Texas Hustle

by Cynthia D'Alba

  Porchia saw Darren’s lips move as he said something to the emcee, who nodded. Then he caught Porchia’s gaze and gave her a wide-eyed help-me look.

  “I have two thousand,” the emcee said. “Are there any other bids?”

  Sarah Jane looked around, a triumphant smile on her face.

  Porchia simply couldn’t let that haughty rich bitch win this date so cheaply, or at least cheap for Sarah Jane. The woman had too much money and wasn’t afraid to flaunt it. If Darren had to spend time with Sarah Jane, Porchia wanted to make sure the cost took a chunk out of Sarah Jane’s obscenely large allowance.

  Porchia pushed to her feet. “Two thousand three hundred.”

  Before Sarah Jane could react, the emcee said, “Two thousand three hundred going once, twice, sold. Congratulations. Go collect your date, cowboy.”

  Porchia’s mouth dropped open. What had just happened?

  Tina grabbed Porchia’s arm. “What are you doing?”

  “Wow. That didn’t work out like I’d planned.” Porchia pushed to her feet and headed to the cashier before Darren could get to her. She’d explain to him later that she’d been trying to drive up the price.

  She was digging for a credit card when Darren caught up with her.

  “That surprised me,” he said with a warm smile.

  “Me too.”

  “Thank you.”

  “No problem.” She pulled the credit card from her wallet.

  “Wait. Before you pay, part of my offer for the date was if the winner didn’t want to go or couldn’t go for some reason, I would pay her bid and add a ten percent bonus. So, you’re off the hook. I’ll pay the bid. You don’t have to go away with me.”

  Two thoughts occurred almost simultaneously.

  First, hadn’t she just told herself that she needed to get away? That she needed some time to think? Camping trips didn’t require a lot of brain power. Eat, sleep and fish or whatever. A few days away could be just what she needed. Besides, she could always take her car and leave whenever she wanted.

  Second, and this one really scared her, she wanted to spend ten days with Darren. She enjoyed his company. Relaxed and quick to laugh, he was easy to be with. She could just be herself. He accepted her no matter how she was dressed or what mood she was in.

  Sure they flirted…a lot. But the flirty comments had been received with a laugh and then forgotten. That was the kind of friendship they had. So this was simply a friend helping a friend, no romantic entanglement.

  She supposed camping could be fun, if dirt, bugs and sweat were on her list of fun things. They weren’t, but she did owe him for stepping in with Slade this morning.

  “Nope,” she said and handed the card to the cashier. “I bought you, so you’ll just have to put up with me.”

  His lips moved slowly up into a smile. “I don’t think that’ll be a problem at all. How about—”

  Before he could finish, a loud roar went up from the ballroom where the auction was taking place.

  “What was that?” Porchia asked.

  Darren snorted. “I’m pretty sure the emcee just announced the surprise bachelor for this evening.”

  “Oh?” Porchia’s eyebrows arched. “Anyone I know?”

  “My cousin, Jason.”

  “Jason Montgomery? But aren’t he and Dr. Henson engaged?”

  “Not anymore. They had some big tussle last week. I have no idea over what, so don’t ask. And at the last minute, he volunteered for the auction.”

  “Hmm, maybe I should have saved my money.” She winked at him.

  “Ha. Come on. Let’s go see who’s bidding on him.”

  The better question would have been who wasn’t bidding on him. At least twenty women held bidding paddles high in the air. Porchia grabbed Darren’s hand and dragged him back to her table. Chad had joined Tina, sitting in Delene’s seat.

  “Where’s Delene?” Porchia asked. She retook her seat. Darren pulled over a chair and sat down.

  “Paying.”

  “Really?” Porchia grinned. “Who did she buy?”

  “Zack Marshall.”

  This time Darren’s eyebrows rose. “For real? Good for her. Zack’s a great guy.”

  “This is crazy,” Tina said, gesturing toward the bidding women.

  “Yeah,” Chad said. “I’m kind of hurt it wasn’t a madhouse for me and I flexed my muscles and everything.”

  Tina patted his thigh. “Their loss. My gain.”

