by Em Petrova
Chapter Seven
The minute Lane walked back into his world of reporters and cameras in his face, autographs and screaming fans, he knew right down to the marrow of his bones that he wasn’t cut out for this shit.
He strode through the crowd, focused on his family at the other side, and trying like hell not to show the irritation on his face.
Leaving Delaney behind had wrenched him. Now he was nursing a deep ache that no matter how much or little he thought of her, wouldn’t disappear. With his phone blowing up day and night with texts to return to his family and the rodeo, he’d had no choice but to do his best to wrap things up at Delaney’s place.
The barn roof was fixed and the donkey walking fine. He’d driven the goat to its new home, where it had been greeted by a happy little girl and several others of his species.
Lane’s ears rang with his name, and the four letters flashed on signs as he trudged through the sea of bodies. Somehow, he reached the place his brothers stood.
“Look who’s back. Your fans have been waiting,” Ryder quipped.
He grunted. “Don’t rightly give a shit.”
Ridge gave him a hard look. Oh yeah, he knew about him and Delaney. The crowd started to push in on them, and the two bodyguards they’d hired held them back.
“Let’s go.” Buck waved a hand, and Lane followed his brothers.
“Where’s Wyn?” Lane asked Buck.
“With the other women.”
“That’s not like her.”
“No, she’s been odd the past few days. Don’t know what’s bothering her, but it better not be another Jack.”
Her last boyfriend had been a porn producer with designs on putting Wynonna on the big screen in a brand new way. Lane and his brothers had taken care of him, and unfortunately West had been arrested for their actions, since he’d been the one wielding the baseball bat. Luckily he’d gotten out of those charges.
Buck gave a shake of his head. “It’s not a new man. She’s just not herself.”
As they made their way into the hallways cut beneath the arena, the crowd thinned. They weren’t allowed past a certain point, but the media still was. Questions flew at him, but he ignored every one.
He got a few questions about his favorite sex positions, but that was yesterday’s news. He felt like a completely different man since the magazine had even come out. And Delaney was the reason for it.
The woman was deep under his skin, and without her near, he was at a snapping point. Now he knew how his brothers had felt when they were falling for their wives. He wasn’t even going to pretend he hadn’t fallen hard for that sweet, sexy woman. But she’d been quiet the past few days.
Ever since their dinner and his mention of kids… Well he’d fucked that up royally. He’d put her on edge and it had taken some kisses up against a wall and a couple playful swats on her ass to get her smiling again. But the thing was, he hadn’t been joking about the kids with her.
They were ushered into a room, and the bodyguards shut them inside. Lane looked around and spotted all the women and children, along with Asher and his kids. Next to Asher stood a beautiful dark-haired woman in cowgirl boots and a hat. He slipped his arm around her and said something into her ear. She giggled.
Lane caught their friend’s eye and tipped his hat in greeting as well as congratulations. Asher deserved a nice woman in his life. Raising his little girls alone was hell, and he’d been lonely far too long.
Kashley made a beeline for Lane. Oh no, here it comes.
“You made it.”
“Yep.” He looked around, hoping to avoid her questioning. Wynonna stood a bit off to the side, leaning against a table and not speaking to anyone. “Hey, what’s up with my sister? Buck’s concerned.”
Kashley nodded. “She’s acting weird.”
“Weirder than usual?”
“Actually, not as weird as usual. That’s the thing. She’s all mopey and depressed.”
That had his brows shooting up. There wasn’t a more happy, carefree woman in the world than Wynonna. He and Wyn had grown up tight, and as soon as he got her alone, he’d talk to her.
At that moment, Buck gathered them all together for one of his pre-rodeo speeches about safety and keeping a level head with the media. At this, he stared at several of his brothers, but his gaze didn’t include Lane. Good thing, because he wasn’t making any guarantees to Buck or anybody else.
“Lane.”
He looked up at Buck’s voice.
