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

  “Better,” she said, her voice tight.

  “That’s good.” Deke doubted it. He itched to check it, but knew if he did, he’d just make her angrier. But then, maybe that was a good idea. Maybe if she was angry with him, he wouldn’t be so tempted to kiss her.

  Risking her ire, he lifted the ice pack and examined her ankle. He was surprised and pleased to see that her injury did look better. Minimally, but there was a sign of improvement. It was still slightly swollen and several shades of purple. “Yeah,” he agreed. “It looks like it’s healing.” Maybe by tomorrow it would be hurt less and she’d be able to walk on it again without making it worse.

  He sure hoped so. He didn’t like the idea of leaving her on her own, unable to get around.

  “I made you some lunch,” she informed him, a bit of resentment in her tone. “Don’t worry,” she said before he could speak, “I was careful. I put everything on the table and sat down to do it. There’s also some soup warming on the stove. It’s canned, but it was all I had.” When she’d gone to the bathroom, she’d peeked out the window and had seen that his truck was still in front of her house. She hadn’t expected him to stay that long, but since he had, she figured he’d be hungry when he came in.

  A pleasurable sensation tingled up Deke’s spine. While he wanted to admonish her for being up and around, he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Making him lunch had been the first nice thing she’d done for him since he’d walked back into her life. It also told him that she’d been checking on his whereabouts. That deepened the feeling of pleasure, and Deke knew he’d have to be very careful to keep his sentiments for Mary Beth under control. “I’m starving, that’s for sure,” he said, grinning at her. “What about you? Have you eaten yet?”

  She shook her head. “I’m not really hungry.”

  “Come and keep me company while I eat, then.” He stood and held out his hand to her.

  Mary Beth’s first reaction was to rebuke his offer of help. But she tamped down that instinct, thinking if she went along with him, she’d be better off. He’d be leaving soon enough. Knowing that, she wouldn’t be foolish enough to put any real trust in him. And during the time he was here, he could get a lot more done around the ranch than she would be able to do on a bad ankle.

  Putting her hand in his, she relied on his strength to help her off the couch. His scent surrounded her, and she quickly let go of his hand and put some space between them so she wouldn’t give in to her desire to lean against him. She was pleased when Deke kept quiet as she used her own fortitude to get to the kitchen. In any case, he was close by her side until she took a seat at the table.

  “The sandwiches are in the refrigerator,” she told him, pointing to it.

  Deke nodded. He retrieved them, then set the plate on the table and unwrapped the cellophane covering it. Though each sandwich wasn’t loaded with lunch meat, there were a lot of them. Once again, he wondered about her financial status.

  It took him a few minutes to get some ice in the glasses and pour the tea she’d prepared, then he moved the pot of vegetable soup to the table. Though Mary Beth had said that she wasn’t hungry, he got an extra bowl and plate from the cabinet, hoping that she’d join him.

  He didn’t say anything to her, just put the setting before her along with her drink. “I found another break in your fencing,” he mentioned as he took a seat at the table. “It just needed a little repair before it got worse. The cattle are okay, but if it’s all right with you, I thought I’d move them to another pasture tomorrow. It looks like they’ve about done as much grazing as they can where they are.”

  “That’ll be fine.” She’d been planning to do that, as well—that is, along with Clyde’s help.

  “Why don’t you join me?” he suggested, indicating the soup and sandwiches. “You might not be hungry, but you need to eat. And to tell you the truth, I don’t like eating alone. I do enough of that on the road. It’s kinda nice to share a meal with someone other than the guys on the rodeo.”

  Did that mean that he didn’t always have a woman with him? Her heart leaped at the thought as she looked at the food. The smell of the warm soup had stirred her hunger. And maybe she could eat one sandwich. “Okay.” She wondered about his comment.

  Don’t be a fool, her mind taunted.

  Her lips turned slightly upward as Deke ladled some soup into a bowl for her. She reached for a sandwich. “You should be home spending time with your family. I feel bad keeping you from them.”

