Click stood there until there was no sign of her taillights or dust kicked up on her exit. She was gone. He could finally breathe. His heart slowed, but the dull ache was there. Nothing was resolved, not yet.
Pearl yawned, reminding him it was past her bedtime. “Nighttime, snuggle bunny,” he said, loving the way she curled into him. “I’m sorry you’re feeling bad,” he said, kissing Pearl’s head.
Pearl shook her head. “Tadee sing.”
Click nodded. “Maybe. Let’s ask. Remember to say please.” She’d stay, for Pearl. But he wanted her to stay for him—for them. He hoped like hell that was why she wanted to talk to him.
Pearl nodded, grinning. “Peez.”
Tandy was in the kitchen, elbows deep in dishwater. A quick glance around the kitchen told him she hadn’t been watching out the window. No, she’d been scrubbing down the kitchen. “Did she leave?” she asked, nervously looking between them.
He nodded. “For now.” His words were thick.
“Sing peez?” Pearl asked, reaching for her. “Tadee?”
Tandy nodded, her eyes searching his. “Yes, ma’am.” She wiped her hands on her apron and took Pearl’s hand.
She was close—close enough to touch. Her scent rolled over him. It was hard not to reach for her, hard not to pull her close. “Kitchen looks nice. I appreciate it. And you coming out here. I know it’s not...what you wanted.”
Her brow furrowed. “Click...that’s not true.”
“Tadee, mew-sik,” Pearl said, tugging her earlobe.
He stared at her long and hard, noting the flush of her cheeks. Hope washed over him—so much hope. “We’re going to talk,” he said to her. “But I need to make a quick call first. So there’s nothing hanging over my head.” He needed Kevin Glenn’s counsel. It might make things easier if the man joined them for lunch tomorrow. He headed onto the back porch to make the call.
“How can I help you this evening?” Mr. Glenn asked.
“Georgia’s here. She’ll be coming out tomorrow for lunch to talk. I figured I’d touch base with you before that happened.”
There was a pause. “Is she alone?”
“She was tonight.” His gaze wandered along the fence line. Domino was at the water trough. Blackjack was dozing several feet away.
“You say she’s coming for lunch?” Mr. Glenn said. “Maybe I’ll stop by?”
“Sounds good. See you tomorrow,” he said, hanging up.
Tandy played the piano, with Pearl’s help from the sound of it. It brought a smile to his lips.
He patted Banshee’s head, eager to hear what Tandy wanted to say—and terrified. “I’m hoping it’s good news,” he said to the dog. If he had Tandy at his side, he could handle whatever life threw at him.
Chapter Eighteen
Tandy rocked Pearl, rubbing a cool cloth across her fevered forehead. Poor Pearl was fighting sleep, her little fingers tugging on her right earlobe before she dissolved into a puddle of tears. After another vapor bath and a long lullaby-filled cuddle, Pearl had dozed off. But as soon as Tandy had laid her in her crib, Pearl had started to cry.
“I thought she’d be doing better.” Click was pacing. He’d been pacing since she started crying again. “What’s the point of making her take medicine if it’s not going to help?”
“Her fever is down,” Tandy tried to reassure him. “It’ll take some time.”
He sighed, slumping into the recliner opposite her rocking chair, one long leg stretching out. His boot caught on the strap of her purse, dumping its contents all over the floor.
“I’m sorry.” He crouched, only to have Banshee come nose-to-nose with him. “Come on, Banshee.” But every time Click moved, Banshee moved with him—thinking it was a game.
Tandy giggled, muffling her mouth with her hand.
It wasn’t long before Click was laughing, too, sitting on the floor, Banshee trying his hardest to fit into his lap.
“Maybe he’s feeling left out?” Tandy asked.
Click smiled at her, rubbing behind Banshee’s ear. “Guess so.”
She loved his smile. She loved how kind and patient he was. She loved the way a simple look made her feel cherished.
He loved her.
He cleared his throat and turned his attention to the mess on his floor. Click did his best to work around Banshee, collecting lipstick, Band-Aids, sunglasses, hand sanitizer, her notebook, some pictures of her brother and his family. “Toben’s son?” he said, picking up the photo. “Cute kid.”
She nodded. Pearl stirred, fussing just enough that Tandy shifted her. She stood, bouncing the baby in her arms. “I’m going to try to put her to bed.” It took a bit of rocking and some back rubbing, but Pearl finally relaxed into a deep sleep.
Tandy stared at the sleeping baby. “Time to go beg your daddy for forgiveness, Pearl. Wish me luck.” She took a deep breath and headed into the living room.
Click stood, reading her acceptance letter. “Is this what you wanted to talk to me about?”
She shook her head.
“This is a big deal, Tandy. You’re getting what you always dreamed of. Congratulations.” He cleared his throat, reading over the letter again. “I hear Stonewall Crossing is a nice place. Not so dry. Or so flat. They get rain once in a while.”
