by Alexa Davis
“No, you were right. I saw a look in his eye, and I made a lot of assumptions about him, and a couple about you. You’re always so nice to people, so unassuming, I was afraid you wouldn’t know if someone was dangerous until it was too late. That’s on me.”
“Oh. Um, no, I get it. I have always wanted to see the best in people. I mean, look at me and Andrew. You have a good reason to think I might not get it. But I’m not the same person who married a man who couldn’t say, ‘I love you’ while looking me in the eye, if ever at all.” Tucker made a low sound in his throat, like a growl. I finally worked up the nerve to look at him, and he was clenching and unclenching his hands, and rubbing them on his jeans.
“I am so sorry I didn’t understand how bad it was for you,” he said, his eyes glassy and wet. “I never understood why you were so timid, so eager to please everyone around you. I thought it was just who you were, and I tried not to add to your worry.” I shrugged my shoulders.
“I’ve been mad at you for a long time, for not helping me when you knew I was in trouble. Since then, I’ve met your family.”
Tucker scoffed.
“Okay, what does that mean?”
“You say I see the best in people, but you see the people you love the way you see your family. If Danny had married a timid girl who was afraid of her own shadow, you’d assume she came to him that way, and he was protecting her, as she deserved.” I set Kennedy down and stood against the porch rail, so I could see his face.
“Well, yes. Danny would never make his woman feel anything less than cherished,” he readily agreed.
“So, when your friend Andrew, who spent all his time acting like he was a standup guy who loved his family and served his community, had a wife who was scared shitless around people, who never stood up for herself, even though you knew she had in the past, what did you think of them?” He sighed, and rubbed his palms over his knees some more, without answering. “Tucker, it wasn’t rhetorical.”
“I thought something bad had happened to you, something so bad you couldn’t talk about it, and Andrew had saved you. I thought he was keeping you safe from whatever had made you afraid in the first place. Hell, I thought that might have been why you married him.”
“So, so wrong. But just like I’m not afraid and helpless now that I get to be away from the thing that made me feel like such a failure as a human being, you’re not trying to make me afraid again.” I kicked the sole of his boot. “I screwed up. I know better than to judge others based on my own experience.”
“Well that goes double for me. I knew you before I knew Andrew. I saw the changes in you and I should’ve asked. But even when you were dating Andrew, I knew you were special. Worked pretty damn hard to be a good friend and not try to steal you away. Though mostly, I didn’t try because Andrew was an all-star athlete, and I was second-string.”
“That’s a shitty excuse, considering I never used to care what people thought of me.”
“I am very sorry, and would like to make up for my past mistakes.” He held out a hand and I took it, keeping distance between us.
“I am still going back to my house,” I reiterated. He nodded in agreement.
“After the hearing.” I opened my mouth to protest, and tried to take back my hand. “No ‘buts.’ You need the break, and deserve to be taken care of for a few days.” He laced his fingers through mine and a slow, predatory smile slid across his face. “I like the idea of having you hidden away in a love nest, where the world can’t touch you.”
“We aren’t alone, you know.”
His scoff and it turned into a laugh as Patty’s voice floated out the library window behind the chairs, agreeing with me.
“The truth is, I want your arrival to influence the courtroom when you walk in. Mom and Rachel are going to use my research and dress you for the part of the ‘true widow.’” I groaned aloud.
“I don’t want drama, Tucker.” He laughed and shrugged, swinging my hand gently as he held it.
“Unfortunately, these proceedings are exactly that, and much as I hate his methods and his complete lack of anything resembling integrity, our courtroom opponent excels at the theatrical.”
“So… we’re good, and it’s back to business as usual for us?” He shook his head.
“I’ve been alone for a long time, Libby. By choice. I don’t think I’m ready to make the choices that I want to make when I’m with you.” I felt a sharp pinch in my heart as the bottom fell out, leaving me back where I was when I arrived on the ranch. I nodded my assent, unable to trust my voice to speak. “We both need to focus on Olivia. She’s going to get us through this, because we’re doing it for her. She’s such a good little girl, and I still haven’t been able to wrap my mind around the guy who had the privilege of being her dad leaving her.”
