by Debra Kayn
Sarah nodded. “Daddy’s a rancher. He’s got lots of cows and rides horses too.”
Florentine motioned her over. “We better wash all the makeup off before you go to bed.”
“I ain’t tired.” Sarah crossed her arms.
“Me neither, but we don’t want to get your pillowcase all stained with makeup, right?”
“I guess.” Sarah slid off the couch and crawled in front of Florentine. “Are the other girls gonna sleep in the living room, too?”
Florentine scrubbed Sarah’s face clean, being extra careful around her eyes, so the small amount of soap wouldn’t sting. “Mm…I think they’ll sleep in their rooms. Since my bed is a twin size, it’ll be easier for us to camp out here. I’ll take the recliner, and you can have the floor or the couch.”
“Okay.” Sarah scrunched her face and tried not to shrink away from the cold rag. “Done?”
“Almost.” She flipped the cloth inside out and gave Sarah one more quick wipe down. “There you go. I bet your dad will recognize you now.”
“Florentine?” Sarah sat down in front of her cross-legged. “Do you have kids?”
“No. Not yet, but I hope to when the time is right.”
She sat back. It was true, she realized. She hadn’t thought about her future beyond her career, but she definitely wanted a husband and kids someday.
“Are you married?” she whispered.
Florentine glanced at Chantilly, cocked her brow in the hope her sister would clue her into why Sarah was asking her all these questions, and got a shrug from Chantilly in return. “No, sweetie, I’m not married.”
Sarah scrambled over, cupped her hand on Sarah’s ear, and whispered, “I don’t have a momma.”
Florentine quickly wiped a stray red lipstick mark off Sarah’s forehead. She blinked the moisture out of her vision. Poor thing. She empathized with Sarah. Her own mom passed away when Florentine turned seven. One day her momma had been her whole world, and the next day, people were telling her Momma was gone and never coming back.
“I want a mom more than anything in the whole wide world.” Sarah dodged the washcloth and crawled onto Florentine’s lap. “Daddy says he’s lookin’, but I’m im-imp-something.”
“Impatient?”
“Yep. That’s what he says.” Sarah shot off her lap, rolled across the floor, bumped into the chair, and scrambled up to wander over to Val.
Florentine wanted to scoop Sarah up in her arms and comfort the little girl. She sniffed, remembering how she struggled to remain strong after her mom died, lest her world collapse again. And explode it did, when her daddy died. There should be a law that said parents can never die.
“You okay?” Margot crossed the living room to sit on the hearth. “All of a sudden you looked sad and lost.”
“It’s nothing. I’m anxious to get back on the circuit and ride.” She crossed her legs. “Where were you earlier? Spying out of your bedroom window again?”
“Dang right I was.” Margot grinned. “No telling what Sam, Jack, and Ryan will do to Roy Lee tonight. I ain’t sure if I want to know, or if I want to be there so I don’t miss out on all the fun.”
She moved to sit beside Margot and dropped her voice. “How are Ryan and Roy Lee getting along?”
Roy Lee had only found out he had a half-brother a few months ago, and dealing with the aftermath had almost cost Margot the love of her life. Florentine watched Sarah spread an afghan on the floor and roll herself up inside of the blanket, wiggling across the floor, inchworm style.
“Between their bickering, fighting, and competing against each other over every little thing, the two of them act like they’ve known each other their whole lives.” Margot stood up. “Maybe, I should go outside and—”
“You will not!” Val pulled the lever on the side of the recliner and put her pregnancy-swollen feet down. “It’s bad luck to see the groom before the wedding. I won’t have you jinxing this marriage.”
“You fake. I remember the night before you married Sam. I caught you in the barn going hot and heavy with him.”
Florentine shushed Margot and pointed at Sarah, still trying to inch her way across the room.
