Lone Star Valentine (McCabe Multiples)

by Cathy Gillen Thacker

He accepted her compliment with a nod. “We’re still way short on important dignitaries, but I’m working on reeling a few more in to give us the kind of visibility we need to really put Laramie on the map.”

  “Good to hear,” she said sincerely. “I also hear congratulations are in order to you for the sale of the Triple M.”

  “It’s not definite yet.”

  “But it will be,” Lily ascertained.

  For the first time in recent memory, Rex Carter looked less than absolutely confident. “When I get Gannon Montgomery to sign off on it, then, yes, it will be,” he said.

  Frowning, Miss Mim added her two cents. “Harriett doesn’t want to sell. Although, since her late husband left the majority of the land to her son and the house to her, she doesn’t have much say in the matter.”

  “It’s time,” Rex said confidently.

  Without warning, Lily’s assistant charged in. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but Liz Cartwright-Anderson—your attorney—said you have to turn on the television right now! Channel 11!”

  Lily walked to the TV in the corner. Quickly switched it on.

  The screen was filled with breaking news. Front and center was Bode Daniels, standing behind a bank of microphones. He was flanked by Viviana on one side, his agent on the other. “First of all,” Bode was saying with utter sincerity as he looked directly into the camera, “I want to thank the team for the opportunity they’ve given me, and to the fans for all the support over the years.”

  “Bode!” A reporter attending the press conference shouted. “What’s your reaction to the news the Gladiators are ready to cut you loose?”

  Oh, no, Lily thought, really fearing what that could mean for her and her son. Especially if her ex’s search for a new team got desperate, as some seemed to think it might.

  Bode flashed his trademark grin. Shrugged. “I wouldn’t get too worked up about what is essentially a contract negotiation at this point.”

  The reporters all chuckled at his deadpan humor.

  “Would you consider going elsewhere to play?”

  “I’m a Texan, born and bred, so of course I’d like to stay in the Lone Star State for the remainder of my pro career.”

  “So since you obviously haven’t forgotten your small-town Texas roots, would you stay here in Dallas for less money?” someone shouted.

  Bode sobered. “I don’t think anyone wants to feel like they’re moving backward. Especially when you’re still at the height of your abilities.”

  “Does that mean you’re not willing to take second place?”

  “I did that, early in my career,” Bode declared. “So, no, I have little interest in going down that road again.”

  “There are reports that your inability to see your young son, Lucas, has proved to be a distraction this past season. Is that true?”

  Inability! Lily fumed. Since when had Bode been unable to see his son? More like uninterested and unwilling!

  Another flash of that megawatt smile. “You’re right, Chet.” Bode addressed the reporter by name. “I haven’t seen enough of my son. But I’m working on remedying that. And in fact—” he winked “—I’m on my way to Laramie, Texas, to see him right now. So if you all will excuse me...” Commotion reigned on screen as the press conference abruptly broke up.

  Lily switched off the TV.

  Miss Mim looked at Lily, clearly concerned. “Did you know Bode was coming to town?”

  She nodded, her heart sinking. “He’s having dinner with Lucas this evening.” And now everyone else who had been watching that press conference or would catch it later on the internet would know it, too.

  * * *

  BY FOUR O’CLOCK, word had spread. Reporters and film crews from all over the state had started showing up, along with a few paparazzi who mostly covered professional sports figures.

  At four-thirty, Lily received a text from Bode, telling her where and when he wanted her to drop her son off.

  Luckily for Lily, Gannon had once again made himself available. And this time she had not argued in the slightest. Maybe it was wimpy of her, but she wanted him by her side. And not just for legal backup—while Liz handled the client appointments and court appearances she had already set up for that day—but for emotional support, too.

  “You okay?” Gannon asked quietly.

  Lily nodded. Now that you’re here with me, I am. Resisting her desire to throw herself into Gannon’s strong arms, she murmured, “This morning, before I dropped him off at school, I talked to Lucas about the fact he was probably going to be seeing his dad tonight.”

