Texas Heat

by Barbara Mccauley

  When the world righted again, the room was swathed in darkness. Jake heard the heavy beat of his heart over the sound of the rain and felt the gentle rise and fall of Savannah’s breathing. She lay beside him, her head on his outstretched arm.

  “Are you all right?” he asked her when he was capable of speech again.

  Her quiet sigh made him smile. Her lips on his throat made him groan. He tugged her closer.

  “I never knew I enjoyed the rain so much,” she said breathlessly.

  His smile deepened. “Sometimes it rains for days.”

  “Really?” Her hand caressed his thigh. “How long do you think this one will last?”

  He chuckled and turned sideways, fitting her to him as he slid his hand along her hip. “Through the night, at least.”

  Not long enough, Savannah thought. Not nearly long enough. “What do you usually do when it rains like this?’

  His thumb stroked the side of her breast. “Think about doing what I’m doing now.”

  The rough texture of his thumb against her soft flesh made her breath catch. “I’m being serious. What do you do when you have spare time? You don’t even have a TV.”

  He laughed dryly. “I had one. My ex-wife threw our wedding picture through it the day she left. I just never got around to replacing it.”

  Her hand slid up his arm. “Myrna said that your wife was surprised when you served her with divorce papers.”

  He stiffened slightly at the mention of Myrna’s name. “That woman’s head is stuffed with feathers.”

  “Your father married her.”

  “Like I told you, lonely men make mistakes.”

  “Is that why you got married?” she asked carefully. “You were lonely?”

  He moved away from her then, sitting up in bed. When he reached over and turned on the bedside lamp, a soft glow filled the room. She watched the muscles in his back ripple as he raked a hand through his tousled hair.

  “When I was twenty-nine, Myrna gave a birthday party for my father. Of course, she invited her friends, not J.T.’s. Carolyn, my ex, had come to the party with her father, a wealthy stockbroker from Houston. She was beautiful and funny and I wanted to be in love. I wanted to settle down, have kids. I thought that’s what she wanted, too.”

  He stared at the round brass clock on the nightstand and watched the second hand sweep silently around the dial. “I never really understood why she married me. I was a novelty to her, I think. A far cry from the lawyers and stockbrokers she’d been dating.”

  Savannah had dated men like that. Most of them were boring and preoccupied with the kind of car they drove or the fit of their custom-made suits. It was hard for her to imagine any woman preferring that type of man to Jake.

  “It was okay the first year,” he went on. “She kept telling me she wanted to have kids right away. We talked about the future. But the isolation out here and the difference in our life-styles got to her. She started to complain that I never spent any time with her, that I couldn’t drop my work and fly off to Florida or New York for a party. She started to travel by herself.” He sighed heavily. “We argued. The trips got longer and more frequent. I finally gave her an ultimatum. No more trips, and I wanted children.”

  “Two months later I came in early one day. There was a note she’d gone into Midland and would be back late. At ten o’clock I was getting ready to go look for her on the highway when the phone rang. It was Sam. Carolyn was at his house. She was sick and hadn’t been able to make the drive back to the ranch.”

  “Sick?”

  Jake’s face lost all expression as he lifted his gaze to Savannah. “She’d gone into Midland to have an abortion.”

  An abortion. Oh, God. Savannah felt her stomach rise and shift. The hollow look in Jake’s eyes brought a tightness to her throat. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

  “I’d known she was angry, that she was unhappy, but I never dreamed she’d try to get back at me that way.”

  Savannah moved toward him and covered his hand with her own. His knuckles were white where he clutched the sheet. “She was a fool,” she said softly.

  “I might have killed her if Sam hadn’t stopped me. I took my anger out on him, instead. I even accused him of sleeping with her. Lord knew, she’d flirted with him enough to make even the most apathetic husband jealous.”

  So that was the edge between Jake and Sam, Savannah realized. Only it was obvious that Sam had forgiven Jake. It was Jake who couldn’t forgive himself.

