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

  Tears exploded in her eyes. Mortified, sucking in a gulp of air, she stammered, “Oh…I’m so sorry. I—” The words caught in her throat. Her chest heaving, she rushed from the room. Someone touched her as she brushed past, but she didn’t stop to see who it was. By the time she reached the door, she was running. Somehow Mary Beth made it safely to her truck. Tears streaked her cheeks as she started the engine, threw the truck into gear and stomped on the gas.

  She never looked back.

  Stunned, Deke tried to comprehend what had just happened. For a full ten seconds no one in the dining room said a word. When the brittle silence was finally broken, it was by Ryder. Tugging at his mustache, he sliced a hard look at his younger brother.

  “Hell, Deke. Have you lost your mind? Paying Mary Beth for sex like she’s some kind of—”

  “Ryder!” Ashley blurted out, smacking him on the arm. She darted a look in Matt’s direction.

  “Maybe you’d better go outside, Matt,” Catherine McCall said, and she gently touched her hand to her son’s shoulder.

  Matthew ignored his mother’s suggestion. He glared at Deke, disapproval in his eyes. “I’m old enough to stay,” he argued. His gaze narrowed on his uncle. “I can’t believe you made Mary Beth cry like that, Uncle Deke,” he charged. “She’s a nice lady. And I think she really liked you. She talks about you a lot.”

  Deke’s chair scraped the floor as he jumped to his feet. He glared back at Matthew, nearly wincing from his nephew’s icy stare. “I didn’t mean to hurt her,” he stated, trying to keep his voice calm as he sorted through what had just happened. How had Mary Beth interpreted his trying to help her with the ranch into something as sordid as paying her for sex? His gaze swept past the displeased looks on his brothers’ faces, then took in the disapproving glares of his two sisters-in-law. “I swear, I didn’t.”

  Ashley walked over to him, her expression a mixture of concern and confusion. “I certainly hope you have more of an explanation than that. The poor girl was in tears.”

  He put his hand out, palm first. “I need to talk to Mary Beth.”

  Jake moved away from the wall he’d been leaning on. “I think you owe us an explanation, as well.” His tone held restrained patience. “Let’s hear it.”

  Deke shook his head. “Later, I need to…” Aw, hell. He might stand a chance of making his family understand, but he wasn’t so sure when it came to Mary Beth. His intentions had been honorable. He couldn’t believe he had to explain his actions as if he were the devil incarnate. “Look, the truth is, I suspected that Mary Beth’s been having financial trouble. I didn’t want to embarrass her by asking straight out, so I hinted at it a few times. She’s so damn prideful sometimes. And stubborn. She wouldn’t even admit that anything was wrong.”

  Leaving the money on the floor, he began walking toward the door. “Last night I saw a note she’d made, indicating that she didn’t have enough money to meet her mortgage payment. As I was leaving this morning, I remembered the note, then left the money so she’d be able to pay it.” He gave a sardonic chuckle. “I never dreamed that she’d think I was paying her for—” He stopped speaking, looked at Matt and grimaced. “Well, you get the picture.”

  Matt stepped in front of him, impeding his progress. “Where are you going?”

  Deke stiffened. “Not that it’s any of your business, Matt, but I’m gonna try and set things straight.” He started to moved around his nephew, but Matt stepped in front of him again.

  “If your intentions aren’t honorable, you ought to leave her alone.”

  Deke’s tanned skin turned ruddy. He was proud of his nephew for standing up for Mary Beth, embarrassed that he was the one that Matt was trying to defend her against. “It’s okay, Matt. I’m just going to talk to her and set things straight. That’s all.” He stepped around him, then left the room and went to his truck.

  He glanced at his watch as he climbed inside and turned the engine over. At least he’d already packed for his trip. If he was going to make it to Tulsa on time, he’d have to leave straight from Mary Beth’s. That was a big if, because he wasn’t leaving until this misunderstanding between them had been sorted out. Though he’d seen her upset before, Deke had never witnessed anything like the temper she’d been in just now.

