Husband for Keeps

by Kate Little

  For the next half hour Carey listened as Luke related the details of his relationship with his ex-wife, Emily.

  As Luke had told her, he’d been raised on a ranch owned by his family, but when he was a teenager his father had been forced to sell the place to pay off bad debts. But now Luke added that somehow his father had managed to set aside some money so Luke could have an inheritance. It wasn’t enough money to buy a place, but a good start and Luke worked hard to increase his nest egg. That had always been Luke’s dream—to have his own place and when he passed on, leave something lasting for his own children to build on.

  “Emily knew all this when she met me, but maybe she thought I’d grow out of it, or get tired of it. Or she could talk me out of it somehow,” he said.

  Their relationship had always been stormy, but Luke believed that he had loved her when they married. Emily hated ranch life.

  “She was terrified of horses,” he recalled with a laugh.

  But mostly they fought about money. Luke earned a good salary as a ranch foreman, but Emily soon came to hate the way he saved so much—money she wanted to spend on new clothes, a new car, a nice house.

  “She always said she just wanted to live ‘nice’ like other people. To enjoy life while she was still young,” Luke said bitterly. “Well, soon enough she found someone who shared her philosophy, you might say. Someone who wanted to enjoy life, too.” Luke looked down at the rug, then back up at Carey. “One of my closest friends was more than willing to enjoy whatever he could he get his hands on. Bobby Hewett was his name. She ran off with him one day, cleaned out the house and our joint bank account. And she took Tyler.”

  Carey saw a muscle twitch in his cheek, his jaw tight with tension. “I caught up with Hewett first, about a month later. Found him at a bar in a little town outside of Golden. Well,” he gestured at the stack of papers on the coffee table, “the rest is history, as they say.

  “My fair wife wasn’t with him anymore. He claimed she’d dumped him already for some other guy. When I got out of jail, I went looking for Emily and Tyler. I found them, but somehow the money was all gone. Or so she said.” He shook his head from side to side and seemed about to laugh. “Nobody could spend money faster, so maybe it wasn’t a complete lie. Anyway, now she had the one thing that mattered to me the most in the world. My son. I was plain desperate for him, and she knew it. I wanted joint custody, visitation rights, anything.”

  Luke stood up and walked toward the windows. Emily had always known how to manipulate him, Luke continued in a bland tone. “She held the cards and she knew it.”

  He fought in her court but couldn’t win. The judge was traditionally minded and believed that a mother should always get custody of her child. Luke’s barroom brawl and false testimony from Emily about his temper and neglect of Tyler also worked against him. Emily wasn’t much of a mother and would have actually preferred giving Tyler over to Luke’s care. But each time he tried to settle with her, it always came down to money. Outrageous demands. Emily would not allow Luke to have any relationship with his son unless he agreed to a hefty alimony, along with a large lump payment in cash. Luke could neither afford her demands or stomach being blackmailed by the woman who had cleaned out his life savings, destroyed his dream and held his son hostage.

  He stopped speaking. Just stared out the window at the sunset. Carey sat silently for a moment, trying to take in all he had told her so far.

  Silhouetted by the hazy, golden beams, he was a study in sheer manly beauty, she thought. And never had she felt more for him—or felt more distant from him.

  “And Tyler?” she asked quietly. “How did you finally get custody?”

  It took a long time. Endless moments for him to answer. Finally he turned to look at her. “I didn’t,” he replied. “I never won custody. I went one night unexpectedly, to talk to her. I just couldn’t take any more. I was watching the house, watching my son from a distance like a common stalker or something.” He took a breath and when he spoke again, his voice sounded calmer, more in control. “So I went to the apartment, rang the doorbell. Seemed there was no one home. I knew someone was in there. I’d seen the lights, heard sounds. I pounded on the door awhile. I was just about to try and bust the door down or something. Then Tyler answered. His mother had told him not to open the door to strangers, but luckily he recognized me.”

