“Mallory.” Marisol pushed a wayward curl out of her eyes. “Luis said they didn’t have sex, but there was a condom wrapper and Marcus went nuts.”
Patrick’s head jerked up. “Did he hurt you?”
Marisol frowned. “Of course not. He was just angry, which I can’t really blame him.”
No, neither could Patrick. “The hay won’t be delivered until closer to Founders’ Day, so I can’t offer you a seat.”
“That’s okay. I’d rather stand.” She shuffled her feet.
Well, that couldn’t be good. “Planning to make a fast getaway?” He tried to joke, but his words sounded hollow.
She stared at his chest. “Funny. I thought about it, I really did, Patrick. You’re a great guy—”
“Ah, hell.” He was a great guy. The kind of guy who belonged in the friend zone forever. “You don’t have to—”
“I do.” Her pretty eyes finally lifted to meet his gaze. “I just can’t do it right now. Ginny’s a mess, and I’m afraid she’s heading for trouble. Luis is in trouble and is spiraling out of control. I have to be a good example, and I have to concentrate on them.”
The words she spoke, all put together like that, seemed so harmless. But they pierced through him like a knife he’d taken to the leg in a fishing accident years ago. Sharp and directed squarely to his chest this time. “I could help you,” he said softly.
She shook her head. “No, you couldn’t. I owe it to my folks and to them. To be there a hundred percent.”
He cleared his throat, his lungs feeling empty. “All right.”
“Patrick, I’m so—”
“Don’t say it.” He held up a hand, trying to keep his temper at bay. “Don’t say you’re sorry. Please.”
“Okay.” Tears filled her eyes.
Frustration bubbled though him. “I should get back to work.”
She nodded and glanced around, finally turning. “Okay. Bye.”
“Bye.” He watched her walk away, and not once did she turn back to look.
He’d been kicked by a cousin’s horse once—right in the center of the chest. Oh, he’d dodged with just enough time to end up bruised and not broken, but he’d been in pain for nearly a month as he healed up.
This felt worse.
CHAPTER 10
Ginny liked the feeling of her hand in Logan’s. His grip remained firm but somehow gentle, and without seeming to, he moved her so she walked on the inside of the sidewalk and he walked by the road. Protecting her.
He moved with the natural grace of a man who could leap into action at any second, and with the watchful eye of a guy who had seen hell and wouldn’t be surprised to see it again.
They walked along Second Street and waited for the light to cross onto Pecan. “You know, you’re not breaking the law by dating me,” Logan said, his gaze sweeping the entire area like usual.
Ginny’s gait hitched. “Um, I know.”
He glanced down and smiled, his blue eyes sparkling. “Then we don’t have to run away every time Dillon comes near.”
She opened her mouth to argue and then gave him the truth. “I can’t help it. For some reason, the sheriff makes me feel guilty.” Maybe it was because she might’ve lied to the whole town about who had fathered her baby? Well, she had lied about having a long relationship with Jacob, considering they’d only had one night. She struggled to explain to Logan. “I mean, I’m pregnant, and you could have any girl you wanted. I come with baggage.”
He chuckled and slid an arm around her shoulder. “A baby is a blessing and isn’t baggage. I have baggage, and you’re okay with that.”
Sure. His baggage came with being a hero, and hers came from being a slut. But she couldn’t tell him that. A part of her, a lonely scared part, wanted to tell him that she’d slept with Senator Rush, many times, and that he could be the baby’s father. If Logan stayed with her, he’d protect her from Sebastian. But he wouldn’t stay with her if he knew the truth, would he? “I think you’re amazing,” she said.
He tugged her closer into his strong body. “You’re amazing, and you need to stop worrying. We’re going to be fine.”
They reached the door to the Bluebonnet Cafe, and she stopped, turning to face him. “I’m not amazing. I’ve made so many mistakes. I’m not good like you.”
He swooped down and planted a hard kiss on her mouth that shot sparks through her entire body. His knuckle lifted her chin, and his eyes were right above hers when he spoke. “No more of that, Ginny. You’re good, you’re honest, and we have something real and true here. I’ve trusted you with my heart, and you’ve done the same. Got it?”
