His Forever Texas Rose

by Stella Bagwell

  She moved closer and placed her hand on his forearm. “I know. And it looks like you’re far from finished. I guess this means you won’t make it by the house tonight.”

  There was a shade of disappointment in her voice, but not the petulant kind. The idea that she could be so understanding made him want her even more. “Wrong. I’ll be there. Even if it’s midnight and I have to wake you.”

  Her chuckle was incredibly sexy, and Trey couldn’t stop himself from bending and placing a quick kiss on her forehead.

  “You won’t have to wake me,” she promised, then gave him a little push toward Chandler’s work truck parked beneath a mesquite tree. “Now you’d better go before Doc finds you dawdling with the receptionist.”

  * * *

  Close to three hours later, Chandler and Trey were standing outside one of the clinic’s horse stalls watching a palomino gelding limp over to a water trough.

  Once the two men had arrived on the scene and Chandler had carefully examined the horse, they’d managed to load the animal into a trailer and transport it here to the clinic. Since then, they’d made several X-rays of the horse’s foot and cannon bone and determined there were no life-ending breaks, only a strained tendon.

  After treating the horse with injections and a leg soaking, the worried owner had finally decided it was safe for her to go home and leave her beloved animal in Chandler’s care for the next few days.

  “At least he’s going to get well,” Trey said.

  “Yes. Luck was with him. Anytime a horse collides with a steer and both animals are running full blast, the result usually isn’t pretty.” He slapped a hand on Trey’s shoulder. “Let’s go home. What do you say?”

  Trey wasn’t going home. Not in the technical sense. But he was beginning to think of home as anywhere he was with Nicole, and that was a scary thought. One he’d been trying to ward off ever since he’d climbed out of her bed and drove to his place.

  “Will Ranger be all right, you think?” Trey asked, as the two men turned away from the penned horse and started toward the parking area. “I can drive back over in a few hours and check on him.”

  “No need for that. The pain meds will last until tomorrow evening and hopefully the steroids will keep the swelling down. All he needs now is rest. And speaking of rest, you look like you could use some yourself. Did you eat lunch?”

  “Don’t worry about me, Doc. I’m fine.” The mere idea of being with Nicole again was enough to make him feel like he could jump a dozen fences, forward and backward.

  “I don’t have to tell you we’ve been as busy as hell around here. But we’ve been this swamped with work before and it never made you look like this. Have you been sleeping?”

  Damn, did he look that wrung out? “Uh—yeah. I’ve been catching a few winks here and there. Only last night Nicci had me over for dinner and I stayed kinda late,” he said, while thinking that was the most he was going to admit to Chandler.

  “Uh-huh. I’m beginning to understand now,” Chandler said slyly. “Are you two getting close?”

  If they’d gotten any closer, it might’ve killed him, Trey thought. “Guess you could call it that. We—enjoy each other’s company. For now, that is.”

  Chandler paused his long stride to peer at Trey through the falling twilight. “For now? What the hell does that mean?”

  Trey wished Chandler wouldn’t push him for an explanation. He was already having enough trouble trying not to think too far ahead. It was easier on his mind and his heart to stay in the present and not dwell on the time when this thing with Nicole came to end. And it would. Because sooner or later she’d wake up from her dreamworld and see that he didn’t fit into her future plans.

  Shrugging, Trey tried to sound casual, but his troubled thoughts brought a tinge of bitterness to his voice. “We’ve had this discussion before. You know nothing lasts with me.”

  Chandler’s brows slowly arched upward as he studied Trey’s face. “Have you stopped to think that Nicci might be expecting more from you? Maybe you ought to make it clear to her that you’re not a serious kind of guy. You’d be doing her, and yourself, a favor.”

  It took lots of pushing and prodding to stir Trey’s temper. Especially from Chandler. The man was his best friend in the world. But at this moment, curse words were boiling on the tip of Trey’s tongue.

