Harlequin American Romance May 2014 Bundle: One Night in TexasThe Cowboy's DestinyA Baby for the DoctorThe Bull Rider's Family

by Linda Warren

  Destiny’s head jerked as if he’d slapped her with an insult. “You may not think Lizard Gulch is special, but the people who live here do.” She removed a rag from her pocket and wiped her hands hard enough to peel off a layer of skin.

  “Guess it’s a female thing—attaching emotional significance to a place.”

  “You mean you have no sentimental feelings about the pecan farm you grew up on?”

  Sensing their conversation agitated Destiny, he sought to avoid an argument. “I have fond memories of chasing my brothers through the pecan groves, but when I think of home, its family that matters most—not the orchards.”

  Her expression softened. “When was the last time you were home?”

  “A couple of months.”

  “Have you been riding the circuit all this time, or do you have a second place you use as a home base between rodeos?”

  “Is that a polite way of asking if I have a lady friend I shack up with when I’m on the road?” He chuckled at the pink flush that spread across her cheeks. “I don’t.”

  “What about when you’re not on the road?” She looked him square in the eye.

  Like wavy heat lines hovering over hot asphalt, sexual tension sizzled between them. This wasn’t the first time he’d felt Destiny’s attraction to him. Yesterday she hadn’t taken her eyes off him at the pool party. And when he’d shown up at the garage earlier this morning, she’d stared at his mouth and licked her lips when he’d asked her how she’d slept the night before.

  “I stay at the farm when I’m not rodeoing.” He watched her carefully, but her neutral expression left him guessing at her thoughts. “May I ask you a question?”

  “Sure.”

  “Is there a chance that you and Daryl might work things out?” If she had feelings for the runaway groom, Buck would call her out on the axel prank and leave Lizard Gulch sooner rather than later.

  “No.”

  There hadn’t been a flicker of doubt in her eyes when she’d answered him. “Positive?”

  “Daryl and I never would have made it as a couple.”

  Now that he was confident Destiny was over Daryl, he wasn’t sure what to do about his interest in her. He wasn’t looking for a serious relationship. In truth, he didn’t know what he wanted, except that he wasn’t ready to go back to Stagecoach. “The oil has probably drained out by now.”

  His comment spurred her into action, and he watched with admiration as she added new oil to the engine and changed the air and cabin filters. “For a girl, you’re good at car maintenance.”

  “How would you know?”

  Caught in his own lie, he grinned. “I don’t. You make everything look easy.”

  “I can teach you how to change the air filter,” she said.

  No thanks. “Do you have any other car work to do this afternoon?”

  “This is it. Why?”

  “Wanna go for a joyride in the desert?”

  She laughed. “I’m guessing you want to test out my hog.”

  “I’d love to drive your bike.”

  “Have you ever handled a motorcycle before?”

  “My brother owned a beat-up Harley in high school, and he let me use it on occasion.”

  “What kind of Harley?”

  “I don’t know. It was a lot smaller than the one you ride, and it sure didn’t have a badass engine like yours has.”

  “Okay. I’ll show you the boundaries of the town and where the developer wants to build the golf course.” She carried the oil pan into the garage and Buck followed with the toolbox. “I need to change clothes,” she said.

  “You want a soda to take along?” He motioned to the vending machine in the office.

  “I’ll stick with water.”

  Buck fished coins from his pocket and bought a bottle of Gatorade instead of soda then looked over Destiny’s hog.

  “Think you can handle it?” she asked a few minutes later.

  He nearly swallowed his tongue. She’d changed into a pair of cutoff jean shorts and a camouflage tank top that emphasized the shape and size of her breasts. The outfit was sexy, but paired with her black-heeled biker boots she looked like something straight out of a men’s fantasy magazine.

  “You’re not worried about getting sunburned?” He stared at her naked limbs, the skin sprinkled with freckles.

  “I put on sunscreen.” She gathered her long curls into a ponytail, then shoved a baseball cap on her head and spent the next five minutes giving him a crash course on motorcycle safety.

  “You mind if I ask how much this bike cost?”

