by Violet Howe
Finally, his lips brushed against mine so softly that I wasn’t even sure they’d touched me.
“You’re gonna be the death of me, Willow,” he whispered against my mouth. “How can I say no to you?”
Our lips met fully, and the spark ignited. My back was against the rail, and my arms were wrapped around him as I clung to him, pulling him closer, though nothing seemed close enough.
He sank his fingers in my hair, loosening the braid until the entire mass of it blew free in the wind and surrounded us like an inferno of flames.
His hands were on my neck, down my back, along my arms, under my chin, and back in my hair.
I ran my fingers underneath the back of his shirt, digging my fingernails into the bare skin as he uttered a guttural sound deep in his throat. His lips left mine, pressing against my skin to leave kisses along my neck and across my shoulder.
His thumb grazed across my breast, and my nipple rose immediately beneath the thin, cotton dress. He returned his lips to my neck, and then his mouth covered mine, his thumb more aggressive as he rolled it back and forth, sending little shock waves of pleasure straight through me.
I could hear talking in the distance, and the reality of where we were and how public our display of affection was came creeping into my consciousness.
I pressed my hands against his chest and pulled my mouth from his long enough to whisper, “There’s people. People are coming.”
He claimed my mouth again, but then he pulled back far enough to look down at me between his lashes. His lips were swollen, and I lifted my fingers to touch my own bottom lip, surprised to find it completely numb despite the multitude of sensations I was feeling.
“You okay?” he asked, leaning his forehead against mine as he intertwined his fingers behind my back.
I nodded and grinned. “I’m wonderful.”
His smile spread across his face. “Yes, you are, Willow. Yes, you are.”
The group passed us, mumbling hellos as they went.
“I guess we should probably get our stuff together,” Gerry said, pulling me in close and tucking my head beneath his chin. “From the lights of the harbor, we’ll be docking soon.”
“Do we have to?” I whispered. “Can’t you just stop time? Stay here together?”
“Oh, God. You have no idea. You have no idea.”
And he was right. I didn’t have any idea.
Because he didn’t tell me.
13 LIPSTICK STAIN
“Maggie, I hate to bother you, but I need your help.” Tyler’s voice on the other end of the line sounded panicked, and my thoughts immediately went to Cabe.
“Is everything okay? Are you alright? Is Cabe—”
“We’re fine, everything’s fine. I need to get the paperwork and the deposit out to Silver Creek Ranch before five today. There’s another couple that wants Galen’s date. I told Bronwyn I’d have our contract in by the end of the day, but the father of the bride for my morning wedding had a heart attack during pre-ceremony photos, and now we’re at the hospital. They’re going to try to do the vows in his hospital room, and then the bride and groom still want to have a reception back at the hotel. I’ve been on the phone for the last couple of hours trying to rearrange everything with all the vendors, and it just dawned on me that I have to get this out to the ranch. Is there any way you could take it for me?”
Her words ran together in her stressed state, and I was almost out of breath from listening to her. “Sure. Yes, no problem.” I glanced at the clock and saw it was almost four. I’d be pushing it to reach the ranch before five, even if I left immediately. “What hospital? Do you have the paperwork with you, or do I need to go to your office to pick it up?”
“Um, I have it. I think it’s in my briefcase. Let me make sure. It may be in the car.”
I started packing up my things as I waited for her to answer, closing out of my email so I could shut the computer down.
“Yes, it’s in my briefcase,” she said. “I can meet you at the entrance of the hospital on Sand Lake.”
“Okay,” I grimaced. I’d have to face westbound traffic to get to the hospital, and then eastbound back to the turnpike entrance to head to Silver Creek. “I don’t think I’ll be there before five.”
Tyler sighed. “Let me call Bronwyn. I’ll tell her what happened and see if I can take them tomorrow.”
“No, don’t do that. I’m already packed up and walking out of my office. I’ll get them there, but does it have to be before five? Can it be a few minutes after?”
“Bronwyn has a meeting to go to so she won’t be there after five. Let me call her and ask if there’s some place you can leave the paperwork and the check. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
My nerves were frazzled by the time I got to my car. The panic in Tyler’s voice had started the process, and the abrupt interruption of my day and sudden departure from the office hadn’t helped, but the realization that I was driving to Dax Pearson’s ranch was what really put me on edge.
It had been over a week since our lunch at Tako Cheena, and though we’d left that day with the agreement that I would pick a place for our next lunch and let him know the date and time, I hadn’t done either.
I’d made no effort to contact him, and he hadn’t contacted me.
It wasn’t that I hadn’t enjoyed our lunch. I had. Too much, in fact.
Dax had consumed my thoughts for the rest of the day and evening, and he was the first thing I thought of when I awoke the next morning. He’d rarely left my mind for long since then.
That was dangerous. That was too close to being out of control.
Even though I would never admit it to her, Sandy was right when she’d told me that I choose to go out with people I have no intention of falling for. Without the intense attraction, it’s easier to walk away. To cut ties and be out of the situation before I ever actually get in it.
