Landing the Lawman (The Hills of Texas Book 5)

by Kadie Scott

  Except, after about five minutes of sitting there staring at his computer screen, he found himself walking through the dark, quiet house and out the front door. Inside the barn, he paused, letting his eyes adjust to the gloom. One light shone in what appeared to be an office, barely illuminated the wide row with stalls on both sides. The distinct, grassy scents of hay and horses brought their own memories with them.

  Good memories. Learning how to ride with his dad. Shoveling manure. Sneaking sugar cubes to his first horse. He’d had to sell the gentle mare when he sold the ranch. That wasn’t such a good memory, so he shut his brain off.

  The vague figure of a woman stood at a stall near the end of the row.

  “Carter?” he called, doing his damndest to sound businesslike.

  She looked at him over her shoulder, then gave her horse a final pat and walked over to him. Her smile flashed even in the dim interior. “You made it, huh?”

  “I texted when I started driving.”

  She waved a hand. “I left my phone inside.”

  “What are you doing out here?”

  Rather than answer she stepped into him, hands on her hips, and tipped her head back to stare up at him. Her heat and that feminine, floral scent wrapped around him. The call of his own personal siren.

  “What? No kiss hello?” She batted her eyes in a way she probably meant to be playful.

  Damned if that didn’t align with what he’d been thinking. Only, he couldn’t tell if she meant it or not. He didn’t answer.

  After a beat of silence, she heaved a dramatic sigh. “Damn. Because I’ve been thinking about kissing you for three days.”

  “I’ve been thinking about that—”

  She put a hand to his chest, effectively shutting him up. “Here’s the thing…”

  Why did he get the feeling the sky was about to fall on his head?

  “I’ve decided that I want more than casual with you. I want the whole dang shooting match.”

  Holy, shit. That wasn’t the sky. That was the entire damn galaxy. He had no idea what to do with that.

  Carter cocked her head, amusement and something else dancing in her eyes. “Logan Cartez with nothing to say? That’s a first.”

  Then, she threw him for another loop by walking around him, her steps taking her out of the barn and in the direction of the house.

  Quickly, he caught up with her. “Are you messing with me?”

  She flicked him a sideways glance. “Nope. I’m dead serious.”

  “I don’t know if I have more in me.” Honesty required he be up-front with her about that.

  “I know.” Carter stopped and turned to put her hand against his face. “I’m going to be your exception.”

  The fact that he wanted to believe her scared the shit out of him.

  Logan shook his head. “I learned a hard lesson that I’m not good at relationships.” Or reading women he was in love with.

  Stubbornness or maybe tears should’ve greeted that statement. Instead, she looped her arms around his neck and brought her lips close enough that he could feel their warmth but not touch. “You sure about that? You’ve been in a relationship of sorts with me for a while now, don’t you think?”

  All he had to do was reach out and take what she was offering. Except he wouldn’t do that to her. Not knowing the way things were destined to end. “Fucking is one thing, friends with benefits is another, but I—”

  She placed two fingers against his lips, quieting him. “I can see that this is a lot to process…”

  To put it mildly. His shoulders were starting to ache from holding himself away from her. Having coffee with Angela, and now this, when he’d assumed his life was pretty well set the way it was.

  “Just… think about it. Okay? We’ll take a step back. I’ll be a good girl.”

  Yeah, right. Carter’s version of good girl no doubt.

  “You should know a few things going forward, just to be crystal clear,” she said. Then held up a finger. “One, I want you more than I’ve wanted a man in a long time. Maybe ever.”

  Fuck if that didn’t have him aching in more ways than the obvious.

  “Two…” Another finger went up. “I want more than casual with you. And three…” One more finger. “If you’re interested, and get your head out of your ass about how Angela messed you up, you’re going to have to make the first move.”

  Logan stood rooted to the spot as she unwound her arms from his neck and walked away, a sassy swing in her hips. Because she’d just rocked him to the core.

  What was he supposed to do with her? With the gauntlet she’d just thrown down between them.

  Especially for the next few weeks while he lived and worked with her, under the watchful eyes of her family.

  Chapter Nine

  Carter dragged herself into the house, wincing at the amount of dirt she brought with her. A cloud of it stirred every time she moved. One would think she’d been rolling in the stuff rather than riding and walking the Owens’s property to get a lay of the land as compared with the terrain maps she’d tracked down.

  With the slow movements of somebody who had used her muscles a lot that day, she toed off her boots and attempted to wash off some of the dirt in the utility sink, turning the white plaster muddy. She even smelled of dirt, along with a good amount of sweat. And the heat hadn’t really hit yet.

  Thoughts of a late dinner and a shower, in no particular order, were unfortunately overridden by thoughts of a certain dark-eyed lawyer. A problem she had been dealing with all day. As late as it was, and given the way she’d left things with him last night, she expected a no show tonight. Resigned, she shuffled into the kitchen which was dark except for a light over the stove. The glow highlighted an aluminum foil-covered plate that she just knew was meant for her. Beth, that angel of mercy, most likely left it for her.

