Wild Western Nights

by Sara Orwig

  “Sorry, Gabe. Is it really that important to you to have me to yourself? I had a wonderful time seeing old friends.”

  “I’m glad you did, even though I wanted your undivided attention.”

  “It was nice to see everyone. Except for a few close friends in Dallas, I only kept in touch with Granddad. My family ties here are severed. By the way, I meant to tell you, your brother and I have an appointment. He said you knew that he was interested in our ranch.”

  “That’s right. Jake is buying up Texas.”

  She smiled. “Funny he’s doing that when he doesn’t even live out here all the time and doesn’t sound enthused about ranch life the way you do.”

  “No, he doesn’t love it to the extent I do, but Jake loves being on the ranch as a getaway. He can relax out here. This land grab is Jake’s means of going after oil, gas and water—natural resources that he expects to become more valuable each year.”

  “Your brother has the Midas touch. I hope that you inherited it, too.”

  “Enough to keep me happy. Jake does the work of two men. Since his marriage, he’s a little better about taking time off. Would you object to selling to him?”

  “Not at all if the price is right. I’d be happy to sell to your brother, and it would probably have pleased my grandfather. I want to be rid of the ranch and go home.”

  “I’ll never understand your attitude about Texas. You were happy growing up here.”

  “I love the bustle and excitement of a big city so much more. I always have. I love Dallas, Houston, Miami. Had I stayed in Texas, I would have settled in Dallas most likely.”

  “I wish you had. I have a feeling you’ll make the sale soon and be gone. I’ll come see you in Florida this time,” he promised.

  “If you come, I think you’ll be disappointed because I give myself completely to my work.”

  Her cell phone rang, and she looked at it. “I need to answer this call.” She spoke softly, but knew Gabe could hear her easily. “Good night. That’s great. I miss you, too,” she said in almost a whisper. “Is everything okay?” She listened to Rebecca talking and then said her farewell. “I love you, too. ’Night.”

  “Your mother really misses you, doesn’t she?” Gabe asked, sounding nonchalant, but she could tell he didn’t think she had been talking to her mother.

  “Yes, she does,” Maddie answered. “We have always been close.”

  “Nice, that you two are close. I wouldn’t want to be so close with my parents. I love them, but they meddle. Especially with Jake’s life.”

  “Is your dad still doing that?” she asked, hoping to divert the conversation away from her phone call. “I remember some of the times you told me about the grief he gave your brother.”

  “My dad laid down an ultimatum for my brother last year. Jake had to marry within the year or he would be disinherited.”

  “Good heavens. That’s dreadful,” she said. “I remember you complaining sometimes about your dad interfering with you, but nothing that drastic. Is he interfering with you now?”

  “No. Not so far. He’s always concentrated on Jake.”

  “Why did he want Jake to marry so badly? Did he want a grandbaby?” she asked, tilting her head to one side to study Gabe.

  “I’m sure. Now that Jake and Caitlin have announced they’re expecting, my parents will have their first grandchild and be focused on that. I expect my dad to stop meddling with Jake and hopefully never start with me.”

  Gabe parked in the driveway near the back entrance to her house. Porch lights were on and a tall yard lamp spilled yellow light in a large circle over where they had parked.

  As soon as she unlocked the door and they stepped inside, Gabe drew her into his embrace and kissed her. She clung to him tightly, too many memories pressing in, desire running wildly rampant.

  “Maddie,” he whispered.

  Her insides heated. She wanted him with a desperation charged with six years of empty nights and tormenting dreams. After being reminded of all she’d left behind tonight, now, Gabe was in her arms, kissing her and she didn’t want to let him go. For a few minutes, she stopped thinking with logic and reason. Instead, she took what she wanted and gave herself to him.

  He raised his head, combing his fingers into her hair, pushing out her pins and letting it fall freely. “Ah, Maddie, this is what’s right, the way it should be,” he whispered, showering kisses on her as her hair cascaded over her shoulders.

