Tyler col apsed on top of her, his breathing ragged in her ear as his head rested on the pil ow beside her own.
Caitlyn fel asleep in Tyler's arms, her body replete with lovemaking.
She snuggled under the covers with a sigh of contentment. Tomorrow would be soon enough to face the consequences of giving in to temptation.
****
A couple of days later, Tyler was working in the maintenance hangar once again. He didn't know where Caitlyn was; she was making herself scarce, as usual.
The night they'd spent together meant nothing to her. Yes, she'd sought him out when she'd needed help. But the next morning when he woke up, she'd been gone. Reba had been gone, too. The smiles exchanged, the kisses stolen and the early dawn lovemaking hadn't changed a goddamned thing.
She was one stubborn woman. And he loved her to distraction. How was he ever going to let her go?
Wiping his hands on a grease rag, he tossed it on the workbench, then stood staring at Caitlyn's vintage biplane at the other end of the hangar. She worked on the plane every free minute she could spare. Scaffolding stil held it propped up off the ground. Parts of the engine were scattered on the floor and benches. She was determined to finish the job before she left.
Tyler shook his head. She'd never make it.
Maybe if she didn't complete the restoration, she'd stay a little longer. She'd be hard pressed to find another place with available resources and equipment to do the work. She had everything she needed here. Not only to repair her dad's plane, but to live happily ever after, if she'd just give him a chance. Give them a chance.
Tyler clenched his jaw. He doubted she'd stay any longer, even if the plane wasn't finished. Knowing how determined she was to leave and move on, she'd probably pack it up as it was and head out. Away from the Diamondback Ranch. Away from him.
Tyler walked the length of the hangar and circled the plane. He'd never had the opportunity to fly a Pitts Special. The plane was a real beauty. He could certainly understand Caitlyn's attachment. She was crazy about the old plane. It represented al that she'd loved, al that she'd lost.
Tyler froze in his footsteps and stared at the plane. Could the Pitts be the key to winning Caitlyn's trust?
If he could get her out of the way for a day or two, and if he were able to recruit some help, he could probably finish the restoration and surprise her.
It was certainly worth a try.
Hel , he'd tried everything else. One more attempt wouldn't hurt anything. Nothing could make it worse than it already was.
Maybe the gesture would get it through that thick beautiful skul of hers that he was wil ing to do anything for her. He'd never let her down. She could always depend on him for love and support.
He'd searched for her damn dog in the middle of the night, hadn't he? He'd lent her his competition plane to fly in the air show, right? He'd even coached her through the maneuvers and routines. And when she'd been too sick to fly, who had stepped in and flown for her?
He had, damn it.
What more did he need to do to convince her they were perfect for one another?
He'd run out of ideas and arguments trying to change Caitlyn's mind to marry him. He couldn't let her go without one last attempt. If finishing the plane didn't help convince her, Tyler didn't know what else he would do. Living the rest of his life without her was too horrible to contemplate.
Tyler continued his inspection of the biplane, thinking long and hard. Caitlyn had promised his mom she'd go to the big house on Saturday for a baking lesson before she left the Diamondback Ranch for good. He decided to enlist his mother's help to keep Caitlyn busy and occupied the whole day. He needed as many hours as possible with his reluctant flygirl out of the way, so he could finish the restoration of the Pitts Special.
With no time to waste, Tyler paid a visit to his mother and told her his plan.
Ruth's eyes twinkled when she smel ed romance in the air. "Oh baby, I hope it works. Caitlyn's the perfect wife for you. I couldn't have chosen better myself. I'l do anything to help you. You know I wil ."
"Thanks, Mom. Why don't you invite Jessie and Theresa and Gil ian over, too? I'd like for them to get to know Caitlyn better. Maybe if she sees how happy they are in their marriages, it'l help her come around to the idea of marrying me."
"Good thinking. Kelsey can come, too." Ruth rubbed her hands together, as if she were plotting to take over the world. "We'l make it a girls-only baking party. I promised Caitlyn a girls' night out when she first arrived, except it backfired and never happened."
Tyler smiled. "Oh man, if you could keep Caitlyn away from the airfield for the day and night, I'm sure to finish the work on the plane. You think you can manage it?"