  “It was a gift from Simon.”

  “The guy who took you in?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Pretty generous of him.”

  “Simon was like a grandfather to me.”

  Now that Buck was aware of the sentimental value of the bike, he’d make sure he took care driving it. “Do you have an extra helmet?”

  “Do I look like a girl who uses a helmet?”

  He grinned. “Let’s get this party started.”

  Destiny placed a bottled water inside the bike compartment and Buck added his sports drink, then she stood back while he hopped on the jump start—the engine fired on the first try.

  “Impressive.” She climbed on behind him.

  He waited for her to put her arms around his waist. Instead, she grabbed the handholds. Buck shifted gear and drove onto Gulch Road.

  “Go out to the highway,” she shouted in his ear as they passed the Flamingo.

  Melba sat in the shade outside the motel office. She lifted her arm, making the sign for a trucker to blow his horn. Destiny reached past Buck and pressed the horn button. When he felt her breasts smash against his back, he gunned the engine and the hog shot forward. Destiny’s fingers dug into Buck’s waist, and she held on tight.

  Payback sure was fun.

  * * *

  “THAT’S WHERE WYNDELL resorts plans to put the golf course.” Destiny pointed north of where she and Buck stood on the shoulder of the road.

  “They picked a scenic spot with the low-lying mountains to the south and the abandoned gold mine. Nice ambience for the golfers.”

  Destiny grudgingly agreed with Buck. “According to Mitchell, the entrance to the resort will be elevated so that when you’re on the golf course you won’t be able to see the highway, which—”

  “Will make it feel like you’re really out in the middle of nowhere,” he said. “What about the hotel?”

  “Behind the eighteenth tee.”

  “That means the guests won’t see the highway, either.”

  “But they will see Lizard Gulch,” she said. “The town will be visible from every window in the hotel which is why Custer wants to bulldoze the buildings.”

  “He should leave the town standing.” Buck drank his Gatorade then said, “The buildings along with the old gold mine would lend the resort a nostalgic ambience.”

  “They’re not going to touch the town.” She kicked a rock, sending it flying through the air. When she glanced at Buck she caught him grinning. “What’s so funny?”

  “Nothing. I’m just...”

  She perched her hands on her hips. “Spit it out.”

  “I’m awed by your...fighting spirit.”

  His compliment sucked the air from her lungs.

  “You don’t let anyone bully you, do you?”

  “I’m not fighting because I love a good brawl,” she said. “I’m trying to save this town, because it’s more than a few buildings in the desert. It’s a home to a group of people who’ve become my family. Selling Lizard Gulch would be like everyone divorcing and going their separate ways.”

  “You really care about those old people,” he said.

  “Someone has to look out for them.”

  Buck stepped forward and grasped her chin. “Who’s going to look after you, Destiny?” Then he kissed her.

  His kiss wasn’t a gentle, getting-to-know-you caress but a full mouth-on-mou
th-with-a-little-tongue embrace. He smelled like desert, faded cologne and warm man. Destiny relaxed in his arms, leaning against him as she threaded her fingers through his silky hair. Their tongues dueled, and she lost herself in the excitement and thrill of his touch.

  The churning in her stomach went unnoticed until a sharp pain penetrated her aroused brain. Her fingers tightened against Buck’s skull and she forced his head back, breaking off their kiss. Then she spun and vomited on a clump of wild Blackfoot daisies.

  Buck held her by the shoulders and steadied her. “You okay?”

  “I will be in a moment.” How embarrassing. Of all the people she could have thrown up in front of, why did it have to be Buck?

  “This is the first time one of my kisses has made a woman puke.”

  She laughed, her reaction triggering a second spasm, and she vomited again. Buck handed her the water she’d brought along, and his concerned expression melted her heart. She sipped, swished then spat. “Sorry you had to see that.”

  He took the bottle from her and doused his shirttail then dabbed at the moisture on her forehead and cheeks. “You sure you’re okay?”

  Destiny didn’t answer right away—she was too caught up in a mini fantasy. Except for the fatherly concern Simon had shown her, she couldn’t recall any man worrying about her well-being. Daryl hadn’t even asked how she was feeling after she’d informed him she was pregnant.

