In the Arms of the Rancher

by Joan Hohl

  Kate was the first to dry off. Dashing into the bedroom, she pulled a thigh-length, baseball-style nightshirt from a dresser drawer and slipped into it. She was diving under the rumpled covers as he left the bathroom.

  Smiling gently at her, he reached for his boxer shorts and sat on the edge of the bed to put them on. When he grabbed his jeans, she stopped him.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  He slanted a curious look at her, as if his actions should be obvious. “Getting dressed.”

  “Why?” She frowned.

  “Why else?” he answered, frowning back at her. “So you can get the sleep you were whining about.”

  “I was not whining,” she said indignantly. “Anyway, I thought you’d stay, sleep with me.” She was beginning to feel hurt and, ridiculously, used.

  Hawk went dead still. “You want me to stay the night?” Hope coated his voice.

  “Isn’t that what I just said?” She smiled.

  “You talked me into it.” Smiling back, he dropped the jeans to the floor and crawled into the bed, beside her. “I’m sleepy, too.” With that he settled, spoon fashion, behind her, smiling when he heard her soft sigh.

  Warm and cuddling, they were both asleep within minutes.

  Seven

  K ate woke, immediately aware of three things: the bed beside her was empty, the clock on the nightstand read 11:42 a.m. and the tantalizing aromas of fresh coffee brewing and bread toasting were drifting into the bedroom.

  She felt wonderful, better than she had in over a year or even longer. There was no tightness or tension inside her, no dread of what the day might bring.

  She sat up and stretched, and discovered the ache in her thighs. She was stiff, and understandably so, after the workout she had indulged in with Hawk. Standing by the bed, she noticed his clothes and shoes were gone. Well, at least she didn’t have to worry about walking into the kitchen and finding him naked!

  Hawk. Kate smiled at the mere thought of him. He was a fantastic lover and a gentle friend. He made her laugh and it felt so good just being with him.

  So, go to him, she told herself. Enjoy being with him before he goes back to the mountains. Walking a bit stiffly, she went into the bathroom. After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she looked at her hair in the mirror. Disaster. Too hungry to care, she went back to her room, thinking that Hawk could just deal with it, messy or not.

  Pulling on a different robe, one that actually was warm, she slid her feet into satin mules and headed for the kitchen. Hawk was standing at the counter, two plates, a knife, butter and a jar of marmalade in front of him, carefully removing two pieces of golden-brown bread from the toaster.

  “Good morning, Hawk,” Kate said quietly. “Did you sleep well?”

  Turning to look at her, Hawk threw out one arm in an invitation for her to join him. “Good morning, Kate. I love your do,” he said teasingly. “I slept very well, thank you,” he added, curling his long arm around her shoulders when she stepped up beside him and tangling his fingers into her flyaway curls. “You?”

  “Yes. Deeply. I don’t even remember dreaming.” She raised her brows. “Is one of those pieces for me?”

  “There’s a price,” he said, smiling down at her.

  “Hmm.” She hummed as though considering his offer. “And the price is?”

  “A kiss,” he said at once.

  “Oh, all right,” she said impatiently. “But you should be darned glad I’m hungry.” She raised her mouth to him, her lips parted.

  Wrapping his other arm around her to draw her tightly against him, Hawk accepted her silent offer. Expecting one of his deep, ravishing kisses, Kate was pleasantly surprised by his sweet and gentle morning greeting.

  “The toast is getting cold,” he said, releasing her to tend to the bread.

  Kate made a production of pouting.

  Hawk laughed. “Don’t start anything. You have to be at work in about three hours.”

  They laughed together and it struck Kate that they laughed together a lot. She and the jerk had rarely laughed easily—or together.

  They sat at the kitchen table and chatted about things, common things, important things, until they had finished their toast and two cups of coffee each.

  Then Hawk shoved his chair back. “I’m going to get out of here to give you time to do whatever you have to do before going to work.”

  He pulled her into a crushing embrace and kissed her until her senses were swimming. She was breathless and thrilled when he stepped back from her to draw a deep breath.

