by Finch, Carol
Alexa knew this bond between man and boy was getting complicated. Zack had gotten too attached, thrived on Chance’s attention. “If Chance comes back here it will mean that he is injured and needs time to heal. We wouldn’t want to wish him bad luck on the rodeo circuit, would we?”
“No, I s’pose not,” Zack mumbled.
Alexa kissed his forehead, then graced him with a cheery smile. “You better get to sleep. Grandpa has big plans for you this weekend. You’ll need to rest up if you’re going to Tulsa for the rodeo.”
When Zack rolled to his side and snuggled beneath the cover, Alexa headed toward the door. “Love you, champ.”
“Me, too, Mom.”
Alexa went downstairs and saw Howard staggering in the door. He reeked of cigar smoke and whiskey. She wished Howard and the other old coots would find a more constructive form of entertainment, but there appeared to be no end to these weekly gatherings in Shorty McClain’s basement.
“I won enough money to pay for the trip to Tulsa,” Howard slurred. “Lady Luck was sitting on my shoulder tonight”
Alexa mumbled a reply that Howard couldn’t decipher and didn’t ask her to repeat.
“How’s your building project coming along?” he asked.
“With Chester’s help, and that of the cowboys, I’m making rapid progress. I plan to help Chester bed and tape the walls tomorrow.”
“Still think it’s a waste of good money,” Howard grunted. “This is a working ranch, not an entertainment center for city slickers. Dan wouldn’t have approved, either.”
“Dan isn’t here, never was around all that much,” Alexa said before she could stop herself.
Howard’s bloodshot eyes narrowed and his graying brows swooped down in a sharp V. “That was the nature of his business. Rodeo superstars have to travel the circuit to keep up their standings so they can compete at National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. Injury is all that keeps a cowboy off the road.”
When Howard ambled toward his ground-floor bedroom, Alexa stood in the kitchen, her hands clamped on the edge of the counter. As if Howard’s constant reminders weren’t enough, memories of Dan and his gypsy life-style cluttered this house. The family room was overflowing with plaques, photographs and belt buckles. Howard’s room was practically wallpapered with pictures of his son!
Alexa was beginning to resent those constant reminders—and she knew they grated on her more than ever before. She wanted to be free of those bitter memories... because Chance Butler was beginning to matter to her.
Frustrated, Alexa paced the room. These days, she was feeling as if her skin no longer fit properly, as if she were outgrowing previous wants and needs. The woman who bad a down-to-earth mind and feet firmly planted on the ground was growling increasingly restless.
A steady thump wafted through the open window. Alexa wheeled around to stare out the door.
Thump, creak, thump.
Frowning, she exited the house to investigate the peculiar sounds.
Chapter Six
Alexa was stunned to see Chance’s silhouette in the security light that glowed in the darkness. The man was digging a post hole at eleven o’clock at night? Had he lost his mind?
“What the blazes are you doing?” Alexa questioned as she strode toward Chance.
“Digging a hole.”
“I can see that. What for?”
“I’m putting up a new basketball goal for Zack.”
Alexa stared at him as if he’d lost his mind.
“I heard the weather forecast. There’s a seventy-percent chance of rain tomorrow afternoon. I told Zack I’d have this goal up by tomorrow night.”
A man so true to his word that he constructed a goal for a kid, after a long day of ranching chores on a gimpy leg? Alexa admired his dedication. If Chance was willing to make the effort on Zack’s behalf, then so was she.
“I’ll help. What do you want me to do?”
Chance gestured toward the tin can that glittered in the light. “The nuts, washers and bolts are in the can. The goal needs to be bolted onto the backboard. I’ve already secured the plywood to the pole.”
Alexa scooped up the wrenches, nuts and bolts and set to work.
Chance grabbed the post hole diggers and braced his legs under him. “I designed the goal so it can be adjusted easily as Zack grows. All you need is Grace—”
Alexa smiled, amused that Chance constantly referred to the ladder she’d fallen off of as Grace.
