Beneath A Texas Sky (Harlequin Super Romance)

by Winters, Rebecca

  IT WAS CLOSE to 10:00 a.m. when Dana let herself in the trailer. Normally she’d be exhausted after staying up all night. But Jace’s presence in her life had knocked everything off kilter. She felt wired.

  The fear that he wouldn’t be at the café made her too restless to concentrate. If he didn’t show up, it would be a disaster for her emotional life, even though they’d only known each other a few days.

  She wanted too much. She wanted it too soon.

  One moment she wished he’d never come into her life. The next, she didn’t know how she could wait to see him.

  It was absurd, ludicrous how much she cared. But Jace Riley wasn’t like any man she’d ever met.

  The plain truth of the matter was, she’d taken one look at him and had fallen for him.

  If it was a biological drive for a woman to seek a certain type of man in order to perpetuate the species it had kicked in the moment she’d laid eyes on Jace.

  “Dana?”

  That was Glen knocking at her door. She whirled around, furious that she couldn’t come home from work and have five minutes’ peace before he was chasing after her.

  It was time for a little talk.

  She marched through the tiny living room to the door and unlocked it. “Hello, Glen.” That awful cologne he wore filled the room.

  “Hi. I’ve been waiting for you. Where have you been all weekend?”

  That’s absolutely none of your business.

  “I brought you this.” He handed her an IPS tag. “The driver left it for you.”

  How odd. Jace hadn’t said anything to her about it.

  She’d had it with Glen!

  “As long as you’re here, I’d like to talk to you. Come in for a minute.”

  “Sure thing.” He stepped inside and sat down in the upholstered chair with his hands clasped between his knees.

  Dana remained standing. “When I signed the lease with your grandfather, he told me that if I had a problem I could call and you’d fix it.”

  “Yup. That’s the arrangement.”

  “So far there haven’t been any problems, Glen, and yet you’ve probably been over here at least once every other day since I moved in.”

  His head reared back. He had to smooth the long blond strands out of his eyes to see her. “Well, yeah, I’m just being friendly. There’s no harm in that, is there?”

  “Do you find me coming over to your grandfather’s house every day wanting to see you?”

  “No.”

  “What does that tell you?”

  He shrugged.

  “Just so we understand each other, you’re never to come over here again, not under any circumstances. If I need a plumber, I’ll hire one. If a light burns out, I’ll take care of it.

  “So far I haven’t informed your grandfather of what you’ve been doing. But if you knock on my door one more time, I’ll have you charged with harassment. You’ll not only have to explain to him, you’ll be in big trouble with the law. I hope I’ve made myself clear.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He sat there sullen faced. “Just tell me one thing. How long have you been seeing Lewis?”

  She frowned. “Who’s Lewis?”

  “Come on,” he muttered angrily. “I found out he was here. He rode up from Fort Davis on Thursday with the guy in the delivery van.”

  “How do you know about that?” He’d confused Tony with someone else, but that didn’t matter as much as the fact that Glen Mason had stepped way beyond the bounds.

  “I caught the delivery guy hanging around here waiting for you yesterday. He wanted to know if you and Lewis had been sleeping together.”

  That was an outright lie.

  Completely appalled by this little creep, she said, “Get out of my trailer. As long as I pay rent, this is my private property. Remember what I told you. Don’t show your face at my door again or you’ll regret it.”

  “I’m going.”

  She waited until he’d stepped clear of the trailer before she shut the door and locked it. Just knowing she had the gun gave her a certain measure of calm. If he ever came near her again, she’d call the police.

  Being around him made her feel dirty. She hurried into the shower and washed her hair. After blow-drying it, she fixed herself an early lunch, then climbed into bed with her cell phone to call home.

  Dana knew her parents had felt an instant attraction for each other when they’d first met. She needed to talk to her mother about it. Deep down she was craving reassurance that Jace was one of those rare people who would accept the judge’s decision as the truth.

