It sickened Star to tell her, but she felt it was something that needed to be done. After all, her mother was right. They were two women all alone and needed to do whatever it took to survive. “I’m going to answer that ad Teddy’s had in the paper for the last two months for a housekeeper.”
“You don’t have to do that,” he mother said in a soft voice. “I’m sorry I suggested it. I never should have even mentioned it.”
“Yes, I do have to do this, Mother. Because I’d rather work for Teddy than spend another day in the same house as Luke Tyler.”
Chapter 16
Luke leaned against the food trailer and took a puff of his cigarette. He savored the rich flavor of tobacco and wondered how he had ever convinced himself toothpicks were an equal substitute. It was probably because Velvet had said he tasted like an ashtray when she had to kiss him for the movie. He didn’t really care what she thought, but his ego was crushed by it and, therefore, he had stopped.
However, now he didn’t care anymore. He’d been too long without a cigarette just like he’d been too long without meaning in his life. Star had fulfilled his physical needs last night and now he was addicted to her as much as he was addicted to caffeine and nicotine.
He took another drag of the cigarette and threw the butt to the ground, crushing it under the toe of his boot. If the cook hadn’t given him a cigarette, he didn’t know what he would have done. Big Jake was a damned good cook, almost as good as Louise. He’d offered Luke breakfast even though it was over, but Luke declined knowing he’d never be able to eat when Star occupied his mind like this.
Big Jake swung open the trailer door and leaned against it, looking at Luke. “Is she worth it?” he asked.
“Hmmm?” Luke’s mind was someplace else.
“It’s got to be a woman to get you so upset. I ain’t never seen you like this, even around Velvet.”
“Velvet gets me upset for other reasons,” Luke told him. “This one’s a different matter entirely. Got another cigarette, Jake?”
Big Jake grabbed the pack from the rolled-up sleeve of his T-shirt. “Here, take the whole pack. I think you’re going to be needin’ it.”
Luke caught the cigarettes and stuck them in the pocket of his shirt. “I’ll be needing a lot more than this where that little lady is concerned. Got a local paper, Jake?”
“Yeah, I’ve been usin’ it to swat flies.” He reached in the trailer and tossed a ragged, rolled-up paper to him. “Hope you’re not goin’ to use it to swat that little lady’s behind.”
“No,” answered Luke. “Although I can’t say she doesn’t deserve it. Anyone who gets hooked up with me needs a good shaking and more than a swat on the ass.”
“Don’t leave your mark on her too dark, Luke. She might take it as some sort of commitment.”
“Yeah.” Luke stuck the paper under his arm and headed for the barn. “Thanks for the advice, Jake. But I think you’re a little late.”
Star managed to avoid Luke for the rest of the morning. She’d heard the shoot went great and Brent was in such a good mood that he gave the cast and crew the rest of the day off. She stepped out of the house with a saddlebag slung over her shoulder. She wasn’t bringing many clothes to Teddy’s but, then again, she hoped she’d only be there a couple of weeks at most. Teddy had agreed to hire her for the position of housekeeper. She could almost hear his zipper busting right over the phone.
Well, if he thought he was going to get anything from her other than house cleaning, he had another guess coming. By insistence of her mother, she’d packed her daddy’s old Colt .45. She knew how to use it, though she had never shot anything but old tin cans and rotten stumps for practice. At least with the gun, she’d feel safer now around men like Teddy . . . and Luke.
Maxi followed her as she made her way to the barn. She’d seen Brent instructing Zeke how to wash and wax the car earlier, but she wouldn’t dare ask Brent or any of the crew for a ride to Teddy’s ranch. It was a good hour’s drive and she didn’t want someone talking to her for that long of a time. She wasn’t in the mood for pleasantries. She decided she would ride Licorice and still get there by sundown.
Her mother and Louise knew where she was going, but she instructed them not to tell anyone else. The last thing she wanted was for Luke to know where she went. With her luck, he’d follow her with a bottle of Dom Perignon and an open zipper. And knowing her, she’d accept his offer and be kicking herself again in the morning.
