“Where are your crutches?” She just now noticed he didn’t have them.
A snap of the fingers accompanied another smile. “Dang, I forgot them.”
“Uh-huh, anytime a man uses ‘dang,’ you know he’s lying.”
Tyler laughed the whole way to his pickup.
Conversation on the way to the Lonesome Steer flowed easily enough. Lacy was happy she hadn’t prattled and said something stupid. She tried very hard to draw Tyler out just like Gus instructed. The easiest way, she found, was to ask questions about Olivia. Tyler beamed when he spoke of her.
If only her own father had stuck around long enough to be a part of her life. Thank goodness for Grandpa. Grandma, too. Both had showed her unconditional love, just as it seemed Tyler did for his child. Her mother, on the other hand, had unconditional love and desire for meth—and it had killed her. For all she knew, her father was dead, too. Men had a way of rejecting her for one reason or another.
The large parking lot was nearly half-full when they arrived. “Looks like we’ve come at a good time. Hungry?” Tyler asked after he’d parked the truck.
She reached for her door handle. “Yes, I am.”
His hand covered hers. “What are you doing?”
Those talented lips of his hovered above hers, his masculinity magically stroking every cell of her being.
Lord, he was a six-foot-three shiver waiting to gallop pell-mell up her spine. “I…ah…I was opening my door so I could get out.”
He whispered gentle kisses, first to one side of her mouth and then to the other. “When you’re with a man, is that your job?”
All the breath she’d been holding whooshed out, and she frowned. “Is this a trick question?” Gus told her allowing a man to do things for her was a way to reinforce his male pride. Personally, she found it silly.
“Opening doors for a lady is a man’s job. Wearing short skirts to drive a man crazy with need…” He trailed a finger from her knee up her thigh and stopped at her hemline. “…is a woman’s job.”
For an instant, her body’s reaction to his touch overrode her feelings on equality between men and women. “Oh, you are so full of it. That’s downright chauvinistic.”
“Maybe, but it’s the way this relationship’s going to work.” He turned away from her and opened his door to get out.
By the time he maneuvered around the front of his truck to open her door for her, she was ready. More than ready. “Relationship? I don’t recall our deciding we were going to have a relationship.”
She was shocked into silence for a second at his intense expression. His jaw was set and lips drawn into a thin line. Dark eyes were narrowed. Even though he appeared agitated, he placed his hands at her waist and helped her down. One hard hand clasped her side as he closed the door. His nonchalant actions made her feel feminine and protected. Oh, this could be bad.
She had to keep on talking so she wouldn’t think or react to his virility. “You are talking dating right? How does dating morph into a relationship?” She tugged on the hem of her top. “Guess we are too old for the term ‘going steady.’ But a relationship signifies—”
He leaned in, pushing her back against the side of the truck. “Woman.” His lips found hers and set to emptying her mind.
“Oh, man,” she sighed against his lips as her arms wound around his neck.
Deep laughter shook his body for an instant. “Now, you’re getting it.” He angled his head and took the kiss deeper.
The next time he pulled back, she gazed into dark eyes. “My toes are curled again.”
Tyler took her by the arm and turned her toward the door of the honky tonk. “Then it’s time we go inside. Mine were commencing to curl, too.”
She looked at him, trying to judge if he were making fun of her. “Yeah?”
The expression on his face was serious, which she found perplexing. “Oh, yeah. Most definitely, yes.”
Having a meal with Tyler was an experience like none other. He fed her bites of his steak while asking her questions, and then ate off her plate when he answered hers. They exchanged tidbits about their lives, and he told her stories about breeding his brand of rodeo bulls. Slowly, she was learning the attitudes of her one-time crush. He enjoyed hard work, cherished his family—and had a huge sweet tooth.
“How can you have two pieces of cheesecake and still have a flat stomach?” She opened her mouth as he fed her another bite.
“Good genes, I guess. Now, let me get this straight.” He added two packs of sugar to his coffee and stirred. “You have a degree in graphic design with a minor in marketing, and yet you’re cooking and cleaning for your grandpa?” He sipped his coffee, winced and added another pack of sugar. “What you’re saying doesn’t quite compute.”
