Zack started walking again and she did, too, keeping her distance, reminding herself he was a drifter and would not be staying.
Glancing at Lucy as she grew quiet, Zack realized she had to take two steps to his one and he slowed his pace. "Tell me about the ranch."
She smiled then, and he realized it was an automatic response to the place where she'd grown up. "When I was little, I thought it was the world," she said. "It seemed to have no boundaries. I could run in any direction until I was too tired to keep going, and I was still on the ranch. I can't imagine living in a big city with no land around me, no cottonwoods or fence or as much grass as sky."
"You love it here."
"I always have, and I always will."
Stopping again, he faced her, suddenly filled with the need not only to get closer to smell her perfume, but to know more about her. "You don't have a desire to venture beyond the town of Long Brush?"
"I'd need a very good reason. Even to live in town. I like being out here with my family."
He itched to touch the glossiness of her hair as it swept across her cheek. "You don't feel crowded? As if they're in your business all the time?" He'd never known real family. He and Kay had been planning to put down roots...
"That's the greatest advantage to living on a ranch. When I feel crowded, I have plenty of space to catch my breath."
Wanting to keep her talking, he asked, "Do you sell your horses locally?"
Lucy raised her chin a notch and stuffed her bare hands in the pockets of her jacket. "Rising Star has a reputation. We sell to customers all over the country. The Quarter Horse isn't only a cow pony. He's a great all-around horse. And Quarter Horse racing is picking up again, too, though most of the horses we sell are trained for cutting events."
The late October breeze carried the forecast of winter as it suddenly buffeted Zack with more force. When Lucy's hair blew across her lips, he couldn't keep himself from reaching out, smoothing it along her cheek. Her brown hair was as silky as it looked. Would her lips taste as sweet as he imagined? Could her hands make him remember passion and the fire that drove it?
If he lowered his head, he could taste her...maybe taste desire again...
"Hey, Mr. Burke," Josh called from the barn door. "Come see my saddle."
Lucy's lashes fluttered and she avoided his gaze. Zack pushed desire away and said to Josh," "We'll be right there." More disappointed than he wanted to admit that he hadn't kissed her, he was also grateful for the interruption. What if he'd kissed her and found he was still frozen inside? And what if she thought a kiss meant something other than curiosity?
As he saw Lucy's cheeks redden not only from the fresh air, but also from the embarrassment she was trying to hide, he knew a kiss would mean more to a woman like this than a moment of desire.
Then all of a sudden, she faced him squarely and asked, "When you leave Rising Star, where are you headed?"
The question took him by surprise—but only for a moment. He realized Lucy, like most women, had permanence on her mind. He'd learned too well that nothing about life was permanent. "Trying to get rid of me already?" he teased.
"Of course not. I just wondered, that's all."
He could tell Lucy wasn't the type of woman who could be easily sidetracked. "Probably Texas."
"Any place in particular?"
Frowning, he shrugged as if he hadn't given it much thought. "San Antonio, maybe."
"Why?"
"Is this still part of the interview?" he asked, impatient with her questions because he didn't have the answers.
"I guess you can say that. Where a man is going can be just as important as where he's been."
He'd been to hell and was finding his way back to earth. Holding on to anger that simmered beneath his impatience, he answered, "I'm going to San Antonio because I've never been there."
"And after that?" she pressed some more.
Raking his hand through his hair, he said, "I haven't planned it out. Maybe I'll head up to Alaska and climb a few glaciers."
Lucy didn't blink an eye. "What are you running from, Zack?"
Her insight brought his anger to the surface. "I'm not running. I'm exploring. And I didn't realize when I accepted this job that I'd be grilled about my life. Or are you reconsidering your offer?"
"No, the offer holds. If you still want the job."
For some insane reason, he wanted it more now than when he'd ridden his bike under the wooden sign where letters carved into the wood read RISING STAR.
"Mr. Burke. Aunt Lucy. Are you coming?" Josh yelled again, holding the door open for them.
