Dare to be Dirty (The Dirty Girls Book Club #2)

by Savanna Fox

  They drank coffee in silence. Then his father said, “So this has to do with Kim.”

  “What? What are you talking about?”

  “Your mood.”

  “I don’t have a freaking mood.”

  His dad nodded. “Yeah, you do. What happened? You know it’ll go easier if you tell me first. I can ask Betty to lay off.”

  “Like that ever works.” Ty almost smiled. Then he shrugged. “No big deal. I’m just not happy about Kim going back to Hong Kong.”

  “Sorry, but better to find out before you got in too deep the way I did.”

  “I guess.” He wasn’t about to admit that he’d gone and fallen in love with Kim. But he did ask, “When she left—Miranda—did you try to stop her?”

  “Hell, yeah. I wasn’t gonna let your mother walk out on you if I could stop her.”

  “Or on you either, right?”

  Brand Ronan said gruffly, “Felt like she walked away with my heart and I’d never get it back.”

  Yeah, that was the feeling.

  “Miranda was immature,” his dad went on. “I didn’t see it at the time. Hell, we both were. She was so glamorous and exciting compared to the girls I’d grown up with. I was stupid. It’s not the surface that counts, it’s the substance.” A complacent smile curved his lips. “If a man’s lucky, he can find substance in a pretty package, though. Best thing that ever happened to you and me was when Betty came into our lives.”

  Ty nodded. “In the end, Miranda did us a favor.”

  “Guess so.” He took another long swallow of coffee. “Like Kim’s done you a favor, leaving before things went any further.”

  Ty drank coffee too, hoping the caffeine would help him make sense of things. His dragonfly girl was glamorous and exciting all right, but she was substance, through and through. Even Distant Drummer recognized that. “A part of me wishes things would’ve worked out.”

  “If wishes were horses.” The sentiment had been repeated many times in their household.

  “I hear you.”

  His dad rose. “Come over to the house for breakfast?”

  “Not today.”

  “See you later then.” He rested his hand on Ty’s shoulder for a moment before leaving.

  After he’d gone, that expression repeated itself in Ty’s head. If wishes were horses, beggars would ride. And Kim would want exactly what Ty did: to live with him here at Ronan Ranch while she built up her business and explored her art.

  What the saying meant was that you didn’t get what you wanted unless you busted your butt to make it happen. He’d grown up with that philosophy, and following it almost always worked. And if he didn’t bust his butt, he generally didn’t get much of anything. The only thing that had come easy for him was the buckle bunnies. Surface, not substance.

  Kim had accused him of trying to control her. He didn’t think he’d done that. He wanted her to be free, to have whatever kind of life she wanted. Was it pride and stubbornness that made him think that, if she was honest with herself, she’d choose a life with him? That she could fly when she was with him?

  He’d laid his heart on the line for Kim and she’d trampled it. He’d told her he loved her, he’d asked her to stay, and she’d rejected him. She said she loved him, but he didn’t believe her. She’d abandoned him just the way his birth mother had.

  She’d accused him of asking her to take all the risks. Didn’t she know he’d risked his heart? What higher risk was there?

  Maybe none, but he’d asked her to risk other things too. Her career, which might flourish better with her parents’ support in Hong Kong. If UmbrellaWings was anywhere near as important to her as Ronan Ranch was to him . . .

  For him, it wasn’t just the ranch, his horses, it was also his parents, even his staff like Dusty, the battered old bull rider, and those neighborhood kids who’d been dealt a rough hand. Ronan Ranch was family and a way of life for him.

  Kim’s parents and her life in Hong Kong were all of that for her.

  For the first time, he truly glimpsed what he’d asked her to risk. All on the gamble that their fresh new love would grow into what he imagined it could be: something strong and fine and everlasting.

  Thirty-four

  Wednesday morning, in a taxi on the way to Vancouver airport, Kim wanted the next eighteen hours to be over. The airport rituals and waiting time, the fourteen-hour flight, the taxi to Chang Property Management, and the talk—THE TALK—with her parents.

  She was tired, nervous, excited, determined. Today, her parents would have to recognize she was an independent adult. Mentally, she reviewed and refined the points she would make.

  First and foremost, she loved her parents dearly and always would. She appreciated everything they’d done for her, and she admired and respected them. She wanted to see them as often as possible and she hoped they would do her the honor of allowing her to be on the board of CPM. Perhaps she could even have a role in the Vancouver operation. Because she hoped—no, she intended—to return to Vancouver to live. Perhaps, even, to Ronan Ranch.