Margot planted her elbows on her knees and dropped her voice. “Anyways, if I’d known you were going to have us meet y’all at city hall the next day, I would’ve torn you two apart with the garden hose like I would two dogs in heat. Even Chantilly was with Jack the night before they got married. It’s not a McDougal family tradition to stay away from each other. That superstition was probably started by a guy who didn’t want to get married in the first place.”
“Then let’s start our own ritual. I say we raid the party.” Bisette set the papers she had stacked on her lap onto the end table. “You all might be an old married women, but Margot’s got one more night to whoop it up with Florentine and me.”
“Right on! I’m in. I knew you were always the smartest sister I have.” Margot shimmied. “Let’s go show those men what a real party is all about.”
“I’ll watch Sarah for you, Florentine.” Val yawned. “This chair is too comfortable for my pregnant body. I’m not moving.”
She grinned. “Nope, I’m staying in. Go ahead up to bed, Val. You need your rest.”
“I do.” Val scooted to the edge of the chair and heaved herself to her feet. “I’ll pick up the wild girl reputation after I have this baby.”
Florentine faced Bisette and Margot. “You two will have to show the guys that we’re not all boring girls. Just make sure you watch out for Chantilly. Don’t let her drink.”
“Funny.” Chantilly stuck her tongue out. “I’ll have you know, I had two beers last Friday, and nothing happened.”
“You are such a liar.” Val laughed. “I watched Jack carry you out of Valenciennes’ Place…again.”
The banter continued all the way out the door, and Val took her slow time climbing the steps to go lie down. Florentine turned her attention to the silent bundle on the floor and frowned. Goosebumps broke out on the surface of her arms, and her heart hitched. The blanket lay too still. Oh, God…
She rushed over and tugged the afghan off Sarah’s face. When Sarah whimpered slightly in her sleep, Florentine sat back in relief. Little golden eyelashes fanned Sarah’s freckled cheeks. Florentine blew out her breath and waited for her heart to settle. She was okay, and breathing. You are a sweet thing, Sarah Reardon. Your daddy’s very lucky to have you in his life.
Cole had a point. Kids took a lot of work to keep safe. She scooted against the couch, and remained on the floor, watching the sleeping girl. Her heart continued to race. Thinking Sarah had suffocated scared ten years off her life.
A knock on the door broke the silence. She moved over to the window and peeked out. Cole? What was he doing back here when the party was still going on?
Disappointment hit her. He’d probably spotted her sisters joining the party and came back to collect his daughter from the irresponsible and unreliable Florentine McDougal. She leaned her forehead against the glass and exhaled. The scowl on his face said it all. He really didn’t trust her.
Chapter Thirteen
Cole paused, his hand raised to knock on the front door. The porch of the main house, lit by a setting sliver of moon and a lonely sconce lamp by the front door, was quiet and remote and ripe for second thoughts. No parties here to stir the blood, no talk of marriage or bawdy acts to stir the imagination. Only a stillness that begged for reason. What the hell was he doing?
In his world, there were two kinds of women. Those women whose dreams dominated their lives, and those who were ready to share their dreams with a family. The problem with Florentine was she fell into the wrong group of women right for him and Sarah. No matter how sexy she was in boots and her lucky hat, no matter how kind and affectionate she could be, her lifestyle meant she stood for the one thing he most reviled. He turned around and moved toward the steps.
He had a buzz going on, a hankering for another taste of Florentine, and a
wild need to grab his daughter and hightail it back home to the Double R to escape all the messed up thoughts going through his head. He sank down on the steps and stared out into the starry night. Around Florentine, he found himself unable to make the simplest decisions.
She’d given him a reason to walk away from the contract twice, and he’d screwed up both times. He seemed to forget he was CEO of Turner Grain and only thought of what he wanted in his personal life. He wasn’t quite ready to walk away from her yet, even if leaving was the thing best for him.
