Hours later, Charli stood in the hot sun, with her hands on her hips. The sweat rolling between her breasts made her itchy and uncomfortable. The situation at hand made her tense and cranky.
“I need black-eyed Susans,” she said to Sarah, who looked up, cheeks flushed from the red alert heat of the day.
“The landscaper ordered daisies.”
“Which are nice,” Charli admitted, “but they don’t have the pop of color I’m looking for. Plus, Susans are a more hearty plant that will thrive in cold or heat. And God knows it gets hot in Texas.” She pulled her damp shirt away from her skin, hoping a little air would flow beneath and cool her off.
No such luck.
“There are a gazillion ways to accent this amazing gazebo,” she added. “But the bottom line is it has to be beautiful no matter what time of year it happens to be. A lot of activities take place here—weddings, birthday parties, town gatherings. It needs to be photo-op pretty from January to December.”
“That makes sense.”
Charli smiled. She loved it when someone validated her ideas. “Did you have fun at the party last night?”
Sarah nodded with a big smile. “I met someone.”
“Zack?”
Sarah sighed. “Zack.”
“Wonderful. Want to share?”
“Not yet. I know we’re only here for a short time, and I don’t have any . . .”
“Expectations?”
“Yeah.”
“But you like him, and you had a good time.”
A smile lit up Sarah’s pretty face. “I really like him, and I had a really good time.”
Charli wrapped her in a one-armed hug. “Beats dog-sitting any day, right?”
“Well, I do adore Pumpkin.” Sarah glanced down at their feet, where the poodle lay in their shadows panting like a wild rabbit. “But yeah. Pretty much a lot better.”
After a few minor adjustments to the landscape order, Charli grabbed a rake and headed over to the playground area to help spread out the rubber mulch. She loved the product, which not only kept its color longer but protected the kids as well.
“You’re working too hard.”
Charli looked up to find Jana Wilder heading toward her with—thank God—a huge cooler she hoped was filled with icy sweet tea. “Deadline’s creeping up fast,” Charli said, taking the cooler before the teetering cups in Jana’s arms spilled onto the grass. “Let me help you with that.”
“Thanks.” Jana eagerly handed over the heavy container. “I drove by earlier, and I just couldn’t help notice how hot everyone looked. So I promised myself that as soon as I got done returning the Calhouns’ folding chairs, I’d bring y’all something cool to drink.”
“You’re a saint.”
“Now don’t go spreading rumors.”
“No Miss Giddy today?”
“Oh, she’d wandered out into the meadow and got herself all muddied up. I didn’t have time to clean her up with everything else.”
Ice knocked against the interior walls of the cooler as they walked toward one of the new picnic tables. With a grunt, Charli set it on top. “I figured you’d be home trying to clean up after the party.”
“The boys took care of that this morning. Then I got them busy painting the living room. Had them haul all the furniture out first. Not much going back in.”
Charli smiled and accepted a cold glass of tea. “You’re really getting into this redecorating thing.”
Jana began filling more cups and waved the hot and thirsty crew over. “You were right, just a change of paint color can really revive an old room into something brand-new. I’ve been living with those white walls and dark wood for so long I had no idea. I don’t know exactly what I’m going to do with the living room, but I’m starting with a nice shade of sand with a splash of poppy.”
“Well I love the whimsy you brought to your bedroom. Even I would never have thought about using wedding-dress ruffles on curtains. And the pink, rhinestoned bull horns? Classic. You could create an entire business just by making them.”
“I could?” Jana’s bright blue eyes widened.
“I think you may have some real hidden talent.”
“Coming from you, that’s quite a compliment.”
“I never say something I don’t mean.” Charli took a long drink and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Where did you find those architectural columns?”
“I actually have a stash in the barn loft. I’ve been collecting old stuff that strikes my happy for years. It started taking up too much room in the garage, so Joe made me move it up to the loft.”