“Good to have you back.” He grinned, and Lane returned it. But a second after his smile faded, he got to thinking about how tight-knit his family was. They were never far apart, and the rest of them had settled on the ranch with homes of their own. But what if one sibling broke off from the rest?
His mind wandered back to Delaney’s place. She didn’t have nearly enough land for him to make a living ranching, but before Lane had left, he’d gone for a visit with the neighbor who had taken care of her animals before Lane had shown up.
When Nick was only a name, Lane had been jealous of the man. But once he saw the tough older gent, his jealousy had fallen away, and he realized Nick probably thought of Delaney like a daughter.
“Glad you’re here to take care of her,” he’d said with a bob of his head.
“It’s easy work.” Lane was talking about Delaney as well as the animals.
“I’ve been meaning to talk to her for months now. I’ve been thinkin’ of selling up and going to Florida to be closer to my kids.”
Lane had perked up immediately. His property adjoined Delaney’s and Nick already had a working ranch. He eyed Lane. “Wouldn’t know anybody interested, would you?”
Lane had met his solid and knowing gaze. Whether he was playing matchmaker with Delaney or Lane’s dreams, it didn’t matter. Everything would fall into place.
If Delaney would have him. There was the not-so-small matter of her son hating him and spouting it all over the internet. And that Lane wanted kids and she felt too old for them.
Lane was snapped from his memory when everyone started filing back out of the room. They were immediately mobbed and had to battle through them to get to the arena. He kept close to the women. Asher and his new lady friend each carried one of his daughters, and Lane had no question now about if she was right for him. It was obvious she was. They already looked like a family.
Lane and Wynonna took up the rear of the group. He slung his arm around her neck, dragging her down in a headlock. He tugged on her hair, and she elbowed him in the ribs. All of which was caught on film.
At least she hadn’t lost all her sass.
“What’s up with you?” he asked so low only she could hear.
“Not your business. Have you finally come up for air?”
He met her stare. “Not much choice with ya’ll naggin’ me to come here.”
She gave him a trace of a smile, and suddenly they poured out into an open area where his family was already huddled. He dragged Wynonna into the Calhoun circle and they bent their heads for the prayer.
Yeah, breaking up the family wouldn’t go over well. And his momma would be as pleased as a bear who’d lost one of her cubs. Their roots ran deep, and nobody had ever thought about leaving the ranch. Or if they had, they’d been too scared to mention it.
“For Dad.” The chorus of words prompted Lane to echo it. Then they broke apart. Wynonna scuttled off with one of the bodyguards pushing a path through the crowd. More than likely, she’d be holding the American flag as she rode into the arena and needed to get ready.
Lane stood around for a minute or two, wondering what the hell he was going to do with his time before his event.
I can always text Delaney.
She was back in Oklahoma, hours away, delivering babies and making sure women had the care they needed.
Their leave-taking had been brief, almost clinical. He hadn’t liked her detached tone or the dry feel of her lips when she’d kissed him. Inside, his heart had been w
elling with love for her and his arms had ached to never let her go.
A hand clamped on his shoulder, and he looked down at Kashley. Her family resemblance to her aunt socked him in the gut, and he dragged in a harsh breath.
“Come with me.” Without waiting for his reply, she grabbed his arm and dragged him through a group of people to a dark corner. A camera got close, and Lane stuck out a hand to cover the lens.
“Give us a few, would ya?” he asked the Rope ‘n Ride show crewman.
He nodded and dropped away, leaving him alone with Kashley. Or as alone as they could be when they were famous.
“What’s going on? Are you okay?” he asked her, thinking of babies and her sorrows.
“It’s about Brant. He’s laid down a few more things on social media that makes me think you’re doing more than…” she lowered her voice even more and looked around to ensure they were alone, “playing with my aunt.”
Lane forced his features into a neutral expression. “I don’t have any response. Just ignore what he has to say.”