  “Do you want me to help you with the dishes?” he asked after a moment.

  “You don’t have to help, Hawk.” She wore a suggestive smile. “But you could give me another kiss…if you don’t mind.”

  “Mind?” He drew her back into his embrace. “I’ll show you how much I mind.” He took her mouth, owned it for long seconds before again releasing it, stepping back, drawing another deep breath.

  “I’ll see you tonight at dinner, okay?” he said in a dry croak. “Right now I’d better get outta here before I do something I’d never be sorry for.” Turning, he strode from the room, her laughter following him to the door.

  After setting the kitchen to rights, Kate went back into the bedroom to remove the sheets from the bed and wash them. She paused beside the bed, then began making it instead. The scent of Hawk was on her sheets, and she wanted to sleep between them again, surrounded by his masculine smell.

  Kate was all but ready to go to work when the intercom buzzer sounded.

  Hawk? She frowned when she realized that his name was the first thing to flash into her mind. Well, she told herself, it was understandable.

  Going to the intercom, she pushed a button and said, “Yes? Who is it?”

  “Florist,” a young male voice answered. “I have a delivery for a Ms. Kate Muldoon.”

  Hmm, she thought. Hawk? Already? Suddenly she flushed with pleasure. “I’ll be right down,” she said into the intercom, grabbed her purse to extract several dollars for a tip, then opened the front door and ran down the steps, too eager to wait for the elevator.

  A young man stood on the other side of the lobby door, smiling at her. She flipped the lock and opened the door. “Hi. Is that for me?” she said, eyeing the large cellophane-wrapped bouquet he held in one hand.

  “Yep. Enjoy your flowers.”

  “I will,” she replied handing him his tip and closing the door behind her as she stepped back with the bouquet.

  Back in her apartment, Kate went into the kitchen. Setting the pale green glass vase on the countertop, she carefully removed the cellophane to reveal dark red roses.

  “Oh, my,” she said, unaware she had whispered aloud. The roses, her favorite flower, were just beginning to open, and each bloom looked perfect.

  Suddenly realizing she had pulled the florist’s card away along with the cellophane, she rummaged until she found it. Her pleasure turned to anger as she read the card.

  Kate,

  I am so very sorry for my obnoxious behavior last night and recently and before, when we were together. It’s just that I love you so much, the fear of losing you made me wild and I reacted badly. I know that but I beg you to please forgive me. I love you and know you love me, too. And, please don’t go to a lawyer. You’d lose.

  Jeff

  Kate’s first thought was, How did he get all that on that small card? Her second thought was, The son of a bitch.

  Her anger growing into full-blown fury, she tore the card into tiny pieces, dropped them into the kitchen trash can and tossed the beautiful roses in on top of them, slamming the lid shut.

  Shaking, she forced herself to take deep breaths and slowly let them out until she had calmed down. Her gaze landing on the wall clock, Kate strode from the kitchen. She had to go to work.

  Hawk made an appearance mere minutes before her meal break. The sight of him as he entered the restuarant and strolled to the hostess station, where she stood, b
rought a sigh of sheer relief from the depths of her being. Everything would be all right now. The thought startled her. But only until he went back to Colorado, she reminded herself.

  “I’m going to miss you when you’re gone,” she blurted. With her surprising words, an idea popped into her head. Ridiculous, she thought, mentally shaking her head. Forget it.

  “Thanks, Kate.” Hawk smiled back, not a bright smile but temptingly, slumberous one. “I’m going to miss you, too. You are going to join me for dinner, aren’t you? I’m not heading to Colorado this second.”

  Still recovering from the force of his smile, Kate had to swallow before she could answer.

  He picked up two menus and arched a brow. “Will you join me?”

  “Yes, yes, I will.” Circling around the hostess station, she led the way to a table.

  “Is something wrong, Kate?” he said after he’d seated them both. “You seem far away, distracted.”

  “I am somewhat. I…” she began, halting when the server came to take their order. She raised her brows at Hawk. Strangely, he appeared to know what she was asking of him.

