He reached for her hand. “Not bad. Been hurt worse by a bull.”
“Oh, Tyler, didn’t I tell you my coming to watch you ride wouldn’t be a good idea? I’m like a jinx where you’re concerned. Every time I’m around, something happens to you.”
A stab of pain took his breath away for a few seconds. He pressed the button on his morphine drip—twice. “Bullshit.” A fuzzy grey haze pulled at him. He’d be asleep soon. “Stay…”
The next time he woke, a nurse was peering under his hospital gown. “Whatever you’re looking for, it’s broken.”
She chuckled. “Just checking your bandage. I see it needs changed. There’s some post-surgery drainage.”
When she began tugging at the adhesive, he pressed his magic button—twice dammit.
“Where’s everyone?” Lacy and Olivia were gone, and he fought a strange sense of abandonment.
“Your wife and daughter went to the cafeteria for some breakfast. How about you? Think you could eat?”
“Coffee, extra sugar.”
The door to the room opened and Lacy walked in. She looked tired and wrinkled, having slept on a chair all night. Even so, he found her beautiful. “Mornin’ Sugar.”
The nurse chuckled. “My husband calls me Sugar, too. I think it’s sweet.” She winked at him as she applied a fresh bandage. “Pun intended.”
“I’m merely a friend. I’m not his wife.” A charming blush crept up Lacy’s throat and kissed her cheeks.
Olivia was right behind her. “Not yet, but I’m working on it. Grownups can be so obtuse, don’t you think?” Her remarks were directed at the amused nurse. “I’m thinking if they were to marry around Christmas, I could have a baby brother or sister by the end of next September. Bella if it’s a girl and Tyler Junior if it’s a boy.”
Tyler’s gaze ricocheted to Lacy’s. She was staring at the tops of her boots, her face red with embarrassment.
“Do Lacy and I have anything to say about this?”
His daughter tore a piece of pastry off the Danish she was holding and popped it in her mouth. “Not if I have anything to do with it. I mean, a Christmas wedding would be beautiful. Red poinsettias and pine. Lots of candles. I’d be the maid of honor, of course. A long, slinky red velvet gown.” She twirled around, obviously lost in her fantasy. “White cowgirl boots.”
“Excuse me.” Lacy all but ran from his room.
Well, hell.
“Olivia Renee. What were you thinking to talk that way in front of Lacy? You’ve made her feel uncomfortable. What’s gotten into you?” Much as he wanted to, he couldn’t go after Lacy. How would he explain to her he had a daughter hell-bent on getting him married?
“I want a normal family with a mother and siblings. Is that so wrong?” She crossed her arms and arched a brow.
“You can’t force adults to fall in love. And marriage without love can be hell on earth.” I should know.
Chapter Ten
Lacy sat on the bench in front of the hospital entrance waiting on her grandpa. By now, Olivia had probably told Tyler all about her teenaged infatuation and her current attraction to him. She tugged her sunglasses from her purse and slipped them on. I’ll never be able to face him again. Probably just as well with that video coming back around.
Her cell rang, and she answered.
“Lacy, it’s Olivia. I’m sorry I upset you. I didn’t mean to.” Every word dripped with her teenage angst.
“It’s okay, honey. Don’t cry. It’s time I went home anyhow. Pete should be here soon to pick you up. Stay in your dad’s room until he gets there, okay?”
“Okay.”
“I have a ride coming to take me home. Take good care of the patient.”
“Wait.” She sniffled into the phone. “Daddy wants to talk to you.”
She heard low conversation and rustling as the cell phone was handed over to Tyler. Her stomach clenched.
“You okay?”
“Embarrassed, but okay.”
“Olivia and I had a long talk about not forcing people to fall in love.”
Of course he wouldn’t want to fall in love with her. She was simply someone to pass the time with, nothing permanent or serious. “Don’t fuss at her. She’s just a kid.”
“Kid or not, I don’t like her hurting your feelings. Where are you?”
“Outside, waiting for Grandpa. I figure it’s time I get home. Shower and change clothes so I won’t feel so grungy. You need to rest.”
“Will you call me tonight? Hold on. Olivia, what’s the number on my bedside phone?”