  His brow furrowed in concern, Gannon prodded, “And...?”

  She swallowed. “He seemed okay about it—since he didn’t have to go to his dad’s place again.”

  Gannon met her eyes, soothing her as only he could. “He’ll be in familiar surroundings.”

  Lily nodded.

  About that, she was very grateful. As for the rest...not so much.

  Because it was an unseasonably warm February day, Bode had bought out the putt-putt golf course for the rest of the day. And asked the local restaurant, Sonny’s Barbecue, to cater a party for thirty.

  Thirty!

  Lily turned to Gannon as soon as she’d heard the news. “Is it me, or does that seem excessive to you, too?” As if her ex really did not know how to interact with anyone one-on-one these days.

  Gannon shook his head. “Maybe he just likes having an entourage along.”

  Lily sighed. “The next question is, who is in the group?”

  They found out when she and Gannon picked up Lucas at school and drove him over to the miniature-golf course.

  To her surprise, instead of just his usual team of public relations experts and lawyers, Bode had his entire immediate family there, including his parents, his grandparents, his brother and sister and their kids.

  Lily had never met any of the extended Daniels clan. Nor, of course, had her son or Gannon.

  They all met them now.

  * * *

  “SO THESE ARE all your cousins,” Bode concluded to Lucas, waving at two little girls and three boys, all of whom were roughly close to Lucas’s age. “Would you like to play putt-putt with us?”

  Lucas turned to look up at Lily.

  Determined to be as calm and courteous as the situation required—if it killed her—Lily smiled at her son encouragingly. “It looks fun!”

  Lucas wavered, uncertain. He looked at Gannon.

  “To me, too,” Gannon said cheerfully.

  Lower lip sliding out into a nervous pout, he looked up at Lily and Gannon beseechingly. “Are you going to play, too?”

  Lily could tell Bode wanted and needed to handle this on his own this time. A glance at Gannon seemed to indicate he had observed the same.

  Mindful of the press, who were held back to the other side of the street by sheriff deputies dispatched to handle the crowd, Lily knelt down to her son. At just over sixty degrees, it was slightly chilly and likely to get more so as the sun went down; she zipped up his fleece-lined hoodie. She was about to reach into her purse for his hat when Bode beat her to the punch and produced a knit Gladiators cap for their son to wear.

  Lily suppressed a sigh.

  Of course. She should have known Bode and his PR team would not resist any opportunity to pull at the public’s heartstrings. Cognizant that Lucas was looking at her curiously, able to feel Gannon’s wordless support, she put her personal feelings aside and slipped on the cap that would keep Lucas warm.

  Smiling, she informed him, “I’ve got some more stuff to do for the chili cook-off while you have dinner here tonight with your daddy and the rest of your cousins.”

  Cousins being the magic word.

  There was nothing Lucas liked more than playing with cousins. S
he ran her hands lovingly over his small shoulders and looked straight into his eyes, transferring every bit of confidence she possessed, so that he, too, would feel the same.

  “But Gannon and I will be back before bedtime to get you,” she finished softly. “Does that sound okay?”

  Lucas nodded. Experience had taught him he could count on her always. And he was fast learning that he could count on Gannon, too.

  Lily rose, pretending for all their sakes that she was dropping him off just as she did every day at school. “Okay, then, I’ll see you later.” She hugged her son to her one last time and somehow managed to speak around the ache in her throat. “Now go play.”

  “Okay, Mommy.” Reassured, Lucas smiled and waved. Bode took Lucas’s hand as cameras flashed. Together, Daddy and son headed off to join the cousins—while Lily walked off, successfully fighting tears, Gannon at her side.

  * * *

  “WHERE NOW?” GANNON asked her as soon as they were out of earshot. Because they both knew they were also under scrutiny, they walked a discreet distance apart.

  “My house.” Lily turned and gave Gannon a casual smile.

  That quickly, a flash went off.