  “Destiny?” Buck rubbed the pad of his thumb across her cheek. “You didn’t drink the leftover margaritas from the pool party for breakfast, did you?”

  “No, but I think I caught a touch of food poisoning from the casseroles.” Afraid to make eye contact for fear he’d read the truth in her gaze, she scuffed the toe of her boot against the ground.

  “You should get out of the sun if you aren’t feeling well.” He walked beside her to the bike then placed his hand against the small of her back, steadying her as she swung a leg over the seat.

  Feeling shaky, Destiny didn’t think twice about leaning against Buck and wrapping her arms around him. He drove at an even pace back to town and she appreciated his effort to avoid the potholes in the road. When they pulled into the garage, he helped her off the bike but didn’t release her hand. He peered at her face intently, his fingers rubbing her knuckles.

  She wished he hadn’t kissed her. When he’d held her in his arms, she’d felt safe from the big bad, ugly world. It was a feeling like none she’d experienced before—not even when the Carters had taken her into their home. Sending him on his way would be more difficult than she’d anticipated.

  Don’t even think about keeping him here.

  Not only was she pregnant with another man’s baby, Destiny couldn’t afford for Buck to stay in town long for fear she’d become accustomed to depending on him. And she’d learned the hard way from her mother and Daryl that the only person she could count on was herself. “Buck, there’s something I need to tell you.”

  The despondent tone in Destiny’s voice sent up a warning flag in Buck’s head. Was she ready to come clean about the broken axel? Well, he wasn’t ready to hear her confession—not after their kiss in the desert. “Go upstairs and rest. We’ll talk later.”

  “But—”

  He pressed his finger to her lips and swore he saw a spark in her blues eyes. There was definitely something happening between them, whether either of them was ready to admit it or not. She gave in and climbed the fire escape to the apartment above the garage. At the door she checked over her shoulder and the longing in her gaze stole the air from his lungs. Then she disappeared from view.

  Buck had never been with a girl like Destiny—she was everything he’d never wanted in a woman—or he’d thought anyway. There was no denying the Harley princess made his motor race. He wanted—no needed—to take a walk on the wild side with her.

  And let the chips fall where they may.

  * * *

  “HOW WAS YOUR tour with Destiny?” Hank asked after Buck slid onto a barstool inside Lucille’s.

  “Good.” Buck nodded to the beer taps. “I’ll take whatever’s on special today.”

  “It’s Sunday. No alcohol on the Lord’s Sabbath.” Hank raised his arms in surrender. “I didn’t make up the rule. The ladies temperance committee added the amendment to the town code last year.”

  “Temperance committee?” Buck didn’t believe what he was hearing.

  “The females outnumber us men. We didn’t stand a chance when they put that law to vote.” Hank leaned forward, resting his elbows on the bar. “That’s why you don’t see anyone outside. They’re swiggin’ medicine in their trailers. You’d be surprised at the physical ailments that flare up on Sundays.”

  “Guess I’ll settle for a soda,” Buck said.

  Hank set the drink in front of Buck, then checked the clock on the wall. “It’s almost noon. You hungry for a sandwich?”

  “No, thanks.” There wasn’t an ATM in town to withdraw money and all he had left in his wallet was a hundred bucks.

  The door opened and a gust of hot wind swept through the bar. A guy wearing baggy jeans and a T-shirt two sizes too big for his skinny frame walked in. He wore a buzz cut and was clean shaven, but tattoos covered both arms, the backs of his hands and his entire neck. “What’s up,” he said to Hank then sat three stools away from Buck.

  “Daryl,” Hank said.

  Daryl? “You’re the guy who left Destiny at the altar,” Buck said.

  The kid’s eyes widened. “Who are you?”

  “Buck’s stuck in town until Destiny can repair the broken axel on his truck.” Hank slapped both his palms against the bar and glared at Daryl. “You got a good reason for not showing up to your own wedding?”

  Daryl had the sense to look ashamed, making Buck believe the younger man wasn’t cruel at heart—just uncertain or unsure.

