Man From Montana

by Brenda Mott

  “Way to go!” Kara said, clapping him on the back. “You were fantastic, kiddo!”

  “I’ve gotta get out of here,” he said, unable to look at Kara, his dad, her friends…and most of all Lisa, who’d come over to their table. He whirled around and headed for the exit.

  “Connor!” His dad called after him.

  But he kept going, a powerful black fury overwhelming him.

  DERRICK AND KARA hurried after him. She’d seen Connor talking to Kerri and Bart. The boys had obviously exchanged heated words, but she’d been so sure Connor would feel one-hundred percent better. What on earth had happened?

  Outside, the sun was still shining in a late evening glow. Derrick had left his pickup near the door, but Connor wasn’t at the truck.

  “Connor!” Derrick called, his eyes searching the parking lot.

  Then Kara heard it. The sound of breaking glass.

  Derrick mumbled an expletive and took off at a run. Adrenaline pumping, Kara raced after him, weaving rapidly through rows of trucks and cars to the last one, near the open field behind the Silver Spur.

  Connor was there, a huge rock in his hand. And as she watched, horrified, he hurled it through the broken window of Kerri Hendricks’s fancy pickup truck.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  BY THE TIME HE DROVE Kara home, Derrick was exhausted. He made sure she got inside the house before crossing to his own driveway. Connor sat, silent, in the passenger seat. Derrick was so angry, he didn’t dare say a word for fear he’d explode.

  Once inside, he spoke quietly. “Go to your room and wait for me.”

  Connor wheeled down the hall, his expression one of defeat. He looked as tired as Derrick felt. In the kitchen, Derrick poured himself a glass of cold water, sipping it while he gave himself time to cool off. He couldn’t believe what Connor had done.

  He set the glass in the sink, then knocked on Connor’s bedroom door.

  “It’s open.”

  The boy was sitting on his bed, simply staring into space. The teen darted a nervous glance toward Derrick as he sat at the foot of the mattress. “Do you want to tell me why you did what you did?”

  He merely shrugged.

  “Connor, you’re lucky Kerri’s parents didn’t call the police. Or Tina, either, seeing as the incident happened on her property.”

  “I’ll pay for the window.” Connor wouldn’t meet his eyes.

  “I know you will, I’ll set up some extra chores. And you’re also going to have to tell your mom what happened.” Derrick raked one hand through his hair. “This probably means she won’t let me take you to the Silver Spur anymore.”

  “I don’t care!” Now Connor did look up, and his expression was one of fury and pain. “I only wanted to show you that I could sing, and play the guitar. I thought you’d be proud—that everyone would be impressed.” He snorted. “How lame is that? They all laughed at me.”

  “Son, you can’t retaliate with violence. We’ve been through this before. What Kerri and her friends did was awful. But you should’ve just walked away.”

  “I can’t walk,” Connor said deliberately.

  “Don’t be a smart-mouth. You know what I’m saying.”

  “So, is that it? I pay for her truck window? Or am I grounded from the computer, too?”

  “Definitely grounded.”

  “For how long?”

  “We’ll talk about the particulars tomorrow when I’m not so tired and ticked off.” Derrick stood. “Brush your teeth and go to bed.”

  He left the room, utterly at a loss. What the hell would Shelly think when she found out what happened? She knew Connor had come to hear him play before, but she didn’t know he’d gone to the Spur regularly. Derrick could see it now—could hear the accusations.

  What’s wrong with you, Derrick? What were you thinking, taking our son into a honky-tonk?

  He hated not having custody of Connor—even joint custody. And he hated being told what he could and couldn’t do with his own son, always having someone looking over his shoulder, judging his every move. If it wasn’t Shelly and the court system, it was his own father.

  He couldn’t take much more.

  Out on the front porch, he looked across the street. Kara’s bedroom light was still on. A quick check showed Connor’s was off—that he’d gone to bed. Locking the door behind him, Derrick put on his hat and walked across the street. He stood on Kara’s porch, hesitating for a moment, fist poised to knock, then gave the door a rap.

