To Wed and Protect

by Carla Cassidy

  “I was hoping I’d be able to salvage some of this wood,” he said, and she was grateful for anything that took her attention away from his physique. “But I don’t think I’m going to be able to. Most of it is beyond rotten.” He took another deep drink, then continued. “I should have the last of this pulled down in the next hour or so, then first thing tomorrow morning I’ll start on the new structure.”

  “It will be nice to be able to walk out the front door and not be afraid of falling through the porch.”

  “You know, I’d be glad to give you an estimate on some new kitchen cabinets. If I build them from pine, they’d be relatively inexpensive.”

  “New cabinets would be wonderful,” she said thoughtfully. “I’ve been afraid to put too many canned goods in the ones that are there because they look so weak.”

  “I’ll work up an estimate and you can decide if you want to go ahead then.”

  “Okay,” she agreed, then sighed. “There’s so much work here that needs to be done.”

  “And Rome wasn’t built in a day,” he replied with one of his killer smiles.

  “You’re right. And hopefully we’ll be here a long time and eventually get the house done the way we want it.” She returned his smile with one of her own.

  “Patience isn’t one of my strong suits.”

  “I’ve never been one to want to wait for what I want, either,” he replied with a wicked grin that instantly drew heat into her cheeks.

  He held out his empty glass to her. As she took it from him, their fingers touched and Abby felt a spark of electricity tingle in the air between them. She took another step back from him and clutched the glass tightly in her hand.

  There was a silence, an uncomfortable one that she instantly worked to fill. “You mentioned last night at the diner that you had to stay here in Inferno for several months and work on your family dude ranch so your brothers and sisters wouldn’t default. So, you have a big family?”

  “Two brothers and one sister. And we’ve recently added a sister-in-law and a brother-in-law.” He swiped a hand through his thick hair, and Abby tried not to notice how handsome he looked with the afternoon sun playing on his features.

  He had strong, bold features. Midnight dark brows, a straight Roman nose, high cheekbones and a sensual mouth. He was once again clad in customary tight, worn blue jeans that rode low on his hips.

  “What about you? Big family? Small family?” he asked.

  “No other family. Just me and the kids.”

  A frown creased his forehead. “I might as well have no family. We aren’t very close.”

  “Do they all live here in town?” she asked curiously.

  Luke nodded. “Yeah, Matthew lives at the family homestead. Mark and his wife, April, and son live on a house Mark built on the ranch. Johnna and her husband, Jerrod, live in a house here in town.” His frown deepened. “So, we’re all here, but we might as well live a million miles away from one another.”

  “You don’t realize how lucky you are to have brothers and a sister,” Abby replied. “My sister died a year ago, and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t wish I had spent more time with her, talked to her more often.”

  As always, thoughts of Loretta brought with them a dark, dangerous well of grief. If only she’d known what had been going on in Loretta’s life. If only she’d known the danger. Abby had encouraged her to make the break that had ultimately resulted in her death.

  Before Abby could plunge into the dark depths of despair, she mentally shook away thoughts of the sister she missed so much. “Take my advice, Luke and don’t waste time where your family is concerned. Enjoy their company while you still have them.”

  He nodded, his gaze steady, thoughtful as it lingered on her. “So, you lost your sister a year ago. That means you had two tragedies about the same time?”

  “Two?” She looked at him blankly.

  “Your husband and your sister.”

  Warmth swept over her as she realized she’d momentarily forgotten all about the husband she’d supposedly lost. “Yes, that’s right,” she agreed hurriedly, then averted her gaze. “It’s been a long, hard year.”

  He took a step toward her and reached out to grab her hand. She looked at him, surprised by the warmth, the strength of his touch. “I hope Inferno will be good to you and you’ll be able to put all the sad times behind you and find happiness here.”

  For a moment, as she gazed into his beautiful sooty eyes, she wondered if happiness was possible. She hoped so, not so much for her own sake, but for the sake of the two children who meant more to her than anything on the earth.

