The Taming of Delaney Fortune (The Fortunes of Texas: Cowboy Country)

by Michelle Major

  Instead he walked away. Not far, just a few paces. But Delaney felt the distance as if half of Texas were between them. When he turned back, shadows clouded his eyes.

  “I don’t deserve you,” he said slowly, as if each word was painful to speak. “I know I’m selfish because I want you anyway.”

  She held out her hands. “I’m right here.”

  “I want more for you, Delaney, and the business deal is still an issue. I can’t share everything with you now.” He squeezed his eyes shut, clenching his fists at his sides. “I don’t want to take advantage of you.”

  “Then tell me,” she demanded, growing frustrated. “If I’m really important to you, you’ll explain what’s going on.”

  * * *

  Cisco wanted to tell her. He wanted to lay his heart and conscience bare to this woman. To try and be the man she deserved to have in her life.

  But something held him back. He’d always been so sure and confident about every aspect of his life, but he wasn’t when it came to Delaney. He had no doubt she cared about him. The problem was she cared about the man she believed him to be.

  What happened when she found out he was working with Cowboy Country? He was beginning to see that the amusement park’s current business philosophy was at direct odds with everything Delaney’s family valued. It had seemed so simple when he’d started this arrangement. Have some fun with a very attractive woman, who also happened to be a Fortune, then use his connection to bring the Fortune money to the table for the condos.

  Now he saw how convoluted that plan was. Even if Delaney wasn’t as opposed to Cowboy Country as some other members of her family, she cherished the peace and serenity of her hometown. His part of the deal, developing the Cowboy Condos, had the potential to change the landscape and culture of this town for years to come.

  He had to believe there was a way to make sure the luxury development enhanced the personality of the area instead of taking away from it. At this point, it was up to him to convince Alden Moore, Kent Stephens and the other executives that it was worth the additional time and money it might take to do this deal the right way. He’d already started laying the groundwork with the investment group from Lubbock, but until he had the buy-in from the top brass at Moore Entertainment, Cisco didn’t feel secure that his vision would become a reality.

  He couldn’t share anything with Delaney until then. If the people in town or some of the Fortunes got wind of the plans before he’d addressed their potential concerns, all his plans would be for nothing. Cisco knew he had to keep things under wraps. He’d seen enough real estate deals go south because of rumor or speculation to not want to take a chance on this one.

  That still left the matter of how to appease her. “Delaney, will you trust me? I’ll tell you everything as soon as I’m able. Until then I want to enjoy our relationship. I don’t want to waste a second of my time in Horseback Hollow.”

  A look he didn’t quite understand crossed her face. “You’re leaving?”

  “Eventually,” he said slowly. “Most of my business is based in Miami. You know that.”

  “Yes, but you’re working on a big deal here. Doesn’t that mean you’ll need to stay close?”

  “For now, yes. Cielo,” he whispered, coming forward to take her hand, “don’t look so sad. I’m here now and I don’t want to think about anything else but you.”

  He bent and brushed his lips across her forehead, then down her cheek. He took his time, loving the softness of her skin under his mouth. “Let me take you out to dinner. A real date.”

  She sighed but at the same time tilted her head back to give him better access. “You don’t have to wine and dine me, Cisco. It’s not like I’m one of your high-flying girlfriends back home.”

  He stopped what he was doing, placing his palms on either side of her face as he looked deep into her eyes. “There are no girlfriends back home.”

  “You know what I—”

  “And there are no other women in Horseback Hollow. There’s only you, Delaney. Please go out on a date with me?”

  She covered his hands with hers. “I’d like that.” Her smile was sweet and genuine and made his chest ache with longing. He wanted her to be his, for as long as she’d have him. He was going to make sure this was one deal he didn’t lose.

  Chapter Nine

  “Don’t you look lovely.” Jeanne Marie glanced up from her book as Delaney walked into the den.

  “Thanks, Mom.” Delaney pushed her hair off her shoulder. She’d taken the time to curl it tonight, then dressed in a peach-colored sundress with lace trim and a pair of heels she’d bought on a shopping trip to Vicker’s Corners but never had an opportunity to wear. Now she wondered if she was going overboard.

  “Are people in town going to think I’m an idiot—that I’m just one more of Cisco’s groupies?”

  Her mother took off her reading glasses. “Do you feel like an idiot when you’re with him?”

  “I feel like the most beautiful, cherished girl in the world,” Delaney said with a wistful sigh.

  “Then that’s what you should concentrate on, sweetie. That’s what people will see.”

  “But if Rachel is any indication of what the women he normally dates look like, I’m not in the same league.”

  “Delaney Fortune Jones, you are in a league of your own. Cisco chooses to spend time with you. He comes to this ranch and works all day, never leaving your side. He cares for you. Anyone with eyes can see that. Don’t sell yourself short.”

  The doorbell rang at that moment. “How do you always know the right thing to say?” Delaney asked her mother with a smile as she turned toward the front of the house.

  “Years of practice,” Jeanne Marie murmured.

  Unfortunately for Delaney, the heels she’d chosen to wear to impress Cisco weren’t as easy to walk in as her normal cowboy boots. She stumbled several times as she made her way to the front door.