  She had to stop, but not yet. For now, she relished being in Gabe’s arms, kissing him, touching him and being touched by him.

  “I can’t go back into an intimate relationship,” she whispered. “We—”

  His mouth ended her talk.

  She caressed his nape, his throat while she swiftly unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders to run her hands over his muscled, broad shoulders. He had filled out since he was twenty-seven. He was more muscular, firm, sleek and enticing.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck again to kiss him, because this was Gabe, the love of her life. On fire with wanting him, she closed her eyes and stopped thinking, giving herself to heightened awareness of his mouth on hers, his hands moving over her, his strong, powerful body.

  “This is right. You belong with me,” he whispered, startling her. He had never before made such a remark.

  “This can’t happen,” she whispered. “I wanted to avoid this.”

  “You won’t have regrets,” he said.

  “You were always too arrogant. There is no way I ‘belong’ to you, Gabe,” she said, meaning it, yet unable to stop kissing him.

  Gabe kissed her again, and logic spun away. While she held him tightly, relishing the moment, she drew one hand down his smooth, muscled back. She felt his fingers at the buttons of her shirt and in seconds he’d tugged it off and tossed it aside. He unfastened her lace bra, discarding it before he cupped her breasts with his hands.

  His gaze traveled over her. “You’re gorgeous, Maddie.” He leaned down to take her breast in his mouth, his tongue slowly drawing circles on a taut bud.

  She moaned with pleasure, running one hand through his hair, her other hand caressing his body. He was the only man she loved or had ever loved. She had no intention of admitting it to him or openly acknowledging it in any way. Except for Rebecca, who was proof of that love.

  Gabe had no idea about her feelings. Gabe was wonderful, but most of his relationships were superficial. He had been superficial with her that summer six years ago.

  Now, though she still wasn’t sure if he’d changed, nothing he did felt superficial.

  He cupped both breasts and drew slow circles with his thumbs.

  She moaned again with pleasure, hearing her voice only dimly because her pulse thundered in her ears. She wanted Gabe with all her heart, but when his hands were at her buttons, ready to unfasten her jeans, she gripped his wrists.

  “Gabe, wait. This is too fast for me. I can’t go back to intimacy with you. It tore me up when we broke up.”

  He was breathing as hard as she while he gazed at her with half-lidded eyes.

  “Maddie, I want you to be mine.”

  She shook her head. “I’m not a woman who has flings,” she said, pulling her clothing in place swiftly, her hands shaking while emotion tore at her. She ached with wanting him, yet giving in was the way to catastrophe. “Especially not with you, someone I loved. You know I was getting serious that summer. I wanted commitment. You didn’t. And you’re not ready now.”

  Something flickered in the depths of his eyes. He inhaled deeply.

  “You don’t know that, Maddie. Maybe I’m ready to settle down. I want you. I want to make love to you all night long. You’re not disappearing out of my life this time, like you did before. I know that was my own fault,” he added swiftly. “I let you go when I shouldn’t have because I wasn’t ready for a serious commitment.”

  “You always knew what I wanted,” she whispered.

  “We were too young, M
addie. You were just twenty-one.”

  “Maybe. Maybe not, Gabe.”

  “I let you go, too, because I thought you’d come back here. It never occurred to me you would leave the state and stay away.”

  “You didn’t come after me,” she said solemnly.

  “I promise, that won’t happen again.”

  Startled by his admission, she was momentarily taken aback. “Shh. Don’t say that,” she whispered. Hoping to get her emotions under control, she walked away from him. “It’s late, Gabe. I can stay here alone tonight. You go on home.”

  “Nope. While you’re here, I stay on the sofa. I don’t want to worry about you in this big house by yourself.”

  “Suit yourself.”

  “Maddie, I want to take you out again tomorrow night.”

  “I’m having lunch and spending the afternoon with three of my friends in Dallas tomorrow,” she replied stiffly, hurting, torn between wanting him and being angry with him about the past.

