Gimme Some Sugar

by Stephanie Berget

  “I don’t want your husband or anyone’s husband,” Cary said to the empty room. “I’m doing fine on my own.” Why did her mind always go blank when she was confronted with an attack? Why did she always think of something to say when the other person had left? Because she wasn’t doing fine, and a big part of her wanted a man like Micah.

  ~~~

  It had only taken a few minutes to install the new bulb and taillight cover on Cary’s car. He couldn’t do anything about the crumpled metal on the side of the fender, but now she wouldn’t get a ticket for having the light out. After wiping the plastic lens free of dust, he gathered his tools then headed for the barn. He’d converted the end stall into a workshop when he was still in high school. He hung the screwdriver on the pegboard wall, and turned to find Marlene standing in the doorway.

  “What do you want?” Their relationship had been antagonistic since she’d decided to leave him and Willa Wild, but this visit was the worst yet. He tried to brush by, but she grabbed his belt and pulled him back.

  “Don’t you have a few minutes to talk?” Marlene ran her hand down his arm and smiled. “I need to ask a tiny little favor.”

  Micah leaned back against the wall and stuffed his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. He couldn’t count the number of times he’d fantasized about never having met this woman. Wished that he’d walked away when she’d come up to him in the bar so many years ago. But if he had, he wouldn’t have Willa, and he’d put up with any amount of irritation and scheming to have his daughter. “What now?” He could read her like a book, and she wanted something she didn’t think he’d give.

  “Well, you see. I’ve been working on a film.”

  His bark of laughter wiped the smile from her face. “Working?”

  “No, hear me out. It’s about a group of Texas women trying to make it on their own, and how hard it is.” She pouted, her eyes filling with tears. “They are late paying me.”

  “You’ve never been on your own.” Only after they’d married had he found out she’d moved from boyfriends to sugar daddies with ease. He’d been the only one foolish to make her his wife.

  “Micah!”

  He pulled out his wallet. “How much do you need this time?”

  She placed her hand over his, and lifted to give him a kiss on the cheek. “Oh, I can’t take your money.”

  He jerked away. “Since when?” Pulling out a hundred dollar bill, he held it out to her.

  The shocked look on her face made him laugh. Her eyes narrowed and she pursed her lips. “Put that away.” Marlene walked to the bench in the aisle and sat down.

  She looked desperate, but Micah had seen her acting skills on more than one occasion. The film should have been right up her alley. She should have been on Broadway. “Again, what do you want?”

  “I need a place to stay for a while.” She sat with her forearms on her knees. Raising her head, she hurried on trying to get the words out before he cut her off. “Not for too long, and I won’t cause any problems. Please.”

  “No.” The last thing Micah wanted was to be around this woman twenty-four hours a day or even twenty-four minutes.

  “Please, I don’t have anywhere else to go.” Marlene got on her knees in the dust, and held her hands up to him. She was begging. “Think of Willa Wild.”

  Anger burned through him like a wild fire on a windy day. He grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. “Think of Willa? When have you ever thought of your daughter?” Even as he raged at her, he knew he’d let her stay. He was caught like a coyote in a snare trap. The first thing she’d do was to tell Willa he’d kicked her mama out. Make him look like the bad guy. One day he’d have to explain to his daughter about her mother, but not today. “How long?”

  “Only a week. I told them to send the check here and as soon as I get it, I’ll be gone.” A wide grin spread across her flawless face. She’d gotten her way and everything was right in her world. “You won’t even know I’m here.”

  “One week.”

  She threw herself at him in an attempt to give him a hug, but he stepped back. “Stay out of my way.” Turning, he hurried out of the barn. He’d never make it a whole week with Marlene living in the same house.

  What in the hell had he done to deserve that devious woman? Sure, he could be a jackass sometimes, but he tried to be honest and fair. She was the gag gift that kept on giving. He stormed up the back steps. Frustration caused him to overreact, and he threw the door open, slamming against the wall.

  Cary dropped a large bowl and chopped vegetables scattered across the floor. Goodun woke from his nap by the pantry and rushed toward Micah, the hair on the nape of his neck ruffled. He bounced around Micah’s feet. Those high-pitched growls would be scary one day, but right now, they were all bluff.

