Lone Star Valentine (McCabe Multiples)

by Cathy Gillen Thacker

  He gestured at her computer. “May I?”

  Lily moved away from her desk, catching a drift of sandalwood and soap as he passed. He sat down and quickly did a Google search on Bode Daniels. Immediately, a list of articles came up. He clicked on the one from the Dallas newspaper, filed an hour before.

  It’s Official, the headlines screamed. Bode Daniels Asked To Step Down as Starting Quarterback for Dallas Gladiators.

  Dismayed, Lily continued reading the comments from the team general manager. “We’d like to keep Bode on our roster, as backup QB, of course, but we understand that he may wish to explore his options with other professional organizations as a free agent. And, if so, we wish him well...”

  Lily looked at Gannon, so upset about what this meant for all of them that she could barely catch her breath. “So they’re really firing him?” she asked.

  Gannon nodded. “Pushing him out the door. Paving the way for keeping him at a greatly reduced salary. Encouraging Bode and his agent to look elsewhere.” He leaned back, his big muscular body overwhelming the swivel chair that nearly swallowed her.

  Turning toward her, he gestured offhandedly. “Take your pick.”

  Resisting the urge to sink down on Gannon’s lap and take comfort where she could find it, Lily perched on the edge of her desk, facing him. Discreetly she tugged the hem of her skirt to the middle of her knees. “What does this mean for me?”

  Gannon stood with an economy of motion. “Maybe nothing.”

  Lily remained where she was, feeling too shaky to even move back into her desk chair. She tilted her head up to look at Gannon. The compassion in his expression enticed her to articulate her fears. “Or maybe a lot more of a child custody fight than we were bracing for—if Bode remains convinced that his previous lack of interest in Lucas and resultant decline in popularity with the fans is responsible for the loss of his job as starting QB.”

  A tense silence fell.

  Gannon moved to the window overlooking the town square where his mother’s charred statue still sat before turning back to Lily. In his casual Western clothing, soft but worn leather jacket and boots, he looked like the down-home rodeo cowboy he had once been, instead of the super successful city lawyer he’d worked hard to become.

  She supposed, like her, he was more than just one thing.

  He wanted more, too.

  She swallowed.

  She had to stop thinking about how much alike they were and start focusing on how different. “I gather Liz knows?” she asked finally, wishing she could put all her reservations aside, and simply go to him. Let him take her in his arms and comfort her. Perhaps even kiss...

  Gannon sobered even more. “I called her before I came over to tell you.”

  Lily straightened on trembling legs, appreciating his calm protectiveness. “How’d you find out?”

  He ambled toward her. “I set up a news alert for any and all Dallas Gladiators news on my phone,” he said.

  Lily moved away from her desk, too. “Ah.” Smart. And something she couldn’t bear to do herself, for fear of what all she might find out.

  He caught her before she could pass him. Lightly touched her shoulder, all strong, empathetic male. “You okay?”

  Was she?

  Lily guessed she was. She had no choice. For her son’s sake, she had to be. With effort, she nodded. Gannon looked skeptical.

  So Lily flashed a smile and amended her response. “Except for the fact I feel like I was sucker punched in the gut,” she conceded with a bitter laugh. “Sure.”

  One corner of his lips lifted in silent commiseration, and he looked as if he wanted to take her in his arms. She lifted a staying hand.

  He let her go instead.

  “Speaking of difficult situations... Have you heard from your mom?”

  It was Gannon’s turn to exhale in frustration. “She’s still in Fort Worth with Emmett. They’re meeting with some movers who specialize in transporting valuable objects. They hope to have something worked out by tomorrow at the latest.”

  Lily was glad to hear that. She, too, had come to the conclusion they needed specialized help. “Any idea what that will cost the town?”

  “I’m sure it will be expensive, but Emmett Briscoe said he will cover it.”

  “That’s nice of him.”

  “It is.”

  Another, more intimate, silence fell.