  “Nicci is a grown woman. She understands where I’m coming from,” he said sharply. “And I know where I stand with her. So there’s no need for you to worry about either of us!”

  If Chandler was surprised by Trey’s retort, he didn’t show it. Instead, he laughed. A fact that irked Trey even more.

  “Me worry about my best buddy? Why would I do that? Apparently, you have everything under control and exactly the way you want it.” He lifted a hand in farewell. “See you tomorrow, Trey.”

  By the time Chandler opened the truck door to climb behind the wheel, a feeling of remorse washed over Trey and he hurried over to him.

  “Doc, wait a minute.”

  With one boot resting on the running board, Chandler paused to look over his shoulder. “You wanted to say something else?”

  Trey cleared his throat, then wiped a hand over his face. “I’m being a jackass. Go ahead and tell me so. I deserve it.”

  Chandler laughed again. “If you ask me, you’re putting yourself in a mighty high animal bracket,” he joked.

  Grinning sheepishly, he said, “You’re right. Donkeys aren’t dumb, just stubborn. Sort of like me—sometimes.”

  “Sometimes?”

  Trey chuckled. “Yeah. Sorry, I guess I’m tired and a little on edge.”

  Stepping back to the ground, Chandler asked, “Why? You worried about this thing you’ve started with Nicci?”

  Trey let out a heavy breath. “I don’t understand it. I’ve never been happier in my life. Nicci is—she’s just wonderful. But deep down I know that sooner rather than later I’m going to disappoint her.”

  Chandler shook his head. “All you have to do is be yourself and be honest with her. I promise you won’t disappoint her.”

  Sighing, Trey looked down at the ground. “That’s not exactly what I mean.”

  “Hell!”

  The curse word jerked Trey’s gaze up to Chandler’s face. “What’s the—”

  “Trey, sometimes you’re slower than molasses! And sometimes, like right at this moment, I’d like to set the seat of your jeans on fire!”

  Trey lifted his arms and let them flop against his sides in a helpless gesture. “See? If I make you so frustrated, just think—”

  “Close your trap and listen!” Chandler interrupted. “Nicci doesn’t want a rich man. Nor does she want a perfect man.”

  “How do you know that?”

  Chandler groaned with frustration. “I’m a genius. That’s how! Now get the hell out of here before I kick your rear!”

  * * *

  “Mom, I really think you and Dad should take a vacation. A long one. Some place that’s new and interesting to both of you,” Nicole suggested as she stood at the kitchen counter, attempting to make cold-cut sandwiches with one hand while the other held the cell phone to her ear.

  “That sounds great, Nicci dear, but Big Mike has to fly to New Mexico and oversee a job out there for the next month,” Angela said. “That means I’ll have to find something here to keep myself occupied.”

  The whiny sound to her mother’s voice sent an uneasy thought darting through Nicole’s mind. Was her parents’ relationship already headed on a downward spiral again?

  “Why don’t you go to New Mexico with Dad,” Nicole suggested. “I’m sure he’d love your company. And you wouldn’t have to be home alone and wondering what to do with all the time on your hands.”

  “I wouldn’t be alone if you were living back in the city,” she pointed out. “Oh, Nicci, we used to have
such fun going shopping together, having lunch and gossiping about all our friends. It could be that way again, honey.”

  Nicole closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose as she recalled the time when she and her mother had been very close. Those happy years were something Nicole would always cherish. But neither of them could go back to those days. They were over. Just like Nicole’s life in Fort Worth was over.

  You have to quit worrying about your parents and think about your own future. You’ve taken the first step by moving out here and away from them. Now get a backbone and make the most of it.

  With Roslyn’s advice suddenly echoing through her thoughts, Nicole straightened her shoulders and spoke firmly, “Not on a permanent basis, Mom. I’ll come back for short visits. But that’s all. You have to accept my decision. You’re fine now. Both mentally and physically, you don’t need me to lean on. You have to accept the fact that I can’t be around to fill in for Dad’s absence.”

