Cowboy Lullaby (The Boones 0f Texas Book 6)

by Sasha Summers

  He was warm beneath her hands. Her fingers ran along the sides of his neck to trace his jawline. His eyes bore into hers as she cradled his cheek and brushed her lips against his.

  He moaned against her lips as he touched her. Finally. His hands slid up her sides, finding their way beneath her thin camisole. She arched into him, her lips parting his as his hands pressed against her back.

  Her fingers threaded through his thick hair, giving her something to hold on to—to anchor herself as when his kiss made the world fall away. The stroke of his tongue was intoxicating. When his mouth descended to her neck, pressing light, wet kisses to her sensitive skin, she shuddered. His lips sucked her earlobe into his mouth, nipping gently before moving down, around her neck and to her collarbone.

  She held on, yearning for more. His hands drifted to her hips, giving her the room to slide her camisole up and off.

  “You’re beautiful,” he whispered, staring up at her. He ran his fingers along the cleft between her breasts, sweeping his fingers under the swell and teasing her senses. She arched forward, crying out when his mouth latched on to her nipple.

  She ended up under him, the quilts tossed aside as he kissed her deeply. His hand clasped her breast, his finger and thumb stroking her to a feverish point. She moaned, her nails scouring his shoulders when his mouth left her to nuzzle and suck her inflamed nipple. First one, then the other, he seemed intent on making her body come alive. Before she came apart.

  She couldn’t stop touching him. So many things had changed, but not her fascination with his body. The strength of his arms. The line of his back. The quiver of his stomach when her hands dipped beneath the elastic of his boxer shorts. He was all muscle. And all hers.

  Her eyes fluttered open then, reeling by the look on his face. He was lost in exploration, watching his hands on her body. Every gasp she made, every shudder or tremble, pleasing him. She pressed a hand to his cheek, loving the kiss he pressed against her palm. Her hand slid up, tangling in his hair, to pull him down to her.

  When his gaze met hers, he smiled.

  And that smile knocked the last of her walls down. It was still there, stronger than ever. She loved him. Whatever their past was, their love had endured. She knew that now. This was right. He was home—that hadn’t changed.

  His kiss was soft, his lips moving over hers until she was gasping for breath. When her lips parted, his tongue slipped inside.

  Her hands tugged at his boxers, sliding them down his hip. She wanted him, needed him—no more waiting. He was gone long enough to remove his boxers, long enough for her to wriggle out of her panties. He lifted her foot, sliding the fabric free.

  Her eyes drifted shut when he kissed her ankle, her knee, her hip and side. Sensation took over. His rough fingertips stroked gently over one breast, then the other, before the wet heat of his mouth worshipped them. She gripped his shoulders, pulling him up, craving what was next. His hands cradled her face as he kissed her. She gazed up at him, panting and flushed and desperate.

  “Click,” she whispered. “Love me, please.”

  * * *

  HER BODY OFFERED pure pleasure. Every curve begged for his attention. He couldn’t get enough of the taste of her skin. The broken whimper she made when he touched her made him throb and ache. The bite of her nails on his back spurred him on. Her scent wrapped around him, until he drew her into his lungs. He was drowning in her, focused on her and only her, and loving every minute of it.

  She was so damn beautiful. So close to falling apart.

  He ran his fingers down her side, stroking her hip and thigh. Her legs parted, pulling a groan from his chest. She wanted him. He couldn’t wait any longer.

  His lips found hers as he moved between her legs. Her hands gripped his shoulders, her breath hitching as he clasped her hips. He thrust into her, slowly, watching her face as he sank deep inside her. She arched back into the pillow, the broken gasp spilling from her lips almost shaking his resolve to make this last. He closed his eyes, digging deep for control.

  How many times had he dreamed of this? Of loving her? Now that he was, he’d make sure she knew how special this was to him. How special she was. It was Tandy’s hand pressed against his cheek. Her soft lips pressed against his, seeking his kiss. He stared down at her, smiling at the tenderness on her face. He loved this woman, mind, body and soul.

