It wouldn’t have been for any of them, Justin thought. The three women in the room could throw together a party on a moment’s notice, and had done so plenty of times in the past year and a half as they toiled to turn the boys ranch from dream to reality.
“And probably very overwhelming for a guy,” Mitzy Martin added kindly. “Which is why we’re offering to do all the cooking and meal prep for you.”
Irked to be thought of as incapable in any regard, Justin said, “That’s not necessary. I can handle it.”
Libby studied him. “You’re sure? Because we really need the funds that publicity like this could bring in if we’re going to expand the ranch anytime soon.”
“I’ll make sure all goes smoothly,” Justin promised.
He and the three women talked some more about the event. They all approved his proposed menu. After Mitzy left to drive Miss Mim home, Justin stayed behind to talk to Libby. “How is the search going for counselors?”
Libby beamed. “We’ve located three husband-and-wife teams who would be perfect. I only wish we could build two more bunkhouses and hire them all.”
So did Justin, but that would mean raising another million dollars, no easy feat. Especially since he had already donated the majority of his own inheritance to purchase the land and build the lodge. “What about the director position?”
Libby’s expression grew conflicted, but she looked him in the eye. “We have a lot of qualified candidates with varied backgrounds. And we’re looking at all of our options.”
Which meant it probably wasn’t going to be him. Disappointment knotted his gut. He leaned forward in his chair. “Am I still in the running?”
“Yes. Of course. You’re the founder of the boys ranch, after all. If it weren’t for you and your unwavering commitment—and the considerable funds you’ve put in—it wouldn’t exist.”
“And yet...?” Justin prodded, sensing there was something holding him back in their view.
Libby clasped her elegant hands together. “The board wants to make sure whoever holds the position can really relate to the kids and put him or herself in their shoes.”
“Or in other words, you all think I won’t be able to empathize enough with the kids to be effective.”
Libby nodded reluctantly. “That pretty much sums it up, yes. I’m sorry, Justin.”
First, Amanda basically—and erroneously—had told him he was out of her league, and now this. Justin wasn’t sure he wanted to know what was next.
* * *
AMANDA WASN’T SURE what had happened with Justin at the board meeting in town. All she knew for certain was that his expression was unusually pensive when he walked into the bunkhouse kitchen to resume supervision of Lamar.
“So what do you think?” Lamar asked Justin proudly.
Justin surveyed the unfinished store-bought cabinets, butcher-block countertops and newly laid wood floor. All had been perfectly leveled and installed with Lamar’s help.
Eagerly, the teen stepped back to point out, “Adding the crown molding really makes the cabinets look a lot fancier, don’t you think?”
Justin studied the clean, elegant edges and turned back to Lamar with approval. “You guys did a really nice job. The whole thing looks custom-built.”
“Or at least it will when we get everything stained and varnished,” Amanda said with a smile.
Justin smiled back at her. “So what’s next?” he asked, coming nearer.
“We’ll build the bookcases and wall lockers in each of the bedrooms. And of course we’ll make sure those are nicely trimmed, too. Then we’ll add the cabinets to all the bathrooms.”
Justin’s eyes locked on hers. “Can you have at least one bedroom and bath done by Saturday evening?”
It would be pushing it, but since it seemed so important, Amanda nodded. “Sure,” she said. “Although nothing will be varnished yet.”
“That’s okay.” One corner of his mouth quirked as he turned back to Lamar. “I’m going to need some extra help tomorrow for a fund-raising dinner, here at the ranch. I know it’s Saturday, typically you get that time off, but I would appreciate it if you could help out with the preparations, serving and cleanup. Of course, any hours you put in will count toward your community service.”
Justin’s tone was amenable, yet Lamar was wary. Probably, Amanda thought, because he worried he would be out of his element and end up falling flat on his face.
“What exactly would I have to do?” Lamar asked nervously.
Justin either missed or chose to ignore the teen’s unease. “A little of everything, probably.” He brushed off further questions, assuring, “We’ll figure it out as we go.”
