Tempted by a Texan

by Mindy Neff

  She still felt guilty that she hadn’t gone. Maybe her presence would have caused them to be on the highway at a different moment in time. She might have taken longer to get dressed, or needed to stop at a restroom, or won a jackpot in Vegas and had to wait fifteen extra minutes for her payout.

  Two minutes or fifteen minutes might have made the difference. They wouldn’t have been on that particular stretch of highway at 10:00 p.m. when a Jeep full of high school seniors had been passing a string of cars around a blind curve in a No Passing zone.

  The highway patrol said Becca’s father hadn’t had a chance to take evasive action. The head-on collision at sixty-five miles an hour had sent the motor home off the road and into a ball of flames.

  In mere seconds she’d lost her entire family.

  The life insurance had helped her to start Becca’s Attic, but she would have given up the business in a heartbeat just to have her family back.

  She shook herself out of the awful thoughts.

  Now, her store was her tribute to her family—to their history that dated clear back to the Alamo, to the traditions that had been handed down through the years, the recipes and knitting patterns, and to her parents’ love of books and antiques. Nearly every item in her store had roots, had meant something to someone. By caring for them, finding them new homes, she felt she was adding substance to the family lives of her customers.

  But she’d never given up hope that she would start a family of her own someday. Have lots of children who would grow up and give her grandbabies to tell stories to, to carry on the legacy of the Ellsworth bloodline.

  At one time, she’d been sure that the man standing next to her gazing into the nursery window would be her husband.

  How wrong she’d been. She’d known, all those years ago, that he’d desperately tried to let her down easy—heck, that was the reason he’d made his drunken offer to help her have a baby if she didn’t find Mr. Right by the time she turned thirty.

  She’d certainly tried, but none of the relationships had worked out. In Hope Valley, available men were either just passing through or she’d known them since grade school and couldn’t work up the spark to see herself settled down with them and being happy for the rest of her life.

  She wanted grand passion.

  The kind she’d had with Colby.

  “We should probably get going.” Becca turned away from both Colby and the newborns and went over to her friends, hugging them all goodbye.

  The trip back to Becca’s apartment was silent. She noticed the muscle working in Colby’s jaw, the white-knuckled grip he had on the steering wheel.

  He was probably getting ready to run for the hills.

  Teasing and dancing around the subject of having babies was one thing. Confronting the issue head-on in all seriousness was quite another.

  Becca figured he was spooked but good.

  When they entered through the back door of the store and went up to the apartment, the dog and cat jumped up to greet them. Well, at least Tinky did. Trouble tried to act all macho, as if he hadn’t just been cuddling with the little dog.

  Despite the tension Becca had been feeling, she smiled when Colby automatically bent down to pick up Tinky.

  “Looks like these two are becoming pals,” she said, walking over to stroke Trouble’s soft black fur. The cat swished his tail and purred. Then, obviously deciding he was too cool for the display of affection, he jumped off the sofa and relocated himself next to the fire escape window. The torn screen beyond the window was proof that Trouble didn’t understand why he couldn’t have the metal landing as his own private patio.

  Colby didn’t comment on the animals. He still seemed tense.

  He sat on the sofa, settled the dog beside him. Tink jumped into his lap again.

  Becca was starting to feel unnerved by Colby’s odd silence. And the intensity of his stare. “Why are you looking at me like that?” she finally asked.

  “How come you don’t date?”

  Where had that question come from? “I have.”

  “You should be in a serious relationship by now.”

  “Right. What am I supposed to do? Go snag some stranger off the street and say, ‘Hey, come be my man’?”

  His eyes narrowed. “You’re gorgeous, Becca Sue. Maybe you’re just really picky when it comes to men.”

  Was she? Probably. She’d set her standards based on Colby. So far, no one had measured up.

  “You know,” she said, “you’re making me feel bad here. I’m not crazy about being alone and single. I’d love to have what my friends have. But between work and this being a small town and the lack of available men, the love bug hasn’t seen fit to cross my door.”

