The Reluctant Texas Rancher (Harlequin American Romance)

by Thacker, Cathy Gillen

  Because once again Travis had been cutting her out, when he should have been including her.

  Liz vowed to keep her emotional involvement with him to the absolute minimum from that moment on.

  Swallowing, she walked around her desk, and sat down behind it. Clasped her hands together and said in a cool and professional tone, “I pride myself on doing the very best job I can to represent my clients.”

  She paused to let her words sink in.

  Travis folded his big frame into one of the client chairs in front of her desk.

  She continued with a censuring glare. “I was at a big disadvantage this afternoon because I was the only one there who didn’t know what Olympia was threatening you with.”

  Travis shifted into a more comfortable position and propped one ankle on the opposite knee. He rubbed at a spot of distressed leather on his boot. “Not true.” Slowly, deliberately, he lifted his eyes to hers. “Digger and the rest of his crew didn’t know, either.”

  But all the attorneys had! His ex-lover slash client had! Liz gritted her teeth. “You really want to joke at a time like this?”

  His pewter eyes grew shuttered. “There is nothing funny to me about this situation.”

  “You’re right about that.” Liz pushed her chair back and vaulted to her feet. She picked up the pages, shoving them into a file. “I should have known this would happen.” She shook her head in anger. “You blindsided me before, breaking up with me when I least expected it. And now you have disrespected me again with your silence.”

  How the heck was she supposed to come back from that?

  He rose, too, his expression sober. “This isn’t a personal affront to you, Liz,” he insisted in a low, sexy voice.

  “The heck it isn’t!” She rounded the desk and shoved the file into his hands.

  “I made it clear to you when I first took your case. I can represent flawed clients, because everyone is entitled to a defense. But I won’t represent clients who don’t tell me the whole truth.”

  “You’re firing me as a client?” The look on his face spoke volumes about what he thought of that.

  “And as a ranch hand.” Liz jerked her chin toward the door. “Good luck and Godspeed at finding your own way home.” She paused to slay him with her eyes. “Because you and I, Travis?” she finished very softly. “We’re done.”

  LIZ FIGURED TRAVIS WOULD have his belongings out of the homestead and off the Four Winds by the following morning, if not sooner.

  Instead, she came down to breakfast Monday morning to find him sitting at the kitchen table, holding court over a sumptuous spread of eggs, bacon, sausage, hash brown potatoes, fruit and homemade biscuits with Faye Elizabeth’s famous honey butter.

  Noting that his appetite hadn’t abated in the slightest, Liz skittered to a halt. “What are you doing here?”

  Travis met her gaze, his eyes dark and heated.

  The Cartwright women all looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. “He works here,” Tillie reminded her.

  Liz closed her eyes. When she opened them again, Travis was still looking at her. Daring her to say just about anything.

  Liz frowned and turned to the ladies. “I fired him.”

  Reba shrugged. “Actually, you can only do that if you’ve taken over the reins of the Four Winds. And you haven’t, so it’s up to us. And we all want him to stay.”

  Muttering under her breath, Liz stomped over to the drying rack next to the sink, and rummaged around for her thermal coffee mug. All too aware of everyone’s eyes on her, she moved to the coffeemaker and filled the mug two-thirds full.

  Tillie handed her the toasted-coconut flavored creamer from the fridge, and gently brought her up to speed. “Travis told us he’d hired you to handle a legal problem for him, the two of you disagreed about how to proceed, and you quit. And then fired him. But—” Tillie patted Liz’s arm “—we disagree with that.”

  Reba moved to Liz’s other side. “We need his help. And Travis wants to stay. So…”

  “…as long as the two of you are no longer attracted to each other in that way,” Faye Elizabeth said, “it makes sense for him to continue to work here.”

  Liz snapped the lid on her mug and set it on the counter with a thud. “Seriously.” She marched over to Travis and stood facing him, hands on her hips. “Seriously?” she all but shouted, expecting him to stand and square off with her like a man.

