she told him about special places and times on the ranch, the tighter the knot in his belly grew.
His planned development wouldn’t reach this far out from the Red River. Maybe there was something he could do to let her keep at least part of her home. For months, the investors had been maneuvering about where they wanted this or that and adding more and more to the overall size of the project. It was his project and he maintained control, but his professional integrity insisted he consult with them on any major changes. For the first time he seriously considered reducing the overall scope of the project. It was certainly worth looking into.
* * *
The telephone rang as Shea entered the kitchen the next morning. She grabbed it on the second ring.
“Morning!” Leona’s familiar voice hailed her from the other end of the line.
“I guess,” she replied.
“Everything all right?”
“I suppose. So far. I haven’t seen Alec or Scotty this morning.”
“Well, I called to tell you they’re both over here. Rode over with Hank. Alec is getting a tour of the spread, and the boy is with my grandson, Cody. They’re playing with the new puppies.”
“Oh, that’s right. Maggie had her pups, didn’t she?”
“Yep,” Leona confirmed. “Did you remember tonight is the party to celebrate Ms. Annie’s birthday?”
Annie Philpot was considered the matriarch of the Calico Springs ranching community. She’d married and lost two fine husbands, and then, by herself, had raised her nine children and carried on the tradition of producing fine horses and prime beef cattle. Through it all, she’d still found time to care for the friends and neighbors she loved. In times of sickness or when a new baby was about to make its presence known, Miss Annie had been there. In recent years, she’d reached out more via telephone than personal visits, but nonetheless her heart remained with her extended family.
“Oh, Leona, I’d completely forgotten.”
“Figured you might have, what with the way your life has been here lately. It’s been a while since you’ve seen everyone. Most of ’em are about to bust open with curiosity about Alec. Try and make it over here, if you can.”
“Absolutely.” She would have plenty of time to make a pie. Everyone always brought a dish or dessert to these gatherings. But something else tugged at her mind.
“Leona, does anyone know?” If rumors were flying about Alec taking her ranch and his plans for the land, she needed to know before they walked into the party.
A numbing pause followed the question.
“You mean about Alec?”
“Yeah.”
“No. At least nothing’s been said to me. Whatever he’s planning, he’s kept to himself. There has been some talk of a big entertainment complex gonna be built across the river in Oklahoma. People are generally either excited about the idea or don’t much believe it. Is that what he’s doing?”
“I honestly don’t know.” Alec had never told her and she hadn’t asked. Shea wasn’t sure she wanted to know. Whatever he had in mind was not going to happen and that was as far as her mind had gone on the subject. Let him build his magical kingdom in the adjacent state if he wanted. Just keep it off her ranch land and out of the community. “Thanks, Leona. We’ll see you about eight.”
By six o’clock Alec had returned and by seven thirty they were on their way to Leona’s house. At least fifty adults and maybe a dozen kids were already enjoying the festivities when they arrived. The aroma of hickory smoke from a huge grill invited all new arrivals to bring their appetites around to the back of the house. Several long tables were set up, complete with red-checkered tablecloths. Shea placed her pie on the table with the other desserts.
One hello led to another and another until most of the party guests had met Shea’s new husband. Alec dutifully shook hands and repeatedly answered the questions of the evening: “Where are you from?” and “How did you meet?” He surprised her by responding to their inquiries in a manner both believable and flattering to her.
In essence, he lied.
They paid their respects to the guest of honor, wishing Miss Annie a most happy eighty-ninth birthday. Then they joined Hank and Leona in the chow line and came away with their plates heavily laden with home-cooked fare. Scotty wanted to eat with Leona’s grandson and several other kids his age. A table had been set up just for them.
When darkness fell, candles and lanterns cast their soft glow over the crowd. Several strands of white twinkle lights strung in the lower tree branches gave a strange, almost mystical, ambience to the festivities. With an area under the lights cleared for dancing, couples filled the space as the soft melody of a country ballad drifted through the cooling night air.
At the edge of the sphere of soft light, some of the children, including Scott, held sparklers, running back and forth, waving their arms, making circles and glowing formations against the darkness. Their laughter blended with the music and the cheerful mood of the adults, most of them lifelong friends, who’d gathered to celebrate another year of life of one of their own.
