by Hebby Roman
He picked up his coat, shook it out, and draped her in it.
She faced him.
“You ready to go?” he asked, gripping the lapels and pulling her to him for a kiss.
She sank into it, her hunger for him hardly satisfied and hooked an arm around his neck and feasted on his mouth until he came up for air. His readiness pressed against her leg.
“Let’s get out of here,” he said.
“Can you grab my purse? It’s at the table where we had dinner.”
“Got it.” He stood back. “Let me make sure it’s clear before you leave.” He kissed her once more, then went to check the locker room exit. She peered around the corner, and he waved her forward. She moved quickly and soon planted herself on the couch in the lobby.
“Be right back,” Carrigan said.
* * *
Joe made his way to the table where he and Skye had sat earlier and quickly retrieved her small clutch. Then he headed to the coat check and grabbed both of their coats.
Since he had every intention of taking her back to his place, he knew he needed to alert Skye’s family. Luckily, he crossed paths with Ollie.
“Skye’s having trouble with her dress, so we’re leaving,” he said.
Ollie raised a skeptical eyebrow. “And I’m sure you had nothing to do with it.”
“Can you tell your folks that she’s with me?”
“Let me guess—you’re not taking her home, are you?”
Joe didn’t say anything.
Ollie shook his head and waved him off. “Fine. I don’t want to know any more.”
“Will you tell Celeste, so she’ll get off my case about Tina once and for all?”
Ollie grimaced and nodded. “She’s gonna be very annoyed with you and Skye.” Then, he added in a sarcastic tone, “I appreciate that I get to deliver this news. There’s a good chance my evening just went south.”
“Sorry about that.” Joe clapped him on the shoulder. “I owe you.”
As he left the ballroom, Ollie’s voice trailed after him. “You owe me twice.”
Skye was still sitting where he’d left her, her face flushed and looking damned pretty, and a heady anticipation filled him. He wanted her again, as if the locker room had been only foreplay.
He took her hand and helped her stand, then blocked her from the ballroom crowd as she slipped off his dinner jacket, the seductive curve of her bare back flashing him as he replaced it with her wool coat. He led her outside and a cold blast of air hit them, rocking her on her heels. Since they were alone, he scooped her into his arms.
“In case you weren’t swept off your feet before,” he said, carrying her to his vehicle.
“No chance of that, Carrigan,” she murmured into his ear.
He grinned and tucked her into his Bronco. As he drove, he pulled her across the bench seat to sit beside him then flipped on the radio.
“Since you like music so much,” he teased, referring to her earlier request.
She leaned her head on his shoulder. “I was a little mad at you.”
“Yeah, I noticed.”
He kept his hand tucked between her knees except when he used the stick shift, enjoying the feel of her skin. For a while, they drove in silence, and he imagined getting her alone in his bed.
He passed the turnoff to her folks’ ranch.
She lifted her head. “Where are we going?”
“My place.”
She cleared her throat. “No offense, Carrigan, but I don’t think we should be frolicking all night long with your mom in the next room.”
He shifted his hand higher on her thigh, and she gave a quick intake of breath.
“Relax,” he said. “I didn’t get a chance to give you a tour earlier, but I live in the guesthouse. I love my mom, but I do need my own space. I am a grown man after all.”
“I noticed. I didn’t realize the Triple C had two houses.”
“It’s small, but it’ll do for now.”
“I can’t stay all night,” she said. “What about my parents?”
“I had Ollie tell them.”
“Tell them what?”
“That you’re mine for the night.”
She frowned. “Seriously?”
He smiled. “No. But I did have him say that I left with you. And I told him to set Celeste straight, too.”
“About Tina?”
He nodded.
Skye groaned. “Celeste will be pissed at both of us.”
“She’ll get over it.”
He took a left onto his property, stopping the Bronco in front of his small house. Skye scooted away and switched her heels for the snow boots she’d brought with her. He hopped out and came around to help her from the vehicle. Holding her hand, he led her up the stairs and opened the front door.
Ruby and Daisy greeted them with tails wagging. He pushed past them to get inside, and Skye knelt to give them both a proper hello.
“Oh, you sweet girls,” Skye crooned, laughing as both mutts slathered her cheeks with doggie kisses.
“All right,” Joe said. “You three can have a lovefest later.” He loosened his tie, then reached a hand out to Skye and pulled her to her feet. “Right now, you’re the only female allowed in my bed.”
“Is that an invitation?”
He brought her close and kissed her. “Definitely.”
“I accept.” She smiled down at her competition. “Will they try to push me out?”
Still holding her hand, he headed upstairs. “Not if we can shut the door quickly.”
Chapter Nine
Joe awoke the following morning alone in his bed, sprawled on his stomach. As last night’s events replayed in his mind, swift desire gripped his body, and he debated calling Skye on her cellphone and begging her to return to his bed. She had insisted on leaving before dawn so she wouldn’t worry her parents. Or let them catch a hint of her wanton behavior. Those had been her very words. He’d chuckled then—and smiled now—because as far as he was concerned, she could practice her wanton behavior on him anytime she liked. But he’d done as she asked and had driven her back to The Quarter-Circle.
