Grace shoved the card in the pocket of her capri pants and headed toward Laney’s cabin. When she noticed her friend sitting there sipping lemonade, she wondered at what point she’d come outside.
“Truly, it must be such a burden having so many men vying for your affections,” Laney said as Grace climbed the steps.
“Anyone ever tell you that you’re evil?” Grace grabbed the other glass and took a long drink of lemonade before she sank into a chair.
“All the time.” Laney smiled wide, pleased with herself.
“Barrett’s a nice guy, but I’m just not the way he should be looking.”
“Because you already have your sights set on another hot cowboy.”
Grace leaned her head back against the chair. “Yeah.”
“And you’re regretting that?”
“Yes, and no.”
“I see your powers of decisiveness are operating at full power.”
Grace rolled her head sideways to look at Laney. “Talking to you really is exhausting sometimes. Tell me again why we’re such good friends.”
“My magnetic personality?”
Grace laughed. “Maybe because you’re so shy and retiring.”
This time, Laney laughed. They both watched as the kids climbed all over the monkey bars.
“How serious is it?” Laney asked. “Just having some hot sex, or are we talking lasting relationship here?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I ran through so many scenarios in my head that I thought might happen when I came here and told him about Evan, but this wasn’t even on the radar.”
“Do you love him?”
Grace let herself really consider that question. Did she love him, or was it some residual infatuation from long ago? “Yes.”
“Do you think he loves you?”
“He…well, he at the very least desires me.”
“Sounds to me like you need to find out if what you’re feeling is reciprocated before you can make any decisions.”
Would Nathan loving her make things easier or more difficult? And did she really want to know the answer to that question?
Chapter Thirteen
Overall, their first Cowboy Camp for Kids had gone well. Some of the participants had already expressed interest in attending again if the Teagues hosted another. Though that was all great for the ranch’s reputation and bottom line, Nathan couldn’t wait to get those people out of there so he could spend more time with Grace and Evan. So he could find a way to convince Grace to stay beyond the few extra days she’d agreed to.
But first things first.
“I’d like to thank all of you for taking part in our first camp of this type. We’ve come to the time several of you have been waiting for—the announcement of the Cowboy Camper of the Week.” The Farnsley boys looked confident, a couple of kids looked like they didn’t care, Cheyenne was on the verge of jumping out of her little pink boots, and Evan…well, he looked so hopeful that for a moment Nathan considered he’d made a mistake. “Congratulations to Cheyenne Stuart.”
Cheyenne squealed and ran forward. Nathan handed her the cowboy statue and shook her little hand. For a flash, he wondered what it would be like to have a daughter of his own. He glanced at Grace and found her consoling Evan.
By the time he’d shaken a lot of hands and shared a few last goodbyes with the campers and their parents, Evan had disappeared. Grace sat on the bench where she’d been sitting when she’d told him he was a father, talking to Cheyenne’s mom. Over the past couple of days, he’d finally figured out that those two had been friends before arriving at the ranch. That explained the assessing looks Laney Stuart had cast his direction during the past week.
When Laney saw him now, she said a final word to Grace then headed down the hill to her car where Cheyenne stood admiring her award.
“Where’s Evan?” he asked as he sauntered toward Grace.
“In the barn with the kittens. He said he wanted to say goodbye.”
Fear shot through him. Had she changed her mind about staying?
“I haven’t told him yet that we’re staying a few extra days.”
“Why not?”
She looked up at him. “In case I started listening to the voices in my head that are saying I’m just prolonging the inevitable.”
It didn’t have to be inevitable, but he couldn’t talk to her about that at the moment. Right now, he needed to comfort his son.
He found Evan sitting in a bed of hay, running his fingertip gently over a tiny orange kitten.
“They’re cute, aren’t they?”
Evan looked at Nathan, his chin quivering. “Yeah.” He quickly returned his attention to the kittens.
“I’m sorry you’re upset about the award,” Nathan said.
“It’s okay.” The sadness in Evan’s voice said otherwise.
“You did great, but I thought maybe Cheyenne could get the award because you’re getting something better.”
Evan’s forehead scrunched in confusion as he looked at Nathan. “What?”
“Your mom said you could stay on the ranch a few more days.”
Evan’s eyes widened. “Really?” He sounded as if Nathan had announced he was going to be able to go to the moon.
“Really.”
Evan launched himself at Nathan and hugged him, hard. Unprepared, it took Nathan a moment to absorb the shock and then, slowly, wrap his arms around his son.
Something deep and visceral spoke aloud in his mind, telling him that he couldn’t let Evan go. He had to convince Grace that now was the right time to tell Evan the truth, because he didn’t even want to think about what Simon had suggested. He’d hurt Grace once before and didn’t want to do it again.
But Evan would know Nathan was his father.
“YOU’RE SURE YOU don’t want me to stay?” Laney asked as Grace came down the hill to stand next to her.
