A Lone Star Romance: Book 2 in The Only Love Series

by Violet Sparks

  "If I did decide to keep the collection together, I'll need the help of someone like you to oversee everything."

  Did I hear that right?

  "What did you say?"

  "You heard me, Beatrice. Now what else have we to discuss?"

  "Uh . . . you might want to consider selling once I tell you about the bowls," she stammered.

  "What bowls?"

  "I found four heavily carved, small bowls. No records of their purchase exist, but your uncle definitely brought them into the country long before the government enacted sanctions."

  "Sanctions?"

  "Yes, they're carved from rhinoceros horn, although two look just like rosewood. Noble, they're worth at least two million dollars as a set, and—"

  Harden threw his head back and laughed, then sprang from his chair. In one swift move, he circled to her side of the table and lifted her in an embrace. Then, he swung her around and around like a rag doll. The whole time he whooped it up, yelling strange ranch calls like Whoopee, Yeehaw, Sooey, and others.

  * * * * *

  Banging woke Kiki after a restless night. She grabbed her silk robe and padded in bare feet down the hall to see who wanted her at this hour. Opening the door just a crack, she spied James, holding two mugs of steaming hot coffee.

  "Come in," she said, moving aside and reaching for one of the drinks.

  "Good morning, Babe. Thought I'd drop in before I took off."

  "You're leaving? At this hour?"

  The sun hadn't risen over the ridge, although the sky's pitch black had given way to light gray. Kiki felt a wave of panic wash over her as the two walked to the great room.

  "Yes. Gotta make tracks. I'm going to spend some time with Dad before the wedding."

  They sat on the sofa, sipping their warm drinks in silence. It took a while for Kiki to get up the nerve to mention what had been on her mind the last twenty-four hours.

  "So, what was this all about, really, Jim?" she asked after several minutes.

  "Ah, I'm not sure what—"

  "Please, don't play dumb with me. I know you too well. It may have worked with Harden and the other cowboys, but not me."

  "I see," he said, releasing a long, slow sigh.

  She waited for him to continue, her brow furrowed.

  "Well, first off, Katrina forbade it. That was akin to throwing down a gauntlet."

  "Kate knew you were coming and didn't tell me?" she gasped, feeling betrayed by her best friend.

  "No. Now hear me out before you get upset, Kiki, all right?"

  She nodded.

  "I called Katrina after the shower. I knew you would have been there and I wanted to test the waters, see where you were at."

  "You could have called me directly," she fumed.

  "I know, I know. Instead, I took a less invasive route. She said she thought you might have moved on, and that I should leave you alone. She wouldn't tell me where you were, or anything else. I agreed with her, just to set her mind at peace, then went to work locating you."

  "I see."

  "Kiki, I know we didn't end things exactly right. I wanted to know if we still had a chance, now that I was free and clear of the military."

  "And what did you conclude?"

  "It's not easy to admit, but I think maybe Katrina was correct."

  They continued drinking their coffee in silence. She didn’t know how to respond.

  "I was on to you at the Big Texan, you know," she finally volunteered. "Why did you go along with that? And when did you become an expert on Ming Dynasty porcelain?"

  Jim clucked his tongue on the roof of his mouth and shook his head, eyes twinkling.

  "A guy's got to have some secrets, Babe."

  He put his mug on the cocktail table and stood.

  "Oh," he added, "I checked that cowboy friend of yours out too. He's clean, in case you were wondering."

  "No criminal record? No ties to organized crime? Gee, thanks, Jim!" she blurted out before they both shared a laugh.

  She walked him to the door and out onto the stoop, where they hugged. He rested his forehead on hers, stooping low.

  "I'm sorry things didn't work out for us, Babe. We're going to be okay, though, right?"

  "Yes, Jim," she said, allowing him a goodbye kiss.

  He pulled away and flashed her The Grin.

  "I let the boys win back their cash last night. Just so there'd be no hard feelings here at the ranch." He chuckled, then trotted to his waiting sports car.