  He chuckled. “You’re not keeping me from them. Everyone at the ranch is busy working. They don’t stop to entertain me when I come home for a few days.”

  “I saw Matt in town last week,” Mary Beth mentioned. “He sure has grown since he came to live at the Bar M.” She’d first met Deke’s nephew over a year ago. Nearly thirteen, he’d come to Crockett in search of the father he never knew. He’d been hitchhiking and she’d given him a ride when he’d asked where the McCalls lived. She hadn’t known then that Catherine, Matt’s mother, had been Jake’s college sweetheart, whom he’d left when he’d had to come home and raise his siblings when his parents had been killed.

  It was obvious to everyone who met him that Matt was Jake’s son. Tall and muscled from working on the ranch, he had his father’s height and build.

  “Yeah,” Deke agreed. He lifted his glass and took a long drink of the tea. “He’s going on fifteen now and already looking forward to driving. Catherine is the principal at the high school.”

  “I’d heard that.” She ate a spoonful of the soup, then said, “I haven’t talked to Ashley in a while. How are the kids?”

  His eyes softened. “The twins are into nearly everything. She has her hands full keeping up with them and their little brother, Taylor. But Ashley’s doing a fantastic job of mothering them.”

  After saving Ashley from the advances of a drunken cowboy, Ryder had spent the night with her. Though he hadn’t meant to steal her virtue, when he later found out she was pregnant, he’d convinced her to live at the Bar M until the baby was born. They’d ended up falling in love, getting married and having twins.

  Ashley living with them had been one of the best things that had ever happened to the family, especially Deke. He’d loved having a woman around the house, and Ashley had doted on him.

  Mary Beth was very aware that Deke’s entire demeanor had changed when he spoke of his sister-in-law. Stunned by sudden feelings of jealousy, she tried to think of something to say to steer the subject in another direction. “Um, I got a chance to meet Catherine’s sister at Jake and Catherine’s wedding. She seemed really nice.”

  She didn’t know why she’d even brought up Bethany St. John. Sitting back in her chair, Mary Beth admonished herself. She’d brought up another woman who was actually available to him!

  Well, she didn’t really care. She had no reason to feel even remotely possessive of Deke.

  Deke smiled as he reached for his third sandwich. “She left for Virginia right after the wedding. As a matter of fact, I took her to the airport on my way to San Antonio. She’s really sweet, a lot like Catherine,” he went on, and his eyes twinkled.

  “I only talked with her a few minutes,” she admitted. In her mind she pictured Deke with Bethany. Sweet, he’d said. And beautiful, Mary Beth thought to herself, her lips tightening. She wished that she’d never brought the woman up. Bethany St. John looked like Catherine, with thick chocolate-brown hair and a voluptuous figure. Even though he spoke casually about her, surely Deke had noticed. Any normal man within a few feet of her would have.

  He finished the last bite of his sandwich. “She’s planning to visit in the spring. I’ll make sure you get a chance to get acquainted.” He finished his glass of tea. “Oh,” he said, changing the subject, “I used what was left of the hay. If you tell me where the rest is stored, I’ll move it into the barn.”

  Mary Beth sat up straight, then fiddled with her spoon. “I knew it was getting low.”

  Deke looked at her
. “You don’t have any more?”

  She shook her head, and a heavy sigh escaped her lips. “I was going to pick some up a couple of days ago.” Her gaze dropped to the table.

  “You’re not growing it?” Deke asked, curious. It wasn’t like Mary Beth to not plan ahead. Or was it? He was discovering there was a lot about her he didn’t know.

  A lump formed in her throat. She managed to swallow past it, but her teeth worried her lower lip. “I haven’t had much success. I’ve been buying it in town. At least I was until my truck broke down. I tried to figure out what was wrong with it, but never could get the darn thing started. Clyde was going to take a look at it.” She shrugged one shoulder. “Now, he’s quit. I guess in all the confusion, I forgot to get the hay.” She’d have to call the feed store and have it brought out, which would cost money she didn’t have to spare.