  “We’ll both have the special of the day,” he said, glancing at her. “Wine?”

  Looking up at him, she smiled. “No wine. I’m working.” She looked at the server, Gladys, a middle-aged woman with a great sense of humor. “I’ll have coffee, Gladys. Before dinner, please.”

  “Got it,” Gladys said, turning her gaze on Hawk. “What about you, Mr. McKenna?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said. “I’ll have coffee, also.”

  Gladys was flushed with pleasure from his respectful address when she moved away from the table.

  “What’s the matter, Kate?” His voice held concern. Hawk paused before continuing. “Is it something I can help you with?”

  Go for it, a small voice inside her said. Kate drew a deep breath, then explained everything that had happened.

  She concluded by saying, “I tore up the card and threw it in the trash and dropped the flowers in with it. Hawk…I…” She stopped when Gladys came to the table, bearing a tray with their coffees, cream and sugar.

  “Your dinners will be here shortly,” Gladys informed them.

  Kate added cream to her coffee, gnawing on her lip as she reconsidered her decision to share her idea with him. She was certain that if she did, he’d think she’d slipped over the edge of reason.

  “Hawk…I…what?” he said, gently nudging her.

  Kate opened her mouth, closed it again, swallowed, then softly and quickly asked, “Hawk, will you marry me?”

  Hawk was thrown for a loop by Kate’s proposal. He stared at her in dead silence for a moment. She had just finished relaying the details of the harassment and the threats that Jeff, the jerk, had been using to frighten her. And then she tossed the proposal at him out of left field.

  “Kate—” he began, but she cut him off.

  “No.” She was shaking her head. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why…” The arrival of Gladys at their table with their dinners silenced her.

  She started again the moment Gladys moved away.

  “Hawk, forget what I—” she began, but he cut her off.

  “No, I want to discuss this matter with you,” he said, raising his hand, palm up, to keep her from talking. “Let’s eat our dinner. We’ll talk afterward.”

  Kate didn’t say a word. She fidgeted. She drank her coffee in a few deep swallows. She picked at her food with a fork but ate little of it.

  Watching her, Hawk silently decided that was enough. Reaching across the table, he laid his hand over hers, ending her mutilation of the fish on her plate. She glanced up at him, which had been his purpose.

  “Kate.” His voice was soft, gentle. “The poor fish is already dead. Calm down and eat. The food is delicious.” He smiled. “You don’t want to hurt Vic’s feelings, do you?”

  She exhaled and he could see the tension drain out of her rigid body. “Okay,” she said, offering him an apologetic smile. He accepted it with one of his own before returning his attention to his meal.

  Hawk cleaned off his plate, along with two rolls from the basket Gladys had set on the table with their dinners. He was pleased to note that Kate had consumed over half of her meal and part of one roll.

  “Dessert?” he asked, wiping his mouth with his napkin. “More coffee?”

  “Coffee. No dessert,” she said, offering him a tentative smile.

  He smiled back, feeling relaxed, hoping she would relax also. “Coffee it is.” Before he could so much as glance around to locate Gladys, she was there, a coffee carafe in hand. She refilled the cups, collected the dinner plates and was gone again, leaving them alone.

  As there were diners at the next table, Hawk kept his voice low. “Okay. What’s the deal?”

  “Forget it,” Kate said, once again shaking her head. “It was a stupid brainstorm. That’s all.”

  “C’mon, Kate,” he said, lowering his voice even more. “We were lovers last night. You can tell me anything, even your stupid brainstorm.” His smile was sweet. “I promise I won’t laugh.”

  His efforts paid off when she returned his smile.

  “Okay. Thanks, Hawk.” Kate took a deep breath, as if drawing courage into herself and quickly blurted out, “I asked you to marry me to get out of Vegas for a while and away from Jeff. I’m sorry. I am at the end of my rope and scared. I didn’t give a thought to the fact that I’d be using you, and that was unfair of me.”

  “Why not just report Jeff to the authorities?” Hawk asked reasonably.