  Yes, she would tell them about Ty. She would tell them she’d fallen in love with a man any parents should be thrilled with: hardworking, responsible, successful, loyal, and very close to his own parents. She would dare them—no, challenge them—no, she would humbly submit that they could not find a better man for her among their friends and colleagues in Hong Kong. Even if they believed they could, it was her heart that would make the decision.

  She would start UmbrellaWings in Vancouver. If they withdrew their offer of financial support, she would understand completely and seek financing, as outlined in her business plan. She hoped that she could ask their advice, as she respected their knowledge, but all business decisions would be hers.

  Kim was young, but thanks in large part to the way they raised her and the responsibilities they’d given her, she was an adult. It was time they stopped sheltering her. They had been young too, when they came to Hong Kong to begin a new life together and start their own business.

  She would invest her brain, her heart, and her soul in her new relationship and her new business. Yes, both ventures were full of risk and insecurity, but she was strong and flexible enough to embrace insecurity and believe in her own abilities. She would make mistakes, but they’d be her mistakes and she’d learn from them.

  “Which airline?” The taxi driver’s voice broke into her rehearsal.

  “Cathay Pacific.”

  She’d exchanged the one-way ticket for a return flight coming back on Saturday.

  It was too much to hope that her parents would see her side of things in the beginning, but she would persist. Water against stone; she hoped to wear them down. She’d show love, patience, and determination until, even if they didn’t approve, they at least said they wouldn’t disown her. If worst came to worst and they issued an ultimatum, she would hate it, but she would still leave Hong Kong, and persist from a distance.

  As the driver parked, she pulled out money to pay him. Whatever happened with her parents, she would be back in this airport on Saturday.

  Then she’d drive out to Ronan Ranch—the ranch halfway to Hope—and tell Ty that she chose him. That she loved him and she wanted to take their relationship to all the wonderful places it might go.

  The driver took her carry-on from the trunk. She wheeled it into the airport and, familiar with the layout, headed automatically for the Cathay Pacific counter.

  “Kim.” A male voice spoke from behind her.

  Startled, she turned. “Ty!”

  The tall, rangy cowboy peeled himself away from the wall he’d been leaning against and walked toward her. He looked heartbreakingly handsome in his boots and Resistol hat, black jeans, and white, western-style shirt.

  Her skin tingled with sensual awareness, a visceral surge of lust heated her blood, and her heart filled so full with love she was surprised its rapid beat wasn’t audible. Ty was here. But why? Was this good? Bad?

  Had he come to
say good-bye? What if he’d changed his mind about loving her, and was happy she was leaving? Should she tell him that she planned to come back? Her brain was so jumbled with questions she could barely manage to ask, “What are you doing here?”

  “You told me what flight you were on. Remember?”

  “No! That’s not what I mean.” Did he have to be so exasperating? “Why? Why did you come?”

  “Ah. Well, I came to tell you I’m a hardheaded arrogant bastard.”

  That was good, wasn’t it? “Uh . . . That’s not exactly the way I see you,” she said cautiously.

  Ty peeled her hand off the grip of the carry-on and took both her hands in his. Why did everything always seem to settle when he did that, like nothing could go too horribly wrong?

  “I love you, Kim, and I don’t want to lose you.”

  Breath whooshed out of her with relief. She hadn’t known she was holding it. “I feel the same way. That’s why—”

  “Shh. Let me say my piece, honey.”

  It was going to be okay. Surely it was going to be okay. And come to think of it, she very much wanted to hear his piece. “Okay.”

  “You were right. I was asking you to take all the risks. That’s not fair. That’s not how I want this relationship to be. We’re equals, you and me. All the way. We need to talk about what we both want, and work things out together.”

  He looked so serious and totally earnest. “Like, maybe I need to look at business opportunities in Hong Kong. Dad and Mom, Dusty and the gang, they can run Ronan Ranch for the most part, with me flying back now and then, consulting by phone and e-mail, and—”

  “No, Ty,” she broke in, heart melting, eyes tearing. “You belong at the ranch.”

  He shook his head. “I belong with you. Don’t fly out of my life, dragonfly girl.”

  Misty-eyed, she smiled. “Take a look.” She took the e-ticket from the side pocket of her shoulder bag and handed it over. “It’s a return ticket. I’m going to tell my parents I love them, but it’s time for me to live my own life.”

  Finally, a smile touched Ty’s lips. “Does that life include me?”

  “You’re the best part. I’m going to tell my parents about us. They’ll take it hard, but I’ll persist. They’ve always said what they want most is for me to be happy. You, Ty, make me happy.”

  She’d barely said the last word when he let go of her hands, pulled her close, and kissed her.

