Along Came a Ranger

by Debra Holt

  He probably saw her as somewhat of a challenge. Maybe that was the allure she held for him and kept him coming back. Stacy was a female with her own mind and did not need any man, or his wealth, to “complete her”. She had set out to make certain she would never need anyone but herself to survive, and she had more than done that.

  Donnie was good fun, had sparkling dinner conversation, and could do a mean fox trot. She smiled at the man beside her, in his navy, pinstriped suit, immaculate white shirt, and striped burgundy and gray tie. Sunshades cloaked his gray eyes at the moment, but his salon tan went well with his casually, yet professionally-styled blonde hair. Yes, Donnie was every female’s embodiment of a “great catch.” And he knew it. Why then did the sudden and unwelcome image, of a certain tall ranger nudge him to the back of her mind? Get over it. The man is gone.

  “Sorry, but I have to dash into Dad’s office and deliver some contracts that can’t wait. He’d like to see you, too. Then we can grab lunch at the club. Sound like a plan?” Donnie’s words made the image in her mind vanish and that was okay with her.

  “That’s fine. It’s such a lovely afternoon to be outside.” Spring was just around the corner in central Texas. It was her favorite time of year.

  “You stay shut away with your writing much too much. You know you could get a small recorder, carry it with you and dictate your books. Then you could pay someone else to sit inside all day and transcribe them. That would let you come out and play more… with me.” He tossed her a perfect smile.

  At that very moment, another comparison flitted through her mind. The smile of Davis McKenna beat Donnie’s by a mile. Why was the ranger like a jack-in-the-box in her mind? She brushed the sudden image away. Why wouldn’t that particular cowboy just go away and stop popping into places he wasn’t wanted?

  “That’s not my style, Donnie. Besides, I don’t plan to change my writing routine. It works for me and it works for my readers. But thanks for the input.”

  “Seriously, my beauty,” Donnie continued, as if she had never spoken, “you must get out more on the social scene. There will be a lot of afternoon cocktail parties and weekends at the lake coming up soon. The movers and shakers will be in attendance and I need you at my side. We make a stunning pair together.”

  Stacy stifled a frown. She certainly wasn’t arm candy for anyone. Donnie was in for a rude awakening, if he thought she’d suddenly become one of those females just to please him. “In case you haven’t heard, I’m a bestselling author who does have obligations to my publisher and my readers—to be out and about with them. When I’m not writing, that is.”

  He gave a dismissive tilt of his head as he maneuvered the car through the downtown Austin traffic along Congress Avenue. “I’m very proud of the fact that you’re a bestselling author. Although my mother still worries that one day she’ll see our family’s personal laundry between the covers of one of your books. I tell her that you write fiction books, not expose articles, so that made her feel better.”

  Stacy didn’t reply. She just smiled. What would be his reaction if she told him that often there were characters in her “fiction” books that certainly had similarities to living persons she had come across in her life? His mother might have one of her fainting spells if she knew that. Stacy bit her lip to hold back the sudden urge to laugh over that thought.

  They passed through the security checkpoint at the north entrance of the expansive grounds, and then found a place to park close to the wide steps of the state capital building annex. Some of the huge oak and pecan trees had stood on the manicured grounds since before the building had been built, well over one hundred and fifty years. The cottonwood trees were interspersed among them and were budding out in the early spring sunshine.

  Stacy walked beside Donnie up the wide steps to the building, second only in size to the capitol building in Washington, D.C. She enjoyed visiting the impressive historic structure. Her writer’s mind went into overdrive imagining the stories its hallowed halls held. If they could talk, what tales they might tell? With Donnie’s hand at the small of her back, her steps were guided across the marble flooring of the rotunda and toward one of the elevators with their gilded doors and embossed seal of the state.

  Transferring the briefcase with the contracts inside to his left hand, he pressed the button, more than once. She gave a small smile. Patience was never one of his attributes. He expected everything to happen when he wanted it to do so.

  “You know it doesn’t move any faster if you press it more than once,” she commented sagely, pushing her glasses to the top of her head, before sliding her hands into the pockets of her slacks. At that moment, the doors slid open and two people stepped from the front of the car, which still held a couple of men who stepped toward the back to allow the couple to enter.

  Stacy moved into the car and her eyes came up just as she was turning to face the front doors. That was when she came face to face with Mr. Devastating Blue Eyes again. The fact that he was just as surprised to see her was evident in the sudden cobalt gleam that lit on her. Stacy swung around, her stunned mind trying to fire again. She was very much aware of the man who stood close behind her in the tiny confines of the elevator. Now, she wanted to be the one to punch the buttons repeatedly to make the elevator move faster and allow her to escape from the small car.

  The door did slide open on the next floor, but another person stepped into the car, which made Stacy take a step backwards. Instantly, she felt a strong hand reach to steady her with a touch to her arm and she stepped away quickly at the fire that leaped to the very spot he touched. Stacy kept her eyes trained on the door in front of her and hoped he hadn’t noted the reaction.

  “This will just take a minute or two, and then I promise we’ll be on our way to the club. I’m famished for food, and to be alone with you. We need to discuss our future.” Donnie leaned in and whispered beside her.