  Kiki waved and watched him drive away before returning inside. She walked to the living area and picked up their mugs, intending to place them in the sink before grabbing some more sleep. She'd just turned around, heading for the kitchen, when the door crashed open. She dropped both mugs, and they smashed on the hardwood floor with a sickening crash. A startled, high-pitched sound escaped her lips as a large form stomped down the hall, headed right for her. She'd know that tall, muscular frame anywhere.

  "I told you, he wasn't going to end up in my bed!" he snarled taking a step closer, his face twisted into a mask of anger she didn't recognize.

  The sofa was now the only barrier between them. Kiki tried to control the tremble she felt starting at her knees. What was wrong with him? It hit her. He must have seen Jim leaving the house and assumed he'd spent the night there.

  "It's not—"

  Before she could get the words out, she saw a shudder rack his body. He turned, setting his back to her. She watched him ball his massive hands into fists at his sides and his torso heave as he took a breath. Standing there, his powerful legs parted, he looked every inch the Colossus of Rhodes. She could see the muscles rippling across his back under his knit shirt as he fought for control of himself.

  "Get decent, Woman!" he growled through what sounded like gritted teeth.

  Kiki glanced down and saw that her lavender and black lace silk robe had slid from one shoulder, exposing part of her matching teddy. She also saw the shards of broken china from the now shattered mugs. She jerked her robe in place and leaped over the mess, hoping to avoid cutting her feet, then ran past Noble, towards her bedroom. Once there, she slammed the door shut and wedged a chair under its knob. He'd kicked the front door off its hinges, and she didn't want a repeat of that. Her mind raced to her parting conversation with Jim. Noble didn't have a record. If he'd been violent with women, surely James would have found that out.

  She realized she hyperventilated and tried to calm herself. She pulled on a pair of jeans and an old sweatshirt that didn't belong to her, discarding her fancy lingerie.

  What should I do?

  After a minute, she decided she'd call to him, try to speak to him through the door.

  "Noble?" she ventured.

  No answer.

  "Noble, are you out there?"

  Still nothing.

  "He didn't spend the night here, Noble. He just stopped by to say goodbye."

  Oh, what must he think?

  Jim had lingered at the door with his forehead against hers. From the big house, it would have looked like an extended, romantic kiss. Later, she had allowed him a real kiss and a hug. Noble must have seen all of it. What a disaster!

  Kiki buried her face in her hands. She felt a hot tear slip over her cheek. She heard boots, thud, thud, thud on the floor, moving down the hall. She waited for him to say something. When she heard his voice, she leapt for the knob, pulling the chair out of the way.

  "I'll be away from the ranch for a while. Finish your work before you leave for the wedding."

  The cold, flat tone of his voice made her arm freeze. She didn't turn the knob or open the door. Instead, she leaned back against the wall and slid to the floor, listening to him walk out of the house and out of her life.

  Chapter 14

  -A Meeting of the Minds-

  She finished cataloging all the items in the warehouse. Without Noble present, the ranch and her job seemed boring, even mundane. The next two weeks dragged. Peg proved the bright spot. With
Kiki's encouragement, she'd decided to take her high school equivalence exam. The girl dreamed of becoming a veterinarian.

  "I'll give you any kind of character references you need, Peg. I think you're on the right track."

  "Thank you, Miss Kiki. You'll stay in touch, won't ya? I mean after yer gone."

  "Yes, Peg. I will if you will."

  The thought of leaving the ranch for good saddened her beyond measure. She hoped once she got back to LA, the wedding would keep her distracted long enough to shake the doldrums off and get on with her life.

  "Maybe I'll end up working as one of those fancy vets, right here on the Bar H."

  "What fancy vets are you talking about? I've never seen any vets here," Kiki said.

  "Oh, the ones that work with them embryos."

  "Mr. Harden said something about that to me. What did he mean?"

  "The ranch was in an awful way when the boss inherited it. He come up with the idea to sell embryos to Japan. See, they love their beef over there, but shipping cows takes up too much space. If you ship the meat, it don't stay fresh. So, Lou decided to sell embryos. That way, they know they'll produce good beef on their limited land. He saved his home and kept us all employed. Now, he's in . . . oh, what did Nash say . . . he's in the dark."

