Desperado: Deep in the Heart, Book 2

by Tina Leonard

  “Thank you for the compliment. I’ve always heard that imitation was the sincerest form of flattery.” She smiled, pleased.

  Cody realized she just wasn’t getting it. “Stormy, she’s going to ask you if it hurt to get three holes in your ear.”

  “Oh, at her age, that’s not a very good idea,” she said quite seriously. “Although she can probably just ask you about ear piercing.”

  “I just have one hole. I don’t know anything about three!”

  “Well, I shouldn’t think it makes a whole lot of difference. Tell her I said she should wait until she’s older. That’s what I would tell my daughter—and my son.”

  “No boy of mine would ever have three holes in his ears.” Cody sent her a look of total disapproval.

  “Well, most parents would say that about one hole. Does your mother ever complain that her son wears an earring?”

  “I wish you wouldn’t get on my back and get me off my subject, woman! Do you know that no matter what subject we’re on, we never stay on it for more than five seconds? It’s like you have no concentration.”

  “Me?” Stormy stepped forward and punched his chest lightly with one finger. “I’m not the one who went from hairdos to earrings! You did.”

  He considered that for a moment. “It’s just that you get me so twisted up.”

  “You get yourself all twisted up.” She shook her head at him. “Don’t try to blame me for your shortcomings.”

  There was nothing he could say to a woman who was so certain she was right about everything. “I reckon you’ll be heading down to Shiloh tonight.” It was a straw he clung to. Life would slow down considerably when this woman was out of his town.

  “No. I’m staying here.”

  “For how long?”

  “Until the week is out.”

  “But you’re going to do a deal in Shiloh!” He felt his bravado shrinking. Surely he wasn’t going to have to hear about Stormy, think about Stormy, dream about Stormy, for another whole week.

  “I like it better here. Why would I go stay in a town where the food is poisonous?” She looked at him as if he weren’t all right in the head. “It’s only twenty minutes away, and I know how to drive, Cody.” She took a deep breath. “But it isn’t a problem, anyway. I returned Annie’s message, and she and I are close to an agreement. She just wants some more information on what all will be involved with the movie, as far as using her land is concerned.”

  Cody dropped into the chair Stormy had first offered him. He mulled the situation over rapidly. Annie wanted her restaurant, which would keep her very busy. She was also pregnant and sapped from morning sickness. Strangers coming and going all the time, making noise and dropping trash would be a strain on her. Mary was quite a handful right now, too. She claimed Annie didn’t spend any time with her anymore. A movie was a lot for Annie to take on at this time in her life. But she was dead set on doing this for Mary. Annie would also give her right arm to do anything that was good for Desperado.

  He would do anything for Annie. “No,” he said slowly, “I don’t think you should do that. Answer me one question.” He raised his eyes to hers. “Why Desperado?”

  “Well, it had to be Texas. They wanted flat land for filming. They also wanted weather that would be relatively dry and warm most of the time. It had to be an area with lots of space. I came this way, and I fell in love.” She looked at him with an expression in her eyes that touched him. “I simply like this area, this town, these people. It feels like something I haven’t had before.”

  He nodded slowly. “It’s a good place.”

  “I know.”

  They stared at each other for what seemed like a long time. Finally, Cody said, “I’ll let you use my land.”

  “You will?” Stormy’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

  “Yeah. I must be crazy, but I will.”

  “Oh, this is wonderful! I can’t believe it! This is—”

  “No, it’s not,” he interrupted. “It’s not going to be wonderful. You’ve turned my life inside out, you’ve got my niece thinking harebrained stuff, you’ve got respectable people acting like yo-yos. I don’t know how one little hundred-pound female’s got a bunch of folks acting like they lost all the sense they were born with.”

  “None of that’s true.” She gave him a hurt look. He ignored it.

  “It is true. Everything was calm, like a river. Now it’s like a meteor landed in the water and shot everything out in different directions.”

  “You don’t sound like you like me very much.” She gazed at him sadly. “Why are you going to let us use your land?”

