by Becky McGraw
Dixie nodded then put her arms around Katie’s neck again and cried softly into her shoulder. “Snuggles was in the canoe with me…I was taking him for a sail,” she said with fear in her raw voice.
Tommy finally looked up at Katie with red-rimmed eyes, his whole body shaking, and she passed Dixie off to him, then asked her sister, “You got Sarge’s life jacket?”
Karlie nodded then ran up to the deck and threw it down to her, and Katie took off for the dock again, and dove into the water. She knew that dogs inherently knew how to swim, but the canoe had been a good ways away from the shore, so the odds were, the little puppy was getting tired, and would drown before he could get back to shore, or she could rescue him, but she had to try.
Noodle-like her tired limbs sliced through the water, as she looked around the surface for the puppy when she neared the overturned canoe. Moving around to the back side, she finally saw him, swimming away from the shore, his eyes were frightened and he was moving pretty quickly.
Katie called to him and he reversed directions and swam to her. She was thankful, because she was tired, and probably wouldn’t have caught up to him. She took the lifejacket and put it over the puppy, adjusting it to fit him, then pushed him toward the shore in front of her as she swam back. With one final push, he made it to shore, but she didn’t have anything left in her, so she sat on the bottom in the shallow water, breathing hard and trembling.
She heard Dixie squealing over the blood pounding in her ears, and smiled, then put her head down in her arms, which were bent over her knees and just breathed, trying to overcome the numbness in her limbs. Her whole body was shaking, even her teeth were chattering, when someone sloshed into the water, then Tommy sat down beside her, and pulled her onto his lap. “Are you okay, baby?” he said softly and kissed her hair, then gave her a long squeeze. “I have never been so scared in my life,” he told her in a trembling voice.
“Dixie almost drowned,” she agreed then said, “I was scared shitless too.”
“I was scared both of you were gonna drown…when you went under and didn’t come back up, I thought…” he choked out.
“I’m fine…she’s fine,” Katie reassured him, then snuggled into his neck, her trembling abating a little.
“Because you took off like you did…I would never have reached her in time,” he admitted in a strangled voice.
“Lifeguard training when I was fifteen,” she told him with a weak chuckle. “Guess chasing after Joe Morgan paid off after all.”
Tommy stiffened and hugged her to him then asked with a growl, “Who the hell is Joe Morgan?”
“Head lifeguard at the pool where I worked. I had a crush on him and that’s why I got the job there,” she told him.
“Lucky boy,” Tommy said a little gruffly, then, stood up with her in his arms and walked toward the shore.
“Not so lucky…he picked the blonde cheerleader with the big boobs that hung out there that summer.”
“What a dumb ass then,” he said with a chuckle, then put his lips to hers reverently, then whispered, “Guess I’m the lucky boy then.”
When they got on the grass, he didn’t put her down, he carried her up the steps and gently sat down on a lounger with her in his lap. He grabbed a towel that was beside the lounger on the deck and covered her shoulders, then hugged her to him, and kissed her hair, before saying softly, “Thank you for saving Dixie, Kate.”
“Is she okay,” Kate mumbled with concern into his collarbone, where her mouth was pressed.
“Yeah, she’s fine, she went inside with Karlie and Gabe…and Snuggles…thank you for saving him too,” Tommy said with a sigh. “Although, I could kick your ass for going back for him.”
“He was important too, Dixie loves him and would have been heartbroken if he drowned,” she told him weakly. Tiredness was seeping into her bones, and all Katie wanted was a long recuperative nap. Her eyelids batted a few times, then she gave up struggling to keep them open and drifted off to sleep.
The murmur of hushed voices, and the heat of the afternoon soon woke her from the warm cocoon of her nap. Katie went to stretch, but couldn’t, then realized she was still in Tommy’s lap, and he had his arms tightly around her. His legs had to be numb, Katie thought, she had to have been in his lap for at least an hour or two. She looked up at him and smiled, then went to get up, but he pulled her back against his chest.
“Shh…just be still,” he said near her ear and kissed her there. It was then she felt the steely length of his erection pressed into her thigh, and groaned before looking up into his heated gaze. “Give me a minute…” he said and she nodded, then shifted so she wasn’t pressed against him.
Katie wanted to give him the time he asked for, but she couldn’t. The urge to pee was too intense, so she shifted the towel off her shoulders and nonchalantly spread it over his lap, when she got up.
“Have to go, sorry,” she told him, then headed for the bathroom. That was another thing to add to her finicky stomach, she had to pee a lot more frequently lately. Maybe it was a bladder infection, or something…nausea could go along with that. She’d find out when she went to the doctor on Friday…with Tommy…because he insisted.