She chuckled at his remark. “Cooking and cleaning isn’t the only thing I do. Grandpa built an addition for me that contains an office, and I’ve started a small web-design business. My list of clients is slowly growing. I’ve also been writing a few articles for computer magazines. Granted, it’s not the kind of life I dreamed of, but things happen to alter our dreams—or kill them altogether.”
He tilted his head to the side. “That’s a rather fatalistic attitude. I remember you as being a quiet, dreamy sort of girl. You seemed so awed by life.”
She ran her hands through her curls. “That Pollyanna girl is long gone, I’m afraid. Now I know most people would just as soon hurt you as to help you.”
She pushed her plate back and looked over the crowd in the honky tonk. Don’t get maudlin. Don’t allow anything or anyone to spoil tonight. When she returned her gaze to his, she forced a weak smile.
His forehead furrowed as he studied her for a few beats. He pressed the back of his fork into the remaining crumbs of the cheesecake’s crust and then inserted the fork between his lips to finish off the crumbs. “That’s an odd philosophy for someone who seems so open with her feelings.” As he spoke, he shook his fork at her.
“Life changes us sometimes.” She exhaled a long sigh. “And if I seem open, it’s because I get nervous around you and can’t seem to shut up. My mouth takes on a mind of its own and runs amuck.”
“Personally, I think you have a very nice mouth.”
His gaze focused on her lips, and she remembered how expertly his lips had moved over hers. Warmth spread through her chest and arrowed down to her most feminine of places. She wondered if he knew the extent of his male potency.
“I guess Frank was happy to have you move back home.”
The Rattlesnakes started warming up for their first set, and drew her attention for a moment. “Yes, I guess you could say we really needed each other when I came back.”
“What just put those worry lines on that forehead of yours?” He leaned over to run a long finger over them.
“Grandpa. I worry about him, just like Olivia worries about you, I guess.”
“Why, is he dating someone special, too?”
He winked at her, charming her even more.
“I wish.” She chuckled. “Although he was flirting with Polly Fitzhugh at the rodeo last week. Maybe I need to invite her over for supper one night. Make myself scarce after we eat.” The idea took hold, and she liked it. Grandpa and Polly might make a nice couple.
“Playing matchmaker like Olivia?”
She wiped her mouth with her napkin. “Ouch. Not a good thing, huh?”
His hand covered hers. “Hey, I didn’t mean anything by that remark. Personally, Olivia and I are of the same mind. We both want you in our lives.”
She allowed his words to sink in—the scope and the beauty of them. Was she being too hopeful they might have a future? She’d come to care for Olivia. As for Tyler, she’d always cared for him; that much she knew. But could a teenaged infatuation mature into a strong, abiding love like her grandparents shared?
One of Tyler’s badass smiles blossomed. “Did I strike you speechless?”
Oh, if you only knew. “I…ah…I think I’ll go to
the ladies’ room to freshen up.” If in doubt on how to handle a remark, run.
A few minutes later, Lacy was in a stall, smoothing her skirt and adjusting her camisole when she heard the restroom door open. Two different sounding heels clicked on the tile floor.
“Did you see Lacy’s here tonight?”
Megan? I’ll have to tell her I hired her aunt.
“Yeah, I saw her making eyes at that guy she threw the dart at a few weeks ago.”
That sounds like Tessa.
“By the looks of the two of them, it musta been a love dart.” Both ladies laughed. “I wonder if he’s seen the internet video of her?”
Lacy’s mouth dropped open, and she covered it with her hands. If Tessa knew, she’d make sure everyone else would, too. Her heart sank. Tyler would be humiliated.
“What video?” Megan asked.
“LaAss LaRoche. Haven’t you seen it? Oh, my God, it was a video of her undressing. Buck naked on the internet, baby. Can you believe it?”
“Oh, no. Not Lacy?”