Charli lowered her cup. “How big is your stash?”
Jana shrugged. “Pretty much takes up most of the loft.”
“Judging by the size of the barn, that’s a huge loft.”
“Yeah, it’s all packed in there pretty tight. Last time I had Jackson carry something up, he stood at the top of the steps and yelled down “There’s no damn place to put it.”
A tingle of eagerness shimmied down Charli’s spine. “Jana. I absolutely have to see your stash.”
“Oh, sure. Come by anytime.”
Charli thought about Reno. She hadn’t seen him all day, but when she’d left him in bed that morning, she’d kind of invited herself into his plans for the evening. “Tomorrow is my day off. Can I come look then?”
“Sure. I’ll be home all day.” Jana handed the last cup to Sarah. “But you’ve probably seen this kind of stuff a million times in your work.”
“Actually, I’ve never had the privilege of seeing someone’s collection of what strikes their happy. Mostly I order stuff from catalogs or stores.”
Jana laughed. “Then you need to hang around me more often. I know all the good places to go.”
“Which are?”
“Yard sales. Flea markets. Blow-me-down barns that no one dares walk into except crazy old me. I like stuff. I like it old. I like it with character. And I like it at a good price. Best four days out of the year is when the Route 127 Corridor Sale starts.”
“I’ve never heard of it.”
“What? Sugarplum, we are talking over six hundred glorious miles of yard sales. From Michigan to Georgia and everywhere in between.” Jana’s smile was huge. “It’s like dying and going to bargain heaven.”
“I think that’s definitely something I need to put on my to-do list.” Charli admired Jana’s enthusiasm as well as her hidden design talent. She remembered the FOR SALE sign she’d seen on the two-story Victorian on the way into town. A definite fixer-upper, but with more potential on its front porch alone than most new houses had under their entire roof.
A plan sparked.
Maybe her thoughts moved faster than they should. Maybe she—as always—saw the end results. The big reveal of her life, so to speak. And maybe anyone with half a brain in their noggin would tell her she’d booked first class on the crazy train. Still, she held on to that ticket and climbed on board.
“Does two o’clock tomorrow work for you?” she asked.
“Yep. I’ll even make us some cobbler.”
Charli placed her hands on Jana’s shoulders. “You might want to hold off on any rewards until you find out exactly what I have in mind.”
The summer sun hung low in the sky as Reno watched Charli pull the Hummer up to the barn and head upstairs to the apartment—the place where she would remain for only another few weeks. He couldn’t help notice that she looked hot and tired. And while his nerves jumped, he hoped his plans would not go awry.
Postparty, he’d spent most of the day putting the Wilder Ranch back together and hauling furniture from his mother’s living room so she could “spread her wings.” He didn’t know why she’d become so hell-bent on redecorating the house. He didn’t see anything wrong with it.
The sofas, chairs, and tables he’d hauled outside brought back memories of sitting around with his family, playing board games, munching on popcorn while watching movies, and huddling together on th
e sofa as a thunderstorm rolled through. It was a childhood most kids took for granted—even his brothers. But he knew every moment they’d spent doing such simple things together was special.
Something to be cherished.
Air pushed from his lungs as he stuffed the remaining contents of his surprise into the saddlebags and snapped the flap closed. Life should never be marginalized—exactly the reason he’d pulled his sorry ass out of bed this morning and decided to take a chance.
Before that, he’d lain there, strangled with thoughts and fears that threatened to suck him under. He’d never been the kind to just give in. He’d battled the worst life had thrown at him. Though at times the worst claimed temporary victory. Still, he’d always managed to come back—ready to put one foot in front of the other to make it through another day.
Until Diana died.
He stared out the window, not really seeing the green rolling hills or the stands of oaks shadowing the ground. In his mind, he pictured the semitruck bearing down on the woman he’d loved. Colliding with her compact car. Mangling everything until it became unrecognizable.