Dixie was on the other end of the deck playing with Sarge, and Snuggles was curled up in a ball under a chair. He was evidently exhausted from his morning swim and near drowning. She noticed that Dixie had on a life jacket now, and breathed a sigh of relief. Katie went to sit down on the lounger next to Tommy, but he pulled her back onto his lap instead. She glanced over at her sister and saw the big grin that spread across her face.
“You okay, sis?” Karlie asked her.
“Yeah, I’m fine…” she grated and shot her sister a heated look, as Tommy’s arms wrapped around her again and he settled her onto his lap.
Karlie just grinned wider and winked at her. Payback was going to be hell later, and her sister deserved a good dose of it for her interference. Although, secretly Katie was glad she had interfered, because Tommy’s arms around her felt damned good.
CHAPTER EIGHT
It was funny how easy it was to change her life, Katie thought, and how quickly that change could come about. Thirty minutes ago, she’d had no purpose in life, and now, Katie Upton was a property owner and had her own business. Elation and excitement about the new venture sprouted and grew wings inside of her, and she felt better than she had in years.
The Double K was a reality, and she and Karlie were going to make it a success. On Tuesday, Gabe had bush hogged the fields and took out brush, then on Wednesday he harvested and baled the hay. She and Karlie had cleaned the outbuildings, so they were ready to be rehabbed, or in the case of the bunkhouse, lived in. Katie was moving into the bunkhouse, her new temporary home, today. She would be spending her first night at the ranch tonight.
After she had lunch at the Blue Bird with Tommy, they were going to the doctor’s appointment she had scheduled at two with Doc Percival. That was the only downside to this glorious day, she was a little nervous about what the doctor would tell her. The nausea was still there, the tiredness and the insistent urge to pee.
She hadn’t seen Tommy all week, and had missed him, so she was glad she was getting to spend more time with him, even if it was just for her doctor’s appointment. After last weekend at the lake house, they seemed to be on more even footing. Tommy had been super attentive to her the rest of the weekend, and they’d gone canoeing, and fishing, and generally had a great time.
He was a funny guy when he loosened up, and forgot he wasn’t supposed to have a relationship with her. Karlie and Gabe had basically babysat Snuggles and Dixie all weekend, and told them to go have fun…which they did, in spades. Tommy hadn’t made a move to have sex with her again, though Katie knew he wanted to, and he knew she wouldn’t have said no. Instead, they’d spent the time getting to know one another better, and Katie had to say what she learned about the sexy tormented cowboy, she liked, a lot.
The closing agent, put all of her
papers into a plastic folder, and handed it to her with a smile, and the keys to the buildings the owner had sent. “Congratulations, Miss Upton…I hope you enjoy your new home,” he said then stood up and shook her hand.
“I’m sure I will…thank you for such quick service,” she told him then picked up her backpack from the floor.
“This was an easy one, so you’re very welcome. Please let me know if you need anything else.”
Katie nodded, then went into the lobby where Tommy was waiting for her. He looked up from the Field and Stream magazine he was flipping through and gave her a grin. “You all done?”
“Yep,” she said and patted the plastic folder. “Sign, sealed and delivered, baby,” she told him with a grin.
“Congratulations, sugar…you’re gonna do great,” he said with confidence then pulled her to him and gave her a kiss that curled her toes. “Let’s go celebrate at the Blue Bird, I’m starved, how bout you?”
Katie wasn’t starved, her stomach was in knots, but she wasn’t going to tell Tommy that, she didn’t want to worry him, so she forced a bright smile and said, “Famished.”
He wrapped his arm around her and led her out of the office, then helped her up into his truck. The cafe wasn’t far from the title company, so they were there in no time, and he quickly pulled into a spot that magically opened for them right in front of the diner.
“Celebrity parking, we must be living right,” he said and glanced over at her with humor sparkling in his beautiful hazel eyes.
She couldn’t help but smile back, his good mood was contagious. He hustled around the truck and opened her door, then put his hands at her waist and helped her down, sliding her body against his, until her feet touched the ground.
“Mmm…” he murmured, then put his mouth to hers and kissed her in broad daylight, in the middle of town, without a thought. He pulled back and placed a wet kiss behind her ear, and whispered sexily, “I might want to skip lunch, and have dessert, instead.” Tingles of excitement raced along her spine, and landed directly at her core, her nipples tightened and her breathing ratcheted up a notch.
“You sure are frisky today…” she said breathlessly, then added purred, “I like it.”
“I’ve missed you so damned much this week…” he told her earnestly with desire heating his eyes, then stepped back so she could move away from the door.
“I’ve missed you too,” she told him truthfully, as he put his hand at her lower back and guided her to the door of the cafe and opened it for her. She really had, missed him, a lot, even though they’d talked on the phone a few times, it wasn’t the same. “How’s Dixie? No effects from the accident?”
