Sweet Texas Fire

by Nicole Flockton

  Oh boy, she was in so much trouble.

  CHAPTER 20

  Gage studied the wooden box that sat in the middle of the coffee table. He hadn’t looked at its contents since the night he and Charlotte first made love, even though she’d told him he should. He kept putting it off and distracting Charlotte with a kiss that always led them to his bedroom. It had been incredible to share his bed with her during the past week. Tonight it would be lonely in his bed without her there.

  He looked down when something nudged his leg. Oil Slick was pacing in front of him, brushing up against him with every turn she made. He no longer took her to work every day, as she seemed to have gotten used to the condo and no longer tried to destroy it. He would deny it loudly if anyone said anything, but he did miss having the cat in the office. Maybe he’d take her to work with him tomorrow.

  “You missing Red, too?” he asked the cat as it jumped up on the couch next to him. “She’ll be back tomorrow. Shall I cook a special dinner for her? Dinner for two in bed? No cats allowed.”

  The cat meowed plaintively as if she knew she was not being included.

  His cell rang and Charlotte’s face lit up his screen.

  “Hey there, Mrs. Cooper. You giving them all sorts of hell?”

  His body went from zero to aroused in less than a second when she chuckled at his comment.

  “I save my hell-giving for you,” she responded.

  “I can believe that.”

  “I can always hang up if that’s what you really want.”

  “And break Oil Slick’s heart by not talking to her? You wouldn’t do that.”

  He could envision her shaking her head and rolling her eyes at his antics. “Are you sure it would be Oil Slick who would be upset?”

  He sobered up, all humor gone. “No, I would be upset if you hung up. So, how about you tell me what’s happening. How’s Shreveport? How’d the meeting go?”

  “Shreveport is fine. The meeting went well. They seem to be open to my suggestions, but then again, what people say in a meeting is often different from what they follow through with.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, think back on what you said to me when I first proposed the changes to the way you prepared your Midland site for drilling. You didn’t think it was necessary to consider a different entrance point to protect the expanse of trees that had stood there for over a hundred years. You just about bit my head off through the phone line with your adamant refusal to follow my suggestions.”

  Gage laid his head against the back of the couch. Yeah, he’d been a total dick when he’d first come in contact with Charlotte. “True, but I am learning that your suggestions and ideas won’t compromise my operations too much.”

  “This is new. You haven’t mentioned to me you’re reconsidering.”

  “Yeah, I didn’t want to say anything until I’d spoken to the surveyor and confirmed that the new entrance point would be viable.”

  “I told you it would be. I even said it would save you money, if you remember.”

  “I remember. I should learn to listen a bit more, shouldn’t I?”

  “Yes, you should.”

  Oil Slick jumped off the couch, and Gage swiveled so he could stretch out on it. He’d had enough of talking about work. Instead he used his sexy bedroom voice, or so Charlotte called it, to say, “What are you wearing, Red?”

  His shorts tented a little more in anticipation of what he hoped would come next. “I’m wearing my navy suit, sans jacket and shoes.”

  Gage bit back a groan. He knew exactly what outfit Charlotte was talking about. The jacket nipped in at her waist, emphasizing the curve of her generous bust. The skirt was snug over her ass and stopped just above her knees. He’d taken one look at her putting it on earlier in the week and hadn’t been able to control himself. They had both been late for work that day. But for him, it was totally worth it.

  “No wonder you won everyone over. You look so hot in that suit. I wish you were here, though. I’d help you out of it.”

  If he wasn’t mistaken, he heard a groan. “You wouldn’t get any argument out of me. In fact…”

  Gage heard some rustling and then what he thought sounded like a zipper sliding down. He closed his eyes and let his free hand go to his shorts, stroking his hard length through the fabric.

  “I’m now sans skirt,” she whispered. “And I’m on the bed.”

  “You want to do this, Red?”

  “How about we Facetime? I need to see you.”

  Oh yes, now they were talking. She might not be lying next to him. He might not be able to touch her. But he could still make her come, and it was going to be one of the hottest things he ever did.

  • • •

  Gage climbed into bed, well sated. Who knew Charlotte could be so wicked and wild? He liked it. He liked her. A lot.

  Getting through the two years of marriage to help her get a green card wasn’t going to be an issue. And when the two years were up and she had her residency, they could think about their next step then. There was no point planning beyond that. Who knew what tomorrow would bring?

  But tonight, after finishing his conversation with Charlotte, he knew it was time to read a couple more letters.

  He settled himself comfortably in the bed and reached for the box. He suspected the letters had been placed in the box in the order of when they’d been written and received. But he’d procrastinated enough. It was time to stop pussyfooting around and just open the next damn envelope.

  Like the first letter, the scent of perfume tickled his nostrils.

  To my sweet Jack,

  I’m lying in my room looking at the lovely flowers you gave me today on our picnic. Again, you turned my dull life into something so magical. I keep thinking that it can’t be possible. This can’t be real. But it is. I constantly ask myself, how could a man as successful and handsome as you be interested in me? I’m a nobody. I’m not pretty or smart. I can barely make ends meet. What do you see in me, Jack? The answer scares me, but I need to know.