Pain seared through his chest as breath-stealing as the day he’d received the call that she and her sister had been killed.
From that moment, he’d cursed life—dared it to take him down. Instead of complying, life had laughed in his face. Dared him to live another day. Pushed him to open his eyes and see the joy that stood before him if only he’d grasp it.
He’d lived in darkness for too long. He could see that now.
Charli had changed everything.
She brought something to the party that made him feel things he’d never felt before. Or at least not in a long time. He didn’t know how to sort through the tangle of emotions that churned in his chest. He only knew he wanted more.
He flung the saddlebags over his shoulder and looked down to Bear, who sat with pointed ears perked up. “Sorry, buddy. You need to stay home this time. I’ll see if your girlfriend wants to come visit.”
Bear rubbed his nose with a paw and sneezed.
“Yeah, I know she’s a pain in the ass. But don’t tell me you don’t like her just a little.”
The dog stood, stretched, and wagged his tailless butt.
Reno chuckled. “That’s what I thought.”
He reached down and gave his dog a good rub between the ears, then headed out the door.
Inside the barn, he tended business, taking his time until he heard the water shut off in the apartment above. He gave her a few minutes, then he climbed the stairs and knocked.
The door creaked open. A happy glint brightened her eyes. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”
Much like the first time he’d knocked on her door, her warm brown hair was pulled up into a messy tumble of damp curls on top of her head, and her coconut scent danced through the air between them. This time, however, instead of being bundled up in her robe and looking like a marshmallow peep, her sweet curves were loosely wrapped in a big fluffy towel. One little twirl was all it would take to unravel her naked into his arms.
While he had big plans for the night, he wasn’t above taking advantage of a gift when it was handed to him.
“I needed to see you.” He grabbed hold of the towel and drew her against him.
“I wanted to hold you.” He lowered his mouth to hers. “And kiss you.”
With a sweet sigh, her arms slid over his shoulders and wrapped around his neck.
Much to his delight, the towel sailed to the floor.
The softness of her breasts pressed against his cotton shirt, and he wished he were without clothes as well.
“And I wanted to touch you.” His hands smoothed down her warm, damp body. “All over.”
“Then please . . .” she whispered in a husky voice. “Be my guest.”
He moved her inside the apartment. Kicked the door closed behind him. And gave himself permission to touch her wherever his hands could land. He swept her into a wild, unrelenting kiss. Her mouth softened, and his tongue swept between her lips, claiming her, giving her more of himself than he’d ever intended.
She moaned her pleasure and smiled against his mouth. “So why are we just standing here in the middle of the living room when we could both be naked in the bedroom?”
His hands covered her bare bottom, and he gave it a gentle squeeze. “Because there’s no way in hell I’m doing it in my brother’s bed.”
She laughed, and the sound played across his skin. “I didn’t think about that.”
“And,” he said, sliding the backs of his fingers down the gentle slope of her breast. “Because we have plans.”
“We do?”
He nodded. “Get dressed. Long pants. Those fancy red boots. And a sweater.”
“That’s all?” She leaned in and brushed the side of his neck with quick little kisses. “No shirt? No bra? No . . . underwear?”
He smiled, remembering how hot he’d gotten when she’d told him she hadn’t been wearing panties. When he’d raced home and found her naked beneath that soft dress, he’d about come all over himself.
“Surprise me.” He gave her a soft swat on the bottom, then watched her sashay away. He loved to watch her—walk, laugh, smile, frown—didn’t matter. She might very well be the most animated woman he’d ever known. And for that he considered himself a lucky man.
Chapter 16
Charli took no time at all to throw on a pair of jeans, tank top, boots, and grab a lightweight hoodie. She left her hair up in the messy bun and didn’t bother with makeup. She didn’t think Reno would care—or want to wait for her to get all glammed out. If she judged the size of his erection correctly, he had hot and messy written all over his thoughts.
Not that she minded.