  Carey felt her heart clench. Pain and anger laced every word as he continued. “So he let me in. He did, after all, remember his daddy,” he said bitterly. “I saw that he’d been up on a chair at the stove, trying to heat himself some soup. The burner had gone out, and he was trying to light it up with a match. To this day I thank heaven above every night that he didn’t come to any harm. I’ve come to believe that it was fate, or guardian angels, or something pretty damned special that sent me to him that night.” He paused and took a deep breath. “Hey, maybe I’m crazy or something, but a four-year-old child should not be left alone, lighting up a gas stove with matches while his mother is out on a date, wouldn’t you agree?”

  He stared at her, his coal-black eyes shining, his renewed anger at Emily and apprehension at Carey’s reaction mixed in his hard, bleak expression.

  “Emily claims she’d only gone out to the store, that she’d left a neighbor to watch him, but that for some mysterious reason the neighbor had left him alone.” He shook his head again. “I know differently from what Tyler told me. And it wasn’t the first time, either.”

  “So, you took him away from her,” she finished for him.

  “Damn right I did,” Luke replied through gritted teeth. “I’d do it a hundred times the same way, too. And if the law says that’s wrong and I’m a criminal, then that’s what I am.” He dropped into the side chair and leaned forward, holding his head in his hands. “Damn, I don’t know what’s right anymore. I swear to God, I don’t.”

  Carey waited a moment, then moved toward him. She knelt down on the rug beside the chair, but restrained herself from touching him.

  “What does Tyler think is going on?”

  “I told him that Emily had to go on a trip and she couldn’t take him, so I was there to pick him up and take care of him for the summer. I told him to act as if I was his uncle because I might not get a job if people thought I’d have a kid with me all the time. I hated that part, but it just had to be. He thought it was fun. Some kind of game.” Luke lifted his head and took a deep, composing breath. “You know how kids are. They’re so damn trusting. They’ll believe just about anything a grownup tells them. And Tyler…well, he didn’t ask too many questions. I know he misses her sometimes. She’s his mother, no matter what…. But I do think he likes being with me better. He knows now how much I love him.”

  And so did Carey. How could she possibly think less of him for this? Her own problems of keeping the ranch seemed so puny and selfish in comparison.

  Her only thought now was to help him, any way she could, if he would let her.

  “And what about Emily?” she asked finally. “Have you had any contact with her at all?”

  Luke explained that he’d had a few conversations with Emily since taking off with Tyler. But he still could not be sure if she’d reported Tyler’s abduction to the police. On his side, he had Emily dead to rights with endangering Tyler’s welfare, but they both knew that such a claim would have to be investigated by a state agency, and Tyler would have to be placed in foster care in the meantime. In court it would all be his word against hers, unless Tyler was questioned, and Luke just didn’t want to subject his son to that painful process. Not after all the boy had been through so far.

  When he last spoke to Emily, they seemed to have reached some common ground. He had promised her a large portion of the money Carey planned to pay him at the end of their arrangement. “But with Emily, common ground is always slippery ground,” Luke lamented. “Every time we agree, she has a way of upping the figure.”

  “Then we’ll just have to make her an offer she can’t refuse,” Ca
rey replied.

  “What do you mean?” He asked, staring at her, his face inches from her own. The closeness was simply too intense for her, and she quickly rose to her feet.

  “What if she hasn’t gone to the police? From what you’ve told me, I suspect she hasn’t. She’s just using that threat for leverage.”

  “All right, I’ll buy that,” he said.

  “Well then, all we have to worry about from my cousin is this silly barroom brawl. He’ll be laughed out of court on that, believe me,” Carey said with far more confidence than she felt. “If we can get to Emily before Burkett does, and come to an agreement, then I think we’ll be okay.”

  Luke stood and walked to the window again. Every gesture told her that her words had made him edgy and nervous.

  “Well…what’s wrong now?” she asked in exasperation. “Can’t you see I want to help you?”

  “And get your inheritance, too,” he said sharply.

  His accusation stung. “Well, yes.” She could hear her voice rising. “That was the original point, wasn’t it?”