  Instead, he pushed his chair back from the table and made himself even more comfortable. Crinkles appeared at the corners of his gray eyes. “Just because you reneged on your half of our bargain doesn’t mean I’m going to renege on mine.”

  It was all Liz could do not to grab him by the shirt and haul him to his feet.

  Hanging on to her considerable temper by a thread, she said through gritted teeth, “I’d like a word with you, Travis Anderson.” Before anyone else in the room could say anything, she snapped, “Alone!”

  Tillie moved to Travis’s side and patted him on the shoulder. “Better do as she says, dear,” she encouraged kindly. “Our darling Liz doesn’t get that fiery very often, but when she does it is best to hear her out.”

  Liz stormed outside. Aware they still had an audience, she kept right on going, all the way to the homestead. Jet and Mud were lying on the front porch, waiting for the day’s work to begin. Despite herself, Liz could not pass a dog without pausing to pet it so she bent to quickly give each a scratch behind the ears, then continued on into the cabin.

  She made it as far as the table, then spun around, pulse racing. “You must have better things to do than torment me.”

  “I can’t think of any.”

  He was teasing her, but when she met his gaze he wasn’t smiling.

  Her stomach dropped. “Have you hired another lawyer?”

  Something flickered in his expression at that. Annoyance at having to explain himself, probably. “Nope.”

  Liz huffed in frustration. “Tell me you’re not going to represent yourself.”

  He stared at her. “I don’t have plans to, no.”

  Liz had seen clients self-destruct before. It was never a pleasant experience.

  “You have until three this afternoon to respond to their assertions,” the advocate in her forced to point out. “Or they are going to file that amended lawsuit with the court.”

  He flexed his brawny shoulders, the motion as careless as his attitude. “Let ’em file.”

  “That’s terrible legal strategy.”

  He stood, legs braced apart, arms folded in front of him. Showered but unshaved, and wearing a washed-’til-it-was-soft blue chambray shirt and faded jeans, Travis was every inch an indomitable Texan.

  His gaze drifted over her, taking in her black sheath dress, pale pink cardigan and heels. Ever so slowly, he returned to her eyes. “Why do you care?”

  Liz lifted her chin. “Because what is happening to you is an injustice.”

  He sent her a level look. “And injustice happens all the time.”

  “Not on my watch.”

  He came closer, appearing ready to show her the door. To what had until recently been her private domain!

  Gently, he spun her around and directed her forward. “As you pointed out,” he said, his warm breath brushing her ear, “I’m not on your watch.” He dropped his hand and moved back. “Not any longer.”

  Feeling as if she had been burned, Liz turned right back around. Determined to get through to him, for both their sakes, she spread her hands wide. “Look,” she said in a much more cajoling voice, “sleeping with Olympia Herndon…sleeping with any client…was obviously a mistake.” Just like my taking on your case was. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t remedy the situation.

  Not that Travis looked in any way ready to cooperate with her, she realized in aggravation.

  He lifted an eyebrow. “A mistake you would never make. Right?”

  His sarcasm stung, even if it was on point.

  Liz nodded, keeping her gaze level
with his. “Right,” she drawled, her voice every bit as goading as his had been.

  Travis came closer, his expression like that of a lion stalking his prey. Slowly, deliberately, he grasped her elbows. “Sure about that?” he asked in a low, silky voice.

  Liz swallowed, every inch of her going on white-hot alert. “Wh-what are you doing?” She stepped away, aware she was holding her breath.

  He slowly danced her backward, toward the wall. “Putting your willpower and integrity to the test.”

  The feel of his tall, muscular frame pressed up against her trembling body sent a shimmer of need sifting through her. “Travis…”

  He brushed his thumb along her jaw, then her lips, the soft pressure encouraging them to part. “I’m not your client anymore, Liz.” He touched his mouth to hers, all too briefly. “I’m not even your friend.”

  He bent his head and kissed her again, his lips tenderly coaxing and recklessly taking, his sensual mouth moving over hers, until she wreathed her arms about his neck and kissed him back every bit as passionately as he was kissing her.

