Sometime during the night, Deke woke and they made love again. He knew he was playing with fire by staying with her, but he couldn’t seem to resist the risk. She came into his arms half-asleep at first, and her eager response nearly shattered him. He brought her to climax with his hands and mouth, then buried himself deep inside of her. He drifted off to sleep, wondering how he was ever going to leave her in the morning.
When he woke, it was already going on seven. He opened his eyes and his gaze slid lazily over Mary Beth. She was still sleeping soundly in his arms. Resisting the urge to make love to her once more, he planted a soft kiss on her cheek. Thinking if he hurried he could see to some of her chores before he left, he eased himself out of the bed trying not to wake her.
A frown touched his brow. Why did it seem as if he was always leaving her? No matter how much he wanted to stay, he couldn’t. He had to be in Tulsa this evening. He needed to broaden the gap between himself and his nearest competitor.
Moving quietly, he slipped on his clothes. As he bent over to grab his boots, he glanced at the notation Mary Beth had made about her mortgage. Damn! He really wanted to help her. She’d worked so hard trying to make a go of the ranch, only to come up short. If she didn’t get that money, she’d lose everything.
Shaking his head, Deke stood and fished into his pants pocket for his wallet. He had the money Mary Beth needed with him. Opening his wallet, he counted out ten one-hundred-dollar bills, then tossed them on her dresser as he passed.
Knowing her stubborn pride, she’d probably have a fit when she saw it, he thought with a chuckle as he quietly left the room, the dogs on his heels. Well, tough. If it bothered her that much, she could think of it as a loan.
Nine
By the time Mary Beth woke in the morning, Deke had already left. She looked at the indentation on the pillow next to her, and disappointment created a crater in her heart. Though she knew that he had to return to the rodeo, she wished he hadn’t left without saying goodbye. It would have been wonderful to have awakened in his arms. Closing her eyes, she rested her hand against his pillow.
That’s what you get for letting him near your heart.
Well, it wasn’t as if she’d really had a choice. She’d been half in love with him most of her life. What started out as a crush had developed into much more over the years. Though she’d tried to keep her heart safe, she’d never really stood a chance at protecting it. Especially not since she’d moved back to Crockett. In San Antonio, Deke hadn’t been around as a constant reminder of her feelings for him. She’d adjusted to living alone, believing she’d never see him again. Maybe if she’d stayed there, she would have eventually fallen in love with someone else.
Opening her eyes, she rolled over and stared absently at the ceiling. Her plans had taken an unexpected turn when she’d returned home to help her father. His subsequent death had changed the entire focus of her life. Even after she’d decided to stay at Paradise to try and make it a success, she hadn’t had any real hope of a relationship with Deke. From what she’d heard, he was rarely home.
How was she to know that in the course of a few weeks, he would show up and turn her world upside down? Since spending time with him, she’d learned a lot about him—why he pushed himself so hard. His guilt over his relationship with his father drove him to try to make amends, to somehow find peace in his heart. She hoped he would one day be able to exorcize the memories that haunted him. He needed closure, needed to forgive himself.
While pondering Deke’s strife, she gave some thought to her own role in their evolving relationship. Mary Beth understood him now. She felt that he cared for her, as much as he would allow himself. Haunted by regrets concerning his father, he’d closed himself off, refusing to let anyone near who would interfere with his goal of redeeming himself.
And that includes you.
Trust didn’t come easy to her, but understanding his motives had caused her to let down her guard, to become vulnerable to him.
To fall hopelessly in love with him.
She sighed softly as she stretched her arms toward the headboard, then tucked her hands under her head. So she was in love with Deke. The realization didn’t shock her as it might have a few weeks ago. Mainly because it didn’t really alter her view of her life. She wasn’t going to waste time dreaming that Deke would fall in love with her. For now she was content to have him be a part of her life.
Knowing she’d lost most of the morning, she figured she’d better get to her chores. She tossed off the sheet and put her legs over the side of the bed. As she got to her feet, she realized Lightning and Lady weren’t in the room with her as usual. Deke must have fed them and put them outside so she could sleep. She smiled to herself. That was sweet of him. How long ago did he leave?
