He dragged in air. “So that’s it. You think it’s all about the thrill of the chase. Well, buddy, you couldn’t be more—”
“I’m not the only one who thinks that, Murphy. She does, too.”
That was a sucker punch to the gut. It took him several seconds to recover, but eventually he had his bearings. “Thank you for telling me that. It’s something I needed to know.” He glanced at Wes. “Ready to go check on your sister?”
“Sure.” Wes pushed away from the rail. “I take back what I said.”
“Which part?”
“You’re not as easy to read as I thought.”
That was some satisfaction, at least. “Good.” He didn’t try to make conversation on the way up to the house.
Neither did Wes. But their strides were the same length. Their boots hit the ground perfectly in sync. They could have been on a drill team.
Michael couldn’t hold back a chuckle.
“What’s so funny?”
“You and me, marching in step.”
“Makes sense. We’re about the same height.”
“And God forbid one of us gets to the house ahead of the other one.”
Wes gave him a sideways glance. “Damn it, Murphy.” He was smiling.
“What?”
“Why do you have to be so likeable?”
“It’s my superpower.”
Wes seemed to get a charge out of that. He started laughing. “That’s what I’m talking about! We just had this intense conversation and you were ticked off. Hell, I was ticked off. Now you’ve got me laughing. I don’t want to like you but damned if I can help it.”
“Told you we’d become buddies.”
“We’re not buddies. I said that Tuesday night. Nothing’s changed.”
“Doesn’t matter. I’m playing the long game.” He walked across the porch and insisted Wes go in first. A crack had appeared in the guy’s armor. That was encouraging.
Wes grinned and shook his head. “Still not buddies.”
“It’s not over ‘til it’s over.” He wouldn’t allow the guy to get between him and Roxanne. But if he could become friends with her beloved brother, everyone would win.
Roxanne glanced up from a book she’d been reading as she lay under an afghan on Kendra’s couch. Noises from the kitchen indicated Kendra was in there working on something.
Roxanne smiled. “You two look like you’ve been having fun.”
“I wouldn’t call it that,” Wes said.
She gazed at her brother. “What would you call it, then?”
“I’m not sure. Time spent with Murphy can be hard to categorize.”
“In other words,” Michael said, “he thought he had my number and now nothing adds up. How’re you feeling?”
“Not too bad. Kendra put some arnica on the bruise and gave me a couple of aspirin. I have an ice pack on it, too.”
Wes nodded. “All good. I can pick up some arnica for you when we go back to town so Kendra can keep hers. But I’m glad she had some.”
“Me, too. Oh, and she invited us to stay for lunch so I can keep my knee elevated a little longer.”
“That’s nice of her.”
Kendra came out of the kitchen. “There you are. I thought I heard you boys come in. Michael, any chance you can stay for lunch? I know what you said before, but—”
“Thanks, but I can’t. I’m opening today and I have Greg Paladin coming by at noon to deliver his estimate on our expansion.”
Kendra blinked. “What expansion?”
“Oh, right. It’s been on my mind so much I keep forgetting everybody doesn’t know about it. I talked with Greg yesterday about enlarging the building’s footprint to include a small gift shop. We’ll call it the GG Country Store.”
“Wow.” Kendra’s eyes widened. “Evidently you’ve blown right past t-shirts.”
“We’ll sell those, of course, and several other items featuring Roxanne’s logo.” He glanced over at her. “We’ll need to get together once I have a list of the items and the specs.”
“Absolutely.” She seemed enthusiastic but something else was going on in that brown gaze of hers.
If they’d been alone he would have asked her about it but they weren’t and he was running out of time. “Anyway, I’ll be tied up for the next couple of hours, but I’m glad you two are staying here for a while. When you’re ready to leave, would you please text me?”
Wes had his suspicious face on again. “Why?”
“So I can meet you there and carry Roxanne up the stairs.”
She shook her head. “I appreciate the offer, but that’s not necessary. I can make it up there. I’ll just lean on Wes.”
“Yeah,” Wes said. “We can handle it, Murphy.”
“I’m sure you can, but it’ll take you at least three times as long and result in a lot more pain and suffering.”
Wes rubbed the back of his neck and glanced at Roxanne. “He’s right, sis. While he’s been pumping iron, I’ve been taking exams. I wouldn’t trust myself to carry you up those stairs.”
“Then it’s settled.” Michael focused on Roxanne. “See you soon.”
“Okay. Thanks.” She looked as if she had a whole lot more to say.
He did, too. He was still wrestling with the information Wes had provided.
If she thought he’d bail the minute the challenge was gone, he wanted to talk about it. With her brother in town, he didn’t know when he’d have the chance, but somehow he’d find a way to kick that misconception to the curb.
Chapter Twenty
You were right.” Roxanne held the towel-wrapped ice pack against her knee while Wes drove her truck as carefully as he could along the two-lane highway back to town. “Michael is a force of nature.”
“I take it you didn’t know about the GG Country Store?”
“Not a clue. But he probably didn’t want to bring it up until he’d talked with Bryce and consulted with Greg.”
“Why not? He said it’s been on his mind for a while.”
