Cowboy for Keeps
Page 9
He swallowed and wondered at what point his throat had gone bone-dry. “You have to stop doing that.”
“Why?” Without looking away from him, she dropped her purse and portfolio onto the ground.
Oh, hell.
There were a hundred, a thousand, reasons not to get involved with her, and only one reason to: he was crazy about her.
And just plain crazy.
He had to be. If not, he wouldn’t be sliding his hands into her open jacket and seeking her mouth with his.
Dallas went pliant in his arms the instant their lips touched, all lush, warm curves and intoxicating scent.
He was drowning, losing the battle, and he didn’t care. Not about anything or anyone but her. He wanted more, of her, of their kiss.
Stumbling, he turned them both and pressed her into the front door. Then groaned when she curled her arms about his neck and tugged his head down, rising on tiptoes to meet him.
All thoughts of resistance fled as his hands moved from her waist to her hips, liking the firm yet subtle slope of her womanly shape. Her own hands were also busy. They traveled the length of his back, gripping him with a need more ardent than Conner’s, if that was possible.
The kiss was nothing and everything like he’d remembered from that one evening years ago.
She made a soft, sexy sound of pleasure and arched into him. It was enough to remind Conner of their surroundings.
Rational thought seeped slowly in, urging him to stop before they went too far. Nothing could ever come from this one moment of insanity. He couldn’t take care of her the way she needed to be taken care of. The way Richard could. Would.
Conner pulled back, the blood rushing through his veins causing a deafening roar in his ears.
No, wait. The roaring was a car. It tore down the street, growing louder, and coming to a gravel-crunching stop behind Conner’s truck.
Dallas and Conner flew apart, and not a second too soon.
The car door opened and Richard emerged. He took one look at the two of them standing on her front porch step, and stopped cold in his tracks.
* * *
“CONNER.” RICHARD ADVANCED, hand outstretched. “I didn’t expect to find you here.”
That made two of them.
“How’ve you been?” Conner accepted the other man’s gesture of goodwill, glad Dallas hadn’t turned on the exterior light. Richard wouldn’t notice the line of sweat beading his brow.
He could feel Dallas’s eyes on him. She looked frazzled. Embarrassed. Guilty.
If Richard hadn’t suspected anything before, he did now.
Conner kept his cool, his grip firm.
“I’ve been all right,” Richard said evenly.
He was dressed as always when not at the office. Jeans, athletic shoes and a hoodie with the company logo on the front.
They’d been an unlikely pair, the jock and the cowboy. And yet they’d been buddies. Good ones. Their love of their work and dedication to Triad bonding them.
For the first time since he’d been let go, Conner missed their friendship.
“He brought me home,” Dallas explained, her breathlessness a giveaway. “My car wouldn’t start. I’m having it towed in the morning.”
“You were at Powell Ranch?”
“I delivered some pictures. For the book.”
“That’s right. The book.” Richard visibly relaxed. “Nice of you to bring her home.”
He and Dallas weren’t engaged anymore. Conner had nothing to feel guilty about. Yet he did. This was the father of her baby. The man who wanted to make her his wife.
“Not a problem.” Conner took a step back. “I should get going.”
“No, stay!” Dallas’s outburst appeared to take the three of them by surprise. “What are you doing here, Richard?” she asked nervously.
“I’ve been trying to reach you all afternoon and evening. I have some health insurance papers for you to sign. When you didn’t answer your phone, I got worried. Thought something must be wrong.”
“Oh, that’s right.” Dallas rummaged in her purse for her cell phone. “I switched the ringer to silent and forgot to turn it back on.”
“Don’t you check your phone?”
“I was busy,” she quipped defensively.
When Richard’s gaze landed on Conner again, it was direct and unwavering. “Yeah, I see that.”
“Sorry about my phone,” Dallas said, “but as you can clearly tell, I’m fine. And tired.”
Richard ignored the undisguised hint to leave. “I won’t keep you long, I promise.”
It really was past time for Conner to go. Kisses aside, he had no claim on Dallas. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said to her, imagining how their goodbye might have differed without Richard’s surprise appearance.
“What’s going on tomorrow?” Richard asked, suddenly all ears.
“I’m taking pictures of Prince. The mustang stallion,” she clarified, at his confused expression.
“That’s right. For the book again.”
Conner didn’t understand Richard’s cavalier dismissal. The book was important to Dallas, and so should be to him, as well.
Not Conner’s problem. Touching his fingers to the brim of his cowboy hat, he walked away.
“Conner.” Richard caught up with him at the end of Dallas’s walkway. “Since you’re here, there’s something I want to ask you.”
He must have seen more than Conner originally suspected.
There would be no explaining or defending himself. Not to Richard.