She nodded. “It is pretty country. But there’s something about Fire Gorge that’s truly beautiful.”
“I’ve driven from one end of the country to the other. Nothing compared to this.” He nodded. “You’ll miss it.”
She frowned. “Why would I miss it?”
“You can’t pass this up.” He shook his head, holding out the letter.
“I’m not going,” she said.
“Yes, you are.” He frowned.
“I realized something when I got that letter,” she said, closing the distance between them. “This didn’t matter if I didn’t have you to share it with. Tell me it’s not too late, Click.” She placed her hand on his arm. “Tell me you’ll give me another chance. I’m scared of what could happen with Pearl. But what really terrifies me is life without you. I’m so sorry. You’re what I want—you’re always what I’ve wanted most.”
He dropped the papers and pulled her into his arms, his warm hand pressed against her cheek. “I’m glad to hear it.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “But I’m not letting you give up on your dream for me. I love you.” He shook his head, studying her. “Your uncle would jump on this place. Pearl and I will be happy anywhere. As long as you’re there.” He smiled. “You lead, we’ll follow.”
She stared at him, stunned. “You’d do that?”
He nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Because you love me?” she whispered.
“Because I love you. Because you make life better.” He smiled. “Complete. You are all I want. And all I need.”
“You and me and Pearl?” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am.” His gaze swept over her face.
“I don’t want to leave this place,” she said. “This is home—”
“Tandy.” He frowned.
She covered his mouth. “We don’t need to go. They have a distance program. There’s information with the letter. Sure, I’d have to go to Stonewall Crossing a few times a month and Doc Edwards would have to sign off on my hours at the clinic, but it could work.” The more she talked, the more excited she became. “Pearl could get to know her cousins. And you could talk to my uncle Teddy about training some of his horses or the refuge horses—”
He kissed her until she was swaying on her feet. Then she just held on to him.
“You’re sure about staying here?” he asked, his lips brushing hers—teasing and featherlight.
She broke away from their kiss. “I’m being greedy, Click Hale. I want it all. I want to go to school, but I want you more.” Her fingers stroked
his lips. “Is that okay with you?”
He nodded. “I wouldn’t let you settle for anything less.”
“I know.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “That’s why I gave you my heart, and a puppy, all those years ago.”
The love in his smile washed over her. “After I’m done kissing you, we’ll call our wedding planners and make this official and proper.”
Epilogue
Click listened to the sound of Tandy’s voice over the baby monitor as he finished loading the dishwasher. He could always tell when Pearl was asleep—it was when her little voice fell silent. She was a songbird, just like Tandy. And he loved it.
Banshee yawned from his spot in the corner.
“Tired, too?” he asked the dog. “She’s getting harder to keep up with, isn’t she?”
It was true. The bigger Pearl got, the faster she went. He didn’t know what he’d do without Banshee tracking after her. The dog was like a canine nanny, keeping her corralled close to the house and alerting them to any signs of danger.
“Are you talking about me? I know I am,” Tandy said as she crossed the room. She slid her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek against his back.
“Guess it applies to you, too.” He chuckled and covered her hands with his, running his finger along the smooth gold band he’d put on her left hand a month before. “Well, Mrs. Hale, I’d like to tell you to go to bed, but your case study won’t write itself.” He lifted her hand, kissed each knuckle and turned to face her. “Can I help with anything?”
“This works,” she said, pressing herself close against him. “I love you.”
He smiled. Every damn time she said it, he smiled. “I love you.” He hugged her tighter.
There were times Click still couldn’t believe just how lucky he was. He had Tandy. He had Lynnie’s place. He was doing what he loved. And Pearl was his. He and Tandy had offered to work out some sort of custody arrangement, but Georgia thought a clean slate was the best thing for her. Click didn’t understand, but he didn’t argue. Mr. Glenn had drawn up the papers and Georgia had signed them.
“What are you thinking about?” Tandy asked, looking up at him.
“Life.” He kissed her forehead. “How good it is.”
She smiled. “Are you saying you’re happy, Mr. Hale? Even though you had to do the dishes?”
He nodded. “But I did have an idea. Something that might help wake you up, help you get your homework done.” He cocked an eyebrow.
“Oh, really?” she asked, smiling broadly. “I can’t wait to hear what you have in mind.”
His lips brushed hers, trailing along her neck to nip her earlobe. “I’d rather show you, Tandy.”
* * * * *
If you loved this book, look for more in Sasha Summers’s THE BOONES OF TEXAS series:
COURTED BY THE COWBOY
A COWBOY TO CALL DADDY
A SON FOR THE COWBOY
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Wrangling Cupid’s Cowboy
by Amanda Renee
Chapter One
“I know women love shoes, but isn’t this taking it a little too far?”