  It would take an awful lot of faith. Probably too much.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “GRANDAD? My chores are done. I’m leaving now.”

  “Where are you going?” The old man glanced up from his recliner, positioned in front of the television.

  “Dana and I are taking a Sunday drive down to Alpine. We’ll get a burger and be back by dark.”

  “Why don’t you bring her over here after? I like talking to her.”

  “That all depends if she’s got work to do.”

  “You mind your manners with her, Glen.”

  “I will, sir.”

  “She’s a real lady like your grandma was.”

  “That’s what you keep saying.”

  “Because it’s true. She’s refined, educated. You don’t come across a woman like Dana Turner every day. You get my meaning?”

  “Sure I do, Grandad. You want me to pick you up some of that pipe tobacco while I’m in Alpine?”

  “I’d like that. Thank you, Glen.”

  “Sure. See ya later, Grandad.”

  “Drive carefully, now.”

  An hour later he pulled into the parking area of the Gray Oak Bar in Alpine. Live country-and-western singing on Sundays brought in a capacity crowd.

  There was no sign of Lewis’s Harley, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t inside drinking.

  Impatiently looking for parking, Glen was about ready to ram some dude’s Porsche out of the way when a couple of guys in shirts and ties left the bar. He wheeled into their spot and jumped out of the truck.

  Once inside the place, his eyes had to adjust to the darkness before he could search for Lewis. Moving over to the bar, he bought a beer, then made a tour of the room.

  He’d been in here twice this weekend looking for him, but the swine was staying away and Glen knew why. He should never have let Lewis borrow one of his videos.

  While Glen had been waiting for the right time to make his move on Dana, Lewis had already been messing around with her. The women always went for Lewis. That’s why she’d told Glen to get lost.

  In a rage, he wiped the tears from his eyes and slammed the empty beer glass down on the nearest table. He stormed out of the place, intent on a confrontation with Lewis.

  He knew he wasn’t supposed to show up at Lewis’s apartment or his work. But that no longer mattered. Glen had found Dana first. She was his property. Now the scum had gotten to her ahead of him. Lewis was going to be sorry.

  Taking off in the truck, Glen headed for the apartment complex on the east end of town. He wound around to every carport. The Harley wasn’t there.

  Not to be put off, he pulled into the visitors’ parking and ran up the steps to the third floor. After pounding on the door with no results, he stomped back to his truck and headed across town to the Jeff Davis Truck Stop where Lewis worked as a mechanic. There was no sign of him or his motorcycle.

  Letting out a curse, he got in his truck and made a couple of stops for pipe tobacco and cold beer. Then he drove over to Lewis’s apartment once more, turned on the truck radio and kicked back with a Coors.

  Lewis had to come home sometime. Glen would be waiting.

  AT FIVE AFTER SIX, Dana still hadn’t made up her mind whether to go to the café or not. Though her mother had done everything in her power to build her daughter’s confidence, all Dana’s doubts had crept back once she’d hung up.

  She’
d stayed in bed most of the afternoon, but her sleep had been fitful. When she couldn’t stand it any longer, she threw off the covers and got up, sick to death of this waiting game.

  It was her own fault! She shouldn’t have made such a ridiculous arrangement with Jace. Even if he did show up, it would probably be out of common courtesy. He was that kind of man. He’d buy her a meal, and then she’d never see him again.

  When she really thought about it, the best thing to do was get back to work and avoid the situation altogether. If by any stretch of the imagination he dropped by the café, it wouldn’t put him out that much when he couldn’t find her. She imagined he’d be greatly relieved to have been let off the hook.

  With that decision made, she fastened her hair back with a scarf, then slipped on a clean pair of jeans and a cotton sweater.

  “Hi,” he said as she opened the door of the trailer a minute later.

  “Jace!”

  He’d come, just as her mom had predicted. Her heart fluttered crazily.