But Dax was different. I could feel it. This was an attraction I had no control over. The connection was there, and it was strong. Immediate. Powerful.
I had no desire to pursue anything I couldn’t walk away from, and I definitely wasn’t willing to risk my heart. Not ever again.
No matter how handsome the cowboy was or how green his eyes may be or how many quivers his voice set off between my legs.
“I’m so sorry to dump this on you last minute,” Tyler said as I pulled into the hospital entrance and reached out the window to take the file.
“It’s no problem, really. I had no meetings this afternoon, and we’re supposed to be tag-teaming this wedding planning, remember?”
I winked at her and squeezed her hand in mine. She looked tired, and the stress of the day had dulled the hazel of her eyes. I wanted to get out of the car and hug her, but time was of the essence.
“Hang in there, kid,” I said. “I’m gonna call my son and tell him to have wine and a hot bath waiting for you when you get home.”
“Oh, that sounds heavenly. Thanks, Maggie.”
I pulled away from the hospital and dialed Cabe’s number.
“Hey, Mom, what’s up?”
“Hi, handsome. I just saw your wife, and she seems to be having quite the stressful day.”
“Yeah, I talked to her earlier. Bummer about the father of the bride, but thankfully, they got him to the hospital in time. Ty said it looks like he’ll make a full recovery.”
“Yes. I told her I’d call you so you could have wine and a hot bath waiting for her.”
He chuckled. “I’m a step ahead of you. I’ve got a bottle chilling, and I picked up her favorite sushi roll on the way home from work. I even bathed Deacon and vacuumed the whole house.”
“That’s my boy. Take care of your lady, and she’ll take care of you.”
“See, I listened to you!”
I smiled, and my heart warmed at the thought of Cabe being happy in his marriage.
Every bit of heartache I’d been through was worth it and then some if my kids could be happy, healthy
adults who were able to love and be loved.
“So, I’m heading out to the Silver Creek Ranch to turn in your sister’s paperwork and deposit. I guess we’re going through with it. Can you believe she’s getting married?”
“No. Poor Tate. I thought he was smarter than that.”
“Cabe, be nice. Your sister is a great catch.”
He laughed. “My sister is a high maintenance pain in the ass, and you know it. But Tate seems to love her, so I wish them all the best. You gonna see Mr. Pearson while you’re there?”
I stiffened, tightening my hands on the wheel. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t know,” he said in a singsong voice. “A little bird told me there might be an attraction between the two of you when you met.”
“Hardly,” I lied. “He seems like a nice man, but he’s not my type. Too outdoorsy.”
“Opposites attract, Mom. Maybe you should give him a chance.”
“I think your little bird’s matchmaking aspirations have rubbed off on you.”
“Just be open, okay? If there’s something there, be willing to see what it is.”
The phone beeped, and I looked at the radio display to see Tyler’s name.
“Speak of the devil. Your little bird is calling me right now. Let me see what she needs.”
“Okay, Mom. Love you.”
“Love you, too, sweetheart!”
I pressed the button on the steering wheel to switch to Tyler’s call. “I was just talking with your hubby on the other line, and somehow he got the idea that I have romance afoot at the ranch. Now why on earth would he think that?”
“Oh. I may have mentioned it.”
“Nooo. Really?”
She laughed at my sarcastic tone.
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it. You two seemed so cute together, and there was obviously an attraction there. Aren’t you the least bit curious to find out more about him?”
I was quite a deal more than the least bit curious, and she didn’t even know Dax and I had seen each other at the hospital or shared lunch together. Of course, she didn’t need to know that.
“How’s the bride’s father?” I asked, blatantly changing the subject.
“Better. He’s still stable, and the doctor has given permission for the bride, the groom and the officiant to be in the room with him and his wife for the vows. Everyone else will have to wait back at the hotel, but the officiant has agreed to do a second ceremony at the reception so all the guests can watch them exchange vows.”
“Good. I’m glad it worked out. I know that must have been frightening for the bride. Well, for the entire family.”
“Yes. Just when I think everything that could happen at a wedding has happened, something always surprises me.”
“Life is like that.”
“Hold on,” she said, and I could hear her talking in muffled tones. “Be right there. I’m on the phone. Give me a second.” Her voice came back on the line. “Okay, I’m back, but I need to go. I spoke with Bronwyn a few minutes ago, and she said you can leave the paperwork and the check underneath the black mat in front of the door. She’ll swing back by after her meeting to pick it up so it’s not out there all night.”
“Okay. Got it. Best wishes to the bride and groom for me. Hope the rest of the event goes smoothly for you.”
“Me too!”
We ended the call, and my thoughts turned to my destination.
Would Dax be there? Evidently not, if Bronwyn had left instructions to leave the papers under the mat.
Where on the property did he live? The driveway we’d taken had been long and narrow, winding quite a ways off the main road to reach the reception hall. I didn’t remember seeing any other drives shooting off that one, but I didn’t know where the road continued after we turned into the parking area for the hall. The barn was visible from where we’d parked, and I’d assumed the drive went there, but was his house perhaps beyond that?
