Callie flipped back to the July calendar. “Oh, that just means it’s a personal appointment.”
“Oh. Shit.” The heat was too high on the cheese. “Hold on a sec. I need to get this on the macaroni.” Reba elbowed Callie aside and poured the rich cheese sauce into a large mixing bowl of hot macaroni noodles. She set the saucepan in the sink, ran a little water in it, and then returned to the dish.
“Can you hand me that stick of butter?”
“Sure. Here you go.”
Reba quickly removed the paper, cut the butter into five pieces, and dropped them into the cheese and macaroni mixture. She winked at Callie, “Everything is better with butter.”
Callie snapped her fingers. “That’s an awesome tag line, Reba! Better with butter. Better with butter. We can use that somewhere, I know.” She jotted it down on the side of the calendar.
Reba smiled and stirred the mixture until it was a gooey, cheesy mess, and then she turned it into an oversized, buttered casserole dish. “There. Thirty minutes in the oven and a nice brown, crunchy cheese coating on the top, and we’re in heaven.”
Callie watched her slide the dish in the hot oven. “You are amazing,” she said.
Reba shrugged. “Naw.” Then she glanced at the calendar again. “So what’s that red dot doing there on Saturday? I don’t have anything personal scheduled for that day.”
Callie shut the calendar. “Oh! Nothing.”
“Callie.”
“Truly, it’s nothing, Reba.”
She narrowed her gaze. “Tell me.”
Callie rolled her eyes and sighed. “Okay. I just put it there to remind myself to make sure you know about the Fourth of July celebration at the lake Saturday night. So now you know.”
Reba waved her off. “I’m sure that’s for family. You’ll have a great time.”
“Actually, it’s for all of the guests at the ranch, anyone in the community who wants to come, and yes, family. You fit in that community part, so I hope you will be there. And I hope you bring that macaroni and cheese!”
Reba smiled at Callie’s invitation, but there was no way she was going. “Maybe I can see the fireworks just fine from here, on my front porch.”
Callie agreed. “I’m sure you can. But it would be so much more fun for you to join us.”
“Not happening.” She turned to the sink and began rinsing dishes and loading the dishwasher. Callie joined her there.
“You two haven’t talked since that day, have you?”
Reba scrubbed at the pot. “No. And I doubt we will.”
Callie turned and leaned her backside against the counter, arms crossed. “It’s all my fault. How can I fix this for the two of you?”
After a moment, Reba stopped scrubbing the cheese pan and turned to Callie. “You can’t. It is not your fault, not really. You and I have already talked about this, and I don’t want you blaming yourself. I understand why you told Parker, but that really isn’t the issue. There was more going on than you know between us and… Well, it’s complicated.”
Callie stared off. Reba went back to the dishes.
“He’s miserable.”
“I’m sorry about that.”
“You’re miserable.”
“I’m sorry about that too.”
“It makes no sense.”
Placing the last dish in the dishwasher, Reba closed the door and wiped her hands on a dishtowel. “Yes, it does, if you know all of the parts and pieces. I made a mistake, Callie. A big one. I said something to Parker I didn’t mean, and I didn’t say it in a nice way. I was confused and frankly, I think he was too. I just don’t know how to fix it.”
Callie looked her in the eye. “Talk to him. Tell him.”
“He’s stubborn.”
Callie laughed. “He thinks you’re stubborn.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
Reba thought about that. “I’m sure he’s right.”
“Then talk to him.”
Reba closed her eyes and finally let Callie’s words sink in. Her advice was actually good advice. “He’s not going to talk to me.”
“He will if I hog-tie him.”
Reba laughed. “Yeah, I’d like to see that.”
But Reba knew she needed to talk to him. She’d avoided it long enough, and she had more to discuss with him than apologizing for her words. “I’m not sure the Fourth of July event is the place for this to happen.”
Shrugging, Callie said, “Maybe not. But perhaps it’s a place to start.”
Maybe Callie was right. “Okay. I’ll bring the macaroni and cheese.”
“Do you want him to know you are coming?”
“Oh hell, I don’t know. What do you think?”
Callie cocked her head to one side. “Just leave it up to me. If the timing and mood feels right, I will. If it doesn’t, I won’t. I don’t think you need to know either way.”
Nodding, she agreed. “I like your plan.”
Callie smiled.
****
The Fourth of July
McKenna Lake and Lodge
“So who is the redhead?”
Parker looked up from the table he was helping his cousin Gage set up, and nearly dropped his end in the process. He followed Gage’s line of vision and saw her immediately.
Reba.
Shit. His heart kicked into a gallop.
“That’s Reba Morris,” he told his cousin. “Lives in the old Crandall cabin. And she’s hands off.”
Gage arched a brow. “She’s yours? When did that happen?”
Parker straightened the table, gave it a good shimmy-shake to make sure it was level and sturdy, and straightened his body. There would be desserts on this table in no time.
He glanced at his cousin. Gage was still watching Reba walk across the parking lot. What the hell was she doing here?
“No, she’s not mine,” he replied.
A wicked smile spread over Gage’s face. “So tell me more.”