  “I don’t mean to make you feel bad, Becca.” Colby said the words softly, gently.

  “Then why are we talking about this?” She kicked off her shoes, then realized she’d have to put them right back on. She needed to go open the shop.

  “Because it tears me up to see the way you look at those babies. You were meant to be a mother.”

  Becca shrugged and looked away, felt her eyes sting. She’d spent many years and many nights wondering what was wrong with her that she couldn’t find a relationship. Couldn’t find the happiness that comes with knowing you’ve met your soulmate.

  And it wasn’t as though she was the picky one and had done all the dumping. She’d been dumped a few times, too.

  Most memorably by the man sitting across from her.

  “What about artificial insemination?” he asked. “Have you considered that?”

  “Sure. But it’s too expensive.”

  “Adoption?”

  “I haven’t looked into that yet. As far as I know, I’m perfectly capable of carrying a baby in my own womb. I want that experience, too, if at all possible.”

  “Do you want to try to have a baby with me?”

  Her stomach and heart lurched at the same time, sending a jolt of adrenaline through her veins that made her hot and dizzy. It was a moment before she could find her voice. “What are you suggesting? That you’re suddenly ready for family life?”

  He studied her for a long moment before he shook his head. “This would be for you, Becca.”

  He was offering sex. His sperm. That was all.

  “Right. We’ve got two weeks, and I’ve got stitches and a gimpy arm. I’m sure that inspires a good deal of lust in you.”

  He continued to stare at her, not speaking.

  Criminy, he was really serious.

  She’d been consumed with the thought of having a baby for weeks...months...maybe even years, and had usually cast Colby in a starring role. But that had been fantasy, not real life.

  Having it suddenly become real flustered her. The thought of hopping into bed with Colby Flynn, making love—no, having sex—with him again after all these years, well, that took some thinking about.

  She leaped up from the sofa, slid her feet into her shoes. “I need to go open the store.”

  He nodded and stood, surprising her when he let the subject drop.

  Lord have mercy. This conversation changed everything, took away any ease she’d begun to build over Colby spending his days and nights with her.

  He was protecting her until he felt assured her intruder wasn’t likely to return or until he had to move to Dallas, which ever came first. But who was going to protect her heart?

  Now, as there’d been seven years ago, a deal was on the table.

  And by dog, she was really tempted to take it.

  After Colby had dropped his bombshell question, they spent the rest of the afternoon and the next day walking on eggshells around each other.

  Colby would give a person the shirt off his back if they needed it—or in her case, his sperm.

  On Sunday morning, they went to church, then stopped by the hospital to visit Sunny. She was scheduled to go home the next day, but since they let the babies stay in the rooms with the moms, Becca got to hold Jack Jr. Taking off the slin
g, she was able to comfortably cuddle the baby boy and kiss his soft round cheek.

  “I’m your Auntie Becca,” she crooned. The baby puckered his little lips. “Oh, yes, you recognize my voice, don’t you?”

  Colby watched her like a hawk.

  She knew what he was doing and why. She could have kissed him for his caring. But by the same token, she resented his hovering. The smile she wore on the outside wasn’t quite as bright on the inside.

  And the very fact that he watched her this way made the question he’d asked yesterday remain smack-dab in the front of her brain.

  Do you want to try to have a baby with me?

  Lordy.

  Donetta breezed into the hospital room. “I might have known Becca would be hogging that baby. Hand him over.”

  Becca gave a mock glare and transferred baby Jack into Donetta’s waiting arms. The baby began to fuss.

  “See there?” Becca gloated. “He was doing fine with me. Clearly I have the touch.”

  “Well, he’ll settle down for Aunt Donetta.”

  Sure enough, Jack Jr. closed his eyes and relaxed. “Did Colby get to hold him?” Donetta asked.

