Her Secret Texas Valentine

by Helen Lacey

  Schuyler sighed. “No one is as uptight as Maddie, although she has mellowed some since marrying Zach. And you’ve always been the most considerate one out of all of us. You’ve never liked hurting people. Or keeping secrets. It’s why we all love you so much.”

  Val’s eyes burned. “I don’t know what to do.”

  “What does your heart tell you?”

  “That Jake is exactly what I’ve been looking for.”

  “Even though he doesn’t tick all those boxes you were so hung up about a few weeks ago?” her sister asked as they walked through the door of the Fortunado building.

  Valene shrugged. “You mean the money and the sophistication? I think those qualities are overrated. And actually, he’s highly intelligent and articulate and—”

  “I get the picture,” Schuyler said, waving a hand. “But you must know that regardless of all the drama that’s happening in the business right now, Dad would always want to check out anyone you started dating that he hasn’t handpicked. When he called two days ago and said he and Mom were coming home early from their vacation and that he wanted me here, he also asked me if I’d met your new boyfriend.”

  “Jake’s not my boyfriend,” she corrected. “We hardly know one another.”

  “I think I knew Carlo about three days when I realized how much I liked him. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve known him. Look at Maddie and Zach. It took them five years to admit how they felt about one another. But you and I aren’t as cautious as that, Val. We’re a little more free-spirited and less afraid than Maddie. Go with that. If you like him, then like him. You don’t need anyone’s permission other than your own.”

  Val was still thinking about her sister’s words when she left the building for the afternoon. Jake called at eight and they made arrangements for him to pick her up at nine the following morning. He instructed her to wear jeans and boots and, as expected, announced they were going horseback riding the next day.

  “You know I can’t ride a horse,” she warned him as they headed to the ranch on Valentine’s Day.

  “I know, but you’ll be perfectly safe,” he said and grinned, looking gorgeous in worn jeans and a blue chambray shirt—the same shirt he’d worn on their first date at the coffeehouse.

  “I like that shirt on you,” she remarked and reached across to touch the soft fabric for a moment.

  “This old thing.” He smiled. “It’s my lucky shirt.”

  “So, you’re planning on getting lucky?”

  He laughed. “I meant it brings me luck.”

  Val smiled. “Does it?”

  “Well, I’m here with you, so I’d say it’s working just fine.”

  Her heart rolled over. “You’re very sweet.”

  “Sweet?” he echoed. “I’m not sure I’ve been called that before.”

  She laughed and then sighed. “It’s so nice to relax and not think about work or anything else.”

  “Like what?”

  “Fortunes or Robinsons,” she replied and then gave a brittle laugh. “I don’t want to bore you with the details.”

  “Nothing about you bores me, Valene.”

  Her heart rolled over, but she still didn’t feel right about saying too much about what was going on with her family.

  She shrugged lightly. “We’ve lost a few more clients, and it’s at critical mass. My folks came home early from their vacation to try to sort things out.”

  He glanced sideways and she saw the concern in his expression. And something else. Wariness. “Is there anything I can do to help you?”

  “Besides exactly what we’re doing now?” She shook her head. “Not a thing. I’d just like to forget everything today.”

  “I’ll see what I can do,” he said quietly. “And I’ll cook you breakfast in the morning.”

  Val was about to respond when she got the real meaning behind his words. “Oh...okay. My place or yours?”

  “Yours,” he replied. “Unless you want to spend the night in the bunkhouse. It can get a little crowded.”

  She chuckled. “My place it is, then. Besides, I’m sure Bruce is keen to see you again. I’ve been thinking of getting him a companion.”

  “Good idea. Puppy or rescue dog?”

  “Puppy,” she replied and then saw his brows shoot up. “Okay...rescue dog. See what a good influence you are?”

  “I’m not sure you’d agree if you knew what I was thinking right now.”

  Val’s skin warmed. “Then tell me.”

  “I want to turn this truck around, take you home and make love to you all day long.”

  She turned in her seat, noticing that his hands were tightly gripping the steering wheel. “Then turn the truck around, take me home and make love to me all day long.”

  “Don’t tempt me,” he said and cast her a long and sexy look.

  Val laughed freely, feeling so completely at ease, so completely in like with him that she could barely contain her happiness. “I’m glad you wore that shirt today.”

  His brows rose. “Why?”

  “Because it means we’re both going to get lucky.”

  Chapter Nine

  Jake tried very hard to concentrate on what he was doing for the following few hours, but it was damned difficult when everything that came out of Valene’s mouth was flirtation and pure seduction. She had him at her mercy and he was pretty sure she knew it.

  And he didn’t mind one iota.

  The air between them sizzled, fired up by the knowledge of how the day would end.

  Once they were at the ranch, he took Valene straight to the stables and introduced her to her ride, an old chestnut mare called Agnes whom he trusted implicitly. Then he spent an agonizing twenty minutes standing behind her, explaining how to hold the reins, mount and keep her seat in the saddle. She was an excellent student, asking questions, not assuming she knew anything, and was clearly eager to get it right. But she was so close that every time she moved her hip would collide with his, which sent his libido skyrocketing like the space shuttle.