  He whistled softly as she opened it to greet him. “Hello, beautiful. You look amazing, Delaney.” His gaze strayed down her body to her bare legs and she watched as his eyes darkened.

  Maybe the heels were a good idea after all.

  He held out two bouquets of flowers.

  “One would have been enough,” she told him.

  He laughed. “For you and your mother.”

  “You’re good, Mendoza. She’s in the den. Follow me.” As Delaney turned, her heel got stuck on the corner of the carpet. She started to slip but Cisco’s strong arm came around her waist to hold her steady.

  “Whoa there. You okay?”

  So much for the heels. “It’s these shoes,” she answered, slightly breathless at being held so close to him. She wiggled out of his grasp before she made a fool of herself even more. “They take some getting used to.”

  “Where are your boots?”

  “I thought these would be better for our date night.”

  “Delaney, I asked you out because I want to spend time with you.” Cisco tipped up her chin. “You’re a cowgirl and I love that about you. You don’t have to change for me or try to be something you’re not.”

  “I just wanted to look pretty,” she muttered, realizing how ridiculous it sounded now.

  “You are beautiful to me because of who you are, not what you wear.” Cisco traced his thumb across the seam of her lips. His touch held so much tenderness it made her chest ache. How could she resist this man?

  She took a long breath. “If that’s the case, then I’m ditching the high heels.” She stepped away from him and sank onto one of the lower steps of the staircase. “I was getting a blister anyway.”

  “Allow me.” Cisco dropped to his knees in front of her. Before she could protest, he put down the flowers on the hall table and wrapped one hand around the back of her ankle, lifting her foot. He us
ed his other hand to unstrap the buckle on her heels. His touch was efficient but gentle.

  Delaney had to bite down on her lip to keep from moaning out loud when he slipped off the uncomfortable shoe and massaged his knuckles into the arch of her foot.

  “Don’t do that,” he whispered with a harsh chuckle.

  “Do what?”

  “Abuse the lip that I like so much.” His eyes, dark as the perfect slice of chocolate cake, slammed into hers.

  She bit down harder, then laughed when he tickled her toes.

  He got both shoes off but kept her feet covered with his hands for a few moments. His tanned skin looked bronze against the paler color on her legs. Delaney couldn’t stop the mental image that formed of what his hands would look like on other parts of her body.

  As if reading her thoughts, he straightened quickly and stepped away from her, picking up a bouquet. “I’ll say hello to your mother while you put on your boots.”

  She ran up to the second floor of the house and grabbed her favorite pair of red cowboy boots from her closet. By the time she came back down the stairs, her mother and Cisco were walking from the den. Her mother’s smile was joyful as she looked from the colorful flowers in her hand to Cisco.

  “Aren’t they beautiful?”

  Delaney noticed that Jeanne Marie’s cheeks were flushed pink. Leave it to Cisco Mendoza to charm women of every generation. She made a mental note to keep her toddler niece, Piper, away from him. The precocious toddler would be ruined for other men before she was even out of diapers.

  “Would you put my bouquet in water along with yours?” Delaney picked up her flowers and handed them to her mother.

  “Of course.” Jeanne Marie patted Cisco’s arm. “You two have fun tonight.”

  “I’ll take good care of her,” Cisco promised. “We won’t be out late.”

  Delaney took her purse from a hook on the wall. “I’m twenty-four,” she called over her shoulder. “I don’t have a curfew anymore.”

  “I appreciate the thought nonetheless,” her mother said.

  Cisco followed her out the front door, closing it behind him.

  She turned as she got to his car. “I really am a big girl, so you—”

  Her words were cut off as he swept her into his arms, lifting her off her feet and pressing his mouth hard to hers. She opened for him as he deepened the kiss. Any doubt Delaney might have had whether Cisco Mendoza found her as irresistible as she did him vanished in that instant. He kissed her as if his life depended on it. She wasn’t sure if they stayed like that, exploring each other, for moments or minutes. It was only when the distant sound of the barn door slamming echoed in the quiet of early evening that he slowly released her.

  “If I keep you with me too long,” Cisco whispered against her hair, “I may never let you go.”

  Oh. Well. If that didn’t make her toes curl with pleasure...

  “Where are we going to dinner?” she asked as he reached around her to open the truck’s passenger door. “Someplace in Vicker’s Corners?”

  “The Cantina,” he replied as she climbed into the truck. “I thought it would be nice to stay in Horseback Hollow. Is that okay with you?”

  “Sure.”

  As he closed the door, Delaney couldn’t help the disappointment that trickled through her. Yes, she loved this town, but she also knew Cisco had taken Rachel Robinson on a date to a fancy restaurant in the nearby town.

  He got in behind the steering wheel and turned on the ignition. Before shifting into gear, he leaned over to her. “If you want to go someplace else, that’s fine with me, Delaney. I don’t care where we are as long as we’re together.”

  She couldn’t help but smile at the fact that he’d once again read her mind. In truth, Delaney loved the food at the Cantina and the fun atmosphere of the local restaurant. She’d never found much use for fancy dinners and suddenly understood that Cisco was trying to honor what he thought would make her happy.