  Deke stood and took his dishes to the sink. “I’m no ace mechanic, but I’ll take a look at your truck. If I can’t figure out what’s wrong, Russ can come over and check it out.” Russ was married to his sister, Lynn, and they owned a horse ranch about ten minutes away. “He’s had a lot of odd jobs over the years. I bet he can fix it.” He returned to the table to pick up her dishes, then took them to the sink, Mary Beth’s financial situation on his mind.

  Had she really forgotten to order the feed? It didn’t seem to him that she had that much money, but he wasn’t sure. Hell, if she was short of cash, he’d lend her some. He opened his mouth to make the offer, then shut it again. Maybe he’d better wait for further proof before jumping to conclusions. Besides, they were actually getting along for the moment. And he was beginning to enjoy it.

  “Please don’t go to any trouble,” she insisted. Mary Beth didn’t want Deke to involve anyone else in her problems.

  Deke walked back over to the table and stopped beside her. “Don’t worry about it.” He lifted her face up so he could look into her eyes. “Stop frowning or you’re gonna have worry lines,” he warned, then drew his finger across her forehead. He’d only meant to tease, but the instant his fingers touched her face, his body tightened and the last of his words spilled out in a rough ache.

  Mary Beth’s breath dammed in her lungs as she stared at him. She hadn’t expected him to touch her. An intense sensation of longing flared deep in her stomach.

  You’ve really got to get a grip on your attraction to this man.

  She swallowed hard and tried to smile. “I’ll remember that.”

  Desire stirred inside Deke. Lustful feelings that he had no business entertaining. The last thing he needed was to get involved with Mary Beth. But as sure as he was that it was going to complicate things between them, he had a suspicion that getting involved with her was something he wasn’t going to be able to stop.

  Five

  D eke pushed Mary Beth’s pickup truck under the shade of an old pecan tree. Though the vehicle wasn’t a relic, it sure hadn’t seen a showroom in years. Rust had eaten away at the dull silver paint along the front fender and left ugly jagged holes in its wake.

  Even if he got it started, he didn’t like the idea of Mary Beth traveling the roads in this beat-up, unsafe truck. It could break down miles from town on one of the back roads. Stuck out in the middle of nowhere, anything could happen to her.

  As he worked on the truck, checking plugs and cleaning off connections, Mary Beth’s situation nagged at him, darkening his mood. The hay for the horses was gone and her pantry was practically bare. On top of that, the ranch all but screamed for attention. Either she didn’t care about the desperate need of repairs, or she had much greater problems. He suspected the latter.

  If she had any sense, she’d sell the ranch. It was a good piece of land with the potential to be profitable. Why was she holding on to it? Stubborn woman. Yeah, if he’d learned nothing else about her, he’d definitely learned she was stubborn.

  And sexy as hell.

  Oh, yeah. All he could think about was making love to her. All night long. He had erotic memories of the night he’d spent with her. Every single detail was etched in his brain. Being around her today had made him cognizant of his physical awareness of her. How could he not want to make love to her now?

  Well, so what if he did? he argued with himself. It didn’t mean he had a thing for her.

  “Ow!” He jerked his finger back as it connected with a live wire. He’d better keep his mind on the engine before he fried his brain. Not that Mary Beth wasn’t doing a fine job of that as it was.

  It wasn’t long after he checked the headlights and ensured they worked fine that he ruled out the battery. Although old, it appeared to be sufficiently charged. However, come winter, it’d probably have to be replaced.

  Scratching his cheek, he couldn’t imagine sinking any more money into the old heap. Apparently, maintaining the truck wasn’t high on Mary Beth’s list of priorities. Pulling out the oil dip stick, he shook his head. A black, gooey syrup that he presumed to be oil clung to it. Not to mention it was a quart low. He shook his head and wondered when she’d last had it changed.

  More proof that Mary Beth needed money?

  And what else hadn’t she mentioned? Maybe she’d been short and couldn’t pay Clyde. Was that why he’d quit? If so, it meant that she wouldn’t be able to afford to hire someone to take his place.

