Wide Open Spaces (Harlequin Super Romance)

by Fox, Roz Denny

  They watched Bernice scurry to her bus and heard her order Rory back to his seat. He’d apparently wanted to investigate the situation for himself. Bernice soon settled everyone and drove off, creating a tailwind that left the pickup rocking from side to side again.

  “I don’t believe she was fooled for one minute. I feel like an idiot, Coltrane.”

  His features softened. “I’ll only regret it if it hurts your reputation.”

  “What a nice thing to say.”

  As the big John Deere tractor’s engine fired up in the distance, Summer traced the tired lines bracketing Colt’s mouth. “Forgive my ranting. Those were old tapes playing. I’m glad you’re not sorry. I really needed reminding that I’m still a desirable woman.”

  Because Colt heard the rumble of both the returning bus and Virgil’s tractor, he kept his hands and further comments to himself. It wasn’t easy. Yet, deep inside, he knew it’d be wiser and kinder to leave things on a positive note. Luckily they’d called a halt before either he or Summer were in too deep to get out—and Colt didn’t mean their pickup in its current state. The very last thing he wanted was to hurt her. Somehow, in spite of his vigilance, Summer Marsh had found her way into his tattered heart. To keep from losing what few threads remained of his chivalry, Colt lowered the pickup window and wriggled onto the hood as the tractor lumbered into view.

  Virgil raised a hand, then clamped it on Rory’s shoulder to keep the boy seated.

  “Is Mama hurt?” The boy sounded anxious.

  “Relax,” Colt called. “Didn’t Mrs. Reilly tell you your mom and I are okay?”

  Rory nodded. “But big people say things to kids that aren’t true, so they’ll be good.” The second the tractor pulled abreast of the pickup, Rory jumped down.

  Colt would’ve liked to tell him that his assessment didn’t apply to all adults. But how could he when he was guilty of lying to the whole family?

  “I won’t even ask how you got in this fix,” Virgil said, taking off his battered hat to scratch the bald portion of his head.

  Summer peered past Colt, managing a good look at Rory’s pale face and pinched lips. “It was my fault. I fell asleep at the wheel, Virg.”

  Colt rolled his eyes at her. Now they’d given conflicting stories.

  She saw his reaction and shrugged. “Virgil, can you hook onto the bumper with your winch and pull us out without a lot of damage to the pickup?”

  “Sure, if Colt stretches flat on the hood and connects the cable. Seems to be a narrow sandbar you’ve got yourselves high-centered on. Good thing you don’t have a horse trailer attached, though. By the way, three mighty fine-looking horses arrived for you today, Coltrane.”

  “Great,” Colt grunted. “I hoped they’d get here in time for roundup,” he said as he crawled gingerly along the hood.

  Summer held her breath as the pickup swayed. Of course, Colt had performed a more daring rescue in the gorge. But that was a true accident. Considering the reason they were in this mess, she felt more accountable. Colt said he didn’t regret what had happened, but he’d looked guilty as sin when she tried to explain how she felt about him.

  Locked in a private world, Summer almost missed Rory’s rambling. “Daddy came to see me. Audrey wouldn’t let him take me to town. So he stopped at my school yesterday. My teacher said I hadda ride the bus home. Daddy sneaked me off, anyway.”

  Shock ran through Summer, squeezing her heart until she found it hard to breathe. “Frank knows the rules. Visitations are to be cleared with me first.”

  “Why can’t I go with him if I want?” Rory asked, plopping down cross-legged on the bank. His tone insinuated that Summer was to blame.

  “Honey, Daddy’s not your guardian. Mama is. The school has only my signature on their release card. Daddy’s supposed to arrange visits with me.”

  “But he wanted to take me for ice cream, and I wanted to go. I wish he’d come home to live. I didn’t like that place he’s staying. His friend Jill is mean.”

  Colt’s simmering gaze caught Summer off guard. Belatedly she realized he’d asked her to put the pickup’s gears into neutral. His eyes conveyed more. They were at once angry and curious. Unless she’d imagined that, too. She turned to Virgil, expecting him to supply answers as to what had happened. But the tractor’s motor was too loud, and Virgil’s hearing wasn’t what it used to be.