“Oh, yeah, cottage cheese ass and all. Geesh, what a figure she had back then. If someone ever made a video of me like that I’d crawl in a hole and die. I’m telling you, if Lacy ever wanted to haul ass, she’d have to make two trips.” Tessa snorted and laughed.
“Don’t talk about her like that. She’s a good friend. Besides, she’s lost a lot of weight.”
“Not enough. You gotta see that video. It’s had over a million hits.”
“I’m not looking at it. That’s awful. Poor Lacy. I can’t imagine her humiliation.”
Fisted hands covered her eyes and Lacy took a couple deep, shuddering breaths. Oh God, to be the topic of restroom gossip. Outrage warred with embarrassment. She’d sooner keep the video a secret, but the internet being what it was made that desire a worthless pipe dream. Two years ago, she’d have run and hidden in tears. Now she was of a mind to face it head on, if she had her “druthers,” as grandma used to say.
Squaring her shoulders, she opened the door and stepped out to face two shocked women. “Hey, Megan. Tessa.”
Megan’s face blushed all the way to her auburn hairline. “We didn’t know you were…Lacy, I…I’m sorry.” She extended her hands, palms up. “Why didn’t you tell us about the video? You, Carrie Jo and I have been close since our sophomore year of high school. Girlfriend, you know we’d have been on your side.”
Tessa rolled her eyes.
Lacy turned on the faucets and washed her hands. “I was too ashamed, I guess. Having your bare backside go viral and hearing people I thought were my friends laughing about it was more than I could handle back then.” She grabbed two paper towels from the wall dispenser and dried off.
Her long-time friend stepped closer and touched her arm. “We weren’t laughing at you just now.”
“No, you weren’t.” She glared at Tessa, who glanced away.
Leaving the restroom, Lacy assessed her options. She could try to keep her past a secret, which meant looking over her shoulder for the rest of her life. Or she could be upfront with Tyler and tell him everything, no matter how difficult that would be.
Shoulders tensed as she gathered courage to share the facts. Where would she start? How could she make him understand? Would he want her in his and Olivia’s lives after she told him?
Chapter Twelve
Tyler stood as Lacy approached. Something was wrong. Her sunbeam smile was gone and her features seemed tense. Had his remark about wanting her in his life upset her? His stomach clenched. Maybe they weren’t of the same mind on a possible future together. Had he misread her attentions while he was recovering in the hospital?
He pulled her chair out for her.
“Sorry I was so long. I ran into a couple friends.” She kept her head down, and he barely caught her next few words. “Or people I thought were friends.”
He sat and took one of her hands in his. “You want to explain that?”
She slid her hand from his and began fiddling with the used paper napkin she laid next to her plate earlier. Should he ask her what was wrong or give her time? At what point did concern cross the line into being pushy?
Finally, she nodded and mumbled, “So be it.” Her gaze swept to his, and she picked up her discarded napkin. “I have something to share that won’t be easy. So, bear with me.”
“Okay. Take your time, Sugar.” What was this about? Was she going to tell him she didn’t want to date an older man with a teenaged daughter?
The waitress came by to clear away their dessert plates, and he ordered two more drinks.
Lacy held onto her napkin, as if she needed something in her hands. “This goes back two years ago.”
Good. Maybe this didn’t pertain to him, to them.
“Grandpa was very depressed after Grandma passed. More so than I realized. After all, they’d been married for forty-seven years. When I came home for Christmas my senior year of college, the place was a mess. So was he.” She repeatedly wrapped the napkin around her index finger while she talked.
He leaned in, creating an intimate distance between them to make it easier for her to carry on a conversation over the din of the bar. “In what way?”
“He just sat around. He’d given up on life. The ranch was falling apart around him, and he didn’t seem to care. Everything was a mess.” She tore the napkin in half.
“So you moved back after graduation?”
“Before, actually. I made special arrangements to finish my required classes online. Things at college...weren’t going so well.” The napkin was torn again. “I took the chicken way out and ran home.” Her mouth twitched as if she were fighting to retain control of her emotions. She took a deep breath as she shredded the napkin. “I came home to take care of him, and to lick my wounds, I guess.”