“Couldn’t have been on his mind for that long. The t-shirts didn’t come in until last week. But to him that could qualify as a while.”
“In other words, he acts quickly on his impulses.”
She sighed. “Looks that way.” And in certain instances, such as when they were both naked, she loved that about him.
“As I’ve said, I can’t help liking the guy, even admiring him. But this latest announcement proves my point. When did the t-shirts come in, exactly?”
“Last Friday morning.”
“And by the following Wednesday, he’s talking to a contractor about expanding the GG to include a gift shop for the shirts plus other memorabilia.”
“That’s fast, all right.” Dashing, too.
“Whereas you typically check out every detail before moving ahead on anything.”
“Usually, yes.” On the face of it, they were incompatible. She couldn’t argue the point. Despite that, she couldn’t wait until they could spend time alone.
Today’s ride had been both a joy and torture. She’d loved being with him but she’d had to forego the warm hugs and hot kisses she yearned for every time she looked at his smiling face.
Hurting her knee had distracted her temporarily from her craving for his embrace. Then he’d walked into the ranch house with Wes and she’d wanted to eat him up with a spoon.
If Wes hadn’t been visiting, she would have heard about the store idea by now. It would have been part of their pillow talk. She missed their conversations. She missed Michael.
“You sure are quiet over there. Is it your knee? I’m going about as slow as—”
“My knee’s okay.” My heart may be in danger but my knee will be fine. “Michael’s announcement about the GG Country Store reminded me that a few days ago, he asked if Dad would be interested in selling his work at the Guzzling Grizzly. I promised to find out, but I didn’t think to bring it up when Dad called this morning.”
“So Michael wou
ld put it on the wall with a price tag? I’ve seen that done in restaurants.”
“I thought that’s what he meant, but maybe he was thinking about the gift shop.”
“Or both. I can see the gift shop as a decent venue for some of his smaller pieces, and the bar for some bigger ones.”
“Then I should talk to Dad about it. He could find a new audience down here.”
“I’ll bet he could, too. I hadn’t thought of it but Eagles Nest is a perfect town for selling his art. And he’d have you here to monitor how it’s going.”
“He’d also have to visit when he had to replenish inventory. I’d be all for that.” She smiled. “I think Kendra would, too.”
“Why would she care?”
“They met at the bakery when he came down last month. When I told him where we were riding today, he asked me two different times to say hello for him.”
“Huh.”
“I didn’t think to mention it until after I got hurt. She blushed a little bit. Then she asked how he was doing.”
“Crazy. I don’t remember Dad ever taking an interest in someone. Do you?”
“Nope. I figured Mom was his one and only.”
“That’s what I’ve always thought, too. Oh, well.” He shrugged. “It’s cute, but it’s not like anything’s going to happen with him in Spokane and her down here.”
“Probably not. At least I delivered his message. I—” Michael’s truck parked in front of the bakery ramped up her heart rate and made her lose track of what she’d about to say. “I see Michael made it over here.”
“Right on schedule.”
“Yep.” And ready to carry me upstairs. Yee-haw. “I’m guessing you’re not thrilled about his plan.”
“On the contrary. Once he painted me a picture, I was glad to have him do it. I was also embarrassed because I’ve let myself get out of shape and can’t do it myself. But I’m tickled pink that he’s available.”
“It won’t take long.”
“So he said. And you’ll suffer a lot less.” He pulled into a parking space in front of the apartment door. “But I’m starting a weight training program ASAP. Next time you see me, I’ll be a changed man.”
“I sure hope not. I like you the way you are.”
“You’re my sister. You’re prejudiced. But I’ve let myself get soft and I intend to do something about it.” He turned off the motor and opened his door. “Stay put while I unlock the door. Let Iron Man lift you out of here and leave your stuff. I’ll bring it up.”
“Thanks.” She’d relish every minute of Michael’s gallant gesture. She’d turned down his offer because it had seemed like a lot of trouble and he’d had to leave work, but secretly she’d loved the idea of being cradled against his hard body while he carried her up those stairs.
Moments later, Michael opened her door. “Hi, there.”
“Hi.” She glanced down at him and her blood ran hot. “Thanks for doing this.”
He lowered his voice. “Think I’d pass up the chance?”
She leaned toward him. “So this is a clever plot to get your hands on me?”
“This is what you call a dual-purpose plan.” He glanced at her sweatpants. “Kendra’s?”
“She loaned them to me. They’re too short but you can’t tell because I pulled my boots over them.”
“Bless that woman.”
“No kidding.”
“Door’s unlocked.” Wes appeared behind Michael. “And I ran up and opened the apartment door so you can go straight in.”
“Good deal.” He slid one hand under her knees and the other behind her back. “Grab me around the neck and hold on tight.”
“Will do.” She wrapped her arm around his neck and shivered with delight.
“Cold?”
She met his gaze. “Nope.”
Heat flared in his eyes. “Watch your head.”
She ducked as he tightened his grip and lifted her out. He shifted her in his arms until she was nestled against his broad chest.
“You okay?”
“Sure am.” Her voice quivered. She hoped Wes hadn’t noticed.