He repeated the number for Lacy, and she scribbled it on a scrap of paper from her purse.
“You won’t forget to call me? I’ll be going stir-crazy by tonight. I’m not one for being idle.”
Grandpa’s truck rumbled in front of the hospital. “My ride’s here. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Lacy? Thanks for everything. I won’t forget how great you’ve been. You’re a good person.”
By eight o’clock that evening, Lacy’s eyes were gritty from too many hours last night in a hospital chair and too many today in front of her computer. She took another hot shower, slipped on her pajamas and soothed her eyes with drops before collapsing between the sheets. Honeybun jumped on the bed, turned around twice and settled next to her side.
She scratched behind the collie’s ears. “What do you think, Honeybun? Should I call Tyler?”
The bed jiggled with the thump of Honeybun’s tail as she rested her muzzle on Lacy’s arm.
“He said I should call him, but…”
A canine whine replied.
“I should just do it, huh?”
The collie woofed, and Lacy dialed.
“Hello?”
“How’s the patient tonight?”
“Lonely. Hate lying still. Tired of having a flashlight shined in my eyes. These ice packs wrapped around my ankle make my foot feel like a frozen popsicle.”
She laughed at his tone of voice. “Grumpy.”
“Hey, I figure if I complain enough, they’ll let me out of here tomorrow. I walked around the room twice today. Damn crutches won’t cooperate, but I’m getting used to them. My cousin, Billy Wayne, stopped in for a visit. I told him all about you.”
“Me? Must have been a boring conversation.” His soft chuckle made her smile. “How’s your headache, cowboy?”
“Easing up.”
Fluffy fur ran through her fingers as she stroked Honeybun’s ears. “Are you still using that morphine pump?”
“No, I told them to take it out of my stent. Made me too muzzy-headed. Felt like I wasn’t in control.”
Control would be important to a man like Tyler. He reminded her of the Coyotte Buttes she saw once in Utah—larger than life, strong, proud, enduring. “Too bad you won’t be able to ride for a while.”
He exhaled a hard bark of laughter. “Wanna bet? It’s my left ankle that’s sprained, but Comanches can mount a horse from any side. I’ll be riding the day after I get home.”
No doubt he would. Stubborn man. “Maybe what you need is a keeper.”
“You volunteering for the job?”
Was that hopefulness in his voice? “You couldn’t handle me for a keeper. I’m very strict. In fact, I’d keep you in bed for a week after you got out of the hospital, even if I had to hogtie you.”
“Now you’re talking.” Humor tinged his words.
Oh, good Lord. Did he mean…? “Are you into kink, cowboy? I never understood the desire to be spanked or tied up.” She paused and pursed her lips, searching for something to say. “I don’t think I could trust a guy enough to give him that much control. No. No, I couldn’t. It would leave me too vulnerable. No one likes being vulnerable, do they? Although I do feel vulnerable to you sometimes.” Crap, I shouldn’t have said that. “N-not that we’re in a sexual relationship or even heading in that direction…”
“Aren’t we?”
Her mouth went dry. Were they? He’d kissed her a few times, but would a ma
n like Tyler be interested in her? “Well…ah…well…”
Deep male chuckling tingled her insides.
“Don’t tell me you’re speechless. Not you. Tell you what. Let me take you to dinner Friday night. We can go to the Lonesome Steer, have supper and listen to the Rattlesnakes. Might even be able to dance a slow tune or two by then.”
“Will you be able to drive? Shouldn’t you rest?” He was asking her out on a date, but could he physically do it so soon after surgery, to say nothing of crutches. “Maybe I should do the driving. I could come to the Star-D and pick you up.”
“A man does the driving on a date, Sugar.”
Now wasn’t that the silliest thing? “That’s a rather outdated idea.”
“I’m an outdated kinda guy. Get used to it. If you call me every night like this, I’ll rest all day Friday.”
“Was there a promise in that statement, cowboy?” Men like Grandpa and Tyler weren’t ones to nap. A visual of him lying on the sofa covered with an afghan and hugging a teddy bear came to mind. She rolled onto her side, fighting the urge to giggle.
