The Maverick & the Manhattanite (Montana Mavericks: Rust Creek Cowboys)

by Banks, Leanne

  They left for the Claibornes’ about thirty minutes later and pulled into the family’s driveway with Buddy’s family following right after. Gage and Lissa greeted Danielle and her children. Buddy carried a box wrapped in pink paper.

  “Is that the bunny?” Lissa asked.

  Buddy nodded. “My mom thought the little girl might like it even better if she got to unwrap it.”

  The small group made their way to the front door and were welcomed inside by Mrs. Claiborne. “Please, come in. Sara, say hello,” she said, taking the hand of a young toddler with brown tousled curls looking up with wide blue eyes.

  “Hi,” Sara whispered then stuck her thumb in her mouth.

  “She’s a little shy,” Mrs. Claiborne said. “Sara, this young man has brought you a gift. Do you want to open it?”

  Sara hesitated then nodded.

  Buddy stepped forward and gave the little girl the wrapped gift. “I heard you were missing one of these and saw this. I hope you like it.”

  Sara plopped down on the floor and tore off the paper. Buddy helped her open the box.

  She pulled the bunny from the box and gasped. “Bunny! It’s Bunny,” she said and hugged the stuffed animal against her.

  Lissa’s heart squeezed tight and she felt her eyes fill with tears. What Buddy had done was such a small, but powerful example of the generosity she’d seen in all the people of Rust Creek Falls. They’d sacrifice for themselves to make up for someone else’s loss.

  She felt Gage’s arm around her and was so thankful for his strength.

  “Buddy, I don’t know how to thank you,” Mrs. Claiborne said. “You’ve just made my Sara very happy.”

  Buddy shoved his hands in his pockets. “It was nothing,” he said.

  “No, it was something very nice,” Mrs. Claiborne insisted. “Sara, tell Buddy thank you.”

  The little toddler rushed toward him and gave him a hug. “Thank you,” she said.

  Buddy’s face turned red with embarrassment, but anyone could see he was pleased.

  “I’m proud of you,” Gage said. “You’re growing up to be a good man.”

  “Thank you, Sheriff,” he said.

  “Well, I guess we should go now,” said Buddy’s mother, Danielle. “It was nice meeting you. I hope your little Sara will enjoy the bunny.”

  They said their goodbyes and returned to the driveway.

  Danielle stopped and turned to Lissa and Gage. “I can’t thank you enough,” she said, lifting her hand to her throat. “I was starting to worry, but I can see Buddy’s got a solid gold heart. With your help, I’ll keep him moving in the right direction.”

  “Call if you need anything,” Gage said. “We’ve got people volunteering to help with transportation.”

  “Let me know the next time he’s off from school. I’d love for him to keep helping out,” Lissa said.

  “I’ll do that,” Danielle said and loaded her family into her car.

  Gage opened the passenger door for Lissa and she stepped inside. As soon as she got inside, she burst into tears.

  Gage shot her a worried look. “What’s wrong?” he asked, taking her hand.

  “It just got to me. You can tell Danielle is struggling to keep it all together and they don’t have much money. Buddy has to feel the strain. He has a little money in his pocket and what does he do with it? Buys a bunny for some little girl he doesn’t even know.” She sniffled. “Sorry. It’s just one of the sweetest things I’ve witnessed in a while.”

  He pulled her into his arms and she allowed herself to sink against him. “Like I said before, you’re inspiring everyone to give more than usual.”

  “I can’t take credit for this,” she said and took a deep breath. “It’s going to be hard for me to leave these people behind. I don’t know how I’m going to do it,” she said. “I didn’t expect to get so attached.”

  Gage sucked in a quick breath, his eyes giving a stormy glint. “You’ll be okay. You’ll work it all out, get some perspective and move on.”

  How could he be so positive about her leaving? she wondered.

  “Besides,” he said, tipping up her chin with his finger. “You’re not gone yet. You’re still here. By the time you have to leave, all of us might succeed in driving you crazy.” He dropped a kiss on her lips. “Don’t think about leaving until it’s time to go.”

