The Cowboy and the Princess

by Myrna Mackenzie

  She paused and began fidgeting with the buttons on Owen’s shirt. “I take it that he disagreed?” His hands tightened on her.

  “He laughed at me. He told me that we weren’t going to know each other better. I was a weekend fling. Knowing that I was off-limits and that I couldn’t possibly demand more, he’d assumed by my eagerness that I was open for some safe sex, some fooling around before my marriage and his. He’d assumed I’d done that kind of thing before. He certainly had and would, and no, he wasn’t even slightly capable of loving me.”

  Owen began to rub slow circles on her arms with his thumbs. “I’m real sorry that someone hurt you that way, Delfyne.”

  His touch was making her burn and she jerked. “But you don’t understand, Owen. Other women would have learned from that. They would have been more careful and scared, or they would have retreated back into their ordered, safe, arranged little world, but not me. Now that I knew that I was most likely trapped, I struggled harder, but men saw me as a safe target. I was already committed eventually to marry a man my parents had chosen, so I couldn’t ask for more than they wanted to give. I was to be engaged to a man I barely knew, so surely I would be open for some fun and romance and…more.”

  “You’re not telling me that men forced you?”

  “No. I finally understood the rules, and I avoided those men as much as I could. I acted out in more innocent ways, so I thought I was safe. I was no longer sending the wrong kind of signals. At least, I thought I wasn’t, but…there was another incident where a man tried to seduce me by lying to me. This time the scenario was different and I walked away without any heartbreak, except—”

  She stopped. “Well, I walked away,” she ended lamely.

  “Except what?” He was gripping her lightly, but his voice was steel, his eyes were silvery and angry.

  She raised her chin. “Two years ago my parents threw a big birthday party for Andreus and they invited a group of his friends and acquaintances. One of them, a prince, seemed to take a special interest in me. A group of us went for a walk. I felt safe enough in a group, but suddenly I realized that the others had fallen away, all except the prince. I realize now that he’d convinced his friends that I wanted to spend some time with him just as friends, but that I was worried because my father is such a stickler about protocol.”

  She took a deep breath and looked at Owen.

  “So he set up a ruse?”

  Delfyne looked away. “He seemed to think that I would be fine with that. I don’t think I encouraged him. I didn’t even particularly like him, but suddenly it was dark and we were alone. I started back toward the party and he grabbed my arm and started trying to…make love to me. When I pushed him away, he told me that I’d been giving off vibes, that I was the type who encouraged men without even working very hard. I remember that he was speaking softly, coaxing, trying to make the whole thing look like my idea. He tried very hard to seduce me and managed to rip my dress. Whether by accident or intent, I don’t know, because I just ran.

  “Fortunately, thankfully, he didn’t come after me. For a long time after that I was suspicious of any man I didn’t know well, but…it’s been two years. I guess I let my guard down today.”

  She was shaking now, remembering the shock of that day despite how much time had passed. Owen pulled her to him and tucked her head beneath his chin. He held on tight.

  “Does Andreus know?”

  She shook her head against his chest. “It would hurt him. He would blame himself, since the prince had been part of his group and had been invited as his guest. Besides…although the prince frightened me, I think he may have been right, at least a little. I’m not defending him. He was, as you say, a jerk. But I do know that my impulsiveness and my openness make me a target at times. People read me the wrong way.”

  Owen swore. He set her away from him and rose to his feet. “You’re not taking the blame because some royal jerk couldn’t keep his pants on. Andreus should know. Your family should know, and the prince should never be allowed near you again.”

  “It’s too late now. I didn’t say anything then, and now I can’t. And I’m not taking the blame. I know I didn’t invite his advances in any way, and I’m sure I should have said something right then, but…he’s married now and he has a baby. The princess is a good woman who keeps him on a short leash, and I don’t want to cause a scandal because of something that happened two years ago when in the end nothing happened. I’m pretty sure he was drunk. I’ve heard nothing that has led me to believe that any other girls have been in danger. I think that’s part of why I tend to believe my own exuberance might have been misunderstood. My family thinks I’m uncontrollable, and to some extent they’re right.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with you.”

  “Owen, I let a total stranger into the house a few minutes ago,” she said, rising to stand beside him, and to her surprise she was calmer now. Something about Owen’s presence and his touch, his championing of her soothed her.

  “He wasn’t a stranger. He’s been here many times.”

  “He was a stranger to me. In most books that makes me a woman too stupid to exist.”

  “You’re not even slightly stupid. Andreus once complained that you were a far better student than he was.”

  “Well, I’m not stupid, no, but I am impulsive and you can’t deny that. It’s a despicable trait, it makes me read people wrong and…Owen, I just thought of something. That man—he’s probably going to bring a lawsuit against you for hitting him. That’s so unfair, but don’t worry. My bodyguards can dissuade him. They’re very good at that kind of thing, you know.”

  For the first time during this entire exchange Owen laughed.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Okay, you are impulsive,” he agreed. “And given that last statement, maybe even a little bloodthirsty, but you’re absolutely not to blame because men have behaved badly with you. And I don’t want you worrying about a lawsuit. If it comes to that, I can afford the best lawyers around. And I can afford to pay any damages the jackass might win.”