He glanced at the clock. It was already after seven a.m. Damn, he’d overslept, but then he hadn’t had much slumber during the night.
Her scent lingered on the sheets, an early Christmas present that he hadn’t realized he’d wanted or needed. But Skye was in his blood. She always had been. He’d wasted the last nine years—he didn’t want to waste another day.
He reached for his phone on the nightstand, unplugged the charging cord, and punched in her number.
“Hello,” came her sleepy response.
“Good morning.”
“Hmmm.”
He propped his back against the headboard, ignoring the chilled morning air on his bare chest. “When can I see you today?” He had chores waiting, but he’d get through them as fast as he could.
Muffled sounds filled his ear as she likely shifted her pillow.
After a second, she said, “Well, when do you want to see me?”
“You could help me feed the cattle.”
“Sounds like a lot of work,” she said, sounding as if she were snuggling deep under the covers.
“I forgot. You don’t like ranching.”
“Now hang on.” Her voice gained in strength. “I could be convinced.”
“How?”
“Buy me dinner?”
He sat forward and ran a hand through his hair. Ruby and Daisy took notice from their position at the foot of his bed and peeked at him over the edge, tongues wagging and tails thumping on the wooden floor. Once Skye had left, they hadn’t taken their usual roost in bed with him. He hoped they weren’t feeling neglected.
“How about you come here, and we’ll eat with my mom?” Not the most ideal way to woo a woman, but he wanted to keep all the females in his life happy. Besides, if Skye were going to be in his life—and he hoped s
he would be—better sooner than later to get his mom on board.
“That would be nice,” she replied. “Let me get a shower, and then I’ll come over.”
“You can shower here. And I’ll make you eggs and coffee for your trouble.”
A husky laugh was her response. “My parents will never believe that I got up so early to do ranch work.”
“There’s always a first for everything.”
A pause and the barest hint of a sigh from her end.
“Skye.”
“Yeah?”
“Look, I’m sorry about what happened nine years ago. I shouldn’t have done that to you. I could’ve been nicer. I could’ve stayed in touch.”
“Are you developing a conscience, Carrigan?”
“Would it get you back in my bed?”
“I can say with resounding certainty that getting me into bed is the least of your problems.”
He grinned. “I like the direction this is headed.”
“Give me fifteen minutes.” Then she hung up.
* * *
Skye spent the entire day with Carrigan. First, he whipped up breakfast in his surprisingly well-stocked kitchen. Turns out he could cook. It was eggs and bacon not only for her, but Ruby and Daisy as well. If Skye had had a tail, she would have been wagging it in glee right along with his smitten canines.
Then, he made good on his offer to let her shower at his place, hopping in to join her. Skye wasn’t sure how clean she was at the end of it, since they ended up back in the bedroom after. While staying naked and warm all day beneath a blanket with Carrigan held great appeal, he did have ranch work to do, so she put her hair in a ponytail and joined him.
They moved feed out to the cattle, checked water troughs, and tended the horses before finally joining Annie Carrigan for dinner at the main house of the Triple C.
“It smells wonderful,” Skye said, yanking off her snow boots before giving Mrs. Carrigan a quick hug.
Annie Carrigan’s short gray hair and slim, sturdy figure gave her an air of efficiency, but when she smiled, her mouth stretched wide, and she had the look of a young girl. Skye had no doubt that Buck Carrigan had been unable to resist her, and Joe had the same star quality.
“It’s Joey’s favorite—Sloppy Joes,” Annie replied.
“I always thought they were named after me,” he said, hanging his hat on a wall hook and shucking his work jacket.
Soon they were sitting around the small kitchen table, food piled high on Skye’s plate. All the hard labor today had left her famished, and she’d grabbed generous portions of baked beans and Mrs. Carrigan’s homemade potato salad.
“Normally this is a summer dinner,” Annie said, pouring ice water from a pitcher into a glass and handing it to Skye. “But I try to make it at least once a week for Joe.”
“He’s lucky to have you,” Skye replied.
She waited while Mrs. Carrigan blessed the food, then they all dug in.
“Where are those dogs of yours, Joey?” his mom asked.
“I left them at my house. I figured they’d be obnoxious and disrupt dinner.”
“They’re my little darlings. Would they have bothered you, Skye?”
She shook her head, then added around a mouthful of food, “Not at all.”
“See?” Annie said with a satisfied tone. “Your dogs aren’t going to scare her away.”
Carrigan went still, his cheeks getting red, then slowly resumed his eating without looking at her. His mother had obviously embarrassed him, and his endearing reaction made Skye smile.
“The Triple C is a nice property,” Skye said, taking a drink and setting her glass down.
“Yes,” Annie agreed. “We’re settling in, but I imagine that Joey will try to find more land. I think he wants to make an offer for the Pendleton property, once we can figure out who took ownership since the poor woman’s death. Although it’s hard to have sympathy for her. She’s been difficult with Joe these past few months, and years ago she was difficult with Buck.”
Skye had been on the verge of confessing that she was the new owner, when she stopped and cleared her throat. “Why? What happened?”