In the few times we’d talked, we hadn’t gotten into the particulars of his day-to-day work. Would he be in the barn when I arrived, or was there an office somewhere else on the property?
What would his reaction be if he was there? Would he be happy to see me or irritated that I didn’t call? Maybe he hadn’t even given it a second thought. After all, he hadn’t called me to inquire about where and when our next encounter would be, so maybe he was relieved that I didn’t call again.
I turned up the radio to drown out the chatter in my brain, cursing my thoughts for being so utterly consumed with someone I barely knew.
By the time I’d reached the iron gates of the ranch, I’d gone through every channel preset and two cycles of scanning in an attempt to find something to distract me. My thoughts kept returning to Dax no matter what song I landed on.
I paid closer attention than I had when Tyler and I navigated the drive the first time, noticing the length of the wooden fence that lined either side of the road and wondering if Dax had been the one to paint it black. There was a second fence behind the first, made of wire, and I couldn’t help but question why anyone would go to the trouble of erecting two fences when the drive was easily over a half a mile long.
The house came into view as I rounded the last curve, and my breath caught at the sight of it framed against the lake with the sun setting in the background. The water glowed behind it in vivid shades of orange, pink, and yellow, and the leaves of the large oak tree to the right of the house were a brilliant green in the waning golden rays. It was a beautiful estate, and my mind drifted again to the master suite upstairs and the change in plans Bronwyn had mentioned.
Whoever had built the house had obviously chosen its placement carefully. It was underneath the only large tree anywhere nearby, and I wondered if the creek flowing beneath the floor was a planned feature from the get-go or if it had been a means to an end in having the house under the tree with that view of the lake and the setting sun.
I pulled my car into the circle drive and reached to grab the folder from my passenger seat, pausing to check my makeup in the rearview mirror and telling myself my concern with my appearance had nothing to do with the ranch’s owner.
A few fluffs from my fingers and my hair looked good as new, but my makeup seemed a bit pale in the fading light. I pinched my cheeks to bring some color and dug through my purse for lipstick.
I had just leaned forward toward the mirror with my mouth open, lipstick in hand to reapply, when a loud tap on the window startled me. I screamed and dropped the open tube, immediately letting loose a swear word as it hit my pants leg and deflected onto the console and into the floorboard, leaving a trail of deep burgundy splotches as it went.
Dax stood patiently as I retrieved the lipstick and then turned the key to power the window down.
“I didn’t mean to startle you,” he said. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s okay. I wasn’t expecting anyone to be here.”
His eyebrows lifted as though to question why I would be applying makeup for no one, but to his credit, he didn’t say anything.
“Here,” I said, handing him the folder. “I was supposed to leave this under the mat for Bronwyn. Could you make sure she gets it?”
He took it and opened it, perusing the contract for the briefest of moments before closing the folder and looking back down at me with a grin.
“Well, darn. Here I thought you had decided we were doing dinner instead of lunch.”
Warmth flooded my cheeks and dispelled any paleness that might have been there before.
“Oh. About that….”
Dax tapped the folder against his leg and chuckled. “It’s alright. I understand. You were blown away by how great my choice was for lunch, and now the pressure’s on. You’ve been feeling intimidated by having to follow up my success, and that’s why you haven’t scheduled our lunch yet.”
The warmth of his eyes and the openness of his smile were contagious, and I felt any nervousness begin to melt away.
“Y
ou guessed it. You figured me out,” I said, returning the smile as he leaned forward and braced his hands on the car door.
“I tell you what. I’ll give you a few hints. You know. Help you out a bit. The only things I don’t eat are liver and raisins. I mean, not together. Separately. Although, come to think of it, I definitely wouldn’t want them together, either.”
“Okay. Noted. No liver. No raisins. No liver and raisin combo.”
“And I’m not too crazy about fondue.”
I laughed, more from the feeling of happiness that had overtaken me than from the humor in anything he’d said. As impossible as it seemed, I had missed him. This man I barely knew, whose presence I’d only been in less than a handful of times. Yet, that was the feeling. As I listened to him talk and my eyes took in the features of his face, I realized how much I’d wanted to see him again.
“What on earth is wrong with fondue?” I asked as I tilted my head to one side and peered at him. “It’s dipping in cheese and chocolate. What’s not to like?”
He stood up straight and stretched his back, moving his arms out to the side and twisting back and forth as he spoke. “Nothing’s wrong with it if you aren’t hungry, I suppose. Going to a restaurant where you have to cook your own food is bad enough, but when you can only cook it one bite at a time? That’s torture. If I’m gonna do that much work preparing a meal, I want to be standing over a grill and be able to eat the whole thing once I sit down.”
“Okay. Another point noted. No fondue.”
“I mean, other than that, I’m easy. You ought to be able to find some place to take me that fits outside those parameters.”
I couldn’t stop smiling as he stood there talking, looking so damned irresistible that I had to force my eyes to maintain eye contact. I’d caught myself staring at his bicep as he crooked his arm to adjust his hat, and my mind immediately took me back to the image of him pulling his shirt over his head as he walked from the water. I bit my lip and shifted slightly in my seat.
