The Lawman's Apache Moon (Texas Lawmen Book 2)

by Debra Holt

  “I think we’ll need to renegotiate that contract of ours.” His words were breathless whispers against her cheek replaced by hot kisses and sweet nibbles below her ear.

  Somewhere in the delicious warmth of the fog he created in her brain she managed to respond. “Contract?”

  “The one where you stipulated ‘on paper only’. Because if I don’t leave now, we’ll be renegotiating in that bed behind you.”

  Bed? Paper? Her eyes flew open and she caught her breath. Talk about a dousing of cold water. Jace sensed the abrupt change, and did not move to stop her when she stepped out of his embrace. His eyes banked their passion while he watched her with a dark gray solemnity and his arms fell slowly to his sides.

  Angie fought to find words that would sound right. Jace was ahead of her. Touching her cheek lightly with a finger, he saved the moment for them both.

  “Just so you know, I won’t be apologizing for anytime I kiss you. I kinda like it… and so do you. But it’s late. Sleep well.” He turned and left the room.

  Her gaze lingered on the empty spot where he had just stood. In fact, the whole room seemed empty. Their day had been special. She would remember for a long time how it felt, being part of the joking and the laughter… the conversations about their traditions and so much more over the late supper at Marita’s home. The whole experience had left her both pleased and even more sad also. If only things could be different. While that thought crossed her mind, the reminder of why they couldn’t followed. There was too wide a gulf between their worlds and such a huge lie. But he said he “kinda liked” kissing her. And that was akin to having a bouquet of red roses handed to her. Could anything have meant more or been more romantic in the moment? A sigh escaped her.

  Jace was just making things worse. She should be upset with him. But how could she be? She had willingly participated in the kiss. Her body had responded even more so when he had mentioned the bed. Her eyes strayed to the wide expanse and, for a moment, a glimpse filled her mind of bronzed skin and powerful hands and… stop. Things were difficult enough without allowing those thoughts to color the situation. She couldn’t allow herself to dwell on what had just happened. As much as she tried to keep him tucked into a neat, safe box in her mind, he just kept finding a way to get past the defenses she had perfected over the years.

  It had been a long day, but a so very nice one. Angie could see other Sundays spent in much the same way and she smiled. What a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Then, the dark cloud of reality returned. This is not forever. She reminded herself for the hundredth time. Reality could and would come back one day. And all the kisses in the world wouldn’t change that.

  Chapter Ten

  Monday was a typical “Monday” at the shop. The electricians were running behind installing the intricate lighting accents Angie had ordered from the west coast. The office computer was suffering from a bout of glitches which had Zoe climbing the walls and making people stay away from her for fear of losing their heads if they ventured too close. Angie found her concentration lacking on important matters pertaining to business. Her mind kept replacing visions of numbers with memories of her weekend and the kisses with Jace kept intruding at the oddest moments.

  Her cell phone rang just before noon and, when she saw it was Jace calling, she experienced an immediate rush of happiness, clicking the answer button without hesitation.

  “Hi!” She hoped she didn’t sound as breathless as she felt.

  Angie could almost hear the reciprocating smile in his voice. “You sound like you’re having a good morning. I’m not interrupting anything important am I?”

  “Not at all. I meant you aren’t interrupting at all. My morning is not going that smoothly, but it’s typical business headaches… computers, ditsy assistants… the usual.” Was she rambling? Take a breath and calm down.

  “Well, I’m sure you’re handling it with your usual efficiency. I just had a moment between cases here at the courthouse. It looks like I have to fly to Utah this afternoon on an assignment for the office. I may not be back for a couple of days.”

  Her Monday just got worse. In fact, it bottomed out. Angie’s heart sank at the words. This would be the first time they had been apart in the last five weeks. Silence lengthened. She tried to sound normal in her reply.

  “I guess the honeymoon really is over.” She tried to joke away the disappointment.