Her heart trembled against her rib cage. She wasn’t good and honest, but she couldn’t lose him. She just couldn’t. So she smiled, determined to spend the rest of her life making him happy. “I’ve got it.”
His approval warmed parts of her she’d thought would always be frozen. “That’s my girl. Now, let’s eat.” He took her hand again and stepped inside, pausing to scout the room.
She stood quietly behind him, having gotten used to his need to survey any area. Someday he might relax, but for now, his training always kicked in. Finally he gave a quick wave toward a booth in the back. “Marcus and Brittany are here.”
Ginny smiled and allowed him to lead her to the back of the restaurant, not even caring if stupid old biddies gossiped about her this time. She was with a great guy who made her happy. Who cared what anybody else in town thought? They didn’t know her or what she’d been through, and they didn’t know what Logan had been through, but together, she and Logan were strong again.
Logan stood aside so she could scoot into the booth and sit across from her best friend, Brittany Rush. They’d been friends since childhood, and the thought that Ginny had slept with Brittany’s dad still made her sick. But she was going to take that secret to the grave and forget about it right this second. Brittany could never know.
“I’m so glad you guys came in,” Brittany said, her eyes sparkling.
Ginny smiled back. Brittany was town royalty, and Marcus was rougher than rough from the tough side of the tracks, but together they looked right. If it lasted, her folks were going to freak.
“Have you guys eaten?” Ginny asked.
Brittany shook her head, playing with the handle of her fork. “Nope. Your timing is perfect.” She practically beamed as she looked from Ginny to Logan and back. “Just perfect.” Marcus laid his hand over hers in a very sweet move.
Ginny warmed. They were both dating their schoolgirl crushes, and life was pretty damn good. Maybe she could actually be happy. She placed her palm over her slightly rounded tummy.
They ate cheeseburgers and fries, carefree for the first time in so long. When the bill came, Marcus grabbed it before anybody else could.
“I’ll split it with you,” Logan said, reaching for his wallet.
“Nope. This one is on me.” Marcus turned dark eyes toward Brittany. “Any objections?”
She grinned. “Not a chance. I learned my lesson the other night.”
Marcus smiled, flashing a dimple that had made more than one cheerleader swoon back in high school. “Now, that I like to hear.” He counted out bills to place on the table and then pushed from the booth, holding back a hand to assist Brittany. “We have to go, folks.”
Brittany took his hand, her brows drawing down. “We do?”
“Yep.” He smacked Logan on the shoulder. “I’ll catch up with you later.”
“Count on it,” Logan returned, amusement in his eyes. He waited until the couple had left before turning toward Ginny. “What do you think about them?”
Ginny looked out the window to watch her best friend and Marcus walk down Pecan Street. “I think if they care about each other, they have a good shot.” She turned back to stare into the sexiest blue eyes she’d ever seen. “What do you think?”
“I couldn’t agree more.” He glanced out the window and frowned. “There are Dakota and Mallory. I wonder what they’r
e up to?”
Ginny turned to see the sisters across the street, flyers in their hands. “They’re on the promotional committee for Founders’ Day. It’s too bad Marcus missed them.” He would probably have liked seeing his sisters working together, even if they didn’t seem to be talking while they walked.
“Marcus seemed to have other things on his mind,” Logan said, a smile in his voice.
Ginny nodded and turned back. She slid her hand beneath Logan’s as if she had every right to do so. “Yeah. Brittany.”
“I have something on my mind, too.”
Ginny pressed her lips together, trying not to smile like an idiot. “You do, huh? What might that be?”
“This.” He leaned in, and his lips covered hers in a promise she couldn’t help but accept. Life began now, and with him. Nothing would ruin what they had.
* * * *
Brittany Rush tried to walk like a dignified adult and not skip like a happy kid while holding Marcus Alvarez’s hand in public. At first, he’d been all weird about them dating, but he seemed to have jumped in with a vengeance.
