“Rachel?”
She clicked to minimize the screen before she turned her focus to her friend.
“The party?” she asked. “Um, I hadn’t thought about it. I saw the invitation on the kitchen island yesterday.”
Before she’d left, before her entire life had changed. Before she’d boldly slept with her friend without putting up much of a fight. Despite what Matt thought, she wasn’t sorry.
“Are you alright?” Alexis dropped the invitation to her side and stepped on into the office. “I didn’t see you much yesterday evening, and the cook said you took yours and Ellie’s breakfast up to her room.”
Because she just wanted to spend her time with her daughter and not have any contact with people she had to actually talk to—not even Alexis. Rachel couldn’t get a grasp on her thoughts and she hadn’t slept. Today she looked like a zombie, and her hair wasn’t faring much better.
“I’m just tired, that’s all.” She attempted a smile in an attempt to erase the worry lines between her friend’s brows.
“Is the auction becoming too much?” Alexis took a seat on the leather sofa next to the desk. “Dad said he’s got Austin starting on the landscaping and gazebo area. I can’t wait to see how that turns out. Is there something I can do to lighten your load? Why don’t you let me take care of Matt’s pictures and getting them printed and ready?”
“No!” She hadn’t meant to shout her answer. “No,” she said more softly. “I’ve got it. I think I’ve narrowed it down to what we need.”
She had to go with the one of him in the waterfall. The one right before he’d demanded she come into the water, the one where his eyes had started getting all heavy-lidded and molten with desire.
No woman could resist that—obviously she hadn’t been able to. Isn’t that what she wanted? Women to throw more money toward the charity? Alexis and Gus were counting on a big check, and Rachel was here to help.
So she’d offer up the man she wanted. There was no denying she wanted him again, and he’d made things perfectly clear he wanted her just as much. But they couldn’t sleep together again. She couldn’t even look at him on the plane ride home, let alone undress for him again.
Guilt had accompanied her onto the plane. Granted she and Billy had had a rocky relationship, she’d suspected infidelity and he’d pushed her away after discovering the pregnancy. Still, she had been willing to work on their marriage.
But then they’d had that terrible fight and then the accident...and then it was too late to fix their marriage.
“What’s going on?” Alexis asked, easing forward on the edge of the sofa.
Even though Alexis was her best friend, Rachel didn’t want to get into the events of yesterday. She had to try to figure out how to wrap her own brain around it first.
“I just want to make sure I get everything perfect for the auction,” she stated, which was the truth.
Alexis raised her brows and tipped her head. “You’re a terrible liar.”
So Matt had told her more than once.
“I’m just dealing with a few things,” she told her friend. “Nothing to worry about. I’m just not ready to talk.”
“Well, I’m here whenever you need me. I can bring wine or ice cream or both. Both is always a good answer.”
Rachel smiled. “Thanks. I know you’re here for me.”
With a nod toward the computer, Alexis came to her feet. “Pull those back up and let’s see what we’re dealing with. Because from the little bit I could see when I walked in, your Matt is one devastatingly handsome man.”
“He’s not mine.”
Alexis made a sound of disagreement as she came around the desk and clicked on the mouse. “Wowza. Do you see how this man is looking at you?”
Rachel clenched her teeth and stared at the multiple images as Alexis scrolled through. “He’s looking at the camera.”
“He’s looking like he wants to devour you.” Alexis glanced over her shoulder and met Rachel’s eyes. “I’ll assume this is what you’re dealing with. Considering you two were at his private island all alone, I’d say you had a pretty good day.”
“His pilot was there,” she muttered.
Alexis laughed. “In the plane and paid a hefty sum to keep to himself.”
Turning, she sat on the edge of the desk and crossed her arms. Her eyes held both questions and compassion.
“Stop staring at me,” Rachel demanded. “I’m not talking about it.”
“If a man looked at me like that and I was on his own island, you better believe I’d be talking about it.”
Rachel pushed from her seat and shoved her hands in her hair, wincing when she encountered a massive tangle. “I need to go check on Ellie. She’s resting.”
“You have the monitor on the desk and there hasn’t been a noise. Why are you running? Because of Billy?”
Because of Billy, because of Matt. Because the only other man in her life she thought she could depend on had turned out to be...more than she ever thought. Shouldn’t she feel guilty simply over the fact that sex with Matt had been more amazing than anything she’d ever experienced in her marriage? Forget the fact that Billy had trusted them both?
Then again, she hadn’t trusted Billy. Not in the end. Did he even deserve her loyalty at this point? He was gone and if this were Alexis telling her this story, Rachel would tell her friend there was nothing to feel guilty about.
But still, this wasn’t Alexis.
“It’s okay to have feelings for someone else,” Alexis added. “You’re young, you’re beautiful, you’re going to get a man’s attention. What’s wrong with your friend, the Most Eligible Bachelor in Texas? Honey, women would die to be in your shoes.”
“Then they can have them.”
Part of Rachel was glad her friend knew some of what was going on without her having to say things out loud.