  Even popping it in the microwave and heating it up took more effort than the energy she had left to expand. But as soon as the aroma of homemade lasagna hit her—garlic and tomatoes and cheese—Carter perked up and dug in.

  “I wasn’t sure if you’d like lasagna,” a low male voice commented.

  Carter lifted her head and stopped chewing midbite, mouth full. Adrenaline gave her an extra boost at the sight of Logan standing in the doorway, one shoulder casually leaned against the frame, arms crossed as he watched her closely.

  His words managed to penetrate the fog of exhaustion and instant aching need threatening to take over her body.

  She finished chewing in a hurry and swallowed the entire bite in one lump. “You made the lasagna?”

  “Don’t sound so surprised. I do have to feed myself occasionally.” He stayed where he was leaning against the door.

  Carter shrugged. “I guess I just assumed you ordered out a lot.” She patted the chair next to her. “Come sit down and I’ll tell you about today.”

  Logan stayed where he was and glanced at the glowing clock on the microwave. “What took so long?”

  She eyed him narrowly then patted the chair again, with more force. “Sit. I’m not going to bite.” Actually, she couldn’t promise anything where he was concerned.

  A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “I consider this a safe distance.”

  So he needed a buffer zone, huh? That thought alone had her biting back an answering smile. “Suit yourself. I told you I’d be good.” She took another bite of the delicious lasagna, chewing thoughtfully.

  “I’m more worried about me.”

  She sat up straight at that confession. “If that’s the case then—”

  He raised the eyebrows she loved and gave a little shake of his head. A signal she had no trouble interpreting. He wasn’t ready.

  Carter blew out a sharp breath. “Okay.”

  He watched her with a patience beyond his usual need for immediate answers, and, true to his word, he didn’t move from his spot.

  “I walked the property,” she said. “Particularly the border between the two p
roperties in dispute. Something seems… off.”

  Logan straightened, turning into the career-driven lawyer he was in an instant. “Off?”

  She wasn’t surprised he found that interesting. Logan had been working these kinds of cases for too long, and with her too often, not to be aware of the ramifications of what she just said.

  “I’m not sure yet. This is gut instinct talking. I need to get on that other property. Don’t get your hopes up, yet.”

  Without seeming to realize it, Logan wandered into the room and pulled out a chair next to her at the kitchen table. The darkness and the quiet cocooned them together, the tick-tick-tick of the grandfather clock in the family room the only audible sound, other than Carter’s chewing. All Carter wanted to do was lay her head on his shoulder and close her eyes. Not that he was likely to let her after her declaration yesterday.

  She’d come on too strong. No doubt about it.

  “I’ll talk to their lawyer and arrange it,” Logan said. “It might be a week or two before we get the go-ahead, but hopefully only a couple days.”

  Carter propped her chin in her hand unable to keep her head up any longer. “I figured. I’ll be conducting well tests until then. I plan to start in a couple days.”

  Logan frowned. “How long do you think that will take?”

  Carter knew what he was asking. Well tests required her to be on site monitoring the progress nonstop. Which meant camping out beside the wellhead. “I’ll be running a twenty-four-hour test.”

  “By yourself?”

  Logan had never asked her that before. Carter wanted to see it as progress but wouldn’t let herself get her hopes up, not even for little things. Especially for little things. “I’ll bring another engineer from my company to trade shifts with me so that we can both get some sleep. Just like usual.”

  “Who?”

  Carter shrugged. “Whoever is available. Probably Noah, if I had to guess.”

  Considering the conversation closed, she got up to clear her place. She still needed a shower and then had every intention of falling into bed and sleeping a long, peaceful sleep of someone who’d worked hard that day. Nicer if she could do that against Logan’s warm body, but she didn’t think that was on the table.

  “The new guy?”

  Carter paused over the open dishwasher then finished putting her plate in and started it running before she turned and leaned against the countertop. “You’ve met him?”

  “I make it a point to know all the players on any given case and he’s worked as a second set of hands on a few recently. Seems solid.” His eyebrows drew together as he said those last two words, as if paying the man a compliment was the last thing he wanted to do.

  Stop it with the wishful thinking.

  “He is solid. Not to worry, your case is in safe hands.” Carter rubbed at her eyes and gave a deep sigh. “I’m done in. Night.” She shoved off the counter with effort and aimed her sock-covered feet toward the end of the house with the bedrooms.

  Her hand was on her bedroom door handle when Logan’s voice stopped her. “Just so long as those hands aren’t on you.”

  Carter paused, a small gasp escaping her lips. Had he just said what she thought he said? Slowly, she turned to face him to find him standing close, hands on narrow hips and an aggressive set to his shoulders.

  “Are you making a move?” She was proud that the question came out normal sounding given how her heart had leapt into a full gallop.

  “This isn’t about that,” Logan insisted.

  Carter raised her eyebrows. “Then what’s it about?”

  “It’s about maintaining a certain professionalism, and not falling into bed with any Tom, Dick, or Harry.”

  Carter drew herself up to her full height, not that that did much against Logan’s six-foot-some-odd, and stared him down. “If this isn’t about making a move, then it’s none of your damn business. My work is impeccable, and no one has ever questioned that.”