  The Sentra he’d driven to the observatory was pulled right behind her Toyota. He lounged against it with his arms folded. In tan chinos and a dark brown polo shirt he looked so good, she couldn’t think, let alone talk.

  “I figured you might get cold feet, so I came for you before you headed to the observatory where I’d have trouble breaking down the door.”

  She sucked in her breath. “You don’t have to do this, Jace.”

  “You mean perform my Boy Scout deed by dining with an ex-felon before I disappear into the sunset?”

  Fire scorched her cheeks. “There have to be any number of women you could choose who haven’t spent time in prison.”

  “Millions,” he said in a dry tone.

  “Why me?” Her voice trembled.

  “I could ask you the same question. As I recall, when I invited you to dinner, you volunteered to meet me at the café at six. You didn’t have to do that either.”

  Afraid he’d see the answer in her eyes, she turned her back on him to lock the trailer door, but she was all thumbs. His presence made her efforts clumsy.

  When she faced him again, she found him staring at her with a solemn expression.

  “You’re a brave woman to live here all alone.”

  “I’m sure Tony told you I keep a loaded gun inside.”

  His jaw hardened. “You must have had a good reason to use it on him.”

  “I did,” she admitted in a quiet tone. “My father insisted I have a weapon handy.”

  “He was right. Is it his?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m glad he gave you some means of protection.”

  She shivered. “So am I.”

  “Does anyone else have a key to this trailer besides you?”

  “Ralph Mason said it was the only one.”

  “Do you believe him?”

  Dana knew what he was asking. “Yes, but—”

  “But you have no idea what that grandson of his is capable of,” he finished the sentence for her.

  He could read her mind. “No.”

  “Yesterday I left an IPS slip on your door. I used it as an excuse to come by and see you.”

  His admission thrilled her.

  “Did you find it?”

  “No. It found me.”

  “You mean Glen took it.”

  “Yes. He brought it over today.”

  “That’s what I was afraid of. Twice I’ve caught him hanging around here when you were gone. I wanted to say something last evening, but I was afraid you wouldn’t like me minding your business. But now that he’s removed something from your property I left for you, he’s made it mine.”

  He sounded angry.

  “It’s all right,” she assured him. “When I realized what he’d done, I told him I wasn’t interested in him and warned him never to come over to my trailer again for any reason. I said that if he as much as showed his face, I would tell his grandfather and there would be trouble. He got the message and left.”

  Jace moved toward her. “Let’s hope you’ve seen the last of him. However, there’s no way of telling how he’s going to handle your rejection. He might get it in his head to hide in your trailer while you’re at work and surprise you when you’re least expecting it. A gun wouldn’t do you any good then.”

  At the scenario he’d just painted, her whole body shook.

  “I didn’t say that to terrify you needlessly.”

  “I know.”

  “The hinges on your trailer door are on the inside, so it can’t be removed that way. If you’ll let me take out your lock, we’ll drive into town right now and have it rekeyed at the hardware store. Then I’ll rein-stall it and you’ll know you’re safe.”

  Dana didn’t have to think it over. “Do it!” she urged him.

  “On one condition.” His half smile turned her heart over.

  “What’s that?”

  “We have dinner after. I’m starving.”

  “So am I.”

  “Good. I’ll get my tools.”

  With smooth efficiency, he removed the lock from the trailer. It was over in five minutes. She wished it had taken him longer. While he’d been busy, she’d had a legitimate reason to study his wavy black hair and well-shaped eyebrows, both the same rich color.

  Between his straight nose and firm chin lay a mouth she found seductive whether it broke into a smile or tightened with the strength of his feelings. Blessed with a natural olive complexion, he had all the ingredients that made him an irresistible man.

  Dana realized she was in trouble to feel this about him. It was no use telling herself she needed to combat the attraction. The damage had already been done.

  “We’re ready to go, but we’ll have to leave the trailer unattended while we’re in town. You might want to lock your gun in the trunk of your car until we get back.”