He sighed and she smiled.
“Okay, dammit, I promise to rest all afternoon. How’s that.”
****
Tyler never knew the span of time from Sunday, when he last saw Lacy, to Friday would be five months long, or so it seemed. The only thing that kept him sane was their bedtime phone conversations. He’d even taken to emailing her—and he never emailed anyone unless it was business related. Olivia helped him with his texting skills so he could send a text every so often to let Lacy know he was thinking about her.
She was starting to mean a lot to him. Was that wise? Hadn’t he sworn off women after Anna Beth put him through marital hell? Knowing your wife preferred other men to you did something to a man’s soul and permanently wounded his pride. Would Lacy be the same way? Surely not. As he grew closer to her, he hoped he was laying his faith in the right woman this time.
Now was a fine time to think about Lacy’s growing importance as he headed north on Interstate 27 in the direction of Route 66 to pick up his date.
Nervousness warred with excitement. A date. What had he been thinking to ask Lacy out? For one thing, the girl was ten years his junior. For another, he sensed she still believed in the happily-ever-after fairytale. While he’d learned long ago, love was a temporary emotion, a fit of insanity, a heart-itch that needed scratched.
Yet, Lacy was different from any other woman he’d ever met. She thought she was heavy. What idiot put that thought into her pretty head? Twenty pounds heavy? Her full breasts and rounded hips came to mind, and he hardened, shifting in his seat to relieve the tightness of his jeans. The woman was perfect.
She looked mighty fine sitting astride her pinto a few weeks ago. He wondered if she still competed. Her name hadn’t been associated with rodeos since she left for college. He’d have to remember to ask her, if there were any awkward silences in the conversation.
He laughed out loud. Hell, this was Lacy LaRoche he was thinking about. He doubted there was ever much lull in her conversations. There weren’t any in their phone calls. She’d ask him about his day and then fuss when he told her what all he’d done. In addition, he’d tell stories about Olivia. Slowly, he became accustomed to talking to her about anything. Was a damned good feeling.
All this wool gathering, as his pappy used to say, still had him in the same predicament—on his way to his first date in fourteen years. Fourteen long years that included a baby in the first six months and countless arguments and stresses in the months and years to follow. The night he found out for sure Anna Beth had been cheating on him was almost a relief. His only concern being who got custody of Olivia.
At the time, he swore he’d never date again. Now here he was, ankle swollen and still sore from the surgery, hauling ass on the highway to get to one blonde, blue-eyed heart stealer.
Had women’s dating expectations changed during this span of time? His gaze slid to the bouquet of orange roses and yellow daisies on the bench seat beside him. Surely, women still liked flowers. He’d taken pains with his appearance, made sure he had no dirt under his fingernails. No doubt women still frowned on that. What he wasn’t sure of was his outfit. Olivia, in her excitement, laid it out for him. He grinned and glanced out the side window as a semi rolled by. Hell, she’d even shined his boots.
When his phone chirped, he glanced at the display and slipped in his Bluetooth earpiece. “Now what?”
“Make sure you hold her hand, Daddy. Cassidy said to tell you that.”
“Any other instructions, boss lady?”
“Flattery. Lots of flattery, but don’t be fake about it. Women are too smart for that.”
How had he raised such an intelligent daughter?
Nerves dive bombed in his stomach when he knocked on the back door of the LaRoche ranch house ten minutes later. The door opened, and his tongue nearly rolled out. Lacy wore a top to match her name, white lace over a red camisole. A generous amount of cleavage drew his attention. Her black skirt hit those thighs about midway. Thighs he longed to stroke.
“Hey, beautiful.”
Her mouth opened and closed twice before a large smile spread. “Hey, cowboy. Come on inside.” She stepped back and motioned for him to come in.
That’s when he nearly dropped to his knees. She wore red stilettos with ankle straps. Hot damn.
Before he allowed his sex-starved hormones to turn him into a rutting bull, he hobbled inside and handed her the bouquet of flowers. “Here. These reminded me of you. Vibrant and full of life. Yet feminine, very feminine.” Olivia would be proud of him.
“Oh, my.” Lacy held the bouquet to her nose and inhaled.