She continually upset his theory that bull riders cared only for themselves. Why would she choose to spend time with his daughter when everyone she knew was celebrating in the barn? All those times, watching her ride, and how she acted at the rodeo, he never would’ve guessed she had a soft, caring attitude toward kids. He let his head fall into his hands. The smartest thing would be to go back to the cabin, and distance himself from Florentine. He had to think of Sarah and what was best for her. Inviting a woman into his life, never knowing if she would come or go, or be killed while riding bulls was risking too much. Sarah deserved more security than that.
He glanced over his shoulder at the house. Sarah had never spent a night away from him before, and although he tried to play it cool, he missed her. He stood up. An ache deep in his chest stopped him from walking away. Was she okay? Did she need to see him before she went to sleep? He suddenly needed Sarah’s tiny bear hug she gave him every night, and to tell her that he loved her. Jesus, I’m pathetic.
After he made sure things were okay inside the house, and Sarah was being well taken care of, he’d go back to the cabin and do whatever he had to do to get Florentine out of his head. Cole returned to the door and rapped hard.
Teeth gritted, he willed his heart rate to slow. He acted like a damned fool for admitting he worried about his baby, even if his baby swore she wanted to spend the night away from him. “Come on, answer the door.”
Cole knocked harder.
The door clicked and opened an inch at a time. She appeared in the doorway more beautiful than ever. Florentine’s curls were backlit from a sofa table lamp, and all Cole’s pent up frustrations disappeared at the sight of her.
All soft curves and tousled hair, Florentine’s black tank top hugged her full breasts yet left her toned stomach bare. She must’ve put on her skimpiest pair of cutoffs to match the sexy come-get-me outfit. He clenched his hands. Florentine might as well have reached out and stroked him. His body went on full alert, and he wondered what in the hell he’d come up to the house for.
“Cole?” She pushed a stray curl out of her face. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah.” He stared, and though he wanted to look anywhere else, he couldn’t seem to break away from her.
She glanced behind her and stepped outside. “Let me shut the door. I don’t want the bugs to fly in and pester Sarah. We can go to the end of the porch. The window is open, so we’ll be able to hear her if she wakes up.”
Cole followed and leaned against the railing next to a swinging chair. He wondered if it was possible to get drunk from looking at her—he wasn’t this lightheaded walking to the house.
She perched on the railing beside him, within arm’s reach, tempting him with her strawberry sweetness. “Are they giving you a hard time at the party?”
“The party’s fine.” He crossed his arms. Why wasn’t she pushing him away or at least giving him a curt one-word question? He could handle her when she glared and spit in his direction. The new quieter side she’d shown him since coming to Pike made it almost impossible to keep his distance, and the close proximity they kept had formed an intimacy he didn’t have a clue how to break. Nor did he want to.
“Cole?” she said, just inches away.
When had she moved so close? He stiffened, alert and wary.
“Are you afraid I’m not taking care of Sarah by myself?”
“Dammit.” He stared down into her eyes. “I can’t do this.”
“Please don’t wake her and take her to the cabin. Let her spend the night. Val’s right upstairs if you don’t trust me. She had a lot of fun, but she wore herself out. No need to move her. Besides, it’s important that she knows you’re giving her a little freedom and that she can return to you in the morning.” She raised her chin slightly, and the little area between her brows wrinkled. “You can come in and see for yourself. I promise, no blood, no broken bones, not even carpet burn.”
“I believe you.” He stared at her long enough that her look of relief turned wary. What he wouldn’t give to kiss her again…He rocked forward, pulling in close to her, his mouth less than a foot from hers, and he stopped. “What are you doing to me?” he whispered.
“Me?”
“I shouldn’t be here.” He backed off.
She reached out, grasped his arm. “Why not?”
Heat spread from her palm, radiating up his arm, hinting at the kind of pleasure he’d find if he touched her. “Go in the house.” His voice sounded gruff.
“No. Not when I know something is bothering you.” She licked her lips.
“Dammit. Don’t you ever listen?”
“I’m listening now, aren’t I? Talk to me.”
“I can’t.”
“Try.”
“I want…,” he whispered.
She leaned in closer. “What do you want, Cole?”
“You.” He cupped her face.