“What’s up?”
“I don’t have the right to ask, and I sure as hell wouldn’t blame you for not answering me.”
A different approach than Conner would have taken. In Richard’s shoes, he’d have led with a right hook.
“Just say it, Richard.”
“I’m...” He chuckled humorlessly. “I’m having trouble with some of your former team members. Most of them, actually. Rosco Burnes and Evelyn Lancaster in particular. I understood at first. They liked you and were unhappy to see you leave. I figured I’d give them a couple months to adjust. Only they haven’t. I can handle their insubordination. It’s the stirring up trouble I don’t like. Aligning the others against me.”
Richard wanted help managing employees? Conner thought he must have misheard. Richard, the great department head. The one with more experience, according to the HR rep who’d issued Conner his pink slip. The one who used to brag about his production record and fat profit margin. He was seeking Conner’s advice?
“Rosco is bullheaded and Evelyn’s officious.” That was all Richard was going to get from him.
The man’s next words changed his mind.
“I’d hate for them to lose their jobs.”
“Are you going to fire them?” Conner’s hackles rose.
“They’ve had three warnings each. Two verbal and one written. You know company policy.”
He did. Rosco and Evelyn had reached their warning limits. A fourth one would result in probation. Then, leave without pay. After that, termination.
As much as Conner appreciated their loyalty, as much as he secretly cheered Rosco and Evelyn for giving Richard grief, he didn’t want them to lose their jobs. Not on his account.
“Ask Evelyn about her grandchildren,” he said.
“What?”
“She has pictures of them in her cubicle, right?”
Richard shrugged. “I haven’t paid any at
tention.”
And that was a large part of his problem. He drew a very thick, black line between work and personal life. He never crossed it and preferred no one else did, either. He also tended to micromanage new employees and those he didn’t quite trust. Conner was sure all his former team members fell into the latter category.
“Evelyn is a proud grandmother. There’s nothing she’d rather talk about. Mention you’re going to be a father soon. She’ll melt.”
“I don’t like discussing Dallas’s pregnancy at work.”
“Make an exception. You don’t have to go into details. And assign Rosco the weekly scheduling.”
“I’ve always done the scheduling.”
“Give him the job for a month. If he doesn’t meet your standards, offer him some guidelines. He’ll get it right. And you’ll free yourself of one task.”
“I’m not sure he’s capable of it.”
“He’ll surprise you. He did me.” Conner took a step toward his truck. “Once Rosco and Evelyn are on board, the rest of the department will follow.”
“I’m not a touchy-feely manager.”
“You don’t have to be. A little bit of sincere interest in your employees’ lives, a few tasks delegated, will go a long way.”
Richard nodded. “Okay. Thanks.”
“Tell everyone I said hello.”
“I’ll do that.”
Conner decided Richard would probably deliver the message. And perhaps, if his former team members knew that he and Richard were on speaking terms, tenuous as those terms might be, they’d be more inclined to cooperate. No more people at Triad Energy would lose their jobs if Conner could help it.
His last sight of Dallas before he drove away was her opening her front door, Richard trailing her inside, his hands shoved in his hoodie pockets. He’d said he wanted to talk about health insurance. Was that was an excuse, and his real intention to pressure her into accepting his marriage proposal?
Jealousy gnawed at Conner.
If Richard did convince Dallas to marry him, Conner wouldn’t stand in the way. She’d do what was best for her and the baby. As was right.
The lights of Mustang Valley were just coming into view when his cell phone chimed. Considering the hour, he assumed it was either one of his sisters or an emergency at the ranch.
It was neither. Dallas’s number flashed on the display.
Excitement, then trepidation, shot through him. He suppressed both. “Hey.”
“Hope it’s not too late to call.”
“Is something wrong?”
Had Richard argued with her? Or was she announcing that they were back together?
“Everything’s fine. I just wanted to say you’re a really nice guy, Conner.”
“I am?”
“You didn’t have to help Richard. In fact, nobody would blame you if you’d told him where to stuff it. Especially your former employees.”
Richard had talked to Dallas about their conversation. Interesting.
“I won’t lie. I thought about doing a lot worse than telling him where, and how deep, to stuff it.”
She laughed good-naturedly. Even over a phone line, it had the ability to lighten his mood. Warm him. Make him think of her pretty brown eyes, shining with merriment.
Conner stopped his truck at the entrance to Powell Ranch. He didn’t want to concentrate on anything except the smile in her voice.
“I’m glad you didn’t.”
“I care about the people at Triad. It’s not their fault they’re saddled with Richard as a boss.”
She laughed again, and promptly sobered. “You’re a good person for someone to have on their side.”
“I try.”
“The kind of person I’d want on my side,” she added softly.