  “Thank you,” she replied. She knew she should pull her hand away yet was reluctant to break the warmth and comfort of the contact. It had been so long since she’d felt any kind of masculine touch, even one as simple and uncomplicated as the touch of hands.

  He smiled and increased the pressure of his hand on hers. “There’s nothing I’d like more than to see those pretty green eyes of yours light up with pleasure, with happiness and laughter.”

  A dangerous, provocative heat rose inside her as their gazes remained locked, and she saw flickering flames in the depths of his eyes. “Are you trying to charm me, Mr. Delaney?” She forced a light laugh and pulled her hand from his, suddenly realizing his touching her was anything but simple. “Is this the beginning of the seduction that Stephanie warned me about?”

  He laughed, a low, sexy rumble that was as disturbing as his touch. “Trust me, darlin’, when I start seducing you, you’ll know it and you won’t have to ask.”

  His words sent a new flood of heat through her and made the mere act of breathing difficult. “Then trust me, all I really want from you, Luke, is a new front porch and maybe some new kitchen cabinets,” she replied quickly, appalled to hear her voice slightly breathless.

  Again he laughed. “It’s been my experience that women rarely know what they really want.”

  “And from what Stephanie told me, you certainly have had plenty of experience with women.” She shook her head wryly. “Three jobs and an overactive social life. I don’t know how you have the strength to get up in the mornings.”

  Flirting. Someplace in the back of her brain she recognized that’s what she was doing. Flirting with Luke Delaney.

  He grinned that lazy devastating smile. “My strong suit has always been my terrific stamina.”

  He laughed as her cheeks grew hot and she knew a blush reddened them. “Besides, my reputation as a womanizer has been greatly exaggerated. You will discover that this town thrives on idle gossip, and I’m not sure why, but I seem to be a favorite topic of that gossip.”

  Abby certainly knew why. The man was not only as handsome as a pinup model, he had a kind of animal magnetism that she had a feeling could stir the hormones of a female statue.

  “So, tell me about your brothers and sister,” she said, suddenly desperate to change the topic, get away from the subject of seduction and gossip, neither of which she wanted or needed in her life.

  “What do you want to know?” he asked.

  “What do they do? What are they like?” She realized she was intrigued by Luke and wondered what kind of family he came from.

  “Matthew is the oldest. He’s thirty-five and he runs the family dude ranch.” Again a frown etched across his forehead. “Matthew is distant and aloof, but he’s a good businessman. All that matters to him is the ranch. Mark is thirty-three and he’s more easygoing. He’s thoughtful and quiet or at least he was until he married April. She’s really brought him out of his shell.”

  The frown disappeared. “Then there is Johnna. She’s twenty-eight, a year younger than me.” He grinned with obvious affection. “She’s stubborn and mule headed, impetuous and opinionated. She’s a lawyer who spends most of her time trying to right the wrongs of the world.”

  “You’re close to her,” Abby commented.

  “I’m closer to her than I am to my brothers, but there’s a lot of d
istance even between me and Johnna.”

  “Why? I mean, why aren’t you and your siblings close?”

  He grinned wryly. “What is this? Twenty questions? I don’t know the answer to that question.” His eyes shadowed slightly. “All I can tell you is that the four Delaney heirs share common parentage, but nothing else. It would take nothing short of a miracle to make us into a real family.”

  Abby thought she heard a wistful tone in his voice, as if there was a part of him deep inside that longed for a family connection. It echoed inside her, touching a chord of commonality.

  Still, as attractive as she found Luke Delaney, she knew she’d be a fool to somehow get the notion into her head that he was the man who could fulfill her dream of a complete and happy family.

  Dusk was falling as Luke pulled up in front of the family homestead. He hadn’t intended on coming here this evening, but Matthew had called one of the infrequent family meetings, which meant something was amiss.