He chuckled and said, “No, she’s fine, for the fortieth time…but you’re her hero. She can’t stop talking about you, and that day.”
“I’m not a hero, I’m just glad I was there,” Katie told him and shook her head.
“Me too sugar…” he said in an emotional voice, then led her to an open booth near the kitchen.
As soon as they sat down, a blond waitress came over and took their drink orders, while they perused the menu, and the chalkboard on the wall with the specials for today. Katie was careful and chose a grilled chicken salad for her entree, but Tommy salivated over the grilled liver and onions and ordered it. Her stomach pitched and she felt the blood drain from her face. Geez, not again, she thought and took a big gulp of the ice water, the waitress had delivered to them along with their iced tea.
“I talked to Karlie yesterday when I called and you weren’t home. She said you sold your bike?” he asked then gave her a big smile. “I’m so glad, sugar…you had me worried. I actually had nightmares about you crashing on that thing.”
Katie lifted an eyebrow and gave him what she knew was a goofy grin, because that’s how she felt inside too, “So, you’re dreaming about me?”
His heated eyes flew to hers, and he admitted in a sexy drawl, “Every night, baby…”
“You going back home tonight?” she asked him with a raised brow.
“Nope, staying at the bed and breakfast tonight, I’ll probably go back tomorrow night. Dixie is staying with Cookie,” he said in a low tone, his eyes studying her intently.
“Interesting…” she said and took a sip of her water, looking at him from under her lashes. “Gabe and Karlie are going to the lake for the weekend,” Katie told him with a sly grin.
He sucked in a breath and his hand stilled on the salt shaker he’d been twisting around, then he pinned her with his heated hazel eyes, and grinned. “Very interesting…so, you’re all alone out there at the cabin…that could get lonely,” he said with mock sincerity.
“It could, yes…but why should it?” she said innocently. “I’ll have all that wildlife out there…what more could a girl want?”
“What more, indeed?” he chuckled and waggled his eyebrows, which made her laugh. Serious Tommy Tucker waggling his eyebrows was a sight to behold, because along with it his eyes sparkled mischievously.
“Well, a six-foot two cowboy might come in handy…never know when some of that wildlife might get out of hand. My roping skills are a little rusty these days,” she said with a chuckle.
He snorted, “Rusty hell, you won a hundred grand just a couple of weeks ago with your roping skills.”
“Oh, yeah, I did, didn’t I?” Katie said smugly and polished her nails on the front of her shirt. “Guess I just need to practice then, you game?”
“Baby, you can tie me up anytime…” he said in a dark sensual voice that caused flames to shoot through her system. The intensity of his gaze was like gasoline on those flames.
“Watch what you agree to, sugar…you never know what I’ll do once I have you tied up. Ask Wade Roberts,” she said with a chuckle.
His eyes darkened dangerously and his hands fisted, before he grated, “Don’t bring that up again…please.”
Katie felt blood rush to her face and she stammered, “Sorry…we didn’t do anything with him, Tommy…Karlie just, um, decorated him.”
“I don’t care…I don’t want to hear about it…it makes me want to put his lights out for just suggesting that to you two.”
“Subject dropped…let’s talk about something else,” she said and forced a smile.
The air between them was a little stilted after that as she danced around subjects that wouldn’t upset him again, but then their food came and they ate in companionable silence, then things smoothed out as they laughed and talked while they shared a slice of flaky apple pie. Although the liver and onions on his plate had visually made her queasy, the smell didn’t, thank goodness. Her chicken salad and tea sat just right on her stomach, and she felt better than she had in weeks.
That could be because of the company, she thought, and snuck a glance at her handsome lunch date. She really was getting attached to Tommy Tucker, not that she hadn’t been before, but now she was letting herself bask in the feelings his smiles and glances incited, instead of fearing them. She was starting to trust him not to hurt her again, and it made her smile. Everyone made mistakes, and he was allowed a few…hell he was rusty at the relationship game, it had been ten years after all, so Katie could cut him a little slack.
When Katie looked up again, she was surprised it was time for her doctor’s appointment with Doc Percival. She really didn’t want Tommy to go with her, but he’d been so concerned about her, she couldn’t refuse him. Although she agreed, she was hopeful she could make him wait in the waiting room, while she was examined.
He’d come all the way from Amarillo to go with her though, so she didn’t hold out much hope that was going to happen. He wanted to know what was wrong with her…because he cared. Tommy hadn’t told her he loved her again, but she could see it in his eyes when he looked at her, and his actions told her he cared. He held open the door of the cafe when they left, then walked her to the truck, then opened her door for her.