  It was the fear on Cary’s face that caught him by surprise. She started toward the living room at a run. He heard her cry out as she tripped over the scatter rug.

  Micah hurried to help her get up, stepping over an angry Goodun, but she scooted to the fireplace and grabbed a piece of kindling. “Get away!” She scrambled to her knees, holding the wood like a baseball bat.

  He stopped and squatted in front of her. “Take it easy. I’m not going to hurt you.” He held out one hand, but she swatted it away.

  “Damn right, you’re not.” Fear and determination rolled off her in waves. She struggled to her feet, never taking her eyes off him.

  Someone had done a job on her. Micah rose slowly then took a couple of steps back, giving her some room. “Cary, I’m not going to hurt you.” He sat on the couch, hoping he presented a less threatening figure.

  She dropped her arm to her side, and reached down to pick up the puppy. Her eyes remained wary, but he didn’t think she’d hit him now. “You scared me,” she said, her voice a whisper, her hand stroking the soft fur. “Don’t do that again.”

  He couldn’t contain his laughter. As soon as the sound came out, he realized he should have tried harder. “You can be sure I won’t. Are you all right?”

  “This isn’t funny.” Her hands were shaking, and she looked like she might collapse onto the floor.

  “It’s not.” He nodded to the rocker. “Sit down, please.”

  Her gaze darted to the chair then back to him. She must have decided he wasn’t going to attack her, and she lowered herself into the chair still holding the piece of wood.

  “Want to put the kindling back in the box?”

  She nodded then froze. “I…I’m….” The wood hit the floor with a loud clatter and rolled beneath the oak side table. Cary’s eyes were wide, and she put the pup on the floor quickly.

  In two steps he was by her side. Her face had faded to a nasty shade of gray. He pushed her head between her knees then gently kneaded her shoulders. “You’ll be okay in a minute. Just relax.”

  When she raised her head, some of the color was back in her cheeks.

  “Better?” Micah looked up as the front door creaked.

  Marlene stood just inside the door, a small smile on her face. “Am I interrupting?”

  Chapter Seven

  Wasn’t that just a homey scene? The western décor set off the picture of Micah almost in a clinch with his so-called cook. The sight of her husband—make that ex-husband but he was hers none the less— kneeling over that Cary woman, his arm around her shoulders, made Marlene’s chest tighten and her blood pressure rise.

  She’d heard rumors of Micah dating one local girl or another after she’d left for Dallas, but he’d never been serious and the relationships hadn’t lasted over a few months. There’d always been a room for her when she came home. And this as her home.

  The look he gave Cary set off warning bells in her brain. No way was she letting this blonde move in on her territory. Marlene couldn’t stay with Micah and their daughter full time. She’d wither and grow old here on the ranch, but she didn’t want to give up her place here either. These people were her safety net.

  “Marlene, you
’d better think about what you’re going to say.” Micah held her gaze a moment then turned back to Cary.

  Cary drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes. Bracing her hands on the chair, she stood, hanging on until her legs stopped shaking. “I’m fine. I’ll just go upstairs for a few minutes.”

  Micah’s hands lightly touched her waist, ready to catch her if she fell. “You’ll sit here and make sure you’re okay.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her onto the couch.

  Marlene’s first instinct was to shift into attack mode, but she remembered the talk they’d had in the barn. Micah had warned her. It took a lot to piss Micah off, but when he made up his mind, there was no changing it.

  She pasted a sympathetic expression on her face and hurried across the room, giving them her best, worried look. “Are you all right, honey? Can I get you anything?”

  Apprehension still lingered in Cary’s eyes and as Marlene thrust out her hand, Cary ducked her head before she caught herself. Marlene saw real fear, not a made-up emotion to get Micah’s sympathy. This might make for an interesting couple of weeks. Someone had done a number on the cook.

  “I’m fine—really.” Cary ran her fingers through that white blonde hair, causing it to stick out in all directions.

  Even messed up, she looked exotic. It just wasn’t fair. Marlene was pretty in a hometown girl kind of way, but she’d always wanted to be so much more. Maybe she’d try biker boots.

  “Let me get you a glass of water.” Micah hurried away.

  Marlene sat on the floor beside Cary. “Did you fall?” She was dying to know how Cary ended up on the floor with Micah playing caretaker. “Or trip?”