I didn’t reply. I had pored over that conundrum for a hundred hours, and had never been able to figure it out myself. I excused myself to help Patty with dinner, leaving Tucker on the porch with the sweet tea and my glass, since Danny had been too shy to brave coming back out to us to bring in his own.
In the kitchen, Patty was already starting to plate side dishes and when I walked in, she pointed to the stack of plates and silverware that needed to go out back onto the giant table the Hargraves and their ranch hands sat around together for every meal. Old Jake took the mountain of plates, and I followed him out, setting forks and knives at every place, and returning to the kitchen for another chore.
Once we were alone, Patty let me munch on a warm, freshly baked roll with home churned butter while she stirred cheddar in to the grits she was cooking, and watched them thicken. Neither of us spoke at first, but she watched me almost as closely as she was watching dinner.
“So, he came for you. Is that a good sign?” she asked, looking at me over her bifocals.
“It definitely could be worse,” I admitted, thinking that it could have been a whole lot better, too.
“I’ll leave wine out for you, if you decide to seduce him tonight. I would suggest it; I’ve seen these Hargrave boys get too much time alone to think, and believe me, that never ends well.” I snickered, but shook my head.
“He needs space.”
“Isn’t that what you just did a couple of hours ago? And look how that turned out.” I laughed and conceded the point to her.
“Okay, leave me the wine, and I’ll figure out how to seduce a stubborn man, or any man, for that matter.” She winked at me and shook her hips while she stirred the pot of grits, humming to herself. I vacated the kitchen and sat on the wicker sofa they had out on by the fireplace on the veranda. The fire wasn’t lit, but it was peaceful, and would be until the dinner bell was rung and the ranch hands came in.
All I wanted was a quiet life, where every day was filled with honest work, a safe place for Olivia, and maybe—just maybe—someone to share the nights with, someone who saw me as more than means to an end, more than an object to be used and discarded. Out here, it seemed like I was coming to the end of a difficult journey, one that would lead me to something better than I had ever imagined possible.
Chapter Fifteen
Tucker
Libby disappeared into the house and I sat alone with Kennedy at my feet for a while. I’d seldom seemed to make it home since passing the bar exam. I’d been busy making a name for myself that didn’t come from Lago Colina in any way. I loved the ranch, and Denny, who’d been my best friend for almost fifteen years. But when time came to divvy up the responsibilities of the ranch, I wasn’t cut out to be the boss, and we all knew it.
When Olivia had first seen the big iron sign arching over the road, she had squealed with delight. Now she was having her first horseback adventure, putting the lessons her dad had insisted upon to good use. Almost as an afterthought, I realized that with Olivia gone camping with my mom and Rachel, I had a chance to finish tonight, to give mine and Libby’s first date the proper ending that it should have had.
I knew she didn’t want me to claim h
er, and I had told her I didn’t want her to claim me. I had lied, though, and I hoped that she was at least open to changing her mind. I clicked my tongue at Kennedy and went searching for table scraps to sneak to her while I buttered Patty up for a couple of favors.
I could see Libby through the window, curled up on the couch by the big fireplace outside, staring into the cold brick alcove and hugging her knees to her chest, like she did when she was nervous or thinking.
“Hey, Patty, favorite almost-aunt of mine, can I ask a favor?” I waited for a response, and glanced over at her. She was watching me expectantly, and I laughed. “Sorry. I was wondering if you could put Libby in the northwest guest room tonight? It has the best soaking tub, according to Rachel, and I want to give Libby a relaxing evening.”
“Uh huh, I hear you, lover-boy. I’ll get in her moved in and make sure there’s plenty of bubble bath.” I kissed her soft, wrinkled cheek.
“That is why you’re my favorite. Need any help while I’m in here?” She clucked her tongue at me like a mother hen.
