The Cowboy's Forever Wish

by Lori Wilde

  “So where should we go?” she asked.

  “To someplace with a child’s play place,” he said. “That barbecue place we went to last time was nice, but she had no place to play. I bet we can find someplace better.”

  Pushing lightly on the door, his grin grew when she released it and let him walk inside the house.

  “We’ll have a great time,” he said, trying to keep his voice even when he saw what she wore. She had on a faded red robe that was a little too short and a little too tight, and it made Tyler’s blood pressure shoot up at an alarming rate. He cleared his throat. “Courtney loves me.” Needing to distract himself from the temptation Annie posed, he glanced around the living room. “So where is she?”

  He didn’t have to wait for an answer to his question.

  Courtney peeked out from behind her mother’s legs. The toddler let out a squeak of pleasure and ran to Tyler, her hands outstretched. “Man Man.”

  Tyler scooped her up and gave her several noisy kisses on her forehead, which reduced the little girl to a fit of giggles.

  “Just look how happy Courtney is to see me,” Tyler said, giving Courtney’s pudgy cheek another loud kiss. “Now how can we possibly leave without her?”

  When he glanced at Annie, her attention was focused on the small gold watch on her wrist. After a few seconds, she nibbled on her pink lower lip, and he knew he had her. “Okay. If you’re sure you don’t mind,” she said.

  “It will be fun.” He moved forward, close enough to her he could smell Annie’s perfume. He’d formed an addiction to the sultry scent, which always sent his thoughts racing to what his life would be like if he had a caring wife and a precious daughter of his own.

  Annie stood watching him through narrowed eyes. Finally, she relented. “Fine. But just so you know, this kind of date can be messy. I’m going to change into jeans and a t-shirt.”

  He smiled at her over Courtney’s blond head. “Sounds good to me.”

  For a moment, her gaze locked with his. Then, with a tiny shake of her head, she headed down the hallway to her room.

  Tyler waited in the living room, trying to teach Courtney to say his name, but she was adamant that he was Man Man. Finally, Tyler accepted her decision.

  “Man Man it shall be,” he said in a silly voice that made her laugh.

  Annie walked out of her room just then. “I told you. Sometimes you just accept what she calls things. When she gets older, she’ll learn the right words.”

  “Or I’ll adjust to Man Man,” he teased.

  As she’d promised, Annie had changed into jeans and a t-shirt, but these jeans were fairly new and not the old ones she wore to work on the ranch. The deep-blue t-shirt also seemed very new. Annie had always been pretty, but tonight, she looked beautiful—no, more than beautiful—she looked . . . mesmerizing.

  “You look great, Annie,” he said, thankful that the attraction he felt at the moment didn’t echo in his voice.

  Still, Annie must have sensed his thoughts. Meeting his gaze, she looked at him for several long moments. He only hoped she could read in his eyes what he longed to tell her.

  The look she gave him was filled with suspicion. “Don’t—” She caught herself, then said, “Thank you.”

  Tyler couldn’t help smiling. She almost told him not to compliment her, but at the last minute, she’d changed her mind.

  Things were progressing nicely.

  “Ready to go?” she asked.

  “Courtney, you all set?” he asked the toddler. At the sound of her name, Courtney tipped her head and grinned up at Tyler. He tapped her nose, making her giggle. “Let’s go.”

  **

  “I had a wonderful time,” Annie said, surprised that the evening had gone so well. Just like the last time they’d eaten out, Tyler had been charming, and even Courtney had behaved.

  Several times during the evening, Annie had thought about her feelings for Tyler. She was falling for him all over again. And she knew all too well that falling in love with Tyler was like going over Niagara Falls without even having a barrel for protection. All Tyler had to do was stand near her and her heart slammed in her chest, her stomach grew tight, and her skin tingled with anticipation. Once Tyler’s lips touched hers, she felt like she was on fire.