Her mouth slowly curved, and he traced her lower lip with the pad of his thumb. His body hardened, and he wanted to hold her against him, to feed the growing pressure.
“What are you waiting for?” She stretched up and leaned against his chest.
He kissed her. His lips brushed against hers, asking for permission. Caught up in the wonder of the moment, of tasting her again, he had no time to think before her tongue entered his mouth and swept him away. He groaned, pulling her closer. Her hands flattened against his lower back, beckoning and strong. He never wanted to stop.
He buried his hands in her hair, cupping her head, holding her steady. Desperation made him dizzy.
He traced the curve of her lower lip to memorize every curve of her mouth. When his tongue stroked the inside of her mouth, she melted against him. An electric current sizzled through his veins, a zap from an electric fence, only pleasant. Very pleasant.
For the first time in a long time, he felt whole.
With only his mouth, he touched, tasted, explored, and teased until she moaned. She clutched at his shoulders, climbed his body, and he backed her up to the wall of the house. Not wanting her to stop, he slid his hands down, cupped her butt, and held her against him. She arched. Need spun through him like an Eastern wind, leaving him overwhelmed, out of breath, and in dire need of shelter.
He shifted and broke the kiss, gasping.
“Cole?”
Afraid she would tell him to stop, he forged ahead and pressed his open mouth to the sensitive skin at the base of her neck. She clasped his head, guiding him. He cupped the side of her breast, weighing the heaviness in his palm. His thumb brushed against her hardened nipple. Beneath his zipper, his blood pulsed and throbbed. Intense pleasure threatened to burst out of him.
He let go and stepped back. She raised her hand and covered her mouth, her eyes unfocused. What the hell was wrong with him?
What they had when they were together seemed so simple, but everything was complicated.
He shouldn’t have kissed her. Shit. He still wanted her. The intensity he’d seen in her scared him even more. She would’ve let him take her right on the porch, he was sure.
Even in the moonlight with only a speck of light coming from the window, he noticed everything about her. Her damp lips, swollen from his kiss, her tangled hair, and the need etched into her gaze about undid him. Cole dragged in a breath.
She reached out. “Cole?”
“No.” He held up his hand. “We can’t do that again.”
“Why?” she asked, and then winced. “Oh,
Sarah…”
He scoffed. “Not just Sarah.”
She shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
“This can’t happen again.” He stepped around her, cupped his hands around his face, and peered through the living room window.
“Sarah’s okay, Cole. She’s sleeping, right?”
“Yeah.” He turned around. His phone rang. He glanced at the screen and shut it off. “Look, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have kissed you. I have no desire to start a relationship with you, and you’re too…good for a quick tumble in the hay with me.”
Her mouth opened, but she never uttered a word.
“Chalk it up to me having too many beers and losing my mind.” He sighed. “I wanted to make sure Sarah was comfortable sleeping away from me. I’m sorry about…kissing you. That wasn’t my plan. It just happened.”
When he walked past her, she stepped backward as if repulsed. He had to get out of here before he did something even more stupid.
“Liar,” she muttered.
He stopped mid-step and cocked his head. “What did you call me?”
“You’re a liar.” She tossed her hair behind her back and straightened. “You’re a liar and a chickenshit. You don’t know what you want, so you’re going to blame the way you feel about me on swigging a few drinks. The party’s only an hour old, so no way can you say the beer made you do it.”
He stalked closer, glaring at her. How dare she taunt him? She had no idea what he was thinking or how close he was to taking her right here on the porch.
“Whatever you’re imagining in that bull head of yours, you better rope yourself tight, because I’ll buck you every step.” She sauntered closer. “Maybe you’re all muscles and little smarts. I had a dog like that once. He damn near chewed his own leg off before he realized it wasn’t a bone.”
“You’re playin’ a dangerous game,” Cole said, his voice little more than a growl.
She pulled back her shoulders, thrust her breasts out, and smirked. “What are you going to do, run away?”