  Lily’s desire to throw herself in Gannon’s arms grew by leaps and bounds. Forcing herself to ignore her own wants and needs, as well as the tingling in her middle, she glanced at her watch. The poster distribution would start in half an hour. “Well, if that’s all...”

  Gannon nodded, accepting her brush-off with surprising ease. “I’ll let you get back to work.”

  * * *

  HALF AN HOUR LATER, Lily found herself on the loading dock behind town hall, squaring off with the beloved Miss Mim, the retired librarian chairing the chili cook-off and festival. “You paired me with someone to distribute the posters and signs?” she asked in amazement. To her knowledge, no one else was working in pairs.

  “Yes, dear, I did.”

  Lily blinked. “Why?”

  Miss Mim raised a hand to stop a volunteer from putting the signs in the back of Lily’s SUV. “Well, for one thing, it will go faster.”

  Lily was used to Rex Carter and some of the good old boys hinting she was incapable of carrying out her duties. Not the beloved Miss Mim, who had always supported her. “And another?” she demanded.

  Miss Mim smiled mysteriously. “I had a specific request.”

  This got worse and worse. Lily had been counting on the time alone to sort out her feelings about everything that had happened the past few days. “What about my opinion?”

  “Well, of course it counts, but why would you resist assistance that will get you done—and back to pick up your son—a whole lot sooner?”

  “Maybe because it’s me,” Gannon drawled, striding up to join them.

  Miss Mim scoffed. “Now, why would Lily resist the help of a big strong man, especially one as charming as you?” She peered at them with a matchmaker’s concern. “The two of you aren’t still quarreling, are you?”

  Gannon winked. “Maybe she’s afraid she won’t be able to resist me. What with her mind on Valentine’s Day and all.”

  Lily gasped in indignation while everyone within earshot of his audaciousness chuckled.

  “Of course...” Ignoring her reddening cheeks, he leaned treacherously close and whispered loudly in her ear, for the benefit of their growing audience, “If you want, Mayor McCabe, I can unload all fifty of the posters and signs that are already in the back of my pickup truck and move them over to your SUV. Or—” he stood back, propped his big hands on his waist, and surveyed her thoughtfully “—you can do it.”

  He was right about one thing, Lily realized in exasperation. Time was a’wastin’. Pursing her lips, she accepted the long list of locations from Miss Mim, and then turned back to Gannon. “Let’s just go.”

  “See?” Gannon held up his hands in triumph, beaming at one and all. He settled his Stetson squarely on his head and proclaimed, “I told you she would love the idea once she got used to it.”

  Once again everyone chuckled.

  “It being almost Valentine’s Day and all,” Gannon added.

  Which of course made everyone laugh all the more.

  Blushing furiously, Lily marched toward his truck. Although the day had started out sunny, the clouds had rolled in, and the temperature had dipped into the low fifties. She’d thrown on a cashmere wool pea coat to handle the chill, but even she could see it wasn’t enough.

  Gannon eyed her skirt and heels. “Sure you don’t want to change, given where we’re headed?”

  Lily had intended to stop
by her house and do just that before she set out. But the thought of disrobing—with him anywhere in the vicinity—made her change her mind.

  Not because of what he would do.

  He was, and always had been, a perfect Texas gentleman.

  It was herself she was worried about.

  The fact he might steal a kiss.

  And the knowledge she would certainly react to said kiss kept her from tempting fate in any way, shape or form.

  “I’m fine,” Lily insisted. She shot him a haughty look before stepping on the running board and swinging herself up into the cab, too late realizing her quick aggressive action had given him more than a flash of her hip and leg.

  A flash he sure seemed to be appreciating. “Besides, since you’re so big and strong and manly,” she purred, settling into the passenger seat and tugging her skirt down as far as it would go, “I expect you’ll be doing all the heavy lifting.”

  He laughed, not the least bit deterred, and climbed in behind the wheel. A few minutes later, they were on their way out of town.