  Reminded once again what it was like to live under the harsh glare of the limelight, Lily added, “As soon as I talk to my cousin, Kyle.” A deputy with the sheriff’s department, he had been dispatched to work the crowd.

  “Hey.” She hugged the big, brawny lawman hello.

  “You don’t have to ask,” Kyle said kindly before she could speak. He shook hands with Gannon, too. “Of course I’ll keep an eye on Lucas for you.”

  Lily exhaled in relief. “You’ll let me know if he seems the least bit upset?”

  The deputy nodded. Like the rest of the McCabes, Kyle was not just protective of those around him, but also very loving and supportive. “Where are you going to be?”

  “My house.” Or in other words, just a few blocks away, on Spring Street. “I’ll have my cell with me at all times.”

  “Consider it done, then.”

  Lily saw some reporters headed toward her. Gannon and Kyle exchanged glances. Gannon moved Lily off to the side while Kyle amiably blocked any pursuit of her.

  It wasn’t hard. The reporters could always go after Lily later; it was Bode and his son they wanted access to now.

  Once at her house, Lily set her purse down. Closed the blinds. Kicked off her shoes. Then stood, not sure what to do or where to go next. And that was when the tears finally started to fall.

  * * *

  GANNON HAD BEEN expecting the storm. He was glad he was there to comfort her. “Hey, hey, now,” he murmured, pulling her close.

  Lily buried her head in his shirt, her tears flowing fast and thick. “Can’t help it.”

  It broke his heart to see Lily so upset, but he loved the feel of her pressed up against him. Gannon stroked a hand down her spine. “He’s going to be okay.”

  “I know that.” Lily moved back far enough so that they could look into each other’s eyes. She grabbed a handful of tissues from the box on the table and blotted her face. “It’s me I’m worried about.” She shook her head anxiously and paced over to throw the damp tissues away.

  She whirled to face him, her expression even more vulnerable. “What if Bode decides he really does want Lucas in his life?” She drew a quavering breath. “All this time I’ve gotten used to having him all to myself. I never had to worry about not having my little boy with me on holidays or weekends because Bode didn’t want him. Now...”

  Lily’s voice caught. “Damn it all, Gannon!” Resentment glittered in her eyes. “Bode bought out the entire putt-putt golf course for the evening. I’m not an heiress! I can’t compete with that!”

  Tenderness welling from deep inside him, Gannon pulled her back into his arms and ran a thumb over the curve of her cheek. “And you don’t have to,” he said softly.

  Snuggling closer, she said in a low, muffled voice, “You say that now...”

  He pressed a kiss to her temple, aware she was struggling not to cry again. “I will always say that.” He tightened his arms around her protectively and looked deep into her eyes. “You’re incredible, Lily. Lucas knows that. And heaven knows, I see that, too.”

  She shifted so she could gaze into his eyes. She stared at him a long careful moment while he tried to figure out what to do or say to make her feel better.

  Her lips parted. She rose on tiptoe. And then he knew. He was what she wanted. And she was what he wanted, too.

  He lowered his head, intending just to kiss her. Knowing if they got started, they might not be able to stop. The hell of it was, he didn’t want to stop. And given the way she was pressed up against him, her mouth fused hotly with his, Lily did not want to call a halt, either. Which made their coming together this way all the sweeter.

  Her body was soft and warm as it molded to his. Her lips acquiescent one minute, then were feisty as all get-out the next.

  He could feel her fighting her desire, just as he was. And he could feel her losing the battle, just as she had the first time they made love.

  Not wanting her to regret this the way she had their first, he groaned. Then lifted his head. “Lily...”

  She caught the nape of his neck in her hand and pulled him back. “No talking!” She kissed him again, one hand fisted in his hair, the other sweeping down his body, the softness of her breasts abrading the hardness of his chest. He reacted in kind, letting his hands travel over the delectable curve of her buttocks, her hips, the insides of her thighs. She moaned as he pulled up the hem of her skirt and caressed her through her tights, then pushed her back against the wall, positioning his thigh between hers. She moaned again, a helpless little sound that sent his senses reeling. One hand reaching for his fly, she deepened the kiss even more, her mouth pliant beneath his, her body soft, supple, surrendering.