“I’m telling you, hands off. She’s not the kind of woman you usually date.”
Snickering, Gage turned to him. “You know I don’t date.”
“I know. And what you do? She’s not interested. I guarantee it.”
Gage’s taste in women and his alternative sexual lifestyle was something Parker knew about, but not something he agreed with. Gage was a Dom, and his encounters with women were always scheduled, planned, and vetted well in advance. There was no shortage of women who would take him up on his type of sexual deviancy.
But Parker wanted none of that. And Reba was not the kind of woman who would want that, either.
Or was she? Hell, he didn’t know. After all, she had told him what they shared was just sex. Nothing more. “On second thought, she might like you.”
Gage studied him for a moment. “Naw. You’ve practically worked yourself into a sweat over it. I think there is more to this woman and you than meets the eye.”
He swiped at his brow. “It’s hot, and that table was heavy.”
“Yeah, right.”
Parker ignored him and kept looking at Reba. “I didn’t know she was coming.”
“That clinches it. I’m hands off. You’re a goner.”
True. Over the past three weeks, the hurt was getting easier to handle, especially now that there had been some distance since the night they made love. But he hadn’t gotten over it. Not by a long shot.
Parker looked at Gage. “I don’t understand women.”
Gage threw back his head and laughed. “That’s your problem. You’re trying to understand them. You need to flip it and worry about controlling them. Once you do that, they are like putty in your hands.”
Parker wasn’t so sure. “I don’t want to control her.”
“Then what do you want?”
Good question. What did he want? “Well, for starters, it would be nice if I could just talk to her.”
Again, Gage laughed. “Well, let me tell you something, cousin, it’s likely not goi
ng to happen unless you make it happen. And if that’s not controlling the situation, I don’t know what is. Go down there and talk to her. Make it happen. If you fail, you fail. But you might not.”
Parker shook his head. “Why in the hell do I feel like such an adolescent?”
“Because you care about her. I can see that in your eyes. And you don’t want to screw it up.”
Eyeing his cousin, Parker said, “You’re smarter about these things than I realized.”
“Not really,” Gage replied. “I avoid these situations like the plague. This is why I have the kinds of relationships I do. I don’t want the drama, and I keep it out of my sex life. But you? If you want her, you might have to eat the drama for breakfast. It’s up to you.”
Eat the drama for breakfast. I can do that.
“But you better hurry up. Looks like some other hound dog is sniffing around your woman.”
Parker found Reba again in the growing crowd. Mike Attaway strolled toward her and took the casserole dish she was carrying out of her hands. She smiled at Mike, said something, and then followed him to the table. He placed the dish with the others and turned into her, his hand running down her arm, from shoulder to elbow.
Reba laughed and touched his arm.
“Son of a bitch.”
****
As she exited her new SUV, Reba glanced about the area, located where the crowd was gathering, and figured that was where she needed to take her dish. She perused her surroundings, taking in the guest lodge, the stable and barns situated behind it, and the lake to the south.
She was late but still gave herself kudos that she had actually made it. If she’d been much later, she should have brought dessert, rather than a side dish.
The lake was huge and picturesque. She looked forward to seeing the sunset behind it, and then later, the fireworks over it. It wouldn’t be long before dusk set in. Glad she brought her camera, she reminded herself to get it out of the truck so she could take pictures for her blog.
But first, it was time to get this mac and cheese dish to the right place.
Carrying it toward the tables, she picked her way through the crowd, nodding occasionally to people who looked familiar. She noticed Callie a ways off, talking with her stepmother, but Reba kept heading toward her destination.
She wasn’t looking out of the corner of her eye, or anything, for Parker. Not at all.
Of course not.
“Reba? Is that you?”
Mike Attaway jogged toward her and then took the dish out of her hands. “Oh, thank you, Mike! My arm was getting a little tired.” She smiled and followed him to the table.
“Not a problem!”
“I really appreciate it,” she told him. “All that cheese, the dish was getting heavy.”
“It’s really good to see you, Reba.”
“You too.”
“How is that elbow?” He touched her upper arm and let his fingers trail to her elbow.
Reba stepped back a little, breaking the connection. She didn’t want to give Mike any ideas. “Dr. Cooper says it should be good as new in a couple of weeks. Still a little pain when I twist it this way or that, but overall, much better.”
Mike grinned and placed his hand at the small of her back. “Have you eaten? You can grab a plate over there. Or…” he paused then, looking into her face, “are you waiting for Parker?”
Well, yes. And no. She let that back-and-forth dialog play out in her head for a minute.
“No, Mike. I haven’t talked with him lately.”
Mike arched a brow. “Really? It was my understanding that you two were an item. I mean, when Parker called the day after that little incident in the parking lot, I was sure you two would be joined at the hip and married within a month.”
Reba laughed nervously and angled away, touching his arm in an attempt to put distance between them. “Oh, no. Seriously. No.”
Mike’s smile broadened. “So there is hope for me yet?”
A shadow fell between them, and Reba looked to her left, where the silhouette of a tall man wearing a cowboy hat blocked the setting sun. She put her hand to her forehead to shield her eyes. “Parker?”
