“My father didn’t love her.”
“I think at one point in time, he did. But the only person Ed truly loved was Ed. He cared only about playing football and his image on campus. With your mother’s beauty, she was the candy on his arm. He loved knowing other guys envied him having her as his girlfriend.”
“What happened?”
“About the time he blew out his knee, she found out she was pregnant with you.”
“I’ve lived with the shame all my life.”
“You had no reason to be ashamed, Eve.”
“I know that now, but, as a kid, he told me nearly every day it was my fault he had to marry Mom.”
Tom shook his head. “He never let her forget, either. He acted like he had no part of creating you.”
“What about you and Mom?”
“What about us?”
“You said everyone loved her, but you stuck around all those years and now you’ve been helping me. Seems you gave up an awful lot in your life for me. Why?”
Tom gave Eve an intent look. “I suppose you’re talking about what Ed said about your mother and me?”
At Eve’s nod, he continued. “I would have given anything to be with her, but she only had eyes for Ed. I’d get so angry at the way he treated her. He wasn’t good enough to breathe the same air as her.” He slapped his hat back on his head.
“Why didn’t you try and win her over?”
“At first I did, but after a while it became obvious I had no hope of being her boyfriend, so I decided to be friends.” His smile barely reached his eyes. “And, contrary to what Ed says, nothing happened between us.”
“I didn’t think so, but I had to ask. My father is an expert at making things sound real and, of course, not his fault.” Eve reached across the space between her and Tom and squeezed his hand. “The way he treated Mom, I wouldn’t have blamed her for going to someone else for happiness. But for you to stick around all those years . . .”
Tom returned her gesture and stood and gazed out the window facing the woods. “I guess if I couldn’t have all of her, I would be satisfied with only a part. When you were born, and they asked me to be your godfather, well, that sealed the deal. One look at you and I was a goner. I decided I would do what I could to protect you.” He put his hands in his front pockets and eyed Eve over his shoulder. “See where it got you—your mother dead, your father in prison, and who knows where he is now, the ranch’s problems . . .”
“Oh, Tom, you had a life of your own. You couldn’t be here all the time. My father acted differently during your visits. Maybe he wanted to be like you, or want you to think he was a better man than you. Either way, it was a nice reprieve for Mom and me.” She paused and considered her friend. “Anyway, I’m glad you came to stay after the accident and trial. I couldn’t have done this without you.”
Tom shook his head. “Don’t sell yourself so short. You would have been okay on your own.”
She stepped to Tom and rested her head on his shoulder. “I’m glad you stayed. I love you.”
“Hey, what did the man say to the horse in the bar?”
Eve and Tom jumped at Denton’s voice and turned in his direction.
“Why the long face?”
Eve giggled and rolled her eyes. Tom dropped his chin to his chest and chortled.
“That’s so old, it’s rotten,” Tom said.
“Well, at least it got the two of you to smile. You’re so serious I’m surprised your faces haven’t shriveled. What’s going on?”
Eve shook her head. “Just junk from the past and Ed. Speaking of which, did you find anything?”
“Nothing, except for what seems like a trail going through the tall grass behind the machine shed.” Denton removed a sweat-stained towel from his pocket of his shorts and wiped his forehead. “I followed for a while, but then it disappeared. I also found places where it looked like someone dug holes and then tried to cover them up.”
“Who and why would anyone be digging holes on my property?”
“Well, it can’t be Ed. He’s been lazy as long as I’ve known him, and I doubt he’s changed.” Tom picked up a fallen brush and hung it back on a hook. “I don’t see him exerting himself like that.”
“Do you think he’s moving around the ranch as we search?” Eve asked, glancing around the room as if he would suddenly pop up behind a bale of hay. After all, that was pretty much how he’d shown up the first time.
“Maybe,” Denton said, pushing away from the doorframe.