  He’d given most of the ranch hands the day off and was pleased that they were making themselves scarce, except for Ricky, who made it his business to properly introduce himself to Valene and looked a little smitten. Not that Jake blamed the young man, since Valene was incredibly beautiful.

  He led her into the small corral by the stables and got her to mount the horse, tucked her feet into the stirrups and, once she was holding the reins correctly, led her around the yard for a while until he believed she was confident enough to handle the mare out in the open. He quickly tacked up his gelding, attached a couple of saddlebags and checked over Valene one more time, which included making sure she wore a safety helmet. He clipped a long rein from her horse to his, then they headed off down toward the creek.

  It was a picture-perfect day, cool, but the sun shone brightly and the sky was a vivid blue. She looked good in the saddle, too, he noticed, like she was born to ride. Her hips moved to the rhythm of Agnes’s amble and she held the reins softly. She had a strong and well-balanced seat, and like with everything she did, she had purpose in her actions.

  “Is that tether necessary?” she asked and pointed to the long rein connecting the two horses.

  “Yep,” Jake said and tipped his Stetson a fraction. “I’ll take it off next time.”

  “How much trouble could I possibly get into?”

  “Enough,” he replied and motioned to the rocks and trees surrounding them. “I trust Agnes completely, but horses sometimes spook and I don’t want you falling off and hitting your head on anything.”

  “I’ve got a tough head,” she said and laughed, tapping the helmet.

  “I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you.”

  As he said the words, Jake experienced a sharp pain in the center of his chest. Since his marriage had ended
, he hadn’t allowed himself to feel much of anything—not joy or humor or passion. But around Valene, he experienced all those emotions. And a couple of weeks ago he wouldn’t have imagined it was possible to fall so hard and so fast. But he had. He liked her with an intensity that seemed at odds with the measured, calm and ordered way he’d lived in the past. Even with Patrice, he’d known exactly what he was doing. Marriage had been simply another step in the right direction, one that would lead to happiness and children and a lifelong commitment. Looking back, as much as he’d wanted her in high school, he hadn’t spared her much thought until she reentered his life several years later. Courting her, marrying her, had seemed the logical thing to do. But with Valene, his usual controlled resolve had disappeared. For starters, he’d never considered himself the romantic type...but he was compelled to woo her in whatever romantic and sappy fashion he could think of. Because it made him feel good, and that had been in short supply during the last couple of years. And Valene, as passionate and vibrant as she seemed, was also something of an old-fashioned girl from an overprotective family and was worthy of all his attention, and not just so he could get her into his bed.

  “Besides, your father would be after me with a shotgun if I allowed you to get hurt,” he said, trying to lighten the mood.

  But at the mention of her father, she frowned. “Jake, about my dad...he’s a good man, you know. And he always acts with the best intentions.”

  “Of course. I guess at some point I should meet you parents?”

  She nodded. “I’m sure my mom would like that.”

  “And your father?”

  “He’s a touch more protective. I’m sure you’ll be the same when you have a daughter.”

  Jake’s insides contracted. After what had transpired with Patrice, children had seemed way out of reach. But now, not so much. Of course, it was way too soon to start considering that kind of commitment with Valene. But he liked knowing that he had hope in his heart again, and not just regret and pain.

  Jake led them down toward the creek, conscious of keeping Agnes on the track. When they reached a tree near the edge of the water, Jake came to a halt and dismounted and then moved around to help Valene. Once she was on the ground, Jake tethered the horses and then helped Valene take the helmet off.

  “I guess I have hat hair now?’ she asked and laughed, fluffing out the waves.

  “You look as lovely as always.”

  She reached up and briefly touched his face. “Thank you. What a magical spot,” she said, hands now on her hips as she surveyed the area. “It’s so beautiful.”

  Jake watched her, enthralled by the passion in her voice as she kept talking, and by the way she noticed everything, from the wildflowers to the birds to the gentle ripple of the water over the colored stones in the creek bed. Several head of cattle were drinking on the other side of the creek, and she ventured across a few rocks, her booted heels clicking over the stones. She stood alone, one hand up to shield her eyes from the sun, the other at her side, and he experienced a consuming feeling of attraction and longing that almost knocked him off at the knees. But it wasn’t simply her physical beauty that attracted him...it was her intense zest for life. She’d grown up wanting for nothing, with an adoring family, the best education money could buy, fancy cars and luxury most people never knew. And yet something as simple as the bellow of a cow, the call of a bird or the sound of water rushing over rocks captured her attention in a way that was mesmerizing to witness.

  She turned and met his gaze, smiling warmly. “Thank you for bringing me here. I’m so glad you got the day off today. Your boss must be—”

  “Valene,” he said, cutting her off. “There’s something I have to tell you.”

  “I know,” she said and skipped back across the rocks. “You sent me the cookies and the flowers yesterday. And they were lovely. Although,” she said a little more seriously, “you shouldn’t have wasted your hard-earned money on a delivery service. I would have been just as delighted to get them in person today.”