  I want to thank you, also, for being a true gentleman. If, at any time in the future, you’d like to be a little bit non-gentlemanly, I won’t say no.

  I hope that I can see you again soon.

  Gage smiled. Jack Cooper was a gentleman, and he had instilled that into his sons. Sometimes Gage forgot the way Dad would lecture him about his behavior toward girls. Would Dad be happy with the way he was treating Charlotte? Would he be proud of his youngest son? Gage would never know, but a part of him hoped Dad could see that he was trying to do the right thing by Charlotte, that he was trying to do something right in his life after letting his dad down so badly by being kicked out of college and blowing the dream of a career in the NFL.

  He slipped the paper back into the envelope and placed it facedown on top of the other two he’d read. He didn’t want to lose the order they were in. He had to admit, he was surprised his mother seemed so unsure of herself. From what little Gavin and Grayson had told him, Denise Cooper had presided over the house like a queen. Maybe Dad’s love had given her the strength she needed to blossom into the woman she was supposed to become.

  He grabbed the next letter.

  My darling, sweet, beautiful girl,

  Yes, you read that right, I said “beautiful” because you are. You are more beautiful than the sunset on a hot summer day, more beautiful than the rarest flower. I get lost in your stunning eyes. I could stare into them all day and be satisfied. Maybe I can turn the question onto you. What do you see in me? There’s nothing special about me. Maybe that’s why we work so well together. We bring out the best in each other.

  I, too, had the most wonderful time today. I didn’t want it to end. It was the hardest thing for me to say good-bye to you. When can I see you again? I don’t know why you don’t want me to come and pick you up. But I won’t pressure you. And maybe next time I won’t be so gentlemanly.

  Can I see you on Saturday night? Dinner at Betty L
ou’s Diner?

  I await your response.

  Until then…

  To my sweet Jack,

  Nothing thrills me more than when I see your note waiting for me, and now in a beautiful wooden box. I’m scared to think too much about the combined hearts, but I must admit my heart is becoming combined with yours. I find myself thinking constantly about you, about our upcoming date on Saturday night. I can’t wait to see you, and then I’ll tell you what I see in you. By the way, that’s a yes to your dinner invitation.

  I must go now. I know that you will find this in our special box. In our special place. I will place it as carefully as you did to protect it and the notes we share.

  Until Saturday…

  So, his father had this box made to hold the letters. Gage could accept the romantic gesture of writing notes to each other, but as the only way to communicate with each other surprised him. Why didn’t they talk on the telephone? And why didn’t his father call his mother by her name?

  He wasn’t planning to read anymore, but he picked up another one.

  My darling, sweet Nora,

  It is early Sunday morning when I am writing this. I know you are getting ready to go to church, so you may not check the box for another couple of days, but I know that I must write down what is in my heart to you.

  I know we’ve only known each other for a short time. You told me you were scared about the combined hearts on the box. But I am very sure of my feelings, and I fear I may have scared you last night with my declaration.

  I want you to know that I am a patient man. I will wait for you. I will wait an eternity for you. Please don’t be frightened away because I blurted out that I love you.

  I hope that in a few days’ time I can go to our special hiding spot and find a return letter from you. If there is no letter, I will not despair. I will go to our special tree on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. and wait. I will wait all night for you. I hope that you will be there.

  All my love,

  Jack

  Gage read the letter twice. He went to pick up the phone to call, Gavin but stopped when he looked at the time. It really was too late to call.

  Nora.

  He didn’t recognize the name at all. A yawn racked his body. Was there someone in town called Nora when was growing up? He didn’t think so, but then again he could be wrong. The more he tried to think, the less luck he had in extracting the information from the dark recesses of his mind.

  The love Dad felt for this Nora woman was jumping off the letters. But he still couldn’t see the correlation between the note Dad had left him and the letters he was reading. He also felt a twinge of guilt at how different his relationship with Charlotte was and the relationship between Jack Cooper and the woman in the note.

  Warning bells were clamoring inside of him: No good would come of reading any more of these notes. So many people around town used to say that the love Jack had for Denise, the mother of his sons, so encompassed him that he remained single for the rest of his life, unable to find another love as beautiful as the love they’d shared. He wondered if it was true at the beginning of his parents’ relationship, but he wasn’t so sure it was true by the time his mom died in the car accident. He might have only been five at the time of her death, but he knew he had heard his parents arguing when they thought no one was around.

  God, did it even matter what sort of relationship his parents shared? People fell in and out of love all the time—just look at the divorce rates. People would write notes, or e-mails now, similar to the ones his father had written, claiming that the person they were writing to was the one love of their life, but a couple of years down the track, the love was gone and all they had was a shell of a marriage. Maybe Jack had thought he loved this Nora to distraction, but then he didn’t end up with her. Jack had married Denise. Not Nora.

  Gage groaned out loud in frustration. He had so many questions, and he couldn’t ask anyone because it was so damn late. He would have to call his brothers in the morning. No, he needed to ask them face-to-face. He and Charlotte hadn’t made plans to head to Sweet Ridge this weekend, but now it had become a necessity. He only hoped the trip wouldn’t unravel the fabric of the lives that he and his brothers had always known.