Famous last words, Amanda thought.
“In the meantime—” Justin paused to check his phone and punch in something on his keyboard “—I’ve got to get a list together and go back into town to buy groceries. I need your help for that, too.” He slid his phone back into his pocket.
Lamar dug in his heels. “I’m helping Amanda,” he protested.
Realizing that tempers were about to flare once again, Amanda put a soothing hand on the teen’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Lamar. I’m just going to be measuring and cutting wood this afternoon. There’s still plenty for you to help me with the next few weeks, when Justin doesn’t need you to assist him.”
Lamar relaxed beneath her maternal touch and reluctantly acquiesced. Justin smiled with relief and the two guys strode off. Fifteen minutes later, they got into Justin’s truck and drove away.
Amanda went back to work.
While they were gone, she wondered how it was going.
She found out when they returned.
The moment Justin cut the motor, Lamar stormed out of the pickup and started for Amanda.
Justin followed. “Lamar. Come back here.”
As out of control as Justin was in control, Lamar spun around to shout, “Why should I? You don’t want me around. Admit it! You’re just doing this ’cause you have to, same as me!”
“You’re wrong about that, Lamar,” Justin replied.
But, Amanda could see, Lamar didn’t believe him. In fact, wouldn’t have believed anyone at that point.
All five dogs, who had been hanging out on the porch of the lodge, stood and came forward, tails at half-mast. They seemed to be as concerned about Lamar’s upset state as Amanda. She took off her goggles and gloves, set them on the table and walked toward the guys. “How about I give you fellas a hand? I imagine there’s a lot of stuff to unload.”
When Lamar looked over at her, the fight seemed to seep out of him. He ducked his head and moved for the truck’s rear doors.
There were a lot of groceries, Amanda noted. Cases of sparkling water, soda and tea. Butcher-paper-wrapped meat. Four gourmet pies from the Sugar Love bakery. Fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs. Together, the three of them carried everything in and set it on the counter.
Lamar still wouldn’t look Justin in the eye. “Now can I take a break?” he bit out before Justin could say anything more. “I didn’t even have lunch, you know!”
At that, Justin looked completely taken aback.
Once again, Amanda felt compelled to intervene. She placed a comforting arm around Lamar’s thin shoulders, not sure why, just knowing the kid brought out the mother in her. “I’ve got some sandwiches already made in the fridge in my trailer,” she told the teen lightly, noticing he was near tears and struggling to hide it. “Why don’t you go cool off and help yourself to a few of those? There are chips and apples, too.”
Lamar’s grateful expression reminded her just how downtrodden he was. “Thanks, Amanda.” He pivoted and left the lodge, pausing only long enough to pat the dogs on the porch before crossing the lawn.
Amanda turned back to Justin, sensing he needed comforting, too. “I’m
assuming you didn’t have lunch, either,” she remarked drily.
Broad shoulders slumping, he scrubbed a hand over his eyes. “You’re right. I didn’t.”
“We could take care of the stuff here, wait a minute and then both go over and join Lamar.”
He exhaled and shot her a gruff look. “I appreciate the way you’re able to calm Lamar down, but you don’t have to take care of us.”
It was the first time he’d rebuffed her help. She found it—and him—oddly fascinating. Unable to help herself, she stepped closer. “I do if I want to coexist in peace.” She emptied produce from a bag. “What happened at the store, anyway?”
Justin grimaced. “I wrote out a list for Lamar of stuff I figured would be easy to find.” Justin reached into the pocket of his jeans and brought out a crumpled-up piece of paper. “Another for me, with the harder stuff, like fresh basil.”
That sounded fine. “And then?”
“We each took a cart and then...nothing.” Justin opened the fridge and set the meat on a shelf, the vegetables in the crisper. “I’m done with my list, and I look around...and where is he?” Justin continued, clearly exasperated. “The magazine rack, looking at motorcycles!”