  In hindsight, he thought, as he drove toward Paradise, he should have just come right out and asked Mary Beth if she needed a loan. But he’d only been trying to salvage her pride. And look what he got for trying! Mary Beth was furious, his family was upset with him, and for a minute there he’d thought Matt was going to clock him.

  He hoped that by the time he arrived at Mary Beth’s she’d cooled off. He wanted her to understand that he hadn’t meant to insult her—that he’d only wanted to help her. How he could best accomplish that without hurting her further?

  That damn ranch was falling down around her. She needed an investor, someone who…Deke smacked his hand against his forehead. That’s it! He would offer to become an investor in her ranch—a silent partner. What she needed to make the ranch successful was capital. He’d give her the money she needed to continue running Paradise, plus she’d keep her pride.

  Pleased he’d hit on the perfect solution, Deke relaxed a bit as he pulled up to Mary Beth’s house. Lightning and Lady barreled out of the barn as he got out of the truck. Knowing the dogs were never far from Mary Beth, he headed in that direction.

  As he stepped inside the old structure, he saw her immediately. She glanced at him, and his chest constricted. Her eyes were swollen, her complexion scarlet. Regret slammed him. Though he’d thought he was doing something to help her, apparently he’d gone about it wrong. True to his nature, again he’d ended up hurting someone he cared about.

  Ignoring him, she went about cleaning one of the stalls. He heaved a sigh and walked toward her, noticing the tightness in her carriage. She hadn’t cooled off at all. It was going to take a lot of explaining to get that wounded look out of her eyes.

  “Mary Beth, I want to talk to you.”

  “Well, I don’t want to talk to you.” She couldn’t imagine what he could say that would explain his callous treatment of her.

  “You have to give me a chance to explain.”

  She looked directly at him then, her expression tight. “I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to do.”

  Well, hell, that was clear enough. “You could at least listen to me. Don’t I deserve that much?”

  She threw down the rake and whirled toward him. If she didn’t listen to him, he wouldn’t leave, and at the moment she never wanted to see him again. That was the only way she’d stand a chance of getting past the pain and embarrassment he’d caused her. “Make it fast. I’m busy.”

  It wasn’t much of an opening, but Deke seized it. “Look, sweetheart, I’m really sorry that you got the wrong idea when you saw that money. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Her expression closed up, and frustrated, he blew out a breath. “Hell, Mary Beth, I can’t believe you thought that I’d pay you for sex! I’d never do that!”

  Glaring at him, she retorted, “What was I suppose to think when I saw that money lying on my dresser?”

  “Well, I thought that you’d figure out I’d put it there so you’d have the money to pay your mortgage.”

  She blinked. “What?”

  “Yesterday I saw the note you wrote to yourself about being short a thousand dollars on your mortgage. It was on your nightstand.”

  “You did?” She hadn’t realized she’d left it there.

  He shrugged and nodded. “I saw it when I used the phone. Look, sweetheart, I only wanted to help you. I’d sort of figured out that you were running short on money to keep the ranch going. When I was leaving this morning, I saw the note again. I left the money to help you, not to hurt you.”

  “If that’s the truth, why didn’t you just ask me about my finances?” she asked, not sure she believed him. His motives might have been magnanimous, but she realized that no matter how hard she tri
ed to protect herself, he had the power to hurt her.

  Somehow she’d lost control of her heart.

  Deke grimaced. “Well, to tell you the truth, you were so determined to make the ranch profitable on your own, I was trying to spare your feelings.” He walked toward her, closing the distance between them. He wanted more than anything to pull her against him, but he held himself back from touching her. “Things sort of blurred when we became lovers, Mary Beth. I care about you, and I didn’t want to hurt you, so I didn’t come right out and talk to you about what I suspected.”

  She rolled her eyes. Deke felt as if he was beating his head against a brick wall—a very prideful one. “I do care about you, honey.” Damn, she was stubborn. “To be totally honest, I’m a little hurt that you haven’t talked to me about your financial situation,” he admitted, his tone defensive.