“Shouldn’t you be out, wooing your girl into a bubble bath?” I shook my head and started putting the cooled rolls in baskets to set out on the table.
“I’m not going to seduce her, Patty. I’m going to give her a break and let her do what she wants, for once.” Patty made a rude noise and I scoffed at her. “Geez Louise, Patty, what kind of selfish jerk do you take me for?”
“Selfish, no. Blind? Definitely. Stupid? Well, the jury’s still out on that one.” She stacked the baskets on the wheeled cart we used to get the food to the table, and waved me out the door with her apron.
I set the baskets at intervals on the table, so none of the ranch hands was farther than arms’ reach from the fresh baked bread, and wandered over to the couch where Rachel sat. She shifted to one side without looking up, but I eased myself onto the arm instead, and watched the empty fireplace with her. After a couple of minutes of silence, she patted the cushion next to her.
“C’mon, you look uncomfortable. Sit down, before people start thinking I bite.” I slid down into the couch.
“What are you thinking about, exactly?” She shrugged and pulled her knees up under her chin again. “Are you hungry, at least?”
“I’d say ‘no,’ but I’ve been sitting here inhaling the delicious torture for almost half an hour and I think my stomach is about to start gnawing on my spine.”
I put my arm around her and let it rest on the back of the sofa, and we sat in silence as the ranch hands trickled in from the fields and filled their plates, laughing and teasing each other while they overloaded their plates and waited for my brother and father to sit down so they could start eating.
Libby was quiet through the meal, as silent and shy as I’d ever seen her around other people. The men glanced at her from time to time, and I couldn’t blame them. But as much as they loved pretty women visiting, even they seemed to recognize her need for space. She was interesting to my family too, but other than a few glances in her direction, they didn’t ask her too many questions, or pry into our relationship. It was the most reserved I’d ever seen the men around a girl one of us had brought home.
Dad called out the few evening chores and everyone drifted off one direction or another, and Libby and I helped Jake clear up from dinner, leaving the two of them to finish alone when I saw Patty shooting him looks and then glancing at us.
“Did you already know?” Libby giggled when we got out of earshot.
“Well, no, but they’re the only two single adults their ages on the ranch, and I mean… You know what, I really just don’t want to think about it.” I coughed and shuddered.
“Oh, now, there are worse things,” she chided me. I was happy for Jake. I wouldn’t have expected Patty to be with a ranch hand, but in a way, it made sense. Lago Colina was everything to them both, and they were our oldest and most loyal help.
“Fine. Enough about them, I still want to be able to sleep tonight.” She giggled again and tugged my arm toward the garden.
“I got to see the garden this morning, but Danny said it was especially beautiful at night.”
I nodded and took her down the path that led to the small creek that ran through the property. In a clearing before the garden gave way to forest, my grandfather had built a bridge wide enough for a carriage to cross, and built a stone bench at the top of the shallow arch.
We sat while she watched the sunset. She had my full attention, even though the view was as beautiful as I remembered it to be from this spot. I saw the pinks and golds of the evening sky play across her skin, as I remembered how it felt to drag my fingertips over the soft, silken curves of her body. I looked away to regain a bit of my self-control, and Libby pressed her hand into my thigh, digging her fingers in as the light expanded and appeared to create natural fireworks in the sky.
I slid closer to her, closing the last inch of space between us so that my thigh was pressed the length of hers, from hip to knee. I didn’t press any further, but got some satisfaction from the fact that she didn’t pull away. We continued to sit there together, until the sun disappeared over the horizon and the stars started winking to life. She sat out under the growing blanket of darkness until the mountain chill set in, and I felt her shivering by my side.
“Hey, let’s get you inside. I had Patty move you, so you’ll have almost the same view from your balcony tonight.” She nodded in agreement, and I put an arm around her to warm her while we trekked back through the garden and up to the house. I walked her to her room and started a bath while she changed out of her clothes and into a robe. It was huge on her, and she looked even thinner engulfed by the thick fabric of the robe, which only hung to her knees, but could almost wrap around her twice.