  When he finally lifted his head, she asked breathlessly, “What is your point?”

  “That I’m human,” he told her gruffly, tracing the contours of her face and looking deep into her eyes. “And so are you.” Travis kissed her again, letting all the emotion he’d been holding back flow into the potent embrace.

  Liz had always wondered what it would have been like if she and Travis had started dating when they were a lot older. When sex was more a way to connect with someone than a forbidden mystery.

  Now she knew.

  “We’re going to regret this,” she murmured, even as she savored the sensations he sent spiraling through her body.

  “I know.” He wrapped his arms around her and brought her flush against him. Brushing her hair aside, he kissed his way down her throat.

  Liz reveled in the feel of him, so hard and hot and masculine. She turned her lips back to his. “It’ll never happen again.”

  He chuckled, already guiding her toward the bed. “I know you think that,” he murmured. And then their kisses intensified, until he was all she felt, all she knew, and there was no denying she wanted this. Wanted him. With all her heart and soul.

  For the first time in her life, she let herself go, let the heat slash through her. The only sound in the room was their heavy breathing as they undressed each other and tumbled onto the bed.

  Liz writhed beneath his touch, her own fingers finding the hard, sensitive places on his body. They rolled again and then he was dropping lower, until he was at the apex of her thighs. She gasped and caught his head, shuddering helplessly and gasping for air. But there was no rushing him, not even when he paused to find a condom and roll it on. Not when he lingered over her breasts and slid between her thighs.

  He took her where she wanted to go with seemingly no effort at all, diving deep. The sensations filled her with an intense driving need, and they surged together in sweet, perfect unison until she lost track of everything but the need to surrender to the blinding pleasure of the moment.

  Afterward, they lay together, quiet…breathless. And that was when Liz’s cell phone rang.

  Happy for the distraction—anything to keep her from thinking too hard or too long about what she had just done—she reached for her BlackBerry. Noted the caller ID. Sighed.

  Draping the sheet around her, she moved from the bed. Clicked on. “J.T. Good morning to you, too. No, I haven’t submitted anything to the city yet. And I’m not going to until after I talk to the pool company and the surveyor and the town engineer about possible solutions to your problem.” She rubbed her temples as J.T. prattled on. “Maybe not, but it never hurts to try to forge a solution that satisfies everyone before heading to court. I understand. Give me until Thursday to see what I can work out, and we’ll meet in my office. Um…four o’clock okay with you? All right. See you then.”

  Liz touched the screen with her fingertip and ended the call.

  Feeling a little more in control, now that she was back to business, she glanced over her shoulder at Travis, who was still lounging in the bed. Looking incredibly satisfied and content.

  “This was a mistake.”

  Now that she had her wits about her, she couldn’t believe she had allowed him to make love with her to prove a point. And that she was so susceptible to his hot, passionate advances.

  Travis exhaled roughly and sat up. “You said that already.”

  Liz snatched up her clothes and went into the bathroom to dress.

  When she came out, she picked up where they had left off. “We’re like oil and water.”

  Travis snapped the buttons on his shirt. Tucked it into his jeans. “I thought we mixed pretty well just now.”

  She slid her feet into her heels. “Don’t joke.” Not about my vulnerability, or yours—and certainly not about the loneliness that drove us to do this....

  Because if either of them was in love with anyone else, this would not have happened.

  Travis sobered and silence stretched between them.

  Liz knew if she wasn’t careful she would fall all the way in love with him. “I want you to hire someone else to represent you.”

  Travis shook his head, his jaw rigid. “There’s no point. It’s a ‘he said, she said’ situation. I don’t want my family name dragged through the muck.”

  Liz stared at him in frustration. “You have Dobbs willing to testify on your behalf.”

  Travis shrugged off the coup. “I know my former bosses. They’ll muddy the waters as much as they feel necessary to succeed in winning this lawsuit for Olympia, and keeping the Herndon Oil business in-house.”