After waving to her nephew, Lucy waited for Zack's answer.
When her brown eyes searched his face, Zack realized this woman might have the power to make him feel again. "Look, I want the job. But I want my privacy, too. Let's just stick to the here and now."
Her brows arched. "A man without a past and without a future. We can try it, Zack. But I can't promise my family won't ask the same questions I have. You might get tired of fending them off."
With a grimace, he shook his head. "Let's go look at Josh's saddle. I'll worry about fending off your family when I have to."
As he strode toward Josh, Zack realized Lucy's words were more of a prediction than a warning. At least he'd be ready.
And he would be prepared. He wasn't about to open wounds that were finally starting to heal.
#
Zack met the McIntyres as they straggled in for Saturday night supper. Josh introduced each member as if it was the most important job he ever had. Zack suspected Esther McIntyre had suggested the procedure to Josh as an exercise in social skills but also to make Zack feel more comfortable. He was definitely a fish out of water in this family atmosphere.
Mary Jo McIntyre, Rick's wife, dressed in jeans and flannel blouse, her light brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, sparkled with the same enthusiasm for life as her son. "It's good to meet you, Mr. Burke. I hope Josh hasn't been too much of a bother."
"No bother at all. He makes a great tour guide."
Mary Jo smiled and ruffled her son's hair. "He knows more about this ranch than I do. He sees and hears everything."
Zack laughed. Twice in one day. How long had it been since laughter had been part of his life?
When Rick McIntyre shook Zack's hand, his grip was firm, his gaze friendly. "Lucy asked me Josh's very-important- question. How about you and I take a turn around the place on your bike sometime before I give Josh the okay?"
Zack heard the amusement in Rick's suggestion. "No problem. In fact, you might even want to try it by yourself."
Rick grinned like a teenager. "I was hoping you'd say that. I think you and I will get along just fine."
When Tom McIntyre came in, he went to the kitchen, hugged his wife and dropped a kiss on her cheek. Then he joined the group in the living room. With a grip as strong as his oldest son's, he shook Zack's hand. "I understand you roared in here on a motorcycle. Maybe we can convince you a Quarter Horse is a much better means of transportation."
Lucy crossed to her father with a smile. "Better watch it, Zack. He's the best salesman in the state of Wyoming."
Her father grinned at her affectionately. "You know as well as I do our horses sell themselves. I just find them good riders." He looked Zack up and down. "Something tells me, this man is a good rider."
Before Zack could respond, the door flew open and everyone turned toward it. A younger version of Tom McIntyre stood in the doorway, a load of firewood stacked high in his arms.
Tom said in a low voice to Lucy, "We actually got some work out of him today. Maybe he's gonna stop mopin' about that girl."
"Dad...," Lucy chided.
"He's got to get on with his life. You know that better than anyone."
Lucy glanced quickly at Zack, then looked away. But not before he saw the shadows in her eyes, not before he saw her chagrin that he'd overheard her dad's remark. Apparently something...or someone...had hurt her.
Marty dumped the logs on the hearth by the fireplace, then turned toward the group gathered around it. Unlike the other McIntyres, he made no move toward Zack.
After a moment of silence where the atmosphere in the room suddenly became awkward, Lucy introduced the two men. "Marty, this is Zack Burke. He'll be working with us for a while."
Marty's dark brown eyes focused on Zack, switched to his sister, then back to Zack. "So you did it. Fine. I didn't know bringing in hired help was an occasion for a party, though. We usually only have this commotion on Sundays."
Esther, standing in the doorway to the living room, addressed her son. "We're a family everyday. I wanted Zack to feel welcome."
"Welcome to the ranch," Marty said automatically, with no real feeling, but because it was expected of him, then he headed for the stairs and disappeared before he could be chided for his rudeness.
Zack couldn't help but be curious about this member of the McIntyre family who was so different from the others.
Lucy came to stand beside Zack, her arm brushing his. "I'm sorry about his attitude. He's had rough going lately."