  Her eyes remained frosty. “It’s my problem, not yours.”

  “That may be, but I want to help you.”

  “Let me see if I can make this perfectly clear for you. You’re the last man on earth that I want help from.”

  He gave her a pleading look. “Would you just hear me out? That’s all I’m asking.”

  Regarding him with wariness, she crossed her arms over her chest. “All right. You’ve got exactly one minute.”

  “I want to invest in Paradise. As a silent partner.”

  Immediately suspicious, Mary Beth snorted. “Now, why would you want to do that?” Paradise was about to go under. Why would he want to risk money on it?

  “It’s the perfect solution for both of us. I have a lot of winnings saved up. I could put that money to good use on Paradise. Using it, you’d be able to get the ranch in the black. This is good land, and you’ve got a start on making the ranch a success. You just need capital.” Shrugging indifferently, Mary Beth looked away from his watchful eyes. He’d thought she’d be happy about his offer. “Are you willing to lose everything because of your pride?”

  Her eyes sliced back to his. “I’m not sure I care anymore.” It was an honest answer. She was tired of fighting so hard to make the ranch a success. It was exhausting trying to do practically everything on her own. She was working herself to death. And for what? Nothing. Paradise was going under.

  “I don’t believe that.”

  “It doesn’t really matter to me what you believe. I wanted to make a go of it here, but it didn’t work out.” She’d learn to live with her failure eventually. “Maybe it’s time I accepted the fact that my father was right about me. Maybe I can’t run the ranch.”

  Deke swallowed hard. He didn’t think she really believed that. But there was more at stake than just the ranch. He’d thought there was something between them. Had he been wrong? “And what about us, Mary Beth?”

  “What about us? As you put it, we were lovers. That’s all. I never expected it to last.” It hurt to say the words, but after everything that had happened between them, she wasn’t going to trust him again. Maybe she’d jumped to conclusions when she’d seen that money, but what was she to think? Deke could have asked her about the stability of the ranch, could have talked to her.

  But he didn’t. And apparently even he believed that she couldn’t make a go of the ranch on her own. “I told you before that I wasn’t staying in Crockett.” She wondered now how she’d ever be able to stay without Deke’s love. Sex would hold them together, but for how long? He’d said himself that he didn’t have anything emotionally to give a woman…to give her. He’d made it clear that the rodeo was more important than anything or anyone.

  In the end, he would walk away from her. Just like every other time.

  Deke was a bit shaken by her casual dismissal of what they’d shared. Was that truly how she felt about him? He refused to believe that. And regardless, he wanted her at Paradise where he’d know she was okay. So he tried another tactic. “I’m giving you a chance to make this ranch successful. You’ve worked hard at it. Don’t give up now. If you do, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”

  If he could get her to agree to let him invest, that would keep her in Crockett. Right where he wanted her. “Think about it, Mary Beth. The reason it’s been so tough for you is that your father left the place in shambles and strapped you with a load of debt. If you accept my offer, you can run this place any way you see fit. You call the shots. You make all the decisions. And the ranch will stay in your name.”

  Mary Beth felt herself softening. He was offering her a chance to make Paradise the ranch she’d always believed it could be. She wanted so much to take a chance, but she just wasn’t convinced she could trust herself around him.

  When she remained silent, Deke looked at her, his gaze intense. “Please believe me, sweetheart. I never meant to hurt you.”

  Her eyes misted. “I wish I could believe that, Deke.” She wanted to trust him, but the only way she could was to keep him at arm’s length. Every time she’d opened herself up to him, he’d managed to wound her in some way. Just like her father.

  “Then take me up on my offer.”

  She wanted to. Badly. He was offering her what she most wanted—to make Paradise a success. But at what price? Her heart? She just didn’t know if it could take another beating. She had to protect herself some way. Somehow. Keeping their relationship platonic would save Paradise, and it would protect her heart. To Mary Beth, it was the only solution.