  He walked over to place his hands on her shoulders. “I’ll fly you to Dallas in the morning, and we can stay at my condo, which is large enough you’ll have plenty of freedom and privacy. I can put a limo at your use.”

  The tension left her, and she had to laugh. “That is an irresistible proposition. Limo, Dallas condo, private flight—I will accept. One question first, you’re not thinking of joining us for lunch are you?”

  “Oh, please. You should know me better than that. I’ll be at the office. Once we get to Dallas, you won’t even know I’m there until dinner.”

  “Gabe, if you’re within a city block, I will know you’re there, but thanks. I’ll accept your offer.”

  “Good. Come sit and talk. I’ll keep my distance.”

  “You didn’t dance a lot tonight.”

  “I was waiting on a certain blonde to be free,” he said, and she smiled.

  Maddie’s cell phone rang, a dim sound, but she could hear it and so could Gabe.

  “That’s my phone. This late at night, I better take the call,” she said. She yanked up her jacket to retrieve her cell and walked away to take the call, aware she was disheveled, her mouth still tingling from his kisses.

  “Maddie, I’m sorry to call so late,” her mother said. “Everything is all right. Rebecca had a nightmare. I put her in my bed, and she had another one. She’s crying and wants to talk to you.”

  Aware of Gabe nearby, who was watching her and listening, Maddie started walking down the hall.

  “Put her on the phone.” She could hear sniffles. Her heart lurched when she heard Rebecca’s high-pitched voice.

  “Mommy.”

  “Sweetie, I love you and everything is all right. Get Grandma to read a story to you. What story would you like tonight?” Maddie smoothed her hair from her face as she talked.

  “Come home.”

  “Honey, I’ll be home as quickly as I can. It won’t be tonight or tomorrow. Get Grandma to read to you.”

  “Okay. I love you.”

  “I love you, too, honey,” she said, relieved to hear Rebecca’s voice growing calmer. She missed her daughter badly and wanted to hold her close and comfort her. “I miss you oodles and oodles and will come home just as soon as I possibly can. When I do I will read six stories to you. How’s that?”

  “Good,” Rebecca said. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too, sweetie. Good night.”

  Tracie came back on the phone, and Maddie talked to her for a few minutes then ended the call. When she turned around, Gabe was waiting. He had pulled on his shirt and buttoned the last two buttons at his waist.

  “Who were you talking to, Maddie?”

  Four

  “Only family, Gabe. Not a guy. There really isn’t one in my life.”

  “How I’d like to fill that void,” he said lightly, not pressing her about the call. But she knew Gabe hadn’t put it out of his mind and was curious about who she had talked to.

  “Let’s have a nightcap and talk. It’s not that late,” he said, draping his arm across her shoulders.

  “We do have some cold beer, milk, tea and there’s a wine rack filled with bottles that have been here awhile.”

  “Cold beer sounds fine.”

  “And I’ll have milk. Tell me about the boys who worked on your ranch, and how you got into that,” she said. “I don’t recall you doing volunteer projects when I was here.”

  “I didn’t. Tony Ryder got involved with the project and he talked to Jake, who talked to me about helping because I’m the one on the ranch the most. It’s through a nonprofit and involves boys who’ve had a little trouble with the law, but not enough to incarcerate them. The kids have dropped out of school, or have family problems. That type of thing. The organization tries to get help for them, place them on ranches where they can work and be around good people, around animals. It seems to help. Anyway, I volunteered to take two of them—one was thirteen and the other fourteen. The boys stayed with one of our families who live here on the ranch, and that was additional support for them. It worked out well. They’re in school now. I keep up with them.”

  She turned wide eyes on him. “Gabe, I’m truly surprised. I can’t imagine you doing this. You’re the youngest in your family. You don’t know kids.”