  Colby held up his hands. “I’m good. Figure the little guy needs a break. You all keep passing him around like a football and he’s going to be sore.”

  “Where’d you hear that?” Sunny and Donetta asked at the same time.

  “Yeah,” Becca said, “Mr. Baby Expert.”

  Colby shrugged. “I believe it was your mother,” he said to Sunny, then looked at Donetta. “Who’s also your mother-in-law. I passed her in the hall when I was coming back from the restroom.”

  “Oh,” Sunny said with a shake of her head. “She only said that because she wanted Jack Junior all to herself.”

  Tracy Lynn walked in the door. “Is there a party going on? I can hear y’all talking clear out in the hall. And I happen to think that it’s true about babies getting sore. How would you like to be passed from pillar to post?” She reached out her arms and Donetta automatically transferred the baby into them.

  Becca laughed. “Good one, Tracy Lynn. You just said you think the child’s going to get sore and you go and grab him.”

  “Honestly. I didn’t grab. Besides, he loves his aunt Tracy Lynn.”

  The nurse popped her head in the door and made a shushing sound.

  Since she and Colby had been there the longest, Becca decided to head out. “We’re going to take off, Sunny. Is there anything you need?”

  “No. I’m good. How about you? I see you have on a smaller splint. I didn’t even get a chance to hear what the doctor said.”

  “The bone's healing itself. Should be out of this thing in a couple weeks.”

  “Cool,” Donetta said.

  “Anyway, we’re off.” Becca gave hugs and kisses all around, then scooted out the door with Colby right behind her.

  When they were outside, the hot afternoon sun had heated the asphalt, causing it to stick to the bottom of her sandals. Every step felt and sounded as though she’d stepped on a lollipop without its wrapper.

  Becca was glad she’d worn the short sundress in anticipation of the day’s heat. The blue sling hadn’t exactly made a fashion statement with the spaghetti straps and flowered green material, and she’d been glad of an excuse to take it off in the hospital room.

  She kept waiting for Colby to hound her about putting it back on, but he didn’t.

  “Let’s take a ride out to my place,” Colby said as he helped her into the truck.

  “Sure.” She checked the bottoms of her shoes before she got in, surprised they weren’t coated with black tar, then tossed the sling on the floor along with her purse.

  Since it was Sunday the shop was closed, and frankly, she was glad for the break. She’d set her days off to coincide with her friends’ schedules, as well as the town’s. Donetta’s beauty salon brought Becca a lot of business. No sense staying open when most everything else on Main Street was closed.

  Despite her insistence to remain open all last week, Becca occasionally closed the shop on Mondays when she could talk Tracy Lynn or Donetta into poking through antique stores, or yard and estate sales with her. Sunny wasn’t much of a shopper, preferring to stick to animals.

  Now that Sunny had a baby to care for, Becca imagined she’d be a little reluctant to go back to work. Sunny had already brought in a veterinarian friend of hers from California to fill in while she was on maternity leave. Becca hadn’t yet met the guy.

  The air-conditioning in the truck blew on high, pulling the scent of alfalfa and fresh-mown grass through the vents as she and Colby traveled out of town. The summer sun was bright and the birds were plentiful in the evergreen trees, occasionally swooping across the road in front of the truck.

  The farther they got from town, the lighter Becca felt. She hadn’t realized how cooped up she’d been feeling lately. Having the full use of only one hand sure put a damper on her active life.

  Colby turned off the main highway onto a gravel road that snaked around for about a quarter of a mile before the house came into sight.

  It was as beautiful as Becca remembered, a white, two-story structure with green shutters and an old-fashioned wraparound porch, sitting on six acres adorned with lush shade trees and a peach orchard. A creek meandered through one side of the property, and a pond she’d swam in as a child occupied the other.

  “Wow. That’s quite an antenna you’ve got on the roof,” she said, not remembering the McGivers having that when they’d lived here.

  “It’s for my ham radio.”