  “Family was always something I regarded as sacred,” Jake said, his lips held tight. “No matter what, you stuck together, worked your problems out. In the blink of an eye, Carolyn destroyed that. I realized that other than my father, the only true family I’d ever have would be Jared and Jonathan and Jessica. When Jonathan died six months later, I realized how tenuous life itself is. I wasn’t going to waste it on any more mistakes.”

  Is that what she was to Jake? Savannah wondered. A mistake? Pain sliced through her. He wanted a woman in his bed, but would never give her his name or his heart. He would never risk loving her as she loved him.

  She wouldn’t settle for less than that. Not from Jake.

  Some folks don’t even find that kind of love once.

  A hollow ache settled in her stomach as she remembered Digger’s words when he’d told her about Angela and J.T. Savannah knew that she had found that kind of love, that kind of passion. And if she and Jake only had these next few days together, then she would accept that. She didn’t want them to part angrily. For Emma’s sake, she and Jake would have to at least be friends.

  Friends? Her body was still humming from their lovemaking. She doubted she would ever associate the word “friend” with Jake.

  She held back the sigh at the base of her throat and moved closer to Jake, laying her cheek on his shoulder. He stiffened, and she knew that inwardly he was busy rebuilding a wall that had just fallen between them. If she hurried, she might slip beyond the crumbling barrier, and even if it was only for this one night, he might let her in. She turned him toward her and pressed her mouth to his as she guided him back onto the bed, brushing his lips with hers in a kiss intended to seduce, as well as heal. He grabbed her head between his hands and put her away, staring down at her with a distant cool look that tore at her heart.

  She held his gaze, refusing to back down. His blue eyes darkened with desire, and with a low growl, he dragged her against him, slanting his mouth against hers, searing her with his lips again and again.

  She met the thrust of his tongue with a passion of her own, knowing that from this day on, whenever it rained, she would remember this moment and how much she loved the man in her arms.

  Eleven

  Jake stood in the doorway, unnoticed, watching Savannah pack the last of her things in her suitcase. Her flight wasn’t scheduled to leave for another four hours, but with the two-hour drive into Midland, she and Emma would need to leave soon.

  He was still smarting from her polite refusal of his offer to drive her and Emma to the airport. She’d asked Jessica and Jared, instead. She’d told him she didn’t want to take him away from his work, but they both knew the real reason: it was too damn hard to say goodbye.

  A knot formed in his stomach as he watched her fold the pink blouse she’d been wearing the day of the Roundup. He could still remember the way her face had lit up when Emma had won that blue ribbon and the spontaneous hug she’d given him. When she placed the blouse in the suitcase and smoothed her slender hands over the fabric, Jake felt the knot tighten.

  “Savannah.”

  Startled, she turned. Something flickered in her green eyes, but it was too brief to recognize. The look she gave him now was reserved.

  “I’m just finishing up,” she said, and reached for a small floral cosmetics bag on the bed. “Emma’s gone out to the barn to see Betsy before we leave. You might want to say goodbye to her out there where you can be alone.”

  He didn’t want to say goodbye at all,
dammit. Jake moved into the room and stared down at Savannah’s suitcase. What he wanted to do was dump everything out and throw the damn bag through the window.

  He shoved his hands into his pockets. “We haven’t talked about visits.” When she looked at him, he added, “With Emma.”

  She turned away and placed the cosmetics bag in her suitcase. “Jessica has offered to keep Emma with her in town on any future trips.”

  “I don’t understand.” Jake watched her close the suitcase, and when she snapped the lock, he had that same sinking feeling he’d had when the security gates at Savannah’s town house had clanked shut behind him.

  “We can arrange visits based on Emma’s school schedule and holidays.” She straightened and met his gaze straight on. “I won’t be coming with her, Jake.”

  The knife already sticking in his gut twisted. He should have known. He’d just hoped that after they’d made love that last time that...that she might want to...

  Oh, hell. He was a fool to think she might change her mind. She’d told him exactly what she intended to do. Find a nice dependable husband and settle into a nice dependable life.