Delta lowered a freshly shod horse’s hoof to the ground and straightened to acknowledge the lame wisecrack. She half expected to find a cocksure ranch hand looking to score. Instead, a rugged cowboy with deep maple-brown eyes and hair to match rested casually against the work truck she’d parked in the Silver Bells Ranch’s wide stable entrance.
“Garrett Slade.” He took a step toward her and extended his hand. “I’m the ranch’s new partner. My brother Dylan has told me you’re the best farrier in the state. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Delta Grace.” His muscular fingers encircled her palm, sending a tingle down to the tips of her toes. “Dylan’s much too kind, but I appreciate it just the same. And the pleasure is all mine,” she drawled. Delta inwardly cringed at the unfamiliar licentious tone she had never heard come out of her mouth. He was the most attractive man she’d laid eyes on since heaven knew when, and she found it most unsettling.
She stepped around Garrett and gave the draft horse’s bristly muzzle a rub. The animal inquisitively nudged the pocket of her pink-and-black plaid flannel shirt until she unbuttoned it and rewarded him with the baby carrots she had tucked away earlier. She returned to her truck and packed up her tools before removing her heavyweight apron chaps under the heat of Garrett’s gaze. “I’m finished here for the day, but I’ll need to return tomorrow for Lightning Bug, the quarter horse with navicular disease. I need to be here when Dr. Presley radiographs the hoof so we can discuss further shoeing modifications. He’s improved significantly since the early fall when Jax first noticed it.”
A flicker of sadness crossed his features at the mention of Garrett’s uncle, who had died six weeks earlier. They were almost halfway through January and the ranch’s future precariously balanced on the newly formed partnership between the two Slade brothers. They had managed to avoid foreclosure on the 730-acre guest ranch, but they still had major renovations to undertake for them to profitably compete with the more modern ranches cropping up around them.
“I am truly sorry for your loss. Jax was a great man.”
Garrett nodded wordlessly and led the Belgian horse to his stall. Delta secured the side compartment of her truck while trying to ignore the way his fawn-colored barn coat framed his broad shoulders. If the Silver Bells Ranch wasn’t her largest account, she would have asked him to join her for a drink in Jax’s memory. But she wasn’t willing to cross that line under any circumstances.
Delta firmly believed her professional and personal life should remain independent of each other. She’d successfully maintained that balance back in Missoula, but it proved more difficult since she had moved to Saddle Ridge in northwestern Montana. A town forty times smaller meant running into customers no matter where she went. Lucky for her, Missoula was a two-hour straight shot south and she visited her family and friends whenever she wanted.
She had a few single girlfriends in town, but Liv was pregnant with triplets and Maddie was so in love with the baby thing she spent all her free time helping Liv prepare for their arriv
al. Weeknights had become lonely and it didn’t help that Saddle Ridge had already gone head over boots for Valentine’s Day. She never understood the fervent commercialization of the blasted holiday. Back home she could escape it. Not in Saddle Ridge. Everywhere she turned, there was another cupid aiming an arrow at her heart. She’d like to shove that arrow somewh—
“I wanted to discuss a few things if you have the time to spare.” Garrett’s voice shattered her mental assault on the chubby cherub.
“Sure. Silver Bells was my last stop today.” Delta folded her arms tight across her chest as a bitter wind blew into the stables. “Just let me move my truck out of your entrance.” Minutes later, she was back inside as Garrett slid the tall wooden doors shut behind her. The cold lingered on her body, causing her to regret leaving her jacket on the front seat.
“Let’s talk in my office where it’s warmer.”
His office? Delta found it interesting that Dylan had handed over the responsibility of the horses to Garrett. They had been his greatest pride, but she understood the necessity to move into his uncle’s position of managing the ranch along with the lodge and staff.
Snorts and nickers coupled with the lone scrape of a shovel against a stall floor masked the awkward silence that grew between them as she followed him down the center corridor. The friendliness that had transpired between them only moments ago seemed to fade with each stride.
The office door creaked as Garrett opened it for her to enter. Fluorescent lights swathed the large room with the flick of a switch. She had been there before, but it had resembled more of a cozy den. Not anymore. A row of chest-high filing cabinets with shelves above them replaced the oversize leather couch along the rough wood wall opposite the desk. And the kitchenette now consisted of a coffeepot and nothing more. Dylan had faithfully stocked boxes of cookies, chips and other nibbles for his employees to snack on during the day. It appeared those were a thing of the past, too.
“Have a seat.” Garrett removed his hat and hung it on the freestanding rack behind his desk before shrugging off his coat and hanging it on the other side. He waited for her to sit in the chair across from him before doing the same. “I’m not sure how much you know about the changes the ranch is undergoing, but I’d like to discuss a few cost-saving ideas with you.”
Cowboy Lullaby (The Boones 0f Texas Book 6) Page 19