Amanda stepped in to hand Justin the rest of the refrigerator items. “He didn’t get anything on the list?” she asked in dismay.
“Nope.” Justin shook his head. “Not a single item. He didn’t even have his basket with him anymore.”
Unable to understand this—Lamar was always so helpful when he was with her—Amanda scrunched up the plastic bags and put them in the recycling container. “What did he say when you asked him about it?”
Justin lounged against the counter, arms folded in front of him, his big body simmering with pent-up frustration. “That he’s no good at grocery shopping and shouldn’t be required to do it.”
That sounded like the contemptuous, passive-aggressive kid who had been sentenced to community service. Eager to hear the entire story, Amanda settled next to Justin. “And you said?”
“I’ll help you. We’ll start with the olive oil and the butter.” Justin shook his head. “But he wouldn’t cooperate there, either. Wouldn’t even give a half effort. All he would do is stand in front of whatever shelf I directed him to, and look at the packages, and sometimes pick something. Never, of course, what we were looking for.”
Amanda wished she could reach out and comfort Justin without it being misconstrued. “He was probably just angry because you reprimanded him in public.”
Glance narrowing, Justin met her gaze. “I wasn’t reprimanding him. I was just trying to get him back on task.”
Amanda chided, “Trust me. People know when you’re not happy.” He had a very expressive face, very expressive eyes, a very willful nature. Only right now, that strong will wasn’t helping.
Justin winced and scoured a hand over his jaw. He hadn’t shaved yet today. The resulting stubble gave him a very rugged, masculine look she itched to explore. Mistaking the reason for her silence, he finally muttered, “I suppose you could have done a better job?”
She wasn’t about to lie, but didn’t want to rub it in, either. “That’s really not the point, is it?” She gave him a long, level look. “You’re the one running this ranch.”
“For now.” Frown lines bracketed his sensual lips. He came another step closer. “It may not be for much longer, if I can’t even get through to one kid in need.”
“Give it time,” Amanda advised. “In the meantime, try an apology. Trust me on this, Justin. A few kind words of compassion can work wonders.”
Justin gathered her close. He wrapped both his arms around her middle. “For me, too,” he admitted in a low voice.
His mouth was so close she could feel the heat of his breath on her forehead. “What do you mean?”
He rubbed his thumb across her lower lip, tracing its shape. His eyes took on a sexy shimmer. “It helps having you here with me. More than you know.”
The tenderness of his voice obliterated her defenses even more. “Justin—”
He tunneled his hands through her hair and lifted her face to his. The sound of his husky laughter warmed her heart. “Just one kiss, Amanda. That’s all I’m asking.” He gave her no chance to refuse.
At the first touch of his lips to hers, Amanda splayed her hands across his chest. She swore to herself she wasn’t going to yield to temptation, but before even a second had gone by, her lips had parted under the seductive pressure of his. Her knees weakened and her heartbeat sped up. Wild longing swept through her. And suddenly she was kissing him back with all the wonder and affection in her heart. By the time the possessive caress ended, she was tingling from head to toe. And worse, on the verge of falling harder and faster for Justin than she ever dreamed possible.
Scared by what that could mean, she pushed away from the unyielding hardness of his body. “Justin. We can’t do this.”
He frowned, perplexed, then reluctantly stepped back.
“You have to concentrate on helping Lamar now,” Amanda reiterated firmly. “And nothing else.”
* * *
AS MUCH AS he hated to admit it, Justin knew that Amanda was right. The main goal was to make Lamar feel good about himself, to put him in situations where he would thrive, not struggle. Ashamed he had lost sight of that, even for a short while, Justin went in search of the boy.
In not acting swiftly enough, he had failed Billy. He would not do the same to Lamar.
Luckily, it didn’t take Justin too long to find the missing teen. He was sitting in Amanda’s trailer, all five canines sprawled on the floor at his side. A half-eaten sandwich and a nearly full bag of chips was spread out on the table. For someone who had professed to be starving, he didn’t appear to have much of an appetite. “Got room for one more?” Justin asked.