  She swung back around to open her door, but Logan moved faster. Grabbing her by the shoulders he flipped her back around and claimed her mouth in a kiss that had all the impact of the rodeo bull being loosed from the gate, exploding through her with a force that required an immediate and equal reaction.

  Carter opened her mouth under the onslaught of Logan’s kiss, meeting his aggression with her own. Forgotten were her exhaustion and the fact that he’d be covered with dirt as much as she was at the end of this. All she could think about was the way his touch made her feel—wanton, and powerful, and desirable, and in control all at once.

  Except the control was an illusion.

  With a sharply indrawn breath, Logan jerked back out of her embrace and ran his hands through his hair, making it stand up on end. “That wasn’t making a move.”

  Before she could draw breath to answer, he stomped to his door and closed it behind him, the telltale snick echoing in the empty hallway.

  Carter raised a shaky hand to her lips, swollen from the rough, tantalizing kisses. “Could’ve fooled me,” she whispered.

  *

  Logan wiped steam from the bathroom mirror and stared at his reflection which looked back with accusing eyes. He’d been a dick. And out of control. And out of line. The trouble was, he didn’t want to walk away from Carter. He wanted to take her up on her offer. But he needed time, and maybe some distance, before jumping into the deep end with both feet. Because he didn’t want to jerk her around more than they’d been doing. Carter meant too much to him to take her offer casually.

  No. Logic said wait.

  Get this case done, get back to Austin and their normal routine and way of life, and then decide. Which meant not encouraging her or kissing her until they were both begging for the ultimate conclusion of that action.

  Which means hands off, Cartez.

  He was here to help so she could work, so he could get his case done in a timely manner. For the Owenses. They were the ones he needed to focus on, not some ridiculous jealousy over Carter running that test with another man. He was surprised she didn’t slap his face when he implied that she was lacking professionalism. When it came to her work, Carter was right, she was impeccable, unquestionable, and every bit the professional Logan expected from his contractors.

  Didn’t mean he had to like her hooking up with another man. Not that that was what she’d be doing. And he realized exactly how ridiculous his thoughts were, which only irritated him more.

  He ran a comb through his damp hair one more time, then headed to the kitchen where he could smell sizzling bacon and rich coffee. The usual large breakfast that the Hills put together each morning. He entered the room and paused on the threshold to find Carter’s mother sitting at the kitchen table, her arm resting on the tabletop.

  They’d spent the day together yesterday, but mostly she’d slept, a result of both the pain and the medication they had her on to control the pain.

  “I wasn’t expecting to see you up so early,” he said. “How do you feel?”

  “About as useless as a daisy in a stampede.” She grinned at him, though.

  Logan shook his head as he went to the sink to wash his hands then shooed Beth to sit as he took over the bacon and eggs. No way was he just sitting around while a heavily pregnant woman cooked. He had to give it to the Hill women, they had spunk. He could see now where Carter got all her sass from.

  “What’s the plan today?” Logan asked.

  Evelyn’s gaze moved to something to his left, and Logan didn’t need the hairs on his neck standing up to tell him who.

  “As soon as I talk to my boss,” Carter said behind him. “I should have an idea of when that well test will happen. But they won’t open for another couple of hours. I was thinking I might help out with the ranch chores this morning.”

  John, who’d come in with his daughter, moved to Logan’s side and clapped him on the shoulder. “Much as I appreciate you taking care of my wife for me, I can’t say I like leaving that task in another man’s hands.
I understand you grew up on a ranch?”

  Logan could see where this was going. If anyone asked him a few weeks ago, he would’ve said he’d never step foot on a ranch again if he could help it. The rare occasions his clients couldn’t come to Austin, Logan usually sent his staff to the ranches. But, though she was an easy invalid to care for, even Logan had to admit doing chores on the ranch was probably more his speed than housework and nursing.

  Carter nudged him over playfully with her hip and popped a piece of bacon in her mouth. He waved the spatula in threat, which earned him an easy grin. Like they’d been before he’d taken her to his bed.

  Logan flipped the bacon crisping in the pan. “I’m happy to help out wherever you need me.”

  Carter stopped chewing, to send him a raised eyebrow in question. Not in surprise. He had no problem interpreting that as for asking if he was okay with it.

  Was he so obvious? He thought he hid his reluctance pretty damn well.

  He gave her a subtle nod, even so. And she went back to chewing her bacon.

  “I appreciate that, son.”

  Carter grabbed another spatula and worked on the eggs. “I can show Logan where everything is.”

  Good thing Logan had a lot of practice keeping his expression neutral, or Carter’s entire family would know that those words she’d casually tossed over her shoulder had sent attention thrumming through him. All morning with Carter was not exactly the way to keep temptation out of reach.

  Breakfast cooked, they all loaded up their plates and sat around the table, John feeding his wife despite grumbling protests that she still had one good arm.

  The Hill patriarch just grinned. “I don’t get many chances to take care of you, darlin’. Please let me?”

  Evelyn’s expression softened. In answer, she opened her mouth for another bite, love shining from her eyes.

  “Were you able to get much done yesterday, Logan?” she asked between bites.