  He shoved his fingers through his hair. “If she hadn’t gone public with the affair, who knows what might have happened…but it’s clear now she’ll stop at nothing to trash my name and reputation. And there is a point,” he concluded grimly, “where it’s just not worth it.”

  Liz shook her head in admonishment. “You’d give up the law?” she asked incredulously. “Because that’s what is at stake here, Travis—your license to practice.”

  He was silent a beat too long. “There are times when it’s more important to keep your dignity and self-respect than cling to some hard-won goal.” His words were short and clipped. “This is one of them.”

  “I HAVE A BETTER IDEA,” Liz declared.

  Travis lifted his head, unable to match her resolve. “Yeah? And what’s that?”

  His mood grim, he located his boots and sat down on the edge of the bed.

  Vibrating with energy, Liz came closer, watching as he shoved his feet into them.

  Finished, Travis looked up at her, resting a forearm on his knee. Hard to believe he had just made love to her—this feisty, beautiful woman he’d never suspected would let herself go.

  But she had opened up the floodgates of desire. And he couldn’t get over it.

  The Liz he had known before had backed off after a few kisses, too much of a kid to enjoy them. The grown-up Liz clearly reveled in kisses.

  Had the circumstances been different, he’d have her back in his bed right now, proving his desire for her, all over again. Just to make sure she knew it was as genuine as his growing attraction to her.

  But that wasn’t going to happen.

  Not this morning, anyway.

  Not with chores and cattle waiting, and the world outside already crowding in.

  Liz offered a hand, pulling him to his feet. “Let’s fight ’em with all our might.”

  Travis rubbed his jaw, considering. “I thought you’d quit.”

  She finger combed her hair restoring order. “I’ve decided I want back in.”

  He found her a brush. “As my lawyer or my lover?”

  “Lawyer.” She walked to the mirror to repair the damage the roll in the sack had done, and she caught his eyes in the glass. “The lover business still has to go.”

  Travis came up behind her, with effort keeping his hands to hi
mself. Quietly, he challenged, “Suppose I’d rather have the latter?”

  Liz turned and slapped the brush back in his palm. She glided past him in a drift of lavender perfume, being careful not to touch him. “You’re not thinking clearly right now, so I’m going to forget you said that.” She paused a safe distance away, then stated, “What I would like you to do is this—authorize me to contact HB&R on your behalf, and tell them we are prepared to not only deny all charges but file a countersuit for unlawful termination against Haverty, Brockman & Roberts. Plus a defamation suit against Olympia Herndon.”

  Travis studied her, admiring her never-ever-give-up attitude. “And you think this will get us…?”

  “For starters? A much better bargaining position. And a delay in anything being filed. That will give us time to do a little sleuthing and strategizing on our own, as well as prepare for the deposition they are likely to insist upon, before all is said and done.”

  “I’ve already told you everything that’s relevant.”

  “I doubt it,” Liz replied airily, making sure her appearance was intact before she headed out the door. “But before we’re done—” she paused to glance deep into Travis’s eyes “—I promise that you will.”

  Chapter Seven

  Determined to get a quick and easy solution for at least one of her clients, Liz looked at the men sitting around the conference table in her office. “The three of you have the power to fix this problem,” she told them sternly.

  Steve Wylin, from Custom Pools, threw up his hands. “I already designed what J.T. wanted.”

  Liz held Steve’s gaze. “You know the town is never going to allow him to have a swimming pool in his front yard.”

  Clyde Burns, the town planner, turned to Liz. “Which is why you should convince J.T. to table the whole thing.”

  “I agree with that,” J.T.’s neighbor, Tim Patrone, said, looking as irritated as ever. “Furthermore, why isn’t J.T. here?”

  “Because he is too emotional right now to be in on this conversation.” Liz frowned. “And the three of you should show some compassion.” She leaned forward earnestly. “Imagine you had lost the love of your life, your constant companion for the last forty years. You’d be grief-stricken and overemotional, too.”