Maxi barked at her heels as she entered the barn. Star bent down to pet her. “You’ve got to stay here and help the boys round up the cattle,” she said. “Take care of Baby for me until I get back.”
“Going somewhere, Twinkles?”
Star about jumped out of her skin at hearing Luke’s words. She looked around, but it took a minute to see him. He was sitting up in the hay loft, chewing on a piece of straw. Leaning his back against the wall, his long legs stretched out in front of him and his booted feet were crossed. He had a newspaper in his hands, something that surprised her. Luke didn’t seem to be the type who cared what was happening in the world, and he certainly wasn’t reading the sports section. The only kind of sport that a man like him was interested in, you wouldn’t find in the paper.
“It’s none of your concern.” She threw the saddlebag over Licorice and secured it tightly. When he didn’t answer, she hoped he’d left the barn.
“I think it is my concern.” She jumped again. He was right behind her.
“Stop sneaking around like that!” She fastened the buckles on Licorice and checked the stirrups.
“The only one who’s sneaking around is you. Now, where are you going?”
“Out for a ride.”
“With a saddlebag filled to the brim? I doubt it.”
Baby clucked from the loft and Star glanced up. “Don’t get any ideas about eating my pet chicken while I’m gone.”
“Chicken is the last thing on my mind, sweetheart.”
She turned to face him and that was her first mistake. With a gentle hand, he reached out and tilted up her chin. She wasn’t going to look in his eyes, but when he hesitated with the kiss, she did. Mistake number two. His blue eyes were warm and caring. He had that same look in them last night in the limo just before they’d made love. She swallowed hard and tried not to think about it.
“Are you running away from me, Star?” His voice was soft and gentle. A shadow of whiskers covered his face but the scent of her herbal soap still clung to his body. Damn him for using her soap. Damn him for using her body for his personal needs. She pushed his hand away from her, and the rejected look upon his face was enough to tear her apart.
She had to stop herself from reaching out and taking him in her arms. She was angry with him and she wanted him to know it.
“Don’t flatter yourself,” she told him. She should have turned away but couldn’t. His hair was pulled back again and she wanted nothing more then to reach out and shake it loose and let it fall down around his shoulders. She also wanted to touch his bare chest that was beckoning her from beneath his opened shirt. What she’d give for one more night of moonlight spilling over their naked bodies, with the limo rocking beneath them as they about shook it from its springs.
“You are running. You’re afraid, aren’t you?”
“Believe me, Cowboy, I’m not afraid of you.” She turned and put her toe into the stirrup but stopped with his next remark.
“I meant you are afraid of yourself. Afraid of what you might do if you stay.”
Maybe he was right, but she wouldn’t admit it. She hauled herself into the saddle.
“If I’m afraid, it’s only because if I stay, I might end up giving you another black eye. You don’t need my calling card on your face.”
He took the newspaper out from under his arm and tore something out of it. He then threw the rest of the paper down on a bale of hay. “You don’t need my calling card on your breast either, do you?”
Her breast tingled when h
e said it, and her hand covered her chest. “You’re right, I don’t. Now get the hell out of my way so I can get out of here.”
“Need a ride?” he asked her.
“Not from you. I think I’ve had all the rides with you I’m willing to take.”
“I was offering the limo, not my body.”
The limo was the last place she wanted to be with him right now. She wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to ride in a limo again after last night.
“Save it, Luke. I’ve got a job to do, with someone who wants me. Now get out of my way before I have Licorice run you over.”
She turned the horse but he grabbed Licorice’s bridle. “When are you coming back?”
“That depends. When are you leaving?” she asked in return.