“Then let’s get ‘er done.” He backed away and started toward the apartment door, which stood partly open.
When he stepped up on the sidewalk, the jostling hurt her knee, but she didn’t care. He was the most exciting man she’d ever known and he’d lifted her out of the truck as if she weighed no more than a feather.
“We don’t have much time.” He kept this voice to a murmur. “But I want to apologize.”
“For what?”
“Not telling you my ideas for the gift shop. I should have, but nothing was set and I—”
“You had no reason to tell me.” She snuggled against him. “My only involvement is sizing the logo to fit the various items.”
He shouldered his way through the door. “Not true. You’re the soul of this project. If you hadn’t created the logo, none of it would have been possible.”
Her heart warmed. “You’re giving me too much credit.”
“Absolutely not.” As he started up the stairs, his boots landed hard on the wood. “Man,” he called out loud enough that Wes could hear. “Your sister’s heavier than she looks. I thought this would be a piece of cake but maybe not.”
Wes laughed. “I’m counting on you, Murphy.”
“I’ll manage.” He clomped up a couple more steps. “Better keep back, though. I may have to unexpectedly pause for a break. Don’t want you running into me.”
“I’ll just stay down here and give you plenty of room.”
“Thanks!” Michael repositioned her so he could put his mouth close to her ear. “When’s he leaving?”
“Don’t know.”
“We need to talk.”
“I’ll text you when—”
“Not just talk. I’m a lit fuse.”
She gulped. “Me, too.”
“Good to know.” His voice was low and urgent. “You seem so calm.”
“Not calm.” Her heart pounded.
“Your time with him is important. But, God, I want you.” He nipped her ear.
Her earlobe tingled and she trembled with desire. “I want you, too.”
He topped the stairs and raised his voice. “And we’re here. I need to know where—”
“The couch,” she said.
“Hey, sis, wouldn’t you rather be on the bed so you can sleep?”
Michael grimaced.
She took her cue. As ramped up as they both were, the bedroom had too many erotic overtones. “I’m not sleepy, Wes. On the couch is fine.”
“Okay, then,” Wes said.
Michael carried her through the open apartment door. “I don’t want to let you go.”
“I don’t want you to.”
“Great job, Murphy.” Wes walked into the apartment. “I really appreciate this.”
“Me, too, Michael. Thank you so much.”
“No problem. Glad to do it.” He laid her gently on the couch and took off his hat.
When he casually used it to cover his fly, she somehow managed to keep from laughing. It wasn’t funny. The poor guy was likely in pain.
But he didn’t seem to mind. His green eyes sparkled as he gave her a quick wink. “I hope you’re feeling better soon. Let me know if you need anything.”
You. I need you. He might be the worst guy in the world for her. Wes seemed inclined to think so. But she wasn’t ready to give him up. Not yet.
Chapter Twenty-One
Except for the lovely trip upstairs in Michael’s arms, Roxanne couldn’t see any advantage to being injured. If she wanted to heal, she had to rest her knee. But she hated asking Wes to wait on her, even though he clearly didn’t mind.
He brought over her laptop and made sure her phone was within reach before heading out to buy a tube of arnica at Pills and Pop since she hadn’t taken Kendra’s. When she put in a call to her dad, he didn’t pick up. She left him a message about potentially selling his art at t
he Guzzling Grizzly.
Although daydreaming about Michael was tempting, she turned on her laptop and checked email. Yay! Two requests for quotes on design projects, both from people who’d heard about her from her contact at Les Montagne.
Fitting them in would tighten her schedule, but she’d do it. Recommendations from a satisfied customer were pure gold. She gave those requests top priority.
She was working on the first cost estimate when Wes walked in and handed her the arnica. She saved her document and closed the laptop. “Thanks for fetching this.”
“I had fun. Ellie Mae Stockton is something else. I’m glad you told me to look for her. She called me a fine figure of a man.”
Roxanne smiled. “Which you are.”
“She claimed if she was twenty years younger, I’d be just her type. I think she’s off by about forty years.”
“I dunno. I’ll bet she was hot when she was sixty.”
“Maybe. Listen, what else can I do for you? Want something to eat or drink? Pastries from downstairs?”
“No thanks on the pastries, but a glass of water sounds good.”
He brought it to her.
“Thanks.”
“I’ll bet you were working on something when I came back from Pills and Pop. You had that look on your face.”
“What look?”
“Engrossed. Focused. Happy.”
She laughed. “I suppose I was. My most recent client recommended me to a couple of other businesses who’ve asked for quotes. That’s exciting.”
“Damn right it is.” He gazed at her. “I need to get out of your hair so you can work.”
“Hey, you don’t have to—”
“Yeah, I do. But I also hesitate to take off when you’re laid up.”
“That’s not a problem. I should be fine in another day or so. And I have Ingrid and Abigail if I need anything. But I don’t want my news about the new clients to send you running off.”
“I won’t go jump in my truck right this minute, if that’s what you’re worried about. I’ll stay tonight so we can finish our Indiana Jones marathon, but I’ll take off tomorrow morning.”
“Well…”
A Cowboy's Luck Page 14