The guy had a hammer and wood in his hands and was tearing apart the porch of Lacy’s home. Why was he doing that?
Logan kept driving by when Deane looked over at him, surprise on his face. He hunkered down, hoping the man wouldn’t recognize him.
This was a private road. He had no business being here. None. Deane stood and crossed his arms over his naked chest and just watched.
Logan needed a place to turn around and he found it about a mile past Lacy’s home. He did so quickly. He didn’t want Deane following him.
This time when he drove by her front yard, Lacy—dressed in nothing more than a tiny purple top and cut-off denims, and looking so damned beautiful his mouth went dry—was standing next to the man.
Touching him.
Fire burned in his gut.
Fire that didn’t leave him.
The mere thought of that Neanderthal anywhere near her threatened to consume him. Logan forced himself to swallow the rage.
Now wasn’t the time.
He’d just have to think, decide what to do next.
23
After she pulled away, Lacy looked up at the man. She licked her lips, tasting the salt of him on them.
This man was far more dangerous than any man she had ever met. She could see herself doing something totally stupid with him. Something she would most likely regret in the morning. Sure, she would enjoy it, she had no doubt about that; but the repercussions…
Well, those were not something she was ready for. "You've got to stop doing that. You’re…dangerous. And you know it."
"I'm as harmless as can be." He smiled and they both knew he was crazy. There wasn't a thing harmless about him. "We're going to have to hit the hardware store, darlin’. I need a special type of brackets that I just don't have. We need to sister the beams to some of the old boards beneath the porch. I'm afraid that the support beams are little bit more rotted than I expected. It’s a simple fix. Each bracket’s maybe a dollar a piece. I will need about two dozen of them I think. But that should do it. What do you say? We head into town, grab the brackets, and I'll buy you an ice cream cone. But one scoop, I can’t afford two."
"Okay, but I need to run by the hospital as well. I need to do rounds sometime this afternoon. And I have plans for this evening. So… Hardware store, hospital, ice cream. That’s it. And I'm buying. To say thank you for fixing the porch. Kevin was going to, but things just didn't happen that way."
"Kevin? Boyfriend? Do I need to be jealous? Or scared?"
"Definitely scared. Kevin is Jillian’s father, Chance’s father-in-law. He’s pseudo-adopted me, I think. Me and Ari. Especially since Mel and Brynna married. His youngest daughter spends a lot of time in St. Louis and I think Kevin is feeling a little bit lonely. We’ve been trying to hang out there a bit more often. Kevin knew your uncle well. He was actually Sara’s godfather."
"And Jillian is the…"
"Shorter redhead that was here that day. Doesn't like your brother much."
"I remember a bunch of redheaded girls everywhere at Uncle Elliot’s when I was a kid. A lot of them. But they were all younger than me. And mean. They’d lock you in bathrooms, and plot against you. There was this orange-haired one that was horrible, and the one younger than her bit when she got mad. And you must be talking about Rafe. Guy just does not have a way with women. Not like I do. I learned it all from Marcus. Of course, it doesn't help that Rafe is dog ugly. Scares all the ladies away."
Lacy laughed. Of all the things she could say about Rafael Holden-Deane, dog ugly was not one of them. He was one of the most physically beautiful men she ever seen.
It was his attitude that made him so ugly.
At least his attitude to Jillian. "Jillian was the biter, I think. Chance has a scar he likes to tease her about. Your brother has been horrible lately. I should take that back. He’s not the worst Chief of Medicine we've ever had. The one before the one before Rafe, well, do you know what a prostitution charge lands you in this state? Times that by fifteen? Yeah, he’s not going to be anywhere near the hospital for a while."
"The things a man learns. Let me wash up, and then I'll give you a lift into town."
What else could she do? Lacy just focused on prepping for her rounds. But in reality, she was telling herself to keep control. To not fall for the beautiful man right there in front of her.