“Well, if that’s how you feel, then I won’t bother trying to convince you to stay. I’ve got somewhere to go myself.” He let go of Licorice and stuck the torn piece of paper in his shirt pocket alongside a pack of cigarettes. Star glanced down at the open paper and noticed the classifieds for cars and trucks. Well, it looked like he was going to go out and buy that Jeep he always wanted, after all. At least one of them was getting what they desired. It angered her to think he picked a vehicle over her.
Luke didn’t bother to look back as he left the barn and headed for the limo. Star didn’t bother to cry, although her heart was breaking and she felt like her whole world was falling apart.
Chapter 17
Luke was pleased with his new Jeep. It wasn’t actually new, but it was a vehicle he could use to get around Circle T once he bought back his ranch. Things were starting to look up. With the money Brent owed him for doing the movie, he’d have enough to buy out T.J. before it was too late. He’d have nothing extra, but at least he was able to get his wheels, too.
He said goodbye to Buck who had driven him to the used car dealership thirty miles outside of Possum Ridge. Luke shifted into first and headed out. He knew Brent would be ready to do another shoot soon and probably be complaining that he wasn’t there. However, there was one more thing he had to do before heading back to Bright Star Ranch. It was somewhere he should have gone long before now.
Luke thought of Star and found himself reaching for a cigarette in his front pocket. He placed it between his lips and pushed in the built-in cigarette lighter on the dashboard. Star had left and he was sure it was because of him. If only she could realize he had replaced her in the shoot for her own safety, not because he didn’t want her. Then again, if the girl wanted to be safe she never would have made love with him in the back seat of the limo to begin with. Hell, Luke had been so entranced by her that he hadn’t even taken the time to pull protection from his wallet before they’d completed the act. He could kick himself for being so stupid.
He yanked out the lighter and lit his cigarette. Then he replaced the lighter and took a deep drag. Just thinking of Star drove him crazy. He cared about her more than he had cared about anyone in his life. Lately, it seemed as if he had lost his heart to her, and he wanted her in more ways than just for sexual pleasures. Luke wasn’t the kind of guy who liked commitment when it came to women. But thoughts had been filling his head lately of possibly being with Star for the rest of his life. He pushed down the gas pedal harder, trying to take his mind off the girl and these crazy ideas of commitment. It was scaring him, and he was usually a very brave man.
Circle T was just up ahead. He planned on stopping by and picking up some of his belongings that he’d left in his old room the day his dad died and T.J. basically took over the ranch. Luke had gone out and gotten the stunt job right away when he found out about the loophole in the will. His father must have put it there purposely, hoping Luke would find it and manage to get the ranch he deserved after all.
Luke hadn’t known his stepmother very well, and he wondered if it was her or T.J. who had put the bug in his father’s ear to split up the ranch. If it was her, it didn’t matter anymore since she had died along with his father. But if it was T.J., Luke would make sure that his stepbrother never got a thing in the will by the time this was all over.
Luke felt excited, yet anxious, to go back home. He should have done this long ago, but didn’t want to put up with T.J. and his goons. Not liking confrontation, Luke figured he’d use his time to earn the money while being far away from T.J. with little or no distractions. If only his father had left the ranch to Luke, he’d never be in this jam.
He pulled in through the gates of Circle T, feeling proud, yet disgusted at the same time. With all the livestock gone, the place looked like an empty shell of the thriving ranch it used to be. Paint peeled on the house and a shutter hung by one hinge. T.J. wasn’t taking good care of the place at all. Even the little rundown ranch of Bright Star looked better than this right now.
He parked the Jeep and stepped out, his cigarette dangling from his mouth while he made his way to the front door. Lifting his hand to knock, he stopped himself in mid-motion.
What the hell was he doing? This was his ranch, or half of it was anyway. He didn’t need to knock. He tried the door handle but, as he suspected, T.J. kept the place bolted up tight even during the day. He cursed himself for forgetting his key in his duffel bag back at the Brightons’ ranch.