  “If I say yes, then you have to agree to this being a business arrangement only.”

  Uneasy, Deke shifted his stance. “Meaning?”

  “We’ll keep things between us strictly business.” Yes, she decided, that would work. She had a weakness where Deke McCall was concerned. And obviously, nothing permanent could come from a relationship with him. Maybe she’d survive if they kept things between them platonic.

  Deke frowned. “C’mon, Mary Beth—”

  “I mean it.”

  He took in the stubborn tilt of her chin. Arguing with her wasn’t going to get him anywhere. But if he agreed, she’d stay in Crockett. It was a small victory, but one he savored. Right now Mary Beth was still a little confused. He’d give her some time to come around. And if she didn’t, well, he’d worry about that later. “If that’s the way you want it, okay. I’ll stop at the bank in town and set up an account for you to draw from.”

  “All right, then. Thank you.”

  Now that he had her acquiescence, Deke breathed a relieved sigh. It was far from over between them. Mary Beth just didn’t know it yet.

  Ten

  A s Deke drove up the road to Mary Beth’s house, he spotted a pickup with two men heading toward him from the opposite direction. He touched the brim of his hat as the truck sped past, recognizing both Pete Newton and Charlie Baines. Both men gave a brief wave in his direction.

  A few weeks had passed since he’d talked Mary Beth into letting him invest in Paradise. Deke surveyed her property as he neared the house. In that short time, she’d made a lot of improvements. She’d had the fencing surrounding her land completely replaced, the machine shed repaired and painted, and a new roof put on the barn. It seemed she’d had no trouble putting the men to work.

  Pulling to a stop in front of her house, Deke switched the engine off, got out and stretched his legs. What was wrong with him? You’d think he could stay away from a woman who barely gave him the time of day. But no, here he was, wanting to see her so badly that he’d driven all night long to get there.

  He’d called Mary Beth as often as he could from the rodeo. She’d always made a point to tell him how things were going at the ranch, letting him know each and every step she was taking to make it a success. As if he cared about the damn ranch!

  Deke was back for one reason only. To see her. The finals would start in Vegas in three days. He was aware of his priorities, knew he had to give his full attention to bull riding. For the past few weeks he’d stayed away from Mary Beth and had done just that. He’d managed to hang on to the lead, but anything could happen in the finals
. A couple of bad nights and he’d lose everything he’d worked for. His chance to win the championship for his father would disappear.

  Deke had ridden the circuit for years, and each one had taken a toll on him. This year seemed to be his best chance to win the bull-riding title. He prayed it was. He just didn’t think he had it in him to rodeo another year. His body ached all over. And he was getting damn tired of being thrown by raging bulls, icing down his aches and pains and traveling from city to city.

  Recently Jake had asked him when he was going to settle down. Deke had sloughed off answering by cracking a joke. He’d never talked with his siblings about his reasons for continuing to participate in the risky sport of bull riding. It was easier to let his family believe that he loved the danger and thrived on the adrenaline rush than to admit to them that he told their father he’d hated him. Deke didn’t think he could stand to see the disappointment in their eyes. There wasn’t a day that went by that he wasn’t haunted by their father’s hurt expression.

  Shaking off the unpleasant memory, he walked up the steps to the porch and knocked on Mary Beth’s door. His heart raced at the thought of seeing her.

  Mary Beth was standing in the middle of her father’s room surveying her day’s work when she heard a knock at the front door. At the sound, Lightning and Lady jumped up and raced out of the room. She chuckled and followed them out, weaving around packed boxes stacked haphazardly on the floor.

  It was rare for her to have visitors, and she welcomed the interruption. Going through her father’s belongings had brought back all the feelings she’d thought she’d dealt with—his disappointment in her, her desire to please him, her resentment because he was never there for her and her mother.

  And though she usually treasured her solitude, her life had been so empty without Deke. Was she ever going to get him out of her mind? Out of her heart?