Ruth's eyes twinkled again. "Of course, I can. I'm a McCade, aren't I?"
"Wel , actual y only by marriage," he said, just to get a rise out of her.
Ruth swatted his arm. "Oh, you know what I mean. Once we McCades set our minds on something, we usual y get it done. Right?"
"Right." Tyler kissed his mother's cheek. "I've set my mind on Caitlyn. But I'm going to need help to get the job done."
"Love wil find a way, son. Have a little faith."
Tyler knew he was going to need more than faith if he were to succeed in this venture. He thought of al the favors he could cal in from his brothers and friends from around the countryside.
Failure was not an option. Ever since he'd conquered his fear of flying, Tyler was convinced that anything was possible. He'd just have to make it happen with Caitlyn. No, failure was not an option.
****
Caitlyn sat at the big oak table in Ruth's kitchen, chopping pecans. She'd asked Ruth for the recipe for the Texas Hot Cocoa Cake soon after Tyler had shared the slice of cake with her that night in her camper. The night they'd shared their first kiss.
So sweet. So hot. So long ago. So much had happened since then.
Best not think about that right now, or she might start crying again. She'd cried enough tears to fil the Brazos River. Best to concentrate on the pecans.
What with one thing or another, Tyler's mother had never gotten around to giving the recipe to her. Last week before the air show, Ruth had invited Caitlyn to bake with her and they'd set the date. Even though her relationship with Tyler had changed, Ruth had renewed the invitation and insisted on making it a girls' night out. Ruth had been so persuasive, Caitlyn hadn't been able to refuse.
What in the world had she been thinking?
When she'd parked her scooter next to al the cars and trucks sitting in front of the old ranch house, Caitlyn seriously questioned her sanity. Had she wil ingly agreed to spend the day and night with Tyler's family? The man whose love and proposal she'd rejected?
It had taken al of Caitlyn's courage to knock on the front door instead of turning tail and running back to the airfield. The only thing that kept her standing on the porch was knowing if she went back, she'd have to avoid Tyler al day long. Again. It was getting harder and harder to stand by her resolve. Especial y after giving in to temptation and sleeping with him the other night.
Again . . . what had she been thinking?
Of course, Tyler had assumed she'd changed her mind about marrying him after they'd made love that night. The next day's conversation had turned into a heated battle that only left her more confused than ever.
She knew she was being stubborn. She loved the man, didn't she? Then why did she continue to refuse his love?
Obviously, she had trust issues, and it wasn't easy to let them go.
Oh wel . She'd promised she'd come today, and here she was. After Ruth welcomed her into the house, Caitlyn braced herself for recriminations, but none came. Even though everyone knew she'd refused Tyler's proposal and the prize money, they were al being nice to her. The McCades were an awesome family like that. She'd thought so from the beginning; she thought so now.
She wondered if they knew he'd deposited the contest winnings into her bank account without he
r knowledge. It stil stuck in her craw how he'd done that. The man had a way of getting what he wanted.
He was a handsome heartbreaker. Only she wasn't going to let him break her heart. She was going to leave before that could happen.
Caitlyn couldn't deny the tiny flicker of fire that burned brightly knowing he wanted her so badly. If only she could take that flying leap of faith . . .
"Caitlyn, darlin'," Ruth said from over near the sink. "Why don't you give that nut grinder to Kelsey. Kelsey, you finish those nuts. I'm going to need them in a few minutes. Caitlyn, you come on over here. I want to show you how to melt the butter and cocoa for the icing. It's almost like making candy, except you don't let it boil."
"Oh my God, Ruth. That cake smel s heavenly," Jessie said, walking into the kitchen after putting little Daniel down for a nap. "One of the best things about this family is that awesome chocolate cake. Right, Theresa?"
"Definitely. Plus Ruth's fried chicken and homemade biscuits. I've tried to make the biscuits, but I just can't seem to get them right."
"Lord a mercy," Ruth said. "You wouldn't believe how many pans of burnt biscuits I buried in the pasture when I first started cooking. It's a wonder we didn't have biscuit trees sprouting up al over the place."