Rick frowned. "A lot of that rough going is his own fault. More than once I told him Angie wasn't ready to get serious, but he wouldn't listen. He wouldn't take advice then, just like he won't take advice now. He's as hard-headed as they come."
Mary Jo nudged her husband's arm with a small smile. "As if you know nothing about being hard-headed. Lucy's the only one of the McIntyre siblings who knows how to bend."
"Are you saying I'm stubborn?" Rick asked with mock indignation.
Mary Jo laughed. "That's a pleasant way of putting it."
Tom shook his head. "Stubborn or not, that boy better get his head together. Lucy, try to talk some sense into him again, will you? Of any of us, he listens to you best."
"I'll try, Dad."
When she turned toward her father and her elbow brushed Zack, electric charges danced up his arm.
Esther beckoned to them. "Come on! Supper's ready. When we're sitting around the table, maybe Marty will realize how much he still has."
Josh maneuvered to sit on Zack's left. Lucy sat on his right. When Marty rejoined his family, he positioned himself across from the two of them.
It had been over two years since Zack had sat down and eaten a home-cooked family dinner. The night before his camping trip with Kay...
Rick asked, "So...Zack. What do you do besides ride around on a bike?"
Zack accepted the platter of roast beef Lucy passed to him and considered his options. He didn't want to lie to these people but he also didn't want to answer questions that would lead to areas he'd rather avoid. Noticing Lucy's "I-warned-you" look, he answered, "Along with working on ranches, some construction jobs. I've done a little bit of everything. Mr. McIntyre, I hear that construction is particularly slow in Wyoming. Why do you think that is?"
Fortunately for Zack, the conversation turned to the housing market and the economic conditions in Long Brush and the surrounding area. Then he concentrated on his food and tried to keep his mind off Lucy as she reached for the salt shaker. Her hair swayed along her cheek—silky, soft, natural.
Suddenly, she leaned close to his shoulder. "You managed that one like a pro."
If Zack turned his head, his chin would brush her hair. He tightened his hand into a fist, inhaled her scent, and said as casually as he could manage, "I know a secret. Most people like to talk about what concerns them."
"I'll remember that," she said with a smile in her voice.
He turned his head then and his chin did brush her hair. His chest tightened and all his senses went on red alert until suddenly Josh tugged on Zack's arm. Turning from Lucy, he felt Marty's stabbing gaze on him as he leaned down to the five-year-old.
#
After supper, Marty followed Zack to the living room.
Zack stood at the fireplace and waited. If Lucy's brother had something to say, he might as well get it off his chest.
It didn't take long until he did. "Lucy hired you mighty quick."
Zack faced Marty squarely. "You don't trust her judgment?"
"I don't trust a stranger who looks at her the way you do. I'm just warning you—we protect our own. So watch your step."
Zack wondered just how he did look at Lucy. As if he wanted to touch her, and kiss her, and wrap his body around hers? He thought he was more guarded than that. Yet, there was no point denying his attraction to her, and he wouldn't lie about it. "Lucy and I are adults. What happens between us is our business."
"Lucy is a McIntyre."
"That doesn't mean you can run her life."
"No, but I can watch out for her like I always have."
As Rick and Mary Jo entered the living room, Marty moved away, leaving Zack to realize more fully what it meant to be a member of a family. An ache for the wife and son he'd lost filled him...an ache he'd managed to deny for over two years.
BUY: http://www.amazon.com/Always-Cowboy-Search-Love-ebook/dp/B005QC64PC/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318031036&sr=1-1
Excerpt from TOYS AND WISHES:
CHAPTER ONE
"What in blazes is going on here?"
Lexa Kittredge almost dropped the porcelain figurine she'd lifted from Clare Flannigan's bookshelf. Before she could answer, Clare slipped from behind the desk she'd been dusting.
"Josh! You're back!" She pushed her blue glasses farther up her nose. "Lexa, this is my nephew, Josh Flannigan. Josh, meet Alexandra Kittredge."