Maybe with too much enthusiasm? Was it because he was going to leave her and go back to Montana? Man, she hoped he changed his mind about that.
They passed the edge of the Bluebonnet Cafe and kept walking next to an empty lot that had been concreted years ago as extra parking. During the festival the lot would be crammed full, but today only a lone Ford Fiesta rested at the far end near the Sports Shack.
A breeze filtered through the humid day, and she pushed hair out of her face. “Um, I really like you, Marcus.” Her voice came out tentative.
He paused, halting her alongside him. “Okay.” His brows furrowed over a face just too handsome to be real. “What’s going on, Brit?”
She liked that he called her Brit. Her family insisted on her full name being used by the press and by anybody talking about her, and the nickname from Marcus sent tingles through her abdomen. She didn’t know how to be coy, so she went for the truth. “I know my grandmother saw us kissing in the park the other day, and I know you saw her, too.” Grams had insulted Marcus the first chance she got, and surely that had made Marcus mad and hurt his feelings.
Marcus lifted his chin. “Yeah, so?”
Man, she wished she had more experience with men. “So? I just want to make sure that this is about you and me, and not you being pissed at her.”
For a second, thunderclouds seemed to fill Marcus’s eyes. He studied her, almost seeing through her it felt, and then his expression softened. “That’s fair.”
She blinked and tried to take a step back, but he held her in place. “Um—”
“Your grandmother is a judgmental bully, and she did make me mad.” Marcus pulled Brittany closer and settled his hands on her hips. “But this is all about you and me. I like you.” He slid a hand up and tangled it in her hair, tilting back her head. “You’re smart, sweet, and so beautiful it hurts.” Then he slanted his mouth over hers and kissed her deep.
Her knees actually wobbled. She returned the kiss, caught up in the storm unleashed by a man wilder than she could ever hope. Would he stay in Texas?
Finally, he released her.
Her lips tingled, and her body craved. Oh, she’d kissed boys before, but they didn’t come close to Marcus. He was all man. She was close enough she could feel how hard he’d become in his jeans.
He glanced down at her lips, and his nostrils flared.
She lifted her chin. “I don’t know where we’re going, but I really like you, too.”
They had issues, there was no doubt. Her family would be a problem, but this was a good man, and she wanted to be with him. To see what they could create together. She’d never felt like this before, and giving him up would hurt too much. She wouldn’t pressure him. She’d just prove to him that he should stay with her and not return to Montana. “I’m having fun with you.”
His smile was strong and sweet—and nearly as potent as his kiss. “Good. I brought you a present.” Taking something from his back pocket, he placed a box in her hands.
She read the box, and her heart just swelled. “Marcus.” Tears actually pricked the back of her eyes.
“Hey.” He rubbed her cheekbone. “These were supposed to make you happy.”
“They do.” She looked up at him through blurry eyes and then back down at the box of colored chalk. “I can’t believe you bought these.” She’d mentioned just once that she wished she would’ve had the kind of parents to get on the ground and draw with chalk, and look what he’d done.
“Good.” He opened the box and handed her a blue piece of chalk, while he took an orange one.
Most girls would’ve wanted diamonds or gold, but the simple box of chalk stole her heart and made it his. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Turning her around, he gave her a gentle push toward the empty lot. “We have a lot of ground to cover. Let’s start coloring, baby.”
CHAPTER 11
Dakota Alvarez sighed and tacked yet another flyer to a bulletin board. She was sore from her time with the senator a couple of nights ago at the cabin, and that made her uneasy. He’d never treated her like that before.
When she’d gone over to Marisol’s for movie night right after Marcus had finally returned home, she and Mallory had pretty much ignored each other. But they’d been assigned to post flyers together, and since Dakota was trying to be more dignified, she could take the high road with her little sister. “I’m, ah, sorry I said those things about Luis. I heard he didn’t really sleep with Lacey.”
Mallory flushed red and nodded, hurrying out the door of the Five & Dime. “I know, and don’t worry. Lacey tried her best, but he turned her down.”