  "You mean in the black?" she suggested.

  "Yup! That's it. He's black, whatever that means."

  "It means the ranch is making money, not losing money. It's making enough that Mr. Harden was able to pay off any old debts too. It's a good place to be."

  "That's fir sure! The boss man is pretty smart, don't cha think?"

  "Yes, Peg. I think he's very smart."

  When Kiki packed to go home, she gave the young housekeeper several articles of clothing. The girl was so grateful, she flung herself at the Hawaiian, plastering kisses on her cheek. The next morning, she left a detailed report of the collection on Harden's desk in his study. She listed each item, its location in the shed, a description, and estimated value. The Harden Collection could bring twenty million dollars—more, with any luck.

  Nash loaded her luggage in Harden's truck. He'd assigned Peg the task of driving her to the airport, but he didn't trust the girl's unreliable compact vehicle. He, himself, had to attend to some visitors at the ranch. After saying goodbye to all the cowboys at breakfast, she took a last look over the land. Truly a remarkable place, the ranch allowed her to appreciate stark natural beauty and isolation.

  The pickup appeared spotless. Someone spent a great deal of time on the spit and polish, inside and out. His scent still permeated the cab: hay, spice, and animal hide, a parting reminder of her rugged cowboy.

  As they drove from the courtyard, Kiki spied the visitors. Nash showed a group of four Asian men into the warehouse. So that's what Harden was up to. He'd decided to sell the collection after all . . . after her stunt with James. She felt her bottom lip quiver and hastened to look out the passenger window so Peg wouldn't see her tears. It really was over. When the plane took off from Amarillo, she felt she'd left a piece of her heart in Texas.

  * * * * *

  The plane smacked down at LAX with a jolt, and Kiki hit the ground running. She met with Katrina's seamstress for a final fitting, picked up her shoes, bought a wedding gift for the happy couple, confirmed her parents' room reservation, and stocked her refrigerator. All that on her first day back! She wanted to keep busy. She must keep busy, or she'd collapse in a heap of misery. The activity kept her upbeat.

  She cringed when her answering machine revealed a message from her boss, Mr. Jen. What complaints had Harden lodged against her? Would her career end just as it got off the ground? As far as she could tell, Jen praised her performance and lauded her skills, welcoming her back to LA and stating he had another opportunity lined up for her already. His heavy accent made it difficult to grasp everything he said, but that seemed the gist of things. Kiki breathed a sigh of relief.

  The next night, she met the soon-to-be bride and groom for dinner. James joined them, driving down from the Antelope Valley for the occasion. He didn't ask about Texas, the ranch, its owner, or the ranch hands. They kept the conversation light and focused on the upcoming nuptials. Her best friend seemed pleased and relieved. Kiki felt comfortable with her old beau, without any awkwardness. His trip to the Lone Star State would be their secret.

  She joined Kate and Robert for church and brunch on Sunday. They chatted about the rehearsal dinner, which would take place Thursday night. Everyone had Friday off before the big day on Saturday. She spent the afternoon alone with her friend as the groom met his family and friends arriving from out of town.

  "Ireland agreed to fill in for Kelly," Katrina said.

  "What? What happened to Kelly?"

  "I thought there were too many Ks in the wedding party!"

  Kiki's jaw dropped, dumbstruck at her friend's words.

  "Just kidding! Where is your sense of humor, Kiki?"

  "Back in Texas," she mumbled under her breath, but the happy bride didn't notice.

  "Kelly's morning sickness is debilitating. She decided she just couldn't make the trip."

  Kate had known her pregnant friend since high school. A college friend and Robert's cousin comprised the other females of the wedding party.

  "So it's me, Sue, Linda, and Ireland?" Kiki confirmed.

  "Yes. The guys are James, Robert's other cousin, Douglas, Bill, and Eric, both college pals. Don't worry, we won't pair you up with James. I'm going to have Landi walk with him. You'll look good with Doug."