It was more than he should admit, but he said it anyway. What was the worst that could happen?
“You do. And always will.”
“I’m glad. Good night, Conner.”
She disconnected without waiting for him to say good-night in return.
Conner’s heart didn’t stop slamming into his rib cage for several long minutes, after which he put the truck in gear and continued up the long driveway to the ranch.
Chapter Eight
Dallas couldn’t remember seeing Powell Ranch so busy. Granted, it was Saturday, a day when many of the residents of Mustang Village and nearby Scottsdale took riding lessons, exercised their horses and embarked on trail rides. The unseasonably mild weather was an added bonus. By next week, November would be upon them and the temperature was bound to drop.
Grabbing her camera bag from the passenger seat, she left her car and strode toward the office in the barn. It had been her intention to come out last Monday and take pictures of Prince, as she’d told Conner she would. Several unscheduled and well-paying jobs had caused her to postpone the trip.
She’d spoken with him twice since then, the second time about what day would be best for them to get together. They hadn’t mentioned their kiss on her doorstep or the details of Richard’s visit.
She was certain Richard had sensed the undercurrents between her and Conner. He wasn’t stupid and he wasn’t blind. But he hadn’t asked any questions, for which she was grateful, and had left shortly after explaining about the insurance papers.
It was none of his business who she dated, anyway. They’d called off their engagement months ago. If he happened to acquire a new girlfriend, she wouldn’t object.
A new girlfriend who might well be at his place during his scheduled day with their baby. A girlfriend who’d possibly feed and change her child’s diapers. Rock him or her to sleep, as Dallas had Milo.
Nausea struck, and she pressed a hand to her middle.
She had to stop thinking about Richard and another woman. About her and Conner, too. They weren’t dating and wouldn’t start.
Maybe they’d date later, after the baby was, say, a year or two old.
What about Richard and his future, potential girlfriend? Would she and not Dallas watch her child take his or her first step? Speak his or her first word?
This truly had to end. Right now. If not, she’d make herself sick overthinking things.
It was probably just as well she’d been busy this past week. The separation from Conner had grounded her. Given her time to clear her head and put their temporary foray into madness into perspective. It was simply a kiss. The spontaneous product of attraction and impulse. An isolated occurrence.
As she climbed the three steps to the office, her heart rate increased. Her palms, she noticed, were damp, and her entire body hummed with a pleasant anticipation.
So much for being grounded and acquiring perspective.
Tugging on the hem of her sweater, she pasted a friendly, but not too friendly, smile on her face and swung open the office door.
Conner wasn’t there, as per their prearranged plan. Instead, Gavin sat at the desk, staring at a computer monitor. Dallas read the flashing banner advertising equine medical supplies.
He glanced up as she entered. “Hey, girl. How’s it going?”
“Good.” She wavered between relief and disappointment.
“Conner’s on his way back from the rodeo arena.”
“Oh, okay.”
He was coming. He hadn’t stood her up. The relief she felt now was of an entirely different nature.
“Can I get you a coffee?” Gavin nodded at the pot warming on the file cabinet.
“I’ll go with you.” He stood, closed the webpage and reached for the cowboy hat resting on the corner of his desk. “Any excuse to get out of ordering supplies online. Whatever happened to catalogs and 800 numbers?”
“There’s a ton of people here today,” Dallas commented as they stepped outside.
“Thanks to you.”
“Me?”
“Those photographs you sent to the local media.” He zipped up his Carhartt vest. “Apparently they’re generating a buzz. Did you see the news Wednesday evening?”
“I missed it. I was photographing the Carefree Fine Arts Festival.”
“The station ran a segment. Mentioned the ranch by name. We’ve been flooded with calls since. Most people want to know if we found the mare and colt. Quite a few were interested in our services.” He nodded at the dozen horses and riders gathering in front of the main arena. “We have a record number of trail rides scheduled for today. I had to recruit a few of Ethan’s rodeo buddies to help out.”
“That’s great, Gavin.” She patted his arm affectionately. “I’m so glad.”
The Powells were still recovering from the financial disaster that had cost them their cattle operation after Gavin’s mother died, several years ago. If the mare and colt weren’t ever found, at least something good had come from her photographs.
“Sage found the news clip on YouTube,” Gavin said. “She’s better with computers than me. I’ll have her send you the link. We’re going to add it to the ranch and sanctuary websites.”
“Any sightings of the mare and colt?”
“Not a one, unfortunately.”
“You’ve been searching for them, though.”
“When we can. Conner and Clay went out Monday and again on Thursday. No luck. I spoke to the Forest Service. They told me if we do find the horses, they’ll let us keep them as long as no one comes forward with proof of ownership.”
“That much is good at least.”