Best of Cowboys Bundle

by Vicki Lewis Thompson, Barbara White Daille, Judy Christenberry, Christine Wenger, Shirley Rogers, Crystal Green, Nina Bruhns, Candance Schuler, Carole Mortimer

  Buck wanted nothing more than to hear his daughter’s sweet voice again, but he didn’t want to push her and send her withdrawing back to her shell. So, he finished putting his boots on and went out to the barn.

  On his walk over, he realized that he owed Merry a debt of gratitude that he could never repay.

  Merry had just gotten back to her bedroom and shut the light off, when she heard a knock on the door.

  “Come in.” She was hoping that Buck would come to her and she wasn’t disappointed.

  The door opened, he entered, and he immediately shut the door behind him.

  Merry sat up in bed and waited for him to speak.

  “Cait spoke to you?” He walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge. “Do you know how long I’ve waited to hear her voice? How can I ever thank you?”

  “I couldn’t wait to tell you! But how—”

  “I was in the mudroom putting on my boots. I didn’t want to disturb the two of you.”

  “I just love her to pieces. And, Buck, she knows you love her, too.”

  “Thank you. But her mother doesn’t love her,” Buck said bitterly. “And Cait is desperate for her mother’s love. Debbie doesn’t even phone unless I call her assistant and tell her to put Debbie on the line. She doesn’t send her any Christmas or birthday presents, either. I buy them.”

  “Oh, Buck. I didn’t know that.”

  “No one knows.”

  “What about Princess, that stuffed cat she loves?”

  “Her fourth Christmas. I bought it and put ‘Love, Mommy’ on the card.” He took a deep breath. “That’s why she never lets go of it.”

  Tears pooled in Merry’s eyes. Her heart ached for Buck and Cait.

  “I can’t stand to see Cait hurt anymore by that woman. You at least said goodbye to her and prepared her for when you left.”

  “Of course. I remember how it was when I was young. My parents went on business trips, and even when they were home, they were out all hours of the day and night. I’m not saying that my situation was worse than Cait’s. She has aunts and an uncle and a father who care for her, but I know what it’s like to feel like an inconvenience, a mistake.”

  “I never—”

  “Weren’t you devastated when Debbie left? Think of how a little girl would feel,” Merry said. “Her mother walked out on her.”

  “And so did her father, for a long time. Until I snapped out of it and figured out that I was better off without Debbie.”

  “Cait hasn’t figured that out yet. Someday she will. Until then, just love her.”

  “I do.” Buck played with her fingers. “And maybe someday you’ll figure that you’re better off without your parents’ approval, won’t you, Merry?”

  “Someday.” Her heart pounded against her chest. “And maybe someday, you’ll let me give you the money that you need, no strings attached.”

  “Someday.” He kissed her hand. “But until then, come here.”

  Buck didn’t know when he’d be able to be alone with Merry again, but he planned on coming to her room each night until she turned him away or left for New York.

  He was so impatient to feel her naked skin against his hands, his body, that he had to stop himself from ripping the thin nightgown right off her. Before he slid out of his pants, he tossed a handful of condoms on the nightstand. He didn’t want any interruptions tonight while he fished around for them in his wallet.

  When he was around Merry, he was as randy as a high school freshman.

  He was already hard just watching her face, dreamy with pleasure. He sucked her nipples into his mouth, and when he laved them with his tongue, her legs fell to the sides, allowing him access. He found her little nub with his thumb, and stroked as her head rolled back in pleasure.

  “Buck.” She reached for him, and gave a slight gasp, no doubt surprised that he was already rock hard. He hurried to open the condom.

  “Damn,” he said.

  She took it from him and proceeded to unroll it down his hard length. If she didn’t calm her hands, it was going to be over too fast.

  “Ride me, Merry,” he was able to mumble.

  She smiled and swung a leg over him. Gripping him at the base, she took him slowly into her. She threw her head back, which made her breasts thrust out perfectly into his hands. He thumbed her nipples, and she started moving, sliding up and down until he thought he’d go crazy. She felt so damn tight, so hot. He held himself in check, gritting his teeth.