Lexa only had time to nod before Clare rushed on, "So how was Colorado, Josh? You deserved that long vacation. Anything exciting happen? Meet any bears?"
Lexa suppressed a smile, recognizing Clare's attempt to turn the focus of the conversation on her nephew, rather than the disordered state of her apartment.
"Aunt Clare, what's going on?"
His question was directed at Clare but his gaze was on Lexa. Suddenly she wished they'd opened a window. She hadn't noticed it before, but the heat in Clare's apartment was stifling. Her sweatshirt was sticking uncomfortably to her shoulders. It wasn't supposed to be this hot in Pennsylvania in October, Indian summer or not. Or did the sudden rise in temperature have something to do with Josh Flannigan's piercing blue eyes, the same startling blue as Clare's?
"I'm moving."
Josh's attention flew to his aunt. "You're what?"
Clare climbed onto the step stool to remove books from the top shelf of the bookcase. "I'm moving. Some friends and I have invested in a lovely old house," she explained airily as if she did something like this at least once a week.
Josh's fingers dashed through his shaggy black hair. "Have you taken leave of your senses?"
Lexa set the figurine back on the shelf and took a step forward, deciding it might be time to help Clare explain the situation to her nephew. She offered her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Flannigan. Clare's told me so much about you."
Josh's gaze switched back to her. "And just who are you?"
"Joshua, don't be rude!" Clare scolded.
He took Lexa's hand but also took the time to give her a more thorough looking-over. She didn't have to guess at what he saw. Sweatshirt and jeans. Curly blonde hair that probably looked as if she'd just escaped a stiff wind. Shiny face. "I'm a friend of Clare's."
He dropped her hand. "Since when?"
"Josh..."
"It's all right, Clare. About two months ago Clare came to a workshop I was giving," Lexa explained.
"About?" Josh looked at Clare as if she'd been bitten by some strange bug.
"Senior citizens developing second careers."
"Oh, great. Just what Clare needs when she's finally retired."
"You don't know what I need." Clare's tone matched the fiery hue of her red hair.
"Mr. Flannigan, your aunt has acted very responsibly."
"Where did you get the money?" Josh asked his aunt.
"I had money saved."
Josh's hand slashed through
the air. "But that was your nest egg. I don't believe you've done something so...
impulsive."
Clare exploded. "It's about time I'm impulsive if I want to be impulsive."
Lexa took a deep breath. She had to do something to prevent a full-blown fight. "I've directed Clare to an experienced financial advisor."
Josh shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck. "Clare, you can't be serious about moving. You've lived in this apartment all your life. I've lived here much of mine. The rent's always been reasonable, you don't have to worry about mowing grass or shoveling snow." He looked around the room at the chaos. "My God! I go away for six weeks and when I come back, you're packing boxes."
Clare shrugged and took Lexa's place at the bookshelves. She reached to the top shelf for two volumes of poetry. "I'm doing the right thing. Ask Lexa."
Acting as a buffer wasn't Lexa's favorite position. She'd had to do it too many times between her younger sister and their stepmother. But at least she'd had practice. "I think you're doing what you want to do. That makes it right."
Striding toward Clare, Josh took the books from her hand and dumped them into an open carton. His denim jacket emphasized the width of his shoulders, and the snug fitting jeans encased long legs and muscular thighs. He wasn't drop-dead handsome, but even with the beard stubble, he'd certainly do. Do for what? Lexa asked herself, then pushed every possible answer out of her head.
"I want to know where you got this crazy idea," Josh was saying. "Do you know the work you're letting yourself in for? The hassles?"
Clare's eyes threw rebellious darts. "What about the joy? The challenge? The thrill of a new adventure? Just because I'm over sixty, Joshua Flannigan, is no reason to put me out to pasture. I'm still alive and kicking more than ever. Thirty-five years of teaching English to teenagers is not enough to wear me out or put me in a rocking chair."
Heartfire Page 18