  He pondered that thought as he continued checking parts on the truck. He figured he’d test his theory of her money troubles later, mention she should buy a newer model truck, then gauge her response.

  In the end the problem with her truck turned out to be the alternator. Deke made a trip into town to pick up a new one, then decided to swing by the feed store for hay and feed. More than likely Mary Beth wouldn’t like it, but if she was really in financial straits, he’d be saving her the delivery charge.

  Besides, he couldn’t stand the thought that if she got it in her head to pick up the supplies, she’d try to unload the bales by herself. Deke more than anyone else knew that once she got something on her mind, it took a stick of dynamite to make her change it.

  Upon returning, Deke moved the hay and feed to the barn, then installed the new alternator, racing against what looked like another storm moving in. As he scanned the darkening sky, he could smell the cool scent of the incoming rain, feel the potency of the storm in the air. He glanced at the parched ground. They could use it.

  Years ago at the Bar M, he and his brothers had installed an elaborate irrigation system. Not all ranchers had the resources to do the same. Deke shook his head in disgust as he looked over Mary Beth’s dry, cracked land. It was a shame that Hank hadn’t seen fit to invest the time and expense on irrigation for Paradise. If the right care were given, this ranch could be one of the finest around. One even he would be proud to own.

  He turned his attention back to the truck and tightened the last bolt one more time. Sweat dripped from his forehead, and he wiped it from his brow with the bottom of his dirty, dark-blue T-shirt. Hoping that he’d solved the problem, he got inside the truck and gave the key a twist. The engine turned over, sputtered, then began running more smoothly. He switched it off, then tried it again, and it started right up.

  Distant thunder rumbled as he started toward the house to check on Mary Beth. He frowned at the churning clouds as drops of water dotted his shirt. Just as he reached the door and stepped inside, the sky let loose.

  He’d deliberately stayed outside all afternoon, determined to prove to himself that he could resist the temptation of being with her. A waste of time, he thought now as he hurried through the kitchen, calling her name. As much as he’d told himself that he could keep his distance, he was anxious to let her know that he’d fixed her truck. Oddly, doing something for her, however small, gave him a sense of satisfaction.

  Unaware that she’d been sleeping, he walked into the living room. As he hung his hat on a rack, she jumped and stared at him, her eyes wide and soft.

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  She stretche
d her arms above her head, her body moving provocatively in slow motion, lifting her full breasts, jutting them at him. Deke thought for sure that he was being tested. He stared at her with his tongue practically hanging out. Hell, he was only human.

  “It’s okay.” Mary Beth sleepily rubbed her eyes, then opened them again. She scooted into a sitting position.

  It was far from okay from where he was standing, Deke thought. “How’s your ankle?”

  “I think it’s getting better. It doesn’t hurt nearly as much now.” She removed the ice pack so he could see, then winced as she ran her hand over the injury.

  “That’s good.” He bent down to inspect it. Actually, she was right. It did look better. The swelling was down and the bruising had faded a little.

  “What time is it?” she asked, looking up at him as he examined her ankle.

  “Almost six.” His gaze traveled up the length of her leg, slowly over her body and stopped at her face. Just looking at her made him want to touch her.

  She frowned at his shirt, smeared with black smudges of grease, then at his greasy hands. “You’ve been working on my truck all this time?”

  “Not exactly. I needed a part for it, so I ran into town. I finished just as it started to rain.” He decided not to mention that he’d picked up the supplies she’d needed. That bit of information could wait. Right now she wasn’t mad at him. Not knowing how long that would last, Deke wanted to just enjoy being with her.

  Fat drops began pelting the roof. Mary Beth jumped at a sharp clap of thunder. “Which part?”

  Deke watched her comb her hair into place with her hands. “The alternator. Your truck’s running now, but you really should replace the battery before the weather turns cold. And it wouldn’t hurt to get an oil change, either.”

  Mary Beth’s face grew hot. She’d meant to take care of the maintenance on the truck, but she hadn’t wanted to spare the money. Not yet. Not until she’d paid her mortgage. “I know it’s overdue. I haven’t had time to get to it.”