  “Stop,” he ordered.

  She bent over to kiss him, her tongue meeting his. In one quick movement, he pinned her under him to finish what she’d started.

  She met him stroke for stroke, her legs around his waist until he felt her release, then he joined her.

  But he still wasn’t satisfied. He wanted her again. He’d never stop wanting her.

  Merry awoke to a horn beeping outside. Looking at the sun streaming through the windows and feeling how hot the room was, Merry realized that she had overslept. Checking the clock, she discovered it was eleven o’clock.

  She hadn’t slept this late since college.

  Throwing on her bathrobe, she ran a brush through her hair and hurried out to the living room in time to see Karen, Cait, Buck, Ty and Louise walk in.

  “Welcome home,” Merry said, giving Karen a hug. “I’m sorry I didn’t come to pick you up, but I just woke up. I don’t know what happened.”

  “Didn’t you sleep last night?” Buck said, throwing her a wink as he helped Karen sit down on the couch.

  He knew damn well she hadn’t slept.

  Karen patted the cushion next to her, and Merry sat down. “I heard that you have to leave on Monday, so it’s time for you to enjoy what little vacation you have left. Buck has told me everything you’ve been doing. Louise and I can finish the rest with your notes. I know you take good notes. Time for you to have some fun.”

  “I agree,” Louise said.

  “Me, too,” Ty added. “And I certainly can help out in the fun department. Anyone up for the fund-raiser at the church tonight?”

  “I’ll stay with Karen and Cait,” Louise said.

  Karen waved her away. “Get lost, Lou. I’m just going to sleep.”

  “Nope. I’ll stay. I have some reading to do,” Louise insisted. “Besides, I’m feeling a little jet-lagged.”

  “Cait can come with us, if she wants to.” Buck turned to Merry. “How about it? It’s not Boston, but you’ll get a taste of good Arizona cooking, and if I remember right, I promised to take you boot-scootin’. No one’s better to dance to than the Lizard Rock Cowboys.”

  It sounded great, even though she couldn’t dance. “I’d love to.”

  “Then it’s a date,” Buck said.

  Merry had to smile at the sly grin on his face. “I think I’ll take a quick shower and then, as long as everyone is here, I’ll tell you what I have planned for the dude ranch over lunch.”

  When she joined them, Karen was camped out on the sofa, and everyone else was draped across chairs. Merry thought again how wonderful it would have been to have brothers and sisters. They were all so close, and she could see the great love and respect they had for one another.

  Her heart ached. She was going back to an empty life. All the money and the fame in the world would never fill the void. Like she always had, she’d keep busy by throwing herself into her work so she wouldn’t feel lonely.

  For a while, Merry pretended that she was part of their family and that Ty, Lou and Karen were her siblings. But, try as she might, she couldn’t imagine Buck as her brother. Her lover and her friend, perhaps, but not her brother.

  The afternoon flew by. Merry could tell that excitement was building in everyone about her plans for the dude ranch as she ticked off her suggestions—in everyone except Buck.

  Merry waved away Louise’s and Ty’s help, and made a quick exit to the kitchen to make lunch and to let them talk. For Karen, she heated up some chicken broth and warmed up some applesauce. T
hen she made an antipasto and garlic bread for the others.

  She smiled as Caitlin appeared, started setting the table and making napkin hats.

  “Thanks, Cait.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  They all ate and drank buckets of iced tea, and Buck’s siblings never ran out of conversation, but Buck was quieter than usual. He tapped his fingers, looked out the window, and seemed like he was in another world.

  Merry pushed everything to the back of her mind until Karen suggested that everyone should get ready for the social. Ty and Buck made a quick exit to the bunkhouse.

  “What do you plan on wearing, Merry?” Karen asked.

  “I have a new dress and a—”

  “No designer dresses in this town,” Louise said. “Going to the social means you dig out a clean shirt and a clean pair of jeans and you shine your boots. Although boot-shining is optional.”

  “Lou, take Merry to my closet and get her a western-looking blouse and a concho belt,” Karen said. “And your jeans should fit her perfectly. And, Merry, help yourself to my jewelry. Turquoise would look perfect on you.”

