Daddy Lessons

by Victoria Chancellor

  “Teach me what I’ve been missing,” she prompted.

  He didn’t need any more encouragement to reach for protection. Then, when she began an awkward attempt to sheath him in the condom, he finished the task with a smile. While she was still fascinated by the size and shape of him, he eased inside, stretching her, fitting them together so perfectly she felt tears threaten.

  But as he began to move, fascination turned to passion. Deep, deep passion. She needed no more instruction. Her body knew what she wanted, knew how to respond and give and take until she couldn’t think any longer. She arched off the bed, crying his name and scoring his back as her world exploded. She barely heard him moan her name, but she felt his shudders as he held her tight.

  Sometime later, they both moved, adjusted their bodies so she could breathe and he could rid himself of the condom. He didn’t leave her, though. He snuggled to her and smoothed her hair and told her she was beautiful.

  Kate smiled against his smooth, hot chest. Luke was amazing. This was addictive. She could do this forever.

  Her eyes opened as reality began seeping into her consciousness like the cool night air on her heated skin. This wasn’t forever. She couldn’t be addicted to Luke Simon. His daughter was arriving tomorrow, she had a six-year-old son at home, and she’d promised herself their attraction was just about the moment. She wasn’t ready for a relationship, would probably never be ready for a man like Luke Simon, who made her feel wonderful and confused at the same time.

  What had she done?

  LUKE SAVORED the feel of Kate, all warm and soft, curled beside him, as he drifted between awareness and sleep. For a moment after they’d made love, he was afraid she would jump up and run away. She’d seemed tense, her breathing irregular. But as he’d held her and told her how wonderful she was, she’d relaxed.

  He hadn’t planned to make love to Kate tonight. He’d truly been anxious about Brittany’s arrival tomorrow. But when he’d seen her on his new couch, remembered how she’d sincerely cared about his success these past two weeks, he wanted to take their friendship to the next level.

  He was surprised she hadn’t run screaming out the door when he’d touched her. He wasn’t the best choice for a…a what? He didn’t even know what to call their relationship. And what had he been thinking anyway, he reminded himself as his brain cleared and adrenaline kicked in. Kate had come over to help him through a moment of panic. She hadn’t come over to get seduced. He’d talked her into that kiss, then carried her off to bed.

  Dammit, he’d fallen into his old bachelor routine. He’d been charming. He’d said the right things. He’d gotten the girl.

  But this “girl” wasn’t someone from a Hollywood set or a smoky bar. This was Kate Wooten, school-teacher and mother. How many times had he told himself that Kate was a forever kind of woman, that she deserved a man who could give her the life she’d left behind?

  Luke didn’t know anything about family life. He knew horses and movie sets and hard work.

  Although he and his mother had been family, he’d never known what it was like to have a father. He wouldn’t know how to be a traditional father or husband. Would he? The concept shook him more than he wanted to admit, even to himself. And it reinforced his idea that until he was sure he could succeed as a father, he shouldn’t rush into a serious relationship with Kate, no matter how much he wanted her in his bed. It wasn’t fair to her, or to Eddie, who’d already lost one dad.

  “Are you asleep?” Kate asked.

  He’d started to move his arm from around her naked shoulders, hoping to get up without disturbing her. “Ah, no, I was just thinking?”

  “Oh. About…this?”

  He couldn’t admit he was starting to panic, that he shouldn’t have made love with her, so he slipped back into the one thing he and Kate had in common. “I was thinking about Brittany coming home tomorrow.”

  “That has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”

  “It sure does.” Home, he could handle. Family was the word he had trouble with.

  She moved a little, probably because her arm was asleep. “Luke, there’s one thing you really need to consider, something I’ve mentioned before but we haven’t talked much about.”

  He didn’t like the sound of where she was going. “What?”

  “This community is close-knit, even the newer folks who have moved in. They are warm and welcoming, and they don’t understand when someone doesn’t embrace them as well. If you don’t join in, they might misinterpret your motives, or assume that you have something to hide.”