  “It’s not that big a deal, Maddie. Those two kids needed some support and guidance, and I could give that easily. I’ve got the ranch and the time and the money. Neither kid had ever been on a horse. It was kind of funny and pitiful at first, but they took to it. The transformation in them has been awesome. That’s one time the word ‘awesome’ really fits. The guys out here were great. Those boys took to ranch life as if they had been born to it. It was fun to see the changes in them. I got tutors for them in math and reading and their grades have jumped. I have high hopes for both of them. If they get their grades up and keep them up, I’ll send them to college.”

  “I’m impressed,” she said, truly meaning it. She stared at him because the Gabe she had left six years ago would not have tied up his life in any such manner. “They say leopards never change their spots, but I guess leopards do grow up.”

  He leaned close to her. “Are you accusing me of being shallow and immature?”

  She gazed into the bluest eyes she had ever known. “To be truthful, yes. When I left here I sort of thought you were. Not shallow, but a wee bit immature. That particular year, I don’t think you would have taken in two boys who needed help,” she said carefully, thinking about Gabe and wondering about the depth of the changes in him.

  He stared back intently at her. “You are probably right, Maddie,” he admitted.

  “You always have been honest.”

  “I guess I had some growing up to do.”

  “Maybe we all did, Gabe,” she added, remembering how she’d had to grow up quickly when she had a baby. If Gabe had helped those two boys and continued to care about them, how much more would he be interested in his own child? Could she forgive Gabe enough for walking out on her to share her daughter with him? Would Gabe forgive her for withholding that he had a daughter?

  She ran her hand across her forehead and tried to focus on what he was telling her. She needed to shove aside her questions and think about them later.

  “Have you heard one word I’ve said?” he asked, studying her, looking amused, but also curious.

  “I’m sorry, Gabe. It’s been a long day and night.”

  “Anything I can help with?”

  “No, but thanks,” she said, smiling at him. “I should take my glass of milk and go to bed. Tomorrow will be another busy day. Take one of the bedrooms upstairs and stay out of my hair.”

  He grinned. “Yes, ma’am,” he said, grabbing up a handful of silky locks and running them along his jaw, “but it’s going to be a strain.”

  “Watch out, Gabe, or you’ll be staying downstairs again, on the sofa.”

  As she reached for her glass of milk, Gabe took her wrist to stop her. “Sure you don’t want to sit a minute and t
alk?”

  She shook her head. “Sorry. I’m sure. Maybe another time,” she said, knowing that most likely there would be no other time. “I’ll turn off the lights.”

  “I’ll get them,” he said, moving quickly to switch them off. He dropped his arm casually across her shoulders and they checked the doors and the alarm and then climbed the stairs together. How natural it seemed.

  He selected the bedroom closest to hers.

  “You have your own bathroom. I’ll see you in the morning in the kitchen,” she said.

  “Yes, you will. I’ll be more than happy to tuck you in.”

  “Forget it, Gabe,” she snapped.

  He laughed, pulling her into his embrace.

  “Okay, only a good-night kiss.” He kissed away her protest and in no time she had her arms wrapped around him as she kissed him deeply in return, hot kisses that stirred fantasies instead of assuaging desire.

  When she stepped away, they were both gasping for breath. “Tomorrow, Gabe.” She entered her bedroom and closed her door, setting her glass of milk on a table.

  She heard his boots scrape the bare wood floors and then he was gone. He had not closed his door.

  Later, she lay in the dark, her thoughts in turmoil. She had always felt so right about her decision to keep Rebecca a secret. Revealing the truth would have messed up both their lives, at the time, but now—Gabe had changed and she had too.

  Becoming a mother and being in the business world had changed her. She was mature enough now to know she wouldn’t have to marry Gabe, even if he tried to pressure her into it. And he would try. Gabe had an old-fashioned streak as solid and real as the old-fashioned mansion he had built.

  Now she was strong enough in her own right to be able to turn him down. Gabe had faced challenges and grown. And how thrilled he had been over becoming an uncle. To go right out and buy a baby gift, the coming event had to be important to him. To consider sending two boys to college—that had been a reminder of how much he could do for Rebecca. The question persisted—if he helped kids who weren’t his, how much more would he care about his own child?