  She cringed inwardly, hoping his words hadn’t reached beyond her hearing, but that was not the case. The elevator was simply too small for privacy. Stacy’s only response was a slight smile which was more of an embarrassed grimace than anything else.

  The doors slid open and she breathed a sigh of relief as she saw it was their floor. Stacy could not exit from the car fast enough. She kept her eyes from seeking a quick look over her shoulder. If she had, she would have not been pleased to see the tall ranger stepped out of the car on the same floor.

  Davis McKenna followed the pair at a discreet distance and hesitated at the corner when they turned it. He only went on his way once he noted the office they entered. When he retraced his steps to the elevator, there was a smile on his face and determination in his step.

  “It’s about time this son of mine brings you to visit. We missed you at the Culver’s fundraiser last week. Janice is already planning that you’ll be joining us for the governor’s ball at the end of the month. We’ll be having the usual dinner at our home before the event with just a few select guests.” Senator Harrington crossed to take her hand and give her a one-armed hug, neither too tight, nor too loose.

  A gesture Stacy was sure had been perfected over many years of political schmoozing. She fought to keep her mind on the people in the room around her. Senator Harrington, his attorney, Paul Roberts, and an aide rose as they walked into the man’s private office.

  “Dad, I haven’t talked her into that one yet.” Donnie spoke up.

  “Then you’re slipping, son. Perhaps it’s a good thing that you keep him dangling for a while, Stacy. You can’t let him take you for granted.” The man was a smooth politician.

  She was never quite sure just how sincere his smile was at any given time… or if he even believed half of the words that came out of his mouth. They all shared a few more minutes of small talk. When the men broke out the contracts, Stacy excused herself and moved to a chair in the waiting room.

  She thumbed through a couple of magazines while she waited for Donnie, trying to keep her mind inside the office an
d not allow it to wander the halls of the building searching for the blue-eyed ranger. How could such a coincidence happen? Of course, if she were writing this in one of her books, it would be a “meet-cute” scene. Except, she wasn’t writing it, and never would.

  She didn’t write about cowboys, no matter how devastating their smiles were or the fact their eyes matched the blue of the Caribbean Sea on a cloudless day. Great… waxing poetic over the exact type of man she loathed. Stacy grabbed another magazine, determined to push all those types of thoughts from her mind. A “few minutes” stretched into twenty. Stacy was glad when the door finally opened and Donnie walked out. She stood to join him.

  He took her hand in his with a smile of contrition. “I’m so sorry, Stacy. It’s going to be a while before I can get away from here. We’ve got to take a meeting with the guys from Houston. A potential problem has come up with some legislation impacting their businesses, and they’re only in town for a few more hours. We can’t ignore them… they’re major contributors and have been for many years. I just hate this when it’s already taken me so long to persuade you to come down from your tower for today.”

  “I understand, Donnie. It’s not a problem.” She assured him with a smile.

  There really wasn’t an issue as far as she was concerned. She could certainly understand that business often had to come first. And, if truth be told, she wasn’t disappointed about not spending time with Donnie and his high maintenance ego, after all. And she could finally escape from the building before there were more chance encounters with a certain lawman.

  “Don’t worry about it. I have errands that I should take care of anyway.”

  “Dad’s car is downstairs and the driver will take you wherever you need to go.” Donnie squeezed her hand in thanks for her taking the change so well, before placing a quick kiss on her cheek.

  “The car isn’t necessary. I think it’s so nice outside that I want to take a walk across the grounds and then I can window shop my way back home. I’ll be just fine.”

  “I’ll call you as soon as I can get away. I’ll make it up to you with dinner. How about that?”

  “Just call me later and we’ll talk about it.”

  Early spring produced a stellar afternoon in Austin. The sky was a cloudless, vivid blue. Buds were in various stages of opening on the trees and daffodils and hyacinths were in vibrant color… their fragrances mixed in a pleasing scent, and the light breeze kept the temperature in the low seventies.

  Stacy left the grounds of the capital and crossed the street to stroll along Congress Avenue, in the direction of her condo a few blocks away toward the end of the main thoroughfare. She paused now and then when an item would catch her eye in a shop window. At a stationery shop, she ventured inside and came out with a new leather-bound journal, which she would have Trish’s name engraved upon for her upcoming birthday. The smell of grilling food coming from one of the bistros in the next block, reminded her she had not yet eaten. She paused to read the menu beside the doorway of one of the eateries. She didn’t get very far.

  “I suggest the grilled teriyaki medallions. They’re really very tasty.” The familiar voice materialized beside her, startling her.

  Stacy quickly turned to look at the man. He was still a cowboy. Only today, in addition to the jeans, badge, and Stetson, he had added a dark navy jacket with the white shirt and tie. He had withdrawn the sunglasses from his eyes as she turned to face him. They were slid into his breast pocket. The blue gaze, just as remembered and just as potent, held her steady in its power.

  “Hello,” she replied, finding her voice, surprising herself she could sound so calm when she was anything but that inside.