  “Ah.” She remembered now that he’d had his ham license since he was a teenager. When they’d lived together that summer, their apartment hadn’t been conducive to the long-range communication setup, and he’d often talked about the hobby and how much he missed it. “At least you’ve got plenty of room—no close neighbors who’ll get annoyed with your antenna messing with their television reception.”

  “Yep. Another plus for living in the country.”

  Yet he intended to move to the city, she thought. She couldn’t imagine how he could bear to part with the place.

  “This was the McGivers’ place,” she told him. “Arlene McGiver was my Sunday school teacher.”

  “Ah,” he drawled. “The Sunday school teacher who gave Maizy to Grandma Lee?”

  “One and the same.”

  “Small world.”

  “Everything looks pretty much the same— although maybe not quite so big.”

  He pulled the truck to a stop by the front door. “Funny how things seem so much larger through a child’s eyes. A while back I drove by the house I lived in as a kid, and it didn’t look any bigger than a one-room cabin. I mean, as a kid I knew we didn’t live in a big place, especially compared to other people’s houses, but I sure didn’t realize it was that tiny.”

  “Do you ever hear from your parents?”

  “Hell no.”

  She reached out and laid a hand on his forearm, felt the hardened muscles under his warm skin. “I’m sorry.”

  “Nothing to be sorry about. The estrangement suits us all just fine.”

  “Are you so sure, Colby? It’s been a lot of years.”

  “And it’ll be a whole lot more—forever, as far as I’m concerned.”

  “Someday don’t you think you’d want your children to know their grandparents?”

  His features were totally serious. “No, Becca, I wouldn’t. I would never subject a child—or anyone I cared about—to people who have difficulty being civil for any length of time, and who think nothing of rejecting those who try to get close to them.”

  “Maybe they’ve changed.”

  “Sugar pie, you always did want everything wrapped up and tied with a shiny red bow. Life doesn’t always work that way.” He got out of the truck and came around to her side to open the door for her. “Subject closed,” he said before she could continue the conversation.

  “Okay. Sorry I brought up bad mem
ories. It’s just—”

  He stopped her with a finger over her lips, then stunned her when he bent down and replaced his finger with his mouth, giving her a kiss that was as gentle as the breeze, as reverent as if she were a princess.

  “I know, sugar pie,” he said when he lifted his head. “You miss your family and can’t understand why anyone with kinfolk living would keep their distance.”

  She nodded.

  “You were one of the lucky ones,” he said as they headed for the house. “Not everyone has what you had. Sometimes it’s better to cut the ties rather than to try to mold the dysfunction into something resembling a relationship. Otherwise, everybody ends up miserable.”

  They mounted the porch steps and she trailed her hand along the smooth white wood of the railing, letting her eyes feast on the surrounding landscape as she grappled with her emotions and the lingering tingle from that unexpected kiss. A lawn-mowing tractor sat in the side yard, the grass around it shorter than the sod on the other side of the driveway. This was a lot of ground to keep up, and she wondered if he mowed it in sections.

  Just then, she realized that something was missing.

  “You don’t have a For Sale sign up.”

  “No. I haven’t listed it. You want to come in out of the heat?” He held open the front door and she walked through.

  The interior was warm and a bit stuffy, since it had been closed up for the past week. As far as she knew, he’d only been back here long enough to pack a duffel bag. The rest of the time, he’d been at her place.

  He moved over and fiddled with the thermostat. “The air will kick on in a sec. Doesn’t usually take long to cool down.”

  The foyer was wide and deep, its floor a medium-stained hardwood that flowed up the stairs and throughout the rest of the house. Beautiful crown molding and wainscoting adorned the walls, both surfaces painted contrasting shades of white, the ivory on the wood making the walls look the color of butter from one angle, and cream from another.

  Straight ahead was the living room, and beyond that the kitchen. As they moved farther into the house, Becca recognized some of the personal items Colby had had when they were together.