  Happy. Oh, yes, this was what happy felt like. Their lips and tongues spoke messages of passion, sharing, and love. Heat rippled through her and she felt both boneless and strong in his embrace. Their bodies were so different, his so big and muscular, hers so petite and lithe, yet they fit together perfectly. It was, she thought dazedly as they surfaced from the kiss, the way their personalities and lifestyles were too. Very different, and yet they really could fit perfectly.

  “Time to check in,” Ty said, taking her hand and reaching for the handle of her carry-on.

  “I hate to leave you. But I’ll be back soon. I’ll e-mail you my flight information. Oh, there’s one small wrinkle. I’d given notice on my apartment, and they’ve already rented it. But I’m sure I’ll find another. My family does, after all, own that building and another one, so—”

  “Come stay at the ranch.”

  Her heart said yes, but she wondered aloud, “Are we moving too fast?”

  He shook his head. “Nope.”

  Nope. One little word. And he was right. Exhilaration made her want to laugh, to have him spin her, to make an utter spectacle of themselves right here in the middle of Vancouver airport. But of course a well-brought-up Chinese woman like her would never do that.

  Coming back to her senses, she realized Ty had bypassed the automated check-in machine. She tugged his hand. “I already checked in online. I can use the machine.”

  “But I can’t. I need to buy a ticket.”

  She stopped dead and stared up at him. “What?”

  “I’m coming with you.”

  Wow. Just wow. Except . . . “Ty, that’s sweet, but this is about me being independent. I have to do it on my own.”

  He gazed deep into her eyes. “I get that. You and your parents need time alone when you tell them. But then I want to meet them. I know I’m not their first choice of what they want for you, but I’m a decent, hardworking guy, and I love you. I want them to know that. Then maybe they won’t worry quite so much.”

  Her heart turned to mush, knowing that he understood how important her parents were to her. “I like that idea. And just so you know, you’re my first choice of what I want for me.”

  He started to kiss her again, but reality sank in and she said, “No, wait, you can’t come. You need your passport.”

  She spoke the last words just as a woman behind them said dryly, “Your turn, lovebirds, if you’re really going.”

  Ty flashed her his charming smile. “We are.”

  He stepped forward to a check-in agent, hauling his passport out of his pocket. To Kim, he said, “If you said you still loved me, even after I’d been such a jerk, no way was I going to let you get away again.” Then, to the agent, “Tell me there’s a seat on the flight to Hong Kong.”

  Kim handed over her e-ticket. “This flight,” she said, just in case there was another.

  The attractive middle-aged Chinese woman in her red uniform smiled as she clicked keys. “You’re in luck, sir.”

  “Believe me, I know that.” He put his arm around Kim’s shoulders, then favored the agent with that sexy, charming grin. “Bet you can fix things so Kim and I are sitting together.”

  She laughed. “How did you know I’m a romantic at heart? I’ve already done it.” Then she said, “Ms. Chang, your automated check-in said no bags to check?”

  “That’s right.”

  “How about you, sir?”

  “Not a one.” He raised his Resistol. “I travel light.”

  Kim teased, “Are you planning to wear that when you meet my parents?”

  “Nah.” Eyes gleaming with mischief, he plunked the hat on her head. “I was kind of figuring you might.”

  She smiled up at him from under the brim. “I love you, cowboy.”

  “And I love you, dragonfly girl.” Then he bent to kiss her again.

  Deep in her heart, she felt the certainty that, through hard work, determination, and the power of love, everything was going to work out perfectly.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Savanna Fox is the new pen name for Susan Lyons, who also writes as Susan Fox. Publishers Weekly refers to her writing as “emotionally compelling, sexy contemporary romance.”

  Writing as Susan Lyons and Susan Fox, her books have won the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, the Book Buyers Best, the Booksellers Best, the Aspen Gold, the Golden Quill, the Write Touch, the More Than Magic, the Lories, the Beacon, and the Laurel Wreath, and she has been nominated for the RT Reviewers Choice Award. Her book Sex Drive was a Cosmopolitan Red-Hot Read.

  Savanna/Susan is a Pacific Northwester with homes in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia. She has degrees in law and psychology, and has had a variety of careers, including perennial student, computer consultant, and legal editor. Fiction writer is by far her favorite, giving her an outlet to demonstrate her belief in the power of love, friendship, and a sense of humor.

  Visit her website at www.savannafox.com for excerpts, discussion guides, behind-the-scenes notes, recipes, giveaways, and more. She loves to hear from readers and can be contacted through her website.

 

 

 
arethis-inline-share-buttons">share