by Susan Stoker
He’d never admit it, but when he’d talked to Dax about Laine, he’d quizzed him about what she liked to drink. He’d said that she was similar to Mackenzie. No-frills, down-to-earth, and fairly easy to please. He told him what kind of wine he’d see her drinking when she hung out with him and Mackenzie. The last thing Wes wanted to do was offer up a nice romantic gesture, and have it fall flat because she was a recovering alcoholic or she didn’t like wine.
Wes walked Laine to the first chair and helped her get settled. He draped the blanket over her so she was comfortable. Then he poured them each a glass of the specialty wine from the Brennan Vineyards in Comanche, Texas. He clicked off the flashlight, leaving them sitting in the darkness of the evening. Wes waited for her to take a sip, and wasn’t disappointed in her reaction.
“How in the world did you know this was one of my favorite wines?”
Wes took a sip of the fruity alcohol and sat back. “I have my ways.”
Laine chuckled and sat back herself. “Whatever. You totally asked Mackenzie, didn’t you?”
“Maybe.”
“Anyway, I guess it doesn’t really matter. Thank you. Seriously, this is the best ending to a great date.”
“Look up.”
“What?” Laine asked in surprise.
“Look up. You’ll never find a more beautiful view of the stars than out here in the middle of nowhere.”
Laine was silent for a moment as she took in the light show above her head. “Wow. I had no idea. I can see the Milky Way so easily.”
“Um hum.”
“And Orion’s belt, and the big dipper.”
Wes could hear her turning in her seat.
“And there, there’s the little dipper. Holy cow. This is amazing.”
Wes reached over, found her free hand in the darkness and wrapped his fingers around hers. They sat there in silence for quite a while, drinking wine, listening to the sounds of the crickets and other animals around them, and enjoying the serenity of the night.
“Why aren’t you married?” Laine’s question was whispered, as if she didn’t want to break the beauty of the moment. “I mean, you seem like a decent guy.” She chuckled to show him she was teasing him. “I don’t get it.”
“The same reason you’re still single, I imagine,” Wes told her honestly. “I never found the right woman at the right time. When I was younger, I focused on my career and I thought I’d have lots of time to find someone and start a family. Once I was accepted into the Rangers, I’d been an officer for quite a while, and I guess I’d become cynical. I hadn’t run into many women who I could imagine spending the rest of my life with. They were either eager to sleep with a cop, just to say they did, or they weren’t at a point in their lives that they wanted to settle down.”
Laine murmured in agreement. “That’s it exactly. I was all ready to pop out two-point-five kids when I was in my twenties, but all the men I met weren’t eager to start a family. They wanted to sow their wild oats or some such thing. Then when Mack and I hit our thirties, it was all about our careers and spending time with each other. That sounds bad, but when she moved here leaving me in Houston, I was so lonely without her. We’d become as close as sisters and I was depressed. I’d go straight home from work and spend as much time as possible talking to her on the phone and over the Internet. I finally decided enough was enough and packed up my things and hightailed it down here. Then there was getting used to the new area and trying to get my feet under me and make a name for myself as a realtor here. Not the easiest thing to do, I’ll have you know.”
Wes squeezed her hand in commiseration. “How are you guys now that she has Dax?”
“Actually, good,” Laine told him with no hesitation. “I thought it’d be weird. I mean, she has someone else full time in her life, but she’s never, not once, made me feel like a third wheel. Maybe it’s because we’re older and understand how important friends are. Whatever it is, I’m very grateful.”
“You don’t resent him?”
“Dax? For what? Loving Mackenzie? Wanting the best for her? Saving her life? Hell no. I love that man as if he’s my brother. As far as I’m concerned, I’m writing him into my will.”
Wes chuckled and she continued, “Seriously, I’m too old to be jealous, and he gives me no reason to be. I talk to Mack all the time, almost every night still, we get together for girls’ night out all the time and he has no issue with us having sleepovers.”
They were quiet for a moment, before Wes broke the silence with what had been on his mind all night, certainly since after dinner. “I like you, Laine Parker. I’m not sure why it took so long for us to cross paths, but I swear when I turned around and saw you standing in the doorway to my barn, I wanted to get to know you better. You’re easy to be around, you’re beautiful and funny, and I just plain enjoy being in your company.”
He fell silent, not sure what he was expecting the wonderful woman next to him to say, but he couldn’t have held back the words if his life had depended on it. He was too old to play games.
“I thought it was only me. I mean, we obviously have this crazy chemistry, but I like being around you too . . . and not just because you’re hot.” Laine’s words were soft and filled with awe.
“Nope.”
“Thank God. But you know what this means, don’t you?”
“What, darlin’?”
“I’m going to have to live the rest of my life with Mack gloating and saying she set us up.”
Wes laughed and squeezed Laine’s hand. “I can live with that.”
“Yeah, me too.”
They sat in their chairs, looking up at the stars and talking long into the night. Wes finally knew it was time to take Laine home when she didn’t answer one of his questions and he looked over and she was sound asleep. He sat, watching her sleep for twenty minutes or so, barely able to make out the features of her face in the darkness, but thanking his lucky stars they’d somehow managed to find each other in the million or so people who lived in San Antonio.