Shea knew total relaxation for the first time in a very long time. She sat quietly, eyes closed, listening to the music. Unexpectedly, a
warm hand touched her shoulder. She looked up to find Alec standing beside her.
“Dance with me.”
Without waiting for an answer, he took her hand and led her to the edge of the dancing couples, drawing her into his arms.
The music flowed in a soft, slow tempo. His arms encircled her, holding her close while they moved together to the rhythm of the song. It seemed the most natural thing in the world to rest her head against his shoulder. She closed her eyes, intoxicated by the musky scent of his cologne, warmed by the sheer strength of the arms around her.
This is so wrong. She shouldn’t be dancing with this man—shouldn’t be taking pleasure in his arms. By getting to know Alec, by seeing him as something other than the enemy, it was becoming more and more difficult to ignore her growing attraction to him. She liked him. A lot, in fact. Amazingly, the realization wasn’t so painful.
As they danced, his thigh intermittently rubbed against her lower belly. She found herself holding her breath when he moved away until another shift in their movements again caused the hard contours of his body to press against her.
His fingers threaded through her hair, cupping the back of her head as he gently encouraged her gaze to meet his. She saw the flames of controlled passion in his darkening eyes before he lowered his head and settled his mouth on hers.
The kiss was pure seduction. A ball of searing heat shot straight to the juncture between her legs while the world around them ceased to exist.
Alec made a slight adjustment and his swollen shaft pressed solidly against her belly. For a moment, instinct took over and she succumbed to the blinding need to forget everything but the urge to satisfy the ache his touch created. She gave in to her body’s natural reaction and pushed against him. She heard his sharp intake of breath followed by a low growl. He lowered his hands to her hips, pulling her solidly against him, and wanton desire scorched the skin beneath her jeans.
The loud snapping of firecrackers close by made her jump. She tore her lips from his as reality came crashing back with ferocity. It was as if someone had suddenly turned up the volume to the music and the voices around them. Her eyes lingered on his mouth. The temptation to return and seek the pleasures it offered was overwhelming.
Blinking, she stepped back and looked around her, feeling as if she’d just come back from another time and place. Desperately she willed her mind to reengage.
They were in the midst of some twenty dancing couples. Glancing around, she was thankful to see that no one appeared aware of the sensual drama unfolding in their midst. She chanced another look at Alec’s face, and in the depths of his eyes she saw awareness of her internal battle. He knew how close she was to losing.
“I should go...and help Leona.”
“Leona has all the help she needs.” He gently smoothed a stray lock of hair back from her face. “Let’s go home.”
His deep, husky invitation was almost her undoing. “I...” Her eyes roamed over his face while he waited patiently for her decision. He wanted her. He wasn’t using coercion or bribery. There were no threats. He was putting it out on the table and she could say yes or she could say no.
She couldn’t make love to Alec. Could she? He was still her enemy. Wasn’t he? She didn’t believe in casual sex. For Shea, intimacy had to be between two people who honestly cared for each other. And even if she felt that way toward Alec, could she justify one night of ecstasy with a man who was bent on destroying everything she had?
“I...I’ve got to go.” She pushed out of his arms, walked in the direction of Leona’s house and didn’t look back.
Shea wasn’t sure what was happening between them, but at the very least, she knew she already had broken her number one directive: hating Alec Morreston.
“It looks like you two are having a good time,” Leona remarked as she entered the kitchen. She handed Shea a dishtowel.
Shea nodded and picked up a plate, unable to meet Leona’s eyes. “I guess.”
“Things going any better?”
She shrugged. Alec wasn’t the adversary she’d initially expected. Either his tactics weren’t as cutthroat as she’d first feared, or the man was tremendously subtle and highly skilled at manipulation. Probably both. But since his return from New York with his son, she’d glimpsed another side of the man. Even Scotty was a revelation, providing insight into the complexities of Alec’s character. It was as if he were two different people. One was the enemy, a cold and ruthless man bent on destroying everything. The other was a caring and loving father who had gained her respect and was well on his way to becoming someone she cared about.