  "Whatever you think is best. But, let me put you at ease regarding Jim. We're okay," she said, pausing before continuing. "We worked everything out. We're good."

  "What? I told him to leave you alone!"

  "I know you did, and I appreciate it. But, all's well that ends well."

  "Then why do you look so down, Kiki?"

  The Hawaiian sidestepped her friend's question and made sure she appeared her old peppy self the rest of the week. She had a blast at the rehearsal dinner. Her companion, Doug, turned out to be a lot of fun, and he enjoyed entertaining her. James, on the other hand, seemed somewhat uncomfortable around Kate's assistant, Ireland. She enjoyed watching him like this. For once, no trace of the cocky Naval officer appeared as he fumbled and bumbled around the waif-like girl.

  Knowing she wouldn’t see her parents until early evening the next day, she stayed out with the wedding party all night, dancing at a local club. She hadn't had this much fun in ages. A combination of the music, drinks, and physical activity, along with her handsome companion, banished all thoughts of Texas and the rancher who thought the worst of her . . . well, almost all thoughts.

  Kiki slept past noon on Friday. As prearranged, the Tams would check in to the nearby Fairmont in the afternoon, then pick her up for dinner at five. She made reservations at Yamashiro Hollywood, one of their favorite restaurants with a great view of the city.

  She puttered around the condo, soaked up some rays on the balcony, and laid out her clothes for the wedding. Katrina had chosen a unique color for their dresses. It reminded Kiki of the Southern California surf on a cold, cloudy day. A whisper of purple and blue kept the garment from looking gray. Made from bobbinet, the strapless ethereal gown hugged her figure from its sweetheart neck down to just below her bottom, rouching conforming the fabric to her body. Below the hips, material fanned out from tiny pleats scattered at the upper thigh level. A satin and jeweled belt added a froth of sparkly detail. She liked how the low, scooped back hit just above the ribbon belt's bow. All the fittings paid off. Shoes matching the bling on the sash completed the look. Light blue drop earrings, the bridal party gift from Kate, added more twinkle.

  After a nap, she tore through her closet looking for a dress to wear to dinner with her parents. She chose a sassy, short number made from lined silk crepe. The neckline, crowded with a double ruffle which extended all the way around to the low back, hit just beneath her clavicle bones. A wide, sheer bow, made from matchin
g navy fabric, hung over her chest. The hem hit a good six inches above her knee. She chose dark peep-toe platform heels, which showed off her fire engine red nail polish and dangly diamond earrings to highlight her face.

  "Not bad," she said aloud, gazing in her bedroom mirror.

  Her parents' knock gave her a jump. They'd arrived a few minutes early. She pulled long, black strands of hair behind her ears, then fluffed the ends before hurrying to greet her folks.

  "Hey, you're early!" she chirped, yanking the door open.

  "I am?"

  Kiki's mouth dropped to the floor as a smiling Noble Harden looked her up and down. He'd added a closely trimmed beard to his rugged features.

  "Aren't you going to ask me in?" he said, then pushed by her before she could answer.

  She turned on her heels in time to see him checking out her condo. Kiki bit her lower lip, at first unsure of what to say, and watched as he scrutinized her home. He sauntered to the balcony, tugging the slider open, and poked his head outside, getting a breath of ocean air. He then meandered through her galley kitchen, appearing to admire her sleek, white modern cabinets and marble counters, before wandering to the gas fireplace.

  Do I pass inspection?

  He certainly did. Wearing a dark slate blue blazer, light gray pants with a crisp, white, open-collared dress shirt and expensive looking leather loafers, he fit right in to Santa Monica's cool vibe. No one would guess he came from a ranch in Texas. And that beard! He looked more like a male model than a cowboy.

  "You can't stay. My parents are due any minute, and we—"

  Another knock interrupted her protests.

  What does he want anyway?

  Kiki panicked.

  "That's them!" she spewed in a stage whisper. She almost told him to hide.

  "Then, you'd better answer it," he replied calmly.

  Why do I feel like a teenager caught having a party when her parents are away?

  She took a breath, walked to the condominium's entryway, and opened the door.