Falling for the Texas Tycoon

by Karen Rose Smith

  Was that relief he saw on Lisa’s face? What did she expect Carrie to interview her about?

  “Sure, I can do that. I can even wear one of my new suits.”

  “You say it’s this Saturday?” Brian asked his wife.

  “Yes, why?”

  “Because Lisa will be traveling to Texas with me and Alan next week. We might be gone the following Saturday. In fact, I was going to ask if you wanted to come along. Alan has room on the plane.”

  “And there are plenty of guest rooms at the ranch,” Alan said encouragingly.

  Carrie thought about it, then shook her head. “I’d have to miss the show. I promised Mom I’d take Timothy up to see her and Dad next week. In fact, if you’re going to be gone, I could just stay overnight. They’d love that. I think this time it’s better if I stay here.”

  Alan made eye contact with Brian. “What she’s really saying is that she knows you’re going to be tied up working most of the time we’re gone, and that won’t be any fun.”

  “A man who understands women’s subtext,” Carrie said with a laugh.

  “I’ve learned a few things in thirty-eight years,” he replied.

  Why had he stated his age? So that Lisa knew exactly how old he was? So that she realized they were from different generations? Whether there was chemistry between them or not, their age difference probably couldn’t be easily bridged.

  Probably. Why was he even questioning it?

  Lisa pushed her coffee away and laid her napkin on the table. “I’d better collect those things from the attic and load my car. It’s getting late and I have laundry to do tonight.”

  Carrie frowned. “I don’t think everything’s going to fit in your car. What do you think, Brian?”

  “I’ll stuff the rest of it in ours and follow her.”

  “Where do you live?” Alan asked.

  “On Chestnut.”

  “My condo’s out that way. And I have an SUV with a back seat that folds down. Whatever doesn’t fit in your vehicle can go in mine. I don’t mind following you, and it will save Brian a trip.”

  Alan wasn’t exactly sure why he’d offered. Maybe because he wanted to see her place…see if she was paying for it herself, or if it was much too nice for an office manager’s salary. Something told him she wasn’t exactly what she seemed. On the other hand, his sixth sense could just be on alert because she unsettled him.

  “I don’t have to take everything tonight,” she said, a bit anxiously.

  “I really don’t mind following you.” Alan checked his watch. “Besides, I should be going, too. There are some maps and statistics I’d like to go over this evening.”

  “On the San Diego resort?” Brian asked with a smile.

  “That’s the one.” Standing now, he said to Lisa, “Just point me to the attic.”

  Forty-five minutes later, Lisa glanced in her rearview mirror, wishing she could get her life back under control. For the past three years she’d let Brian and Carrie help her, mainly by letting them put her through college, although she’d worked all she could for spending money, books, insurance and anything else she needed. They’d wanted to pay it all, but she’d already owed them way too much—they’d given her baby a home.

  At school, she’d felt as if she were putting in time, preparing, but not really living the life she wanted to lead. With graduation, she’d felt on the verge of her future. Today, when she’d read the anonymous note, “You owe me, don’t think I’ve forgotten…”

  Whom did she owe what to?

  She’d intended to go home, rearrange some furniture and think, but now, with Alan Barrett following her…

  This was her life and she made the decisions in it. If she didn’t want Alan to stay, she could ask him to leave. Simple, right?

  No, not so simple. She had to work with him.

  She practically groaned. Yesterday, her life had been easy, moving along its intended course. Today, she didn’t know what the next minute was going to bring.

  Lisa drove down the tree-lined street of the old neighborhood, pulling up in front of a Victorian that had been divided into two apartments, one downstairs and one upstairs. She had the upper apartment. The rent was modest. Her kitchen linoleum had a crack, and she really should paint her bedroom. There was a stain on the ceiling from when the roof had leaked before she moved in. The grandmotherly lady who owned the property insisted the roof had definitely been fixed. The house brought in income for her, and her grandkids helped with the repairs. The past couple of weekends, Lisa had found a few furnishings and wall decorations at a public sale and at an antique fair. But she still had a way to go and she wasn’t keen on Alan seeing the apartment the way it was now.