“I need a break.” She came to her feet and sighed. “What do you say when Ellie wakes up we go shopping? Maybe we can find some Halloween costumes for the party. Which is always difficult because I don’t want to be a slutty Snow White or a clown. So...something in between?”
Alexis practically jumped with glee. “Yes. I want to go as a Greek goddess. Care to join me?”
Retail therapy to find a fun costume—sounded like the break from reality she needed. Royal had some adorable little shops, so surely they could find something to throw together. Since the party was adults only, Rachel didn’t have to find Ellie anything, but she’d gone ahead and ordered her a little unicorn costume online for trick or treating.
For the rest of the day she wasn’t going to think about Matt or the waterfall or the tumultuous feelings she had to face. Unfortunately, those emotions weren’t going anywhere and she’d have to deal with them at some point. Damn that man for taking their relationship into unknown territory. She had absolutely no experience with flings or friends with benefits or whatever the hell this was called between them.
But she was certain of one thing. No way could she bid on him during the auction. A fantasy date with Matt Galloway was only asking for more trouble.
Ten
Matt walked through the old farmhouse, snapping pictures and making notes. He’d been here for hours, taking each room one at a time. There wasn’t a spot in this place where he didn’t see his grandfather or reflect on the memories of the greatest summers of his life.
This might not have been the grandiose spread that Lone Wolf Ranch was, but the small acreage and the two-story home still meant more to Matt than anything. More than his padded bank account, more than his private beach house on Galloway Cove and more than any relationship he’d ever had.
He’d already put a call in for a trust contractor to meet him at the end of the week and give an estimate of turning the whole place into something new. Matt wanted to keep the old elements as much as
possible, like the built-ins and the old fireplaces, but breathe some new life into the home to make it marketable. Royal was a hot spot right now, so Matt had confidence the place would sell fast.
As he stepped back onto the porch, a lump caught in his throat. The thought of his grandfather’s home going to someone else didn’t sit well. Every time he thought of selling, well, he hated it. Maybe once an overhaul happened and most rooms seemed newer he would feel different. Perhaps then it would feel less like his family’s farm and more just like a business transaction.
The wood plank beneath Matt’s foot gave way and he jumped back just in time to save his leg from going through the porch. The damn thing was falling apart.
He rolled up the sleeves on his dress shirt and bent down to assess the damage. He recalled many times doing repairs with his grandfather. He’d always kept this place in pristine shape, and summertime was when he’d saved up all the projects to work on with Matt.
A few hours plus ruined clothes and shoes later, Matt had the porch torn apart and had found old, sturdy boards in the barn to prop up the porch roof.
He stepped back and pulled in a deep breath as he surveyed his destruction. Damn, even in the fall the hot Texas sun beat down on him. The moisture from all his sweat had his shirt clinging to his back.
Tires over the gravel drive forced his attention over his shoulder. Rachel’s SUV pulled closer to his truck as he swiped his forearm over his forehead.
Confused, Matt crossed to her car. He hadn’t spoken to her since yesterday and he honestly didn’t think she’d come to him. Was she ready to discuss what happened? What it meant to their relationship?
When he got to the driver’s side, the window slid down. Rachel offered a nervous half smile.
“Hey, there!”
Matt leaned down and spotted Alexis in the passenger seat. “Afternoon.”
“It’s evening now,” she corrected with a laugh. “Looks like you ruined your clothes.”
Matt glanced to his grimy shirt and back up. “Impromptu demo. What are you all doing out?”
“We went to find Halloween costumes for the TCC party,” Alexis stated. “You’ll be going?”
With a shrug, his eyes came back to Rachel. “How did you all end up here?”
She nodded toward the back seat. “Ellie fell asleep as soon as we were done shopping, so we took the long way home so she can get a little nap in.”
There were various routes to get back to Lone Wolf Ranch. Interesting that she would choose this one.
“We saw your truck and pulled in,” Alexis stated with a knowing grin. What had Rachel told her friend?
“Alexis insisted I pull in,” Rachel corrected.
A whine from the back had Rachel jerking around and reaching toward the car seat. “It’s okay, sweetie.”
“Let me take her home,” Alexis offered.
“What? No,” Rachel insisted. “We’re going now.”
“Stay.”
The word slipped through his lips before he could even think otherwise. From the shock on Rachel’s face and the glee on Alexis’s, he had to assume they were just as much caught off guard.
“Matt—”
Alexis was already out of the car before Rachel could finish whatever argument she had on her tongue. Matt reached for her door handle as Ellie’s whines started getting louder.
“This is crazy,” Rachel muttered. “I can take my own daughter home.”
“You can,” Alexis agreed as she took Rachel’s hands to ease her from the car. “But let her come with Aunt Alexis. I’ll give her a bath and read her a story. I’ll even get her to sleep...you know, if you end up coming home late. Or even in the morning.”
The little Matt had been around Alexis back in college, he’d liked her. Now he suddenly felt like he had an ally.
