Black Hills Angel (Black Hills Series)

by Wilson, A. C.

  ***

  Matt could have laughed at the deep disappointment that had clouded Andy's beautiful green eyes. She had tried for all of a minute to conceal it, but that sassy pout had made him kiss her senseless again. Sliding into the driver's seat of his truck, he slipped the key into the ignition and it roared to life. He couldn't help the goofy smile that lingered on his lips. There was no denying the sparks that had roared to life tonight. Andy felt the same as he and had they not been interrupted by Garrett's S.O.S., well, who knows where it might have ended up.

  Clicking his seat belt and putting the Chevy truck in gear, he set out to be a hero. He preferred to think along those lines, because Garrett would just call him his little brother. At this moment though, he didn't feel so little. At twenty-eight years old, Matt felt like he had a destination in mind and he was looking forward to the journey. There was nothing stopping him from loving Andy completely, except for the truth. She hadn't been willing to share it all yet. He hadn't pushed.

  There was a sneaking suspicion that if he did push, she would back away from him. He hoped that with time and some sensual barriers removed, Andy might be convinced that it was in her and her baby's best interest to be open with him. Harper. He grinned to himself. That angel was a pivoting role. She had captured him with just her little smile and all her trust. Sitting with them in the apartment hallway, he had felt an instant connection to both mother and daughter.

  Letting out a deep breath, Matt turned into the movie theater parking lot. Garrett's big black Dodge was parked in the back with the hood up. Shaking his head, Matt pulled his truck up around the front so that the engines faced each other. Garrett waved him in and then stopped him when he was close enough. In two shakes they had the batteries cabled up and Garrett's truck roared to life.

  "Thanks alot. What took you so long in getting over here? It's only five minutes from the house." Garrett threw the jumper cables in the steel utility box of his truck. Matt shook his head.

  "I wasn't at home obviously." He hadn't let his brother in on too many of the details with Andy and Harper. It wasn't that he didn't think his older brother would understand, but Garrett had a way with asking far more questions than were needed. As he didn't have all the answers, Matt had kept quiet.

  "Obviously. Well are you going to tell me who she is? You've been over there every night since you came back from Will's apartment." Garrett smiled as Hannah, his on/off girlfriend slid her arm around his waist. Matt nodded a greeting to Hannah before he answered.

  "Her name is Andy and we are getting to know each other." Matt stumbled over the last of that sentence. The suspicious light in Garrett's eyes made him rethink the favor he had to ask.

  "Andy, huh? Well maybe we can double date sometime." Garrett offered as he squeezed Hannah's waist and she burrowed into his side. Matt was quickly starting to feel like a third wheel.

  "Uh, yeah, maybe. Since I came to your rescue tonight, I need to ask you a favor for tomorrow night." Matt thumped his forearm on his truck door. Garrett raised a thick brow. "She has a daughter and we need a babysitter so we can go out." Had he not been so nervous in asking, Matt would have busted a gut at his brother's expression.

  "Babysitter? Matt, have you lost your mind? I don't know a damn thing about babysitting!"

  Hannah bit back a grin as Garrett looked at her in horror.

  "Oh, come on, Garrett! I never ask you for anything and I really like this girl. It just isn't a date when you have to pack an infant in a car seat with a diaper bag filled with everything it would need in case of a collapse of the world!" Matt felt at a loss. He turned pleading eyes to Hannah, hoping she would understand his plea. She was watching both brothers as if they were a great sideshow at a circus!

  "Infant? You mean a baby? Oh dear Lord, Matt you can't ask me this." Garrett took off his hat and wiped a big palm over his eyes. He groaned. Matt waited, wondering what else he could possibly say that would not hinder his case. Long, heavy seconds passed with only the sound of cars leaving the parking lot.

  "Matt go on your date. Your brother and I will watch the baby." Hannah said finally, but lifted a hand just as Matt got ready to leave. "It's not for all night, is it?"

  Matt shook his head.

  "No. Just dinner at 6:30 p.m. and maybe a show? We won't leave town and will be back by 11 p.m."