  She was incredibly aware of the man standing by her front door with a sleeping Courtney in his arms. Annie moved toward the door, trying not to make eye contact with him and failing. His sparkling gaze never left her face. Struggling to keep a grip on her shaky nerves, she brushed past him and opened the door. Once inside, she led the way to Courtney’s room and watched as he lay the sleeping toddler on the bed. Together, they left quietly and returned to the living room.

  “So . . . tonight was fun.” She deliberately tried to keep her tone light.

  Tyler scratched his chin, his crooked grin still firmly on his face. “Yes.”

  “You were great with Courtney. You always are,” she said, at a lost for topics. But her statement was true. He was gentle with her little girl, which was a side of him she had never known existed until a few weeks ago.

  He grinned again. “She’s impossible not to love.”

  Annie tossed her purse on the couch. She wasn’t certain what she wanted to happen now because she wasn’t sure she could trust herself at this moment. She found Tyler Nelson way too appealing.

  He must have sensed her confusion, because he walked over to her. “I think I’d better head home.”

  Annie tipped her head so she could look at him. As much as she wanted to tell him that was a good idea, she knew she wouldn’t. He was weaving his spell, seducing her with his gaze, with his words. She’d been so very lonely for such a long time, it felt wonderful to be alive again. Her blood soared through her veins; her heart slammed against her ribs. So many thoughts scrambled through her mind, images of the past, of her with Tyler, and of the kisses they’d shared.

  She cleared her suddenly dry throat. “Probably the best idea,” she lied.

  Tyler chuckled, the deep rumbling sound making Annie’s muscles tighten and her breathing become ragged. He ran one finger down the side of her face. “Then I’ll say good night,” he murmured, bending his head toward her.

  She knew where this was headed, but she couldn’t do a thing to stop it. His husky voice enticed her, lured her into playing his game, a game she definitely wanted to play.

  Tyler slipped his arms around her waist, and she moved forward without any prompting on his part.

  “How about a chaste kiss like this?” he said, his voice soft and seductive.

  She did nothing to stop him when he dipped his head and placed his lips against hers. His light kiss was enough to make her legs feel shaky. She wanted him to deepen the kiss, but he didn’t. Instead, he pulled away and studied her.

  “Tyler” was all she said, but her husky voice made her feelings clear.

  “Well, maybe I should try a quick brush like this.” When his lips returned to hers, she slipped her hands over his shoulders and linked her arms around his neck. This time, the kiss was slower, longer but still, he ended the kiss much too soon for her liking.

  “You’re a mean man,” she teased.

  “Okay, well how about a lingering goodbye,” he said. When his lips met hers this time, he kissed her for several long minutes. The kiss was filled with passion and promise. Annie felt it clear to her toes. She kissed him back with everything she had. When they finally ended the kiss, Annie couldn’t prevent the quiet groan that escaped her lips. Tyler ran a string of soft kisses down the side of her neck. When his mouth returned to hers, he said against her lips, “So I guess I’ll say good night.”

  “Um, okay.”

  “Tyler,” she murmured, leaning against him. He made her feel safe and scared at the same time. Without waiting for her to say anything else, Tyler dropped one final kiss on her mouth and walked to the front door.

  “You’re leaving?” she asked, stunned.

  “Yes. This is our first
real date. I want this relationship to last, so I plan to take things slowly.” With a small, sexy grin, he said, “Good night, Annie.”

  After he’d left, Annie stared at the door. Maybe he was right. They were starting over again, so it made sense to take their time. Maybe this time things would work out. And who knew? Maybe all the wishes she’d made on falling stars hadn’t been a waste.

  Chapter Nine

  Tyler had a headache by the time he got home from Annie’s house. What in the world was he going to do? As he was kissing Annie, the realization had flooded through him that he loved her. Which was good. Great, in fact. He wanted to love Annie, and he wanted her to love him back and share his life. He truly wanted to be a father to Courtney and a husband to Annie.