  Right now she could hardly remember, herself. Getting her due from the will seemed quite beside the point, but Carey knew that even if she made that claim, Luke wouldn’t believe her.

  “I want to help you. And Tyler,” she repeated.

  “I’m sorry…I apologize for going off like that,” he said, running his hand through his hair. “It’s dredging up all that garbage from the past. Talking about Emily. It makes me crazy all over again.” His gaze locked with hers, his voice going softer when he spoke again. “But I don’t think you should get involved with this, Carey. It’s not your problem.”

  “It is my problem now,” she countered. Because of the will, to be sure. But also, just because she cared for him and Tyler. If they hurt, she hurt. But he didn’t understand that. Or maybe he just didn’t want to.

  “My father left me some stocks and bonds, free and clear. That part of the inheritance has already been signed over to my name. I think it will be enough to satisfy Emily,” she added, naming the generous figure.

  His expression brightened when he heard the amount, and she knew that he thought it would be adequate. “But I can’t let you do that,” he argued.

  “But I want to,” she insisted. “Besides, it’s the price of doing business—the business of keeping this ranch and being able to sell it, which will be worth far more to me.”

  “I’ll repay you out of the money you promised me,” he said in a firm voice.

  “No, that won’t be necessary.”

  “But why not? This is all my fault,” he argued.

  “Nobody forced me to marry you, Luke. I did it of my own free will. I certainly knew I was taking a huge risk, marrying a complete stranger,” she retorted.

  “And now you’re paying for it? Is that the way you see it?” he asked her. She could hear the pain in his voice, but she assumed it was only his hurt pride.

  “Yes, that’s the way I see it,” she echoed sharply.

  And see now that I was ten times a fool to invite you into my life, Luke Redstone. Yes, she was paying for it. But not the way he thought. It was clear to Carey now that the harshest consequence of her rash action was not the secret in Luke’s past, but the way he had stolen her heart.

  Oh, it was all so confusing. She felt as if her head was about to burst. “Well, what do we do now? Do you know how to get in touch with Emily? You should probably call her right away. The sooner the better, I think. Or maybe I should talk to my attorney about it first,” Carey continued. She moved toward the desk and picked up the phone. “She should be able to help us with this, if anyone can—”

  “Let’s just hold on a minute.” Luke took a step toward her and took the phone out of her hand. “I haven’t agreed to any of this yet.”

  Carey’s golden eyes widened in bewilderment and plain frustration. “But I thought—”

  “I appreciate your offer. I really do. But I need to think this over. It seems to me that for too long now, I’ve been living my life from one moment to the next, like trying to cross a river, jumping from one rock to the next.” He looked down, shaking his dark head from side to side. “I’m tired of it. It’s not me. I need to stand on solid ground again.”

  She met his solemn gaze, then looked away. His tone was firm. Final. She didn’t bother to argue.

  “Please try to understand,” he added.

  “I do.”

  He didn’t say anything then. He made a motion, a slight shift of his body as he breathed out a sigh. She thought he was about to touch her, to reach out and stroke her hair or touch her cheek. How she would have welcomed the briefest contact.

  But he shoved his hand in his front pocket and pulled his gaze away from hers.

  When he reached the door, she asked, “When will you know?”

  He turned his head and glanced at her over one broad shoulder. “Tomorrow morning. I’ll give you my answer by then.”

  It seemed so very long to wait. An eternity, Carey thought as the door closed solidly behind him. So much could happen by then.

  But she had no choice.

  Later Carey found a note in the kitchen asking her to give Tyler dinner and put him to bed. She learned from Ophelia that Luke had left the ranch in his truck a short time ago but hadn’t mentioned where he was going. Or when he’d be back.

  Carey felt a sudden jolt of panic, wondering if he’d run out on her. Then she realized he would never leave Tyler. Once they’d finished dinner, she took Tyler up to his room. Three stories, two glasses of water and one trip to the bathroom later, the boy was finally asleep.