“He needs to eat and sleep, and he wouldn’t bunk down in the barn or one of the sheds, so he went somewhere. We’ll tell the staff to keep an eye out for him.”
“Ah, excuse me, Tom, Eve.” Joe, one of the staff members, poked his head into the tack room. “Did you guys hire someone new?”
“No, why?” Eve asked.
“’Cause an old dude came into the mess hall a while ago and grabbed some snacks.”
Eve grabbed his forearm. “What did he look like? “Where’d he go? What did he say?”
The young man put his hand up to stop the rush of questions. “Wait, wait,” he shouted. He nodded toward Tom. “White hair, blue eyes, new jeans, white shirt, and red baseball hat. He didn’t say anything except that Eve gave him permission to take some food, which I thought was strange since it’s not time for chow. Then he walked down the driveway and disappeared, which is weird for an employee, which is why I came to tell you guys. Something wrong?”
“We’ve been looking for him. I told Dennis to tell you about him. Didn’t he?”
“I haven’t talked to Dennis since I got here a while ago.”
“That man is my father, and he is not welcome here.”
“How long ago did he leave?” Denton asked.
Joe glanced at his watch. “Maybe fifteen minutes. After I thought about it some, I realized it didn’t seem right, so I came over here to tell you guys.”
Tom slapped the young man on the shoulder. “Good job. Now see if you can round up some of the others to search the woods along the driveway and to the road. We need to find out where the son-of-a-bitch went.”
“If I recall, his sentence stated he’s not to come near me once released,” Eve said. “If we can’t find him, I’m calling the sheriff.”
Chapter 14
A week later Eve sat in a white wicker rocker on the front porch, head resting on the back, a glass of tea nestled in her hand. With the exception of the Huber’s and Denton, last week’s guests were gone. It had been one of the most interesting groups she’d had so far this year. The older couple, while seeming to enjoy their lessons, had left the ranch often. There were times Eve thought their lovey-dovey act was just that, an act. Twice she’d come upon them arguing, but then many couples, no matter how much they loved each other, fought.
To her surprise, by the end of the week, instead of pairing up with quiet Sophie, Chuck spent time with the effervescent Jackie. Maybe it was the way the woman didn’t let his son get away with his bad attitude. Eve didn’t care, as long as the boy behaved himself.
Now, with the Fourth of July sitting smack in the middle of the week, there weren’t any other clients at the ranch. She’d been hoping for some time to herself, but with the trails open to locals, another barn dance, and a hayride with a bonfire, she was as tired as ever.
Max came out and spent some time checking out her stock and trying to get her to go out with him again. Denton was in town working on preparations for the upcoming trial being held in December. To keep from telling Max she wouldn’t go out with him because she was falling in love with Denton, she made up an excuse of work in her office and left the man to his own devices in the barn.
It was the evenings that were wearing her down, the long nights of tossing and turning in bed, trying to fi
gure out what to do about her feelings for Dent. Her dreams were becoming increasingly erotic. She and Dent naked on a horse, riding out to her secret place. His arms wrapped around her, fondling her breasts as she guided the horse down the hidden path. His other hand slide lower and lower until it reached her . . . Each time her dreams got this far, she woke, panting and sweating.
She was going to have to do something soon about the man, or walk around like a zombie. Breathing slowly, limbs becoming heavy, she drifted into another dream of them together.
Denton leaned against the doorframe of his cabin, ankles crossed and arms folded over his chest. Watching Eve was becoming one of his favorite pastimes. With the exception of the Hubers and himself, the last of the guests were gone.
Eve sat in her rocker on the porch, holding a glass filled with amber liquid. If he listened closely, he could hear the ice tinkle in the glass. As her head tipped to the side and her eyes slid shut, the glass tilted. He was glad the Hubers and Eve’s employees were in town for the Fourth of July celebrations and Eve could finally get some badly needed rest.
Now it was just the two of them and a multitude of horses. He strode across the lawn and driveway to her front porch.