  Should she worry about Frank’s sudden interest in his son? Hadn’t she nagged him often enough about making time for Rory? It just seemed suspicious that he’d wait until she wasn’t home. If she read Colt’s veiled expression correctly, he had the same thought. Which probably explained why her hand shook and she had difficulty shifting.

  “Can I ride home with you, Mama?” Rory bounced on the running board as soon as the pickup cleared the creek, resting again on solid road.

  “I think the engine’s dry.” Colt straightened from where he’d knelt to rewind the winch cable. “You two take off,” he said. “I’ll ride home with Virg.”

  Still feeling queasy, Summer merely nodded. She was too tired and wrung out to deal with second-guessing Frank—or Coltrane, for that matter. Telling Rory to buckle up, she waved at the men as she drove off.

  Colt climbed up on the tractor. “Where’s Tracey?”

  “He left an hour ago with our last load of grain. That was a great idea you had, son. I’d have balked if they were short-handed at the rescue. But even Jesse Cook and some of the others cut loose part of their crew to do the same thing.”

  “Jesse said the silo’s insured. Co-op members have to share the cost of the deductible. Is that why Frank dropped by? Is he worried about the money he stands to lose, or was he by any chance checking to see if Summer had been hurt?”

  “That bastard,” Virgil spat. “Comes sneaking around when Summer’s gone. Audrey wanted to smack him with a broom. They had an awful row before Rory’s bus pulled in. ’Twixt you and me, I don’t think he really wanted to take Rory to town like he said. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have let a scrawny woman like Audrey stop him. All she accomplished was to upset Rory. I hate that man’s slimy smile. Summer’s never needed him. She ran things fine.”

  “The Forked Lightning’s a lot of ranch, Virgil.”

  “Yep, and Summer’s a lot of woman.”

  Colt coughed but finally mumbled, “I…uh…you’re right.”

  Virgil studied him with a scowl. Neither man said another word until Virgil pulled into the equipment barn.

  Colt hopped off the tractor. “I’d better check my horses, clean up and then grab some shut-eye before we ready our gear for roundup. Will you notify Trace? If he agrees, I should think we can get it underway—what day of the week is this? Jeez, I’ve lost track of time.”

  “Lessee.” Virgil massaged his neck. “Today’s Thursday. Tomorrow’s Friday. Why not wait till Saturday? Rory’s champing at the bit to help. I know Summer won’t let him skip school. Saturday, you could gather cattle from the leased land and the kid’ll get his fill. Boys that age are dying to jump in with both feet. But they don’t sustain interest too long.”

  Colt smiled. “I hope he doesn’t show me up. Herding cattle is nothing like moving horses around.”

  “Cattle gets into a man’s blood because of the freedom you feel when you’re out there rounding them up. I’m sorry I’m gettin’ too old to experience that,” the old man muttered.

  “I’m sorry, too, Virgil. Summer could use an extra pair of hands. According to Jesse Cook, his grandfather thinks the first snowfall’s just around the corner. Jesse plans to have his cows at the stockyard by the end of next week.”

  “Hmm. Does Summer know?”

  “Yep. So if she thinks we ought to forget about taking Rory and head out in the morning, I can be ready. Trace or someone will have to wake me up, though.”

  “You look half dead. Scram. Sleep. I’ll run this by Summer, and then ship her off to bed, too.”

  Flashing the okay sign with his thumb and forefinger, Colt procee
ded to check Moon Shadow, Gambler and Mystic before dragging off to bed.

  He woke up slowly, hearing a tap, tap, tap at his door. He squinted at the clock and saw it was just past midnight. “Man,” he grumbled. “I know I won’t like cattle ranching if roundups start in the middle of the night.” Yanking on his pants, he stalked out of the bedroom. Bright light hit his eyes, making him blink. Colt realized he’d forgotten to shut off his living room lights.

  Expecting Trace, he flung open the door.

  Summer caught Colt midway in a yawn, barefoot, pants zipped but not buttoned. She lost what she’d been about to say. A letter she’d been holding fluttered from her hand to the floor.

  “Summer?” Colt covered his yawn. “I, uh, figured Trace had come to get me up.”

  “I’m sorry. Everyone else is asleep. Your lights were on. I thought you were up, or I’d never have bothered you,” she mumbled, bending to retrieve the fallen paper.