  She sank her head against his chest. “If you say so,” she said.

  “I do.”

  One day later, Lissa’s crew left and she had two days to prepare for the next group. The incoming volunteers had recently increased their numbers, so Lissa was reworking the schedule to accommodate the added volunteers. It was an unusually warm day and she sat in a chair in Gage’s front yard. She could feel the heat of the sun on her face.

  She sighed with pleasure. These little breaks in between the departures and arrivals of volunteer crews provided her with so many sweet moments with Gage. Every day she spent with him made her want more time with him.

  Just up the hill, she could see him walking Damien, helping the horse in his healing process. That was who Gage was—a man determined to help those hurting and in need. Before she’d met him, Lissa would have thought of a sheriff as a tough guy, and Gage was certainly strong. But he was so much more than that. His sense of humor put people at ease even in the worst situations. He cared deeply for the people in Rust Creek Falls and they counted on him in return.

  Distracted by her thoughts about Gage, she opened a file on her iPad and began to write about him, what he meant to the people of Rust Creek Falls and what he meant to her. She easily filled the next hour composing her thoughts about him until a shadow fell over her.

  “Boo,” Gage said and she nearly jumped out of the chair.

  She put her hand to her racing heart. “You scared me.”

  “It was easy. You looked pretty intense. How’s the scheduling coming?”

  “Pretty good,” she said. “I’m not quite done yet.”

  He picked her up, taking her by surprise, then plopped down on the chair with her in his lap. “You’re awfully pretty sitting here in the sun, Miss Lissa.”

  She snuggled against him. “You’re awfully pretty, too,” she teased.

  He chuckled. “You know a man doesn’t like to be described as pretty.”

  “I think you’re tough enough to handle it,” she said.

  He took her mouth in a kiss that made everything inside her melt. He pulled back just a bit, his eyes dark with arousal. “You look tired. I think you need to go back to bed.”

  “So, it’s nap time?” she asked.

  He rose and headed for the trailer. “Maybe later,” he said.

  They spent the next hour making sweet love. Lissa couldn’t believe the combination of feelings he aroused in her. He made her so hungry for him, so crazy with wanting. She couldn’t remember feeling safer and...more adored. Yes, adored.

  At rest next to him after they’d pushed each other to the limits then over the edge, her hand on his chest, she felt his heart pounding. The strong, sure beat called to her. She looked at his face and an earthshaking knowledge rocked through her. She was in love with Gage.

  “You’re staring,” he said, his eyes still closed.

  “You can’t possibly know that,” she said. “Your eyes are closed.”

  “I’m a lawman,” he said. “I have eyes in the back of my head and I can see things even when I’m asleep.”

  “Hmm,” she said. “Sounds like Santa Claus.”

  He let out a chuckle and pulled her on top of him. “You are one sassy woman, Lissa Roarke. A man would have a hard time keeping your mouth shut.”

  “You didn’t want it shut a few moments ago,” she told him breathlessly.

  “Oh, don’t remind me, or I’ll
have to take you again,” he said as if the thought pained him.

  “Would that be so bad?”

  “No, but I need some sustenance if you’re gonna keep wearing me out like this. Come on and fix me a sandwich,” he said.

  She loved the way he conveniently forgot that he had initiated their lovemaking, but she was too happy to dispute it. Pulling on her clothes, she headed for the tiny kitchen.

  “I tell you it’s hard to get any work done with you around,” he said after he’d pulled on his jeans and a shirt.

  Work. The word juggled something in her mind and she panicked. “Oh, no. I left my iPad outside.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m sure it’s still there. I’ll get it for you,” he said and went outside.

  Lissa was surprised to see that Gage had fresh bread and deli meat and cheese for sandwiches, but he’d told her he figured if he planned to keep her barricaded on his ranch, then he’d better be prepared to feed her. And him. It warmed her heart that he’d planned for their time together. She’d just finished preparing three sandwiches when her cell phone rang.