“—and a couple of wrenches. You can elevate the backboard. But it’s going to be a two-man job, so don’t go thinking you can do it by yourself. This backboard is heavy, and I don’t want you to end up on the ground with plywood on your chest and a goal around your neck.”
Together, they mixed concrete to secure the pole in the ground, then pushed the goal into position. Alexa stood back to appraise the goal, then peered curiously at Chance.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Because my dad never bothered to do it for me, and my mother wasn’t as mechanically inclined, or as interested in my wants and needs, as you are,” he answered. “By the time I was eight, my mom was heavily involved in the dating game and my dad was at the bottom of a liquor bottle. Seems to me that every kid should have his own basketball goal. I’m giving Zack what I never had.”
Alexa was saddened to think of Chance being shuffled back and forth between two irresponsible parents. From the sound of things, he had been left to grow up on his own. Her heart went out to him, realizing he’d endured a miserable childhood. He had himself to thank for his admirable code of honor, his strong moral fiber and strength of character.
Impulsively, Alexa towed Chance away from the beaming security light, then reached up on tiptoe to kiss him.
“Hey, lady,” Chance said in mock affront. “I told you that I don’t take intimate favors in exchange for completing jobs.”
Yes, he had, and he was true to his word, Alexa mused. “Come on, cowboy,” she said, giving her best Mae West impression. “Good-lookin’ as you are, honey, you must have women all over you like a rash. Why would you think I’d be able to resist the urge to kiss you?”
Chance arched a thick brow. “Is this the same Queen of Cool I met when I got here?”
Feeling deliciously wicked, Alexa slid her hands up his chest and sidled closer. Flirting had never been her forte, but Chance made her feel safe and unthreatened. She enjoyed full body contact with this particular cowboy. He made her feel relaxed, allowed her to toss aside inhibitions and be herself.
“The Queen of Cool has the hots for you,” she admitted openly.
Deb would be so proud, Alexa thought to herself.
Chance’s brows rose like exclamation marks. “Correct me if I’m wrong. This is another come-on, isn’t it?”
“Feels like one to me. How am I doing so far?” She grabbed his shirt collar and pulled him closer.
“You’re doing exceptionally well,” he murmured.
The invitation was offered and readily accepted. Chance’s arms closed around her and he cherished the feel of her body pressed familiarly to his. He wasn’t sure how long he could be satisfied with stolen kisses and tempting caresses in the darkness. He didn’t know how long he could keep up the pretense with Howard hovering around. But this was sure as hell more than polite interest in Alexa. She made him hunger for the fire and flames of passion.
He wanted her, and he thought she wanted him too, despite the complications swirling around them, despite everything.
His hands wandered possessively over her, reacquainting himself with each luscious curve and swell that lay hidden beneath cotton and denim. Arms shaking with need, lie pulled her ever closer, letting her feel his desire for her, and she ground her hips into his, driving him insane—her, too, if her muffled groan was anything to go by.
Tonight she would have to be the one to call a halt. Chance was too lost in intense sensations and forbidden pleasure to withdraw. He wanted to bury himself so deeply inside her that
he became a part of her, that she became a living, breathing part of him....
“Alexa? Are you out there: I spilled ice water on my bed. Will you change my sheets?”
The sound of Howard’s voice jerked Alexa back to reality. She was shaking, aching, barely capable of drawing enough breath to reply. “On my way, Howard,” she bleated.
“What the devil are you doing out there?”
Doing? Frantic, Alexa mentally scrambled for a logical excuse, but her brain had short-circuited.
“You’re checking to make sure there’s fresh water in the tank for the cattle and horses,” Chance whispered in her ear. “You noticed the tank was low earlier this evening.”
Alexa repeated the supplied excuse. Satisfied, Howard disappeared from sight. Alexa sagged in relief.
“Thanks, Chance. You kissed me blind and speechless. I didn’t have the foggiest idea what I was going to tell him.”
Chance curled his hand beneath her chin and smiled down at her. “If we keep meeting like this, I’m liable to forget Howard exists. Now get out of here. I’m too old to be making out beside the barn like a sneaky teenager.”