"Oh Grams, that's too funny. Biscuit trees." Kelsey stopped cranking the handle of the old-fashioned nut grinder for a moment, then smiled. "That would be cool though, wouldn't it? Biscuit trees. How yummy."
Ruth shook her head. "Not the biscuits I buried. They weren't fit to eat. You'l get the hang of making them, Theresa. Just you keep practicing."
"Practicing for what?" Gil ian asked, walking into the kitchen behind Jessie. She was carrying baby Zachary who'd just woken up. "What we need to practice is getting both babies down for a nap at the same time."
"I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon," Jessie said. "Daniel only has two speeds now that he's learned to walk. He either goes ninety miles an hour, or he's out like a light."
Ruth scurried over to look and marvel at her newest grandchild. "I swear that baby is growing like a weed. Caitlyn, have you ever seen such a pretty baby boy?"
Caitlyn couldn't help glancing at Jessie, who winked at her and smiled. "Oh, Ruth. That's what you said about Daniel. I bet you said that about al your babies."
Ruth took the baby from Gil ian and kissed him on the forehead. "Wel , every baby deserves their spot in the limelight. Don't you, my little man? So what do you think, Caitlyn?"
"I think you're absolutely right," Caitlyn said, joining into the spirit of the conversation. "He is a handsome boy. Just like his daddy and his uncles."
"Truer words were never spoken," Ruth said in al seriousness.
Everyone laughed.
"Wel , it's true." Ruth looked around the kitchen. "You can't deny al my boys are handsome. And speaking of the boys, I better get supper cooking as soon as we finish the cake. They're al going to be mighty hungry after they finish--"
"Ruth!" Al three of her daughters-in-law glared at her.
"They're on their own tonight, remember? It's girls' night out," Jessie said. "I think they're ordering take out from Sarah Sue's cafe, and one of them wil run to pick it up. At least, that's what Cameron told me they'd planned."
Tyler's mother frowned and bit her lip. "Oh right. I forgot. Wel , doesn't matter what they're doing or not doing . . . never mind. What kind of cookies do y'al want to bake after we finish the cake?"
Caitlyn glanced at the faces of al the women who were frowning at their mother-in-law and casting speculative looks her way. Something was going on she wasn't supposed to know about. "What are the men doing today?" she asked in as casual a voice as she could muster.
Ruth smiled. "Nothing to worry your pretty little head about, darlin'. You just keep stirring that chocolate and don't let it boil."
Caitlyn suddenly had a bad feeling about al of this. It was starting to look like the McCades had plotted to keep her busy while Tyler did something.
But what could he do? He'd already given her the prize money. What else was there? And even though she'd told him not to repeat his marriage proposal, he'd asked her again several times since the air show. Every time it was getting harder and harder to refuse.
He couldn't force her to marry him; so there real y wasn't anything he could do. Except try to wear down her defenses. And if she were honest with herself, she'd have to say he was close to doing just that.
Giving into temptation and sleeping with him again had almost been her undoing. Tyler's lovemaking was like a drug, and she was afraid she needed another fix. Although, she trusted him with her body, she stil couldn't trust her heart to him and commit to forever.
She didn't know how to do forever.
Caitlyn stirred the cocoa mixture and sighed. She couldn't risk her heart again. It would kil her if she built her hopes around Tyler, then have him disappoint her. Better to stick to her guns and move on. It was much safer to depend only on yourself. Not always easier, but definitely safer.
Theresa came up beside her near the stove and took the wooden spoon from her hand. "I'l take care of this. Why don't you and Jessie get some fresh air? I'm sure she'd like to take a walk or sit on the front porch while little Daniel is down for his nap. The sunset is beautiful from there. Take a break. I know we McCades can be pretty overwhelming at times. Even without the menfolk in residence."
"What are they up to?" Caitlyn asked, searching the woman's pretty face.
"Ask Jess. Maybe she'l tel you."
****
The sun was beginning to set, when Tyler and his crew of volunteers decided to break for dinner. They'd made great progress on the restoration of Caitlyn's plane. Tyler had assigned various jobs to the workers, explaining what was to be done and how.