  “Lissa Roarke,” she said and pointed to the sandwiches as Gage returned with her tablet.

  He nodded and sat down at the table, inhaling his food as he glanced at her iPad.

  “Miss Roarke, this is Virginia Conner,” the woman on the other end of the line said. “We’re just going to need more beds. Five more people volunteered this morning.”

  “Well, that’s fantastic,” Lissa said. “I’ve got another day to figure this out. I’ll call you tomorrow. Okay?”

  Excited, she disconnected the call. “I need to call the minister and a few other women who’ve been helping with food. We are getting so many volunteers there won’t be enough cots at the church for them. Isn’t this fantastic?”

  He smiled at her. “Sure is. That second sandwich is for me, right?” he asked.

  Lissa laughed. “Of course it is.”

  * * *

  While Lissa made her calls, Gage pushed the screen, thinking he’d play a game to kill some time. Instead of pulling up a game, however, the screen revealed a word document. Curious if this was some of the writing she’d mentioned to him, he scanned the first few sentences.

  It didn’t take long, however, for him to see that she was writing about him. Uncomfortable, he almost set the device aside, but he couldn’t resist this opportunity to see inside her head. She described him as “her beautiful cowboy.” Reading the words got under his skin. He shifted in his chair and continued to read. He is the perfect man, the man I always dreamed I would find. I had begun to think such a man didn’t exist until I met Gage.

  Gage raked his fingers through his hair. “Perfect,” he muttered. “Nobody’s perfect.” He sure as hell wasn’t. He is strong, yet gentle and kind, the most honorable man I’ve ever known.

  Gage shook his head. He couldn’t see himself in her description of him. She was writing about a man with a sterling character who had no flaws. Who’d never done anything wrong. The man Lissa wrote about had never failed anyone, and Gage knew he had failed a lot of people when he hadn’t been here to help them during the flood.

  His gut twisted and he pushed the tablet away from him along with the second sandwich. Lissa was a talented storyteller, no doubt, but she’d fallen for a man who didn’t exist.

  At that moment, Lissa bounded into the room. “We’re covered,” she said. “Three people have agreed to allow some of the volunteers to stay in their homes. The people here just keep outdoing themselves.”

  “Good,” Gage said and stood. “Good job. Listen, I’ve got some more chores to do. I’ll be back in a couple hours. Okay?”

  “Okay. I’ll be here when you get back. I may even take a nap,” she said with a wink. She was clearly still so happy that nothing could bother her. Good, he thought, because he had no idea how to handle what he’d just read. No idea at all.

  * * *

  Lissa spent the night with Gage, relishing being so close to him. He made love to her again, but he didn’t talk much afterward. She told herself she had just worn out her amazing cowboy. The next day, he let her off at Melba’s with a quick kiss.

  “We’ll talk later,” he said. He seemed a little distracted, but he also appeared to be in a hurry to get to the office, so she didn’t question him. Gage had a lot of people counting on him. She felt greedy about their time together because her assignment wasn’t going to last forever. She’d decided yesterday, however, to ask her boss to grant her an extension. There was so much more she wanted to do.

  The following day, the new crew arrived and since there were more people, there was more for her to do. She popped into the office to find Gage but he was gone. A perfect opportunity to put her plan into action, she seized the moment to chat with Vickie and Will.

  “I’m going to ask a huge favor of you and I’m swearing you both to secrecy,” she said after she’d persuaded Vickie to join her at Will’s desk.

  “Are you pregnant?” Vickie asked.

  Lissa dropped her jaw and felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment. “Absolutely not.”

  “That’s good to know,” Will muttered. “What’s this about? I’ve got work to do.”

  Lissa had noticed Will had become much less friendly to her since she and Gage had gotten involved. “I really do appreciate your cooperation. Sometime this week, I’m going to try to get the volunteers to fix Gage’s house.”