  Luke’s stomach tied itself in a knot as he got out of his truck and approached the house where he’d spent the miserable hours and days of childhood.

  Family meetings had never been particularly pleasant. Most of the time Matthew called a meeting when something had to be decided, and a final decision among the four very different siblings never came easily.

  Each Saturday a late midday meal was served to the guests as a welcome and get-acquainted gathering. But it was late enough in the day that there was no evidence such a gathering had taken place.

  The pit fire that cooked burgers and beans had been extinguished, and the tables and chairs put away. The grounds were relatively quiet.

  A couple sat at a picnic table beneath a tree, apparently enjoying the sunset that painted the sky in a fiery display of color.

  Luke raised a hand in their direction then headed up the stairs to the front door. In two weeks the ranch would go dark for a month. Two months out of the year, one in the spring and one in the fall, the ranch didn’t book guests and used the downtime to do major renovation and repair work.

  Seven months, Luke reminded himself as he walked in the front door into the airy foyer. Seven months, and then he could leave and never look back. He wouldn’t have to worry any more about guests’ needs or family dynamics or disturbing memories. He’d blow this place and never look back.

  He heard the sound of voices coming from the den and knew that’s where the family would be gathered. The knot in his stomach intensified as he stepped into the large room and the first person he saw was Matthew.

  As usual, his oldest brother looked as if he’d been chewing on nails. His handsome features were set in a perpetual scowl that evoked in Luke memories of their father.

  “Luke.” Matthew greeted him with a curt nod.

  “Hey, Luke,” Johnna said from the love seat where she sat next to her husband, Jerrod. The two of them still had their just-married glow even though their wedding had taken place a little over a month before.

  Jerrod had his arm around Johnna, as if she were his most precious possession and he was protecting her from the world at large. Johnna leaned into him, as if in sweet acquiescence. Luke had never seen his sister look as happy as she had in the last month. Marriage to Jerrod definitely agreed with her.

  “Would you like a drink?” Matthew asked from the bar in the corner of the room.

  Would he like a drink? The siren song rang in his ears, and his mouth grew unaccountably dry. He imagined he could smell Scotch, feel the sweet slide down his throat and the flames as it hit his stomach. Hell, there was nothing he’d like better than a good, stiff drink.

  “No, thanks,” he forced himself to say, slightly irritated by the question. Shouldn’t a brother remember that his brother had quit drinking? “So, where are Mark and April?” he asked as he sat in one of the wing chairs.

  “They should be here any time.” Matthew carried a drink with him to the chair across from Luke and sat down, the scowl still tugging deep furrows into his forehead.

  “Guess what I heard this morning,” Johnna said as she shot a coy look at Luke. “I heard that my handsome brother was seen in the diner snuggling up to a new widow woman who has moved into town.”

  “I wasn’t ‘snuggling up’ to her,” he protested with a laugh. “I’m doing some carpentry work out at her place and happened to see her at the diner last night. I was just being neighborly by sitting down with her and visiting for a little bit.”

  “Who were you being neighborly with?” Mark asked as he and April came into the room.

  “The new widow woman who has moved into the old Graham place,” Johnna answered. “I heard that she’s a real looker, with dark hair and pretty blue eyes.”

  “Green,” Luke corrected. “She has pretty green eyes.”

  “Better watch out, those green-eyed women will get you every time,” Mark said with a loving smile to his dark-haired, green-eyed wife, April.

  “If we can dispense with the pleasantries, we’ve got some work to do,” Matthew said.

  “By all means, let’s dispense with any pleasantries,” Luke said dryly. God, he would really love a drink.

  There followed an uncomfortable silence as April and Mark settled on the sofa and everyone turned their gaze to Matthew. He finished his drink in one large swallow, then stood and began to pace the length of the multicolored throw rug beneath his feet.

  Instantly Luke was thrown back in time, and for a moment he felt as if he were seven or eight years old again and it was his father pacing the floor, working up a head of steam that would result in a beating for one or more of the four kids. Adam Delaney would slam down a shot of bourbon then slam into one of his kids.

