Love Me Some Cowboy

by Lisa Mondello

  She looked up at that. “Why not? My cooking is just as good as Pete’s.”

  He nodded. “Better. But you’re dangerous to be around.”

  Lisa felt the warm glow. Slowly standing, she smiled. He found her dangerous, huh? How promising.

  “Spaghetti and meatballs and nothing more dangerous, I promise.”

  He stepped closer, ruffling Joey’s hair, gazing down into Lisa’s eyes. “Nothing more?”

  “Unless you want something more? Garlic bread?”

  The smoldering look in his eyes let her know what he was thinking about and it wasn’t garlic bread.

  “You’ll behave yourself?”

  Widening her eyes, she nodded. “Always.”

  He muttered something and turned away. “Okay, supper.”

  A thought struck. “Sam?” she called.

  “What?” He turned on the walkway and looked at her.

  “Would you like to have Joey again next week? Then I could have him two weeks in a row following that? I have to go out of town next week. Mom would watch him I’m sure, but I bet he’d like the ranch better.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “To a stock auction in Houston.”

  “With Taylor?”

  “For Bill. He can’t go.”

  Sam was silent a long moment. Then he shook his head. “I can’t watch Joey, I’m going to the same show. Want to drive to Houston together?”

  Chapter Eight

  THIS WAS NOT going to rank up there with the most brilliant thing she’d ever done, Lisa thought as she gazed out of the truck window conscious of Sam sitting a few inches to her left.

  What she should have done the minute she heard Sam was going to Houston was call Bill Taylor and say she couldn’t attend the livestock show. Or at the very least insisted she drive herself.

  But no, she had to agree to Sam’s suggestion that she ride down with him. And stay in the same hotel.

  Did that mean meals together as well?

  She cleared her throat. “I appreciate the ride, but don’t want you to feel you have to chauffeur me around Houston. I can get a cab from the hotel to the stockyard.”

  He glanced at her. “If you like. Seems dumb when I’ll be going myself.”

  “Oh, well, if we happen to be going at the same time, then I guess it does make sense to go together.” Did she imagine the hint of smile? She wasn’t sure and she didn’t plan to stare at him long enough to find out.

  She swiveled her head and gazed determinedly out the side window.

  A faint hint of aftershave wafted on the air. She closed her eyes as memories assailed. Behind her lids she could envision the nights they’d spent together, tangled together, tired after working, and making love into the wee hours.

  She opened her eyes, unable to bear the poignant reminders of what they’d once had.

  “Do you get to Houston often?” she asked, trying for innocuous conversation.

  “No.”

  She glanced at him. He looked totally at ease. His hat was pushed back a bit, and she could see the faint line where it rode when down on his forehead. She longed to trace a fingertip over the indentation. Clenching her hands into fists, she quelled the desire. That would only compound her own foolishness.

  She deliberately relaxed her hands. She should be using this opportunity to explore their relationship, see what possibilities might present themselves, not act like a nervous teenager on a first date. They were only a half hour from home, with hours to go before they reached Houston. She’d never have a better time to spend alone with Sam.

  “Tell me about Denver,” Sam said as the silence stretched out.

  “Not much to tell.”

  “Why did you go there?”

  “Job opportunity.”

  “And Dallas or Houston wouldn’t have had them?”

  “I was trying to run away,” she said, angry to have to put it into words. And embarrassed.

  “I was mad at you and Nick, but you didn’t need to run so far,” Sam said.

  “I’ll admit I overreacted, okay? I should have just gone home. Or to Austin. Somewhere closer than Denver. But at the time, I was so angry I wanted to put as much distance between us as possible.”

  “Maine would have done that,” he murmured.

  She laughed softly. “Not that much distance. I needed to stay in the west. Though working in an insurance office is nothing like a hardware store or a ranch. And I wasn’t that crazy about big city living.”

  “Yet you were going to live in Fort Worth.”

  “It’s closer to Tumbleweed. But it doesn’t matter now, does it?”

  “No.”

  That sounded final. She flicked him a glance. “You could have come to Denver to check out where Joey was living.”

  His eyes met hers for a second, then he turned back to the road. “No, I could not have. I expected Nick to tell me.”

  She sighed. “Nick and I were friends in high school.”

  “Lovers.”

  She frowned at him. “Twice, if you count fumbling in the car. We were teenagers with all the raging hormones that comes with the territory. I sure slept with you a lot more. Why can’t you let it go?”

  His hands tightened on the wheel. “It doesn’t matter now.”

  “It seems to, you’re still harping on it.”

  “Harping? I mentioned it, that’s all.”

  “I could understand if you came to the marriage lily white and pure, but you’d done your fair share of sleeping around,” she retorted. “I don’t harp on that. Excuse me, mention it.”

  “I had a few girl friends, what did you expect from a twenty-seven year old man?”

  “I expected his past to be his business. Like I expected my past to be my business.”

  He was silent for a while.

  “Was that too much to expect?” she asked softly.

  “Maybe not if it had been anyone but Nick. And if you two hadn’t been together so much.”

  “Nick was my friend moreover someone who seemed to understand me a lot better than you did.”