“I’m sorry I yelled at you, and I’m really sorry I hit you.” The idea that she’d slapped her sister still made Dakota want to throw up. “It was wrong, and I was just so mad about Dad leaving.”
“I know.” Mallory sighed. “We’re not going to agree about him, ever, but maybe we can just not talk about him to each other.”
They didn’t really have a choice, it seemed. “Okay.” The wind slapped into Dakota, and she pushed a tendril of hair out of her face. She’d put it up in a fancy knot at the base of her neck like the ladies did in the fashion magazines. Her sandals clipped on the pavement, and for once her feet didn’t hurt since the heels were so small.
“Luis is a good guy, and Lacey was trying to break us up,” Mallory said, her lips tightening. “She’s gone off the deep end.”
Her little sister needed to learn to fight dirty. “You need to make sure Lacey stays away from your man. I mean, if you want Luis to be your man,” Dakota said. He was a cute kid with nice muscles, but he probably wasn’t going anywhere in life.
“I love him,” Mallory said, pausing in front of the hair salon. “He loves me, too.”
Dakota lifted an eyebrow and paused. “Then you need to secure that and soon.”
Mallory leaned back against the window. “Secure it?”
“Yeah.” Dakota moved closer to her sister. “Guys are led around by their dicks, and if you want him to stay yours, you’re gonna have to give it up.”
Mallory rolled her eyes, and her blush deepened. “Geez, Dakota. It’s possible for a guy to stay with you without sex.”
God, she was so stupid. “Maybe if Mom had had sex with dad once in a while, he wouldn’t have left her.” Anger at the unfairness of it all roared through her.
Mallory winced. “Eww. They probably had sex—and we’re not talking about him, remember?”
Ha. Their mother couldn’t do anything right, and that was probably another place the woman had failed. “You’re right. No more talking about either of them. Why don’t you go put some flyers in the salon?”
Mallory sighed and stomped inside to the reception desk, where she left several flyers. She walked out just as Ginny Moreno and Logan Murphy strolled by on the other side of the street. Mallory waved to Ginny, who waved back and k
ept on walking toward the park and the Storm Oak, which was down the way.
Dakota shook her head, her fury expanding. That bitch had stolen Jacob Salt from her, and they would’ve had a wonderful life. He certainly wouldn’t have been in a car driven by Ginny, who obviously couldn’t drive in a storm. Hell, she’d killed Jacob, really. And now she was hanging out with the youngest Murphy, who was hot on a hottie stick. “What in the world does Logan see in her? I mean, she’s knocked-up with another guy’s kid.”
Mallory shrugged. “She’s nice.”
“Right. She’s so nice that she’s taking advantage of the Salts. Moving in there and expecting Jacob’s grieving family to take care of her just because she seduced him and couldn’t figure out how to use a condom.” Dakota snorted. It was a good plan, damn it.
Mallory moved to cross Second Street. “Well, according to Celeste, the pregnancy is a huge miracle. So she probably wants to help out.”
Dakota rolled her eyes and stepped over a puddle to follow her sister. “Whatever.” She reached the other side and scraped a little grass off her small heel.
Mallory paused and glanced at her skirt. “Why are you dressed like that, anyway?”
“Like what?” Dakota set her stance and tried to keep her voice level.
Mallory frowned. “Like a lady going to tea in the fifties. I mean, that’s Mom’s skirt, and those are her shoes, right?”
“Yeah, so? Maybe I just wanted to try something new.” Dakota pointed to the few remaining flyers. “Let’s get this over with. You get the businesses on Cedar Street, and I’ll do the ones on Live Oak after getting some more flyers. We’re almost out.”
“You are so weird.” Mallory turned to head into the Hill Country Savings and Loan.
Dakota fought the urge to call her sister back to make sure she looked okay in the outfit. The other night, bent over the table at the cabin, she’d realized that the senator needed to see her potential as his wife. Dakota had been so busy falling for him and exploring their adult relationship that she hadn’t shown that side of herself.
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