“Yeah. You need to get back to work and Cheyenne back to school. I appreciate you being here this week. Not sure I could have done it without knowing you were there if I needed you.”
“Well, I might not be a cowboy freak like the rest of you, but it had its moments.”
Grace smiled. “I don’t know. I think maybe you have a bit of a cowgirl in you and you just don’t want to admit it.”
Laney laughed. “Did you fall off a horse onto your head?”
Grace glanced toward the barn, forcefully keeping herself from hurrying inside to see what Nathan was saying to Evan.
Laney grabbed her hand and squeezed. “I know I’ve teased you a lot this week, but I hope I didn’t push you too much. That’s a bad habit of mine.”
Grace shook her head. “You didn’t push me in any direction I wasn’t already going.”
“I hope everything works out, whatever you decide. And if you need me, don’t hesitate to call. We will turn around and come right back.”
Grace smiled, touched once again by how giving her friends were. Despite everything she’d gone through, she was a lucky woman. “Thank you, but I think I need to go forward on my own now.”
“Okay.” Laney lifted her index finger and pointed at Grace. “But I want you to call me and give me updates.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Grace leaned forward and gave Laney a hug. “Thanks again. I owe you.”
Laney laughed and hugged Grace back then pulled away. “You can pay me back by coming to visit this summer. We’ll do things that have nothing to do with smelly livestock and Wrangler jeans—like go to the spa.”
“It’s a deal.” Grace leaned down to give Cheyenne a hug, too. “Try to keep your mom out of trouble, okay?”
Cheyenne nodded. “Okay.” She said that single word in a way that made it sound as th
ough it would be quite an undertaking, making Grace laugh.
“That’s it. I’m being ganged up on, time to go,” Laney said and opened her car door.
Grace watched as they slipped into the rental car and headed down the ranch road. She waved a final time as they rounded the curve that took them out of sight. Slowly, she turned toward the barn, but didn’t head that direction. Instead, she returned to the bench and stared out across the pasture, trying to convince herself that she could get through the next few days. That the right path for the future would reveal itself to her so she could walk forward with confidence instead of second-guessing every thought that entered her head.
PART OF GRACE KNEW she was playing a dangerous game with her heart. The more time she spent with Nathan, the more he kissed her and made her feel as though he truly cared about her, the harder it was going to be to leave. Still, knowing that, she couldn’t stop.
During the days that followed the departure of the rest of the campers, they sat together in the dark and kissed after Evan went to sleep. One day, Nathan surprised her by bringing her lunch from the Primrose when she was working at Merline’s gallery. They’d sat on the floor, looking out at the lake, and fed each other. They took Evan to a movie, and she’d felt so much like they were a real family that she’d battled tears throughout the entire hour and a half. She’d begun to think maybe it was possible, if only she could be sure that Nathan felt as much for her as she did for him.
She could ask him straight out, but there was enough of her unsure, suspicious self left that she worried he’d say yes just to keep Evan close.
“You seem deep in thought.”
Grace jumped at the sound of Nathan’s voice so close to her ear. “Way to sneak up on a girl.”
Nathan smiled, and it could only be called deliciously wicked. “Were you thinking about me?”
Yes.
“Only if you are lighting fixtures.” She turned back to her work on the desk that had been delivered to the gallery that morning. “The installers are supposed to be here at two.”
Nathan moved close behind her and nuzzled her neck. “An entire hour. What will we do with the time?”
She tried to move out of his grasp, though she wasn’t particularly insistent about it. The man had only to touch her and all her natural resistance dissolved.
“I have work to do.”
He stalked her around the small room, like a panther after prey. When she bumped up against the plush couch in the corner, he reached out and slid his hands along her jaw to the back of her head.
“There’s time enough for that later.” He reached back to shut and lock the office door. Then he kissed her, long and deep.
The next thing Grace knew they were spread along the couch, shoving at each other’s clothes. “Nathan, someone could walk in the building.”
“I know.”
She gasped as his mouth captured hers again. Never would she have thought it of herself, but the chance of discovery sent a thrill surging through her. It felt wicked, but she went with it and they were naked in short order. When Nathan entered her, she moaned his name, which seemed to light a fire in him. She dug her fingers into his back as they made very fast, panting love to one another.
Nathan’s pace increased with each stroke, and her muscles tensed as her pleasure built. Her breath came faster and faster until she bowed upward as Nathan cried out in release.
“Keep going,” she said. “Don’t stop.”
He did just that, taking her closer and closer and closer.
For the first time in her life, she didn’t hold back. She met each thrust and when her release came, her cry sounded primal.
As the sound died away, embarrassment rushed in and Grace covered her face with her hands. “Oh, my goodness, I can’t believe I acted like that. I’ve gone crazy.”
Nathan shifted next to her and guided her hands downward. “Don’t. It was beautiful. You’re beautiful.”
She shook her head. “I’ve never done anything like that.”