  More awake by the moment, Colt saw that her eyes were puffy and swollen as if she’d been crying. Looking more closely, he noticed traces of tears on her cheeks. Concerned, he pulled her inside and closed the door. “Bad news?” he asked, staring at the crumpled page in her hand. “Oh, is it from the last bank? They won’t give you a loan?” He realized how much he’d been hoping they would. Then the consortium would back off. Pull out. Overdevelopment, not ranching, was what concerned them.

  She shook her head, grasping her lower lip between her teeth as she handed him the crumpled sheet of paper.

  It was short and to the point. Not from a bank. A law firm. Colt read it once then went back to read it again. “What kind of garbage is this? Frank’s going to sue for full custody of Rory if you persist in delaying the sale of the ranch?”

  In response, Summer burst into tears.

  Colt threw the letter on the sofa. Cradling her in his arms, he rocked her back and forth, gently rubbing her back.

  “Rory’s the big reason I’ve been holding out. He lo-loves it here. It’s the only home he’s known. The only ho-home I’ve known.”

  “Shh.” Colt was afraid that if he could get his hands on Frank Marsh at the moment, he’d do the man serious harm.

  “It’s the end, Coltrane.”

  “It’s not, Summer. The court gave you six months. One bank is still considering your loan application. Anyway, I’ll bet Frank’s bluffing.” He was no longer thinking about SOS but about easing Summer’s pain.

  She leaned far enough back to study him. “You don’t think Frank will actually follow through with filing for custody?”

  Colt released a hand and wiped away her tears. “Frank’s deploying the next weapon in his arsenal. Do you believe he wants sole custody of Rory?”

  “No-o.” Summer’s breath hitched raggedly, and she buried her face in Colt’s warm shoulder.

  He pressed his nose into her clean-smelling hair. She’d washed it since they’d come home. No hint of smoke remained. Only the enticing, flowery scent Colt had come to associate with Summer Marsh. Tiny fires licked through his bloodstream, igniting a greater need in his belly. Somewhere in the back of his mind a voice warned him to send her home at once.

  The truth of the situation became all too clear. He should be phoning Marc or Marley to fill them in on Frank’s latest ploy to rush the sale. How much money had Marley raised to date? Enough?

  Summer ran her tongue along his collarbone. She followed that with a sharp nip near the pulse thumping madly in his throat. All thought of anyone but the woman in his arms fled his mind.

  Lightly, Colt ran two fingers up and down the side of Summer’s neck.

  The minor friction heated the blood beginning to leap through her veins. She gazed at him from beneath lashes spiked with lingering tears.

  Groaning, Colt lifted her off her feet. “Stop me now, if you’re going to,” he said, his voice rough.

  Summer knew that what she wanted from him probably was all wrong, considering the mess her life was in. Definitely all wrong. Hadn’t the friends she’d been helping at the granary issued subtle warnings? Several had asked what she knew about Coltrane Quinn or his friend who’d popped up out of nowhere.

  Summer ignored the messages, both subtle and overt. She had trouble explaining to herself how Colt drove the breath from her body and sent her pulse rocketing. “Come home with me,” she whispered. “I left Rory asleep.” Her heart galloped furiously inside her chest as she waited for Colt to refuse.

  His answer was to push the light switch with his elbow, plunging them into darkness. Too bad if Virgil or Audrey or Tracey saw him tramping barefoot between their houses, carrying his boss. Something stronger than common sense had taken hold of his addled brain.

  She directed him through a back door, into her office.

  Colt saw she’d left the door ajar when she’d raced out with the letter from Frank’s attorney. As the door clicked shut behind them, Colt saw a massive couch in the corner. He must have missed seeing it earlier. It crossed his mind that using the couch would reduce their lovemaking to something furtive. The very thought left a bad taste in Colt’s mouth. Yet he understood that she wouldn’t want to chance Rory waking unexpectedly and finding him in her bed.

  “Next time we’ll do this right,” he muttered tightly.

  Nodding shyly, she slipped from his arms and reached for the lamp switch, at the same time unsnapping her jeans.

  “No.” Colt caught her hand before the lights went out. “I want to see you, Summer. And I want you to see me. If we do this, it has to be real.”