  The emcee tapped on the microphone. “Ladies,” she shouted. “Ladies. Quiet down a little so I can hear. The last bid I heard was three thousand five hundred. Is there another bid?”

  “Five thousand,” came the reply.

  “Who’s that?” Darren asked.

  Tina and Porchia twisted around to see the bidder.

  “Well, isn’t that interesting,” Delene said as she and Zack joined the table.

  Zack and Darren greeted each other warmly with back slaps and then Darren introduced him to Chad.

  The women ignored the male bonding. “What’s interesting?” Porchia asked.

  “The bidder.”

  “Who is she?” Tina asked.

  “Her name is Katrina Murphy. She’s the new hospital administrator. Rumor has it she’s been dating Marc Singer. So maybe this is tit-for-tat? You buy my boyfriend and I buy yours?”

  “Maybe. Who knows?”

  “It’s going to make our camping trip quite interesting,” Darren said to Porchia.

  “How so?”

  “Jason had planned on bringing Lydia. Since they broke up, he was going by himself. But when he heard that my auction date was the family camping trip, he stole the idea. And Singer had planned to come for the first weekend. He and Cash were going to do some fishing while we were there.”

  “Wait,” Porchia said. “Are you telling me your whole family is going camping with us?”

  “Yeah. Didn’t you read the date description?”

  “Apparently not close enough. Tell me exactly what I’ve bought.”

  Darren put his arm around the back of her chair and leaned in. His woodsy cologne tickled her nose, which made her want to rub the tip up and down his neck. He smelled so good.

  “It’s the annual Montgomery family getaway. Because of Olivia and Caroline’s pregnancies, we haven’t gotten to go the last couple of years. But since no one in the family is currently pregnant—that we know of—everyone is going down to Whisky Creek Reserve for two weeks of camping, fishing and riding.”

  “You’re taking horses?”

  “ATVs. There are over a thousand acres of great riding. I was worried about you getting bored, but with Jason bringing Katrina and Singer bringing Lydia, well, we might have a front-row seat to more entertainment than I thought.”

  Oh dear. Two weeks, or rather ten days, with the entire Montgomery clan. What had she gotten herself into?

  Chapter Three

  Darren whistled as he drove home from the auction. Grinning, he kept beat with the radio by tapping his fingers on his steering wheel. If someone had told him that Porchia would be his date for the family camping trip, he’d not have believed it. But damn if it wasn’t true.

  His heart had been galloping in his chest when he’d been on stage. The light might have been bright, but he’d still been able to see into the audience. When Sarah Jane Mackey had started bidding and then running off the other bidders, he’d let the auctioneer know that if she won, he’d never do this again. But if someone else won, he’d personally add fifty percent to the bid as his donation. His message had been received and Sarah Jane had been shut out by Porchia’s bid and a fast auction hammer.

  He didn’t know why Porchia had bid on him and he didn’t care. She’d been on his radar for a while. Actually, more than that. He never missed a chance to be around her. He’d asked her out more than once, but she shot him down each and every time. She’d rebuffed anything beyond friendship, but he’d just been handed the gift of time alone with her, and he planned t
o do all he could to win her over.

  To be away for a couple of weeks required a lot of advance planning for the ranch. Since his brother, Reno, and his girlfriend, Magda, were also going, he and Reno had devoted most of the week to lining up additional cowboys to help their friend, Zack Marshall, tend to their animals while they were gone. Granted, they could be back within a couple of hours if there were problems, but Darren wanted to make the most of his time with Porchia without worrying about the ranch.

  His days started early and ran late. Any hopes he might have had to go into Whispering Springs before the vacation faded as he dragged his exhausted body home each evening. He spoke with Porchia on Sunday and again on Tuesday and Wednesday. With each phone call, she reiterated her excitement at getting away. However, when she’d suggested taking her own car, he’d nixed that idea immediately. Privately, he doubted her hunk of junk would make it all the way to Whiskey Creek. She did insist on meeting him at the D&R rather than him driving all the way into town to pick her up and then having to backtrack to head down to the camp.