  She was flushed and beautiful beneath him. When he thrust, she moaned, her fingers pressing into his back. Her gaze met his, stunned and reeling and so hungry for him Click forgot about control. His rhythm picked up, over and over, the brush of her skin and shudder of her breath driving him on. It was sweet torture, friction and heat, as they came together again and again.

  He kissed her, latching on to her lower lip and drawing another quiver from her body. “I missed you, Tandy.”

  She stiffened beneath him, arching up against him as her muscles contracted. He watched, mesmerized, as her release found her. Her hands gripped him tightly against her as she cried out against his lips. Her eyes fluttered open as her body convulsed around him—and pushed him over the edge. He held her hips, driving into her until his body shook with his climax. It crashed into him, knocking the breath from his lungs and spiraling him into sensation.

  He rolled off her, gasping and boneless as he pulled her into his arms. She burrowed close against his side, resting her head on his chest. There was no way she could miss the thundering of his heart. Not that he could do a damn thing about it—it was how she affected him. It took time for his breathing to slow, but his hold on her didn’t ease. She was back in his arms, and he was in no hurry to let her go.

  She looked up at him, slowly stroking his chest.

  He ran his fingers over the curve of her cheek and smiled.

  “You should smile more often,” she said.

  “I’ll work on it,” he offered.

  She nodded. “Do that.”

  He arched a brow. “Anything else I need to work on?”

  She shook her head.

  “Nothing?” His thumb traced her jaw.

  “I wouldn’t change a thing.” Her hazel-green gaze met his.

  “A man could get lost in those eyes,” he whispered, stroking her brow. “I know I did. For hours at a time.”

  She grinned. “Are you complaining?”

  “No, ma’am.” He ran his fingers through her hair and smiled.

  “There it is,” she said, pressing her fingers to his lips.

  He caught her hand, kissing her fingertips, her palm and the inside of her wrist. She leaned up, brushing a featherlight kiss on his mouth.

  “Tired now?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “You?”

  He kissed her, his lips clinging just long enough to make her breath hitch. “No.”

  She rested her chin on his chest, her eyes traveling slowly over his face. He didn’t mind. Looking at her made this real. He kept thinking he was going to wake up, alone and frantic, in his bed.

  “I saw your note,” Tandy said, interrupting his thoughts.

  “Note?” he repeated, smoothing her hair back.

  “Pearl. And Georgia.” She watched him closely. “I don’t want to pry.”

  He shook his head. “I know.”

  “Can I ask when she’ll be here?”

  “You can ask me anything,” he whispered, holding her chin until she looked at him. “Okay?”

  She nodded. “How much longer does she have in the rehabilitation facility?”

  “A couple more weeks to go. She thinks she’ll be done at the sixty-day mark.” He sighed. “She’s planning on heading straight here.”

  Tandy frowned. “She is?”

  He nodded. He didn’t like it either. He was just figuring his baby girl out. Now he was supposed to hand her over? Georgia hadn’t said much beyond her expected release date and a few que
stions about Pearl. Namely, if she was okay. Click had done his best to assure her they were getting along.

  “But... She can’t just take her, can she?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “I’m going to talk to Kevin Glenn tomorrow, see what my options are. I know I haven’t had her long, but... I’m having a hell of a hard time imagining her not being here.”

  She nodded, a deep furrow settling in between her brows. “And Georgia. Is she...is she a good person? I mean, I don’t mean to sound uncharitable, but is she what’s best for Pearl?”

  Tandy was saying what he’d been thinking. “I can’t say. I knew her from the circuit.” He glanced at her. “She wasn’t interested in settling down.”

  “So you knew her well?” she asked, her tone tight.

  Shame pressed in on him. “No. I didn’t. But I saw her in action.”

  Tandy was staring at his chest.