  “Seriously, why did you ask to be partnered with me?” Lily asked.

  “You seriously have to ask?”

  Her mood improving despite herself, she bantered back, “I just did.”

  “I wanted to spend time with you.”

  Lily folded her arms in front of her and turned her attention to the passing scenery, which at the moment was mostly wide-open space and sagebrush. “We’re not going to end up kissing again,” she said.

  He remained maddeningly unperturbed. “I didn’t expect we would. Today.”

  Heaven help her. Gannon was indefatigable when he wanted something. And right now that something was clearly her.

  Determined to keep their focus on business, she fell silent, speaking only to direct him to the first intersection of country roads on their list, a four-way stop that was widely traveled but rarely held much traffic at any one time, thereby giving a driver and/or passengers ample opportunity to notice the advertisement. He hit his hazard lights and pulled over to the berm.

  They got out of the truck. A chill damp wind whipped around them. “Where do you want it?” Gannon lifted the first poster from the bed of the truck.

  Lily pointed. “In front of the stop sign.”

  He obliged her with a smile. “Here?”

  “Maybe a little farther back.” Lily observed it from several angles, then nodded in approval. “That’s good.”

  The signs for the First Annual Laramie, Texas, Chili Cook-Off & Festival, which had been designed to look like movie posters, were mounted on metal frames that could be pounded several inches into the ground. All featured a man and woman locked in an embrace, with the ruggedly beautiful west Texas landscape behind them. At the top of the sign was the slogan “Put some heat in your Valentine’s Day weekend!” The word heat had shimmering red-and-gold waves running through it. The bottom of the sign, which listed the dates and times of the festival, ended with the catchy phrase, “Come for the food and the parade, stay late for the music and dancing!”

  Gannon shut the tailgate. “I heard it was your idea to give the festival a romantic slant.”

  Lily nodded, proud of all the hard work that had gone into making this fund-raiser/celebration a success. She walked toward Gannon, not stopping until they stood toe to toe, and said softly, “It made sense to capitalize on the holiday, since couples are always looking for something new and exciting to do on Valentine’s Day. But we have other, kid-friendly posters going up, too, advertising the boardwalk-style games and the parade and the pony rides.”

  Gannon took her hand and gazed intimately into her eyes. “Does this mean you’re looking for something fun and romantic to do, too?”

  Chapter Nine

  Gannon wasn’t surprised to see Lily stiffen at his question. “I’ll be working on Valentine’s Day.”

  “What if you weren’t?” he asked as they drove to the next place on their list, a half mile down the road, and got back out of the truck again.

  Lily stalked around to the back and opened the tailgate before he could get there. She had to go up on tiptoe to be able to reach the sign. He didn’t mind. It gave him a very nice view of the rounded lower slopes of her derriere, visible beneath her hip-length red cashmere coat.

  “I wouldn’t celebrate it in any case.” Lily huffed in frustration as she tugged the sign toward her, and then, still on tiptoe, lifted it down onto the ground.

  Gannon retrieved the rubber mallet—which she couldn’t reach—and handed it to her. Lazily, he accompanied her to the intersection. He stood, arms crossed in front of him, while she selected a spot and pounded it in with several hard thwacks.

  “Why not?”

  Finished, she stalked back to the truck, got another sign and took it to the opposite side of the four-way intersection. Her high heels tapped a decisive staccato over the pavement. Again, he trailed behind, enjoying the view. “Because I don’t believe in romance.” She thwacked in another sign.

  Gannon fell into step beside her as she made her way back to the truck. “What do you believe in?”

  She climbed back into the truck, the hard rubber mallet still in her hand, and reclasped her safety belt. “The temporary status of relationships.”

  Gannon moved his gaze away from the tempting softness of her breasts. “What about sex? Do you believe in that?”

  Brow furrowing, she studied the next location on their list. “That can be good.” She pointed him in the direction she wanted to travel.