  She looked up at him, stricken. “The paparazzi are going to love this so much.”

  “That’s true. I completely forgot about them. Well, that’s not going to be an issue. I’ll handle this.”

  “Owen, really. I so do not want you to have to pay him money to keep him quiet. Even if you can afford it. That’s just not right when you were trying to do a good thing for me.”

  She couldn’t keep the sadness from her voice, and he gently tipped her face up to his.

  “Andreus shouldn’t have asked you to invite me,” she said. “Look at that. You’ve bruised your poor hand and now you’re shelling out money to keep my name out of the news and…”

  “And…shh,” he said. He kissed her, quickly, then put her aside.

  “For the record, no matter how attracted to you I am, I would never try to talk you into doing something you didn’t want to do,” he said.

  She looked up at him, indignant. “I know that. You think I don’t know that?”

  He stuck his thumbs in the back of his jeans’ pockets and blew out a breath. “What I know is that I’ve gone crazy kissing you several times, and we both know that’s leading nowhere. And I don’t want to be another of those guys trying to seduce you. I like you and respect you too much to do that.”

  “Do you think I don’t know that, too?”

  “You’ve already told me you have bad judgment where men are concerned.”

  She crossed her arms. “I did not say that. I said that once, when I was seventeen, I misread a boy. After that, I had several instances where men just happened to think that my situation and the fact that I tend to be a bit too vivacious and spontaneous made them think I would be easy to seduce. You, I recall, didn’t like this setup from the start. I don’t think you feel that anything about my visit is easy, and rightfully so given all the upheaval, lies and bruised hands you’ve suffered since I arrived. Today…that man was h
ere to do business with you, so now I’ve even cost you a business deal.”

  Owen smiled a sad smile, raised one finger and brushed her nose lightly with his fingertip. He bent and kissed her so softly, she barely felt it. “You’re right. I like you too much, Delfyne, but there’s nothing about you that’s easy,” he agreed. Then he went to the door. “But if anyone—and I mean anyone—gives you any trouble or scares you in any way, ever again, I want you to scream at the top of your lungs. Call my name. Say anything, and I’m there, Princess. No one is going to take you lightly or misread you while you’re here with me.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  OWEN spent the next few days trying both to stay away from Delfyne and to stay near enough to be there if she needed him. He thought he’d succeeded until Delfyne came marching out to where he was changing the oil on one of the trucks.

  “Don’t do what you’re doing,” she said, bending over sideways trying to see him beneath the truck.

  Owen, doing a task he had done hundreds of times, had been trying his hardest not to let his thoughts dwell on Delfyne, so when she suddenly appeared out of nowhere, he half thought he’d conjured her up. Rising up too suddenly, he rammed his forehead into the underbelly of the truck and let forth a streak of words he never would have ordinarily uttered in the presence of a princess.

  “Oh, Owen,” she said in some distress. “I’m so sorry. I guess I should have whispered.”

  Despite his pain, he couldn’t help laughing as he got to his feet. “I don’t think a breathy whisper from an intriguing woman would have made a difference, Delfyne. It probably would have played right into my fantasy.”

  “Oh.” She looked taken aback. “A fantasy. I see. With me.”

  “Don’t worry. I don’t intend to act on it.”

  “Of course not. You made that very clear the other day.” For some reason she seemed a bit miffed. Owen didn’t even want to think about that. “That’s very good of you.”

  Good had nothing to do with it. He couldn’t keep his mind off her. If he even allowed himself to indulge his wayward thoughts, nothing positive would come of that.

  “What was it you wanted me to stop doing?” he asked. “You said—”

  For a moment she looked flustered. Then she crossed her arms again in that cute regal way she had. “Yes, I meant Theron and Nicholas. Stop siccing them on me. They’re unhappy having their regular work taken away from them.”

  “I was under the impression that they had been hired to watch over you.”

  “Yes, but they’re under my orders and I really don’t need them. I’m perfectly safe. No more opening door to strangers. I completely understand that now. So, you can let the men get back to their tasks. There’s no need to worry.”

  Of course, that only made him worry more. It was when Delfyne was at her least concerned that she failed to be on her guard.

  He hesitated.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” she said, “but I’m not without tools. When Lydia heard what happened she gave me a whistle and some pepper spray and she made me watch her self-defense tapes. I practiced on Theron and now I can take a man down if I have to. Lydia has quizzed me.”

  “Take a man down in hand-to-hand combat? Hmm, remind me to give Lydia a raise. She’s a saint.” For some reason his voice came out a bit raspy.

  “She thinks of you as a son. She told me that I had to be smart not only so I wouldn’t get hurt, but so you wouldn’t worry. And because ranch women are strong and tough and independent.”

  “And a bonus. I’m giving her a bonus.”

  “She raised you, didn’t she?”

  “Like a mother. Better than a mother.”

  Delfyne’s smile was brilliant. “I’m glad. And I’m happy that you have someone here who cares about you that much. Well, I’d better get back to my cake. And…Lydia is teaching me to use the other stove. I’ve graduated.” She looked so thrilled and her smile was so bright that Owen’s heart hurt.