Her gaze went to the small alarm clock on the bedside table. Eight o’clock? Heavens, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept so late. She smiled. Of course, she’d spent half the night making love with Deke.
She got up and went to her dresser in search of clean clothes. As she started to pull open a drawer, a flash of green caught her eye. What on earth…? A wad of bills lay beside her jewelry box, money that hadn’t been there when she’d gone to bed.
Mary Beth stared at it. Where had it come…?
Deke?
He’d left her money? But why would he…?
Something painfully cold touched her heart as she stared blankly at the money. Then, her hand shaking, she slowly picked up the stack of bills. Her chest constricted, and she could hardly breathe.
He’d left her money!
Her stomach roiled. For a moment she thought she would be physically sick. She swallowed hard, forcing back the bile in her throat. She’d thought that Deke wouldn’t hurt her, but she’d been so terribly wrong. Pain and humiliation engulfed her as her temper began to simmer. She didn’t even stop to count the bills, didn’t want to know what price Deke had put on having her.
Damn him! She’d believed him when he’d said he wanted only her. But for a price? She hadn’t realized that he meant as a…a mistress!
She fought against the tide of fury rising inside her. While she’d thought that they’d shared something so unbelievably special, Deke had only wanted sex. He’d cheapened the beautiful memory of passion they’d shared, made it sordid.
Tears sprang to her eyes. She crushed the wad of cash in her fist.
That low-down, yellow-bellied jerk!
How dare he?
How dare he!
Mary Beth jerked open her dresser drawer. She stuffed her legs into a pair of jeans so fast that she nearly tripped and fell. After yanking on her shirt and socks, she snatched her boots from the floor and tugged them on, then stomped from the room.
With the money still clutched in her fist, she stormed out the back door of the house. Besieged by Lightning and Lady, she ordered them in the truck. Eager for a ride, both dogs jumped into the cab without further prodding.
Seething, she turned the key in the ignition and the truck fired up. She gripped the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Muttering a curse, she mashed down the accelerator and the truck shot forward. Hoping the fresh air would clear her mind, she lowered the windows and let in the wind. It slapped her hair about her face. Unaware of anything except channeling her hurt, all she felt was blazing anger.
Mary Beth covered the distance between Paradise and the Bar M in ten minutes, less than half the usual time. Tearing into the yard, she jammed on the brakes. The small truck skidded to a halt at the McCalls’ house, sending dirt and dust flying in clouds around it.
“Stay,” she ordered the dogs. Her fist still wrapped around the money, she jumped out of the truck. Calling Deke every low-down name she could think of, she marched to the front door and gave it several sharp whacks. Only a moment passed before she pounded her fist against it again.
Ryder answered the door and frowned at her. “What the— Mary Beth! Well, hey, darlin’—”
&n
bsp; “Where’s that no-account brother of yours?” she demanded, not giving Ryder a chance to finish speaking.
Taken aback, Ryder eyed her with the caution due a mountain lion. Then he noticed the money fisted in her hand. “You must mean Deke.”
“That’s exactly who I mean,” she said through clenched teeth. Her eyes scanned behind Ryder with fierce intent before slicing back to him. “Where is he?”
Ryder opened the screen door. He knew better than to interfere with a woman as angry as the redhead standing in front of him. “In the dining room,” he told her. He pointed in that direction, then got the hell out of her way. She stormed past him. Ryder followed a safe distance behind her.
Mary Beth had been in the McCall house before and knew exactly where to go. When she burst into the dining room, she realized Deke wasn’t alone. Her hot gaze swept past Jake, Catherine, Ashley and Matt before finally landing on her quarry.
Deke had been talking to Jake, but at Ashley’s gasp, he’d looked up. Then he realized that Ryder had someone with him. His gaze moved to their guest, and his eyes widened. Mary Beth!
Grinning, he said, “Hey, sweetheart—” But his words faltered when he saw the look of white-hot anger on her face.
