by Em Petrova
On her drive, she wondered what he was doing right now. Maybe having Sunday dinner with his family. Part of her wanted to be beside him, holding his hand at the table for all to see.
Kashley knew what was going on even if she wasn’t saying anything. Delaney was glad for the confidence, because she wasn’t ready to explain to the Calhouns, her sister and the whole world who watched Rope ‘n Ride that she was an old lady in love with a young guy.
Her shift at the hospital began with her checking on last night’s patients. Some she released from the hospital with well wishes and one she kept for another night to make sure her diabetes was controlled. After she was finished, her fatigue took over again, and she found herself on a cot in the doctor’s lounge.
Exhaustion should have swept her away. But instead, she thought of Lane. She did love him. If things couldn’t be figured out, could she let him go?
The thought of seeing him on magazine covers with a new girlfriend would crack her heart in two. Yet for his happiness, she’d do what was necessary. What would Lane do around her place to stay busy?
He could add some more livestock to her small ranch. There was room to add on to the barn, but a few acres wasn’t nearly enough for a man who was used to running a big operation.
She stared up at the white ceiling and willed sleep to come. What she needed was a mental break.
No, what I need is Lane.
* * * * *
When Lane pulled up in front of Delaney’s place, the last of the sunlight was fading. Through the shadows, he made out two vehicles, and one was Brant’s. Great—Delaney wasn’t even home and Lane would be walking into a viper pit.
He grabbed his duffle and headed to the front door. After knocking a few times with no answer, he tried the doorknob. The house was unlocked, so he walked in.
He stopped dead at the sight of two people tangled up on the couch. For a brief second, he imagined Delaney there with a lover—someone older who she’d see fit for a relationship.
Then he realized he was looking at Brant and his friend.
“Holy shit!” Brant rolled off the couch, revealing another guy who was wearing only jeans.
Lane held up his hands. “I’m sorry. I’ll just leave you two.”
“What the hell are you doing walking into my house like that? Do you think because you’re a Calhoun that you own the place?” The kid on the sofa sat up at Lane’s last name and stared at him wide-eyed.
“I knocked and nobody answered. Look, I don’t want to interrupt.” He gripped his duffle and started toward Delaney’s bedroom.
“You can’t stay here. Does my ma even know you’re coming? She didn’t say anything.”
Lane looked over his shoulder. “No, I was going to surprise her.” Except he’d gotten the surprise. He didn’t care one way or another about Brant’s sexuality, but he did wonder if his mother even knew. Which put Lane in a bad position—he didn’t like having this information if it meant being stuck between mother and son. And Brant would harbor even more anger for Lane.
Brant said something quietly to his partner and then followed Lane down the hall. Inside her bedroom, he dropped the duffle and turned to Brant, prepared to defend himself if the kid went off on him.
They faced each other down. Brant had a crazed look in his blue eyes that Lane didn’t exactly trust.
“I’m sorry again,” he said.
“You should be. Walking into a house that isn’t yours. There’s such a thing as privacy. Or don’t you know that word since everything you do is broadcast on TV?”
“I know all too well how it feels to have your privacy violated. But what’s done is done. I’ve apologized. Are you going to accept it?”
Brant glared at him.
Lane needed to fix this or it would give Delaney another reason to push him away. “We need to work things out between us, Brant. For your mother’s sake.”
He narrowed his eyes. “I don’t need to do anything when it comes to you. And if you say a word about what you’ve seen—”
“I won’t.”
Brant looked at him. Probably didn’t believe a word out of Lane’s mouth.
He held up his hands. “What you do isn’t my business. It’s your decision to tell your ma or not, but I won’t say a word.”
“What do you want in return?” he asked suspiciously.
“Respect, for one. Not only for me but the woman who raised you. You’ve got a problem with her seeing me, that’s understandable. But what goes on between us is no more your business than what you’re doing with your friend is ours.” He gestured to the kid in the other room.
Brant snapped his mouth shut and walked out, leaving Lane wondering if he’d made his point or not.
He sank to the edge of Delaney’s bed. They’d spent countless hours loving each other here. He wanted millions more. He pulled off his boots and lay back against the pillows. They smelled of her, and his body ached to have her against him. She was undoubtedly busy bringing babies into the world safely, and he wasn’t about to disturb her with even a text.
Hopefully when she came in and found him asleep, she wouldn’t be upset that he hadn’t told her he was coming. The long day wore him down the longer he lay there, and soon he was waking to the sunlight streaming through the curtains.
Musta been a long night for her. He went into the bathroom and scrubbed his face with water. Then he went to the kitchen, passing the young man sleeping on the couch. Brant must have gone to his room.
He considered making coffee, but didn’t want the sound of the coffeepot to wake the guy, and he quietly went outside. He dragged in a deep breath of fresh air. There was a nip to it that told him that winter was coming. In the South, their weather was milder than other places in the country, but he’d still need to make sure the animals had adequate bedding and the cracks in the barn were filled.
When he reached the barn, he found the stalls standing open. The horses had been let loose into the paddock, and Brant was busy shoveling out the farthest stall.
He looked up at Lane’s step. “You haven’t heard from my ma?”