  Sleep was elusive Thursday night. Thoughts of Porchia circled through his mind. He made plans for how he could keep her entertained while they were gone. He imagined kissing her, touching her in ways she’d never allowed before. Oh, he’d kissed her, but it was always a quick touch of lips and then it was done. He wanted more. He wanted deep, soul-searching kisses that went on for days. He wanted her to feel as much for him as he felt for her.

  At twenty-eight, he’d had girlfriends and lovers. But the pull he felt for Porchia was unlike any he’d experienced before. Any time he spent with her was too short. He never tired of her laugh, or her smile or the way she would roll her eyes at some of his jokes. He’d begun to think that a lifetime with Porchia might not be enough. Daylight hadn’t begun to think about rising when Darren got up and made coffee. Around four, he was joined by Magda and Reno.

  “How long you been up?” Magda asked. She poured two cups of coffee and handed one to Reno.

  “Forever.”

  She chuckled. “Excited about the camping trip?”

  “Yeah, that’s it.”

  Reno snorted. “Come on. Let’s get going on the chores we have to do before we leave so we can get out of here on time.”

  “I’ve already mucked the stalls. The horses are out in the pasture. Drove the road fence line and everything was okay.”

  Reno’s eyebrows shot up. “You have been up a while. Hope you can stay awake for the drive.”

  “I don’t think that’ll be a problem.” Darren poured his fourth cup of coffee. “I haven’t had any breakfast yet though.”

  “Gotcha covered,” Magda said, rising from her chair. “How about some waffles and bacon?”

  “Perfect. I’m going to grab a quick shower, if you don’t mind.”

  “We’re not in your car,” Reno said, “so if you stink, it’s not a problem for us.” He grinned. “But Porchia might appreciate if you didn’t smell like horse manure.”

  At five a.m., headlights flashed through the living-room windows.

  “Porchia’s here,” Magda said. “She’s as good with morning hours as y’all.” She yawned widely. “I don’t think my internal clock will ever reset to make me a morning person.” There was a knock at the kitchen door. “No, no. You two sit there like statues. I’ll get it.”

  Reno laughed. “See why I love that woman? What a mouth.”

  Porchia came in carrying a white pastry box. “Too late, I see. I did bring some fresh doughnuts and apple fritters. Made this morning,” she teased, waving the box toward the guys.

  On the next wave, Darren snatched it from her hands. “Gimme. I need a fritter.”

  “Tell me there’s a cream-filled doughnut in there,” Reno whined.

  Porchia tsked. “Do you think I’d come without a cream-filled doughnut for you?”

  Magda shook her head. “I swear I would weigh five-hundred pounds if I ate like these two.”

  “Tell me about it. Luckily, being around this all day has sort of diminished my appetite for sweets. But notice I said sort of? I still love a fresh apple fritter.”

  Porchia pulled a fritter from the box and set it on the small plate Magda held out to her.

  “Coffee?” Magda asked.

  Porchia rolled her eyes. “You’re kidding, right?”

  Magda laughed and filled a large mug. “Black and strong.”

  Porchia took a sip. “Perfect.”

  Darren pushed a chair out with his foot. “Sit. Eat. Then we need to be on the road.”

  Porchia dropped into the chair. “Wow. You’ve done wonders for their manners.”

  Magda grinned. “Just imagine what they were like before I got here.”

  Reno pulled Magda into his lap. “I’ll show you my manners.” He nibbled on her neck as she squirmed and tried to stand.

  “You two are disgusting,” Darren said. “Sorry about them,” he said to Porchia.

  She shrugged. “Doesn’t bother me. I think they’re kind of sweet. What time are we leaving?” She took a big bite of her fritter and chewed.

  “As soon as you’re finished eating.” Darren grinned. “All I need to do is load your stuff to my truck and we’ll be ready.”

  “You sure I shouldn’t take my own car? I mean, something could happen at the bakery and I’d have to head back.”

  “I’m sure. If you need to come back, I’ll bring you.”

  Magda struggled up from Reno’s lap. “I’m going to brush my teeth and grab my last bag and I’ll be ready.”