  "All right. I will talk to you more about this tomorrow. We are going out to Smitty's." Garrett said as he opened the door and helped Hannah into the truck. Matt nodded, thinking Smitty's would be fun. It was a bar they frequented along with their construction buddies. He didn't dare go back to Andy's tonight. He tried to tell himself Harper needed her sleep, but really he needed to cool his jets just a bit. If he jumped right into bed with Andy, there wouldn't be any more leverage chips to play.

  No, wait her out, Matt! Be patient!

  Matt decided to go home instead of going out to Smitty's. Tagging along with his brother and his girlfriend would feel like intruding and he had already asked them to baby sit tomorrow. There was no sense in pushing his luck. Flipping his cell phone open, he saw that he had a text message waiting. Grinning like the sappy fool he was, Matt clicked on it. His eyes read it and his smile dropped.

  What the hell does she want?!

  Chapter Six

  Matt woke up with a pounding in his head unlike any hangover he had ever had. A tightness in his chest made him irritable and downright unpleasant to be around this morning. Garrett had kicked him off the jobsite with a threat to kick his butt. As if he could! They hadn't fought in an actual blow to blow fight since Garrett had broken Matt's nose in high school.

  Scratching his head, he sat in his truck in front of the office of Johnson Brothers Buildings. Closing his eyes, he tried to figure out just what to do. Her texts sounded serious. His cell phone buzzed in his jean's pocket again and he growled as he slipped it out. What now? Just leave me alone. His eyes widened.

  I can't wait for tonight. I can't wait to see you. 8 hours and counting!

  His heavy mood lightened some as he read and reread Andy's text. He couldn't wait for their date. He could wait for the conversation he knew he needed to have with her though.

  Beginning. Middle. End. Was there a good time to share such information? His sour mood reclaimed his anticipation at seeing Andy.

  Knock. Knock. Matt glared at his window where his brother stood, sharing a similar look. Grudgingly rolling down the window, Matt didn't say anything, but of course the icy reception conveyed too much.

  "What is your problem today? Last night you were all smitten with a school boy crush. Today you are doom and gloom. What gives?" Garrett's use of modern slang didn't fit well with his big cowboy stereotype. Matt flicked an annoyed look at his brother, but handed him his cell phone.

  "Text messages. All thirty of them!" Matt ground out. His grip hardening on his steering wheel and burning his hand as he turned in irritation. Irritated! Pissed off was more like it!

  "Holy crap! What is her problem now?" Garrett handed Matt his phone back. "You've got to do something about her." Her. Monica Graham. Not so fondly referred to as Psycho Monica.

  "She has a few major screws loose! I can handle her warped sense of possession, but Andy shouldn't have to worry about her. What if she really does what she says she is going to do?" Matt tried not to even let his guard down that much. He knew anger was about all that could cover the agonizing worry that ate at him. Monica was nuts. There was no doubt in his mind.

  "A few?! Ha! What the hell you ever saw in her was beyond me! How did she find out about you and Andy anyway? I didn't even know her name until last night." Garrett raised his boot and rested it on the running board of Matt's truck.

  "I'm sure she's been following me. It's been a week. I'm surprised she hasn't contacted me before now." Matt shook his head. Trying to understand all the jumbled nonsense Monica's texts had spouted. "I wouldn't be so worried about Andy, but she has a baby, Garrett. I can't risk Monica's threats against a child." Mat
t felt sick. His stomach turned inside out.

  "I don't know, little brother. I would take those texts to the police and let them figure it all out. You've been far too nice to her, even ignoring her like you do. She's bad news."

  Matt nodded. It was true. A year and half ago, he had thought Monica a beautiful girl with legs that stretched for miles. He quickly learned that was all she had going for her and crazy was not his thing! Unfortunately the month they had dated, if you could call it that, only seemed to concrete her deep-seated obsession for him. He hadn't been able to date since. Any time he got even remotely close to a girl he saw potential in, Monica would do something to run the girl off. Not that he could blame them.

  "Just keep an eye out for her. I don't know exactly what she would do and that's what makes her threats all the more real." Matt opened his truck door and rolled up the window.