  Inside, Lady barked, and a moment later, Kara peered out the window. “Derrick,” she said, opening the door. “What’s going on?”

  “Can I come in for a minute?”

  “Of course.” She held the door open.

  They sat on her couch, and again, Derrick was all too aware of Evan’s presence in the room. Absently, he petted Lady’s head. “I don’t know what to do anymore,” he said. “Where did I go wrong?”

  When you decided to put your son’s life in danger, drag racing.

  “Derrick.” Kara laid her hand on his knee. “You’re being way too hard on yourself. You’re a great dad, but kids just do things. It’s a normal part of being a teenager.”

  “Normal? Normal doesn’t involve destroying someone else’s property.” He shook his head. “I can’t believe he busted out Kerri’s truck window. My God!”

  “He was hurt,” she said softly. “I know it’s wrong, but I wanted to do something to Kerri myself—and those other brats. Like maybe put a cowboy boot up their ass.”

  He laughed. “Kara. I didn’t know you had it in you.”

  She blushed, then smiled. “It’s the redhead in me. I have a temper.”

  Derrick chuckled. “Remind me not to ever cross you.”

  “I don’t think you need to worry about that.”

  “Don’t be too sure. I didn’t think I’d ever make my son as mad at me as he is now. And why he’s mad, I don’t know. I wasn’t the one who threw the rocks.”

  “He’s angry, Derrick, but not at you. Do you know how hard it was for him to get up on that stage? He wanted you to be proud of him.”

  “I was. I am proud of him.” He shook his head, still at a loss. “And now I’ve got to punish him for what he did. I feel like I’m caught between the old rock and a hard spot.”

  “I’m not a parent, obviously,” Kara said quietly, “but I can understand what you must be feeling.”

  He appreciated that more than she could know. “Normally, I would ground him from the computer. But this seems to call for something more—only I don’t know what.”

  “You’re making him make restitution, right?”

  “Yeah.” He sighed. “Maybe I should tell him he can’t take riding lessons.”

  “Oh, Derrick.” Kara stared at him. “You can’t do that!”

  “Well, I have to do something to get his attention.”

  “My God. After all you did—we did—to get him to agree to go? It’s none of my business, but I think you’re making a huge mistake.”

  He slouched back against the couch, staring at the ceiling. “You’re probably right. Hell, Kara, I’ve never been a full-time parent. And I’ve never had to deal with anything this serious before…. Mostly, I’m worried about what Shelly will say. She’ll probably drag me back to court and have my visitation revoked again.”

  “I don’t know Shelly, but she sounds like a pretty good mom.”

  His cowboy hat tilted, and Kara brushed a piece of hair back from his temple. Her touch was soft…comforting.

  “Surely she wouldn’t do something so unreasonable,” Kara continued. “What happened tonight wasn’t your fault.”

  “I had my son in a bar.”

  “So did dozens of other parents. Derrick, it was family night. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “So why do I feel so lousy about it?”

  “Because you’re a good father, and you want what’s best for your son.” She let her hand fall to her side. “You can’t protect him fr
om everything. You can’t put him in bubble wrap.”

  “I know that.” Did he? Maybe Kara had a point. Maybe he’d shielded Connor too often for too long.

  “He’s fourteen,” Kara reminded him. “You need to give him a little credit—some space to make his own choices, good or bad. It’s the only way he can learn.”

  “That still doesn’t solve my problem. How do I punish him for what he did? How do I handle this whole situation?”

  She lifted a shoulder. “Ask Shelly. Work with her to come up with something.”

  He sighed. “Connor’s never given me much trouble before, other than the usual teenage stuff. I just feel so damned helpless!”

  “I’m sure you do.” She was silent a moment. “You could take away his driving privileges.” Her eyes sparkled.

  “Very funny.”

  Suddenly, Derrick was overwhelmed by Kara’s nearness. By her sense of humor, her compassion and most of all just by the sight of her. He’d tried his best not to, but he’d fallen for this woman. He reached out to touch her cheek, and she froze.