  “But the homecoming will be all the sweeter,” Jace replied, his voice like warm honey reviving the spirit and sending a thrill through her. “Will you be okay? Maybe Carrie and Zoe could come over and stay at the house with you while I’m gone.”

  Angie stifled a chuckle. “If I manage to live all by myself in an apartment in New York City, I think I can manage to stay on my own in a heavily-alarmed home in Santa Fe.” Her tone did soften into a more solemn note of sincerity. “Although, it’s nice to have someone concerned enough to think about that sort of thing. Thanks.”

  “Get used to the fact that there are people here who do care about you… a lot,” he added.

  She didn’t know what to say in reply, but it didn’t matter.

  “They’re waiting on me, so I’ll call you when I can. Take care of yourself.” The line went dead. She didn’t get to say goodbye.

  The afternoon was a little better than the morning, but it still dragged on. Without Jace being home, there didn’t seem to be any reason to hurry home after the day’s business was finished. She joined Carrie and Zoe for an early dinner at a little bistro near the plaza, and then Angie made her way to the house on the mountainside.

  The pool looked inviting so she changed out of her clothes and into a swimsuit. It was the first time she had used the pool since her arrival and she found the water refreshing after her day. Angie floated on her back, watching the stars appear one by one in the sky. She envisioned Jace, and she wondered what he was doing. Was he looking up at the same stars?

  She chided herself for being so fanciful. Stargazing was probably not high on the list for a lawman’s schedule. Wherever he was, she hoped he was safe. While she tried not to dwell on the aspects of his job that brought him into contact with elements of danger, the thoughts still intruded at times. She told herself he was good at his job and she needed to trust that fact. But it dimmed the stargazing for her.

  It was certainly quiet without him. The water no longer held her interest so she toweled off and changed into a pair of comfy sweats and tee shirt and poured herself a glass of tea, before moving to a deep-cushioned chair in the living room. The soft light from the lamps cast a warm glow over the room. Her eyes sought the vibrant and comforting colors of the painting that had drawn her to this land and a smile filled her. Angie opened her sketchbook, but the minutes ticked by as she looked at the blank page. Instead of dress designs, her mind was seeing Jace’s smile, remembering the feel of his touch, his lips on hers. Hearing his laughter in the silent rooms. Those thoughts would get her nowhere fast.

  Angie’s mind went back to her visit to Taos. It was a shame that the headpiece she’d seen had been sold. It was quite exquisite. Marita had told her she could get another one if she really wanted one. She mulled it over for a bit. Then the idea came to her like a bright neon sign in her brain and her hand began to move across the page. Before long, Angie had sketched what she envisioned as the finale of her showing. It would be a beautiful wedding gown for a Santa Fe-inspired ceremony. Another vision came to her mind. What if she were wearing such a gown? And Jace was waiting for her at the end of the aisle? What if… two sad words. If only were two more.

  What if she had been raised in a real family like Jace’s? If only she had been strong enough to run away sooner. Would life have turned out any differently? Would she have wanted it to? Yes. Angie would answer affirmative to that one if it meant she could be worthy of being part of Jace’s life and family… for real. As it was, she was just an outsider. Jace had mentioned that word before.

  She was an outsider in Santa Fe. Her
values were far different from how he had been raised. Family meant everything to Jace. He had learned that lesson the hard way. Even though he had been through a very tough time, he still was part of a family… a family that came to rescue him and provided him with love and patience to grow and trust in. Angie was just the opposite.

  How did she know how to have love and patience when she had never been shown any? She had read about it… at night, often sitting in a closet with a flashlight. Her world had existed in the pages of books and magazines… beautiful things and places and people she would silently absorb during the dark lonely nights. They became her desires. Angie escaped from the daytime pain of her existence into a daydream world of beauty and people who loved her. That had been her key to survival.