“Don’t you ‘sweetheart’ me, you big, dumb jerk!” Mary Beth circled the room, aiming her finger at him. Her eyes blazing, she came to a halt in front of him. The confusion in his expression fueled the humiliation and outrage inside her.
Unmindful of their audience, she raised her fist and threw the wad of money at him. The bills fluttered in the air, then floated like feathers to the floor. “Just tell me one thing,” she said, her voice lowering as she fought for control. “Do you pay every woman you sleep with?”
Startled, Deke’s mouth fell open. “What? No, I—”
She jammed her hands on her hips. “Oh, so that makes me the first?” Fresh pain sliced through her heart.
“Wait, that’s not what I—”
“I guess I played right into your hands, didn’t I? I laid my heart right out there for you to stomp on. Well, let me tell you something, mister.” She advanced on him, her face flaming with heat, her hands balled into fists. “You won’t get another chance to hurt me, Deke McCall! I may have been stupid enough to believe your sweet lies in bed last night, but it won’t happen again. Ever!”
Someone coughed, and Mary Beth gasped. She whirled around. Suddenly she became fully aware that she’d aired their intimacy with Deke’s family staring at them. A mixture of shock and disbelief sent a rush of blood to her face. Her hand went to her mouth, muffling her cry of despair. She nearly fainted when she realized that Matthew had witnessed her entire tirade.
Tears exploded in her eyes. Mortified, sucking in a gulp of air, she stammered, “Oh…I’m so sorry. I—” The words caught in her throat. Her chest heaving, she rushed from the room. Someone touched her as she brushed past, but she didn’t stop to see who it was. By the time she reached the door, she was running. Somehow Mary Beth made it safely to her truck. Tears streaked her cheeks as she started the engine, threw the truck into gear and stomped on the gas.
She never looked back.
Stunned, Deke tried to comprehend what had just happened. For a full ten seconds no one in the dining room said a word. When the brittle silence was finally broken, it was by Ryder. Tugging at his mustache, he sliced a hard look at his younger brother.
“Hell, Deke. Have you lost your mind? Paying Mary Beth for sex like she’s some kind of—”
“Ryder!” Ashley blurted out, smacking him on the arm. She darted a look in Matt’s direction.
“Maybe you’d better go outside, Matt,” Catherine McCall said, and she gently touched her hand to her son’s shoulder.
Matthew ignored his mother’s suggestion. He glared at Deke, disapproval in his eyes. “I’m old enough to stay,” he argued. His gaze narrowed on his uncle. “I can’t believe you made Mary Beth cry like that, Uncle Deke,” he charged. “She’s a nice lady. And I think she really liked you. She talks about you a lot.”
Deke’s chair scraped the floor as he jumped to his feet. He glared back at Matthew, nearly wincing from his nephew’s icy stare. “I didn’t mean to hurt her,” he stated, trying to keep his voice calm as he sorted through what had just happened. How had Mary Beth interpreted his trying to help her with the ranch into something as sordid as paying her for sex? His gaze swept past the displeased looks on his brothers’ faces, then took in the disapproving glares of his two sisters-in-law. “I swear, I didn’t.”
Ashley walked over to him, her expression a mixture of concern and confusion. “I certainly hope you have more of an explanation than that. The poor girl was in tears.”
He put his hand out, palm first. “I need to talk to Mary Beth.”
Jake moved away from the wall he’d been leaning on. “I think you owe us an explanation, as well.” His tone held restrained patience. “Let’s hear it.”
Deke shook his head. “Later, I need to…” Aw, hell. He might stand a chance of making his family understand, but he wasn’t so sure when it came to Mary Beth. His intentions had been honorable. He couldn’t believe he had to explain his actions as if he were the devil incarnate. “Look, the truth is, I suspected that Mary Beth’s been having financial trouble. I didn’t want to embarrass her by asking straight out, so I hinted at it a few times. She’s so damn prideful sometimes. And stubborn. She wouldn’t even admit that anything was wrong.”