Lane shook his head. “Must be working a long shift.”
“She was tired when she left yesterday. She’s gotta be dragging. Hopefully she camped out at the hospital for a few hours.”
He nodded. Sensing something different in Brant. He grabbed a shovel and started working alongside him. In his experience, hard talks were made easier with hard work. And a camaraderie was born of completing a chore together. He needed to bond with the kid if he was ever to accept Lane.
“Is Cody still asleep?” Brant asked after a few minutes of shoveling.
“Was when I came out. I didn’t want to wake him.”
“We’ve… been friends for a while now. Since second semester at school.”
Lane looked into his eyes. “Friends are important.”
He nodded. They finished the stall and moved to the next. No more words were exchanged, but when they went outside to water the horses, he caught Brant staring at him.
“What are your intentions with my mother?”
“I love her.” The words were easy to say.
“You want to marry her.”
He nodded. “If she’ll have me.” In a way, he was asking Brant’s permission before he’d even mentioned it to Delaney. Maybe this was the right way to go about it.
Brant didn’t respond for a long time. Finally, he said, “She won’t like being part of the show. She’s a private person. She won’t even talk to reporters when they ask about her job.”
“I know.” Or at least he’d guessed. “I want to quit the show.”
“Really? All that money, though.”
He raised a shoulder and let it drop. “Not important.”
“What will you do here?”
Should he tell him about buying Nick’s place and combining the ranches? Not before he’d spoken to Delaney.
“I’ll find something.”
“She always wante
d more kids, you know,” Brant said after a spell.
Lane jerked. He hadn’t known. She’d seemed very upset when he’d mentioned it, like she was too old to try. Or maybe unwilling to start over with raising little ones. But in the end, he’d decided he could live without children. He only wanted her. Besides, he had enough nieces and nephews to play with when they visited the ranch.
“No, I didn’t know.”
“It’s why she loves her job so much—she loves kids,” Brant said.
Lane looked up at the sound of tires on the gravel drive. “I think she’s home.”
“Don’t tell her about Cody.”
“That’s yours to tell. And for the record, I’ve always believed love is love.”
A smile quirked at Brant’s lips. They walked around the barn, and on the way past the manure they’d just dumped there, Brant shoved him. Not expecting it, Lane lost his footing and fell into the filth.
“Can’t have my ma thinking we’re getting along.” Brant laughed, but there was no malice in his eyes.
“Damn, you’re right.” He swept the guy’s leg out from under him, and he fell hard into the shit beside him.
* * * * *
Delaney gaped at the two guys coming around the barn covered head to toe in… manure?
Brant and Lane were grinning, their teeth white against the brown on their faces and bodies. Whatever had just happened, they seemed to have found a common ground.
“Uh-oh. Think we’re in the doghouse,” Lane said.
Her heart gave a small thrill at the sound of his voice, and some of her tiredness left her. But as he neared, she wrinkled her nose at the smell coming off him. “You’re not coming into my house like that. Hose off!”
Brant darted toward his mother. “Give me a kiss, Ma! Aren’t you happy to see me?”
“Hose!” She trotted out of his reach, and Lane clamped a hand on Brant’s shoulder, steering him toward the hose. A minute later she heard the rush of water and a bellow as the cold water hit one guy.
She giggled and crept around the side to see Brant holding the hose, the spray trained on Lane’s chest. He held his arms out and turned in circles as Brant hosed him. Then they traded places.
She felt like laughing and crying at the same time. What had gone on here to make them act like buddies? Whatever it was, she was thankful for it. She refused to choose between them—she wanted Lane, pure and simple. Brant’s blessing would be welcome and a relief.
She went into the house and found Cody up and making coffee. He turned with a smile. “Hey, Ma.” She was used to Brant’s friends calling her this, but his voice held an odd tone.
“Nice to see you, Cody. Thanks for making coffee. I could use a shot of caffeine while I get the turkey in the oven.” Thanksgiving Day and she had no preparations made, was dead on her feet with a houseful of hungry males.
“If you don’t mind me saying, you look about to fall over. Why don’t you let me figure out how to cook the turkey?”
“What—really?” She’d always liked the dark-haired guy, but she’d never expected a college kid would want to take on the responsibility of keeping the whole house from getting salmonella from undercooked poultry.
“We’ll help.” The other too came in soaking wet and barefoot.
She shook her head, staring at them. Cody laughed. “What happened to you?” he asked.
Delaney turned to leave. “You can clean the kitchen too. If I don’t close my eyes, I won’t be able to make those stuffing balls.”
“Hurry and get to bed, Ma,” Brant said.
She walked into her bedroom. Lane’s bag was on the floor, and her heart warmed at the sight. She stripped down to her bra and underwear and fell into bed. The last thing she thought before sleep captured her was that she could smell him on the pillow.
But then she woke up with a warm, freshly showered and very hard man pulling her into his arms.
Chapter Nine
“When’s your next day off?” Lane came up behind Delaney, who stood at the bathroom sink, and nuzzled her ear. She arched against him, pushing her curved ass into his groin. He hardened instantly. Ever since taking her there, he couldn’t stop thinking about doing it again.