  Kind of like you.

  Buck ignored the voice in his head.

  “Rumors are floating through town that Mitchell paid you to stand Destiny up,” Hank said.

  That was news to Buck. “Is that the truth?” he asked. “Did Mitchell give you money to abandon your bride?”

  Daryl squirmed on his stool. “He offered me a thousand dollars, but I wouldn’t take it.”

  Buck didn’t believe him.

  “Destiny and I don’t love each other.” Daryl’s gaze swung between the men. “Ask her. She’ll tell you the same thing.”

  Hank grumbled then disappeared into the kitchen.

  “Is that your truck sitting in the garage?” Daryl asked.

  Buck refused to allow the kid to distract him. “If you don’t love Destiny, why are you here?”

  “We’re still friends.”

  “Where did you two meet?” He eyed the serpent tattoo slithering down Daryl’s arm.

  “I’m a bouncer at a nightclub in Kingman.”

  What kind of nightclub employed skinny bouncers?

  “Destiny came into the club to tell one of the dancers that she was towing her car and we got to talking and hit it off.”

  Daryl wasn’t the kind of guy Buck pictured Destiny with. “Why are you here?”

  Daryl scowled. “That’s between me and Destiny.”

  Buck would prefer that Daryl leave town without seeing Destiny. “She’s taking a nap right now.” And just in case Daryl changed his mind about wanting more than friendship with her, Buck said, “We took a drive on her Harley today.”

  “She let you drive the Beastmaster?”

  “Beastmaster?”

  “She named her hog Beastmaster,” Daryl said.

  “I drove the bike.”

  “Lucky you. She never let me drive it.”

  That bit of news not only made Buck feel good but a little cocky, too. “You’re right about Destiny,” he said. “She’s over you.”

  “How do you know?”

  “We kissed this afternoon.” Why was he acting like an adolescent jerk?

  Daryl’s skinny chest puffed up, but he didn’t
throw a punch, which told Buck better than words that the guy didn’t have any deep romantic feelings for Destiny. “I better get going.” Daryl stood. “I gotta be at work in a few hours.”

  Buck followed Daryl to the door then watched him cross the street and disappear behind the garage. He checked the clock, intending to keep track of how long lover boy stayed inside Destiny’s apartment.

  “Don’t tell me you’re jealous of that kid.” Hank appeared at Buck’s side.

  “It’s not like that between Destiny and me. Besides,” Buck said, “I’m leaving at the end of the week.”

  “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Buck asked.

  “I caught you watching Destiny at the pool. You couldn’t stop staring at her bosom.”

  “I was trying to figure out what that tattoo was beneath her swimsuit top.” Buck ignored Hank’s chuckle. “How old is Destiny anyway?”

  “Twenty-three.”

  Buck would have guessed twenty-seven or twenty-eight. There was a world of experience and hard knocks in those pretty blue eyes of hers.

  “There he is,” Hank said.

  Daryl walked around the side of the garage. Buck checked the clock on the wall. Ten minutes had passed—not enough time to have sex.

  The saloon door opened and Daryl froze when he saw Hank and Buck at the window.

  “You get things squared away with Destiny?” Hank asked.

  “She’s not mad.”

  “What happens between you two now?” Hank asked.

  “Nothing.” Daryl nodded at Buck. “She wants to see you.”

  Buck ignored the tiny jolt in his heart. When the kid reached for the door handle, he said, “Daryl.”

  “What?”

  “If you ever hurt Destiny again, you’ll have me to answer to.” The words left Buck’s mouth before he could stop them, and to tell the truth, he didn’t know what the hell he meant by them.

  Daryl slammed the door hard enough to rattle the saloon windows.

  Hank grinned. “’Bout time that girl had someone in her corner.”

  Chapter Five

  By late Wednesday afternoon, Buck was second-guessing his chivalry toward the cranky mechanic. Destiny had been as short-tempered as a woman wearing too-tight shoes. He didn’t know if it was because she’d had zero tows the past forty-eight hours or because she was nervous about her meeting with the CEO of Wyndell Resorts.