“Oh, it was probably twenty years ago or more,” Annie said, “but every time we wanted to do something regarding fencing or signage, or even how many trees we were allowed to remove from our property, she argued against it in the town hall meetings. It wasn’t just us—she had very specific ideas of how land should be handled, and she wanted everyone to side with her. Well, Buck could be a bit ornery, especially when it came to a woman telling him what to do. When she could, Mrs. Pendleton went the legal route. Quite frankly, that woman was a nuisance. And then there was that damned Peppermint Tree.”
She stood and gathered their now empty plates. Skye popped out of her seat to help.
“I know there were a great many of us who made pilgrimages to the tree,” Annie said as she went to the sink. “I don’t think she realized how many there were.”
“Yeah, we got away with it more than once.” Joe stood and poked his head into the refrigerator. “Any dessert?”
“There’s cake on the counter.” Annie nodded to a pan covered with foil.
Joe made a beeline for it, grabbing a fork out of the silverware drawer.
“And you didn’t get away with it,” Annie added. “Mrs. Pendleton complained to everyone about you kids, including the police. It’s to your father’s credit, and yours,” she said, glancing at Skye, “that kept you kids from getting into trouble.”
Skye took the dessert plates that Mrs. Carrigan handed her and carried them to the table. With guilt simmering just below the surface, Skye let the moment to confess slide past, determined that once she could understand all the legal squabbles that Mrs. Pendleton apparently had been embroiled in, she would try to make everything right.
The chocolate cake was delicious, but Skye couldn’t enjoy it. She had thought that inheriting the property would be a good thing, but now she was beginning to have doubts.
After dinner, Joe went outside with her, his warm hand engulfing hers as they headed toward his house.
“I think I should go back to my folks,” she said. “I’ve been away all day. They’re gonna think something’s up.”
He stopped to look at her. “Something is up.”
She smiled and kissed him. “Besides, I drove here in my Prius. I’d better get back before it gets dark and the roads are bad.”
“All right. Drive carefully. You still want me to take you to that meeting in town tomorrow?”
“No, I’ll be fine.”
“It’s no trouble. I’ve got an appointment, too.”
“I may have other errands to run for my mom. But can we meet after?”
Once she knew the details of the inheritance she wanted to tell Joe everything.
“How about lunch at that diner on Main?”
She nodded. “I’ll be there.”
Chapter Ten
Skye studied the paperwork that Brian Fogle, Mrs. Pendleton’s attorney, had handed her. They sat at the end of a long table in a conference room, not unlike the one at Skye’s firm.
“As you can see, we need to settle a few things in regard to the estate before you can take possession,” Mr. Fogle said, adjusting his glasses, his shock of white hair combed back from his face.
Skye nodded. “I’ll look at these more closely on my own,” she said, indicating the pile he’d given her of assets and debt owed. She stifled a yawn. Legal work could be a bit dull even on a good day, but with her current lack of sleep—all thanks to Carrigan—she really could use a nap.
“Can I ask you something?” she asked.
Mr. Fogle nodded.
“Why did Mrs. Pendleton leave it all to me? To say that it was a surprise is an understatement.”
“Well, that leads me to the next issue. There’s pending litigation on the property.”
“I’m aware of the boundar
y issues with the Triple C. Are you saying she left me her estate because I’m a lawyer?”
“I think it has more to do with the fact that you’re a Mallory. Do you also know about the grazing leases?” He cleared his throat and reached for a glass of water the receptionist had left on the table.
“No.”
“In the last few years, Mrs. Pendleton had reduced the stock on her land and had offered leases to her neighbors, The Triple C and The Quarter-Circle.”
This was news. Skye was surprised her folks hadn’t mentioned it, but then Skye hadn’t expressed much interest in the finer details of ranch life. Until now.
“When Joe Carrigan bought the Triple C,” Mr. Fogle continued, “he also acquired the current leasing terms, but Mrs. Pendleton wasn’t happy with him and decided to break the lease.”
“She was unhappy about the boundary dispute?”
“That was part of it. But it seems she had a history with the Carrigan men. A few decades ago, she’d fought for grazing rights against Joe’s father, Buck Carrigan, and it left a bitter taste in her mouth. I’m guessing she dislikes Joe by association. Anyway, Joe filed a breach of contract against her.”
This echoed some of what Joe’s mother had said last night at dinner.
Skye frowned. “You mean separate from the boundary issue?”
“Yes.”
“Does he have a case?”
“I don’t know the particulars. A different lawyer was handling it for Mrs. Pendleton.” He rifled through his papers, extracted one, and handed it to her. “Here’s his information. You should contact him directly.”
Skye nodded, wondering why Joe hadn’t brought it up.
“It was during this time,” Mr. Fogle continued, “that Mrs. Pendleton drew up a will.”
“She didn’t already have one?” Skye asked, surprised.
“It was odd, but no, she didn’t. She spoke about you and how she’d always thought of you as a daughter, how she had always thought highly of your family. It’s my belief, and I could be wrong, that because Mallory property also abuts hers, she sought to protect the land from a grubby Carrigan getting his hands on it.” He glanced at her, his gaze sheepish beneath bushy white eyebrows. “My apologies. Those were her words.”