And again.
She finished applying moisturizer to her face and turned from the sink into his arms. “Day after tomorrow. I worked the night before Thanksgiving, and I’ve got someone who owes me and she’s covering.”
He planted a kiss on her lips. “Good. I’d like you to come to the ranch with me. Since I skipped out on the holiday, my brothers have been saying Mom’s eager to see me.”
“Aww, I bet. She misses you.”
“To give me her sharp tongue. Where do you think Wynonna gets it?”
She giggled. “She only wants to tell you off for missing Thanksgiving because she missed you there.”
He stared down at her for a long minute. His expression masked, but it was clear he had something to say.
“What is it? You’re making me nervous.” She touched his jaw, and his features reanimated.
“Been thinkin’ about things, doll.”
“Okay…”
“I don’t think we should do this in the bathroom. Let’s go into the bedroom.” He took her hand and led her the few steps to her bed. He sat and pulled her down on his knees. She felt fragile and yet protected in his hold. He was worrying her now, though. She held her breath, waiting.
“I want to make some changes in my life.”
Her heart gave a little flip. “Like what?”
He ran his hand through his hair, sending it into messy spikes. She wanted to smooth them while kissing him like crazy, but she needed to hear this.
When he met her gaze, she saw the struggle within him. “Just say it, Calhoun.”
Her use of his last name brought a crooked smile to his lips. She breathed a little easier. “I talked to Buck about quittin’ the show.”
She sucked in a gasp.
“And the rodeo.”
“Oh my God, Lane.”
“And buyin’ my own spread.”
She blinked. Until the last part, she’d believed those decisions had to do with her. “Where?”
“Nick’s place.”
She blinked, unable to form words. Nick—her neighbor?
Lane went on, tugging her closer to his chest as he talked so she felt the rumble through her own. “Nick and I got to talkin’ one day, and he mentioned he wants to sell out and move south to be close to his kids. He’s getting up in years, and the work gets to be a bit much for some. Especially when his sons didn’t stay to help him.”
She shook her head, too muddled to get everything straight. “How is it you know my neighbors better than I do?”
He chuckled and brushed his lips over her hair. “You’re a busy woman.”
“Holy crap, Lane. This is a lot to take in. I’m not sure I follow all of it.”
He pinched her chin between thumb and forefinger, looking deep into her eyes. When he did that, she lost herself to the riot of feelings he raised in her. “I’d like to marry you, doll. Buy Nick’s place and combine the two properties so I can run my own ranch.”
“I-is this a proposal?” she sputtered.
He brought his lips down over hers and murmured, “Yes,” against her mouth.
Tears filled her eyes and she threw her arms around his neck, pulling him down for more. They shared a long, seeking kiss that was the sweetest proposal she could ever ask for. More intimate than the usual bended knee. None of this seemed planned on Lane’s part—just straight from the heart—and she loved that.
He pulled away and stared down at her. “Is that a yes? Will you marry me?”
“I—”
“I know I come with a lot of baggage. I talked to Buck about getting out of the Rope ‘n Ride contract, but I don’t know if it’s even possible. The network could dump the whole family if I leave. They’ve got worries of their own, and the financial stability helps. Ranches are hard to e
arn at, especially when it’s supporting many. And if I take on a ranch of my own, I won’t have time for rodeoin’.”
“Won’t you miss it?”
He gave a slow, deliberate shake of his head. “When I’m with you, I know exactly what I want for my life. You. If you’ll have me.”
Her heart jumped up and down saying yes, but her logical mind was at work behind the scenes, untying all the knots binding her to him. “When you’re my age, I’ll be sixty.”
He grazed her cheek with his lips. “And beautiful.”
“What about Brant?”
“What about him? I think we bonded over a pile of manure and a turkey. We did a mighty find job cookin’ the bird, if I say myself.”
“You did, but…”
He cradled her face in his big hands, making her feel more precious than ever. “I know your concerns about me wanting kids. And if you decide you don’t want to or you can’t, then I’m okay with just having you.”
That got her tears rolling. “You’d give that up?” Could she really ask him to? She loved him and she’d always wanted more children after Brant. But the right man and opportunity hadn’t come along.
Until now.
She dropped her forehead against his and he swiped at her tears with his rough thumbs. “I love you, Lane. And I’ll marry you.”
His grin stretched over his handsome features, stealing her breath. Stamping the moment forever in her heart. He leaned in and kissed her again. Long, heated minutes later he lay spent between her legs and she throbbed from multiple orgasms. She trailed her fingers over his damp spine, thinking of the life she’d just agreed to. She hadn’t given up much for him, but he was tossing it all away to be with her.
She couldn’t start their relationship with things being out of balance. But there was something she could do, and she’d talk to her partner in the practice this afternoon when she went in to work.
“You’d better shower and get ready to go.” His deep voice echoed her thought pattern.
She rubbed his shoulders. “And you’re going back home.”
He lifted his head and pierced her in his gaze. “I am home.”
She grinned. “Yes, you are.”
“But I need to talk to everyone. Then I’ll come back for you and if you agree, I’d like you to go home with me on your day off.”