Leaving the money on the floor, he began walking toward the door. “Last night I saw a note she’d made, indicating that she didn’t have enough money to meet her mortgage payment. As I was leaving this morning, I remembered the note, then left the money so she’d be able to pay it.” He gave a sardonic chuckle. “I never dreamed that she’d think I was paying her for—” He stopped speaking, looked at Matt and grimaced. “Well, you get the picture.”
Matt stepped in front of him, impeding his progress. “Where are you going?”
Deke stiffened. “Not that it’s any of your business, Matt, but I’m gonna try and set things straight.” He started to moved around his nephew, but Matt stepped in front of him again.
“If your intentions aren’t honorable, you ought to leave her alone.”
Deke’s tanned skin turned ruddy. He was proud of his nephew for standing up for Mary Beth, embarrassed that he was the one that Matt was trying to defend her against. “It’s okay, Matt. I’m just going to talk to her and set things straight. That’s all.” He stepped around him, then left the room and went to his truck.
He glanced at his watch as he climbed inside and turned the engine over. At least he’d already packed for his trip. If he was going to make it to Tulsa on time, he’d have to leave straight from Mary Beth’s. That was a big if, because he wasn’t leaving until this misunderstanding between them had been sorted out. Though he’d seen her upset before, Deke had never witnessed anything like the temper she’d been in just now.
In hindsight, he thought, as he drove toward Paradise, he should have just come right out and asked Mary Beth if she needed a loan. But he’d only been trying to salvage her pride. And look what he got for trying! Mary Beth was furious, his family was upset with him, and for a minute there he’d thought Matt was going to clock him.
He hoped that by the time he arrived at Mary Beth’s she’d cooled off. He wanted her to understand that he hadn’t meant to insult her—that he’d only wanted to help her. How he could best accomplish that without hurting her further?
That damn ranch was falling down around her. She needed an investor, someone who… Deke smacked his hand against his forehead. That’s it! He would offer to become an investor in her ranch—a silent partner. What she needed to make the ranch successful was capital. He’d give her the money she needed to continue running Paradise, plus she’d keep her pride.
Pleased he’d hit on the perfect solution, Deke relaxed a bit as he pulled up to Mary Beth’s house. Lightning and Lady barreled out of the barn as he g
ot out of the truck. Knowing the dogs were never far from Mary Beth, he headed in that direction.
As he stepped inside the old structure, he saw her immediately. She glanced at him, and his chest constricted. Her eyes were swollen, her complexion scarlet. Regret slammed him. Though he’d thought he was doing something to help her, apparently he’d gone about it wrong. True to his nature, again he’d ended up hurting someone he cared about.
Ignoring him, she went about cleaning one of the stalls. He heaved a sigh and walked toward her, noticing the tightness in her carriage. She hadn’t cooled off at all. It was going to take a lot of explaining to get that wounded look out of her eyes.
“Mary Beth, I want to talk to you.”
“Well, I don’t want to talk to you.” She couldn’t imagine what he could say that would explain his callous treatment of her.
“You have to give me a chance to explain.”
She looked directly at him then, her expression tight. “I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to do.”
Well, hell, that was clear enough. “You could at least listen to me. Don’t I deserve that much?”
She threw down the rake and whirled toward him. If she didn’t listen to him, he wouldn’t leave, and at the moment she never wanted to see him again. That was the only way she’d stand a chance of getting past the pain and embarrassment he’d caused her. “Make it fast. I’m busy.”
It wasn’t much of an opening, but Deke seized it. “Look, sweetheart, I’m really sorry that you got the wrong idea when you saw that money. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Her expression closed up, and frustrated, he blew out a breath. “Hell, Mary Beth, I can’t believe you thought that I’d pay you for sex! I’d never do that!”
Glaring at him, she retorted, “What was I suppose to think when I saw that money lying on my dresser?”
“Well, I thought that you’d figure out I’d put it there so you’d have the money to pay your mortgage.”
She blinked. “What?”
Her Texan Temptation Page 12