  CHAPTER 21

  Excitement built inside of Charlotte the closer they got to Sweet Ridge. She couldn’t wait to see the house again. Gage had told her he’d arranged for some furniture to be delivered so that they could have a couch to sit on and a proper bed to sleep in.

  But one glance at Gage revealed the tension around his mouth, and his hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. He looked like he was about to face the executioner’s chair. He hadn’t looked like this even when they got married. Was he nervous about the meeting with the immigration people that was looming at the end of next week? He’d been relaxed when they’d met with the lawyer.

  Stop dithering, just ask the man. For goodness’ sake, you had Facetime sex with him. He’s not going to blow you off now.

  “Hey, Cowboy,” she started softly. “Everything okay?” She placed her hand on his thigh.

  “What?”

  Apprehension skidded down her spine. Ever since her return from Shreveport, Gage had seemed distracted. Although that hadn’t stopped him from making love to her at every opportunity. She would never forget how happy she’d been when she’d walked out of the airport to find him waiting for her. She shivered as she remembered the kiss he gave her. They hadn’t even been able to make it to the bedroom of the condo. He’d taken her hard and fast against the hallway wall, and she’d loved every minute of it.

  Perhaps he was concerned about seeing his brothers again, even though everything seemed to be okay when they’d left the last time they’d visited. She knew he’d spoken to Gavin and Grayson since their last visit. Whether she came up in the conversation or not, Gage never told her.

  And did it really matter if they had discussed her? They were married, and there was nothing his brothers could do about it. Just like there was nothing she could do about her growing appreciation for the man Gage truly was. Spending time with him, she’d discovered he wasn’t the overbearing, pain-in-the-ass oil man she’d first thought him to be. No one who could talk to a cat the way he talked to Oil Slick was an unfeeling jerk.

  “I asked if everything was okay. You seem a little preoccupied. You’re not worried about how Gavin and Grayson will treat me, are you?”

  “Um, no. No, not at all,” he repeated with a little more force. “I’m just—I’ve got a meeting early next week with regard to a new parcel of land I’m looking at acquiring. The deal is, you know … well, it could be a little tricky. So, I, uh, need to make sure I’ve got my mind in the right place, as this owner could prove difficult to bring around to my way of thinking.”

  Was he telling the truth? Or was he keeping something from her? His hesitations were out of character. Either the deal really was important or he was lying to her.

  “Are you sure that’s it, Gage? Is there something you’re not telling me?”

  “No, Red. It really is what’s going through my mind. But it’s the weekend. I don’t want to talk about work.”

  She studied him a little longer. Did she want to push it and potentially spoil their weekend? No, she’d make a mental note to bring it up to him on Sunday night. They always had brief how-was-your-day type of discussions. But she’d noticed Gage glancing more regularly at his phone the last couple of days. Perhaps he did have a big deal he was concerned about.

  He had steered most of their evening conversations around the house and what she wanted to do to it decorating and renovation wise. With each conversation they’d shared about the house, hope had begun to blossom inside of her. Hope that Gage was reevaluating his plan to mine for oil. Hope that he could see that house as their future vacation home before becoming their permanent residence. Hope that he was starting to care a little about her and her hopes and dreams.

  “This deal is one you can’t discu
ss with me? Maybe I could help you.”

  His thigh muscles tensed briefly beneath her fingers. “Thanks for the offer, but it’s best I deal with this alone. Until I know for sure. After that, then, yes, I’d appreciate your help.”

  “Okay, but if you change your mind, I’ll be happy to help out.”

  “I know, Red. Thank you.” He picked up her hand from his thigh and brought it to his lips. He placed a soft kiss on it. The smallest of touches, but enough to start a slow burn inside of her.

  He kept hold of her hand the rest of the drive to the house. The action pushed away the doubts she’d begun to dream up.

  Charlotte’s breath sighed out as the house came into view. “This really is the perfect way to spend the weekend. I love Houston, but the constant stream of traffic and people going everywhere can be exhausting. I think I may introduce a no cell phone rule down here.”

  “Good luck with that,” he responded as he pulled the car to a stop. “That would mean you couldn’t send your mom texts every day to tell her what you’re doing.”

  “Well, maybe it would be a one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening allowance.” She unclipped her seat belt. “That’s fair, don’t you think?”

  “We can discuss it later. First”—he waggled his eyebrows at her and she knew exactly what he was about to say next—“I think we should go inside and test out the new bed.” He leaned over the console and lightly gripped her chin between his fingers. “It’s been too long since I’ve been able to hold you.”

  Before she could dispute it, his lips possessed hers, and any objection she had to his plan was quickly forgotten. Her hands roamed his shoulders, and down his muscled back until she could grip the hem of his T-shirt. Gaining access to his bare back, she slipped her hands under his shirt.

  “You feel so good, Gage,” she muttered against his lips. “Take me inside. You’re right—we need to test out the new bed.”

  “Your wish is my command. Race you there.”