  He shook his head slightly to dispel the image. Adam Delaney was dead and gone, his only legacy the ranch they had to work to keep and enough dysfunction to keep therapy in fashion for years to come.

  “We have several things we need to go over and make decisions about,” Matthew began. “First of all, April has been asking me for months about renovating the old barn into a sort of a community building.” He turned to April. “You want to explain to them what you have in mind?”

  April sat up straighter on the sofa. “You all know that as social director here, I’m always looking for ways to offer the guests exciting and wonderful entertainment. If we renovate the old barn, it will make a terrific permanent place for dances and parties.” She looked at Mark as if for reassurance. “I had a contractor come out and look at it and it’s structurally sound, but still it’s a big investment to make.”

  “And that’s what we need to make a decision about,” Matthew said. “In seven months the ranch officially becomes ours. If we’re just going to sell it and split the proceeds, then I don’t see the point in investing any money in renovating the old barn.”

  Luke looked at Matthew in shock. It was the first time he’d ever heard Matthew even mention the possibility of selling the place.

  “I don’t want to sell,” Mark said. He looked at Luke, at Matthew, then at Johnna. “This is Delaney land. We belong here. I want to pass my part of this ranch on to Brian…and to the child April is carrying.”

  Everyone looked at April in surprise. “It’s true,” she confirmed. “I’m pregnant.”

  Johnna squealed with excitement and quickly ran over to hug April while the men congratulated Mark on the news.

  “So, we know that Mark doesn’t want to sell,” Matthew said a few minutes later when things had calmed down. “Johnna, what about you?”

  She frowned and raked a hand through her boyishly short dark hair. “To be honest, I haven’t given it much thought lately. Between my law practice and having to work here twenty-five hours a week, I haven’t had much time to think about what the future holds.”

  “But you always said you hated it here,” Luke reminded her. Their mutual dislike for the family homestead had always been a point of commonality between them.

  Johnna frowned. “When Father was alive, I definitely hate
d this place. Now that he’s gone, I’m not sure how I feel.”

  “Look,” Mark interjected. “Do we really have to make a decision about selling right now? Can’t we go ahead and do the renovations on the barn without knowing for sure what we’re going to do in seven months time?”

  “Is the money for the renovations an issue?” Johnna asked.

  Matthew shook his head. “No, the ranch is doing very well, and we could pay for the renovations without having to take out a loan.”

  Luke fought a wave of frustration. He didn’t want to put any more money in the ranch. More than anything he wanted to convince his brothers and sister that the best thing for all of them was to sell the ranch in seven months, split the proceeds from the sale, then get on with their own separate lives.

  He wanted no ties to this place of unhappiness. He didn’t give a damn what the others did. The day the year was up Luke intended to sell his share either to one of his brothers or sister, or to an outsider.

  With the decision made to go ahead with the renovations, the family meeting broke up. The four of them rarely spent time in idle chatter. They had no idea how to perform the small talk that would encourage a deepening of their relationship with each other.

  Luke was the first to leave. After saying goodbye to everyone, he left the house and headed for his workshop in one of the outbuildings.

  He didn’t have to be at the Honky Tonk until ten and decided he’d work an hour or so on a rocking chair he’d been making. The workshop was the one place he loved on the ranch. Housed in one end of the stables, it smelled of fresh hay, horses and wood chips. Every tool he’d ever need to transform raw wood into useful and decorative items was at his fingertips, bought with money he’d earned at the Honky Tonk.

  The rocking chair was complete except for the sanding and finishing, and as he picked up a piece of sandpaper and got to work, his mind whirled with thoughts of his family.

  The Delaney children had learned at an early age not to trust one another. Adam Delaney’s parenting skills had included a divide-and-conquer mentality. He’d taught his children to trust nobody—particularly each other.