Hopefully, the slathering of frosted-cupcake body lotion she’d put on would make him not only hot but hungry.
She called to Pumpkin, then realized her dog wasn’t in the bedroom. Grabbing her hoodie, she went out to embrace the man waiting to show her a good time and found him pinned on the sofa.
“No wonder Bear is always exhausted if she’s this amorous,” he said, while her tiny apricot poodle licked his chin as if she’d found her very own dessert.
Charli couldn’t stop the giggle that bubbled up from her chest. His tone might have held a shadow of Mr. Grumpy, but the smile on his face said he didn’t mind at all. In Charli’s world, that said a lot about the man.
“Well, you can hardly blame her. Bear does have the same certain something as his owner.”
His head cocked, and his smile turned into a grin. “Did you just compare me to a dog?”
“No, silly boy.” She reached out her hand to pull him up. “Just the animal magnetism.”
He came up off the sofa, wrapped her in his arms, and buried his nose in her neck. “God, you smell good. I could just eat you up.”
She kissed him. “That’s the plan, Cowboy. Now let’s get going before you ruin your appetite.”
With a chuckle, he reached down and took her hand in his. Locked their fingers together. “Just in case you think of running.”
She looked up and noted a sudden seriousness on his face. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“For now.”
She didn’t want anything to ruin tonight. Not when she’d been thinking of him all day and imagining scenarios where she’d never have to leave Sweet. Or him.
“I thought you were taking me on a date,” she said. “Our first date.”
“I didn’t show you a good time last night?” The smile was back, and so were those amazing dimples.
“You did. Several times.” She tugged him toward the door. “Now let’s drop Pumpkin off with Bear, and you can show me some more of those amazing acrobatic feats.”
“Always give a lady what she wants.”
“Smart way to stay out of trouble.”
They hit the stairs side by side, and Pumpkin took off on a run toward the house. When they got down to the barn level, Charli notice
d two horses just outside the doors, tied to the big, pine hitching post.
“Uh-oh. Is that our transportation?”
“Yep.”
“You do know I’ve never ridden a horse before, right?”
His dimples flashed. “Thought you were giving it a pretty good go last night.”
She gave him a playful punch in the arm. “That doesn’t count.”
“I was counting.” He took her in his arms as they reached the horses, which looked much bigger and scarier up close. “You know I wouldn’t ever put you in danger. Right?”
“Depends on how much of a smart-ass I’ve been.”
He pressed his brow to hers. “You’re always safe with me. Even if you do drive me crazy.”
A slow leak of air pushed from her lungs. She knew that. But those animals looked . . . She turned to glance at the blond horse nuzzling her arm. Dark eyelashes swept down in a flirty wink. Charli laughed. The animal suddenly looked kind of cute and harmless.
“This is Bonnie,” Reno said, giving the horse a smooth stroke down her long neck. “She’s been around as long as I can remember. She’s gentle and so trained you don’t even need to pick up the reins to tell her where to go. She’s the horse Izzy rides.”
“Well, if a two-year-old can master riding, then I guess I can too.”
“That’s my girl,” he said to her, not the horse. “Wait here, I’ll go let Pumpkin in the house.”
“Okay.”
He gave her a short, sweet kiss, then walked toward the back veranda. She tilted her head just slightly and watched him go. The man did look amazing from the rear. He looked over his shoulder and smiled at her as if he’d read her thoughts.
And he looked damn good coming too.
In more ways than one.
Bonnie gave her elbow another nudge, and Charli lifted her hand to pet the animal’s strong neck. The hair beneath her fingers wasn’t nearly as soft as it looked. In fact, her nearly white mane felt wiry to the touch. In those few quiet moments of shuffling hooves and horsey snuffles, Charli felt like they bonded. Or at least she hoped they did.
“All right, let’s hit the trail.” Reno clapped his hands together.
“Where are we going?”
Candis Terry - [Sweet, Texas 01] Page 20