  Jake’s gut dropped. “Valene, about the money. You know I—”

  “I don’t care about money, Jake,” she implored, moving closer and resting her hands on his chest. “I never have. I care about you. More than I imagined possible. Everything you are—honest and strong and caring—that’s the important stuff. That’s what I want.”

  Guilt hit him directly in the center of his chest. Honest. Right... He really had to come clean. “Valene... I’m not without flaws, you know.”

  “I don’t believe you,” she said and smiled. “And can we ditch this serious talk and simply enjoy the moment?”

  Jake considered his options. And he decided now was not the time to come clean. “Sure. Go and take a seat over there,” he said and pointed to a large log by the edge of the creek. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

  She strolled off and Jake headed back to the horses. He took off the saddlebags and rejoined her by the water’s edge.

  “What’s this?” she asked, spying the saddlebags.

  Jake extracted a small plastic container and two sodas from the saddlebag. “My mom made brownies yesterday. I snatched a couple for you.”

  She grabbed the box and dug in, laughing delightfully. “My absolute favorite thing in the whole world.”

  “I know,” he said and wiped a smear of chocolate off her lower lip. Then he kissed her, softly, slowly, not asking for too much, not taking anything she wasn’t prepared to give him freely.

  They stayed like that for a while, eating brownies, talking, kissing, staring out at the creek. It was a sweet and lovely way to spend an idle couple of hours. About noon they rode back to the stables and he left instructions for Ricky to unsaddle and strap down both horses. He waited for a moment while Valene petted and hugged Agnes and thanked her for being such a trustworthy mount. His mother had gone out to her quilting class for the afternoon, and he ushered Valene into the cottage and made lunch for them both. Nothing fancy, just ham and cheese sandwiches, but she seemed content to simply sit on the counter stool and watch him, chatting about the horses and the creek and asking questions about the beef industry.

  “So, you sleep in the bunkhouse?” she asked, drinking the coffee he’d made.

  “At the moment,” he replied, thinking he had the perfect opportunity to explain that he was only there until the renovations on the ranch house were completed. “Sometimes I stay with Mom, unless Cassidy is home from school.” Before he could say anything more, she spoke again.

  “I guess you used to live with your ex?”

  He nodded. “Yes, I did.”

  “Would you consider moving in with someone else?” she queried, shrugging. “I mean, down the road...you know...after a while.”

  Jake stopped what he was doing, holding his sandwich in midair. “Of course. But the thing is, I could never live in the city. My work is here.”

  She nodded and smiled. “Well, after spending some time here, I can see that the city is not all it’s cracked up to be. And I kinda like the idea of cowboy boots at the end of my bed. Maybe I’ll buy a place around here,” she mused and smiled. “Land prices are good. Did I tell you that I already have someone interested in that listing I got not far from here? The owner is a bit of a cranky pants, but I think he’ll come around.”

  “I’m sure he will succumb to your charms.”

  She laughed delightedly. “Getting new listings is all that’s keeping me sane at work these days.”

  “I take it things haven’t improved?”

  “We lost our most important client,” she said on a heavy sigh. “It will have a huge impact on the business and my dad is convinced we’re being deliberately targeted.”

  “What do you think?”

  She shrugged. “My dad has good instincts. So does Zach. All I can say is thank goodness I managed to get the exclusive contract with that property d
eveloper—you know, Karl Messer. At least that will alleviate some of the financial burden on the agency.”

  Her admission rattled him a little. “Are things that grim?”

  “I’m not sure. But we can’t keep hemorrhaging clients. I mean, imagine if someone rustled all the cattle off this ranch. Would the owner remain solvent?”

  “I’m pretty sure he’d be okay,” Jake replied casually. “He’s invested wisely in other things.”

  “He’s obviously a sensible businessman. So is my dad, but a real estate business relies on selling real estate. No clients equals no income. But please don’t say anything about this to anyone,” she said quietly.

  Jake nodded assuredly. “You have my word.”

  “Anyway,” she said on a long sigh, “let’s not talk about it anymore.” She dug into her jacket pocket and pulled out a small box. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Jake.”

  He opened the box and examined the tie slide. “It’s lovely, thank you.”

  “You can wear it to the next charity dinner I rope you into.”

  “That happens a lot?”

  “Now that my mom’s back in town, I’m sure there’ll be plenty of charity functions to attend. Speaking of which, I promised Florrie I’d be at the fund-raiser for the shelter next weekend. And now,” she said as she rose from the stool and cradled his face in her palms, “I’d like you to drive me home.”

  He saw the desire shining in her eyes. “Really?”

  “Really,” she echoed. “Because as much as I like you in that lucky shirt, all I want to do right now is get you out of it.”

  * * *

  Val had never considered herself particularly seductive or flirtatious—but being around Jake gave her a kind of sexual confidence she hadn’t known she possessed. They left about twenty minutes later, after Jake had grabbed an overnight bag with a few personal items and a change of clothes. It seemed oddly mechanical and yet infinitely sexy, and as she waited for him by his truck, Val experienced a heady kind of longing that made her knees weak and her blood simmer. He hadn’t touched her or kissed her since their make-out session by the creek, but the heat and awareness between them clung to the air. There was no mistaking it, no denying the inevitability of what was going to happen between them.