  “That’s Nick understanding.”

  “You have no need to be jealous of Nick, Sam. You’re twice the man he is.”

  “I’m not jealous.”

  “Sorry, my mistake.”

  They drove for several moments before he spoke again. “Maybe a little.”

  “What?”

  “I didn’t like your turning to him when we had a fight. I wanted you to come to me.”

  “We should have taken a course in communications 101. I’ve had time to think a lot about what I had and threw away.”

  “Threw away?”

  “You made me so angry, I just took off. I truly thought you’d come after me. Even after that last night, when you thought I had been with Nick. I thought once you cooled down you’d see how dumb that was and come after me and Joey. You surprised me by not following. And by agreeing to the divorce.”

  “Hell, Lisa, you had told me plain you never wanted to see me again. I can’t read minds. I can only go on what you say. Plus, I truly believed you and Nick had something going and would be getting married once the divorce was final.”

  “I know that now. I wish I’d know it then.”

  “I thought I made it plain.”

  “Only to someone listening.”

  “You’d have to be deaf not to have heard,” he said wryly.

  She laughed again. “You do have a, er, carrying voice.” It had not been funny at the time. She’d been furious.

  “I yelled as loud as I could, but you yelled right back.”

  “You know what was totally amazing about that night? That Joey slept through it all,” she said.

  “Yeah. So tell me about Joey in Denver.”

  For the next hour or so Lisa regaled Sam with tales of Joey growing in their small apartment. She left out the nights he was sick and she was so scared for their baby, telling him instead of milestones, like walking and talking. And of funn
y incidents, like his dumping the full bottle of cooking oil all over the kitchen floor then scooting around in the slippery substance. Of his sticking his tongue out at a friendly man at the bank. Of his first attempts at some words and the odd combination of syllables he’d come out with.

  By the time they reached Houston, Lisa was feeling hopeful that things were smoothing out between her and Sam.

  They parked the truck, each carrying their own small overnight case into the hotel near the stockyards.

  “I need a hat,” Lisa murmured as they stood in the short line for registration. Glancing around the huge lobby, she noticed dozens of small groups of ranchers and stock men talking and laughing. Every man, woman and child in the place seemed to be wearing a western hat.

  “So we’ll check out the shops. I bet you’ll find one in the first one we go in.”

  She started to tell him she could manage on her own, but stopped. How would they get closer if she was set on being totally independent?

  “Thanks, I’d like that.”

  They were next. When waved to the counter, Lisa stepped aside and looked at Sam. “You go on. I’ll wait for the next one.”

  He looked at her consideringly for a moment, then nodded and moved to the registration desk. In less than a minute, another position opened and Lisa when to register.

  “Lisa Haller,” she told the clerk.

  He pulled up her information on the computer, took her credit card and in a short time handed her a folded card with her room key. “You are in 2020, adjacent to Mr. Haller.”

  She hesitated. “Adjacent to Mr. Haller?” she asked. Had Sam requested they have adjacent rooms.

  “Yes, ma’am. It’s an adjoining room.”

  She looked at the key holder for a moment, then picked it up. “Thank you.” Turning, she saw Sam was already talking with some men he knew. She watched him warily as she headed for the elevators. Had he asked for adjoining rooms? Was he planning on using this trip to see what might develop away from home and responsibilities and other people’s prying eyes?

  Or was it merely coincident?

  Unlikely. Coincidences like that didn’t happen.

  She slipped inside when the elevator doors slid open. Punching the button for her floor she leaned against the side, out of sight of Sam. Breathing a sigh of relief when the doors slid closed, she tried to decide if she was happy about the arrangement or not.

  Unpacking took about three minutes. Three shirts, clean underwear and another set of jeans didn’t take long. She was here to work and had packed light. Brushing her hair in the bathroom, Lisa splashed water on her face and considered what to do next.

  The phone rang.

  It was Sam.

  “I ran into some friends. We’re going out to dinner in a little while, want to come?”

  So much for her idea of a big seduction scene.

  “No, thanks.”

  “Suit yourself. I’ll be ready to leave for the auction around 7 in the morning. That too early?”

  “No, I’ll be ready.”

  “See you then.” Sam hung up.

  “So much for doing things together,” she said aloud as she replaced the receiver.

  Well, she’d initially thought she’d be on her own in Houston. She was capable of entertaining herself. But for a moment, she felt disappointment. Had she misread the signs? Wasn’t Sam interested any longer?

  * * *

  PROMPTLY AT SEVEN the next morning, the phone rang. Lisa answered it.

  “Ready? I can meet you in the lobby,” Sam said.

  “Why didn’t you just knock on the door,” she asked.

  “What door?”

  “The adjoining one between your room and mine.”

  The silence was surprising.

  “You’re in the adjoining room?”

  “You didn’t know?”

  “No.”

  She walked with the phone to the door and opened her half. Knocking lightly on the other she didn’t have to wait long before he opened his.

  She hung up.

  “I didn’t know you asked for adjoining rooms,” he said, following suit.

  “I didn’t, I assumed you did.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Why?”