  Vickie clapped her hands together in approval. “Perfect. He’d never do it on his own.”

  “You’re right. He wouldn’t,” Will said. “Always puts himself last. What do you need from us?”

  “I don’t want him to make any unexpected trips home the day that we’ll be doing the repairs.”

  “So, you want us to keep him busy?” Vickie asked.

  “No,” Lissa said. “I just want you to keep me informed if he decides to go home during the day we’re doing repairs.”

  Vickie glanced at Will. “We should be able to do that. He doesn’t sneak home very often, does he?”

  Will rolled his eyes. “The sheriff doesn’t sneak anywhere.”

  “Okay, then, are you in?”

  “Of course,” Vickie said.

  “Yeah, I’m in,” Will said a little more slowly. “He’s a lucky guy.”

  Lissa spent the next several days dodging Gage. She feared he would be able to read her intentions without her saying a word. Avoiding him wasn’t as difficult as she’d thought. A part of her was concerned, but she was so focused on renovations she couldn’t get too upset.

  Nut job, she called herself, but kept going. She didn’t know how she and the volunteer group had pulled it off, but fifteen homes were repaired. The church held a banquet for the volunteers the night before they left and Lissa gave a speech, thanking everyone who had contributed. The volunteers would complete a few last-minute projects and leave late tomorrow afternoon.

  After the volunteer banquet, Lissa walked toward the rooming house, feeling spent and tired. An SUV pulled alongside her as she walked, and the passenger window was lowered.

  “Want a ride?” Gage asked.

  “I’m just headed back to the rooming house,” she said. “I’m almost there.”

  “I can give you a ride to my place,” he said.

  “I won’t be much good for you tonight. I’m way past tired.”

  His gaze gentled. “No pressure,” he said. “I’ll let you sleep.”

  She took a deep breath, pulled open the door and climbed into the warm car. “I can’t remember when I’ve been this tired.”

  “You’ve been a busy girl,” he said.

  “I don’t have a change of clothes,” she warned him.

  “You can use one of my shirts,” he said. “And I actually have a few extra cartons of yogurt
in my fridge.”

  “Really?” she said, surprised. “I thought you preferred the mystery meat biscuit.”

  “I like that some days,” he said defensively. “But that yogurt and fruit thing is nice, too.”

  “I can’t believe I’ve had such influence over your eating habits,” she said, leaning her head back against the headrest.

  “Yeah, well, don’t get too arrogant,” he said.

  “No chance of that,” she said and closed her eyes.

  Sometime later, she wasn’t sure how long, she awakened to the sight of Gage hovering over her. She blinked. “Hi.”

  “You were snoring,” he said.

  “Sorry,” she said. “I must have been very tired.” She glanced around and saw that she was in the bed in his trailer. She leaned back her head, closed her eyes and sighed. “I don’t know whether to ask for wine or ice cream.”

  “Ice cream?” he echoed.

  “You don’t have any?” she asked,

  “I don’t know. I might have some chocolate popsicles in the freezer,” he said.

  Lissa sat up in bed. “That sounds perfect.”

  He chuckled. “If you say so. Let me check.”

  He left the room and she closed her eyes again, wishing she weren’t so tired. But oh, my goodness, what a week. And the irony was that Gage still didn’t know that his home had been repaired. She laughed to herself that she and the workers had been able to pull it off. She couldn’t wait to see his face when he realized what had been done. She hoped he would be pleased.

  Chapter Nine

  Lissa sat up and ate a chocolate sundae popsicle. “I don’t want to know how many chemicals are in this,” she said as she took a bite. “It’s just too good.”

  “I bought these a few months ago,” he said and took a bite of the same kind of popsicle.

  “I like that it has several layers. Crunchy on top, then chocolate, then vanilla, then more chocolate.” She took another bite. “Yum.”

  Gage looked at her eating the popsicle and felt unbearably aroused. He had hoped to avoid her, but he couldn’t make himself. He wanted her in every possible way, sexually, mentally.... Every way.