  It was a new experience for Dana to be taken care of like this. She liked his attention to detail. A woman could get used to this in a hurry.

  She handed him her car keys. “I’ll be right back.”

  Once inside the trailer, she removed the clip from the gun, then found her purse. When she carried everything outside, he took the parts from her and packed them in one of the side pockets inside the trunk. After he’d locked it, he handed the keys back to her, then took a few steps to open the passenger door of his car for her.

  “Shall we go?”

  She hurried to get in, recognizing all the signs of a man who was hungry. Fortunately, the hardware store was only a mile away. Jace got the lock from the trunk, and they walked inside. The sign in the window said the place closed at seven.

  “Ten more minutes and we would have been too late,” he murmured as he ushered her through to the counter.

  The clerk finished waiting on another customer, then turned to them. He smiled at Dana. “I’ve seen you in here before. How may I help?”

  “My friend dismantled the lock on my trailer door. It needs to be rekeyed.”

  “I can do that, but it’ll take me a few minutes. I have to go to my shop in the back. Ring the little bell if anyone comes in while I’m busy.”

  When he’d disappeared, Jace looked at her. “He’s a trusting soul.”

  “I was that way once,” she confessed.

  “Being wrongfully imprisoned would change anyone.”

  “Thanks to Tony Roberts, I’m afraid I lost a measure of trust even before my arrest.”

  “What did he do to you?”

  Jace sounded as if he really wanted to know. “Tony was working on his Ph.D. in astrophysics and taught a lab for the master’s candidates. I was put in his section. I was flattered by his attention, and thought his interest was personal. But it became clear in a hurry that his whole purpose in getting close to me was so my father would take notice and offer him an academic opportunity that would boost his career.

  “When I realized what was happening, I broke up with him before the quarter was over. It wasn’t until I was in prison tha
t Dad informed me he’d dropped Tony from the program and told him to get his degree elsewhere.”

  Jace’s eyes searched hers with restless energy. “When he was here, did he attack you?”

  She swallowed hard. “I’m not sure what he was trying to do, but I didn’t wait to find out. He threw me down on the couch and started mauling me, so I reached for the gun under the cushion.

  “Dad had warned me to keep it loaded and immediately accessible. But I have to tell you, I don’t know who was more surprised when I pulled it, me or Tony.”

  She heard Jace’s deep chuckle. “When I picked him up, I can tell you right now he wasn’t a happy camper.”

  “Good.” She smiled up at him.

  “Here we are.” The clerk came out to the counter. “This comes with two keys. Better put them away so you don’t lose them.”

  She tucked the plastic package in her purse, then pulled out her checkbook. “How much do I owe you?”

  “That’ll be nine dollars and twenty-two cents.”

  Jace wanted to pay for it, but after hearing about her experience with Tony Roberts, he realized he needed to slow down the pace with Dana. Until he could get this remarkable woman to trust him, he couldn’t hope to have a relationship with her.

  That’s what he was after. He didn’t have to think twice about it.

  Within five minutes they’d returned to the trailer. He got straight to work. When he realized her eyes were all over him, it felt so good that he took his time getting the job done in order to enjoy the sensation as long as possible.

  She was a woman who smelled like a woman should. Every time he was around her, he breathed in the scent of fruit blossoms. This evening he detected apples. But it wasn’t just her fragrance that got to him.

  Her long, shapely legs and the flare of womanly hips were in his direct line of vision. With the dusky blue sweater draping her curves, she looked warm and inviting. He was close to having heart failure on the spot.

  Needing to focus his energy elsewhere for the moment, he asked her to hand him one of the new keys. “Let’s see if this works.”

  “I never had any doubt,” she murmured when he proclaimed success.

  “You try it, just to make sure.”

  She opened, closed and locked the door twice. “It’s perfect. Thank you, Jace. You’ll never know how much I appreciate what you’ve done.” Her voice shook slightly.