  She could hear Angela’s soft gasp and knew her mother had been shocked by her daughter’s frankness. But back when Angela had been under a doctor’s supervision, he’d told Nicole that the best thing she could do for her mother was to force her to stand on her on two feet. For everyone’s sake, Nicole had to hold fast to the doctor’s advice.

  “I don’t want you to fill in for him. I—”

  “Yes, you do!” Nicole interrupted before her mother could continue to lie to herself. “And you have to stop it, Mom. Dad needs you.”

  “Big Mike has his job. He’s always had his job,” Angela argued, then added in a placating tone, “But don’t worry about your parents, darling. We’re better than ever—the happiest we’ve been in years.”

  “And I want you two to stay happy. You need to focus on Dad instead of trying to lure me back to Texas. If you really care about his feelings, then you won’t mind bearing up to a little desert dust and making yourself comfortable in portable housing. He would love having your company and I know it would be good for you to be there with him.”

  “Are you serious? What would I do?”

  Nicole refrained from rolling her eyes. After all, it wasn’t totally her mother’s fault that she’d become so spoiled over the years. Big Mike had done a good job of pampering her. So much so that Angela considered her own needs rather than those of the people she supposedly loved.

  “You could start by taking care of Dad’s needs and showing him how much you appreciate all the hard work he’s put in over the years to give you anything and everything you’ve ever wanted. Including two children.”

  A long stretch of silence told Nicole that, for once, she’d managed to grab her mother’s attention.

  Finally, Angela said, “Why, Nicci, what have they done to you out there? I’ve never heard you talk like this. And anyway, I thought you were still angry with your father for his—well, bad behavior.”

  The last thread of Nicole’s patience very nearly snapped. “I’m still angry with the both of you,” she said bluntly. “And I need time and space to get over it. So please give me that much.”

  “Space?” Angela croaked. “You’ve already put a thousand miles between us. Isn’t that enough space?”

  Nicole realized she’d be wasting her time trying to explain the context of space to her mother. Angela was focused on one thing. Getting her life back as it used to be before her marriage dissolved, before Nicole decided she deserved to have her own life.

  “Sorry, Mom. I’ve got to get off the phone. I have a date and he’ll be arriving any minute.”

  Angela gasped. “A date! But what about Randy?”

  Biting back the urge to scream, she gave her mother a curt goodbye and ended the call.

  Fifteen minutes later, Nicole had pushed her mother’s annoying call out of her head and had just finished making a pitcher of ice tea to go with the sandwiches when she heard Trey’s knock.

  Her heart humming with joy, she hurried to the foyer and opened the door to find him standing hat in hand, smiling back at her. Nicole didn’t waste time with words. She reached for his hand and tugged him over the threshold and into her arms.

  Hugging her tight, he said, “Mmm! If I’d known I was going to get this kind of reception, I would’ve driven faster.”

  The scent she’d come to know as uniquely his wrapped around her senses as she buried her face in the middle of his chest. “I’ve been thinking about you all day and wanting to do this.”

  He said, “I hope you’ve been thinking about this, too.”

  He tilted her face up to his, and the long, searching kiss he planted on her lips left her sighing for more. “You almost make me want to forget about eating,” she admitted.

  A sexy lopsided grin carved out dimples in both his cheeks. “Almost?”

  Chuckling under her breath, she stepped around him and dealt with closing and locking the door. “We’re not going to get sidetracked tonight. Not when I’ve gone to the trouble of making a stack of sandwiches with my own two little hands.”

  “Just for me? I feel honored,” he teased.

  She laughed again, and as she clasped her hand around his, she realized that Trey was the only man who’d ever made her feel truly deep-down happy inside. It was like he’d unlocked a secret part of her that was filled with nothing but joy.

  “One of these days I might actually learn how to cook something edible. And then I’ll fix you a real dinner,” she promised.

  “What’s more real than a sandwich?”

  Laughing, she led him out of the living room and into the intersecting hallway. “You know where the bathroom is. This time I’ll wait for you in the kitchen.”