  “No—well, yes. Kind of.” Cary leaned her head against the brown leather of the sofa and pulled Goodun into her lap. Her eyes closed, and she gave a soft sigh.

  What was she hiding? She couldn’t have given a more ambiguous answer if she’d tried. Marlene did love a mystery. As she studied Cary, the front door sailed open and slammed against the wall.

  Cary nearly fell off the couch. Her hand flew to her mouth.

  “We gots new babies. Lots of ‘em.” Willa Wild rushed into the room. The curly red hair Marlene had carefully braided just after she’d arrived had come undone and floated around the freckled face like Medusa’s locks.

  “Willa Wild, you go back out the door and come in like a lady.” Marlene stood and gave the child her best mom-look. She was kind of out of practice, but Willa Wild got the message.

  “Mama, I’m a cowgirl, not a lady. Ask Pa.” She stomped one little cowboy boot.

  The move might have been more effective if she hadn’t had a pink tutu over her jeans. When Marlene put her hands on her hips, her daughter shrugged then walked outside, the toes of her boots dragging along the red tile of the entryway.

  A second after the door closed, it opened again without the bang. With exaggerated sweetness, she bowed to Marlene and Cary. “Hi, ladies.” The frown from a minute ago was gone, and the smile was back.

  Marlene smiled in return. She didn’t know how it had happened, but her daughter was the happiest child ever born. “Tell Ms. Crockett you’re sorry you scared her.”

  “I scared you?” Willa Wild ran over to Cary and plopped down beside her. She scooted her butt into the space between Cary and the arm of the couch and scratched the puppy behind the ears. “I’m sorry. I was excited.”

  “It’s okay. What were you saying about the babies? Puppies, kittens or calves?”

  Marlene stood back and watched the interaction between her daughter and the woman. Cary seemed genuinely interested in what Willa Wild said. She had to give the cook points for making the girl believe she was listening.

  “Calves, three of them. One is black, and one is red, but the best one has speckles all over its butt.” Willa turned to her mother. “I’m calling it Frosty. Barnsey let me pet Frosty.”

  She’d tried to make her daughter a lady, but it was as if the girl had been born one of the ranch creatures. Being here only once every few months made it harder, but Marlene was determined. “Go wash your hands then come back, and we’ll help Cary with dinner.”

  When the little girl had left the room, Marlene decided to get right to the point. “Micah and I might be separated, but he’s still mine.” She waited to see what Cary would say. One thing Marlene was good at was reading people.

  Cary drew in a sharp breath, a bright flush covering her cheeks.

  Gotcha!

  Cary stood and turned on Marlene, one hand balled into a fist, the other grasping the puppy to her side. “How about you take care of your life, and I’ll take care of mine, and mine doesn’t include Micah.” She turned and hurried toward the kitchen, side stepping Micah as he came back with a glass of water.

  Micah watched Cary then turned to Marlene. “What did you say now?”

  “Nothing. Cary seems upset about something. I’m worried about her.” When Micah shook his head and left, she headed for the stairs. It was time to go into full diva mode and get rid of this interloper.

  Riffling through her closet, Marlene chose then discarded one outfit after another. When she touched the red floral summer dress, she knew. She’d worn this dress the day Micah had proposed. She’d often wondered why she kept the thing. Guess her sub-conscious knew she’d have a use for it one day.

  With her hair flowing loose and the dress hugging her body, Marlene went to find her husband. Just as she’d expected, he was in the kitchen helping Cary clean up the mess she’d made when she dropped the bowl of vegetables.

  Marlene stood in the door and waited. “Can I help?” She turned on her southern accent. The one Micah had loved when they’d first met. When Marlene wanted to be nice, she could be sweeter than a cherry pie at a summer picnic.

  When Micah finally looked up, his gaze locked on her body and a delicious shiver went up her spine. She still had it.

  “What can I do?” She moved into the room, her hips swaying. She lifted her hair and pushed it back over her shoulders. “Cary, you should be laying down. I’ll cook.”

  A sharp bark of laughter came from Micah.

  One of Marlene’s natural born talents was pushing things too far. Offering to cook send Micah over the edge. “I can make sandwiches, Micah.”

  “If someone shows you where the bread is.” Micah stood and dumped the veggies in the trash then turned to her, the look of appreciation gone. “When we were married, you’d have starved rather than cook. What are you up to?”