“I take it these were purchased for you and your brothers.” I hid my laugh with a cough and tested the temperature of the quickly filling bath. Glancing around, I saw a bottle of champagne on ice and two glasses, and rolled my eyes at Patty’s less-than-subtle attempts to bring us together.
“Two glasses, huh?” I groaned aloud as Libby noticed the bottle and glasses.
“She said she’d help me create a relaxing evening for you, but I think she inferred the wrong thing despite my protests.”
“It’s okay, just turn around when I get undressed, and we can talk. Although, this tub is definitely big enough two.”
“Yes, I’m sorry about that. I did tell her to move you in here; I guess she thought I was kidding about the ‘she’s going to be alone’ part.” Libby nodded, and dropped the robe from her shoulders as she got closer to the bath and reached in to test the water. Her skin was supple and smooth, and I reached out to touch it without thinking.
In response, Libby undid the thick cloth belt and opened the robe past her belly button, putting the soft triangle of curls I knew lay just below the V of the opening, just out of sight. I stared up into her eyes and slid my hand between the folds of the robe, and through those curls to the damp heat of her as she parted her legs to make it easier. I ran my fingers over her and between the soft inner folds until I felt her legs shake. I helped her to sit on the edge of the big tub, and pushed the robe out of the way so I could finally taste her.
Her breathing changed, and she trembled around my fingers and tongue, as I delved into her as deeply as I could at the awkward angle I’d pulled her down to, in my eagerness to get my mouth all over her. I pulled back and wrenched the robe off her, so she was sitting on the soft fabric, but there was nothing between us to stop me from spreading her legs wide and pleasing her the way I’d been wanting to for so long.
I took my time with her, even knowing that the tile would start to bruise her tender backside the same way it was making my knees ache. I reached up and turned off the faucet, and drove my face into the apex at the top of her thighs, using my tongue and lips as though they were my fingers, plying her open and sinking into her while little moans of pleasure escaped her.
I slid a finger inside and used it wit
h my tongue, to turn those little moans into desperate cries for relief, and as I sucked the hard little nub nestled in her curls, her hands balled up in my hair and she cried my name, over and over, while she soaked my fingers and chin with her orgasm. She panted and shivered from the cold air of the bathroom, her legs still shaky and weak. I picked her up and stepped into the bath with her in my arms.
“Tucker, your clothes!” she squealed, giggling as I sat in the water with her in my lap. She undid my shirt and peeled the wet fabric down my arms, tossing it out of the tub and onto the tile floor. “How am I going to get your pants off now?” She complained.
“Believe me. That is never going to be a problem for you.” I undid the jeans and shoved the heavy, wet denim down my thighs, gasping when she reached for me and gripped me tight in her little hand. “Let me get them off first, or this is going to get really awkward, love.” She bit her lip and crossed her arms.
“Better hurry, Tucker, I’m not sure how long I can hold off.” I chuckled and managed to free one foot, then the other. She slid up on me, slick and hot, before I could get the jeans out of the bath, and they hung over the edge while she reared up and speared herself on me. She was tight, and as soon as I was sheathed inside her, I struggled to remain in control.
She clung to the sides of the big copper tub, and her breasts were so tempting and close, I had no choice but to press my mouth to her and suck her into my mouth, using my tongue and teeth to elicit delicious moans from her, as she shuddered and clenched harder around me. I held her ass in my hands and pulled her down harder with each thrust, until she could barely pull off before I was slamming her back down onto me, pushing the water away from us in waves that spilled over the side of the tub into growing puddles on the floor.
I felt my release growing closer until she was riding me in a fine, sharp edge of pleasure that sliced through me like a knife. I shuddered and spasmed inside her, the orgasm tearing a roar from my throat as I emptied inside her. She sank into me, and I held her soft, wet skin against me while she squeezed tight around me, keeping me clutched inside her as the water cradled us. We’d lost so much water to the sponge effect of my clothes, that I turned it back on, warming us and letting us enjoy each other for that much longer before we had to part.