  “As the two of us recently proved.” He made a left turn.

  “But it’s temporary in nature, too,” Lily continued, crossing her legs at the knee.

  Gannon stopped at the next intersection on their list. “It’s a shame you feel that way.”

  “Why?”

  He cut the motor and turned to look at her. “Because I can’t imagine that I would ever stop wanting you.”

  Lily flushed self-consciously and vaulted out of the truck. She walked along the graveled berm. “What about you?” She lost her balance as her heel caught in a rut. “Do you usually celebrate Valentine’s Day?”

  Gannon reached out to steady her. “Whenever I’m dating someone, I have.” He leaned against the tailgate as the cool winter breeze floated over them. “It’s required in any relationship.”

  Shivering, Lily buttoned up the front of her coat. “But have you wanted to celebrate it?”

  Enjoying the moment, just being with her, Gannon shrugged. “In the past? Not really.” He let his gaze drift over her, then flashed a persuasive grin. “Now—I’d like to take what’s on that poster and magnify it for you a thousand times over.”

  And if the look on her face were any indication, she wanted that, too. Whether she would ever let them act on it, though, was another question entirely.

  * * *

  “DID YOU GET all finished putting up signs, Mommy?” Lucas asked when she picked him up from school several hours later.

  Lily slipped her hand in his. “I did.” Together, they walked toward her SUV.

  Still a little on edge from events of the previous weekend, he squinted up at her. “Can we have all my favorites for dinner?”

  Willing to do whatever it took to reassure him, Lily smiled. She gave him a hug before helping him up into his safety seat. “We sure can.”

  “Can I play blocks, too?”

  “Absolutely.” Lily knelt to give him an encouraging hug. She made a playful face. “As long as you build me something really special.”

  He beamed. “I’ll build a ranch!”

  Lucas chattered about school during the short drive back to her house. Lily settled him with his toys, then went upstairs to change into jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. She swept her hair up into a clip, and then went back do
wn to the kitchen to start fixing dinner. A couple minutes later the doorbell rang. Somehow, she wasn’t surprised to see Gannon standing on the other side.

  His expression was all business, and he had a file folder in his hand. “The plans for moving the statue,” he explained, his fingers lightly brushing hers as he handed them over. “I thought you might like to see them since waivers are going to have to be signed all around.”

  Appreciating his efficiency, Lily ushered him in back to the kitchen. She read through the papers quickly. “So they want to move the statue to the fairgrounds, where it will need to be displayed in one of the glass cases in the exhibition buildings, before being moved to Fort Worth?”

  Gannon nodded. “As previously discussed, Emmett Briscoe is paying for the moves and the insurance. He’s also offering to purchase the statue from the town for the original commission paid to my mother.”

  Lily paused. “How does Harriett feel about that?”

  “Good. Since the town is divided in their opinion regarding the artistic value, she and Emmett both think it might be appreciated more there.”

  “And they want to do this tomorrow?”

  “Everyone figures the sooner, the better.”

  “Okay.” Hearing the water on the stove had started to boil, Lily dumped pasta into the pot. “I’ll make the calls now if you want to wait.”

  Gannon flashed a grin. “I do.”

  Lucas strolled in. “Hey, Mr. Montgummy.”

  Gannon hunkered down to shake hands with him, man to man. “Hey there, Lucas.”

  “Want to play blocks with me?”

  Another grin. “I sure do.” The two ambled off, hand in hand.

  Lily kept an eye on dinner while she talked on the phone. The waiver had to be reviewed by the town attorney, so she sent that to him. She updated the town council members and let them know that an offer had been made to reimburse the town for the statue. It was agreed the matter would be discussed and voted on at the next public meeting. Once the waiver was approved, she called Emmett and Harriett and congratulated them on their quick work, too. Finished, she put down the phone, just in time to see Lucas race back in. “Guess what, Mommy?”