  “Because I love Annie. Because I love Mary. And they both want it. But it has nothing to do with you.” He felt cruel, and obviously his words were, because Stormy flinched.

  “Fine, Cowboy.” She turned her back to him, presenting him with another very nice view. “I’ll have the papers sent to your house, and I’ll tell Annie you and I came to terms.”

  “That’s just fine, Trouble,” he said, adopting her attitude. “But you have to promise me you won’t put any more weird stuff into Mary’s head.”

  She shrugged. “I’ll stay as much out of all of your ways as possible. We shouldn’t even have to see each other.”

  He wasn’t sure that was exactly what he’d wanted. But now that he’d drawn such a stern, uncompromising line with her, he’d have to go with it. “I’m sure that’s for the best.”

  “I’m sure it is.”

  Her slender back stayed firmly turned toward him. He’d hurt her, and he knew it. He just didn’t know how to undo it. They weren’t resolving this the way they should be, with both feeling like something good was happening for everybody.

  “Shouldn’t we shake on this or something? Isn’t that how business deals are usually conducted?” he asked.

  She didn’t reply for a moment. Then she said, “Nothing about this is completely business, and you and I both know it.”

  His jaw sagged. It was true. He felt a little silly for trying to pretend that it was, just so he could stay in her company for another couple of seconds under the guise of business. It was irritating that she wasn’t fooled by his bluff, and had bald-faced called him on it without so much as an ounce of bashfulness. Grimacing, he opened the door, glanced at her back one more time, and left.

  Chapter Nine

  Stormy knew she had to call Annie after Cody left, even though she really wanted to sit down and think about why the cowboy made her so mad she could feel herself sizzling in his presence. Forcing her mind off him, she dialed the number.

  “I want to let you know that Cody was just by here,” she said when Annie answered the phone. “He really felt strongly that it would be best for everyone if the movie was made at his place. I hope that’s all right with you.”

  “Well, yes. I’m a little surprised he changed his mind. That’s not like him.”

  Stormy could imagine it wasn’t. “I don’t know why he did, actually. It was a complete surprise. He came to my room awful mad, but then, he stays that way with me.”

  “Oh, Stormy. Don’t let Cody worry you. He’s got a lot on his mind.”

  That was putting it mildly. She wondered if Annie knew that Cody had made a trip to the beauty salon to get his niece’s hair dyed back the color it should have been. She decided it was a topic best not mentioned.

  “Stormy, I have a favor to ask of you.”

  She liked Annie. Although she couldn’t imagine what the favor was, she would do what she could for this woman. “How can I help you?”

  A moment passed before Annie spoke again, and Stormy briefly wondered if she was uncomfortable.

  “Zach and I are leaving on a trip this weekend. A second honeymoon.”

  “I know. I’m so happy for you,” Stormy murmured.

  “Cody and his mother are going to keep an eye on Mary while we’re gone.”

  “I’ve just been the recipient of their hospitality myself.”

  Annie l
aughed. “I heard. Well, I would worry a little less if Mary could spend some time with you. Carmen is a wonderful mother-in-law. We’ve stayed close, even through her son’s…my husband’s death. And Cody, gosh, I can’t say enough about Cody. He’s great with Mary.” She paused a second. “But right now I know my daughter needs more. She needs a friend, someone she can trust. She looks up to you, Stormy. You’ve been such a good influence on her.”

  Stormy nearly fell out of the chair she was sitting in. If Cody could hear what Annie had just said, he would swear she’d lost her mind. “I don’t think—”

  “Oh, yes, you are. Mary’s a completely different person since you’ve been to town.”

  “Ah—yeah.” She was sitting in a beauty salon with orange hair. Completely different, thanks to Stormy.

  “She didn’t have siblings. She’s worried about how this baby will displace her. The truth is, I think she enjoys talking to you. She’s going to tell you things she wouldn’t feel comfortable telling Zach or me. Or Cody.”

