She set the covered cake dish on the kitchen table while Della, a tall, dark haired beauty in her mid-fifties, poured herself a cup of coffee and doctored it up with cream. Della held up a pitcher shaped like a little white cow. The handle was formed from its curving ceramic tail and there was a hole in its nose where the cream came out. “Silliest darned thing I’ve ever seen.”
“You bought it.”
“Yeah, yeah. What was I smokin’?”
Scarlet laughed. Her mother was the straightest arrow she’d ever known. About as wild as she ever got was when she had a glass of wine or two on Christmas Eve.
“I love it. It’s whimsical.”
Her mom smiled and sat across from her at the table. Scarlet pried open the Tupperware lid and gasped, completely delighted. The scent of chocolate rose through the air mixing wonderfully with the homey coffee-smell of the kitchen. “Ah, Mom. A triple layer chocolate cake! Yum-my.”
“Made it this morning. Thought we’d have it with our coffee while you fill me in.”
Scarlet dipped a finger in the thick, creamy frosting and promptly stuck the digit in her mouth. Closing her eyes, she hummed a little, then went for two plates, two forks and a knife. “Fill you in on what? Oh, and what’s the occasion? Chocolate cake this early in the morning?”
Della tapped a fingernail on the oak table and gave her a look. Scarlet paused in the act of slicing through homemade decadence.
“Don’t tell me. You talked to somebody. You know already.” Scarlet put the knife down and sank into her chair. Banging her forehead on the table, she stretched out her arms and moaned. Her mother immediately took her hands and gave them a gentle squeeze.
“Betty Murphy called first thing this morning.”
“I’m gonna kill Patti. What a blabber!”
Della tsked. “It doesn’t matter what Patti told her mama. It’s all over town, honey. That Cole makes me mad enough to spit! I’d like to head on over to his place and kick his butt good.”
Scarlet looked up at her mom and felt a vivid bolt of love pierce her heart. She stuck out her bottom lip. “So this is a pity cake?”
“Uh-huh. Made special for your pity party.”
“Hmm. Then I guess we ought to start this party.” Scarlet cut two humongous slices of fresh cake and served them up. She took a bite of thick, rich chocolate and felt her eyes roll back in her head. “Mmm. So good, Mom. You always know when I need a chocolate fix. Nobody makes this stuff like you do.”
Della laughed and took a bite. “Don’t kid yourself, honey. I know you think your mama’s perfect, and for the most part, I am, but you can cook me under the table.”
“That’s quite a compliment coming from you.”
Taking another sip of her coffee, her mother nodded her head. “Okay, now tell me all about it. I think I’ve got a pretty good idea what went down but I’d like to hear your version. Everybody’s talking.”
“I knew this would happen. Nothing stays secret in this podunk town,” she said with a snort. “What’d Daddy say?”
Scarlet’s dad, Frank, was a big, tough, oil man who owned a prosperous drilling company. He didn’t take crap from anyone and he’d certainly take Cole down a peg or two for messing with his baby girl.
Della shook her head. “Oh, honey, you don’t wanna know what that man said. Burn your ears plumb off! He wanted to head over to Cole Thomas’ house and kick the crap outta that man.”
Unable to resist, Scarlet sighed. “I love my family.”
“Your little sister’s fit to be tied, too. Bless her heart, someone called her last night and she’s so mad she wants to come down from Lubbock just to make sure you’re okay.”
Annagrace, her baby sister, was a twenty-two year old junior at Texas Tech University and Scarlet loved her more than anything. “Tell her not to come, Mom. She has mid-terms coming up.”
“Oh, I did. Don’t you worry. You’re a big girl and this will blow over. Just like the other time. I don’t want you to forget that everyone loves you, punkin.”
“Yeah, I know. I figured the mess with Cole and the broken engagement was finally over, Mom, and then he has to make a big spectacle out of everything. I’m not in love with him anymore but I hate being embarrassed in front of the whole town this way.” Scarlet stood, fetched the coffee pot and poured them both a refill. “I’m tellin’ you, I’m sick of the whole man thing. I give up. It’s just not meant to be.”