  “I’m not hiding anything! I’ve been going to the café more, shopping in town, and greeting everyone I know.” He’d done everything he could think of to be polite and neighborly. Just because he didn’t talk about his personal life, his background, to everyone he met didn’t mean he was being secretive.

  “I’m just mentioning this because some people still don’t feel as if they know you. Even when you do come into town, you don’t share much news or information with them.”

  He pulled his arm from around Kate and swung his legs over the side of the bed. “Good grief! I’ve been busy. Besides, I’m not going to pour out my pedigree—or lack of one—to the citizens of Ranger Springs.”

  “They aren’t asking for a pedigree. They just want to know you, the Luke Simon who lives among them and buys from Branson’s Hardware and the grocery store and Robin’s Nest. They want to understand why you chose to live here, why you have the animals, what you plan to do with them.”

  “I simply plan to give them a home for as long as they live. It’s not complicated!”

  “Then why don’t you say so?”

  He rose from the bed and paced the darkness of the room, running a hand through his hair. “Because…because it’s none of their damn business. I’m not asking them for money. I’m paying my taxes and keeping my property in good condition.”

  “That’s not all they’re interested in.”

  He turned to Kate and put his hands on his naked hips. “I know what they want. They want to make sure I’m one of them. Well, I’m not. I’m the bastard child of a single, working-class mother who would have given anything to be a part of this community. But she wasn’t. She worked two jobs to support us. She did not have time to sit around the café, drink coffee and eat pie and talk about what her neighbors are doing.”

  “Luke, that’s not fair! That’s not what this community is all about, and it’s not what most people do.”

  “Oh, yeah? That’s what everyone was doing the day I rode into town. That’s what a lot of them are doing when I go anywhere around the square.”

  “You think they’re talking about you?”

  “I think they must be doing some talking about me, or you wouldn’t have brought up the subject.”

  “This is a ridiculous conversation,” Kate said, throwing the sheet over her body, pulling it loose and wrapping it around her like a toga as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. “I brought up the subject because I knew you were anxious about Brittany’s arrival. She’ll need to be accepted by the community, which means that you need to be accepted, which means that you need to get rid of that attitude and be more friendly. But if you don’t want to do that, just remember you’re only hurting your daughter.”

  “You know I wouldn’t do anything to hurt her.”

  “You’ll hurt her by your stubborn denial that anyone is interested in knowing you as a person. If you don’t want to be friendly, then fine. I’m not going to lecture you.”

  “That’s good, because this schoolteacher act is a little odd considering we’re both naked!”

  “Well, that will be remedied shortly, and believe me, it won’t happen again!”

  She grabbed her clothes from where he’d strewn them across the floor and made a dash for the bathroom. He didn’t say anything as she left his bedroom. Maybe it was best that she was angry. They didn’t belong together and he should never have made her think, even for a mom
ent, that they did.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The outdoor lights cast shadows across the drive, but all the lamps were off inside Travis and Jodie’s house as Kate pulled to a stop in front of the garage. Good. She didn’t want to face anyone right now, especially her know-it-all brother. She certainly didn’t want him to take one look at her and shout, “I told you so!”

  Travis might have been right about her avoiding a personal relationship with Luke, but he’d been wrong about Luke not being a good man. He was. He was also such an incredibly hardheaded reverse-snob that she wondered why she’d missed that part of his personality up until now. Had she chosen to close her eyes, or had she been too focused on some other aspect of his life? Or maybe she’d downplayed the importance of that chip on his shoulder. Whatever she’d done, it had come back to bite her on the rear end.

  The fact that he was a good man at heart only slightly alleviated the hurt she felt now, knowing she’d made another bad call involving men. She’d known she should wait, that she shouldn’t rush into a relationship on the heels of her divorce.

  But had she listened to her own words of wisdom? No, of course not. At the first opportunity, she’d placed her arms around Luke’s neck and let him carry her off to bed. Making love was one more error in judgment…but oh, it had been a glorious, wonderful experience while it lasted.