“He says you’re after her money.”
At that, a sharp bark of laughter left him. From what he’d seen, he had more money than Delaney. She lived comfortably, but he hadn’t seen any indicators of wealth. With his show earnings and rodeo winnings, he was well off.
“He’s just being a spoiled ass. Now Andrew’s waving at me, and if I don’t talk to him it looks like he might have a stroke.” He put a hand on Kashley’s shoulder to soften his brush-off and then crossed the room to shake hands with Andrew.
The producer looked a little strained. “Can I speak with you?”
“Sure, let’s find another dark corner.”
Andrew did better than that. He took Lane into an office of sorts and closed the door on the noise. Great—this couldn’t be anything good.
Lane braced his legs apart and waited.
“There’s a rumor circulating that you’re seeing an older woman. Someone old enough to be your mother.”
Irritation raged through him, curling and breaking on anger. She was far from his mother’s age, and what did anybody care about age anyway? For that matter, what the fuck did they care about his love life?
But that was exactly what this conversation was about. He rocked back and folded his arms over his chest.
“I don’t rightly give a damn about your love advice, Andrew. You’re here to produce our show.”
“Yeah, and that means getting the top ratings.”
“You mean holding onto your job by giving the higher-ups what they ask for. And that is me getting hitched to some young blonde thing.”
Andrew waved a hand. “She doesn’t have to be blonde. Choose any hair color you want.”
“That’s mighty nice of ya,” he drawled.
Andrew sliced a look at him. “This is a business, Lane. This is your job.”
“I signed up to have cameras follow me when I’m steer wrestlin’ or working on the ranch. Hell, I don’t even mind that you’re an inch from my face while I’m flossin’ my teeth. But I draw the line at dictating my love life. Back the hell off.”
Andrew squared his shoulders. Lane would give him one thing—he wasn’t cowed by the Calhouns. “In your contract, it states that you will take our advice and recommendations on how to act on the show.”
“Didn’t know this was all staged. Thought we were the real deal. Isn’t that why America loves us Calhouns? Because we act like ourselves.”
“Yeah, and you’re a young man who is able to date young women. Look, I’ve got a connection with Shelby Huff’s agent, and he says she’s had a crush on you. We can have you two on a plane to Bali in—”
“No.” Lane’s tone was deadly—he wasn’t getting on a plane with the actress even if she had a crush and he hadn’t been laid in his entire life.
Andrew blinked at the force behind his tone. “Think about what you’re doing, Lane.”
“Which is making myself happy. Last time I checked, that’s all you’ve got in this world. Nobody else is gonna do it for you. And definitely not on a plane to Bali with a stranger. Sounds like my family’s headin’ out to the arena for opening ceremony.”
Without another word, he stomped from the office and was instantly engulfed by bodies. Yeah, this was the life. Fucking reporters asking about who he’d given a number 7 to and TV show producers trying to dictate who he was seen with.
He wished like hell Delaney were here right now. He’d bend her over his arm and lay one on her. When he came up for air, he hoped to know exactly what the number 7 was and give it to her, right in front of the world.
* * * * *
Delaney couldn’t believe she was doing this. That she’d actually taken two sick days and hopped a plane to meet Lane in Kansas City. Or meet Kashley, rather. That had been her excuse all along—that she was making a tincture for her niece to drink that would strengthen her uterus and make it a hardier place for a baby to grow.
But the minute she rounded the corner and spotted the cowboy leaning against the wall, she stopped dead.
She’d know those broad shoulders anywhere. Lane wore chaps, and the fringe stood out, dark against the light coming from the head of the hallway that led into the stands. He was all alone. What were the chances?
She placed a hand over her heart to keep it from jumping out of her chest, but it didn’t help one bit. Not when he turned to show her his profile. With his form backlit by the light, she couldn’t see his expression. But the way he doffed his hat and ran his fingers through his hair was all too familiar.