Just friends. She was going to stick to that. It would be stupid not to.
They stopped off at the hardware store, and he dragged her inside. He held her hand, while they walked around. He'd refused to let go. When she protested, he leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Look at all the guys in here. They are so jealous. I've never been so lucky to have a beautiful girl come in here with me. What if I lose you? I can't let you go. One of them might take you. Then where would I be? Without my ice cream date. That’s where."
Lacy just laughed. She laughed more with this man that she had with anyone else in her world. That she could not, would not, deny. But she let him hold her hand, and it felt good walking next to the denim-clad cowboy that drew eyes wherever he went.
24
She did make him let go of her hand when she entered the hospital, though. The last thing she needed people to see was her holding hands with the boss’s brother. It was bad enough that everyone recognized him. She didn't know how much longer people would believe her and Travis were just friends. Even though they were literally just friends. She was keeping it that way, no matter what.
Although, none of her other friends had ever kissed her like that.
Travis got Annie to smile, which was a feat in itself. The other woman was even more shy than Ariella. Especially when it came to good-looking men. He and Finley Coulter shared quick little quips at each other, Fin teased him about being Rafe’s brother.
The boss himself came in halfway through her rounds. Travis feigned horror and hid around the corner. Lacy thought it was an effective strategy—she'd hidden there from the COM before. So she hid there again, almost pressed up against the man’s younger brother…If they were caught...
When Holden-Deane was gone, she and Travis approached the intake desk. Wanda, one of the head nurses, gave a wolf whistle when she saw the cowboy. She winked at Lacy. "Well, now that I've seen them all, I can admit the Deane brothers are downright adorable. This one especially. So, what are you doing here, handsome?"
"Lacy promised me if I was a good boy at the hospital I can get some ice cream. I'm holding her to that. If I'm extra good, she may even spring for two scoops."
Wanda laughed, then waved them away. “Go. The two of you have some fun together. Lacy, you may just want to hold on to this Deane brother. Although he looks like he'd be a handful."
"I'm sure he is, Wanda. I'm sure he is." More of a handful than either of his brothers could ever hope to be.
And that was what terrified her the most.
25
The fire would have gone away eventually, if she hadn’t shown up at the hospital to do rounds a few moments after Logan. Shown up with Deane following right behind her like a puppy.
She’d changed out of her shorts but the slacks and blouse she wore made her look just as beautiful.
He should have pushed harder that one time he’d asked her out before. Made her see that he could be what she needed. If she was with him she for damned sure wouldn’t be living in that shack on Deane’s property.
No. He’d keep her like a queen. They’d live together, sleep together, work together. Make love together.
What could she possibly have with that damned cow herder? Had Deane set her up in that house just to have her nearby? Set her up to be his mistress, conveniently tucked away within easy reach? Those damned Deanes were just that type, weren’t they?
The idea of that pissed him off.
Logan took his next dose of Solpalmitraln. It took a few minutes, but it helped.
The shakes stopped, at least. The wild thoughts, the sweats.
Lacy’s patients wer
e near his. He timed it so he could walk next to her, could smell the sweet scent of fresh shampoo. She’d showered before coming in, hadn’t she?
Had she shared the shower with that damned cowboy? Had he run his hands down her back, kissed her with water falling all around him? Had she pressed up against that Deane while he took her?
Logan felt the fire of rage continue to build.
It only increased when he stepped through the surgical ward’s doors and that damned cowboy was sprawled out on the waiting room couch, a magazine in his work-roughened hands.
Why? Why did she pick this dirt clod instead of him?
Yes, he was a Deane, and that meant something, especially in this part of Texas. Deanes had money. Success. Prestige. Connections.
Power.
Everything they damned well wanted.
But why did that mean Deane got Lacy?
Deane would not understand a woman like her, not long-term. Not like Logan would.
Logan would take care of her.
How did he make her see that?