Della laughed and tapped her fingernails on the table, a weird little habit that Scarlet was used to after all these years. “Listen up, cookie. It’s gonna take a really special man for you. You’re just so intimidating to most men.”
She rolled her eyes. “You, Patti-Pie, and Lyssa have been talking. Just last night, Lyssa said I was like a mean old bull named Intimidator.”
Her mother laughed. “That Lyssa’s a card. She’s right though.”
“I am not intimidating.”
“Oh, honey, you’re bigger than life. Tall and all sexy-looking with those long legs and everything else that goes with ‘em. Look at it like this… What if Pamela Anderson came to town?”
“Huh?”
“I’m serious. If that woman came to town, what would the local men do?”
Scarlet laughed. “They’d pee their pants.”
Della pointed at her. “That’s right. They’d pee their pants and do you think any one of those yay-hoos would say one word to her?”
“Probably not. But Mom, I’m not Pamela Anderson. These men have known me all my life.”
“You’re still an out there kind of woman. It’ll take a man who has great big ba-”
“Mom!”
“Well, great big ones anyway, to measure up to the kind of woman you are. You’re not for the faint of heart.”
“You make me sound like a horror movie.”
“You are pretty scary, baby.”
Scarlet rolled up her paper napkin and tossed it at her mother who caught it and used it to dab a crumb off the table. “Hey, Mom.”
Della looked up.
“I love you.”
“Yeah, baby, I know. Love you, too.”
Later she lounged on the overstuffed sofa in her living room and had her feet propped in her mother’s lap. Cotton balls were stuffed between each toe as Della applied Drumbeat Red with the precision of a military general. Scarlet still wore the oversized Texas Tech Red Raider jersey she’d slept in.
“I really love what you’ve done with this house, hon.”
Scarlet looked around at her pride and joy still recalling the day she’d signed off on the old Victorian. Hardwood floors glistened in the morning light that streamed through the big, lace-draped front windows. Outside was a huge wrap-around front porch and huge pots of blood red geraniums.
“It’s really too big for one person but I love it.”
“That’s apparent in the way you take care of it and hey, who knows, maybe someday some nice guy will move in here with you and you’ll give me a grandbaby or two. No pressure.”
Scarlet laughed. No one made her smile like Mom and she, for sure, needed a laugh today.
“Okay, other foot,” Della said as she reached for a wad of cotton on the coffee table. She went to work again, bent over her foot, absorbed in her task. Scarlet leaned her head back and closed her eyes, loving the attention from her favorite person in the world. “Now, are you gonna tell me about the man you met last night?”
Her eyes popped open. “What do you mean?”
Della shook her head. “Ah, honey, don’t play those games with me. We don’t live in a small town for nothing. Betty told me all about some cowboy you were hot and heavy with on the dance floor last night.”
Scarlet groaned. “His name is Nash Logan.”
“Oooh, sexy name.”
“Sexy man.”
“Do tell.”
She reached for her coffee cup and took a bracing sip. “We danced, Mom, and that’s about it.”
“Not what I heard.”
“Ah yes, well, he was just feeling sorry for me. Patti-Pie and Bobby Lee shot off their big mouths and he heard the whole story about Cole and the fact that he’s a horn-dog. We were dancing when Cole popped up on the stage to make his big announcement. It was crazy.”
“So, hm, how did it feel kissing him? A complete stranger.”
Scarlet looked at her mother calmly painting her toes and didn’t notice any recrimination. Not a bit. That was weird. She sighed and leaned her head back against the cushions.
“Electrifying.”
“That good, huh?”
“Oh, yeah. And then when he realized we were making a spectacle of ourselves, he dragged me out to the parking lot and started the whole kissing thing again.”
Della moved her foot away and sat up to screw the lid on the polish. Leaning forward, she propped her forearm on her knee and looked at her. “You gonna see him again?”