  So now he had to decide once and for all—did he stay in Falling Star and commit to the woman he loved and the ranch he wanted to run? He’d told his partner at the law firm that he didn’t expect to come back, but they’d left it somewhat open until Tyler made his final decision.

  Still mulling over his choices, Tyler parked his truck in the garage and headed across the yard to the back door. At times, being back home made him feel like a teenager again. The night’s kissing match with Annie only compounded that feeling.

  He smiled as he unlocked the door and slipped inside. The kitchen light was on, and he assumed his mother had left it on for him. Turning, he started to set the alarm when he spotted a note on the counter. It was from his mother. She’d gone somewhere with a friend and might be late coming home.

  Glancing at the clock, Tyler frowned. It was almost midnight, much too late for a pair of elderly women to be driving around town, especially one who was just recovering from a major illness.

  Tyler paced across the kitchen a few times, unsure of what to do. He’d never been the person doing the waiting before. With an annoying amount of guilt, he realized his mother had always been that person. Many times when he’d been young, he’d tried to slip in the back door well after his agreed-to curfew. His mother had always been waiting for him. And every time, she’d kiss him and tell him how happy she was that he hadn’t been hurt. Then she’d ground him for a week.

  He’d been late the night his father convinced him to break his engagement to Annie. After dropping her off, he’d driven around for a while, then headed home and found his father waiting up for him.

  Henry Nelson had been successful in business partly because he knew how to get what he wanted from people. He hadn’t yelled or issued an ultimatum. He’d simply talked to Tyler about life and women and responsibility and sacrifice, about family loyalty and expectations, and a father’s dreams and a mother’s hopes, and finally, about what needed to be done.

  The sound of tires on the gravel drive pulled Tyler’s attention back to the present. He walked over to the door and looked out. A sedan he didn’t recognize was parked halfway between the garage and the kitchen door.

  “Mom, it’s too late to ask your girlfriend in,” he muttered as he opened the door. He took one step outside and froze. The light from the kitchen illuminated the occupants just enough for him to see his mother lean across and kiss the man driving the car.

  Tyler felt as if he’d been punched in the solar plexus. In a daze, he watched his mother push open her door and still laughing, climb out of the car. Before she shut the door, she leaned down and said something to the man. Tyler wasn’t positive, but he thought he heard something about another date. Then she closed the door and waved as the man backed down the driveway.

  “Hi, honey,” Judith said as she walked toward her son.

  A million things occurred to Tyler to say, but he pushed them out of his mind. He kept a litany going in his head about his mother being a grown woman, and what right did he have to say anything about her dating? But underneath it all, Tyler was surprised and didn’t know how to handle this situation. It wasn’t that he thought she shouldn’t date; she’d just never mentioned that she was.

  “I didn’t know you were seeing someone,” Tyler said as she walked past him into the kitchen. All those years in a courtroom had taught him how to control his expression and his voice. His tone didn’t sound accusatory, just interested.

  His mother’s expression was worried. “Are you upset?”

  At her words, he realized he wasn’t. In the back of his mind, he actually was happy to see her dating, for a lot of reasons. It meant she was feeling better. It meant she had her own life and interests.

  “I’m just surprised you didn’t mention it earlier,” he admitted.

  “I was afraid you’d get mad.”

  Now he felt like a heel. “Of course I wouldn’t. You’re a grown woman.”

  “I’ve known Carl for a long time, long before I got sick. But I asked him to wait until I felt better before coming to see me.” She shot Tyler a quick glance. “In fact, I wasn’t going to go with him tonight, but he tempted me with the promise of ice cream.”

  Tyler nodded slowly, unsure how he was supposed to act. This was one of those weird moments when a child feels like the parent. “How long have you been dating?”

  “We aren’t really dating. Not the way you think. We’re more like friends.”

  You’re friends who kissed good night, Tyler thought. “Why don’t you have him over so I can meet him?”