  Shaking herself out of those memories, she vowed that she wouldn’t dwell on her mistakes with Luke. After she got her teaching job, she’d make new memories. She wouldn’t allow herself to obsess over Luke. She knew he’d move on. When she was all settled into her new house or apartment, he’d barely remember their one and only night together. He’d forgotten Brittany’s mother easily enough.

  She wished she could forget him, but that was impossible, at least for now. Her mind kept going back to their time together, back to that final conversation.

  Whatever reasons Luke had for avoiding involvement in the community, Brittany would suffer the consequences. Kate had wanted to make Luke understand that important point. As soon as her emotions cooled, she’d make another attempt for Brittany’s sake. Maybe in writing this time.

  But no more romance between herself and Luke. She couldn’t go through those feelings of elation and letdown again, not after caring about him and his daughter for two long weeks. Not after sharing kisses and being swept into his bedroom and lying naked in his arms. Not after he made her wanton and needy and wild beyond her experience.

  Yes, she’d made a mistake, but she wasn’t going to beat herself up. She’d learned something about herself tonight. She felt like a woman again, for which she was grateful. Luke’s hardheadedness couldn’t take that confidence away.

  Taking a deep breath to center herself, she exited the car, closing the door as quietly as possible. She’d pick up Eddie tomorrow morning since there was no reason to wake him right now.

  The night was perfectly still and the gentle click of the car door latch seemed loud and intrusive. As she began to climb the stairs, her legs felt as heavy as her heart. She reached the landing after what seemed an eternity, inserted her key and then, thinking she might not have turned off the headlights, she looked over the railing to check. The only light she saw was one in the main house’s kitchen. She hoped it was Jodie.

  No such luck. Travis was silhouetted in the window; she knew that he saw her standing up here, dragging home in the wee hours of the morning.

  She’d hear about this tomorrow. With a sigh, she waved at her overprotective brother and entered her apartment.

  TRAVIS TOOK his usual table by the front window of the Four Square Café, forcing a smile as he greeted his friends and neighbors. Ambrose and Joyce Wheatley came in around eight-thirty, with Thelma Rogers arriving shortly thereafter. The women were all abuzz about something—Travis hoped they weren’t discussing his sister’s late-night rendezvous with Luke Simon—and giggled like teenage girls. Charlene Jacks rushed off to a booth near the back, where Nate Branson sat drinking coffee. He was a handsome, middle-aged man, still lean and fit. Charlene adjusted her blouse, smoothed her sassy recent haircut and slid in opposite the new man in town.

  Well, well. Romance was alive and well in Ranger Springs. Good for Charlene. She’d raised three daughters by herself, ever since her husband had quit her. He’d died a few years later, and the girls were all doing well. They’d even purchased the café for Charlene a few years ago. Now she still waited tables, but she owned this place and the Prince Alexi Museum housed above, a tribute to one of her sons-in-law.

  These good people would be great for Kate, if she didn’t get involved with that loner Luke Simon. He’d pretty much holed up on his property for the past few weeks and the only ones who knew why were Kate and Robin Parker, wife of the chief of police. Robin was good at keeping secrets, and Kate wasn’t about to tell tales about Luke Simon. For some reason, she felt real protective of the outsider.

  She’d even refused to talk about her late-night jaunt over to his place to “talk.” Yeah, right. He’d seen the look of wounded pride—and also the love bite on her neck—when she’d come over this morning to get Eddie. Something had happened last night at Simon’s house, and Travis felt like taking out his frustrations on his new neighbor.

  Not that he was a violent man. But his sister was vulnerable. She needed protection despite her assurances that she was okay without his help.

  “More coffee?” The waitress refilled his cup at his nod. He eased his hand out of the fist he’d made as he watched Hank saunter into the café.

  “’Bout time you showed up.”