In spite of what he’d threatened that day in Ben’s office, in spite of his determination to force her from the land, he’d given her time. Conversely, the more time he gave her, the more she contemplated what it would be like to love such a man. Lovers with no future, engaged in an affair that was sure to end badly. Who did that? Was she so foolish to fall in love with the very man who would take away everything she’d ever loved?
She picked up another plate and began to rub it with the towel. Leona snatched it from her hand.
“You’re drying a dirty plate,” she said, her eyes narrowing. “You haven’t heard a word I’ve said for the last five minutes. Do I get to guess where your mind is?”
Blushing, Shea shook her head.
“Just be careful,” Leona cautioned.
Shea nodded and reached for a clean plate.
With the few nondisposable dishes washed and dried, and the remaining food covered and put away, Shea stepped outside. She spotted Hank and Alec and walked in that direction. Detecting her presence next to him, Alec reached out to her, his arm settling around her shoulders. “Scott and Cody are going to sleep in their fort tonight. Steve Laughton said he’d stay out here with them and make sure they got inside the house if it starts to rain. Are you ready to go?”
“I guess. Good night, Hank.”
The old cowboy nodded and touched his finger to his hat. Alec’s hand remained at the back of her neck as they walked to his car. He seated her inside the luxury sedan, then took his place behind the wheel. She sat back in the plush leather seat, her head on the cushioned rest while the car easily ate up the miles to the Bar H. She glanced at the multitude of lights on the front console, then let her eyes move to the large man behind the wheel. He caught her glance and returned it.
“You have some nice neighbors,” he said. “I enjoyed meeting them.”
“They liked you, too.” She turned her head to stare out into the seemingly endless shadows of the night. “It’s too bad...”
“It’s too bad...what?” he prompted.
“Well, I can’t help but wonder what their reaction will be when they discover your plans for my ranch and ultimately this area. Most of these folks are third-and fourth-generation farmers and ranchers. They won’t take kindly to some out-of-towner plopping a housing development in the center of their grazing land or paving their neighbor’s pasture for a parking lot.”
Shea chanced a quick glance in his direction. Alec continued to look straight ahead, seemingly without emotion, but in the dim light from the driver’s panel, she noted a brief grimace cross his features.
“For your information, I have no intention of building a housing development here or anywhere else. That’s not what I do.”
“Maybe not, but you’re a commercial developer,” she stated, daring him to deny it. “That means destruction. If it’s not a housing development, it’ll be something else equally as bad.”
“Not all change is a bad thing,” Alec reminded her. “Sometimes it’s for a good reason. It fulfills a need.”
Shea swallowed uncomfortably. “And what about people who like things as they are?”
“Change is part of life. Most people are willing to accept it if they understand the reasoning behind it, espe
cially if it benefits them in some way. You’re painting me as the bad guy before you even know what my intentions are for this place.”
“Oh, I see.” She looked at Alec. “I should let you take over my ranch and trust you to develop it in a manner you think is—”
“Shea, it’s not your ranch!”
“The hell it’s not!” she muttered.
“Then show me your name on a deed.”
“How can you be so...two-faced? How could you talk and laugh with the people there tonight, sit at their table, share their food, all the while knowing what you plan to do to their community if given the chance?”
“You make it sound like I intend to rob them!” Alec responded, his tone incredulous.
“Stab them in the back would be more accurate.”
“For God’s sake. You’ve got to be the most narrow-minded, bullheaded woman I’ve ever come across in my life!”
“Well, as my grandfather used to say, that’s the pot calling the kettle black.”
He turned off the main road onto the winding driveway leading to the old farmhouse. As Alec swung into the parking space, Shea grabbed for the door handle and was out of the car before he could turn off the ignition. She walked through the kitchen, up the stairs and into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.
Angrily, she paced the floor until, finally realizing the futility of the situation she changed her clothes, brushed her teeth, switched off the lights and climbed into bed. A few minutes later, Alec joined her, arranging his pillows but making no attempt to acknowledge her presence. He lay on his side facing away from her. Instead of being relieved, she was irritated, and that was crazy. She should be glad. But she wasn’t and she refused to dwell on why.
* * *