Eve jerked upright when he took the glass from her hand. As much as he wanted to draw her into his arms and kiss the frown from her brow, he set the glass down and sat down.
“Denton, what are you doing here? I thought you went into town with everyone else.” She sat up. “Is something wrong?”
“No. I wanted to spend some quiet time here on the ranch, with you. Besides, you invited me here for a glass of ice tea.”
Eve took a deep breath and ran a hand over her face. “Now I remember.” She gestured to the empty glass sitting next to a sweaty pitcher of tea. “Help yourself. Geez, I must have been more tired than I thought.”
“Well, it has been an interesting day so far.” A frown crossed her forehead. “What’s wrong?’
“This is starting to become a habit.”
“What is?”
“Sitting here on the porch, sharing a drink, talking.”
“I don’t think a few times constitutes a habit, Eve.” He wiped the moisture from the side of his glass with his thumb. “Although, I could get used to this easily. You. Me. Porch. Drink. Relaxing.”
Eve’s gaze settled on his face. A small smile played across her lips. “Yeah,” she whispered. “Me, too.”
Denton held his breath, waiting for her to say something else. She picked up the glass and ran a finger over the rim. Her lips turned up in a slight smile. He stared.
“What?” she finally asked.
“What did you mean?”
Eve’s smile grew. “By what?”
“Don’t be obtuse, Eve. You actually agreed with me.”
Eve took a drink and set the glass on the glass table between them. “I’m not sure where this is going, Dent, but I realize I’m glad you are back in my life. Believe me, when I say this is something I thought I would never, ever say to you.” She paused and picked a piece of lint from her shorts. “You have melded yourself right back into my life, like you never left. And . . .”
Denton waited anxiously for her next words, silently praying they would be the ones he wanted to hear. “And?”
“And, I’m happy you’re with me, right here, right now.”
Denton reached across the table and took her hand, wondering what the tears in her eyes meant. “Really?”
She blinked away the tears. “Yes, really.” She stood. “Let’s go for a ride.”
“Now?”
She pulled him out of the chair. “I’ve always had this fantasy,” she breathed against his lips.
“A fantasy?” he murmured back against hers. “What kind of fantasy?”
“Wait and see.” She sighed and pushed him away from her body. “Go get your riding gear on.”
Denton had trouble getting his mind off the ache between his legs and on to what she was saying. “Uh, riding gear?”
She licked her lips.
Denton bit back a groan.
“That’s what I said.”
“Where are we going?”
“The pond.”
“Pond?”
“Denton, please. Must you repeat everything I say? Yes, we’re going to the pond. I have a fantasy to fulfill.”
His eyes swept the ranch.
“Don’t worry, everyone is gone to town for the festivities,” she said over her shoulder as she opened the porch door.
In a daze, Denton walked to his cabin. Fantasy? She had a fantasy? He got all the harder thinking about it. He opened the door and stopped short. Hell, she didn’t say what kind of fantasy. Maybe she wanted to retaliate for what he did to her. Maybe she’d get him on his horse, ride out to the pond, slap his horse on the rump, and let him ride into forever. He cringed at the thought.
He remembered her lips whispering against his, the way she’d pressed her body into his, the way her eyes seemed to smolder with desire. She wouldn’t act all seductive if she planned something bad for him. Would she? Had she developed some kind of femme fatale moves since he was gone? Had she turned into a black widow and was actually planning his demise? He cleared his mind of his crazy thoughts.
He had fantasies of his own and if hers were anything like his . . . Denton groaned and got harder.
He smiled at the image running through his head. Eve, him, lying naked in the sun, under a full moon, in a hot tub. Hell, didn’t matter where, as long as they were naked.
“I need a cold shower,” he muttered and glanced at his watch. “She said fifteen minutes and I’ve already wasted five trying to figure out what she wants from me.”
Then he thought about what she’d said about wearing riding clothes. So much for nakedness. Now what the hell did she mean by that? He snapped his fingers. “Wait!”