She shrugged. “I doubt it. His friend showed up and he got all distracted and just kind of blew me off. Anyway, it’s for the best. He’s here for the rodeo. In a couple of days, he’ll be off for another town and I’ll be here. It doesn’t make any sense to get something started.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. We never know about these things, Scarlet,” she said. “But what’s wrong with enjoying the man while he’s here? There’s no law that says you can’t have some fun for a change.”
Aghast, she stared at her mother. “Are you suggesting I have a mindless affair with him?”
“I don’t know if I’d go that far but a little fun sure wouldn’t hurt you. If you approach the whole thing as an adventure, knowing in your mind it’s all temporary, you might find something very freeing in that.” Della stood and reached for her purse. She adjusted the strap on her shoulder and gave her a look. “Listen, hon, you’re young and pretty, full of life. Believe me, one of these days you’ll have so many responsibilities there won’t be time for fun. Now is the time to spread your wings. Sorry if I sound like a cliché but that’s the way I feel about it. If this man wants to spend time with you, I say you should let him.”
Later that day, Scarlet recalled her mother’s words and promptly decided that Mom was right. When had she not gone for what she wanted? Why shouldn’t she live a little while she could? Sure, it was dangerous getting involved even temporarily with a man like Nash Logan, but how often did a woman living in a place like Sweetridge get a chance to have a little romance with a man like him?
As she pulled into the fairground parking lot and noted the crowds heading toward the arena, she double checked her purse. Yep. There was the ticket Nash had given her last night. She pulled out a tube of gloss and applied a dab of it to her lips. What was she thinking? With all these people around what were the chances of running into him?
Still, better to see him here than stalk the honky tonk hoping he’d show up. That just seemed sleazy, slutty, and more than a little pathetic. Nope, not going there. Earlier she’d called Patti and Lyssa hoping one of them, or both, might be able to come with her today. Patti had a date with the wannabe cowboy she’d met last night. As it turned out, Scott was a pretty nice guy and had asked her to the rodeo today. Unfortunately, Lyssa had to work so here she was, alone.
Bolstering her courage, she tugged the shoulder strap of her oversized purse in place and took off toward the ticket gate, her red cowboy boots tapping out a sharp staccato against the pavement. Today she wore a pair of low slung jeans that had survived a hundred washings, a western-style belt with a turquoise buckle, and a red, fitted tee. Too hot today for the long sleeved western shirts some of the other ladies were wearing. She didn’t know how they could stand it.
Several locals hollered out and she smiled and waved in turn. Sweetridge was a friendly town as a rule. Everyone loved it when the rodeo season came around since most of the time there wasn’t much in the way of entertainment around here unless you counted high school football games when fall rolled around.
When she handed over her ticket, she wandered around for a while just soaking in the atmosphere. Over the arena, flags representing the home states of the participating cowboys and cowgirls fluttered in the breeze giving the place a festive atmosphere. Crowds were already filing into the spectator stands to watch the show and the sounds of horses and the chattering of voices filtered through the air.
Scarlet walked farther out, knowing she had plenty of time, and saw the rows of concessions stands offering beer on tap, roasted corn on the cob, turkey legs, hot dogs and sausage on a stick. Two little boys ran toward her, each carrying a glob of cotton candy. In tandem they laughed and darted to either side of her. Breathing deeply, she smiled and watched them tear off through the crowds. The fair atmosphere sent a sizzle through her blood and the mingled scents in the air made her tummy rumble. Or was that anticipation over seeing Nash perform in the steer roping event that headlined the day’s activities?
A sea of horse trailers and trucks stretched out as far as the eye could see. Everywhere she looked were cowboys of every shape and size getting ready for the show. Ropes swung out in perfect circles and other cowboys stretched and bent, warming up for what was to come. They were athletes, she realized, in perfect shape to take the battering that occurred every week for months on end.
An ambulance sat parked, at the ready, near a big white first aid tent. Curious, she walked toward it. The tent was a sideless affair with the white canvas top supported by poles. Small Texas flags fluttered at each end, waving in the wind.
Scarlet stopped short and drew in a quick breath.
Nash!
Lord have mercy!