  So let her. She’d find out soon enough there was no such thing as stable or dependable. The entire concept was one big fraud.

  Anger, as dark as it was unreasonable, shot through him, and with tremendous effort he controlled it. “I’ll carry your bags out for you.”

  She shook her head. “I can manage. I’ll just say goodbye now, Jake.”

  He watched in stunned disbelief as she stuck her hand out. The image of her slender body under his when they’d made love, her legs wrapped around him, came to his mind.

  And she wanted to shake hands?

  To hell with that.

  He grabbed her and hauled her against him. He’d give her a goodbye she’d never forget, he thought, intending his kiss to be more punishment than pleasure. He caught her startled gasp with his mouth, and when her palms came up against his chest, he fully expected her to push away from him. Instead, her hands slid upward and she wound her arms around his neck, lifting up on her toes as she leaned into him.

  He deepened the kiss, slanting his mouth hard against hers, knowing that the only punishment in this was to himself, and he was the one who would never forget this goodbye. He poured every feeling in him into the kiss, telling her with his mouth how he felt. Passion and need and desire. All of that burned within him. He felt her tremble in his arms, but when he moved to pull her closer, she stumbled away, her eyes wide and bright with what he thought were tears.

  “Goodbye, Jake,” she whispered hoarsely, and turned away.

  He started to take a step toward her, then clenched his jaw and stopped. The thought that he’d almost begged her to stay shocked him. The thought that he still might infuriated him. He walked out of the room, and when he slammed the front door on his way to the barn, the house shook from the force of it.

  Her heart pounding, Savannah sank onto the edge of the bed and closed her eyes, waiting for her world to stop spinning. When she could breathe again, she raised a shaking hand to her mouth and pressed her fingers to her lips. They still burned from Jake’s kiss.

  Damn you, Jake Stone.

  He hadn’t even let her leave with her dignity. Her entire body ached for him, and she knew that if he’d asked her to stay she would have. And if she had, she would have ended up hating herself for it, and then maybe even Jake, too.

  She drew a slow deep breath and stood. It had to be like this. She’d never stand in the way of his relationship with Emma; she knew he loved the child as much as she did. As a newly accepted member of the Stone family, Emma would never be at a loss for love or care, and that thought gave Savannah comfort. Despite the pain that permeated every inch of her body, Savannah knew that, for Emma’s sake, this trip had been worth every minute.

  She continued with her packing, listening to the bedside clock loudly tick away the seconds. They’d be back in Atlanta in a few hours, and Stone Creek would just be a place, instead of a home.

  The sound of Jake’s truck starting and screeching away brought a sharp stab to Savannah’s stomach. She’d see him again sometime, because of Emma. But they’d be no more than polite strangers by then. Each of them would have moved on with his and her own life.

  And that’s what she intended to do, she thought firmly. Move on with her life. It was time to look forward, for her future, as well as Emma’s.

  She was closing her second suitcase when the roar of an engine caught Savannah’s attention. Jake? It couldn’t be. He’d already left. Unless he’d come back... Her pulse racing, Savannah hurried to the window, praying that it was Jake, that he had come back.

  A white luxury sedan pulled out from behind the barn and she felt her heart sink. It wasn’t Jake. It was Myrna.

  Savannah closed her eyes and groaned out loud. Of all the people she didn’t want to see right now, Myrna was number one on the list.

  But the car was leaving, not coming, Savannah noted, narrowing her eyes as she watched the vehicle disappear. Thank goodness. She let out a sigh of relief and decided not to question her good fortune. Neither she nor Emma needed to deal with Jake’s stepmother today.

  Savannah suddenly realized that her niece hadn’t returned from the barn yet. She glanced at the bedside clock. Jessica and Jared would be here any minute, and Emma still needed to change into her traveling clothes.

  Frowning, Savannah moved away from the window and headed for the front door, knowing she was going to have to drag her niece away from that calf. Emma had gone to bed in tears the night before because she hadn’t wanted to leave, and Savannah knew they were probably in for a scene again now.