He smiled in that hard-to-resist way of his. “I’m happy to know I’m the one to make you lose control.”
She examined his face, trying to read what he was thinking. “Nathan, what’s going on here?”
“I thought that was obvious.”
“Beyond that.”
“We’re having a good time together, Grace.”
How could she expect words of love from him when they really barely knew each other? He didn’t harbor old feelings that had been rekindled.
She managed a smile. “We are.” She glanced at the clock on the wall. “But we’d better put on our clothes before the electrician crew gets here.” She shifted off the couch, turning her back to him so she wasn’t tempted to tell him how very much she loved him. Always had.
Probably always would.
NATHAN LIFTED HIS hand to touch Grace’s back, but something told him to stop, that it would somehow make things worse. How had they gone from the best sex he’d ever had to her visibly shutting down, closing invisible doors around herself? She still didn’t trust him, not fully, and that hurt. What more could he do to convince her that he didn’t have ulterior motives?
He had no answers, so he dressed and watched as she rounded the desk and started shifting through papers.
“Grace, I—”
The front door opened, drawing her attention. “The installers are here. I’ll talk to you later.” She nearly ran from the office without meeting his eyes.
Nathan stood in the middle of the office feeling as though the bottom of the world had fallen out from beneath him.
AS THE LIGHTING GUYS spent the entire afternoon installing low-light fixtures, it was all Grace could do not to pace and scream. Why had she let herself get involved with Nathan? Why hadn’t she just stuck with her original plan?
Because no matter how hard she tried to deny it, she wanted to be with Nathan…forever. But how was that possible if he didn’t love her?
“That’s it,” said the head of the installation crew.
She examined their work and nodded. “Looks wonderful. I appreciate you all coming out so quickly.”
“We’re grateful for the work.”
She signed the necessary forms, shook the man’s hand and watched the crew drive away. Then she wandered around the gallery, half marveling at how much she and Merline had gotten done in a few short days and half wondering what was the right move regarding Nathan. Should she just go home and try to put memories of him away as she’d done before? Maybe the right path was telling Evan the truth, letting him and his father have a relationship and seeing where hers with Nathan led, if anywhere.
Or maybe she should just tell Nathan the truth, that she loved him, and base her final decision on his reaction.
She grabbed her purse and headed out the door before she lost her nerve. No matter what happened, at least this time when she left Blue Falls, nothing would be left unsaid.
As she rounded the corner onto the end of Main Street, she braked to avoid a truck pulling out from the farm supply store. That’s when she noticed Nathan standing on the opposite side of the street talking to a man in a suit. She watched as they shook hands and Nathan headed down the sidewalk. A glance back at the man revealed he was climbing a set of steps into a brick building.
Her heartbeat faltered when she spotted the writing on the front window: Adrian Stone, Attorney at Law.
Someone behind her honked, and she hit the gas while she tried to calm her pulse. There were any number of reasons Nathan might be talking to a lawyer. After all, his family owned a sizable ranching operation, and she imagined that came with legal concerns. Maybe they were just friends bumping into each other on the street.
No matter how much common sense she threw at herself on the
drive back to the ranch, the need to get away from Blue Falls kept trumping them all. She wasn’t going to lose her son—no matter if that loss came about because of a legal fight or her son’s shifting alliances. She’d achieved the goal of the trip, so it was time to go.
She drove straight to the cabin. Best to pack everything before picking up Evan. She wasn’t a fool and was well aware that Evan would most likely cry, especially after she’d told him they wouldn’t be leaving until tomorrow. She needed to be back on her home turf where she felt stronger and more able to deal with whatever problems came her way, not off-kilter the way she’d been since returning to Blue Falls.
Her hands shook as she tossed their clothes and toiletries into the suitcases. Once she had them filled, she stowed them in the car.
The front door banged open. “Hey, Mom, guess what!” Evan’s last word tapered off as he spotted the final bag in her hand.
Grace quickly tried to map out damage control in her head.
“You’re packing already?” Evan asked.
“Uh, yes. We’re actually leaving now. I have to get back to work.”
“But your meeting isn’t until Friday.”
She took a few steps forward but halted when Evan backed away from her. “I have a lot of work to do, honey.”
“You promised we could stay until tomorrow. I don’t want to leave.”
“Now don’t argue, Evan. We’ve already stayed longer than I’d planned when we came here.”
“No! I don’t want to go back, not ever!” He rushed out the door, leaving it wide open behind him.
Grace choked on a sob but went after him. “Evan, come back here.”
He ran around the edge of the cabin and started down the path that led from the cabins toward the main part of the ranch. God, she’d made such a mistake by coming here. This wasn’t her son, not this defiant boy. As she came around the corner of the cabin and made an awkward step off the end of the porch, dizziness swamped her and she put out a hand. Only nothing was there. Her breath came too fast.
The Cowboy's Secret Son Page 16