When she took a step forward, he looked up. At first, she didn’t think he could see her in the darkness. But then he pulled away from the wall and strode toward her so fast that she trembled in excitement.
She met him halfway. He lifted her off her feet and swung her against him, his lips crashing over hers before she could even cry out with happiness. God, he tasted like man and mint. She threw her arms around his neck and clung to him as he controlled her senses for several long minutes.
He lifted his head at last. Staring down at her, his eyes bright in the dimness. “What are you doing here?” he rasped.
“I—” She forgot her excuse about her niece. “I missed you.” The admission was a step she hadn’t been ready to take, but it was out now.
“Damn, doll. You make me happy.” He squeezed her tight, crushing her to his hard body. She buried her face against his chest and inhaled his spicy scent. Just a few days away from him and she was having withdrawals. So much for distance clearing her head. It’d only confused her more.
He cupped her face and tipped it up to look at her. That bad-boy smile played around his lips and crinkled the corners of his eyes. “Did you win your event?” she asked to cover what she really wanted to say.
I missed you. I think I’m falling for you.
He shrugged. “Didn’t stick around to see.”
Surprise filled her. “Why not?”
“Mind’s not on bein’ here.”
“Where is your mind then?” She didn’t need to ask—his expression was answer enough. His stare intensified, and he lowered his head for another kiss. This one just as hot and deep as the last.
Oh yeah, her body had missed him. After work she’d come home to an empty house and longed for his teasing. In the wee hours, her body craved him.
If there was a future between them, she needed to find out now, before she let herself fall too hard. That was her reason for coming.
He pinned her to the wall and she flattened her hands on his chest, over the leather vest he wore. He rocked his hips, and she moaned at the feel of his erection. Biting her lip, she eased her hand down his body, all the way to his fly. “These chaps highlight your assets.”
“You’d better take care of it, then. Because I don’t want anybody else seeing how turned on I am.”
A shiver of pleasure ran through her. Many young women would want this man, and he was hidden away from the crowds, hard for her. She
’d better reward him for his loyalty.
Flashing him a wicked look, she unzipped him slowly. He groaned and planted a hand on the wall beside her head. Then she reached into his boxers and pulled him free through the opening.
“Jesus, woman, you’re killing me.” His graveled voice made her skin prickle.
She sank to her knees before him.
“Fucking hell,” he grated out a second before she took him in her mouth. He cradled her head and seemed to lose himself for several pulls of her mouth. Then he grasped her and pulled her up, stuffing himself away one-handedly as he did.
She gave him a smile, and he laughed. “Damn, you’re slaying me. I want nothing more than to finish in your pretty little mouth, but we’re lucky we weren’t seen.”
It crossed her mind that someone might have videoed her action, and then figured it was unlikely. All the attention seemed to be elsewhere, and Lane had chosen this spot to stay under the radar.
He yanked her against him again and kissed her with a slow thoroughness that made her wish they were alone. On an island. Wearing nothing but a few grains of sand.
He pulled away from the kiss and stared down at her, panting. Suddenly, he yanked his phone out and glared at it. “Dammit, I’m being summoned. I need to go. Where will you be?”
“Uh, I guess right there in the stands, watching you accept your prize.”
He grinned. “You’re awful sure I won. Now I actually give a damn if I did. I want to show you what kinda man loves you.” He laid another kiss on her before walking away.
She blinked after him as he sauntered down the long hallway to the sunlight. He paused before he disappeared, and it dawned on her what he’d said.
He loved her.
* * * * *
“You seein’ this?” West’s words cut through Lane a split second before Ridge snapped. Both brothers ran into the fray in time to each catch hold of Ridge’s arms and restrain him from punching out a reporter.
“What the fuck do you care if my wife’s pregnant, asshole?” he bellowed before Lane and West dragged him off.
He struggled, but they refused to release him. “Let me ask him if he can even get his dick up!” Ridge raged.