  “Me, neither,” she answered, and gave him another quick kiss. “Besides, I’m starving. Who knows if I could last the whole drive to Vicker’s Corners.”

  When he smiled, she added, “I bet most of the women you take out don’t ever eat more than a couple lettuce leaves.”

  “Most of the women I’ve taken out don’t matter.” He started down the gravel driveway and turned toward town. “Only you.” He reached across the center console and laced his fingers with hers.

  Delaney couldn’t remember ever feeling so happy and she knew, even if it all ended after tonight, she’d never forget this time with Cisco.

  * * *

  The Hollows Cantina was busy on a Saturday night, but since Cisco’s cousin, Marcus, and his wife, Wendy Fortune Mendoza, owned the restaurant, Cisco and Delaney got a great table near the back that afforded them both privacy and a nice vantage point for people watching. Cisco hadn’t been close to his extended family growing up, but he was enjoying getting to know Marcus during his stay in Horseback Hollow.

  Although tonight he only had eyes for the woman seated across from him. He took a slow drink of beer and watched Delaney, her eyes shining as she spoke to a high school friend who’d approached the table as their plates were cleared. She knew at least half the people in the restaurant by name and chatted easily, including him in the conversations in a way that made him feel as if he was truly becoming a part of this community. Of course, a number of people already knew his dad and sister, so that helped, as well.

  Cisco wondered what these same people would think when they got wind of his work with Cowboy Country. The topic of the theme park and possible related projects had come up several times, although no one seemed to know specifically about the luxury condos he was helping to develop. Locals weren’t shy about voicing their concerns and criticism about the way things were being handled by Moore Entertainment. He noticed that Marcus and Wendy didn’t offer their thoughts, probably because no matter the concerns they might have, the influx of tourists to the theme park would bring additional business to the Cantina.

  Delaney, too, was circumspect in giving her opinion. Cisco was glad she didn’t have anything specifically negative to say about the plans. Cowboy Country was due to open in a few weeks, although Cisco knew they were having personnel problems that threatened to derail the whole deal. His resolve to convince Kent and the other executives to pay more attention to the feedback from people in town strengthened.

  The more he got to know Horseback Hollow, the more convinced he was that if the community was on board with Cowboy Country, it would help the brand and the experience customers would have when they got to town. He was having trouble getting Kent to see anything beyond the bottom line and had another meeting scheduled with investors in Lubbock to lock them in. Hopefully, that would buy him a little breathing room from the pressure of securing support from the Fortune family.

  When he finally presented his case to Delaney, he wanted it to be a strong one. He knew she wouldn’t like that he hadn’t been up-front with her from the start and he needed to make sure he had a valid explanation for why he’d handled things the way he had.

  He gave his head a mental shake and waved as Delaney’s friend left the table.

  “I’m sorry I’ve been gabbing with so many people,” Delaney said, pulling a face. “That’s one of the problems with staying in town. Not much chance of staying incognito in a town this size.”

  “I like watching you talk to friends and how much you genuinely care about these people. It’s clear they feel the same about you. I’ve never experienced a community like Horseback Hollow. Most of the time in Miami my social interactions relate to my business. It’s fun to be out with no hidden agenda.”

  As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he regretted them. Doubt clouded Delaney’s crystal-blue eyes. He hated himself for putting it there.
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  “No hidden agenda?” she asked drily. “As much as I want to, why do I find that so hard to believe with you, Cisco?” She tapped her fingernails on the side of her water glass as her eyes glinted at him. He saw amusement in them, but also a subtle wariness. “You were lost in thought only a few moments ago. Perhaps contemplating your mysterious business deal and deciding which Fortune to get to know next?”

  No other woman had ever been willing to call Cisco out on any of the maneuvering and manipulation that went along with his deal making. Maybe because he’d never let anyone close enough to see who he truly was behind the mask of the smooth-talking real estate developer. That identity had served him well and contributed to his success, but it was useless with Delaney.

  “I promise I’ll tell you everything about my business in town when the time is right. No matter what, you’re the only Fortune who’s important to me,” he told her, reaching across to take her hand in his. He leaned in and put his lips to her fingertip, warming the skin that was cool from her glass.

  Her eyes widened, then darted from side to side as if she worried that someone might notice his obvious display of affection.

  “Don’t you think it’s too late to be concerned about going public?” He held her hand and couldn’t care less who saw him do it. Several of the people who’d come over to the table tonight had been men, ranchers or local cowboys, mostly friends of Delaney’s brothers’. But Cisco hadn’t missed the way they’d looked at her or the glares shot in his direction as her dinner companion.

  Delaney might think the guys in this town thought of her as a little sister. Cisco believed it had more to do with their worry over the men in her family standing figurative guard in front of her than lack of interest. Now that he’d ostensibly proven it was possible to take Delaney Fortune Jones on a date and live to tell the tale, he imagined she’d have no shortage of potential suitors nosing around the ranch. He knew her dream was to end up with a true Horseback Hollow man and that his own time in town was limited. It didn’t prevent him from wanting to throw a hard right hook at any man who thought about Delaney the way he did.