  What did it matter?

  She hadn’t wanted to impress a man since she’d met Thad Preston during her senior year in high school. He’d been the football team’s quarterback, headed for the NFL. She’d learned the hard way that he’d intended to let nothing get in the way of that dream.

  When she’d told him she was pregnant, he’d insisted she have an abortion. She could never have done that. And knowing that Aunt Edna would probably kick her out when she learned of the pregnancy, Lisa had saved her the trouble. She’d never wanted to live in Seattle, anyway…never liked Seattle. Portland was where she’d grown up, with parents who’d loved her. So that’s where she’d returned. She’d gotten a job waitressing, but her morning sickness had soon turned into all-day sickness, forcing her to cut back her hours. Working less, she couldn’t afford the room she’d rented. She was out on the streets. Craig, who had managed a local deli, often slipped food to her and her friend Ariel, who’d camped out in vacant buildings with her. He’d also supplied food while they were sleeping at the homeless shelter. But then one day, Lisa had passed out on the street, Ariel had called 911 and she’d been taken to the hospital. The Children’s Connection had gotten involved, and that had led to Carrie and Brian.

  So who was sending her a threatening note?

  Trying to clear her head so she could deal with Alan Barrett, she exited her car and motioned toward the back of the house. “Sorry, but I live upstairs. There’s a summer kitchen in the back. You could just unload everything in there.”

  “And what? You’ll carry it up in the morning?”

  “It’s just end tables and a coffee table, odds and ends.”

  “You don’t like to let anyone do anything for you.” He sounded curious more than annoyed.

  “If I can do something on my own, why should I ask for help?”

  “You’re not the damsel in distress type?”

  “Not if I can help it.”

  At that, he laughed and, unfortunately, she liked the sound of it. His laughter was deep and rich, just like his voice. She might as well get this over with, and then he could be on his way, she decided.

  They almost had a tug-of-war over the coffee table, the heaviest piece. But Alan was bigger and stronger. When he’d wrestled it from her, he smiled. “Give in, Lisa. Let me take the heavier pieces.”

  Hands on her hips, she glared up at him. “Are you going to be difficult to work with on the golf resort project, too, Mr. Barrett?”

  Holding the coffee table as if it weighed no more than his Stetson, he smiled at her. “It’s Alan. And as far as being difficult to work with, that depends on whether you let me have my way or not.”

  “And I suppose you’re used to getting your own way?” she challenged.

  “Not many people cross me.”

  “Then maybe you’ve met your match.”

  He eyed her thoroughly. “Maybe. Or maybe because we’re both determined and because we both know how to get the job done, we could work very well together.”

  With a sigh and a shake of her head, she gave in. “Take the coffee table upstairs. I’ll grab one of the end tables.”

  “Why don’t you just grab the magazine rack or the flower stand?”

  “One thing you’re going to learn about me, Mr.—” At the lift of h
is brow, she stopped. “Alan…is that I pull my own weight.”

  “Then go ahead and pull your own weight up there, and unlock the door. You can do that better if you’re not carrying anything too heavy.”

  If she smiled, he’d know he’d won. She wouldn’t give him that satisfaction. Instead of the magazine rack or the flower stand, she picked up a floor lamp and hoisted it over her shoulder, then quickly moved ahead of him and hurried toward her apartment. She had to get rid of him. She had to stop reacting to his grin. She had to forget that his eyes were as blue as any sky she’d ever seen.

  After several more trips, Lisa quickly positioned everything where she wanted it.

  Alan glanced around appreciatively after it was all in place. “You have an eye for arranging furniture.”

  “I just know where I want it.”

  His gaze fell on the striped salmon-and-turquoise sofa, the Boston rocker, the mahogany tables and the Tiffany lamp. “You’re missing something.”