  "I know you are really starting to care for this Andy girl. Just be honest with her. Let her decide if it's worth the risk. It's her life and her baby." Garrett turned to go into the office. Matt shut the door and clicked the lock button until the horn sounded on the truck. He pressed his lips together to keep from saying more to his big brother. He had already catapulted way past starting to care for Andy. Blowing out a long breath, he headed inside to work on some city permits.

  Matt sat at his desk, staring at the computer screen and making notes on a stack of papers he had piled in front of him. Margaret chuckled as she brought him a cup of coffee. He had always liked her. She was the mothering type or if he were honest, grand mothering type. She was probably close to sixty, he gathered. She had children and grandchildren. She had been widowed over ten years now. Her graying hair was pulled up in a clip and her reading glasses sat on the tip of her nose. All in all she had a great sense of humor when she wasn't telling you what you should do!

  "So when were you going to tell me about this new girl you have been seeing? From what I gathered from your brother, things are moving pretty quickly." Matt rolled his eyes, but offered her a cheeky grin. Even if she hadn't talked to his brother, Margaret had her ways of filtering information. She should have been a private investigator. She would have said it was just woman's intuition. Whatever it was, she used it well.

  "I see office gossip has been circulating. She's a single mom with a three month old daughter. I just met her last week." Matt turned in his chair to grab another file.

  "Single mother, huh? A young one to say the least. That has to be tough on her. Is she from around here?" Margaret took a sip of her coffee, taking a seat in the chair before his desk. She was here to offer advice, Matt knew. She didn't ever sit in his office unless she had some tidbit of wisdom to impart.

  "No, she's not from around here. I haven't gotten much information on that subject. She's alone, raising her baby. I don't think her family approved and she's not with Harper's father." Matt checked a couple of boxes on the forms. He tried hard not to look at Margaret. She was far too insightful and if she got a good look in his eyes, he was beyond all hope of keeping any of his feelings to himself.

  "That's too bad. Family is so important. You are very sweet to be nice to her." Margaret smoothed out her brown slacks and nodded to herself. "I cannot imagine not knowing my grandchildren. I cannot imagine turning my own child away if they needed me like that for that matter."

  Matt cast a quick look in her direction and found she was staring right at him. He hastily went back to his papers. Margaret sat there for a few more minutes, sipping her coffee and letting the silence grow more uncomfortable. The way he felt today she might have been torturing him. How she managed to know just how to weasel out information from him, he had no idea!

  "Fine. We are going out on our first date tonight." Matt threw it out there with an irritated flourish of his hand. His pen rolled off the desk and as he went to retrieve it, he saw Margaret smile broadly. She was pleased. Oh dear.

  "That's wonderful. Found a babysitter, then? Please tell me you didn't blackmail Garrett into it?" Margaret set her coffee cup down, leaning slightly forward in her seat. It reminded Matt of sharing a secret. He grinned. He nodded and she covered her mouth with a sigh.

  "He owes me. Hannah will be there to supervise." Matt handed two folders to her. She shook her head, but took them.

  "Of course. Well should you need a more reliable sitter next time, you can call me. I love babies!" Margaret got up from her chair and reclaimed her coffee cup. Matt smiled at her and leaned back in his chair. She was so sweet to offer.

  "Thank you. I would like to take her out more often. We will see how we get through tonight."

  Margaret nodded and stepped out the door to her desk positioned near the front entrance. Matt resumed his paperwork and computer search. A rustle of papers at his door brought his attention back to Margaret.

  "Do you know where you are going to take her?" Margaret's eyes twinkled behind her glasses.

  "Of course. It's all handled." Matt smiled at her and she raised a brow as she left him again. She knew better. It wasn't handled, but it would be. He was extremely fond of his secretary slash surrogate mother, but he couldn't let her figure everything out for him. He looked at his watch. Four more hours until he had to pick Andy up. He felt that familiar wave of excitement seep into him. Turning back to the computer, he tried to hang in there just a few more hours.

  ***

  Andy felt a bit off center. She had a rough day at work. The hotel was extremely busy with tourists and general business. Sara, her manager, was trying to convince her to work nights. That was an impossibility! It would mean finding someone to keep Harper all night and Andy really didn't like that idea. Besides Harper still hadn't gotten her days and nights figured out.