  ~~~

  Cary poured four blobs of pancake batter onto the large griddle then turned to flip the bacon. Caffeine from two cups of black coffee coursed through her veins. The magic elixir was a necessity this morning. She should have gone back downstairs last night, but after hearing the angry voices, she didn’t have the energy to listen to Micah and Marlene bicker for another minute. When the adrenaline from her scare dissipated, she’d been overcome with exhaustion. Still, she spent a big portion of the night wondering about the people on this ranch.

  Cary heard scratching at the door and opened it to let Goodun in. Maybe it was because she loved the pup or the fact that he was her first pet, but she thought he must be smarter than other puppies his age.

  Goodun wagged his stubby tail then walked to the old towels Micah had used to make him a bed. Turning three times, he plopped down and closed his eyes. She didn’t know how she’d keep him, but she wasn’t giving him up.

  Walking back to the breakfast fixings, Cary wondered how Marlene fit in to this household. She was Willa Wild’s mother, sure, but how did Micah feel about his ex-wife? He’d told Cary there was nothing between them, and he didn’t seem to have a civil word to say to Marlene. The fact remained, the woman had her own room, and according to Willa Wild, her mama seemed to come back to stay whenever she felt like it.

  And then there was Micah. Attractive in a rough, cowboy way, he brought up visions of a home and babies. In another time and place, she might have time to get t
o know him, but Marlene had made it clear they still had something going.

  Another sip of coffee didn’t do much for the jitters she’d woken with this morning. Lack of sleep did that to her. The thought of seeing Micah added to her anxious feeling. His touch sent tingles across her nerve endings; his scent warmed her to the core.

  She stacked the pancakes on the platter and turned to the bacon. As she transferred the food to the table, one piece of bacon dropped to the floor. Goodun was on it before it touched the linoleum.

  “Quick little bugger.” At the sound of Micah’s deep voice, she almost dropped the pancakes.

  She looked at the cowboy then back to the puppy. He was crouched over the meat, growling with a high-pitched puppy sound. “He’s going to be a good watch dog.”

  “If you ask him to guard bacon.” Micah sat at the table and forked a pile of pancakes and half a pound of pork onto his plate. “I’m going into town this morning. Want to come along?”

  In the week she’d spent here, she’d gotten a better handle on the kinds and amounts of food needed to keep the ranch running. “Sure. I’ve been keeping a list of things I need.”

  “As soon as the men are done meet me out back.” Micah stacked his dishes in the sink and disappeared in the direction of his office.

  It still amazed Cary how fast these men could put away mounds of food, but within a half hour the kitchen was empty, and she worked to clean it. She’d just wiped off the table when Micah appeared.

  “I’ve got to finish tonight’s dinner. Give me a minute.” Cary sat two crockpots on the counter. After filling each one with a roast, potatoes and carrots, she sprinkled the spice packets on top then added beef broth. No way would the men go hungry tonight. She washed her hands then followed Micah to the truck.

  They didn’t say much on the drive into town. Caught up in her own thoughts, it was kind of nice settling into a comfortable silence.

  Micah pulled to the curb in front of the grocery and turned off the key. “Got your list?”

  Cary nodded. This was the third time she’d been to East Hope. The first time, she’d only seen the restaurant and spent a short time in the store. The second, she’d tried to use Micah’s credit at the co-op. This time, she wanted to look around the town and get to know some of the people. She climbed out of the pickup and looked around the small town. The buildings were old and timeworn, but the streets were clean, and it was obvious the townspeople cared about their city.