In frustration, Luke threw down his cigarette on the front porch, not bothering to stamp out the stub. He made his way to the back door, noticing that T.J.’s truck was nowhere in sight. As a matter of fact, there didn’t seem to be a soul around. Perfect, as far as he was concerned.
He rounded the corner of the house to see a huge, black horse tied to the hitching post out back. If he didn’t know better, he’d think it was Star’s horse, Licorice. But he’d seen her head on out and there was no reason in hell the girl would be here. He shook off the thought, realizing every damned horse was starting to look like Licorice and every girl was starting to look like Star to him. He needed to get a hold of himself before he went crazy.
The back door wasn’t open, but the window to his old bedroom was open a crack. He raised the window and threw his leg over the sill to enter his room.
Star opened the front door of the Circle T and looked outside. She was sure she heard someone on the front porch but no one was there. She figured Teddy had returned early from town. Actually, she was relieved to find he hadn’t, since he’d seemed eager to get her alone when she arrived there this morning. If it wasn’t for the appointment he told her he had, she was sure she’d be using that Colt by now.
Star started wondering if this house cleaning thing was such a good idea after all. She hadn’t had much time to think about it, and was only glad Teddy’s cousins were going to be gone for a good part of the day as well.
She was about to close the door when she noticed a smoldering cigarette butt on the front porch. Someone was there! Someone who was careless enough to leave a smoldering cigarette not extinguished. She stepped forward and stomped the thing out, first noticing the strange Jeep that was parked in the front lawn. Stepping back inside the house, she quickly closed the door. Her nerves were frazzled from being here in the first place, and now she was terrified that a possible intruder was trying to break in.
She quickly locked the door just like she had when Teddy left. She’d never been scared in her life but, for some reason, she found herself vulnerable and shaking. Her thoughts went to Luke and the protected feeling she had every time he held her in his arms. She had half a mind to jump on Licorice and head on out of there, but running back to Luke was something she’d never do. He hadn’t stopped her from leaving so he obviously didn’t care. Neither had he followed her here, so she knew she meant nothing to him, after all.
Wading through the mess in the living room, Star made her way to the spare bedroom where she was staying. It was the only place in the house that wasn’t trashed. Actually, it had been locked and Teddy opened it for her by jimmying the lock. It was almost as if it were off limits to him, and she liked that even better.
She decided to get her gun ou
t of her saddlebag so she’d feel safe. The bag should still be lying at the foot of the bed where she’d left it when she’d arrived. Slowly pushing open the door, Star took a step into the room. That’s when she saw him. A man was struggling to get in the open window!
She dove toward her bag and ripped it open. Thank goodness, the gun was right on top. She grabbed it with two hands and pointed it toward the intruder.
“Stop, or I’ll blow your balls off!” she threatened. The man’s actions stilled for a mere second but then he continued to slip inside the room.
“What a surprise to see you here, Twinkles,” said the intruder.
There was only one man in the world that would have the nerve to call her Twinkles when she was threatening to ruin his chances of procreation.
Luke slid off the sill into his old room and wiped his hands on the back of his jeans. This, he thought, was unbelievable. He’d broken into his own ranch and found Star awaiting him at the foot of his own bed keeping him at gunpoint.
“Luke?” she asked, not bothering to lower the gun. “What are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same thing, sweetheart. After all, you are in my bedroom.”
She looked at him with wide eyes, seeming as if she were trying to digest his words. He took one step forward, pulling the gun out of her hands. Cocking back the hammer, he checked for bullets.
“Just as I figured,” he said. “Next time you threaten to blow off a man’s balls, you’d better at least have the gun loaded.”
He threw the gun down on the bed and crossed his arms, waiting for answers.
“Well, if you wouldn’t be breaking into Teddy’s ranch I wouldn’t have to threaten you in the first place,” she spat.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. This is my ranch.”
“No, it’s not,” she said, seeming very confused. “This ranch belongs to my ex-fiancé, Teddy Maxwell.”
Starstruck Cowboy (Working Man Series Book 1) Page 14