  Carey tried to do some work at her desk but couldn’t keep her mind on numbers and receipts. She finally gave up and went to bed with a book, though the popular mystery didn’t provide much more distraction than the bookkeeping.

  She woke with a start. Her book had slipped from her lap and fallen heavily to the floor. The clock read half past three. Carey wondered if Luke was back yet. Not that it was any of her business…but still.

  She got up and peeked out her door. The long hallway was illuminated by a small nightlight, near Tyler’s door at the far end. Luke’s door was closed, just as it had been before. It was impossible to tell if he was within. Carey soundlessly walked down the hall and, without knocking, turned the handle and looked inside.

  The room was dark, but she could discern Luke’s long, lean body sprawled out asleep on the double bed. He slept on his back, chest bare, his long legs tangled in the sheet that reached his waist. With his hair mussed from sleep, his strong features relaxed by some pleasant dream, Carey found the sight of him simply irresistible.

  She knew she shouldn’t—and had certainly never planned to—but she could not resist the impulse to close the door behind her and move farther into the room. Her body seemed to be directed by some outside force as her feet walked straight to the bed and she stood looking down at him. Her hand reached out and she touched his hair, lightly at first. Then with a willful finger, she traced the line of his cheek with its day’s growth of dark beard, sliding down his strong jaw and across his firm, sensuous mouth. His lips pursed slightly at her touch, and she felt a shock of heat sweep up her arm, her nipples tightening into hard peaks beneath her short, satin nightgown.

  He stirred and rolled onto his side, facing the middle of the bed. Carey walked to the other side of the bed and slipped under the sheet. She slid her hands down his chest and felt his flat stomach and groin tighten at her touch. The sigh of pleasure he emitted in his sleep encouraged her further. She pressed her lips to his warm chest, and the tip of her tongue swept over a flat nipple while her hand glided smoothly up his inner thigh, then covered and stroked his rock-hard erection through his briefs.

  Finally his eyelids flicked opened, his dark gaze peering straight into her golden-hazel eyes.

  “Carey?” he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep. His arm reached out, his hand gliding down her hip. “Wha-what are you doing here, honey?�
��

  “Shhh,” Carey whispered, then leaned forward to answer his every question with a deep kiss. She didn’t know what she was doing there. Or rather, she did know but would never be able to put it into words. She had never in her life been so sexually assertive with a man, so bold and daring. But she was acting from a need so deep and compelling her natural inhibitions were totally brushed aside. She only knew that at that moment, for better or worse, she could not have stopped herself from slipping into Luke’s bed and making love to him.

  As their mouths met and merged—hot, wet and open to each other completely—she felt Luke’s initial surprise and apprehension melt away, his excitement building, his body slowly but surely waking to her touch. As they continued to kiss, his hands moved down her hips and thighs, to the edge of her nightgown. His mouth dropped to her breasts, kissing and sucking on her nipples as he pushed the fabric of her gown up to her waist. He cupped her bare bottom and the back of her thighs until she trembled with excitement. Suddenly their roles switched, and the seducer had become the seduced. She clung to him as, with a confident touch, he slipped his fingers between her thighs and stroked her silken damp heat. She moved against his hand, the subtle shifting of her hips matching his rhythm perfectly. And just as she moved to meet him, a sigh escaping her lips, his pressure increased just the right amount, his touch changing perfectly to satisfy her. He always seemed to know what she wanted—needed—even before she did. She shivered, covering his hand lightly with her own, holding it to the source of her intense pleasure.

  “Carey—you are glorious,” he murmured into her ear, his delicate strokes taking her to the height.

  Their lower bodies pressed tightly together, she felt his powerful hardness throbbing against her thigh. She slowly slid her lips down his chest and stomach and slipped his briefs down his lean legs. She wanted to tease him, tantalize him, thrill him until he begged for mercy.

  She stroked him with her hands and then swept her wet lips down the length of his hardness then slowly took him into her mouth. His deep groan of satisfaction excited her even more as her lips and tongue pleasured him. Her restless hands moved up his body to stroke his chest, then glided down slowly to massage his thighs.