  “I couldn’t.”

  “Of course you can. It’d be just like our college days when we borrowed each other’s things,” Karen said.

  “Deal,” Merry said, giving her friend a hug, wondering why suddenly she was so excited over borrowed western wear.

  But she knew the answer. She wanted to look hot for Buck.

  Buck let out a long wolf whistle when Merry and Cait appeared on the porch, and it made her feel good. “You ladies look beautiful.”

  “Why, thank you, Buck,” Merry said.

  Cait shyly looked up at her father and smiled.

  Buck grinned at his daughter, then studied Merry from the tip of her hair to the bottom of her new boots. He even pushed back his hat with his thumb to get a better look.

  His smile was sexy. He was sexy. He leaned against his truck with his thumbs hooked through his belt loops and his ankles crossed, as if he had nothing better to do than look at her all night.

  And that was fine with her. She was up for an evening out with the handsome brothers.

  Louise’s jeans were at least a size too small, but Karen and Louise pronounced them perfect. The pastel plaid, long-sleeved blouse and the turquoise jewelry were much more flashy than she was used to, but Karen told her that it made her look younger. Who could argue with that? Her new boots and the silver concho belt were the perfect touches.

  Under Buck’s approving gaze, she felt beautiful and desired.

  Buck opened the door of his pickup and helped Cait buckle up in the small backseat. Then Merry got in.

  Ty climbed in after her and immediately put his arm around her shoulder. When Buck flashed him a stormy look, Ty chuckled, and his arm returned quickly to his side.

  Hmm…she liked that.

  They bumped shoulders all the way to town as Ty teased Buck and Buck teased him back. Merry soon got into the spirit of things and got in some zingers of her own. The mood was light, which was just what she needed.

  The social was in the basement of a fairly modern church. Round tables with royal-blue tablecloths were set up around an already crowded dance floor. Long buffet tables by the kitchen sported several large vats of food along with a dozen Crock-Pots in various shapes and sizes.

  Merry took a whiff of the air and could smell cumin and tomatoes and jalapeño peppers. The Lizard Rock Cowboys were off to the right on a raised platform and were yodeling in the middle of a song about ropin’ and ridin’. To the right of them was a long dessert table filled with cakes, pies and cookies.

  She was itching to sample everything and get some recipes from the ladies. Church socials, county fairs and the like were a gold mine of great recipes. She had been collecting them for years now in preparation for another cookbook about old family favorites.

  Ty and Buck stood in front of the check-in table with two elderly ladies who were tittering and giggling together like schoolgirls.

  The brothers were arguing over who was going to pay the admission fee. She heard the ladies ask them to buy raffle tickets for either a quilt made by Inez Gunderson or for six quarts of Sarah Taft’s prize-winning, prickly pear cactus jelly.

  Merry finally figured out that the ladies were in fact Inez and Sarah and they were involved in a friendly competition.

  She quickly found her wallet and handed Inez a hundred dollar bill. “These two gentlemen are my guests along with the young lady, and please split the rest equally toward the raffle for that beautiful quilt and the jelly.” She turned toward Sarah. “Also, can I have the recipe for the jelly?”

  “Why sure, honey,” Sarah said, obviously pleased. “Why…why…aren’t you Meredith Bingham Turner?” She elbowed her friend. “Inez, you old hen, didn’t you recognize Miss Turner?”

  “I thought it was Meredith, but I wasn’t sure. Olan said you were out to the ranch, but I thought he was pulling my leg.” Inez smiled up at Merry. “I love your show. I watch you every Tuesday. I have all your cookbooks. And your cookware.”

  “Me, too,” echoed Sarah. “And I have your shower curtain with the ducks on it, in green and yellow.”

  “Thanks, ladies,” Merry said, offering her hand to shake. But Sarah and Inez wouldn’t hear of only a handshake.

  They both came from around the table and gave her big bear hugs.

  Ty and Buck watched in amusement. But Merry recognized something else in Buck’s eyes, and knew immediately that he wasn’t happy that she’d paid their way into the social.