  “I don’t know—”

  “It’s a lot to think about, I know. But I see my shy little daughter coming out of her shell, and I know it’s because of this movie project, and because you think she would be right for a part in it. Teenagers like to know that they’ve got something special. Of course, to us, Mary is special. But her school friends are hard on her, and now she has something in her life that’s all hers. Am I making sense?”

  “Yes.” Annie was replaying everything Stormy had experienced in her teen years. Unfortunately, Cody would never see that she might be beneficial for Mary. “I just don’t think I’m the person you’re looking for.”

  “I know it’s a lot to ask. In fact, I don’t even have the right to ask. You’re here on business, and as a businesswoman, I know how much there is to do. But just spending an afternoon with you, or having lunch with you, would mean so much to Mary. Of course, I certainly understand if you’re not comfortable with the idea.”

  Stormy swallowed hard. She thought about Mary crossing the highway in the darkness. She remembered how much the girl had appreciated spending the night with her. Mary loved to go through Stormy’s cosmetics. Was it so very much to do for the awkward teenager, when Stormy wasn’t even going to be here much longer? Not too long ago, it had been Stormy who’d had no one to turn to.

  It was going to get her in scalding-hot water with Cody. But she took a deep breath and said, “It’s so easy for kids to get bored in the summer, anyway. Why don’t you let Mary stay with me for a day or so? She can swim in the pool, and listen to me make business calls. Not very exciting, but at least she’ll be in a different place for a couple of days. Maybe that will help.”

  “Oh, thank you, Stormy! I just knew you would understand.” Annie took a breath. “I’ll tell you a secret. Everyone thinks I’m so strong, such a rock. I don’t know any other way than to stand on my own two feet. But I love my daughter, more than I can ever say. And if it’s not me she needs right now, if it’s someone who sees her in a new light, then I’m not going to let my pride stand in the way of what she needs.”

  She paused, and Stormy hesitated, not quite sure what to say.

  “I can’t thank you enough for this. I’ll call Cody on his cell phone right now.”

  Annie hung up, and Stormy stared at the receiver in shock. Cody had just left her hotel room about five minutes ago, practically breathing fire. When he found out what she’d done before the color had even finished setting on Mary’s hair, he was going to have a fit.

  It would be best not to sit here like an unmoving target. She knew exactly what Cody would do when he got Annie’s call in his truck. He’d ricochet back in sixty seconds or less to give her a good lecture.

  She needed to be ready to step out the door the instant he arrived, with the excuse that she had a very important appointment and didn’t have any time to talk to him. If she hurried, she might make it to the parking lot before he got to the hotel. Quickly, she brushed her hair, her teeth, and ran a lipstick over her lips. She grabbed her purse, and flung the door open.

  Cody stood outside, his hand raised to knock. “Going somewhere?”

  “Yes, I was. I am. I have an appointment.”

  “You’ll have to be a few minutes late. I want to talk to you.”

  Her heart thundered in her chest. He was so large, his expression so forbidding, and she knew he was extremely displeased with her right now. “This isn’t a good time—”

  He strode into the room. She shook her head at him. “I’m sorry. I really am leaving—”

  Cody shut the door, all the while looking into her eyes. Without saying a word, he reached into his pocket and drew out a nail much too large to ever be used for hanging pictures.

  “Good thing I was riding fence this morning,” he said. “This is to make sure you and I come to an agreement.”

  Before her astonished gaze, he pulled off a boot and hammered the nail into the door. “You’re not leaving, and I’m not going, until we figure out how you can possibly stay in Desperado another week and not turn my life into a soap opera.”

  “I have no idea what you mean.”

  “You darn well do. I no sooner leave here than Annie calls to tell me that Mary’s staying with you for a few days. Was I not just in this room telling you that you’re a bad influence on the child? Did you mention to her mother that, because of you, Mary has fluorescent hair?”

  “No,” she said a bit weakly. “I didn’t want to get Mary in trouble.”