  She really needed to get over her reaction to this man each time he appeared. The sweaty palms and the skittering butterflies were neither wanted nor something she experienced before. It was both pleasant and unsettling all at the same time.

  “Small world,” she managed to add, from nothing but sheer nervousness.

  “Seems we’re fated to be in tight places together,” he said, grinning from his height.

  His voice had the remembered soothing, rich honey quality to it. No fair.

  “Elevators,” he clarified his statement for her.

  “Seems that way.” She, who made her living with words, had trouble putting more than two or three together in a coherent sentence at the moment.

  “Have you decided on your lunch?”

  “I was just looking,” she responded. “I hadn’t realized that it’s way past the lunch hour.”

  “Me, too. I really like the food here, although I don’t like eating alone so much of the time. How about joining me?” He continued before she could interrupt, “Just for lunch, it isn’t a date. We both need to eat. Why sit alone when we can share a table and pleasant conversation?”

  Stacy caught her bottom lip in a nervous gesture. Many thoughts went through her mind all at once, the first being the fact that he was still way too sexy for her peace of mind. The second one being that she would be breaking her own rule. Third… blank. What was it about the man that had her common sense deserting her like vapors into thin air?

  “I suppose that would be okay, since you put it that way. It certainly is not a date. And the food does smell delicious.” What had she just done?

  He didn’t give her time to change her mind. Davis held the gate open for her to precede him inside the patio area. A smiling hostess showed them to a table with a brightly colored yellow umbrella shading it and with a view of the park across the street. At this hour of the afternoon, no longer the lunch hour, but too early for the dinner crowd, they virtually had the place to themselves. He removed his hat and sat it in the other unoccupied chair, then stepped to hold her chair for her while she seated herself.

  Stacy took her time studying the menu, trying to concentrate on the words on the printed page and find a way to keep her breathing under control. She was beginning to think this was not a great idea after all. With him seated across from her, she would have trouble finding something else to place her gaze upon instead of him. An experiment… treat it as an experiment. By the end of lunch, she was bound to have him and her reaction to him under control and be able to put it behind her… once and for all.

  When the waitress returned, Stacy gave in to the temptation and ordered the previously suggested medallions. Davis did the same.

  Once they had been served their iced teas, they were left alone.

  “Did business bring you to the capital today?” He ventured the question when the silence seemed to lengthen too much.

  “No. I was with a friend whose father has offices there,” she replied. “Senator Harrington.” She hoped he didn’t think she was being a namedropper. Stacy was just trying to elaborate to fill the time.

  The ranger gave a brief nod of his head. “I know of him. I thought the man you were with looked familiar. I’ve seen him coming and going a time or two. I should thank him the next time I see him.”

  “Yes, that’s Donnie,” she responded as her eyes flew to his. “Thank him? For what?”

  “For being the catalyst that brought us together in the same place today. Otherwise, I would have had to spend more time tracking you down.”

  Her attention was definitely zeroed on him. “Why would you be tracking me down? I think our last conversation made it clear…”

  Davis interrupted her. “That you don’t date cowboys. I certainly remember that statement. I just wanted to check on you, and see if you had any lasting effects after our elevator scare.”

  “That’s very kind of you, but I’m fine. Donnie and I were about to enjoy this beautiful afternoon when business took him away.”

  His eyes narrowed a bit or did she imagine it? She was trying to do her best to not allow her gaze to stay too long on his eyes. Stacy felt they could see way too much. She imagined they must be an asset to him in his job.

  “It must have been quite an emergency to make him give up spending this n
ice afternoon with you.”

  “Some people had come in from Houston and their business was time sensitive. I really didn’t mind. These things can’t be helped.” Her attention was taken by the waitress with refills of their drinks.

  “Donnie and you… should I be worried that your boyfriend or fiancé is going to call me out to a duel for having lunch with you?”

  She smiled as she imagined the sight that would be… Donnie daring to think he could go up against this ranger. She shook her head. “You’re safe. Donnie and I are just friends. We date occasionally when schedules allow, but I’m free to have dinner with whomever I choose.”

  “That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.”

  She almost choked on the bite of salad she had just taken as she noted the way his blue eyes twinkled at her. The man was definitely bad for the equilibrium.

  “So you’re a writer,” Davis commented, in a surprising change of subject.

  Her eyes forgot and flew to meet his again. “How did you know that?”

  He responded with a grin that sent those very attractive grooves to frame each side of his mouth. “I did a little investigating, plus the fact the only other group in the hotel besides ours that day was a writers’ convention. By the process of elimination, that left the obvious. What are some of the titles? Perhaps I’ve read some of them.”

  Davis seemed genuinely interested.

  Stacy hesitated, a wry smile turning up the corners of her mouth. “I doubt it.” Somehow, she couldn’t picture this man kicking back in his easy chair with one of her romances in his hands.

  He seemed more the action thriller type of guy.

  “I confess I looked up your name and came up blank on books written by Stacy Smith. So I assume you write under a pen name?”

  The arrival of their food interrupted the conversation, but just for a couple of minutes. He watched her take a bite of her food and waited for her verdict.