  “I know. I need to get an area rug.”

  “Oh, that’s not what I meant. You’re missing a big old recliner where someone could be really comfortable.”

  She assessed him thoughtfully. “Do you have one of those?”

  “Back in Texas I do. Here, none of the furniture’s quite broken in yet. The recliner has to be five years old to be comfortable.”

  She couldn’t help but move closer to him. She couldn’t help but study his expression carefully. “A man like you keeps a five-year-old recliner?”

  “I hold on to things I’m fond of. Just because I can buy anything I want, doesn’t mean I’d rather have new than aged. Sort of like that necklace you keep fingering. It doesn’t look brand-new, but it seems to mean a lot to you.”

  She knew whenever she was nervous or uncertain, her locket was a talisman she touched to stay grounded. But she didn’t want Alan asking too many questions about it. She certainly wouldn’t open it for him.

  “This was a gift from Carrie and it means a lot to me. It’s an antique. I guess I keep touching it to make sure its still there.”

  “You’re a contradiction.”

  “And that means…?”

  “That means you like to act tough, but I think you’ve got a softer side.”

  “You don’t know me.” She was sure if he did, he would want nothing to do with her.

  “We’ll be remedying that soon. Working out of town and traveling together has a way of taking off the veneer pretty fast.”

  The apartment had a quaint older-house smell, part plaster, part polished furniture, part lavender potpourri. But she was standing close enough to Alan to catch the scent of his cologne, to see the interest in his eyes, to feel a pull toward him that made her feel trembly inside.

  “Do you live alone at your ranch in Texas?” She wondered what to expect when they got there.

  “No, my brother lives there, and I have a housekeeper.”

  “Does the ranch have a name?” If she didn’t keep talking, if she didn’t keep words between them, she was afraid something would happen that she’d regret.

  “The Lazy B. My grandfather named it and started it on the road to success.”

  “Why did you get involved in real estate? I mean, wasn’t the ranch enough?”

  “In some ways, the ranch was too much,” he drawled. “I grew up there and learned the ropes as a kid. But I also learned it could engulf a man’s whole life. I wanted more than that. And since my brother was more inclined to want to handle it, I let him. Christina has always been interested in the horse breeding aspect. It wouldn’t surprise me if she wants to take that over someday.”

  His daughter was merely four years younger than Lisa was. She shouldn’t be standing here like this with him, alone in her apartment. She didn’t know him. She shouldn’t even want to know him.

  When she took a step back, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing’s wrong. I know you said you have work to do tonight, and I don’t want to keep you.”

  “You suddenly got very nervous on me, Lisa. What’s going through your head?”

  Since they did have to work together, she wasn’t about to tell him. “Nothing you want to know about.”

  “You mean like earlier today? When you got something in the mail and wouldn’t tell me why you were upset?”

  “As I said, Alan, you don’t know me. Maybe you were wrong about my reaction. Maybe you were seeing something that wasn’t there.”

  “Or maybe you’re trying to hide how disturbed you were by that piece of mail.”

  She took a couple more steps back, knowing that this man saw entirely too much. “I think you’d better go.”

  Cocking his head, he asked gently, “Are you afraid of me, Lisa?”

  “Should I be?” Her question was almost belligerent. She needed to wrap defenses around herself, and that was the only one she could find.

  “Hell, no. I like women. I respect them. And I think I can read the signals they give out pretty well.”

  “I’m not giving out any signals.”

  “You’re doing a terrific job of trying not to.” He shrugged. “As you said, we’re going to be working together. If we establish a friendship, that will be a lot easier.”

  A friendship? Like she had with Craig? She doubted that. Everything about Alan shouted, I’m a powerful male and used to getting my own way. She had a habit of defying any man who tried to patronize her or wear a mantle of authority around her.

  “Just think about it,” Alan suggested, as if whatever decision she came to didn’t matter to him at all. “I promise you, you’re safe around me, Lisa. After all, I have a daughter who’s only a few years younger than you.”