When Chance turned her around, swatted her playfully on the fanny and urged her on her way Alexa wobbled off on weak knees. She vaguely remembered changing Howard’s sheets and climbing the stairs. Her mind, and body, were swirling with the tantalizing thoughts and riveting sensations Chance had aroused in her.
While she lay there alone in bed, begging for sleep that was slow in coming, Alexa felt herself inching ever closer to the dangerous prospect of following a whim. She knew there was nothing casual about her attraction to Chance Butler. The man set her on fire! And when he left Rocking T—as she knew he would eventually—she was very much afraid that he would be packing her heart with him.
Alexa knew she was taking a risk in letting this relationship intensify, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself. Despite all her solemn vows to avoid rambling cowboys, Chance Butler was the one man who had earned her respect and left her hungering for the tempting pleasure she sensed awaiting her in his arms.
Damn it, she muttered as she flounced in bed. Why did he have to be a cowboy? Wasn’t that just her luck?
“Damn!” Howard spouted as he came through the door, dripping puddles on the tiled floor. Chance was one step behind him. “We still have a pasture of hay waiting to be baled. The rain couldn’t have come at a worse time.”
Alexa was quick to note that Chance took time to wipe his feet on the mat before entering the kitchen. Howard, on the other hand, never gave a thought to the mess Alexa had to clean up.
“Did you get the motel reservations for Zack and me?” Howard asked as he shrugged off his jacket.
“All taken care of.”
“Gas up the truck?”
“Done,” she confirmed.
Chance frowned, annoyed. Cinderella was certainly expected to handle every errand around here. Chance was tempted to tell Howard that he could have seen to the matters himself. Apparently Howard, like Dan, continually took Alexa for granted.
Chance wished he could whisk Alexa away from all her expected responsibilities, but knew that was impossible. All he could do was offer a few stolen moments of enjoyment in a secret rendezvous that probably weighed heavily on her conscience.
Damn it, when had he gotten in so deep? Where had he left his good sense? In his effort to help, he was probably doing more harm than good. He’d never felt so helplessly restrained in his life. Feelings of protectiveness swamped him, yet he was forced to hold his tongue and pretend Alexa was none of his concern.
Although Chance praised Alexa’s cooking, and Zack seconded the compliment, Howard didn’t catch the hint. The old man had his jaws wrapped around another tale of Dan’s impressive feats at Calgary Rodeo. Near as Chance could recall, Dan hadn’t won half the events Howard claimed. Chance ought to know since he’d been there and had won the bulldogging event himself!
As had become his daily habit, Chance cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher. While Howard and Zack headed for the family room, Alexa lingered behind Chance, watching him work. He pivoted to flash her a smile and felt a tingle of pleasure ricochet through him when she grinned in return.
“I’m asking you out on a date for tomorrow night,” he said quietly. “Dinner and dancing, or a movie, whichever you prefer.”
Alexa cast a cautious glance toward the doorway. “All right.”
“Good, now that that’s settled and out of the way, what do you want me to do with the leftovers from supper?”
Alexa scooped up the lasagna and grabbed the aluminum foil. “Your lunch tomorrow,” she announced.
“Alexa! Bring me some more of that mango tea, will you?” Howard called from the other room.
Chance muttered under his breath when Alexa automatically answered the summons. Her slave status around here was really starting to irritate him. How had she tolerated this nonsense for so many years?
He posed the question to her the moment she reentered the kitchen.
Alexa shrugged. “I put up with what I had to so my sister could come to live with me until she graduated from high school.”
When she explained about her parents’ death Chance got a clearer picture of the life of responsibility Alexa led. She was the prime example of a woman trapped, making decisions and sacrifices for the benefit of her family. She was loyal and steadfast and reliable, and Chance admired her for it, even though he wished a far more rewarding life for her.