  He was about to protest, but she shot him a look that said “Get over it.”

  Inez bellowed over the Lizard Rock Cowboys, “Hey, everyone, Meredith Bingham Turner is here!”

  The Cowboys stopped yodeling, the dancers stopped dancing and people set their Crock-Pots and covered dishes down. The crowd started moving toward her like a tidal wave. She grabbed Buck’s arm in reaction. Ty moved to her other side and put an arm around her waist.

  “Whoa,” Buck said, holding out a hand like a traffic cop to stop them. “Meredith is going to be here all night. No sense stampeding her. Besides, she’s been working real hard at the Rattlesnake with Karen being sick and all. She needs a little relaxation. That’s why we came here tonight. And also because she wanted to support this worthy cause.”

  She never knew Buck was such a natural public relations person, and she liked him a lot more than Joanne. Too bad she hadn’t given a thought to the worthy cause—all she’d thought about was going on a date with Buck.

  Buck signaled the Lizard Rock Cowboys, and they launched into a drinking song. Some of the guests returned to dancing, others filed into a line and waited patiently to meet her.

  After a while, she told Buck, Cait and Ty to go and have fun, that she was okay. Ty drifted off and she saw him kicking up his heels with a variety of women, but Buck was never more than a few yards away. She noticed that he was keeping watch over her, and that made her feel all warm and tingly inside.

  Then she watched as he squatted down before Cait and talked to her. She nodded. Then he lifted her into his arms and danced with her.

  The happy expression on the little girl’s face as Buck twirled and danced with her made her smile.

  Inez must have seen her watching and whispered in her ear, “Caitlin is coming along, isn’t she?”

  “I think so.”

  “That’s wonderful.”

  “It really is,” Merry added, absentmindedly signing another autograph.

  For loving his daughter like he did and dancing with her in his arms, Merry lost her heart to Buck Porter forever.

  She thought of how her father had never danced with her. How he’d never picked her up in his arms or made her giggle. She couldn’t understand why not. She’d been as perfect as she could be. She’d kept a tidy room, was a good student and had tried not to bother them too much. But she just wasn’t perfect enough.

  When the dance was done, Buck gentl
y set Cait down, and she ran off to be with the other kids.

  Merry continued to talk to each and every person. When the last fan was gone, Buck was instantly at her side. “Let’s get something to eat.”

  “Sounds good.”

  As they stood in the food line, Merry asked for recipes and listened attentively to old stories. Finally, Buck steered her and Cait to a quiet table in the back of the room and she was able to sit down and eat. They sat side by side with their shoulders touching, sampling each other’s food. She was content, feeling comfortable in Buck’s company, but fully aware of every inch of him.

  They were left to themselves, probably because when someone started walking toward them, Buck’s “get lost” look sent them scurrying away.

  Some kids came to take Caitlin away for some organized games. Merry went back to the buffet table for some more enchiladas as Buck headed for the bar. Judging from the expression on Buck’s face, he was in serious conversation with Dan from the feed store. Whatever it was, it didn’t take long until they shook hands and separated. They both looked miserable.

  Merry wondered what that was about, and hoped everything was all right. Keeping an eye on him, she went back to the table and scribbled down a recipe for Cattle Drive Stew in her notebook before she forgot what Mrs. Whitney told her.

  “Hey, what’s this I hear about you, Bucklin? I heard that you’re going to be running a sissy dude ranch.”

  Merry tensed and saw that the sarcastic falsetto voice belonged to none other than Russ Pardee.

  “You hear right, Pardee,” Buck answered quietly.

  “I’ll bet your daddy and your grandpa are turning over in their graves.”

  Ty appeared at Buck’s side. Four burly cowboys got up from their chairs and stood at Pardee’s side, making a point of sticking out their chests and tucking in their shirts. Three of the ranch hands from Buck’s ranch got up and stood by him and Ty.

  Merry took a deep breath along with everyone in the room and quickly walked over to Buck. When he saw her approaching, he motioned for her to stand away. She stood at the end of the dessert table.