Dal as walked into the hangar carrying three large bags of burgers and fries. Two ice chests were already stocked and ready with soft drinks and cold beer. Everyone chowed down, ready for the break, preparing for the long night ahead.
Tyler sat with his brothers at one of the workbenches. "Damn, I hope this works, and Caitlyn changes her mind." He bit into his cheeseburger. "If it doesn't, I'm royal y screwed."
"Maybe not," Cameron said. "Caitlyn seems to be a lot like Jess. I knew Jessie loved me--hel , she'd loved me for years--but she was so damned stubborn about actual y marrying me. It took a lot of persuading on my part to cut through her defenses." He pointed a French fry in Tyler's face to emphasize his next point. "So, if this doesn't work, you'l just have to think of something else."
"That's the problem. I'm running out of ideas," Tyler said. "Except I can't quit trying. Failure is not an option."
"Right." Cameron popped the fry into his mouth. "You have to keep believing she'l eventual y come around."
"She'l come around," Dal as said, opening a beer. "I know al about being stubborn. I almost lost Gil ian because I was so pig-headed. I acted like a bastard toward her. Luckily, she loved me enough to forgive me."
Austin nodded. "Same here with Theresa. I can certainly understand Caitlyn being afraid to take the risk. Just don't give up, Ty."
"I won't. I never thought I'd find a woman to love. God knows I dated enough of them." He banged a fist on the table. " Goddamn it! She has to change her mind and marry me. She just has to."
CHAPTER TEN
Four Shaker-style rockers sat on the front porch of Ruth's ranch house. Caitlyn sat in one and Jessie in another. They watched the sun set and talked on al manner of topics. Al except the most important one. They careful y skirted the issue of Caitlyn's relationship with Tyler.
They sat in companionable silence for a while until Caitlyn couldn't stand it any longer. "I do love Tyler, you know."
Jessie rocked back and forth. "I know. The McCade men are a unique bunch. I've known them for years. We al went to school together. There's only the one school in Salt Fork."
Caitlyn smiled. "One school with twelve grades?"
"Thirteen if you count Kindergarten,
" Jessie said with a grin.
"Wow. Y'al must have known each other pretty wel then."
"Yes, considering there were only ten or twelve students in each grade."
"I can't even imagine that kind of school." Caitlyn shook her head in wonder. "I never stayed anywhere long enough to make close friends at the schools I attended. We were always moving wherever my dad got stationed."
Jessie stopped rocking. "Is that why you're afraid to marry Tyler?"
Caitlyn felt her cheeks heat up. "You don't beat around the bush, do you?"
"Sorry. You don't have to tel me if you don't want. I just thought you might need to talk about it. Would it help to know I refused Cameron's proposal at first, too?"
"Did you?" Caitlyn said, surprised. "Why? You seem so happy now."
Jessie shrugged a shoulder. "It's a long story. Suffice it to say, I was scared. And stubborn. Sometimes, I wondered why he didn't just find someone else. He didn't give up, though. Thank God. We al have issues, Caitlyn. We al have to learn to trust. Austin nearly lost Theresa because he was so afraid to trust again, to love again."
"Austin? It's hard to believe that big strong man was ever scared of anything."
"Wel , believe it. It's true."
"So, al of your stories have happy endings." Caitlyn sighed. "I don't see how mine can."
Jessie stared at her. "But you said you love him."
"Yes." Caitlyn's voice was barely a whisper; she felt tears gather in her eyes.
Jessie stopped rocking and leaned forward in the chair. "Listen, I've known Tyler McCade my whole life. Yes, he was a lady-kil er. Al the brothers were to one extent or another. I don't know how many hearts Tyler broke, but I'l tel you a little secret--I've never seen him this serious about a woman before. I've never seen him ready to commit. Ever."
She started rocking again. "When the McCades final y fal in love, they fal hard. They're responsible men and they love their women deeply. They had a good example set by their parents. Ruth and Daniel McCade adored each other. They were the kind of couple who held hands wherever they went even after being married thirty years. They weren't afraid to show their love for one another. That's the example Tyler and his brothers and his sister grew up with."
Lone Star Heartbreaker Page 14