  “You didn’t want Annie thinking badly of you!” he thundered. “You’re not about to do anything that might jeopardize your movie deal!”

  “Well, I am,” she shot back. “Obviously, I’ve upset you, and you’re the one I made the deal with. So that doesn’t wash.” Angrily, she crossed her arms over her chest. “Either you take that nail out of the door, or I call the desk.”

  “No, you won’t. It’s just as much for your peace of mind as mine that we figure out a way to get along for the period of time you’ll be running in and out of Desperado. Because I have no hope that just because you say you’re only staying another week, it will really happen.”

  In the movie industry, who knew? Jonathan had mentioned something to her about flying back to Desperado later to work as an assistant to the director, if she managed to work this deal out. It was a job, and though she and Jonathan fought constantly, he did try to look out for her employment-wise.

  “I don’t know myself.”

  “That’s my point. I don’t think I’ve gotten a solid day’s work done since you’ve been here. You’ve got to stop meddling in my business—and my family. Mary has no reason to be here with you.”

  “On the contrary,” Stormy snapped, her feelings hurt, “Annie seems to think I’m a good influence on Mary.”

  “Of course she does! She doesn’t know about the hair and the three earrings she’s decided she wants!” Cody glared at her.

  “That’s not the point and you know it! You know what I think?” Stormy drew herself up to match his glare. “I think you’re jealous. Of me. I think you’re flustered because you know that Mary likes me.”

  He frowned at her. “There’s nothing about you at all that I find remotely flustering.”

  Stormy stared at Cody, thoroughly put out. The big man was going to jump from point to point and refuse to admit she wasn’t the problem. He thought it was all right to lock her in her room so they could talk, but that wasn’t what he wanted at all. He just wanted to blame her for things that weren’t all her fault. Yes, the hair-dying incident could be laid uncomfortably at her door, but Mary’s problems had started long before Stormy came to Desperado. And Crazy Cody was used to scaring people off, relying on his nickname to give himself some bluster.

  Well, she wasn’t fooled.

  “Cody, I’m asking you one last time to remove that nail,” she said quietly. “Or you’ll force me to do something drastic.”

  “I find everything about you drastic
. I’m past the shock stage, little woman.” He shook his head in the negative. “But all I want, all I’m asking for is for you to quit— What are you doing?”

  She knew how to stop his pointless arguing, his constant harping and posturing. Stormy reached under her shirt, pulled off her red satin bra, and tossed it at him.

  His jaw dropped. “Stormy—”

  Obviously, more ammunition was required to win a retreat from him. Her hand reached into her silky pants.

  Cody felt his heart going wild in his chest. What was the woman up to? He heard snap! snap! and a dainty piece of red lace and satin landed on his boots.

  “Maybe you and I should get to the real issue,” she said softly.

  She was torturing him! The tiny woman with the big mouth was determined to win at any cost, the she-devil! He felt sweat running down his brow. It would be best if he called “Surrender!” and left with his pride if nothing else.

  Her white blouse hit the floor. Cody stood riveted. The fight or flee instinct seared him. Either he could throw this woman to the bed and ravish her, or he could run out the door. But that would give her the upper hand, and the satisfaction of knowing she held all the winning cards.

  He had never been a coward. Cody stood fast, although her round breasts with russet-tipped nipples definitely had his complete attention. Surely, she didn’t intend to go any further with this game.

  She reached for the drawstring of her floral pants, her fingers hovering there. Something inside him snapped, and he reached to give the drawstring a good tug. The pants fell to the floor.

  Stormy Nixon was a true redhead in every sense of the word.

  She was also as beautiful as a goddess. His mouth dried up; his body reacted instantly.

  He had to have her.

  Stormy faltered at the hunger that flared in Cody’s eyes. For a second, she wondered if she’d pushed her luck too far. Something had taken over her, urging her to bring their relationship to the point that all the arguing was merely camouflaging. She wanted him, and he wanted her. He bent to take her in his arms, sweeping her up and over to the bed.