Maybe it was luck. Maybe it was fate. Whatever it was, Wes was going to do what he could to see if they could make it work, because Laine was everything he’d looked for all his life.
5
Laine lay in bed and shot off a quick text to Mack. It was late . . . or early, depending on how you looked at it, but she didn’t want her friend to worry about her.
Just got home. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. We’ll talk later. Love you.
Laine yawned and put the phone on her nightstand. Mack was either asleep or busy gettin’ it on with Dax, and probably wouldn’t respond until the morning. She closed her eyes, exhausted, but running high on adrenaline and hormones at the same time.
The kiss Wes had given her at her door had made her wetter than some foreplay she’d had in the past. She’d left the light on before leaving earlier, but after she’d opened her door, Wes had reached around and turned it off, plunging them back into darkness, with only the light from her kitchen faintly illuminating the area around them.
He’d taken her into his arms and proceeded to make love to her mouth—that was the only way to describe how he’d kissed her. Wes’s hands had roamed into dangerous territory, quickly learning the intricacies of how she was able to wear a bra with that shirt, but her own hands had wandered too, discovering that he was a briefs man instead of boxers.
Wes had been the one to pull away, regretfully. He’d rested his forehead on hers and moved his hands down to her waist, tucking them under the waistband of her jeans. “Lord, darlin’. You are somethin’ else.”
“I take it that’s good?”
“Oh yeah, that’s good. When can I see you again?” he’d asked, impatience clear in his voice.
“Depends.”
“On?”
“On your thoughts on having sex on a second date as opposed to the first.”
Laine laughed out loud, the sound echoing off the empty walls, remembering his response. His hands had tightened at her sides and he
’d told her, “Dammit, woman. You’re killin’ me. Tomorrow we have one of those crazy softball games with the firefighters. I’m not on Dax’s team, but the Rangers from Division 10 are as much a bunch of cheaters as Dax’s firefighter friends from Station 7. After the game, I have to head down to Galveston to interview a witness. I’m not going to get back until late. Sunday night, I’m also working.”
Laine had told him that she was extremely busy the next week with house showings and inspections. It seemed like every newlywed in the city wanted her to show them a house in the next seven days.
“Next Saturday,” Wes had told her decisively. “Make it happen. You want me to pick you up, or will you meet me at my ranch?”
“I’ll meet you there. What time?” Laine didn’t even pretend to not want to see him again as much as it seemed he wanted to see her again.
“Whenever the fuck you want.”
Laine had laughed. “Okay, Wes. I’m looking forward to it.”
“It?”
She’d blushed and told him, “Yeah, spending the day with you. What did you think I meant?”
As usual, he didn’t hold back his thoughts or his words. “Spending the day with me. Feeling me deep inside you as you come for me. My tongue on your pussy. My hands all over you.”
“Wes!”
“Laine!”
“Lord have mercy.”
He’d gotten serious. “You’ve unleashed a monster, darlin’, I hope you know that. I can’t wait to see you either. All of you. But yes, I enjoy talking to you and doing nothing with you as well. I do have to get some chores done around the ranch, but maybe you’d be interested in watching and helping with some of them?’
“Of course I would. I’m not just going to sit around while you do all the work.”
“I never thought you would.”
Wes had kissed her again, hard and brief before letting go and stepping back. “Be safe next week. I’ll see you on Saturday.”
Laine stretched in her bed and refused to touch herself. She could feel the anticipation building inside, but wanted to wait. The books and movies always said orgasms could be better when they were a long time in coming. She laughed out loud at that. Jeez, what a bad pun. But whatever, she’d hold off and see if the sex with one Wes King was as good in person as it was in her head. Lord help them both if it was.
* * *
The next day, Laine sat on Mack’s couch, holding a pillow to her chest and trying to explain to Mack exactly how she was feeling about how fast things were moving with her and Wes.
“So there we were, sitting in the dark, looking up at the sky, and all I could think was that I could see myself sitting there forty years in the future, holding his hand and mulling over how great our life had been.”
“And? What’s wrong with that?” Mackenzie asked seriously.
“What’s wrong with it? Mack, I met the man a week ago. That’s what’s wrong with that. How can I feel deep down that this man is meant to be mine when I just met him?”
“Do you love him?”
“No.”
Mack didn’t say anything and the silence stretched on, until Laine felt she had to clarify. “I mean, I don’t really know him well enough to know if I love him or not.”
“You’re not fifteen. Or even twenty-two, Laine.”
“I know.”
“You’ve dated. You’ve been in love before.”
“Yeah.”
“So if you’re imagining yourself being with him when you’re old and gray, I think you owe it to yourself, and to Wes, to take it seriously. No one’s asking you to run off and marry him tomorrow. But don’t sell yourself short. Date him. Sleep with him. See how things go. But whatever you do, don’t end things before they get started because you’re scared you might actually be compatible and could live happily ever after.”
“Why do you have to be so damn smart?”