  “I did.” Kate shuddered. “I should have done something when he continued to bother me after I tossed him out. I realize that now. But I was so sure he’d eventually give it up and leave me alone. I thought the restraining order would finish it.” She drew a tired-sounding breath. “My mistake and now I’m paying for it.”

  Hawk was shaking his head. “But you talked to that lawyer yesterday. Call him or the police and tell them Jeff has threatened you.”

  She shook her head. “You don’t understand. Jeff told me he has contacts, friends, some in court, so to speak. This is Vegas. Some of those friends might not be so friendly.”

  That gave him pause. His expression turned stony.

  “So you decided to skip town for a while…with me?”

  “No.” She heaved a sigh. “The idea that stormed my brain was to ask you to marry me and remain married for a while, maybe four months or so, and to make sure Jeff hears about it. I guess I was hoping that after a time, he’d give it up and find someone else to abuse.”

  “Uh-huh,” Hawk murmured, pondering her explanation. “And did your brainstorm come with any information for me as to how this would work?”

  Kate frowned. Damned if she wasn’t gorgeous, even with a scowl on her face. “Such as?” She was now staring at him through narrowed eyes.

  “Hey, kid, don’t look at me as though you want to strangle me.” He narrowed his eyes right back at her. “You started this, you know.”

  Closing her eyes, Kate seemed to deflate. “Yes, I do know. I’m sorry, Hawk. Just forget it. I know I have no right to dump my troubles in your lap.”

  Deciding he was a damn fool, Hawk smiled and said, “I didn’t say I wouldn’t do it, Kate. I just want to know what exactly you had in mind.”

  Eight

  K ate was stunned and couldn’t find her voice for a moment. “I…uh…as I said, I was thinking about a temporary arrangement, say four to six months.”

  Hawk’s brows went up in question. “You’re not suggesting we get married and stay here in Vegas for that amount of time, because if—” That was as far as he got before she cut in.

  “No, of course not,” she quickly said. “I know you have a ranch to run.”

  “That’s right,” he said before she could say any more. “And I’m going to have to get back soon.” He only paused a second before continuing. “Look, I was thinking of leaving this weekend….”

  “Oh…”
she replied, disappointed.

  “No, don’t go jumping to any conclusions, Kate. Let me finish. Okay?”

  She nodded in agreement and flicked a hand, indicating he should continue.

  “Good.” He smiled.

  Kate felt some of the tension leak from her spine. She smiled back at him.

  “First of all, though I said I was thinking about flying out this weekend, I don’t have to go. I have an open-ended ticket.” He paused again, this time to take a swallow of his cooling coffee. “Now, tell me what you have in mind.”

  “Thank you, Hawk,” she said and rushed to convey the details before he could change his mind. “If you’re agreeable to my proposal, I thought we could get married here in Vegas, making sure Jeff hears about it. You could then go back to Colorado immediately if you wanted to.”

  Hawk narrowed his eyes at her. “And you stay here in Vegas? That’s not going to convince anybody.”

  “No, no. If you’d prefer I didn’t go with you, I would find another place to stay. Maybe my father’s farm in Virginia, although I’d really rather not go there.”

  “Why not?” he asked. “It seems reasonable to me for you to go there without the farce of a wedding.”

  Kate was starting to feel queasy. He wasn’t going to agree to her plan, which she was starting to think was a bad one from the beginning. Smothering a sigh, she went on to explain.

  “My mother died when I was in high school,” she said, her voice dull. “I didn’t go to college as planned but stayed home to keep house for my father. I liked the work. Cooking, cleaning, keeping the farm accounts on the computer.” She paused to sip her coffee.

  “You didn’t resent not going to college?” Raising his coffee to his lips, Hawk watched her over the rim of his cup.

  “Oh, for a while, sure, but I accepted it.” She smiled. “I didn’t want my father to do everything around the farm and the house by himself.”

  “No siblings?”

  “No, at least not then. I now have two, a brother, Kent, and a sister, Erin.”