  He knew what she was thinking. “I left you and headed to Lynnie’s. I stopped at a bar on the circuit, and she was there. I don’t remember much else, Tandy. I can’t change what happened. I’m sure as hell not proud of it—”

  “Some good came from it.” Her eyes shone with unshed tears. “You got Pearl.”

  He nodded, his arms tightening around her. “I did.” He cleared his throat. “Now I have to find a way to keep her.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Tandy and Pearl made blueberry muffins for breakfast. Pearl had bright blue fingertips by the time they were done and the kitchen was a mess, but Click’s laughter made it all worth it. When they were done with the pile of dishes, they dressed to go into town.

  Click dropped her off for her doctor’s checkup and drove out to pick Miss Francis up. By the time he was back, Tandy was done.

  “A clean bill of health,” she said, sliding into the back seat by Pearl’s car seat.

  “That’s wonderful news, Tandy,” Miss Francis said. “Click was telling me all about it. Stitches and a flattened house?” She tsk-tsked before going on. “Sounds like having your neighbor around sure came in handy.”

  “Thank God for her dog,” Click said.

  Tandy smiled at Click in the rearview mirror, loving the way the corners of his eyes crinkled when he smiled.

  “Keep your eyes on the road, son,” Miss Francis said, patting Click’s hand on the steering wheel.

  Tandy laughed. The road was wide open and empty as far as the eye could see, but she wasn’t going to say a word to challenge Miss Francis.

  “Ta-dee?” Pearl said, leaning forward in her seat.

  “Hi, Pearl.” She rummaged through the box on the floorboard. “How about we read a book?”

  Pearl nodded, so Tandy read her a book all about penguins. Pearl was sound asleep before she reached the halfway mark.

  “Well, what happens next?” Miss Francis asked.

  “I think Pearl dozed off,” Click said, chuckling.

  “I’ll read the rest of it on the way back,” Tandy offered.

  Miss Francis laughed. “You two are doing a fine job with her.” She paused. “I never doubted it once, mind you. Now that you’re staying put, seems like you should make it all proper. A big wedding, with all the fixings. You don’t want people talking.”

  Miss Francis’s words were like a cold shower. Words like you two and big wedding and staying put implied things. Things she and Click hadn’t talked about. Things that could hurt her all over again.

  Pearl wasn’t her daughter. She was Click’s. And Georgia’s.

  Tandy stared out the window, her pulse kicking up.

  “You young people wait too long to settle down and start a family. You want to be young enough to run after your grandkids, take it from me. Nothing worse than a grandma that’s stuck in a rocking chair.” Miss Francis shook her head. “You could have it at the old fort. Makes for pretty pictures. Or the observatory—at night. My, that would be quite the thing.”

  “We’d have to talk to our wedding planners,” Click said. “They’ve already got it all worked out.”

  “Wedding planners?” Miss Francis asked.

  “He’s teasing you, Miss Francis,” Tandy spoke up. “Click’s being kind enough to let me use a spare room, that’s all.” She could feel Click’s gaze on her in the rearview mirror but couldn’t look at him.

  “Click Hale.” Miss Francis sighed. “You shouldn’t tease a woman my age about things like that. I was about to get the quilting group started on a wedding-ring quilt for you. And talk to Mabelle about putting aside some bulbs for flowers. And to the Buchanan family about the printers they used for their daughters’ weddings. Such nice invitations.”

  Tandy shook her head and frowned at Click. This was how stories got started. Stories that people in a small town would spread like wildfire. And when things fell apart, all those people would be looking for the reasons they fell apart, making it that much worse—that much harder to get away from.

  She pressed her eyes closed.

  “I’m sorry, Miss Francis.” Click chuckled. “You’ll be the first one to know when Tandy and I decide to make things proper.”

  “See that you do,” Miss Francis said. “Now, I have my list...”

  Tandy listened to the old woman list off the stops they’d need to make before they could head back to Fort Kyle.

  “I figure Tandy will want to stop there, pick up some clothing. Might find a few things for Pearl, too, since she’s likely growing like a weed.” Miss Francis kept on going.