  She fought a wave of emotion that overtook her with staggering speed. “Tonight may be all we have,” she whispered. “I promise I’ll do my best to make my part real.”

  Colt stilled her hands. His heart thudded so loudly, he thought it must have drowned out the ticking of the wall clock. “The night’s pretty far gone. And so am I,” he said in a husky, unsteady voice.

  She thrilled to his touch as he divested her gently of her shirt and jeans. She felt awkward when, without words, he indicated she should return the favor. For someone who’d been married as long as she had, Summer had precious little experience in the art of making love.

  Sensing it, Colt kissed her and murmured softly, “I’m humbled by your gift of trust.” He ran his hands through her glorious hair, then scooped her up and placed her carefully on the cool leather of the couch.

  His hands and kisses roamed every inch of her exposed skin before he let their bodies touch. Let them touch and meet, from her soft breasts to his taut thighs.

  By then, Summer’s flesh pulsed and danced as if on fire. “Please,” she gasped, feeling unable to lift her leaden arms. Her skin might burn against the fabric of the couch, but her blood had suddenly grown hot and thick.

  Colt’s control left him. He wanted this to be perfect for her. He wanted her pleasure to last. But he’d never before known a woman who, by the merest touch, could drive him to the brink of insanity. He’d been wrong in thinking his and Monica’s sex life was the best part of their marriage. Compared to being with Summer, he’d had nothing before this.

  Their arms and legs tangled easily. His body already steamy with sweat, it was all Colt could do to scrabble for his pants, extract his billfold and fumble out the necessary packet tucked behind the picture of his military unit. A precaution drilled into him in boot camp.

  Summer sat up abruptly. Her eyes lit with heartfelt thanks when she realized what occupied his attention.

  “Wanna help?” he asked, his own hands doing a poor job of separating the latex from the clingy package.

  She’d never handled a condom before, tucked away on the ranch as she’d been until Frank appeared and her dad had hustled them to the altar. But Summer was a quick study. She rolled the condom on Colt deftly, even though she trembled all over in anticipation of what would follow. As soon as protection was in place, Summer arched to receive him.

  Colt sank into her. He imagined that his heart had stopped for a moment as she closed arou
nd him tightly. Muscles tensed all along his arms when he levered himself up on his elbows. Finding her lips unerringly, Colt swallowed her joyous cry as he set the pace. Slow and delicious at first and then… Their blood pumped faster the nearer they drew to combined ecstasy.

  Summer knew she’d waited a lifetime for this moment as her nails bit into the strong slope of his shoulders and her body rose to meet his and claim the unspeakable pleasure Coltrane offered.

  The room fell away, and all thought dissolved when for a stunning moment they seemed to hang together in thin air. Summer climaxed a heartbeat before Colt.

  Neither realized they’d fallen off the couch until the trusty old wall clock bonged out first one hour, then a second.

  “It’s 2:00?” Summer stirred to run her hands along Colt’s limp arms.

  “Go away,” he muttered. “I’ve died and gone to heaven.”

  “No.” She sighed. “Much as I’d like to remain as we are, we both need to get back to our beds and grab a couple of hours’ sleep. Rory and Tracey set their alarms for five. They planned to have roundup under way by six. Frankly, I’m surprised Rory went to sleep, he was so excited to think I’d let him miss a day of school.” She gave a soft smile. “My dad always let me tag along on roundups, and I have such wonderful memories of those times….” She nudged him. “Come on. Let’s get moving.”

  Colt groaned. But he rolled off her. “I can’t believe we’re on the floor.”

  She laughed nervously, reaching for her clothing as she scrambled up.

  “Hey, you’re not going to be sorry about this when daylight comes, are you?”

  She hurriedly tugged on her jeans. Battling a blush, Summer tucked her skimpy panties in a front pocket. “Coltrane. I’m not…I don’t…this isn’t—” She wrapped her shirt over her bare breasts.

  He leapt up and stilled her, pressing three fingers softly over her quivering lips. “I’m well aware of that. There’s something between us, and we’ve skated around it since the day we rescued the eaglets. Maybe it’s out of our systems now, and maybe not. Quit beating yourself up. Go on to bed. We’ll rehash this later.” Releasing her, Colt turned his back and stepped into his own pants.