  “Hey, my lady needed me this morning. What can I say?” his friend replied with a suggestive smile.

  “To take out the trash, maybe.”

  “I’ve got other skills.” Hank grinned. “She needed me to hang a new curtain in the baby’s room.”

  Travis rolled his eyes. “It’s a sad day when Hank McCauley is reduced to an interior-decorating assistant.”

  He shrugged. “The perks are pretty good.” Hank motioned the waitress over and asked for coffee, then added, “I hear your sister’s been helping out Luke. Is that work about finished?”

  Travis’s hand tightened around his coffee mug handle. “Finished is a good word for it. If she never goes over there again, it will be too soon for me.”

  “Hey, what’s up? I thought you’d mellowed out about Luke.”

  “He put the moves on her last night. She came home late. I’m pretty sure they had some sort of argument. I swear, Hank, I felt like…Look, I know he’s your friend, but he’d better not hurt my sister.”

  Hank held up his hand. “I don’t know anything about that. Luke’s really close-lipped about his personal life.”

  “Yeah, well, he’d better keep his lips to himself. As of now, I’m making my sister off-limits.”

  “Uh, Travis, that kind of ultimatum doesn’t work well with women.”

  “I’m not talking about women! I’m talking about Luke Simon.”

  “So you’re going to go over to his ranch, full of brotherly self-righteousness, and tell him to stay away from your womenfolk?” Hank shrugged. “Give yourself a few days to cool off, then go over there and talk to him like a rational adult. Stop acting all outraged.”

  “I’m not acting!” And okay, maybe he needed to cool off a little before he talked to Luke Simon.

  “Good thing,” Hank said, smiling up at the waitress who’d brought him coffee. “You’d never get an Oscar for that performance.”

  LUKE STOOD at the gate in the San Antonio airport, waiting for Brittany. The person at the reservation counter had told him that a flight attendant would escort her off the plane and he’d have to show his ID. He had out his new Texas driver’s license, along with a copy of Brittany’s birth certificate, just in case.

  As he waited, he looked down at the typing on the slip; the name change wasn’t official yet. His last name was incorrectly listed as “Moretti,” but that would be corrected soon. Then
he and Brittany would officially be a family, just like he and his mother had been a family.

  If only he’d known Shawna had gotten pregnant. He didn’t have much back then, but he would have done whatever he could, including marrying her if that had been what she wanted, to make sure his child had two parents who loved her. But he didn’t have that chance, and now he had to make up for those eight years. Now he had more experience, more money and, hopefully, more maturity.

  Not that he’d shown much maturity last night, when he’d seduced the woman who’d helped him get ready for his daughter, who’d coached him on how to be a father and pretty much guided the changes he’d made for Brittany.

  There, in the passageway coming from the plane, he saw Brittany walking beside a tall, slender African-American woman. They were talking, Brittany smiling shyly and holding her backpack. She looked like Shawna, with sun-streaked brown hair, but Brittany had his dark eyes. Someday she’d be striking. He’d have to make sure she understood that teenaged boys were up to no good.

  You hadn’t been up to any good with Kate last night, had you? his conscience asked. He pushed the reminders of his mistake aside as Brittany stopped in the gate area.

  “Hello, Brittany,” he said, smiling as he stepped forward. He felt a lump in his throat, a heavy thumping in his chest, when he looked into the eyes of the flight attendant and said, “I’m her father.”

  AS SOON AS Brittany got acquainted with the house, barn and animals—which to Luke’s relief she loved—she started asking questions. Obvious questions, such as where had Luke lived before? Poignant questions, such as where did the animals come from and were they going to stay here forever, or would Luke send them away? He almost grabbed her and hugged her tight when she asked that one. And more difficult ones, about whether he’d loved her mother and why didn’t they live together when she was a baby?

  Thankfully, Kate had gone over many of these questions with him, anticipating Brittany’s curiosity about his past and her role in his life now. He might have come off as too cautious in his answers, but he hoped she understood that he was getting used to being a father.