  As he headed down the hallway, he taunted playfully over his shoulder, “Fraidy cat.”

  Inside the kitchen, Nicole put the platter of sandwiches, along with a basket of chips, onto the table and was filling two iced glasses with tea when Trey emerged through the swinging doors.

  As he drew closer, she could see he’d washed the dust from his face and combed damp fingers through his blond hair. The sleeves of his white cotton shirt were rolled back upon his tanned forearms, while the tail was tucked neatly into the waistband of his jeans. He looked incredibly rugged and sexy, and as her gaze drank in his tempting image, she wondered if she’d gone crazy. Eating a sandwich was hardly the first thing on her wish list tonight.

  He said, “You look like you’re about to laugh. Do I look funny or something?”

  Her cheeks warm, she walked over to the table where he was standing behind one of the wooden chairs.

  “Actually, I was thinking I didn’t want you to get the idea that I only wanted you for sex.”

  His brows shot straight up. “No wonder you were about to laugh. That idea is hilarious. Where did you come up with it, anyway?”

  He pulled out a chair and helped her into it. After she was settled comfortably in the seat, she said in a teasing voice, “Well, I haven’t exactly behaved in a shy manner around you. You’re going to start thinking I’m a brazen hussy.”

  Chuckling, he joined her in the chair sitting kitty-corner to her left elbow. “I’d rather think I’m so irresistible that you can’t control yourself,” he teased.

  And he’d be right, Nicole thought. She was drawn to him in so many ways that she couldn’t resist.

  “I am glad you didn’t have to work very late tonight.” She pushed the platter of sandwiches toward his plate. “How did things go with the injured horse?”

  “Good. We brought him back to the clinic and Doc will be treating him for the next few days. It’s going to take a long recuperation, but eventually he’ll be fine.”

  “I’m happy to hear that,” she said, then casting him a curious glance, she abruptly changed the subject. “Did Roslyn talk to you about Chandler’s birthday party? They’re having it at Three Rivers. I forgot to ask if the party is supposed to be a sur
prise, so I wasn’t sure if Chandler might have already mentioned it to you.”

  Nodding, he speared a pair of sandwich halves onto his plate. “Maureen always puts on such big shindigs that it would be impossible to make it a surprise. Doc has already invited me. I promised him I’d be there. What about you?”

  “I assured Ros I’d be there,” she said, then slanted him a hopeful glance. “I thought the two of us might go together. It’s a long drive out there.”

  “Sure. I’d like that,” he said.

  She lifted a sandwich to her lips but lowered it back to her plate before she could take a bite. “Sorry, Trey,” she said sheepishly. “I’m being forward—again—putting the two of us together without considering the thought that you might want to go alone. Just tell me if you’d rather go stag. I won’t mind.”

  He shook his head. “I’m here because I want to spend time with you. As much time as I can before—”

  He broke off so suddenly that her expression turned quizzical. “Before what?”

  Clearing his throat, he said, “Nothing. Er—I only started to say before Doc and I get even busier. That’s all.”

  Skeptical now, she frowned at him. “I can’t imagine you two being busier. You’re always running all over Yavapai County and parts of Maricopa County, too. If you got any busier, you’d be working twenty hours of the day.”

  “That’s actually happened before.”

  Her lips twisted to a wry slant. “Somehow that doesn’t surprise me.”

  She picked up her sandwich and managed to take one bite before a cell phone lying on the cabinet counter dinged to announce an incoming message.

  Trey glanced in the direction of the sound. “I hear your phone. Were you expecting anything important?”

  “No. I’m certain it’s my mother. We had a conversation not long before you arrived. Now she thinks I’m angry with her.”

  “Are you?”

  “Not exactly angry. More like frustrated. And a bit worried.”

  The weary sound in her voice sent a ripple of unease through Trey. What would he do if she suddenly announced she had to move back to Fort Worth to deal with her mother?