  But this time, he saw something else in her eyes. Something that gave him hope. Whether Kara wanted to admit it or not, she wanted him as badly as he wanted her. Life was too short not to take risks.

  He leaned forward and brushed a kiss across her lips. She kissed him back, hesitantly at first, then with more enthusiasm. He cupped her face between his hands, still kissing her. “Kara,” he murmured against her lips. “You taste so sweet.” He thrust his tongue into her mouth, and she pulled back a little.

  “Derrick, we shouldn’t…”

  “Why not?” He nibbled kisses across her jawline to her earlobe…her neck. “You’re a woman and I’m a man, and we both want the same thing. Don’t we?”

  “I don’t know,” she whispered. But she kissed him back, deepening the kiss.

  It was all he could do not to tear her clothes off and press her down on the couch.

  “Kara, I want to make love to you. I want to hold you all night, and wake up with you in the morning.”

  She froze. “Derrick, we can’t. I can’t… Evan’s bed…”

  “Do you have a blanket?” he whispered.

  Tentatively, she nodded.

  “Pillows?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  He nuzzled her neck. “Get them. Let me make you feel good, Kara.”

  She moaned, leaning into him. “You’re making it awfully hard to say no.”

  “Good.” He nibbled kisses against her earlobe. “That’s the whole idea.”

  “Derrick.” She drew back and looked at him, her eyes hungry…longing for him as much as he for her. She stroked his face, and for a minute, he thought he saw tears in her eyes. But she gave him a hesitant smile, then brushed a kiss across his lips. “I need this,” she whispered. “But I’m scared.”

  “Don’t be.” He caressed her arms, her back, smoothing his hands over her firm body. “The blanket.”

  She bit her lip. Nodded. And rose from the couch. Moments later, she was back with a soft, padded quilt and two big, fluffy pillows. She tossed them on the floor between the coffee table and the leather chair, and switched off the lamp. He could still see her, silhouetted in the backlight of the streetlamps that filtered through a crack in the curtains. He took her by the hand and urged her to join him on the quilt.

  She took his hat off and set it on the coffee table. “I love that hat.”

  “Yeah? Well, I love that blouse you’re wearing—” he tucked his finger into the neckline, between the buttons “—but I’ll bet it would look even better on the floor.”

  She laughed softly. “That’s a pretty lame line, cowboy.”

  “I can’t help it. You turn my brain to mush.” He reached for her, kissing her, pressing her gently down on her back. “Kara, tell me if I do anything that makes you uncomfortable.” He was on fire, and he wanted nothing more than to tear off her clothes.

  “Fair enough,” Kara said, reaching for the snaps on his shirt.

  With every snap she unfastened, he wanted to tell her to hurry. Wanted her to pop the shirt open and quit wasting time. But he’d waited long enough to be with her. He wanted to relish every moment.

  Derrick shrugged out of his shirt, and slowly undressed her. He started with that western blouse that had been teasing him all night long, giving him a glimpse of her curvy breasts. Now he saw that she wore a lacy, pale blue bra, her breasts swelling slightly above the cups.

  He relished touching her, kissing her nipples, sucking them through the lace before unsnapping her bra. “You’re so soft.” He nuzzled the hollow of her throat…her breasts. “God, Kara, I could eat every inch of you.” He slid his tongue around her nipple, taking it into his mouth, and took pleasure from the way she moaned and moved beneath him, thrusting upward to meet his mouth, asking for more.

  By the time he had her clothes off, he was so hard he thought he’d burst. She was wet and ready for him. She moved against his hand, hips thrusting. He fit her body against his. “Are you sure?”

  Her response was to take hold of his buttocks and press him between her thighs. With one thrust, he found her, and the ecstasy of being inside Kara nearly made him come instantly.

  “Derrick,” she practically sobbed his name, rubbing against him like a wildcat too long without a mate. “God, you feel so good!”

  “So do you. Kara, I can’t hold back any longer.”

  “Then don’t,” she said, slipping her tongue into his mouth.

  He wrapped his own tongue around hers, then flowed into her, belatedly realizing he didn’t have a condom…. Hadn’t even thought about it.