  Heat washed through her, flooding her cheeks. “I was surprised, and I don’t know I just thought you’d asked for adjacent rooms.”

  “I didn’t.”

  “Oh.” Flustered, she turned and picked up the small backpack that had all her auction information. “I’m ready.”

  He stepped through to her room and headed out the door. Lisa followed and made sure it was closed.

  As they waited for the elevator, Sam studied at her. “You could have mentioned it yesterday when I called.”

  “I would have if I hadn’t thought you already knew.”

  “Interesting reaction I would have thought you’d have asked for different rooms at the least.”

  She shrugged and watched the elevator doors. “I didn’t think you’d suddenly attack. You’re the one who said he’d never kiss me again.”

  “And you said it would be all right to exchange goodbye kisses,” he began just as the elevator reached their floor. “Maybe you want something more than goodbye kisses.”

  Four interested sets of eyes moved from Sam to Lisa as they heard the last comment.

  She glared at him. “No, I do not!” Head high, she stepped into the elevator and turned to face the front, knowing her cheeks had to be scarlet.

  Blast the man, he looked as if he were enjoying himself. He nodded to the other occupants and stepped inside beside her.

  “We need to get you that hat, too, sugar,” he said in a broad Texas drawl.

  “I can get my own hat,” she hissed.

  “Buying a hat won’t break the bank,” he continued, obviously enjoying her discomfort. “Consider it a return favor.”

  She glared at him. Then looked at the other occupants. “It’s not what you think,” she said.

  No one met her eye.

  She knocked his arm. “Tell them.”

  He looked at her, amusement dancing in his eyes. “Honey, I told you before, I can’t read minds. I can’t begin to imagine what anyone here is thinking, how can I tell them anything?”

  The doors whooshed open to the lobby. Lisa stepped out quickly and headed for the entrance, furious with Sam. How dare he let all those people think there was something going on between them!

  She marched out to the front.

  “Cab?” the doorman asked.

  “Yes.”

  “No, the lady is with me.” Taking her arm in a firm grip, Sam lead her to the side, heading toward the parking garage.

  “Let me go!”

  “When we get to the truck.”

  “I’ll yell,” she said, only halfheartedly pulling her arm.

  “I’ll yell back. Look, I know you’re embarrassed by what happened, but the only way to play it was funny. We don’t know any of those people and they don’t know us. Why make a federal case out of it?”

  “I hate logic,” she murmured, walking beside him, trying to match her steps to his longer stride.

  The rest of the walk was done in silence. When the reached the truck, Sam put her between him and the truck releasing her arm to take her into his arms.

  “I’m sorry I embarrassed you,” he said, lowering his mouth to hers.

  Every thought fled as she was swept away by the excitement of his kiss. His lips were warm and firm, moving persuasively against hers. His tongue teased at the seam and she relaxed and opened for him.

  Roiling emotions swept through her as she responded to his potency.

  A car honked, the sound reverberating throughout the concrete structure.

  Sam released her, reaching around her to unlock the truck.

  “Was that a goodbye kiss?” Lisa asked when she thought she could trust her voice again.

  He shook his head, reaching across her to fasten the seat belt, leaning into the truck, his
face only inches from hers.

  “No, I’m experimenting.”

  “Experimenting?”

  “On how far I can go.”

  She closed the scant inches and kissed him sweetly. “Keep experimenting,” she said in a soft voice. “I’d like to see how far you can go, too.”

  * * *

  WOMEN LIKE LISA should be locked away, or come with a big warning sign danger, Sam thought as he went around to get into the truck. Once he was behind the wheel, it took all his concentration to start the engine and back out of the parking stall.

  Her fragrance filled the cab of the truck. He could see her from the corner of his eye, and wanted to turn and take his fill of every nuance to her expression. Revel in the sparkling eyes, her smile.

  He clenched his teeth tightly and focused on driving in Houston’s busy traffic.

  I’d like to see how far you can go, too. If that wasn’t a clear sign, he didn’t know what was.

  They had three days together before heading back to Tumbleweed. How far could they go together in that time?

  He must be crazy. Crazy about Lisa, he thought in disgust. Just like before. Crazy to be with her, to listen to her views on things, to hear her voice, touch that soft, velvety skin, taste that sweet mouth.

  He almost groaned with the way his body was reacting to the thoughts. Flicking her a quick glance, he grew frustrated with her calm outlook. She was gazing serenely out the window while he as about to ignite with unassuaged desire.

  After parking in the lot near the pens, he looked at her. “Well?”

  She pulled out the show catalog. “I have to be at this auction at ten. And then I wanted to check out some of the suppliers at the mercantile to see if we can get better pricing.” She looked up, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

  Sam almost reached across the bench seat and dragged her into his arms. Did she have any idea what she was doing to him?

  “Want to meet for lunch or something?” she asked brightly.

  “I’ll see.”

  Her flirtatious remark floated in the air. But he was wiser this time around. A brief fling with his ex-wife was one thing. Thinking things would change would be another.

  He wasn’t sure, but he thought he detected disappointment in her eyes, but she quickly dropped her gaze back to the catalog.

  “Well if you do, I’ll meet you here around one.”