  “If Lydia thinks you’re ready, then you are.”

  She nodded. “I know. It’s silly to get excited over something so trivial, but I am. And, Owen?”

  He waited.

  “I’m ready for something else, too.”

  For a second, desire engulfed him and the blood pounded in his ears. Then he shook his head. Of course, she wasn’t talking about that.

  “My time here is moving along. Most of the people around here have met me, and they’ve accepted me, even welcomed me. I don’t want to hide away anymore. I want to know more about the ranch. The things outside the house. It’s time. I won’t have this kind of opportunity again in my lifetime.”

  “You could always visit the ranch again. Would anyone really say no to a princess?”

  “No, it wouldn’t be the same at all. Once I leave here, my life will be very public again. My privacy will be gone, and every event in my life will be an event, not a simple everyday occurrence. If I’m to experience your world in any real sense, it has to be now.”

  “I don’t know who ever told you that you weren’t a wise woman, but they were very wrong.”

  She laughed. “No one ever said I wasn’t wise. Just headstrong. The two aren’t always mutually exclusive. But you haven’t responded to my request.”

  “I’ll see what I can arrange.”

  “I want it to be you who shows me. Only you.”

  With difficulty he held his stance and didn’t move toward her. If ever there was a woman he shouldn’t touch or have any illusions about regarding the future, it was this one. Once she was gone, she was gone. This time, unlike his experiences with his mother and his wife, hope had never existed. There hadn’t been any possibilities.

  “I wouldn’t trust you to anyone else,” he said.

  “I just—I know I’ll be safe with you.” Which just about buckled his knees. She intended to trust him. He had to merit that trust.

  “Let me clear my calendar and make sure that Ennis and Len and Morgan have everything under control. Then I’ll be free to be your tour guide. I’ll be at your service.”

  She shook her head. “Not at my service. Just with me. My guide but my friend. The only male friend I’ve ever really known.”

  The burden grew heavier. The honor grew greater. Owen felt warmth growing within him. “I haven’t had many female friends, either. Not like you mean.”

  “You’ve had Nancy. You’ll still have Nancy when I’m gone. I’ll never have a man for a friend again. It’s the kind of thing that would be talked about even if it were perfectly innocent. I want and need this time with you.”

  She was wrong about Nancy. That relationship was nothing like this, but he knew what she meant. “Then you’ll have this time, and I’ll try to make it as special as I can. I’ll be your friend.”

  He had no idea how he was going to manage this without feeling too much or wanting too much, but…she was placing her trust in him. She was giving him a gift he’d never been given before. If it took every ounce of his self-control, he intended to manage this.

  And heaven help him if he slipped up and touched her.

  Okay, she had gone and done it, Delfyne thought the next day. She had used the f-word and not the bad one, either, but it had all been such a lie. That is, of course she valued Owen’s friendship. This was the man who had opened up his house and his life to her even though he hadn’t wanted to. He had agreed to hide her from the reporters and had danced with her to protect her. He’d hit someone for her. And he was good to his employees. He was a hands-on employer even though he had the money to hire more people to do all the work for him.

  The problem was that she wasn’t sure she could think of him as just a friend. The man made her feel as if Ping-Pong balls were bouncing around inside her every time he simply looked at her.

  “Oh well, I asked for this, and darn it, I want it. Wish me luck, Timbelina,” she said, picking up the taffy-colored cat that had been hanging around the house more often lately.

  “Timbelina?”
Owen’s voice came from behind her, and there they were again. Those darn Ping-Pong balls.

  “I thought she was a boy at first and I was calling her Tim, so when I found out I was not just wrong but that she was pregnant, well, she’s small for a cat, so…Tim became Thumbelina became Timbelina. See?”

  He chuckled “I see that your cat wants to roam.” He was right. Timbelina was struggling, probably because Owen’s presence was doing weird things to Delfyne’s insides, making her squeeze the cat just a bit too tightly.

  “I’m very sorry,” she said to the cat, who looked at her with what could only be called pity. Whether the look was because Delfyne didn’t know how to hold a cat or because the animal sensed Delfyne’s susceptibility to Owen wasn’t clear.

  “Are you…ready for a tour?” he asked.

  “I think so.” She held out her arms so that he could see that she was dressed in jeans, a shirt that would protect her arms, a pair of boots and a red baseball cap. Her hair had been pulled back in a ponytail that had been threaded through the opening at the back of the cap. “Ready to go.” She turned toward the kitchen. “And don’t worry. I’ll be back in time to take over the kitchen tonight,” she said to Lydia.

  “Oh, that’s all right if you’re not here. Don’t worry, hon,” Lydia said. “Really, it would be fine.”

  “No. It would not,” Delfyne said in her best regal voice. “You just make sure you’re ready. I’ll be here to take over. No one will starve or die on my watch.”

  “What are you talking about?” Owen said.

  “Nothing,” the women said in unison and a bit too loudly. Then Lydia added, “Not a word, Delfyne. If nothing comes of it, I don’t want to be embarrassed.”