Lamar just looked at him and sulked.
Justin slid into the banquette across from him, ready to do what he hadn’t done before. “I’m sorry if I was a little short with you back at the store,” he said sincerely.
“Yeah, well,” Lamar admitted reluctantly, “I probably should have tried a little harder to find some of that stuff, even if I didn’t know what half of it was.”
Justin took the admission for the peace offering it was. He helped himself to a chip. “That’s good to hear. But you need to know that my grouchiness had nothing to do with you. I was ticked off because the ladies on the board of directors don’t think I can pull off this party because I’m a man, and I realized when I was in there, trying to buy all this stuff, that they’re probably right.”
He retrieved a sandwich from Amanda’s fridge and sat down to unwrap it. “The truth is, I don’t know what I’m doing. I mean, I can cook guy food till the sun comes up. But a dinner party?” Justin forced himself to take a bite. He swallowed and squinted at Lamar. “As much as I hate to admit it, they’re right. I am out of my league. Way out of my league.”
Lamar picked up his sandwich and began to eat. “Then why do it?”
“Because if I don’t, I won’t get the job I want, and I really want to be the director of the Laramie Boys Ranch.”
“Why?”
“Because I know I have what it takes to run the place and help kids just like you. And I want to be given the chance to try.”
Lamar munched on his sandwich and thought about that for a long moment. “They really said you couldn’t do this because you were a guy?”
“Yep.”
Lamar slammed a palm on the table. “Well, that’s just wrong.”
Justin chuckled, aware this was the first time in his life he’d been subject to gender discrimination. On the job, anyway. “My opinion exactly.”
Lamar went to the fridge. He took out two apples and tossed one to Justin. “I don’t know a lot about that stuff, either, but I can
probably learn.” He sat down opposite Justin. “I mean, heck, I’m learning carpentry pretty quick.”
Justin polished off his sandwich and started on his apple. “You sure are.”
Lamar leaned forward enthusiastically. “Just tell me what you need, and I’ll do my best to deliver. And Justin? Thanks for apologizing.” Lamar swallowed, seeming suddenly emotional. “It means a lot to hear someone besides me say ‘I’m sorry.’”
* * *
AMANDA WAS BACK at work when she saw Lamar and Justin come out of the trailer a short time later. One look at their body language told her they were no longer at odds. Consequently, Lamar assisted Justin at the lodge for the rest of the day. Relieved that things seemed to be going better, Amanda kept to herself, working late into the evening. Given how long the lodge lights were on Friday night, Justin was burning the midnight oil, too, getting ready for the fund-raiser.
She was tempted to pop in and see how things were going, but mindful of her refusal to be drafted into catering and cohosting duties by a man she found extraordinarily attractive, she stayed away.
Justin, she was sure, would do fine without her. And if he didn’t, it really wasn’t her problem. Even if it inexplicably felt like her problem...
Eventually, she went to sleep, only to dream of Justin, and the kiss they had shared, all night long. Frustrated, and knowing she couldn’t allow it to happen again or she really would fall hard for him, she got out of bed and started her day early.
Lamar was back bright and early Saturday morning.
On track to finish building one bookcase and wall-mounted wooden locker as promised, Amanda labored in the bunkhouse all morning. Lamar hosed down the porch, cut and edged the grass, and could be seen going in and out of the lodge all day long. Justin did not appear.
At five, she had completed the installation of the bathroom cabinets, and was finished for the day. Not sure what she was going to do during the fund-raising party—maybe go into town, see a movie or drive to San Angelo and see her grandfather—she headed for her trailer and a quick shower.
She had just put on clean clothes and run a comb through her hair, when she heard footsteps outside her trailer. “Amanda!” Lamar pounded on her door, his voice frantic. “It’s an emergency! You’ve got to come quick!”
The Long, Hot Texas Summer Page 7