The sun was setting before she finally left the hospital, that damned moron trailing right after her--straight through the ER department.
Logan followed at a distance.
He watched as Deane made a big show of avoiding his older brother, until Lacy was practically giggling like a school-girl.
Deane got that timid little brunette nurse, Gaines or something, laughing outright and even Finley Coulter was blushing at the man’s antics.
What was it about the youngest Deane that caught women’s’ attention so much? Virat Patel approached them and said something. Logan watched Lacy introduce the two men like she was proud to be with that damned Deane.
Hell, he wasn’t even the most successful of the Deane brothers. He was just a dumb cowhand, wasn’t he? Trading on his family’s success at ranching, with no real accomplishments of his own to show the world. Everything he had had been given to him.
He was nothing. Nothing. And it wasn’t right that Deane should have a woman like her.
Logan wasn’t exactly a slouch. He was a successful surgeon, reasonably good-looking, fit, presentable. And he’d understand her in ways Deane never possibly could.
It just didn’t make any sense.
Logan watched the asshole lift her right up into his big Ford. Lacy let him run his hands all over her, right there in the parking garage for anyone walking by to see.
Did she have no shame where Deane was concerned?
He wasn’t stupid this time.
Logan parked his SUV down an access road just before the turn-off to the W-Deane Ranch. He knew the way.
He wasn’t going to let himself be seen, but...
He had to know what she was doing with Deane.
He just had to.
26
“You’re not coming in.” Lacy put a hand on the man’s chest--that she now knew was better than the best she’d ever seen. She never would have expected to find Travis Worthington-Deane half naked on her porch when she’d opened her eyes today.
It had been a good day. And if she was honest with herself, it had been because of him. She didn’t want him to leave.
And that was exactly why he had to.
Lacy wasn’t about to get attached to a man like him. It would hurt too much when it inevitably ended.
She wasn’t too stupid to see that.
“Not even to sit by the fire?”
“It’s a million degrees outside.”
“To sit by the air conditioning? I promise I’ll be a good boy...” He hung his head to one side and gave her the puppy-dog eyes that she’d fallen for once before. “I’ll only kiss you when you want me to.”
“Go home. Eat dinner. Watch football. Pet the dog. Do man things.”
“And what are you going to do this evening?”
“Jilly and Ari are bringing take-out and we’re going to tackle the dining room floor.” She winced, just thinking about it.
Kevin had shown up at her door two weeks ago, a truckload of plywood and two strong, handsome sons-in-law, and one de facto one, in tow. She’d ended up with a new dining room subfloor and half of a living room one.
There were no longer baseball-sized holes in her living room floor.
A very good thing.
She hadn’t even protested the charity too much, not after the four-foot rattler Houghton had removed from beneath her couch.
Kevin, Elliot, Chance, and Houghton had inspected the entire house for entryways and nests and any other scary thing that she didn’t quite want to deal with.
Kevin had hugged her and told her she was a Beck. And Becks took care of their own.
Now she and Jilly and Ari were going to attempt to put in laminate flooring themselves.
Jilly was handy around the house, but Ari...Well. It was a good thing Lacy had a medical degree. “We did my bedroom a few months before all that trouble with the Becks started. We haven’t had much time to get the rest of the house.”
“I can stick around. Do the heavy lifting? Flirt with your friends. Just to keep my skills up. Because, you know, I’ve exhausted my lines with you already and need new material.”
“Sure you do. And thanks, but no thanks. It’s girl stuff night. Jilly’s had a pretty tough few days at work. We’re going to try to help her forget about it. I think...” She sighed as she looked up into green eyes that were the exact same shade as his cousins’. Maybe that was it, the reason she’d grown so comfortable with him so quickly? Because half the men in her life looked so much like him? She trusted them. Had that trust somehow shifted to Travis? Possibly. It gave her a lot to think about. “A lot of it has to do with your brother. I don’t think having you here tonight will be doing her any favors.”