“Because,” Mack said smugly. “And you know what else?”
“What?”
“Just remember who set you up.”
Laine rolled her eyes and threw the pillow she’d been clutching at Mackenzie. “I knew you were going to go there sooner or later. You didn’t actually set us up. You backed out of your commitment and made me go by myself. If he would’ve been a serial killer, you’d be thinking differently right about now.”
“Yeah, well, he wasn’t and he’s not. And you’re gonna get some fantastic sex next weekend . . . so you should be buying me a present every year on that date for forcing you to go without me.”
Laine laughed. “You know what? You’re right. And I swear, if this ends up good, I’ll send you a dozen roses every year on the anniversary of that damn calendar photo shoot in thanks.”
“Deal.”
The two friends smiled at each other for a beat before Mack leaned over and took Laine in her arms. “I love you. I always wished I had a blood sister, but even if I did, she wouldn’t be as wonderful as you are.”
“Ditto.”
They hugged for a moment before Mackenzie pulled away. “Come on, I’m starved. I think we’ve got some leftovers we can dig into.”
“Sounds good.”
“Laine?”
“Yeah.”
“You had better call me as soon as you come up for air next weekend.”
“I will. You know I will.”
6
“You’re coming over tomorrow still, right?” Wes asked Laine the following Friday toward the end of their nightly phone call. Even though they’d both been extremely busy, they’d found the time to connect via the phone each night. One night they’d only been able to talk for ten minutes, but another they’d carved out a couple of hours.
“Of course. I thought I’d get there around eleven or so. Is that too early?”
“No. That’ll give me enough time to get most of the chores knocked out. I’ll talk to my foreman and make sure he’s got everything under control, although I have no doubt he will. Want to take a ride with me?”
“A ride? On a horse?”
“Yes. On a horse.” Wes laughed.
“Sure, but I should warn you, I’m not that good. I’ve been on a few trail rides and stuff, but I think the last nag I was on was about four hundred years old. The only thing it was interested in was getting back to the barn and eating some hay.”
“I’ll take care of you, Laine. I won’t let you get hurt.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
“Okay then. But not a long one . . . okay? I don’t want to be too sore.”
“You got it. I wouldn’t do that to you . . . or us. Just a short ride. I need to check the fence line to see if there’re any holes or if it otherwise needs repairing, so we’ll go nice and easy and take as many breaks as you need. How about we have a picnic lunch while we’re out too?”
“You’re too good to be true.”
“Nah, I just know how hungry I get while I’m riding the fence.”
Laine laughed. “Okay, if you say so.”
“I’m looking forward to spending time with you. And I’m not just talking about in bed.”
“Me too. It’s been a long week.”
“Very long. It’s weird, the things that reminded me of you as I went through my days.”
“Really? Like what?”
“Lots of things. A billboard for a winery. A news article about a meteorite shower coming up next week. I pulled over a woman and she was wearing a purple shirt . . . I even let her off with a warning because what she was wearing reminded me so much of you. Hearing one of my fellow Rangers talk about a rodeo.”
“A rodeo made you think about me?”
“Yeah . . . rodeo . . . cowboys . . . rope . . . made me think about you eyeballin’ me during my photo shoot.”
“Whatever, smarty.”
“I just wanted you to know that as much as I’m looking forward to seeing you naked on my sheets, I’m just as much looking forward to holding your hand, watching you enjoy your lunch,
seeing you interact with Star . . . it’s everything. I feel like a little kid who gets to spend all day at the amusement park. I feel like a teenager again, looking forward to a first date. The anticipation is killing me.”
“I hope the reality is as good as your expectations,” Laine said a bit nervously.
“I have absolutely no doubt it will be. So . . . eleven, right?”
“Yeah. That’ll give me time to sleep in, have my three cups of coffee so I can wake up, and to pretty myself up for you.”
“Bring an overnight bag.”
“I’d planned on it,” Laine told Wes without missing a beat.
“Shit. You’re perfect.”
“Not really, but I’ll happily let you think it.”
“Have a good rest of the night. I’ll see you in the morning,” Wes told her in a soft voice.
“You too. Later.”
Laine clicked off the phone and smiled. She’d thought a lot about what Mack had told her the other day. It had been very insightful and deep, and she’d been exactly right. Laine decided that whatever happened tomorrow, she wasn’t going to sweat it. She liked Wes a lot. He was handsome, sexy, and honorable, and she’d be an idiot to blow him off because she was afraid she liked him too much.
Eleven o’clock couldn’t come fast enough.
* * *
It was after dinner on Saturday night and Laine lay in the circle of Wes’s arms on his couch. She should’ve been tired after the long day, but she was wired and more than ready to take her relationship with Wes to the next level.
She’d arrived right at eleven that morning and was met by Wes in front of his house with a toe-curling kiss. He was wearing a tight T-shirt and a pair of jeans with his brown work boots. His ever-present cowboy hat on his head, shading his face from the sun. He’d taken her hand without a word and led her into the barn, where they had a bit more privacy, and proceeded to kiss her to within an inch of her life.