  It didn’t matter. He loved her. He’d marry her in an instant, baby or no baby. Kara shuddered beneath him, crying out as she peaked. Slumping against her, their damp skin pressed together, Derrick lay his head on the pillow, near her shoulder, breathing in her scent.

  “God, Kara.”

  “Yeah.”

  The single word held more meaning than a hundred words. She rubbed her soft hands over his back, his biceps.

  “Kara. I—”

  The words love you stuck in his throat as the telephone rang.

  Kara let it ring. “They’ll call back,” she said against his neck, kissing his heated skin, arousing him again.

  Somewhere in his foggy mind, reality set in. Connor. What if it was him calling? Was something wrong? Did his son need him? He opened his mouth to tell Kara to answer, just in case.

  And then the answering machine clicked on.

  “Hi.” A man’s voice. “You’ve reached Evan and Kara’s house. We’re not home right now. You know the routine.”

  The beep sounded overly loud. It seemed to echo off the walls. Beneath him, Kara tensed.

  “Mi hija, it’s Danita. I couldn’t sleep, and I thought you might still be up. Call me when you get a minute. I just can’t stop thinking… Well, you know. The jerk’s always on my mind, like it or not. Talk to you later.”

  Any desire Derrick had felt died. He rolled off of her, leaning on one elbow as he looked into her eyes. He could barely see her face in the dim light from outside.

  “You still have Evan’s voice on your answering machine?”

  “Derrick, I—I couldn’t bring myself to erase it.”

  He sat up, raking his hands through his hair.

  “Couldn’t you at least change the tape?” He didn’t give her time to answer. “I’ll tell you why you didn’t. It’s because you’re still in love with the guy, and you always will be.” He got up, thrusting his legs into his underwear, his jeans. He knew he was acting like a jerk, but he was having a hard time reining in the hurt.

  “Derrick, wait.” Kara stood, clutching the quilt around her. “You’re getting the wrong idea.”

  Shirt in hand, he paused. He wasn’t the only person in the room who was in pain.

  “Look, I shouldn’t have rushed you,” he said. “I thought maybe I could help you get past what you felt…what you feel…f
or him.”

  Kara’s lips trembled, and he could see tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she said, as the tears spilled down her cheek. He ignored the urge to wipe them away.

  “Don’t be.” Derrick shrugged into his shirt.

  “Please don’t go. We need to talk.”

  “There’s nothing to talk about.” He put on his boots and hat, wishing he could wind the clock back to just before he’d kissed her. “Go call Danita back.”

  “I can’t just stop loving Evan.” She raised her hand in a gesture of frustration. “I can’t turn off my feelings like a light switch. Can’t you understand that?”

  “I understand just fine, Kara,” he said. “Good night.”

  He was beginning to see how Connor would want to break Kerri’s pickup window.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  KARA WOKE UP feeling like hell. She’d slept all of three hours. The phone rang, and she groaned, didn’t want to answer. But she also didn’t want to hear Evan’s voice this morning.

  “Hello.”

  “Kara, honey, are you all right?” Liz asked. “You sound like you’re sick.”

  “I’m fine. I just didn’t sleep very well.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. I was wondering if you’d like to go to church with me, if you’re up to it. We could do lunch again afterward.”

  She closed her eyes, clamping a hand over them. Church. Repentance. “Sure, Liz, I’d love to. I’ll pick you up in an hour.”

  Kara hung up, let Lady into the backyard, then showered and dressed in a breezy sundress and, on a whim, a matching hat.

  Derrick was only the second man she’d ever been with in her life, though he couldn’t have known that. And what he also didn’t know was that she’d fallen in love with him. She loved him, yet she still loved Evan.

  What was she going to do?

  At least she’d still been on the pill. Somehow, she hadn’t been able to stop herself from taking them after Evan had been killed. It was a final act—a silly one—of defiance. Of not wanting to admit her life had changed forever and that she had no reason to be on birth control.

  When she left to pick up Liz, Kara refused to so much as look across the street at Derrick’s place. She hoped he hadn’t been too hard on Connor.