Then he saw a contradictory sight, a wide smile and tear-filled eyes.
“I’m speechless.”
Cold day in hell, Sugar.
“I love orange roses. Most women like red roses or, if they’re from Texas, they prefer yellow. But my favorite has always been orange roses. Always. They say orange roses are a sign of passion and excitement. I don’t know how passionate I am, but I’m certainly excited.” Her glossy lips pursed. “Guess a lady shouldn’t say that.” She sashayed over to the sink with the bouquet. “Daisies signify purity and loyal love.”
He followed the swaying hips, and then backed against the counter so he could take weight off his foot. He watched the expressions play out on her face as she talked. She was a study in energy and frankness. Whatever was flitting through her mind tumbled right out of her mouth. After Anna Beth’s deceit, this young woman’s honesty was appealing. No wonder he was drawn to her.
What expressions would play out on her face as they made love? And he would make love to her. Suddenly, his need for this woman eclipsed any hesitations he’d wrestled with on his drive here.
She opened a cabinet door and pulled out a vase. “There’s ferns here, too. Ferns signify magic and mystery.” Her gaze slid to his. “I read a lot.”
“So does Olivia. In fact, I sometimes worry she hides from life between the covers of books.”
As she sniped off the ends of the flowers, her blonde curls bobbed when she nodded. “Yes, I’ve done that, too. I was an awkward teenager. Shy, yet driven. Clumsy, yet skilled on the back of a horse. Does she ride? ’Cause the relationship between a horse and its owner is a sacred, powerful, healing thing.” She glanced at him with earnest turquoise eyes. “Remember when you told me that years ago?” A blush kissed her cheeks. “If I remember correctly, those were your exact words, too.”
“You were always crazy about horses. Guess that’s why we spent time together. I could sense your need to know everything about them.”
Nervous hands shifted and rearranged flowers. “You were a good teacher.”
Tyler slowly trailed a finger up her arm. The barest of touch, and yet it affected him so badly he wanted to take her in his arms. By the sight of her parted lips and nipples pebbling beneath her camisole, he was affecting her, too.
She swallowed and nodded.
Oh, yeah, by the glazed look in her eyes, she was more than ready. He pulled her to him and took her in his arms. Gaze locked on hers, he slowly touched her lips with his and felt the first heady rush of passion.
Sweet Jesus.
Chapter Eleven
Her knees were going to give out.
Lacy’s trembling hands fisted in Tyler’s white Western shirt so she wouldn’t slink to the floor. The man’s lips could turn her bones to jelly.
Meanwhile, he groaned and pivoted, backing her against the counter with every inch of his muscled, hard body flush against hers—and several inches of him were delightfully hard. When his tongue touched hers, wetness pooled low.
His hands moved behind her to cup her bottom. He rocked her against him, and colored lights exploded behind her closed eyelids. Oh, God, I’m going to have an orgasm right here at my kitchen sink. I’ll grin like a fool every time I wash dishes from now on.
Warm lips trailed kisses from her mouth, across her cheek and down over her jaw line. By turns, he nipped and kissed her jaw and neck.
“Lacy, you taste so damn sweet.”
“Don’t talk. Just kiss me.” She rose on her tiptoes to meet him part way.
Laughter rumbled in his chest, a warm, rich delightful sound that pleased her.
“Oh, Sugar, coming from you, that’s rich.” He kissed her again, long and slow before pulling back. “Come on. If I don’t soon get you out of here, I’m liable to do something you’ll regret later.”
“Which wouldn’t be a bad thing.”
Right now, she wanted him to drag her down the hallway to her bedroom. Or maybe she’d drag him. The time to finish what their first kiss started weeks ago was now—or so her hormones cried.
That slow, badass smile spread in a face still bruised. “No, it wouldn’t. I have a feeling when it happens between us—and it will happen—it’ll be a very good thing.” He extended his hand. “Come on. My daughter says I’m supposed to hold your hand tonight.”
“Olivia gave you dating tips?” She laughed.
He slowly maneuvered to the door. “What can I say? She worries about me. I date so seldom.”
Honky Tonk Hearts Volume 2 Page 30