“Mike, I hate to break it to you, brother, but there is no hope for you.”
Reba glanced to Mike who stepped back, hands out. “I got it. I have no desire to get into an argument with you, Parker. I’m heading for the cheesecake now.”
Mike left, and Parker just stood there. The angle of the sun was blinding her. “That was a quick exit. Is he frightened of you?”
Parker grinned. “He knows I can put him in a wrestling hold pretty damned fast.”
She arched a brow. “You would do that?”
“Only if I needed to.”
“And why might you need to?”
“Only if he’s trying to make a move on my woman.”
Reba’s heart tripped and stumbled inside her chest. His woman. Did she dare hope?
She wished she could really see the look on his face when he’d said that, grasped his arm and said, “Parker, this sun is a killer. Can we talk? Somewhere where I can actually see your face?”
He stepped away from the sun, and Reba turned her back to it. “Yes.”
“That’s better.”
But Parker obviously had other ideas. He took her by the hand to lead her away.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“You’ll see.”
Chapter Fifteen
Parker led her through the barn to the last stall and opened the door. “Ever ridden in one of these?”
Reba gave him a glance and then peeked around the door. “What is it?”
“It’s my dad’s utility vehicle. It’s called a Gator. You know, made by John Deere.”
Reba stepped in the stall. “No, I’ve never ridden in one. It looks like a cross between a golf cart and a four-wheeler.”
Parker laughed. “Sort of. You get in on this side.” He steadied her with his hand on her good elbow. “Let’s go for a ride.”
“Okay.”
He needed to get Reba away from the crowd, out of reach of any distractions. He might only have one chance, and he had to make it work. This was the best way to win her over—get her alone and make a connection. Somehow.
Before he settled himself in the driver’s seat, he grabbed a blanket off the wall, checked under his seat for a flashlight, and double-checked his boot for his pistol. He didn’t expect any trouble with the wolves tonight—the fireworks noise would keep them away, most likely—but he wasn’t about to take any chances. Besides, they were only a short ride from the lodge.
He smiled as he turned the key in the ignition and shoved the gearshift into drive. “Seatbelts,” he said, glancing her way. “Safety first.”
She nodded. “Yes, sir. And I hope you don’t have to cut me out of this one.”
“You and me both. Let’s go.”
He revved the engine, and they rolled into the barn center aisle, out the back door, and up the trail, heading toward his favorite lookout.
Years ago, James McKenna had decided to get into a little logging, and the ridge above the lake had been cleared. Most of it had grown up again, but there was a section they kept clear, just for times like these—when a cowboy needed to get away and look over his land.
And that’s exactly what he wanted to do tonight, only he wanted Reba with him.
They didn’t talk for several minutes while they climbed, and by the time he topped the ridge and backed the Gator around to overlook the lake, dusk was fully settling in.
“Wait here,” he told her. He got out and took the blanket with him, rounded the back of the vehicle, lowered the tailgate, and spread the blanket over the bed. Then, he stepped to the passenger side and took Reba’s hand, helping her out of her seat.
“I hope you don’t mind,” he told her, “but I’ve reserved us the prime seats in the house for the fireworks show.”
Reba smiled and held his gaze. He smiled back.
/>
“I am honored, sir.”
He led her to the back of the vehicle. “Let me help you up.” He guided her backside toward the tailgate, placed his hands on her waist, and peered into her eyes. “Ready? Jump.”
She did, and he lifted her onto the gate. Now her eyes were level with his, and he definitely wasn’t ready to take his hands off her. “I’d love to kiss you right now,” he said on a breath, “but I’m not sure you want me to.”
Reba’s gaze played over his face. “A small, quick one won’t hurt. Will it?”
His heart swelled, and Parker stepped closer. One hand moved to circle her back, the other cupped her cheek. His thumb grazed over her cheekbone. “Your bruises are gone now.” She was beautiful.
“Yes. Finally.”
Reba licked her lips.
Parker moved in for the kiss, her mouth heavenly pressed against his. “Just one” kiss, “small,” kiss, kiss, “quick one,” he said.
Reba breathed against his mouth, her eyes closed. “That was three.”
“Who’s counting?”
“Not me,” she countered.
He leaned his forehead against hers. “Reba, we need to talk. I’m hopelessly lost.”
She nodded against him. “I know. Me too.”
“And up until now I’ve been too stubborn to admit it.”
“Ditto.”
Pulling away, he said, “I’m going to sit next to you, and we’re going to figure this thing out. Okay?”
“Yes. I want that too.”
“Good.”
Parker set the flashlight between them, the beam pointing out. There was enough light so they then could see each other’s faces.
Reba glanced to her lap. “Parker, there is really something important I need to tell you.”
“I know.”
She shook her head. “No, what I need to tell you, you have no idea. First, I want to apologize. I was…” Parker waited. She seemed to be struggling with her words. “I lied. I was wrong. What I said was insensitive and hurtful, and I…”
“Shh.” He raked a thumb over her lower lip. “We both didn’t handle things well.”
Her voice rose. “I regret that I didn’t even respond when you told me you were falling in love with me!”
Unforgettable Heroes II Boxed Set Page 28