  That, and the day she found the courage to run away from the last foster home. She used the feelings of fear to keep her focused on moving toward a place with no more fear. It became her shield. Angie was a good student in school and there were those teachers who would encourage her and try to help the young girl succeed, but just when she would settle into some sort of normalcy, a caseworker would show up at the door and she would take her suitcase and be driven to another set of strangers.

  If Angie had learned anything in her childhood, it was to accept and move on. Don’t get attached. Don’t let people get too close. That way, it wouldn’t hurt when they left. It had served her well over the years. Put up a brave, witty front and never shed a tear… especially for herself. Normal people, those with normal lives… they wouldn’t understand. And there was always the possibility of being shunned once more for not being “one of them.”

  Maybe Jace Blackhawke could be the person who would understand? Maybe she had already allowed him to get too close? She just knew she was alone and she missed him terribly, which meant her heart was vulnerable. He had slipped under her guard and came inside too easily.

  Angie stood up, shaking the thoughts from her mind. It was late and she needed to get to bed. As she switched off the lamps, there was a nagging emptiness about the fact he hadn’t called. He was probably too busy. At any rate, why should she expect a call? His family would never know if he called or not, so why would he?

  An hour later, Angie turned over in the big bed and fought again with her pillow. She just could not get comfortable. The clock ticked too loudly, counting off the minutes and hours until it would soon be time for her to begin another day. She didn’t want to show up at the office with bags under the eyes. Angie had just turned onto her side once more when the ringing of her cell phone broke the silence. Quickly, she scrambled from beneath covers, moving to sit up on the side of the bed. Late night calls invariably brought bad news. Except this time.

  “I hope I didn’t wake you. I had already dialed when I realized the late hour.” Jace’s voice sounded a bit tired but oh so nice. She smiled as the familiar thrill went through her at the sound of it.

  “No. No, it’s fine.” She reassured him, trying to keep some normalcy to her voice, but Angie couldn’t keep the smile from broadening on her face. “I spent most of the evening sketching and lost track of time myself. Did you have a good trip to Utah?”

  “Let’s say it was eventful. And, unfortunately, it looks like a couple days may turn into a longer stay.”

  She felt her heart drop at that bit of news. The smile melted away. She did her best to not let him sense her disappointment. “Really? How much longer?”

  “It could be up to a week, hopefully, no longer than Thursday evening. This case is turning out to be a little more complicated than we planned. We’re going out in the middle of nowhere tomorrow so I don’t know when I’ll get an opportunity to call you. That’s why I really wanted to be able to touch base this evening at least. If I do get to call tomorrow, it may be late.” He wanted to call her again! Her heart was smiling.

  “You don’t mind me calling, do you?”

  Did his voice hold a hint of uncertainty? Surely not. Jace Blackhawke could never be uncertain about anything. She must be more tired than she thought.

  “It’s fine. But don’t feel that you must call me. Your family isn’t around to know if you do or don’t, so there really isn’t any need for you to keep up pretenses.” Her self-preservation kicked in on its own. Angie was good at pushing people away… keeping them at arm’s length. Never expect anything and you won’t be disappointed when you don’t get it.

  There was a beat or two of silence on the other end of the line. She was sure she had managed to put up the roadblock again.

  “I’m not calling because of anyone else, Angie. I miss hearing your voice. I guess I’ve gotten used to talking to you about how our days went and such. Do you want me to stop calling?”

  “No.” Her answer came quickly and unscripted. “I’m glad you want to call. And it doesn’t matter what time. I’ll look forward to talking to you.”

  “I’m glad,” he responded, and she could almost feel his touch coming through the phone. “I have a surprise planned for this next weekend for you. That’s another reason that I’ll move heaven and earth to get back home as soon as possible.”

  “A surprise? What is it?”

  His laughter echoed on the line. “A surprise is just that… a surprise. You’ll have to be patient, or give it your best try. You’ll need an overnight bag. Pack jeans and a warm jacket. We’ll be going out into the country. And that’s all I’m saying. Just be ready. We’ll leave Friday afternoon. Are you game for it?”