  His mother beamed at his words. She quickly crossed the room and hugged him. Tyler leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “The sooner the better, young lady. I want to know what sort of man you’ve taken up with.”

  Judith playfully shoved at her son’s chest. “I guess fair is fair. I’ll ask Carl over since I got to spend time with the person you’re seeing.”

  Tyler laughed. “Yes, Annie and I went out. Courtney came along, so nothing happened.”

  The twinkle in his mother’s eyes should have warned him. “Oh, really? Then why do you have lipstick on your cheek?”

  Humming a little tune, she spun and headed up the back stairs, leaving her bemused son staring after her.

  Tyler would never understand women, but he supposed it was better this way. If he understood them, he’d miss out on all the fun.

  **

  The more Annie thought about last night, the more she hoped Tyler would fall in love with her again. She knew she’d already fallen. The question was what did she do about it? Did she tell him? Was that the smart thing to do? She just wasn’t sure.

  Until she knew how he felt, she figured she should bank the fire between them down to a simmer. So when Tyler came into her office at lunchtime, she greeted him with a polite smile. “How’s your morning going?” she asked.

  It gave her more than a little thrill that he looked as if his night hadn’t gone much better than hers had. His hair was ruffled, and he seemed distracted. When he saw her, though, his expression brightened.

  “Great.” He moved several steps forward until he stood directly in front of her desk. “Care to join me for lunch today? I think we should talk about us.”

  That silky, deep voice of his made the invitation sound like a promise of heaven. He was right; they needed to talk. “Okay.”

  She pulled her purse out of her desk and crossed the room to join him by the door. As she got close to him, her heart began the same erratic rhythm she’d come to associate with being around Tyler. It was increasingly difficult to stand this close to him and not want to kiss him. Good grief! How was she going to simmer this relationship down if she couldn’t even spend a few normal minutes with the man?

  Tyler shifted so she could precede him, and she couldn’t help but notice he’d left enough room so she wouldn’t brush against him. That was a smart move. After telling Brett where they were headed, they walked to Tyler’s truck. Silence hung awkwardly between them. Annie glanced briefly at her black boots, hoping lunch wouldn’t lead to a verbal battle between the two of them. Tyler had spent the last few years learning how to win any argument, while she hadn’t even been on the debating team in high school. It was like taking on a s
harpshooter with a gun filled with blanks.

  But life with Courtney had taught Annie a few things, not the least of which was to stand her ground even if it was a bit shaky.

  She was thankful that Tyler chose a restaurant away from town. She didn’t want half the population of Falling Star watching them.

  They made polite chitchat on the drive, and then once they were settled in the booth, Tyler leaned back against his seat.

  “About last night,” he said. “I need you to know I’m not trying to rush you. I know you have a lot to consider.”

  She shifted the silverware in front of her. Before she had to say anything else, the waitress appeared to take their order. Once the woman left, Annie glanced back at Tyler. There was no time like the present to have an honest discussion. The restaurant was practically empty, so no one would overhear them.

  “Look, Tyler, I can’t deny I’m attracted to you. I’ve always been.” She drew a deep breath into her lungs, gathering her courage to tell him how she felt. As she looked into his eyes, words escaped her.

  “Things do seem to be getting pretty serious between us,” he supplied.

  “Yes. They do.” She leaned forward, needing him to understand how she felt. “But as I said last night, I have to think about Courtney.”

  Anxiously, she waited for Tyler’s response. Finally, he sighed. “I know.”

  When he didn’t say anything else, disappointment filled her. “Then we understand each other.”

  He reached across the table and covered her hand with his. Briefly, he glanced away, and when his gaze returned to her face, his expression was serious. “I’ve fallen in love with you again.”

  Annie wrapped her hand around his, surprise and joy rushing through her. “You have?”

  “Yes, I have.” He studied her face and then added, “If you don’t feel the same way, just say so. I’ll back off. But I wanted you to know how I felt.”