  He unbuttoned her blouse, parted the edges, teased the straps of her bra down her arms. Peeling away the satin, he revealed the upper slopes of her breasts and the taut pink nipples. He kissed her again, hotly, fiercely. His spread fingers tantalized the pebble-hard tips of her breasts, while lower still, he found his way beneath her clothes to the hot, wet silk of her, exploring, stroking, until she moved her hips, rubbing against him, into him, and he was shuddering with need himself.

  And still he put everything he had into the kiss, determined that this time would be every bit as memorable as she deserved, so memorable she would not be able to walk away...

  Lily groaned softly, impatient as always, her body shivering with need. “Too slow...” With a mewl of frustration, she finally found her way into his pants and reached out to claim him with her hand.

  Her tender caress was enough to almost send him over the edge.

  Lower still, her thighs parted. “Now, Gannon, now.”

  Driven by the same frantic need, he stripped off her tights and panties. She helped him dispense with jeans and boxers. He caught her by the hips, lifting her right where she needed to be, her spine pressed against the wall, her arms wound around his shoulders, her legs wrapped around his waist.

  Ignoring her raspy intake of breath, he looked into her eyes and kissed her again. “Tell me what you want...”

  “You.”

  He possessed her an inch at a time, with a slowness that was as tantalizing to him as it was to her.

  “Tell me what you need...”

  She closed tight around him. “You,” she whispered again.

  He plunged and withdrew, and plunged again. Until her heart was beating in urgent rhythm with his. Until he was aware of every soft inch of her, inside and out.

  He hadn’t known his control could be so easily lost, but it was.

  He hadn’t known he could want and need like this, but he did.

  And then t
he last of his reason fled.

  She was pressed so intimately against him, he was buried so deep in her, their kisses so rough and heartfelt, he no longer knew where her body ended and his began. They were free-falling into a sweet oblivion that had always been, and always would be, their destiny.

  * * *

  LILY COLLAPSED AGAINST Gannon, her body thrumming with the kind of intimate satisfaction she had never even dreamed existed.

  Prior to this, she’d thought she had known what it was to enjoy the physical side of a relationship.

  The truth was, she hadn’t a clue.

  When Gannon made love to her, something unexpectedly wanton was unleashed inside her, to the point all restraint fled. He made her feel cherished and adored, as if nothing else mattered but the two of them and what they felt now.

  He tore the walls around her heart away, and she knew if they made love again, she would risk falling in love with him. And that wasn’t good. Now, more than ever, with everything she had going on, she needed to keep a tight rein on her emotions. Her happiness—and her son’s—depended on it.

  With a soft exhalation of breath, she untangled her body from the hard length of his and moved away. While he watched her in lazy satisfaction, she gave up trying to dress and wrapped herself in a throw. Her back to him, she sat down and said, with every ounce of willpower she possessed, “I can’t keep doing this—to make myself feel better.”

  She heard a rustling of clothing behind her. When he sat down across from her, he’d already pulled on his jeans. He also looked a heck of a lot more accepting, and ready for whatever came next, than she felt.

  He took her hands in his, his midnight-blue eyes sparkling with mischief. “What better reason to make love?”

  Maybe the act of actually being in love?

  Embarrassed, Lily extricated her hands from his and, once again, moved away. Feeling as if this was an argument she would never win—especially with her whole body still shimmering with the afterglow of their passion—she went to her purse and pulled out her phone. To her relief, her cousin picked up on the first ring.

  “Deputy McCabe.”

  “Kyle.” Trying not to feel so disheveled, Lily shoved the hair from her face. She paced even farther from the chair where Gannon lounged. Ignoring how delectably mussed he looked, she forced herself to concentrate on the larger problem at hand. Bode—and her son.