  There was no hesitation. “Bring it on. And watch the remark about patience. I’ve had to practice that a lot since being around you.”

  “There’s my girl. I thought your wit might be getting a little rusty.”

  My girl… how would she be able to sleep now? She felt that lovely warmth spreading through her insides.

  “Get some sleep. Sweet dreams.” Jace hung up first.

  *

  The next two days passed at a snail’s pace. That wasn’t to say the hours weren’t filled. The shop was finally looking like one. Pottery, purchased from Aunt Victoria, sat on display shelves here and there, with artistic displays of jewelry and scarves added. An intricately carved table from Uncle Tomas, was featured prominently under the stained-glass dome that Angie had installed in the addition at the rear of the building. Lighted cases would have pinpoint lighting to show off the jewelry pieces she had chosen of Marita’s. Plants were still to be ordered for the other strategic spots. Of course, the bright colors and fabrics of the clothing were still being worked on in her warehouses in New York. She had just sent the last of her sketches off to her office assistant. Work would begin on them immediately. Angie couldn’t help but feel it would be one of the best collections she had ever presented.

  It was one more day before Jace would be home. Home. Angie found herself using that word more often than ever before. The people she had met since coming to this corner of the world had a lot to do with it. Marita, Aunt Victoria, Uncle Tomas, and so many more. She had met their friends while coming and going along the streets of Santa Fe. Everyone had time to stop and welcome her. Cousins and more cousins, whose names she would never be able to remember, had dropped by with gifts for the couple. She longed to open them but instead, she just left them stacked on the dining table in Jace’s house. They were meant for Jace and his wife… his real one. They would have to be returned once she was gone.

  Jace had called each night. He sounded tired at the end of his long day and the conversations were short. Being able to hear his voice made each day bearable with that to look forward to in the evening. Besides, she couldn’t keep her mind off the surprise he had spoken of.

  Angie was in a good frame of mind and barely noted the fact that Zoe was later than usual in getting back from lunch on Thursday. She was oblivious to the stifled giggles coming from Carrie’s office. One more day and Jace would be home! That was the single thought occupying her mind as the clock chimed three o’clock. She wanted to tie up the last loose ends so she could enjo
y the next three days with Jace and whatever his surprise was.

  “Excuse me.” Carrie interrupted her thoughts.

  Angie looked up from her desk to see the woman standing in the doorway of Angie’s office. The feigned look of nonchalance on her face did not register on Angie. Her thoughts were otherwise occupied.

  “There seems to be a problem with a delivery at the back door. Can you come down and check it out?”

  A frown creased Angie’s forehead. She was trying to hurry her own project along and now she would have to stop and straighten out something else.

  “Why can’t you handle it? Or what about Zoe?”

  “Zoe is on the phone with some IT guy and you know how long that could be,” Carrie replied smoothly. “Besides, the delivery person said you were the only one who could sign for the delivery.”

  “Oh my heavens!” Angie gave up. She moved away from her desk and past Carrie. She took the stairs quickly. “This better be important.” She might sound a bit shrewish, but she wanted nothing to interfere with her time with Jace over the weekend. Any interruption might set the time back.

  “I think it is.” The voice brought her to a halt as she turned the corner. Jace stood just inside the back door, his face creased into a marvelous smile as his eyes moved over her look of pure astonishment.

  “Have I managed to make you speechless? Some homecoming this is. Can’t a guy even get a hug around here?” His arms opened at that moment and it was a good thing. Angie’s feet were on autopilot, making a beeline straight into them.

  She laughed out loud and she didn’t know if it was from the sudden giddiness she felt in her stomach as her feet lifted off the ground in a super bear hug or just the fact that he was finally home. Angie wasn’t going to question any of it. There was to be nothing but wonderful memories to savor in the time they had together over the next three days. Her arms were locked around his neck as though she wouldn’t ever let go.