Glad he still had some clean jeans left, he stepped out of his shorts and took a rapid, cool shower, then hummed as he tugged the jeans on, sans underwear. After all, she did sound sexy, and if this was a fantasy, well, his fantasies didn’t include underwear.
Eve pressed the door shut and leaned against it. She slapped her hands over her face. “Shit. What the hell am I doing coming onto him like that?” She peeked through the door window. Denton’s long strides had him nearly to his cabin. “I’m acting like a hussy.”
She fixed her eyes on his tight rear and smiled. She’d been thinking way too much about her dreams. If they’d finished what they’d started ten years ago during Thanksgiving break, maybe she could get on with her life.
Even though she’d ignored the rumors about his marriage, she’d taken some pleasure when he divorced Marie. After all, she was only human. Although Eve was friends with his mother, Rose had never offered any details and Eve had never asked. The story he’d told her the night of their dinner rang true to how Marie had operated in those days.
Denton entered his cabin, and Eve let the curtains drop and ran up the stairs. She stood in the door of her bedroom and tapped her finger against her lips. “Hmmm. What does one wear to a fantasy?”
Like in her dreams, she preferred to wear nothing. Even with the place empty, the way things were going, she’d be caught buck naked and bare-assed prancing through the woods.
Well, she did tell Denton to wear his riding clothes, so she would have to follow suit, but with a few modifications.
Eve smiled and headed to her closet. Even if she had no idea how to seduce a man, she could damn well follow her fantasy, or as close to it as she could get.
Denton leaned against the barn door with his hands tucked into his front jean pockets. He curled his fingers. He’d be damned if he would peek at his watch again. She said half an hour and the last time he’d looked, she was five minutes late.
“Damn it.” He slid his hand from his pocket and turned his wrist. “Huh, five minutes and thirty seconds late,” he muttered. “I guess she was yanking my chain. Another minute and I’m . . .” He ran his hand over his head. Who was he kidding? What was one more minute in the scheme of things?
He moved to a bench placed along one side of the barn door. A cat stopped licking her paw and grooming herself to turn her green eyes on him. “I know, I know. She’s late.” Denton shook his head. “Get a grip, man. Geez, now I’m talking to a cat.” With one more disdainful glance, the cat went back to primping.
He turned his wrist to once again check his watch, when the hinges on the screen door creaked. His breath hitched at the vision gliding toward him.
Head devoid of her ever-present hat, long, black hair flowing over her shoulders, Eve waltzed toward him carrying an old-fashioned wicker basket over one arm and a light blue blanket over the other. But that wasn’t what made his heart flip, his mouth go dry, and his cock stand at attention.
She wore a skirt. Hell, he didn’t think she’d ever donned a skirt the entire time they’d dated. The floor-length prom dress didn’t count because it covered her legs. And what a pair she had, for her skirt showed more leg than it covered. Her legs had been pleasing in high school, but a little on the thin side.
Several years of riding and a few pounds added to her frame and . . . yowza. Shapely calves, pretty knees, not knobby. His gaze moved upward. Tight, muscular thighs, the kind to wrap around a man’s waist and squeeze him into submission. The skirt, well, what there was of it, fit over her well-rounded ass and flat stomach and flared with some type of ruffles stopping mid-thigh. How the hell was she going to get on her horse?
Even though a definite leg-and-ass man, his gaze moved up. His mouth dried to the consistency of sawdust. The bright red top made her complexion rosy. An over-the-shoulder strap was attached to a low-scooped neck, leaving her other shoulder bare. The top clung to her body showing off her tiny waist. If she wore a bra, he couldn’t figure out how she hid it. The tops of her breasts peaked from the scoop neck. Her breasts jiggled as she glided toward him. He was no longer a leg man but a breast man. Or simply an Eve man.
Riding for Love (A Western Romance) Page 15