  “I’ll help,” Reno said.

  Magda rolled her eyes. “I doubt it.”

  After they left, Porchia looked at Darren. “We did good getting those two back together.”

  Darren tapped his cup against hers. “That we did.”

  Porchia finished her coffee and put her cup in the sink. “Okay then. Let’s get me loaded.”

  Darren followed her outside to her car. She popped the trunk where she’d stored her luggage. She’d never been camping in her entire life. Well, if you didn’t count Girl Scout Brownies. Brownie camp had been easy. She’d been given a list by the troop leader and that’s what she’d taken. But adult camping? She had no idea exactly what to pack.

  It was October, so the weather should be warm, but it was also Texas. Anything was possible. Finally, she’d packed shorts, T-shirts, a couple of bathing suits, jeans, a jacket and some long-sleeve shirts. She didn’t even want to think about how many pairs of shoes she packed.

  Darren lifted her bags out and groaned. “Good Lord, woman. We’re only going to be gone ten days. On top of that, it’s camping.”

  Porchia opened her eyes wide as though in shock. “Do you mean I didn’t need to bring those two long cocktail dresses?”

  Darren chuckled and stowed her bags in the back seat of his truck. “I’m hoping you packed high heels for those dresses.”

  Porchia flipped her long hair over her shoulder. “Of course. Don’t be a rube.”

  She could have easily climbed into the truck, but Darren insisted on helping her climb up and in, not that she was complaining. It’d been a long time since she’d had a man’s hands around her waist, and damn if it didn’t feel great. And once again, Darren’s scent had her craning her nose for a better sniff. One of these days, he was going to catch her sniffing him. She’d better have a good story ready to go.

  By six, the Montgomery brothers’ two trucks were pulling out of the D&R. Darren pulled the trailer that carried their two new Honda ATVs, early birthday presents from their parents.

  “Love your new Hondas. Why are you hauling them and not Reno?”

  “We agreed that I would tow them down. He’s going to haul them back.” He glanced over at her, his deep-blue eyes vivid even in the early morning light. “And I lost the coin toss.”

  She laughed. “What’s it like having a twin? You two look so much alike, although not exactly the same. You’re fraternal twins, right?”

&n
bsp; He nodded. “Yep. But when we were younger, we looked more alike than we do now. You know, it’s hard to say what it’s like to be a twin since I’ve always been one. I don’t know life any other way. I don’t have anything to compare it with.”

  “Never thought about it that way.”

  “Reno is my best friend and my worst competitor.” He chuckled. “We spent our childhood trying to outdo each other.”

  “Fights over girls?”

  “Only once.”

  When he stopped there, her curiosity got the better of her. “Serious fight?”

  “Oh, yeah. Very. We were six and in the first grade. We were both sure that Nancy was our girlfriend, so we fought over which one of us she liked best. We had a fistfight on the playground.” He glanced over with a grin. “Very serious stuff. I got a cut over my eye,” he said, pointing to a slight scar in his brow. “Reno got a chipped tooth and split lip. Sounds like we really went at it, huh?” He shook his head with a snort. “We both missed when we swung our fists. I fell against a swing and he hit his mouth on a rock when he landed on the ground.”

  Porchia giggled. “That’s hysterical.” She twisted in her seat toward him, drawing her knee up. “So what happened to Nancy?”

  “Oh, well, Nancy liked Craig, who thought girls had cooties and wanted nothing to do with them. She chased him all over the playground for a month.”

  She gave a deep belly laugh. As she did, she felt the tension she’d been carrying ease out. This trip would be good for her. The break from work, early hours and threatening calls and visits would be a welcome relief.

  “I had to get some stitches,” he continued. “Reno didn’t, but there’s still a very light scar if you know where to look for it. Mom was not happy.” He frowned. “No. That’s not quite right. It was more like she was disappointed in us, which hurt more than if she’d spanked us. Told us we were brothers. Special brothers. That not many people got to have a special person like we did. Girls might come and go, but we would always be special brothers. You’d think that at only six years old, her talk would go over our heads, but it didn’t. Sure we had fights over the years, but never over women.”