Matt couldn’t smother his grin or stop the wink in her direction. She merely raised her brows as if they had some secret bond. Clearly they both wanted Rachel happy, which meant in this situation, Rachel didn’t have a chance in hell of winning the argument.
The two of them had to talk and the opportunity wouldn’t get any more obvious. Being a businessman, he took every open opportunity to further his steps toward his goals. And Rachel was one goal he wasn’t about to get rid of. Now if he could just figure out what to do once he fully had her...other than the obvious need to fulfill.
“Take your time, Rach,” Alexis practically sang as she slid into the driver’s seat. “Don’t worry about Ellie. She’s in good hands.”
Then Alexis closed the door and Matt reached for Rachel’s hand. “Relax,” he murmured against her ear. “I won’t bite unless you ask.”
Rachel threw a glance over her shoulder and rolled her eyes. “I won’t ask.”
Alexis pulled from the drive and Matt headed toward the house, assuming Rachel would follow since she had nowhere else to go.
He started picking up the mess he’d created, carrying the broken boards around back and stacking them in a pile against the barn. When he came back from his third trip, he laughed at the sight of Rachel still standing in the driveway with her arms crossed over her chest. She merely stared back at him and raised a brow.
“You find a costume for the party?” he called.
“Shut up.”
She was crazy about him.
“I’m thinking of going as a fireman...if you want to hold my hose.”
Well, that pulled a smile from her lips. “You’re a jackass.”
“No, but I do care about that frown on your face.” He moved closer to her so he didn’t have to keep yelling. “Seriously, at this point I’ll be going as a CEO because I have no idea what to wear.”
“So you’re going?”
He shrugged. “Why not? Sounds fun.”
“You don’t strike me as someone searching for fun by way of costume parties.”
He laid a hand over his chest. “That hurts, Rachel. Maybe you’ve forgotten the time I dressed up as a pirate.”
Rachel shook her head and snorted. “That doesn’t count. You did it to get into that bar when we went to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. If I recall, that costume garnered you several beads.”
He still hadn’t disclosed how he’d acquired those, and at this point he figured it was best she not find out. He’d like to garner a few acts to get beads from Rachel. The images flooding his mind weren’t so much fantasies now, but possibilities.
“Well, we got in where we wanted and a good time was had by all,” he stated. “So, are you going to tell me your costume or not?”
“You’ll see it at the party.”
Was she flirting? Hell, he had no clue. For the first time in all the years he’d known her, he couldn’t get a read on her thoughts.
“Want to walk through?” he asked, nodding toward the house.
Her eyes darted to the ripped-apart porch and the two-by-fours propping up the roof. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“There’s a back door.” He grabbed her hand without asking and urged her toward the house. He’d missed her touch. Even though he’d been with her not long ago, the span of time was still too much. “I’m going to have a contractor meet me at the end of the week and discuss renovations.”
“So you were trying to save money by ripping into it first?” she joked.
“Not hardly.” He led her to the back, where the weeds had nearly overtaken the back porch. “Watch your step.”
After helping her up and safely inside, Matt closed the screen door at his back.
“I’m not going to be doing the actual work,” he told her. “I was actually getting ready to leave earlier when the boards snapped on the porch. One thing led to another and time got away from me. Demo is a good source to work out frustrations.”
“Maybe you should give me a sledgehammer, then.”
She glanced down to her jeans and off-the-shoulder sweater that showcased one sexy shoulder. “I’m not really dressed for renovating today.”
Matt held his hands wide. “Clearly I wasn’t, either. You up for a little grunt work?”
* * *
What in the world had she been thinking? First, she let her friends steamroll her right out of her car and parenting responsibilities, then she’d gone into the house, and now she was sweating like she’d just run a marathon...which was absurd because she’d never run a marathon. Ever. Unless there was chocolate and wine at the end, and even then she’d have to think about it.
Rachel stepped back and surveyed the upstairs master bath. The rubble around her looked like a Texas tornado had whipped through, but her screaming shoulders reminded her she’d smashed everything to bits.
She hoped like hell Matt knew what he was doing by taking everything out. He claimed some of the things in the house, like the claw-foot tub in the guest bath and the old dumbwaiter, would be kept.
Propping the sledgehammer at her side, Rachel smiled. This had been therapeutic...no doubt about it. Maybe she should take up demo work instead of photography for her hobby.
“How’s it g—” Matt stopped in the doorway of the bathroom and blew out a low whistle. “Remind me not to piss you off. You do some serious damage with that thing.”
Rachel couldn’t help but smile, as she was rather proud of herself. “So, what now? I’m a sweaty mess and apparently I have a sitter. Where else do you want me?”
His eyes raked over her body, instantly thrusting her back to the waterfall and making her realize her poor choice in words.
“I already told you that was a onetime thing,” she warned, though saying it out loud was more as a reminder to herself than for him.
“You did say that.” He remained in place, but the way his eyes drifted over her again only reminded her of yesterday. “Tell me you haven’t thought of what happened on my island, haven’t played it over and over in your mind, reliving every moment, just like I have. Tell me you can just be done after one time.”
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