By his estimation, she was trying to hang onto composure. Her voice was shaking as if she were scared to death to tell him. What was it that ate at her like this? He placed his forearms on the table. Should he ask? Or would that be crossing the line? The pile of torn napkin pieces rose.
“What wounds, Lacy?”
Her eyes blinked as they pooled with tears. Damn, it seemed she was losing the battle.
Nervous fingers tore at what remained of the napkin. “This is something I suppose you should know. I haven’t talked about it since I left the university.” She reached in her purse for a tissue and dabbed her eyes. “I’m sorry. I should be over it by now.”
Tyler was surprised at how much it hurt him to see her deal with whatever plagued her. What was so troubling? A romance gone bad? His gaze swept to the growing pile of shredded napkin. What could he do to help this woman who was growing more special by the minute?
As the band started their next number, Tyler stood and extended his hand. “Come on, dance with me.”
She wiped away the tears. “You can’t dance with a sprained ankle.”
He made a beckoning motion with his fingers. “We’ll keep our movements to a minimum. I think you need to be held while you cry.”
“Is this another one of those male-female relationship things?” She stood, clutching her tissue.
Once they’d walked the few steps to the dance floor, he wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her near. The discomfort wasn’t too bad, but he’d have born any pain to ease whatever bothered her.
She snuggled into him, and he pressed her face to his shoulder. “What is it you think I have to know?” he whispered in her ear. “I’m not one of those men who needs a rundown of a woman’s past loves.”
“A list of one wouldn’t take long to share.”
He kissed her temple, enjoying the feel of her in his arms as they swayed from side-to-side. Even though he couldn’t dance, he could hold her close, making it easier to hear her words. Maybe, just maybe, he could help her open up about this problem, whatever it was. “Tell me.”
“I wish I didn’t have to.” A shudder went through her. “I’m afraid it might change all the beautiful feelin
gs growing between us. But I won’t be less than honest with you.”
He pulled back and stared down at her for a beat. Wasn’t her honesty one of the many things he valued about her? “Take your time, then.”
She took a deep breath as if reaching for a strong dose of courage. “I had this really neat roommate my first three years of college in Florida. We were the best of friends. We also liked to eat too much. Junk food was our combined weakness. I gained the ‘freshman fifteen’ and then some. And then some more.”
He leaned down and placed another kiss on her temple. “I told you, I like you the way you are.”
“Yes. Yes, you did. I’m not sure if I believe it, but it’s sweet of you to say so.”
“I never say anything I don’t mean.” He held her close, his thighs touching hers as he slowly turned her into a gentle Texas two-step.
“My roommate got married and didn’t come back for her senior year.”
“Seems like a waste. To get so close and then quit.”
She nodded. “My new roommate and I were not compatible at all. Zoe was into partying. Life was a joke for her. I’d already gotten the party mentality out of my system and was focused on my studies. She threw insults and called me names—”
“Why?” His hand swept up her back, hoping to comfort her.
“Because of my weight. She was thin and beautiful. And in her words, I was ‘the fat cow.’”
“Stupid woman. What did she know?”
Lacy turned so her lips were near his ear. He inclined his head so he could hear.
“One…one day she set up a mini-cam in our dorm room and recorded me undress—” She cleared her throat. “Undressing...all the way.”
His steps faltered for an instant before he settled back into their gentle rhythm. Well, hell.
“Then she…she posted the video on the internet, and it went viral. There’s a naked video of me out there, for everyone to see, and laugh at.”
He muttered a long string of curses and kissed her forehead. If only he could have saved her from the cruelty of this woman.
“Everywhere I went, I was the target of jokes and snide remarks. My first instinct was to run home and hide. But I remembered Grandpa telling me nothing good ever came from running away. So I toughened it out until I realized how much he needed me here.” She shook her head. “God, it was an awful time. Just knowing my classmates—and strangers around the world—were looking at me taking off my clothes was humiliating, to say the least.”
Honky Tonk Hearts Volume 2 Page 31