  Tandy smiled at Pearl, sound asleep in her car seat, and took Pearl’s little hand in hers. She had no claim on this child, but Tandy loved her all the same. Would she get the chance to see Pearl grow up, run on sturdy legs, speak in full sentences and sing like a songbird?

  Click was worried. He tried to act calm, but she’d seen the fear in his eyes. He was worried about losing his daughter.

  There wasn’t a thing she could do to help him.

  It wasn’t fair.

  He’d already lost one daughter, he shouldn’t lose Pearl, too.

  She rested her head against the car seat and studied Click’s profile as he talked with Miss Francis. They were discussing the costs of Click irrigating part of his land for crops. And, if he did irrigate, what he’d grow. With the frequent drought-like conditions in this part of Texas, investing in crops was a risk. If he did irrigate and plant crops, the local wildlife would find his spread too good to refuse. Whatever he decided, he’d make it work. That was the way Click was, determined—committed.

  She didn’t know much about Pearl’s mother. She wasn’t sure she wanted to. What she did know didn’t recommend the woman for motherhood. It wasn’t the sleeping around that gave Tandy pause. Her brother had visited more than his fair share of beds when he was footloose and fancy-free. Drug use was different.

  Pearl rubbed her eyes, her head shifting to the other side of the car seat. She slept on, oblivious to the conversation in the front seat or Tandy holding her hand.

  This baby girl’s future was unknown. As much as Tandy loved her, she had no say-so in her future. Just like before—with Amelia. When she’d been helpless to do anything as her baby was taken from her. Pain sliced sharply through her chest, so sharp she pressed her hand to her chest. She wasn’t strong enough to go through that again. Maybe she should stop the pain before it destroyed her. But was she strong enough to leave Click and Pearl? Giving up her chance at happiness was the only way to protect herself from irreparable heartbreak.

  * * *

  “YOU’RE IN A mighty fine position,” Kevin Glenn said. “Property, income, character references. The things the court wants in a custody case.”

  “I don’t know if it’s going to come to that.” Click tapped his fingers on the tabletop.

  “Best to be prepared,” Mr. Glenn said. “What do we know about Georgia Miles?”

 
“Not much,” Click confessed.

  “Well, what we do know won’t hurt us.” Mr. Glenn sat back, taking a sip of the sweet tea Tandy had made earlier. “Thought about hiring a private investigator? I know you don’t want to play hardball, son, and I respect that. But I’m thinking your daughter’s needs should come first. You say she’s in a drug rehabilitation facility? Was this her choice or court required?”

  “Her choice, I think.” Click ran a hand over his face. He didn’t want to be in this position.

  “Wouldn’t hurt to find out,” Kevin Glenn said. “Just in case.”

  “Like I said, I’m hoping it won’t come to that.” He stopped tapping his fingers on the table and pressed his hands against his thighs. “This whole business makes me uncomfortable, Mr. Glenn.”

  “I understand, Click, I do.” He nodded. “If she shows up wanting to take Pearl, we’ll file an injunction. That way there’s a formal custody arrangement worked out and you won’t worry you’ll never see your daughter again.”

  That he could agree to. He wasn’t going to lose his daughter.

  “But if she shows up with some fancy lawyer, I want you to consider hiring a private eye. Now that you’ve got all this, she might get greedy and go after more than just custody.” Mr. Glenn slid his tablet into his beaten-up briefcase and stood. “You have any questions, you call me.”

  “I appreciate you coming out so late.” Click walked the older man to the front door.

  “The wife had bingo at the community center, so it worked out fine.” He grinned. “Couldn’t help but notice the improvements you’ve made on the place when I got here. Things are looking good, Click. New fences, fresh coat of paint on the barn, and graveled the driveway, too. Been busy. I hear tell you’re thinking about starting a training facility? For cutting horses? Your specialty?” The older man cast an appreciative gaze over Click’s land.

  “Word sure travels fast.”

  “No secrets in a town this size.” He chuckled. “Like Tandy Boone staying here?”