“I gotcha. Rafe...” He surprised her by slipping his hands around her neck lightly, pulling her closer. “Rafe...has had a few extremely rough knocks lately himself. He and Marc’s wife were close friends. Watching her die like we did was hard for him. He knew what was happening, but was so helpless to stop it. He lost his best friend that day, as well as our sister-in-law. He held Marc for hours after, while I held the new baby. He took off to Africa right after that, working with the Relief Aid there. He has new scars that tell me it wasn’t exactly roses there in Djibouti. I can only imagine what else he’s seen. He told me himself he’s having trouble acclimating. But...he’s one of the best, kindest-hearted men I know. Sorry he’s giving your friend a hard time. I could knock him around a bit if you’d like. Just in the spirit of brotherly love, of course.”
Someone honked from the turn off to her house. Lacy watched as Jillian’s little red sports car pulled up. “Too late.”
“I won’t stick long. I won’t even kiss you in front of them, unless you ask me to.”
“No. Definitely not. No more kissing. I suspect you’re too...good at it.”
“Aww, shucks, doc. I sure do try.”
HE’D LIKE to try a whole lot more. All games aside, Lacy McGareth was getting under his skin in ways that Travis hadn’t expected. Probably because of the smile he’d surprised out of her a time or two. He suspected she didn’t do that all that much.
He stepped away from her on the newly rebuilt porch--he’d done a damned fine job, if he said so himself--so her friends didn’t get suspicious.
The little redhead, still dressed in scrubs so he figured it was the nurse she was talking about, eyed him like he was a snake. Why?
Was it just because of his brother or something more?
The dark-eyed brunette was just as bad, but she looked at him more like he was the boogeyman out to steal her little blonde friend.
Travis thought about it a moment--he could do a whole abduction fantasy thing. Carry Lacy right off her front porch and straight to his bed.
If she was willing. He could get some silk scarves or some handcuffs and they could take turns…
“Lace? A man, seriously? Thought this was girls’ night?” the redhead snarked as she walke
d by him. “And isn’t he a Deane?”
“That I am, sweet stuff. That I am. But I can honestly say I am a lot nicer than Rafe. And far more handsome than Marc. See?” He smiled down at her. She only came up to his mid-chest. Small, but spunky. He liked her. And he could see why she would push Rafe’s buttons. “Unlike both of my brothers, I still have all of my own teeth. Mostly because Rafe wouldn’t let Marc beat me up too much when we were kids.”
“Well, get gone, handsome. We got some girl talk going on. And I remember you Deanes from when I was a kid. You stole my kite and threw it in a tree! I was seven…”
“Ummm…I’m sorry? I really don’t remember that, but I promise I won’t steal your kites ever again. I get the hint; I’m going right now. Marc’s in town tonight somewhere. I may just get my brothers together and have ‘boy talk’. Watch some football or something. Ladies, you need any help with finding your...uh...hammers...just give me a call. I can be here in seconds.”
He tipped his hat at the redhead, who was now looking at him with laughing brown eyes, winked at the brunette who blushed prettily, and turned back to his favorite blonde in the entire world. “Doc...it has been a real pleasure. I’ll see you later.”
Hell with it.
Travis grabbed her shoulders and yanked her closer. He dipped her back over his arm and kissed her. Loudly.
When he set her back up on her feet she was laughing and her friends were giggling. “Ladies, have a good one. Call me if you need me.”
27
After he hopped over the porch rail and headed to his truck, whistling like an idiot, Lacy watched him walk away.
Arrogant man, wasn’t he? She shivered.
She had to admit it, she kind of liked it.
“Well...that’s a Deane a woman has to keep her eye on,” Jillian said, shoving a bag of Chinese into Lacy’s arms. “But then again, he always was trouble. I think Mel’s first real crush was on him a hundred years ago. She likes troubling men.”
If the Dark Wins (Finley Creek Book 4) Page 7