Bare from the waist up, he stood with his back to her as the tall man from last night wrapped white tape around his ribs. Scarlet swallowed hard. The dim shadowy lights from last night hadn’t done the man justice.
Tall and lean, he stood there with his heavily muscled arms outstretched. Upper-back muscles flexed and rolled with every shift of his body. He was bronze and sexier than any man had a right to be. Without the hat, she could see his hair, dark brown and streaked with reddish highlights. She remembered plowing her fingers through that thick, straight stuff last night and she wanted to do it again.
What was up with the tape? She frowned. Was he hurt?
The other man straightened and reached for a pair of scissors on the table. “There. That ought to do it,” he said.
Nash lowered his arms and reached for his shirt. When she cleared her throat, he stiffened.
“Nash?”
He turned, giving her a glance over his very broad shoulder, and she saw his eyes widen a bit. “Hey.”
Scarlet walked underneath the tent, and reached out tentatively to touch the tape that bound his ribs. “Are you hurt?”
Nash smiled faintly and shook his head. “Just a precaution. I cracked a couple of ribs a few months ago riding a bastard-mean bull in Calgary.”
“Canada?”
He nodded. “Can’t say I’m not well-traveled.” He pulled on his shirt and began snapping it closed. The pearl snaps were a stark contrast to the bronze color of his hands and Scarlet resented each button that hid his flesh from her sight.
Looking down at the toes of her boots, she felt suddenly overwhelmed by his big, powerful body. Yeah, she could be really brazen but she felt dumb chasing him down like this. If nothing else, she was honest. Her being here wasn’t an accident.
“Scarlet this is my friend, Shorty Dobbs. Shorty, this is Scarlet Ballew. She’s a dancin’ fool.” Nash flashed a wicked, white grin, lightening the moment.
“Nice to meet you, ma’am.” Smiling, Shorty tipped his battered straw hat and headed out.
“Look, Nash, um… I’m sorry to intrude.”
“No intrusion. Really.” He ran his fingers through his hair and gave her a look. “Listen, I’m glad you’re here.” He gestured toward a long bench sitting near the table. “Have a seat.”
Scarlet sat on the bench. Nash propped his foot there and leaned his forearm on his knee. �
�I need to apologize about something,” he said.
She held up a hand. “No, you don’t have to.”
He blew out a breath. “Yeah, I do.” He stared off into the distance and her heart started to hammer wildly in her chest. “I thought about you last night. After you left.”
“You did?” She held her breath as she waited for him to say something, anything, but his face seemed carved of granite, unmoving. Patience had never been a virtue she possessed so she spoke again. “What did you think?”
Unsmiling, he looked at her. “Figured I was about to break my cardinal rule.”
“Cardinal rule?”
“I don’t fool around with the locals. It’s a dangerous thing. I’m not a man who’s going to stick around and entanglements wouldn’t work for either of us.”
“Oh.” Her response came out in a sigh and disappointment rolled through her body in a totally unexpected way. She wanted to be tough and pretend it didn’t matter, but it did.
Then without warning his expression softened. “Funny thing about rules,” he whispered gruffly. “Sometimes maybe they just beg to be broken because I swear I couldn’t sleep for thinking of how fucking good you felt against me. I thought about how close I’d been to burying myself deep inside you, Scarlet. Damn. That’s what I thought about.” His intense gaze flicked to her lips and lingered before he met her eyes. “Last night got out of hand in a hurry.”
Nash reached out and tucked some of her hair behind her ear. Then he cupped her chin. “I’ve wanted women before. Had plenty of them. But you threw me last night. It was fast, what I felt. Hot. Wild. Kind of knocked me on my ass.”
Nervously, she licked her lips and focused her gaze on his oh-so-sturdy chest. His thumb lazily stroked along her cheek as if it were the most natural thing in the world and her belly fluttered in response to his casual touch. More sexually aware than she’d ever been before, Scarlet could be nothing but honest.
“Me too.”
“Yeah?”
She mustered her courage and met his eyes. “How about we start all over, Nash?”
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