  Rachel had called to say Harper was fidgeting and rebelling sleep. Nothing new there! It did make this date with Matt seem like a bad idea. She couldn't leave an irritated baby with a complete stranger. It wasn't fair. On top of it all, she had gotten a weird phone call at work from a woman. The mystery woman hadn't left a name. She had just said getting too friendly with Matt Johnson would lead to bad things. Honestly it had creeped Andy out. How could this woman know about Matt? Why would it lead to bad things? It really hadn't made much sense and now it only ticked her off. She should be used to strange people and strange phone calls at a hotel by now.

  Still she was getting ready for this date with Matt. Harper sat in her car seat in the bathroom watching Andy put on her mascara after straightening her long hair. She was going to leave it down. Usually she put it back in a ponytail with Harper, but tonight she decided to let it frame her face. Her green eyes seemed to pop with the darker lashes and bluish green lace top she wore.

  She had stood in her closet for twenty minutes trying to decide what to wear. Where were they going? Dinner? Movie? Dancing? Andy had settled on a dark wash pair of blue jeans and this bluish green lace top that fell off one shoulder. Her figure wasn't quite as trim as it had been before Harper, but she didn't feel excessively changed either. She had gained some curves by becoming a mother. Harper gurgled in her happy way. Andy smiled at her daughter.

  Spritzing some of her favorite body spray on her neck and wrists, she made one final cursory check on her appearance. Satisfied, if ever a woman can be, Andy picked up the carrier and took Harper with her to the living room. Sitting down in the recliner and leaning slightly forward, she pulled her brown boots on over her pant legs. The calf-high boots were not new, but she hadn't had much of an occasion to wear them. Standing up, she twirled for Harper. The baby offered a goofy, lop-sided smile and Andy couldn't help but feel excited for the first time in quite a while.

  Knock. Knock. Andy felt her heart speed up as she stooped to pull Harper out of her car seat. Balancing the baby on her hip, she went to the door and opened it. Oh sweet Lord! I want that! Her thoughts zoomed out of control before she could even rein them in. Matt stood in the doorway with a bouquet of wild flowers and a smile that meant everything naughty. Suddenly it was blazing hot in the ap
artment as she stepped out of his way to let him inside.

  Her green eyes drank in the glorious sight of a well figured man in Wrangler jeans. Her stomach twisted. He had worn a blue plaid western button-up shirt tucked into those hip hugging jeans. Black Justin boots completed the look of a sinfully rugged man. Already everything Andy wore felt restrictive. Shaking off the inappropriate thoughts, she closed the door and smiled at Matt.

  "How are my two best girls tonight?" His voice was low and husky. Sexy! Matt grinned at her as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. Hell he probably did considering how they were wrapped up in each other's arms last night. She cleared her throat, fighting off a blush.

  "Harper is going to be a handful. I really don't think we should leave her with your brother. Rachel couldn't even handle her today." Andy looked sorry to break the bad news. Matt tilted his head in thought and pulled out his cell phone. Where had that been hiding? She bit back a grin. He dialed a number and tried to look like Saint Matt as he waited for whoever it was to answer.

  "Hey beautiful! Turns out I need a pro tonight." He paused why the other person talked. "Great. I will text you the address. Thanks. See you soon." Matt clicked off the call and then dialed another number. "Hey bro, looks like you are off the hook." He closed his phone and put it back in his front pocket. Andy couldn't help but let her eyes follow his hands. Her skin tingled at the thought of his large, work roughened hands on her skin. Suddenly she recalled where she was and brought her eyes up to Matt's face. His smile was so sexy and there was no doubt he had been watching her assessing gaze the whole time. Ah crap! Her cheeks blushed with embarrassment.

  "Can I hold her?" Matt reached out for Harper and Andy gave her daughter over to him. He raised her up and gently shifted Harper from side to side. Her daughter cooed happily.

  "So you called Garrett off. Who is watching Harper tonight? Your mom?" Andy tried not to stumble over the last word, but she didn't quite make it. If Matt heard, he didn't indicate it. He shook his head.