  Not that Savannah blamed the child. Lord knew, she felt like kicking and screaming herself.

  Her hand was on the front doorknob when she heard Emma’s scream. She flew out the door and off the front porch, her heart hammering at the terror she heard in her niece’s voice.

  Oh, my God! No!

  Smoke billowed from the open barn doors.

  “Emma!” Savannah shouted. “Get out of the barn!”

  There was no response, only the sound of Emma’s sobbing and the furious screams of the frightened horses. Savannah stumbled and nearly fell, but she recovered quickly. Her feet barely touched the ground as she raced into the barn.

  The thick acrid smoke burned her eyes, making it difficult to see. “Emma! Where are you?”

  “I’m here! With Betsy,” she shrieked from the end stall, coughing as she spoke.

  Using her hands more than her eyes, Savannah made her way toward Emma. “I’m coming, sweetie,” she said, struggling to keep the panic from her voice. “Everything will be fine.”

  It has to be. She couldn’t consider anything else.

  Savannah heard the flames crackle behind her and thanked God that the fire was at the other end of the barn. Tears streaked down her cheeks, blurring her vision even more.

  She called Emma’s name again, but there was no answer. The smoke was so thick now Savannah wasn’t sure where she was anymore, but the sound of a bell ringing—Betsy’s bell!—helped guide her. As she passed by the stalls with the horses, she unlatched the gates and swung them open. There were only three occupied, and the animals reared up when she waved her arms and hollered at them. Grunting in fear, they bolted past her. As it cleared the stall, the last horse knocked Savannah on the shoulder, throwing her to the ground. Pain shot through her back and stole her breath. Stars danced in front of her eyes.

  Dazed, she lay there, gasping, then choking as she pulled the thick air into her burning lungs. She shook her head to clear it.

  Jake, where are you? She prayed he’d see the smoke and return. As angry as he’d been, he might have driven halfway across Texas by now, without looking back once.

  She couldn’t think about him now. Emma’s—and her own life—depended on her staying focused and calm.

  She struggled to her feet, forcing her trembling legs to move a
s she followed the sound of the calf’s bell. She found Emma huddled in the corner of the stall, her arms around Betsy’s neck.

  “Emma!” Savannah fell to her knees and gathered her shaking niece close.

  “I’m scared,” Emma sobbed.

  I am, too. Savannah stood, dragging Emma with her. “Hurry, sweetie. We’ve got to get out of here.”

  Betsy bawled loudly when Emma left her. “What about Betsy?” Emma cried and pulled back.

  Savannah caught her niece by the shoulders. “Emma, we’ve got to go!”

  “We can’t leave her here. Please, Aunt Savannah!”

  There was no possible way Savannah could carry the animal out. She hadn’t the strength or the time. But if she didn’t bring the calf, Emma’s protest would cost them time, too. The smoke had thickened, and the sound of the crackling fire seemed to surround them. “Does she have a lead rope?”

  Emma nodded, then groped for the rope in the hay. “I put it on her when I smelled the smoke, but she wouldn’t come.”

  “All right, hang on tight to me. I’ll pull Betsy.” The calf resisted the first tug of the line, but Savannah yanked harder and the animal yielded.

  With the back of the barn in flames, the rear doors were impossible to reach. Their only escape was the front entrance. Savannah and Emma were both coughing as they felt their way toward the wide double doors.

  The sound of wood cracking stopped them. Savannah watched in horror as a large beam crashed down over the barn doors and sent sparks flying. Emma screamed as Savannah protected the girl’s body with her own.

  Their only escape was suddenly and irrevocably cut off.

  “Don’t let go of me, Emma, no matter what,” Savannah yelled over the fire. A wave of heat rolled over them, and she pulled her niece and Betsy back in the same direction they’d come.

  She needed an ax, or some kind of tool. If she could break her way through the side of the barn, even a hole small enough for Emma, then at least her niece could—