The urge to hold, comfort and reassure her nearly got the better of him. But Chance knew this wasn’t the place or time—years too late, in fact. Alexa had learned to accept, to adjust, to expect very little. As for Chance, he had the chivalrous urge to lay the world at her feet, to recognize her for her unsung accomplishments.
“Prepare to enter the shrine,” Alexa murmured as she led the way into the family room.
Shrine was right! Chance squirmed uneasily at the invisible presence that filled the room. Pictures of Dan Tipton were everywhere. What could have been a cozy room, paneled with cedar, was indeed a monument.
When Zack invited Chance to play checkers, Chance eagerly accepted. He would have played with Barbie dolls—anything to avoid staring at the lighted trophy case and enlarged photographs.
Come this weekend, while Howard and Zack were in Tulsa, Chance vowed to introduce Alexa Tipton to a different way of life. She’d have flowers, a gift, the whole nine yards. He’d treat her like a queen.
And then what? Would he cast her back into her role of Cinderella? Leave her wishing she had never known that some men treated women with the respect, attention and courtesy they deserved?
Okay, so maybe that wasn’t such a swell idea. Or perhaps that was exactly what Alexa needed to make her demand a few rights and some well-earned notice from Howard!
Alexa toted Zack’s suitcase downstairs to find Howard pacing impatiently.
“’Bout time,” he grumbled, checking his watch. “We’ll miss the first go-round if we don’t hit the road.”
Alexa ignored her father-in-law and squatted to stare at Zack face-to-face. “Behave yourself, champ,” she murmured affectionately. “I’ll call you in the morning to see how the events went.”
Zack gave her a hug, then picked up his suitcase. “Oh, wait, Grandpa. There’s something I need to do!” He dashed out the door before Howard could stop him.
“Now what?” Howard muttered impatiently. “He already fed that puppy. What else does he possibly need to do before we leave?”
Alexa shrugged, then rose to her feet to confront Howard. “You know I’m not thrilled with this excursion, but I know it means a great deal to you.”
“Damn right it does. The boy needs to see what his dad did for a living. I don’t want Zack to forget. If you had your way, you’d have me packing away all the photographs and mementos and putting Dan’s memory to rest.”
Alexa braced herself for the reaction she knew would follow the comment she fe
lt compelled to make. “I don’t think living in the past is the answer, Howard. I know you miss Dan terribly, but—”
“But nothing,” Howard interrupted. “I don’t want to talk about this now. Don’t bring it up again, either. My son died in the prime of his life. He deserves to be remembered, deserves to have his story told so that his son will never forget.”
Alexa turned away to retrieve the homemade cookies she’d prepared for the trip. “Have a good time, Howard. And drive carefully.”
Howard nodded curtly before heading to the door. Alexa noted that he didn’t bother wishing her well for the weekend. Howard was so wrapped up in his plans, in his son’s memory, that she wasn’t his slightest consideration.
Like father, like son, she mused as she watched Howard turn and walk away.
Chance glanced up to see Zack burst through the bunkhouse door. To his surprise, the boy rushed over to hug him around the waist.
“I wanted to tell you goodbye. Grandpa is ready to leave.”
“Have a good time, rookie,” Chance said, ruffling the boy’s hair. “Don’t forget to get the names of the cowboys who win the bulldogging and calf roping events. I want to know who my toughest competition will be when I return to the circuit.”
“Sure thing.” Zack tipped his head back. “And Chance?”
“Yeah, kid?”
“Love you...”
Zack wheeled around and raced off, leaving Chance staggering from the emotional blow. Damn it, why did the kid have to go and wrap himself around Chance’s heart? Leaving Rocking T was going to be hell enough. That hasty, self-conscious confession Zack delivered was making it worse.
Chance stood at the window, watching Howard splatter through the water holes as he drove away. The temptation to stride up to the house to see Alexa was strong, but Chance defied it. He had work to do. Howard had left a list of chores to be done on the ranch and errands to run in town. Chance intended to knock out the tasks this morning, so he could move the recently delivered kitchen cabinets into the bed-and-breakfast for Alexa.