  In plain English, he was telling her he was as aware of their age difference as she was. If there was an attraction between them, it wouldn’t go anywhere. There were simply too many complications.

  He moved toward the door. As he opened it, he said, “Good luck with your interview on Saturday. Carrie invited me to stop and watch her work. I might just do that. Good night, Lisa.”

  Then Alan Barrett was gone.

  Touching her locket, rubbing her thumb over the engraved front of it, Lisa sank down onto the couch. She wasn’t keen to do this interview in the first place. Now, knowing he might be there…

  She felt as if she had so many secrets to hide, she couldn’t keep the door shut on all of them. Somehow she had to. Alan’s opinion of her was already important to her, and that worried her most of all.

  Chapter Three

  “Do you know if it’s cool in Rocky Ridge, Texas this time of year?” Jillian Logan asked Lisa as they shopped in one of Portland’s department stores Friday evening.

  Lisa plucked a burgundy plaid blouse from a rack and held it in front of her. “I looked it up on the Internet. It’s possible they can even get snow in February, so wearing long sleeves won’t be a problem.”

  “Tell me again why you don’t want this Alan Barrett to see your tattoos?”

  Jillian, who was twelve years older than Lisa, had become like a big sister since they’d gotten to know one another. Jillian was a social worker at the Children’s Connection, and Lisa had met her after she had given up Timothy for adoption. They’d clicked, and Jillian was one of the few people who knew Lisa’s whole story.

  “I’ll be working with him,” Lisa replied. “He has to see me as a professional.”

  “I think it’s more than that. You don’t want him to ask any questions.”

  Sensitive and caring, Jillian was insightful, too…at least about everyone else. Jillian and her twin brother David had been abandoned by their drug-addicted mother and left in the care of their grandmother, a stroke victim who was barely able to care for them. Thanks to the support and love of the Logans, Jillian and David had survived and thrived. But Jillian was shy in her personal life. She could fight for a client, no holds barred, but when it came to herself and men, she lacked confidence.

  “I don’t want any que
stions,” Lisa admitted. “It seems Alan has been working with Brian a lot.”

  “Alan, is it?” Jillian asked with a sly smile.

  Not much flustered Lisa, but Alan Barrett did—even a simple discussion about him.

  “I don’t believe it.” Jillian’s smile was wide. “You’re blushing!”

  Embarrassed, Lisa returned the blouse to the rack. “No, I’m not. It’s just hot in here.”

  Jillian’s brown eyes were kind as she tapped her friend’s shoulder. “What’s going on?”

  With a huge sigh, Lisa answered honestly, “He ties me in knots. Do you know what I mean?”

  “Uh-oh. How much time have you spent with him?”

  “Not very much. I sat in on a meeting with him in Brian’s office and had dinner with him at Brian and Carrie’s. When we go on this trip to Texas, I’ll be with him every day for three or four days. What am I going to do? I don’t want him to see how he affects me. I have to be all business.”

  “Do you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  Her friend eyed her assessingly. “There’s a reason he’s tying you in knots. A nonbusiness reason. Why does he unsettle you?”

  “If I knew, I could stop it from happening,” Lisa grumbled.

  Jillian gave her a penetrating look.

  “Okay, let me think about it. He’s got the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen. He’s tall and broad shouldered and makes me feel protected, which is crazy, because I’ve only been around him about two minutes. He’s got this deep voice that just kind of seeps under my skin, and a Texas accent that for some reason makes my heart beat faster. On the other hand, he’s much older than I am. Before you start analyzing and telling me I’m looking for a father figure, forget it, because when I look at him—”

  “How much older?” Jillian asked, cutting right to the chase.

  “Seventeen years older.”

  Her friend whistled through her teeth. “Lisa…”

  “We started out on the wrong foot,” Lisa admitted. “He had this authority thing going on and was determined he could do whatever he wanted. But I stopped him cold.”